What If They Held an Election and No One Came?

Is it just me, or is there something repugnant about the unnervingly early start to the campaign for President of the United States? I remember Congressman Phil Crane announcing in July of 1971 that he would challenge President Nixon for the 1972 Republican nomination. Rep. Crane's announcement was seen as both clever and amazingly early. In those days, candidates still did not officially announce until the beginning of election year.

So what are we to make of this ridiculously early start? Remember that a little over one hundred years ago, it was still considered rather rude and inappropriate for a man (no women need apply) to actively seek the office. These were the days when one could still run a successful "front porch" campaign. Is it possible that the big money interests realized this time that the weakness of the Bush Presidency was leaving a dangerous vacuum in the political life of the country? Did they realize that the public had to be distracted from increasing globalization, from the impending (and now actual) fall of General Motors from world's largest to world's second largest car-maker? And from the fact that Toyota would not be the world's largest car company without those factories operating on U.S. soil? That they had to be distracted from more and more jobs being sent overseas, especially the good-paying jobs? That the wizard's tricks were being exposed by the little dog pulling back the curtain?

While I try not to disdain the Democratic candidates for President it is rather hard to take them too seriously this long before an election. It is a further difficulty to take them with equanimity in the face of a failed Presidential election in 2004, one marred by Republican dirty tricks of a high order, and lost by a man who claimed the misdeeds of 2000 would not be left unchallenged if repeated -- but were virtually ignored after all.

It is time to treat this Presidential campaign with benign neglect. To treat it as legitimate at this point in time is laughable. Let us allow these men and women (surely there is more than one woman?) all their rights to tramp about the country with little clue about what people truly need both now and eighteen months from now. Let us wish them well, but let us be wary. And most of all let us be wary of that vaunted lemon-fighter, Mr. Nader, for his unseemly egoistic, spoiling, windmill-tilting.

Let us be willing to listen respectfully if in bewilderment. And let us be willing to perceive keenly then act to preserve, as we must, our rights. Let this be done without violence and in a near time, remembering a well-worn but still-useful cliche: the pen is mightier than the sword.

Bill Moyers Returns to the Airwaves

The past week has been an eventful one. The highlights have included the filing of a petition for the impeachment of Richard B. Cheney in the U.S. House of Representatives, new subpoenas of Bush administration figures, and an agreement by one to testify.

As part of the truth investigation process Bill Moyers Journal has premiered on Public Television. I have watched both programs this week and have found them to be useful and at times fascinating, even remarkable. Tonight's show featuring Jon Stewart of The Daily Show was especially intriguing. I respect Jon Stewart very much for what he is trying to do with his program. In regards to tonight's interview with Moyers, I have the following observation. At one point the two spoke about the need to have a true discussion about the War in Iraq. I very much agree.

However, a deeper discussion must be had as well. This was mentioned briefly in tonight's interview. The question must be asked: What kind of country should we be? Also, in terms of recent history, we must ask what kind of elections do we want and will we tolerate the shenanigans (mostly from Republicans) exhibited in 2000 and 2004? For those of us who have studied the matter, it is apparent that G. W. Bush was not legitimately placed in the White House, but ascended to that vaunted seat of power through treachery.

For more on this subject, please see other posts on this web log, including the one appearing earlier this week.

Latest Evidence of Vote Fraud in 2004 Vote Count

At the link below you will find some of the latest evidence about election 2004. Did the political operation of the White House and Republican Party operatives have the capability of manufacturing votes for Bush in Ohio? That is the question this article attempts to answer.

My closest friends know that I was one of the relatively few in America who dared question the announced results of that tainted election. I believe the article below helps vindicate those of us who raised questions at that time and later. For those serious about any right to vote, it is a must read.


http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042407A.shtml

Impeachment Saturday

Saturday, April 28, 2007, is Impeachment Saturday around the United States. With a resolution of the impeachment of Richard B. Cheney already introduced in the United States House of Representatives, it is time to show our support.

Some persons are already campaigning for the Impeachment of George W. Bush, sometimes now known as "King George"! You can find out more about Impeachment
Saturday at the link below.

Surely it is time to be rid of such dangerously incompetent office-holders.



http://www.a28.org/

A Private Military on U.S. Soil

As unbelievable as it may sound there exists a private military operating on U.S. soil. The name of the firm is Blackwater and it is headquartered in North Carolina. Not in existence ten years ago, this firm with strong Republican ties has arisen to become a powerful force in military operations, particularly in Iraq.

The radio program Democracy Now has been chronicling the rise of this secretive, frightening and wealthy corporation. In coming days I hope to say more about the threat to our democracy posed by the Blackwater operation.


http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/04/19/1349211

A Credible Seccesion Movement in the U.S.?

Several days ago I promised a surprise in the future. I am now ready to give you the link to a very interesting article. The article tells of what appears to be a credible secessionist movement in the state of Vermont. The article tells something of the history of the state of Vermont (interesting in and of itself). It also mentions a time-table for bringing the proposed withdrawal of Vermont from the Union before the citizens of that great state.

I will say quickly now that in no way do I support the secession of any state from the United States at this time. It has long been established that the Civil War decided no state could secede from the Union.

Having said this, I do respect those people of Vermont who are appalled by what they see going on in Washington. I dare say the majority of Americans are, at minimum, disquieted by the corruption of the current Administration. (Congress, while not winning majority approval in recent polls, has a higher rating than the President, and a significantly higher rating than the previous Republican-led Congress.) Much more can be said in defense of the sentiments of these Vermonters.

In further regard to the secession movement, it is my understanding that the Constitution itself does not prevent a withdrawal. This was part of the argument of the Confederate states. But let me say it would be more than unfortunate for any state to vote for withdrawal. We need to work together to clean up the political process, reform media-ownership laws, ammend the Constitution if necessary, or --in the worst case -- create a new one. What we do not need is a fractured United States. E Pluribus Unum.

The article is currently posted here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033002076.html


Coming soon: An article about the Democracy Now interview concerning the Blackwater Corporation, a private military firm operating around the world with at least one private military base in the United States.

Kitty Carlisle Has Died

Kitty Carlisle, best known as a long-time panelist on the TV game show To Tell the Truth has died. The well-loved actress and patron of the arts was 96. She died Tuesday, April 17, in her New York apartment according to her son, The Lompoc Record reports.

From roles on Broadway to a stint as Chairperson of the New York Council on the Arts, Kitty Carlisle's gracious and sparkling personality charmed audiences and legislators alike.

I am especially grateful for her patronage of the arts, especially the theatre arts, which of course includes musicals.

For more on Kitty Carlisle (Hart) you may wish to visit here:

http://www.backstage.com/bso/news_reviews/other_news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003573647

Hints of Things to Come

I am working on three subject areas for future posts. The first two have been mentioned here previously. The third subject is new and -- depending on your viewpoint -- either thrilling or horrifying.

First, I am continuing my research on the subject of global warming. If one wants to approach the subject dispassionately and scientifically, this can be a bit difficult until one first finds the relevant documents, then begins to digest them.

Second, I am now in chapter seven of It Can't Happen Here, Sinclair Lewis's masterpiece on the rise of fascism in America and a story most contemporary.

The third subject I prefer to keep secret for the time being. It is a very hopeful story but one which I need to explore and develop a bit more before sharing it here.

Please come back soon for more on these important issues.

Where is the Outrage?

Last evening I read a brief review of Lee Iacocca's new book in which he asks why the public does not seem outraged by the Bush administration. This is a worthy question and should be looked into.

One of my areas of investigation recently has been the subject of psychological abuse. So far I have learned some of the techniques of abuse. I have learned there is often a cycle, or pattern involved which includes a low-level blame phase escalating into a blow-out and leading to a reconciliation. This pattern is repeated over and over.

A few prominent academics in the field of psychology have recently made the case that G.W. Bush has practiced something like psychological abuse upon the American people. I am not able for reasons of time to delve into their writings at this time. However, I believe that one frequent psychological trait manifested by victims of abuse is denial. And I further believe something like this has been going on in America. After being scared to death by the events of September 11, 2001, the American people have accepted and endured much they never would otherwise have countenanced. (Examples include the assault on civil liberties. To their credit, the American people did not accept the use of torture, although Bush is presently attempting to continue its practice by other means.)

I should say swiftly that I am not necessarily a follower of much that is offered by the psychiatric establishment. This is not to say, however, that psychology is not an important field of study. And a nation, afterall, is made up of individuals. Mass psychology comes ultimately from the feelings and thoughts of individual persons.

In the future I look forward to continuing this investigation.

Replacement U.S. Attorney a Criminal?

It sounds like a wild allegation until you read the facts. I need say no more. Greg Palast has the story here:

http://www.gregpalast.com/bushs-new-us-attorney-a-criminal/

New Developments in Ohio Election Fraud Case

From the first days of this web log I have been concerned about matters relating to the integrity of the vote in the United States. At the link below you will find a detailed report on new developments in the matter of irregularities in the Ohio 2004 election recount. The article is of medium length and makes clear the seriousness of the issue.

Bravo to Jennifer Brunner, the new Secretary of State of Ohio, for her actions seeking to clean up the Election Board of Cuyahoga County in the wake of serious allegations of irregularities.

As Greg Palast has made clear in a series of articles, the number of lost or suspicious votes is more than enough to have changed the announced Presidential winner in Ohio.

I agree with the statement that if the government cannot validate the legitimacy of its office-holders, we the people have no moral or legal obligation to support them in any way. In addition, I now ask whether this can be put in a positive way: Do we have the moral and legal obligation to oppose said illegitimate regime?


http://www.opednews.com/articles/1/genera_bob_fitr_070326_new_ohio_evidence_ex.htm

G. W. Bush Prevented from Self-Immolation: Detroit News

[I note that the text of the article nowhere supports the statement of the first sentence that the President was about to accidentally set himself on fire. Confirmation of such an allegation, if available, must be found elsewhere. -- TMP]

This from The Detroit News of April 7, 2007:


Credit Ford Motor Co. CEO Alan Mulally with saving the leader of the free world from self-immolation.
Mulally told journalists at the New York auto show that he intervened to prevent President Bush from plugging an electrical cord into the hydrogen tank of Ford's hydrogen-electric plug-in hybrid at the White House last week. Ford wanted to give the Commander-in-Chief an actual demonstration of the innovative vehicle, so the automaker arranged for an electrical outlet to be installed on the South Lawn and ran a charging cord to the hybrid. However, as Mulally followed Bush out to the car, he noticed someone had left the cord lying at the rear of the vehicle, near the fuel tank.
"I just thought, 'Oh my goodness!' So, I started walking faster, and the President walked faster and he got to the cord before I did. I violated all the protocols. I touched the President. I grabbed his arm and I moved him up to the front," Mulally said. "I wanted the president to make sure he plugged into the electricity, not into the hydrogen This is all off the record, right?"

+++++++++++

As of the time of this post, the original article on line can be found here:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070407/AUTO01/704070338/1148

White House May Be in Violation of Hatch Act

At the link posted below you will find a letter of the Honorable Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. This letter requests documents of Karl Rove relating to a meeting with political overtones held at the General Services Administration in January of this year. As I believe you will readily see such a meeting quite likely violates the Hatch Act, the law which prohibts the involvement of federal employees in political activities.

This meeting (and possibily others) are in line with other activities*, largely directed by Herr Rove in his never-ending quest to make the Republican Party the dominate party by hook or by crook, regardless of law or legal precedent.

I hope you agree that such activities cannot be allowed in a democracy. And with a politicized Justice Department America seems closer than ever to rule by a strongman and his henchmen. Fortunately, the opposition to such a scenario is growing stronger week by week, if not day by day. Let us inform ourselves of the facts and let us take all appropriate legal action to combat the un-Constitutional drift of the Bush administration.



http://oversight.house.gov/Documents/20070329141741-57831.pdf


* Such as the firing of able U.S. prosecutors

The Fear Factor

Last evening I finished reading the book Culture of Fear by Barry Glassner. This fine book (published in 1999 by Basic Books), presents a solid review of the major media scares of the last twenty-five to thirty years, including road rage, youth at risk, monster moms, black men, crack cocaine, and plane wrecks. At the time of writing, Glassner was Professor of Sociology at the University of Southern California. I learned many surprising things from this book. For example, I was completely unaware that the news of razor blades being placed in apples at Halloween -- so prominent in the media a number of years ago -- was essentially a hoax.

In concluding the book I realized that the fear-mongering after the attacks of September 11, 2001, were simply a natural continuation of the culture of fear which has been wrought upon America and the world in the last decades. The planners of that evil deed surely knew this would happen. From my research I have come to the belief that those horrible attacks were planned with the knowledge of those in the highest levels of the American government. (Although this has seemed preposterous to many, it is the only explanation which seems to meet all the facts.)

America these last years has been a nation run on fear. That is more than a shame. It is a tragedy and a crime. Culture of Fear does a tremendous public service in de-bunking many of the media and cultural myths of our time. It is highly recommended.