Morning News 10-12-06

'Values' Decline As Issue In Ohio. Who's values are they talking about? Not supporting genocide for oil is a definite value. So is making sure children, the sick, and the elderly have food and medical care. It might take a little time, but Ohio always figures it out before some parts of the nation do.

Bush's Newest Wiggle Dance: Playing Fashion Police Bush's wiggle dance first came to my attention when in Georgia -- I think -- (the eastern Europe Country not the eastern US state) the president did a little wiggle dance looking half sheepish and half bored as he always does when quoting speeches supposedly full of concern and compassion that political operatives have written for him. After a few days of media and even liberal groups focusing on the "wiggle dance" I realized that the uproar was on purpose, to distract the public and media from the war (which had partially been a device to distract people from what the Bush administration was doing at home. I'm only mentioning this now because I have found the major serious news sources devoting space usually reserved for serious politics featuring articles on this latest "wiggle dance".


LA Times: Panel Questions Republican on Page Board People ask why wasn't even the other Republican on the page board told of Foley's advances?

Hastert Aides Interest Ethics Panel I predicted a few days ago that they will be pinning the problem on the aides. One aide seems especially vulnerable. Kudos to Jonathan Weisman for pointing out the fact that a couple of Hastert's aides live and commute with Hastert, making it nearly impossible for the Speaker not to know what they know. If they don't get beyond the aides we should demand an independent investigation.

Lidle’s Plane Traveled Along Feared Path Really sad, but they need to show us the passport. If they are not lying to us about that they should be able to show it. Demand to see the passport!

Opponent Phil Angelides Demands, Nurses Buy Equal Time on Schwarzenegger's Tonight appearance. Million dollar spot handed to Schwarzenegger with appearance, but no equal time offered to contending candidate Phil Angelides. California nurses bought spots for their campaign finance reform initiative on the show.

RE: Scandal Sidelines Hastert, Reynolds. Interesting article on how the Foley scandal is affecting the Speaker's, and Republican Campaign Chairman's ability to focus on the election. Basically, I don't know what an appearance from the old bully, Hastert, would matter to a campaign. What is the attraction for hard core Republicans to his snear and snarl. And from what I've heard from Reynolds, he seems to be cut from the same cloth. Notice though that neither one will relenquish the least bit of power.

Political `Tracker' Is Looking for Err TimeArticle was surprisingly snide about political aides that track opponents actions with a digital camera and put the results up on YouTube. Then I realized that this was cutting into the domains of the news media. They are supposed to be able to control the news that gets out to the public. Shame Shame on people getting information out cheaply on You Tube! Less wealthy, less big business supported candidates can get information out to the world without the favor of big business controlled mainstream news. Whatever will the news media do? (Angelides campaign, are you listening? Make some digital of your clownlike opponent in action. Ah, he probably has a couple of steroid goons protecting him from recorders.)

David Broder asks if voters will carry through with their new awareness of the failure of the Bush administration and the Republican controlled Congress on election day. Well asked. We know the Republicans can't be trusted with complete power. We've been paying attention, but will we succumb to the massive Republican operative campaign? When that Republican operative calls you on the phone with his or her lies or comes to your door because they've collected information on you and think you are a good bet to be able to be goaded into voting Republican, will you fall for the lies that they dole out one more time. This might be the last time we have a chance to drag this nation away from empire building. Will we stand our ground or buckle our knees to Republican operatives? Also, let me ask the print news media too whether they will keep the bit of backbone they've found in the last months if the vote is shown to be hacked as some newspapers have shown could happen and may have happened in the past? Or will they buckle under to Karl Rove's pressure to cover up another stolen election if it happens and pass on excuses for the Republicans like they did in 2000, 2002, and 2004.

Amish killings school demolished Maybe we should have sent the Amish to rebuild Iraq. (Not really. They are the last that we should send to that horrible mess, but at least they can get things done -- and fast.) Wp reports that heavy machinery did the job before dawn today (they felt they needed it done quickly). Also noted is that classes will resume in another location (earlier reports had said something about homeschooling, but this way the children can support each other rather than being isolated. I guess the Amish don't think they have to control every little thought of their kids like the homeschoolers do.


High Court in Britain Loosens Strict Libel Law This might free the Guardian and Independent to report, but it also would allow the Telegraph and Murdoch's huge news media machine in the UK to get away with slander more easily it seems. Norm Coleman will love this decision.

Join the Bush administration. Get underlings to do your kid's school projects. What a deal. WP report also shows that former ATF head was apparently trying to design his office into something like a luxury suite. It's good to be on the morally deficient, but politically powerful side, I guess.

Religion-Based Tax Breaks: Housing to Paychecks to Books Crying that they are not highly compensated, clergy have gotten tax breaks on their housing needs (usually c. 1/3 of their income) though other poorly paid non profit employees od not get similar deals, and neither do poorly paid teachers and day care workers. There are many more ways that the American taxpayer help to finance religion in this nation through taxbreaks to clergy too. Read article at link above.


North Korea warns of sanctions reprisals Kim is a crazy and belligerent as Bush. This does look like trouble.
Jim Hoagland weighs in on the same subject but is he talking about the North Korea government or the US?:

North Korea's efforts to blame its crossing of the nuclear-testing threshold on U.S. "economic hostility" would be laughable if the regime weren't led by world-class paranoids and fantasists capable of believing their own odious propaganda.

NY Times: Idaho city officially urges residents to arm themselves

George Will Celebrates the fact that Scwarzenegger is against the United States using the popular vote to elect a president. Why is that not a surprise? Governor Phil Angelides would sign it, like he would have signed the state wide health care coverage law that Schwarzenegger vetoed. BTW, did you hear that Bush quietly "ditched" the Border fence law by pocket veto? (The deadline has now passed and the bill is dead.) And he did it with the consent of Congressional Republicans as shown in this post.

Schwarzenegger Using Half Billion Dollar a Year School Program to Bribe Clergy

Excerpt LA Times article "Gov. Courts Black Clergy With Aid From Prop. 49"

Money is available this year for the first time under Proposition 49, in the amount of about $500 million. Schwarzenegger promoted that initiative in 2002, laying the groundwork for his entry into the recall campaign the next year.

In recent months, the governor's staff has been approaching black churches to help them apply for some of the funds. A Schwarzenegger aide even enlisted one appointee to a state board to give advice to black clergymen on how to submit successful applications.

...

"It sounds like it's walking right up to the line of buying endorsements with public money," said Ned Wigglesworth, policy advocate for California Common Cause. "It sounds like Gov. Schwarzenegger is trying to smooth the way for approval.

"When Arnold Schwarzenegger went to the voters in 2002 and asked them to vote for Prop. 49 after-school funds," Wigglesworth said, "voters had no idea these funds might later be used to facilitate Schwarzenegger's reelection candidacy in 2006. What you have is a public figure using the ballot measure process to create a pot of public money that they then use to pursue their own political agenda."

...
At First AME Church in Oakland on Sunday, Mayberry said from the pulpit that the pastor of another church, which he did not identify, told him a representative of the governor had offered day-care money to that church.

"Why didn't he deliver the money before he started to run for reelection?" Mayberry asked the congregation.

In an interview, Mayberry said: "If the governor is that interested in helping people who need day care and the assistance of the government, why not come up with all these bright ideas prior to the election?"
...
Brown said he is co-chairman of a group of 14 Bay Area churches bidding for Proposition 49 money. He said they have gotten assistance from Sandra McBrayer of San Diego, appointed by Schwarzenegger in March to a state advisory committee on before- and after-school programs.

Smith said he has attended two meetings in which McBrayer gave advice on submitting a convincing grant application. When she was still part of Schwarzenegger's state staff, Fortune had urged McBrayer to meet with black religious leaders and talk about the after-school funds, according to Schwarzenegger campaign officials.