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Subject: 01/22 -- Ten injured in Mosul blast; Shelby reportedly under investigation in leak probe
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RATIONAL REVIEW NEWS DIGEST
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Published Monday-Friday, except for holidays
Supported by the generous donations of our readers
For even more news stories and commentaries, or to donate, visit:
http://www.rationalreview.com/news/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, January 22, 2004
Email Circulation: 2,182
FROM THE PUBLISHER
0) Retraction/Correction, and an apology
TODAY'S NEWS:
1) Ten injured in Mosul blast
2) Shelby reportedly under investigation in leak probe
3) Cleric, occupiers signal flexibility on election dispute
4) Panorama prompts war probe calls
5) Guantanamo lawyer renews attack
6) Ron Crickenberger, 1955-2004
7) Scientists surprised by mud found on Mars
8) North Korea evidence called uncertain
9) Town uses website list to shame scofflaws
10) UK pol promises return to marijuana witch hunts
11) Supreme Court says EPA can overrule state in clean air case
12) Mayoral victim disarmament cabal meets
13) Magazine blunder directs walkers over cliff
14) Pakistan intensifies nuclear investigation
15) Pentagon's online voting program deemed too risky
16) Anderson: Schools "deep green" and anti-farmer
17) Parsley, sage, rosemary and weed
18) Man linked to al Qaeda indicted
19) New invasions of privacy weighed for federal workers
20) 532 John Does accused of sharing songs
21) Brazil disarms victims as deaths soar
22) Iranian leader: US not ready for dialogue
23) ACLU: State "anti-terror" database threatens privacy
24) Council OKs pay for school board
25) Chicago's alternative to locking up youth
26) Congressman: Iraqi WMD details "years away"
27) Proposals push spending beyond budget
28) Gephardt hanging up the gloves
-----ADVERTISEMENT----------------------------------------------------
A DRUG WAR CAROL
The astounding graphic novel by Susan Wells and Scott Bieser
In print at last -- just in time for Christmas!
$5.95 from BigHead Press
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0974381403/rationalrev08-20
----------------------------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT-----
TODAY'S COMMENTARY:
29) No need for voting machines
30) Liberty Action of the Week
31) We see that now
32) A Bush-Clinton ticket would be unbeatable
33) Stretching the poor
34) Albanian tragedy
35) Bush leaves no bride behind
36) Ideology isn't enough
37) Beware the Iraq election blowback
38) George Bush's America
39) Today Baghdad, tomorrow Barsoom?
40) US manufacturing is quite healthy
41) An apple a day
42) Energy conservation zealots 1, consumers 0
43) Evasions, half-truths and the state of the union
44) Deconstructing the Bill of Rights
45) North Koreans starved by political classification
46) Warnings during wartime
47) Bush's missed opportunity
48) Scientists abandon AI project after seeing The Matrix
49) Why Dean and Gephardt lost
50) Burke vs. Reason
51) Getting the message?
52) The Bush immigration plan: A step in the right direction
53) Traders and traitors
54) Fissures in the House of Saud
55) Gathering forces of historic reform
56) Priceless image-making has high-priced aftermath
TODAY'S MOVEMENT NEWS & EVENTS:
57) Tamara Millay policy speech
TODAY IN POLITICAL HISTORY:
58) Gapon's march, Blackmun's folly, Kaczynski's plea
FROM THE PUBLISHER
0) Retraction/Correction, and an apology
What can I say? I screwed up. Yesterday's top "news" story=20
("Treasury reneges on 30-year bond holders") turned out not to be=20
"news" at all, and I heard about it from a number of our vigilant=20
readers about it almost immediately. Right up front, I'd like to thank=20
those readers for calling this to my attention.
I'm not going to ask you for any slack, but I would like to explain how=20
something like this can happen. One of our editors picked up the=20
story. I browsed the story. It didn't arouse any suspicions with me=20
(what's new about government breaking promises?), so I ran it. This=20
is the way things work at RRND. The other editors know to pick up=20
anything that looks interesting, and to leave the separation of wheat=20
from chaff to me. So, when bad scoop turns up in this publication --=20
something that doesn't happen very often -- there's only one person=20
to blame, and that person is yours truly.
As it turns out, bonds with a provision for early payoff are not=20
unusual. Sure, the bondholders don't see some of the interest they=20
expected to see -- but they were offered a preferential rate to begin=20
with, as compensation for the risk that the bond issuer would decide=20
to buy them out early.
Not being either a participant or expert in the bond market, there's=20
no particular reason that I should have known that. I doubt that the=20
editor in question had any reason to, either.
However, what I _should_ have done -- and what I usually do if a=20
story involves matters of finance comes across my desktop -- is=20
check other, and especially more mainstream, news sources. If this=20
bond buyout had actually been a significant event, a quick Google=20
search on "bonds" would have brought up screaming headlines from=20
Forbes, Financial Times, et al. I've done this in the past when I've=20
seen stories about the Euro beating up on the dollar and such.
Why didn't I do it this time? I wish I could tell you that there was=20
some really nice, exculpatory explanation -- "the black helicopter=20
hovered in front of my window; I could see the troopers descending=20
on rappel, and knew that I absolutely must get RRND out before they=20
could batter down the door" -- but there isn't. For whatever reason, I=20
and my bullshit alarm were asleep at the switch (it may have had to=20
do with the fact that I was still working on a Rational Review article=20
two hours after I should have been proofing RRND) and you got bad=20
scoop from us.
I don't like that. I'll attempt to be more vigilant in the future. And I=20
apologize to our readers for this lapse.
Yours in liberty,
Tom Knapp
Publisher
Rational Review
NEWS
1) Ten injured in Mosul blast
Borneo Bulletin [Brunei]
"Six Iraqis, three US soldiers and a Turkish driver were wounded=20
Wednesday when a roadside bomb exploded in the northern city of=20
Mosul, police and the US military said. ... A spokesman for the US=20
military in Baghdad said, 'We have reports of an IED (improvised=20
explosive device) explosion near Mosul, three soldiers have been=20
wounded according to the reports. None have received life=20
threatening injuries.'" (01/22/04)
http://www.brunei-online.com/bb/thu/jan22w18.htm
-----
2) Shelby reportedly under investigation in leak probe
Charlotte Observer
"The Justice Department's 18-month investigation into the leak of=20
classified intercepted messages is focusing on Sen. Richard=20
Shelby, R-Ala., who was chairman of the Senate Select Committee=20
on Intelligence at the time of the disclosure, according to a law-
enforcement official and congressional sources. A grand jury has=20
been hearing information and has taken the testimony of at least two=20
witnesses, including Shelby's former press secretary, sources said.=20
The investigation centers on the disclosure in 2002 that the National=20
Security Agency had intercepted two messages on the eve of the=20
Sept. 11 attacks signaling that something was to happen the next=20
day. The cryptic messages were not translated until Sept. 12."=20
(01/22/04)
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/7767347.htm
-----
3) Cleric, occupiers signal flexibility on election dispute
Dodge City Daily Globe
"Iraq's top Shiite Muslim cleric and coalition officials signaled=20
flexibility on holding early elections, with both sides suggesting they'll=
=20
follow any U.N. recommendation on whether a direct vote is feasible,=20
Iraqi and Western officials said Wednesday. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-
Husseini al-Sistani's insistence that Iraqi voters choose a transitional=20
legislature has jeopardized a U.S. plan to transfer power to Iraqis=20
and end the U.S. occupation of Iraq by July 1." (01/21/04)
http://ap.dodgeglobe.com/stories/20040121/1822848.shtml
-----
4) Panorama prompts war probe calls
BBC News [UK]
"The government is facing renewed calls for a full judicial inquiry=20
into its decision to go to war with Iraq. It follows Wednesday night's=20
Panorama programme, on BBC One, which contained a previously=20
unseen interview with late weapons expert Dr David Kelly. Dr Kelly=20
said Iraq could deploy weapons of mass destruction within days or=20
weeks, rather than the 45 minutes mentioned in a government=20
dossier. The Conservatives said the interview reinforced the case=20
for a full inquiry. Tory defence spokesman Michael Ancram said Dr=20
Kelly's comments in the interview 'do place his views at odds with=20
those presented in the government's September dossier.'" (01/22/04)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3418817.stm
-----
5) Guantanamo lawyer renews attack
BBC News [UK]
"The US military lawyer assigned to defend the man dubbed the=20
'Australian Taleban' has complained that his client will not receive a=20
full and fair trial. Major Michael Mori represents 'enemy combatant'=20
David Hicks, one of six Guantanamo Bay inmates deemed eligible=20
for trial by a US military commission. Major Mori said those who had=20
created the tribunals process had a 'vested interest' in securing=20
convictions." (01/22/04)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3418905.stm
-----
6) Ron Crickenberger, 1955-2004
LP News
"Ron Crickenberger, who served as the Libertarian Party's political=20
director from 1997 to 2003, died Jan. 20 from cancer. He was 48.=20
... During Crickenberger's tenure as Libertarian Party political=20
director, the number of Libertarians in office more than tripled, from=20
180 to about 600. In 2000 and 2002, the party also set new records=20
for the number of candidates on the ballot. ... Crickenberger is=20
survived by his longtime partner, Noelle Stettner, of Falls Church,=20
VA; a son, Jason; daughter, Anna; and newborn grandchild,=20
Sabrina; all of the Atlanta, Georgia area." (01/21/04)
http://www.lp.org/lpnews/0403/crickenberger_dies.html
-----
7) Scientists surprised by mud found on Mars
ITV [UK]
"Pictures from Nasa's roving Mars buggy have astonished scientists=20
by indicating that it may have landed in mud. Strange marks near=20
the Spirit rover's landing site suggest that against all the odds there=20
be might liquid water on or just beneath the surface of Mars. The=20
water would have to be very salty to avoid freezing or evaporating in=20
the harsh Martian conditions. If the scientists' suspicions are=20
confirmed it would be the clearest sign yet that lakes and oceans=20
once existed on Mars, and greatly increase the chances of life."=20
(01/22/04)
http://www.itv.com/news/1547631.html
-----
8) North Korea evidence called uncertain
Washington Post
"North Korea's willingness to show off its Yongbyon nuclear facility --
and eagerness to show it can produce plutonium -- was intended to=20
demonstrate Pyongyang is serious about breaking the stalemate=20
with Washington over its nuclear programs, members of an=20
unofficial U.S. delegation say. But the delegation's observations=20
have alarmed U.S. officials because the trip two weeks ago appears=20
to confirm that North Korea has processed all 8,000 spent fuel rods -
- giving them enough weapons-grade plutonium for as many as half=20
a dozen nuclear weapons." (01/22/04)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36874-2004Jan21.html
-----
9) Town uses website list to shame scofflaws
Boston Globe
"Sabina Maziarz knew she would pay a penalty when a $400 check=20
she wrote in November to the Sharon [MA] School Department=20
bounced, but did not realize her name and address would be posted=20
on the Internet for all to see. 'It's so embarrassing,' Maziarz said of=20
the 'roster of bad checks' on the town's website. 'What is the=20
purpose of this? To let people know that this person is a big, fat=20
loser?' Not exactly, said Robert J. Uyttebroek, the town treasurer,=20
who started listing bounced checks online last year. Sharon's=20
website, www.townofsharon.net, has a link to public notices. From=20
there, the list is just a click away." (01/21/04)
http://tinyurl.com/3yows
-----
10) UK pol promises return to marijuana witch hunts
Independent [UK]
"A future Conservative government will reverse Labour's decision to=20
downgrade cannabis to a Class C drug, Michael Howard will=20
announce today. In an interview with The Independent, the Tory=20
leader attacked the Government's move as 'absurd' and 'without=20
logic,' warning that it would send a signal to young people that=20
cannabis was safe and legal even though it was not. Mr Howard said=20
the reclassification of cannabis from a Class B drug, which takes=20
effect a week today, will create a 'massive muddle in the middle'=20
between the only two realistic policies -- the current position and=20
legalisation." (01/22/04)
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=3D483527
-----
11) Supreme Court says EPA can overrule state in clean air case
USA Today
"The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the federal=20
Environmental Protection Agency can override state officials and=20
order some anti-pollution measures that may be more costly. The 5-
4 decision, a victory for environmentalists, found the EPA did not go=20
too far when it overruled a decision by Alaska regulators, who=20
wanted to let the operators of a zinc and lead mine use cheaper anti-
pollution technology for power generation." (01/21/04)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2004-01-21-scotus-pollution_x.htm
-----
12) Mayoral victim disarmament cabal meets
WBBM News
"[Chicago] Mayor Daley will be in Washington. D.C. today to meet=20
with other big city mayors. Gun control and other urban issues are=20
on the agenda. While he's in Washington, Mayor Daley, Gary,=20
Indiana Mayor Scott King and others will likely lobby against=20
legislation that would exempt gun manufacturers and dealers from=20
most liability lawsuits. Chicago and Gary and pursuing such cases=20
now. Daley fears some members of Congress will be hesitant to take=20
on tough issues during an election year. But, he says, working=20
people can't wait a year for anything to get done. Officials should=20
compromise, and not let legislation get bogged down by partisan=20
politics." (01/21/04)
http://www.wbbm780.com/asp/ViewMoreDetails.asp?ID=3D33156
-----
13) Magazine blunder directs walkers over cliff
Ananova [UK]
"Britain's biggest-selling hillwalking magazine has apologised after=20
the latest issue contained a route that would have led climbers off=20
the edge of a cliff.The February edition of Trail gave advice to=20
walkers caught in foul weather and poor visibility on how to get off=20
Britain's tallest peak safely.If readers had followed the magazine's=20
directions they would have plunged from Ben Nevis' north face,=20
which has claimed a number of lives." (01/21/04)
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_858065.html
-----
14) Pakistan intensifies nuclear investigation
MSNBC
"Pakistan=92s decision to detain and question some of its leading=20
nuclear scientists came after it dispatched top-secret investigative=20
teams to Iran and Libya to check allegations that greed led the men=20
to cash in on nuclear know-how, a senior Pakistani official told The=20
Associated Press. Disclosure of the investigative missions indicates=20
the seriousness with which the government is taking allegations of=20
nuclear proliferation after months of public denials." (01/21/04)
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4019932/
-----
15) Pentagon's online voting program deemed too risky
Washington Post
"A Pentagon program for Internet voting in this year's presidential=20
election is so insecure that it could undercut the integrity of=20
American democracy and should be stopped immediately,=20
according to computer-security specialists who were asked to=20
review the $22 million pilot plan intended for about 100,000 overseas=20
voters. The critical report released yesterday is intended to halt the=20
momentum building for national Internet voting as the least expensive=20
and most convenient way to upgrade election technology that was=20
exposed as unreliable in 2000." (01/22/04)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36875-2004Jan21.html
-----
16) Anderson: Schools "deep green" and anti-farmer
Sydney Morning Herald [Australia]
"Some material taught in NSW [Australia] public schools was anti-
farmer and 'blatantly deep green,' Acting Prime Minister John=20
Anderson said today. Prime Minister John Howard this week=20
sparked a political debate on education when he said government=20
schools were too politically correct. Mr Anderson welcomed the=20
debate on public schools, saying teachers' unions and government=20
school curriculums were sometimes too ideological. He said some=20
lessons on sustainable development given in NSW schools were=20
biased against farmers." (01/22/04)
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/22/1074360872780.html
-----
17) Parsley, sage, rosemary and weed
Dodge City Daily Globe
"Art Garfunkel, part of the folk music duo Simon and Garfunkel, was=20
charged with having marijuana after police pulled over his limousine=20
for speeding in upstate New York. Garfunkel, 62, of Manhattan, was=20
caught with a small amount of marijuana in his jacket pocket and=20
was charged with possession of marijuana, a violation, reported the=20
Daily Freeman of Kingston." (01/21/04)
http://ap.dodgeglobe.com/stories/20040121/1822845.shtml
-----
18) Man linked to al Qaeda indicted
CNN
"A Minnesota man has been indicted on charges he provided=20
material support to al Qaeda for more than three years, the Justice=20
Department said Wednesday. Authorities say Mohammed Abdullah=20
Warsame, 30, attended an al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan at=20
which Osama bin Laden was present." (01/21/04)
http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/01/21/terror.suspect.arrest/
-----
19) New invasions of privacy weighed for federal workers
MAPINC
"Federal workers who submit to drug screening soon may have their=20
saliva, sweat or hair tested as the Bush administration increases=20
efforts to deter and detect illegal drug use among 1.6 million civilian=20
employees. Officials have relied on urine samples alone in the=20
federal government's nearly two-decade-old drug-testing program,=20
begun in 1986 when President Ronald Reagan issued an executive=20
order declaring that the federal workplace be drug-free. Bush=20
administration officials want to give agencies the option of using the=20
alternative tests to catch drug use that urine tests may miss because=20
of masking agents or because an employee took the drugs weeks=20
earlier." (01/21/04)
http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n134/a10.html
-----
20) 532 John Does accused of sharing songs
USA Today
"The music industry Wednesday filed lawsuits against 532 nameless=20
alleged song-swappers -- continuing a controversial tactic to stem=20
music piracy despite new legal hurdles. The four lawsuits name the=20
defendants as John Doe. They are intended to crack down on rabid=20
file-swappers, the Recording Industry Association of America says,=20
and send a message that it is not OK to share music online."=20
(01/21/04)
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2004-01-21-music-suits_x.htm
-----
21) Brazil disarms victims as deaths soar
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
"[I]n what gun control advocates describe as a bold but risky social=20
experiment, Brazil has virtually outlawed possession of handguns.=20
Since just before Christmas, no one in this nation of 175 million=20
except police officers, soldiers, and prison and security guards has=20
been authorized to carry a pistol. The sale and trade of weapons=20
has been similarly limited: The illegal purchase, possession or=20
furnishing of arms has become a criminal offense with no bail and=20
long prison terms. Most gun owners must hand over their weapons=20
within six months. 'This is an expression of the unanimous will of=20
society to cut the spiral of violence that unsettles us and=20
embarrasses us before humanity,' President Luiz Inacio Lula da=20
Silva said when he signed the bill." (01/21/04)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/157382_brazil21.html
-----
22) Iranian leader: US not ready for dialogue
MSNBC
"Iranian President Mohammad Khatami called for dialogue=20
Wednesday as a solution to global conflicts but said he felt there=20
was no chance for political talks with the United States because of a=20
lack of respect for Tehran=92s Islamic government. 'Partnership and=20
security will only come about as a result of dialogue,' Khatami said=20
in his keynote speech at the World Economic Forum, which drew=20
warm applause." (01/21/04)
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4019455/
-----
23) ACLU: State "anti-terror" database threatens privacy
Dodge City Daily Globe
"A seven-state crime database launched with $12 million in federal=20
funds is a more powerful threat to privacy than its organizers=20
acknowledge, the American Civil Liberties Union alleged=20
Wednesday after obtaining documents relating to the program. The=20
law enforcement officials and private database company behind the=20
Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange, or Matrix, contend it=20
is merely an investigative tool that helps police quickly gather=20
already-available information on suspects." (01/21/04)
http://ap.dodgeglobe.com/stories/20040121/1822910.shtml
-----
24) Council OKs pay for school board
Tennessean
"The [Nashville, TN] Metro Council last night voted to give the city's=20
nine school board members a $14,000 annual salary, following=20
through on a voter referendum on the issue last year. It will be a first=20
for members who had gotten only expense-account compensation=20
previously. It is expected to begin early this year. A resolution=20
authorizing the salary passed unanimously on voice vote, but before=20
the vote some council members expressed concern about the timing=20
of a pay initiative." (01/21/04)
http://tennessean.com/government/archives/04/01/45789266.shtml
-----
25) Chicago's alternative to locking up youth
Christian Science Monitor
"D. is a high school freshman who admits he helped steal two cars.=20
Instead of being locked up in a juvenile detention facility, however,=20
the teenager is spending the evening at a youth-services center,=20
engaged in a spirited discussion on the recent US Supreme Court=20
decision on police searches. This is Chicago's approach to juvenile=20
delinquency: an experiment that emphasizes alternatives to detention=20
for pretrial youths not considered dangerous. Some juvenile-justice=20
advocates cite it as the premier example of a major city bucking the=20
trend of locking kids up." (01/21/04)
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0121/p01s03-usju.html
-----
26) Congressman: Iraqi WMD details "years away"
CNN
"It could take years before investigators are able to uncover the=20
details of Iraq's unconventional weapons programs under Saddam=20
Hussein, according to the chairman of the House Intelligence=20
Committee. 'Every day is a new day for the intelligence people. I=20
would say that we are probably a couple of years away from getting=20
through all the material ...'" (01/21/04)
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/01/21/sprj.nirq.main/
-----
27) Proposals push spending beyond budget
Washington Times
"President Bush last night proposed an ambitious package of=20
domestic spending that will drive up discretionary expenditures far=20
more rapidly than his recent predecessors. The State of the Union=20
initiatives that he wants passed this year include more spending for=20
the Department of Education, a new assistance fund to help=20
manufacturers recover from their recession and funding for a major,=20
long-term expansion of NASA's space budget." (01/21/04)
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20040121-120324-4002r.htm
-----
28) Gephardt hanging up the gloves
Boston Globe
"Returning to the hometown that he so often said shaped his=20
character, an emotional Representative Richard A. Gephardt=20
yesterday announced he will retire from public life when his term=20
expires at the end of the year. Only hours after a crushing defeat in=20
the Iowa caucuses drove him from the Democratic presidential=20
contest, the former House Democratic leader said he had not even=20
thought about endorsing any of his rivals, or what his next career will=20
be. ... [He] spoke to reporters and a group of about 50 staff=20
members and friends, most of whom wept, at America's Center, a=20
convention and sports complex. 'I haven't had a chance to do=20
anything but what I'm doing and I'm having a little trouble with that,'=20
he said. 'We'll figure out the rest at a later date.'" (01/21/04)
http://tinyurl.com/2yo2r
-----ADVERTISEMENT----------------------------------------------------
SUPPORT RATIONAL REVIEW -- GET GREAT BOOKS AND STUFF!
Check out our donor premium program at:
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----------------------------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT-----
COMMENTARY
29) No need for voting machines
Liberty For All
by Melinda Pillsbury-Foster
"Good News: Voter fraud can be handled easily and without voting=20
machines. Better News: We can also inject some backbone and=20
ethics into the body politic. Best News: The truth really can set you=20
free. The model that our Founders had in mind when they were=20
working out the forms for America's elections were clear and simple.=20
Stand up and be counted. Literally. Most of them came from towns=20
that used the yearly meeting to settle issues." (01/22/04)
http://www.libertyforall.net/2004/jan25/machines.html
-----
30) Liberty Action of the Week
Health care and dying, freedom and responsibility
Rational Review
by Mary Lou Seymour
"Thirty or forty years ago, no one had "health insurance;" now,=20
people hold grimly on to jobs they despise lest they lose their health=20
insurance and are thrown on the mercy of the state. For libertarians,=20
too proud and too moral to willingly take a government check or=20
government health care, the thought of being forced to accept state=20
paid 'charity' is especially abominable. But sometimes the choice=20
really becomes 'live free or die,' and although that might be an=20
acceptable choice for an individual to make for himself, what if it's=20
your sick baby or elderly parent or beloved spouse, hmmm?"=20
(01/22/04)
http://www.rationalreview.com/mlseymour/012204.shtml
-----
31) We see that now
The American Prospect
by Tony Hendra
"A heartfelt -- no -- abject -- no -- craven apology to the right from=20
the left for our campaign of hate, anger and malice against God's=20
own president. ... We confess. It's all true. Everything you say. We=20
trafficked in hate. We did it in anger. ... We attacked a sitting=20
president, impugned his integrity, smeared his family, invaded his=20
privacy, tried desperately to drag him down to our own filthy, rock-
bottom, sewer-dwelling level. ... George W. Bush cannot be, as=20
we've screamed till we're blue in the face, the cretinous finger=20
puppet of an incalculably cynical and malevolent cabal AND a=20
ruthless neo-Confederate, bent on creating a plutocratic ruling class=20
at home and a rapacious corporate imperium abroad. He's one or=20
the other. We cannot have it both ways. We see that now."=20
(01/21/04)
http://www.prospect.org/print/V15/2/hendra-t.html
-----
32) A Bush-Clinton ticket would be unbeatable
Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G. Hornberger
"Think about it: Bush and Clinton share the exact same philosophical=20
vision for the role of government in society. For example, not only do=20
both of them favor such things as Social Security, Medicare,=20
Medicaid and the Department of Education, Department of=20
Commerce, and National Endowment for the Arts, they both actually=20
favor expanding the funding for these bureaucratic departments and=20
the socialist and interventionist programs they sponsor." (01/21/04)
http://www.fff.org/comment/com0401g.asp
-----
33) Stretching the poor
Town Hall
by Thomas Sowell
What do you do when you don't have as much of something as you=20
need? One of the things you can do is stretch it out to make it last=20
as long as it can. That is what the political left is doing with the poor.=
=20
A lot of noise is made about how we are 'running out' of this or that=20
natural resource -- almost always falsely -- but the real problem of=20
the left is that they are running out of the poor, who serve as a=20
justification of the left's drive to extend their power over all the rest o=
f=20
us. ... What is the left to do when they find themselves running out=20
of the poor? They must stretch the poor to make them last -- even if=20
that requires stretching the truth." (01/22/04)
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/thomassowell/ts20040122.shtml
-----
34) Albanian tragedy
exterritorial.net
by Kozeta Cuadari
"At 5.00 p.m., on Friday 9 January, more than 30 people from=20
Shkodra district, Northern Albania, one of the poorest in the=20
country, set off to follow their dream that would be the last: their=20
impossible dream for a better life that brought those people to death.=20
Among them were 6 women. They were all refused to be given a=20
visa from the Italian Embassy to join their families and relatives in=20
Italy. They had paid 1500 EUROS each to cross the sea illegally ....=20
By the next morning one of the ships of the Italian Naval Forces=20
found the boat. Only 11 people had survived, 21 were found dead=20
and it is thought that there were more than 5 other people missing."=20
(01/04)
http://www.exterritorial.net/albania.htm
-----
35) Bush leaves no bride behind
AlterNet
by Arianna Huffington
"Now I'm not saying that helping married couples stay together is a=20
bad thing. I'm just saying that it's not a job for the Federal=20
government. At least not a government that is faced with far more=20
pressing problems than what to do when he wants to watch football=20
and she wants to cuddle. We have 9% unemployment, 12 million=20
uninsured children, record-breaking $500 billion deficits, unfinished=20
business in Afghanistan and Iraq, porous ports and vulnerable=20
airports, and every state in the union cutting back on vital social=20
programs, and the president wants to spend precious resources=20
convincing young people that marriage is better than shacking up?=20
Just whom is he protecting here? Aside from his own electoral=20
backside." (01/21/04)
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=3D17624
-----
36) Ideology isn't enough
Boston Globe
by Eileen McNamara
"Fickle voters are not the only ones who sometimes choose a=20
candidate for personal rather than ideological reasons. Consider=20
Dennis J. Kucinich, the most vociferously liberal, antiwar candidate=20
for the Democratic presidential nomination. On Monday, when it was=20
clear that the Ohio representative could not win enough votes to be=20
viable in the Iowa caucuses, Kucinich asked his supporters to throw=20
their votes behind North Carolina Senator John Edwards. It was a=20
curious choice, given Edwards's votes in support of the=20
congressional resolution authorizing President George W. Bush to=20
invade Iraq and in favor of the Patriot Act of 2001, a measure=20
Kucinich regularly denounces as an assault on fundamental civil=20
liberties." (01/21/04)
http://tinyurl.com/2bvok
-----
37) Beware the Iraq election blowback
CounterPunch
by Dave Lindorff
"With Iowa just having dramatically demonstrated to us the=20
unpredictability of the democratic process, you start to understand=20
what's motivating all those Shiite demonstrators in Iraq. They see=20
how Bush and his viceroy, L. Paul Bremer, and their handpicked=20
quisling officials in the provisional authority, are trying to rig the=20
summer 'sovereignty' exercise by running elections through open=20
ballot caucuses, and are demanding instead an election by universal=20
suffrage." (01/21/04)
http://www.counterpunch.org/lindorff01212004.html
-----
38) George Bush's America
Ether Zone
by Murray Sabrin
"President Bush is presiding over a GOP version of the New Deal=20
and Great Society. In fact, Bill Clinton could have given Bush's State=20
of the Union speech, and Republicans would have been up in arms=20
over Slick Willie's use of the federal treasury to buy votes.=20
Remember, it was Bill Clinton in his 1996 State of the Union Speech=20
who said the 'era of big government is over' to thunderous GOP=20
applause. This year, GOP members of Congress gave the president=20
thunderous applause when he announced more government=20
initiatives and spending. How times have changed." (01/22/04)
http://www.etherzone.com/2004/sabr012204.shtml
-----
39) Today Baghdad, tomorrow Barsoom?
Strike the Root
by Roderick Long
"Now I'm as big a fan of space exploration as anyone .... Indeed,=20
the need to renounce NASA was probably the biggest hurdle for me=20
in becoming a libertarian originally. But I cannot endorse a space=20
exploration program led by an institution both inept and criminal, and=20
funded by extortion." (01/21/04)
http://www.strike-the-root.com/4/long/long2.html
-----
40) US manufacturing is quite healthy
National Center for Policy Analysis
by Bruce Bartlett
"Back when people first started complaining about the imminent=20
disappearance of manufacturing, the proposed solution -- especially=20
popular among Democrats -- was an 'industrial policy.' The idea was=20
that some government agency, modeled after Japan's Ministry of=20
International Trade and Industry, would pick industrial winners and=20
losers, nurturing the former with subsidies and trade protection,=20
while humanely killing off the latter." (01/21/04)
http://www.ncpa.org/iss/eco/2004/pd012104a.html
-----
41) An apple a day
Competitive Enterprise Institute
by Neil Hrab
"If the NRDC's coup was made into a movie, it might be called The=20
Great Alar Caper -- Alar being the trade name of a chemical then=20
used by apple growers to delay ripening. Turns out, the longer=20
apples stay on the tree, the better chance they have of developing a=20
nice, shiny look, which fetches top dollar in stores. Alar prevented=20
apples from rotting prematurely during this natural process."=20
(01/19/04)
http://cei.org/gencon/019,03821.cfm
-----
42) Energy conservation zealots 1, consumers 0
Cato Institute
by Jerry Taylor
"On Jan. 13, a federal appeals court overturned a Bush=20
administration rule that would increase energy efficiency standards=20
for central air conditioners and heat pumps by 20 percent. The=20
court ordered that the Bush rule be replaced by a proposal from the=20
Clinton administration that would require a 30 percent increase in=20
energy efficiency. Environmentalists and energy conservation=20
obsessives declared it 'a big victory for consumers.' They also=20
declared that up is down, black is white, night is day, and that pigs=20
really do fly. Well, actually they didn't. But they might as well have."=20
(01/22/04)
http://www.cato.org/dailys/01-22-04.html
-----
43) Evasions, half-truths and the state of the union
Slate
by Fred Kaplan
"This time, at least, there were no blatant lies in the national-security=20
section of the State of the Union address. The speechwriters, no=20
doubt watched over by a hyperalert Condoleezza Rice, made sure=20
to avoid a reprise of last year's scandal over false claims of an Iraqi=20
hunt for yellowcake. Instead, however, the scribes piled on so many=20
half-truths and evasions, often in disingenuous phrasings, as to=20
erase the customary distinction between mere deceit and sheer=20
falsehood. Let's take them one by one." (01/21/04)
http://slate.msn.com//?id=3D2094214&
-----
44) Deconstructing the Bill of Rights
Intellectual Conservative
by Alan Caruba
"During the last century, governments given totalitarian powers killed=20
an estimated 169,000,000 people. If you don't think it can't happen=20
here, I would remind you of the flames that destroyed the Waco,=20
Texas compound of a religious cult that, by most accounts, didn't=20
represent a threat to anyone, wasn't engaged in any illegal acts,=20
and, in which, more than 90 men, women and children were gassed=20
and incinerated. This would suggest that no one is safe from a=20
government intent on serving a subpoena, even if it has to kill you to=20
do it. It was our introduction to the Clinton administration, but no one=20
would have guessed that a conservative, Republican-controlled=20
government would serve up The Patriot Act that became law on=20
October 25, 2001." (01/21/04)
http://www.intellectualconservative.com/article3063.html
-----
45) North Koreans starved by political classification
Asia Times
by Jim Lobe
"North Korea has been using food as an instrument of political and=20
economic control, says a major new report by Amnesty=20
International. While the country has been unable to produce enough=20
food for all of its citizens since the collapse of the Soviet Union more=20
than 10 years ago, food supplies -- both from domestic sources and=20
from foreign aid -- have been distributed primarily according to=20
citizens' membership in three 'classes,' apparently based on loyalty=20
to the state. The three categories -- also said to determine who=20
receives other benefits, such as access to education and residence=20
permits -- are 'core,' 'wavering,' and 'hostile.' The last class of hostile=
=20
citizens represents about one-quarter of the country's 23 million=20
people." (01/22/04)
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/FA22Dg01.html
-----
46) Warnings during wartime
Village Voice
by James Ridgeway
"Bush set the agenda for his re-election campaign last night to a=20
cheering Congress, promising to improve the economic health of the=20
nation by paying pharmaceutical and insurance companies more=20
money to run Medicare, a program already bloated by administrative=20
costs. He also vowed to bring democracy to the Middle East. He's=20
sticking with the war on terror, which means, for the president, a=20
renewal of the Patriot Act." (01/21/04)
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0404/mondo4.php
-----
47) Bush's missed opportunity
Reason
by John Hood
"Many Republican politicians believe that President Bush, who in=20
some polls has the highest approval rating of any president=20
beginning his re-election campaign since Dwight D. Eisenhower in=20
1956, is headed for an inevitable victory in November. With Saddam=20
Hussein in custody, a resurgent economy, and a muddled and=20
perhaps longer-than-expected Democratic primary, these partisans=20
see little on the horizon to threaten the president's political=20
prospects. They wonder only how big his margins will be, and=20
whether they will translate into coattails in key GOP races for=20
Senate, House, governor, and state legislatures. This is a premature=20
conclusion, to put it gingerly." (01/21/04)
http://www.reason.com/hod/jh012104.shtml
-----
48) Scientists abandon AI project after seeing The Matrix
The Onion
by staff
"Scientists at MIT's Advanced Machine Cognizance Project=20
announced Tuesday that, after seeing the final installment of the=20
Matrix trilogy, they will cease all further work in the field of artificial=
=20
intelligence. 'As scientists of conscience, we must consider the=20
ethical ramifications of AI development,' said Dr. Gregory Jameson,=20
director of machine epistemology and ontology at MIT. 'The Matrix=20
taught us that we cannot ignore our obligation to the future of=20
mankind. We must free our minds to this fact, or we will accidentally=20
unleash a nightmarish army of sentient machines.' Added Jameson:=20
'Some may call the extinction of humankind inevitable, but I, for one,=20
will still resist.'" [satire] (01/21/04)
http://www.theonion.com/4003/top_story.html
-----
49) Why Dean and Gephardt lost
Citizens for a Sound Economy
by Max Pappas
"Professional pundits, after spending fabulous amounts of time=20
being completely wrong about what would happen in the Iowa=20
Caucuses, are now spending more time being wrong about why=20
Dean and Gephardt lost and Kerry and Edwards won. ... These=20
pundits should take themselves out of their D.C. mindset for a=20
minute and try to remember what it is like to be a regular American,=20
an American who does something productive with his or her days,=20
rather than repeatedly, erroneously predict political events."=20
(01/21/04)
http://www.cse.org/informed/issues_template.php?issue_id=3D1663
-----
50) Burke vs. Reason
America's Future Foundation
by Kevin Michael Grace
"Reason believes that the world has become 'groovier' since 1968,=20
the year of that magazine=92s founding. Not merely 'groovier,' mind=20
you, but 'groovier and groovier.' In celebration, it has nominated '35=20
heroes of freedom,' freedom apparently being synonymous with=20
grooviness. This list, and the reasons given for the selection of the=20
'heroes' therein is sufficient to persuade me that modern=20
libertarianism, at least as exemplified by Reason magazine, is not a=20
philosophy suitable for adults." (01/16/04)
http://www.affbrainwash.com/archives/010004.php
-----
51) Getting the message?
LewRockwell.Com
by Karen Kwiatkowski
"I listened to President's 2004 State of the Union, and read the=20
speech on-line. Deconstructed, it reveals a great deal about the=20
state of our union. The word 'war' was used 12 times. Security was=20
used six times. Twice the war, half the security. Bush's state of the=20
union appears to be in sync with Howard Dean's platform. Is Karl=20
Rove making a play for the anti-war vote?" (01/22/04)
http://www.lewrockwell.com/kwiatkowski/kwiatkowski61.html
-----
52) The Bush immigration plan: A step in the right direction
Acton Institute
by Anthony B. Bradley
"After the colossal failure of the 1986 Immigration Reform and=20
Control Act, something had to be done. Eight million undocumented=20
immigrants later, President Bush has proposed a radical change to=20
the federal government=92s immigration policy. His plan is not perfect,=20
but it is a positive step toward helping people find jobs and fill=20
employment gaps in our economy." (01/21/04)
http://www.acton.org/ppolicy/comment/article.php?id=3D175
-----
53) Traders and traitors
No Force, No Fraud
by Chris Basten
"I used to think that capitalism was what made evil corporations and=20
monopolies so prevalent in America. I used to think that wanting=20
things and desiring prosperity was the embodiment of sin and=20
depravity in the world. Humans are greedy enough to begin with and=20
capitalism was advertised to me in my teen years as the echelon of=20
rampant corruption. ... Why is capitalism such a smelly sock to=20
several great historians and economists ...?" (01/22/04)
http://babelogue.citypages.com:8080/bsmith/2004/01/22
-----
54) Fissures in the House of Saud
Washington Times
by Arnaud de Borchgrave
"The Saudi royal family's once limitless capacity for self-delusion is=20
now running on empty. The most abrupt wake-up call came in recent=20
weeks with the discovery of al Qaeda training camps in the desert=20
near several major Saudi cities. Camouflaged as seminaries, the=20
pseudo-clerics doubled in brass as instructors for training in both=20
weapons and insurgency attacks." (01/21/04)
http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20040120-085115-5893r.htm
-----
55) Gathering forces of historic reform
Washington Times
by Peter Ferrara
"President Bush last night put personal accounts for Social Security=20
on the top shelf of the national agenda. Few people now recognize=20
how enormous this initiative can be, with powerfully beneficial=20
effects reverberating throughout our economy and society. But the=20
incredible historic opportunity now on the horizon is recognized by=20
a new coalition of conservative and progressive leaders to be=20
announced today. The president in his speech made clear he=20
believes the looming problems of Social Security must be addressed=20
now, not put off to just get worse and worse." (01/21/04)
http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20040120-085116-9091r.htm
-----
56) Priceless image-making has high-priced aftermath
Nashville City Paper
by John Leo
"Are you excited about going to the moon and Mars? Neither am I.=20
With the nation drowning in debt and facing great peril from the=20
Islamofascists, calling for billions to put a man on Mars can't=20
possibly be on any plausible list of the top 500 government priorities.=20
But politics now is mostly a matter of managing impressions. And in=20
this game, cost-free impressions are the most highly prized. (Cost-
free to the impression-maker, not to the future voters, Congresses=20
and presidents who would have to come up with the money.)"=20
(01/21/04)
http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?news_id=3D30042
MOVEMENT NEWS & EVENTS
57) Tamara Millay policy speech
Jackson and Cass County, MO LPs
01/24/04
Tamara Millay, contender for the Libertarian Party's 2004 vice=20
presidential nomination, will give the first policy speech of her=20
campaign (topic TBA) at Trails West Library, Independence, MO.=20
2:30 p.m. Free and open to the public, w/Q&A period following. For=20
more information, contact michaelaferguson at yahoo.com.
http://cass.molp.org
TODAY IN POLITICAL HISTORY
58) Gapon's march, Blackmun's folly, Kaczynski's plea
Details, and the "quote of the day," from Leon's Political Almanac at:
http://perspicuity.net/cgi/hypercal.cgi
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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