Today is Midterm Election Day!

It's imperative that the Democrats regain control of the House and Senate. For only two reasons amongst the hundreds:




(Thanks to Ray in New Orleans for the second video.)

Polls close at 8PM. To find your polling place, go to the California Democratic Party website. Help take back America from the destructive hands of the current incarnation of the Republican party - vote today!

Bush Kills Habeas Corpus Dead

On Tuesday, George W. Bush curtailed the rights of prisoners by signing legislation which would allow terrorism suspects to be tried in from of military tribulnals. This paragraph - from the L.A. Times - is especially alarming:

The Justice Department moved swiftly to enforce one of the law's most controversial provisions. Within two hours of the signing ceremony, department lawyers notified the U.S. Appeals Court in Washington that the new law eliminated federal court jurisdiction over dozens of lawsuits filed on behalf of prisoners held at U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

And in case you think that this applies only to prisoners in Guantanamo Bay and the like, think again:

The military tribunals bill signed by President Bush on Tuesday marks the first time the right of habeas corpus has been curtailed by law for millions of people in the United States.

Although debate focused on trials at Guantanamo Bay, the new law also takes away from noncitizens in the U.S. — including more than 12 million permanent residents — the right to go to court if they are declared "unlawful enemy combatants."

"Oh, but I'm fine. I'm an American citizen!" you might say.

First of all, it's wrong and immoral, no matter the citizenship status of the human in question. Second, how much longer until it's determined that citizens of the United States - whether US born or naturalized - need to be scrutinized?

This is why it is critical that Democrats regain control of either the House or Senate (preferably both) on November 7th. We need to curtail this abomination.

Now.

(As always, Keith Olbermann says it best.)

The Latest: "Staying the Course" in Iraq Until 2010

According to an MSNBC report, Army plans current Iraq troop levels until 2010:

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Army has plans to keep the current level of soldiers in Iraq through 2010, the top Army officer said Wednesday, a later date than Bush administration or Pentagon officials have mentioned thus far.

If this isn't evidence of a long-term plan to continue the US occupation of a sovreign nation, I don't know what is.

Wait a minute, yes I do.

TONIGHT - Screening of Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers, featuring a Q &A with filmmaker Robert Greenwald

A horrifying catalog of greed, corruption and incompetence among private contractors in Iraq, focusing primarily on Halliburton, Blackwater Security Consulting and CACI International.

SoCal Grassroots is hosting a screening of Iraq for Sale with Special Guest, filmmaker Robert Greenwald.

WHAT: Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers
WHEN: Wednesday, October 11 08:00 PM
WHERE: Fine Arts Theater
8556 Wilshire Blvd. (just west of LaCienega)
Beverly Hills, California 90211

HOSTED BY: SoCal Grassroots.
Tickets are $10

Pay at the door or you can still purchase tickets in advance.
the SoCal Grassroots Act Blue donation page. The requested donation is $10.00.

For more details and to RSVP, please visit:
http://iraqforsale.bravenewtheaters.com/screening/show/6197.

This resume deserves serious review

Resume
GEORGE W. BUSH
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington DC 20520

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
LAW ENFORCEMENT
• I was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine , in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. I pled guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver's license suspended for 30 days. My Texas driving record has been “lost” and is not available.

MILITARY
• I joined the Texas Air National Guard and went AWOL. I refused to take a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use. By joining the Texas Air National Guard, I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam

COLLEGE
• I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. I was a cheerleader.

PAST WORK EXPERIENCE
• I ran for U.S. Congress and lost. I began my career in the oil business in Midland , Texas, in 1975. I bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas. The company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.
• I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money. With the help of my father and our friends in the oil industry, including Enron CEO Ken Lay, I was elected governor of Texas.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS
• I changed Texas pollution laws to favor power and oil companies, making Texas the most polluted state in the Union.
• During my tenure, Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city in America
• I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions in borrowed money.
• I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American history.
• With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida , and my father's appointments to the Supreme Court, I became President after losing by over 500,000 votes.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT
• I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.
• I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one billion dollars per week.
• I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury.
• I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history.
• I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.
• I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.
• I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the U.S. stock market.
• In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues every month.
• I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history. My “poorest millionaire,” Condoleeza Rice, had a Chevron oil tanker named after her.
• I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President. I am the all-time U.S. and world record-holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations.
• My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends, Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. History, Enron.
• My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to assure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my election decision.
• I have protected my friends at Enron and Halliburton against investigation or prosecution.
• More time and money was spent investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair than has been spent investigating one of the biggest corporate rip- offs in history.
• I presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S. history and refused to intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed.
• I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history.
• I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.
• I appointed more convicted criminals to administration than any President in U.S. history.
• I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States government.
• I've broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history.
• I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission.
• I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law. I refused to allow inspectors access to U.S. “prisoners of war” detainees and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention.
• I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 U.S. election).
• I set the record for fewest numbers of press conferences of any President since the advent of television.
• I set the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year period. After taking off the entire month of August, I presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history.
• I garnered the most sympathy for the U.S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world history.
• I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people), shattering the record for protests against any person in the history of mankind.
• I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, pre-emptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation. I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. citizens, and the world community.
• I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits for active duty troops and their families-in-wartime.
• In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for attacking Iraq and then blamed the lies on our British friends.
• I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security.
• I am supporting development of a nuclear “Tactical Bunker Buster,” a WMD. I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden [sic] to justice.

RECORDS AND REFERENCES
• All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are now in my father's library, sealed and unavailable for public view.
• All records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
• All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President, attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review. I am a member of the Republican Party.

PLEASE CONSIDER MY EXPERIENCE WHEN VOTING IN THE 2006 MIDTERM ELECTIONS. PLEASE SEND THIS TO EVERY VOTER YOU KNOW. =

Bad ballot design -- an ongoing story

Marketer Seth Godin on his local precinct's badly designed ballot -- and a modest proposal for fixing this situation.

Destruction of Ohio's 2004 Presidential Election Ballots Delayed by Blackwell

It's a start:

With paper ballots from the 2004 presidential election in Ohio scheduled to be destroyed next week, the secretary of state in Columbus, under pressure from critics, said yesterday that he would move to delay the destruction at least for several months.

Since the election, questions have been raised about how votes were tallied in Ohio, a battleground state that helped deliver the election to President Bush over Senator John Kerry.

I agree with, "[...] critics say the ballots should be saved pending an investigation. They also say the secretary of state’s proposal to delay the destruction does not go far enough, and they intend to sue to preserve the ballots."

This gives election activists desparately needed time to launch an investigation and lawsuit. I'm investigating action items to see if there is anything we can do to help out and will update when I get them. If any readers have ideas, please feel free to forward them to me in the comments or to socalgrassroots@gmail.com.

Ohio Preparing to Destroy 2004 Presidential Election Ballots

First heard on Stephanie Miller this morning, Ohio officials are preparing to destroy the ballots from the 2004 Presidential Election:

Ohio officials will soon begin destroying the paper ballots from the 2004 presidential election despite objections from voter rights groups.

"Soon after the 2004 presidential election, questions emerged about how votes were tallied in Ohio, a battleground state that delivered the presidency to George W. Bush," Ian Urbina writes in a story slated for the New York Times.

"Now, following a routine procedure, state officials are preparing to destroy the paper ballots from the election," writes Urbina.

"Critics say the ballots should be preserved for more study," the article continues.

If this is truly a routine procedure, put in place before the 2004 elections, I can't fault the officials for following procedure. I can, however, fault them for not making the ballots public before this year, I will definitely fault them for not making exception to procedure in this highly suspect and volatile instance - we need those ballots, as they are the only physical proof election protection activists have regarding Ohio's role in the outcome of the 2004 election, especially since none exist for the Diebold voting machines that were used.

Bush's On Notice Board

Stephen Colbert loves Bush almost as much as he loves Papa Bear Bill O'Reilly. So much so that Stephen put together an On Notice just for his beloved Commander-in-Thief:


You're On Notice!

Weird thing is, Stephen put this together in April 2001 - before he even had a show.

So eerie, yet explains so much...

New Stem Cell Technique May Not Be Good Enough for Bush

The main objection that critics have had regarding the pursuit of embyonic stem-cell research is that the 150 celled embryo - called a blastocyst - has been destoyed in the past, thereby destroying what is potential life, at least in the eyes of the Bush Administration and "right-to-life" (what a ridiculous phrase) critics.

So one would think that the new technique for harvesting stem-cells - in which a single cell is taken from a a two day old, eight celled blastomere - would be sufficient to silence the critics. This technique has been in use for a decade in testing in vitro embryos for potential birth defects, to no ill health for the embryos implanted in the womb, carried to term and since successfully born and raised.

Gues what? That ain't enough:

[...]Emily Lawrimore, a White House spokeswoman, suggested that the new procedure would not satisfy the objections of Mr. Bush, who vetoed legislation in July that would have expanded federally financed embryonic stem cell research. Though Ms. Lawrimore called it encouraging that scientists were moving away from destroying embryos, she said: "Any use of human embryos for research purposes raises serious ethical questions. This technique does not resolve those concerns."

How is embryonic stem-cell research supposed to happen, if human embryos are not used? By waving a magic wand?

Scientists acknowledge that more research needs to be done to make sure this is a viable method of creating new stem-cell lines. But this is the best - and least destructive - method of furthering this much needed research. Bush and his cabal really need to embrace this technique, less they be seen as obstructionist Neanderthals.

Oh, wait...

Thank You, Bush...

...for admitting the truth - and so forcefully:

[BUSH]: [...] And so my question -- my answer to your question is, is that, imagine a world in which Saddam Hussein was there, stirring up even more trouble in a part of the world that had so much resentment and so much hatred that people came and killed 3,000 of our citizens.

You know, I've heard this theory about everything was just fine until we arrived, and kind of "we're going to stir up the hornet's nest" theory. It just doesn't hold water, as far as I'm concerned. The terrorists attacked us and killed 3,000 of our citizens before we started the freedom agenda in the Middle East.

Q What did Iraq have to do with that?

[BUSH]: What did Iraq have to do with what?

Q The attack on the World Trade Center?

[BUSH]: Nothing--

Santorum's Got It All Wrong...

...it's not man-on-dog we have to worry about. It's dog-on-turtle:



Maybe Ricky had better begin investigations into this unnatural union of mammal and reptile.

Marine Reservists - Not Returning Willingly

From Reuters today: Marine Corps to start involuntary troop recalls.

The most telling line from the article: "But the number of Marines volunteering outside their active-duty service requirement has been steadily declining for two years, according to Stratton, who said could not offer an explanation."

I certainly couldn't give a definite answer, as I'm not a Marine reservist, but maybe those who haven't volunteered to return aren't enamoured with the Occupation of Iraq. There is the possibility that they find it as illegal and immoral as many of us anti-war activists.

The scariest part of the article: "The Marine Corps' authority to involuntarily recall Marines for jobs in the 'Global War on Terror' -- a war whose parameters remain largely undefined -- has no expiration date.

'The authority is until GWOT is over with,' Stratton said. 'Until we're told to do otherwise, we'll use it.'"

Can the draft be far behind?

Bush Signed the Who and the What?

This morning I read something that made my head do a triple-whiplash: Bush signed into law the Federal Pension Protection Act. What made me snort Wheaties out of my nose? The provisions that allow retirement benefits to be transferred to domestic partners after one dies.

Either Bush's Fundamentalist heart softened a tiny bit towards same-sex unions or he hadn't yet had his coffee when this bill crossed his desk.

I'm betting on the latter...

NSA Eavesdropping is Bad, MMM'K?

Bless U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor from Michigan. She has ruled that the NSA eavesdropping program is unconstitutional:

[Taylor] further declared that the program "violates the separation of powers doctrine, the Administrative Procedures Act, the First and Fourth amendments to the United States Constitution, the FISA and Title III."

She went on to say that "the president of the United States ... has undisputedly violated the Fourth in failing to procure judicial orders."

I think we need to send her a big candy heart and a bunch of flowers.

(The complete ruling can be found here.)

Start Singing, Grandpa Joe

As y'all know by now, Ned Lamont won the Democratic nomination for Senate in Connecticut's primary yesterday. He won it fair and square, beating DINO Joe Lieberman with 52% of the vote.

But, because Grandpa Joe makes like a Carly Simon song, thinking this election is all about him, he's decided to stay in the fight and run as an independent.

Joe, Joe, Joe. You'll sit back and allow Bush and Fox News to run all over you, then lead you around by their very short leash. But when the Democratic voters - you know, the political party you claimed as yours so many years ago, the people you've sworn to serve many times over - legally and fairly decide that you no longer represent their views or best interests, you decide that a little overtime is order, even if no one else is playing the same game as you.

Stop whining, Joe. Stop stomping your feet about how it would be "irresponsible and inconsistent with my principles" to quit 'cause you don't like the outcome. Grow up, Grandpa Joe. Retire and spend the rest of your days as the Fox News buttmonkey, a position you clearly prefer to that of actually representing your state.

Oh well. At least he won't call himself a Democrat any more...

Now is the summer of our discontent

Now is the summer of our discontent
Made ne'er glorious by this son of privilege;
And all the clouds that lour'd upon our house
In the deep wounds of a nation buried.

Freedumb

As we celebrate Independence Day 2006, as we tuck into our burgers and dogs and guzzle our tall cold ones, as we ooh and aah over fireworks displays, let us honor our forefathers who sacrificed life and limb to give us the freedoms we now enjoy. Let's remember to take a moment and give thanks for those freedoms:

The freedom to vote as many times as we want for the American Idol of our choice;

The freedom to pay upwards of $1000 a month for health insurance for us and our families;

The freedom to consume as many Cheetos, Keebler cookies, Krispy Kreme donuts, double-stuffed oreos, stuffed double-crusted pizzas, buckets of hot wings, gallons of Sprite, Whoppers with cheese, steak quesadillas, extra-large orders of fries, bags of M&Ms, vente mocha Frappuccinos, egg McMuffins, and Philly cheese steaks we want;

The freedom to contract Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, driving up the cost of health care even higher;

The freedom to sit and watch "Top Model" while our basic rights as Americans are taken away from us;

The freedom to receive a second-rate public-school education;

The freedom to ignore global warming, despite incontrovertible proof, and keep driving everywhere in bigger and bigger SUVs;

The freedom to work 50-60 hours a week in multiple dead-end jobs in order to barely support our families;

The freedom to have our phone calls listened to and our Internet activity monitored;

The freedom to have our elections sold to the highest bidder;

The freedom to be hoodwinked into a war for no reason but to line the pockets of the President's henchmen;

The freedom to be cynically manipulated by those who seek to profit from our fear;

The freedom to be lied to, over and over and over again;

And the freedom to eat burgers and dogs, guzzle tall cold ones, ooh and aah over fireworks displays, and do absolutely nothing.


Happy Birthday, America. Happy Independence Day, you poor sorry bastards. You've got the country you deserve.

Impeachment Resolutions - It's Not Just For Legislative Bodies Anymore

There has been much discussion about the ability of state legislative bodies to bring impeachment resolutions to the House of Representatives for consideration, thanks to a clause in the Jefferson manual, section 603 of the House Rules of the United States Constitution. Such resolutions are currently being looked at by California, Illinois and Vermont. Many cities across the country have also passed impeachment resolutions, using Clause 3, Rule XII, Section 819, of the Rules of the House of Representatives.

Well, cities aren't the only bodies that are using Clause 3 to pass resolutions. The librarians of Seattle are taking matters into their own hands:

These are not the stereotypical librarians of the olden days, the ones who were a bit reserved but ready with a glare for anyone talking too loudly.

Instead, the employees of the Seattle Public Library have passed a resolution through their local union calling for President Bush to resign or be impeached because of the USA Patriot Act, the Iraq war and a host of other issues.

It's a resolution that doesn't mince words, and it will be introduced at the annual conference of the American Library Association that begins today in New Orleans.

"We're always concerned about patron privacy and protecting that," said Lynn Lorenz, 38, a librarian at the Madrona-Sally Goldmark Branch who helped draft the resolution.

This is an excellent move. While it's true, as ImpeachBush.tv writes, that resolutions coming from individuals and groups tend to carry less weight with the House, if enough impeachment resolutions are brought to the floor, it could become an issue they can no longer ignore or dance around.

For more information regarding the "How To" of impeachments, go to ImpeachBush.tv. And for more information regarding impeachment actions and events in California, see ImpeachCA.com.

You'll be glad you did.

AJR 39: Still Alive and Well, But Kicking and Screaming All The Way

By Paul Koretz, Assemblyman, 42nd District, California

Hello out there in Blog-Land,

I’m delighted to report that Assembly Joint Resolution 39 (AJR 39 -- my Resolution in the state legislature calling for the investigation and impeachment of Bush and Cheney) is alive.

One of the great things that is keeping this bill alive is the phenomenal input and proactive emails, faxes, phone calls and letters of support my colleagues and I have received from so many of you. They have been eloquent, personal and brave. The constant theme has been a deeply held belief that we need to reclaim our nation’s government from the hands of the lawless – if it’s not already too late.

None of this reaction is due to “corporate media” coverage, which has indeed been minimal. Instead, this is a great testimonial to the blogosphere and the power of your grass-roots activism, which reverberates every time you tell a friend, repost an announcement, or contact an elected official asking for their support.

We now have a Joint Author on the bill, Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), and six terrific co-authors: Jackie Goldberg (D-Los Angeles), Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles), Jerome Horton (D-Los Angeles), Rudy Bermudez (D-Los Angeles), Ron Calderon (D-Los Angeles), and Loni Hancock (D-Alameda County).

I believe it is my duty as a representative of the people, and the duty of all elected officials to help promote a public dialogue about things going on in the country that are just wrong, such as the dubious activities and errant judgment of the President and Vice President, because we can’t afford to turn a blind eye toward their ineptitude. For one reason or another, Congress has not sought to investigate these allegations. This is a matter that transcends partisan politics, and these are allegations that must not be ignored or swept under the rug any longer.

President Bush and Vice President Cheney must be held accountable before they undertake even deadlier misdeeds, such as the use of nuclear weapons. We have all seen that there are no bounds to their willingness to ignore the Constitution and world opinion, that the unthinkable is routine in this Administration.

People have been contacting me with great enthusiasm about the fact that we are finally standing up to this President and Vice President who consistently trample on the Constitution and believe they are above the law. Rather than fearing a backlash in the November elections, I feel that this will energize Democrats and others who have been frustrated by the lack of pushback to a President who has violated the Constitution and the checks and balances of our system with such impunity.

In the State Assembly, however, there is still much to be done. A bit of progress has been made since I first submitted the amendments to AJR 39. Although I can’t say that Assembly leadership is overly enthusiastic about moving the bill, it has been put into print. They have been particularly concerned about bi-partisan issues on the table in California, like the recently-passed infrastructure bond and the pending budget negotiations, and feel that impeachment is perceived as too partisan an issue to raise at this time. However, once our budget is passed, no impossible barrier remains in our way. The Resolution is now in the Rules Committee waiting for referral, hopefully to the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

Pressure from constituents like you on Democratic Assemblymembers to not only support the bill, but also to become co-authors of the bill will be key to its success. We also need to push the Democratic leadership in the Assembly to refer the bill to committee and give it a hearing before the end of this legislative session in August.

It’s also important to let your representatives know that resolutions have also been introduced in Illinois and Vermont. Karen Yarbrough’s resolution in Illinois is done for the year as they are out of session. In Vermont, Dave Zuckerman’s Resolution has been referred to their Legislature’s Judiciary Committee, but its unclear whether the committee has heard the bill. Movement of my Resolution here in California could provide the impetus to not only moving Illinois’ and Vermont’s resolutions, but to also convince other states that introducing their own Resolutions would greatly enhance the cause.

It will not be easy, but we can do it. Impeachment charges have never before been brought by a State legislature against a President and Vice-President, and our work will require the best efforts of a progressive grassroots movement to be successful.

WE NEED YOUR HELP. For more information on how you can get involved, go to WWW.IMPEACHCA.COM.

Thank you!


Paul Koretz
Assemblyman, 42nd District