The Hillary nutcracker
Oh, come on, do we need this? I know, I know, it’s cute. STAINLESS STEEL THIGHS! FEEL THE SQUEEZE!
Perhaps the fact that a major party is about to nominate either a female or an African-American male to be president of the United States is so lacking in controversy, so quietly ho-hum, that a little adolescent gender humor on the side is no big deal, either.
Enter — stage right? stage left? — the Hillary Nutcracker, a hot-selling novelty product of the 2008 political season that has gotten some fawning and even enthusiastic press, with right-wing MSNBC pundit Tucker Carlson so moved by the nutcracker he all but confessed his castration complex regarding Ms. Clinton, all in fun, of course. This is political discourse in America.
Perhaps the fact that a major party is about to nominate either a female or an African-American male to be president of the United States is so lacking in controversy, so quietly ho-hum, that a little adolescent gender humor on the side is no big deal, either.
Enter — stage right? stage left? — the Hillary Nutcracker, a hot-selling novelty product of the 2008 political season that has gotten some fawning and even enthusiastic press, with right-wing MSNBC pundit Tucker Carlson so moved by the nutcracker he all but confessed his castration complex regarding Ms. Clinton, all in fun, of course. This is political discourse in America.
Atttention Cuyahoga County Residents: You must see this presentation on computerized voting machines!
Patrick McDaniel, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering of Penn State University gives a must-see presentation on the perils of computer voting. Prof. McDaniel led the academic team that exposed vulnerabilities of the computer voting systems in Ohio as part of Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's Everest Project. The Free Press highly recommends his presentation for all election protection advocates and anyone who wants the facts about how a voting machine is easily hacked.
Details of the event are below:
Thursday, Feb. 21
Strosacker Auditorium
Case Western Reserve University
2125 Adelbert Rd.
Cleveland, Ohio 44106
5 - 7 p.m.
1-800-SOS-OHIO or by email at everest@sos.state.oh.us.
Details of the event are below:
Thursday, Feb. 21
Strosacker Auditorium
Case Western Reserve University
2125 Adelbert Rd.
Cleveland, Ohio 44106
5 - 7 p.m.
1-800-SOS-OHIO or by email at everest@sos.state.oh.us.
How sick of it are you?
We have screamed at the heavens and cried bitter tears. We've marched and picketed and gone to jail. And we are sick. Sick of the corruption…sick of the liars…sick of this war!
On March 19, the day the U.S. invaded Iraq five years ago, we'll be sick of it yet again. But on that revolting day we can do something nonviolently revolutionary. We can withdraw our consent from this sick system – by calling in sick.
People are signing up to do just that at the "Sick Of It Day" website. With passion and eloquence they're saying why they are "sick of it." Listen:
"Because over a million innocents have died. Because the Democrats, who promised to end the war, have been in control of the budget now for almost a year and a half, and they have continued to fund the war. Because I'm disgusted with Bush, Cheney and the Democrats." David Lindorff, Ambler PA
"The lies, the deaths, the brutality, the sheer hubris and arrogance, and the obscene profits from it all." Ron Jacobs, Asheville NC
On March 19, the day the U.S. invaded Iraq five years ago, we'll be sick of it yet again. But on that revolting day we can do something nonviolently revolutionary. We can withdraw our consent from this sick system – by calling in sick.
People are signing up to do just that at the "Sick Of It Day" website. With passion and eloquence they're saying why they are "sick of it." Listen:
"Because over a million innocents have died. Because the Democrats, who promised to end the war, have been in control of the budget now for almost a year and a half, and they have continued to fund the war. Because I'm disgusted with Bush, Cheney and the Democrats." David Lindorff, Ambler PA
"The lies, the deaths, the brutality, the sheer hubris and arrogance, and the obscene profits from it all." Ron Jacobs, Asheville NC
Rep. Leonard Boswell signs onto Cheney impeachment
Congressman Leonard Boswell, right-wing Democrat from Iowa'a third district, would apparently like to avoid the fate of Congressman Al Wynn in Maryland. Al Wynn nearly lost a primary in 2006 to a challenger from his left, Donna Edwards. He transformed himself from one of the most corporate and militaristic members of Congress into one of the most responsive to his constituents, reversing his position on the occupation of Iraq and signing onto articles of impeachment against Dick Cheney. It wasn't enough to save him, as Edwards showed Wynn the door in the 2008 primary earlier this month.
Boswell is being challenged by Ed Fallon, who - like Edwards - seems to inspire more courage in the incumbent than he himself actually exhibits. Fallon's website says nothing about impeachment. Edwards said she was for it when asked, but never brought it up, and kept it off her website.
The Iowa Independent quotes Fallon as responding to Boswell's cosponsorship of H Res 333:
Boswell is being challenged by Ed Fallon, who - like Edwards - seems to inspire more courage in the incumbent than he himself actually exhibits. Fallon's website says nothing about impeachment. Edwards said she was for it when asked, but never brought it up, and kept it off her website.
The Iowa Independent quotes Fallon as responding to Boswell's cosponsorship of H Res 333:
Non-electoral activism in a presidential election year
Just about a year ago a leading activist in the climate movement made a comment that I took note of at the time and haven’t forgotten: Presidential politics overshadows all other politics during a Presidential election period.
This comment was made in the context of a discussion about how do we keep building a non-electoral, grassroots-driven climate movement which makes the global warming crisis a central national issue. But it could be said about any issue. Presidential campaign season sucks up activist energy, popular attention and donor contributions, as we have definitely seen so far in this particular campaign season.
Issue-oriented, independent progressive activists ignore this truth at their peril.
But there’s an opposite mistake that can be made—accommodating tactics to the electoral season in a way which strips our movements of urgency, creativity, militancy and edginess. At its worst, this approach opposes or denigrates mass demonstrations and nonviolent direct action, seeing them as distractions from the “real work” of getting good candidates elected to office.
This comment was made in the context of a discussion about how do we keep building a non-electoral, grassroots-driven climate movement which makes the global warming crisis a central national issue. But it could be said about any issue. Presidential campaign season sucks up activist energy, popular attention and donor contributions, as we have definitely seen so far in this particular campaign season.
Issue-oriented, independent progressive activists ignore this truth at their peril.
But there’s an opposite mistake that can be made—accommodating tactics to the electoral season in a way which strips our movements of urgency, creativity, militancy and edginess. At its worst, this approach opposes or denigrates mass demonstrations and nonviolent direct action, seeing them as distractions from the “real work” of getting good candidates elected to office.
Behind Obama's wave of victories: the more they know him…..
In a race where Clinton seemed to have every advantage, why has Barack Obama now won eight primaries and caucuses in a row? If you look at the rhythm of the campaign, this is the first point where most of America's voters have a chance to consider him as a candidate with a serious chance of victory, and to genuinely engage his message. Democrats passionately want a candidate they can believe in, but also one who can win--and reverse the Republican disasters. As the presumed nominee, Clinton did everything she could to play on this, proclaiming herself as tough, experienced, and capable of taking everything the Republicans could throw at her. She lined up massive insider support, including commitments from 154 superdelegates (versus 50 for Obama) before a single vote was cast.
There’s nothing mainstream about the corporate media
As we stumble toward another presidential election, it’s never been more clear that our political process is being warped by a corporate stranglehold on the free flow of information. Amidst a virtual blackout of coverage of a horrific war, a global ecological crisis and an advancing economic collapse, what passes for the mass media is itself in collapse. What’s left of our democracy teeters on the brink.
The culprit, in the parlance of the day, has been the “Mainstream Media,” or MSM.
But that’s wrong name for it. Today’s mass media is Corporate, not Mainstream, and the distinction is critical.
Calling the Corporate Media (CM) “mainstream” implies that it speaks for mid-road opinion, and it absolutely does not.
There is, in fact, a discernable, tangible mainstream of opinion in this country. As brilliant analysts such as Jeff Cohen, Norman Solomon and the Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) organization have shown, the “MSM” is very far to the right of it.
The culprit, in the parlance of the day, has been the “Mainstream Media,” or MSM.
But that’s wrong name for it. Today’s mass media is Corporate, not Mainstream, and the distinction is critical.
Calling the Corporate Media (CM) “mainstream” implies that it speaks for mid-road opinion, and it absolutely does not.
There is, in fact, a discernable, tangible mainstream of opinion in this country. As brilliant analysts such as Jeff Cohen, Norman Solomon and the Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) organization have shown, the “MSM” is very far to the right of it.