Ten Thousand Voter Registration Documents May Have Been Shredded in Hocking County, Ohio
Members of the Progressive Ohio Backbone Campaign traveled to Hocking
County on Monday morning, July 11, and filed an affidavit of fact alleging criminal conduct with the Hocking County Sheriff’s Department against the county’s Board of Elections (BOE) Director Lisa Schwartze.
Schwartze had previously admitted at the July 5 BOE meeting that she had used the office to promote a Republican Party fund-raiser last fall. The affidavit of fact alleging criminal conduct filed against Schwartze, however, does not to pertain to Schwartze’s use of the BOE office for partisan political fund-raising. Rather, the affidavit filed pertains to her alleged illegal shredding of election documents, the Free Press has learned.
Sherole Eaton, the fired Hocking County BOE deputy director and Congressional whistleblower, who swore an affidavit against a Triad company technician for allegedly offering a cheat sheet and replacing the county’s central voting tabulator hard drive during last year’s presidential recount, says that Schwartze may have destroyed up to “ten thousand documents.”
Schwartze had previously admitted at the July 5 BOE meeting that she had used the office to promote a Republican Party fund-raiser last fall. The affidavit of fact alleging criminal conduct filed against Schwartze, however, does not to pertain to Schwartze’s use of the BOE office for partisan political fund-raising. Rather, the affidavit filed pertains to her alleged illegal shredding of election documents, the Free Press has learned.
Sherole Eaton, the fired Hocking County BOE deputy director and Congressional whistleblower, who swore an affidavit against a Triad company technician for allegedly offering a cheat sheet and replacing the county’s central voting tabulator hard drive during last year’s presidential recount, says that Schwartze may have destroyed up to “ten thousand documents.”
Terrorism, "the War on Terror" and the Message of Carnage
When the French government suggested a diplomatic initiative that
might interfere with the White House agenda for war, the president
responded by saying that the proposed scenario would “ratify terror.” The
date was July 24, 1964, the president was Lyndon Johnson and the war was in
Vietnam.
Four decades later, the anti-terror rationale is not just another argument for revving up the U.S. war machinery. Fighting “terror” is now the central rationale for war.
“The contrast couldn’t be clearer between the intentions and the hearts of those who care deeply about human rights and human liberty, and those who kill, those who’ve got such evil in their hearts that they will take the lives of innocent folks,” President Bush said Thursday after the London bombings. “The war on terror goes on.”
Four decades later, the anti-terror rationale is not just another argument for revving up the U.S. war machinery. Fighting “terror” is now the central rationale for war.
“The contrast couldn’t be clearer between the intentions and the hearts of those who care deeply about human rights and human liberty, and those who kill, those who’ve got such evil in their hearts that they will take the lives of innocent folks,” President Bush said Thursday after the London bombings. “The war on terror goes on.”
London terrorist bombings mirror Bush's Terrorist Energy Plan
The horrific terrorist bombings in London are a pale reflection of the terror erupting from George W. Bush's energy plan, which will ultimately kill far more people and wreck far more planetary havoc than four bombs and fifty deaths on a single city's streets.
Amidst Thursday's awful carnage, Bush leapt to deliver his set sermon on good versus evil. But in the same breath he bullied the G-8 nations into groveling at the feet of Big Oil, on whose behalf he is slaughtering thousands in Iraq.
Bush is the Osama bin Laden of climate change. Even conservative Republicans on the American corporate right are growing nervous about the continued emission of carbon dioxide into the earth's atmosphere, which has reached apocalyptic proportions.
Each day the doubters further diminish as robins find their way to Alaska and tropical diseases spread toward the poles. As the weather becomes unhinged, the world's biggest insurers join oil companies such as British Petroleum in escalating desperation. Even the Saudis have joined in, warning that their gargantuan reserves, the world's largest, may not meet demand ten years out.
Amidst Thursday's awful carnage, Bush leapt to deliver his set sermon on good versus evil. But in the same breath he bullied the G-8 nations into groveling at the feet of Big Oil, on whose behalf he is slaughtering thousands in Iraq.
Bush is the Osama bin Laden of climate change. Even conservative Republicans on the American corporate right are growing nervous about the continued emission of carbon dioxide into the earth's atmosphere, which has reached apocalyptic proportions.
Each day the doubters further diminish as robins find their way to Alaska and tropical diseases spread toward the poles. As the weather becomes unhinged, the world's biggest insurers join oil companies such as British Petroleum in escalating desperation. Even the Saudis have joined in, warning that their gargantuan reserves, the world's largest, may not meet demand ten years out.
The Economy Turned the Corner and Is Headed in the Wrong Direction
Throughout the presidential campaign last fall, one of Mr. Bush’s favorite stump lines was “The economy has turned the corner.” Presumably, this was the best (and, no doubt, the simplest) line that Karl Rove and Karen Hughes could craft for the president to reassure the nation that our economic woes were behind us. However, various reports released recently, as well as a comprehensive survey of America’s concerns, suggests that if the economy did turn the corner, it’s made a u-turn.
On May 19, the Pew Research Center released the results of their national survey of the nation’s mood. The survey demonstrated that 65% of the country is dissatisfied with how Mr. Bush is handling the economy. Only one in three believe the national economy is in good shape. The percentage of Americans rating their own financial situation positively has declined from 51 percent, when the president was inaugurated in January, down to 44 percent. And only 18 percent of Americans believe economic conditions a year from now will be better than they are today.
On May 19, the Pew Research Center released the results of their national survey of the nation’s mood. The survey demonstrated that 65% of the country is dissatisfied with how Mr. Bush is handling the economy. Only one in three believe the national economy is in good shape. The percentage of Americans rating their own financial situation positively has declined from 51 percent, when the president was inaugurated in January, down to 44 percent. And only 18 percent of Americans believe economic conditions a year from now will be better than they are today.
From "Pariah" to "St. Judy": the luckiest martyr
Is there ever anyone luckier than Judy Miller? All last year she was pilloried as the prime saleslady for the imaginary WMDs that offered the prime pretext for the invasion of Iraq. Although it refused to denounce her by name, the New York Times publicly castigated itself for poor reporting, and Miller's career seemed to be at an end, except for the occasional excursion to CNN studios for tete-a-tetes with Larry King.
But then came a glimmer of hope. With unexpected zeal, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was pressing his investigation of who exactly outed Valerie Plame as a CIA officer. Plame, as the world knows, is the wife of Joe Wilson, who had incurred the displeasure of the Bush White House by discrediting the phony Nigerian yellowcake story, part of their vast propaganda operation to sell the Iraq attack to Congress and the American people.
But then came a glimmer of hope. With unexpected zeal, special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was pressing his investigation of who exactly outed Valerie Plame as a CIA officer. Plame, as the world knows, is the wife of Joe Wilson, who had incurred the displeasure of the Bush White House by discrediting the phony Nigerian yellowcake story, part of their vast propaganda operation to sell the Iraq attack to Congress and the American people.
Judith Miller -- Drum Major for War
Judy, it’s been so many wars since we’ve talked.
Now people are hailing your dedication to the principle of journalistic independence. For many, you will always be the courageous reporter who went to jail. But I’ll always remember what happened when we met under hot lights and you showed your stuff.
Far from today’s headlines, what will endure is your approach to journalism in a time of war. (And in this era, what other time is there?) Long before your current stratospheric fame, you were upholding the media spirit that has made you emblematic of the nation’s press.
Of course there are some who still recall how you pushed stories about Saddam and WMDs onto the front page of the New York Times. And they remember that officials who helped to funnel disinformation into your articles grew fond of going on television to cite them as evidence that the Iraqi regime was a menace to the world.
But you were no overnight sensation. Your type of zeal about war was long apparent to those who cared to look.
Judy, we all know that memory can be foggy. But a transcript can help bring it back. The way we were...
Now people are hailing your dedication to the principle of journalistic independence. For many, you will always be the courageous reporter who went to jail. But I’ll always remember what happened when we met under hot lights and you showed your stuff.
Far from today’s headlines, what will endure is your approach to journalism in a time of war. (And in this era, what other time is there?) Long before your current stratospheric fame, you were upholding the media spirit that has made you emblematic of the nation’s press.
Of course there are some who still recall how you pushed stories about Saddam and WMDs onto the front page of the New York Times. And they remember that officials who helped to funnel disinformation into your articles grew fond of going on television to cite them as evidence that the Iraqi regime was a menace to the world.
But you were no overnight sensation. Your type of zeal about war was long apparent to those who cared to look.
Judy, we all know that memory can be foggy. But a transcript can help bring it back. The way we were...
Eaten alive by corruption
AUSTIN, Texas -- The stirring tale of Randy "Duke" Cunningham, congressman and bon vivant, becomes more entertaining by the day, and it is far more instructive than another case of a missing white female.
True, Duke Cunningham is merely an obscure Republican from San Diego (Crow Eaten Here: In a recent column, I said Cunningham was in charge of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, whereas actually he is only a member thereof ... apologies. He is also on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.) On the other hand, the whole tale is so ... so prototypical, so archetypal, so (even though I keep promising not to use the word) paradigmatic.
Cunningham was a decorated pilot in Vietnam who has oft campaigned on the claim that he is the original model for Top Gun. In 2003, he sold his house in Del Mar, a very upscale town north of San Diego. The buyer was Mitchell Wade, a defense contractor, who paid $1.675 million. Wade later resold the house at a $700,000 loss.
True, Duke Cunningham is merely an obscure Republican from San Diego (Crow Eaten Here: In a recent column, I said Cunningham was in charge of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, whereas actually he is only a member thereof ... apologies. He is also on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.) On the other hand, the whole tale is so ... so prototypical, so archetypal, so (even though I keep promising not to use the word) paradigmatic.
Cunningham was a decorated pilot in Vietnam who has oft campaigned on the claim that he is the original model for Top Gun. In 2003, he sold his house in Del Mar, a very upscale town north of San Diego. The buyer was Mitchell Wade, a defense contractor, who paid $1.675 million. Wade later resold the house at a $700,000 loss.
July 4th Declaration of Impeachment
Veterans GROUP ISSUES "DECLARATION OF IMPEACHMENT" AND ANNOUNCES PETITION
TO REMOVE PRESIDENT BUSH St. Louis - A national veterans' organization
today issued a "Declaration of Impeachment" and announced it is beginning
an online petition to remove President Bush from office for crimes
committed during the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
Using the same language as the original "Declaration of Independence," Veterans For Peace cited many of the same reasons to remove George Bush that Thomas Jefferson cited to separate from King George of England. And in a modern version of the signing of the Declaration, VFP announced the posting of its online impeachment petition.
"The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny," Jefferson wrote, and then added the famous litany of abuses charged against the king that VFP said is unchanged today:
Using the same language as the original "Declaration of Independence," Veterans For Peace cited many of the same reasons to remove George Bush that Thomas Jefferson cited to separate from King George of England. And in a modern version of the signing of the Declaration, VFP announced the posting of its online impeachment petition.
"The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny," Jefferson wrote, and then added the famous litany of abuses charged against the king that VFP said is unchanged today:
Review of The Orange Blossom Special, Betsy Carter
The Orange Blossom Special, Betsy Carter
Published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
293 pages; $23.95
Betsy Carter's graceful, sweet novel THE ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL is a tender treat, full of warmth and wisdom, and a pleasure to read.
A long-time editor and inventor of magazines, Betsy has a sixth sense about people and places that make her a rarity among novelists---someone who can write simple, uncomplicated prose without pretense or self-importance while rendering important ideas onto the page and into our hearts.
THE ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL is about a widowed mother, her strong-minded teenage daughter and their struggles to love and grow in the transition from the late 1950s to the tumultuous 1960s.
Published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
293 pages; $23.95
Betsy Carter's graceful, sweet novel THE ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL is a tender treat, full of warmth and wisdom, and a pleasure to read.
A long-time editor and inventor of magazines, Betsy has a sixth sense about people and places that make her a rarity among novelists---someone who can write simple, uncomplicated prose without pretense or self-importance while rendering important ideas onto the page and into our hearts.
THE ORANGE BLOSSOM SPECIAL is about a widowed mother, her strong-minded teenage daughter and their struggles to love and grow in the transition from the late 1950s to the tumultuous 1960s.