The Standup Comedy of George W. Bush and John McCain

"...I am interested in good relations between the United States and Russia. But in the twenty-first century, nations don’t invade other nations." - John McCain

"Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century." - George W. Bush on Russia and the situation in Georgia

The laughs never end with these two kidders.

Let's Not and Say We Did: The New Consensus on Iraq

A "flexible timeline" is not a timetable, and continuing the occupation is not ending it.
By Anthony Arnove, Socialist Worker, August 1, 2008

The Wall Street Journal reports that the "The Bush administration's embrace of a flexible timeline for pulling U.S. troops from Iraq has accelerated negotiations between Washington and Baghdad over a long-term security pact."
Every day, it's becoming clearer that the Bush administration, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, and presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain are reaching a new consensus, which can be summed up as "let's not and say we did."
Let's not end the occupation. Let's not withdraw all the troops. Let's not resolve the fundamental problems created by the U.S. invasion and occupation. But let's all pretend we did (or will soon enough, though certainly never "precipitously," so leave us alone).

Continue reading 'Let's Not and Say We Did: The New Consensus on Iraq'. . .

July 16, 2008 - Some News, Views, and Info

History Made in Chicago: With the nomination of Cynthia McKinney and Rosa Clemente the Green Party is now free to become the real radical alternative party that it should be. (Organizing Notes) July 12, 2008

From Politics of Hope to Politics as Usual: The heady days of Obamamania have given way to one big Obummer."We're beginning to understand why Barack Obama keeps protesting so vigorously against the prospect of 'George Bush's third term,'" a recent Wall Street Journal editorial said. "Maybe he's worried that someone will notice that he's the candidate who's running for it." (Socialist Worker) July 9, 2008

'This Is Like Apartheid': ANC Veterans Visit West Bank: Veterans of the anti-apartheid struggle said recently that the restrictions endured by Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territories was in some respects worse than that imposed on the black majority under white rule in South Africa. (The Independent UK) July 11, 2008

US Organized Labor Gets Its First Openly Gay National Union President: New York based United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten has been elected to succeed Edward McElroy as President of the American Federation of Teachers. The election makes Weingarten the first openly gay labor leader to be president of a national labor union. (Workers Independent News) July 16, 2008

Animal Advocate Detained, Searched, Questioned at Canadian Border about Activism (Green is the New Red) July 15, 2008

AUDIO: Mumia Abu-Jamal on One Empire, Unchanged: Increasingly, the US Presidential election looks like a political contest between the same old thing and the same thing with a new face. McCain and Obama have sworn their allegiance to a husky nationalism that imposes political and military hegemony over much of the world. (Prison Radio) July 9, 2008

July 11, 2008 - Some News, Views, and Info

Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney has named Rosa Clemente as her Vice Presidential running mate.

‘Progressives for Obama’ Fool Themselves: Barack Obama's rush to disavow the "tag" of the "Left" should surprise no one. For straight language and unambiguously progressive politics, support Cynthia McKinney, who is expected to win the Green Party presidential nomination, this week in Chicago. (Black Agenda Report) July 9, 2008

Yeah, They Did It: Bowing to President Bush's demands, the Senate approved and sent the White House a bill Wednesday to overhaul bitterly disputed rules on secret government spying and shield telecommunications companies from lawsuits complaining they helped the U.S. spy on Americans. Let it be noted clearly that Barack Obama, who previously pledged to join in a filibuster of any bill that contained telcom immunity, not only didn't join any filibuster attempt, not only voted for the damn bill, he voted in favor of cloture. (Lotus - Surviving a Dark Time) July 10, 2008

'Longest Walk' Reaches Washington: Thirty years ago, 40,000 Native Americans and their supporters participated in an historic cross-country march called the Longest Walk. Commemorating that event, two groups of walkers set out from Alcatraz Island last February. Today the marchers are due to end their journey at the White House and later present a 30-page manifesto to a Democratic Congressman, Rep. John Conyers, who advocates on a wide range of minority issues. (Sky News) July 11, 2008

Indigenous communities in Bolivia and Brazil have declared an emergency in response to the construction of the Madera River Hydroelectric Complex, which Brasilia is pursuing even as independent research efforts try to measure the impacts of what will be one of South America's largest energy projects. (Inter Press Service) July 10, 2008

"Health Care for America Now": Which Side Are They On? (MR Zine) July 10, 2008

July 2, 2008 - Some News, Views, and Info

International Statement of Solidarity With the Zapatistas: As members of diverse collectives and organizations in different corners of the World, we wish to express our outrage and complete repudiation of the renewed military invasion of Zapatista communities on June 4th 2008. (Indymedia UK) June 18, 2008

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders leads with proposal for 10 million solar rooftops, While Bush Admin puts brakes on solar projects (Buzzflash) July 1, 2008

What the Census Didn't Count: Water Rights and Privatization in El Salvador (Upside Down World) June 18, 2008

Mexicans Protest Canadian Mining Company: Residents and activists from the central Mexican state of San Luis Potosí travelled to Toronto to tell the shareholders of a Canadian mining company that their investments are at risk because the billion-dollar Cerro San Pedro gold and silver mine is illegal and environmentally unsafe. (Inter Press Service) June 28, 2008

Protest Zone Far Cry From Pepsi Center, ACLU Says: New suit claims delegates won't hear activities: The designated protest zone at the Democratic National Convention will be more than two football fields away from the Pepsi Center - a revelation that drew new legal challenges Monday from the American Civil Liberties Union. (Rocky Mountain News) July 1, 2008

Who Cares What Bill Clinton Says? Even liberals, who have historically been too trusting, should have gotten the message by now. Bill Clinton never was a liberal, and he’s no friend to liberals. (Another Socialist Blog) June 29, 2008

June 25, 2008 - Some News, Views, and Info

Telecoms Flex Their Muscles: FISA “Compromise” Locks-in Spying: You knew it would eventually come to this: a huge victory for the Bush regime and a gigantic swindle by Democratic party sell-outs posing as an “opposition.” Thursday, House and Senate leaders in a bipartisan Washington love-fest, stooped to new lows of dissimulation as they reached agreement on a bill that gives the nation’s spy agencies and their outsourced “partners” in the telecommunications industry carte blanche to illegally spy on Americans. (Dissident Voice) June 23, 2008

A Critique From the Left of Jonah Goldberg's Ludicrous book Liberal Fascism (Socialist Humanism With A Human Face) June 18, 2008

2008 Green Party National Convention in Chicago (July 10-13) will be a public forum for discussion of impeachment and other major issues on which Democrats and Republicans have failed in their responsibility to voters. (GP.org) June 24, 2008

James Hansen's Timely Warning on Climate Change: On June 23, 1988, the threat of climate change finally captured the media's attention when James Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, warned a U.S. Senate committee that the planet was already warming as a result of human activity. Monday, 20 years to the day after his appearance before the Senate committee, Hansen was back on Capitol Hill with a more immediate warning. (Toronto Star) June 25, 2008

Is Your City Going to Be Bottled Water-Free? A new resolution from leading U.S. mayors shows that more cities may be ditching the bottled stuff in favor of tap. (Alternet) June 24, 2008

Taking on the Purple Machine: SEIU President Andy Stern and his staff prevailed at the convention, but pro-reform members succeeded in advancing a debate inside the country's largest union. (Socialist Worker) June 17, 2008

University of California Workers Avert Walkout to Continue Contract Talks (MR Zine) June 24, 2008

Germany's Die Linke: ‘We have the wind of history in our sails’: After a year of stellar successes, almost 600 delegates from Germany’s new left-wing party, Die Linke, came together for the party’s first ever congress, held in the east German city of Cottbus on May 25 and 26. (Links) May 30, 3008

June 14, 2008 - Some News, Views, and Info

Kucinich Vows New Round of Impeachment Articles Against Bush if Measure Dies (Online Journal) June 13, 2008

The Myth of the Market: The increasing injustice and environmental destruction of recent years has been justified by the alleged 'efficiency' of the market. But both theory and evidence show that markets are economically inefficient, wasteful of human and natural resources. (21st Century Socialism) June 11, 2008

Three Cheers For The Irish "No" Voters!: Irish voters torpedoed the Lisbon Treaty Friday. In the face of an almost united political establishment, a majority of voters decided to vote in favour of Irish independence and neutrality and against the nefarious plans of the European Business elite and their paid political agents. (Greenman's Occasional Organ) June 13, 2008

Only Nuclear Dreams Mushrooming: The proposal by the Paris-based International Energy Agency for more than 1,400 nuclear power plants to be built over the next 40 years is unfeasible, environmental activists say. (Inter Press Service) June 13, 2008

Hunger Strike by Bhopal Victims in India: The three organisations of Bhopal survivors leading the 111 day-long campaign in Delhi, along with participants from more than 18 countries announced the launching of a global hunger strike from June 10. (Business Standard, India) June 9, 2008

Activists Launch Protests Against Corporations in 8 Brazil States: Thousands of landless rural workers invaded dams, railways, plantations and corporate headquarters in a wave of protests across eight Brazilian states on Tuesday. (International Herald Tribune) June 10, 2008

How Europe Underdevelops Africa And How Some Fight Back (Counterpunch) June 13-15, 2008

Racism in the Tar Sands: Exploiting Foreign Workers and Poisoning Indigenous People in Canada (Oil Sands Truth) June 12, 2008

June 11, 2008 - What the Heck is Goin On? Some News, Views, and Info

Kucinich Offers Impeachment Articles Against Bush: Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) introduced 35 articles of impeachment against President Bush on Monday night, reading the resolution into the Congressional Record. (CBS News) June 9, 2008

AUDIO/VIDEO: Allen Ginsberg & Paul McCartney "A Ballad of American Skeletons" or "An American Ballad of Skeletons" Live at the Royal Albert Hall, October 16, 1995. (Youtube)

Corporations Tracking Who Activists Are Dating: We’ve recently learned that Burger King has been spying on human rights activists, and the FBI would like to be spying on vegan potlucks. Not to be outdone, it looks like the Society of Toxicology commissioned a “threat analysis” to try to get smart about, among other things, who activists are dating. (Green is the New Red) June 6, 2008

Eliot, Maine Voters OK Wind, Solar Energy Systems: Voters in Eliot approved two new ordinances permitting wind and solar energy systems in town. (Maine Today) June 11, 2008

Labor-Environmental Coalition Testing of Water Contaminated By Dupont in New Jersey (Workers Independent News) June 10, 2008

The Blue-Green Alliance, Good Jobs, A Clean Environment, and A Safer World: The United Steelworkers and the Sierra Club are working toward a future of green jobs for America in the Blue-Green Alliance as we wrestle with finding a solution to global warming. (Workers Independent News) June 11, 2008

Obama the Hawk: Barack Obama's hard-line speech at the AIPAC conference wasn't just pandering to the pro-Israel lobby, but a statement of his real position on foreign policy issues. (Socialist Worker) June 11, 2008

Climate change: Carbon Capture From Power Stations Must Start Soon, Say Scientists (The Guardian) June 10, 2008

June 8, 2008 - Some News, Views, and Info

Life, Liberty, Water: As climate change and worldwide shortages loom, will people fight over water or join together to protect it? (Yes! Magazine) Summer 2008

World's Biggest Solar Farm Going Up In Portugal (The Guardian) June 6, 2008

Venezuela, along with Argentina, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Bolivia, criticised the final declaration of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Summit in Rome on Thursday, arguing that the document failed to identify the true causes of rising food prices, such as agricultural subsidies and unequal trade policies imposed by developed countries. (Venezuelanalysis) June 6, 2008

Stop Funding Torture! An Open Letter Urging Action by Congress (StopFundingTorture.com) May 2008

Obama and the Occupation of Iraq: People who believe Barack Obama will end the occupation of Iraq are likely in for a rude awakening. Despite talking about withdrawal from Iraq, his plan would keep troops in the country for years to come, likely well beyond his potential first term. (ZNet) June 8, 2008

Senate Considers $455 Billion in Nuclear Subsidies: The Senate is considering providing the nuclear industry with over $500 billion in subsidies for new nuclear power development. The subsidies are included in a much-touted bipartisan climate change bill. (Democracy Now!) June 6, 2008

Water Activists Slay Corporate Behemoth, Felton, CA’s Victory to Control Water Resources: Their victory is one in a series of setbacks for corporate water interests. (Food & Water Watch) June 2, 2008

June 4, 2008 - Some News, Views, and Info

The 2nd of May Revolt at the UN Forum on Indigenous Peoples: The United Nations censors indigenous people at a forum for indigenous people (w/ links to video) (Climate and Capitalism) June 2, 2008

From Kennedy to Obama: Liberalism's Last Fling: John Pilger refers back to his travels with Robert Kennedy to describe the false hopes offered by those, like Barack Obama, who exploit the appeal of liberalism then present a very different reality. (JohnPilger.com) May 29, 2008

The American Electoral Charade: Two candidates with almost identical positions on virtually every issue fight to exhaustion over non-substantial concerns for months, and will doubtless soon celebrate having achieved "unity." Those citizens that want to abolish the American oligarchic form of government should vote for the Green Party, and put Cynthia McKinney at the head of the ticket. (Black Agenda Report) June 4, 2008

Dirty Deeds in Bolivia: Bolivia’s right-wing extremists who have been doing their best to rip their own country apart for the past two years rather than accept the rule of their constitutionally elected President Evo Morales finally have showed themselves in their true colours. (Bolivia Rising) June 2, 2008

Blackwater: From the Nisour Square Massacre to the Future of the Mercenary Industry (w/ audio and Video) (Democracy Now!) June 2, 2008

West Coast Winter Soldier: “Enough Is Enough, It’s Time to Get Out”: Dozens of veterans from the U.S. occupation of Iraq converged in Seattle over the weekend to share stories of atrocities being committed daily in Iraq, in a continuation of the "Winter Soldier" hearings held in Silver Spring, Maryland in March. (Inter Press Service) June 2, 2008

Whalemeat Traders Defying Ban: Icelandic and Norwegian companies have begun exporting whalemeat to Japan (BBC News) June 2, 2008

May 24, 2008 - Some News, Views, and Info Links

Amazon Indians Lead Battle Against Power Giant's Plan to Flood Rainforest (The Independent UK) May 23, 2008

US Empire in Somalia: Hidden Catastrophe, Hidden Agenda (Media Lens) May 13, 2008

US Senate Passes No-Strings War Funding Bill (Inter Press Service) May 23, 2008

“War, Inc.”: John Cusack’s New Film Satirizes the Corruption, Profiteering and Hubris Behind the Iraq War (Democracy Now!) May 23, 2008

Why Cusack's War, Inc.. Is Must-See Political Filmmaking (Alternet) May 21, 2008

Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU): Say No to Xenophobia (MR Zine) May 21, 2008

Union-Busting at Woodman’s Grocery Chain in Wisconsin (Socialist Worker) May 23, 2008

John McCain's Miserable Record on Hurricane Katrina

By Jonathan Stein, MoJo Blog, April 25, 2008

John McCain's Time for Action tour arrived in New Orleans Thursday, where McCain toured the hurricane-damaged 9th Ward and criticized both the Bush Administration and Congress for its handling of the disaster. Lamenting the pace of recovery, McCain said, "I want to assure you it will never happen again in this country. You have my commitment and my promise."
But McCain's record on Hurricane Katrina suggests that he was part of the problem, not the solution.

Continue reading 'John McCain's Miserable Record on Hurricane Katrina'. . .

Iraq, Impeachment, and the Democrats

By Cindy Sheehan, Dissident Voice, April 20, 2008

[Pelosi], too, is frustrated with the ongoing war in Iraq but believes that impeachment would be divisive and distract Congress from improving the lives of working families.
– spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi: Drew Hammill

The above quote from House Speaker, and my opponent, Nancy Pelosi’s spokesperson would be hilarious if it were not so damn tragic. The quote was in an article about my recent visit and speech to students, faculty and the community members at CSU San Marcos. I wonder how long Drew stayed awake to think up this quote, and I wonder if Drew and Speaker Pelosi think that we, the American people, are too stupid to realize that our lives have been “improved.”
After five years of warfare on the people of Iraq; almost eight years of warfare on the American public and about 15 months of the reign of the Democrats in Congress, working class families of America have paid the heaviest price.
The human cannon fodder that BushCo believes is so expendable and that Pelosi funds, come mostly from the working class. Over 4000 American soldiers are dead and not one of them has been named Pelosi, Bush, Cheney, or Hoyer. Not one has been plucked out of the boardrooms of mortgage bankers or war profiteers.

Continue reading 'Iraq, Impeachment, and the Democrats'. . .

Bush's Lame Duck Climate 'Plan'

Greenpeace.org, April 17, 2008

President Bush has tried again to make the world believe that he will rectify his shameful record of ignoring, denying and fuelling climate change. He's announced that by 2025, the US will stop increasing its emissions. Yes, for another 15 years the country that has spewed more emissions into the atmosphere than any other country on Earth will continue to emit more and more.
Bush must have missed the reports by the Noble Prize winning IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). The IPCC unequivocally says that global emissions need to peak within the next 10 years at the latest. Ten years, not 17!
Bush's plan for after 2025 is also lamentable. Bush says, the US may cut emissions, if coal can be made clean, nuclear power is safe - and pigs can be genetically engineered to fly. This is a woefully inadequate response by an administration that has obstructed global efforts to tackle climate change at every opportunity.

Continue reading 'Bush's Lame Duck Climate 'Plan''. . .

King Commemoration and Revisionism

By Mel Reeves, Black Agenda Report, April 16, 2008

If Martin Luther King were to return 40 years after his assassination, he might not recognize himself. Revising and repackaging Dr. King's politics in order to render the human rights leader harmless, even quaint, is a twice-yearly game played mainly by those who would preserve the very system MLK sought to overcome. While old enemies of Dr. King, like Republican presidential candidate John McCain, spin convoluted myths that totally distort American history and Dr. King's central place in it, the two Democratic contenders paint superficial pictures of King's time and mission. The best antidote for revisionist histories of Dr. King are the words of the man, himself.

Continue reading 'King Commemoration and Revisionism'. . .

California Teachers Launch Battle Against $4.8 Billion Education Budget Cut

By Doug Cunningham, Workers Independent News, April 8, 2008

A budget cut of $4.8 billion will hurt. That’s the California Teachers Association’s message as it launches a six week "Cuts Hurt" bus tour protesting Gov. Arnold Schwarzennegger’s proposed education cuts.

Continue reading 'California Teachers Launch Battle Against $4.8 Billion Education Budget Cut'. . .

A Conscientious Objection to the Republicans and Democrats

By Chris Hedges, Common Dreams, March 24, 2008

Those of us who oppose the war, who believe that all U.S. troops should be withdrawn and the network of permanent bases in Iraq dismantled, have only two options in the coming presidential elections-Ralph Nader and Cynthia McKinney. A vote for any of the Republican and Democratic candidates is a vote to perpetuate the occupation of Iraq and a lengthy and futile war of attrition with the Iraqi insurgency. You can sign on for the suicidal hundred-year war with John McCain or for the nebulous open-ended war-lite with Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, or back those who reject the war. If you vote Democrat or Republican in the coming election be honest with yourself-you have voted to allow the U.S. government to continue, in some form, the campaign that needlessly kills ever more Americans and Iraqis in a conflict that has become the worst foreign policy disaster in U.S. history and a crime under international law.
“When will the American people actually vote to give to the world more than bombs and missiles, sweatshops, dubious science, frankenfood, poverty and misery?” Cynthia McKinney, the presidential candidate in the Green Party primaries, told me. “Not only do we need an immediate, orderly withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan, we need an end to the militarism that has placed U.S. troops on the soil of over 100 countries. A true peace agenda means a complete redefinition of security. I remain convinced that if people in Haiti, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia and Nicaragua can vote a peace and justice agenda into power, then so too can we.”

Continue reading 'A Conscientious Objection to the Republicans and Democrats'. . .

McCain's 'Never' Is a Long Time

By Robert Parry, Consortium News, February 21, 2008

John McCain must hope that Americans won’t read the entire New York Times story about his friendship with a female lobbyist, because if they do, they’ll realize that his statement – that he “has never violated the public trust, never done favors for special interests or lobbyists” – simply isn’t true.

Continue reading 'McCain's 'Never' Is a Long Time'. . .

Interview with Cynthia McKinney on Why She is Running for President and More

San Francisco Bay Area Indy Media, January 8, 2007

Note: The following interview with former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney is reprinted from issue No. 268 of the ILC International Newsletter (Jan. 8, 2008), published weekly in multiple languages in Paris. The interview was conducted for the ILC International Newsletter by Alan Benjamin on Jan. 5.
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Question: Sister McKinney, as someone who is running for president of the United States on behalf of the Power to the People electoral coalition, how do you view the recent Iowa caucus?
Cynthia McKinney: I just received a three-page letter from a woman in Tennessee -- a veteran who did three tours of duty in Vietnam. She wrote to say how dissatisfied she is with the level of political discourse in our presidential election, with none of the Democratic or Republican candidates addressing the real issues that she and her family are facing in terms of health care, job offshoring, declining public education, stagnation of wages, and more.
She is looking for real answers and is not getting any from politicians and a media more interested in hype and hot-button issues (such as the "war on terror" or the "war on drugs") than in promoting any serious discussion of policy, much less offering any serious political alternatives.

Read all of 'Interview with Cynthia McKinney on Why She is Running for President and More'. . .

Vote for Change? Atrocity-Linked U.S. Officials Advising Democratic, GOP Presidential Frontrunners

Democracy Now!, January 3, 2008

Independent journalist Allan Nairn and American Conservative correspondent Kelley Beaucar Vlahos discuss a little-addressed facet of the 2008 campaign: many of the top advisers to leading presidential candidates are ex-U.S. officials involved in atrocities around the world.

Continue reading, watching, or listening to 'Vote for Change? Atrocity-Linked U.S. Officials Advising Democratic, GOP Presidential Frontrunners'. . .