From AP:
WASHINGTON (AP) - Consumer advocate and 2004 independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader sued the Democratic Party on Tuesday, contending officials conspired to keep him from taking votes away from nominee John Kerry.
Nader's lawsuit, filed in District of Columbia Superior Court, also named as co-defendants Kerry's campaign, the Service Employees International Union and several so-called 527 organizations such as America Coming Together, which were created to promote voter turnout on behalf of the Democratic ticket.
The lawsuit also alleges that the Democratic National Committee conspired to force Nader off the ballot in several states.
"The Democratic Party is going after anyone who presents a credible challenge to their monopoly over their perceived voters," Nader said in a statement. "This lawsuit was filed to help advance a free and open electoral process for all candidates and voters. Candidate rights and voter rights nourish each other for more voices, choices, and a more open and competitive democracy."
Among other things, the lawsuit alleges that the DNC tried to bankrupt Nader's campaign by suing to keep him off the ballot in 18 states. It also suggests the DNC sent Kerry supporters to crash a Nader petition drive in Portland, Ore., in June 2004, preventing him from collecting enough signatures to get on the ballot.
Read more: Ralph Nader Sues Democratic Party.
Typical neo-liberal protocol. Try to silence opponents, instead of inviting open-minded debate or challenge. (Unless you represent a country hostile to the United States.)
My favorite part:
It also suggests the DNC sent Kerry supporters to crash a Nader petition drive in Portland, Ore., in June 2004, preventing him from collecting enough signatures to get on the ballot.
I wonder if the liberals who crashed Nader's petition drive were wearing Jackboots?
Posted on:
October 30, 2007 , by
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I wonder what liberals, who idolize Iranian president Ahmadinejad, think of this story?
Come to think of it… purging a political party is something the netroots tried right here in America prior to the 2006 Congressional election. Remember?
From AFP:
Ahmadinejad orders purge of local officials
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejed has ordered the sacking of local officials who are deemed to be "indifferent" to the problems of people, the press reported on Tuesday.
Ahmadinejad has made provincial issues a central plank of his presidency, visiting all of Iran's 30 provinces and giving speeches promising drastic improvements in local infrastructure.
"We will soon send a secret letter to provincial governors with the names of officials who should be encouraged," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by the hardline Kayhan newspaper.
"But also there will be the names of officials who are indifferent. As soon as the governors receive this letter they must sack these officials," said Ahmadinejad.
He added that other officials would be rebuked for showing "weakness" in their work.
Many economists in Iran have accused Ahmadinejad of stoking its inflation problems by ploughing windfall revenues from high oil prices into local infrastructure projects.
But the government insists that it is merely fulfilling Ahmadinejad's election promises of making people feel the benefits of oil wealth and has inflation under control.
The revelation of the order comes after Ahmadinejad's advisors said on Monday that the president would soon embark on another round of provincial trips to chase up on the fulfillment of the promised projects.
Read the rest: Ahmadinejad orders purge of local officials
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October 30, 2007 , by
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The chickens are coming home to roost for many democrats. After nearly 6 years of trying to subvert President Bush and the military, many of these clowns in Congress are being challenged and held accountable for their words and deeds. It's not surprising that Congress has the lowest approval-rating in History.
All I can say is, it's about time.
Career Army man to challenge Murtha
BY MIKE FAHER
The Tribune-Democrat
After nearly three decades in the military, William T. Russell’s latest mission has brought him to Johnstown.
The career Army man, just two years short of retirement, has left the service and moved to the Flood City in order to mount a political campaign against veteran Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha.
As a Republican and first-time candidate facing a powerful congressman in the sprawling, Democrat-dominated 12th Congressional District, Russell faces a tough challenge.
But he is determined to press ahead and will formally announce his candidacy within weeks.
“I recognize this is an uphill battle,” Russell said in an interview last week at The Tribune-Democrat.
“But it’s one that must be fought.”
Murtha, who declined any comment on Russell’s candidacy when contacted through a spokesman last week, has served in the House since 1974.
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October 30, 2007 , by
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OPFOR dug this up from somewhere and posted it. Bet you won't see this reported in the mainstream press:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20071026-01
October 26, 2007
Iraqi Army at Besmaya Installation Support San Diego Fire Victims
By U.S. Army Sgt 1st Class Charlene Sipperly
Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq Public Affairs
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Members of the Iraqi Army in Besmaya collected a donation for the San Diego, Calif., fire victims Thursday night at the Besmaya Range Complex in a moving ceremony to support Besmaya's San Diego residents.
Iraqi Army Col. Abbass, the commander of the complex, presented a gift of $1,000 to U.S. Army Col. Darel Maxfield, Besmaya Range Complex officer in charge, Multi-National Security Transition Command Iraq, to send to the fire victims in California.
The money was collected from Iraqi officers and enlisted soldiers in Besmaya. In a speech given during the presentation, Col. Abbass stated that he and the Iraqi soldiers were connected with the American people in many ways, and they will not forget the help that the American government has given the Iraqi people. Abbass was honored to participate by sending a simple fund of $1,000 to the American people in San Diego, to lower the suffering felt by the tragedy.
I thought they all [Iraqi's] hated us?
Posted on:
October 29, 2007 , by
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Okay, the subject of the following piece, written by Vin Suprynowicz, is not such a big deal in terms of real World politics. But it's another example of how the entertainment industry attempts to spread the idea of neo-liberalism amongst our country's youngest citizens.
G.I. Joe was just a toy, wasn't he?
VIN SUPRYNOWICZ
Hollywood now proposes that in a new live-action movie based on the G.I. Joe toy line, Joe's — well, "G.I." — identity needs to be replaced by membership in an "international force based in Brussels." The IGN Entertainment news site reports Paramount is considering replacing our "real American hero" with "Action Man," member of an "international operations team."
Paramount will simply turn Joe's name into an acronym.
The show biz newspaper Variety reports: "G.I. Joe is now a Brussels-based outfit that stands for Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity, an international co-ed force of operatives who use hi-tech equipment to battle Cobra, an evil organization headed by a double-crossing Scottish arms dealer."
Well, thank goodness the villain — no need to offend anyone by making our villains Arabs, Muslims, or foreign dictators of any stripe these days, though apparently Presbyterians who talk like Scottie on "Star Trek" are still OK — is a double-crossing arms dealer. Otherwise one might be tempted to conclude the geniuses at Paramount believe arms dealing itself is evil.
Lesson for the kiddies, American soldiers (and America) are bad. Liberal first, (anti-)American second.
Posted on:
October 29, 2007 , by
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Don’t forget to laugh once-in-a-while, it’s good for you. Enjoy!
Courtesy: www.newsbusters.org.
Posted on:
October 23, 2007 , by
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Here we go again. CNN reporting enemy propaganda as news: U.S. forces battle militants in Sadr City. My BS alarm goes off whenever I see reports like this. Especially, when it involves a U.S.-led operation in Sadr City, Baghdad. Why?
Every report seems to focus on how many innocent civilians are either killed or wounded during the operation. Who supplied the news for that particular story?
It is well-known that the Iranian's are conducting operations against coalition interests in the Sadr City. Such operations would include military training and support for militias, psychological-warfare and propaganda aimed at Western media.
Isn't this what the Iranians did through their support of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine? CNN's report sounds eerily familiar to news stories that have come out of Gaza in years past. You know the story, an aggressive "occupation" force steam-rolls through a neighborhood leaving dead and wounded civilians in its wake. With no apparent reason for being there in the first place. Then pictures of grieving, suffering civilians are shown. Sounds familiar.
Civilians are undoubtedly wounded or killed during military operations in a crowded urban setting and that is tragic. But there is no proof that U.S. forces engage in operations with the intent to cause civilian casualties. My question for CNN is: was a reporter on the ground in Sadr City during the fighting? If so, was he or she a "stringer" or Western journalist? And where is the context for this report?
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Iraqi officials expressed outrage early Sunday at what they say are civilian deaths in the wake of a massive military operation in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood.
The U.S. military said its ground forces are "unaware" of civilian deaths in the early morning raid that it said left 49 "criminals" dead.
An Iraqi Interior Ministry source told CNN that 15 civilians were killed — all men — and 52 other civilians were wounded, including women and children.
Sadr City's mayor, Hassan Adhab, told Iraqi state TV there were 10 "martyrs" — including a mother and her three children — and 42 others were wounded.
Coalition forces were targeting a man they said was a leader in an Iranian-funded kidnapping operation. U.S. military spokeswoman Sgt. Nicole Dykstra told CNN the target was "neither apprehended nor killed today."
Adhab described a bloody scene, saying dozens of sheep were killed in the melee, and military aircraft still hovered over the neighborhood hours after the raid.
He blamed American forces for targeting cars carrying people who were heading to work early Sunday.
"We call upon Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to stop such immoral acts in Sadr City," Adhab said.
When asked about the Sadr City raid, the spokesman for the Baghdad Security Plan said Iraqi forces take every measure to avoid civilian casualties.
"If there are innocent civilian casualties in Sadr City or anywhere else then that is unfortunate," Brig. Gen. Qassim Atta said. "We hope both the Multi-National Forces and the Iraqi Security Forces demonstrate military restraint and respect human rights."
He said al-Maliki will be briefed on the details of the Sadr City raid by the Multi-National Forces.
The U.S. military said the joint ground forces were fired upon as they were clearing several buildings in the "target area."
"Supporting aircraft was called in to suppress the enemy fire, killing an estimated six criminals," a military news release stated.
"The operation's objective was an individual reported to be a longtime Special Groups member specializing in kidnapping operations," the military said. "Intelligence indicates he is a well-known cell leader and has previously sought funding from Iran to carry out high profile kidnappings."
The military said its forces were hit by a roadside bomb as they left the area, but the blast did not cause any casualties among coalition forces.
The Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman said many cars and many homes were damaged in the battle.
The ministry spokesman said the firefight took place between 1:30 a.m. (6:30 p.m. ET) and 6 a.m. (11 p.m. ET) in Sadr City, a densely populated Shiite slum where there is much grass-roots support for Iran and anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
"Special Groups are Shia extremist militant groups trained, funded and supplied primarily by Iran through the Islamic Revolutionary Guards — Quds Force," said U.S. Army Lt. Justin Cole.
"Special Groups have evolved over the past three years into insurgent elements using a cellular structure and operating independently."
"Special Groups operate throughout Iraq," Cole said. "They plan and execute bombings, kidnappings, sectarian murders and more against Iraqi citizens, Iraqi forces and coalition personnel."
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October 21, 2007 , by
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Image of flyer left at the scene
This from Associated Press via Breitbart: Glass Monument to Che in Venezuela Shot.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - A glass monument to revolutionary icon Ernesto "Che" Guevara was shot up and destroyed less than two weeks after it was unveiled by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's government.
Images of the 8-foot-tall glass plate bearing Guevara's image, now toppled and shattered, were shown Friday on state television, which said the entire country "repudiated" the vandalism.
The monument on an Andean mountain highway near the city of Merida was unveiled Oct. 8 by Vice President Jorge Rodriguez and Cuba's ambassador to Venezuela to mark the 40th anniversary of Guevara's death.
Chavez venerates Guevara as a model socialist for all Venezuelans. He named a state-funded adult education program "Mission Che Guevara," and murals of the iconic revolutionary have become a common sight in Venezuela.
Police said they had yet to identify those responsible. The Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional published a copy of what it said was a flier found by the monument signed by the previously unknown "Paramo Patriotic Front."
"We don't want any monument to Che, he isn't an example for our children," the flier read. It called Guevara a "cold-blooded killer" and said the government should raise a monument in Chavez's hometown of Sabaneta, in the nearby lowland plains, if it wants to commemorate the Argentine-born revolutionary.
Read the rest here.
Seems like few have heard of the group calling themselves "Páramo Frente Patriótico" (Paramo Patriotic Front.)
My guess? Chavez was behind it.
Posted on:
October 19, 2007 , by
newyank • Trackback
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