A NWO Blog--Who won the 2nd Republican Debate

Here is a link from Framed Discourse and Debate about who won the 2nd Republican Debate last night. The blogs author is James Trumm. I am copying his work on Rudy Guiliani and Ron Paul because it highlights my previous post, Why are we at war. James goes into a little more detail about the exchange and I think he does a great job in highlighting the scenario. You should also check out his blog (Title Link) for the rest of his reactions to the debate winners and losers.

Rudy Guiliani:

Giuliani didn't. He was doing fairly well--calling the Democrats' plan to get out of Iraq a "timetable for retreat," and handling the abortion questions much better that last time--until Ron Paul suggested that just maybe U.S. policies in the Middle East had something to do with motivating the 9/11 terrorists. Rudy went borderline apoplectic about this and took off after poor little Ron Paul like a rabid badger. It's a pretty basic rule of debate that you don't pick fights down; you can only hurt yourself. That's what he did. He overplayed his 9/11 hero cred and wound up looking like a bully--and not a very bright one at that.


Ron Paul:

Paul didn't, though as noted above, he probably benefited from having Rudy the Rabid charge after him. He could have gotten an even bigger boost had he not seemed to physically shrink in the face of Giuliani's bullying. He had the virtue of offering the most coherent philosophy. He had the courage to advocate dismantling the Department of Homeland Security, saying we didn't need another layer of bureaucracy to fight terrorism. He zinged the other candidates who used the term "enhanced interrogation techniques," saying it sounded like Newspeak. Yesterday I noticed that "Ron Paul" was the top Google search of the day, and his performance last night will probably keep him on top of those rankings for a while. Still, his repeated references to "my argument is . . ." made him seem like he was competing in a high school debate contest, not a Presidential primary. People don't vote for arguments.

Why are we at war?

Here is a post from the New Republic discussing the difference between Rudy Giuliani and Ron Paul regarding the War that Bin Laden has waged with the US.


I like what Ron Paul has to say about this war. His views are opposite of Rudy Giuliani who believes Islam does not like us because "freedom and women's rights."

Ron Paul believes that America's presence in the Middle East is because of

(1) US Involvement in the Middle East, (2) Palestine, and (3) Sanctions on Iraq as reasons why he has declared war

To me, just by reading the differences in thought Ron Paul's assessment seems more realistic. But just for probings sake I "scoured the internets" to see what else I could dig up on Bin Ladens reason for declaring War on The US. Here is what I found:

Here is a PBS transcript of the original FATWA (declaration of war) against the US

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/terrorism/international/fatwa_1996.html

Here is a transcript in Osama's own words discussing his anger about the occupation of the Holy Land and our relationship ($$) with Israel.

http://www.wethepeoplefoundation.org/UPDATE/Update2007-05-07.htm

Here is some video of the Republican debate last night where Rudy blasted Ron Paul about his beliefs for our occupation and the reasons for war. Again using 9/11 as "the day the world changed" But more importantly it is a great compassionate compelling reason to really ask "Why do they hate us"
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YWMyMTBjOTMzOWY5NmIyYTRjNjAzNWYwY2NiYTVmNTg


What I think is sad is the fact that Ron Paul got a few claps and relieved cheers and Rudy got a raucous applause for his one liner.

To me it seems clear that we (the United States) have had a vested interest in the Middle East. We do fund a lot of projects in Israel, we do have a president with huge ties to Saudi Arabia, we have a desire to gain cheaper access to foreign oil. We have been in the middle east for as long as I remember. I think Rudy Giuliani is wrong by dismissing and attacking Ron Paul for his viewpoints and so are people who believe that the US is innocent in what it is strategically implementing overseas. Our actions have angered people and will continue to do so until we have a government that is able to take a look at itself and evaluate what is really best for our country. An American Embassy in Iraq that is bigger than the Vatican, should not be a priority.

A Cleveland Player, Mayor, and an ex TPS Super

My buddy (not really) Braylon Edwards gave 1 million of his hard earned NFL earnings to the Cleveland School System for the advancement of a new scholarship program. The mayor of Cleveland was also in the house, in addition to our famed Dr. Eugene Sanders former Toledo Public Schools.

Other than being there, they did not mention Sanders as being a critical component of this event.

Looks like Braylon has his own foundation dedicated to underserved youth and educational opportunities. Here is a link to his foundation.

http://www.braylonedwardsfoundation.org/index.asp?ID=1

I think it is great that athletes venture out from their NFL roles and give back to the community. I also saw on his site that he fed 500 families from Detroit and had this to say:

“I am grateful to be in a position where I contribute to the lives of so many people,” Edwards says. “It feels good to return home to see family and friends, but more importantly, to make a difference.”

You go Braylon.

Cavs won tonight too.

He's back! What a "Sicko"

Here is an article from MSNBC about Michael Moore. This time he is being questioned about breaking the trade embargo with Cuba. The Treasury's OFAC-Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued this investigation and Mr. Moore is already blaming George Bush and the administration as being responsible for the pressure.

Looks like good timing for Moore's new Movie "Sicko" coming out this summer. The article also states that the movie has gotten good reviews on both sides of the political aisle. It also stated that some enemies of the movie will be "Big Pharma" and HMO's (imagine that).

Seems to me that the administration would like to silence Mr. Moore. Seems to me that Mr. Moore does a great job at getting media attention. I will go see "Sicko" to piss off the neo-con's and see what we can do about fixing health care.

The May 15 Gas Out—Organizing for Real Change?

I have received at least three different emails talking about the Great Gas Out which is scheduled to take place on May 15, 2007. For your reference, one of them reads:
NO GAS...On May 15th 2007
Don't pump gas on May 15th
In April 1997, there was a "gas out" conducted nationwide in protest of gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight.

On May 15th 2007, all Internet users are being asked not to go to a gas station in protest of high gas prices. Gas is now over $3.00 a gallon in most places.

There are 73,000,000+ American members currently on the Internet
Network and the average car takes about 30 to 50 dollars to fill up. If all users did not go to the pump on the 15th, it would take $2,292,000,000.00 (that's almost 3 BILLION) out of the oil companies' pockets for just one day. Send this to all your contact list. With it saying, ''Don't pump gas on May 15th"

At S & G Endeavors, we are committed to change on all levels, whether it is using our strategic planning services to help create organizations with great ideas or using our media services to create media for a changing world. I, personally, am extremely committed to the Bill of Rights for this country, which provides us with the ability to organize in groups to protest those things that we feel unfair. Though I do not drive, I believe the gas prices to be a true injustice to those who do, and have held several conversations with friends, family members, and my business partner regarding the subject. I fully support the intentions of this protest, but my higher commitment to leading change is compelled to ask the following question:
Just how effective is this “protest” going to be, and what will be yielded to the consumer as a result of such efforts?

Before you get upset with my question and assume that I am just spouting off a negative attitude, I ask you to continue reading…

Emails like the one above have been in circulation on the Internet since 1999. The Urban Legend Reference Pages explain why:
This year's e-mails (proposing a one-day "gas out" in May 2007) is yet another recasting of similar messages that have been circulating since 1999. All of them are reminders that "protest" schemes that don't cost the participants any inconvenience, hardship, or money remain the most popular, despite their ineffectiveness. A one-day "gas out" was proposed in 1999, and a three-day-long event was called for in 2000, but both drew little active participation and had no real effect on retail gasoline prices.
The premise behind all these messages is inherently flawed, because consumers' not buying gasoline on one particular day doesn't affect oil companies at all. The "gas out" scheme doesn't call upon people to use less gasoline, but simply to shift their date of purchase and buy gas a day earlier or later than they usually would. The very same amount of gasoline is sold either way, so oil companies don't lose any money.
Further research yields similar statements—from CBS2Chicago.com:
Chances are the plan is more fantasy than feasible…"I think in theory it may have some effect. But in reality or practice it would have little or no effect at all," said Jason Toews, co-founder of gasbuddy.com, a gas price-tracking site that allows visitors to post and compare local gas prices. “Getting enough people to participate would probably be difficult,” he said, “as well as the fact that those participating would probably just fill up the day before or after the boycott.”
And in addition, we find the following written in the Post Tribune:
BP Amoco spokesman Scott Dean said a one-day strike wouldn't affect operations. "If suddenly, people no longer demand gasoline ever, certainly it would affect supply and therefore price," Dean said. "But for a single day? It doesn't change the picture for the month, the year or the decade."
And, finally, as reported on NJ.com—who featured the article from the Gloucester County Times:
It would take more than a one-day boycott to have an impact, said Eric DeGesero, executive vice president of the New Jersey Fuel Merchants Association. "They aren't going to have any long term impact until they change their behavior," DeGesero said.

And, there we have it! An email goes out; it motivates people to think they will make a great impact; and, all that happens is the people are portrayed by the media as a joke. Check out these headlines from previous similar efforts provided by The Urban Legend Reference Pages:
Reports indicated few motorists paid attention to a nationwide boycott touted initially by Internet e-mail and later by word of mouth.
Although a gasoline boycott that began as an electronic mail campaign kept some drivers nationwide away from the pump, dealers say they saw little, if any, effect on their traffic.
Friday's gasoline boycott was an effort that sputtered, coughed, then died. Motorists continued to fill up gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicles and trucks alongside smaller vehicles despite a one-day protest aimed to pressure oil companies to lower gas prices.

This is not to say that a boycott does not send a message, but the research suggests that the effects are minimal at best. In addition, the only supporting comment I found when doing my research was, ironically, from a Democratic Congressman in Gary, Indiana, as reported in the Post Tribune:
"It sends a message that people have power," said state Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, who is trying to convince constituents to protest on May 15.
It takes all of my effort at this time to not pick up the phone, call the Congressman, and ask him why he is using his time encouraging his constituents to waste their time with a boycott that lacks effect instead of using his resources to advocate on their behalf. To me, his comment only demonstrates that he is good at deflecting his own responsibility for not addressing the issue. As a fellow democrat, I am disgusted at the spin control he is using on his own people.

My purpose in writing this post is not to discourage people from boycotting fuel; it is quite simply put, to demonstrate that we need to take a more aggressive strategy with our boycotting efforts. If we are going to use resources to bring the people together, why not bring the people together for a cause that will have a greater effect?

How can a greater effect be achieved by consumers?

According to the Urban Legend Reference Pages:
Not buying gas on a designated day may make people feel a bit better about things by providing them a chance to vent their anger at higher gasoline prices, but the action won't have any real impact on retail prices. An effective protest would involve something like organizing people to forswear the use of their cars on specified days, an act that could effectively demonstrate the reality of the threat that if gasoline prices stayed high, American consumers were prepared to move to carpooling and public transportation for the long term.
Gasoline is a fungible, global commodity, its price subject to the ordinary forces of supply and demand. No amount of consumer gimmickry and showmanship will lower its price in the long run; only a significant, ongoing reduction in demand will accomplish that goal. Unfortunately, for many people achieving that goal would mean cutting down on their driving or opting for less desirable economy cars over less fuel-efficient models, solutions they find unappealing.
And, from Break the Chain.org, we read:
In order to influence a reduction in prices, producers must either make more oil and refined fuel available, or consumers must reduce the demand for it. But this means a reduction in overall demand over a significant period of time. The United States is among the world's top consumers of gasoline. Fuel-efficiency on America's highways has not improved significantly over the last ten years and light trucks (including SUVs), which typically get the worst mileage, comprised nearly 55 percent of all new vehicles sold in 2003, and have accounted for more than half of all sales each year since at least 2000.
And from CBS2Chicago.com, we are told very simply:
"People just have to stop using their cars," Toews said. "They'd have to start using public transportation or carpooling. That's what it's going to take, not a 'gas out."

So, what do I propose?—to start the discussion, I feel it best to include another excerpt from Break the Chain.org:
The bottom line: If we want to save money at the pump, we must use less gas - slow down on the freeway, plan outings to get everything in one trip, walk more, ride a bicycle and trade in that gas-guzzling SUV for an economical compact or hybrid car for starters. Unfortunately, this has proven to be a very unpopular approach to the problem.

Leave your comments, please. Based on the information discussed in this post, what do you think we should do—should we protest for a day, or should we do something else? Should we pressure our Congress members to stop wasting our time with spin control and to do something about the problem like using our income tax to invest in public transit that we can use? Should we pressure our country’s leader to use his family connection to oil to begin to fix the problem? I’m looking forward to your comments.

Toledo History Museum

Here is meeting information for the Toledo History Museum. They have a membership meeting coming up and I wanted to help get the word out. They have a lot of great plans in the works for the project and I hope you go and learn more. I cannot go because I have a parking lot party to go to in Findlay for the Camp Fire USA Teen Center. I will be there though, oneday, I promise.
If you want more information about the Toledo History Museum e-mail Donna Christian at the contact info below. I am sure they will provide you with meeting minutes and official brochures and organization information.


May General Membership Meeting

The second THM general membership meeting is
scheduled for Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at the Sanger
Branch Public Library, 3030 West Central Avenue.
The business meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. with
the program following from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Program:

Camp Miakonda: The Hills Are
Alive with the Sound of Memories

By
Kenneth R. Dickson

Refreshments

Free and open to the public

Contact: Donna Christian, Vice-President, dchristian_thm@yahoo.com

Thinking About Fishing? Try Fishfull Thinking.

Shameless self promotion. Well kind of.

The link above is for Fishfull Thinking Charters in Eastlake Ohio. We did their website, but more importantly I have chartered with them. Captain Bob is a great guy and they definitely have the gear to find fish on Lake Erie. I am a big Tribe fan (19-10 Right Now) and I would say a day on the boat with them and a Jacob's field nightcap would be a great summer weekend.

You could go with any charter company in the Cleveland area, but I recommend Fishfull.

Ask for Captain Bob and tell him Make a Difference sent you, he'll have no clue who the hell that is. Only serious charter inquiries welcomed.

Walmart, when will you learn

Just in on my email from Progress Ohio:




Get Caught Even Mentioning the Word "Union" and You Will Be

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 7, 2007
Contact: Brian Rothenberg, Spokesman 614-441-9145
***MEDIA RELEASE***
Wal-Mart’s routine practice of violating U.S. workers’ rights
Americans United for Change to deliver damning new report
on WalMart to Voinovich & Brown
Report spotlights the need to pass the Employee Free Choice Act
[COLUMBUS] – As more and more of America’s working people are struggling to make ends meet and our middle class is disappearing, Americans United for Change along with ProgressOhio and UFCW officials will deliver a damning new report to Ohio Senators Voinovich and Brown detailing the disturbingly systematic union-busting practices of Wal-Mart, the largest private employer in the United States.
The report by The Human Rights Watch includes intimidating and even illegal firing of employees who attempt to exercise their right to freedom of association.
Click here to download ‘Discounting Rights: Wal-Mart's Violation of US Workers’ Right to Freedom of Association’
“Wal-Mart is the textbook example of how badly broken U.S. labor laws are,” said Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director Of ProgressOhio. “There’s no better example of how millions of workers are being denied, through systematic intimidation and coercion, of their right to join together to bargain for better pay, improved benefits and retirement security. And there’s no better reason for Senator to fix this system give our disappearing middle class a fighting chance by supporting the Employee Free Choice Act.”
The timely new report examines in depth the tactics that Wal-Mart uses to preempt workers’ organizing efforts and undermine workers’ freedom of association at its US stores. The report focuses first on tactics and policies that, though they largely comply with US law, create a work environment so hostile to union formation that they coercively interfere with workers’ internationally recognized right to decide freely for themselves whether to organize.
A separate chapter examines Wal-Mart’s anti-union tactics that violate both US and international law and contribute to the generalized fear many Wal-Mart workers report feeling whenever the topic of union formation is broached. Five separate case studies illustrate the very real human impacts of Wal-Mart’s attack on workers’ right to freedom of association. Human Rights Watch is an independent, nongovernmental organization dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world.
The Employee Free Choice Act would:
Strengthen penalties for companies that illegally coerce or intimidate employees in a effort to prevent them from forming a union
Bring in a neutral third party to settle a contract when a company and a newly certified union cannot agree on a contract after three months of negotiations
Establish 'majority sign up', meaning that if a majority of the employees sign union authorization cards, validated by the National Labor Relations Board, a company must recognize the union.
“The middle class in this country are losing ground – losing health care coverage, retirement security, and jobs,” added Jeremy Funk, of Americans United For Change. A union voice can change all that. In fact, workers who belong to a union earn 30 percent more than nonunion workers than nonunion workers. They’re 62 percent more likely to have employer-provided health coverage and four times more likely to have pensions.
The Employee Free Choice Act would give the 60 million American workers the chance they have been denied for far too to unite and rise together. It’s about leveling the playing field in a system that’s stacked entirely in employers’ favor – a system that lets huge corporations like Wal-Mart routinely get away with harassment, intimidation, coercion and even dismissal of workers who try to organize unions.

RIAA claims rights to all artists' royalties

Here is the opening of the blog post on digg.com:"The RIAA is looking more and more like the Mafia. Not only is it trying to kill Internet radio, but its royalty-collecting subsidiary, SoundExchange, is now claiming the right to collect royalties for ALL artists, even those who want nothing to do with the RIAA and its jackbooted henchmen."How do they have rights to charge royalties for "non-members".I wonder if avery indie and local/independent music artist knows this. What does this say about creating music in America? This does not seem right to me.



read more digg story

I don't have a sports blog yet.

I am glad the Cleveland Browns chose Joe Thomas in the draft. I was also glad to see he was fishing and enjoying the moment in his own style. I am also glad that there is another fisherman coming to the Cleveland area.

The shock of all of the ESPN analysts, when Phil Savage and company didn't take Brady Quinn was fun to witness, good old Berman looked like the browns took his adams apple! They were so stunned as their tries to woo the Browns into taking Brady or Adrian fell through. I was glad to see that they finally addressed the need of offensive line.

Phil Savage and his crew do a great job of bringing in players that fit the football system and the community. Seeing that Joe Thomas would rather be with family (I am guessing) fishing, should sit well with Browns Fans.

Condoleezza Rice refuses/or does not want to testify

I saw this link on the Raw Story who got it from the AP(title link). It seems Condoleezza Rice does not feel she needs to testify to the from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on:

"Rice and the State Department have failed to respond to questions about the claim that Saddam Hussein had tried to by uranium from Niger."

Here is what she had to say to the AP reporter:

The Secretary of State also invoked executive privilege as a reason for not testifying.
"This all took place in my role as national security adviser," Rice noted

However:

"Her spokesman, Sean McCormack, said later that no final decision had been made about Rice appearing before the committee."


Bring her in. I think we need to see what she has to say. Plus, I want to see what she has to say to a committee. Those who paid attention got to see the Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, not recall, any of the information.

( I think this is a Daily show transcript)

“After weeks of mock testimony, there you have it. Alberto Gonzales doesn’t know what happened, but he assures you what he doesn’t remember was handled properly.”

San Francisco Chronicle:

When told by reporters that Gonzales had replied "I don't recall" 55 times in his first round of questioning, ranking committee Republican Sen. Arlen Specter quipped, "That's an improvement, I'd say."

How he is still at his post I do not know.

Anyway, bring her in, let's see what she remembers.

Here is the vote and the response from the state department (from the AP article):

"Waxman's committee voted 21-10 on Wednesday to subpoena Rice despite the State Department's insistence that the questions have already been answered..."

Social Security and Congress--Your thoughts?

I received the below message via email and though I’m sure it isn’t the first time it has been said, I thought it might be interesting to see what would come from it on the blog. Please offer your comments: Though we, as the people, are not able to start a bill, we are able to start petitions, use the internet to get our dissatisfaction out, and use our voices to put pressure on Congress to deal with this situation. How should we move forward in presenting this information and drawing people together around its message?

SOCIAL SECURITY:

Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during election years. Our Senators and members of Congress do not pay into Social Security and, of course, they do not collect from it. You see, Social Security benefits were not suitable for persons of their elevation in society. They felt they should have a special plan for themselves. So, many years ago they voted in their own benefit plan. In more recent years, no congressperson has felt the need to change it.After all, it is a great plan.

For all practical purposes their plan works like this: When they retire, they continue to draw the same pay until they die. Except it may increase from time to time for cost of living adjustments...

For example, Senator Byrd and Congressman White, and their wives, may expect to draw $7,800,000.00 (that's Seven Million, Eight-Hundred Thousand Dollars), with their wives drawing $275, 000.00 during the last years of their lives.This is calculated on an average life span for each of those two Dignitaries.Younger Dignitaries, who retire at an early age, will receive much more during the rest of their lives.

Their cost for this excellent plan is $0.00. NADA..! ZILCH...

This little perk they voted for themselves is free to them. You and I pick up the tab for this plan. The funds for this fine retirement plan come directly from the General Funds; "OUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK". From our own Social Security Plan, which you and I pay (or have paid) into, every payday until we retire (which amount is matched by our employer). We can expect to get an average of $1,000 per month after retirement. Or, in other words, we would have to collect our average of $1,000 monthly benefits for 68 years and one (1) month to equal Senator Bill Bradley's benefits!

Social Security could be very good if only one small change were made.

That change would be to:

Jerk the Golden Fleece Retirement Plan from under the Senators and Congressmen.
Put them into the Social Security plan with the rest of us
Then sit back.....
And see how fast they would fix it.

new post

new post

G1NBC Update

Here is an update for our venture with G1NBC in Detroit. All is going well, but business can always get better! All local independent production and media partners please seek us out for networking opportunities. We call as many people as come across our desk.

We now have direct links to our webpages up for the tv sites.

Toledo--http://www.g1ntoltv.com

Columbus-- www.g1ncmhtv.com

We are preparing for a full launch in July. We are currently interviewing potential staff and doing initial advertising pricing for local businesses and investors. If you would like to advertise or have questions, please feel free to call me at 888-863-5391.

Also,

If you have show ideas or want to be a part of SGE Media Group, we are always interested in talking business! Feel free to e-mail us at sgemediagroup@gmail.com.

Campaign 101-- Blogging and Emerging Technologies

First off I want to thank Lisa Renee of Glass City Jungle for the invitation to the Campaign 101 Training, hosted by the Young Democrats of Toledo.

It was also a pleasure to meet Mark Adams of Dispassionate Liberal and hear his thoughts on blogging and its uses on a political campaign.

I was reminded on what an "internet dork" I have become as I spoke about the possibilities of IPTV and the internet to would be activists, candidates and campaign managers. Overall, I thought the discussion of the Internet and blogosphere was basic but beneficial for those in attendance.

One thing that was an eye opener for me was the limited access to broadband or high speed Internet for a lot of people in Toledo and the surrounding area. I hope that the Wi Fi Toledo initiative can alleviate some of that burden.

We also have to continue to teach people how to effectively use the Internet. We need to do a better job at getting people to be less fearful when it comes to computers and the Internet. I am not Captain Technology nor am I Mr. Website, mostly I am curious, self-taught, and trained by my business partner who is blind. If he can do it, anyone who can read has the ability to learn how to navigate the web. So whenever I hear someone say they are computer illiterate, I have to laugh. If you can read, you can surf the web, design your own blog, or conduct intelligent research.

Overall, I believe the way we get our information is changing. That change will affect other areas of our lives, hopefully for the better.

Review of Kyle Sampson's testimony Before the Judicial Committee-Post 1

So, yesterday, John comes to me and says matter of fact, I want you to cover the testimony of Kyle Sampson for the blog tomorrow. I said, make sure you introduce the topic tomorrow, and yet…..Hmmmmmm….I see no topic this morning. Great!!!

Lol, I’m sure all of you who know John or me personally understand exactly why I had to write that joke as my opener. So, I thought how am I going to do this? Looking for a detour to sitting in front of the TV and watching the prelude to the event, I decided I should work out. As I finished my workout, I turned on the TV to watch. MSNBC, the more credible has the same old thing, strategists, who know everything that should be going on. I thought to myself, hmm…..good times to meet with local officials and provide there perspective on our upcoming IPTV Shows. Letting their knowledge flood my mind, I heard there thoughts on what we really know as the public, what was really going to be exposed today, and how much damage could be done by his testimony? It is all speculation of the worst, as is usual with the mainstream media. I wonder, could we balance the worst with the best. Or, could we just wait and see what he will tell us in his testimony, using this time to promote the groups of the local community and how they will be impacted by the testimony. Hmmm……Interesting thought for another time.

So, I come back in from the workout and talk with John’s wife a little. I turn on MSNBC again and they are still reviewing their own thoughts while we are waiting for the proceeding to begin.

While waiting, I did some research on Google about Mr. Sampson. From the LA Times:
WASHINGTON — The former Justice Department official who orchestrated the firing of eight U.S. attorneys last year plans to tell Congress today that such dismissals are appropriate when prosecutors prove ineffective from "a political perspective." In his first public remarks on the firings, D. Kyle Sampson says the process of identifying underperforming U.S. attorneys "was not scientific nor was it extensively documented," according to testimony prepared for delivery to the Senate Judiciary Committee.None of the prosecutors was asked to resign for "improper reasons," notes a copy of Sampson's statement obtained by The Times, but an unusually broad standard was used to decide on proper grounds for dismissing them
End of quotation from the LA Times...

He didn’t see a difference, it appeared, between firing someone for policy or political differences in any of his opening statement. In his opening remarks, he did make statements that things were mishandled—“poor judgments, word choices...” He talked of a “good faith attempt to carry-out management operations” and then one sentence later, admitted that actions have caused “misunderstandings and embarrassments”. He also indicated that he was not asked to resign, but instead chose to resign his post in an effort to hold himself accountable for what he “could have and should have done to prevent this”. He went on to assure the committee that he genuinely—“honestly and in good faith”—“never sought to conceal...facts...from anyone” within the department. Going far enough to state the “others in the department knew”. But, when discussing what happened in his opening statement, he simply stuck to the language already reflected in the LA Times excerpt above.

Reports from MSNBC say that he is currently being grilled on the language he has chosen to hear. But, they are not covering it live, and neither is CSPAN 1 AND CSPAN 2. I need to find a live feed to the proceeding and I will get our readers more. How does one get a press pass to this stuff, anyway?

Have any suggestions, email or call me.
Jeremy
(614) 519-3026

At first the article in this link pi$$e& me off...

At first I heard our President say:

"We will not go along with a partisan fishing expedition aimed at honourable public servants,"


But then I read what Patrick Leahy said and felt a little better:

"Testimony should be on the record and under oath. That's the formula for true accountability," he said.
He said Mr Bush's offer "is not constructive and it is not helpful to be telling the Senate how to do our investigation, or to prejudge its outcome".

Thanks BBC

Then I saw this article and these few lines:

"Republicans forced a delay in a vote on Senate subpoenas a week ago, and it was not clear whether any of the GOP members of the panel were now prepared to support them."

and then this classic deal from Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania:

The Senior Republican on the panel, floated a compromise in which Rove and others would answer questions from selected lawmakers without being sworn in but with a transcription made.

But then Sen. Harry Reid had this to say in response:

"Anyone who would take that deal isn't playing with a full deck,"

and then I saw this article in which the first paragraph said:

A House panel authorized subpoenas Wednesday requiring Karl Rove and four other senior Bush administration officials to testify under oath in the inquiry into the dismissals of eight federal prosecutors.


Further down the article:

“I think the Democrats are overplaying their hand,” said Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi.

[Wow, thank you #2 guy in the Republican party! You are supposed to say that, but that doesn't make it true.]

Well, this can only get better,

Go get 'em Leahy

Pat Leahy announced today that he will go after White House staff to testify. He also said he did not want to have a "private briefing" with the White House. Here is his quote found in the linked yahoo article.

"I want testimony under oath. I am sick and tired of getting half-truths on this," Leahy said. "I do not believe in this, we'll have a private briefing for you where we'll tell you everything, and they don't."

Pressure is building on this story.

Grape Juice = Good for you

"Grape and Berry Juices: Elixers for Long Life? Grape Juice-Industry-Funded Study Finds They May Help Prevent Alzheimer's, Heart Disease" By AMMU KANNAMPILLY

Antioxidants are good for you but don't overate them.

Grape Juice is good for you but not as good for you as cranberry and pomegranate juice. It is better for you than orange juice and grapefruit juice, but you should still have oj and gf juice weekly. They are citrus fruits and contain the only fruit that contain a certain type of antioxidant.

House of Reps. (except 94 republicans) pass Whistleblower Legislation

The house agreed to a bill that will protect scientists from political interruption into their work. They will be able to expose and be protected from having their findings impeded or influenced. I wonder why 94 of our house reps did not think this should pass. Anyone want to tell me (us)?