Mn-prog-events Mailing List: Progressive Calendar 10.15.06

[David Shove (shove001]

             P R O G R E S S I V E   C A L E N D A R     10.15.06

1. Religious violence    10.15 1pm
2. Green Gov/houseparty  10.15 2pm
3. Anti-stadium          10.15 2pm
4. Amnesty International 10.15 3pm
5. YAWR/plan march       10.15 3pm
6. Vote fraud            10.15 3pm
7. Palestine             10.15 4pm
8. KFAI/Indian           10.15 4pm
9. IRV lit drop/         10.15 6:30pm
10. Antisemitism?        10.15 7pm
11. Coffee farm/film     10.15 7pm
12. Venezuela benefit    10.15 8pm

13. John Walsh  - Election 2006: the fix is already in
14. Mickey Z.   - Eroding freedom: from John Adams to George W. Bush
15. J VanBergen - Soulless new world

--------1 of 16--------

From: August Berkshire <augustberkshire [at] gmail.com>
Subject: Religious violence 10.15 1pm

1pm - Hector Avalos "Fighting Words: The Origins of Religious Violence"

Professor Hector Avalos, author of  Fighting Words: The Origins of
Religious Violence, will be speaking at the Minnesota Atheists meeting
this Sunday afternoon at the Roseville Public Library.

Prof. Avalos views the problem of religious violence from a new angle:
that of scarce resources.  That humans fight over demonstrably scarce
resources, such as food, money, oil, and land, is understandable, if
regrettable.  However, that humans fight over "spiritual" resources, such
as "salvation," "holy books," or "holy land," is inexcusable.

Dr. Hector Avalos is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Iowa
State University in Ames, Iowa.  His talk was one of the highlights at the
Atheist Alliance International convention in Kansas City this past spring.

Minnesota Atheists will have copies of his book for sale at the meeting
(hardcover $30).  Prof. Avalos will sign books after his talk.

Afterwards, at 4 p.m., those who wish can join us for dinner at the Panda
Garden Buffet.

---------------------------------
Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006

Meeting: 1:00-3:30 p.m.
Roseville Public Library
2180 Hamline Ave. N.
(Hamline Ave. & Co. Rd. B)
Roseville, MN 55113
1:00 - 1:30 p.m. - Social time.
1:30 - 2:30 p.m. - Presentation.
2:30 - 2:45 p.m. - Break & Book signing.
2:45 - 3:30 p.m. - Business.

Dinner: 4:00 p.m.
Panda Garden Buffet
1706 Lexington Ave. N.
(Lexington Ave. & Larpenteur Ave.)
Roseville, MN 55113
(Cost: $8.78 + tax)


--------2 of 16--------

From: tom [at] organicconsumers.org
Subject: Green Gov/houseparty 10.15 2pm

The election is coming right up and now is a good time to find out why The
Green's have a candidate in the governor's race and why you should vote
for him.

This Sunday, October 15th Ginny Sutton and Steve French and hosting a
house party in support of Ken Pentel and Danene Provencher's run for
Governor and LT. Governor.  Starts at 2:PM - Come find out why it is STILL
vital to vote Green this November.

Fundraising House Party for the Green Party endorsed candidates Ken Pentel
and Danene Provencher. Sunday, October 15, 2-4 p.m. Home of Ginny Sutton
and Steve French, 340-23rd Avenue Northeast. Questions?  call 612-781-1516
or 612-824-8492.

Unable to attend the house party? Send your donation to: Ken Pentel for
Governor, P.O. Box 583091, Minneapolis, MN 55458-3091. Thank you.

For more than 20 years Ken Pentel has worked tirelessly as a community
activist and organizer. He brings a fresh perspective to the Governor's
race in 2006.

Ken's Vision for Minnesota:

Stable, livable-wage jobs
Single-payer healthcare to cover all Minnesotans
Increased funding for education
Affordable low-cost housing
Clean water, air and soil
Clean publicly financed elections
Instant Runoff Voting
Proportional Representation
Corporate accountability
Rewards for efficient and sustainable energy
Tax breaks for local family farmers and organic agriculture
An economically and ethnically diverse administration

Ken Pentel for Governor
P.O. Box 583091
Minneapolis, MN 55458-3091
Kristina Gronquist, Treasurer


--------3 of 16--------

From: Gayle Bonneville <catspj [at] earthlink.net>
Subject: Anti-stadium 10.15 2pm

"Vote the bums out" fundraiser on Oct. 15

The Citizens Against Stadium Taxes (CAST) will hold a fundraiser "Vote The
Bums Out'' with music and entertainment at Stub & Herb's bar at 227 Oak
St. S.E. in Minneapolis. The event will be from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday,
Oct. 15.

CAST will use the funds raised to defeat Hennepin County commissioners
Mark Stenglein and Peter McLaughlin of Minneapolis and Mike Opat of
Robinsdale in the general election. It will be on Tuesday, Nov. 7

The three men and Commissioner Randy Johnson of Bloomington, who isn't up
for reelection, sought and got from the Minnesota Legislature an exception
to the state law requiring a voter referendum for a sales tax. Legislators
gave them permission to levy a tax without a referendum to build a new
Minnesota Twins stadium. The tax would raise more than $1 billion in
public funds over 30 years to build a stadium. There is no end date on the
tax. According to Forbes Magazine, Twins owner Carl Pohlad is one of the
richest men in America, with a net worth of nearly $3 billion dollars.
Donations may be mailed to CAST at 6820 Wooddale Ave. So., Edina, Mn.
55435, or contributed at the fundraiser. The chairman of CAST is Dr. Laura
Lehmann, an Edina physician. Her e-mail is ljlehmann [at] pobox.com.

http://www.pulsetc.com/article.php?sid=2756

---
From: Dave Bicking <dave [at] colorstudy.com>

Yes, we're still at it.  The tax has been passed.  But we can still make
the November election OUR referendum on the Twins stadium tax.  So we're
working to get rid of the three pro-stadium County Commissioners:  Peter
McLaughlin, Mark Stenglein, and Mike Opat.  And it's not just for revenge
(though that would be sweet):  If we can unseat any one of these, the new
County Board could have a 4 to 3 majority AGAINST the stadium tax - they
could still repeal the tax and stop the construction of the stadium.

We CAN defeat these commissioners, but to do it we need VOLUNTEERS and we
need MONEY.  First, the money:

*** Sunday, October 15, 2:00 - 6:00pm.  Fundraiser party to raise money
for CAST (Citizens Against Stadium Taxes).  Music and other entertainment.
At Stub & Herb's Bar, U of M East Bank campus on the NE corner of Oak St.
and Washington Ave.  (227 Oak St. SE, Mpls)  Suggested donation $20, but
we'll take whatever (more or less) that you can afford or want to give.

It will be a fun party with like-minded folks from all political parties.
We'll have two local stand-up comedians.  Eskit will perform a few of his
great satirical songs.  And my band, Nice Driveway, will be playing a
variety of fun dance music (waltzes, polkas, Eastern European and Klezmer,
maybe even a tango).

We will also be playing some video clips: the "best of" the public hearing
testimony.  These are not to be missed - passionate, articulate, sometimes
funny as well.  The voice of the people is a wonderful thing!

Please come.  This is family-friendly despite being in a bar.  If you
can't come, you can send donations to:

Citizens Against Stadium Taxes   <--(make check out to C.A.S.T.)
6820 Wooddale Avenue South
Edina, MN  55346

Money will be used for printing literature which we are distributing
in the three County Commissioner's districts.  Which brings me to:

VOLUNTEERS

Yes, you!  We need as much help as possible to get the word out.  This is
how elections are won.  The magnitude of our impact is almost totally
dependent on how many people are willing to spend how much time to
distribute the literature.

We have already started our lit drops.  We have the literature printed,
and we have maps and directions to guide you.  I'll tell you more in a
later email.  For now, if you have the time and inclination, please call
me at 612-276-1213 and I'll get you going.

This is easy to do - it is not like door-knocking where you actually have
to talk to people.  We just need you to go from door to door leaving our
literature.  In suburban areas, you can drive from house to house, leaving
literature tucked into the newspaper boxes.  So you don't even have to be
athletic!

I know that many of you are already working hard on other campaigns, and I
don't want to take you away from that.  But if you have some time and
energy to spare, please consider helping us.

Citizens Against Stadium Taxes is an independent political committee, not
connected to any candidate's campaign.  Of course, our efforts help the
campaigns of these Commissioners' opponents, including Farheen Hakeem, the
Green Party opponent of Peter McLaughlin.

Please help us bring accountability to these County Commissioners who so
richly deserve it.

Dave Bicking 612-276-1213


--------4 of 16--------

From: Gabe Ormsby <gabeo [at] bitstream.net>
Subject: Amnesty International 10.15 3pm

GROUP 37 OCTOBER MEETING REMINDER: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15TH - 3 TO 5 P.M.

Join Group 37 for our regular meeting on Sunday, October 15th, from 3:00
to 5:00 p.m.

This month's meeting will focus on final planning for our anniversary
celebration and forum coming up on October 27th. If you would like to play
a role in making that event a success, stop by to see how you can help.

All are welcome at the meeting, and refreshments will be provided.

Location: Center for Victims of Torture, 717 E. River Rd. SE, Minneapolis
(corner of E. River Rd. and Oak St.). Park on street or in the small lot
behind the center (the Center is a house set back on a large lawn).

A map and directions are available on-line:
http://www.twincitiesamnesty.org/meetings.html.


--------5 of 16--------

From: Charles Underwood <charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com>
Subject: YAWR/plan march 10.15 3pm

Sunday, 10/15, 3 pm, YAWR meeting to plan the big march on 10/28, Ty's
house, 3024 Chicago Ave, Mpls.  www.yawr.org


--------6 of 16--------

From eric-angell [at] riseup.net Sat Oct 14 18:09:15 2006
From: Eric Angell <eric-angell [at] riseup.net>
Subject: Vote fraud 10.15 3pm

Ideas to Mobilize People Against Corporate Tyranny (IMPACT) hosts a
discussion / short film program:

"Privatizing Elections: Is There Hope for Democracy?"
- On vote fraud and possible actions

Sunday, Oct. 15, 3 pm

Twin Cities Friends Meeting House 1725 Grand Ave, St. Paul

From an 18-minute video, "Help America Vote...On PAPER: A Citizen Call for
Election Ingtegrity," a summary of recent problems with electronic voting
and possible avenues for action will be shown.  We will also include a
short presentation on the politicization and privatization of state
election systems, especially focusing on the Secretary of State's office,
what Minnesota is doing regarding its election machines, and what we can
do in the forthcoming election.  There will be much time for discussion!


--------7 of 16--------

From: Charles Underwood <charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com>
Subject: Palestine 10.15 4pm

Sunday, 10/15, 4 to 6 pm, Palestinian peacebuilder Sulaiman Khatib shares
his stories at Simchat Torah Gathering, home of Rabbi Amy Eilberg and Louis
Newman, 681 Ivy Falls Court, Mendota Heights.  RSVP 651-450-7772.


--------8 of 16--------

From: Chris Spotted Eagle <chris [at] spottedeagle.org>
Subject: KFAI/Indian 10.15 4pm

KFAI's Indian Uprising for October 15th

DEADLY BIRD FLU NOT IN ALASKA - YET by The Associated Press, Indian
Country Today, September 20, 2006.  BARROW, Alaska (AP) - Hundreds of
miles above the Arctic Circle, biologists working in the frosty marshes of
Alaska's North Slope are keeping a lookout for migratory birds that might
bring a deadly avian flu strain to the United States.  Interior Secretary
Dirk Kempthorne, visiting a bird nesting site outside Barrow, reported
Aug. 29 that 13,000 bird samples have been tested. While some less
virulent forms of the flu were found, there has been no sign of the deadly
H5N1 strain, linked to the death of at least 141 people, mostly in Asia.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096413678

MOHAWKS TAKE LEAD IN PANDEMIC PLANS by Jim Adams for Indian Country Today,
September 20, 2006.  ST. REGIS MOHAWK RESERVATION, N.Y. - The Akwesasne
Mohawk community is used to relying on itself in emergencies. With about
25,000 members stretching on both sides of the U.S./Canada border, its two
governments support each other when cut off from outside help. With
experience in being isolated, they've put a remarkable degree of advance
planning into the potential disaster of an avian flu pandemic.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096413682

AVIAN FLU PLANS NOT YET READY IN THE PLAINS by David Melmer for Indian
Country Today, September 20, 2006.  PIERRE, S.D. - Tribes in North and
South Dakota have partnered with the states to establish plans for any
possible flu pandemic.  The Department of Homeland Security and related
offices in each state are charged with developing overall plans, but
within each state and reservation the planning has become a multi-tiered
effort, with the health departments of each state most directly involved.
The offices of Emergency Services on the reservations and in the states
are mostly ready to accept any emergency with the first response
mechanisms that are currently in place.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096413683

NAVAJO PREPARE FOR H5N1 by Brenda Norrell for Indian Country, September
22, 2006.  PHOENIX - While states prepare for the possibility of an avian
flu pandemic, the Navajo Nation veterinary program, with its expertise in
zoonotic diseases, is the lead agency for H5N1 detection and control in
bird species on the Navajo Nation.
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096413685

* * * *
Indian Uprising is a one-half hour Public & Cultural Affairs program for,
by, an about Indigenous people broadcast each Sunday at 4:00 p.m. over
KFAI 90.3 FM Minneapolis and 106.7 FM St. Paul.  Producer and host is
Chris Spotted Eagle.  KFAI Fresh Air Radio is located at 1808 Riverside
Avenue, Minneapolis MN 55454, 612-341-3144.


--------9 of 16--------

From: Darrell Gerber <darrellgerber [at] earthlink.net>
Subject: IRV lit drop/ 10.15 6:30pm

Lit Drop for IRV this weekend

If you HAVE NOT been out to lit drop for Instant Runoff Voting yet, this
is the weekend to do it! If you HAVE been, please join us in doing another
route. Our goal is to finish neighborhood lit dropping this weekend - or
come as close as possible. So, if this weekend doesn't work for you,
please pick up a packet and do a route this coming week.

You don't need to live in Minneapolis to help - everyone who wants IRV to
pass in Minneapolis is welcome - and needed!

IRV lit dropping is REALLY easy and convenient. You can pick up a packet
anytime at a pick up location in your ward. A route takes 1 to 2 hours to
complete. Go with a friend and halve the time or double the routes!

Pick up locations:
Ward 1: Mandy Tempel's: 1706 Tyler St NE
Ward 2: Tony Solgard's: 2509 34th Ave S
Ward 3: Dakotah Johnson's: 319 12th Ave SE
Ward 4: David Wiesner's: 3346 Knox Ave N
Ward 5: Antonio Rosell's: 2319 Sheridan Ave N
Ward 6: Customized routes due to large number of apartments. Contact
info [at] betterballotcampaign.org to get literature to distribute in your
building or neighborhood.
Ward 7: Brian Melendez's: 1777 Dupont Ave S 
Ward 8: Eric Pusey's: 4006 Blaisdell Ave S
Ward 9: Rebekah Smith;s:  3113 14th Ave S
Ward 10: Mary Hartnett's: 2533 Colfax Ave S
Ward 11: Jason Stone's: 1508 57th St E (enter the fenced back yard and pick
up lit from the back porch)
Ward 12: Ron Leurquin's: 5106 41st Ave S (part of a condo unit)
Ward 13: Lynnell Mickelsen's: 4233 Linden Hills Blvd

NOTES:
1) If you live in an apartment, contact info [at] betterballotcampaign.org to 
get
literature to distribute in your building.
2) If you have apartments on your route, you can distribute inside if you
can get in the building. If not, leave a few in the front area or pin/tape
one up.
3) DO NOT PUT LIT IN MAIL BOXES.

Join us at the end of the day for some IRV fun:

Sunday, October 15, 6:30 - 8:30
Home of Charley Underwood and Mary Ann Crolley
3500 40th Ave S
612-722-1545
Appetizers and desserts are on the menu - and the ballot. Help elect a
winner using Instant Runoff Voting.

Questions? Contact info [at] betterballotcampaign.org or 612-850-6897.

--
From: Better Ballot Campaign <info [at] betterballotcampaign.org>

Dear Instant Runoff Voting Supporter,

Minneapolis voters are getting to know Instant Runoff Voting and the more
they know, the more they like it. These are the results of a survey by
FairVote Minnesota of 1,454 likely voters from September 25 to 27.
Forty-two percent of voters know about Instant Runoff Voting and those who
said they were "somewhat familiar" with it answered "yes" to the question
of how they would vote on the November ballot question by a 2-to-1 margin.
That margin went up to 7-to-1 among voters who said they are "very
familiar" with Instant Runoff Voting.

The survey results are good news for the Minneapolis Better Ballot
Campaign, but they also show a large number of likely voters who have not
yet heard about the Instant Runoff Voting campaign.

The Minneapolis Better Ballot Campaign is stepping up its efforts to
educate undecided voters about Instant Runoff Voting before the November
election and I am writing to ask for your help. Even if you do not live in
Minneapolis, there are several ways you can support the campaign:

1)  If you live close to Minneapolis, please consider coming for a
morning, afternoon or evening to help distribute literature. You can pick
up a literature packet anytime it's convenient for you and do a route
anywhere in the city.  Come with a family member or friend and halve the
time it takes to do a route, or do two routes! Literature and a route can
be picked up at a location in each ward. Pick up locations are listed
here: http://www.betterballotcampaign.org/BBC/lit_drop

2)  Sign up to help phone bank the final week of the campaign. We will be
calling voters to get them out to vote YES for IRV November 7th. If you
can help phone bank, please respond YES to this email and we will follow
up with details.

3)  If you can't contribute time, please consider making a donation to
help us reach undecided voters before November 7th.  Sponsor a precinct
lit drop for $75, a ward lit drop for $750; or a newspaper insert in a
local paper for $2,100. You can contribute on line at
http://www.betterballotcampaign.org/BBC/Contribute. Or, you can mail a
check made out to "Better Ballot Campaign", 3606 Harriet Ave S,
Minneapolis MN 55409.

For the latest on the Better Ballot Campaign, see our October 10th update
at: http://www.betterballotcampaign.org/node/493.

Thank you for your support in helping plant the seed for better democracy
in Minnesota.

Please contact me if you have any questions or would like any additional
information about the Minneapolis campaign.

Jeanne Massey Better Ballot Campaign Organizer
info [at] betterballotcampaign.org www.betterballotcampaign.org
<http://www.betterballotcampaign.org/> 612-850-6897


--------10 of 16--------

From: margaret <hope4peace22000 [at] yahoo.com>
Subject: Antisemitism? 10.15 7pm

Is Criticism of Israel Anti-Semitic?
An Evening with Norman Finkelstein

Norman Finkelstein is one of the more provocative, thoughtful, and
actively critical voices speaking out against Israel's policies toward the
Palestinian people.

Norman G. Finkelstein received his doctorate in 1988 from the Department
of Politics, Princeton University, for a thesis on the theory of Zionism.
He currently teaches political theory at DePaul University in Chicago. He
is the author of five books, including Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of
Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of History and The Holocaust Industry:
Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering.

The son of Holocaust survivors, Finkelstein is known for his writings
about the policies of the state of Israel, especially in the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for his view that the Holocaust is being
exploited for personal financial gain and pro-Israel political ends.

Sunday, October 15, 7:00pm
St. Joan of Arc Church
4537 3rd Ave S, Minneapolis
Free and open to the public
Sponsored by the WAMM Mideast Committee, 612-827-5364


--------11 of 16--------

From: humanrts [at] umn.edu
Subject: Coffee farm/film 10.15 7pm

October 15 - Film: Black Gold.  Time: 7:00 p.m..  Cost: $7 to 14.

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy presents film
"Black Gold" about Ethiopian coffee farmers.

FFI: www.iatp.org
Location: Bryant Lake Bowl, 810 W Lake St, Minneapolis


--------12 of 16--------

From: Tim Jordan <jord0199 [at] tc.umn.edu>
Subject: Venezuela benefit 10.15 8pm

REVOLUTION ROCK: A BENEFIT FOR THE TWIN CITIES
FUNDRAISER for the INTERNATIONAL VENEZUELAN SOLIDARITY CONFERENCE
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15TH
LOCATION: Triple Rock Social Club
629 Cedar Avenue on the West Bank in Minneapolis, MN.  Near the
intersection of I-94 and Cedar Avenue.

TIME: Doors open at 8pm, show at 9pm

FEATURING: Pachamama Band, Thank You, The Gamut, and DJ Nikoless

This show is 21+ and costs $5 at the door, with proceeds going to the
organizing committee for the International Venezuela Solidarity Conference
to cover cost of hosting this event. Please show your support and come on
down for the cause.

The International Venezuela Conference is November 17-19 at Macalester
College.  Venezuela has its presidential election on December 3, 2006.
Venezuelans have endured many obstacles: Coup dŽetat, Oil Strikes,
Referenda, and any kind of threats from the Venezuela oligarchy and the
Imperialism forces.  For that reason we have decided to organize this
event for the first time in the heart of the Midwest, Minnesota, to
analyze the Venezuela revolutionary process and to be alert to the attacks
of imperialism.  We are expecting a lot of speakers, political and social
activists and musicians from every where. We may need your solidarity
collaboration for such important event.  For more information:
venezuelasolidarityconference.org


--------13 of 16--------

How Rahm Emmanuel Has Rigged a Pro-War Democratic Congress
Election 2006: The Fix is Already In
By JOHN WALSH
CounterPunch
October 14-15, 2006

"In 1964 Barry Goldwater declared: 'Elect me president, and I will bomb
the cities of Vietnam, defoliate the jungles, herd the population into
concentration camps and turn the country into a wasteland.' But Lyndon
Johnson said: 'No! No! No! Don't you dare do that. Let ME do it.'"

Characterization (paraphrased) of the 1964 Goldwater/Johnson presidential
race by Professor Irwin Corey, "The World's Foremost Authority."

"Democrats Split Over Timetable For Troops; In Close Races, Most Reject
Rapid Pullout," the headline atop page one of the Sunday Washington Post
informed us as the election season got underway (8/27). Stories like this
abound these days, and they should all be prefaced with the single word,
"betrayal." Only 17% of rank and file Democrats are for "staying the
course," 53% want immediate withdrawal and another 25% are for gradual
withdrawal. Among all voters, only 30% want to stay the course, 37% want
immediate withdrawal and 26% a "gradual withdrawal (Gallup poll -
9/24/06). According to recent Pew Polls, 52% of voters want a timetable
for withdrawal while only 41% oppose setting a timetable.

In contrast to voters' sentiment, 64% of the Democratic candidates in the
45 closely contested House Congressional races oppose a timetable for
withdrawal from Iraq. Note carefully: not only do these Democrat worthies
oppose the Murtha or McGovern bills for rapid withdrawal or defunding the
war; they oppose so much as a timetable. (The number of Dem candidates
supporting the Murtha or McGovern proposals is vanishingly small.) The
position of these Dem candidates is indistinguishable from that of George
W. Bush. How did this betrayal of the Democratic rank and file come about?
Who chose these Democratic candidates that oppose rank and file Dems on
the number one question on voters' minds, the war on Iraq? How could such
candidates get elected in the primaries? Two primary campaigns, now
largely forgotten, give us the answer. They are near perfect case studies,
and they deserve some reflection although the Dem establishment would
dearly like us to forget them.

The first case is the Democratic primary race between Christine Cegelis
and Tammy Duckworth in Illinois's 6th CD, a Republican District, which has
elected the disgusting Henry Hyde from time immemorial. Then in 2004
Christine Cegelis, who is only mildly antiwar (1), ran as the Democrat
with a grass roots campaign and polled a remarkable 44% against the
hideous Hyde in her first run. It was not too long before Hyde decided to
retire, and the field seemed to be open for Cegelis in 2006.

Enter Rahm Emanuel, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign
Committee, who dug up a pro-war candidate, Tammy Duckworth. Although she
had both her legs blown off in Iraq, she has remained committed to
"staying the course" in Iraq (2). Duckworth had no political experience
and did not live in the 6th District, but Rahm Emanuel raised a million
dollars for her and brought in Dem heavyweights Joe Lieberman, Barak
Obama, John Kerry, John Edwards and Hillary Clinton to support her.
Despite all this help and with the Cegelis campaign virtually penniless,
Duckworth barely managed to eke out a victory by a measly four percentage
points. According to a recent Cook Report, Duckworth is not the smashing
success that Rahm Emanuel had dreamed of; she remains tied at 41% of the
vote with her rookie Republican Rival, Peter Roskam, the same percentage
that Cegelis had against the entrenched Hyde in 2004! Recently (9/30),
Duckworth was pushed onto the national scene to help her campaign,
providing the "rebuttal" to Bush's weekly Saturday radio address. AP, in
its story on the exchange where Duckworth was supposed to differ with W on
Iraq, concluded thus: "She offered no proposal for an immediate withdrawal
or a timetable for withdrawal."

But in one case, and sadly in only one of the 22 districts, which Emanuel
selected for intervention, he did not prevail; but that is also
instructive. The second case study is CA's 11th CD Dem primary where
Emanuel poured in money, much of it apparently coming from his own
district in Illinois, to bankroll Steve Filson, essentially a political
unknown, who opposed immediate withdrawal from Iraq. But in this primary
battle the grass roots prevailed and the strongly antiwar candidate, Jerry
McNirney, who supports the Murtha bill for immediate withdrawal, defeated
Emanuel's minion, Filson. It is noteworthy that McNirney, strongly
antiwar, won, whereas Cegelis, weakly antiwar, lost. Now in the general
election McNirney is pulling ahead of his pro-war Republican opponent by
48 to 46% in the most recent poll even though his opponent has outspent
him by $1.6 million to $303,000! MicNirney has raised a total of only
$452,000 to his opponent's $2.5 million. Some cash from Rahm would ensure
McNirney's victory it would appear, but it is not forthcoming. It seems
that Rahm Emanuel is stanching the influx of money in this very
competitive race.

Meanwhile, even though Duckworth has been the recipient of Rahm's
largesse, to the tune of $1.8 million, the same amount as her Republican
opponent, her campaign has not taken wing. You get the picture. If you toe
the line for Rahm on the war, the money rains on you like manna from
heaven and you are elevated to national celebrity status. But if you are
anti-war, Rahm cuts you off at the wallet.

Note that in each of these two cases Emanuel did not pick candidates based
on a proven ability to raise money. Nor did he pick them for their ability
to win. In Duckworth's case she damned near lost despite the cash
infusion, and McNirney did win despite the money that Emanuel funneled to
his opponent. Emanuel is not choosing proven fundraisers or winning
candidates; he is choosing pro-war candidates.

                       Rahm Emanuel's Stable.

To win the House, the Dems must win 15 seats from the Republicans. Here
are the 22 candidates hand picked by Emanuel to run in open districts or
districts with Republican incumbents, according to The Hill (4/27/06):
Darcy Burner (WA), Phyllis Busansky (FL), Francine Busby (CA), Joe
Courtney (CT), John Cranley (OH), Jill Derby (NV), Tammy Duckworth (IL),
Brad Ellsworth (IN), Diane Farrell (CT), Steve Filson (CA)  defeated in
primary by Jerry McNirney (see above), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Tessa
Hafen (NV), Baron Hill (IN), Mary Jo Kilroy (OH), Ron Klein (FL), Ken
Lucas (KY), Patsy Madrid (NM), Harry Mitchell (AZ), Chris Murphy (CT),
Lois Murphy (PA), Heath Shuler (NC), Peter Welch (VT).

If we group these 22 candidates by their positions, it is much worse than
one might have imagined. Here it is:

U.S, must "win" in Iraq (9): John Cranely(OH); Jill Derby (NV); Tammy
Duckworth (IL); Brad Ellsworth (IN): Teresa Hafen (NV); Baron Hill
(IN);Ken Lucas (KY); Lois Murphy (PA); Heath Schuler (NC).

More troops should be deployed in Iraq. (1): Diane Farrell (CT);

Bush (or Congress or Bush and Congress or someone other than the
candidate) must develop a plan or timetable for exit. This means that the
candidate does not offer a timetable or other withdrawal plan and amounts
only to a partisan criticism of Bush without a plan offered by the
candidate. (6): Francine Busby (CA); Joe Courtney (CT); Kirsten Gillibrand
(NY); Mary Jo Kilroy (OH); Patricia Madrid (NM); Harry Mitchell (AZ).

Biden's 3-state solution. (1): Phyllis Busansky (FL).

No position. (1): Chris Murphy (CT).

Not for immediate withdrawal (3): Steve Filson (CA) (He lost Dem primary.
See above.); Ron Klein (FL); Harry Mitchell (AZ);

Withdrawal in 2006. (1): Peter Welch (VT). (In VT, you could probably not
get elected dog catcher without calling for immediate withdrawal from
Iraq. Still it is a bit mysterious why Rahm is backing Welch who for that
reason probably deserves a bit of scrutiny. Perhaps something "worse" like
a Green is waiting in the wings.)

So only one of Rahm's candidates is for prompt withdrawal from Iraq. And
it is notweworthy that Rahm found prowar candidates in both red states and
blue, like CT and CA. Check out these candidates for yourself. If you live
in their districts, pressure them to change their positions and do so
publicly with letters to the editor, withholding of funds and most
importantly support for third party antiwar candidates where they are to
be found  no matter how slight the establishment media regards their
prospects. Ask what UFPJ, The Nation and other branches of the peace and
justice complex are doing to expose Emanuel's candidates.

The question arises. Who is Congressman Rahm Emanuel? From what does he
derive his power? What are his thoughts on the future for the Dems? And
where is The Nation in all this. More on that coming shortly.

John Walsh can be reached at john.endwar [at] gmail.com

Notes

(1.) Cegelis was against the war on Iraq but only in a very timid way. She
opposed it before it started, but it was only 4th out of 6 issues on her
web site, and she was not for immediate withdrawal. Here is what she said
on her web site at the time of the primary. "I have opposed this war from
the start. But revisiting what brought us to this disastrous point does
not solve the problem. It is time for us to bring our troops home. The
Bush Administration must provide a comprehensive timetable for withdrawal
of the majority of our combat troops at the earliest possible date. "
Notice she does not say "Out Now," like Murtha or Lamont. She leaves it
all up to Bush to set a timetable, which is the standard copout for
pro-war Dems. Although good enough for PDA (!), it was too much for Rahm
Emanuel and company.

(2.) Duckworth says of Iraq on her web site: "The fact is we are in Iraq
now and we can't simply pull up stakes and create a security vacuum. It
wouldn't be in our national interest to leave Iraq in chaos and risk
allowing a country with unlimited oil wealth to become a base for
terrorists." Not even a mention of a timetable.


--------14 of 16--------

Eroding Freedom: From John Adams to George W. Bush
by Mickey Z.
October 14, 2006
ZNet

Put a frog into a pot of boiling water, the well-known parable begins, and
out that frog will jump to escape the obvious danger. Put that same frog
into cool water and heat the pot slowly, and it will not react until it's
too late. The survival instincts of a frog, we're told, are better
designed to discern abrupt changes. Gradual transformation like the
measured raising of water temperature can sneak up on the little croaker.

I was reminded of the proverbial frog as I considered how the recently
passed Military Commissions Act (MSA) managed to get lost in a shuffle of
naughty e-mails and bipartisan accusations. This isn't meant to downplay
the MSA. As Michael C. Dorf, a professor of Law at Columbia University,
explains: "It immunizes government officials for past war crimes; it cuts
the United States off from its obligations under the Geneva Conventions;
and it all but eliminates access to civilian courts for non-citizens -
including permanent residents whose children are citizens - that the
government, in its nearly unreviewable discretion, determines to be
unlawful enemy combatants."

Nasty stuff, indeed...but since fiddling with human rights has long been a
hobby for America's power elite, it'd be misguided to assign all the blame
to the current administration. The erosion of freedom has been a slow
steady process.not unlike boiling a pot of water.

President John Adams signed the Alien and Sedition Act in 1798. Under this
ugly bit of legislation, I might've receive a fine "not exceeding two
thousand dollars" and/or "imprisonment not exceeding two years" simply for
writing an article such as this.

Woodrow Wilson got his own Espionage and Sedition Act in June 1917. Here's
a sample of that law: "Whoever, when the United States is at war, shall
willfully cause or attempt to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny,
or refusal of duty in the military or naval forces of the United States,
shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000 or imprisonment of
not more than 20 years, or both."

Alleged liberal Bill Clinton signed the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death
Penalty Act into law on April 24, 1996. This USA PATRIOT Act prequel
contained provisions that Clinton himself admitted "makes a number of
ill-advised changes in our immigration laws, having nothing to do with
fighting terrorism." This unconstitutional salvo did little to address
so-called terrorism but plenty to limit the civil liberties of
anyone-immigrant or resident-who disagrees with U.S. policies, foreign or
domestic.

Of course, there was Abe Lincoln suspending habeas corpus during the Civil
War. The FBI's notorious Counterintelligence Program, COINTELPRO
(1956-1971), was in place through four presidential administrations - two
from each party. Also, Japanese-Americans in the 1940s just might have
something to say about Franklin Delano Roosevelt's concept of freedom and
human rights. FDR signed Executive Order 9066 in February 1942, thus
interning over 100,000 without due process. In the name of taking on the
architects of German prison camps, he became the architect of American
prison camps.

Coming on the heels of other recent legal machinations, the MSA might best
be viewed as adding a few degrees on that little thermometer stuck, well,
you know where. Is it me, or is it getting awfully warm in here?

Mickey Z. can be found on the Web at http://www.mickeyz.net.


--------15 of 16--------

Soulless New World
Bush's Military Commissions Act and the Future of America
By JENNIFER VAN BERGEN
CounterPunch
October 14-15, 2006

"The legacy of Nuremberg and the solemn undertaking that Justice Jackson
gave for the United States at the opening session, are under assault by
the Bush Administration, which has embraced a radical world view that
rests on a cult of power and a disdain for law."

Scott Horton, When Lawyers Are War Criminals

Before Congress recessed, it passed, amid much criticism, the Military
Commissions Act (MCA). The Act has consequences for citizens and
non-citizens alike. Among its worst features, it authorizes the President
to detain, without charges, anyone whom he deems an unlawful enemy
combatant. This includes U.S. citizens. It eliminates habeas corpus review
for aliens. It also makes providing "material support" to terrorists
punishable by military commission. And, once again, the military
commissions procedures allow for coerced testimony, the use of "sanitized
classified information" (where the source is not disclosed), and trial for
offenses not historically subject to trial by military commissions.
(Terrorism is not historically a military offense; it's a crime.) Finally,
by amending the War Crimes Act, it allows the president to authorize
interrogation techniques that may nonetheless violate the Geneva
Conventions and provides future and retroactive immunity for those who
engage in or authorize those acts.

Given the troubling new broad powers Congress has given the President,
what will happen now?

While the President has consistently insisted these laws are necessary, it
is becoming increasingly clear that, in addition to a huge up-swelling of
anti-American sentiment in the Middle East, the administration's approach
to terrorism has led to a tremendous number of false arrests and
imprisonments. It is hard to imagine that the MCA will not lead to more
and greater mistakes of law and judgment. Although the Act provides for
trial by military commission, it is unlikely very many will even be tried.
As Michael Ratner points out: "As detainees can now be held forever
without trial, why try them?"

Here's the picture: Citizens and non-citizens alike will be rounded up and
detained without charges. Alien detainees in America will fall into the
same legal black hole the Bush administration created at Guantanamo, the
same hole the secret CIA "Black Site" detainees fell into. From all the
evidence we have, a large percentage of these "disappeareds" will be
innocent. They will be innocent but they will be subjected to
interrogation methods developed by the CIA and preserved by the MCA which
only a sociopath could view as anything other than torture and which
violate long-standing laws of war.

Citizen detainees will sit in detention for months or years. New detention
centers will spring up across the country (and reportedly already are
being built) to house the influx of what will essentially be an entire new
colony of inmates, a massive new world of souls declared unworthy of basic
human rights or judicial notice.

In fact, the Act envisions and institutionalizes a whole new worldview. In
this new world, there is no longer a distinction between a criminal and an
enemy combatant. Think what this means. Traditionally, an enemy combatant
is a soldier of those against whom we have declared war. Or, as Guantanamo
defense attorney P. Sabin Willett says, "When you declare a war you make
of your opponent a soldier, which is to say, a person of honor."

Under the MCA worldview, all soldiers who do not fight for America are now
criminals.

(The administration's distinction between lawful and unlawful enemy
combatant is a red herring. The administration has completely refused to
acknowledge the existence of any lawful enemy combatant in their "war on
terror." All are unlawful combatants, which means they are terrorists,
which means they are criminals. The "war on terror," then, is actually a
massive criminal manhunt and prosecution, except without the legal
safeguards.)

The blur also works in reverse: terrorist criminals can now be tried by
military commissions. Thus, we now have a world in which criminal laws are
just obsolete inconveniences that prevent the state from protecting
national security during an endless undeclared war on an emotional state
(terror).

It's a world of ever-increasing state fear conjoined with ever greater
need to control all means and ends, all free-breathing thoughts, anything
outside of the ever-shrinking box which the state has allocated as our
Free Speech Zone. It's a world in which torture is a matter of semantics,
not humanity or morals. It's a world in which sociopaths -- those who are
unable to feel for others or see how their decisions affect others -- make
all the decisions.

What do good elementary schools matter in this world? What does education
matter at all? Or medicine? A living wage? Social services? Public
transportation? A roof over our heads? Voting rights? Does society's
infrastructure matter at all? War is all that matters. The enemy is
everywhere. All our resources and energies must be directed against him.

Those who protest against this new regime become as much the enemy as
terrorists. ("Those who are not with us are against us.") Those who stand
up for common decency and basic human rights are the enemy.

The MCA worldview precludes listening to the populace; it is intent,
rather, on controlling it. Greater and greater numbers of the populace
feel unheard and powerless, encouraging more fear, which in turn opens the
door for more government intervention: "You have good reason to fear. The
danger is real, but WE will protect you." The hidden agenda is: "Give us
more power."

The promise of protection is empty, though, because, vampire-like, it
thrives on fear, and it sucks the spirit out of Americans.

With the populace silenced and paralyzed, lawyers will have to take up the
cause of preserving our freedoms. At minimum, then, the near future will
bring legal challenges. The MCA will be challenged in court. Over 500
cases already on federal dockets will be affected by the MCA.

And when will all this end? The MCA does not sunset. Although Congress
never formally declared war on al Qaeda or the Taliban or Saddam or
Afghanistan or Iraq or anyone anywhere else, the Authorization to Use
Military Force passed by joint congressional resolution in November 2001
provides the President with open-ended and (what he, at least, deems as)
endless authority to carry on this nebulous "war," which he does avidly
without either standing firmly on the laws of war or resorting finally to
the criminal laws. He picks and chooses what he finds useful and
convenient for his task of creating this new worldview, the consequences
of which neither he nor his Cabinet fully comprehend for the future of
America.

P. Sabin Willett asks: "We need to acknowledge, if we are thoughtful
people, that terror is everywhere, and has been with us always, and
involves all kind of people who later get called men of peace.'"

"Does any single thoughtful person . . . think she will live to see the
end of terrorism? And thus the end of the global war against it? Do you
think you'll watch on TV as the Emperor of Terror comes aboard a Navy
warship to sign the instrument of surrender? A phenomenon that has run
down from the 1st Century to the 21st, you think George Bush is the
measure of? Your grandchildren will never see that ticker-tape parade."

Willett concludes: "So can we at least be honest with ourselves? When we
say the President has special powers during the global war on terror, we
are saying he has them forever. Always and forever can the President lock
people up at Guantanamo without meaningful judicial review. Always and
forever he can ignore the Congress's ban of torture, as he vowed to do
last December 30."

Always and forever. It's a long time to spend in the soulless new world
created, with Bush's persuasion, by the Military Commissions Act.


--------16 of 16--------

 Bush endarkenment
 spreads like wild feuhrer. In the
 dark, dark things happen.


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