Monday, January 5:

National Security Archive: "Riveting" account of U.S. Presidents and the Middle East American Presidents from Eisenhower to George W. Bush have sought to distinguish themselves from their predecessors with sudden shifts in Middle East policy and questionable strategies that have contributed to undermining American credibility in the region, according to a new book, A World of Trouble, by veteran correspondent Patrick Tyler, a fellow of the National Security Archive at George Washington University.

David Corn: Obama Picks Anti-Torture Advocate for CIA Chief Corn says hold on before dismissing Leon Panetta as CIA Chief. "Panetta is an even-tempered and highly regarded Washington player--kind of a Mr. Fixit in a nice suit. He is also a zero-tolerance critic of the use of torture, and he considers waterboarding--a tactic used by the CIA--to be torture."

Krugman Blog: Is Obama relying too much on tax cuts? Maybe this is just a head fake from the Obama people — they think they can win the PR battle by making bipartisan noises, then accusing the GOP of being obstructionist. But I’m really worried that they’re sending off signals of weakness right from the beginning, and that they’re just going to embolden the opposition.

Commentary: Israel's endgame For two of Israel's three principal contenders in the Feb. 10 elections, Defense Minister (and former Prime Minister) Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, hundreds of air strikes, a massive artillery barrage and a ground offensive against Hamas targets demonstrated they could be just as tough as the challenger, superhawk and former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

earl ofari hutchinson: The Genius of Ann Coulter (1 comments) Ann Coulter is a genius. All she has to do is shake that stringy blonde hair, prance around in tight mini skirts, show her rail thin, pale white legs, spew foul mouthed expletives about her favorite whipping boy, liberals and the so-called liberal media and the tongues roar furiously.

Chaos in Gaza Libertarians aren't foolish enough to think we have the answer to solve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. However, we do realize that steps can be taken by the United States to remove itself from injury in the conflict, and perhaps begin the process of long-term stability in the region. The biggest of these steps is to eliminate all economic and military aid to Israel and all other foreign countries.

Pamela Drew: One Nation Under God, with caveats.. The politicians and pundits, who wrap themselves in Star Spangled propaganda, love to boast of their love of country and reverence for the sanctity of life. They proudly boast that America is One Nation Under God. Okay, I'll bite, let's take that as our hypothesis. What God do American values reflect? We need some measure of God's rules to gauge by, so let's go with Moses and the Ten Commandments.

Frank Barat: The media assumes Israel wants peace. It does not. (2 comments) Watching the coverage of the Israeli war in Gaza, one might assume that Israel has always wanted peace. Not only this is not true, but history has proven that it is totally the opposite.

Leon Panetta, Institute Director Washington Post has article on Panetta's appointment to head the CIA. This link tells about his being director of the institute that bears his name.

Richardson, Clinton and me: It's just got to stop Lines have become blurred between the blatant pay-for-play corruption of a "Rod" Blagojevic and the business as usual of thousands of elected office holders at every level of government. I'd like to see lobbyist donations be made illegal.

The SEC Makes Wall Street More Fraudulent (1 comments) In the private sector, when a firm fails, it ceases operations. The opposite happens in government. There is literally nothing a government agency could do that would make the talking heads on the Sunday shows ask, "Should we just abolish this agency? Is it doing more harm than good?"

My Taxi Story: in a wheelchair. In las vegas. in a taxi. Watch this video of how the handicapped are abused daily. We will publish an action alert for you to take the appropiate response. If we don't speak up who will?

Israel's 'Fait Accompli' in Gaza The Muslim world is in a rage. But so what? Stalin liked to say "the dogs bark, and the caravan moves on," and as long as the US gives Israel carte blanche, it can do just about anything it wants. The tragedy of Palestine will thus continue to poison US relations with the Muslim world. Americans who still do not understand why their nation was attacked on 9/11 need only look to Gaza, for which the US is now being blamed

Bush Exit Gifts continue: Paving roads in National Forests Forest Service insiders are resisting, but their boss, a former timber lobbyist, may still try to push a change in regs through in Bush's final days. This could be a disaster: hiking trails becoming paved roads for promoting housing developments.

"Extreme Double Standards on Terrorism" - Robert Parry "The long and bloody hypocrisy of US/Israeli Acts of Terrorism" - Robert Parry, Consortium News "Without an extreme double standard on terrorism, it's hard to see how today's bloodbath in Gaza would be possible."

Jill Jackson: Mileage Taxes are Regressive! Proposed taxes on mileage driven will hit the working and middle class harder than the rich--we don't need another regressive tax.

Patrick Mattimore: Jettison the SAT (1 comments) A new policy from the College Board and another reason why colleges should discontinue requiring the SAT test.

Eve Fairbanks: Children of the Revolution (TNR) How The Next Generation Of GOP Pols Plans To Ignite A Right-Wing Revolution On The Hill:

Michael Bonanno: Societal Irrelevance Right now, however, if all goes according to plan, there will be an Obama administration starting at 12 noon on January 20, 2009 and that administration will have much to prove and much with which to prove it.

Hilton Obenzinger: Happy New Year Gaza Death (1 comments) In the hiatus before Obama takes power Israel makes its move for a fait accompli. A while ago, an Israeli general promised a "shoah" (holocaust) for Gaza. Now the promise of death is being kept. Meanwhile, the world economy is contracting furiously. Obama's election was just a shift in power, not a revolution -- but the world conspires to give him a welcome in blood and misery. What next?

Margaret Bassett: To Mark the Beginning of the Last Year of a Decade in the 2000s On January 2, I met some Democrats who I hardly know except through local news. Blount County Democrats, who have been blogging since 2004, invited me to join. I want to see whether "they" can turn into "we."

William Fisher: Still With Us: The Politics of Fear (1 comments) Will the Islamophobes and "Activist Judges" Ever Go Away? Let Us Pray!

Dave Lindorff: When It Comes to Terrorism and POW Cases, Equal Justice Under the Law is a Joke (3 comments) Why do American POWs captured by North Korea get awarded $65 million for their ordeal, while a Canadian, falsely grabbed by the CIA as a "terrorist" and sent off to Syria to be tortured isn't even allowed to sue?

Franken To Be Declared Senate Victor In Minnesota The state Canvassing Board was poised to certify the results of the recount in Minnesota's grueling Senate election in Al Franken's favor...

Bush a Socialist? Don't Make Me Laugh The Republican Party is lashing out again. This time at itself. Several media sources recently reported that at an upcoming Republican National Convention meeting a resolution has been submitted that accuses George W. Bush of promoting socialism through the Wall Street bailout.

Dreyfuss - 'Bush's Last War Crime?' (1 comments) "The Israeli invasion of Gaza, launched Saturday, might very well be George W. Bush's last and final war crime." - Robert Dreyfuss, in The Nation

Beyond Bailout The die is cast. Isn't it preferable that General Motors be nationalized?

Dwayne Hunn: Yes, AWSC Can... lift the world

Mary MacElveen: If Roland Burris were appointed by Bill Richardson...Would he be accepted? (1 comments) Will a clarion-call come from a mob demanding that Richardson resign as is being done to Blagojevich or will they treat him differently? Only time will tell. I will be the first to blast Blagojevich if it is proven he broke the law and the same standards should be applied to Richardson.

Charles Knight: Meeting the Enemy with Serious Talks of Extraordinary Scope Thirty-seven years ago extraordinary diplomacy engaging an enemy state at the highest levels helped get the US out of a devastating war. Obama's diplomats need to be as daring and imaginative.

Bruce K. Gagnon: OUT BEFORE THE SHOW STARTS Bill Richardson withdraws his name from Obama cabinet. He has a long record of supporting the military industrial complex in NM. Read what activists there say about him.

Wael Hallaj: From Syria: Do we have to hate Americans? (7 comments) World opinion about the US

Beth: Bush "Doctorin'" A knee jerk expression of frustration and realization regarding the Bush years.

Jim Stinson: Why the roof don't git fixed Falling gas prices are driving a nation suffering short-term memory loss away from fuel-efficient cars -- again. This time, we can't let it happen.

David Glenn Cox: The CIA Wouldn't Lie to Us, Would They? I guess that all depends on who they're talking to; they lie to suit their purpose and tell the truth when it fits their needs. If you were to ask a government official, "Are UFO's real?" they would smile a paternalistic smile and maybe even roll their eyes a little and say, "No Virginia, UFO's aren't real."

Allen L Roland: *Video Truth of Israel's Ongoing Media Manipulation (2 comments) The Media Education Foundation has produced an 80 minute MUST SEE video which reveals Israel's seven Public Relations strategies for keeping its illegal occupation of Palestine invisible in the American Mainstream press and reveals that America is the biggest obstacle to peace in the Middle East: Allen L Roland

Dr. B. Cayenne Bird: Inmates Forced to Drink Poison Water - No Place to Go for Help

Top 5 Lies about Israel's Assault on Gaza (1 comments) The Gaza Strip is one of the most densely populated pieces of property in the world. The presence of militants within a civilian population does not, under international law, deprive that population of their protected status, and hence any assault upon that population under the guise of targeting militants is, in fact, a war crime.

Bill Hare: When Middle East Diplomacy is Needed, Bush Opts Out (4 comments) The current Gaza tragedy is another example of the Bush Cheney, neoconservative policy of spurning diplomacy

David Swanson: *March of the Dead to Greet Congress on Tuesday (1 comments) A long column of figures dressed all in black with white death masks and bearing the names of those killed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine. The march will be followed by a dramatic nonviolent action intended to awaken Congress to the need to end the wars.

How the Independent Movement Went Left by Going Right Twenty-nine percent of Americans who voted in the 2008 election are independents. In the election those voters said some things - not just about a new direction for our country, but about themselves. If you listen to what they said, you discover that independent voting is changing, taking on a more organized and progressive dimension.

W. Christopher Epler (Bill): Some informal extensions to mathematical game theory: factoring in elites and religious fanatics. (2 comments) The sociatal applications of game theory tends to discount the reality of a VERY un-level playing field for social dynamics. In this informal addendum, the "chaos variable" is assumed to be the inevitable result of theocracy, oligarchy, and the lethal combination of the two, e.g., "elite fundamentalists"; something neither Adam Smith nor John Nash significantly addressed. The bottom line of this addendum is that chaos kills.

Jane Stillwater: European Union wannabe: We need a Middle East Union too (3 comments) Instead of allowing themselves to be picked off one by one, Middle Eastern countries should seriously consider doing what Europe has done. Then their major question wouldn't be which country the current U.S. Secretary of State will pick off next but rather what to name their coins. The Mido?

David Cogswell: The Half Empty Glass Discussion of Obama's actions as president elect, particularly his lack of making a statement against killing civilians in Gaza.

Gideon Levy: And there lie the bodies (2 comments) As Israel has been preoccupied with Gaza throughout the entire week, nobody has asked whose blood is being spilled and why. Everything is permitted, legitimate and just. The moral voice of restraint, if it ever existed, has been left behind.

Worse Outcomes Than A Strengthened Hamas A number of writers have noted the possibility of Hamas being politically strengthened by Israel's bombing of Gaza, just as Hezbollah were strengthened by Israel's 2006 bombing of Lebanon. This would obviously be a bad outcome, but it's important to understand that it would not be the worst. A much worse outcome would be that the bombings weaken Hamas while strengthening Salafist elements in Gaza

Freeman URE: *Former Iraeli Pilots Share Peace Vision with Palestinian Counterparts (1 comments) On the escalation of the recent Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, and the grassroots initiative of the group of former senior Israeli officers and Palestinian militants to come together and propose realistic alternative for mutual security and just peace.

The Invasion of Gaza: "Operation Cast Lead", The aerial bombings and the ongoing ground invasion of Gaza by Israeli ground forces must be analysed in a historical context. Operation "Cast Lead" is a carefully planned undertaking, which is part of a broader military-intelligence agenda first formulated by the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 2001

FRANK RICH: A President Forgotten but Not Gone (1 comments) The last NBC/Wall Street Journal poll on Bush’s presidency found that 79% of Americans will not miss him after he leaves the White House. He is being forgotten already, even if he’s not yet gone. You start to pity him until you remember how vast the wreckage is. It stretches from the Middle East to Wall Street to Main Street and even into the heavens, which have been a safe haven for toxins under his passive stewardship.

Mary MacElveen: Blagojevich stripped of security clearance...Was Palin during 'Trooper-gate'? (5 comments) She more than Blagojevich should have been under a microscope since she could have been a heart-beat away from the presidency.

Climate Scammers Prepare to Sacrifice Some Impoverished Asthmatics "Your Metered-Dose Inhaler is Changing to Help Improve the Environment," is how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration chooses to present word that the inhalers used by those who suffer from asthma and other respiratory ailments are being pulled from the shelves as of Jan. 1.

Kevin Gosztola: Israel's "Right to Exist" vs. Hamas' Right to Resist" (6 comments) Further exploration of philosophy toward Israel and Hamas is needed if we Americans are going to get closer to a way to an end in the brutality.

Bennet Kelley: The Bush Presidency in Four Words (10 comments) A recent Pew Research Center poll found that the one word Americans used most to describe President Bush was "incompetent." While no compliment, the word fails to convey the condemnation warranted by the last eight years.

On Gaza, Sense and Centrism (3 comments) It is not easy for me to write these words. I welcomed the founding of J Street and know many of those involved in its leadership. Furthermore, I am a dove myself. I support a two-state solution, believe that military action by Israel should be a last resort and welcome an active American role in promoting peace between Israel and her neighbors. But I know a mistake when I see one, and this time J Street got it very wrong.

Obama Picks Come From Same Old CFR Roster (1 comments) The Obama administration is being staffed with Council on Foreign Relations members. This is not change, just more of the same.

Can the Jewish People Survive Without an Enemy? (6 comments) Avrum Burg is the scion of one of Israel's founding families - he argues that an obsession with an exaggerated sense of threats to Jewish survival cultivated by Israel and its most fervent backers actually impedes the realization of Judaism's higher goals.

Ron Paul Discusses the Invasion of Gaza (2 comments) Dr. Paul discusses the invasion of Gaza on January 3, 2009 and its implications for America.

Michael Collins: Seating Franken and Burris: Memo to Congress (9 comments)

Robert Morton: *WHAT DO AMERICANS THINK ABOUT THE LIKELIHOOD OF A TERRORIST ATTACK INSIDE THE U.S.? (4 comments) This article has been posted in the Declassified Secrets Blog but hasn't been submitted yet to any newspaper or magazine markets. It describes the American perception on whether or not we will be attacked by terrorist using WMD's.

Lynne Glasner: Getting and Spending – Keeping the Faith in Government (1 comments) Congress should start off their new session with a gesture that would show the public that their representatives are working for them, not against them: vote themselves a pay cut.

Steve Consilvio: Obama's Plan: Lipstick on Orwell (4 comments) In the end the Party would announce that two and two made five, and you would have to believe it. It was inevitable that they should make that claim sooner or later: the logic of their position demanded it. Not merely the validity of experience, but the very existence of external reality, was tacitly denied by their philosophy. The heresy of heresies was common sense. -from 1984

Bennet Kelley: A Tribute to Claiborne Pell: Rhode Island's Gentle Giant With Claiborne Pell's death, Rhode Islanders have lost their gentle giant and the nation has lost a distinguished public servant who did more to make us a modern Athens than any other man of his era.

Steven Leser: *The Real Bailout Needed is a Consumer Bailout - Part 2 (51 comments) This economy is going nowhere if we fail to address household debt.

Jennifer Epps: U.S. Voices Oppose Gaza 'Massacre', Obama's low profile (63 comments)

Gene Messick: How can you visualize a trillion dollars? (5 comments) With GwB and his NeoCONs gifting Americans a National Debt which surpassed $10 trillion on 30 Sept 2008, how does it make sense that it will take "generations" to pay it off? Just how large is this, really?

Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman: Why Al Franken should NOT be riding private planes (9 comments) Death by air crash now seems to be the favored means of ridding the Rovian right of troublesome characters. [Michael Connell] now joins such critical players as Paul Wellstone, Mel Carnahan, Ron Brown, Mickey Leland, John Tower, John F. Kennedy, Jr., and many more critical public figures who have died in small plane crashes at questionable moments.

Noah Liben: The other side of the story: My response to Anna Baltzer (18 comments) I never favor war or hostility; I want peace for Israel and the Palestinians as much as anyone else in this world, including Ms. Baltzer. That is why I sincerely hope that Hamas will be eliminated, and that more sensible Fatah representatives can work out a durable, lasting peace.

Anna Baltzer: This Is What I Would Call A Massacre The nightmare in Gaza must be stopped now.

Robert Parry: Israel's Looming Catastrophe (3 comments) For the past three decades, Israel has charted a course that invites its own destruction by relying on two risky propositions: first, that it could extend its security perimeter beyond the reach of a devastating missile attack, and second, that it could permanently control the political debate inside its crucial ally, the United States.

Rabbi Arthur Waskow: Shalom, Shabbat, & Shibboleth (22 comments) It gets harder, Shabbat by Shabbat, to say without weeping the words "Shabbat shalom" - a sabbath of peace -- when the present government of Israel has used last week's Shabbat and yesterday's to massively increase the level of its violence as a response to the violence of Hamas.

Saturday, January 3:

Glenn Greenwald: More oddities in the U.S. "debate" over Israel/Gaza (2 comments) Democratic voters overwhelmingly oppose the Israeli offensive. Republican leaders -- from Dick Cheney and John Bolton to virtually all appendages of the right-wing noise machine, from talk radio and Fox News to right-wing blogs and neoconservative journals -- are unquestioning supporters of the Israeli attack. After all, they're expressing the core ideology of the overwhelming majority of their voters and audience.

UN complicity in Israel's massacre in Gaza Over the last two days, various UN officials stated that the percentage of Palestinian civilians killed in the current Israeli war of aggression on Gaza is about "25%" and is "likely to increase". Stating such a painfully low figure reflects shabby research or scandalous incompetence. At worst, it reveals intentional deception and misinformation that can only benefit the already massive and well-oiled Israeli PR machine.

Replacing "Controlled" Newspapers ... WITH REAL ONES! The Internet has been the big cannon for getting the truth about our dire situation out to the American people. A relatively small number of conglomerates have owned the news mediums for decades now and control the content. In my opinion, they are nothing but propaganda rags.

Nancy R. Lockhart: The Poor Are Enslaved in America's Prisons (3 comments)

(More...)

Monday, January 5:

Say, What? US troops 'monitoring Rafah crossing' NBC anchorwoman and chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell said Sunday that US military officers from the Corps of Engineers had been stationed on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing in order to prevent "arms smuggling from illegal tunnels" by Palestinian fighters.

Israel: Gaza op to continue in spite of UN Jerusalem expressed satisfaction Sunday that the UN Security Council's emergency meeting on the fighting in Gaza ended with no results, after the United States blocked Libya's proposal for an immediate ceasefire. Top diplomatic officials said that even if the Security Council approves a resolution that conflicts with Israel's interests in its next meeting, "it's no big deal", and will not interfere with Israel's operation.

Top Democrats Give Longer Timetable for Stimulus Bill Congressional leaders had hoped to hand Obama an economic assistance package immediately after he is sworn in Jan. 20, but that looks increasingly doubtful as the legislation grows in complexity and size. In separate interviews this morning, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) and House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) said the process could take six more weeks.

Solicitor General and Deputy Attorney General Named The new Justice Department began to take shape this morning as President-elect Barack Obama announced he would nominate a quartet of well known lawyers to key posts including the department's chief operating officer, its top representative to the US Supreme Court and the chief of the Office of Legal Counsel.

JGideon: 'Daily Voting News' For January 4 and 5, 2009 a collection of local, state, national and international articles on electronic voting and election issues

Biden to head to Asia for congressional trip Joining Biden will be Democratic Sen. John Kerry, the incoming chairman of the committee. Also accompanying the vice president-elect will be Democratic Sens. Jack Reed, Susan Collins; and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. Collins and Graham are members of the Armed Services Committee.

Marti Oakley: *NAIS---PREMISES DEFINED---WHO WINS? (1 comments) In what can only appear to be nothing more than a last ditch effort to eradicate all family farms and ranches, USDA has been caught repeatedly misrepresenting the voluntary National Animal Identification System and many states and groups are fighting back

Ann Coulter's "Today" Show Appearance To Promote Her New 'Hate' Book Canceled NBC had come under fire for booking Coulter, who had been scheduled to promote her new book, Guilty, on the "Today" show Thursday morning. In the book, Coulter repeatedly refers to President-Elect Obama as B. Hussein Obama, and mocks Michelle Obama's style while praising Cindy McCain's.

Israeli press reports cluster bombs being used in Gaza The ground invasion was preceded by large-scale artillery shelling from around 4 P.M., intended to "soften" the targets as artillery batteries deployed along the Strip in recent days began bombarding Hamas targets and open areas near the border. Hundreds of shells were fired, including cluster bombs aimed at open areas.

11th Hr Coup: Bush Eviscerates Endangered Species Act Fr Natl Wildlife Federation: The Bush Administration today issued a final rule eliminating the Endangered Species Act requirement that federal agencies consult with independent scientists. "Wildlife and marine biologists form the pillars of scientific integrity that support the Endangered Species Act. Knocking them out of the process will erode the foundation of this bedrock law.

Greg Palast: Bill Richardson - Kissinger-American (1 comments) Bill Richardson is out: Caught with his hand, if not exactly in the cookie jar, at least you could say his sticky finger were near it. I'm not surprised. For years I've been investigating the second-most corrupt state in the USA (after Alaska). I like to check in on the enchanted state with my bud Santiago Juárez.

New Book Probes the Bush "Family of Secrets" What does it say about the American political system that someone like George W. Bush was able to ascend to the highest office in the land, despite his meager and ambiguous record? "Family of Secrets" postulates a network of politically and financially powerful individuals working behind the scenes to advance their interests at the expense of the nation.

U.S. Blocks UN Security Council Vote Calling For Immediate Cease-Fire In Gaza On Saturday the United States blocked a U.N. Security Council statement calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. Egypt meanwhile is hosting meetings for a European-backed ceasefire today. The Security Council is meeting again today to discuss the crisis, after Sunday's emergency session did not produce a ceasefire resolution.

Prominent Magazines Lose Weight, Shedding Nearly Half Their Ads The average decline (Dec to Jan) across all monthly magazines was 17 percent, and most Condé Nast magazines fared much worse, according to analysis of Media Industry Newsletter data. Wired, which is usually thick with consumer electronics ads, was the worst hit, down 47 percent from a year ago to 43.6 ad pages. Architectural Digest fell 46 percent, to 63.2, from 116.8. Vogue and Lucky were both down about 44 percent.

NY Fed begins purchasing mortgage securities The New York Fed is overseeing the program for the Federal Reserve. The New York Fed is working with four investment managers - BlackRock Inc., Goldman Sachs Asset Management, PIMCO and Wellington Management Co. - to purchase the securities. Up to $500 billion in securities will be purchased by the end of the second quarter.

Judith McGeary - Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance: *You can help American farmers in their effort to stop NAIS Vote now against NAIS - the National Animal Identification System - a massive corporate threat to all American farmers.

Roger Shuler: The Orwellian World of a Southern University An Alabama university's handling of free-speech cases indicates higher education might not be as liberal as many people think.

Kenneth Briggs: A 21st Century Veterans Affairs On December 7th,2008,President-elect Obama named retired Army General Eric Shineski as his Secretary of Veterans affairs[VA]

thepen: Bush Special Prosecutor is Top Question for Obama (14 comments) For the second time now, President-Elect Obama has asked the American people, to come to his web site at Change.gov to ask and vote for questions, to help set the priorities for his administration, and the current the top-ranked question seeks a non-partisan Special Prosecutor to investigate the crimes of the Bush Administration.

John Bessa: Gaza Peace Rally in New York City, Janurary 3rd, 2009 There was a Gaza peace rally in New York City, on January 3rd, 2009. It was really peaceful, which is not what I expected when I went. The crowd was said to be about 10,000 - 20,000.

Sunday, January 4:

World unites in protests (1 comments) There was violence in Amman, Jordan; Nicosia, Cyprus; and Athens, Greece. And in Tehran, in Iran, more than 6,000 people gathered in a procession half a mile long, most chanting "Death to Israel". In the Israeli town of Sakhnin as many as 10,000 people, mostly Arabs, protested against the action, which has claimed at least 430 lives.

Back to the Front (TNR) Michael B. Oren: "My job in this war is to reinforce Israel's position in the media. And, with all due deference to Hamas's fighters, journalists often pose a more formidable challenge." Post Date Sunday, January 04, 2009.

The Economy Crumbled (1 comments) Of all the economic earthquakes that racked the global economy in 2008, one temblor ranks supreme. Alan Greenspan's declaration to Congress on Oct. 23: "I made a mistake." In those four words can be heard the crumbling of at least three decades of "unfettered free market deregulating" conservative ideological dominance. We now know unfettered free market greed and self-interest will steer you into the ditch every time.

A donor's gift soon followed Clinton's help Hillary Clinton helped enact legislation allowing the developer, Robert Congel, to use tax-exempt bonds to help finance the construction of the Destiny USA entertainment and shopping complex, an expansion of the Carousel Center in Syracuse.

Richardson withdraws as commerce nominee Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, one of the country's most prominent Hispanic politicians and President-elect Barack Obama's choice to be commerce secretary, on Sunday dropped out of consideration for that post. He attributed his decision to the ongoing investigation of a company that has done business with New Mexico.

Richardson withdraws bid to be commerce secretary New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on Sunday announced that he was withdrawing his nomination to be President-elect Barack Obama's commerce secretary amid a grand jury investigation into how some of his political donors won a lucrative state contract.

Reid cites "legal authority" to bar Illinois pick Under the Constitution, Reid said, "We determine who sits in the Senate. And the House (of Representatives) determines who sits in the House. So there's clearly legal authority for us to do whatever we want to do. This goes back for generations."

Senate race certification set for Monday with Franken up 225 votes Al Franken won an impressive share Saturday of what may be the last ballots tallied in the U.S. Senate recount, boosting his unofficial lead over Sen. Norm Coleman to 225 votes heading into a Monday meeting where the state Canvassing Board will certify the final result of the race.

Times Square Rally Protests Fighting in Gaza (1 comments) News of the conflict's escalation to Israeli ground attack came midway through the demonstration and cast a pall over the crowd as it was announced over loudspeakers and crept across the news tickers nearby.

Russia wants warships stationed around the world (1 comments) Russia's military leaders approved a plan by the navy on Sunday to station warships permanently in friendly ports across the globe.

Israeli forces split Gaza in two Israeli ground troops and heavy armour have moved deeper into the Gaza Strip, in effect cutting the territory in two.

Cheney: Financial Crisis 'Developed' Only 'Over The Last Six Months' In addition, after listing off policies that h claimed were accomplishments, such as No Child Left Behind, Cheney acknowledged that the Bush administration was leaving the incoming Obama administration "with their hands full." But Cheney was unwilling to admit any real culpability for the challenges Obama will face, saying only that they are a "new set of problems."

Cheney Calls Iraq "Significant Success, Masterfully Done" Dick says blame any war failures on the lazy Iraqis who were unwilling to stand up and take responsibility for their own affairs.

George H. W. Bush: I'd like to see Jeb elected president. (3 comments) Unhappy that any in America remain standing, the Bushes want another shot to take the rest of us out... This morning on Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace asked former President George H.W. Bush about the possibility of his son, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, running for Senate. The former president expressed his hope that Jeb would run and then told Wallace that he'd ultimately like to see Jeb elected president.

Reports suggest Israeli forces using cluster bombs in Gaza. "The use of cluster bombs - which have a large footprint when initially dropped and then remain a threat for decades - in a location like the Gaza Strip which is so packed with people is horrifying." (FDL notes that video footage seems to confirm the use of cluster bombs.)

US Blocks UN Action on Gaza Conflict (2 comments) Bush shows true colors. The United States late Saturday blocked approval of a U.N. Security Council statement calling for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel and expressing concern at the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas.

Michael Richardson: FBI agent in Pentagon Papers case ran COINTELPRO operation against 'Omaha Two' (4 comments)

Bill Richardson withdraws from Commerce Secretary nomination. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, tapped in December by President-elect Barack Obama to serve as secretary of Commerce, has withdrawn his name for the position, citing a pending investigation into a company that has done business with his state.

Depleted uranium found in Gaza victims Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned on Sunday that the wide-ranging ground offensive in the Gaza Strip would be "full of surprises." Norwegian medics told Press TV correspondent Akram al-Sattari that some of the victims who have been wounded since Israel began its attacks on the Gaza Strip on December 27 have traces of depleted uranium in their bodies.

9th day of attacks on Gaza, Israel uses Depleted uranium and cluster bombs on Palestinians Depleted uranium attack Gaza Palestinians Palestine israel israeli West Bank demonstration un resolution cluster bombs

Former DNC chief announces Va. gov run Former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe said on Saturday he intends to run for governor of Virginia."McAuliffe also brings a political portfolio well to the left of Democrats Mark R. Warner and Kaine, who toiled in the state party for years before they were elected governor by pledging bipartisan cooperation and campaigning as moderates."

Balance Of Power Swings To Liberal Legal Group (1 comments) The past eight years were a good time to be in the Federalist Society. Members of that conservative legal group occupied every level of the Bush administration. Now that the Democrats are ascending, a different legal group is on the rise in Washington: the American Constitution Society.

Men Can Fly (5 comments) A few brave guys in Norway skiing off a huge cliff and then flying like birds in their wing suits. Sounds crazy right? Just an astounding video

Iran Threatens To Break Israel's Gaza Blockade (5 comments) It is hard to imagine how much worse the situation could get, but the confrontation in Gaza could see a dangerous escalation in the coming days as Iran threatens to break the Israeli blockade and deliver urgently needed medical supplies and other aid to the coastal strip.

Demonstration in Tel Aviv Against Gaza Assault Amid cries of "Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies!" and banners reading, "Enough!" thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday night to protest against the country's war on Gaza. Protesters called for an immediate end to the Israeli attacks, in which more than 450 Palestinians have been killed and around 2,100 injured since air assaults on Gaza began last Saturday.

Israel Project: Fiction vs. Fact: Israel and the Situation in Gaza (16 comments) "While there is real suffering in Gaza, it is important to sort fact from fiction and understand that Hamas is responsible for this sad situation," said Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, founder and president of The Israel Project. "The important thing now is to defeat terror so that there can be a two-state solution and lasting peace. Both sides need a better future."

Saturday, January 3:

Protests Against Israel's Gaza Bombardment Spread Massive protests are erupting across capitals in the Middle East and around the world in condemnation of Israel's deadly bombardment of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. The Arab League and the United Nations Security Council held emergency meetings on the crisis this week. The Security Council rejected an Arab proposal to pass a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, saying more debate was needed on the issue.

Iraq: We won't bow to pressure about Iran Al-Maliki: I can say openly and frankly that the Iraqi government will not force any kind of pressure or anything else for that matter on Iran or any other country in the region. We will defy any pressure brought against us to do anything that is not in line with our constitution, our policies, our beliefs and our national interests.

France condemns Israel's ground assault (1 comments) French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said late on Saturday that Israel's decision to send ground forces into Gaza after a week of heavy air bombardments was a 'dangerous military escalation', while Britain has also called for an immediate ceasefire.

Franken leads as Minn. recount nears finish line (5 comments) Victory in Minnesota's drawn-out Senate race moved within Democrat Al Franken's grasp Saturday when he increased his lead over Republican Norm Coleman as the statewide recount drew to a close. The state Canvassing Board will reconvene Monday to declare which candidate received the most overall votes in the election. Barring court intervention, it will be Franken. Franken's lead now stands at 225 votes after gaining 176 votes

Iyad Allawi, U.S.-installed Iraqi ex-PM says Bush "utter failure" "Bush's policies failed utterly," said Allawi, describing the US administration that once backed him. "Utter failure. Failure of US domestic and foreign policy, including fighting terrorism and economic policy." "His insistence on names like 'democracy' and 'open elections', without giving attention to political stability, was a big mistake. It cast shadows on Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Egypt.

Early Test of Obama View on Power Over Detainees Just a month after President-elect Barack Obama takes office, he must tell the Supreme Court where he stands on one of the most aggressive legal claims made by the Bush administration — that the president may order the military to seize legal residents of the United States and hold them indefinitely without charging them with a crime.

Martha Rosenberg: Will Fosamax be Vioxx all over again? (2 comments) Like Vioxx which was launched a month early thanks to its collegial relationship with the FDA, Fosamax was rushed to market in 1995 six months after its application on the basis of two three-year studies.

Colo. gov names schools chief for Senate vacancy A whip-smart lawyer who has turned successively to the worlds of business and education, Denver Superintendent Michael Bennet won't have much trouble adjusting to the biggest promotion of his life: to U.S. senator. But people who have worked with Bennet, a Democrat, who at 44 will become the Senate's youngest member pending Salazar's confirmation to the Cabinet, say he's up for the challenge.

JGideon: 'Daily Voting News' For January 2 and 3, 2009 a collection of local, state, national and international articles on electronic voting and election issues

Amit Dwivedi, Citizen News Service (CNS): Women farmers fighting for their rights and identity "I am the first woman farmer in my block who started cultivation 15 years back," said 45 years old Aisha Begum Khatoon of Hridaypur village in Ambedkarnagar district. When she picked up the hoe for the first time, all the villagers rebuked her for treading on a man's domain. However, she decided to move forward, despite all odds, in order to look after her three daughters and one son.

Larry Snider: Gaza & the Cost of Hopelessness Gaza and the cost of the hopelessness of both the Palestinian and Israeli people. It is a cost that is growing daily in lives lost and opportunities neglected.....

Israeli ground forces enter Gaza in escalation (1 comments) Israeli tanks and infantry rolled into Gaza after nightfall Saturday, launching a ground offensive in a widening war against Hamas that the Israeli defense minister said "will not be easy and will not be short."

Sources: Reid pressured governor on Senate replacement (2 comments) Reid reportedly made it clear he didn't want Jackson, Davis or Jones to be appointed, fearing they'd lose to a GOP opponent in a future election

Kyrie Eleison Laments the Bush Administration's cruel use of torture.

Linn Cohen-Cole: *The New York Times and the missing story of milk (1 comments) There are two stories happening about farming in this country - one of failure at a global level and one of success at a local level. The USDA is wiping out the latter - the sustainable agriculture Obama promised.

2008: Bush's Last Year By The Numbers The numbers speak for themselves. Bush/Cheney efforts to impart an "alternate reality" of the last year via its media shills are shattered by the raw stats. Change In Number Of Delinquent Mortgages: increased 75 percent. Number Of Banks Federal Government Now Owns Stock In: 206 Number Of Jobs Lost: 1.9 million. Number Of Uninsured Americans: 47.5 million. Change In Use Of Food Stamps: increased 17 percent...

Sandy Sand: Nine Muslims Get Apology From Airline and Little Else (5 comments) The result of an innocent surmising is truly ironic.

FDA: Protection for Smokers Cigarette makers have decided what's safe for consumers... and to lure young smokers by peddling candy-flavored cigarettes. Proposed legislation would eliminate such misleading labels and severely curtail Big Tobacco's ability to market to youths... By regulating tobacco, the new Congress can secure an early, bipartisan victory that would help set the tone for the rest of the session.

UN; Gaza Facing 'Critical Emergency' The UN has warned that Palestinians in Gaza are facing a serious health and food crisis, as Israeli air strikes continued for a seventh day.

Gaza rockets put Israel’s nuclear plant in battle zone (1 comments) There were growing fears in Israel last night that Hamas missiles could threaten its top-secret nuclear facility at Dimona. Israel’s worst nightmare is that soon all its cities will be within range either of the Hezbollah Katyushas arrayed on the Lebanese border to the north or the increasingly sophisticated missiles stockpiled by Hamas to the south.

Israel set to begin ground war against Hamas in Gaza Israel is poised to launch a major ground offensive into Gaza tonight after allowing hundreds of foreigners living in the devastated territory to evacuate. After a week of air strikes that have killed at least 420 Palestinians and left scores of buildings in rubble, the Israeli army was set to fling hundreds of troops and tanks into a blitz to stamp out Hamas’s military wing.

Friday, January 2:

Two Advisers Reflect on Eight Years With Bush When asked why the president took so long to shift course after conditions in Iraq had clearly deteriorated, Hadley replied that Bush had a responsibility to keep hope alive for the soldiers, their families and other coalition partners in Iraq even while considering a new strategy.

Obama's Team Rankles the Right To some staunch conservatives watching President Bush relinquish the reins of power to President-elect Barack Obama, a few too many ardent liberals are now crashing the gates. Conservatives fear that some of these Obama transition advisers are too far left on the political spectrum and are a sign of radical policies to come.

Republicans to flee D.C. for Inauguration While millions descend on Washington for the historic Inauguration of Barack Obama on Jan. 20, some Republicans see it as an occasion to get out of town.

McConnell renews pressure on Obama Mitch McConnell is keeping pressure on Barack Obama to give Republicans adequate time to review the massive economic stimulus package that Democrats hope to pass by the time the president-elect is sworn into office on Jan. 20.

Obama team polishing economic stimulus measure Pesident-elect Barack Obama's transition team is putting the finishing touches on an economic recovery plan that could run from $675 billion to $775 billion. Briefings for top congressional Democratic officials are likely this weekend or on Monday, a senior transition official said Friday.

Ill. governor's federal security clearance revoked The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has revoked embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich's access to classified federal security information, officials said Friday. The move withdraws the governor's access to classified information, although Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero said other individuals within state and local government have access

Obama Faces Legacy of Lawlessness at Justice (2 comments) Advocates are pushing for prosecutions of Cheney,Addington, Rumsfeld&others,insisting that only by prosecuting such abuses can the new DoJ prevent their recurrence. Obama has not said whether he will initiate a criminal investigation, although he hasn’t ruled it out.There are also actions a new administration can take short of prosecution that could go a long way toward restoring respect for the rule of law,say legal scholars.

The Gaza Bombshell- some useful background How President Bush, Condoleezza Rice, and Deputy National-Security Adviser Elliott Abrams backed an armed force under Fatah strongman Muhammad Dahlan, touching off a bloody civil war in Gaza and leaving Hamas stronger than ever.

Chinese Migrants Return to Rural Roots By the time their train pulled into its final station, Deng Hongshu and his teenage son had been standing in a packed aisle, shoulder to shoulder, for 38 hours. Like many of their fellow migrant laborers on Train 1009 from Guangzhou, they were out of work and headed home.

Oil wealth gone, Russians brace for hard times There are many oft-quoted indicators of Russia's suffering economy - the nation's international reserves have fallen by more than 25 percent since August; the major stock indices recently plummeted by 70 percent; and the ruble has been sliding -

Rakesh Krishnan Simha: The Days of the Assassin are Back (2 comments) Terrorism is not a modern phenomenon. It is perhaps as old as organized society and can definitively be traced to at least 1 AD. What makes modern terror so difficult to stamp out is the fact that the perpetrators behave as if they have religious sanction.

Rob Kall: Progressive Rabbi Michael Lerner on Israel/Gaza Interview transcript (6 comments) What's a progressive Rabbi's take on the history and current situation between Gaza and Israel? Transcript and link to MP3 of interview

(More...)

Monday, January 5:

Google Book Search Opens Trove Of Rare Books Google Book Search now has one million out-of-copyright books scanned into its servers for easy access and use.

Linda Schreiber: FAKE HORMONES DISRUPT ENDOCRINE SYSTEMS Toxins in the environment threaten reproductive hormonal system and alter sexual orientation. These gender benders can result in inability to procreate for all species.

Suzana Megles: Education for Peace: Greg Mortenson (1 comments) Some of you may have read "Three Cups of Tea" - the story of Greg Mortenson and his concept: Education for Peace. If not, and you missed CBS Sunday morning this past week, I think you will enjoy reading about him here.

AJ Buttacavoli: On Being a Letter Writer A narrative about the importance of good letter writing and its impact on society.

Patrick Lafferty: New Words 2008 [satire] New Words for the New World Dictionary. [satire]

Jennifer Hathaway: "How is a spiritual experience different from a sensory experience?" (1 comments) Ben Dench wrote an excellent article, "Methodology for the Mature Spiritual Seeker". Someone asked a question. I took a long while to respond- too long to be a regular response...

Obama and Education Reform So I would have picked Darling-Hammond, but then again I would have picked Noam Chomsky for state, Naomi Klein for defense, Bernardine Dohrn for Attorney General, Bill Fletcher for commerce, James Thindwa for labor, Barbara Ransby for human services, Paul Krugman for treasury, and Amy Goodman for press secretary. So what do I know?

Vi Ransel: The Peculiar Insitution The financial crisis is engineered to move wealth from the bottom to the top in a peculiar and callously cruel manner.

Joel Gill: Is US Food Truly Safe? part 2 The Misconceptions (1 comments) part 2 in the series to educate US non-rural people on the plight of the US farmer and his relationship to food safety.

Sunday, January 4:

Metals Pollute Waters Near US Coal Ash Spill Preliminary water tests from rivers near a huge coal ash spill in Tennessee show elevated levels of pollutants such as mercury and lead, a environmental group said on Friday. "We're concerned that the water poses a greater risk to residents in the area than has been revealed so far," said Matt Wasson, a program director at Appalachian Voices. An earthen dike collapsed on December 22 at the TVA's coal-fired power plant

Tim Cerantola: G.I. Jesus -Thank god I am not religious. (Satire) (4 comments) Humourous and sad - but mostly sad. [This is a satirical commentary. ~ ed.]

GLloyd Rowsey: Your Third Daily Dose of Medicine From Ambrose Bierce's "The Devil's Dictionary" – It's Just What the Doctor Ordered! (4 comments) For Example: Injustice: n. A burden which of all those we load upon others and carry ourselves is lightest in the hands and heaviest upon the back.

Grant Lawrence: The Thunderbird and Thunder Beings (5 comments) A Sighting of the Great Bird and its Great Significance

Barack Obama could do worse than keep "The Education of Henry Adams" on his nightstand while he stays at the Hay-Adams Henry Adams would have been delighted to know that Barack Obama had the opportunity to observe the White House from his own vantage point for a couple weeks before occupying it.

Jane Stillwater: Suing the DoD: How my small claim just became a Federal Case.... (8 comments) I sued the DoD in small claims court -- and now the US Attorney General's office is trying to move the trial to Federal court, already running up at least 25 billable hours in the process. By the time my case is over, $100,000 in attorneys fees will probably be charged to the taxpayer. One is not allowed to sue the Feds in small claims court. Why? To make it harder for We the people to make the government accountable.

2kiwipress: A Celebration of The Duchess: Book, Movie and DVD

David Bowie on Charlie Rose 1998 interview covers a lot of ground...

Bob Dylan Lays into Time Magazine Interviewer Circa 1965 "Magazines have too much to lose by printing the truth..."

Gene Messick: Proposal: A great deal on a New Deal (2 comments) As the Obama Administration for Change takes office in the worst Economic times since the Great Depression, there's talk of jump starting our Economy with employment in new public works projects reminiscent of FDR's New Deal. Here's one that's ready and waiting to happen on land that already belongs to all of us.

Barack Obama Keynote Speech at Democratic Convention 2004 This is the speech which first made Barack a national figure.

Tara & Bella - Unlikely best friends (Includes video) (3 comments) Today, their love - and trust - is stronger than ever. Bella even lets Tarra pet her tummy - with the bottom of her enormous foot. They harbor no fears, no secrets, no prejudices. Just two living creatures who somehow managed to look past their immense differences. Take good look America. Take a good look world. If they can do it - what's our excuse?

Sheryl Letzgus McGinnis: The Most Insidious Monster (5 comments) This article describes what happens when a formidable monster, known by me as The Addiction Monster, enters our lives. He destroy all he comes in contact with, not just the addicted person. He is an equal opportunity monster, no longer just plying his trade on the wrong side of the tracks. Good kids get derailed by him now.

Vi Ransel: Dust Thou Art... (1 comments) As the world looks from the side at the mass murder going on in Gaza, it might be a good time to reflect on that other mass murder, the one used to justify this atrocity.

Ben Dench: A Methodology for the Mature Spiritual Seeker (8 comments) An attempt to move humanity's spiritual discourse forward.

Keith Pope: Madness and Miracles in Central France (2 comments) Is the twenty-year-old Volvo up to the two thousand five hundred kilometres from there to here? "I don't see why not," Stuart said. Stuart is Welsh. I should better have questioned the condition of the driver.

Richmond Shreve: Obama's Health-Care Community Discussions – Update 2 Obama's transition team confirms that grass-roots input will form "a central pillar" of major health-care reform. Here is a report of one of the meetings post