Wednesday, November 19:

Detroit's death would devastate middle class :: Jesse Jackson it's not the executives who will take the hit if the companies go bankrupt; it is the rest of us. So the answer is to ensure that the loan comes with strict terms attached: a supervisory board that must approve all investments; sharp limits on executive compensation; elimination of dividends until the loan is repaid, and a commitment, closely monitored, to build the electric and hybrid cars of the future, not gas guzzlers

Rowan Wolf: Pakistan - A Disinformation Campaign? (1 comments) Explores the contradictory information regarding U.S. mission inside Pakistan

Romney: Let Detroit go bankrupt Romney, CEO, public or private, means the big 3, not the city. (his nemesis, methinks) The huge disadvantage in costs relative to foreign brands must be eliminated, meaning new labor agreements to align pay and benefits, and reduced retiree benefits • The current management must go, and be replaced with leaders from unrelated industries

Michael Bonanno: OpEdNews Interviews Greg Gerritt, America's "Buy Nothing Day" Pioneer - Revisited The message of "Buy Nothing Day" surrounds the consumerism that seems to have overtaken Americans.

Greenwald: Bipartisanship is not "Change" There has been massive bipartisan support for the worst of the Bush agenda: the Patriot Act 1 and 2; the invasion of Afghanistan; ongoing occupation of, Iraq; Military Commissions Act (authorizing torture & eliminating right to trial); warrantless eavesdropping; telecom immunity; $700B bailout; No Child Left Behind; declaring Iran to be 'Terrorist' - all passed with Democratic support. So what does Obama propose to "change"?

Stephen Lendman: Extrajudicial Assassinations As Official Israeli Policy Israeli officials make assassinations (aka targeted killings) official state policy even though international law bans them for any reason at any time.

Ernest Partridge: Why Liberals are Not Libertarians (1 comments) Liberal democracy and regulated capitalism is not perfect. But an anecdotal inventory of the shortcomings of public regulation of the environment does not, by itself, constitute a repudiation of the existing system. What is required is a clear and persuasive presentation of a better workable alternative. This the libertarians have not offered us.

Bernard Weiner: Getting Through the Coming Depression Recession doesn't even begin to describe where the U.S. and global economies are going. We have to recognize that likelihood and take steps now to build the social infrastructure that will help carry us all through the coming Depression. It ain't gonna be easy, but, if we do it right, our generation will be able to look back and feel proud of our efforts to help everybody rise out of the economic swamp.

Michael Collins: Triumph of The Money Party: Lieberman and the Convenient Amnesia

Tuesday, November 18:

Robert Jensen: Real hope: Facing difficult truths about an uncertain future (5 comments) Now is the time to articulate an authentic sense of hope, one that is realistic.

Shannyn Moore: *The Sacrament of Democracy (6 comments) Why it all matters. Really.

mike montagne: *Bailout Czar Kashkari Squirms Under Interrogation Exposes the blatant weaknesses and crime of the purported bailout. Demonstrates that only mathematically perfected economy will resolve the present crisis.

John Bardi: These Times They Are A-Changin' (2 comments) Our "defaults" are changing. many now blame the Bush administration for screwing things up, but the Bush administration actually succeeded in the context of their "defaults." They intended to gut the regulatory capacity of government, intended to make it easier for special interests to manipulate the levers of power, intended to expand the snooping abilities of the state, and intended to use the techniques of scientific...

Patty Bates-Ballard: How to respond to anti-Obama racism (10 comments) While millions of Americans celebrated the election of our nation's first African-American president on November 4, many others raged, penned racist rants threatening president-elect Obama's life, and assaulted their neighbors. America, it's time we find a way to express ourselves more constructively.

jeff rock: Trickle Down Treachery (11 comments) Discusses the root cause of our current economic meltdown describing how twenty-eight years of neo-economic policies have destroyed our economy and led to a corrupt oligarchy.

mikel weisser: Current Comedy, 11/17/08: Little Georgie Jr. Loses His Very Own Iraq War (5 comments) The US and Iraq signed a finalizing peace treaty with a, get this, a "timetable." Iraqi government spokesperson Ali al-Dabbagh framed the US departure like this:"This date is not liable to change according to the situation on ground. The date is definite and final." Ladies and Gentlemen, that is definitely what we call 'getting told,' and who gets told in a war? The losers. If you win, you stay however long you want.

Anthony Wade: Personal Foul! The NFL Loses All Credibility (26 comments) The Steelers-Chargers game this past Sunday saw the most egregious display of fixing a game in the history of sports. At least 33 million dollars was made and the NFL has sold out their integrity and credibility for it.

Chris Graham: What's wrong with the GOP? It doesn't seem like the GOP gets it. Republicans are talking about how they lost on Nov. 4 because they didn't stay true to their conservative principles. The truth lies somewhere a lot closer to the center of the political spectrum.

Dr. Dennis Loo: Obama: No War Crimes Charges Against the War Criminals (2 comments) Obama's camp signals that they will not prosecute the Bush gang for war crimes. How is this the change we need?

Mumia Abu-Jamal: When the Dragons Return Home The present economic crisis, born of unmitigated greed, while terrifying and disruptive in its impact, is also a tremendous opportunity for profit-taking as stocks fall, and corporations are able to be acquired for a song.

Mike Kuykendall: Religious Kooks Think Obama's the Antichrist What are fundamentalists to do now that their political movement is in shambles? Snipe at the President-elect using their religion as a weapon, apparently.

All The King's Men Discussion of the importance of an Obama Administration seeking justice for crimes of the bush Administration.

Frosty Wooldridge: Good-bye and Good Riddance Mr. Bush How bad a president was Mr. Bush? Answer: really, really bad! Incompetent, inept and out of touch describe him on his way out of the White House. His exit gives the USA a chance to move into the 21st century as a peaceful nation.

john hatch: What Would Lex Luthor Do? A review of the Bush legacy, and some options for the future.

Zogby Found Push-Polling for Hannity Chum (1 comments) John Zogby hired out his polling services and good name to provide "statistical" data for a documentary called "Media Malpractice: How Obama Got Elected" using the textbook definition of "push-polling", a covert slime tactic. Efforts are underway to boycott Zogby Intl., including contacting his "mainstream" clients such as C-SPAN and Reuters.

Tim Cerantola: Hey, fill my pockets with money too! Political humor regarding the economic meltdown.

ALONE: BBC's WORLD HAVE YOUR SAY & DEATH PENALTY DISCUSSION IN AUSTIN, Texas By Kevin Stoda Nov. 18, 2008--I have been liste Nov. 18, 2008--I have been listening this evening to World Have Your Say of the BBC in Austin, Texas whereby the topic of the hours is a discussion the death penalty. The BBC program was being carried out at radio station KUT in Austin. The BBC did an extremely unfair job on the program in failing to provide the listeners with enough alternative views--especially as opposition has risen in Texas in recent years.

Hagel, Unrestrained, Lashes Into Bush, Rush And The GOP "Eighty-seven percent of the American people said America is going in the wrong direction," said Hagel. "You don't need to know another number about anything: the American people don't like what is going on...they want us to start doing what leaders are expected to do, address the problems, find some consensus to governing. In the end, we can't hold ourselves captives to this raw, partisan, political paralysis."

Ralph Nader: A new New Deal for America We are at a moment in our nation's history when great decisions can be made. The country is energized by the historic election of the first African-American president. But it is also a beleaguered nation whose people need help.

Lawless One: "BAILING OUT THE BAILOUT" (1 comments) Why the bailout is not working. Why it cannot work as presently administered. And, what might be done to contain the conflagration. What needs to be remembered is that it was caused by a con game. Unfortunately, you know the con is going to crash when even the con men who created it don't understand their own con game. Maybe it's time to convert some of them into convicts.

Jane Stillwater: Google Earth: Gaza has now gone dark too.... (5 comments) By an executive order of the neo-con junta that currently runs Israel, the electricity in Gaza has just been turned off -- linking it to other countries that Google Earth shows with no lights; countries like Somalia, Burma, the DRC, Zimbabwe and Darfur, countries where governments prey on their own people.

Chris Graham: Virginia not blue yet, Kaine says Gov. Tim Kaine throws a cautionary hand to the wave of talk about Virginia now being a blue state.

Jonathin Chait: Defining Barack Down (TNR) TNR Senior Editor Jonathin Chait discusses the conservative effort to dismiss and minimize the importance of Obama's victory. Mandate? you decide.

David Swanson: Bush Firing Disloyal Federal Employees (2 comments) Bush has, for some time now, been terminating large numbers of employees in the federal government, people known as whistleblowers, people suspected of disloyalty.

Conservative Introspection (Not an Oxymoron) Brink Lindsey, left, of the Cato Institute and David Frum of the American Enterprise Institute diagnose what's ailing the Republican Party. (Video)

Chris Floyd: The Era of Magical Thinking: SOFA Smokescreens and Presidential Power If, by the end of 2011, America's bipartisan foreign policy elite--and the profiteers of the vast, interlocking corporate conglomerate that fuels the War Machine--decide that it is in "the national interest" (their interests) for the occupation to go on, it will go on. If they feel they have squeezed Iraq dry enough, then they may well move on to greener pastures--in a newly "surging" Afghanistan, no doubt -- even Pakistan.

Eugene Robinson: After the Torture Era We will look back on the Bush years and find it incredible, and disgraceful, that individuals were captured in battle or "purchased" from self-interested tribal warlords, whisked to Guantanamo, classified as "enemy combatants" and held for years without charges. We will be ashamed of a government that punished low-level troops for their sadism but exonerated the higher-ups who made such sadism possible.

How Did We Ever Let This Guy Get Away with Being a War President? (3 comments) What George W. Bush loved best about his job was being a war president. Playing war, that is, as opposed to making war like a grown-up. Remember him strutting onto that carrier in his little flight jacket? You never saw Eisenhower, a real general, playing out his martial fantasies this way. You can take the drink out of the drunk, but you can't take the swagger out of a fool.

Do You Want to See What War Looks Like? In his film, Sgt Casey Porter cites the stark contrast between his daily experiences in Iraq and what is reported in US media as an important reason for taking action. By keeping the truth from the American people, he says they are unable to make sound decisions about the continued occupation of Iraq. Crucial details are kept from view.

Sandy Sand: Opinion: Distinguishing the Difference Between a News Story and an Editorial (4 comments) Sometimes the difference between a news story and an editorial is blurred but, nonetheless, the difference is discernable.

Web Sites That Dig for News Rise as Watchdog As newspapers shrink, rival operations have arisen in several cities, forcing the papers to follow their lead. And the article says more are forming all the time. Can we at OEN make a list of them as they start up?

April Moore: Take the Train If you're dreading the hassles of flying this holiday season, there is an alternative that is more pleasant--and better for the environment.

Ludwik Kowalski: Stalin was a victim (2 comments) Attempts to rehabilitate Stalin

Meryl Ann Butler: Kucinich is Still Rockin' My World Toward Peace (9 comments)

Anthony Barnes: Run, Sarah, Run! Please!

Matthew Hardy: Let Them Fail America's latest socialistic trend is that government will bailout failed businesses. I say let them fail.

Rafe Pilgrim: The Bailout Moralities Other than knowing it is our money that will be given away, we don't know how the bailouts were sized, how much and to whom they will be distributed, upon what justification, what we will get in return, and when or even if we will get repaid. We should know.

David Glenn Cox: Its Only America Bleeding To what do I owe the pleasure of this company? What is owed to me and to what account do I owe by the nature of my birth? Solemn allegiance and my blood poured out on foreign fields for the honor and glory of brass buttons and medal-resplendent generals?

Allen L Roland: *PAULSON'S TRANSPARENT SANTA CLAUS GIVE AWAY America needs clear leadership and a sound bail out plan from Secretary of the Treasury Hank Paulson and it is getting neither. As a result, Paulson's actions continue to rightfully fuel anxieties and mistrust ~ the steadily falling stock market reflects this doubt and lack of faith: Allen L Roland

Joan Brunwasser: *More election stories - this one from a proud Republican in Austin, Texas This election story is a bit longer than many but a worthwhile read, nevertheless. I'm grateful to Phil Hutson for sharing it with us and invite you to do the same before the memories fade.

Paul Rogat Loeb: KEEP THE WHITE HOUSE DRAPES: BRING BACK THE SOLAR PANELS But suppose instead that [Obama] took the opportunity to break with tradition, and make a powerful symbolic stand by instead using the already allocated money to bring back additional solar panels (Bush actually brought back some in 2002 but more could be added), and make the White House more energy efficient.

Betsy L. Angert: 60 Minutes with the American People (1 comments) On Sunday night, November 16, 2008, twelve days after an historic Presidential Election, Americans watched the couple who represents the culmination of their efforts. Barack and Michelle Obama appeared on 60 Minutes. Journalist Steve Kroft sat with the President-elect and his partner and pondered all that had occurred and would possibly be.

Sally Fallon Morell: *An Open Letter to President-Elect Barack Obama Prisoners in the Illinois Prison system are being used as guinea pigs in an aggressive replacement of real foods by faux soy foods. Too much soy is literally killing these prisoners, a form of poisoning that could also be considered torture according to this nutrition expert.

Richard Hirschhorn: God Bless the Child Gay Marriage Separate is Not Equal

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Dr. Lobsang Sangay, Senior Fellow at Harvard Law Sc: Special Message for Tibetans Living In and Outside of Tibet (5 comments) A sad but brutally honest and inspiring statement from this, most patient of world leaders, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in the face of the world's indifference to the Genocide of the Tibetan people by China in its prisons for Political Prisoners at Drapchi, Karze, and Xinduquio, no different for Tibetans from Auschwitz, Dachau, and Treblinka for European Jews only 70 years ago.

Michael Adkins: *An Open Letter To The Big 3 Automotive CEOs (3 comments) You're asking for a friendly bailout by the taxpayer yet you haven't been friends to the taxpayer in years. Let's look at some facts.

Monday, November 17:

Stephen Lendman: Worse Than the Great Depression? (19 comments) Fear is growing that a severe recession will become the dreaded "D" word - depression that will spread globally, and nothing policy makers will do can stop it.

winston: Bush planned the economic crisis for partisan GOP gain. (12 comments) With the Iraq war the red staters didn't know if we fighting the Orwellian Eurasia and/or Eastasia because these dear lazy dolts have to believe the propaganda that Clear Channel and FOX news disseminates. As far as the bailout--or can it be better labeled one last chance for the top 1% swine at the trough, there is only one conclusion. Bush planned the economic crisis for partisan GOP gain, just as he did the Iraq war.

Steve Consilvio: Did you get the memo? Osama Bin Laden won the war. (29 comments) Economic stability is now beyond reach.

larry beinhart: TAX CUTS: THEOLOGY, FACTS & TOTALLY F**KED (10 comments) The three worst economic disasters in American history follow the exact, same pattern. Tax cuts, boom, bubble, crash.

Glenn R. Jackson: The Republican Reformation - The end of arrogance (2 comments) First and foremost let's understand that the Republican Party suffered from an excessive level of arrogance, led by the Republican administration and by President Bush.

Rady Ananda: CA Voters Needed to Investigate Prop 8 Results (6 comments)

Paul Craig Roberts: The no-think nation - The Crisis Has Hardly Begun (12 comments) The destruction that the Bush/Cheney reign of terror has wrought on our economy grows by the day. And unfortunately for Americans, we have to wait a while yet before these clowns are shown the door. Except for Bush/Cheney themselves, the first to feel the boot should be Wall Street Henry.

Deb Della Piana: Beware of them who must not be named (14 comments) Chances are you don't know what a Dominionist is, but you should learn. Dominionists are the most radical branch of the Christian right and their goal is to change our democracy to a theocracy. Barack Obama's election may have temporarily slowed their progress, but the Dominionists aren't going away. In fact, they are looking to Sarah Palin to depose Obama in 2012.

Linda Thurman: Bridging the Gap: Individual/American Exceptionalism vs Social Responsibility The article is a personal essay reflecting upon the review of Andrew J. Bacevich's "Limits to Power: The End of American Exceptionalism". It develops a complex systems approach to resolving the dilemma of individual freedom vs social responsibility at both the national political level and the personal individual level.

Bill Burkett: Another Nightmare in the likes of Iraq and Katrina - Greed '08 Americans have been duped again by an administration that gave us Iraq under the same lack of credible intelligence and overall honesty. It would lead one to speculate whether there was ever an intent to buy up troubled assets, or did the administration just need congressional approval to write the checks for Wall Street and banks.

Lessons Learned from the Election of 2008: Looking Back and Looking Forward Drew Westin analyzes the psychological reasons Obama won: "Obama beat Hillary Clinton the same way he beat John McCain: by out-inspiring them, boxing them into the role of the candidate against hope, and defining himself as the candidate of change in a year in which Americans wanted nothing more desperately than to put our nation on a different track."

Mickey Z.: News Flash: Obama hypnotizes Zinn (5 comments) Every indication points to Barack Obama doing the exact opposite of what Zinn writes.

Chris Hedges: America the Illiterate (1 comments) American political campaigns speak in the comforting epistemology of images, eschew real ideas and policy for cheap slogans and reassuring personal narratives. Political propaganda now masquerades as ideology. Political campaigns have become an experience. They do not require cognitive or self-critical skills. They are designed to ignite pseudo-religious feelings of euphoria, empowerment and collective salvation.

Robert Weiner: Six-Point Plan to Restore Respect to Congress From Dismal 12-23% Approval, Lower Than Bush (7 comments) Six-Point Plan to Restore Respect to Congress From Dismal 12-23% Approval, Lower Than Bush (as printed in Roll Call)

Leon Thompson: *Why We Should Have An Economic Stimulus From The Bottom Up (2 comments) At the present time our U.S. Treasury Secretary has been throwing this $700 billion in all directions of the "business sector" to stimulate this economy. Again, our politicians are completely relying on the same old "trickle down" from the top lobbyist theory to solve this financial problem of ours that was the culprit that got us into this mess.

(More...)

Wednesday, November 19:

Daley addresses Obama-related police presence Mayor Daley, on complaints of police underfunding & usage."In Washington, D.C., the Secret Service [would] be doing most of this - even outside the buildings. We've taken that responsibility and they're going to reimburse us for that... We'll utilize resources from headquarters and the training academy until next week. [After that], off-duty officers will be compensated at time-and-a-half, to be paid by the federal government.

Nuclear Waste DUMPED Into Hudson River Entergy Corporation's Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant has Dumped 459,000 Gallons of Nuclear Waste into the Hudson River. But the WORST is still yet to come! Internationally renown radiation scientist and researcher Dr. Chris Busby speaks about the radioactive waste poisoning of New York's majestic Hudson.

IMC Photos: Marching Against Racism In Rural New Jersey (1 comments) Over 300 people march in Hardwick New Jersey to support Gary Grewal and his family, supporters of Barack Obama who were the victims of a cross burning. In response to a call by Mayor Kevin Duffy, over 300 people marched from Hardick's municipal building a mile to Grewal's house in support of Grewal's right to fly a banner supporting Barack Obama.

Recount Set for Minnesota Senate Race as Challenges Loom A recount will be held in the undecided Minnesota Senate race between Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken, a comedian and author. This expected development was confirmed by the state election canvassing board at a meeting Tuesday in the Minnesota capital of St. Paul. The recount is scheduled to begin Wednesday and will be carried out at an estimated 120 sites around the state,

Christopher Sherman: *Cheney and Gonzales Indicted (1 comments) Alleged abuse of prison inmates

Tuesday, November 18:

Mara Der Hovanesian: Did someone have sex to obtain your mortgage? Are people selling their bodies to get your loan?

Debbie Krueger, Jordan Page, Adam Kokesh: Growing Movement Strikes at Fed in Washington, DC (2 comments) National "END THE FED" day of protest calls for sound monetary policy and an end to bailouts in D.C.

Massive riot in northwestern China - Los Angeles Times The Chinese people don't seem too inclined to go along with the Government's plans ...

The Seven Deadly Deficits (Mother Jones) : What the Bush years really cost us, and how President Obama can get the economy back on track.

All The King's Men Discussion of the importance of an Obama Administration seeking justice for crimes of the bush Administration.

Ralph Lopez: *Bush and The Great Escape, Impeach Obama? (1 comments) The problem with right-wing radio is that 60 million people listen to it as their main source of opinion. You can only counter these kind by clipping their wings, meaning calling an impeachment hearing right now. If they get their way, Bush will be off the hook but guess how long it will take for impeachment to come back into fashion?

JGideon: 'Daily Voting News' For November 18, 2008 a collection of local, state, national and international articles on electronic voting and election issues

Beijing orders demolition of leading activist's home Beijing authorities have issued an order to destroy the home of one of China's leading rights activists who has been in police custody for more than 200 days, her husband and lawyer said Tuesday. Beijing's Xicheng court ordered developers to level the home of Ni Yulan and told the family to vacate the premises by the end of last week, husband Dong Jiqin told AFP, adding he had refused to leave.

BREAKING: Begich expands lead to 2,374 votes over Stevens 11,000 votes are left - due to be counted 8-9pm ET, but it's looking unlikely that Stevens will be able to overcome the growing deficit. If Begich holds onto the lead, Democrats would pick up their seventh Republican-held Senate seat this cycle, and would have 58 Senate seats -- with the races in Georgia and Minnesota still undecided.

Panel: Gulf War Illness Confirmed A federal health panel released conclusions Monday that evidence strongly and consistently indicates hundreds of thousands of US troops in the first Gulf War contracted long-term illnesses from use of pills, given by their own military to protect them from effects of chemical weaponized nerve agents, and from their military's pesticide use during deployment.

Linn Cohen-Cole: *Agriculture as a dangerously unrecognized human rights issue. A letter to Obama from Sally Fallon (1 comments) Sally Fallon, president of the Weston A Price Foundation, asks Obama to intercede on behalf of Illinois prisoners being tortured by a soy-based diet. It is time for Amnesty International to help those fighting for human survival who are up against multinational corporations taking over agriculture and food, yet without an adequate paradigm that defines the profound human rights issue involved - SURVIVAL itself.

Obama Taps Eric Holder for Attorney General President-elect Obama has decided to tap Eric Holder as his attorney general, putting the veteran Washington lawyer in place to become the first African-American to head the Justice Department.

Democrats Offer Mild Censure After Lieberman Apologizes Senate Democrats backed away from a major rebuke of Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) on Tuesday morning.

Sarah Palin Offered $7 Mil Book Deal Sarah Palin is moving closer to inking a book deal for an estimated $7 million.

Lawrence Velvel: The Bigger The Company, The More Disastrous The Mistake What will be the impact of the bailout supermergers on the economy? Washington seems to be overlooking the point that bigness is not better; in fact, anti-trust laws were written specifically to deal with it.

Ashin Mettacara: *Burma Crackdown on Prominent Monks and Activists Continues; More Get Long Term Jail (3 comments) Prominent Buddhist Monks were jailed for 35 years by the brutal fascist regime.

BREAKING: Lieberman gets slap, not blow In a 42-13 vote, Senate Democrats left Joe Lieberman in control of the prized Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

Roger Shuler: Here's the Latest on the Don Siegelman Story (2 comments) Time magazine broke a story last Friday about misconduct by prosecutors and jurors in the trial of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman. The story continues to reverberate around the Web, and here is the latest.

Iraq Quietly Dismisses Its Anticorruption Officials The government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki is systematically dismissing oversight officials who were installed to fight corruption in Iraqi ministries by order of the American occupation administration, which had hoped to bring Western standards of accountability to the notoriously opaque and graft-ridden bureaucracy.

Obama Not Likely to Seek Criminal Charges Against Officials who Authorized Torture (2 comments) Barack Obama's incoming administration is unlikely to bring criminal charges against government officials who authorized or engaged in harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists during the George W. Bush presidency. Obama, who has criticized the use of torture, is being urged by some constitutional scholars and human rights groups to investigate possible war crimes by the Bush administration.

Martha Rosenberg: Those Dead Fish? Your Tax Dollars at Work (2 comments) the fish kill was not an unfortunate runoff accident to be blamed on agricultural nitrates. It was deliberately administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources which laced the pond with the South American poison Rotenone to "restore" the water body into a "model Illinois freshwater habitat."

Intense security a force Loop reckons with How the next POTUS changes Loop traffic: Thirty-eight floors below, dozens of officers from Federal Protective Services patrolled the building's lobby and periphery. Armed agents checked the photo IDs of everyone who entered a metal barricade enclosing the majority of the plaza the building shares with a large post office and an Alexander Calder sculpture.

Administration Protects W Appointees by Converting Positions to Career Civil Servants Just weeks before leaving office, the Interior Department's top lawyer has shifted half a dozen key deputies-- including two former political appointees who have been involved in controversial environmental decisions -- into senior civil service posts. The transfer of political appointees into permanent fed positions, called "burrowing," will deprive Obama of the chance to install its preferred appointees in some key jobs.

2008 Results: Fewer White Voters, While Minorities Set Records Lots of preliminary data. OHIO: "Everyone has been struggling to figure out why there are fewer voters," said Bryan Clark, a spokesman in Ohio's secretary of state's office. "I think there was a suppressed white turnout in blue-collar areas. The Reagan Democrats stayed home and the social conservatives weren't excited by the McCain-Palin ticket."

No Agreement on Improving Mental Health Care First article of a 4-part series, well worth following. "annual estimated cost of treating mental illness in the United States is $79 billion, of which $63 billion is due to lost productivity. Indirectly, mental illness costs $12 billion in lost productivity due to premature deaths and $4 billion in productivity losses for those in jails& prisons and for the time of family members who care for their mentally ill loved ones.

Monday, November 17:

Nadra Foster and the resignation of KPFA Business Manager Lois Withers (1 comments) On Nov. 10, KPFA General Manager Lemlem Rijio announced that Lois Withers, KPFA's business manager, was resigning. Lois is the white woman who called the police on Black programmer Nadra Foster, falsely accusing her of being banned, on Aug. 20. Consequently, Nadra was beaten up, thrown to the ground, kicked in the head, strait-jacketed and forcibly removed out of the station, resulting in her facing five charges...

Depression 2009: What would it look like? Lines at the ER, a television boom, emptying suburbs. A catastrophic economic downturn would feel nothing like the last one. By looking at what we know about how society and commerce would slow down, and how people respond, it's possible to envision what we might face.

Rather’s Lawsuit Shows Role of G.O.P. in Inquiry (3 comments) Other documents, meanwhile, suggest that Ms. Mason, who reported to Mr. Heyward, was getting updates from panel investigators on some of their findings, at a point when CBS News was telling outsiders that the network was staying out of the investigation.

Larisa Alexandrovna: Abramoff said he had agreement with White House aide just a month after Bush took office Email noting relationship with White House came just a month after Bush took office

Democrats rise again in the Rockies Barack Obama's victory was different. He coasted to easy wins in Colorado, taking 53 percent of the popular vote, 55 percent in Nevada, and 57 percent in New Mexico. Remarkably, his margin of victory in these mountain states exceeded his national margin of victory.

JGideon: 'Daily Voting News' For November 16 and 17, 2008 a collection of local, state, national and international articles on electronic voting and election issues

Dennis Kucinich Stands by His Liberal Agenda and Calls on Barack Obama for Change (6 comments) Kucinich is part of a rare breed in Washington who cannot be bought off by the wrong people, a noble quality that has made him a local hero in his Congressional district of Ohio, but one that has red flagged him as a troublemaker on Capitol Hill, albeit a highly respected one.

GOP not playing "Minnesota nice" with Franken Republicans have flooded the airwaves with baseless propaganda to discredit the Coleman-Franken recount in advance.

Obama (1 comments) Watch this!!!

Bill Clinton to Rally for Jim Martin in GA (1 comments) The Democratic campaign just announced that former President Bill Clinton will be in Atlanta on Wednesday on Democrat Jim Martin's behalf in the U.S. Senate runoff against Saxby Chambliss.

Kevin Gosztola: Bail Out the Big Three Automakers? (35 comments) The Senate and the House will be deliberating and deciding whether or not to bail out the Big Three auto makers this week (Chrysler, Ford, GM). Here's what you should know when deciding whether or not to support a bailout. This is what you may not hear from network news or cable news.

Ashin Mettacara: *Burma, Myanmar: At least 9 activists Sentenced Today (1 comments)

College Presidents Cashing In, Study Says The number of college and university presidents taking home eye-popping paychecks continues to climb even as more and more students have trouble paying their tuition bills. Fifty-nine presidents of public universities reeled in more than $500,000 in salary and benefits during the 2007-08 academic year, more than double the number who broke the half-million mark three years earlier, according to a survey.

Citi Plans Asset Sales and Job Cuts The banking giant, Citigroup, which a decade ago set out to rewrite the rules of American finance, announced Monday morning that it would cut 50,000 jobs in the coming quarters, largely by selling assets. In a town hall meeting with employees, the bank also said that it was seeking to shore up its capital base and cut risky positions.

Rather’s Lawsuit Shows Role of G.O.P. in Inquiry When Dan Rather filed suit against CBS 14 months ago — claiming, among other things, that his former employer had commissioned a politically biased investigation into his work on a “60 Minutes” segment about President Bush’s National Guard service — the network predicted the quick and favorable dismissal of the case, which it derided as “old news.”

After Obama's win, white backlash festers in US But postelection, at least two white nationalist websites – Stormfront and the Council of Conservative Citizens – report their servers have crashed because of heavy traffic. The League of the South, a secessionist group, says Web hits jumped from 50,000 a month to 300,000 since Nov. 4, and its phones are ringing off the hook.

Inhofe: Cancel the 'blank check' Sen. Jim Inhofe said Saturday that Congress was not told the truth about the bailout of the nation's financial system and should take back what is left of the $700 billion "blank check'' it gave the Bush administration. "He was able to get this authority from Congress predicated on what he was going to do, and then he didn't do it,'' Inhofe said.

Women make modest gains in Election 2008 The highest glass ceiling in America politics came closest to being shattered, but in Congress it was business as usual: Women made a net gain of one seat in the Senate, bringing the total to 17 out of 100, and three seats in the House, moving up from 71 to 74 out of 435 seats, or 17 percent. At least the numbers keep going up, say advocates for women in politics, but the United States still lags woefully in world rankings.

Under Obama, a newly interactive government? It 's an idealistic notion that will require some concrete changes – from a large investment in upgrading government computers to a change in the rules and regulations that guide government employees. Most important, it will require a radical transformation of the entrenched culture of secrecy and the dominance of special interests that define how Washington operates

Gallup’s New Job Market Measure-- not looking good A new employment indicator from Gallup reports how many people say their company is hiring, and how many say their company is letting employees go. The results aren't pretty, an economist writes.

Dan Rather's Lawsuit Shows Role of G.O.P. in Inquiry Evidence seems to support Dan Rather’s assertion that CBS wanted its investigation into a segment about President Bush’s National Guard service to mollify GOP Bush supporters, so CBS would maintain access to the White house. Rather has spent over $2 million on this case, but is making solid progress showing unfair treatment, including the set up of a supposedly balanced review panel, which was, in reality, GOP vetted.

Showdown looming in Congress over automaker rescue Senate Democrats intended to introduce legislation Monday attaching an auto bailout to a House-passed bill extending unemployment benefits; a vote was expected as early as Wednesday. Sens. Richard Shelby of Alabama and Jon Kyl of Arizona said it would be a mistake to use any of the Wall Street rescue money to prop up the automakers because a bailout would only postpone the industry's demise.

Sherwood Ross: Bush War Makes Life in Iraq "Unbearable" (7 comments) Considering that the U.S. made the war that has ruined Iraq, why should the Iraqis be asked to pay the bill for any of the reconstruction?

Sunday, November 16:

White rage: The rednecks out to kill Obama (1 comments) “There’s not any question he’s under more threat than most politicians,” said Mark Potok, one of America’s leading researchers into hate groups who edits a monthly Intelligence Report for the Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center. “I think we are seeing a kind of perfect storm of conditions that might well help white supremacist movements grow, and grow rapidly.

George W Bush could pardon spies involved in torture (1 comments) George Bush is considering issuing pardons for US spies embroiled in allegations of torture just before he leaves the White House. Senior intelligence officers are lobbying the outgoing president to look after the men and women who could face charges for following his orders in the war on terrorism. The White House has indicated that the matter is under consideration.

Obama Has More Threats Than Other Presidents-Elect Since the Nov. 4 election, law enforcement officials have seen more potentially threatening writings, Internet postings and other activity directed at Obama than has been seen with any past president-elect.

Obama and McCain set to meet in Chicago President-elect Barack Obama will meet with former GOP presidential candidate John McCain Monday in Chicago, Illinois.

Secret Ballot To Decide Lieberman's Fate (3 comments) Senate Democrats will decide by secret ballot Tuesday whether to take away Sen. Joe Lieberman's chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee — a post from which he oversees U.S. security issues, as well as the operations of a wide segment of the federal government.

Providers close doors to poor Budget cuts in the state’s Medicaid program are forcing a major shift in where Nevada’s poor can seek health care. Cancer patients who had received outpatient treatment at University Medical Center, for instance, will have to seek treatment at other hospitals and clinics because UMC, citing reductions in Medicaid payments, says it can no longer afford to offer cancer treatment.

Pokey Anderson: *MONITOR: On the jailing of a Governor and of an election integrity activist Today's Show: -- Attorney SCOTT HORTON on the DOJ's trumped up case against Alabama Governor Siegelman-- Election integrity advocate ELLEN BRODSKY talks about her arrest in south Florida

Deanne Stillman: BLM Planning to Execute 30,000 wild horses (10 comments) The Bureau of Land Management, yielding to cattlemen arguments, has been trying to rid the desert of wild horses. Under the final months of the Bush-Cheney Administration, it may succeedd in allowing the killing and slaughter of most of the herd.

Ashin Mettacara: *Burma, Myanmar: Convicted Activists Sent to Remote Prison Camps (1 comments)

Meryl Ann Butler: Birdseye View Of California Fire (Sayre) (14 comments)

Mark Crispin Miller: Was Prop 8 Actually Defeated?? (22 comments) As we think about the possibility that Prop 8 was not really passed by California's voters, let's note something that the press, and others, won't discuss: i.e., that the entire apparatus of computerized voting in this country--the e-voting machines and op-scans and central tabulators, etc.--is largely owned by members of the Christianist far right.

Linn Cohen-Cole: Ever heard of JBS Swift. You badly need to. (19 comments) JBS Swift, a Brazilian outfit, is taking over control of most beef worldwide. Brazilian cattle ranchers are wiping out previously uncontacted Indians in the rainforests of Western Paraquay to make room for their cattle. Conservative organizations are battle to protect your food supply and democracy. And do you know about any of this and what a joke it makes of sustainable agriculture?

Ellen Brodsky: More news on Broward County Election "Security Provisions" A good case in point about why our elections need close supervision at every step along the way.

Alaska vote tally drama: 1 vote margin in state rep race The closest race of this fall's election in Alaska drew even tighter Friday night, as Rep. Mike Kelly's lead on Democratic challenger Karl Kassel narrowed to a single vote. Just imagine all the ways that extra vote could have been reached.

Why hasn't the U.S. gone after Mullah Omar in Pakistan? For 7 years, the Bush administration has pursued al Qaida but done almost nothing to hunt down the Afghan Taliban leadership in its sanctuaries in Pakistan, and that's left Mullah Mohammad Omar and his deputies free to direct an escalating war against the U.S.-backed Afghan government. The administration's decision, U.S. and NATO officials said, has allowed the Taliban to regroup, rearm and recruit at bases in SW Pakistan

Albino Africans live in fear after witch-doctor butchery and Cannibalism A series of horrific murders of albinos in Tanzania has shocked the nation. As children are hacked to death for their body parts, believed to bring good luck, the authorities are failing to stop a trade in organs that relies on superstition and greed

Detroit Has Plans for Loans to Retool. First It Must Survive. In Washington, President Bush and others see the $25 billion in loans Congress has already approved to retool the ailing automobile industry as a convenient pot of money to help automakers survive the economic tumult. The tension in Washington is pitting the long-range policy goals Congress had in mind a year ago when it approved the loans against the immediate needs of the financial crisis.

Obama Ties Automaker Rescue to Regulation (4 comments) Top advisers to President-elect Barack Obama are helping to draft an auto industry rescue plan that would bring new government oversight, including the possibility of an auto czar who could ensure the money was being used wisely. ny plan, however, is likely to face an uphill battle in the Senate, where Republicans control 49 seats until the new Congress convenes in January.

Iraq cleric calls for peaceful mass protest against U.S. Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called for a massive prayer service and a peaceful demonstration in Baghdad next week against the U.S.-led presence in Iraq.

Ashin Mettacara: *Burma, Myanmar: The last 9 prominent 88 leaders sentenced to 65 years each

Saturday, November 15:

Linn Cohen-Cole: *How to Rig a Monsanto GM trial. Take a look at Australia's latest. (3 comments) Media has devoted attention to the Andrew Weidermann's GM trials in Australia but has failed to notice that the trials had been manipulated in a series of ways to make the GM-canola look as though it outperformed normal canola. Julie Newman, reporting on these trials, asks "Why has there been so much promotion of GM trials but little attention to detail?"

Thursday, November 13:

Gene Cappa: Obama And The Imperial Presidency-Will He Give It Up? (12 comments) Obama inherits an imperial presidency chock-full of new powers. Will he give it up or embrace it?

Monday, November 10:

Rob Kall: Assassination Conversation Poll (80 comments) Have you been in a conversation or overhead a conversation expressing concern for Obama's assassination in the past week?

Gene Cappa: CAN Obama Reverse The Economic Slide? (8 comments) The ruinous Bush fiscal and monetary policies have brought the American economy to near collapse. Can Obama reverse the slide?

Sunday, November 9:

PrMaine: So, Why Was This Election Not Stolen? (66 comments) What made things go right this time?

Gene Cappa: Obama Should Use That Secret Tool Chest-Do You Agree? (17 comments) Obama inherited a secret tool chest from Bush. Should he use it like Bush did?

Saturday, November 8:

Kevin Gosztola: Will You Speak Up or "Give Obama a Chance"? (54 comments) How long will it be before you question Obama's decisions or seek to influence him if he is slow to make the changes you wish to see. How will you organize and pressure to enact real change or will you choose to not organize and apply pressure at all?

Friday, November 7:

Steve Windisch (jibbguy): ... And the justification against Impeachment is now what?? (19 comments) The election of '08 is now over.. What justifications against Impeachment will Pelosi and Conyers come up with next?

Wednesday, November 5:

Gene Cappa: LBJ Was Behind the JFK Assasination? Do You Agree? (22 comments) The "Big Event", code words for the JFK hit, is laid at the doorstep of LBJ.

Tuesday, November 4:

Gene Cappa: Tony Blair To The Hague For Trial-Do You Agree? (13 comments) Blair lied Britain to war with Iraq. He should be sent to the Hague for trial.

Monday, November 3:

Rob Kall: When Will We Know the Results of the Presidential Election (4 comments) We knew pretty quickly for Kerry. It took weeks for Gore. How long will it take to be sure on this election?

Sunday, November 2:

PrMaine: What Punishment? (7 comments) Vote caging and purges, systematic voter intimidation, vote-flipping and corrupt tallies of votes all go on in our elections and for the most part they go unpunished. Should this attitude change in the future?

karmacounselor: Do you know if your county is at risk for election fraud (6 comments) After reading an article warning of election fraud, what have you done, if anything, to speak up, verify, and ensure your vote is safe?

Kris Malmquist: Should We Legalize/Decriminalize Marijuana? (26 comments) Cast your vote on whether or not the time has come to stop locking people up for smoking a doobie or two.

Thursday, October 30:

Michael Bonanno: Please rate "Shock And Awe" (2 comments) ...one of the candidates for the presidency is still in shock and awe mode while the other has a word for that mode.

Wednesday, October 29:

PrMaine: Who is John McCain? (9 comments) The John McCain we see today seems to many to be a totally different person than the one we knew, say in the 1990's. Which John McCain is the one of today?

Tuesday, October 28:

Dave Kisor: Does homeland security make you feel safe? (11 comments) The disestablishment of the Department of Homeland Security

Sunday, October 26:

John Kusumi: Presidential Preference Poll (6 comments) Straight up, plain vanilla presidential preference poll.

Saturday, October 25:

Patricia 0rmsby: Anyone you know been disenfrachised yet? (5 comments) We hear about millions of people being disqualified to vote in the upcoming election or falling victim to registration fraud. Has this happened to you or anyone you know?

Tuesday, October 21:

Rob Kall: Should OpEdNews Notify Members When Their Content is Most Popular? (19 comments) Would you want an email notifying you that your article, poll, diary or member page was among the most viewed, most commented, most forwarded, highest rated, for a given period of time?

Gene Cappa: 9/11: Total Proof Bombs Were Planted-Do You Agree? (48 comments) Bombs were planted and detonated to bring down the WTC on 9/11. Do you agree?

Monday, October 20:

Gene Cappa: Should Bush Be Prosecuted for Murder? (27 comments) Over 4,100 American soldiers got killed in Bush's war against Iraq on false pretenses. Should Bush be prosecuted for murder?

Monday, October 13:

Michael Morris: America needs Leadership! (8 comments) Did Congress show leadership in voting to pass the bailout?

Sunday, October 12:

UncleSim: Voting the Lesser of Two Evils - A Poll (54 comments) How strong is your support for the person who will get your vote? This poll is an attempt to locate America's heart.

Karen Fish: Will Sarah Palin now step down? (11 comments) Does she stay or does she go? Why and by whom?

Thursday, October 9:

Rob Kall: Will McCain or Obama Challenge Vote Counts? (10 comments) Kerry wimped an quit. Gore gave up when the Supreme court waded in. If the election is close, will Obama challenge the results? Will McCain?

Gene Cappa: FASCISM Came To America-Do You Agree? (30 comments) The ten steps to fascism are now in place, and any crisis, real or make believe, can be used to declare a national emergency leading to martial law and tyranny over the land.

Wednesday, October 8:

chris rice: Bail~Outs Were Wrong: How Do We Regain Control of Congress (10 comments) You have ignored the hundreds of thousands of American people who have been calling, faxing and emailing you opposing this bailout at least 100 to 1. You have ignored the almost two hundred economists from around the country that have contacted you and who have no conflict of interest and told you this bill will outright fail. My congressman's web site had a pole showing that 97.3% of his constituents were opposed.

Steph Fauxco: Who do you think won the debate tonight? Obama or McCain VOTE NOW (1 comments) Debate #2 McCain V Obama who do you think will won the debate?

PrMaine: Are trolls effective? (12 comments) Have Republican trolls been trying to influence voters through comments on progressive web sites? If so, are they effective in this effort?

Sunday, October 5:

Paul Kruger: Are we safe from our own military? (51 comments) Would members of our own military refuse an order to turn their weapons against American Citizens on US Soil?

Friday, October 3:

Steph Fauxco: First Bail Out Bill VS New Bail Out Bill? VOTE!!! (17 comments) Should Congress have voted in the less pork Bail out bill of last week vs. the one they have to TODAY?

Lance L. Landon: Biden-Palin Debate, Who Won??? (15 comments) Vote for Joe Biden Vote for Sarah Palin

Thursday, October 2:

Steph Fauxco: Will Sarah Palin say "Alaska" more times than "Hero" tonight? (3 comments) Palin, debate, Funny Poll, Alaska, Hero

Peter Dearman: Do something, but ditch the Paulson Plan (4 comments) Should Congress promise to do something major, but ditch the Paulson Plan and start listening to other informed voices?

JC Garrett: Poll: Republican 'Capitalism' or Republican 'Socialism'? (10 comments) The choice really isn't between real Capitalism and real Socialism. The choice is between the reality that occurs by applying the Republican definition of Capitalism and the Republican definition of Socialism. Which would you prefer?

Monday, September 29:

Steph Fauxco: Did the Republicans commit extreme insider trading today? (2 comments) Do you think the Republican's committed extreme insider trading today?

Sunday, September 28:

Rob Kall: After Palin Bombs Debating Biden, & Withdraws from the Campaign, Who Will McCain Pick? (14 comments) Sarah Palin bombed in her interview with Katie Couric and she's going to hit bottom and break into 700 billion ugly pieces when she debates with Joe Biden. Who Will McCain choose to replace her when Palin withdraws to "take care of her family."

Friday, September 26:

Robert Arend: Are The Republicans Gaining Hero Status On The Bailout? (14 comments) Are Democrats risking dilution of the public's blame of the Republicans for current ills of the economy when the Dems support bailing out Wall Street and the Repubs stand against it?

Wednesday, September 24:

Constance Lavender: Bailout: Post-Bush Speech to Nation (11 comments) Post-Bush Speech Bailout Gauge

Tuesday, September 23:

MedicalWhistleblower: Should Medical Whistleblowers Be Protected? (5 comments) Should Medical Whistleblowers Be Protected?

Kevin Gosztola: How can America recover from the financial crisis? (13 comments) Three prominent politicians (two of them presidential candidates) have plans for how to respond to the bailout. Neither suggest that they would support the Bush administration's or Paulson's proposal, which is being advanced in the halls of Congress right now (despite the fact that many details about the proposal are unknown).

Monday, September 22:

Rob Kall: Screwed or Saved Bailout-wise? (38 comments) will dems pass or fix the bailout, or will Republicans do it? Or will a bipartisan congress screw the taxpayers.

Saturday, September 20:

Constance Lavender: Given the economic illness of the United States, What do you prefer to do? (21 comments) Tell the World What Your Future Plans Are Going To Be....

Friday, September 19:

Rob Kall: Has J. Edgar Hoover Styled Blackmail Come Back to Haunt Congress? (18 comments) with all the access to phone tapping, has the Bush admin and its surrogates been digging up blackmail material on Dem leaders in congress?

Constance Lavender: Do you support the government's bail out of Wall Street? (14 comments) Do you support the government's bail out of Wall Street?

Rob Kall: Government Welfare Buyouts and Rescues; Are They Over Yet? (7 comments) Will there be more massive loans or government takeovers that amount to corporations become socialized-- even whole industries?

Wednesday, September 17:

Karen Fish: Did George Bush bail out AIG to save AIG or John McCain and the Neocons? (21 comments) What are the true motives behind the Bush bailout of AIG?

Monday, September 15:

Rob Kall: Diagnose Sarah Palin Poll (38 comments) Which diagnosis do you pick?

Bruce Cain: A 20 Year Moritorium on Legal/Illegal Immigration Into the US (14 comments) The "New Agenda for America" is composed of 10 "Planks." The 2nd plank calls for a 20 Year Moritorium on Legal/Illegal Immigration Into the US. [Goto www.newagecitizen.com/NAA.htm to read the full agenda].

joel kauffman: "Under God," in the Pledge of Allegiance (25 comments) The phrase has presently been held unconstitutional by a California federal district court. The decision is on appeal to the Federal Court of Appeals. In 2006, a Florida federal district court has held that a 1942, state law requiring children to stand and recite the pledge violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments and is therefore, unconstitutional

Greg Purcell: Does Rob Kall look like Tony Soprano? (5 comments) Is James Gandolfini Rob Kall's cousin?? What do you think?

PrMaine: Voting Motivations (17 comments) This poll is an attempt to get some understanding of what is motivating people to vote.

Sunday, September 14:

Constance Lavender: How much faith do you have in the American financial system? (11 comments) Given these extraordinary developments in the American financial system, how much faith do you retain?

Constance Lavender: Is Sarah Palin from the West or the Pacific? Decide where Sarah Palin is from: the West or the Pacific.

Saturday, September 13:

Hal Smith: Independent Candidates (19 comments) Who will you vote for?

Tony Forest: POLL: Will an Obama/Biden Victory Pacify The Movement ? (19 comments) Offset with an inverted question: Will a McCain/Palin Victory Empower The Movement ?

Thursday, September 11:

Amanda Lang: POLL: Should Vote Tampering or Vote Theft Crimes Be Prosecuted As Treason (10 comments) Should the penalty for vote tampering or vote theft be more stringent than it is under current law? Should voting crimes be elevated to acts of high treason?

Amy Fried: Poll: Does Sarah Palin Represent American Women? (26 comments) Does the Republican V.P. nominee represent American women?

Amy Fried: Unsolicited Absentee Ballots (5 comments) Strange stories of unsolicited absentee being received by non-Republicans, are circulating.

Gene Cappa: Congress Should Commence An Independent 9/11 Investigation-Do You Agree (21 comments) Seven years after 9/11 Congress has yet to provide the American people with an independent scientific analysis of the collapses of all 3 World Trade Center buildings.

Tuesday, September 9:

John Wood Sr: POLL: SHOULD WE REPLACE THE "STARS AND STRIPES"? (18 comments) A way to save our Constitutional rights and liberties.

Edwin Rutsch: Is Jim Hightower correct that grasping greed is a failed conservative value? (7 comments) Is Jim Hightower correct that grasping greed is a failed conservative value?

Monday, September 8:

Hal Smith: IN RELATION TO ROB'S POLL, ARE YOU VOTING FOR MCPALIN OR OBIDEN? (8 comments) Poll to see who's voting for whom.

bhwhite: None Of The Above Ballot Option (7 comments) This poll asks voters if they would want a binding Voter Consent option in elections to office. The option, "None of the Above", would appear after the list of candidates for an office, and if it received the most votes, then no listed candidate for the office would be elected, and a new by-election with new candidates would have to be held.

Gene Cappa: A Cowardly Hoyer Thwarts Impeachment - Do You Agree? (16 comments) A cowardly Rep Hoyer steps up to the podium and seeks to table the impeachment bill.

Mac McKinney: Should Outraged Americans Boycott Minneapolis and St Paul until They Drop Charges (11 comments) Should we demand, nationwide, no business as usual with St Paul and Minneapolis until the Twin Cities denounce the major abuse of police power against journalists, legal observers and innocent protestors during the RNC? Should we ask all organizations and businesses to cancel or avoid conventions in the Twin Cities or contracts with the Twin Cities, and ask American citizens to avoid travelling there on vacation until they do?

Edward Smallwood: Will allowing the drilling for oil in 10 years help us? (8 comments) Can we drill our way out of this oil problem?

Rob Kall: Not Voting for Obama or McCain? What Are you doing? (67 comments) McKinney, Nader, Barr, write-in, not voting?

Sunday, September 7:

Edwin Rutsch: What are Real Conservative 'Small Town Values'? (9 comments) In their various speeches at the GOP National Republican Convention, conservatives made a big point of trying to connect their Failed Conservative Values to Small Town Values. Yes, they never give up on the values debate and always try to add a new wrinkle to their rhetorical values debate arsenal. Here's the question;

Paul Kruger: Did McCain steal Obama's Flags? (11 comments) Did McCain's people steal Obama's flags as a "dirty trick"?

Friday, September 5:

Hal Smith: Are you ready to stand up and take back this country??? (28 comments) Poll to see how many patriots there are actually out there.

Paul Kruger: Am I qualified to be the new FCC chairman? (7 comments) How to evaluate qualifications for government positions. What high position might YOU be qualified for under McCain's guidelines?

Thursday, September 4:

John R Moffett: The "Free Vote" Movement: Is now the time? (12 comments) What is the Free Vote Movement? It is a political movement to help a 3rd party ascend to national prominence by urging voters who