Wednesday, December 3:

Gene Messick: North Carolina Report on Progressives Obama won over McPain in North Carolina by only 14,177 out of 4,310,789 votes cast for President, barely turning NC Blue after 2 decades of being Red. Why were Progressive NOT more effective in NC?

Stephen Fox: NEW IDEAS ON RESTORING U. S. ECONOMY, for the Next Secretary of Commerce, William Blaine Richardson III (12 comments) Insights for the next Secretary of Commerce from many sectors and persons, ideas on how to restore and repair the US Economy. Please add your own in the comments section. Thank you!

Kathryn Smith: *Why Reducing, Reusing and Recycling Really *Does* Help the Environment Every ton of paper recycled a year saves 17 trees and 7000 gallons of water. According to the U.S. EPA, methane is the second largest source of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, and landfills account for 37% of methane gas output. By reducing and recycling properly organic materials, including paper, we can divert them from landfill, thereby reducing anaerobic decomposition and the production of methane gas. Yes we can!

A tale of two banking crises Today’s credit crisis has dominated our news headlines and front pages – it has been one of the biggest and longest running news stories for the past 18 months. It has brought a number of sensational scoops, with detailed information about particular transactions being broken well before the planned announcements.

Chronis Polychroniu: *Henry Giroux: Rethinking the Promise of Critical Education Under an Obama Regime The life-breath of Democracy is the ideas of the people. Only intangible ideas, not bombs or guns, can protect our mothers and children.

Ashin Mettacara: *Burma: Condolence message from a Burmese blogger monk Burma: Condolence message from a Burmese blogger monk

Michael C. Ruppert: Mumbai and the Collapse of Industrialized Civilization (1 comments) The Achilles Tendon of Globalization has been severed.

James Bond Takes on the Corporate Water Privateers The fact that Quantum of Solace makes water the villain's object of greed, replacing oil, gold, diamonds, and mutually assured destruction, is telling of the point we've reached. More telling still is the fact that our villain's cover has him acting as an environmentalist, the ultimate corporate greenwasher. The fact that the action winds up in Bolivia – the country where, in real life, both Bechtel and Suez have tried...

Mumia Abu-Jamal: Masks of Empire (1 comments) Media reportage and cheers of purported cabinet choices (from a media that claimed to have learned its lesson about cheer-leading after the Iraq debacle), should give us pause, for they seem designed more for reassurance than to change. The heavy concentration of Clintonites evokes 'back-to-the-future,' more than a new day. And while it's true that, after the madcap governance of Bush, almost anything looks preferable...

Jeremy Scahill: Obama's Kettle of Hawks Scahill points out that Obama's foreign-policy team are a bunch of hawks.

Ann Kramer: Try something else! A Full Spectrum Economy Current economists keep trying to fix the old economic system. Its not working so let's try something new--A Full Spectrum economic model.

sherry clark: [Not So] Funny: The [Fat] Cat[s] Came Back

Bruce K. Gagnon: 700 SIGN LETTER TO OBAMA OPPOSING "MISSILE DEFENSE" DEPLOYMENTS 700 US citizens sign letter to Obama urging him to reject Bush's plan to deploy space weapons systems in Poland and Czech Republic

Allen Heart: You Can't Have Your Freedom for Free! Freedom is NOT free. It can only be maintained with sufficient knowledge and awareness. You won't get wise with the sleep still in your eyes no matter what your dreams might be! If you are awake enough you will occasionally notice the reality showing through the facade of illusion. The Bailout Bill was one recent occasion. Obama's and McCain's ineligibility to be President and now Hillary Clinton's ineligibility shows the lie.

Craig Harrington: *Obama's Plan Must Prevent Leaks, Keep Jobs at Home (1 comments) President-elect Barack Obama has promised major action to stimulate jobs, spur economic growth and correct a generally battered system. The only way to achieve these goals is to ensure that government spending under his direction stays at home and does not flow overseas.

Elizabeth McKinley: Yes. I voted for Obama because he has a nice six-pack. A few of my many reasons for voting for Barack Obama.

Mark Carbone: Using the Natural Wealth of our Nation Wisely For too long the natural wealth and resources have been used to make a very small number of our citizens fabulously wealthy, while producing absolutely nothing for the nation or its citizens as a whole.

Roland Michel Tremblay: MUMBAI ATTACKS: The British are behind it The new terrorist attacks in Mumbai have opened new conspiracy theories, one of them that MI6 might be behind those attacks. It would not be hard to convince me it is true, I never believed those London terrorist attacks were genuine, whilst I was in the middle of it all. But then I have to ask myself, why, and will it, in the long term, benefit British citizens?

Betsy L. Angert: Car Manufacturers Con

John Bardi: Do We Have to Choose Between Hope and Reality? (13 comments) Is hope a good thing (believing in Obama helps us to join together to be the change we want to see)...or a bad thing (believing in Obama only opens us to the same curses in a different disguise)?

David Swanson: *When Will We Liberate the Iraqis? (1 comments) I know, I know, Bush liberated the Iraqis. But when will we liberate them from Bush's liberation?

Mike Adams: Health Ranger Offers 31 Predictions for 2009: Health, economy, terrorism and more (2 comments) The Health Ranger's best predictions for 2009 based on honest observation of reality combined with intelligence to see patterns in the chaos.

Mary MacElveen: The super-complexities facing the incoming Obama administration (1 comments) This is not your normal transition to power which in affect is taking place earlier than other past transitions and that is because we are facing events never before seen in many of our lifetimes.

Bruce K. Gagnon: Mr. Jones, We got a Thing Going On One MSNBC reporter said Obama's foreign policy will be similar to that of George H.W. Bush. Correspondent Chuck Todd reported that Gen. Jones is a close buddy of John McCain and was likely picked for his new role because Secretary of Defense (DoD) Robert Gates insisted on having Jones be part of the team if Obama wanted Gates to remain at DoD.

Allen L Roland: *Credit Card Crisis Is Here / Derivatives Next (5 comments) The year long Bush Recession, which Bush still does not acknowledge, has now become a rapidly accelerating Depression fueled by a credit card crisis which is now a reality. Credit card companies are pulling back credit lines by close to 50% and consumers will soon stop shopping as the Retail economy sinks into a severe depression. Derivatives are next : Allen L Roland

Kamala Sarup: Women's rights and the pain of losing a friend There is no security and no rights for Nepali women. These days, there is no security for women even in their homes, workplaces and public places. My eyes were full of tears.

Ann Weaver Hart: Facing Financial Facts The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood urges parents to ask toy makers not to market to their children. Parents and children would be better served by a dose of truthfulness.

John Kerry: *Keep the Momentum Going in Louisiana We need your help.Dick Cheney is working hard.We need to work harder. Dick Cheney needs to hear from you one last time before you send him home in January.This is your chance to show that real change starts with the grass roots. We need to keep building the 21st century governing coalition that WILL keep progressives in power for years to come. This is no time to let up.

Marta Steele: The Storm's Mixed Metaphors As the dreariness of winter sets in, the Mumbai crisis and its implications evoke the other crises afflicting humanity, and to too many metaphors.

Amit Dwivedi, Citizen News Service (CNS): 'NAYANA' - a unique mobile Eye Care initiative for people with diabetes NAYANA ( which means 'eye') - a diabetes retinopathy prevention and treatment van - is a venture funded by the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) in Karnataka state (India) and is indeed a great boon for the rural people living with diabetes retinopathy. Three year ago when the van was first introduced in this area retinopathy treatment was only been available at certain urban hospitals.

Carola Von Hoffmannstahl: Might Makes Blight: Eminent Domain v. Free Speech in Clarksville, Tennessee Hop the last train to Clarksville, Tennessee. Where Mayor Johnny Piper, the Downtown District Partnership, and the Clarksville City Council have a blight pretty plan to seize other people's land. So private developers can "maximize the potential". Home owners and small businesses in Blightville object. They say bad things in newspaper ads. "Libel" scream the pols/developers.

Nationalize GM - Los Angeles Times The federal government should buy GM. We can run it, then sell it at a profit once it recovers.

George Washington: The Government's Argument for Deploying Troops in the U.S. is Ridiculous - Even On Its Own Terms Stop the troop deployment. Its ridiculous.

FOXNews.com - Is the United States Creating More Terrorists Than We're Killing? Faux News interviews Deepak Chopra, and former secretary of defense under the Clinton administration, William Cohen. [Cohen] was in Mumbai, India when the attacks began. What was Cohen doing in Mumbai? Interview doesn't say, but Chopra disturbs Hannity with common sense approach; stop the foreign policies that violate human rights and make the US hated.

REPORT: Nuclear or Biological Attack Called Likely The odds that terrorists will soon strike a major city with weapons of mass destruction are now better than even, a bipartisan congressionally mandated task force concludes

White House Christmas tree to feature 'impeach Bush' message The White House has been loathe to discuss any attempts by lefty members of Congress to impeach President Bush, but the final Christmas tree erected during the Bush administration will feature a pro-impeachment message.

Russia's Constitutional Ailments Putin himself - as a private person rather than as an office holder - is the country's remaining locus of power. Today, Russia has a strikingly personalistic form of political rule that is unusual, if not anachronistic for a highly developed country, in the 21st century.

Obama and Beyond Now, Americans have the chance to make the future. By electing Obama, we've created a window of opportunity to make progress on a range of concerns, from ending the war in Iraq to establishing health care as a universal right to preventing climate change. But Obama can't do it alone...

Nobody Knows What's Going On in the Economy There are likely a handful of people who can truthfully say they grasp the complexity of the financial crisis rippling through economic systems worldwide- and now one of them is gone.

Clues Obama Won't Govern Center-Right Obama's cabinet picks indicate that he will surround himself with people who have experience and can competently manage the government. They also indicate his absolute commitment to unifying the country to make change. But they do not in any way diminish the fact that America is demanding -- and Obama intends to enact -- a sweeping progressive program the likes of which we have not seen since the New Deal.

New Republic: Better Than A Bailout "Here's How To Rescue Detroit Without Forcing Them Into Bankruptcy." Authors Helper and McDuffie are academic experts on the automotive industry from Case Western Reserve and Wharton School of Business.

Why Robert Gates is a Terrible Pick Barack Obama not only had the good judgment to oppose the war in Iraq but , as he told us earlier this year, "I want to end the mindset that got us into war." So it is troubling that a man of such good judgment has asked Robert Gates to stay on as Secretary of Defense -- and assembled a national security team of such narrow bandwidth.

SOFA and the Likely Bombing of Iran A unilateral US withdrawal from Iraq will leave Washington with virtually nothing of substance to offer Iran in return for the verifiable termination of Tehran’s nuclear weapons program.

Christmas Colors for the White House: Red, White and Impeach The nine-inch ball created by Deborah Lawrence is covered with swirly red and white stripes -- and, in tiny glued-on text, salutes the Democratic congressman's support for a resolution to impeach President Bush. "Apparently, they didn't read it -- or Laura Bush is more progressive than I believed," Lawrence said.

How Many Americans Died Because of Bush’s Torture Program? At least half of our casualties in Iraq have come at the hands of foreigners who joined the fray because of our detainee abuse. The number of US soldiers who have died because of our torture policy will never be known, but it is fair to say that it is close to the number of lives lost on Sep 11, 2001. How anyone can say that torture keeps Americans safe is beyond me–unless you don’t count American soldiers as Americans.

OBAMA REVITALIZES DISASTER CAPITALISM: THE SHOCK DOCTRINE RECEIVES A MAKE-OVER What happened in the period of mass disorientation after the 9-11 attacks was in retrospect, a domestic form of economic shock therapy. The Bush team, Friedmanite to the core, quickly moved to exploit the shock that gripped the nation to push through its radical vision of a hollow government in which everything from war fighting to disaster response was a for-profit venture.

Ben Terrall: A Review of Red State Rebels: Tales of Grassroots Resistance in the Heartland "Everytime I've compromised, I've lost."

If I had the floor at the auto rescue talks MITCH ALBOM, columnist for Detroit Free Press, writes with a hometown slant: OK. It's a fantasy. But if I had five minutes in front of Congress last week, here's what I would've said: Yet you balk at the very idea of giving $25 billion to the Detroit Three. Heck, you shoveled that exact amount to Citigroup -- $25 billion -- just weeks ago, and that place is about to crumble anyhow

Barack Obama video (27 min) on his foreign policy appts. I assume it will be there for a while, since it's on Transition page.

mikel weisser: Current Comedy 12/08: On Not Drinking the Kool-Aid for General Jim Jones The story of Juan Angel Guerra and his failed effort to indict Dick Cheney on prison industry corruption, has a personal connection. My wife and i met with Guerra on the day he filed the indictments. He couldn't talk in public. We met in secret. It felt like the scene in the second reel of a movie where the brainiac explains the secret plot to the hapless dupes while they are checking to see if that black SUV is following them

Sandy Sand: If The Toy Isn't Made in the U.S.A., DON'T BUY IT! (2 comments) There's still toxic trouble in toyland.

Nicola Nasser: A Peace Process That Makes Peace Impossible (1 comments) Palestinian – Israeli peace-making can only deliver if Palestinians are united, but the current Annapolis "peace process" was launched first of all as a blueprint for perpetuating the inter- Palestinian divide

DrTruth: Public bailout, long overdue, revealed! The bailout mania is sucking more and more companies along, zombie-like, with their hands out for money that simply doesn't exist. The bailouts are unconstitutional, and fraud on the American public, and it voids ANY liability they might try to hold the American public to, So... here is the easy public bailout answer:

Steven Weintz: President, SBW Ventures, Inc. Small business owner forwards letter from S. Claus to Secretary Paulson; Requests $5 million bailout.

Michael Lubin: The Real America is Thinly Scattered In the wake of an historic election, we must ask: Where IS the real America these days? Can anyone still find it? Not in the countryside...

Philip Greene: Nancy Reagan Had It Right -- In A Way Commentary on our current Quality of Life -- and how to make it a reality.

Stephen Gowans: Prominent Progressive Intellectuals and Lesser Evilism A perfect description and analysis of just how the golden microphone works. from the perspective of dissidents of ALL US Foreign Policies, not just the Republican ones.

Deb Della Piana: Coming down off the 'Obama High' It's the end of November and I'm down off the 'Obama High.' There are several issues I see as key in the first hundred days of Obama's presidency. Those outlined in this article are the first that emotionally came to mind. While these are not the only important issues -- appointments certainly are as well -- try looking at these subjects as the 'fumes' from the toxic Bush Effect.

Elayne Clift: Women of Color Reflect upon Obama Win The reaction to Obama's victory among women of color was moving and insightful.

Edip Yuksel: More Morons are Needed (6 comments) Then, it is a mystery how we put information and assertions, especially the most bizarre ones, into our brains without subjecting them to rigorous test of critical thinking. We should not turn our brains into trashcans of false ideas, holy viruses, unexamined dogmas and superstitions! We should be wise!

e bills: Ultimate Reality CHeck A philosophical, metaphysical argument for making our existence matter.

Monday, December 1:

The Old Codger: Crisis in Thailand (1 comments) Thailand is quickly crumbling under the weight of social and political unrest. It is a country that has struggled to find an appropriate government since the Monarchy was politically reformed in 1932. Since that time, the country has had 17 constitutions and charters. The form of government has ranged from military dictatorships to electoral democracy. The country began its first true experiment with democracy in 1997.

Deborah Emin: Our Obsession with Violence and Money-- (3 comments) As a nation we need to get over our collective need for violence and for the greed that fuels so much of that or we will destroy everything of value.

(More...)

Wednesday, December 3:

Jason Leopold: Holder Must Balance Security, Rights One of the top challenges facing Barack Obama's Justice Department will be striking a balance between fighting terrorism and protecting individual civil liberties, says a recent memo from the department's inspector general.

Holding a Zionist funeral for Teitelbaum, who was a Satmar Hasid, would desecrate the dead man's honor The State has decided to recognize the Israelis murdered in the Mumbai terror attacks as victims of terrorism and pay for their funerals, but not all are happy with this decision. The family of slain Hasid Aryeh Leib Teitelbaum has informed the government that it would like the State not to intervene with his funeral. The family demanded no government rep at the funeral and that the casket not be covered with the Israeli flag.

Higher Education May Soon Be Unaffordable for Most Americans, Report Says Tuition and fees increased 439 percent from 1982 to 2007, while median family income rose 147 percent. Student borrowing has more than doubled in the last decade, and students from lower-income families, on average, get smaller grants from the colleges they attend than students from more affluent families.

Hans Bennett: As DA Appeals to Execute Mumia Abu-Jamal Without New Penalty Hearing, Supporters Mobilize Internationally On Dec. 6, supporters of death-row journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal will march from Philadelphia City Hall to the Federal Court Building. International solidarity actions are being held in France, Switzerland, Germany, England, Mexico, and around the US. Abu-Jamal is appealing to the US Supreme Court for a new guilt-phase trial, while the Philadelphia DA is appealing to execute him without a new sentencing-phase jury trial.

Obama quietly drops windfall tax proposal The change in the Obama camp's thinking came to light when officials at the Petaluma, Calif.-based American Small Business League noticed the windfall profits tax language had been removed from the transition team's Web site, www.change.gov, in what the group called "an unceremonious and abrupt manner."

New Regulation Would Ease Disposal of Mountaintop Mining Debris The Bush administration finalized rules yesterday that will make it easier for mountaintop mining companies to dump their waste near rivers and streams, overhauling a 25-year-old prohibition that has sparked legal and regulatory battles for years.

Auditors fault Treasury oversight of bailout funds - NewsFlash - mlive.com Report on the first audit of T.A.R.P..

John Greenewald: Inadvertent Nuclear War - The India/Pakistan Armageddon Unclassified government document details an inadvertent nuclear war between India and Pakistan

Tuesday, December 2:

New York City: Financial meltdown brings Bloomberg term-limit maneuvers into focus One of Bloomberg's proposed cutbacks provoked particular outrage, the announcement that he was canceling the $400 property tax rebate checks which have been sent each October in recent years to 600,000 property owners, the vast majority of them working people and retirees.

Gates's Top Deputies May Leave Although President-elect Barack Obama's decision to keep Robert M. Gates at the helm of the Pentagon will provide a measure of continuity for a military fighting two wars, many of Gates's top deputies are expected to depart their jobs, according to senior defense and transition officials. Gates will help provide some continuity, the status quo will not necessarily endure at the Pentagon.

Jeremy R. Hammond: New York Times Misleads on Taliban Role in Opium Trade The New York Times and other major U.S. media sources commonly report on the production of opium in Afghanistan as though it were under the control of the Taliban. The facts on the ground, however, tell a different story. Who dominates the Afghan opium trade? Foreign Policy Journal investigates.

Fairness & Avccuracy In Reporting: *Bush's lies go unchallenged on ABC (2 comments) Gibson Buys Bush's Lies

JGideon: 'Daily Voting News' For December 02, 2008 a collection of local, state, national and international articles on electronic voting and election issues

US Newspaper Ad Sales Fall a Record $2 Billion The year-on-year quarterly percentage decline is the worst since since the NAA has been keeping such records and represents an increasingly rapid deceleration that began in the third quarter of 2006...

Obama Announces National Security Team (1 comments) Obama has selected a crew to turn the Ship of State around.

Indictments against Cheney, Gonzales dismissed A judge dismissed eight indictments Monday brought by a South Texas prosecutor against Vice President Dick Cheney, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and a state senator. District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra, who even in thorough defeat saw the outcome as confirmation of the very conspiracy he had pursued. "I expected it," Guerra said immediately after the hearing. "The system is going to protect itself."

Broader medical refusal rule may go far beyond abortion (2 comments) The Bush administration plans a new 'right of conscience' rule that would allow more workers to refuse more procedures. Critics say it could apply to artificial insemination and birth control.

Mumbai attacks: Jews tortured before executed during hostage crisis Israeli hostages killed by Islamic terrorists during the attacks on Mumbai (formerly Bombay) were tortured by their captors before they were bound together and killed, according to officials in both countries.

Good News for Franken? Ramsey County Minnesota finds 171 uncounted ballots a county that went strong for Franken finds a whole load of uncounted ballots.

Google Buys 20 Million Pages of Diginal Newspaper Records Google has completed the purchase of 20 million digitized historical newspaper pages

Richmond Shreve: Obama: Join the Conversation (5 comments) Obama's transition team adds two-way communication to the change.gov website. Check it our and comment here.

VelvetRevolution: *Chambliss' Election Fraud Stole Cleland's Seat (3 comments) New testimony on Rove's election thefts

Monday, December 1:

ncvoter: 3rd bug found in Pierce County Instant Runoff Voting System Pierce County Washington is up to "software bug number 3" in their new Instant Runoff Voting system. We blogged earlier this year about two other major software bugs in Pierce County's IRV voting system, first in June and then in September of 2008. Now there is a report of a third software bug in Pierce County's instant runoff voting software. This time the issue is the software can't handle more than 200,000 votes at a time..

Bush to receive first-ever International Medal of Peace (19 comments) ROTFLMAO Maybe they'll try Gandhi for war crimes too! How much more Orwellian can they get?

Obama donors help cover transition cost These costs should be paid for by the government. But they're not, so Obama keeps doing the money raising machine thing.

Map: Show Me the TARP Money - (2 comments) A map which shows where in the US the TARP bailout money is going, who gets it and how much.

Larisa Alexandrovna: Treasury Department investigating US Attorney for leaking state Supreme Court Justice's tax returns (1 comments) In addition to the Justice Department investigation, the office of the United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration is also probing Lampton's conduct, the source said. The special agent assigned to the case is said to be Kelly Sopko.

MN recount: For Franken, a math problem While a tiny margin separates the candidates in the Minnesota U.S. Senate race, it is wide enough that Democrat Al Franken faces a daunting task in challenging votes to erase Sen. Norm Coleman's lead.

JGideon: 'Daily Voting News' For December 01, 2008 (1 comments) a collection of local, state, national and international articles on electronic voting and election issues

Mike Adams: Doctors Abandoning Vaccines That Don't Make Them Money (1 comments) NaturalNews editor Mike Adams reports on two new peer-published surveys that reveal doctors abandoning vaccines they deem to be not profit-worthy.

Roy S. Carson: Rusoro: They've been good to us all along ... we're very comfortable in Venezuela and the future looks good!" So the Minister (Sanz) was talking about the whole of the mining sector rather than a specific area like Las Cristinas/Las Brisas? "That is correct! That is correct! Every mining company in the world is closely looking at the situation, especially in Russia, since there are such significant deposits and it is perhaps the last undeveloped gold resource of that magnitude in the world."

Bush Administration Weakened Lending Rules Before Crash The Bush administration backed off proposed crackdowns on no-money-down, interest-only mortgages years before the economy collapsed, buckling to pressure from some of the same banks that have now failed. It ignored remarkably prescient warnings that foretold the financial meltdown, according to an Associated Press review of regulatory documents.

Governors, Pelosi Meet on Funding in Stimulus Feeling the pinch of the nation's economic downturn, governors went to Capitol Hill on Monday to make a pitch for more than $156 billion in additional Medicaid funding and infrastructure spending as part of an economic stimulus package.

Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance: *USDA has clearly shown its intent to make the NAIS mandatory (2 comments) NAIS includes having to get a property ID, though an article here by Derry Brownfield suggests a farmers is actually signing away his property as collateral to the World Bank for the Bailout. Now, property ID are being assigned involuntarily to people with special numbers to people who don't volunteer.

Palin Rallies Wingnut Base For Chambliss, Says Rebuilding The GOP Starts With Him Sarah Palin was in Augusta this morning campaigning for Big Daddy, and unveiled some really groundbreaking, out-of-the-box ideas about how to resurrect the Republican party. "It takes rebuilding, and I say, let that begin here in Georgia tomorrow," Palin said. She said Chambliss is needed to provide a check on the Democratic majority. She stressed Chambliss's support for gun rights, opposition to abortion and tax hikes."

Pentagon plans to station 20,000 troops for 'domestic security' The US Department of Defense plans to deploy 20,000 troops nationwide by 2011 to help state and local officials respond to terror or nuclear attacks and emergencies, The Washington Post said Monday.

Palin Recycles Old Stump Speech In Augusta, Georgia, But Replaces "McCain" With "Chambliss" Despite Palin's insistence on the importance of the Chambliss race, she apparently couldn't bring herself to write a new stump speech. Instead, she recycled many of her favorite lines from this fall, substituting Chambliss' name for Sen. John McCain's.

MIDEAST: Settlers Stay, Or It's Civil War Thousands of Israeli Defence Force (IDF) soldiers were put on high alert over the weekend as 20,000 Israeli settlers from across the West Bank descended on Hebron. The settlers were there to mark an annual Jewish pilgrimage and lend their support to a group of fellow settlers threatened with eviction by an Israeli court ruling. The Israeli government feared an outbreak of rioting.

One Man's Military-Industrial-Media Complex In the spring of 2007 a tiny military contractor with a slender track record went shopping for a precious Beltway commodity. The company signed Barry R. McCaffrey, a retired four-star Army general and military analyst for NBC News, to a consulting contract starting June 15, 2007. Four days later the general swung into action. He sent a personal note and 15-page briefing packet to David H. Petraeus

Pentagon to Detail 20,000 Troops to Bolster Domestic Security The relentless march toward an Orwellian Police State continues, with announced plans to deploy 20,000 army regulars domestically by 2011. As always, this is based on projected fear & paranoia, not reality, since we have the power to create a positive future if we will it. But that doesn't fit the goals of totalitarians who crave to sink America into 3rd World serfdom & Fascism. The Matrix increases, driven by the living dead.

Ross Levin: Republican State Legislator Wins by One Vote If you ever needed convincing for why your vote matters, here it is.

LATIN AMERICA: Indigenous Journalists Plant a Seed Journalists from indigenous communities in Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, Guatemala and Bolivia came together in La Paz to take the first step towards creating a network to work together and support each other.

Martha Moffett: A reservation at the Taj Mahal Hotel (1 comments) A friend reflects on the history of British Empires and its contribution to the tragedy in Mumbai.

Obama aims at broad shift in national security The shift, which would come partly out of the military's huge budget, would create a greatly expanded corps of diplomats and aid workers that, in the vision of the incoming Obama administration, would be engaged in projects around the world aimed at preventing conflicts and rebuilding failed states.

The kindest cut: How circumcision is the secret weapon in the battle against HIV/Aids In Zambia, an experiment in the battle with HIV/Aids is producing staggering results. If this were a vaccine trial, the medical world would be hailing it as a miracle. But instead of a wonder drug, the secret weapon is circumcision.

The ongoing disgrace of NBC News and Brian Williams (1 comments) The active suppression of this story by the networks-their decision to conceal from their own viewers the fact that,for years,they presented as "independent" analysts individuals who were working in tandem on "message amplification" with the Pentagon&who had significant business interests in their analysis-was so severe,so remarkable,even establishment defenders such as Howie Kurtz emphatically protested the networks' silence

Tommy News: *World AIDS Day Events Monday December First is World AIDS Day (1 comments) World AIDS Day Events Monday December First is World AIDS Day

Sandy Sand: Bush White House: That Ain't No Christmas Tree, It's a Chanukah Bush The Bushies can't do the simplest damn thing right, not even send out invitations to a White House Chanukah party.

Sunday, November 30:

Swap Defaults: The Next Installment of the Financial Crisis (1 comments) What will happen if the derivative markets collapse? This is the question we don't seem to be asking in public. Maybe the answer is too scary. Take a deep breath and read this article and links...

Pipelines race out of the mountains, into yards (1 comments) Proven natural gas reserves have jumped 10 of the past 11 years, according to the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration, and thousands of miles of new pipelines have snaked in every direction. In just the past 10 years alone, more than 20,000 miles of new natural gas pipelines have been built and brought on line. Those pipelines can carry more than 97 billion cubic feet of natural gas every day.

JGideon: 'Daily Voting News' For November 29 and 30, 2008 a collection of local, state, national and international articles on electronic voting and election issues

Martha Rosenberg: With Mad Cow, The Only Thing Cattlemen Have To Fear Is the Press Itself Texas doesn't want to risk its beef industry or "multi-billion dollar hunting industry" as the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission refers to it, because of a mere food scare.

Martha Rosenberg: With Mad Cow, The Only Thing Cattlemen Have To Fear Is the Press Itself Texas doesn't want to risk its beef industry or "multi-billion dollar hunting industry" as the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission refers to it, because of a mere food scare.

Joint Chiefs Chairman 'Very Positive' After Meeting With Obama Obama has said he will meet with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs as well as the service chiefs during his first week in office. At the top of his agenda for that meeting will be what he has called the military's "new mission" of planning the 16-month withdrawal timeline for Iraq. Senior officers have publicly grumbled about the risk involved.

At the Last Minute, a Raft of Rules In the environmental area, the latest rules indicate that the Bush administration wants to lend a final assist to industries that feel burdened by looming pollution controls or wilderness-protection laws. A rule approved by the White House three days after the presidential election, for example, would ease constraints on environmentally damaging oil shale development throughout the West, despite objections.

Federal Workers Unions Want 'Burrowers' Lists Leaders of the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union of federal workers, and the Senior Executives Association, the group representing federal executives, said they want the government to release lists of political appointees who have been hired for career jobs and show whether agencies sought competition for the positions.

One Man’s Military-Industrial-Media Complex General McCaffrey did not mention his new contract with Defense Solutions in his letter to General Petraeus. Nor did he disclose it when he went on CNBC that same week and praised the commander Defense Solutions was now counting on for help — “He’s got the heart of a lion” — or when he told Congress the next month that it should immediately supply Iraq with large numbers of armored vehicles and other equipment.

Palin's Hometown Newspaper Blasts Her "Georgia Pal" Saxby Chambliss Support Palin is putting her conservative Republican fame to work in Georgia, stumping for Republican US Sen Saxby Chambliss, who is in a tough runoff for re-election. I wonder if she knows the true measure of the man she is eagerly helping...she might ask herself why she is using her conservative star power to support such a reprehensible Republican chicken hawk.

PENTAGON'S PUNDITS: One Man’s Military-Industrial-Media Complex Many retired officers hold a perch in the world of military contracting, but Gen McCaffrey is among a select few who also command platforms in the news media and as govt advisers on military matters. These overlapping roles offer them an array of opportunities to advance policy goals as well as business objectives. But with their business ties left undisclosed, secret conflicts of interest abound fed at the taxpayers' tit.

Steven Rosenfeld: Hard Lesson for Franken: Not All Votes Get Counted (5 comments) The Franken campaign said it would not appeal the board's decision. That means that the 3,700 challenged ballots will now play a prominent role in deciding if Franken will become the Senate's 59th Democratic member. The Canvassing Board also told both campaigns to stop frivolously challenging ballots. Local election boards will now review those ballots.

Steven Rosenfeld: More Unfinished 2008 Election Business: Verifiable Vote Counts (2 comments) Lawyers for the Franken and Coleman campaigns may posture in the press about sloppy ballots, but there is little doubt that the Minnesota recount has integrity and voters will accept the final outcome. In Georgia, in contrast, there is no corollary. It is one of six states where all voters use paperless computers with no means of auditing the vote.

Sherwood Ross: Pentagon Recruiters Target Afro And Hispanic Kids (4 comments) Not exactly flooded with determined citizens ready to fight to defend their country, the Pentagon has turned to strategically recruiting African-American and Hispanic kids to fight in its war of aggression.

Saturday, November 29:

Ashin Mettacara: *Myanmar: Burma's Congratulation to Comedian Zaganar

'Coalition of the willing' leaving Iraq Thirteen countries with troops currently stationed in Iraq will remove their soldiers by the end of the year from the war-torn country.

America's Child Soldiers: US Military Recruiting Children to Serve in the Armed Forces In violation of its pledge to the United Nations not to recruit children into the military, the Pentagon “regularly target(s) children under 17,” the American Civil Liberties Union(ACLU) says. The Pentagon “heavily recruits on high school campuses, targeting students for recruitment as early as possible and generally without limits on the age of students they contact.

New York Times Misleads on Taliban Role in Opium Trade (1 comments) The total export value of opium and its derivatives (morphine and heroin) this year was estimated by the UNODC to be $3.4 billion. Therefore a logical corollary of the Times’ own account is that the majority of profits from the opium trade are going to non-insurgents. What is clear is that the Taliban, while profiting from the opium trade, do not control it.

Press and "Psy Ops" to merge at NATO Afghan HQ: sources The U.S. general commanding NATO forces in Afghanistan has ordered a merger of the office that releases news with "Psy Ops," which deals with propaganda, a move that goes against the alliance's policy. Germany has already threatened to pull out of media operations in Afghanistan -- and the officials said it could undermine the credibility of information released to the public.

Downturn Drives Military Rolls Up (2 comments) No matter what benefits recruiters offer, one of the main draws continues to be service to country, said Army recruiter SFC Thad Copeland. Even if someone is joining because he can't find a job elsewhere, he needs to know that decision could mean a trip to the front lines. "I know what your first question is, and the answer is yes," Copeland tells his prospects. "You are getting deployed."

U.S. Moves Ahead on Oil, Gas Leases on Public Land (2 comments) "The Bush administration started its energy policy in back rooms with oil lobbyists, and it's fitting that's how they want to end it," said Bobby McEnaney, a public lands expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an advocacy group. "They're destroying the whole process that is designed to protect these lands. Once you get rid of wilderness, you can't get it back."

Swiss vote on prescription heroin (1 comments) Polls suggest the Swiss - pleased that their streets are now free of addicts and used syringes - are likely to approve heroin prescription.

Attacks Imperil Delicate U.S. Role Between Rivals India and Pakistan American officials may have trouble preventing an Indian military response against Pakistan. Dr. George W. Strangelove to the rescue?

Sherwood Ross: No Child Left Behind "Trojan Horse" For Pentagon Recruiters No Child Left Behind was enacted early in the Bush administration and it gave military recruiters unprecedented access to the public school population. Did the Bush Gang know then they were going to make a war and had they decided to fill the ranks from the poor and minorities rather than reinstitute the draft? One wonders.

U.S. 'Not Getting What We Pay For' -- Health-Care System Inefficient, Wasteful, and Dangerous EXPERTS: As much as half of the $2.3 trillion spent today does nothing to improve health. Not only is American health care inefficient and wasteful, says Kaiser Permanente chief executive George Halvorson, much of it is dangerous.

Bush's 11th-Hour Rush to Allow Toxic Workplace Rule That Obama Fought and Will Fight Bush's Labor Dept is racing to complete a new rule, strenuously opposed by Obama, hat would make it much harder for the government to regulate toxic substances and hazardous chemicals to which workers are exposed on the job while making your health insurance unaffordable or non-existent, and certainly not the responsibility of the employer poisoning you.

dick overfield: Can A Neo-conservative Rule Left-of-Center Canada? (1 comments) Prime Minister Stephen Harper appears perilously close to his Humpty Dumpty moment in history.

Rob Kall: Samantha Power Returns to Obama Team (8 comments) Obama staffer who called Clinton a "monster" now working on interim team for dept Hillary is expected to head

Thursday, November 27:

Kevin Gosztola: To Shop or Not to Shop, That is the Question (11 comments) One of the busiest shopping days of the year is upon us. The day is coming in the midst of a massive financial meltdown that few Americans fully understand. They've heard the words "bailout" and "stimulus" but have many questions---questions which some in Congress may not even be able to answer themselves.

Friday, November 21:

Gene Cappa: 9/11 Traced Back To Cheney's Energy Task Force Meeting-Do You Agree? (29 comments) 9/11 can be traced back to Cheney's secret energy task force meeting. Do you agree?

Wednesday, November 19:

Rob Kall: Did Hillary Cut The Secretary of State Deal Months Ago, Before Obama Picked Biden? (8 comments) Maybe Hillary didn't want to be VP. Maybe what she wanted all along, if she couldn't be president, was Secretary of State. Maybe she cut the deal before Obama settled on his VP pick.

Douglas Smyth: Should the Obama Administration Prosecute Bush-Cheney Crimes? (34 comments) Should the Obama administration pursue the Bush-Cheney crimes committed in the war, its run-up, in intelligence and interrogation and in Justice? Or shouldn't it? If a broad Bush pardon constrains the new administration, is there a middle way?

Monday, November 17:

Kevin Gosztola: Bail Out the Big Three Automakers? (36 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.

Thursday, November 13:

Gene Cappa: Obama And The Imperial Presidency-Will He Give It Up? (13 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? (68 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? (23 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? (14 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? (31 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?