Sunday, November 23:

How Obama plays poker could be telling NOTE: Article appeared Sept 07 but relevant. Makes material for stories about presidents and "holding or folding." The traits Obama displayed around the card table those many nights are ones he brings to his presidential bid and are certain to be evident and analyzed if he wins the White House.

Under God: Can the Obamas Choose a Church? Will We Let Them? Last paragraph of article is the best: But that's not fair. The Obamas are going to have to make plenty of sacrifices over the next few years. Their family's faith life shouldn't be one of them. They should pick the church that's best for them and their girls. And we should agree that it's no one else's business and leave them alone about it

Yikes!!! I'm a Slave to Socialized Medicine Our doctor friends dubbed him "Red Pepper" [Senator Claude Pepper] and helped defeat him in the elections of 1950. Yet, for all this early "fight for freedom," I now find myself in France enjoying single-payer, socialized medicine, which I would heartily recommend to all Americans.

How the Rich Are Destroying the Earth Fascinating article, much food for thought--food we had best assimilate and digest, as opposed to perish. But I am also reminded that the solitary difference between rich and poor is that the former have money, while the latter don't.

Mickey Z.: Obama preserves our way of life What could possibly go wrong now that Obama is in charge?

Kevin Gosztola: Re-branding the World Can't Wait Update from the World Can't Wait National Meeting in Chicago. Leaders in the movement to drive out the Bush Regime are discus what to do now that Obama is elected.

Saturday, November 22:

Mary Shaw: The Real Problem with Traitor Joe's Chairmanship (5 comments) While I admit that my anger with Joe Lieberman's continued chairmanship of the Senate Homeland Security Committee is partially due to a desire for vengeance (which, in this case, I prefer to think of as justice), I also have a far more pragmatic reason to oppose this decision by the Senate Dems.

Dan Fejes: In Defense of the Electoral College (2 comments) The Electoral College, when it is noticed at all, is usually dismissed as an anachronism at best and a foe of democracy at worst. But some of our current problems might be more manageable if we made more use of it, not less.

Kevin Gosztola: How Many Clinton Retreads Does It Take to Screw Up an Obama Administration? (22 comments) While I suppose many Obama supporters and fans have not been vetting Obama's picks for his staff and his Cabinet, I have by going through Internet databases and Google to find information on any person Obama has selected to be part of his administration. And, it appears that Americans who wanted real change have been deluded. Not tricked but deluded.

John Basel: Paulson Pulls Bait and Switch, Let's Pull One of Our Own (6 comments) Ok, Paulson has had his chance and has blown it. He's trying to change the deal that he begged Congress for. Let's just scrap the whole thing and implement a plan of our own.

Steven Leser: Obama's Cabinet Picks and Flawed Criticism Thereof (63 comments)

Lance L. Landon: Brenden Foster (1 comments) In remembrance of a very special young man. My heart is touched by the story of young Brenden Foster who died today at eleven years of age.

Nada Khader: Economics of Liberation This article is about a new paradigm for organizing the human economy based on a universal vision of the world as a place where plants, animals and people have equal status and access to the riches and bounties of nature and Mother Earth.

Roy S. Carson: Venezuela's Ambassador to France: "extraordinary optimism in the air" ahead of Sunday's local and regional elections! There are many elements coming together that allow us to look forward optimistically on the results ... "there is a mobilization of Venezuelans who have decided to live in democracy and who are decided to vote en masse on Sunday for their preferred candidates and NOT for a return to the past ... they will continue supporting the reforms we began 10 years ago ...

Dwight Black: Credit In The Simplest Terms Possible. I Think As long as the government keeps propping up the credit industry our problems will never be solved. To understand why bailing out the auto industry is more sensible than bailing out Fannie, Freddie, AIG, or Lehman. At least the auto industry produces a product.

And so begins the Obama betrayal. (4 comments) You have to give Obama credit. He isn't even waiting to take the oath of office before he begins betraying the very people who elected him. Of course the Obamatrons worship the water he walks upon and won't admit they were taken for a ride by this con man.

GAIL COLLINS: Time for Him to Go Thanksgiving is next week, and President Bush could make it a really special holiday by resigning.

KRUGMAN: The Lame-Duck Economy How much can go wrong in the two months before Mr. Obama takes the oath of office? The answer, unfortunately, is: a lot. Consider how much darker the economic picture has grown since the failure of Lehman Brothers, which took place just over two months ago. And the pace of deterioration seems to be accelerating.

This Is Not A Normal Recession: Moving on to Plan B It all started when two Bear Stearns hedge funds defaulted in July 2006 and there were no offers for their MBS and other structured investments. Panic quickly spread to every corner of Wall Street as the alchemists of modern finance began to see that their worst nightmare might be realized, that trillions of dollars of Frankenstein investments could be worth nothing at all.

The Spiritual Dimensions of Obama's Leadership Co-Founders of The Center for Visionary Leadership and co-authors of the book, Spiritual Politics, Corinne McLaughlin and Gordon Davidson, offer some enlightening thoughts on the Obama win, and on the directions in which we are headed.

ALONE: Big Boy Rules and the Kuwait Connection As I have lived in Kuwait for half a decade, I am quite aware of the bad business practices and firms in this country, which have nonetheless made a lot of money for Kuwaiti's many North American- and Middle East-based subcontractors. Author Fainaru spent time with the K-Marts of American Service companies based out of Kuwait and running their own little sideshows in Iraq. Naturally, Blackwater is one well-known nam

Eileen Fleming: *Losing it in Hebron and making friends with the IOF (2 comments) [November 20, 2008, Hebron] On the afternoon of my first trip to Hebron, on June 21, 2005, I vowed that I would never return, for it was the most painful place I have ever been. I broke that vow on November 20, 2008.

Roland Michel Tremblay: How can we be proud of being Americans? Whenever 50,000 citizens across the country decide to walk on the streets to denounce something, that they feel somehow it is important enough for them to get out and denounce that something, surely there should be a device in place to automatically launch a referendum on the subject. So everyone could individually vote on the issue, since we can no longer trust politicians. Or else, where is democracy then?

Rowan Wolf: Save the U.S. Auto Industry? (4 comments) We have little choice but to rescue the U.S. auto industry

Michael Richardson: Did RFK's search for JFK's killers lead to his own murder? (1 comments)

Honeymoon: Left cuts Obama slack The list of potential flashpoints between Obama and the left wing of his party is growing, an inevitable development given the sky-high expectations and his need to recruit experienced lieutenants to deal with immense domestic and military problems.

Mary MacElveen: Remembering John F. Kennedy by saying, "Yes we can!" in helping President-elect Obama (2 comments) I hear the concerns of liberals who are angered that he will govern more towards the center and from the conservatives who are equally angered citing he will govern from the left, but the late President Kennedy, would say to all of us, get the job done to heal this nation.

Dingell Loses to Waxman, and Auto Stocks Dive -- Call it What It Is: Corruption Three of Dingell's top four contributors were GM, Ford and Daimler-Chrysler; his wife, Debbie, was an industry lobbyist until their marriage in the early 1980s and continues to work for GM today. After the last election, Dingell hired a Daimler-Chrysler lobbyist whose job had been keeping Congress from increasing vehicle efficiency standards to serve as the committee's chief of staff.

WaPo's Dionne: What Next for Obama's Network? Obama's grassroots network made history in getting him elected and he's working hard to keep it. If he can do it, it will reshape how our democracy works.

Kipper Edgar: *A Interloper's Journey to Election Day Overview of election process in a vote-by-mail state.

Allen Heart: Bailout for the People! A Bailout for You! The Bailout Bill of 2008 is a disaster for the people of the USA and it will only get worse if we don't do something quickly. Our government is the best that money can buy...and money powers have bought the best. So what about US? We're the ones who have to take the pink slips and layoffs. It's our jobs that are at stake and everything we worked for! I've found a solution that is elegantly simple and perfectly ironic.

Allen L Roland: *BUSH CAN INFLICT MORE DAMAGE BY DOING NOTHING The king of denial, George W Bush, who has yet to acknowledge that we are in a recession, will do everything in his power to maintain that denial right up to January 20, 2009. By that time the Dow Jones could be at 5500 reflecting a major depression with little if any policy changes in effect: Allen L Roland

Glenn R. Jackson: *The Republican Reformation - Energy (1 comments) Apparently the Republican Party seems to be bereft of anything deeper than Palin's well. So why don't conservatives take charge of the Republican Party's energy policy and provide the road map to revamping America's current energy infrastructure to ensure independence. As a starting point Robert Zubrin is one of those who has provided an analysis of and way out of the losing energy game

Ed Tubbs: History is not just a dry subject, it offers lessons we ignore at our peril. (2 comments) Ignorance of history that led Tomas Young and too many others to the pain they must now live with, for the rest of their lives.

Rafe Pilgrim: REALLY Support Our Troops The lies continue virtually unchallenged as the treachery in the foreign deserts endure. It is high time for the citizens to stop both.

Obama Proposes New Economic Stimulus Plan President-elect Barack Obama on Saturday proposed an economic recovery plan designed to create or salvage 2.5 million jobs over the next two years.

Friday, November 21:

Marta Steele: A Chat with Destiny Meandering around what may be the most crucial issue of the twenty-first century and proceeding to ideas and the ideal.

This Is Change? 20 Hawks, Clintonites and Neocons to Watch for in Obama's White House by Jeremy Scahill (15 comments) Blackwater watchdog Jeremy Scahill comments on Obama's cabinet picks

Bob Koehler: History Is Screaming (2 comments) Someone has to give common sense, and nuclear disarmament, political traction. It can't remain the cry of the powerless. We demand that Obama seize the moment.

Brasch: A Turkey By Any Other Name--Is Still the Governor of Alaska (12 comments) Sarah Palin is the politician who just keeps giving andf giving. Unfortunately, this time she gives us ineptness and insensitvity about animals.

Stephen Lendman: Fate of Lakotahs Highlights America's Failed Native American Policies (13 comments) Unreported and little known is the continuing genocide against our Native peoples.

R. Queisser: Caveat Emptor, Congress! (4 comments) Do MBA schools teach the unethical behaviors we see in today's corporate scandals?

Five detainees ordered released after seven years at Guantanamo - Glenn Greenwald - Salon.com (1 comments) After seven years and several court incidents, one court order appears to be holding. Judge Leon, a conservative appointee, has ruled that the government has insufficient evidence to hold the 5 men. A previous ruling is being appealed. The Washington Post provides the details of the arrests and detention of the Algerians.

Peter smith: Melamine's Lethal Contamination Melamine's Lethal Contamination

Kathryn Smith: Surviving an Economic Crash: Resources and Tips (5 comments) Intensive-method garden planting tips, how to make your own solar generator or oven, where to buy a solar crockpot, stocking the cupboards, how to convert your car to run on hydrogen fuel, inexpensive foods, where land may be obtained for gardening that is overlooked, herbal wellness links, more....please pass this on! Doctors, pharmacists, please post your survival tips here! Thank you.

ALONE: Vatican Appears to be Attacking Opposition to SOA (6 comments) ...just as much as charging that women have no role in leading churches. This past week,Democracy Now did a lengthy interview with Father Roy Bourgeois on the surprisingly strong threat he has received from Pope Benedict to be excommunicated before this weekend if he doesn't disavow his belief and support of women taking over leadership and ministry of the Catholic Church. Catholics need to stand behind women as priests

Nancy Van Ness: Granny Peace Brigade Campaigns to Close All US Military Bases - in Latin America and around the World November's GPB Teach-In speakers included Maria Fernanda Espinosa, Ambassador to the United Nations from the Republic of Ecuador; Greg Grandin, Professor of History at NYU and author of "Empire's Workshop" and Ann Wright, retired US Army colonel, former member of the US Foreign Service who resigned in protest of the US invasion of Iraq, and activist against US aggression.

'An End to the Southern Strategy, But No Post-Racial America' by David A. Love (1 comments) Lee Atwater died a second time, on November 4, 2008, with the election of Obama. And the Southern Strategy died with him. The G.O.P. could no longer depend on racism for their bread and butter. Try as the McCain-Palin ticket did to stoke the flames of racial anger and resentment by conjuring up the image of Obama as the uppity communist Muslim terrorist with a radical Black pastor, the Southern Strategy made its last stand.

What do Zimbabwe, Burma, North Korea and Israel have in Common? They are the ONLY states in the world that deny international media and humanitarian aid workers access.

Canada Sleeps Through War to 'Save the Internet' War on Net Neutrality in Canada; links to petition, action form, and commentary by Michael Tippet of NowPublic.com and Bryan Zandberg in TheTyee.ca

W. Christopher Epler (Bill): The core cancer of planet Earth is STILL the Israeli/Palestinian "conflict". (2 comments) The Israeli/Palestinian cancer still rules the planet, and so far President Elect Obama has not poured any healing oils on these troubled waters. Indeed, exactly the opposite since so far he hasn't thrown a bone to the Palestinians and the Muslim world in general. Even barnyard animals know the ONLY solution to the Middle East sewer is diplomacy and compromise, but the DLC/Obama Administration can't seem to spell such words.

Jane Stillwater: Thanksgiving: Non-combat-related deaths in Iraq, MRAPs & turkeys I don't want to cook for Thanksgiving this year but if I do, here's a recipe for stuffing, a description of just how dumb Broad-Breasted White turkeys can be and a few questions about all the "non-combat-related" deaths in Iraq I've been getting press releases on lately. Could it be because of the MRAPs that these soldiers' families will be spending a very sad Thanksgiving day?

Tom Dennen: SOUTH AFRICA - FINANCIAL PATHFINDERS? South Africa leads the way in responsible credit legislation.

Ingrid E. Newkirk: Change can happen President-elect Barack Obama and PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk share a resolute belief: Change can happen. Together, we can achieve the dream of liberation from oppression, not just for human beings but for all beings, regardless of race or gender-or species.

Jim Fetzer: Another Attempted Reenactment of the Death of JFK (3 comments) A documentary broadcast over the Discovery Channel purports to show that a shot to the head of JFK was fired from above and behind. But it makes so many gratuitous assumptions and is contradicted by so much readily available evidence that it has no forensic significance. Sites from which shots were actually fired, for example, were not tested, and the only value of this latest documentary appears to be to dupe the unwary.

Lynch: Obama Less a "House Negro" and More an "HNIC" Note to al-Qaida: It would be more accurate to call President-elect Obama the HNIC. For those not in the know, the "Head Negro in Charge."

No Way. No How. No Brennan. (8 comments) Republican, former chief-of-staff for George Tenet (who authorized war crimes as CIA head), admirer of Dick Cheney, CEO of the company one of whose contract employees improperly accessed Obama's and McCain's passports, and defender of renditions and "enhanced interrogations" is still Obama's front-runner pick to head the CIA. No, I'm not making this up.

Waxman's takeover signals a shift to the left Rep. Henry Waxman's successful coup against Energy and Commerce Chair John Dingell on Thursday leaves the storied former chairman with a ceremonial role and steers the Democratic agenda sharply left. The 137-122 vote which handed Waxman the gavel dealt a serious challenge to the Democrats' seniority system and put key aspects of Pres-elect Obama's agenda in the hands of a liberal, aggressive and activist chairman.

Now, at last, we know the truth about Georgia (1 comments) The myth of a plucky republic being 'ethnically cleansed' by an evil Russian regime was just that: a myth. With a few exceptions, the war in Georgia was presented in the British and American media as a simple tale of good and evil; a story of the cunning Russian bear smashing the noble and Western-looking Georgia. We now know for certain that 'Brave Georgia vs Evil Russia' was simply a made-up story

Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State As expected, Hillary Clinton will be offered SoS; the next question is will she take it...

Coal? Nuclear? Activists caution Obama Administration A citizen activist group offers 10 PRINCIPLES FOR JUST CLIMATE CHANGE POLICIES IN THE UNITED STATES. (note: This is only one of thousands of examples of citizen involvement with the urgent issues of our time. This individual activism and diversity of thought is how God blesses America. The grass roots can and does influence policy. If you don't believe that, why are you here reading this?) Hope spawns possibility.

US global dominance 'set to wane' Well laid out reasoning on world changes in various nations' dominance. US economic, military and political dominance is likely to decline over the next two decades, according to a new US intelligence report on global trends. The National Intelligence Council (NIC) predicts China, India and Russia will increasingly challenge US influence

Stephen Pizzo: Put A Sock In It -- For a While. (8 comments) Jumping all over Obama before he even takes the oath of office is stupid and self-defeating. It's like the abused dog that now bites every hand that reaches out to him, even in kindness

steve young: Right Tries To Redefine Free Speech...Again Calling the Fairness Doctrine "censorship" is as much a misnomer as calling Pro-choice groups "Pro-abortion." It's simply an attempt to demonize the opposition

steve young: Right Tries To Redefine Free Speech...Again Calling the Fairness Doctrine "censorship" is as much a misnomer as calling Pro-choice groups "Pro-abortion." It's simply an attempt to demonize the opposition

Kevin Zeese: The Auto Bailout Shows the Failure of Corporate-Government More than the Failure of Detroit Corporate government is at the root of the auto industry economic crisis. It is also the root cause of the crisis in health care and the finance markets. Solving the auto crisis is an opportunity to correct the relationship between corporations and government and get them to work for the interests of the people first.

Is it OK to be liberal again, instead of progressive? This is the best analyis of all the semantic nonsense of Democrats and liberals calling themselves progressives. Anyone who persists in believing that being called a progressive actually means something significant absolutely needs to read this.

David Swanson: Congress Opposes Bush Pardons (4 comments) Nadler Introduces Resolution Opposing Possible Bush Pardons of His Own Subordinates for Crimes He Authorized

Rescue schools and hospitals first, then build light rail New infrastructure will become so many bridges to nowhere unless Obama saves human-needs budgets and public-sector jobs. I'm not an infrastructure-crisis denialist, but first things first. We are now at a crash site, and our priority should be to save the victims, not change the tires or repair the fender, much less build a new car. In triage situation now confronting Obama, keeping local schools and hospitals open come first

Is it OK to be liberal again, instead of progressive? Discussion of political labels: Those, then, are six arguments in favor of using liberalism to describe the center-left. I've reserved the seventh for last. The word "liberal" is a badge of pride. What is more embarrassing in 2008, to be associated with self-described liberals like Roosevelt and Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr. and Barbara Jordan, or with conservatives like Reagan and George W. Bush and Tom DeLay?

Midnight Hour: regulations for the last 60 days | Comment: The New Yorker Clinton holds the record for the most regulations during his last days. Bush announced at the beginning of his Presidency, that he would review and eliminate those as soon as possible. Now, he too, is establishing his own pile of regulations -- or anti-regulations -- as he eliminates or restricts application of environmental, energy, and resource related laws and directives.

Frozen Scandal - You Can't Go Wrong with Mark Danner in the NYR Scandal is our growth industry. Revelation of wrongdoing leads not to definitive investigation, punishment, and expiation but to more scandal.

(More...)

Sunday, November 23:

Obama in video address: 2.5M new jobs by 2011 "I have already directed my economic team to come up with an economic recovery plan that will mean 2.5 million more jobs by January of 2011," Obama said in his address. "It will be a two-year, nationwide effort to jumpstart job creation in America and lay the foundation for a strong and growing economy.

Some in the Arab World Worry that Clinton Would Be More Hawk Than Dove Other diplomats and foreign policy experts say Clinton would bring to Foggy Bottom one of the leading voices in the Senate for a new U.S. commitment to more aggressive diplomacy. They say she would push hard for a Middle East peace deal, in keeping with the activist approach taken by President Bill Clinton in the final years of his administration.

Banking Regulator Played Advocate Over Enforcer OTS is responsible for regulating thrifts, also known as savings and loans, which focus on mortgage lending. As the banks under OTS supervision expanded high-risk lending, the agency failed to rein in their destructive excesses despite clear evidence of mounting problems, according to banking officials and a review of financial documents

Obama Vows Swift Action on Vast Economic Stimulus Plan (1 comments) Barack Obama offered the outlines of a plan to create or save 2.5 million jobs by investing in public works and alternative energy. And he expects Congress to have details for an early start.

Obama Plans to Create 2.5 Million New Jobs by 2011 S president-elect Barack Obama announced Saturday that he had ordered his economic advisers to produce an economic recovery plan to create 2.5 million new jobs over the next two years. "We'll be working out the details in the weeks ahead, but it will be a two-year, nationwide effort to jumpstart job creation in America and lay the foundation for a strong and growing economy," Obama said in his weekly radio address.

Zinn: 9/11 Truth Is For "Fanatics", Has "No Practical Political Significance" (1 comments) Just days after left-wing anti-war icon Howard Zinn told an audience that he didn't care if 9/11 was an inside job, he has repeated the sentiment, stating that questions regarding the attacks have "no practical political significance" and that 9/11 truth activists are "fanatics" who are wasting their time.

Paulson Was Behind Bailout Martial Law Threat Senator James Inhofe has revealed that Henry Paulson was behind the threats of martial law and a new great depression prior to the passage of the bailout bill, having made such warnings during a conference call on September 19th, around two weeks before the legislation was eventually approved by both the Senate and Congress.

Saturday, November 22:

Sherwood Ross: Viet Nam, Iraq, And The Wires Wire services need to be free of jingoist pressures to report the news accurately. If multinationals can tell their home governments to go to hell, the wires must do the same.

Allegations about 2002 Georgia election raise doubts on current voting Hood has now repeated his doubts about the 2002 Georgia election, as well as about voting problems in Maryland in 2004, in an interview with former ABC News producer Rebecca Abrahams. "I have come to believe that these errors are now permanently embedded into the system," Hood told Abrahams.

VA chief labels vet suicide ‘chronic problem’ Veteran Affairs Secretary Dr. James Peake called the suicide rate among veterans “a chronic problem." Referring to statistics showing that, on average, 6,500 U.S. veterans a year — or 18 a day — commit suicide, Peake said the data suggests an elevation in the suicide rate among veterans of all ages.

Iraqi protesters burn George Bush effigy At the spot where U.S. forces helped Iraqis topple a statue of Saddam Hussein in 2003, protesters Friday tore down an effigy of President Bush and set it afire during a demonstration over plans to keep American troops in Iraq through 2011.

Obama outlines rebuilding plans to create jobs Obama on Saturday outlined his plan to create 2.5 million jobs in coming years to rebuild roads and bridges and modernize schools while developing alternative energy sources and more efficient cars.

Jones Would Bring Broad Experience To Security Post Since retiring from the Marines last year as a highly decorated four-star general, Jones has worked on energy issues as the chief executive of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy.

Linn Cohen-Cole: *Global warming - pill by pill, and seed by seed. We have had such a fractured view of things that we miss the obvious, even around something we are desperate to fix. First, the choice between drugs and natural supplements is a global warming choice. Second, the choice between genetic engineering and organic is a global warming choice.

Barack Obama accused of selling out on Iraq by picking hawks to run his foreign policy Growing disillusionment underlines the fine line Mr Obama must walk between appearing to reach out to former opponents and keeping his grassroot supporters happy. The huge enthusiasm of Obama supporters might dissipate if they believe he is crafting a government more likely to pursue "politics as usual", rather than his often-promised "change we need".

Martha Rosenberg: Mad Cow Scare In Cattle Country Ten years ago, Oprah Winfrey was in town courtesy of Texas cattlemen who sued her for disparaging hamburgers on her show. P.S. She won. Now mad cow is back in the news as the Amarillo Public Health Department confirms a hospitalized local woman is being tested for the human variety--and cattle futures at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange are tanking.

Sandy Sand: The Fanatical Food Fascists Are At It Again (4 comments) They want to ban advertising fast food on television.

Chad Terhune and Robert Berner: FHA-Backed Loans: The New Subprime The predatory wolves are back making loans. Same people. Same conditions. Same results. Get ready to write another check for half a trillion to the treasury a year from now.

Pressure on Citigroup builds, shares fall below $4 Investors were also fearful that the government might orchestrate a takeover of Citigroup over the weekend that could wipe out common shareholders, said Paul Miller, a Friedman Billings Ramsey banking analyst. Pressure intensified on Citigroup to sell part or all of itself as its stock fell below $4 a share on Friday and fears escalated about future loan losses.

Carter, Annan, others refused entry to Zimbabwe Carter and two other members of The Elders group - former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and rights advocate Graca Machel, who is married to Nelson Mandela - had planned to assess the country's humanitarian needs as Zimbabweans are stalked by disease and hunger while political crisis occupies its politicians. The Elders humanitarian group, formed by Mandela, said the trip was entirely separate from regional attempts to get

Friday, November 21:

Semiconductor industry group predicts chip slump in 2009 The decline, if the SIA is correct, will hit both the PC computer and cell phone markets, with PC sales falling five percent and cell phone sales down 6.4 percent. At this point the industry group is projecting just a single-year downturn, and believes the market will grow by 7.4 percent in 2010 and 7.5 percent in 2011.

Chinese Officials Warn of 'Grim' Jobs Outlook Chinese officials warned Thursday that the country faces a "grim" employment outlook with demand for workers falling and job seekers in the cities outnumbering new jobs by two-to-one as the economy slows. The global financial meltdown has dealt a body blow to China's vital export industries that account for 40 percent of the economy, causing thousands of factories making toys, shoes and cheap electronics to fold.

Big Pharma seeks to shape U.S. health plan (3 comments) Big Pharma executives are meeting in Washington this week at a gathering of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations. The group's current president, said the location was chosen in recognition of the coming political shifts. I have personally been called by senior leaders on the Democrat side asking for advice and help, and that's a sign of the new industry versus the old industry,"

JGideon: 'Daily Voting News' For November 21, 2008 a collection of local, state, national and international articles on electronic voting and election issues

E. Nelson: The Al Franken, Norm Coleman Minnesota Recount: And the Winner Is ...

Brad Friedman: The fallout from Promoting Janet Napolitano Mark Crispin Miller adds: The election reform movement in AZ has lately made great progress, against all odds and with great hardship. (Two months ago John Brakey was hustled off to jail in Pima County, for insisting on his right to monitor the handcount of some ballots there.)Any further progress will be blocked, and all that recent progress could be nullified, if Brewer becomes the Queen of Arizona.

Garland Favorito: Georgia Certified Election Results Missing 130 Votes Davis is also a plaintiff in a lawsuit against GA regarding its use of a certain type of electronic voting equipment.The suit contends that election results cannot be properly verified, audited and recounted.Davis explained,"GA is the only state in the union that plans to conduct future statewide elections on unverifiable voting equipment.It is time for a major overhaul of GA election law,equipment and procedures.

Wall St. Journal: Diebold Vote Company Whistleblower and GOP Cyber Security Expert Both Say That 2002 Chambliss Senate VR has been working with whistleblowers who have stated that the GOP, under the direction of Karl Rove, has been using computers to change election results. In order to protect the runoff election from such manipulations, a federal RICO lawsuit is being pursued in Ohio to take depositions from those who have been implicated in this illegal strategy.

Fed's Geithner to be tapped for Treasury: reports a late friday afternoon announcement-- at the dead of newstimes. Better than Summers, but the NY Fed Reserve Bank Head. Not much change here

US clout down, risks up by 2025 -intel outlook U.S. economic and political clout will decline over the next two decades and the world will be more dangerous, with food and water scarce and advanced weapons plentiful, U.S. spy agencies projected on Thursday. The National Intelligence Council analysis "Global Trends 2025" also said the current financial crisis on Wall Street is just the first phase of a global economic reordering. The U.S. dollar's role will drop too.

Horror as teenager commits suicide live online as many others watch online, some jeering.

Dedicated Iraq War Protesters in NY Hit Amazing 6 Year Milestone For 311 weeks, a Peace Vigil has been held at the corner of Rt. 59 and Middletown Rd. in Nanuet, NY. This Saturday Nov. 22 at noon marks the SIXTH year anniversary of the Iraq War - all are welcome to join in, bring signs, wave at honking cars, play drums and speak to reporters. These heroic vigilers have stood in the cold, heat, rain and snow, standing up against the war every week to support the safe return of U.S. troops.

Ashin Mettacara: *Burma, Myanmar: Leader Monk Gets Total 68 Years; Popular Burmese Comedian Gets 45 Years (1 comments)

Judge Orders Five Detainees Freed From Guantanamo (3 comments) In the first hearing on the government's justification for holding detainees at the Guantánamo Bay detention camp, a federal judge ruled Thursday that five Algerian men were held unlawfully for nearly seven years and ordered their release

Daschle to Be Nominee for Health Post in Obama Cabinet Headline is on Daschle. Lead concerns Clinton: Mr. Clinton's foundation has received contributions from the Saudi royal family, the king of Morocco, a foundation linked to the United Arab Emirates and the governments of Kuwait and Qatar. His tax returns show that he collected at least $12.6 million since 2002 as an adviser to the billionaire investor Ronald Burkle, whose Yucaipa Companies have invested money for the Dubai

Gene Cappa: 9/11 Traced Back To Cheney's Energy Task Force Meeting-Do You Agree? (28 comments) 9/11 can be traced back to Cheney's secret energy task force meeting. Do you agree?

Sandy Sand: Speculation Runs Rampant on the Future Who's Whos in the Obama Administration (1 comments) Vegas odds makers are probably in on the spek-a-latin' act, too. Maybe we should check them out; they were correct in calling Obama's election.

Thursday, November 20:

Linn Cohen-Cole: Obama may choose Monsanto's GE-nightmare over an organic human vision (15 comments) The Obama people ask us all to express our "vision." Meanwhile Obama is putting together a literal nightmare for the American people by considering appointing Tom Vilsack to head the USDA and Monsanto's guy.

U.S. Attorney General Mukasey Collapses During Speech (2 comments) Attorney General Michael Mukasey collapsed while giving a speech tonight and was taken to a hospital. He began slurring his words, slumped at the lectern and fell to the floor as he neared the end of a speech to the Federalist Society. He was taken to George Washington University Hospital.

JUST RELEASED: Judge removes Guerra as prosecutor for 5 of 9 criminal cases involving Vice President Cheney and Texas S Texas Rangers to escort Guerra to court Friday morning after having been found in Mexico. Assuming he is not AWOL again; Guerra could continue as prosecutor for Vice President Cheney, Gonzales, Sen. Lucio, GEO Corp., and former warden David Forrest.

Coalition Against Genocide: Open Letter to Sonal Shah, Obama's Transition Advisory Board Member Muslim Indian groups question Sonal Shaw, a member of Obama's transition team about his silence on the violence in India against Muslims and other minorities, his personal relationship to the groups that were involved, and his dismissing their legitimate concerns as "Ridiculous tactics of guilt by association.

k.luciole from Luciole Press: Children dying in Haiti, victims of food crisis exacerbated by four devastating tropical storms (14 comments) A terrible situation in Haiti with starving children: victims of hurricanes

Patrick Malinowski: THE BIG THREE BAILOUT!!! (3 comments) Just a simple opinion about the BIG THREE wanting a bailout!!!!

Blackwater Busted? Six Guards May Be Charged in Iraq Massacre (1 comments) Bush will continue enthusiastically to use armed private forces until the W leaves office.This means that the future of Blackwater and the hundreds of for-profit war corporations servicing the Iraq occupation will lay with President-elect Obama.This includes Blackwater &at least 300 other companies,which have been hired by the US government for privatized armed services in Iraq to the tune of about $6 billion in taxpayer money

VIDEO: Ashton Kutcher On a Wednesday Election Holiday [M]aking Election Day a holiday would ease the crush of voters turning out at once (at poll opening before work, during work lunch hour, or after the work day). Though I'd recommend changing Election Day to a Wednesday when making it a holiday, so that a Tuesday holiday doesn't simply turn into a long out of town 4-day holiday weekend for many.

Bill Knell: October and November UFO Sightings in Stephenville, Texas (2 comments) On November 13, 2008, several photos were taken in the Stephenville, Texas, area that are reminiscent of the video and photos previously photographed in the skies over Erath County.

Make That Former Senator Ted Stevens Democrat Mark Begich unseats Stevens in Alaska, bringing Dems one step closer to a filibuster-proof Senate.

VideoTheVote Releases Footage of Major Problems on Election Day The election protection group releases a series of video reports showing the major problems faced by voters in 2008.While the meltdowns that marred 2000 and 2004 did not occur this year, these reports illustrate that significant changes still need to be made to the electoral process.

Steven Rosenfeld: 2008 Results: Fewer White Voters, While Minorities Set Records A preliminary study of 2008 results finds more than a million fewer white voters than in 2004 and nearly 7 million new minority voters.

The Invisible Election These problems occurred even though more voters than ever before cast their ballots before Election Day,even though everyone knew that turnout would be extremely high,even though at least one of the campaigns --recognizing that victory depended on an election system capable of processing 100,000s of new voters--had done an extraordinary amount of work helping election administrators get ready for the turnout tsunami that was

Steven Rosenfeld: See (Literally) Why Al Franken is Gaining Votes The Minnesota recount shows exactly why most voting rights advocates conclude that hand-marked paper ballots are the best way to vote. Unlike Georgia, where the final unresolved U.S. Senate seat will be selected in a runoff election in early December and the public uses paperless voting machines, in Minnesota representatives of both parties can clearly see the voters' intent in a deliberative but accurate recount.

Troy Davis Granted Hearing; Oral Arguments Set for Dec. 9 (1 comments) A hearing date has been set for death row prisoner Troy Davis, before the federal 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. The court, which stopped Davis's scheduled execution last month, will hear oral arguments about a new round of appeals on December 9th. His lawyers want the circuit court to give them permission to file an appeal with the U.S. District Court of Southern Georgia for a fresh trial, where they can present new evidence.

Japan-U.S. missile defense test fails off Hawaii A Japanese warship failed to shoot down a ballistic missile target in a joint test with U.S. forces Wednesday because of a glitch in the final stage of an interceptor made by Raytheon Co.U.S. Rear Admiral Brad Hicks, program director of the Aegis sea-based leg of an emerging U.S. anti-missile shield. "This was a failure," he said in a teleconference with reporters. It brought the tally of Aegis intercepts to 16 in 20 tries.

Nobel laureate Maguire: UN should suspend Israel membership Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Maguire said Thursday the United Nations should suspend or revoke Israel's membership. In October this year she arrived on a boat that sailed into the Gaza Strip carrying international protesters who wanted to bring attention to Israel's blockade of the Hamas-controlled territory.

the web: Home Depot Founder: Retailers Who Don't Support GOP "Should Be Shot" (11 comments) It's nice to know Home Depot supports the death penalty for not supporting their politics.

Longtime Head of House Energy Panel Is Ousted Representative Henry A. Waxman of California ousted Representative John D. Dingell of Michigan from his post as chairman of the influential Committee on Energy and Commerce on Thursday, giving President-elect Barack Obama an advantage in his plans to promote efforts to combat global warming.

JGideon: 'Daily Voting News' For November 20, 2008 a collection of local, state, national and international articles on electronic voting and election issues

New York Police Fight With U.S. on Surveillance An effort by the New York Police Department to get broader latitude to eavesdrop on terrorism suspects has run into sharp resistance from the Justice Department in a bitter struggle that has left the police commissioner and the attorney general accusing each other of putting the public at risk.

Discussions With Clintons as Obama Creates Team Mr. Clinton accepted several restrictions on his business and philanthropic activities to remove any obstacle to his wife’s nomination if the cabinet job is formally offered and accepted. “I’ll do whatever they want,” Clinton said Wednesday at a public appearance.

New friendly fire coverup: Army shreds files on dead soldiers Hours after Salon revealed evidence that two Americans were killed by a U.S. tank, not enemy fire, military officials destroyed papers on the men. Salon's investigation, which included graphic battle video and eyewitness testimony, indicated that their deaths were likely due to friendly fire. After Salon published Benjamin's Oct. 14 report, the Army ordered soldiers to shred documents about the men. A soldier saved some shreds

Emergency Managers Make It Official: They Want FEMA Out of DHS (1 comments) A prominent association of emergency mangers is recommending that the Obama administration pull the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) out of the Homeland Security Department and restore its leader to cabinet level status. IAEM has been generally unhappy with the way FEMA has operated within DHS, and removing it would allow the agency to "get its act together"

Ex-member: Klan leader plotted death The head of a Kentucky-based Ku Klux Klan organization led a failed plot to kill the co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups and challenges white supremacists, a former Klan member testified Thursday.

SPLC Wins $2.5 Million Verdict for Teen in Klan Case In a blow to one of the nation's largest Klan groups, jurors yesterday awarded more than $2.5 million to a teenager who was assaulted by Klansmen at a county fair in rural Kentucky. The verdict is expected to shut down the Imperial Klans of America (IKA), which has 16 chapters in eight states

Antonia Juhasz: my response to Washington Post review of The Tyranny of Oil Antonia Juhasz repsonds to the partisan jargon of Steve LeVine in a Washington Post Review of her book, The Tyranny of Oil.

Ashin Mettacara: *Burma: Popular Burmese Hip-Hop Singer Gets 6 Years; Leader Monk Gets Another 15 years (3 comments)

Steven Freeman: Minnesota Recount Update (6 comments) Day one of the Minnesota recount appears to be a qualified win for Franken. Read on for more.

Cheri Cabot: Personal About Politics: To Bail or Not to Bail the Big Three Auto Makers; and Paulson Just Bails. (9 comments) Will it be bankruptcy or a bailout for Detroit's Big Three Automakers? They beg Congress for a bailout while Henry Paulson just bails.

Janet Napolitano will head Homeland Security Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D) has been chosen to serve as secretary of the vast and troubled Department of Homeland Security for President-elect Obama Democratic officials said.

Fight Breaks Out As Iraqi Lawmakers Debate Pact A fistfight broke out in Iraq's parliament on Wednesday, when lawmakers were supposed to be debating whether to ratify a new security pact with the United States — one that calls for the withdrawal of all American forces by the end of 2011. Eyewitnesses say the guards used force after the opposition lawmaker approached the podium and tried to rip a copy of the draft agreement from the hands of the speaker of parliament.

Wednesday, November 19:

National Cathedral Cuts Jobs, Programs Washington National Cathedral plans to slash its budget dramatically and lay off 30 percent of its staff to close a widening budget gap.To cut overhead, the cathedral plans to outsource its retail operations, which bring in about $4 million a year, to Event Network, a San Diego-based company that runs gift stores at cultural attractions.

Top judge: US and UK acted as 'vigilantes' in Iraq invasion Lord Bingham, in his first major speech since retiring as the senior law lord, rejected the then attorney general's defence of the 2003 invasion as fundamentally flawed. "It was not plain that Iraq had failed to comply in a manner justifying resort to force and there were no strong factual grounds or hard evidence to show that it had."

Unofficial Translation of U.S.-Iraq Troop Agreement from the Arabic Text Translation of complete agreement between the US and Iraq on the withdrawal of occupation troops. Since Bush won't share this with the Congress, perhaps they need to check with OEN. And, for questions about the oil, check the last graf of Article 26.

U.S. lawmaker accuses Bush of secrecy over Iraq deal The US government is refusing to make public the security pact it has signed with Iraq, even though it has been published in full in an Iraqi newspaper, a congressional hearing was told on Wednesday. The administration has said it will not seek congressional approval for the deal. It has been in a hurry to finalise the pact, which Iraqi lawmakers still must approve, before the UN mandate expires on December 31.

Taxpayers will pay for Gonzales' private attorney (1 comments) The Justice Department has agreed to pay for a private lawyer to defend former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales against allegations that he encouraged officials to inject partisan politics into the department's hiring and firing practices.

JGideon: 'Daily Voting News' For November 19, 2008 a collection of local, state, national and international articles on electronic voting and election issues

Michael Richardson: Senate testimony by police captain reveals 9 sticks of missing dynamite in 'Omaha Two' bombing case (2 comments)

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? (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: