Posted: January 31st, 2008 | Author: edcutlip |
On Tuesday, Grand Rapids area Congressional Representative Vern Ehlers voted in favor of an “economic stimulus” package sought by President George W. Bush and brought before the United States House of Representatives. The bill–which was supported by an overwhelming number of Representatives (385 to 35) following a compromise deal hammered out by the Republicans and Democrats–has a primary goal of granting cash “rebates” to taxpayers in order to spur economic growth.
Yesterday, Ehlers sent out an email newsletter to his constituents explaining why he supported the stimulus package. He said that the bill was designed to “provide short-term stimulus to the economy to counteract recent signs of a nationwide recession” by “…inject[ing] $146 billion into the economy primarily through tax rebate checks issued to individuals and families.” According to Ehlers, two-thirds of the money will go to pay for the rebates with the remaining going to “tax incentives intended to spur business investment.”
However, despite voting for the bill, Ehlers expressed some muted criticism of it, stating:
“Although I voted for this bill, I am deeply concerned about its effect on our nation’s debt. We must do more to reign in spending so that our children are not saddled with our debt.”
Unfortunately, Ehlers voted in support of a bill that he might not have entirely supported. Similarly, the Democrats cut a deal with the Bush administration in order to pass the “stimulus” package without raising questions about whether or not the “rebates” are really the best way to provide assistance to those facing economic difficulties. At the same time, the Democrats caved on the issue of providing increases in food stamp and unemployment benefits. As passed in the House, the stimulus package gives a relatively modest amount of money to consumers while ignoring structural problems in the US economy.
Two progressive think-tanks, the Center for American Progress and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities have both criticized the stimulus plan and argued that a more effective plan could have been passed by focusing on low-income workers. The House of Representatives removed two provisions–an increase in food stamp and unemployment benefits–that would have been a more effective means of stimulating the economy according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. In a statement on the passage of the bill, the Center said that those two measures would have spurred more spending while the tax cut approach favored by the Bush administration typically means money is saved–not spent–by the middle and upper income families that benefit from the cuts. The Center also criticized the package for limiting the size of the rebate given to low-income workers:
“The principal weakness of the new rebate design is that it would provide smaller rebates to low- and moderate-income working families than to families at higher income levels, despite the fact that rebates provided to low- and moderate-income families are the most effective as stimulus. It also may be noted that the proposal does not cover the 22 million mostly low-income households who do not file income tax returns. It is nearly impossibly to reach such households through a tax rebate, but millions of these households could have been reached through a temporary increase in food stamp benefits. The food stamp provision, however, was dropped from the stimulus package.”
The stimulus package passed in the House fails to address structural issues such as a weak labor market, budget deficits, trade deficits, and an unsustainable housing boom according to the Center for American Progress. As such, the Center recommends a progressive stimulus package. Their package contains a number of proposals that we won’t here Representative Ehlers or the federal government talking about. These include calling for Congress to develop a means to help homeowners refinance their homes, legislation aimed at preventing foreclosures, federal aid to municipalities to address declining tax bases, uniform rebates to all tax-paying families, an increase in food stamp benefits, increasing the federal share of Medicare, increasing unemployment insurance, helping low-income residents pay their energy bills, funding job training and development programs in so-called “green” industries, and increasing spending on making homes more energy efficient.
The proposals raised by the Center for American Progress raise important questions. What kind of economy do we want? Do we want one in which the most vulnerable are ignored? What are our fundamental economic values?
Tags: congress, economy, grand rapids, michigan, taxes, vern ehlers
Posted: January 31st, 2008 | Author: edcutlip |
Headlines from Democracynow.org, a daily TV/radio news program, hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, airing on over 650 stations, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the US.
Edwards, Giuliani Exit Presidential Race
The presidential field narrowed by two Wednesday when Republican Rudolph Giuliani and Democrat John Edwards both dropped out of the race. Giuliani made his announcement in California just hours before the Republican debate. The former New York mayor threw his support behind Senator John McCain. Meanwhile John Edwards made his farewell address in New Orleans where he launched his campaign thirteen months ago.
John Edwards: “It’s time for me to step aside so that history can–so that history can blaze its path. We do not know who will take the final steps to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but what we do know is that our Democratic Party will make history. We will be strong, we will be unified, and with our convictions and a little backbone we will take back the White House in November and we’ll create hope and opportunity for this country.”
Edwards did not endorse either of the remaining Democratic candidates. But he said he received pledges from both Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama to focus on poverty in the United States, which Edwards called the “cause of his life.” As Edwards bowed out of the race, longtime consumer advocate Ralph Nader announced a presidential exploratory committee to decide whether to run as an independent candidate. We’ll have more on Edwards and Nader later in the broadcast. Meanwhile Obama and Clinton were on the campaign trail ahead of the upcoming Super Tuesday vote. In Denver, Obama told supporters he would work to bolster the U.S. international standing.
Sen. Barack Obama: “I want to go before the world community and say ‘America is back, America is back’ and we are ready to lead the world against the common threats of the 21st century, terrorism and nuclear weapons, but also climate change and poverty, genocide and disease and I will once more send a message to those yearning faces beyond our shores that says: you matter to us, your future is our future and our moment is now.”
Clinton meanwhile was in Arkansas. In Little Rock, she stressed her campaign’s Iraq platform of pressuring the Iraqi government.
Sen. Hillary Clinton: “We can tell the Iraqi government that the blank check that they’ve had from George Bush is no longer valid. They have to start making decisions for themselves.”
Carter Praises Obama Campaign, Criticizes Clinton
Meanwhile former President Jimmy Carter has weighed in on the presidential race. Although he’s said he won’t endorse a candidate, Carter praised Senator Obama, calling his campaign: “extraordinary and titillating for me and my family.” Carter went on to compare Obama’s speeches to those of Dr. Martin Luther King and said Obama could likely win some southern states as the Democratic nominee. Carter also said he has spoken to former President Bill Clinton and criticized some of Clinton’s racially-charged comments on the campaign trail.
Mukasey Refuses Senate Calls to Label Waterboarding “Torture”
Attorney General Michael Mukasey has refused again to say whether waterboarding is a form of torture or illegal. Mukasey testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday for the first time since the Democratic-led Senate confirmed his nomination. Under questioning from Senator Ted Kennedy, Mukasey admitted waterboarding would feel like torture if it was done to him but he refused to say whether it would be illegal for a foreign country to waterboard a U.S. citizen.
Sen. Edward Kennedy: “So, let me ask you this*: Would waterboarding be torture if it was done to you?”
U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey: “I would feel that it was.”
Mukasey later said the cruelty of torture must be balanced “against the information you might get.” He was criticized by Senate Judiciary Chair Patrick Leahy.
Sen. Patrick Leahy: “Never mind that waterboarding has been recognised as torture for the last 500 years! Never mind that President Teddy Roosevelt properly prosecuted American soldiers for this more than 100 years ago! Never mind that we prosecuted Japanese soldiers for waterboarding Americans during World War II! Never mind that this is the practice of repressive regimes around the world! That is not America.”
Israeli Supreme Court Upholds Gaza Blockade
In Israel and the Occupied Territories, the Israeli Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. Several human rights groups had sought a judgment overturning Israel’s cut-off of fuel, electricity and other supplies. The petitioners accused the Israeli government of “collective punishment” in violation of international law. But on Wednesday the court called Israel’s blockade a just response to Palestinian rocket fire.
Abbas: No Talks With Hamas on Egypt Border
Meanwhile in Egypt, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on the border breach that sent more than half a million Palestinians into Egypt searching for food, fuel and medical relief. After the talks, Abbas said he had reiterated his refusal to deal with the Gaza-controlling Hamas.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas: “There is no Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. There is one Palestinian Authority. Hamas is not a legal force, it is a usurping force.”
Hamas forces currently have ground control of the Egyptian border. Hamas is seeking recognition of its authority and says the border should remain open.
Internal Israeli Inquiry Criticizes Tact of Lebanon Invasion
Meanwhile in Israel, a long-awaited internal formal inquiry has criticized Israel’s leadership for its handling of the 2006 attack on Lebanon. The final report from the Winograd Commission called the Lebanon war ‘a serious missed opportunity’ that failed to achieve its goals. The report did not criticize the government for attacking Lebanon in the first place nor for causing more than one thousand Lebanese civilian deaths. Referring to Hezbollah fighters, the report concludes: “A semi-military organization of a few thousand men resisted, for a few weeks, the strongest army in the Middle East, which enjoyed full air superiority and size and technological advantages.” In Lebanon, parliament member Hussein Haj Hassan said the report recognized what he called Hezbollah’s successful resistance.
Hussein Haj Hassan: “This report highlighted that the Isreali army, that everyone knows is invincible, was defeated. And that has a big impact on the Zionist enemy, on all levels, in the short, medium and long term. When the Winograd report says that the army failed in its ground offensive, that means that the Israeli army failed and was defeated in the war against, what it itself said, was only a number of fighters.”
Pentagon Investigating Alleged Killing of Iraqi Prisoners
The Pentagon has announced its probing charges U.S. soldiers killed several Iraqi prisoners in Baghdad last year. Officials say the prisoners may have been killed at the point of capture before they could be taken to a U.S. or Iraqi jail. No details were released on the number of slain prisoners or accused soldiers.
Army Suicides Hit Record High in 2007
In other military news, the Washington Post is reporting army suicides have reached another record high. An internal Pentagon study 121 soldiers took their lives last year, the most since record-keeping began nearly thirty-years ago. Attempted suicides or self-inflicted injuries have increased sixfold since the Iraq war. More than 2,100 soldiers injured themselves or attempted suicide last year, up from around 350 in 2002.
Civil Rights Attorney Stewart Back in Court to Appeal Sentence
And the civil rights attorney Lynne Stewart was back in court this week to seek a reversal of her conviction and counter prosecution arguments for a longer sentence. Stewart was convicted of distributing press releases on behalf of her jailed client-Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman-also known as the blind sheikh-who is serving a life sentence on terror-related charges. Prosecutors had sought a thirty-year sentence. But Stewart was sentenced to two and a half years after the judge rejected prosecutors’ argument she threatened national security and ruled there was no evidence her actions caused any harm.
Tags: headlines, international, national
Posted: January 30th, 2008 | Author: edcutlip |
Last night in Lansing, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm delivered the annual “State of the State” address. As is the case with the annual address, as well as other such as Grand Rapids’ “State of the City” and the President’s “State of the Union,” the address was heavy on lofty rhetoric. Granholm described the current time as being one of “unprecedented change” that begs the question–”how will history judge us?”
Granholm began her address by explaining that there are significant economic challenges facing Michigan and that these challenges made residents of the state angry. These residents are angry–justifiably so–according to Granholm over the loss of jobs and the nationwide economic slowdown. Granholm said that rather than respond to this anger with a forward-looking agenda, Michigan’s legislature has instead engaged in partisan sniping. This caused the legislature to ignore what Granholm believes are four key priorities:
* A job for every worker.
* Affordable health care for every family.
* Safe places to live and work for all of us.
* Quality education for our citizens – kids and adults.
Granholm argued that when the partisan arguing is minimized, the legislature could make significant progress. To support this point, she highlighted cooperation on removing the Single Business Tax (SBT), the Michigan Promise scholarship, and raising the minimum wage. Similarly, there are many points on which the two parties agree–tourism advertising must increase, the film industry must be promoted, and the Great Lakes must be protected. She expressed a willingness to sign legislation on those issues.
Granholm said, “Our top priority must be jobs.” She briefly highlighted her work–traveling across the country and calling CEOs–before announcing two new initiatives. She announced the Michigan Job Creation Tax Credit that will cut or eliminate taxes for businesses in the top 50 industries in the country that locate in Michigan, as well as the Michigan Invests! Fund that will help give investment capital to businesses to keep them in Michigan. These new programs would be paid for in the budget that she will present to the legislature in February.
She also advocated government reforms. She pledged to cut spending from the Department of Corrections by initiating reforms from other states, although she provided no specifics. Granholm touted contract negotiations with state employees that resulted in $170 million savings–gained through concessions on benefits and healthcare–to press for similar concessions from the legislature. Finally, she said she is working to create a “one stop shop” via the web and a single phone number to help businesses deal with government regulations.
“Alternative Energy” was mentioned numerous times in Granholm’s speech. She sees it as a key area in which Michigan’s economy can grow. According to Granholm, this industry represents an opportunity for significant growth. She said that the state’s wind can be used for power, that water might be able to be used for power at some point in the near future, and that waste from paper mills can be used as a biofuel. Solar energy is also being produced in the state–and to Granholm–the opportunities for growth are virtually unlimited. In order to spur this growth, Granholm said that the state must enact adopt a renewable energy profile–25% renewables by 2025–to attract investment. She further called for the legislature to eliminate the gas tax on ethanol and biodiesel fuel purchases.
Granholm asserted that in order to attract this new industry, Michigan needs to improve its education system. She continues to assert her goal of doubling the number of college graduates in the state, which she says will give Michigan the best-educated workforce in the nation. Granholm urged the legislature to increase the dropout age to 18, institute full-day kindergarten, and give superintendents greater authority to close schools. Additionally, she said that her 21st Century Schools Fund would work to replace large, impersonal schools with smaller school emphasizing “rigor, relevance and relationships.” Along with these goals, she also pledged to increase funding for adult education programs and announced a goal of getting 100,000 displaced workers to sign-up for her No Worker Left Behind program.
To address rising costs to families as part of the economic downtown, Granholm said that she is “negotiating with leading mortgage companies to freeze increases in adjustable mortgage rates for up to five years to protect Michigan families from foreclosure.” She also expressed support for more laws to hold drug companies accountable and to stop price-fixing at gas stations. Finally, she announced that she would create a new government position–insurance advocate–to negotiate affordable insurance rates for Michigan residents.
In the area of healthcare, Granholm said that Michigan residents still need access to low cost healthcare. She expressed frustration that the Bush administration has been unwilling to fund the Michigan First Health Care Plan.
While much of her speech would appeal to nominally left, “progressive,” or Democratic constituents, it was not met without criticism. The Michigan League of Conservation Voters criticized Granholm:
“To use Granholm’s words – we are angry. She missed the mark in ensuring that our natural resources will be protected. She failed to address the needed protections of the Great Lakes and the desperately needed funding for our conservation and environmental programs.”
The group further said that they were disappointed that she failed to call our Dow Chemical for its polluting of the Saginaw Valley. They also expressed frustration that she was willing to work with Senator Birkholz rather pursuing strong Great Lakes protection legislation.
Similarly, outside of the speech, the Michigan Committee Against War and Injustice held a protest criticizing the governor:
“At a time when Michigan continues to lose jobs, when foreclosures here are the highest in the nation, when schools are closing, when hunger and homelessness have not been addressed – the Governor continues to mouth optimism without offering real solutions to the daily suffering of the people.
But Michigan’s constitution and laws require the Governor to use her power to declare a state of emergency for economic as well as natural disasters. Under these laws the Governor can stop foreclosures and evictions, end and reverse utility shut-offs and take other action as needed to ensure the health and safety of the people of Michigan. This has been done before and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court!
While we are fighting to get Congress to stop all funds to the Iraq war and use that money right here at home, we can and must demand that the Governor stop the economic disaster afflicting our state by using her emergency powers. We must demand that the Governor place a Moratorium on plant closings and lay-offs, school closings, foreclosures and evictions, utility shut-offs and more!”
Tags: government, granholm, lansing, michigan
Posted: January 30th, 2008 | Author: edcutlip |
The following articles of interest were published elsewhere on the web today:
Previously archived links are available on the news links page or on Media Mouse’s del.icio.us page. To recommend links, tag them with “mediamouserecommended” on del.icio.us or contact us via email.
Posted: January 30th, 2008 | Author: edcutlip |
ACTIVATE (Grand Rapids SDS) has announced plans for a protest commemorating the fifth anniversary of the United States invasion of Iraq. As they have done at previous events, the West Michigan-based antiwar group is calling for an immediate end to the United States’ occupation of Iraq:
Saturday, March 15 – 12:00pm
Heartside Park
Downtown Grand Rapids
(just south of the corner of Ionia and Cherry)
Join ACTIVATE (Grand Rapids SDS) for a march demanding an immediate end to the United States’ occupation of Iraq. We’ll highlight connections to local institutions that sustain the occupation. Bring signs, banners, drums, noisemakers, etc.
For information on why ACTIVATE calls for an immediate end to the occupation of Iraq:
http://www.activategr.org/news/end-the-occupation/
HELP PROMOTE THE PROTEST:
Please pass this announcement along to your friends, your groups, or other contacts. We have flyers below that we encourage people to print and distribute, as well as a graphic suitable for posting on MySpace, Facebook, and other such sites:
Full Sheet Flyer
Quarter Sheet
Graphic for MySpace/Facebook/etc
For more information on ACTIVATE (Grand Rapids SDS), visit activategr.org.
Thus far, ACTIVATE is the only local group to announce plans.
Tags: ACTIVATE, antiwar, grand rapids, michigan, organizing
Posted: January 30th, 2008 | Author: edcutlip |
Headlines from Democracynow.org, a daily TV/radio news program, hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, airing on over 650 stations, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the US.
After Promised Withdrawals, U.S. Occupation of Iraq Could Be Larger Than Before “Surge”
The Bush administration has acknowledged it may not order the return of any U.S. troops from Iraq beyond those scheduled for this summer. According to the New York Times, White House officials say when President Bush leaves office the U.S. occupation in Iraq may even be larger in size than it was right before the so-called troop surge one year ago. Up to 8,000 more troops would remain if “support forces” don’t withdraw with the 20,000 soldiers Bush said last September he would bring home. In Monday’s State of the Union address, Bush mentioned the 20,000 troops but did not announce any new withdrawals.
Bush Asserts Right to Ignore Law Barring Funds for Permanent U.S. Bases in Iraq
The news comes as President Bush has declared he has the right to bypass a new law that prohibits the use of taxpayer money to establish permanent U.S. bases in Iraq. The ban was passed as part of the new National Defense Authorization Act. Hours after signing the bill Monday, Bush issued a signing statement asserting his right to ignore the restriction that bars federal funding “to establish any military installation or base for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing” of U.S. forces or “to exercise United States control of the oil resources of Iraq.” Bush’s signing statement also asserted his right to ignore a measure that boosts protection for whistleblowers employed by companies with government contracts. And the statement also objects to the creation of an independent commission on contracting fraud and waste in Iraq and Afghanistan.
U.S. to Increase Baghdad Checkpoints
Meanwhile in Iraq, the U.S. military has announced plans to increase military checkpoints in Baghdad by thirty-percent. The top U.S. commander in Iraq–Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond–says the military will now operate ninety-nine outposts, some of them in new areas.
McCain Wins Florida Primary
In campaign news, Senator John McCain beat Mitt Romney Tuesday in Florida’s Republican primary. McCain received 36 percent of the vote to Romney’s 31 percent. The win positions McCain as the Republican frontrunner heading into “Super Tuesday” next week with contests in more than 20 states.
Sen. John McCain: “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Florida Republicans for bringing a former Florida resident across the finish line first and as I have been repeatedly reminded lately, an all-Republican primary.”
Giuliani to Drop Out of GOP Race
Rudolph Giuliani finished a distant third with 15 percent. Giuliani had staked his candidacy on a strong showing in Florida. He’s widely expected to drop out of the race today and endorse McCain. Speaking to supporters last night in Florida, Giuliani was already referring to his campaign in the past tense.
Rudolph Giuliani: “But in a larger sense, when you run for President of the United States, you also carry people you have met throughout your life: memories of their struggles, their sacrifices, and their triumphs. I am the grandson of immigrants. Can’t imagine that they ever thought that their grandson would have run for President of the United States, or been mayor of New York City, or associate attorney general, or United States attorney, or maybe even just a lawyer.”
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee was fourth at fourteen percent. Speaking in St. Louis, Huckabee vowed to stay in the race.
Mike Huckabee: “For those of you that think I should be discouraged, let me just remind you that going into tonight, we were second in delegate count and, more importantly, we’re playing all nine innings of this ballgame. And even the Cardinals occasionally have a rough inning, but they know how to win championships.”
Clinton Wins Delegate-Less Florida Contest
Democratic voters gave Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton a victory in a virtually uncontested race. The Democratic Party had stripped Florida of its delegates as a punishment for moving its primary earlier in the year. We’ll have more on the Florida vote after headlines.
Gitmo Lawyers Endorse Obama; Rep. Waters Backs Clinton
In other campaign news, Senator Barack Obama has picked up an endorsement from a group of eighty volunteer lawyers for prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. In a statement, the attorneys say they see Obama as the best candidate to undo the Bush administration’s policies on imprisonment and torture in the so-called war on terror. Meanwhile, Senator Hillary Clinton has received the endorsement of California Congressmember Maxine Waters. Waters is an influential member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
House Approves Economic Stimulus Plan
On Capitol Hill, the House has approved a nearly $150 billion dollar economic stimulus deal agreed to by President Bush and Democratic leaders last week. The measure would give out one-time tax rebates of $600 dollars for individuals, double that for couples. The vote was 385 to 35. At the White House, President Bush urged the Senate to follow the House’s lead.
President Bush: “The temptation is going to be for the Senate to load it up. My concerns is that we need to get this bill out of the Senate and on my desk so the checks can get in the hands of our consumers, and our businesses can, you know, be assured of the incentives necessary to make investments. Anyway, I do want to thank the speaker and Leader Boehner for working quickly and working in a bipartisan fashion. This is a very good start.”
As part of the compromise, House Democrats agreed to Bush”s refusal to expand funding for food stamps and unemployment benefits. Senate Democrats are advancing a competing proposal that includes a thirteen-week benefit extension. They may also add other amendments on food-stamps and heating-assistance. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi backed Bush’s call for Senate approval, calling the measure a bi-partisan victory.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “Many Americans in the middle class are living paycheck to paycheck. They’re feeling–they have a struggle with the cost of–the rising cost of groceries, of gasoline, of health care–the list goes on. Today, Congress acted in a way that is directly relevant to their lives and we hope that the Senate will follow suit.”
The Senate vote is expected later this week.
House, Senate Extend Surveillance Law to Continue Immunity Debate
In other news from Washington, the House and Senate have approved a 15-day extension of the expiring surveillance law. Lawmakers say they need the extra time to resolve a dispute over a White House-backed plan that would immunize telecom companies that aided the warantless spying on U.S. citizens.
Annan Opens Mediation Efforts in Kenya
In Kenya, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has launched a new mediation effort to resolve Kenya’s ongoing post-election crisis. More than nine-hundred people have been killed in the aftermath of a disputed election last month.
Kofi Annan: “We are confident that the issues can be resolved within a year and the immediate political issues, what we are describing as short term issues, be resolved within four weeks.”
At least a dozen people were killed Tuesday following the assassination of a parliament member with the opposition Orange Democratic Movement.
Afghan Women Gather for Release of U.S. Aid Worker
In Afghanistan, several hundred women gathered Tuesday to call for the release of a female American aid worker kidnapped in the city of Kandahar. Cindy Mizzel was seized at gunpoint on Saturday. Rona Tareen of the Kandahar women’s affairs department called on the abductors to release her.
Rona Tareen: “Our gathering today is to show our support for the American lady who has been abducted in our town. We want the tribal leaders and the government officials to do their best to secure her immediate release. Abduction of women is against Afghani culture and against Islamic values.”
Latinos Hold HIV/AIDS Summit in D.C.
Hundreds of Latinos from the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are gathering in Washington, D.C. for what’s being called the nation’s first ever Latino summit on HIV/AIDS. California Democrat Hilda Solis said one aim of the meeting is to spread awareness and provide more public support for those living with HIV-AIDS.
Rep. Hilda Solis: “Wherever we find a growing population of Latinos and others, we need to shout out and say that we are going to do everything in our power to bring about more funding, more services, more competency in care for the Latino community.”
Government figures show the rate of HIV-AIDS diagnosis for Latinos is three-times that for whites.
Methodists Want Delegates to Vote on Bush Presidential Library
A group of Methodists across the country have launched a new effort to stop President Bush from establishing his presidential library at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Opponents say the library should be voted on by hundreds of delegates at a conference of the regional jurisdiction that owns the school. But school officials say they can ignore the delegate vote because they already have approval of a ten-person board. Officials with President Bush’s foundation including his brother Marvin Bush have said the library would further the goals of the Bush White House and would be answerable only to the foundation–not the university. Opponents say they’ve already collected more than eleven thousand signatures against the library and have the support of around thirty-five percent of the delegate vote.
Vermont Lawmakers Seek National Guard Withdrawal from Iraq
In Vermont, state legislators are preparing to introduce a measure calling on Governor Jim Douglas to reclaim authority over the Vermont National Guard and bring them home from Iraq. Supporters say states’ should have the right to refuse deployments in Iraq because President Bush’s initially-proclaimed mission to seek weapons of mass destruction is no longer valid.
UN Security Council Drops Gaza Resolution After U.S. Opposition
And at the UN, the Security Council has ended efforts to adopt a statement on the crisis in the Gaza Strip after the Bush administration said it wouldn’t support it. The U.S. was the lone country on the fifteen-member to council to oppose the measure. The resolution condemned both Israeli and Palestinian attacks as well as Israel’s blockade of food, fuel and medical supplies. But the U.S. says the measure didn’t go far enough in focusing on Palestinian rocket fire.
Tags: headlines, international, national
Posted: January 29th, 2008 | Author: edcutlip |
Last night, President George W. Bush delivered his final “State of the Union” address. While the annual speeches are traditionally quite symbolic and largely full of platitudes and self-congratulation with little substance, President Bush did announce new initiatives for his final year in office. Bush said that he wants to work with Congress to make his tax cuts permanent, that he wishes to finish negotiations to pass the stalled Doha round of the World Trade Organization (WTO), pass new trade agreements, and cut government spending by $18 billion. Moreover, he trumpeted his the so-called “Surge” in Iraq, continued to take a strong stance towards Iran, and use the familiar “America is a force of hope” rhetoric.
Despite his new programs and limited defense of controversial components of his agenda, local reporting on his address was largely stenographic in nature–reporting his comments as they were said–and short on analysis. The Grand Rapids Press published two articles on the State of the Union online. The Press reprinted an article from the Associated Press that largely reported on what Bush said, offering little analysis and providing little substantive verification of his claims. Reporter Ted Roelofs weighed in with local “reaction” to the State of the Union, reporting–based some calls to individuals involved with political campaigns and people hanging out at a local bar–that people were too caught up in the presidential election and skeptical of Bush too pay much attention.
While the Press did report that Grand Rapids area Congressional Representative Vern Ehlers said “I don’t expect any earth-shaking things” and that Holland area Representative Pete Hoekstra said it is difficult for a president to do much in their final year. In a round-up of reaction from Michigan legislators, the Associated Press reported that Ehlers reacted to the speech saying “I am pleased that he emphasized increasing scientific research in the United States because science is the beginning of the creative process for a number of fields, especially manufacturing. Michigan needs this spark perhaps more than any other state, and I am happy that the president is fully committed to increasing funding for scientific research and development.” The Press also did not include statements from Michigan Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow both of whom issued statements in response to the speech. Levin’s statement criticized Bush’s failure to announce more manufacturing investment, his failure to extend unemployment insurance benefits instead of giving tax rebates, and Bush’s claims about Iraq. Stabenow also criticized Bush on unemployment insurance and aid to manufacturers. Moreover, she raised the fact that the trade agreements sought by Bush have been devastating to Michigan’s workers.
Beyond including reactions from local lawmakers, the Press’ coverage would have benefited from including some independent analysis of Bush’s speech. The news program Democracy Now! invited various guests onto its show to talk about different areas of the speech, focusing on Iraq, warrantless domestic surveillance, and economic inequality.
In addition, the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy, a progressive think-tank, released a report analyzing Bush’s speech. In an analysis that looked at Bush’s comments on the economy, the budget, energy and the environment, health care, education, veterans, immigration, and warrantless surveillance to conclude:
“The President continues to proclaim the foundation of our economy sound when so many current and aspiring middle-class Americans are losing their spot in the American Dream. He prioritizes ideology over proven methods of stimulating the economy and providing health care. He uses the language of consumer choice to dress up what really amounts to unbridled corporate power and profiteering. He continues to assert that the market will right itself, if only people understand it more and restrict it less, despite all of the evidence to the contrary.
Despite the praise-worthy components of President Bush’s address tonight – his signing of the Energy Independence and Security Act, his cooperation with Congress to pass a stimulus reform that would include millions of low-income Americans he initially intended to exclude, his newfound interest in supporting military families – his approach reflected a commitment to ideology, as opposed to willingness to see how that ideology has actually impacted current and aspiring middle-class Americans.”
In addition to the report from the Drum Major Institute, the blog ThinkProgress also has an extensive analysis of the State of the Union speech.
Both of these resources offer an alternative to what is being reported in the corporate media about Bush’s speech.
Tags: debbie stabenow, george w. bush, government, grand rapids, levin, michigan, vern ehlers
Posted: January 29th, 2008 | Author: jeff |
The Washington Post reported on Sunday, “Former dictator Suharto, an army general who crushed Indonesia’s communist movement and pushed aside the country’s founding father to usher in 32 years of tough rule that saw up to a million political opponents killed,” died on January 27. The article never mentions the US role in any of his “32 years of tough rule.”
The liberal radio network NPR did state:
“During the Cold War, Suharto’s anti-communist credentials made him a key U.S. ally; he enjoyed close relations with several U.S. administrations. In 2001, declassified documents confirmed a long-held suspicion that in a December 1975 meeting with President Gerald Ford [Grand Rapids native] and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Suharto was given the green light to invade the breakaway region of East Timor.”
However, the NPR story does not provide any details of what happened during the Indonesian invasion of East Timor. The US government’s relationship to the Suharto regime is worth a review.
Suharto came to power in 1965 during a CIA sponsored coup, where estimates of 500,000 to 1 million dissidents were murdered. One former CIA agent states, “CIA agents contributed in drawing up the death lists” used in targeting those murdered. In 1975, as the NPR story mentions, Suharto met with President Ford and Secretary of State Kissinger on the eve of Indonesia’s invasion of East Timor. Declassified documents of that meeting demonstrate that Ford and Kissinger were in complete support of Suharto’s plan. The invasion led to one of the worst cases of genocide in the 20th century where over 200,000 Timorese were slaughtered.
The US relationship with Suharto did not change over the decades despite ongoing scrutiny from the international community. The Timorese independence movement continued to grow throughout the 1980’s and 90’s. The efforts of these movements were recognized by the international community, which gave two Timorese activists the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996. Despite the push towards independence, the Clinton administration continued to support Suharto by providing weapons and providing diplomatic support right up until Suharto was forced to resign. Democracy Now! recently aired an interview that Allan Nairn did with former President Clinton in 1999 who defended his support of Suharto. The same kind of justification was offered by Richard Holbrooke, then Assistant Secretary of State in the late 70’s under Jimmy Carter, who in response to that administration’s supply of weapons to Indonesia said, “And the solution to the problem, as I said to an earlier question, does not, in my view, involve a complete arms cut-off.” It is worth noting that Holbrooke is a foreign policy advisor to presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Here is part of a statement that some of the victims of Suharto’s policies wrote the day after his death. The East Timor Action Network certainly doesn’t ignore or minimize the US role in Suharto’s brutality:
“To overcome Suharto’s legacy and to uphold basic international human rights and legal principles, those who executed, aided and abetted, and benefited from his criminal orders must be held accountable. The U.S. must undergo a complete accounting for its role in backing the dictator. As a start, the U.S. government must support for an international tribunal to prosecute human rights and war crimes committed in East Timor from 1975 to 1999, and Washington should condition military assistance to Indonesia “on progress towards full democratisation, the subordination of the military to the rule of law and civilian government, and strict adherence with international human rights” as recommended by East Timor’s Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation.”
Tags: history, media, united states
Posted: January 29th, 2008 | Author: edcutlip |
Headlines from Democracynow.org, a daily TV/radio news program, hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, airing on over 650 stations, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the US.
Bush Defends Iraq Surge and Issues New Warning to Iran
In his final state of the union, President Bush once again defended the Iraq invasion and claimed the so-called troop surge a success. Bush also repeated his threatening rhetoric against Iran.
President Bush: “But above all, know this: America will confront those who threaten our troops, we will stand by our allies, and we will defend our vital interests in the Persian Gulf.”
As Housing Crisis Worsens, Bush Calls For Tax Cuts For The Rich
On the domestic front, President Bush attempted to put a positive spin on the state of the economy – even though earlier in the day it was revealed that sales of new homes fell last year by 26 percent–the steepest drop since records began in 1963. Meanwhile a new report released today shows the number of foreclosures last year jumped by 75 percent due to in part to the subprime mortgage crisis -over 400,000 households lost their homes. Bush called on Congress to make his tax cuts permanent and approve the $150 billion economic stimulus deal reached last week with House Democrats.
Bush Urges Approval of New Spying Bill & Telecom Immunity
Bush also urged lawmakers to approve a new surveillance bill that would grant immunity to telecom companies that aided warrantless spying on U.S. citizens.
President Bush: “This means that if you do not act by Friday, our ability to track terrorist threats would be weakened and our citizens will be in greater danger. The Congress must ensure the flow of vital intelligence is not disrupted. The Congress must pass liability protection for companies believed to have assisted in the efforts to defend America. We have had ample time for debate. The time to act is now.”
On Monday, Senate Democrats temporarily defeated an effort by Republicans to pass the bill that also expands the government’s authority to conduct warrantless spying powers. The matter will come before the Senate again today.
Bush Administration Seeks $70 Billion For Wars
Hours before President Bush spoke, the Pentagon announced the Bush administration will soon ask Congress for an additional seventy billion dollars to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Meanwhile in Iraq, five U.S. soldiers died Monday in a roadside bombing in Mosul.
Sen. Kennedy Compares Barack Obama to JFK
In campaign news, Senator Ted Kennedy officially announced his endorsement of Barack Obama Monday during a rally attended by thousands in Washington. The Massachusetts Senator compared Obama to his late brother, John F. Kennedy.
Sen. Kennedy: “My friends, I ask you to join in this historical journey to have the courage to choose change. It’s time again for a new generation. It is time for Barack Obama.”
Obama thanked Kennedy for backing his campaign.
Sen. Obama: “I know what your support means. I know what a cherished place the Kennedy family holds in the hearts of the American people.”
Senator Obama also picked up an endorsement Monday from the Nobel Prize winning author Toni Morrison.
Former Obama Fundraiser Antoin Rezko Jailed in Illinois
Meanwhile in Chicago, a federal judge has ordered the jailing of one of Obama’s former top fundraisers, Antoin Rezko. Rezko was indicted in 2006 on charges of business fraud and influence peddling but had been free on bond. On Monday a judge revoked bond and ordered him to be held in jail. Rezko has raised as much as $200,000 for Obama since 1996 and helped Obama purchase his home. Last week Senator Hillary Clinton raised Obama’s link to Rezko during the debate in South Carolina. Last year one of Hillary Clinton’s top fundraisers – Norman Hsu – was arrested for swindling investors. Hsu had raised some $800,000 for Clinton’s campaign during a time when he was a fugitive from justice.
Sen. Clinton: I was fighting against those ideas when you were practicing law and representing your contributor, Rezco, in his slum landlord business in inner city Chicago.
Wolf Blitzer: I just want to give you a chance, Senator Obama, if you want to respond. Senator Clinton made a serious allegation that you worked for a slumlord. And I wonder if you want to respond.
Sen. Obama: I’m happy to respond. Here’s what happened: I was an associate at a law firm that represented a church group that had partnered with this individual to do a project and I did about five hours worth of work on this joint project. That’s what she’s referring to.
Republican Voters in Florida Head to Polls
On the Republican front, voters head to the polls today in Florida in the last primary before Super Tuesday. Speculation is growing that former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani will soon drop out of the race if he doesn’t do well in Florida.
Bush OKs Spy Agencies to Some Monitor Internet Traffic
The Washington Post is reporting President Bush has signed a classified directive that expands the intelligence community’s role in monitoring Internet traffic. The directive authorizes the intelligence agencies – particularly the National Security Agency- to monitor the computer networks of all federal agencies to protect against attacks. James Dempsey of the Center for Democracy and Technology warned against allowing the NSA –a spy agency– to monitor domestic networks.
Israel Blocks Aid Convoy From Reaching Gaza
The Israeli military has prevented an aid convoy organized by Israeli human rights organizations, peace activists, and former military personnel from entering Gaza to distribute five tons of food to needy Palestinians. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the activists have been trying to enter Gaza since Saturday. The groups have been calling on Israel to end the siege on Gaza. In the past 10 days Israel had tightened a seven-month blockade of the Gaza strip by halting supplies of food, medical equipment and fuel.
Protesters Rally in London As Musharraf Meets Gordon Brown
In news from Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf has returned home after a four-nation trip to Europe aimed to bolster support for his government following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. In London, Musharraf met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and said elections would proceed next month.
Pervez Musharraf: “On the democratic transition, I did inform the Prime Minister our strong desire to go forward with the election and to ensure that the election will be free, fair and transparent. And that is what our resolve is and we will have the elections on the 18th February.”
Critics of Musharraf rallied outside 10 Downing Street. Speakers included Pakistani opposition figure and former cricket star Imran Khan.
Imran Khan: “I am here to show the contradiction of British so-called New Labour ethical foreign policy, where they are backing a military dictator in Pakistan who’s destroyed democracy in Pakistan, who sacked 60 percent of our judiciary, who’s put our supreme court chief justice under house arrest and there is a prime minister who’s supposed to be promoting democracy and freedom all over the world. They have killed hundreds of thousands of people in Iraq in the name of freedom and democracy and they are entertaining a military dictator.”
Report: Deaths of 19 Veterans Link to Mistreatment in VA Hospital
Another scandal appears to be brewing over the mistreatment of veterans inside a Veterans Affairs hospital. Two new federal reports have found substandard care at a veterans hospital in Marion Illinois have contributed to the deaths of 19 veterans over the past two years.
Vermont Town To Vote on Indicting Bush & Cheney
Residents of Brattleboro, Vermont will decide at an upcoming town meeting whether President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should be indicted and arrested for war crimes, perjury or obstruction of justice. Supporters of the initiative to arrest Bush and Cheney gathered enough signatures to put the item on the town meeting agenda. If passed, police in Brattleboro would be instructed to arrest and detain Bush and Cheney if they ever step foot in Brattleboro. Since taking office in 2001, Vermont is the only state in the country President Bush has not visited.
Prep School Cancels Rove Commencement Address
Meanwhile in Connecticut, students at the prestigious boarding school Choate Rosemary Hall have successfully forced school officials to cancel plans for Karl Rove to deliver the school’s commencement address this spring. Students had threatened to walk out of their own graduation and set up an alternative commencement ceremony if Rove spoke. Instead, Rove will speak at a campus event next month.
Eleven Jailed For Protesting At School of the Americas
Eleven human rights activists have been sentenced to federal prison for protesting at Fort Benning in Georgia – the site of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation–formerly the School of the Americas. The eleven activists were convicted of trespassing during a protest last November when 25,000 protesters called for the training center to be shut down. The U.S. military uses the school to train Latin American soldiers in combat, counterinsurgency and counter-narcotics. Frequently dubbed the “School of the Assassins,” critics say the school’s graduates are responsible for some of the worst human rights abuses in Latin America. The activists were given sentences ranging from 30 to 90 days in federal prison.
Tags: headlines, international, national
Posted: January 29th, 2008 | Author: edcutlip |
The Center for Media and Democracy and Consumer Reports Webwatch have launched a new website called “Full Frontal Scrutiny” that is aimed exposing “front groups.”
Front groups have been a common way for corporations and other interested parties to obscure their agenda while appearing as an unbiased source. The Center for Media and Democracy describes a front group as:
“..an organization that purports to represent one agenda while in reality it serves some other party or interest whose sponsorship is hidden or rarely mentioned. The front group is perhaps the most easily recognized use of the third party technique. For example, the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Center_for_Consumer_Freedom) claims that its mission is to defend the rights of consumers to choose to eat, drink and smoke as they please. In reality, CCF is a front group for the tobacco, restaurant and alcoholic beverage industries, which provide all or most of its funding.”
The project launched with an investigation into front groups and Wikipedia reporting on the various ways in which public relations firms and corporations seek to manipulate Wikipedia entries in order to promote their clients and products.
The front page of the website also features a brief news item about Meijer and its use of front groups in northern Michigan:
“In Acme Township, Michigan, the Meijer retail giant “secretly funded a plan to orchestrate last February’s recall of Acme Township’s elected officials, a potential violation of state campaign finance laws,” reports Brian McGillivary. “Meijer paid a public relations firm at least $30,000 in a failed effort to remove Acme’s board after years of zoning disputes over Meijer’s plans to build a store along M-72 in Grand Traverse County. Meijer’s public relations firm crafted recall language, devised election strategy, wrote campaign literature, and used local residents as figureheads in the recall.” The PR firm, Seyferth, Spaulding, Tennyson Inc. of Grand Rapids, directed the campaign using front groups including Acme Taxpayers for Responsible Government and the Acme Recall Committee. “It gives me a chill, how much money they can spend to ruin other people,” said Acme Clerk Dorothy Dunville, one of the public officials targeted by the company’s recall campaign. T. Michael Jackson, a retired public relations professional, has filed a complaint with the Public Relations Society of America, charging that Seyferth, Spaulding, Tennyson violated the Society’s code of ethics.”
Tags: advertising, corporations, media, public relations
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