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American Soldiers
Not Motivating Constitutional Respect for Women in Iraq

More.
To date, approximately 40,000 humans are dead or maimed so we could deliver Bush's promised democracy to Iraq. For some reason, Iraqis aren't as impressed with what they see of American values. Our constitutional rights are not surviving the translation into Iraqi culture.

In order to meet the arbitrary deadline for completing the Iraqi constitution (Iraqi are attempting to do in 8 months what US took 2 years to do), the value of certain issues are falling to the wayside. The most alarming development is the status of women's rights. As this Guardian article (reprinted in the Persian Journal) reveals, in trying to make the Islamic Sharia the source of legal power, the constitutional developers will be sending Iraqi women back hundreds of years.

Yanar Mohammad, an outspoken liberal advocate, said she was braced for a constitution of misogyny and inequality. "I am alarmed. It is not going to reflect the aspirations of women in the 21st century." The imposition of Islamic law would leave women vulnerable to political and domestic oppression, she said. "Women could be stoned and beaten."

Why can't the world see what a perfect nation we are and just do like we say and not like we do!

posted by Genevieve 5:13 PM

The Jacking of Ohio 1-2-3

What the MSM didn't tell you about Bob Taft and his bag man Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell is that $30 million in Federal election assistance money is unaccounted for in the Buckeye State. Wonder if the late Sen. Bob "Mr. Republican" Taft was a good pal of Sen. Prescott Bush because it seems that kleptocracy runs deep in both families. The love tap justice afforded the man from a "beyond reproach" family of American public servants is boffo cover up that keeps Ohio 2004 from becoming a West Virginia 1960 or Florida 2000 or Georgia 2002 in the politcal history books. The 3 million vote majority Shrub got in his homestate would have meant zilch had Ohio gone for the Brahmin from Louisburg Square.

Invetigative journalist Wayne Madsen has obtained documentation to wit that Ohio GOP Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell (a prized multi-culti assistant cabinet pick by the Ace of Spades and Slick Clinton before he flipped and went Repiggo)can't certify how Federal election assistance money was spent in his state. Documents from the Ohio Secretary of State's office and from the US General Service Administration indicate that some $30 million provided to the State of Ohio as part of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) was not spent on preparations for the 2004 presidential election, as required by law. In addition, of another $10.3 million of Section 101 HAVA funds allocated to Blackwell only $6.8 million was obligated as of Dec. 31, 2004. Even though Section 101 funds were for education and training of Ohio voters and poll workers, accessibility for voters, reporting vote fraud and other administrative requirements, some of the money provided to Blackwell's office went to firms whose owners were top GOP contributors. They, in turn, have not provided full accountability. Based on Madsen's findings from the Ohio Secretary of State's documentation, and from the GSA, which anyone is entitled to dispute, most of the $30.6 million was earmarked to be spent on replacing punch card or lever voting machines in precincts that used them in November 2000. Much of the money that was spread around went to Bush Ranger Weldon O'Dell's Diebold firm for e-vote machines that provide no paper receipt to voters and don't provide a verifiable user trailAnd vote fraud has become a "back of the bus" issue for the MSM.

posted by Groom 3:24 PM

Back in the U.S.S.R.

Bush advisors are making a big deal out of the fact that our parttime president actually mentioned--for the very first time--the number of Americans killed so far in Iraq and Afghanistan. The pronouncement was apparently calculated to dampen the growing perception that Our Leader is too engaged in competitive relaxation to understand the human costs of his extremely poor policy choices. It's certainly an improvement over Paul Wolfowitz's appearance before Congress when he missed guessing the number of dead by several hundred but doesn't this sort of thing remind you of the old Soviet Union when intelligence analysts used to pore through speeches of party leaders to find small nuggets to suggest a shift in policy? Who knew that someday we, too, would have our own Premier and Politburo?

posted by Jerry Bowles 12:59 PM

The Third Wave

If Goldwater got it started and the Bush/Cheney Neocons took the potential of American fascism to another level, here are the guys who will seal the deal. The Los Angeles Times is reporting on the next generation of Christofascists lining up to grab the seats of power. Expressly committed to exercising their interpretation of the word of God rather than that of the people, there is nothing more troubling on the horizon for a free America than this.

"Nearly every Monday for six months, as many as a dozen congressional aides — many of them aspiring politicians — have gathered over takeout dinners to mine the Bible for ancient wisdom on modern policy debates about tax rates, foreign aid, education, cloning and the Central American Free Trade Agreement.

"Through seminars taught by conservative college professors and devout members of Congress, the students learn that serving country means first and always serving Christ.

"They learn to view every vote as a religious duty, and to consider compromise a sin. That puts them at the vanguard of a bold effort by evangelical conservatives to mold a new generation of leaders who will answer not to voters, but to God."

Bush and Cheney are petty gangtas in comparison. These guys are a real threat to this nation and given their way, will create a new American Civil War that will make the Shia/Sunni dispute look like child's play.

Pay attention folks. This illustrates the critical difference between the Right and Left. The Right makes plans, the Left reacts. Even if we turn over the Congressional majority in '06 and elect a Dem president in '08, this situation looms as a major challenge. Educate your kids, sit on local school boards and PTAs, write white papers, or run for office to make sure the next generation turns off their iPods long enough to understand why America enjoys its freedoms. Vote for candidates who truly understand the Constitution. Make that your litmus test

posted by Leftcoast 11:08 AM

He'll Soon Be Sharing The Surface-Of-Mercury Suite At The Hades Hilton, For Eternity, With Father Coughlin

The "Reverend" Pat Robinson, bastard twin of Howdy Doody, said on his television show The 700 Club the other day that we need to off the democratically-elected President of Venezuela. The reason, he said, is because it was the United States' duty to stop Chavez from making Venezuela a "launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism."

Do these lying Christofascists even listen to themselves anymore? Who the hell is he talking about? Osama Bin-Guevara? Fidel Hussein?

posted by Michael 2:35 AM