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JANUARY 31-20, 02 Archives

George Bush's delusion Tragedy does not give America a free hand January 31, 2002. A tendency among politicians to exploit the September 11 tragedy has been apparent from the very first. In Israel, Russia and China, governments were quick to use America's agony to justify the unjustifiable in Palestine, Chechnya and in Xinjiang. Pakistan's ostracised regime found in September 11 a return route to international acceptance. Its arch rival India, in its turn, used one crisis to dramatise another, in Kashmir. From Tehran to Khartoum to Harare, political leaders climbed aboard the anti-terrorism bandwagon with a view to domestic advantage as well as Washington's aid and approbation. Even Tony Blair's post-September 11 empathy offensive was not totally devoid of similar calculations. Tragedy does not give America a free hand January 31, 2002. A tendency among politicians to exploit the September 11 tragedy has been apparent from the very first. In Israel, Russia and China, governments were quick to use America's agony to justify the unjustifiable in Palestine, Chechnya and in Xinjiang. Pakistan's ostracised regime found in September 11 a return route to international acceptance. Its arch rival India, in its turn, used one crisis to dramatise another, in Kashmir. From Tehran to Khartoum to Harare, political leaders climbed aboard the anti-terrorism bandwagon with a view to domestic advantage as well as Washington's aid and approbation. Even Tony Blair's post-September 11 empathy offensive was not totally devoid of similar calculations. guardian.co.uk

State of the Union speech: Bush declares war on the world By the Editorial Board 31 January 2002 The State of the Union speech given by George W. Bush Tuesday night was among the most menacing and belligerent in American history. The US president outlined a program of limitless and perpetual warfare, on every continent, and against any regime that stands in the way of the rapacious American ruling class. wsws.org

From the shadows of obscurity steps forth an American David. With Gods help and a tiny legal stone he will bring down a Goliath of corruption. David M. Walker became the seventh Comptroller General of the United States and began his 15-year term when he took his oath of office on November 9, 1998. As Comptroller General, Mr. Walker is the nation's chief accountability officer and the head of the General Accounting Office (GAO), a legislative branch agency founded in 1921. The GAO helps the Congress maximize the performance and assure the accountability of the federal government for the benefit of the American people. gao.gov
The Man Pressing the White House: David Michael Walker By NEILA. LEWIS. WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 — Even the most ardent followers of the federal government, the kind who spend hours watching C-Span, might have trouble remembering the names of any of the six previous holders of the office of comptroller general. "Talk is cheap," he told a reporter in response to Vice President Dick Cheney's assertion that the General Accounting Office was overstepping its bounds in demanding documents about how the administration formulated its energy policy. As the dispute has escalated, Mr. Walker said today that he would file a lawsuit to force Mr. Cheney to turn over the papers the White House has refused to provide to Congress. Mr. Walker will thus become the first comptroller general since the office was created in 1921 to sue an executive agency for failing to cooperate with a Congressional inquiry. nytimes.com

Secrecy is the true American tragedy Jan. 30, 2002 Found under the rubble of the Enron scandal was Ralph Reed, founder of the Christian Coalition, protege of Karl Rove and Republican party choirboy. As The New York Times reported last week, Enron had hired Reed as a consultant in 1997 for fees ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 (U.S.) a month and kept him on the payroll until the corporation filed for bankruptcy. Rove, who is now President George W. Bush's chief political adviser, says he praised Reed to Enron so often that the company finally got the hint and hired him. But the real reason Reed was hired, says The Times, was to freeze the evangelical leader in place for the Bush 2000 presidential campaign. thestar.com

In Wartime, the People Want the Facts By BILL KOVACH and TOM ROSENSTIEL January 29, 2002 WASHINGTON -- Four months into the war, a review of news coverage reveals that over time Americans are getting fewer facts and more opinion ˜ a narrow range of opinion, at that ˜ from newspapers, magazines and television. At the same time, polls show the press losing a measure of the respect it had gained in September, when the public overwhelmingly applauded the timely, comprehensive and informative news coverage it was getting. nytimes.com

Bush asks Daschle to limit Sept. 11 probes January 29, 2002 WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush personally asked Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle Tuesday to limit the congressional investigation into the events of September 11, congressional and White House sources told CNN. The request was made at a private meeting with congressional leaders Tuesday morning. Sources said Bush initiated the conversation. He asked that only the House and Senate intelligence committees look into the potential breakdowns among federal agencies that could have allowed the terrorist attacks to occur, rather than a broader inquiry that some lawmakers have proposed, the sources said cnn.com

Gov. Jeb Bush's Daughter Charged With Fraud January 29, 2002 By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Filed at 7:50 p.m. ET TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Gov. Jeb Bush's 24-year-old daughter was arrested at a pharmacy drive-through window Tuesday on charges of trying to buy the anti-anxiety drug Xanax with a fraudulent prescription. Authorities said Noelle Bush apparently posed as a doctor and called in the phony prescription after suffering a panic attack Monday evening. Bush, who was supposed to start a new job Tuesday at a software company, was jailed and released pending a Jan. 31 arraignment. Police said she was released without having to post bond. nytimes.com

HOMOSEXUALS ARE COMING TO POWER IN AMERICA! 19:20 2002-01-29 Homosexuals are heading for the American government. The St.Petersburg news agency Russkaya Liniya (Russian Line) released this information, with reference to Washington ProFile (WPF) news service. Homosexual leaders are exercising greater power in American political circles. Their share in the United States is 4% of the entire population. Vice President Dick Cheney’s daughter is proud of being a lesbian. Gays and lesbians spent $2.5 million to support their candidates during the 2000 elections. english.pravda.ru

Bush Administration undermining successful passage of Kyoto climate treaty? 29 January, 2002 Washington DC, USA v WWF, the conservation organization, is urgently seeking clarification from the White House on its actions regarding other countries' ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, following remarks by US Ambassador to Canada, Paul Cellucci last Friday. panda.org

The Enron collapse and the crisis of the profit system By Nick Beams, 29 January 2002 The collapse of the energy trader Enron on December 2—the largest bankruptcy in US corporate history—has resulted in a series of increasingly critical comments both in the American and international press. While detailing the extent of the collapse and the corrupt and possibly criminal activity that played such a crucial role in the functioning of Enron, sometimes in quite strident terms, all of this commentary serves an essential political purpose. It seeks to stop investigation at the very point where it must go deeper. wsws.org

KPCC Reveals President Bush Has A Heart Arrhythmia 29 January, White House Did Not Disclose After Pretzel Incident That Mr. Bush Has Sinus Bradycardia. President Bush has a heart arrhythmia called sinus bradycardia that makes him more prone to fainting when he gags or chokes. It's why he passed out January 13 in the highly publicized pretzel incident. Bradycardia means that the president's heart beats more slowly than the average person's heart. It gets its name from the Greek bradu-, from bradus (slow) + kardi (heart). 'Sinus' refers to the sinus node, which is the heart's natural pacemaker. kpcc.org

Keep Away by Ryan Lizza, Issue date January 28, 2002 Earlier this month President Bush silenced Democratic attacks on his handling of the economy with a single speech accusing Tom Daschle of plotting to raise taxes. Not bad. And since the Enron scandal exploded one week ago, the White House seems to have contained it with similar alacrity. In fact, during his two-day swing through the Midwest this week, Bush hardly looked like a guy mired in scandal. Still brimming with post-9/11 confidence, he gave cogent speeches in Missouri and Louisiana previewing his electionyear themes and artfully linking the war on terrorism to his top legislative priorities: a stimulus bill, fast-track trade authority, and his energy plan. By the end of the trip the White House seemed to be beating back the Enron story. Bush was misunderestimated again. thenewrepublic.com

Cheney Rebuffs Congress January 28, 2002, THEWASHINGTON  POST Washington - Vice President Dick Cheney said yesterday that he would not give congressional investigators records from the administration's energy policy development, welcoming what legal experts say would be the highest-profile court fight between Congress and an administration since Watergate.  newsday.com

Bush won't say which executives he talked to Jan. 28, 2002, Associated Press WASHINGTON - President Bush flatly refused today to identify the business executives who met with him, Vice President Dick Cheney and his aides to discuss energy policy, saying to do so would encroach on his ability to do his job. chron.com

White House, GAO may be headed to court over Cheney meetings By MARCY GORDON 1/28/02 WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vice President Dick Cheney says the Bush administration's refusal to identify business executives who met with him and his aides concerning energy policy probably will end up in court. Amid the Enron Corp. scandal, Cheney on Sunday defended President Bush's right to withhold the information, prompting accusations by some Democrats of White House stonewalling. nj.com

The strange and convenient death of J. Clifford Baxter—Enron executive found shot to death 28 January By Patrick Martin By Patrick Martin - Without anything that can be called a serious investigation, local authorities in a wealthy Houston suburb have whitewashed the death of former Enron vice chairman J. Clifford Baxter, calling it a suicide. Baxter, 43, was found shot to death in his Mercedes Benz in the early hours of Friday morning, January 25, near his home in Sugar Land. wsws.org

Poll Finds Enron's Taint Clings More to G.O.P. Than Democrats January 27, By RICHARD L. BERKE and JANET ELDER Americans perceive Republicans as far more entangled in the Enron (news/quote) debacle than Democrats, and their suspicions are growing that the Bush administration is hiding something or lying about its own dealings with the Enron Corporation before the company filed for bankruptcy protection, the latest New York Times/ CBS News Poll shows. nytimes.com

Bush's popularity slips January 27, US President George W Bush is experiencing a modest but steady slippage in his sky-high popularity as the economy emerges as the top issue for Americans, according to the latest issue of The Harris Poll. The president's approval ratings soared to record levels after the September 11 attacks on New York and the Pentagon that killed more than 3100 people, but show signs of slipping as fears of recession begin to replace support for a war as Americans' top priority. theaustralian.news.com

McCarthyism still stalks the land January 27, Recent events in both America and Britain have been reminiscent of an earlier, uglier era. by Geoffrey Wheatcroft,  Very few men in American history have cast a longer shadow than Senator Joseph McCarthy. In his lifetime, he cut a devastating swathe and he left behind a word in the language. An exhibition about him which has just opened in his home town of Appleton, Wisconsin, has caused controversy and shown that he has the power to strike a chill, 45 years after his death. guardian.co.uk

Powell urges Bush to abide by Geneva rules Jan. 26, Marking a break with most, if not all, senior administration officials, Secretary of State Colin Powell has asked President Bush to reverse course and formally adhere to the Geneva Convention when it comes to dealing with al-Qaida and Taliban detainees, according to an internal memo divulged Saturday. msnbc.com

Enron scandal threatens Cheney 26 January, By Rupert Cornwell Who knew what? - Congress ready to force Vice-President to reveal minutes of talks with failed giant. The Enron scandal yesterday threatened Vice-President Dick Cheney, as Congress said it was ready to go to court to force him to hand over documents that could show the influence the energy group wielded in the Bush administration. In an unprecedented move, the General Accounting Office, the lower house's investigative body, has signalled that it plans to sue for last year's records of the energy task force, which was headed by Mr Cheney, including minutes of its consultations with Enron. news.independent.co.uk

GOP-sponsored tax break nixed in Senate vote  January 26, WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate refused to give recession-strapped companies a new three-year tax break yesterday, dealing Republicans a setback in their drive to add more tax cuts to a Democratic economic stimulus bill. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said the provision would have cost $66 billion over 10 years, worsening the government’s already shaky fiscal outlook and possibly encouraging businesses to postpone job-creating investments. showmenews.com

Former Enron executive dies in apparent suicide January 25, (CNN) -- The former vice chairman of Enron Corp. was found dead Friday, the victim of an apparent suicide, police in Sugar Land, Texas, said. J. Clifford Baxter was found dead at 2:23 a.m., said Pat Whitty of the Sugar Land Police. Sugar Land is about six miles southeast of Houston. "Baxter had an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head," Whitty said. "He was discovered inside a vehicle ... A suicide note was found at the scene. There was no sign of foul play. Inside his wallet was an ID indicating he was an employee of Enron." cnn.com

In a sniper's sights: life in Camp X-Ray January 25, Julian Borger Julian Borger, From 100 yards - the closest civilians are allowed to venture - Camp X-Ray looks like a particularly densely packed zoo, its 2.5 metre cages arranged in tight metal blocks and its inmates all but invisible except for the occasional flash of orange through the wire. guardian.co.uk

John Walker Lindh, a 20-year-old American, will see no mercy from a vengeful Bush. Another shining example of what it means to be a compassionate conservative.
The Bush administration and John Walker Lindh: who are the real "conspirators"? 25 January By David Walsh, The Bush administration is proceeding with its brutal legal vendetta against John Walker Lindh, the young American who joined the Taliban in Afghanistan last year and surrendered to Northern Alliance forces in November. Walker (who generally goes by his mother’s name) arrived in the US late Wednesday after being taken off the USS Bataan warship—where he has been imprisoned—by helicopter and transferred to another military plane at the airport in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. wsws.org

Rebels force bill to floor of House January 25, By Alison Mitchell WASHINGTON-- The advocates of overhauling the nation's campaign finance law gained enough support to force a House vote on legislation that would make the most wide-ranging change in the campaign law since the Watergate era. The insurgents made their move, a defeat for the House Republican leadership, on the second day of the new congressional session, collecting the final signatures needed on a petition to send the bill to the floor. They said their quest to ban the unlimited contributions to the political parties known as soft money had been revived by the collapse of Enron and the tales of how the company spread nearly $6 million in campaign donations across Washington since 1989. More than half of the contributions were soft money. telegram.com

Enron auditors grilled by House committee January 25, House committee chastises Arthur Andersen witnesses over document shredding; fired auditor chooses not to answer panel's questions House committee chastises Arthur Andersen witnesses over document shredding; fired auditor chooses not to answer panel's questions. By LARA JAKES JORDAN -- The former lead auditor for Enron Corp. refused to testify Thursday before a congressional committee as his former employers blamed him for improper document shredding in the face of a federal investigation into the energy company's bankruptcy. timesunion.com

Civil Rights Groups Oppose Bush Judicial Nominee January 24, 2002 8:29 pm EST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A coalition of more than 50 national organizations on Thursday began what it called the first major campaign against a "right-wing" Bush administration judicial nominee -- U.S. District Court Judge Charles Pickering of Jackson, Mississippi. At a news conference, the groups, including the Alliance for Justice, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and National Women's Law Center, attacked Pickering's record as a federal judge and earlier as a Mississippi state senator on matters from women's rights to abortion and voting rights. news1.iwon.com

Insurgents in House force vote on bill to curb big money's influence on politics 1/24/02 By DAVID ESPO -- WASHINGTON (AP) -- Citing Enron as evidence for their cause, supporters of campaign finance legislation won their long fight Thursday to force a House vote on curbing the influence of big money in politics. "Campaign finance reform will finally get a fair vote," said Rep. Christopher Shays, a Connecticut Republican who has long defied his own party's leaders on campaign finance legislation. nj.com 1/24/02 By DAVID ESPO -- WASHINGTON (AP) -- Citing Enron as evidence for their cause, supporters of campaign finance legislation won their long fight Thursday to force a House vote on curbing the influence of big money in politics. "Campaign finance reform will finally get a fair vote," said Rep. Christopher Shays, a Connecticut Republican who has long defied his own party's leaders on campaign finance legislation. nj.com

Bush did nothing January 24 Guy B. Parent. Another gem of a column by William Safire, where he, together with right-wing pundits like Limbaugh and Savage, is trying to shift the focus and blame for the Enron disaster on the Democrats, who are asking, why didn't the administration do something to protect the livelihood and savings of thousands of Enron employees and stockholders as soon as they knew of its financial difficulties. According to these right-wingers, Mr. Bush is a hero for not meddling. After all, this is capitalism at work. Well, in the debates, he was also declared a winner, simply for not falling flat on his face. A real leader would have done something about it, then dealt with the criticism. sun-sentinel.com

Ashcroft's Media Scam: A Confederacy of Amnesia January 24, by Norman Solomon. Even by Washington's standards, the ability of John Ashcroft to reinvent himself has been a wonder to behold. Just a year ago, squeaking through Senate confirmation as attorney general, Ashcroft found himself shadowed by his own praise for leaders of the Confederacy. Now he's able to tout himself as a disciple of Martin Luther King Jr. commondreams.org

'Report Card' on All Congressional Web Sites to Be Released; Briefing to Feature Guided "Virtual Tour" of Hill's Best on the Web 24 Jan, A comprehensive study of 605 House and Senate Web sites will be released on Monday, Jan. 28 at 11 a.m. at a briefing for the media and congressional staff. The report, conducted by the Congress Online Project, is the result of a year-long research project that assesses the quality of congressional Web sites and identifies the best congressional Web sites. usnewswire.com

US flouts world opinion and Geneva Convention in treatment of Afghan war prisoners 23 January, By Shannon Jones and Patrick Martin The brutal treatment by the United States of Taliban and al Qaeda prisoners in its custody, who are being held in open-air cages at the Guantanamo naval base in Cuba, is provoking growing worldwide condemnation as a violation of international law. The International Committee of the Red Cross said January 21 that those being held by American forces must be classified as prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention and were entitled to all the protections offered by it. The ICRC is the international body entrusted with enforcement of the Geneva Convention, and its decision is a political blow to the Bush administration. wsws.org

The classic set up, and in typical republican hypocrite stile, Bush tells us that he isn't doing exactly what he is doing. This is the big burn. Now begins the real fleecing of America, taking the economy down as low as it can go and raising the misery index up to the sky. Don't be surprised when the Bush administration and the greedy military industrial complex drag us into a war, which we cannot easily win nor extricate our selves from.
Bush calls for another $50 billion for war on terrorism By SANDRA SOBIERAJ, WASHINGTON (January 23) - President Bush urged lawmakers Wednesday to approve nearly $50 billion in additional military spending for the war on terrorism, the largest increase for the Pentagon in two decades. Privately, he assured Republican and Democratic leaders he is not seeking to exploit the war on terrorism for political gain in this election year. With his chief political strategist, Karl Rove, seated behind him in the Cabinet Room, Bush gave House and Senate leaders an update on the fight against terrorists and added: "I have no ambition whatsoever to use this as a political issue. There is no daylight between the executive and the legislative branches." nandotimes.com

In a Shift, Bush Is Now 'Outraged' Over Enron January 23, By David E. Sanger, Insufficient Disclosure Hurt Shareholders and Workers, He Declares, Abruptly changing his tone about a company that heavily contributed to his political campaigns, President George W. Bush now says that he was "outraged" that Enron Corp. misled its employees and investors, including his mother-in-law, who he said lost more than $8,000 when the energy firm's stock collapsed. For the first time, Mr. Bush called for government action to force greater corporate disclosure of financial information. iht.com

Bush changes tone, now 'outraged' by Enron January 23, By David E. Sanger with David Barboza The New York Times BELLE, W.Va. -- Abruptly changing his tone about a company that heavily contributed to his political campaigns, President George W. Bush said on Tuesday that he was "outraged" that Enron Corp. misled its employees and investors, including his mother-in-law, who he said lost more than $8,000 when the energy firm's stock collapsed. For the first time, Bush called for government action to force greater corporate disclosure of financial information. dailynews.com

Poll: Trust in Govt. Limited to National Security January 22 By Gary Langer ABCNEWS tested the issue with two questions: Half the respondents in this poll were asked if they trust the government to do what's right "when it comes to handling national security and the war on terrorism." Sixty-eight percent said yes. The other half were asked if they trust the government to do what's right "when it comes to handling social issues like the economy, health care, Social Security (news - web sites) and education." Far fewer — 38 percent — said yes. This suggests that people haven't changed nearly as much as their frame of reference has changed. dailynews.yahoo.com

FBI Probes Alleged Enron Shredding January 22  By MARCY GORDON WASHINGTON (AP) - FBI (news - web sites) agents and federal prosecutors showed up at Enron's Houston headquarters Tuesday to investigate allegations that financial documents were shredded in the face of a federal probe, the company said. yahoo.com

Kerry: Bush Energy Plan to Help Industry, Not Public January 22, 2002 2:39 pm EST By Tom Doggett WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration's energy plan will make the U.S. economy more dependent on oil and was designed to help Enron and oil companies, not the American public, a Democratic senator said on Tuesday. Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, a likely presidential candidate in 2004, fired the opening salvo in what was expected to be a bitter, partisan fight this winter over a national energy policy that is a legislative priority for both parties. news1.iwon.com

Remember Katherine Harris, another wealthy republican monster. She helped the Bush brothers finagle the election. She used every dirty trick at her disposal to obstruct the counting of the peoples votes. It's all about greed and power, our constitutional rights mean little to people like her.
Katherine Harris says she needs $2 million for Congressional bid January 22 SARASOTA -- Secretary of State Katherine Harris set a $2 million fund-raising goal for her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. She is running to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Dan Miller, R-Bradenton, who did not raise $2 million in his ten years in office combined. Harris, a Republican, also said Monday she will hold town hall meetings and campaign door-to-door beginning this spring. She has about eight paid staffers, while her opponents rely almost entirely on volunteers. sun-sentinel.com

Amazingly the Republicans think they can unseat Democratic governor Gray Davis, hero of the people of California, defender against republican George Bush and his corporate utility puppet masters, and defender of the state's coastal waters against the oil companie polluters. All of the people of California know if a greedy republican gets in office they will be financially raped by the corporate utilities and the oil companies, their beautiful coastal waters will be fouled with oil, and the quality of life will sink to the corporate gutter as it has for much of America.
A Case of the Blahs in GOP Primary January 21 By Nicholas Riccardi, Urgency crept into Secretary of State Bill Jones' voice... "What people need to realize," the Republican candidate for governor said, "is the election is coming right up, on March 5." Veteran Democratic political consultant Kam Kuwata scoffed, "There is no primary." Democrat Gray Davis, is virtually guaranteed the nomination for his party. So far, the Republican campaign has consisted largely of scripted speeches to supportive gatherings or news conferences that draw a smattering of reporters. The three candidates--Jones, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and businessman Bill Simon Jr.--spend most of their speeches bashing Davis and devote little time to discussing which one of them is most qualified to take him on. latimes.com

Donald Rumsfeld defends treatment of prisoners By PAULINE JELINEK, WASHINGTON, January 21, - U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld on Sunday defended the idea of trying terrorist suspects by military tribunal after a week of growing international concern over how prisoners from Afghanistan and beyond are being treated by the United States. He spoke as 34 more prisoners from the war on terrorism were headed to the makeshift U.S. prison in Cuba, including six Algerians captured in Bosnia. And British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw asked the United States to explain published photos showing al-Qaida and Taliban captives kneeling on the ground in handcuffs at the jail in Guantanamo, Cuba. nandotimes.com

White House grapples with Enron questions January 21, Washington-AP -- What to do about Enron.White House officials are debating how to handle questions about the bankrupt energy company. Commerce Secretary Donald Evans and Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill spoke with Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay as the company was collapsing last fall but didn't disclose the contacts until this month. A new C-B-S poll says almost two-thirds of Americans think the Bush administration isn't telling everything it knows about its relationship with Enron. home.abc28.com

How Corporate Law Inhibits Social Responsibility by Robert Hinkley A Corporate Attorney Proposes a ‘Code for Corporate Citizenship’ in State Law January 20, After 23 years as a corporate securities attorney–advising large corporations on securities offerings and mergers and acquisitions–I left my position as partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom because I was disturbed by the game. I realized that the many social ills created by corporations stem directly from corporate law. It dawned on me that the law, in its current form, actually inhibits executives and corporations from being socially responsible. So in June 2000 I quit my job and decided to devote the next phase of my life to making people aware of this problem. My goal is to build consensus to change the law so it encourages good corporate citizenship, rather than inhibiting it. commondreams.org