Saturday, November 10, 2007

Friday stuff from Randi's site!

From TheRandiRhodesShow.com:

- CACI v Randi RhodesRandi’s victorious decision

- We need Al Gore to run for President. Sign up to Draft Gore for '08!

- Join Randi this Sunday, November 11th for Peace Action of Michigan’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. Click for tickets and info.


HOUR ONE GUEST: Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN)

HOUR THREE GUEST: Former radio talk show host, now running for Congress in Michigan's 9th District, Nancy Skinner.(http://www.skinnerforcongress.com)

It's Friday, Ya Bastards!

WEEK IN REVIEW:

MUKASEY:
It's Torture! The Senate confirmed Mukasey. Earlier: Mukasey survived his first hurdle as the Senate Judiciary Committee approved his nomination 11-8. Schumer and Feinstein’s announcement that they would be backing Mukasey was carefully timed to avoid scrutiny.

24 former intelligence officials had sent a letter to Patrick Leahy and Arlen Specter asking them not to send Mukasey’s nomination to the full Senate until he makes clear his opinion on whether waterboarding is torture.

Our good friend Brent Budowsky wrote: Democrats Surrender or Torture.

EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION:
Frontline did a great story on extraordinary rendition. Abu Omar tells a story about how he was kidnapped on the 17th of February 2003, “Then I disappeared from history.” Watch the FRONTLINE video “The Detainees Speak”.

Here is an interactive map to find out which countries are part of the CIA's worldwide network of "black sites".

Here is a timeline of when rendition started and progressed through the years.
Part 1: Part 2: Part 3:

Stephen Grey, author of Ghost Plane, The True Story of the CIA Rendition and Torture Program talks about the 5 Facts and 5 Fictions of CIA Rendition.

Here is an excerpt from Grey’s book, Ghost Plane.

WIRETAPPING:
Wiretapping whistle-blower, former AT&T technician Mark Klein, is in Washington to tell his story and persuade lawmakers not to grant legal immunity to telecoms that helped the government spy.

Klein has been trying to tell his story since 2004.

Here is the whole report Mark Klein wrote WITH THE SCHEMATICS of the room AT&T used and the diagrams he used to route the splitters.

DICK!
Presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich this week introduced a privileged resolution to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney.

Republicans voted to force a debate on the Cheney impeachment measure. Then Democrats voted to refer to the House Judiciary Committee, where Chairman John Conyers has expressed his reluctance to take the matter up. Republicans wanted an immediate vote with hopes to spark a HOUSE floor fight.

The vote took about an hour. Republican lawmakers credit Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) for coming up with the idea to try and make the Dems look bad by debating the issue of a Cheney impeachment.

The House Judiciary Committee released this statement on the Kucinich resolution to impeach Cheney.

If you’re not sure how the impeachment process works, here is the impeachment process broken down.

Congressman Robert Wexler sent an email to his constituents saying he will urge the Judiciary Committee to hold immediate hearings on a Cheney impeachment.

Dennis Kucinich isn’t stopping with a resolution to impeach Cheney. He is planning on a similar resolution to impeach Bush too.

PAKISTAN: STATE OF EMERGENCY!
Pakistani Police raided the homes of opposition party leaders, lawyers were taken into custody, police confiscated the equipment of journalists covering the raid and ordered them to leave the premises, and all independent television news stations remained off the air after Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency and suspended the constitution.

Pakistani police beat protesting lawyers. PM Shaukat Aziz said the elections would take place on schedule, though Musharraf has not commented.

Bhutto called for a mass protest if Musharraf does not end his state of emergency and hold elections.

Bush finally called Musharraf and urged him to restore democracy, hold elections and resign from his military post.

Pakistan attorney general Malik Mohammad Qayyum has said that the elections will be held in February and the state of emergency will be lifted in 1 or 2 months.

Musharraf is planning a Feb. 15th election date. Benazir Bhutto, who was set to hold a rally today, was put under virtual house arrest with police surrounding her home and not letting her leave.

Joe Biden has a new approach to resolve the crisis in Pakistan.

WAR ON TERROR:
Red Alert at the Orange Julius! The FBI has released its annual holiday shopping mall terror alert.

A Post-Iraq GI Bill by Jim Webb and Chuck Hagel.

The Defense Department is blocking the testimony of a Marine who claims that torture derailed the prosecution of a terrorist.

The House is pushing forward a defense spending bill which includes $55 billion in emergency war funding that would demand but not require a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

2007 has been the deadliest year for American troops since the war began. Over 850 troops have been killed so far.

Homeland Security Department has said that over 15,000 people have requested their names be taken off the Terror Watch List. Members of Congress are calling for a speedier appeal system due to the major backlog.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claims that Iran has 3000 centrifuges working to enrich uranium.

An Army of 1-to-5: the Military is lowering the bar on recruits again. Now people with minor criminal backgrounds may be sought to join.

AT THE PUMP:
A barrel of oil hit $98. Gasoline prices hit $3 a gallon –the first time prices have been that high in a November.

SIDEBARS:
Karl Rove’s opinion piece on the Democratic Congress’ failure to lead.

John Conyers, for the 9th time, wrote a letter to WH counsel Fred Fielding with regards to subpoenas sent in the US attorney firings.

On Thursday, the House approved a bill protecting gay workers from employment discrimination. Bush says he will veto it.

Have A Great Weekend!

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