Wednesday, May 18, 2005

News Missing in Action in the Lame MSM

News today is dedicated to the heroes who are standing up to the Bush bullies and their corporate lackies who profit greatly while the Janes and Joes of our nation suffer the consequences. Joes and Janes, you have to stop voting for these thugs and bullies. Get a reality check, please. You (WE) are paying dearly and greatly.....It is all about money and greed. It has nothing to do with "family values" or any of the fabricated messages you hear daily. You have been had big time. Wake up.

On to the heroes who are trying to give us that reality check.

Conyers tears into White House over the administration's assault on Newsweek. Cites Bush for his administration's lies about the justification to go to war with Iraq, (remember? the fabricated WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION?) the attendant 1600 dead U.S. soldiers, not to mention the tens of thousands dead Iraqis. Conyers also brings up the Memogate issue. He chastises Scott McClellen for the administration's attempts to intimidate and bully journalists and reporters when reporting news unfavorable to the WH.
Excerpt:

Moreover, your loquacious response to this matter stands in stark contrast to your response to a recently released classified memo comprising the minutes of a July 22 meeting of British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his cabinet which calls into question the credibility of assertions made by your Administration in its drive to war. Among other things the memo indicates that Administration officials were working to ensure that "the intelligence and facts were fixed around the policy," implying that intelligence was deliberately manipulated to prop up the case for war. The memo also indicates, contrary to contemporaneous statements to the American people and the Congress that the President had already "made up his mind to take military action." When asked about this memo, you claimed that you "don't know about the specific memo" - two and one half weeks after its release and ten days after receiving a letter detailing its contents from 89 Members of Congress (which has still not been answered).

Found on Raw story.com
http://rawstory.com/exclusives/byrne/conyers_newsweek_bush_517
CONYERS

WHY DO WE HAVE TO GO TO THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES TO FIND OUT WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON?
This piece was found on Ireland.on line. The article discusses George Galloway 's plight. He is accused by one of our very own US Senators for aiding, abetting and profiting from Saddam Hussein. Galloway fights back, calling the U.S. on its blatant lies and hypocrisy in our role in Iraq. Very informative and insightful piece. Found on Buzz Flash.com

GALLOWAY CALLS IT AS HE SEES IT

FROM THE NASHUA ADVOCATE: 'FLAP OVER ALLEGEDLY INACCURATE NEWSWEEK STORY RAISES SERIOUS QUESTIONS"
A favorite site of mine. I admire and respect the way in which the writer argues logically, concisely and dispassionately about issues that are dumbed down in the press and media.

Excerpt of brilliant and reflective writing (something we are not accustomed to anymore, unfortunately).

For example, precisely what sort of harm does a man have to do to this country to be declared the worst President in the history of the nation? Is lying to the nation and the world about a conspiracy to engage in aggressive war in Iraq enough, or does the resulting conflagration need to result in tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths to put Mr. Bush over the top? Does lying about a tax cut plan and gay-baiting homophobic Americans gain you the top spot for Most Inept Number One, or must we require leading the country into an entirely unnecessary and avoidable recession? How about a failed education plan, a failed missile defense plan, a plan to destroy Social Security, an Orwellian environmental "agenda," countless base closings, and no health care or anti-poverty programs to speak of? And can we really call a President the worst ever if he's never squandered the largest stock of pro-U.S. goodwill in the history of the world over a bogus military conflict with a nation no more threatening to the U.S. than Guyana?


NEWSWEEK FLAP

A SALUTE TO TRUE MAJORITY FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE. True Majority is the organization that created the statue of Uncle Sam spanking Tom DeLay. They have been cited in some of the MSM, no small feat these days.

TrueMajority Members Made a Difference

TrueMajority in the news ...

TrueMajority activities were covered in the past few months by Newsweek, National Public Radio, the Associated Press, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Fox, Salon.com, and many more.

On the lighter side, here’s what CNN said about our 12-foot statue of Uncle Sam spanking Rep. Tom DeLay for "abusing our trust":

"Actually, I think it's very funny. I think it's hilarious. I think Mr. DeLay could use a little spanking, a little discipline; he is never going to get it from his fellow Republicans in the House. ... These guys have a good sense of humor. And it's the Republicans who can't take the joke." -- CNN Crossfire, April 15, 2005

TrueMajority monitors Washington, and when your voice really matters, we give you the opportunity to do something. We don’t win all the time, but it’s worth reminding ourselves that we do have an impact.

Here are some things that the TrueMajority membership has accomplished recently:

Social Security Dismantlement Stalled

We call it a major victory that President Bush hasn’t had the confidence to offer any legislation on his plan to privatize Social Security. Why? Because Congress is overwhelmed by the voices of opposition, including yours. TrueMajority members contacting their representatives and our targeted "Frank and Marge" radio ads, generating millions of earned media impressions, made a difference. Check out the ad: 

mp3

or realaudio . "The White House claims that it’s gaining momentum in its never-ending quest to overhaul Social Security. But judging from the battle on the ground, it looks like the opposition can also claim to be on a roll. ...TrueMajority (a group founded by Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream) and several other groups who oppose Bush’s plan for personal accounts began running TV, radio, and newspaper ads on Monday in advance of Bush’s visit to Cedar Rapids." -- Newsweek, March 30, 2005


Ethics Rules Reinstated

The House of Representatives agreed with TrueMajority members that changing Congressional ethics rules to shield Majority Leader Tom DeLay was a bad idea. The House leadership reversed course and reinstated the old rules in April. Now we’ll press the House to hold DeLay accountable and to remove him from his leadership post.

Sudan Now before International Court

After an international outcry and steady urging by TrueMajority members, the Bush administration reversed itself and allowed perpetrators of genocide to be tried by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. Unfortunately, the murder and misery continue in Sudan, and we are pushing for sanctions backed up by force, if necessary, to stop the genocide.

Oil Companies Warned about Arctic Refuge

With our friend Sen. Barbara Boxer, TrueMajority members put the oil companies on notice that countless Americans will boycott their gas stations if they ever drill in the Alaska Wildlife Refuge. We’ll keep you informed as this issue develops, and we’ll keep an eye on Bush’s oil-friendly energy bill.

Bolton Squeaks out of Committee with No Recommendation

The Washington establishment was shocked that John Bolton, Bush’s
UN-hating nominee for UN ambassador, failed to gain a recommendation from the Senate committee that scrutinized his qualifications for the job. Though he may still get confirmed, TrueMajority members deserve credit for weakening his ability to harm the UN, as he’ll definitely be under media and congressional microscopes throughout his tenure.

Fundraising for Clergy Bus Tour

TrueMajority members donated $50,000 to help put a bus tour of progressive religious leaders on the road, bringing a moral and spiritual dimension to the call for ending the occupation of Iraq. This was a tremendous boost for the Clergy and Laity Network, and we’ll be supporting their tour along the way.

BB Animation

Last month, we used Ben’s celebrity and a bucket of BBs to explain how excessive America’s nuclear arsenal of 10,000 weapons is. The animation has been seen by 150,000 people and garnered over 10,000 new members in the little time it’s wandered the Web. See it at http://TrueMajority.Kintera.org/BensBBs.


Computer Voting

Although national media attention on election-scrambling computer voting machines has waned, the successful Computer Ate My Vote campaign rolls on at the state level.

Working with local activists in Colorado, TrueMajority members are pushing through a bill requiring voter-verified paper ballots, which prevent the loss of electronic votes. Together with our friends at Common Cause, we've gathered more than 1,300 signatures on a petition pushing for voter-verified ballots in North Carolina. TrueMajority members are also backing up local activists in Maryland and Connecticut to make the next election more trustworthy than the last.

So your TrueMajority staff has been busy keeping track of what’s going on in Washington, letting you know when issues come to a head and offering opportunities to make your voices heard. At over 500,000 strong, those voices were heard and acted upon in some important ways.

Of course, the times we’re living in mean these are uphill battles ... but we’re getting some results and will keep at it with you, and for you.

Proud to be in this together,

Duane Peterson and the entire TrueMajority gang

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Good Night. Adios. Bon Nuit.

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