Monday, July 12, 2004

Monday Mornin' Briefs FEATURED ARTICLES - Mr. Cheney's Troubled Doctor, NY Times Editorial - Exclusive: Election Day Worries, Newsweek - Destroying Democracy, by Joel Barkin - Give it Back George! The Lay Loot That Bought the White House, by Greg Palast QUOTE OF THE DAY "When a nation is filled with strife, then do patriots flourish." - - Lao Tzu KNOW YOUR HISTORY - JULY 12th 1969 -- Half of the Top 40 AM radio stations in the USA ban the Beatles' "The Ballad of John & Yoko" because of the lyrics, "Christ, you know it ain't easy. You know how hard it can be. The way things are going, they're gonna crucify me." RHINO HERE: Last week a beltway press corps member asked the shrub to compare John Edwards & Dick Cheney.  The coup puppet replied, "Cheney could be President! Next question!"  Ignoring the very scary prospect of a sudden need for the big dick to take over, and focusing instead on the traditionally common sense need for the V.P. to be in good enough health to handle the job, check out the following NY Times editorial outlining recent developments if the case of the VP's medical doctor being a pill freak. Mr. Cheney's Troubled Doctor NY Times Editorial, July 12, 2004 The doctor who regularly vouched for Vice President Dick Cheney's good health had a secret debilitation of his own - a grievous addiction to prescription drugs that has recently been thoroughly aired in public. Unfortunately, we now know a lot about the medical history of Dr. Gary Malakoff but very little about that of his patient, the vice president. ... In the face of Dr. Malakoff's failings, candor is more urgent than ever from Mr. Cheney. Even as Dr. Malakoff pronounced his patient "up to the task of the most sensitive public office" four years ago, the doctor was spending tens of thousands of dollars on his addiction and making hollow promises of rehabilitation to colleagues... MORE: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/12/opinion/12MON3.html?th There've been rumblings across the internet for weeks about the prospect of the shrub gang coming up with a reason to call of the November election.  Using a terrorist attack or threat thereof as a rationale for some kind of martial law. Rhino hasn't amplified those stories trying not to considered by anyone as a conspiracy crazy. Here's a Newsweek piece which reports that scenario not so far fetched. Exclusive: Election Day Worries by Michael Isikoff , Newsweek, July 19, 2004 American counterterrorism officials, citing what they call "alarming" intelligence about a possible Qaeda strike inside the United States this fall, are reviewing a proposal that could allow for the postponement of the November presidential election in the event of such an attack, NEWSWEEK has learned. The prospect that Al Qaeda might seek to disrupt the U.S. election was a major factor behind last week's terror warning by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. Ridge and other counterterrorism officials concede they have no intel about any specific plots. But the success of March's Madrid railway bombings in influencing the Spanish elections-as well as intercepted "chatter" among Qaeda operatives-has led analysts to conclude "they want to interfere with the elections," says one official. As a result, sources tell NEWSWEEK, Ridge's department last week asked the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel to analyze what legal steps would be needed to permit the postponement of the election were an attack to take place... MORE: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5411741/site/newsweek The end of last week, Tom Delay & his Republican cohorts in Congress along with a few Democrats, including my California Representative Brad Sherman, ripped another shred in the shredded state of our union by  putting down a bipartisan attempt to trim down the Patriot Act.. Here's a report by Joel Barkin, Communications Director for Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Destroying Democracy by Joel Barkin, CommonDreams.org, July 9, 2004 Anyone watching C-SPAN on July 8th, when Congressman Bernie Sanders I-VT and a bipartisan coalition took to the floor to protect the privacy of what Americans are reading and viewing on the internet, got one hell of a civics lesson. In an extraordinary display, the usually placid floor of the United States House of Representatives erupted as the Republic majority demonstrated once again that winning is their only goal. And democracy shouldn't be allowed to stand in the way...  When the vote finally occurred on the amendment, the typical 17 minute time limit expired and the amendment had won 219-201, with almost 30 Republicans voting for the amendment. But wait! The Republican presiding over the House didn't end the vote. Then the House Republican leaders began the process of "persuading" errant Republicans that supporting the President is more important than supporting our most fundamental Constitutional rights. A couple of votes changed. Then supporters of the amendment took to their feet demanding that the vote be closed. Shouts of "Shame, Shame, Shame" echoed through the House Chamber as scores of angry members on the Democratic side took to their feet... READ IT ALL AT: http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0709-10.htm Investigative Journalist Greg Palast  calls for the shrub gang to give back the money they got from Ken Lay & Enron which is still in the Republican political cash coffers. That's the Monday RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE. 7:57:04 AM    comment

RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE - Give it Back George! "SEND THIS ARTICLE TO A REPUBLICAN!" Give it Back George! The Lay Loot That Bought the White House by Greg Palast, CommonDreams.org, July 9, 2004 When the feds swoop down and cuff racketeers, they also load the vans with all the perp's ill-gotten gains: stacks of cash, BMWs, whatever. Their associates have to cough up the goodies too: lady friends must give up their diamond rocks. Under the racketeering law, RICO, even before a verdict, anything bought with the proceeds of the crime goes into the public treasury. But there seems to be special treatment afforded those who loaded up on the 'bennies' of Ken Lay's crimes. If the G-men don't know where the tainted loot is cached, try this address: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Ask for George or Dick. Ken Lay and his Enron team are the Number One political career donors to George W. Bush. Mr. Lay and his Mrs., with no money to pay back bilked creditors, still managed to personally put up $100,000 for George's inaugural Ball plus $793,110 for personal donations to Republicans. Lay's Enron team dropped $4.2 million into the party that let Enron party. OK now, Mr. President, give it back - the millions stuffed in the pockets of the Republican campaign kitty stolen from his Enron retirees. And what else did Ken Lay buy with the money stolen from California electricity customers? Answer: the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission... READ IT ALL AT:  http://www.gregpalast.com OR: http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0709-07.htm "RHINO'S BLOG" is the responsibility of Gary Rhine. (rhino@kifaru.com) Feedback, and requests to be added or deleted from the list are encouraged. SEARCH BLOG ARCHIVES / SURF RHINO'S LINKS, AT: http://www.rhinosblog.info RHINO'S OTHER WEB SITES: http://www.dreamcatchers.org (INDIGENOUS ASSISTANCE & INTERCULTURAL DIALOG) http://www.kifaru.com (NATIVE AMERICAN RELATIONS VIDEO DOCUMENTARIES) Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html All copyrights belong to original publisher. Tell a friend about Rhino's Blog 7:25:38 AM    comment

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