Wednesday, September 1, 2004

Who Would Jesus Bomb? FEATURED ARTICLES - More Than 500,000 Say No To The Bush Agenda At NYC March, United for Peace and Justice - Danny Glover; Lethal Weapon Star Arrested in US, BBC - Chicken Hawk Republicans Laughing at Wounded Veterans, Democrats.com - Zogby Poll: Half of New Yorkers Believe US Leaders Had Foreknowledge of Impending 9-11 Attacks         and "Consciously Failed" To Act, Zogby International - BOTTOM LINE:  Bush Agenda Is AWOL, by Michael Cudahy QUOTE OF THE DAY "I just believe George Bush is as fine a president as we've had in my lifetime. If condemning him will help him, I'll condemn him; if applauding him will help him, I'll applaud him. All I care is that he is back in the White House in November." - - Reverend Jerry Falwell (On his feelings about not being asked to speak at the Republican Convention) KNOW YOUR HISTORY - September 1st 1987 -- During a nonviolent protest at Concord Naval Weapons Station, a Navy munitions train runs over blockader S. Brian Willson. Willson loses both legs but remains an active & articulate leader in the anti-military movement. Wilson had been protesting American arms shipments to the contras by blocking a military train which failed to stop.  He was later sued by civilian members of the train crew for the "humiliation, embarrassment & emotional distress" the incident caused them. RHINO HERE: To watch any of the ongoing Repuglican convention, one not familiar with the real workings of the shrub gang behind their Oz-like curtain, would think the GOP cares, reallly cares, about the people, especially the least fortunate of the American people.  Tuesday nights theme was "compassion." To that the Rhino sez, "What a bunch of pachyderm poop!"  Anyone ever heard the phrase, "STARVE THE BEAST?" http://www.wordspy.com/words/starvethebeast.asp Word Spy defines "Starve The Beast" as a government strategy which seeks, " To cut taxes with the intent of using the reduced revenue as an excuse to drastically reduce the size and number of services offered by a government."   The neo-robber barons who navigate the shrub gang have taken this to new lows by driving the deficit to record heights, appropriating BILLIONS  of U.S. taxpayer dollars to supposedly promote "democracy" abroad while doing everything they can to cheat on elections here at home.  No wonder hundreds of thousands of Americans marched past Madison Square Garden last weekend. More Than 500,000 Say No To The Bush Agenda At NYC March NEW YORK, NY - August 29 - In the largest protest ever held during a political convention, more than 500,000 people from all over the United States marched past Madison Square Garden, site of the Republican National Convention, to express their opposition to the Bush agenda and the war against Iraq. "This march brought together people from every sector of society and every possible background, because we all understood that we had to shine a spotlight on the issues that the Republicans won't bring to the stage at their convention - the ongoing chaos and violence in Iraq, the unprecedented roll-back of environmental protections, the assault on a woman's right to choose and so many other issues that Americans deeply care about," said Leslie Cagan, national coordinator of United for Peace and Justice, the national anti-war coalition that organized the march... MORE: http://www.commondreams.org/news2004/0830-21.htm Rhino asks, "If little bush & his supporters are so concerned about oppressed people in the world being killed by tyrants, (this being their back-up excuse for waging war in Iraq), why are we not hearing a single Repuglican speaking out about the thousands of humans being murdered right now in The Sudan?" Danny Glover; Lethal Weapon Star Arrested in US BBC, 8/26/04 Lethal Weapon star Danny Glover was arrested on Wednesday outside the Sudan Embassy in Washington during a protest over Sudan's humanitarian crisis.  Glover was speaking to a crowd who were calling for a peacekeeping force to stop violence in western Sudan.  "We want an end to the hostility," said Glover. The actor was later charged with disorderly conduct and unlawful assembly, the US Secret Service said.  One million people have fled attacks by pro-government Arab militias in Sudan. The United Nations has called the situation in Sudan's Dafur region the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.  UN figures put the death toll at 50,000, while 1.2 million people have been left homeless... MORE: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3600520.stm Compassionate conservatives? Honoring the troops? Respecting those who risk their lives? SNORT !!#!! Express Outrage at Chicken Hawk Republicans Laughing at Wounded Veterans Republican National Committee member Morton Blackwell and his shadowy right wing groups - the Council for National Policy, the Leadership Institute, and the Conservative Leadership PAC - gave out "Purple Heart" band-aids at the RNC convention to mock John Kerry's wounds and medals. Several veterans don't find this amusing. They know this denigrates all who earned the Purple Heart in service to America. No shock, right wing chicken hawk Blackwell never served in the military. Still, he mocks those who did serve and suffered wounds to win a Purple Heart. Republicans ridicule troops risking their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. If you agree laughing at wounded Veterans isn't funny, hold Bush, Cheney and other chicken hawk Republicans accountable. Whether or not you're a veteran express your outrage at the laughing, mocking chicken hawk Republicans wearing "Purple Heart" band-aids. Help denounce his front organizations Write to Blackwell at: blackwell.cnp@usii.net MORE: http://www.buildingequality.us/ifas/cnp/bios/blamo.html And do New Yorkers love & trust Rudy & George? You & Zogby be the judges. New Zogby International Poll Reveals Half of New Yorkers Believe US Leaders Had Foreknowledge of Impending 9-11 Attacks and "Consciously Failed" To Act; 66% Call For New Probe of Unanswered Questions by Congress or New York's Attorney General Zogby  International, August 30, 2004 On the eve of a Republican National Convention invoking 9/11 symbols, sound bytes and imagery, half (49.3%) of New York City residents and 41% of New York citizens overall say that some of our leaders "knew in advance that attacks were planned on or around September 11, 2001, and that they consciously failed to act," according to the poll conducted by Zogby International. The poll of New York residents was conducted from Tuesday August 24 through Thursday August 26, 2004. Overall results have a margin of sampling error of +/-3.5. The poll is the first of its kind conducted in America that surveys attitudes regarding US government complicity in the 9/11 tragedy. Despite the acute legal and political implications of this accusation, nearly 30% of registered Republicans and over 38% of those who described themselves as "very conservative" supported the claim. The charge found very high support among adults under 30 (62.8%), African-Americans (62.5%), Hispanics (60.1%), Asians (59.4%), and "Born Again" Evangelical Christians (47.9%). Less than two in five (36%) believe that the 9/11 Commission had "answered all the important questions about what actually happened on September 11th," and two in three (66%) New Yorkers (and 56.2% overall) called for another full investigation of the "still unanswered questions" by Congress or Elliot Spitzer, New York's Attorney General... ...On September 9th and 11th, 911Truth.org will cosponsor two large successive inquiries in New York, a preliminary 9/11 Citizens Commission hearing and "Confronting the Evidence: 9/11 and the Search for Truth," a research-focused evidentiary forum. These inquiries will examine many of the 9/11 Commission-shunned questions and discuss preparation of a probable cause complaint demanding a grand jury and criminal investigation from the New York Attorney General. Possible charges range from criminal negligence and gross dereliction of duty to foreknowledge, complicity and subsequent obstruction of justice. For details and developments, see www.911truth.org. For press info, contact Kyle Hence 212-243-7787 kylehence@earthlink.net MORE AT: http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=855 Today's RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE expresses the frustration of many traditional Republicans who've watched their party be taken over by the Christian neo-cons; the ones Rhino imagines go around muttering, "Who would Jesus bomb?"  The piece is by political writer & analyst ,Michael Cudahy, formerly a national campaign staff member for President Bush, the elder; executive director for Elliot Richardson's Committee for Responsible Government, & national communications director for the Republican Coalition for Choice. 7:10:01 AM    comment

RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE - Bush Agenda Is AWOL "SEND THIS ARTICLE TO A REPUBLICAN!" RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE Bush Agenda Is AWOL By Michael Cudahy, AlterNet, August 30, 2004 While aides say that Bush will present a a detailed second-term agenda in his nomination speech, viewers are likely to find themselves questioning the president's sincerity. Will we see the tax-cutting George Bush who seeks severe restrictions on stem cell research, a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, and who is working to replace the IRS tax code with a national consumption tax? Or will he be someone else? Like the rest of this year's chaotic and increasingly disingenuous Republican presidential campaign, it appears the Republican National Convention will be carefully crafted to attract and reassure millions of moderate Republicans and independents. These supporters were attracted to George Bush's 2000 mantra of "compassionate conservatism," and who now wonder whether to continue trusting in a vision that has yet to materialize. These are votes the President desperately needs to win re-election in the Fall. And one thing voters can be certain of - when this president is desperate he will do whatever is necessary to achieve his ultimate goal.  That is why television viewers will be served up significant portions of shameless bait and switch, presented by moderate keynote speakers who are a pale reflection of this administration's hard line neoconservative agenda. Moderate surrogates who seek to soften and reinterpret the train wreck that has been the last three and a half years of George Bush's presidency... ...John Green, a specialist in religion and politics at the University of Akron, said that after decades of activism in Republican national politics, conservative Christians are now party insiders with major influence and power who do not require a specific and highly visible role at a national political convention.  In the mid 1990s, as National Communications Director for the Republican Coalition for Choice, I worked with thousands of other traditional party members to fight the emergence of what we now know as the neoconservative agenda.  The tool our opponents used so effectively was a weapon they learned from Bush friend and mentor Lee Atwater - stealth. Work invisibly, say whatever needs to be said, and when the occasion demands call upon nameless, faceless surrogates to do your dirty work for you. Atwater protege and Bush political advisor Karl Rove learned well from his old boss. If transparent dishonesty and insincerity advance the team's agenda then Rove will do whatever is required... READ IT ALL AT: http://www.alternet.org/election04/19698/ "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 6:12:51 AM    comment

© Copyright 2005 Gary Rhine.