Lock and Load!

Those who would ban gun ownership, sit up and pay attention. The last line of this woman's statement to Congress is why the founders put the Second Amendment in the Constitution.

Change my Ass!

For those who thought Obama was going to get us out of Iraq, think again. Today he said, "By August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end." Sounds good, doesn't it? Not so good for the 50,000 troops who will be staying. I'm sure they'll feel much better when their mission name is changed from combat to "training, civilian protection and counterterrorism." They'll be just as dead when blown up by an IED, but at least it won't be in a combat role. Hell, let's call them dancers. That sounds even better.

How about Bush's use of "state secrets" to prevent judicial scrutiny of his illegal rendition program and his illegal warrantless wiretapping program? I'm sure many thought Obama would drop that bullshit claim and let the light of justice shine on the deeds of the evil doers. Wrong again. Twice now the Obama administration (which is looking more like an Obushma administration) has asserted state secrets in attempts to shut down lawsuits against those who broke US laws.

Alas, this is about what I expected. Obama can't seriously rock the boat, not if he wants to live to see his little girls grow up.

POLL: Will We Have Riots?

Off With Their Heads!

It's about time a mob set up a guillotine on Wall Street, if only for display purposes.

The Greedy Bankers' Role in the Economic Meltdown

In this 6 minute presentation from publicradio.org, Marketplace Senior Editor Paddy Hirsch offers an easy to understand explanation of CDOs - the financial instruments which helped bring down the economy.

Thanks and a hat tip to American Public Media for the vid.

Good Riddance, Dubya!

Hooray for Pete Seeger

Pete and friends performing Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" at a pre-inauguration concert. I think it should be our National Anthem.

Bring Bush, Cheney, et. al. to Justice

Commentary by Pepe Escobar of The Real News.

John Conyers is Still Fighting for Justice.

Public Record reports today:

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers issued a 500-page report Tuesday documenting what he says are extraordinary claims of executive power during President George W. Bush’s eight years in office saying evidence his committee has gathered demands independent criminal investigations into issues such as torture, domestic surveillance, and the firing of nine U.S. Attorneys.
...
"Even after scores of hearings, investigations, and reports, we still do not have answers to some of the most fundamental questions left in the wake of Bush’s Imperial Presidency," Conyers said, using allegations of torture, extraordinary rendition, warrantless domestic surveillance, the Valerie Plame Wilson-leak, and the U.S. attorney scandal as examples. "Investigations are not a matter of payback or political revenge – it is our responsibility to examine what has occurred and to set an appropriate baseline of conduct for future administrations.

“The Bush Administration’s approach to power is, at its core, little more than a restatement of Mr. Nixon’s famous rationalization of presidential misdeeds: “When the president does it, that means it’s not illegal,” Conyers said in a foreword included in the report. “Under this view, laws that forbid torturing or degrading prisoners cannot constrain the president because, if the president ordered such acts as Commander in Chief, “that means it’s not illegal.” Under this view, it is not the courts that decide the reach of the law – it is the president – and neither the judiciary nor Congress can constrain him."

Nothing on the teeveenuz about it so far. I doubt they'll mention it.

What the media won't tell you about Gaza

Lawrence of Cyberia reveals some history the government and it's media don't tell the sheeple.
http://lawrenceofcyberia.blogs.com/news/2008/12/yes-virginia-there-is-a-context.html