October 2007 archive

Today is the fifth anniversary of the death of Senator Paul Wellstone (D, MN). His life and death changed the lives of many people.  He leaves a wonderful legacy. 

I felt like I was represented when he was my senator.  He stood up to the corporate interests, and he had guts. He didn’t test the wind before he took a stand on something. He had convictions and a backbone. Our politicians today can take a lesson out of his book.

Twenty days before his death, he voted against the authorization for Bush to attack Iraq. The following block quotes are from an article posted on  Common Dreams.

California Wildfires

Governor George Bush toured the damage today in California popping up like Alfred E. Newman from one ruined dream to the next, smiling while walking on the remnants of people’s destroyed lives and livelihoods.  In his photo op he said that the Federal Government has every intention of helping out.  Once again leaving himself an out.  The man that will commit to nothing but illegal war and torture.

So what’s a burned out homeowner to do in these troubled times of global warming?  Luckily the White House was quick to respond with a hand written list.  Experts say the handwriting looks a lot like Barbara Bush’s style but will need at least three tv talking heads to confirm their hunch before coming forward.  Jump to see the list. 

In response to Buddhy’s  Can Kucinich Stop Cheney From Invading Iran? , I thought it might be a good idea to explain Dennis’ overall plan for while he’s running and when (!) he becomes President.  It’s pared down a bit:

We all know that Bush wants $196,000,000,000 more for his Iraq and Afghanistan disasters, but something curious was tucked into the funding request. According to ABC News:

The item: $88 million to modify B-2 stealth bombers so they can carry a newly developed 30,000-pound bomb called the massive ordnance penetrator, or, in military-speak, the MOP.

The MOP is the the military’s largest conventional bomb, a super “bunker-buster” capable of destroying hardened targets deep underground. The one-line explanation for the request said it is in response to “an urgent operational need from theater commanders.”

ABC called CENTCOM to ask about it. CENTCOM said they’d look into it and call back. They haven’t yet.

Congressional Quarterly adds:

In interviews Tuesday, military experts said the new weapon was not designed for the kind of counterinsurgency campaign being conducted by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. They said the MOP could prove useful against other targets, notably underground Iranian facilities that are said to be producing nuclear weapons materials.

“A weapon like this is designed to deal with extremely hard and buried targets such as you would find in Iran or North Korea,” said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst with the conservative military think tank the Lexington Institute, who is also a consultant for some defense contractors.

“Clearly, in the case of North Korea, the likelihood of military action is receding as the Pyongyang government becomes more tractable,” said Thompson, referring to recent progress in diplomatic efforts to persuade North Korea to dismantle its nuclear programs.

How about Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility?

“You’d use it on Natanz,” said John Pike of GlobalSecurity.org. “And you’d use it on a stealth bomber because you want it to be a surprise. And you put in an emergency funding request because you want to bomb quickly.”

Happy Afternon!  I’m writing at four in the morning, and may be on the road when you read this…

Here is some news and an open thread brought to you by the resident instrument of doom and gloom. I think that makes me a banjo.

1. The Washington Post reports White House feels Rep. Henry Waxman’s oversight gaze. “Waxman has become the Bush administration’s worst nightmare: a Democrat in the majority with subpoena power and the inclination to overturn rocks. But in Waxman the White House also faces an indefatigable capital veteran — with a staff renowned for its depth and experience — who has been waiting for this for 14 years.”

   “We have to let people know they have someone watching them after six years with no oversight at all,” said Waxman, 68. “And we’ve got a lot of low-hanging fruit to pick.”

   This morning, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice testified before the House Oversight Committee that Waxman chairs and, as TMPmuckraker described it, Rice continued proud tradition of State Department stonewalling. Waxman’s doing his job. I guess the Founders never considered executive branch officials would just “not recall” when they drafted our Constitution. Keep at it Henry. You’re fighting the good fight.

2. BBC News reports Costa Rica gets a forest fund boost. “The US and conservation groups will cut $26m (£12.8m) from Costa Rican debt in return for the country spending the same sum on forest protection. Costa Rica will spend the money over the next 16 years on large swathes of its tropical forest. It hopes to help conserve such endangered species as the jaguar, squirrel monkey and scarlet macaw. Areas targeted include the Talamanca Highlands that contain the country’s largest untouched tract of rainforest.”

3. The Guardian reports Giant wind turbines face a storm of protest. “General Electric is developing wind turbines with blades longer than the tip-to-tip wingspan of a jumbo jet. In a move likely to dismay activists who view wind farms as a blot on the landscape, the American company has taken the wraps off a project to develop power-generating windmills with blades of 70 metres [229 feet] – some 75% longer than the typical existing length of 40 metres [131 feet].”

   Lorraine Bolsinger, vice-president of GE’s ecoimagination division, was unapologetic about the aesthetics of giant windmills. “You can’t say no to everything,” she said, pointing out that there were also objections to nuclear and water-generated power.

Today’s episode of Guns of Greed is below the fold.