From the Are You Shitting Me Department:

Former Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman urged bipartisan action from the next administration and Congress to address the global war on terror, health care, energy independence and climate change during his lecture Wednesday night at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial Union Theater.

He said these issues are vital to the welfare of the country and must be resolved without adherence to political alliances. He decried the last generation of politics as “hyper-partisan,” suggesting that most people decided ideological positions based on their party affiliation rather than on the issues themselves.

However, with the need to address these universal and fundamental problems facing the country, he expects a shift away from partisanship in politics.

“On all of these issues instead of seeing red versus blue, which we have seen the past couple of years and two presidencies, you are going to see much more of what I call ‘free agent politics,'” Mehlman said.

Mehlman, who was the campaign manager for the Bush-Cheney 2004 bid, praised the entire field of presidential candidates from both parties, describing this as a unique election in the country’s history. He predicted the balance between the public’s apparent desire for change and the concern of being in a prolonged war will significantly impact the election.

I thought it must be a joke, but it is reported seriously by WisPolitics, a usually reliable political site.

I’m too stunned to comment, although you are welcome to do so.

I just received this e-mail from a friend.  It started with a disclaimer about not knowing its validity, but I did a google and the legal firm Rohde & Victoroff looks good.

PLEASE DO THIS NOW. IT’S WORTH A SHOT!

House Resolution 333 for the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney is off the House floor, and has instead been sent to the Judiciary Committee for “further study.” This maneuver, organized by Pelosi and the Democratic leadership, is consistent with their mantra that impeachment is “off the table.” But, we are told Nancy Pelosi is reported to have replied to the question of impeachment that if she received 10,000 hand written letters she would proceed with it.

What are we waiting for?

Take out a sheet of paper RIGHT NOW and write:

PLEASE HOLD IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS IMMEDIATELY

Sign it with your address and mail it TODAY to:

Rep Nancy Pelosi

Speaker of the House

235 Cannon HOB

Washington, DC 20515

AND CIRCULATE THIS MESSAGE FAR AND WIDE

Best, Steve

Stephen F. Rohde

Rohde & Victoroff

Suite 411

1880 Century Park East

Los Angeles, CA 90067

310-277-1482

310-277-1485

Not much more to say, onward to the General strike!

what makes me so damned anxious? and determined? and heartbroken? and scared?…………..

…………that ryan is here. and i’m supposed to help leave him something a little bit better. not all better. not perfect. he’s got to have his shot at working out all this life shit… it’s just that i hate feeling like i’m leaving him something on the verge of disaster.

don’t rec the party… chit and chat. mostly, though… remember to be excellent to each other.

I can’t access the Camp Delta Standard Operating Procedures manual leaked the other day. It could be demand is so high it crashed the servers at Wikileaks. (Here’s an alternate link.) I wanted to check more on what I’m hearing is in all those hundreds of pages, including the fact that the initial period of isolation of prisoners is four, not two weeks in length. Also, other reports are describing, for instance, the use of military dogs with prisoners to “enhance physical security and as a psychological deterrent”. Both the ACLU and the Center for Human Rights are reported to have lawyers looking carefully at the document.

For those of use who have been protesting within the American Psychological Association (APA) about its policy of permitting psychologists to work in “war on terror” interrogation centers like Guantanamo, the Delta SOP is of more than passing interest. Colonel Larry James, who spoke against a moratorium resolution (banning psychologist participation in interrogations at places like Guantanamo) at the last APA conference, warning that without psychologists involved in the interrogation process “people are going to die” (meaning prisoners, I suppose; he wasn’t clear), was Chief Psychologist with the Joint Intelligence Group at Guantanamo during the period the controversial SOP was in operation. The APA has defended Colonel James to the present day, and even put him forward as someone who helped blunt human rights abuses at the facility.

It’s evident from the documentary material now that everything was not kosher (to say the least) at Guantanamo during James’s stint. It will be interesting to see how APA spins this. This is especially so now as certain APA leaders have initiated a charm offensive with the internal opposition, making allowances on the torture issue that are supposed to placate the critics, even as they refuse to ban psychologist presence in a non-medical capacity at facilities that allow indefinite detention and other forms of human rights abuses. Meanwhile, none of the current crop of candidates for APA President are willing to endorse any change of direction on APA and the interrogations issue.

The military has also given its statement on the leak and the manual itself (military acronyms include JTF-GTMO, for Joint Task Force-Guantánamo and SOP for Standard Operating Procedures):

On 14 November 2007, JTF-GTMO became aware that, what appears to be a 2003 Camp Delta SOP, had been posted on the World Wide Web.

While the document was “Unclassified” it had been designated “For Official Use Only” and for many reasons (to include the safety and security of U.S. service members) was not intended for mass distribution.

It is important to understand that SOPs by definition, undergo periodic review and change as situations warrant. Detention operations at JTF-GTMO have evolved significantly since 2003, prompting many SOP changes.

Additionally, there have been three changes in Command leadership since 2003; [Army] Maj. Gen. [Jay] Hood, [Navy] Rear Adm. [Harry] Harris, and [Navy] Rear Adm. [Mark] Buzby.

As a general rule, for reasons of personnel safety and operational security, the U.S. military will not publicly discuss the specific contents of SOP’s.

JTF-GTMO policy is clear — we treat all detainees humanely.

The JTF operates safe, humane and professional detention operations for unlawful enemy combatants. These enemy combatants are dangerous men and are providing valuable information in preventing further terrorist attacksaround the world.

In essence, the military is saying, don’t look at what we did or said, just believe us now: trust us.

But the amount of people who trust the military in these matters is growing smaller and smaller with each passing day.

Also posted at Invictus and Never In Our Names

Some news and the afternoon’s open thread.

1. I’m certain this will come as a shock to everyone, but the United States is the world’s worst carbon dioxide polluter and China is not far behind. The Washington Post reports the World’s power plant emissions detailed by the Washington-based think tank Center for Global Development. “China, South Africa and India host the world’s five dirtiest utility companies in terms of global warming pollution, according to the first-ever worldwide database of power plants’ carbon dioxide emissions, while a single Southern Co. plant in Juliette, Ga., emits more annually than Brazil’s entire power sector… While the United States still produces the most carbon dioxide from electricity generation, releasing 2.8 billion tons of CO2 each year, China is close to overtaking it, with its 2.7 billion tons. Moreover, China plans to build or expand 199 coal-fired facilities in the next decade, compared with the United States’ 83. Power plants account for 40 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and 25 percent of the world’s.

2. The Independent reports that America and the world’s executioners join efforts to block UN moves to end death penalty.

   World public opinion has been so outraged by the continued use of the death penalty in the 25 countries that carried out executions last year, that a petition carrying five million signatures has been presented to the UN, where yesterday a small group of countries were attempting to block the historic vote on a global moratorium that could lead to an all-out ban…

   If last-minute “killer” amendments to a draft UN resolution do not scupper the initiative, the 192-nation UN human rights committee will begin voting on the measure today. If adopted, it will give a powerful moral boost to those campaigning for an end to the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment…

   As of last night, the draft resolution had been sponsored by 85 states, including all 27 European Union nations. The United States, which executed 53 people last year, will vote against. So will China, which put 2,790 people to death last year. In fact 91 per cent of all death sentences carried out happen in six countries: China, the US, Pakistan, Sudan, Iraq and Iran…

3. Just in time for the holiday travel season, the Washington Post reports Bomb parts clear air security in tests. “Undercover investigators carried all the bomb components needed to cause “severe damage” to airliners and passengers through U.S. airport screening checkpoints several times this year, despite security measures adopted in August 2006 to stop such explosive devices, according to a new government report.” Okay, if you can call not being able to take water on an airplane and being asked to take off your shoes ‘security measures’. “‘These findings are mind-boggling,’ said the committee chairman, Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.). ‘In spite of billions of dollars and the six years TSA has had to deploy new technology and procedures, our airlines remain vulnerable. This is unacceptable. The American public deserves better.'” Americans need to stop accepting hokey rituals and restrictions as security.

4. The Los Angeles Times reports Nevada is not feeling Republican campaign love. “When the Nevada Democratic and Republican parties decided to move their caucuses to Jan. 19, they gambled that the major presidential contenders would have to campaign in the West, where voters were believed to be concerned about… regional issues… But it hasn’t worked out that way. Polls show that Nevadans are most concerned about the same problems as the rest of the country — the war in [occupation of] Iraq, healthcare, national security and immigration reform. And even with today’s Democratic debate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas — the third Democratic forum in the state; the [Republican Party] has held none — candidate visits have been few compared with other sanctioned early-voting states… Democratic candidates have been paying more attention to Nevada than the Republicans, including campaigning in the Republican-dominated ‘rurals’ like Nye County.”

So, how’s your Thursday going?

arubyan brings us the scoop that Markos’ “mind blowing” opponent will be KKKarl Rove himself.

I actually think this is good news, because it gives huge credibility to Markos that ‘Bush’s Brain’ himself is required to counterbalance him.

KKKarl is slick, I hope Markos has the chops for it.

Rove vs. Kos at Newsweek by arubyan

Update: kos’ Front Page piece

gina has just announced the Netroots Nation Convention will be held July 17-20, 2008 in Austin, TX.

Going to Texas: Expanding our Netroots Nation!! by gina

You won’t see me there.

Texas?  In July?

John McCain’s refusal to admonish a questioner who called Hillary Clinton a “bitch” has received much attention, in the last couple days. Good. It should. But what received much less attention was his own despicable attempt at humor, back in 2000, at the expense of both Janet Reno and Chelsea Clinton.

As reported, at the time, by Salon’s David Corn, McCain said, at a Republican fundraiser:

“Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?

Because her father is Janet Reno.”

Classy, huh?

As Corn pointed out, the media that did report the story actually omitted to report McCain’s actual words! The same media who reported in excruciating detail the private behavior of President Clinton and his girlfriend, excused themselves from reporting the details of McCain’s statement, ostensibly to protect a sensitive public. Or was it to protect John McCain?

As Corn wrote:

McCain’s two-liner conveys some interesting insights into what he considers humorous (lesbianism, a young woman’s physical appearance), particularly since it was delivered to a Republican crowd. Remember, this is the party that champions pro-family values.

McCain’s lapse in judgment — admittedly, not as big a lapse as having a sexual relationship with an intern — may be a significant clue into aspects of his “character,” and thus relevant to the voting public. But many voters have been spared this insight, thanks to the censors in the press.

The media and McCain’s pundit sycophants talk a lot about character. Well, what does it say about a man that he takes cheap shots at a woman because she doesn’t fit his standards of femininity? What does it say about a man that he finds it humorous to take cheap shots at a 20 year old woman’s physical appearance?

Of course, as Molly Ivins reported (quoted in this Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting article), Rush Limbaugh once made a cruel “joke” about Chelsea Clinton’s physical appearance- when she was still only thirteen years old! But Limbaugh isn’t an elected official, and he has never run for public office. He’s also not held out as some sort of crusty straight-talking sage. John McCain is.

What does it say about the corporate media that they wouldn’t report McCain’s actual words? What does it say about them that the story, itself, has been largely forgotten?

As Corn concluded:

But the joke revealed more than a mean streak in a man who would be president. It also exposed how the Washington Post, New York Times and Los Angeles Times play favorites when reporting the foibles of our leading politicians.

And have the televised pundits even mentioned it, at all?