"News"(?) of the Year

From the Center for Media and Democracy, here's a roundup of the "people and players responsible for polluting our information environment." Government agencies, the Bush campaign, and PR agencies singled out for misleading the public.

Conspiracy Theories of 2004

9-11, Abu Ghraib, Iraq, and more. Conspiracy theories or truths? Or both?

Things to Forget about 2004

Good summary of 2004's disappointments by Arianna Huffington.

A Red Christmas

I may not add any updates for a week or so. I'm leaving the comfort of blue-state Maryland to spend the holiday with the in-laws in Oklahoma. (Click on that to see just how red red can be.) Oklahoma and Utah are the only states where every single county voted for Bush this year. But that's not all -- Bush won with more than 60 percent of the vote among all age groups. And among families making over $50,000, he got 75 percent of the vote. Even in "big cities" (a relative term), he got 67 percent.

Among my Oklahoma family, they're about evenly split among Democrats and Republicans -- and they're all great people. So in the spirit of the holiday season, I'll have to accept that this isn't the time to try to reverse a 40-year trend of electing Republicans.

Zell to Honor Swift Boat Vets for "Courage"

Earlier this week, President Bush bestowed the Medal of Freedom on George "Slam Dunk" Tenet for providing the inaccurate evidence that helped him mislead America into war in Iraq.

Now, Zell Miller has been given the important job of honoring the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth with the "Courage Under Fire" award from the American Conservative Union.

'Tis the Season to "Erase" Clinton?

Wonkette reports that a recent visitor to the White House was disappointed to see that the official portrait of President Clinton had been removed -- to "make room" for decorations. C'mon, Bushies. Can't we all just get along for a few weeks during the holiday season?

Clinton Heckles Heckler

According to an item in the NY Daily News, President Clinton didn't back down from a heckler in Central Park. A man pushing a stroller said to him: "You were an embarrassment to the office of commander-in-chief." Clinton responded: "Oh, really? I think I did a helluva job.... I'll admit I misled people about my personal life. And I have even apologized for it, but I never misled the people about policy and I certainly never misled the people about going to war."

Before leaving, he reportedly told the guy: "I hope your children turn out to be as perfect as you are, sir."

Making a List; Checking It Twice

Here's a shopping guide called "Giving the Gift of War." Army Monopoly and dolls of Rudy, Uday, Saddam, W, Hillary -- they're all here.

Marine Mistreatment of Prisoners Detailed

"Marines in Iraq conducted mock executions of juvenile prisoners last year, burned and tortured other detainees with electrical shocks, and warned a Navy corpsman they would kill him if he treated any injured Iraqis, according to military documents made public Tuesday. "

From the Los Angeles Times.

Battlefield Erosion -- Sober Stats for Dems

Demographic and political trends don't look good for Democrats, according to Mark Gersh of the National Committee for an Elective Congress. Among women, high school grads, Catholics, seniors, and Hispanics, support for Dems has decreased steadily from Clinton '96 to Gore '00 to Kerry '04.

Gersh supports the DLC's "heartland strategy" of expanding the battlefield and closing the trust gap on key issues. "The bottom line...is pretty clear: Democrats are unlikely to win presidential elections based on sheer turnout efforts, or by boosting their already extraordinary margins in Democratic base areas. Republicans have now caught up in the get-out-the-vote game, and they are unlikely to allow Democrats the kind of advantage they had in the past."

70-Year-Old Called to Serve in "Volunteer" Army

Dr. John Caulfield, 70, a retired oral surgeon and Army colonel, has been called out of retirement to serve in Afghanistan -- even though he left the Army 24 years ago and retired two years ago. You've got to applaud his commitment, but it just shows how desperately short-handed our military is. Article here.

Sunny, Delusional Optimism

"The place where optimism most flourishes is the lunatic asylum." This quote is the perfect opening to this piece by Christopher Brachli. His description of President Bush's response to tough questions is dead-on: "...Mr. Bush's sunny if smirksome expression whenever anyone asks him about how things are going in Iraq. His facial expression suggests that that is about the dumbest question anyone could possibly ask."

Brauchli contrasts the administration's delusional optimism with these assessments:

Richard Armitage, outgoing deputy secretary of state: "Well, it's a bit messy right now....Traditionally, I think Americans support hope and enthusiasm and opportunity, but after 9/11 it was anger and our fear that we exported."

Chuck Hagel (R-NE), who visited top American commanders in Iraq: "I did not find one commander who said to me, 'We're winning.' They're doing everything they can. But we have constantly underestimated the insurgency force and the vitality of the insurgency."

"4 More Years of Decline"

Peter Preston writes in the Guardian that the second Bush term will be filled with mediocrities. "No one, it seems, is very keen on joining this supposedly refreshed administration. No one (least of all Rudy Giuliani) sees their future there. That's no surprise when you think about it, though. For there is no future that Bush can offer beyond four more declining years."

Preston notes the lack of star power in the new Cabinet heads. "None of this makes the next four years a kinder, gentler time; least of all a more competent one. It is a curse beyond nanny, the curse of exhaustion and ambition and greed and hard calculation."

UnemployedKerryStaffer.com

You've got to check out www.unemployedkerrystaffer.com:

"I started this because I worked pretty darn hard to get Bush out, and Kerry in and now instead of working out of the West Wing, I'm stuck watching re-runs of 'The West Wing' on Bravo."

If it's true that misery loves company, this blogger can take heart in last week's unexpected rise in jobless claims -- 357,000 of them.

Torture Witness Silenced

Why aren't people talking about the story that reporter and former Army counterintelligence agent David DeBatto broke? A sergeant who told his commanding officers that he witnessed his colleagues torturing Iraqi detainees was strapped to a gurney and flown out of Iraq -- with no medical reason. Here's an interview with DeBatto.

Iraq Vets Showing Up at Homeless Shelters

"When we already have people from Iraq on the streets, my God," said Linda Boone, executive director of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. "I have talked to enough (shelters) to know we are getting them. It is happening and this nation is not prepared for that."

One study has shown that 17 percent of service members returning from Iraq meet screening criteria for major depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress.

From The Washington Times.

"Consider all Arabs as potential terrorists..."

The Globe & Mail reports:

Jimmy Massey, a former marine staff sergeant, told an immigration and refugee board hearing in Toronto that he and his fellow marines shot and killed more than 30 unarmed men, women and children and even shot a young Iraqi who got out of his car with his arms in the air.

"We were told to consider all Arabs as potential terrorists . . . to foster an attitude of hatred that gets your blood boiling."

The Simpsons: Fox News = "Bush Whores"

In case you missed it, Sunday's episode of "The Simpsons" featured a Fox News satellite truck with a Bush-Cheney bumper sticker blasting "We Are the Champions." Tom Shales called the bit "pretty ballsy since 'The Simpsons' plays on the Fox network, but it also shows how firm is the image of Fox News as Bush whores."

Shop Blue

Thank goodness we have the Choose the Blue website. Using publicly available records, the site shows you which corporations supported Democrats and which supported Republicans in 2004. A helpful guide if you want to shift your spending to fit your politics. But if you support the "blue" businesses, you may severely limit your options when it comes to fast food, gas, and tobacco.

Here are some examples:

Supported Democrats:
Price Club/Costco donated $225K, of which 99% went to democrats
Estee Lauder, $448K, 95% to Democrats
Guess ? Inc., $145K, 98% to Democrats
Calvin Klein, $78K, 100% to Democrats
Liz Claiborne, Inc., $34K, 97% to Democrats
Levi Straus, $26K, 97% to Democrats
Olan Mills, $175K, 99% to Democrats
Gallo Winery, $337K, 95% to Democrats
Hyatt Corporation, $187K, 80% to Democrats

Supported Republicans:
Wal-Mart, $467K, 97% to Republicans
K-Mart, $524K, 86% to Republicans
Home Depot, $298K, 89% to Republicans
Target, $226K, 70% to Republicans
Circuit City Stores, $261K, 95% to Republicans
Hallmark Cards, $319K, 92% to Republicans
B.F. Goodrich (tires), $215K, 97% to Republicans
Coors, $174K, 92% to Republicans
Outback Steakhouse, $641K, 95% to Republicans
Tricon Global Restaurants (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell), $133K, 87%
to Republicans
McDonald's Corp., $197K, 86% to Republicans
Marriott International, $323K, 81% to Republicans
Holiday Inns, $38K, 71% to Republicans

Status of Coalition of the Willing -- don't forget Poland!

Here's a summary of President Bush's coalition of the willing (from GlobalSecurity, via Daily Kos) -- a total of 23,900 troops (half from the UK):

United Kingdom: 12,000 (will decrease to 10,500 in near future)
Italy: 3,169
South Korea: 2,800 (will increase to 3,600)
Poland (see YouForgotPoland.com): 2,400 (gradual complete pullout in 2005)
Ukraine: 1,400 (complete pull out over next few months?)
Netherlands: 1,345 (complete pullout by March 2005)
Romania: 700
Japan: 750
Denmark: 496
Bulgaria: 485 (pulling out 20 of those in near future)
El Salvador: 380
Hungary: 300 (complete pullout by March 2005)
Australia: 920
Mongolia: 180
Georgia: 159 (850 by end of 2004)
Azerbajian: 151
Portugal: 128
Latvia: 122
Czech: 110 (down to 10 in near future)
Lithuania: 105
Slovakia: 105
Albania: 71
Estonia: 55
Tonga: 45
Kazakhstan: 29
Macedonia: 28
Moldova: 12
Norway: 10

Countries that have pulled out -- Thailand, Spain, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Philippines, Singapore, and New Zealand. Armenia was supposed to offer a 50-man contingent, but that is now up in the air. Fiji will send 130 troops to serve as security for the UN mission.

Thompson to Terrorists: Bring It On!

For the life of me, I cannot understand why outgoing HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson would make this his parting remark:
"For the life of me, I cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply because it is so easy to do."

Evidence from Torture? No Problem!

One way to deflect criticism of alleged torture at Guantanamo Bay is to say it just doesn't matter. At a hearing today, a deputy associate attorney general said that evidence gained through torture can be used to decide whether to detain foreigners indefinitely.

The Associated Press reports: "Statements produced under torture have been inadmissible in U.S. courts for about 70 years. But the U.S. military panels reviewing the detention of 550 foreigners as enemy combatants at the U.S. naval base in Cuba are allowed to use such evidence" [according to the official].

In an interview, Harvard Law Professor Philip Heymann, a former deputy U.S. attorney general explained: "About 70 years ago, the Supreme Court stopped the use of evidence produced by third-degree tactics largely on the theory that it was totally unreliable."

GOPers Bury Civil Rights Report Critical of Bush

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has given the White House a report that says the administration has set back race relations and failed to promote civil rights. But you won't hear much about it, because the all the Republican members of the commission voted against adopting it.

Chair and vice chair Mary Frances Berry and Cruz Reynoso said in a letter to the president: "Sadly, the spiraling demise of hope for social justice and healing has deepened over the past four years, largely due to a departure from and marginalization of long-established civil rights priorities, practices and laws."

Berry and Reynoso are two of three Democrats on the commission, with one Independent and four Republicans. Both are retiring next month, and the president gets to appoint their replacements. So much for bipartisanship and any level of credibility for this important body.

The 9-11 Bubble

From Tom Friedman in today's New York Times (registration required):

"The very reason Mr. Bush had the luxury of launching a war of necessity in Afghanistan and a war of choice in Iraq, without a second thought, was because of the surpluses built up by the previous administration and Congress. Since then, the Bush team has been slashing taxes in the middle of two wars, weakening the dollar and amassing a huge debt burden -- on the implicit assumption that nothing will go wrong in the future."

Says Robert Hormats, vice chairman of Goldman Sachs International: "The 9/11 crisis has been used as a license to spend and cut taxes rather than to set priorities and focus our resources on what is critically important to our nation's security."

PR Meets Psy-Ops

Here's a great article from the L.A. Times about the fine line between information and propaganda. One senior defense official says: "The movement of information has gone from the public affairs world to the psychological operations world. What's at stake is the credibility of people in uniform."