There are some e-mails asking about the morning's post. It's going up now (it's up if you're reading it, this is it). I have a really bad case of swimmer's ear and it slowed down The Third Estate Sunday Review as well as this site. We'll all have to work with it/through it.
So what's in the New York Times?
Better question, what's in this morning's paper worth reading?
Carlotta Gall covers Pakistan's reaction to our "airstrike" that killed civilians. Gall's "Airstrike by U.S. Draws Protests From Pakistanis" informs you that the government of Pakistan is "confident that Ayman al-Zawahiri, the No. 2 leader of Al Qaeda and the target of the strike, had not been in the village when it was hit." However, eighteen civilians were killed, six of them children. Killing children? Gee, some might call that state-sponsored terrorism.
Pakastin's president Pervez Musharraf is quoted as saying (to the people of Sawabi) "We are looking into it, as to who has done it. We are looking into it, that there were people who came from outside."
What's the worst article in this morning's paper (main section, news section, only)? That could be a draw were it not for the fact that Adam Nagourney (who reports like Scooby Doo's Velma in search of her glasses) has a front page story. When the Dems, especially centrist Dems, need a stenography they go with Kelly Boy Adam.
"Glum Democrats Can't See Halting Bush on Courts" blares the headline (possibly offering more depth than the article). The byline? Nagourney wrote it. But for laughs (and to spread the blame around) we'll include the byline in full (remember when byline's just listed the name of the reporters?):
This article was reported by Adam Nagourney, Richard W. Stevenson, and Neil A Lewis and was written by Mr. Nagourney.
All that was needed was "by Adam Nagourney, Richard W. Stevenson and Neil A. Lewis." Nagourney acted like a glory hog, now he can be a blame hog.
There is so much wrong with this article that goes far beyond the "conventional wisdom" that finds Adam Nagourney out of the loop more often than in it.
His constant coverage of the DNC race was flat wrong -- and we noted that in real time while it was ongoing. The same problems that led to getting that wrong -- the coziness with centrists -- is at the heart of the problems with this article. Also taking up space in the lifeless heart is his tendency to run with conventional wisdom. You saw that at it's worst in November of 2004 when he co-authored the trend/myth story of the value voters that attempted to summarize a poll but instead selectively used data to stroke the results into a nice conventional spin. Spin that happened to be wrong; hence, his refuting the myth in January of 2005 while never making a point in that article to note that he co-wrote the mythical story for the Times. (Outside the paper, many others had a hand in promoting that nonsense. In terms of the Times, it fell to Janet Elder and Adam Nagourney.) (And we should note that while that myth/spin was taking hold, Frank Rich was refuting in the pages of the New York Times.)
The right-wing press falls all over themselves painting Nagourney as a raving liberal. Hint to the right-wing, liberals, raving or otherwise, rarely last in the main section of the paper. Centrists is what saved the paper from ruin, centrists is what they carry to the bank, day after dull day. If the right wants to paint him as in bed with the DLC, by all means do so. But we'll try to avoid calling McCain right-wing (the extreme right doesn't claim him) if they can stop confusing Nagourney with those of us who are left.
Before we go any further, question: Does Nagourney fancy himself a gentleman or does he just think women are so unimportant that they're not worthy of a critique? Considering Diane Feinstein's embarrassing performance in the hearings, it's surprising that she's not mentioned once in his long (overly long) article.
What we get is Adam telling us all about the secret summit (read "secret" -- the Times always enjoys thinking they know more than readers -- quite often that's true since they fail to report so much on the pages of the paper). The Dems were told by legal experts that if they made the case that Alito was out of the norm in his views, they could stop the nomination.
Now, Adam explains it all, the Dems realize that they can't stop a Bush nominee, even one out of the norm.
If you're missing it, and maybe this was more clear if you were in DC and seeing the negoitations going on, some in the party are hoping to use that myth to steer the party ever more right ward.
I don't have time for Nagourney's crap and I don't think Americans who care about the Democratic Party do either.
He's the errand boy for the DLC pushing each and every spin. We're supposed to believe that the Dems put up a brave fight but in the end lost so now the message to take away from the proceedings is that America isn't interested in partisanship. (Nagourney, I heard the same crap talking points on Wednesday, why did it take you until Sunday to get it in the paper?) So the answer is, as it always is when it comes from the DLC, to move away from "left/right" and (here's the nonsurprise) move to the center. (The ever rightward shifting center.)
This talking point began being floated on Tuesday. It was crafted in its present state (the way it's reported in the Times this morning) on Wednesday. It wasn't true then and it's not true now.
The Dems did a lousy job. The message at the summit was to paint Alito out of the mainstream. If anyone was supposed to get that Alito had horns, they didn't get it from Diane Feinstein aping Mother Confessor Barbara Walters. They certainly didn't get it from Kohl acting tentative and, when he finally had something to say, speaking so softly that people present were straining to hear him.
The message of the summit was to bear down on how out of the mainstream Alito was (which I believe he is). The Dems didn't do that. You did have Ted Kennedy doing the job that he so frequently is the only one doing. You can note Feingold. But as a team, they didn't do the job that they were advised to.
Feinstein was serving tea and cookies. (Trina has good comment on this in her post on Saturday -- one highlight: "As my sister-in-law Peggy said, 'Donna Reed had more bite.'")
She couldn't have come off more heavenly unless she donned a white robe and matching turban.
Biden did well with his prepared questions, when he stuck to them. Too often, he "improved" on them (adding more and more words) and, worst of all, he wasn't able to devise a coherent follow up because he didn't appear to be listening closely.
There was no organized plan. It was as though they listened in the summit saying "Uh-huh, Uh-huh, Uh-huh. Got you!" and then went off and decided to do whatever they wanted. The strategy didn't fail, the execution of it did.
But when ever the Dems stumble, the DLC is there to scream for a march to the right and they've got Nagourney on something (I won't claim it's "speed dial" since the main talking point of his article was well known on Wednesday) and he rushes it into print as fact.
The most repeated comment to me, all last week, by friends in the press was that the Dems weren't fighting. Now maybe Nagourney doesn't speak to his peers (not surprising if that's the case, he's not well thought of, I was surprised that Richard W. Stevenson was -- so someone can pass that along to him that he's rated highly by his peers), but he's yet again missed the story.
And the question asked the most often about Nagourney is if he is deliberately missing the boat? Is that how you succeed at the Times? He takes every thing he's spoon fed by his centrist sources and runs with it as fact. Does he do that to be a good lapdog for the paper or is he really that out of it that he can't see with his own eyes what went down?
When there are myths to be made a set group reads from the same page. So expect to hear Cokie Roberts clutch the pearls on NPR make the same points. (Possibly Monday if she's not holidaying to honor the "progress" she feels war brings to African-Americans.) Expect the usual suspects to cluck over how the Dems tried to be left and it didn't work out so the only thing to do is to move to the center.
Most of the time with Nagourney's stories, I just ignore them because they are so worthless as they cobble together talking points that made the rounds as trial balloons before being firmed up and then megaphoned through his ilk. When he's pushing the trend story that will be accepted as fact, I do make a point to weigh in. This is a trend story and you're going to hear a lot of it.
You're going to hear the lie that the Democrats did a fine, outstanding job trying to prove that Alito was out of the mainstream. Go to the transcripts if you find yourself soaked in spin and losing your hold on reality. (Or check out Pacifica's main page because I'm sure they'll archive their live broadcast as they did with the Roberts hearings.)
The Democrats were ineffectual. They did a lousy job making a case. And, please note, the Times sometimes pointed this out in real time. But here's Nagourney, rewriting history. He is the DLC errand boy, he is the DLC cleaner come in to clean up the mess and hide the body. Or, to put it in Times terms, he's the anti-Scott Shane. He's the type of reporter that requires his own minder to follow up his reporting. (Probably because he's so busy being all thing to the DLC.)
And if that hurts Nagourney's feelings (this is the "man" who ran to Daniel Okrent) too bad. I'm not in the mood to put up with nonsense. (Want to really hurt his feelings? Point out that a leg isn't part of the "inside gang" no matter how well he repeats spin.)
George e-mailed to ask where was something about yesterday's broadcast of RadioNation with Laura Flanders?
It's at The Third Estate Sunday Review. Here's a list of their new content:
"A Note to Our readers"
"Editorial: Senate Judiciary Dems Go Stand in the Corner"
"State of the Party (in question), State of the Country (Purple, ask Laura Flanders)"
"TV Review: Four Kings? They're bluffing"
"Day by Day coverage of the Alito fan club"
"Pacifica Radio programs to note"
"Five Books, How Many Minutes?"
"State of the Party (in question), State of the Country (Purple, ask Laura Flanders)" is the one on yesterday's broadcast.
I'm assuming George is asking about a commentary of the show because Kat did do a heads up yesterday. (And George wrote this morning.) Today, as Kat noted, the line up is:
On Sunday, our journalists' roundtable features RYAN TRONIER of KRCL's "RadioActive" and ROBERT GEHRKE, DC correspondent for the Salt Lake Tribune. We'll also hear from environmentalists achieving the impossible with among others, TomDispatch contributor CHIP WARD.
It's all on RadioNation with Laura Flanders this weekend on Air America Radio.
Remember that the programs airs live from seven to ten pm eastern standard time.
the new york times
carlotta gall
adam nagourney
trinas kitchen
the third estate sunday review
samuel alito
supreme court
alito hearings
radio nation with laura flanders
laura flanders
the laura flanders show
radio
ryan tronier
robert gehrke
kats korner
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Ruth's Morning Edition Report
Ruth: Programming notes at the start of this report:
Monday, January 16, WBAI-Pacifica Radio, 99.5 FM, New York, will broadcast A Special Birthday Tribute to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Join us for an extraordinary 21-hour-long program starting at 3 AM. Beginning with Citizen "K" opening with the documentary "Citizen King." Stay with us through the day as we bring you rare complete speeches and sermons given by Dr. King as he moved from a relatively unknown country preacher to the world stage as one of the greatest leaders in the movement for civil and human rights. For 45 years WBAI has recorded many of the most memorable and powerful moments in the struggle for freedom, justice and equality in the US, painstakingly archiving the recordings for ongoing listener and community education and enjoyment. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches are perhaps even more relevant today than when he first gave them. The issues of social justice, racism, poverty, equality, civil liberties, human rights, globalization, war and peace are still making a powerful impact on the daily lives of humanity.
That is this Monday on Pacifica's WBAI. How did Pacifica end up with such strong archives? By covering what others did not want to. We saw that again this week with the Judiciary Committee's hearings on Judge Samuel Alito Jr.
Second programming note, is for the morning of Sunday the fifteenth, and remember programs are archived if you are reading this after the fifteenth:
Sunday Salon with Larry Bensky airing on KPFA 9-11 am Pacific Time
In our first hour... Iraq on-the-ground... We'll be joined in-studio by independent journalist David Enders, author of the new book "Baghdad Bulletin: Dispatches from the American Occupation." Enders spent 15 months in Iraq, where he arrived weeks after the U.S. invasion. He never once lived inside the Green Zone. And, Raed Jarrar recently moved to the Bay Area from Iraq. His family recently moved to Jordan after being one of the last families in their circle to stay in Iraq. Jarrar has done much work on the ground in Iraq.
In our second hour... The first of 6 planned executions in California this year... Clarence Ray Allen will turn 76 on Monday, January 16th, just after midnight on the 17th, the State of California plans to execute him. He has advanced heart disease and diabetes, is legally blind, hearing-impaired, and uses a wheelchair. Meanwhile, the state Legislature is considering a Moratorium on the Death Penalty. Our guests: Assemblymember Sally Lieber of San Jose is a sponsor of the legislation; Dr. John Groner will talk about the state of health care in California Prisons; and others.
Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held live hearings on the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito Jr. for Surpreme Court Justice. The Supreme Court is a lifetime appointment. Any nominee, whether he or she makes it through the process and is confirmed or not, is news.
Barring ill health or an accident, a Justice will serve longer than a President, even one elected to two terms, and will impact the make up of the Court and the way the Court rules. Judge Alito, who is currently a federal judge, is the second of Bully Boy's nominees to sit before the Judiciary Committee. Judge John Roberts Jr. was confirmed as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in late 2005. Bully Boy's original nominee for slot being vacated by Sandra Day O'Connor was Harriet Miers. Ms. Miers' nomination imploded for a number of reasons, including questions about qualifications, though, to hear the press tell it now, apparently the right-wing reaction to Ms. Miers' nomination did her in.
Such were the facts leading up to hearings on Judge Alito. Cleary the hearings were both news and of interest to the public good. So where was public radio? NPR passed. Pacifica was there with their gavel to gavel coverage.
As repeatedly demonstrated last year, when events call live coverage, Pacifica puts their scheduled programming on hold to provide the public service required. Possibly, chucking the usual NPR fare might mean losing some of the corporate underwriting that NPR depends upon?
If you felt, as I did, that the hearings were disappointing, they were still newsworthy. Those listening to the hearings noted that Judge Alito refused to term Roe v. Wade settled law and that, despite the media reports, he did not give any indication of being "open" to Roe. Instead he cited Casey vs. Planned Parenthood which was a case that upheld Roe in parts but also chipped away at some findings in Roe. As the mainstream media applauded Judge Alito's 'clever' manner in dealing with questions, those who didn't follow the coverage live may not have grasped how often he avoided answering questions which included more than mere side stepping.
While rocking Elijah mid-morning Friday, I wondered where the analysis was? Throughout the week Verna Avery Brown and Mitch Jeserich would highlight key moments during the breaks, early on they were joined by Larry Bensky, and speak to assorted guests who would raise issues and offer insights. It was only after the song playing went off that I realized I was not listening to the hearings on KPFA. All of the Pacifica stations do a wonderful job, but I have never known to KPFA to break away from a live coverage so if, like me, you missed the analysis during the breaks, make a note to listen to KPFA when Pacifica provides live coverage.
In Wednesday's report, I made a point to note some of the guests offering commentary, I would now like to note the callers who also added to the coverage. Some got to the point immediately, some were highly knowledgable about the process, but all added to the coverage. That includes the man who phoned, I believe on Thursday, to offer that Judge Alito should be confirmed. I disagreed with the caller's reasonings but he had his say and was heard which is what public radio is all about.
As C.I. noted here and in roundtables for the gina & krista round-robin, watching the hearings in person did not provide any indication of how they were playing out if you listened to them, watched them or followed after the fact coverage. By taking calls from listeners, Pacifica's coverage included not just what went on in the hearings, news analysis and experts who could speak to key topics, it also included the public a key part of public radio. So I have high praise for Pacifica's coverage of the hearings.
The hearings themselves? This is the week that Elijah, my grandson, figured out how to remove his own diaper. He most enjoyed doing this when he had a "poopy" diaper. I think I a great deal of what I heard said in the hearings was reflective of what was in the diapers I rushed around repeatedly to pick up.
Tracey and Jayson came over after school each each day and would listen in, except for Friday when the hearings had concluded before school ended, hoping each time that this would be the day the Democrats had "a game plan." They were very disappointed in the process. But I was impressed with both grandchildren because they are still willing to fight the confirmation by contacting their senators and because they are geared up for other battles on the horizon.
My own take was less productive. Until 2005, there was a man still sitting on the Court who'd been appointed when I was a young woman that I opposed then and every day after. These are lifetime appointments and neither Chief Justice Roberts nor Judge Alito can be considered elderly. If appointed, Judge Alito will be with us for many years. Having lived through the breakthroughs and progress of the Warren Court, watching the Rehnquist Court undue much of that progress has been depressing.
Justice O'Connor has been, in my opinion, overly praised. She was not just one of the five with the majority in the 'one time decision' of Bush v. Gore, she was also someone who upheld only parts of Roe. As a strong supporter of Roe, I do understand the desire to see her remain on the Court and found myself wishing, since her announcement to retire, that she would announce she had changed her mind and would remain on the bench. Judge Alito, if confirmed, will steer the Court ever more rightward but as someone who remembers the Warren Court, I try to remind myself that Judge O'Connor is a "moderate" only in relation to the current make up of the Court.
So as the Bully Boy attempts to replace a conservative with a more extreme conservative, I attempt to remember that we will lose a fair weather friend of Roe as opposed to a close ally. I also attempt to tell myself that having bungled the hearings for the second time in a row, the Democrats on the committee will be organized if and when Bully Boy nominates a third person to the Court. That may be the biggest delusion of all.
If there was a master plan of strategy that Democrats serving on the committee were operating under, it was lost on me. Topics and issues came and went. Follow up questions were rare from an individual senator and even rarer still from other senators. I feel that in the next hearing, one Democrat should be in charge of determining the key strategy. Due to the way he conducted himself in the hearings and his senority, I would designate Senator Ted Kennedy for that task. He should outline and enforce the strategy for each day's hearings. If an individual senator felt that the outline did not include an issue that was important to them or their constituents, they should bring up that issue in relation to day's framework outlined by Ted Kennedy. What should have been a hard look at Judge Alito's decisions and beliefs came off, instead, like a catch all as Democrats attempted to touch on every topic under the sun without any spine that tied the questioning together.
For myself, the issue was the right to privacy. That issue was the umbrella under which questions of reproductive choice, questions of human rights and sexuality, questions of governmental spying all fit. But there was no attempt to tie them together in the questioning.
Instead the questions came and went playing out as though the senators were going down a laundry list of items and checking each one off as they went along.
The environment is also an important issue and, while I am not aware of how to tie that into the issue of privacy rights, eight senators should be able to think that through much better than I could. A constant refrain from each senator could have been, "Judge Alito, let's get back to the concerns many have over your views on the right to privacy."
This is at the heart of the problems many of us have with Judge Alito. Noting the unitary executive power issue, Chip Pitts of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee stated Wednesday, "Alito still holds to this and would be a danger on the Supreme Court." He referenced a question from Republican Senator Jon Kyle as to who would have the last word in a conflict between the branches, the president? Judge Alito's response was, "Yes, that's right." The implications of that statement are frightening. This was one of many threads that the Democrats, collectively, dropped; however, it seemed to demand greater exploration.
The hearings are over. Hopefully the nomination can be stopped on the full floor of the Senate. But, as Tracey and Jayson pointed out, there are additional battles. With that in mind, I'll repeat this from Wednesday's report:
The Bush Commission . . . will be holding a tribunal in New York City from January twentieth to the twenty-third. The first day of the hearing will take place at The Riverside Church on 123 Riverside Drive and will begin at 5:00 pm. The second day will take place at the same location and begin at 10:00 am. The final day, Sunday, the hearings will move to the Law School at Columbia University and will begin at 1:00 pm. More information can be found online at Bush Commission and also by calling (212) 941- 8086. Also at the Bush Commission website, you can find information on the October 2005 hearings including audio and videos you can watch online as well as text excerpts.
The commission is discussed on Monday's Law & Disorder, an archived broadcast of that episode can be heard at the Law & Disorder website. This week's CounterSpin addressed the realities of Iraq via The Independent of London's Patrick Cockburn, an unembedded reporter who has been reporting on the occupation since the invasion. Also of interest in that broadcast of CounterSpin is Janeane Jackson's interview with journalist Brian Dominick of the NewStandard about what lessons the media seem to have absorbed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. One theory? Raw emotion.
Regular programming returns to Pacifica this week and I am sure many of us are looking forward to hearing our favorites. But I will close by again noting and thanking Pacifica for providing the gavel to gavel coverage of the hearings and for serving the public interests as public radio should.
pacifica
samuel alito
supreme court
alito hearings
wbai
kpfa
law and disorder
bush commission
brian dominick
patrick cockburn
janine jackson
counterspin
special birthday tribute to mlk
mlk
sunday salon
sunday salon with larry bensky
verna avery brown
larry bensky
mitch jesserich
chip pitts
bill of rights defense committee
ruths morning edition report
the common ills
Monday, January 16, WBAI-Pacifica Radio, 99.5 FM, New York, will broadcast A Special Birthday Tribute to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Join us for an extraordinary 21-hour-long program starting at 3 AM. Beginning with Citizen "K" opening with the documentary "Citizen King." Stay with us through the day as we bring you rare complete speeches and sermons given by Dr. King as he moved from a relatively unknown country preacher to the world stage as one of the greatest leaders in the movement for civil and human rights. For 45 years WBAI has recorded many of the most memorable and powerful moments in the struggle for freedom, justice and equality in the US, painstakingly archiving the recordings for ongoing listener and community education and enjoyment. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches are perhaps even more relevant today than when he first gave them. The issues of social justice, racism, poverty, equality, civil liberties, human rights, globalization, war and peace are still making a powerful impact on the daily lives of humanity.
That is this Monday on Pacifica's WBAI. How did Pacifica end up with such strong archives? By covering what others did not want to. We saw that again this week with the Judiciary Committee's hearings on Judge Samuel Alito Jr.
Second programming note, is for the morning of Sunday the fifteenth, and remember programs are archived if you are reading this after the fifteenth:
Sunday Salon with Larry Bensky airing on KPFA 9-11 am Pacific Time
In our first hour... Iraq on-the-ground... We'll be joined in-studio by independent journalist David Enders, author of the new book "Baghdad Bulletin: Dispatches from the American Occupation." Enders spent 15 months in Iraq, where he arrived weeks after the U.S. invasion. He never once lived inside the Green Zone. And, Raed Jarrar recently moved to the Bay Area from Iraq. His family recently moved to Jordan after being one of the last families in their circle to stay in Iraq. Jarrar has done much work on the ground in Iraq.
In our second hour... The first of 6 planned executions in California this year... Clarence Ray Allen will turn 76 on Monday, January 16th, just after midnight on the 17th, the State of California plans to execute him. He has advanced heart disease and diabetes, is legally blind, hearing-impaired, and uses a wheelchair. Meanwhile, the state Legislature is considering a Moratorium on the Death Penalty. Our guests: Assemblymember Sally Lieber of San Jose is a sponsor of the legislation; Dr. John Groner will talk about the state of health care in California Prisons; and others.
Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held live hearings on the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito Jr. for Surpreme Court Justice. The Supreme Court is a lifetime appointment. Any nominee, whether he or she makes it through the process and is confirmed or not, is news.
Barring ill health or an accident, a Justice will serve longer than a President, even one elected to two terms, and will impact the make up of the Court and the way the Court rules. Judge Alito, who is currently a federal judge, is the second of Bully Boy's nominees to sit before the Judiciary Committee. Judge John Roberts Jr. was confirmed as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in late 2005. Bully Boy's original nominee for slot being vacated by Sandra Day O'Connor was Harriet Miers. Ms. Miers' nomination imploded for a number of reasons, including questions about qualifications, though, to hear the press tell it now, apparently the right-wing reaction to Ms. Miers' nomination did her in.
Such were the facts leading up to hearings on Judge Alito. Cleary the hearings were both news and of interest to the public good. So where was public radio? NPR passed. Pacifica was there with their gavel to gavel coverage.
As repeatedly demonstrated last year, when events call live coverage, Pacifica puts their scheduled programming on hold to provide the public service required. Possibly, chucking the usual NPR fare might mean losing some of the corporate underwriting that NPR depends upon?
If you felt, as I did, that the hearings were disappointing, they were still newsworthy. Those listening to the hearings noted that Judge Alito refused to term Roe v. Wade settled law and that, despite the media reports, he did not give any indication of being "open" to Roe. Instead he cited Casey vs. Planned Parenthood which was a case that upheld Roe in parts but also chipped away at some findings in Roe. As the mainstream media applauded Judge Alito's 'clever' manner in dealing with questions, those who didn't follow the coverage live may not have grasped how often he avoided answering questions which included more than mere side stepping.
While rocking Elijah mid-morning Friday, I wondered where the analysis was? Throughout the week Verna Avery Brown and Mitch Jeserich would highlight key moments during the breaks, early on they were joined by Larry Bensky, and speak to assorted guests who would raise issues and offer insights. It was only after the song playing went off that I realized I was not listening to the hearings on KPFA. All of the Pacifica stations do a wonderful job, but I have never known to KPFA to break away from a live coverage so if, like me, you missed the analysis during the breaks, make a note to listen to KPFA when Pacifica provides live coverage.
In Wednesday's report, I made a point to note some of the guests offering commentary, I would now like to note the callers who also added to the coverage. Some got to the point immediately, some were highly knowledgable about the process, but all added to the coverage. That includes the man who phoned, I believe on Thursday, to offer that Judge Alito should be confirmed. I disagreed with the caller's reasonings but he had his say and was heard which is what public radio is all about.
As C.I. noted here and in roundtables for the gina & krista round-robin, watching the hearings in person did not provide any indication of how they were playing out if you listened to them, watched them or followed after the fact coverage. By taking calls from listeners, Pacifica's coverage included not just what went on in the hearings, news analysis and experts who could speak to key topics, it also included the public a key part of public radio. So I have high praise for Pacifica's coverage of the hearings.
The hearings themselves? This is the week that Elijah, my grandson, figured out how to remove his own diaper. He most enjoyed doing this when he had a "poopy" diaper. I think I a great deal of what I heard said in the hearings was reflective of what was in the diapers I rushed around repeatedly to pick up.
Tracey and Jayson came over after school each each day and would listen in, except for Friday when the hearings had concluded before school ended, hoping each time that this would be the day the Democrats had "a game plan." They were very disappointed in the process. But I was impressed with both grandchildren because they are still willing to fight the confirmation by contacting their senators and because they are geared up for other battles on the horizon.
My own take was less productive. Until 2005, there was a man still sitting on the Court who'd been appointed when I was a young woman that I opposed then and every day after. These are lifetime appointments and neither Chief Justice Roberts nor Judge Alito can be considered elderly. If appointed, Judge Alito will be with us for many years. Having lived through the breakthroughs and progress of the Warren Court, watching the Rehnquist Court undue much of that progress has been depressing.
Justice O'Connor has been, in my opinion, overly praised. She was not just one of the five with the majority in the 'one time decision' of Bush v. Gore, she was also someone who upheld only parts of Roe. As a strong supporter of Roe, I do understand the desire to see her remain on the Court and found myself wishing, since her announcement to retire, that she would announce she had changed her mind and would remain on the bench. Judge Alito, if confirmed, will steer the Court ever more rightward but as someone who remembers the Warren Court, I try to remind myself that Judge O'Connor is a "moderate" only in relation to the current make up of the Court.
So as the Bully Boy attempts to replace a conservative with a more extreme conservative, I attempt to remember that we will lose a fair weather friend of Roe as opposed to a close ally. I also attempt to tell myself that having bungled the hearings for the second time in a row, the Democrats on the committee will be organized if and when Bully Boy nominates a third person to the Court. That may be the biggest delusion of all.
If there was a master plan of strategy that Democrats serving on the committee were operating under, it was lost on me. Topics and issues came and went. Follow up questions were rare from an individual senator and even rarer still from other senators. I feel that in the next hearing, one Democrat should be in charge of determining the key strategy. Due to the way he conducted himself in the hearings and his senority, I would designate Senator Ted Kennedy for that task. He should outline and enforce the strategy for each day's hearings. If an individual senator felt that the outline did not include an issue that was important to them or their constituents, they should bring up that issue in relation to day's framework outlined by Ted Kennedy. What should have been a hard look at Judge Alito's decisions and beliefs came off, instead, like a catch all as Democrats attempted to touch on every topic under the sun without any spine that tied the questioning together.
For myself, the issue was the right to privacy. That issue was the umbrella under which questions of reproductive choice, questions of human rights and sexuality, questions of governmental spying all fit. But there was no attempt to tie them together in the questioning.
Instead the questions came and went playing out as though the senators were going down a laundry list of items and checking each one off as they went along.
The environment is also an important issue and, while I am not aware of how to tie that into the issue of privacy rights, eight senators should be able to think that through much better than I could. A constant refrain from each senator could have been, "Judge Alito, let's get back to the concerns many have over your views on the right to privacy."
This is at the heart of the problems many of us have with Judge Alito. Noting the unitary executive power issue, Chip Pitts of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee stated Wednesday, "Alito still holds to this and would be a danger on the Supreme Court." He referenced a question from Republican Senator Jon Kyle as to who would have the last word in a conflict between the branches, the president? Judge Alito's response was, "Yes, that's right." The implications of that statement are frightening. This was one of many threads that the Democrats, collectively, dropped; however, it seemed to demand greater exploration.
The hearings are over. Hopefully the nomination can be stopped on the full floor of the Senate. But, as Tracey and Jayson pointed out, there are additional battles. With that in mind, I'll repeat this from Wednesday's report:
The Bush Commission . . . will be holding a tribunal in New York City from January twentieth to the twenty-third. The first day of the hearing will take place at The Riverside Church on 123 Riverside Drive and will begin at 5:00 pm. The second day will take place at the same location and begin at 10:00 am. The final day, Sunday, the hearings will move to the Law School at Columbia University and will begin at 1:00 pm. More information can be found online at Bush Commission and also by calling (212) 941- 8086. Also at the Bush Commission website, you can find information on the October 2005 hearings including audio and videos you can watch online as well as text excerpts.
The commission is discussed on Monday's Law & Disorder, an archived broadcast of that episode can be heard at the Law & Disorder website. This week's CounterSpin addressed the realities of Iraq via The Independent of London's Patrick Cockburn, an unembedded reporter who has been reporting on the occupation since the invasion. Also of interest in that broadcast of CounterSpin is Janeane Jackson's interview with journalist Brian Dominick of the NewStandard about what lessons the media seem to have absorbed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. One theory? Raw emotion.
Regular programming returns to Pacifica this week and I am sure many of us are looking forward to hearing our favorites. But I will close by again noting and thanking Pacifica for providing the gavel to gavel coverage of the hearings and for serving the public interests as public radio should.
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Comandante de Abu Ghraib se acoge a Quinta Enmienda en juicio militar
Maria: Hola. De parte de "Democracy Now!" doce cosas que vale hacer notar este fin de semana. Paz.
Comandante de Abu Ghraib se acoge a Quinta Enmienda en juicio militar
El "Washington Post" informa que un oficial de alto rango del ejército estadounidense se acogió al derecho a no autoincriminarse cuando testifique ante el tribunal militar que juzga a dos soldados acusados de utilizar perros para intimidar a detenidos en la prisión de Abu Ghraib en Irak. La decisión fue tomada por el General de División Geoffrey Miller -- que ayudó a organizar interrogatorios en Abu Ghraib -- poco después de que el Coronel Thomas Pappas, comandante en jefe de Abu Ghraib, aceptara esta semana la inmunidad judicial ofrecida y se le ordenara testificar en un juicio militar a realizarse próximamente. Según el "Post", se le podría pedir al Coronel Pappas que contara cómo surgieron las tácticas abusivas, quién ordenó que se utilizaran y qué posible conexión hay con autoridades de Washington. Michael Ratner, presidente del Centro para los Derechos Constitucionales, afirmó que: "Es un peldaño más arriba en la cadena de mando, y eso es bueno. Podría demostrar que no se trató solamente de unos pocos casos aislados de oficiales corruptos."
Tribunal público presenta acusaciones ante la Casa Blanca
Y en Washington este martes, la Comisión sobre Crímenes de Bush, un grupo de acción pública, presentó ante la Casa Blanca un conjunto de 5 acusaciones. Las acusaciones sostienen que el gobierno de Bush ha cometido crímenes de guerra y crímenes de lesa humanidad. Las acusaciones fueron elaboradas en la primera Comisión Internacional de Investigaciones sobre Crímenes de Lesa Humanidad Cometidos por el Gobierno de Bush, reunida en la Ciudad de Nueva York en octubre. La segunda comisión de investigación se reunirá en la Universidad de Columbia a partir del 20 de enero.
NSA espió intensamente a grupo pacifista de Baltimore
Esta noticia es sobre el programa de espionaje nacional del gobierno de Bush. El sitio web "RawStory.com" obtuvo documentos del gobierno que indican que la Agencia de Seguridad Nacional (NSA, por sus siglas en inglés) espió al grupo Pledge of Resistance de Baltimore, un grupo pacifista vinculado a los cuáqueros. Los documentos indican que el grupo fue intensamente vigilado, con registros detallados de sus viajes, rutas de traslado y hasta los globos de helio que utilizaron en una manifestación. Incluso un día se registraron los movimientos del grupo cada 15 minutos. Y en una manifestación durante la "Semana a favor de Mantener el Espacio para la Paz" (Keep Space for Peace), la NSA tenía previsto realizar una vigilancia aérea y tener cerca un Equipo de Respuesta Rápida a Armas de Destrucción Masiva.
NSA niega pedido de denunciante de testificar ante el Congreso
Por otra parte, ABC News informa que la Agencia Nacional de Seguridad ha rechazado el pedido del denunciante Russell Tice de testificar ante el Congreso. A Tice, un ex agente secreto de la Agencia de Seguridad Nacional y la Agencia de Inteligencia de Defensa que denunció el programa de espionaje interno, se le informó que no podrá testificar debido a que los miembros del personal de Capitol Hill no tienen suficiente autorización de seguridad para escuchar la información secreta que revelaría. Tice hizo públicas sus revelaciones por primera vez en declaraciones oficiales publicadas la semana pasada por "Democracy Now."
Padilla se declara inocente en Miami
En Estados Unidos, José Padilla se declaró inocente de los cargos de terrorismo en Miami. Un juez le negó su pedido de fianza. Padilla fue acusado recién en noviembre luego de estar detenido durante tres años en aislamiento en la sede de una brigada militar en Carolina del Sur. Al momento de su arresto, en mayo de 2002, el entonces Fiscal General John Ashcroft acusó a Padilla de estar involucrado en un "complot terrorista para atacar a Estados Unidos utilizando una 'bomba sucia' radioactiva". Los cargos actuales en su contra no incluyen estas acusaciones. El mes pasado, un tribunal federal de apelaciones insinuó que el gobierno de Bush acusó a Padilla sólo con el fin de frenar una apelación que este tenía pendiente ante la Corte Suprema. La fecha del juicio fue fijada para septiembre.
Wal-Mart considera impugnar ley sobre asistencia médica aprobada en Maryland
En Maryland, legisladores estatales aprobaron una ley el jueves que exigiría al gigante minorista Wal-Mart que aumente el gasto en cobertura médica para sus empleados. Se espera que otros estados adopten la misma medida. La ley de Maryland revirtió un veto del gobernador y culminó una intensa batalla de presión política entre Wal-Mart y grupos laboristas. En virtud de la nueva ley, empleadores con 100.000 o más trabajadores deben destinar por lo menos el ocho por ciento de su nómina salarial a la contratación de seguro médico, o pagar la diferencia al fondo estatal de Medicaid. Un portavoz de Wal-Mart dijo al "New York Times" que la empresa está considerando presentar una demanda para impugnar la ley. La Senadora estatal demócrata Gloria G. Lawlah, quien patrocinó el proyecto de ley, dijo: "Este no es un proyecto de ley de Wal-Mart, es un proyecto de ley de Medicaid". Según Lawlah, este proyecto de ley le dice a los conglomerados que "No se deshagan de los empleados a quienes le niegan el seguro en nuestros servicios de Medicaid".
Contaminantes más grandes del mundo ignoran metas de gas en reunión inaugural
Y en Australia, seis de los países más contaminantes del mundo anunciaron la creación de un fondo multimillonario para el desarrollo de energía no contaminante -- pero insistieron que seguirán utilizando principalmente combustibles fósiles contaminantes para operar sus industrias y economías. Estados Unidos, China, Japón, India, Corea del Sur y Australia -- que conjuntamente representan casi la mitad de las emisiones peligrosas de gases de efecto invernadero del mundo -- se reunieron en la sesión inaugural de la Asociación Asia-Pacífico sobre Desarrollo Limpio y Clima. Los seis países formaron este grupo como alternativa al Protocolo de Kyoto, que estableció metas firmes para las emisiones. A la reunión también asistieron representantes de las empresas mineras y energéticas más grandes del mundo. En la declaración final se afirma que se alentará, pero no se exigirá, a las compañías privadas a que reduzcan sus emisiones de gases. Se asegura también que los combustibles fósiles: "serán una realidad perdurable, que trascenderá nuestras vidas."
El Secretario de Energía de Estados Unidos, Samuel Bodman, afirmó que: "No considero que esto sea un cambio de política. Lo que es, si se quiere, es aprovechar al sector privado. Es reconocer el hecho de que es el sector privado el que toma las decisiones de inversión, en todos estos países, no sólo en Estados Unidos, y en todos estos países es el sector privado el que desarrolla la tecnología. Es el sector privado el que obtiene beneficios de esas inversiones y está en condiciones de compartirlos."
Grupos ambientalistas tildaron de farsa a la reunión. La vocera energética de Greenpeace, Catherine Fitzpatrick, dijo que: "La comunidad empresarial mundial y los gobiernos gastan actualmente entre 250 y 300 mil millones de dólares por concepto de subsidios al sector de combustibles fósiles. Si queremos atacar la problemática del cambio climático necesitamos que se deriven esos fondos a energía limpia."
Tribunal de apelaciones confirma veredicto de 54 millones de dólares contra ex generales salvadoreños
En Estados Unidos, un tribunal federal de apelaciones confirmó un veredicto de 54 millones de dólares contra dos generales salvadoreños retirados que fueron acusados de cometer torturas en su país de origen hace dos décadas. En febrero del año pasado, el Tribunal de Apelaciones del 11° Distrito de Atlanta, revirtió un fallo anterior contra los Generales Carlos Eugenio Vides Casanova y José Guillermo García. En 2002, ambos militares fueron hallados culpables en virtud de la Ley de Protección a las Victimas de Tortura de 1991 en una demanda entablada por un trabajador de la iglesia, médico y profesor que debió huir a Estados Unidos tras ser torturado brutalmente por soldados salvadoreños.
Informe: 95% de las armas ilegales de México provienen de EE.UU.
Noticia de México -- el diario "Los Angeles Times" informa que aproximadamente el 95% de las armas confiscadas a sospechosos en México fueron vendidas primero en forma legal en Estados Unidos. Oficiales mexicanos entrevistados por el "Times" culparon a las leyes estadounidenses de armas de fuego, que son muy laxas y contrastan fuertemente con las de México. En México hay menos de 2,500 propietarios registrados de armas de fuego, sin embargo la policía dice que confiscan más de 250 armas por día.
Hugh Thompson, rescatista de My Lai, muere a los 62
Y Hugh Thompson, ex piloto de helicóptero del ejército que ayudó a rescatar a civiles vietnamitas de soldados estadounidenses durante la masacre de My Lai, murió de cáncer. Tenía 62 años. El 16 de marzo de 1968, Thompson y otros dos soldados aterrizaron su helicóptero frente a tropas estadounidenses que disparaban contra civiles vietnamitas en la aldea My Lai. Le apuntaron sus armas a sus compañeros estadounidenses para impedir que siguieran la matanza y luego ayudaron a evacuar a los aldeanos. Después de muchos años de ser ignorados e incluso vilipendiados, en 1998 Thompson y los miembros de su equipo recibieron la Medalla al Soldado, el más alto galardón militar otorgado al coraje por acciones que no suponen enfrentamientos con el enemigo.
Maria: From Democracy Now!, here are twelve headlines. Remember that, as Marcia says, Democracy Now! is always informing you and that it provides each day's headlines in English and in Spanish, text and audio. Peace.
Abu Ghraib Commander Takes 5th Amendment At Trial
The Washington Post is reporting a high-ranking US army official has invoked his right not to incriminate himself while testifying in the military tribunal of two soldiers accused of using dogs to intimidate detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The decision by Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller – who helped set up interrogations at Abu Ghraib -- comes shortly after Col. Thomas Pappas, the commanding officer at Abu Ghraib, accepted immunity from prosecution this week and was ordered to testify at an upcoming military trial. According to the Post, Col. Pappas, could be asked how abusive tactics emerged, who ordered their use and their possible connection to officials in Washington. Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, said: "It's a steppingstone going up the chain of command, and that's positive. It might demonstrate that it wasn't just a few rotten apples."
Public Tribunal Delivers War Crimes Indictments to White House
And in Washington Tuesday, the public action group the Bush Crimes Commission delivered a set of 5 indictments to the White House. The indictments allege the Bush administration has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. The indictments were drafted at the first International Commission of Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity Committed by the Bush Administration, held in New York City in October. The second commission of inquiry will be held at Columbia University beginning on January 20th.
NSA Extensively Spied on Baltimore Peace Group
This news on the Bush administration’s domestic spy program – the website RawStory.com has obtained government documents showing the National Security Agency spied on the Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore, a Quaker-linked peace group. The documents indicate the group was extensively monitored, with detailed records of their travel movements, driving routes -- and even the helium balloons they used in a protest. On one day, the group’s movements were reported every 15 minutes. And at a protest during "Keep Space for Peace Week", the NSA planned to conduct ariel surveillance and have a Weapons of Mass Destruction Rapid Response Team nearby.
NSA Denies Whistleblower's Demand To Testify Before Congress
Meanwhile, ABC News is reporting the National Security Agency has denied the request of whistleblower Russell Tice to testify before Congress. Tice, a former intelligence agent at the NSA and Defense Intelligence Agency who has spoken out against the domestic spy program, was told he is not free to testify because staff members on Capitol Hill do not have high enough security clearance to hear the secrets he has to tell. Tice first spoke out on record on Democracy Now last week.
Padilla Pleads Not Guilty in Miami
In this country, Jose Padilla has pleaded not guilty on terrorism charges in Miami. A judge denied his request for bail. Padilla was only charged in November after over three years in solitary confinement on a military brig in South Carolina. At the time of his arrest in May 2002, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft accused Padilla of involvement in "a terrorist plot to attack the United States by exploding a radioactive 'dirty bomb.'" None of his current charges include these allegations. Last month, a federal appeals court suggested the Bush administration only charged Padilla to thwart his pending Supreme Court appeal. His trial has been set for September.
Wal-Mart Mulls Challenge as Maryland Passes Health Law
In Maryland, state legislators passed a law Thursday that would require retail giant Wal-Mart to increase health care spending for its employees. The measure is expected to be replicated in other states. The measure overrode a gubernatorial veto and followed an intense lobbying battle between Wal-Mart and labor groups. Under the new law, employers with 100,000 or more workers must devote at least 8 percent of their payrolls to health insurance, or pay the difference into a state Medicaid fund. A Wal-Mart spokesperson told the New York Times the company is considering bringing a lawsuit to challenge the law. Democratic State Senator Gloria Lawlah, who sponsored the bill, said: "This is not a Wal-Mart bill, it's a Medicaid bill." This bill says to the conglomerates, 'Don't dump the employees that you refuse to insure into our Medicaid systems.' "
Leading Polluters Refuse Gas Targets At Inaugural Meeting
And in Australia, six of the world's leading polluting countries announced a multi-million dollar fund to develop clean-energy -- but insisted they will continue to rely on polluting fossil-fuels to run their industries and economies. The United States, China, Japan, India, South Korea and Australia -- which together account for nearly half the world's emissions of dangerous greenhouse gases -- were holding the inaugural Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate.
They've formed the group as an alternative to the Kyoto Protocol, which has set firm emissions targets. Representatives of the world's biggest mining and energy firms attended the talks. The final declaration said private corporations will be encouraged, but not required, to cut gas emissions. It also said fossil fuels QUOTE: "will be an enduring reality for our lifetimes and beyond."
US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman: "I don't count this a change in policy. What this is is a, if you will, a harnessing of the private sector. It is recognizing the fact that it is the private sector that makes the investment decisions - in all of these countries - not just the U.S. and all of the countries - it is the private sector that develops the technology. It is the private sector that gains the benefits from those investments and is in a position to share."
Environmental groups slammed the talks as a sham.
Greenpeace energy spokesperson Catherine Fitzpatrick : "Currently the global business community and governments spend 250-300 billion US dollars in subsidies to the fossil fuel sector. If we want to deal with climate change we need to shift that finance to clean energy."
Appeals Court Reinstates $54M Verdict Against Ex-Salvadoran Generals
In this country, a federal appeals court has reinstated a $54 million dollar verdict against two retired Salvadoran generals accused of torture in their home country two decades ago. Last February, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta reversed an earlier decision against Gens. Carlos Eugenio Vides Casanova and Jose Guillermo Garcia. In 2002, the two were found liable under the 1991 Torture Victim Protection Act in a lawsuit brought by a church worker, doctor and professor who fled to the United States after being brutalized by Salvadoran soldiers.
Report: 95% of Illegal Weapons in Mexico Originate in US
This news from Mexico -- the Los Angles Times is reporting an estimated 95% of weapons confiscated from suspected criminals in Mexico were first sold legally in the United States. Mexican officials interviewed by the Times blamed the US' lax gun laws, which are a stark contrast to Mexico's. There are fewer than 2,500 registered gun owners in Mexico, yet police say they confiscate more than 250 weapons a day.
My Lai Rescuer Hugh Thompson Dies at 62
And Hugh Thompson, the former Army helicopter pilot who helped rescue Vietnamese civilians from fellow US troops during the My Lai massacre, has died cancer. He was 62 years old. On March 16, 1968, Thompson and two others landed their helicopter in front of US troops firing on Vietnamese civilians in the village of My Lai. They pointed their guns at their fellow service members to prevent more killings, and helped evacuate the villagers. After many years of being ignored and even vilified, Thompson and his crew members were honored in 1998 with the Soldier's Medal, the highest military award for bravery not involving conflict with an enemy.
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Comandante de Abu Ghraib se acoge a Quinta Enmienda en juicio militar
El "Washington Post" informa que un oficial de alto rango del ejército estadounidense se acogió al derecho a no autoincriminarse cuando testifique ante el tribunal militar que juzga a dos soldados acusados de utilizar perros para intimidar a detenidos en la prisión de Abu Ghraib en Irak. La decisión fue tomada por el General de División Geoffrey Miller -- que ayudó a organizar interrogatorios en Abu Ghraib -- poco después de que el Coronel Thomas Pappas, comandante en jefe de Abu Ghraib, aceptara esta semana la inmunidad judicial ofrecida y se le ordenara testificar en un juicio militar a realizarse próximamente. Según el "Post", se le podría pedir al Coronel Pappas que contara cómo surgieron las tácticas abusivas, quién ordenó que se utilizaran y qué posible conexión hay con autoridades de Washington. Michael Ratner, presidente del Centro para los Derechos Constitucionales, afirmó que: "Es un peldaño más arriba en la cadena de mando, y eso es bueno. Podría demostrar que no se trató solamente de unos pocos casos aislados de oficiales corruptos."
Tribunal público presenta acusaciones ante la Casa Blanca
Y en Washington este martes, la Comisión sobre Crímenes de Bush, un grupo de acción pública, presentó ante la Casa Blanca un conjunto de 5 acusaciones. Las acusaciones sostienen que el gobierno de Bush ha cometido crímenes de guerra y crímenes de lesa humanidad. Las acusaciones fueron elaboradas en la primera Comisión Internacional de Investigaciones sobre Crímenes de Lesa Humanidad Cometidos por el Gobierno de Bush, reunida en la Ciudad de Nueva York en octubre. La segunda comisión de investigación se reunirá en la Universidad de Columbia a partir del 20 de enero.
NSA espió intensamente a grupo pacifista de Baltimore
Esta noticia es sobre el programa de espionaje nacional del gobierno de Bush. El sitio web "RawStory.com" obtuvo documentos del gobierno que indican que la Agencia de Seguridad Nacional (NSA, por sus siglas en inglés) espió al grupo Pledge of Resistance de Baltimore, un grupo pacifista vinculado a los cuáqueros. Los documentos indican que el grupo fue intensamente vigilado, con registros detallados de sus viajes, rutas de traslado y hasta los globos de helio que utilizaron en una manifestación. Incluso un día se registraron los movimientos del grupo cada 15 minutos. Y en una manifestación durante la "Semana a favor de Mantener el Espacio para la Paz" (Keep Space for Peace), la NSA tenía previsto realizar una vigilancia aérea y tener cerca un Equipo de Respuesta Rápida a Armas de Destrucción Masiva.
NSA niega pedido de denunciante de testificar ante el Congreso
Por otra parte, ABC News informa que la Agencia Nacional de Seguridad ha rechazado el pedido del denunciante Russell Tice de testificar ante el Congreso. A Tice, un ex agente secreto de la Agencia de Seguridad Nacional y la Agencia de Inteligencia de Defensa que denunció el programa de espionaje interno, se le informó que no podrá testificar debido a que los miembros del personal de Capitol Hill no tienen suficiente autorización de seguridad para escuchar la información secreta que revelaría. Tice hizo públicas sus revelaciones por primera vez en declaraciones oficiales publicadas la semana pasada por "Democracy Now."
Padilla se declara inocente en Miami
En Estados Unidos, José Padilla se declaró inocente de los cargos de terrorismo en Miami. Un juez le negó su pedido de fianza. Padilla fue acusado recién en noviembre luego de estar detenido durante tres años en aislamiento en la sede de una brigada militar en Carolina del Sur. Al momento de su arresto, en mayo de 2002, el entonces Fiscal General John Ashcroft acusó a Padilla de estar involucrado en un "complot terrorista para atacar a Estados Unidos utilizando una 'bomba sucia' radioactiva". Los cargos actuales en su contra no incluyen estas acusaciones. El mes pasado, un tribunal federal de apelaciones insinuó que el gobierno de Bush acusó a Padilla sólo con el fin de frenar una apelación que este tenía pendiente ante la Corte Suprema. La fecha del juicio fue fijada para septiembre.
Wal-Mart considera impugnar ley sobre asistencia médica aprobada en Maryland
En Maryland, legisladores estatales aprobaron una ley el jueves que exigiría al gigante minorista Wal-Mart que aumente el gasto en cobertura médica para sus empleados. Se espera que otros estados adopten la misma medida. La ley de Maryland revirtió un veto del gobernador y culminó una intensa batalla de presión política entre Wal-Mart y grupos laboristas. En virtud de la nueva ley, empleadores con 100.000 o más trabajadores deben destinar por lo menos el ocho por ciento de su nómina salarial a la contratación de seguro médico, o pagar la diferencia al fondo estatal de Medicaid. Un portavoz de Wal-Mart dijo al "New York Times" que la empresa está considerando presentar una demanda para impugnar la ley. La Senadora estatal demócrata Gloria G. Lawlah, quien patrocinó el proyecto de ley, dijo: "Este no es un proyecto de ley de Wal-Mart, es un proyecto de ley de Medicaid". Según Lawlah, este proyecto de ley le dice a los conglomerados que "No se deshagan de los empleados a quienes le niegan el seguro en nuestros servicios de Medicaid".
Contaminantes más grandes del mundo ignoran metas de gas en reunión inaugural
Y en Australia, seis de los países más contaminantes del mundo anunciaron la creación de un fondo multimillonario para el desarrollo de energía no contaminante -- pero insistieron que seguirán utilizando principalmente combustibles fósiles contaminantes para operar sus industrias y economías. Estados Unidos, China, Japón, India, Corea del Sur y Australia -- que conjuntamente representan casi la mitad de las emisiones peligrosas de gases de efecto invernadero del mundo -- se reunieron en la sesión inaugural de la Asociación Asia-Pacífico sobre Desarrollo Limpio y Clima. Los seis países formaron este grupo como alternativa al Protocolo de Kyoto, que estableció metas firmes para las emisiones. A la reunión también asistieron representantes de las empresas mineras y energéticas más grandes del mundo. En la declaración final se afirma que se alentará, pero no se exigirá, a las compañías privadas a que reduzcan sus emisiones de gases. Se asegura también que los combustibles fósiles: "serán una realidad perdurable, que trascenderá nuestras vidas."
El Secretario de Energía de Estados Unidos, Samuel Bodman, afirmó que: "No considero que esto sea un cambio de política. Lo que es, si se quiere, es aprovechar al sector privado. Es reconocer el hecho de que es el sector privado el que toma las decisiones de inversión, en todos estos países, no sólo en Estados Unidos, y en todos estos países es el sector privado el que desarrolla la tecnología. Es el sector privado el que obtiene beneficios de esas inversiones y está en condiciones de compartirlos."
Grupos ambientalistas tildaron de farsa a la reunión. La vocera energética de Greenpeace, Catherine Fitzpatrick, dijo que: "La comunidad empresarial mundial y los gobiernos gastan actualmente entre 250 y 300 mil millones de dólares por concepto de subsidios al sector de combustibles fósiles. Si queremos atacar la problemática del cambio climático necesitamos que se deriven esos fondos a energía limpia."
Tribunal de apelaciones confirma veredicto de 54 millones de dólares contra ex generales salvadoreños
En Estados Unidos, un tribunal federal de apelaciones confirmó un veredicto de 54 millones de dólares contra dos generales salvadoreños retirados que fueron acusados de cometer torturas en su país de origen hace dos décadas. En febrero del año pasado, el Tribunal de Apelaciones del 11° Distrito de Atlanta, revirtió un fallo anterior contra los Generales Carlos Eugenio Vides Casanova y José Guillermo García. En 2002, ambos militares fueron hallados culpables en virtud de la Ley de Protección a las Victimas de Tortura de 1991 en una demanda entablada por un trabajador de la iglesia, médico y profesor que debió huir a Estados Unidos tras ser torturado brutalmente por soldados salvadoreños.
Informe: 95% de las armas ilegales de México provienen de EE.UU.
Noticia de México -- el diario "Los Angeles Times" informa que aproximadamente el 95% de las armas confiscadas a sospechosos en México fueron vendidas primero en forma legal en Estados Unidos. Oficiales mexicanos entrevistados por el "Times" culparon a las leyes estadounidenses de armas de fuego, que son muy laxas y contrastan fuertemente con las de México. En México hay menos de 2,500 propietarios registrados de armas de fuego, sin embargo la policía dice que confiscan más de 250 armas por día.
Hugh Thompson, rescatista de My Lai, muere a los 62
Y Hugh Thompson, ex piloto de helicóptero del ejército que ayudó a rescatar a civiles vietnamitas de soldados estadounidenses durante la masacre de My Lai, murió de cáncer. Tenía 62 años. El 16 de marzo de 1968, Thompson y otros dos soldados aterrizaron su helicóptero frente a tropas estadounidenses que disparaban contra civiles vietnamitas en la aldea My Lai. Le apuntaron sus armas a sus compañeros estadounidenses para impedir que siguieran la matanza y luego ayudaron a evacuar a los aldeanos. Después de muchos años de ser ignorados e incluso vilipendiados, en 1998 Thompson y los miembros de su equipo recibieron la Medalla al Soldado, el más alto galardón militar otorgado al coraje por acciones que no suponen enfrentamientos con el enemigo.
Maria: From Democracy Now!, here are twelve headlines. Remember that, as Marcia says, Democracy Now! is always informing you and that it provides each day's headlines in English and in Spanish, text and audio. Peace.
Abu Ghraib Commander Takes 5th Amendment At Trial
The Washington Post is reporting a high-ranking US army official has invoked his right not to incriminate himself while testifying in the military tribunal of two soldiers accused of using dogs to intimidate detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The decision by Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller – who helped set up interrogations at Abu Ghraib -- comes shortly after Col. Thomas Pappas, the commanding officer at Abu Ghraib, accepted immunity from prosecution this week and was ordered to testify at an upcoming military trial. According to the Post, Col. Pappas, could be asked how abusive tactics emerged, who ordered their use and their possible connection to officials in Washington. Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, said: "It's a steppingstone going up the chain of command, and that's positive. It might demonstrate that it wasn't just a few rotten apples."
Public Tribunal Delivers War Crimes Indictments to White House
And in Washington Tuesday, the public action group the Bush Crimes Commission delivered a set of 5 indictments to the White House. The indictments allege the Bush administration has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. The indictments were drafted at the first International Commission of Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity Committed by the Bush Administration, held in New York City in October. The second commission of inquiry will be held at Columbia University beginning on January 20th.
NSA Extensively Spied on Baltimore Peace Group
This news on the Bush administration’s domestic spy program – the website RawStory.com has obtained government documents showing the National Security Agency spied on the Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore, a Quaker-linked peace group. The documents indicate the group was extensively monitored, with detailed records of their travel movements, driving routes -- and even the helium balloons they used in a protest. On one day, the group’s movements were reported every 15 minutes. And at a protest during "Keep Space for Peace Week", the NSA planned to conduct ariel surveillance and have a Weapons of Mass Destruction Rapid Response Team nearby.
NSA Denies Whistleblower's Demand To Testify Before Congress
Meanwhile, ABC News is reporting the National Security Agency has denied the request of whistleblower Russell Tice to testify before Congress. Tice, a former intelligence agent at the NSA and Defense Intelligence Agency who has spoken out against the domestic spy program, was told he is not free to testify because staff members on Capitol Hill do not have high enough security clearance to hear the secrets he has to tell. Tice first spoke out on record on Democracy Now last week.
Padilla Pleads Not Guilty in Miami
In this country, Jose Padilla has pleaded not guilty on terrorism charges in Miami. A judge denied his request for bail. Padilla was only charged in November after over three years in solitary confinement on a military brig in South Carolina. At the time of his arrest in May 2002, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft accused Padilla of involvement in "a terrorist plot to attack the United States by exploding a radioactive 'dirty bomb.'" None of his current charges include these allegations. Last month, a federal appeals court suggested the Bush administration only charged Padilla to thwart his pending Supreme Court appeal. His trial has been set for September.
Wal-Mart Mulls Challenge as Maryland Passes Health Law
In Maryland, state legislators passed a law Thursday that would require retail giant Wal-Mart to increase health care spending for its employees. The measure is expected to be replicated in other states. The measure overrode a gubernatorial veto and followed an intense lobbying battle between Wal-Mart and labor groups. Under the new law, employers with 100,000 or more workers must devote at least 8 percent of their payrolls to health insurance, or pay the difference into a state Medicaid fund. A Wal-Mart spokesperson told the New York Times the company is considering bringing a lawsuit to challenge the law. Democratic State Senator Gloria Lawlah, who sponsored the bill, said: "This is not a Wal-Mart bill, it's a Medicaid bill." This bill says to the conglomerates, 'Don't dump the employees that you refuse to insure into our Medicaid systems.' "
Leading Polluters Refuse Gas Targets At Inaugural Meeting
And in Australia, six of the world's leading polluting countries announced a multi-million dollar fund to develop clean-energy -- but insisted they will continue to rely on polluting fossil-fuels to run their industries and economies. The United States, China, Japan, India, South Korea and Australia -- which together account for nearly half the world's emissions of dangerous greenhouse gases -- were holding the inaugural Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate.
They've formed the group as an alternative to the Kyoto Protocol, which has set firm emissions targets. Representatives of the world's biggest mining and energy firms attended the talks. The final declaration said private corporations will be encouraged, but not required, to cut gas emissions. It also said fossil fuels QUOTE: "will be an enduring reality for our lifetimes and beyond."
US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman: "I don't count this a change in policy. What this is is a, if you will, a harnessing of the private sector. It is recognizing the fact that it is the private sector that makes the investment decisions - in all of these countries - not just the U.S. and all of the countries - it is the private sector that develops the technology. It is the private sector that gains the benefits from those investments and is in a position to share."
Environmental groups slammed the talks as a sham.
Greenpeace energy spokesperson Catherine Fitzpatrick : "Currently the global business community and governments spend 250-300 billion US dollars in subsidies to the fossil fuel sector. If we want to deal with climate change we need to shift that finance to clean energy."
Appeals Court Reinstates $54M Verdict Against Ex-Salvadoran Generals
In this country, a federal appeals court has reinstated a $54 million dollar verdict against two retired Salvadoran generals accused of torture in their home country two decades ago. Last February, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta reversed an earlier decision against Gens. Carlos Eugenio Vides Casanova and Jose Guillermo Garcia. In 2002, the two were found liable under the 1991 Torture Victim Protection Act in a lawsuit brought by a church worker, doctor and professor who fled to the United States after being brutalized by Salvadoran soldiers.
Report: 95% of Illegal Weapons in Mexico Originate in US
This news from Mexico -- the Los Angles Times is reporting an estimated 95% of weapons confiscated from suspected criminals in Mexico were first sold legally in the United States. Mexican officials interviewed by the Times blamed the US' lax gun laws, which are a stark contrast to Mexico's. There are fewer than 2,500 registered gun owners in Mexico, yet police say they confiscate more than 250 weapons a day.
My Lai Rescuer Hugh Thompson Dies at 62
And Hugh Thompson, the former Army helicopter pilot who helped rescue Vietnamese civilians from fellow US troops during the My Lai massacre, has died cancer. He was 62 years old. On March 16, 1968, Thompson and two others landed their helicopter in front of US troops firing on Vietnamese civilians in the village of My Lai. They pointed their guns at their fellow service members to prevent more killings, and helped evacuate the villagers. After many years of being ignored and even vilified, Thompson and his crew members were honored in 1998 with the Soldier's Medal, the highest military award for bravery not involving conflict with an enemy.
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