Good News: Will We Hear It?

By David Swanson

Whenever I write about U.S. politics, people ask me “Don’t you have any good news?” (Unless the Republicans are in power, in which case people ask me “Who are you going to vote for?”) But I do have good news, boatloads of good news, if Americans want to hear it.

If a city or state next to yours were to achieve a dramatic breakthrough for democratic representation, environmental sustainability, healthcare, education, peace, or justice, wouldn’t read more

Good News: Will We Hear It? Read More »

End the Filibuster

YouTube Doubler

It’s time for the Senate to abolish the filibuster.

The filibuster is undemocratic and contradicts the core principle that legislation should become law by majority vote. The mere threat of a filibuster can bring the business of the Senate and the American people to a halt.

The filibuster allows a minority of 41 Senators to block the will of 59 Senators. Even when 60 Senators support a bill, the 60th Senator can hold the bill hostage to individual demands that can warp important legislation.

We read more

End the Filibuster Read More »

Bring Back the Signing Statement

By David Swanson

Having denounced for years the presidential practice of altering laws with signing statements, I now want the practice restored, because the current president has created something even worse.

When Bush and Cheney left the White House, they left in place five general ways to make laws: instruct Congress what to do, rewrite what Congress does with a signing statement, by-pass Congress with an executive order (or executive decree, or unratified treaty), by-pass everybody with a secret read more

Bring Back the Signing Statement Read More »

Voices and Vision

By John Starkey, Host of “Voices and Vision”

On “Voices and Vision” at 6 pm Tuesday, Jan. 12, KOWS 107.3 FM, I will be talking with David Swanson, about his exciting new book, Daybreak, and his appearance in Santa Rosa Wednesday, described below. At about 7pm I’ll be joined by KOWS’ favorite singer-songwriter, Teresa Tudury to discuss her life in music and her hot new CD, “Such Fine Things.” Teresa is West County’s witty, articulate host read more

Voices and Vision Read More »

FOIA Request Filed for OPR Report on Bush's Lawyers

An organization of attorneys, journalists, and advocates today filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act requesting the long-suppressed report from the Department of Justice’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) regarding the conduct of President Bush’s top lawyers in the Office of Legal Counsel who authored memos purporting to authorize torture and aggressive war.

The request, reproduced below along with a transmittal letter, asks for the OPR report that has long read more

FOIA Request Filed for OPR Report on Bush's Lawyers Read More »