Elections

By David Swanson

Michael Moore’s new book is called “Mike’s Election Guide 2008,” and it’s a nice combination of the comical and the useful. The comical comes first. Chapter One consists of Mike’s answers to random election-related questions, and his answers are for the most part funny, insightful, informative, and sometimes brilliant.

The background Moore provides on John McCain’s fits of temper is frightening, and includes this “statement from read more

Speak Tonight With the Green Party Candidate from Maryland’s 8th District
Host: David Swanson
Showtime: Wednesday, October 1, 2008 – 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Eastern
Listen Live on BBSRadio or you may also join us live in our virtual auditorium!

Gordon Clark is a citizen-politician – a lifelong activist, advocate and community organizer for peace, social justice and the environment who is now running to make a difference in government. A brief resume of Gordon’s accomplishments read more

Gorilla Radio with Chris Cook, Jay Mowat, Danny Schechter, David Swanson Mon. S29, 2008
PODCAST AUDIO.

By David Swanson

There was only one foreign policy asked about in Friday night’s foreign policy debate: war and potential wars.

Obama began the debate by allowing McCain to get away with claiming the mantle of “accountability” on the issue of a bailout that rewards fraud in financial markets. Why? Because Obama won’t oppose the bailout.

Then he let McCain get away with complaining about a huge increase in the size of government, without pointing out that the larger “size” read more

By David Swanson

Prior to tonight’s debate and each time during it that John McCain brags about his torture victimhood (or Jim Lehrer does it for him) or any of the participants touch on the topic of torture in any way without mentioning the facts below, please send Mr. Lehrer a note at onlineda@newshour.org along these lines.

Dear Jim Lehrer,

Are you aware of the following history?

In February 2008, John McCain voted against a bill that would supposedly have banned torture, and then applauded read more

By David Swanson

I’m sending this early, Senator, because of my confidence that you won’t open it until Christmas and my concern that when you do you’ll say I should have spoken up sooner.

The four main things you did wrong are related to vote counting, media, policy, and your job in the U.S. Senate. If you had done them right you could have worn a flag pin, not worn a flag pin, pierced the thing through your nose, or told Wolf Blitzer to stick it up his ass. Regardless, you read more

1788 United states ratifies Constitution, ordaining that all treaties made under the authority of the United States shall be the supreme law of the land

1791 United States ratifies the Bill of Rights, banning cruel and unusual punishment.

1948 United States ratifies the Universal Declaration of Human Rights banning torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

1949 United States ratifies Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, banning violence to life and read more

By David Swanson

George Lakoff has one of the louder voices in the chorus arguing that elections must be won on personality and fluff rather than policy positions. One problem with this advice is that if, at the end of it, you win an election, you won’t know what you’ve won. You won’t know whether the people you elected will do anything you want done unless they’ve told you their policy positions as well read more

By David Swanson

Here it is: Fifty Pages of Fluff. Jonathan Tasini, among others, has posted a draft of the AT&T Democratic Convention Party Platform: Here’s a PDF. It’s not all fluff, but it’s packaged that way, and you have to plow through 8 pages of stomach-turning platitudinous cowardice before getting to anything worthwhile. There is, in the end, a good deal of worthwhile stuff in here, and a good deal of head fakes in the right direction with no substantive detail.

When read more