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Username:
NH Ex-pat
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Created:
Fri Nov 24, 2006 at 18:57:47 PM EST
NH Ex-pat's RSS Feed
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Orginally hailing from Nashua, NH ... now living in Dummerston, VT.
Everyone go out and purchase a copy. Markos has a wonderful write up on Carol Shea-Porter in his last chapter called "The Unlikely Warriors."
Look forward to meeting some of you in Denver next week! - NH Ex-pat
Photo by Bart Nagel
Crossposted at Off the Bus.
"I am progressive, I am liberal. I make no apologies."
Those were the first ten words written by Markos Moulitsas Zuniga when the Web log Daily Kos was launched in 2002. At the time the Bush Administration was hellbent on invading Iraq. Daily Kos gave people an outlet to vent their frustrations. Then the blog took on a life of its own. It became the medium through which bloggers could organize, take on "the gatekeepers," and work for political change.
The presidential election is turning again on a choice between conversation and confrontation. How will we choose to approach our neighbors, allies and adversaries -- domestic and foreign? Helena Cobban is a veteran journalist who has traveled extensively around the world. She writes for the Christian Science Monitor, the Boston Review, and blogs at justworldnews.org Her most recent book is Re-engage! America and the World after Bush, in which she suggests ways citizens can help shape a more inclusive, less confrontational, foreign policy. Off The Bus caught up with Cobban this week and asked her about her book and what she thinks the "post-Decider"-era might hold in store for us and the world.
I debated whether I should post this but I figured, what the heck. We're hear to discuss issues, not bury them.
Once again, another U.S. leader snubs Palestine on his trip to the Mideast. Barack Obama's trip was all about Israel, "its needs" and "its security." He even made a trip to the Western Wall that's making headlines around the world. Except he forgot to visit the other one. One that symbolizes oppression and a violation of human rights.
Jon Bresler, somebody I admire, wrote to me today saying, "Jewish voters are another important bloc in American voting just like Latino voters, health care voters, anti-war voters, etc. politicians do what they feel is in the best interest of the groups whose support they are seeking." He's right. But Arab Americans and their needs should be just as important. Instead, leader after leader makes this about Israel and their security needs.
I didn't see Obama talk about Palestine's needs to the press. He didn't talk about the refugee crisis. He didn't talk about the "security fence" that violates Palestinian human rights and the ICJ ruling. He didn't say Jerusalem also belongs to Arabs but maintained it should all belong to Israel. If he goes to the Western Wall, then shouldn't he also go to a mosque or recognize the 60th anniversary of the Nakba? Why didn't he? There's a lot more I could say. But the point is this: Palestine's needs should be put on the same level as Israel' and Obama should emphasize that in public, not leave it behind closed doors. That's the bold change we need in the Mideast.
I caught this video on Huffington Post today. It pretty much sums up my feelings about Obama's trip to the Mideast. It's no wonder why 22% of Jordanians have confidence in Obama. Sorry y'all, but I had to get this off my chest. The plight of the Palestinians and the lack of context (in America) regarding their situation always strikes a nerve in me.
Not sure if you folks heard but the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant had ANOTHER leak. To give you an idea what happened, Bob Audette of the Brattleboro Reformer tells the story best.
"It appears now that Vermont Yankee is operating at half its power because of a leak in a cooling tower. Plant officials say they discovered the leak Friday morning during a routine inspection. Officials are calling it a small leak of river water. They say it is not in the same cooling tower that collapsed last summer, but repairs were done at that time on both towers. The towers cool river water after it has been warmed in the plants steam condenser, it then returns to the river. Vermont Yankee does not know how long it will take to repair the new problem.
The latest mishap has really upset Department of Public Service officials (a rarity), Democratic leaders, and now the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Another rarity.
For more on the story, check out Julie Waters excellent coverage over at Green Mountain Daily. But here's the big story.
The leak has caught the attention of Congressman Paul Hodes and state senator Molly Kent. They now join Bernie Sanders, Pat Leahy, and Peter Welch in calling for greater oversight and answers as to why Vermont Yankee continues to mislead them and the public re:safety.
Personally, I oppose nuclear power. But even if I did support it, the fact remains that this plant must be shut down. It cannot be re-licensed next year. This doesn't just affect southern Vermont and western Massachusetts. It also affects Hinsdale, Chesterfield, Winchester, and Westmoreland, NH. The four towns on the opposite side of Vermont Yankee.
His colleagues call him "Big Media Matt." That's because Matthew Yglesias is a respected voice of the liberal blogosphere. The 28 year-old Yglesias has accomplished much. He graduated magna cum laude, from Harvard, served as editor-in-chief at The Harvard Independent, and upon graduating, he became a writing fellow at The American Prospect. Yglesias began blogging in 2002, focusing on American politics, public policy, and foreign policy. Yglesias now writes for The Atlantic Monthly and blogs at the Atlantic blog.
His new book, Heads in the Sand: How Republicans Screw Up Foreign Policy and Foreign Policy Screws Up the Democrats has just been released by Wiley Press. In the book, Yglesias offers a new approach for the Democrats, an outline of how they might restore America's integrity in conducting international affairs. He talked to OffTheBus last week.
David Swanson, Washington director of Democrats.com and After Downing Street.org puts today's events, (ie: FISA capitulation) into perspective. The guy is clear, succinct, and perceptive. He has a lot to offer and represents the kind of leadership the Dems need.... at least IMO. Take a minute and hear what he has to say.
Just got back from Unity, NH. I'm so friggin sunburnt, tired, and I'm not in the mood to submit to Huffington Post. But I will.
Here are some snapshots from today's event. It actually wasn't all that bad... from a logisitics POV. Sometimes these events can be a nightmare, other times they're good. This time, it went all right. Hope you enjoy the photos and look for my stories tomorrow AM.
Lastly, I wanna give a shout out to Jack Mitchell and fellow Derryfield School alum, Doug E. Lindner. It was great to finally see you guys... in 3-D!
Mark your calendar NH Dems. Don't let the November election get in the way for this important event.
On September 13-14, 2008, Lawrence Velvel, the dean of the Massachusetts School of Law at Andover, MA, plans to convene a 'convention' at the school's facilities; the attendees of which will plan strategies to prosecute members of the Bush administration for war crimes.
Velvel said the following in a Raw Story interview:
"This is not intended to be a mere discussion of violations of law that have occurred," stated Velvel in a press release. "It is, rather, intended to be a planning conference at which plans will be laid and necessary organizational structures set up, to pursue the guilty as long as necessary and, if need be, to the ends of the Earth.
"We must try to hold Bush administration leaders accountable in courts of justice. And we must insist on appropriate punishments, including, if guilt is found, the hangings visited upon top German and Japanese war-criminals in the 1940's."
To read their press release click here.
This is NOT mob justice. This is a very rare circumstance that merits serious attention and discussion. Like investigations into impeachment, this is an appropriate time to investigate this alternative. Some well-known and reputable individuals are jumping on board.
I've got a lot of grace for Barack Obama. He impresses me one moment and pisses me off the next (his recent speech to AIPAC is a prime example). Then there's his staffers who've treated me poorly including Suzanne Goldberg of The Guardian U.K. This time however was low. Really low.
It's from Politico so hopefully they have their facts straight. They're known for getting their stories wrong.
Ben Smith writes:
"Two Muslim women at Barack Obama's rally in Detroit on Monday were barred from sitting behind the podium by campaign volunteers seeking to prevent the women's headscarves from appearing in photographs or on television with the candidate.
The campaign has apologized to the women, both Obama supporters who said they felt betrayed by their treatment at the rally.
"This is of course not the policy of the campaign. It is offensive and counter to Obama's commitment to bring Americans together and simply not the kind of campaign we run," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton. "We sincerely apologize for the behavior of these volunteers."
Heeba Asef, a 25 year-old lawyer who came to see Obama.
"I was coming to support him, and I felt like I was discriminated against by the very person who was supposed to be bringing this change, who I could really relate to," said Hebba Aref, a 25-year-old lawyer who lives in the Detroit suburb of Bloomfield Hills. "The message that I thought was delivered to us was that they do not want him associated with Muslims or Muslim supporters."
Memorial Day weekend has come and gone. All weekend, I saw veterans honored on television, the newspapers, parades, etc. I saw more than my share of yellow ribbons, American flags, 21-gun salutes and more. But something was missing, something I wish would be covered every Memorial Day, voices of dissent, especially from those who served our country.
Don't get me wrong. I support the troops. I support them just as much as those who support war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. I also support veterans in past conflicts. For many of them, Memorial Day means everything. However there are other veterans that never get heard. They are silenced, ignored and misunderstood because they have something vastly different to share. I'm talking about those veterans who served their country, survived the horrors of war and heal their wounds through advocacy efforts.
It pains me veterans organizations advocating for peace are always overlooked on Memorial Day. For many of these organizations, getting into a Memorial Day parade can be a controversial ordeal. In Bremerton, Washington, Veterans for Peace were told to stay away from this year's festivities. Why? Why should we honor one idea of veterans and not the other? Why is it controversial to honor veterans who want their service be remembered differently? It seems that every Memorial Day, we miss another opportunity to honor veterans in a different and meaningful context. It's time we open our minds to what does a Veteran mean. It's well past time we honor those who speak out against war.
War is traumatic and many veterans who speak out against their actions (or their government's policies) want their experiences to be validated, understood, and accepted. Anti-war veterans organizations must honored the same way that many of us honor Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion or Disabled American Veterans, every Memorial Day. All veterans must be honored, even those who speak out against war.
I honor those who want to be remembered for their service. I honor those who lost their lives fighting for what they believed in but I also honor those who experienced the other side of war and want to make our country and our communities, a more humane place. This Memorial Day I also honor the Veterans for Peace, Courage to Resist, Gold Star Families for Peace, Military Families Speak Out , Iraq Veterans Against the War, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and Veterans Against the Iraq War. I'm sure there are many more. They served America and they love their country. It's well past time we honor them every Memorial Day.
Not sure if people know about this already but two of John Edwards' New Hampshire delegates said they will now back Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Holly Ramer of AP writes:
"State Sen. Peter Burling and high school teacher Deborah Nelson announced their decision at a news conference Friday morning. In a phone interview before the announcement, Burling told The Associated Press that he and Nelson believe either Obama or Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton would make a superb president, but it came down to "who can win and who could make a better president."
I take it some people heard about last night's Saturday Night Live. If not, Clinton supporters around the country are in a tissy over last night's skit. See for yourself whether SNL went over the line.
Personally.... I thought it was hysterical.
Just because they made fun of Obama a while back didn't mean they wouldn't go after Hillary. They're equal opportunity offenders... and they're good at it.
(Perhaps the biggest political news in NH today - promoted by Mike Hoefer)
Well, there you have it. HR.24 was tabled after some passionate debate on both sides of the issue. 95 patriots did the right thing today. The other 227.... all I can say now is they're on the wrong side of the issue. This was a time to rise above politics and do the right thing. Instead political expediency and fear got the best of them.
WMUR Channel 9 has the lowdown.
I won't rant. I've done my part here. Kudos to Betty Hall and all the organizers for their tireless efforts.
According to Will Bunch of the Philadelphia Daily News, Obama said he would ask his Attorney General to immediately review alleged crimes committed by Bush Administration officials.
Bunch writes:
"Tonight I had an opportunity to ask Barack Obama a question that is on the minds of many Americans, yet rarely rises to the surface in the great ruckus of the 2008 presidential race -- and that is whether an Obama administration would seek to prosecute officials of a former Bush administration on the revelations that they greenlighted torture, or for other potential crimes that took place in the White House.
Obama said that as president he would indeed ask his new Attorney General and his deputies to "immediately review the information that's already there" and determine if an inquiry is warranted -- but he also tread carefully on the issue, in line with his reputation for seeking to bridge the partisan divide. He worried that such a probe could be spun as "a partisan witch hunt." However, he said that equation changes if there was willful criminality, because "nobody is above the law."
To read Obama's answer in full click here.
Even though this is just words, it's still good. How do you suppose Hillary would respond?
"The Heroes in our nation's history who fought for liberty never calculated the odds. The just did what was right, and the legacy of their heroism is all around us. ... The didn't stop to ask whether they could really succeed; they just stood up against injustice because there was no other alternative. And they succeeded."
Former U.S. Congresswoman and member of the Nixon Impeachment Panel, Elizabeth Holtzman in "The Impeachment of George W. Bush."
New Hampshire state representative Betty Hall (D-Brookline) isn't calculating the odds, nor is she questioning whether or not HR.24 can succeed. She's standing up to President George W. Bush and Vice-president Dick Cheney because there's no other alternative: U.S. Congress will not do stop the Bush Administration's abuse of power. History may not look too kindly on our Congress but perhaps there will be a footnote for one New Hampshirite's courageous stand. I caught up with Betty Hall and discussed the myths of investigations into impeachment, HR.24 efforts, and why NH Democrats should support it. Enjoy!
... Then listen to what state rep Betty Hall (D-Brookline) has to say.
It amazes me there's no discussion on impeachment on Blue Hampshire. Many of us sit here at the comfort of our computers and bitch and moan about the Bush Administration, the war on Iraq, the dismantling of our Constitution and our civil liberties, the 2008 election.... don't get me started on that.... while politicians, the media, and bloggers patronize, ridicule, or unfairly characterized patriots like Betty Hall, who do get off their assess and do something as "lefty loonies." Betty Hall? Gimme a break! Let me ask you something: What are you doing to put an end to abuses of power of your government? That's what I thought. Nothing!
We can sit here at Blue Hampshire for days on end and complain about things or we can join Betty Hall, get active, engage in meaningful change, and actually do something. I'm just amazed how a majority of Democrats at the local, state, and national level (including the blogosphere) can be so tepid, fearful, and complicit at the blatant abuses of power being conducted right now as we speak.
Come on Blue Hampshire! Get behind Betty Hall and support HR.24!!!!
The following speech was made by Barabara Hilton at the public hearings on HR.24. Hilton resides in Portsmouth, NH and delivered a beautiful, passionate speech why the NH Legislature must commence investigations for impeachment for President George W. Bush and Vice-president Dick Cheney.
Finding the courage to speak up and act on defending our democracy is not a partisan issue. It's what both parties are supposed to be doing in the first place. Let's not beat around the bush anymore. Let's get behind Betty Hall's efforts. For more information check out the new Web site www.hall4impeachment.com AND CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES! Make sure they vote "yes" on HR.24.
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