Yes, Our President is as stupid as he looks....

Bush Speaks With Martha Raddatz
President Bush told ABC News' Martha Raddatz that he's been willing to take on members of his own party over the issue of illegal immigration because he doesn't want the United States "to lose her way over an immigration debate that causes such emotions that we forget what's made us great." Here is a transcript of the full interview, in which they discussed the plan to have the National Guard involved in border security, the construction of a fence along the border with Mexico, and the temporary worker plan: RADDATZ: Mr. President, one of the things that happened today is [California] Gov. Schwarzenegger said he's very concerned about the two-week rotation with the Guard. How would that work? How can they actually accomplish anything in two weeks? BUSH: Well, actually, the Guard goes through training exercises and the Defense Department is going to work with the Guard here and work with the governors to explain why the two week shifts of different Guard units coming down here will help complement the border patrol. First thing is that people have got to understand is we're going to double the border patrol, from 2001 to today, but it doesn't happen overnight. So we've got to get additional help down here in order to get the border patrol to be able to do their job. And there's two-week rotations in Guards and it makes sense to bring them down here. RADDATZ: But one of the things the Guard usually does is train for war ... BUSH: Yeah, but there's units not training for war. In other words, there are units that are not all combat units. They are units that can complement what the border patrol is doing down here. We've got -- listen before I laid it out, I talked to the Defense Department, who talked to the Guard bureau to make sure that which we propose is reasonable and realistic. The governor of Arizona for example is using the Guard. And the Guards right down -- right down on the border here from states other than Arizona. It's a well-thought-out plan. And it makes sense. We gotta make sure that we secure this border. RADDATZ: The sheriff in Yuma told us that today that there were 8,000 arrests, there were 8,000 detainees and he only had room for 50, 52? BUSH: Yeah, I know, that's part of the problem, of course. Is that when we catch people coming in here illegally, particularly from countries other than Mexico, there's not enough space. And so I addressed that the other night in my speech. The process has been called catch and release. You got border and local law enforcement working hard to catch somebody coming in, and then they say, "Well, show back up for your court date," and they don't come back for their court date of course, they meld into society, and so we're expanding the detention facilities along the border here and then expediting the deportation process. Most Mexicans that are caught -- people that are caught here are Mexicans that are coming across and they're -- most of them are deported immediately back home. RADDATZ: The fences, the idea of the fences, which the Senate voted on yesterday. There are a lot of immigration rights advocates who say those fences just drive illegal immigrants to places where they'll die... BUSH: Yeah, I understand that. And that's why we need a temporary worker plan, a program. People are willing to take risks to -- RADDATZ: (CROSSTALK) But you're putting in a fence in the meantime. BUSH: Well, that's because they're sneaking across. Part of the fencing is to make sure we stop flows of people coming across. And we -- we must enforce our border. And uh ... RADDATZ: But that's (CROSSTALK) BUSH: Let me finish, please. There's got to be a comprehensive plan to address border security. Part of it's fencing, part of it's manpower increased, part of it is infrared detection. But part of it is also saying to somebody, "If you're going to come here to do a job somebody's not doing, right now, there ought to be a legal way to do so on a temporary basis." That's why I'm calling for a comprehensive plan. RADDATZ: I know you're calling for a comprehensive plan, but go back to the fences because the fences, people say cause deaths, that people will go out into the desert... BUSH: The point is that you have a system where people don't feel like they have to go out in the desert in the first place. By saying you can come to this country legally on a temporary basis. That's why a temporary worker plan is a necessary part of enforcing the border. RADDATZ: Tell me why you feel so passionate about this issue? Not doing well in the polls, and yet willing to take on your own party on this? BUSH: Well, you know I was the governor of Texas, and I understand the importance of border security. I also understand the importance of treating people with respect and dignity. I don't want America to lose her way over an immigration debate that causes such emotions that we forget what's made us great. And what's made us great is the capacity to help people assimilate into our country as one nation under God. I also think it's important for people to go to Washington to solve problems and not worry about polls and focus groups. And that's how I'm going to continue to lead this nation. And so the other night I talked about a comprehensive plan that by the way, does not grant amnesty. I don't believe in automatic citizenship. But I do believe that people who have been here for a long period of time who've paid a fine, who've learned English, who've got roots in this country ought to be able to get in the citizenship line. But at the back. In other words, be able to apply for citizenship that's not automatic, but be at the end of the line not the front of the line. The only way to solve this problem is to make sure we have a rational debate and have a comprehensive plan. RADDATZ: Mr President, you are not doing well in the polls. You say you don't govern by polls, you try not to pay attention to them, but it has got to concern you that so much of the country is not happy with your leadership? BUSH: Look, the war causes anxiety. I understand that. You know, war is a terrible thing. Particularly when we face an enemy that kills innocent life nearly on a daily basis. And the enemy is trying to shake our will. The American people have got to know that if I believe I'm right I'm going to move forward with a plan. And I believe we're right to be in Iraq, and I know we're right to help that democracy flourish. And that's exactly what we're going to do. RADDATZ: You don't seem like you've changed anyone's mind in the last few months even though you've been out there speaking about it all the time... BUSH: Martha, the enemy has got a powerful tool. And they get on your TV screen by killing innocent people. And, of course, that shakes the confidence of the American people. Most Americans -- listen -- there are some in Washington that say "pull out now." I look forward to debating those voices. Most Americans want us to succeed, and they're wondering whether or not we can succeed. And the point I make to the American people is, we are succeeding. They've got a unity government that has stood up. More Iraqis are in the fight more than ever before. And it's ... we can't lose the battle with the enemy unless we lose our nerve.

posted by Joshua P. Angell  @ 18.5.06 0 comments

After nearly one year of Voice Of The Austin Majority Demanding Police Chief Stan Knee Resign, he FINALLY does, could have been due to pressure from..

our online petition, which we will re-post here a link in case you want to leave this public disgrace a few choice parting words:
We Demand Chief Knee Resign! PetitionWe Demand The Resignation of Police Chief Stan Knee. We feel as though he does not properly train his force, resulting in Police Shootings That Are FATAL! ...http://www.petitiononline.com/apd123/petition.html


AUSTIN -- Austin Police Chief Stan Knee announced Tuesday he is leaving the force to take a job training law enforcement officers in Afghanistan, ending a tenure of nearly nine years. Click here to read his letter of resignation.
Knee leaves behind a police department that struggled with strained relations with the city's minorities.
"I would like to think the things we did over the last eight and a half years helped make this community a better place to live, a safer place to live," Knee said.
His last day on the job in Austin will be June 4.
Austin City Manager Toby Futrell appointed Assistant Chief Cathy Ellison as acting chief during a replacement search. A 27-year APD veteran, Ellison is the first black woman to serve as interim chief. - AMEN, IT's ABOUT TIME!
ADIOS MOFO!

posted by Joshua P. Angell  @ 16.5.06 0 comments

JENNIFER GALE TO RUN FOR TEXAS GOVERNOR

AUSTIN NEWS ALERT: BREAKING SEMI-EXCLUSIVE NEWS ANNOUNCED HERE:
JENNIFER GALE NEEDS YOUR HELP!

" I announced on the "Jeff Ward" show that I am running for Governor of Texas at 4:07 p.m. this afternoon.
Now I need help raising the $ 3,750 dollars to become a write-in dark-horse candidate."... JENNIFER GALE

IT IS TIME TO CHANGE THE POLITICS, AND CAST YOUR VOTE FOR MS. GALE... VOTING FOR GALE WILL SEND A STRONG MESSAGE TO TEXAS- THERE ARE TRUE PROGRESSIVES HERE- AND WE WILL USE OUR VOTES TO LET TEXANS KNOW IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE!
PLEASE SEND YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, OCCUPATION, AND THE AMOUNT YOU ARE CONTRIBUTING TO JENNIFER GALE'S GOVERNER'S RACE TO:
Jennifer Gale for Texas Gov.
Re: Supporter of Joshua Angell's Voice Of The Austin Majority
General Delivery
Austin, TX 78767

posted by Joshua P. Angell  @ 15.5.06 0 comments

THE FIRST 100 WEEKS OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION- LOOK AT THIS: THE BIOGRAPHY OF THE WORST LEADER EVER- A LOOK BACK ON BUSH:


Some have said that Bush, feeling he only has one term to get his conservative policies enacted, is going to forego the honeymoon period as far as actions are concerned and immediately begin enacting his rabid right policies. However, those who have observed his entire political career know exactly what he is up to. His strategy has always been to have his most unpopular policies quickly put into place during the first 100 weeks, then spend the remaining time pretending he's a moderate politician. Obviously, it's now worked twice, first in his run for a second term as Texas governor, secondly in his recent presidential campaign, because most folks seem to have short memories. At present, of course, he is talking as though he is a moderate politician, but his actions show that's a lie. Anyway, please remember to share this list in two years with anyone who claims Bush is a moderate politician and not the rabid conservative that he is.--Politex, 1/22/01
WEEK 33...Bush Plans To Destroy Environmental Protections By Underfunding Enforcement
Given the Bush administration's philosophy of environmental protection -- a preference for carrots rather than sticks -- and its poor overall environmental record, it makes sense to question the wisdom of its proposal to cut 270 enforcement positions from the Environmental Protection Agency and replace them with $25 million in grants to states. Add to that the contents of two critical reports on the EPA -- from the General Accounting Office (GAO) and the EPA's own Office of Inspector General (OIG) -- and it becomes clear that Senate conferees should do more than question the plan. They should insist that it be removed from the appropriations bill passed by the House. The accounting office concluded that the EPA "cannot demonstrate that the staff reductions will be absorbed without impairing its effectiveness." It also noted that in states which do not receive federal grants, "it is possible that the level of enforcement activity may actually be reduced" as a result of the change. Resources aside, what about the relative effectiveness of federal and state enforcement? The Bush administration asserts that states would be better at enforcing EPA regulations, since they do much of the work now anyway and are closer to the pollution problems. However, the GAO found nothing to support that assertion. Furthermore, closeness can work against enforcement. Polluting industries often have more political clout within their states, where their contributions to the economy are most clearly felt, than with the federal government. In a separate report, the EPA's inspector general found significant weaknesses in states' water-quality enforcement programs. It cites a 1998 water-quality inventory showing that "nearly 40 percent of the nation's assessed waters are not meeting the standards states have set for them." It also noted, "The EPA reports that a majority of Americans live within 10 miles of a polluted river, lake, stream or coastal area."" --MST ED, 8/28/01
WEEK 32...Bush Lied About The Effect Of His Tax Cuts On The Ec onomy During The Campaign, And He's Lying Now
"The Congressional Budget Office, which does honest work but under certain constraints -- more on that in a minute -- is supposed to release its own estimate today, but the main results have already been leaked. They show a deficit outside Social Security this year, a tiny surplus next year, then a return to deficit in 2003 and 2004. And these numbers, read properly, flatly refute two of the arguments you'll hear over the next few days. First, the administration will tell you that the return to deficits is the result of the economic slowdown. Not so: the C.B.O., like the administration, assumes that the economy will recover next year, but projects that we will be in deficit through 2004. Why? Because the tax cut grows over time, and the revenue lost because of that growing tax cut is more than the revenue gained from economic recovery. Why has the prospect of surpluses been replaced by the prospect of deficits, even after the economy recovers? To coin a phrase: It's the tax cut, stupid. Second, the administration will try to blame big spenders in Congress for the deficits. But who are these big spenders? The only major new spending items in the C.B.O. projection are for defense and education -- both in response to administration initiatives. And it's the administration, not the Democrats, that has described the defense increase as a mere "down payment" on much larger future sums. Those future defense increases aren't in the C.B.O. projection, because the rules under which C.B.O. operates force it to project the budget as if current policy will remain unchanged. So the C.B.O. projection leaves out the budget-busters it knows are out there, such as Donald Rumsfeld's next installment and the cost of fixing the alternative minimum tax. Put those items in, and the picture is clear: the surplus is gone, and we won't see it again as long as the tax cut goes through as scheduled. But the important point for now involves honor and credibility. Mr. Bush promised not to dip into the Social Security surplus; he has broken that promise. Critics told you that would happen; they have been completely vindicated. Mr. Bush told you it wouldn't; he lied." --Paul Krugman, 8/28/01
WEEK 31...Bush Environmental Policy Is Clearly Anti-Environmental In Those He Hires
"President Bush has been quietly filling key subcabinet posts with conservative activists and industry lobbyists who have spent their careers criticizing the laws they are now sworn to uphold. These appointments should dispel any doubts about Mr. Bush's intention to weaken the strong environmental protections he inherited from the Clinton administration. Unlike his father, who reached into academia and even the environmental community for some of his appointments, Mr. Bush seems determined to return to the Reagan era, when ideologues like James Watt ran the Interior Department and most of the important regulatory jobs were filled with representatives of the businesses being regulated. Nowhere is Mr. Bush's strategy clearer than at Interior, the agency most responsible for protecting the country's natural resources. The department's new deputy secretary, J. Steven Griles, was a top lobbyist for the oil, gas and coal industries, which contributed heavily to Mr. Bush's campaign last year and this year helped shape an energy strategy that would open the public lands to drilling. The new solicitor, William Myers III, was a senior employee of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and represented the nation's grazing interests in lawsuits challenging federal policies that he will now be required to uphold. Bennett Raley, the new assistant secretary for water and science, is likewise a longtime servant of the big landowning and irrigation interests. Lynn Scarlett, the new assistant secretary for policy, was president of the Reason Foundation, a libertarian think tank opposed in principle to most government regulation." NYT ED, 8/19/01
WEEK 30...Bush Rolls Back Medicaid Protections For HMO Buddies
The Bush administration proposed today to roll back some of the protections for Medicaid recipients that President Bill Clinton put in place on the day before he left office in January. The new rules set standards for health maintenance organizations and other managed care plans serving poor people and the disabled under Medicaid. Bush administration officials said they agreed with the intent of Mr. Clinton's rules, but had decided to give states more discretion in deciding how to achieve those goals. Under both sets of rules, Medicaid recipients could appeal the denial or termination of services by a private health plan in which they are enrolled. The Clinton administration said such appeals must be resolved within 30 days. The Bush administration would allow 45 days. In urgent situations, the Clinton administration set a 72-hour deadline for H.M.O.'s to rule on appeals. The Bush administration would allow three working days.... Representative Henry A. Waxman, Democrat of California, said, "The Bush administration has taken every opportunity to side with the H.M.O. industry and against Medicaid patients in these regulations." A Medicaid patient who needs a life-saving treatment on Friday might have to wait until the next Wednesday because the "emergency protections don't apply over the weekend," Mr. Waxman said. About half of the 40 million Medicaid recipients are in managed care. Many are heavy users of medical care. They generally do not have the money to go outside the network of doctors and hospitals selected by their health plans." --NYT, 8/17/01
WEEK 29...Under The Radar Of The Alaskan Drilling Threat, Bush Gives New Massive Kickbacks To The Energy Industry
"Last week the House of Representatives passed the "national energy plan" devised by President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and a mysterious roster of "energy consultants" whose names the administration refuses to divulge, even to Congress, Reuters reports. Of course, the bill has squat-all to do with sane and thoughtful policy-making for the 21st century; it's simply a smokescreen for one of the biggest welfare payouts in American history: $33.5 billion in tax breaks and outright cash subsidies to the energy industry - Big Oil, King Coal, Lord Nuke and Mighty Gas. Yes, that's the same energy industry that's already glutted with record-breaking profits - and the same energy industry that pumped $69 million into campaign coffers last year. Most of that patriotic largess went to Republicans, with the oilmen in the White House getting the heftiest share. But there was enough gravy left over for a few key Democrats too - hence the 36 party stalwarts who jumped ship to join the GOP majority in passing the historic boondoggle. This payback for the legalized bribery humorously known as "campaign finance" was cleverly obscured by media hoo-rah over a side issue: opening the Alaskan Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil-and-gas exploration. The House said O.K., but there's little chance the Democratic-controlled Senate will approve any such drilling at all. Both sides know this, but the sideshow allows them to posture for their core supporters while the bill's true goal - massive tax breaks for an already massively wealthy industry - is smuggled into law. It was neatly done, but what else would you expect? These guys are pros - in every sense of the word." --SPT, 8/10/01
WEEK 28...Bush Nominates Anti-Consumer Apologist To Head Up Consumer Product Safety
"When you got up today and readied yourself for work or rousted the kids from bed, probably the last thing on your mind was the future of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Yet, this federal agency influences the safety of nearly every appliance in your home and most of the tools in your garage -- from your coffee pot to your lawn mower, from your kids' skateboards to the baby's crib. Tuesday, for example, the commission joined with Miami-based Burger King to announce the voluntary recall of 2.6 million toys that can break open, releasing small beads that children can choke on. Once ridiculed as the "little agency that couldn't," because of its anemic regulatory clout, the agency in 18 years has developed more muscle, earning the reluctant respect of manufacturers and the wary support of consumer groups. Now the agency, which has an annual budget of $55 million and a staff of 480, has been thrust into the political limelight in a way it never has been. Consumer groups have denounced President Bush's nomination of Mary Sheila Gall as the agency's new chairwoman, saying she would turn the consumer watchdog into an industry lap dog. Consumers Union, which rarely gets involved in political matters, this week said Gall's leadership would cause the commission to "abdicate its responsibility to protect children." Consumers Union, a nonprofit organization that publishes product reviews in Consumer Reports magazine, joins a coalition of consumer groups that includes the Children's Defense Fund and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. 'We rarely take a position toward a presidential nominee,' said Consumers Union spokesman David Butler. 'But in this case, we decided the nominee was so unsatisfactory we needed to speak out.'" --KCS, 8/2/01
WEEK 27...Bush Rejects Germ-Weapons Controls For Bio-Tech And Drug Corp Backers
"Private industry pressure and President Bush's skeptical attitude toward international agreements sparked the administration's decision, expected to be announced Wednesday, to oppose new treaty language enforcing the international ban on biological weapons. The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries urged the Bush administration to change or reject draft treaty language that would have allowed for spot inspections of bio-manufacturing plants in countries, including the United States, that are party to the 26-year-old Biological Weapons Convention. That pressure combined with administration opposition to several pacts contributed to the decision, according to interviews with current and former U.S. officials, internal documents and congressional testimony. Bush has drawn international ire with his opposition to the Kyoto Protocol on the environment, the International Criminal Court, the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and an international pact against trafficking in small arms. The administration also is re-examining its support of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty barring nuclear weapons tests." --Chicago Tribune, 7/24/01
WEEK 26...Bush Plans To Protect Corp Polluters For 18 Months
"The Bush administration yesterday sought a lengthy delay in adopting a new rule for cleaning up thousands of the country's polluted lakes, rivers and streams while it attempts to rewrite the measure. The rule, drafted by the Clinton administration, has been sharply criticized by conservative Republicans in Congress and challenged in court by utilities, manufacturers and farm groups that say it could force them to spend tens of billions of dollars more annually on water cleanup. Yesterday the Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department asked the District of Columbia Circuit Court to postpone action on the legal challenge for 18 months, while the administration reviews the rule and attempts to make it more "workable" and acceptable to critics." --Washington Post, 7/17/01
WEEK 25...Bush And Salvation Army Team Up To Plan Faith-Based Discrimination
"Earlier this week, the Washington Post reported that an internal Salvation Army document spoke of a White House commitment to create the exemption for religious organizations that receive federal funds. And in exchange, according to the document, the Salvation Army would lobby intensively for the president's initiative. The White House and the Salvation Army spent all day Tuesday denying that any such agreement had been made, although a presidential spokesman acknowledged that the request was being considered. By evening, the administration announced that the consideration was over and the request had been rejected. Existing laws allowing religious organizations to discriminate in hiring based on religious beliefs offered sufficient protection, according to White House officials. How those laws will be interpreted and applied once the federal dollars start flowing to religious social programs is exactly what must be sorted out in this very delicate balancing act between church and state. Most laws that prohibit discrimination against homosexuals also exempt religious groups, but whether that exemption stands when the Salvation Army or Catholic Charities or any other faith-based group is hiring for its government-funded drug treatment program is still an open question. If the Salvation Army document was an accurate reflection of reality, then it is very disturbing that the White House would engage in this sort of backroom deal-making, circumventing the congressional processes that are currently working to address this matter." --Post-Gazette, July 13, 2001
WEEK 24...Dr. Strangelove Assures Reporters That ABM Treaty With Russians Won't Be Broken By Bush Until October At The Earliest
The Bush administration intends to break ground in Alaska next month on a missile defense test site and to develop a multi-layered shield that will include ship-launched missiles and lasers mounted on airplanes within four years, senior Pentagon officials said yesterday. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz is scheduled to outline the plan to Congress today. Officials said he would make clear that the administration is moving as fast as possible to build at least rudimentary missile defenses by 2005, regardless of probable objections by Moscow that the United States is violating the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty....Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld described the effort as an ambitious and accelerated testing program, saying the administration has no intention of breaking the 1972 ABM Treaty any time soon."We have every intention of working out an arrangement with the Russians, and I think we will," Rumsfeld told reporters last night. "I can assure you that if the United States of America intended to do something that would violate the treaty in July or August or September, I would know about it.."
"The ABM Treaty allows each side to build one land-based anti-missile system to protect a single city or field of missile silos. Russia has such a system around Moscow, and the United States originally chose to build one around a missile field in Grand Forks, N.D. But the treaty forbids any system intended to defend the entire nation. It also prohibits the development, testing or deployment of sea- or space-based defenses against long-range missiles.Last week, the State Department instructed U.S. embassies around the world to inform foreign governments that the United States plans to test not just land-based interceptor missiles but also "other technologies and basing modes, such as air- and sea-based capabilities" against long-range missiles."As we have informed our allies and Russia, these tests will come into conflict with the ABM Treaty in months, not years," the department said....Although the administration's plan calls for basing five interceptor missiles there and upgrading a "Cobra Dane" radar installation on Shemya Island in Alaska by 2004, Rumsfeld said that none of the work at Fort Greely would violate the ABM Treaty this year. In the past, government lawyers and arms control advocates have offered differing interpretations of what amount of construction would be allowed under the treaty. "As soon as the construction site becomes recognizably a strategic ABM interceptor launcher, it would violate the treaty," John Pike, director of Globalsecurity.org, a defense think tank, said yesterday. Experts also offered various predictions about how Russia would react, but all agreed that the stakes for the administration are high. "I'm sure they will protest it as a violation of the treaty," said Spurgeon M. Keeny Jr., president of the Arms Control Association and an arms control official in the Nixon administration, which negotiated the treaty with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev." --WP, 7/12/01
WEEK 23 1/2...Bush Policy Is To Prevent UN From Initiating International Small Arms Control
"The US president, George Bush, is about to spark a transatlantic row over a UN conference which opens today aiming to reduce the 500m Kalashnikovs and other small arms contributing to worldwide carnage. Mr Bush has ordered the US delegation to the New York conference to block the main proposals because he fears inflaming the US gun lobby led by the National Rifle Association, one of the most powerful vested interests in the country. Mr Bush is sensitive to the NRA's insistence that international regulations on small arms could infringe the constitutional right in the US to bear arms. His move will anger the EU countries, including Britain, that support the attempt by UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, to bring order to the arms trade. A UN document published for the conference blames small arms for 4m deaths in 46 conflicts since 1990 - about 90% of them civilians, and 80% of them women and children." --Guardian, July 9, 2001
WEEK 23...Japan's Foreign Minister Tanaka Calls Pez Bush "Totally An Asshole"
"On June 17, a day before Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka would be meeting US Secretary of State Collin Powell, Ms. Tanaka visited German Town High School in Philadelphia where she studied for two years when she was a high school student.The alumnae of the high school gave Ms. Tanaka a grand welcome. She enjoyed a class reunion and talking with her old classmates. Ms. Tanaka did not accompany interpreters and stenographers. She made a remark about George Bush during her conversation with her classmates and her words will remain in the history of Japan's foreign ministers. When she entered the library, she sat in the same wooden chair she used when she was a student. She remarked, "I remember the smell of this chair. It has not changed at all." She was deep in sentimental memories of those days. Makiko Tanaka said, 'What I learned at this school was spiritualism based on religion, the principles of a simple life and love as well as peace. I learned how important it is to listen to others and express one's opinion. I have respected this principle throughout my entire life thus far."
"Then, one classmate raised a political issue and said to her, "There is no scientific proof that the earth is warming and no legitimate reason why we need the 'star wars' missile defense system. Don't you think so?" Ms. Tanaka appreciated the question. In response to that question, Japan's Foreign Minister Makiko reportedly said, "I will definitely oppose the new missile defense plan proposed by President Bush. It is beyond my imagination that we need it." Ms. Tanaka's visit to Washington DC was agreed to by the US government after strenuous efforts by the Japanese government. The objective of her trip was to vindicate what she expressed about US foreign policies at meetings with her counterparts from other countries. She conveyed her messages of criticism about the foreign polices of the US government to them. She must have told them faithfully what she believed. Her address immediately caused problems in the Japanese political world.
"During the conversation with her old classmates at the reception in German Town High School, The Weekly Post learned that Ms. Tanaka made a remark about George Bush, "He is totally an asshole" in English. The majority of her classmates seemed to support the Republican Party, however, they were critical about Mr. Bush's new missile defense plan. When Ms. Tanaka made this remark, the classmates in the room were reportedly excited.There has never been a statesman in Japanese history that called a US president, 'an asshole.'" --Weekly Post Editorial, 6/25/01
WEEK 22...Most Americans Think Bush Policies And Positions Are Not Relevant To Their Needs
"President Bush's approval rating has slipped four percentage points since May and many Americans feel he is not addressing the issues they care about most, according to a poll released on Wednesday by the New York Times and CBS news. The poll of 1,005 adults taken June 14-18, shortly after Bush's first visit to Europe since taking office, showed the president's approval rating fell to 53 percent now from 57 percent last month. Only 50 percent of those polled approved of Bush's handling of the economy while 47 percent approved of his foreign policy performance and just 39 percent agreed with his policies on the environment. Some 44 percent felt the U.S. president was not respected by foreign leaders. ``Ratings on Mr. Bush's handling of foreign policy and the environment are also down, half of Americans are uneasy about his ability to deal with an international crisis, and a plurality says the leaders of other countries do not respect him,'' the pollsters said in a comment accompanying the survey. ...Just 25 percent of those polled said Bush was concentrating on the issues that mattered most to them.``A particular problem for Mr. Bush is that the public does not believe the president is concentrating on the right issues,'' the pollsters said. These issues were listed as health-care reform and the economy, followed by Social Security and Medicare. --Reuters, 6/20/01
WEEK 21...agriculture... "DURANGO, Iowa... Dale Leslein is a longtime hog farmer, a Republican who never joined anything, not even the Future Farmers of America when he was in high school. "I bought into the Reagan philosophy of relying on myself and looking to a smaller government and less taxes," said Mr. Leslein, 35, a third- generation hog farmer in this county of lush hills and imposing bluffs rising along the Mississippi River. Then three years ago he heard about a petition to abolish a mandatory fee assessed on hog sales that produces money for advertising pork. Since then, his life has turned upside down. "I hated that pork check-off tax before I heard of the petition," he said. "I was willing to fight tooth and nail to get rid of it." Mr. Leslein broke his lone-wolf habits and started organizing, visiting every hog farmer in Dubuque County, he said, often before dawn to catch his neighbors before they headed out to their fields. His work paid off. This January, his coalition won a national referendum to abolish the assessment; his county came through with a vote of 278 to 19. Then George W. Bush took office ? the Republican he had voted for ? and the new secretary of agriculture, Ann M. Veneman, overturned the results of the referendum. Ms. Veneman sided with the National Pork Producers Council, the trade association that spends the money from the assessment, holding that the fee should remain in place. She did so without consulting the winning farmers' coalition. "She's not Republican because I've never heard of Republicans who impose a tax after it's voted down in a democratic election," Mr. Leslein said....Wayne Demmer, a hog farmer in Epworth, said he was so angry he got on an airplane for the first time in 30 years and flew to Washington to join a protest and picket outside Ms. Veneman's home. "I've never done anything like that before," Mr. Demmer said. "I was standing with a 60-year-old woman who has been a hog farmer all her life." They distributed leaflets depicting Ms. Veneman as a snake, warning farmers about her "venomous" bite." --NYT, 6/11/01
WEEK 20......
WEEK 19......
WEEK 18......
WEEK 17...gasoline conservation... "The Bush administration is canceling a 2004 deadline for automakers to develop prototype cars that would get up to 80 miles per gallon and could be put into production a few years later. Department of Energy spokesman Joe Davis said that the 2004 deadline for producing a prototype, five-person "supercar" was dead. The department is switching its focus from efficient family sedans to "longer-term technologies" that could be used in all kinds of vehicles, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham told Congress last week. Critics say keeping the 80-m.p.g. goal is important as gas prices soar. "We were on the way to a supercar, and now we're putting that kind of progress at risk at a potentially unfortunate moment when consumers are facing rising gas prices," Dan Reicher, assistant secretary for energy efficiency during the Clinton administration, said. --Phila. Inquirer, 5/14/01
DAYS 75-112

posted by Joshua P. Angell  @ 15.5.06 0 comments

Many conservatives were quite chagrined over President Bush's immigration reform proposal. Guest worker programs? A chance at citizenship for illegal immigrants? A bill co-drafted by Sen. Ted Kennedy? To a lot of conservatives, it sounds too soft, too much like amnesty for law breakers. Tonight's speech -- in which the president proposed up to 6,000 National Guard troops at the Mexican border -- was designed to change that. The president also asked Congress to pay for additional detention centers for illegal immigrants. After all, if you don't have liberals or conservatives backing you, that can be a tough negotiating position. "We do not yet have full control of the border, and I am determined to change that," Bush said in his first prime-time network speech ever that focused on domestic policy. Critics, of course, said that this is all a Rio Grande illusion. At least half of the National Guard has already served in Iraq or Afghanistan, and many military observers said the Guard is stretched too thin. But the president disagreed and saaid the enforcement provision of his immigration reform package is essential. That it's politically essential seems unquestionable. "We will fix the problems created by illegal immigration, and we will deliver a system that is secure, orderly and fair," Bush said.

posted by Joshua P. Angell  @ 15.5.06 0 comments

Truly As Stupid As He Looks:

Bush to Propose Guard Troops for Border

By NEDRA PICKLER
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush will call for thousands of National Guard troops to be deployed along the Mexico border in support of patrols aimed at keeping out illegal immigrants, White House officials said Sunday on the eve of an Oval Office address announcing the plan.
White House aides worked into the night Sunday to iron out details of the proposal and allay concerns among lawmakers that using troops to man the border would further burden an overextended military.
Two White House officials said Bush would propose using troops as a stopgap measure while the Border Patrol builds up its resources. The troops would play a supportive role to Border Patrol agents, who would maintain primary responsibility for physically guarding the border.
The officials spoke on a condition of anonymity before the address Monday at 8 p.m. EDT. The officials would not say how many troops Bush wanted to use, except that it would be in the thousands but less than an estimate of as many as 10,000 being discussed at the Pentagon.
Bush's national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, would not confirm that using National Guard troops was the plan but said it was one of the options the president was considering. But he described the same scenario.
"It's not about militarization of the border," Hadley said on CNN's "Late Edition." "It's about assisting the civilian border patrol in doing their job, providing intelligence, providing support, logistics support and training and these sorts of things."
Bush's National Guard plan is aimed at winning support for broader immigration reform from conservatives in Congress. Bush's main goal is to allow foreigners to get temporary work permits to take low-paying jobs _ an idea favored by the business community. But many conservatives want a tougher approach on illegal immigrants trying to sneak into the country.
About 100 National Guard troops are serving on the border to assist with counter-drug operations, heavy equipment support and other functions.
"I think what it would be is simply expanding the kind of thing that has already been done in the past in order to provide a bit of a stopgap as the Border Patrol build up their capacity to deal with this challenge," Hadley said.
Bush gave the same message to Mexican President Vicente Fox, who called Sunday to express concern about what he called the possibility of a "militarized" border between the two nations. Bush assured Fox that any military support would be administrative and logistical and would come from the National Guard and not the Army, according to a news release from Fox's office.
Criticism of the National Guard plan came Sunday from Democrats, but also an important Republican negotiator in the immigration debate _ Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. He said National Guard troops cannot secure the border over the long term and that he does not think it is wise even in the short term.
"We've got National Guard members on their second, third and fourth tours in Iraq," Hagel said. "We have stretched our military as thin as we have ever seen it in modern times. And what in the world are we talking about here, sending a National Guard that we may not have any capacity to send up to or down to protect borders? That's not their role."
Hagel said the bill under debate in the Senate that he helped write would double the 12,000-strong Border Patrol force over the next five years. "That's the way to fix it, not further stretching the National Guard," he said on ABC's "This Week."
Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., said there may be a need for troops to fill in while the Border Patrol is bolstered. But he did not seem confident that the National Guard could take on the extra duty.
"We have stretched these men and women so thin, so thin, because of the bad mistakes done by the civilians in the military here, that I wonder how they're going to be able to do it," Biden said, also on ABC.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said he supported using the National Guard on the Mexican border. He said lawmakers who doubt that the National Guard, whose members have served for years in Iraq and went to the Gulf Coast after last summer's hurricanes, could take on border patrol duty are "whining" and "moaning."
"We've got to secure our borders," Frist said on CNN's "Late Edition." "We hear it from the American people. We've got millions of people coming across that border. First and foremost, secure the border, whatever it takes. Everything else we've done has failed. We've got to face that. And so we need to bring in, I believe, the National Guard."
Frist said the full Senate planned to begin debating the immigration bill Monday and that it would take up to two weeks to pass.
Senators would have to resolve any differences with the House version of the bill, which did not address the guest worker issue but increases penalties for illegal immigration activities and funds a 700-mile border fence.
The statement from Fox's office and another from the White House said the two presidents agreed that immigration reform be comprehensive _ meaning that it go beyond the tough punitive measures that some conservatives are promoting to stem the flow of immigrants.
White House spokeswoman Maria Tamburri said Bush made clear to Fox that "the United States considered Mexico a friend and that what is being considered is not militarization of the border, but support of border capabilities on a temporary basis by the National Guard."

posted by Joshua P. Angell  @ 14.5.06 1 comments

Cheney the Focus of CIA Leak Court Filing

Cheney the Focus of CIA Leak Court Filing

By PETE YOST
WASHINGTON (AP) - In a new court filing, the prosecutor in the CIA leak case revealed that Vice President Dick Cheney made handwritten references to CIA officer Valerie Plame _ albeit not by name _ before her identity was publicly exposed.
The new court filing is the second in little more than a month by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald mentioning Cheney as being closely focused with his then-chief of staff, I. Lewis Libby, on Bush administration critic Joseph Wilson, who is married to Plame.
With the two court filings, Fitzgerald has pointed to an important role for the vice president in the weeks leading up to the leaking of Plame's identity.
In the latest court filing late Friday, Fitzgerald said he intends to introduce at Libby's trial in January a copy of Wilson's op-ed article in The New York Times "bearing handwritten notations by the vice president." The article was published on July 6, 2003, eight days before Plame's identity was exposed by conservative columnist Bob Novak.
The notations "support the proposition that publication of the Wilson Op Ed acutely focused the attention of the vice president and the defendant _ his chief of staff _ on Mr. Wilson, on the assertions made in the article and on responding to those assertions."
The article containing Cheney's notes "reflects the contemporaneous reaction of the vice president to Mr. Wilson's Op Ed article," the prosecutor said. "This is relevant to establishing some of the facts that were viewed as important by the defendant's immediate superior, including whether Mr. Wilson's wife had 'sent him on a junket,' the filing states.
The reference is to the fact that the CIA sent Wilson on a trip to Africa in 2002 to check out a report that Iraq had made attempts to acquire uranium yellowcake from Niger.
Wilson concluded that it was highly doubtful an agreement to purchase uranium had been made.
The Bush administration used the intelligence on supposed efforts by Iraq to acquire uranium from Africa to bolster its case for going to war.
After the invasion, with the Bush White House under pressure because no weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq, Wilson wrote the op ed piece for The Times. In it, he accused the Bush administration of exaggerating prewar intelligence to exaggerate an Iraqi threat from weapons of mass destruction.
Defending the administration against Wilson's accusations, Libby and presidential adviser Karl Rove promoted the idea that Wilson's wife, Plame, had sent him on the trip to Africa. Administration critics have said such a move was an attempt to undercut Wilson's credibility.
The prosecution's court papers also stated that Cheney told Libby around June 12, 2003, that Wilson's wife worked at the CIA, a month before her identity was outed.

posted by Joshua P. Angell  @ 13.5.06 0 comments

Government Monitoring About 200 Million Americans' Calls

Government Monitoring About 200 Million Americans' Calls ??? YES, IT IS TRUE!

As controversy continues to swirl around the National Security Agency program that taps the phones of suspected terrorists within the United States, a USA Today story reveals another piece of the president's NSA spying program.
Addressing the issue this afternoon, President Bush did not confirm or deny the report and said the intelligence operations he's authorized are "lawful" and "appropriate."
The newspaper says that the spy agency has been collecting information on every phone call made in this country.
"Chances are that your cell phone calls, as well as your home phone calls, have been tracked," said Leslie Cauley, the reporter who broke the story. She said there was a "high likelihood" that this information was being passed on to the FBI and CIA.
Bush said any intelligence activities specifically target terrorists. "Our intelligence activities strictly target al Qaeda and their known affiliates," Bush said. "We are not mining or trolling through the personal lives of innocent Americans."
The paper reports that three of the nation's largest phone companies -- AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth -- have been turning over detailed call histories of all their customers since Sept. 11, 2001, to help the NSA compile what it hopes will be "the largest database ever assembled in the world."
About 200 million people have had their call records monitored, Cauley said. This means the NSA keeps track of the outgoing and incoming calls, but not the callers' Social Security numbers or addresses.
"This is referred to as data mining. They slice and dice these numbers a thousand different ways," Cauley said. "They analyze patterns. If you're NSA, you look for suspicious patterns."
In all their comments about the eavesdropping program, U.S. officials never revealed that they were involved in this massive collection of telephone data. Instead the president has described the NSA surveillance program this way: "The program applies only to international communications. In other words, one end of the communication must be outside the United States."
The NSA responded to the report with a statement.
"Given the nature of the work we do, it would be irresponsible to comment. Therefore, we have no information to provide," the statement read. "However, it is important to note that the NSA takes its legal responsibility seriously and operates within the law."
Gen. Michael Hayden, the president's pick for the next CIA director, has defended the eavesdropping program, saying it goes after al Qaeda operatives.
"This is targeted and focused," Hayden said. "This is not about intercepting conversations between people in the United States."
Hayden is likely to be grilled on the NSA surveillance programs during his confirmation hearings next week.
According to USA Today, this massive NSA data collection program is used to analyze calling patterns that may be helpful in tracking down terrorists. This part of the spy program does not include listening to or recording Americans' conversations. The data NSA gathers are so private that phone companies would normally face steep fines for divulging the information.
According to USA Today, one phone company, Qwest, has refused to turn over its records, citing legal concerns. So far, the White House has not responded to this report.
In the past, it has told ABC News that the NSA's terrorist surveillance program is within the law, and is essential to keeping Americans safe.
"Qwest had concerns about the legality about handing over customer information without having court warrants," Cauley said. "It wasn't that they wanted to participate."
This story was originally reported by ABC News' Jessica Yellin

posted by Joshua P. Angell  @ 11.5.06 0 comments

www.JenniferGale.com

LET'S KEEP AUSTIN... AUSTIN!
The Official Site for the Jennifer Gale for Mayor Campaign.http://www.jennifergale.com/ - 12k - Cached - Similar pages

posted by Joshua P. Angell  @ 10.5.06 0 comments

Jennifer Gale = Candidate for Mayor, Austin Texas

THE VOICE OF THE AUSTIN MAJORITY AGAIN ANNOUNCES OUR ENDORSEMENT OF CANDIDATE JENNIFER GALE!

Jennifer Gale: FOR MAYOR
I was wandering around the web and came upon the Austin City Council video statements at the city election site. Though I’m not going to sit through a dozen videos, I was interested in 15 (17?) time candidate Jennifer Gale, former Marine who many of us have come to know and love . Last election cycle when Gale ran in an AISD election, she carried 3 of the 6 campus precincts and her chalk advertisements and round paper ads posted on electricity boxes in West Campus are common place. GO JENNIFER!

But her video. You just have to watch it. The best part is when she breaks out in song! THIS IS A CANDIDATE WHO CAN AND WILL KEEP AUSTIN AUSTIN!
Watch! Look up the city of Austin website, search for Jennifer Gale, and take a look!

VOTE JENNIFER GALE FOR MAYOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
here are some various snippets from the web where you can learn more about Jennifer Gale:
The Austin Chronicle: News: (Jennifer) Gale ForceThe vote in the AISD board elections suggests too many Austinites are just not paying attention.http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/... - 44k - Cached - Similar pages The Austin Chronicle Politics: Love ChildrenJennifer Gale and Leslie Cochran and Ray "The Vet" Blanchette are not ... Jennifer Gale. The transgender (sort of) Gale is the most versatile of our ...http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/... - 21k - Cached - Similar pages Burnt Orange Report - Place 4: Jennifer Gale "gets no satisfaction"time candidate Jennifer Gale, transgender homeless former Marine who many of us on ... And I'll add that I'm happy that Jennifer Gale has a new t-shirt. ...http://www.burntorangereport.com/archives/... - 53k - Cached - Similar pages LET'S KEEP AUSTIN... AUSTIN!The Official Site for the Jennifer Gale for Mayor Campaign.http://www.jennifergale.com/ - 12k - Cached - Similar pages Jennifer Gale - LostPediaJennifer Gale. From LostPedia. The wife of the real Henry Gale ... May not be on the island at all, as suggested by the note Henry Gale wrote to her. ...http://lostpedia.com/wiki/Jennifer_Gale - 11k - Cached - Similar pages Jennifer Gale - LostPedia(Redirected from Jennifer). The wife of the real Henry Gale ... May not be on the island at all, as suggested by the note Henry Gale wrote to her. ...http://lostpedia.com/wiki/Jennifer - 11k - Cached - Similar pages Car-Free Austin Newsletter 11-5-01Not much is known about Jennifer Gale, but the Oct. 26 Austin Chronicle notes that she supports rail transit within the city (though not the existing light ...http://bicycleaustin.info/newsletter/... - 27k - Cached - Similar pages FIE 2005 Author IndexGale, Jennifer. WORK IN PROGRESS - ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF TEAM DYNAMICS ON THE DESIGN PROCESS ... Jennifer Gale and Robert D. Knecht. Gamboa, Francisco ...http://fie.engrng.pitt.edu/fie2005/authors/G.htm - 39k - Cached - Similar pages WEDDINGS/CELEBRATIONS; Jennifer Gale, Alex Mantzaris - New York TimesJennifer Louise Gale, a daughter of Barbara Whitelaw Gale and Thomas H. Gale of Centreville, Md., was married there yesterday to Demetrios Alexis Mantzaris, ...http://query.nytimes.com/gst/... - 24k - Cached - Similar pages [Hpn] Leslie: Austin's Most Famous Homeless Person FWDHe faces opposition from two homeless people who have never held public office: Jennifer Gale, a perennial candidate for council, and Cochran. ...http://projects.is.asu.edu/pipermail/hpn/2000-May/... - 21k - Cached - Similar pages

posted by Joshua P. Angell  @ 9.5.06 0 comments

Who has authority to investigate the activities of a nonprofit corporation?
that's a good question... after about 4 hours of researching this on the internet, I found the following information and wanted to make it easier for other people to find... We need to start demanding answers from these corrupt non profit organizations in Texas. I will be requesting under the open records act information on some of Austin's not for profits! About a year ago, an article appeared exposing the dirty little secrets of non-profits in the area, and a news channel covered this... it exposed the top ten or fifteen highest paid Executive Director's at non-profits here in the Austin area... mysteriously, it has disappeared from the web.. somebody must have sued... I can remember a few of the oraganizations, two for sure, I would like to further expose this information, if anybody around has this list that was published about the highest paid salaries of non-profit director's here in the Austin area, please blog it here or email me, we NEED answers and to expose this issue! Joshua Angell, Austin, Texas

The Attorney General has statutory authority to (1) investigate charities that operate as nonprofit corporations, and (2) inspect the books and records of all corporations, including nonprofit corporations. The Secretary of State has no such authority.
The IRS can revoke a nonprofit corporation’s tax exemption for violations of federal tax laws.
13. Are the books and records of a nonprofit corporation available for inspection?
The Texas Non-Profit Corporation Act and the Texas Business Organizations Code require nonprofit corporations to maintain financial records and minutes of certain proceedings and make them available to members for examination and copying. The board of directors is required to prepare or approve an annual financial report. In general, all records, books, and annual reports must be available to the public for inspection and copying. These provisions do not apply to (1) corporations that solicit funds only from their members; (2) corporations that do not intend to solicit and do not actually receive contributions in excess of $10,000 during a fiscal year from sources other than their members; (3) proprietary schools; (4) religious institutions; (5) trade associations or professional associations whose principal income is from dues and member sales and services; (6) insurers; (7) charitable organizations concerned with conservation and protection of wildlife, fisheries, or allied natural resources; or (8) alumni associations.
Under certain circumstances, a nonprofit corporation’s books and records are available to the public under the Texas Open Records Act (chapter 552 of the Government Code). Section 552.003(1)(A) of the Open Records Act defines “governmental body” to include the “part, section, or portion of an organization, corporation, commission, committee, institution, or agency that spends or that is supported in whole or in part by public funds.” For more information on the Open Records Act, contact the Attorney General.

posted by Joshua P. Angell  @ 9.5.06 0 comments

ROCKEFELLER CALLS FOR ADDRESSING FRAUD AND ABUSE IN NONPROFITS
makes you think about the non-profit's here in Austin... we'll be on this like a fly on jelly...
Cites Transparency as Necessary Ingredient for Accountability and Legitimacy; Praises Good Works by West Virginia Charities
Washington, D.C. – At a Senate Finance Committee hearing aimed at cracking down on potential abuse and fraud in non-profit organizations, Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) on Tuesday called on Congress to take steps to protect taxpayer money by separating “legitimate organizations” from “bad actors.”
“I abhor abuse in the nonprofit sector because it does so much damage,” said Rockefeller. “Many of the proposals that the Committee is considering will dramatically improve the transparency of nonprofit organizations. Allowing more sunshine in is the best way we can guard against abuse and fraud at foundations and charities.
“By requiring nonprofit entities to file more complete information with the Internal Revenue Service, and by making more of this information available to the public, the government, media, and donor community can ensure that organizations are truly fulfilling their charitable missions.
“I know from personal experience that foundations and charities do a tremendous amount of good work across the country,” said Rockefeller. “Since the time I was governor of West Virginia, I have worked with a number of excellent organizations that bring social services and development to the neediest parts of rural America. West Virginia is fortunate to have many excellent charities and community organizations. I’ve met with a number of West Virginia nonprofits lately, and I’ve been very impressed with the great things they are doing.”
Today’s hearing was held to consider the interim report provided by a Panel on Non-Profit Sector established by the Finance Committee. Legislation on addressing nonprofit fraud and abuse is expected to follow the Panel’s full report in June.

posted by Joshua P. Angell  @ 9.5.06 0 comments