Iraq Corruption Whistleblowers Made to Suffer

For daring to report illegal arms sales, Navy veteran Donald Vance says he was imprisoned by the American military in a security compound outside Baghdad and subjected to harsh interrogation methods.

There were times, huddled on the floor in solitary confinement with that head-banging music blaring dawn to dusk and interrogators yelling the same questions over and over, that Vance began to wish he had just kept his mouth shut.

He had thought he was doing a good and noble thing when he started telling the FBI about the guns and the land mines and the rocket-launchers — all of them being sold for cash, no receipts necessary, he said. He told a federal agent the buyers were Iraqi insurgents, American soldiers, State Department workers, and Iraqi embassy and ministry employees.

...

So Vance says he blew the whistle, supplying photos and documents and other intelligence to an FBI agent in his hometown of Chicago because he didn't know whom to trust in Iraq.

For his trouble, he says, he got 97 days in Camp Cropper, an American military prison outside Baghdad that once held Saddam Hussein, and he was classified a security detainee.

from truthout.org

More @ Iragslogger on Donald Vance's story

According to their suit, Vance and Ertel gathered photographs and documents, which Vance fed to Chicago FBI agent Travis Carlisle for six months beginning in October 2005.

....

Vance said things went terribly wrong in April 2006, when he and Ertel were stripped of their security passes and confined to the company compound.

Panicking, Vance said, he called the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, where hostage experts got on the phone and told him "you're about to be kidnapped. Lock yourself in a room with all the weapons you can get your hands on."'

The military sent a Special Forces team to rescue them, Vance said, and the two men showed the soldiers where the weapons caches were stored. At the embassy, the men were debriefed and allowed to sleep for a few hours. "I thought I was among friends," Vance said.

The men [Vance and Ertel] said they were cuffed and hooded and driven to Camp Cropper, where Vance was held for nearly three months and his colleague for a little more than a month.

Comment period ends Sept. 1.

The U.S. EPA is currently reviewing dangerous fumigant pesticides for re-registration--including methyl bromide, metam sodium, chloropicrin, methyl bromide, dazomet and telone. All of these toxic chemicals pose a threat to the health of farm workers. These fumigants are among the most toxic pesticides in use today, causing birth defects, cancer, Parkinson’s disease and acute poisonings. Fumigant drift has resulted in mass poisonings in areas of high use, often causing the evacuation of hundreds of people from their homes and sending many to the hospital. Fumigants also contribute to smog and other resulting respiratory illnesses.

Please take action today. The EPA is asking for public comments on fumigant re-registrations until the end of the August. The UFW is working with Pesticide Action Network and a number of other environmental organizations to encourage the EPA to ban the use of the dangerous pesticides listed earlier or at least require generous buffer zones near schools, hospitals, residences and other places where people may be exposed. We are also asking for notification before applications take place.

We’re using a petition format, as the EPA has a very complicated web form docket system that is difficult to use and makes our one-touch email system impossible. The UFW and our partners want to make expressing your voice as easy as possible and will turn our petition signatures into each of the required dockets to save you the time and effort.

Please make a difference for farm workers by signing our petition today!

from United Farm Workers

Farmers markets coming to Wal-Mart

more @ ktvb.com

This afternoon on The Situation Room, CNN ran one of their "Keeping Them Honest" segments about Crandall Canyon mine owner Robert Murray , examining the safety record of Murray Energy's 19 other mining operations.

Murray correctly claimed that the safety record of Crandall Canyon was "almost outstanding, much better than the national average" — though tragically, that was obviously prior to the collapse that trapped 6 miners 18 days ago and launched a risky recovery mission that took the lives of three rescuers one week ago tonight.

CNN looked into Murray's other mining operations, though, and found some shocking statistics: Of Murray's 19 mines, 7 were underground and 4 of them had accident rates above the national average. CNN specifically cited Murray's Illinois Galatia mine, which CNN reports has racked up 3,485 safety citations in the last 2.5 years, and has had an above-average rate of injury every year since Murray bought it.

Murray's Galatia mine has racked up 968 safety citations in 2007, almost a quarter of which are considered "significant and substantial." Murray challenges many of the citations — but has also paid approximately $700,000 in fines from 2005-2006. Great information to have — but wow, is it ever late.

more @ huffington

If f*ing took them long enough.... after they basically let the mine OWNER be the press liaison for the disaster which MSHA [Mine Safty and Health Administration] regulations prohibit. Then Murray allowed CNN reports to enter the mine DURING the rescue , I believe another violation of MSHA. But hey, Murray needed to buy some good press right CNN? Well he got his money's worth for at least the first 17 days. Richard Stickler, the MSHA chief, was a Bush recess appointment because Sen. Byrd had a hold on him for the dismal safety record of his own mines.

More about Robert Murray's Fines
More about proof of troubles at mine before disaster

Apparently President George W. Bush is now so unpopular that some lawyers believe the mere mention of his name in front of a jury could tip the scales against them.

Attorneys Michael P. Laffey and Robert P. DiDomenicis of Holsten & Associates in Media, Pa., are defending Upper Darby Township, Pa., in a civil rights suit brought by Harold Lischner, an 82-year-old doctor who claims he was falsely arrested for displaying an anti-war sign at a Bush campaign event in September 2003.

With the case set to go to trial on July 23, the defense lawyers recently filed a flurry of motions, including one that asked Eastern District of Pennsylvania Judge Gene E.K. Pratter to prohibit the plaintiff from mentioning Bush's name.

more @ law.com

Tuesday, August 28
Manchester, NH

RALLY
5:00-7:00 PM
VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK
700 block of Elm St.

Iraq War veterans, military family members, religious leaders, music, and more
Bring your picnic supper and a blanket!

MARCH
4:30 PM
DOWN ELM STREET

from Senator Sununu’s office to the park
(gather at 4:15 at 1589 Elm St.)

24-HOUR STAKE-OUT* BEGINS
MONDAY AUGUST 27, 5:00 PM

Monday, August 27, 6:30-8pm (Exeter-Loaf and Ladle Restaurant)

Rockingham County Democrats Meeting with Guest Doris “Granny D” Haddock.

Social time is 6:30-7pm. Meeting starts at 7pm. Granny will speak about public funding of elections.

Contact lauriemccray@verizon.net

Due to a change in schedule, Dennis and Elizabeth will NOT be coming to NH
today. All of our scheduled NH events are cancelled. Elizabeth assures
me that they will be in Kennebunkport on Saturday.

Please pass this on - with my apologies.

Susan Bruce
NH State Coordinator
Kucinich for President
susanb@kucinich.us

Electronic Voting Company May Be Banned in CA

Kim Zetter reports for Wired.com: "California announced that it plans to hold an administrative hearing on September 20th to discuss the fate of Election Systems & Software for violating state election codes. ES&S, the top voting machine company in the country, is being accused of selling at least five CA counties a version of its AutoMark ballot marking system that hadn't yet been tested or certified for use in the state or the country."

from Truthout.org

Behavior Research Center. 7/27-8/4. Registered voters. MoE 3.9% (No trend lines)

McCain (R) 36
Napolitano (D) 47

Not surprisingly, the poll by the Behavior Research Center shows Napolitano the favorite of 78 percent of Democrats, versus 11 percent for McCain. But the governor also would pick up 20 percent of Republicans and 47 percent of independents who make up nearly 28 percent of Arizona’s registered voters [...]

from dailykos

I remember centrist Dems saying how great it would be if McCain joined the Kerry ticket as VP. Well, now McCain is the number 2 cheerleader for the war, barely behind Bush [Lieberman, independent, a close 3rd]. And no Dem presidential candidates showed up for the DLC convention. My, how things have changed. Long live people power!

more @ AP

States are trying to cover as many of the 9 million currently uninsured children as they can with what funds they have, so kids won't die for a lack of regular care.

But Bush's health department just threatened states with "corrective action" if they didn't add insurmountable obstacles for squeezed middle-class families. That could pressure states to kick some kids out of the program.

A new missive to state officials effectively prevents them from covering families that earn more than 250% of the poverty line -- about $43,000 a year, before taxes, for a family of three, or $51,000 a year for a family of four.

An average family health insurance plan costs over $11,000 a year, so if you don't get decent insurance from an employer, paying out of pocket is extremely difficult.

from salon.com

Update: Bush fighting a PR war against the states funding children's health care. Just like Iraq he is losing this one too. more @ salon.

He claimed he had created 80,000 jobs when government figures put the total at 68,100.

Summary

Democratic presidential contender Bill Richardson boasts of creating 80,000 jobs since becoming governor of New Mexico. Not yet, he hasn't. The state has gained fewer than 76,000 payroll jobs since he took office, and official figures showed a mere 68,100 gain when he first started making his inflated boast last year. He bases his claim on a definition of "jobs" that includes unpaid workers in family businesses and freelancers who don't draw a paycheck.

Richardson also claims he "made New Mexico 6th in job growth," which is misleading at best. In fact, the state already ranked 6th for the 12-month period before he took office. It has ranked 6th for a few selected months since, but it currently ranks 17th.

From FactCheck.org

Diebold: New name, same bad voting machines!

"Diebold Election Systems" are three words synonymous with the aggressive pursuit of failure. Not only did the company badly implement a dubious concept -- unverifiable electronic touch-screen voting machines -- but it did so with determined flourish, letting its code and internal communication leak out onto the Web; employing as a chief executive a man who declared he was "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year"; abusing copyright law in an attempt to quell its critics; and, among many other caught-red-handed indiscretions, deleting criticism of itself from Wikipedia.

No wonder, then, that Diebold Election Systems has decided to steal a page from the playbook of that paragon of corporate responsibility Philip Morris (aka the Altria Group): Diebold will erase its sorry history with a simple name change!

Henceforth, when reaching for an example of mind-boggling incompetence, please say "Premier" rather than "Diebold," because Diebold Election Systems is now Premier Election Systems.

from salon.com

Host: Mark Henson

Location: Glen Avenue Gazebo in Downtown
Rte 16 and Glen Avenue, Berlin, NH View Map

When: Saturday, August 25, 10:30am Phone: 603-752-4049

Please join Senator Edwards in the North Country as he spreads his bold policies and message of change all across New Hampshire as part of his "Fighting for One America" bus tour.

Please RSVP through the E-vite or call Andrew Tyler, our North Country Organizer at 603.752.4049.

** If you are able to attend please bring school supplies to donate to New Hampshire Public Schools. Pens, pencils, binders, notebooks, highlighters, sharpies, colored pencils, or anything else would be greatly appreciated.**

CBS News’ Jeff Greenfield will be covering the Kucinich campaign in Rochester, NH, on Friday August 24^th. Tentative plans are for CBS to air the segment based on this tour and an interview (to be taped later in the day) on Monday night August 27^th.

Dear Friends:

The news reports are heartbreaking - families across New Hampshire seeing their dreams of home ownership put at risk because of predatory lending or foreclosure rescue scams.

That is why we acted this year to prevent predators from taking advantage of New Hampshire families who are in a financial crisis. The legislature passed and I signed a new law aimed at helping protect homeowners from losing their homes - and the valuable equity they have built - to foreclosure rescue scams. The law imposes new standards on pre-foreclosure sales and requiring greater disclosure from foreclosure consulting companies. We also created stiff penalties - including fines, jail time, and repayment of equity to homeowners - on people who run foreclosure rescue scams.

New Hampshire's Banking Department is also working to help families avoid having problems with their mortgages.

The banking department is conducting information sessions across the state to help families avoid risky mortgages. At the sessions, the department's examiners review loan documents with borrowers and potential borrowers to check for improper activities by mortgage originators and provide consumers with referrals for further assistance. Informational sessions have been conducted in Rochester, Keene, Nashua and Salem, and will continue next week in Manchester in the Aldermanic Chambers at City Hall from 2 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 28th. Sessions will also soon be held in Portsmouth, Berlin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Claremont and Concord in the coming weeks. People with questions about their mortgages can also contact the New Hampshire Banking Department at 271-3561, or toll free at 1-800-437-5991.

With a recent report by the New Hampshire Banking Association predicting a continued increase in mortgage foreclosures, we will continue to watch this important issue carefully. I look forward to continue working with lawmakers, our Banking Department and all of you on this important issue.

As always, Susan and I deeply appreciate your continued support, your hard work and your encouragement.

All the best,

John H. Lynch

Governor

www.thejohnlynchcommittee.com

Lieberman Shrugs Off Failed Iraq Predictions, Now Claims ‘Road To Victory’ Goes Through Syria

@ thinkprogress

Iraq... Iran.. and beyond....

From State Rep, Martha Mcleod:

The 2007 legislative session in Concord saw significant action on a number of fronts, including health care, the environment, and economic and educational issues. Some of the highlights include successfully:

• expanding access to affordable health insurance for young adults and putting a new focus on prevention in public health (which I believe is the most fiscally responsible and effective approach);
• restoring funding for the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program, which has already protected hundreds of thousands of acres and hundreds of historic and cultural properties in the state -- all of which contribute to both our quality of life and tourism-based business; and
• passing new ways to encourage New Hampshire companies to invest in innovation and growth, while at the same time raising the minimum wage for the first time in nine years.

The Budget

In late June, the House and Senate passed a balanced and fiscally responsible two-year state operating budget that prioritizes important investments in health care, education, and economic development (without the need for a sales or income tax).

The budget makes affordable health insurance available to thousands more children through the Healthy Kids program; increases access to home care for seniors; supports alcohol and drug prevention and treatment programs; eliminates the waiting list for services for people with development disabilities; increases our investment in school and higher education; and creates a research and development tax credit for innovative businesses.

The budget was crafted under an open and transparent process that included listening sessions around the state. As a member of the House Finance Committee, I attended these sessions to hear firsthand about your priorities, and I was proud that our North Country session in Lancaster drew one of the largest crowds on the tour.

Health Care

In addition to working on the budget as vice-chair of the Health and Human Services subcommittee, I sponsored several bills that focused on expanding health insurance coverage. These bills looked at lowering the cost of health coverage for small businesses; established a task force to develop a health coverage expansion initiative; and established a prescription drug program to lower the costs of medicine.

In addition, we passed a health care bill that allows any young adult up to age 26 to enroll under their parents’ health insurance. This legislation allows every young adult in New Hampshire, regardless of whether they are married or unmarried, in college or in the workforce, to obtain affordable health insurance. A second bill also allows divorced spouses to continue their health insurance for up to three years after a divorce. Finally, we passed a smoking ban in public restaurants and bars to protect the health of employees and patrons.

Environment

The budget passed this year also focused on preserving and protecting our natural resources and environment, including funding for the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP). We passed bills banning burning of construction and demolition debris and requiring that 25% of our state’s electricity comes from renewable sources by 2025. Finally, I co-sponsored legislation to add the Ammonoosuc River to the River Management Program; thank you to all the North Country residents who worked hard for this bill.

Economic Development and Education: Expanding Opportunity

In addition to increasing state aid to schools, the community technical colleges, and the University System in the budget, we also passed a dropout prevention plan that will help more young people graduate from high school through increased tutoring, career and technical centers, and apprenticeship programs. The budget rewards innovative companies with a research and development tax credit, and we also passed the first increase to the minimum wage in nine years. Finally, the legislature met the court-imposed deadline for defining an adequate education.

Thank you to everyone who contacted me throughout the year. Your input is critical to the legislative process and allows me to bring a personal, rural perspective to Concord. Last year, you asked for elected officials who would listen to your priorities and take action. I am proud of the work we did this year in Concord and encourage you to continue to contact me with your opinions and your concerns. I can be reached by email at martha.mcleod@leg.state.nh.us.

.

Martha McLeod is a resident of Franconia and serves the towns of Bethlehem and Franconia in the New Hampshire House of Representatives