Why Are We Doing Business With Those That We Wanna "Obliterate?"

Another non-major media gem.

From the NY Daily News

U.S. exports to Iran grow tenfold during Bush years
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON - U.S. exports to Iran- including brassieres, bull semen, cosmetics and possibly even weapons - grew more than tenfold during President Bush's years in office even as he accused Iran of nuclear ambitions and helping terrorists. America sent more cigarettes to Iran , at least $158 million worth under Bush, than any other products.

Other surprising shipments to Iran during the Bush administration: fur clothing, sculptures, perfume and musical instruments. Top states shipping goods to Iran include California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin, according to an analysis by The Associated Press of seven years of U.S. government trade data.

Despite increasingly tough rhetoric toward Iran, which Bush has called part of an "axis of evil," U.S. trade in a range of goods survives on-again, off-again sanctions originally imposed nearly three decades ago. The rules allow sales of agricultural commodities, medicine and a few other categories of goods. The exemptions are designed to help Iranian families even as the United States pressures Iran's leaders.

"Our sanctions are targeted against the regime, not the people," said Adam Szubin, director of the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, which enforces the sanctions. The government tracks exports to Iran using details from shipping records, but in some cases it's unclear whether anyone pays attention.

Sanctions are intended in part to frustrate Iran's efforts to build its military, but the U.S. government's own figures show at least $148,000 worth of unspecified weapons and other military gear were exported from the United States to Iran during Bush's time in office. That includes $106,635 in military rifles and $8,760 in rifle parts and accessories shipped in 2004, the data shows.

Also shipped to Iran were at least $13,000 in "aircraft launching gear and/or deck arrestors," equipment needed to launch jets from aircraft carriers, according to U.S. records. Iran's navy is not believed to own or operate any carriers.

Those numbers may seem small, but military items can sell for pennies on the dollar compared with what the Pentagon paid. Last year, federal agents seized four F-14 fighter jets sold to domestic buyers by an officer at Point Mugu Naval Air Station, Calif., for $2,000 to $4,000 each, with proceeds benefiting a squadron recreation fund. When F-14s were new, they cost roughly $38 million each.

Szubin said it was unlikely exports of military gear occurred, but added that the government was looking into it to be certain after the AP raised questions. He said shipping records are subject to human error, such as citing wrong commodity codes or recording "Iran" as the destination rather than "Iraq." The Treasury Department said Monday it was still checking to see whether it could offer an explanation. (More Stuff...)

It's Never Wise to Wear Out Your Welcome

Found this on the Huff Post.

US Withdrawal Timetable Insisted Upon By Iraqi Government
Sally Buzbee

BAGHDAD — Iraq's national security adviser said Tuesday his country will not accept any security deal with the United States unless it contains specific dates for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces.

The comments by Mouwaffak al-Rubaie were the strongest yet by an Iraqi official about the deal now under negotiation with U.S. officials. They came a day after Iraq's prime minister first said publicly that he expects the pending troop deal with the United States to have some type of timetable for withdrawal.

President Bush has said he opposes a timetable. The White House said Monday it did not believe Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was proposing a rigid timeline for U.S. troop withdrawals.

U.S. officials had no immediate comment Tuesday on al-Rubaie's statement.

Al-Rubaie spoke to reporters after briefing Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf on the progress of the government's security efforts and the talks.

"Our stance in the negotiations underway with the American side will be strong ... We will not accept any memorandum of understanding that doesn't have specific dates to withdraw foreign forces from Iraq," al-Rubaie said. (More Stuff...)

How come major media outlets aren't covering this? I guess it was between this and the Christie Brinkley divorce proceedings.

Obama's Got Rezko and Hillary's Got a Fraud Trial

Obama's Eyes on Rezko
Andrew Romano

As jury selection began yesterday in the corruption trial of veteran Chicago fixer Antoin "Tony" Rezko, there was an unexpected face in the courtroom audience: an unidentified staffer scoping out the scene for Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama.

As Newsweek reported this week, Obama is a long-time friend of Rezko's. In 2005, Rezko and his wife were involved in a tangled property deal in which Rezko's wife bought a vacant lot next to a historical house purchased by Obama and his wife; Obama later acknowledged that his real-estate dealings with Rezko were "boneheaded."

There is no allegation that there was anything illegal about the house deal or Obama's role in it. But federal prosecutors have indicated in court papers that it is at least possible that Obama's name could surface in Rezko's trial on complex corruption charges. Government documents say that an unnamed politician received a $10,000 campaign contribution through a straw donor from Rezko, and that the money originated with a dubious "finders fee" paid to the developer as part of an allegedly corrupt scheme to influence members of a state teachers' pension fund board. Chicago media have reported that the politician who received the $10,000 was Obama; this was confirmed to NEWSWEEK by a source close to the Rezko investigation, who asked for anonymity when discussing non-public information. (There is no suggestion that Obama knew that the campaign contribution was tainted, and he has donated $160,000 in Rezko-related funds to charity.)

Bill Burton, an Obama campaign spokesman, confirmed that a campaign representative was indeed present in the courtroom for Rezko's trial. "She went to the trial to gather information since we've gotten so many media inquiries," Burton said in an e-mail to NEWSWEEK.

Source


Clintons to face fraud trial
By Kathy Miller

WORLDNET DAILY- Judge setting date, testimony to include ex-president, senator

While Hillary Clinton battles Barack Obama on the campaign trail, a judge in Los Angeles is quietly preparing to set a trial date in a $17 million fraud suit that aims to expose an alleged culture of widespread corruption by the Clintons and the Democratic Party.

At the conclusion of a hearing Thursday morning before California Superior Court Judge Aurelio N. Munoz, lawyers for Hollywood mogul Peter F. Paul will begin seeking sworn testimony from all three Clintons – Bill, Hillary and Chelsea – along with top Democratic Party leaders and A-list celebrities, including Barbra Streisand, John Travolta, Brad Pitt and Cher.

Paul's team hopes for a trial in October. The Clinton's longtime lawyer David Kendall, who will attend the hearing, has declined comment on the suit.

The Clintons have tried to dismiss the case, but the California Supreme Court, in 2004, upheld a lower-court decision to deny the motion.

Bill Clinton, according to the complaint, promised to promote Paul's Internet entertainment company, Stan Lee Media, in exchange for stock, cash options and massive contributions to his wife's 2000 Senate campaign. Paul contends he was directed by the Clintons and Democratic Party leaders to produce, pay for and then join them in lying about footing the bill for a Hollywood gala and fundraiser.

The Clintons' legal counsel has denied the former president made any deal with Paul. But Paul attorney Colette Wilson told WND there are witnesses who say it was common knowledge at Stan Lee Media that Bill Clinton was preparing to be a rainmaker for the company after he left office.

Paul claims former Vice President Al Gore, former Democratic Party chairman Ed Rendell and Clinton presidential campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe also are among the people who can confirm Paul engaged in the deal.

Paul claims Rendell directed various illegal contributions to the DNC and Hillary Clinton's campaign and failed to report to the Federal Election Commission more than $100,000 given for a Hollywood event for Gore's campaign and the Democratic National Committee in 2000. McAuliffe, Paul says, counseled him in two separate meetings to become a major donor to Hillary Clinton to pave the way to hire her husband. Paul asserts top Clinton adviser Harold Ickes also directed him to give money to the Senate campaign but hid that fact in "perjured testimony" during the trial of campaign finance director David Rosen.

Source

"Pulling a Russert"; White Hate Mongers That Hide Behind Christianity Are OK

Meet Tim Russert
by Jamison Foser

"It's never the question that's the problem, Matt, it's the answer."
-- NBC's Tim Russert

"It's 'never the question that's the problem'? Really?
Spoken like the guy who gets to ask the questions."
-- CJR's Liz Cox Barrett

MSNBC recently began running commercials touting its coverage of "Decision 2008." One begins with on-screen text asking, "Why do people care about politics?" Viewers then hear Tim Russert explain: "It's about the war. Our sons and daughters. It's about the economy. Our jobs. It's about education. Our schools. It's about health care. Our families' well-being. It's about everything that matters." The ad ends with the on-screen declaration: "That's why you care. That's why we cover it."

During this week's Democratic presidential debate, Russert didn't ask a single question about global warming, continuing his longstanding habit of all but ignoring the topic. He didn't ask a single question about the mortgage crisis. (As one Cleveland resident noted, "We've got the mortgage industry's toxic waste scattered all over this city, but Mr. Blue-Collar-Buffalo-and-Cleveland-Marshall-Guy Russert couldn't be bothered with a question about it.") He didn't ask a single question about executive power, the Constitution, torture, wiretapping, or other civil-liberties concerns. But that shouldn't come as a surprise; of all the questions he has asked while moderating presidential debates during this campaign, only one has dealt with any of those topics.

This wasn't the first time Russert made the odd decision to ask Obama about controversial comments made by a famous African-American. During a 2006 interview, Russert asked Obama about controversial comments Harry Belafonte made the day before. But Belafonte, as Jane Hamsher noted at the time, had made similar comments two weeks before, and Russert had never asked any guest about them. Russert gave no indication of why Obama was uniquely qualified or required to comment on Belafonte's comments. (The only other time Russert has ever asked anyone about any comments made by Harry Belafonte, according to Nexis? 2003, when Russert asked then-Secretary of State Colin Powell about comments Belafonte made about U.S. actions toward Cuba.)

Given Russert's badgering of Obama about Farrakhan, you might be wondering how he handles endorsements by controversial figures who have a history of statements that are widely considered to be anti-Semitic ... when the endorser and the endorsed are both white Republicans.

Source

What stuck out to me in that part of the debate is that Hillary wasn't asked about rejecting the endorsement of mAnn Coulter. I'm also waiting on her rejection of Jenna Jameson's endorsement. If Tim wants to pose these "Gotcha!" type of questions, why wasn't Hillary leveled the same treatment?

Some hateful, radical ministers -- white evangelicals -- are acceptable
by Glenn Greenwald

One of this week's hysterical press scandals was that Minister Louis Farrakhan praised Barack Obama's candidacy even though Obama had previously denounced numerous Farrakhan remarks and the Obama campaign did nothing to seek out the Farrakhan praise. Nonetheless, Tim Russert demanded that Obama jump through multiple hoops to prove that he has no connection to -- and, in fact, "rejects" -- the ideas espoused by Farrakhan deemed to be radical and hateful.

Yesterday, though, the equally fringe, radical and hateful (at least) Rev. John Hagee -- a white evangelical who is the pastor of a sprawling "mega-church" in Texas -- enthusiastically endorsed John McCain. Did McCain have to jump through the same hoops which Russert and others set up for Obama and "denounce" Hagee's extremism and "reject" his support? No; quite the opposite. McCain said he was "very honored" to receive this endorsement and, when asked about some of Hagee's more twisted views, responded: "all I can tell you is that I am very proud to have Pastor John Hagee's support."

McCain's sainted supporter, Joe Lieberman, last year spoke to Hagee's group and lavished him with such obsequious praise that Lieberman actually compared Hagee, favorably, to Moses. Why is Louis Farrakhan deemed by our political establishment to be so radioactive as to not be fit for good company -- black candidates are required to repudiate his support even when they haven't sought it and denounce his views even when they've never advocated anything close to those views -- but John Hagee is a perfectly acceptable figure whom mainstream GOP politicians are free to court without any consequences or media objections?

Source

Where's the uproar for this? White Republican welcomes the endorsement of hate-mongering, crazed churchfolk, Obama caved into the bullying of Russert and Billary over semantics and tosses Farrakhan and his endorsement under the bus and people still aren't satisfied--- WTF?!

And as SheCodes noted, there seems to be an acceptable disregard for Muslims and I'm not feeling that. A lot of my childhood friends are Muslim and they and their parents were very good to me. Simply put --- I don't hate them. Consistency counts when unity is the backdrop to your campaign.

Why I Like Keith Olbermann

Olbermann awarded Coulter "Worst Person" "bronze" for "B. Hussein
Obama" references, and said, "Then we put her on this network today so she could do it again"

On the February 14 edition of MSBNC's Countdown, host Keith Olbermann
awarded right-wing pundit Ann Coulter the "bronze" in his nightly "Worst Person
in the World" segment for her reference to Democratic presidential candidate
Sen. Barack Obama as "B. Hussein Obama" five separate times and as "President
Hussein" during a February 13 appearance on Fox News' Your World, as Media
Matters for America documented.
Olbermann then stated, "Then we put her on this network today so she could do it
again."
Olbermann named Laura Ingraham the "runner-up" for stating on the
February 13 edition of her nationally syndicated radio show that President Bush
"welcomed [Rev.] Al Sharpton to the White House. I hope they nailed down all the
valuables." Olbermann added, referring to Ingraham: "I know you and Coulter
think you're satirists, but you do realize that if you're really not racist, you
are enabling racism there."
Olbermann named Fox News Radio's Tom Sullivan,
host of The Tom Sullivan Show, the "Worst Person" "winner" for playing a
"side-by-side comparison" of an Adolf Hitler speech and an Obama speech on his
February 11 broadcast.

Source

I've slept on this dude for too long. He's found a fan in me.

Still, I question the authenticity of mAnn Coulter and others of her ilk. I wonder "She can't really be this idiotic" but then I reflect on some of the strange and thoughtless comments I've heard from the callers on C-SPAN's Washington Journal. She really is an idiot.

La Raza Head Challenges Lou Dobbs

I know that I'm kinda late with the videos but I got fed up with digging for them and waiting for them to be placed on CNN.

Make note of how he constantly interrupts her and constantly tries to change the subject to win an argument and save face.

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3



Lou Dobbs needs to be checked for engaging in irresponsible journalism. You can't use crazed, racist vigilantes to substantiate your arguments about immigration reform. You can't use White supremacists to give your argument legs to stand on. You can't promote xenophobia and not expect people to pick up on it. I'm happy that Murguia is taking him, CNN, and Fox to task for what they're doing. Poison shouldn't have a place on the airwaves.

When Properly Channeling Your Anger Works

I found an article by Alec Baldwin on HuffPost where he discussed the reception of Barack Obama by small town America. In the piece are images from the so-called satirical article found in The Independent that niggerized and ghettoized Barack and Michelle Obama. It also indirectly (maybe directly) slighted Hillary Clinton along the lines of sexism ("Bitch-slap that ho") and slighted John Edwards along the lines of homophobia ("I might consider bitch-slapping him, as he is somewhat of a Pretty Boy if you get my jist"). Good thing I wasn't the only one disturbed by this piece of shit "satire."

A whole week later, The Independent has offered two apologies:

From the editor

AN APOLOGY

By Rick Murphy

INDY EDITOR, RICK MURPHY, DEEPLY REGRETS TWO MOST RECENT INDEPENDENT COLUMNS.IN OUR LAST TWO ISSUES OF THE INDEPENDENT, TWO COLUMNS OSTENSIBLY "WRITTEN" BY HILLARY CLINTON AND BARACK OBAMA WERE PUBLISHED. THEY WERE IN INCREDIBLY BAD TASTE AND OFFENSIVE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.I WROTE THEM. NO ONE ELSE AT THIS NEWSPAPER IS TO BLAME. IT'S EASY TO VILIFY EVERYONE INVOLVED WITH THIS NEWSPAPER, TO PLACE SOME BLAME ON EVERYONE. THAT'S NOT THE CASE. JERRY DELLA FEMINA, OUR MAJORITY OWNER, RUNS AN ADVERTISING FIRM IN MANHATTAN. HE NEVER SEES OUR PAPER BEFORE IT COMES OUT. HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT WILL BE IN IT. HE OWNS IT. I'M THE EDITOR.THE BUCK STOPS HERE.POURING OVER ALL THE REASONS WHY I THOUGHT THE ATTEMPTS AT PARODIES I WROTE WERE APPROPRIATE FOR PUBLICATION IS A MEANINGLESS EXERCISE. THEY WEREN'T APPROPRIATE. THEY WEREN'T FOR THE SIMPLE REASON THEY HURT PEOPLE, AND IF A HUMOR COLUMN IS HURTING A READER THAN THE ENTIRE CONCEPT OF ELICITING LAUGHTER HAS GONE HORRIBLY AWRY. (Source)

From the writer

There's No Excuse

By Jerry Della Femina

There's no excuse. I've written and rewritten the lead for this column a dozen times. It all comes down to three words. There's no excuse.I've received hundreds of letters blasting Rick Murphy's frankly vile columns on Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.One of them, from Dr. William A. Schutt, Jr., an Associate Professor of Biology at C.W. Post College, summed it up best. Dr. Schutt wrote:Please tell me that this was all some sort of joke gone awry. Maybe the staff at the The Independent was trying for some sort of "East End Paper Pays Homage to the National Lampoon of the 1970's" thing. As I'm sure you're aware, back then, writers like P.J. O'Rourke and Doug Kenney often relied on racist and misogynistic humor - and some of us actually found this stuff pretty damn funny (I think mainly because the writers were genuinely talented, and their editor, Michael O' Donoghue, never left any room for doubt that what we were reading was meant to be laughed at - not taken seriously). Unfortunately your editor, Mr. Murphy, and his writing staff (e.g., Karen Fredericks), have demonstrated none of the above-mentioned talent. In fact, they are scaring the living &^%$ out of me (and I'll bet I'm not alone here). Because if this wasn't just impossibly bad writing, if Mr. Murphy and his writers actually believe the garbage they've have strewn across the pages of The Independent, then I think you have a serious, serious problem. In conclusion, I look forward to your prompt attention to this matter and an absolutely clear explanation of what is going on here. Bill Schut

(Source)

Like a lot of people, I get pissed when I read something offensive and then do nothing about it. I'm gonna try my best to start challenging the media and their sponsors whenever I hear or see something offensive. Not everything needs a demonstration outside of a corporate office or someone's home. Sometimes the best challenge is to hit them where it hurts and contact their sponsors. Your money should not pay for anything that you find a offensive and plain filthy.

Empty Talking Head

Taken from 23/6:

Let's give Dobbs the benefit of the doubt. How was he supposed to know that Council of Conservative Citizens was a white supremacist organization when he invited one of its members to appear on his show? When he gives verbal support to the Minutemen vigilantes, how is he supposed to know that many of them are shameless racists who threaten and maim illegal immigrants, knowing they can never report it to the cops? Lou Dobbs is not Santa. He can't be everywhere at once, so he can't possibly know what all of his contributors have to say about minorities when they're not on the air. (Source)

Some time last year, I watched a piece on 60 Minutes where they interviewed Lou Dobbs. You know the drill with these interviews --- delving into the subject's life story, having the viewer learn something new about him/her, and lastly humanizing him/her.

Of course the topic of Dobbs being an alleged bigot came up and he, of course, denied it. What also helped debunk (I guess it was supposed to help) that claim was introducing to the world his Mexican-American wife (shown in above pic). I just don't understand people like him and his wife.

Illegal immigration is facilitated by greed. How many people actually consider this? I have yet to hear one of these pundits blaming greedy employers for this problem. I understand that an influx of illegal immigrants can be a strain on the economy but vilifying them serves no purpose because the anger is misdirected.

And also consider the fact that these people are being taken advantage of due to their ignorance and due to the fact that they don't have any legal documentation.

Properly channel your anger. Don't patronize businesses that employ illegal immigrants. Make some real noise about it and contact your local politician. The large numbers of illegal immigrants crossing the border will diminish as soon as people properly channel their anger and start realizing who the real enemy is. It's all supply and demand.

Should I Vote With My Vagina or Melanin Content?

Just about everyday there's some news report or poll interested in the voting habits of Black women. The attention we're getting is attributed to our alleged race vs. gender paradox regarding voting as a woman or voting as a Black person. This alleged conflict has been covered in The New York Times and CNN.

I can always appreciate the attention we receive from the media. Too often does the media paint us pathetically as a group. If you don't believe me, NBC Nightly News ran a series a while back that substantiates my claim.

What bothers me about the attention Black women are receiving is that, per usual, the media depicts us as group thinkers. The only difference this time around is that we're not one-dimensional --- we are now Black and woman. We are two separate entities in the same body who are supposedly confused as to whether we should vote for the woman or the Black dude. We couldn't possibly be a complex group who determines the best candidate by his/her credentials, scruples, ideas, and voting record. We are a shallow group with equally shallow choices to make with regards to politics.

I have yet to meet one Black woman that is conflicted on choosing between Obama and Hillary on the grounds that they're sellouts no matter who they choose. Absolute nonsense. I know there are some people out there that want Black women to choose a candidate based on her race or gender but this situation is not as alarming as the media suggests.

Here are my suggestions for the media, HIllary supporters, and Obama supporters:
- Black women are adults who can decide what's best for them so stop telling us what to do. We can really do without the guilt trips levelled against us by your self-serving agenda.

- Message to the media: Quit blowing things out of proportion. You can't do your research at one hair salon and conclude that Black women are conflicted off of the strength of a few conflicted women. It just isn't a fair assessment to make and it looks like sloppy journalism. Give us the same respect that you give our racial counterparts. They're never depicted as anything other than diverse so why not afford us the same favor?

- NEWS FLASH: Black women go to work, houses of worship, college, the supermarket, and the mall. We are also members of organizations and can be found on the street heading somewhere. We don't only exchange ideas when we're at Ree Ree's Cut It Up getting our hair did y'know.