Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Arundhati Roy and Al Gore stand up (Dems in the Senate still have their thumbs up their ass)

Good evening. We'll kick things off with Democracy Now!


Arundhati Roy Refuses Writing Prize to Protest Indian Policies
In India, writer Arundhati Roy has refused to accept a prestigious Indian writing award in protest. Roy accused the Indian government of toeing the U.S. line by "violently and ruthlessly pursuing policies of brutalization of industrial workers, increasing militarization and economic neo-liberalization."

See, that's why Arundhati Roy's so cool. She takes stands and she's not about, "Love me! Praise me!" She's committed. She believes. The New Republican believes in nothing but lying to their readers. They got nothing, their reputation's gone, circulation's gone and they probably hocked their soul decades ago.

But Arundhati Roy's the real deal. She never suffered from "War Got Your Tongue?"
And some cowards want to pick on her and try to tear her down for it but you and me know nothing's going to stop her from speaking the truth.

Elaine had an e-mail asking that we pick this one but we would have picked it anyway because a) we need heroes now and b) we need to note the voices like Roy because they're brave ones. And speaking of bravery . . .

Al Gore: Bush "Repeatedly and Persistently" Broke Law
On Monday, former Vice President Al Gore gave a major speech in Washington accusing Bush of "repeatedly and persistently" breaking the law by authorizing the NSA wiretaps. Gore called for Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the abuses. Gore said Bush's illegal spying program threatened "the very structure of our government."

Al Gore gave a great speech and if you missed it, you should check out the print version of it at Common Dreams. If we lived in more peaceful times we could sit around and play "What if?" Like "What if the Supreme Court had kept their noses out of it?" If that had happened in 2000, Al Gore would be president. I know things would be different now if he were president and I bet he knows that better than anyone. But he's not playing "What if?" He's out there doing what every one of our leaders and would be leaders should be doing, speaking out against the corrupt Bully Boy regime.

Now let me say good going to Wally. Wally's so out of it in the best way. I got an e-mail from Leigh Ann where she asked why I hadn't congratulated Wally on his top ten list getting mentioned by Danny Schechter? Leigh Ann, I didn't know. And I call Wally, I go, "Dude, why didn't you tell me you got a shout out from Danny Schechter?" He goes, "Mike what have you been smoking? You been smoking that crack again? I told you Ted Koppel was not the man to buy it from! I told you that the really wicked cool stuff comes from Bill O'Reilly!"

Then I go, "For the hour!" And Wally goes, "For the hour!" And after about 4 minutes of that, when we're catching our breath from laughing hard, he goes, "Dude, why did you call?" I go, "Cause Danny Schechter mentioned you" and Wally starts in going, "Dude, you on that X again? I told you do not, do not, do not buy X from Rush Limbaugh because he bogarts all the best stuff --" and I go, "For real dude, for real."

Wally was blown away. It was the list he and his grandfather made together of people who stood out in 2005. Wally was all, "You funnin'?" "No, I ain't funnin'!"

We were quiet for about two or three minutes. Then Wally goes, "Hey, Mike?" And I go, "Yeah?" and he goes

FOR THE HOUR!!!

We could do our Larry King impersonations all day.

For the hour!

But seriously, Leigh Ann, thanks for passing that on because I didn't know and Wally didn't know and it's pretty cool.

Now did anybody hear about Narco News' big scoop last week because I missed it. If you did too, check out Bill Conroy's "Leaked Memo: Corrupt DEA Agents in Colombia Help Narcos and Paramilitaries:"

The drug war is supposed to follow a very clear script: According to the official screenwriters, the U.S. justice system is pitted against corrupt players in foreign countries who are trying to flood American streets with illicit drugs. The narco-traffickers, crooked cops, and thieving politicians in the drug war are always over there, in Latin America, and elsewhere, and U.S. law enforcers and government officials are always the good guys battling these forces of evil.
But what happens when evidence surfaces that turns that script on its ear? What happens if proof emerges that it is the U.S. justice system that is corrupt? A document obtained recently by Narco News makes those questions more than hypothetical queries. In this document, Department of Justice attorney Thomas M. Kent claims that federal agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s office in Bogotá, Colombia, are the corrupt players in the war on drugs. (The DEA is part of the larger Justice Department.)
The information in that document is also corroborated by a number of other sources that spoke directly to Narco News, including former government officials who are familiar with the DEA's Bogotá operations
Kent's memorandum contains some of the most serious allegations ever raised against U.S. antinarcotics officers: that DEA agents on the front lines of the drug war in Colombia are on drug traffickers' payrolls, complicit in the murders of informants who knew too much, and, most startlingly, directly involved in helping Colombia’s infamous rightwing paramilitary death squads to launder drug money.
The memo further claims that, rather than being simply a few "bad apples" who need to be reported to their superiors, these allegedly dirty agents are being protected by an ongoing cover-up orchestrated by "watchdog" agencies within the Justice Department.

Tony asked me today which was my favorite entry C.I. did on Feinstein and the spineless Senate Dems? I think "NYT: 'Dianne Feinstein's comment is very disturbing' - Kate Michelman" is my favorite. Tony goes, "No man, it's the other one."
He means "NYT: Carlotta Gall brings you news, Adam Nagourney brings you fluff" and it's good too I just like the other one better. I think in both of them, C.I. captures how the Senate Democrats are acting like cowards and turning their backs on the voters who stood by them. But read 'em both and make your own pick. They're both good. Know what else good? Like Maria Said Paz so get on over there and check out Elaine's take on things.







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