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Wednesday, July 28
How Michael Moore Got His Footage for F 9/11
by
Linda Thieman
on Wed 28 Jul 2004 01:56 PM CDT
How Michael Moore
Got His Footage for F
9/11
Michael Moore (right) with Darrell Lewis at the convention.
© 2004 Democracy for Iowa. All rights reserved.
I
was reading an interview with Michael Moore in Entertainment
Weekly
[paid subscription required] the other day, and was struck by how he
managed to get access to the footage that he used in
“Fahrenheit 9/11.”
For
example, one scene that particularly shocked viewers of the
documentary
was of Bush reading a book to some elementary school
children.
While he was reading, he was interrupted and informed that the United
States was under attack (the SECOND plane had struck). Bush then went on reading to the
kids
for another 7 minutes (after which, not shown in the film, he shook
hands and signed autographs for parents and teachers for a half
hour). According to Moore, all he had to do to get such
incriminating evidence was to call the school and ask if they had made
a tape! One of the teachers had set up a tripod and recorded
the
whole thing, then made copies for the parents.
Moore
also showed a lot of Iraq footage that hadn’t been seen
before, such as that
of wounded civilians and recuperating soldiers. In the
interview,
Moore said he knew he’d have to do an “end run
around those at the
Pentagon and the way they were stage-managing the
news.” To do
so, Moore got the footage from inside Iraq from foreign journalists,
freelancers, some people that he himself sent in, and even some
American reporters who “were disgusted by how the news was
being
censored and filtered and that Americans were only given one view of
the war.”
In
fact,
the Bush-on-the-golf-course footage also came from a disgruntled
member
of the American media. Moore describes how long-term media
complicity made the Bush team lax: “They allow a pool camera
in only to
film the statement he's going to give. Nothing before or after -- and
if you do film [before or after] you're not to use it. And publicists
from the White House will stand blocking the camera before the
statement starts and then move right back in to block the camera when
it's done. But by the summer of '02 the media had been so complicit in
presenting a good face on Bush [that] his people had started to relax,
because they knew that the media would censor themselves. And so, sure
enough, on the night when that ran, ‘A message to all
terrorists!’,
everyone had the rest of it and nobody ran it. Because of this implied
agreement that we're going to protect each other, Bush feels
comfortable enough making a crack like that. [‘Now, watch
this drive!’]”
Moore
also said that he easily got permission from the Marine Corps to film
recruiters because the Marine Corps just assumed that if the media are
calling, it must be a positive story!
P.S.
Expecting a huge round of attacks from the right wing, Moore hired
former Kerry communications director, Chris Lehane, to handle it for
him! EW sizes Lehane up by calling him “one of the
meanest
political advisors on the planet.” Well, at least
it’s a trait
that finally came in handy.
Sunday, July 25
The Fascinating Future of the Progressive Movement
by
Linda Thieman
on Sun 25 Jul 2004 08:27 AM CDT
The Fascinating Future of the Progressive Movement
Victory in 2004--and Beyond
The Nation
An enlightening read that outlines the future of the progressive movement, starting with the collapse of the Conservative Era
The
prospect of hanging, Dr. Johnson said, concentrates the mind
wonderfully. The threat posed by George W. Bush's right-wing reaction
has organized the left for Kerry, just as Clinton galvanized the right
for Bush.
As a
referendum on Bush's failed agenda, Election 2004 can help toll the end
of the conservative era that has defined our politics for the past
quarter-century. For progressives, this election has revealed the
growing power of their arguments and the sophistication of their
activism. That energy, at the base of the Democratic Party, provides
hope that victory in 2004 may mark the beginning of a movement that can
transform American politics.
(more)
Thanks to Mark in Carlisle for sending in this article.
Saturday, July 24
Paul Krugman Paints Bush As Aiding Terrorists
by
Linda Thieman
on Sat 24 Jul 2004 05:26 AM CDT
Paul Krugman Paints Bush As Aiding Terrorists
This is a must read from the New York Times. Free registration is required.
The Arabian Candidate
by Paul Krugman
In the original version of "The Manchurian Candidate," Senator John
Iselin, whom Chinese agents are plotting to put in the White House, is
a right-wing demagogue modeled on Senator Joseph McCarthy. As Roger
Ebert wrote, the plan is to "use anticommunist hysteria as a cover for
a communist takeover."
The movie doesn't say what Iselin would have done if the plot had
succeeded. Presumably, however, he wouldn't have openly turned traitor.
Instead, he would have used his position to undermine national
security, while posing as America's staunchest defender against
communist evil.
So let's imagine an update - not the remake with Denzel Washington,
which I haven't seen, but my own version. This time the enemies would
be Islamic fanatics, who install as their puppet president a demagogue
who poses as the nation's defender against terrorist evildoers.
The Arabian candidate wouldn't openly help terrorists. Instead, he would serve their cause while pretending to be their enemy.
(more)
Friday, July 23
Insider Report: What is really going on in the race for the White House?
by
Linda Thieman
on Fri 23 Jul 2004 03:21 PM CDT
Insider Report: What is really going on in the race for the White House?
There's a new report out from Democracy Corps, sent our way by Democrats for America's Future (DAF).
Democracy
Corps is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to making
the government of the United States more responsive to the American
people. It was founded in 1999 by James Carville, Stanley Greenberg,
and Bob Shrum. Democracy Corps provides free public opinion
research and strategic advice to those dedicated to a more responsive
Congress and Presidency.
The
recent memo exposes the shifts taking place beneath the surface of the
presidential race - which demographic groups are moving most
significantly and which candidate they are moving towards, while
revealing how the war in Iraq, Bush's focus on cultural issues and the
economy are changing the race.
You can download this key insider report here.
Iowa in the News: Nader, Outsourcing, GLBT, Health Care, & Tax Cuts
by
Linda Thieman
on Fri 23 Jul 2004 05:11 AM CDT
Iowa in the News: Nader, Outsourcing, GLBT, Health Care, & Tax Cuts
Bush backers helping Nader to get on Iowa ballot
Quad-City Times
DES
MOINES (AP) — President Bush’s backers are gathering signatures on
petitions to put maverick candidate Ralph Nader’s name on the ballot in
Iowa.
With
most polls showing the race between Bush and presumptive Democratic
nominee John Kerry a virtual tie, Nader’s presence on the ballot could
be crucial in deciding where the state’s seven electoral votes land.
As they
left a Bush campaign rally in Cedar Rapids Tuesday, activists were
greeted by volunteers seeking help with “a project to help the
president.”
The
volunteers were seeking signatures on petitions to get Nader’s name on
the ballot, carefully explaining that Nader’s presence would be helpful
to Bush because the former consumer activist would drain votes from
Kerry.
(more)
Report: Iowa gives little business to outsourcing firms
Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier
DES
MOINES (AP) -- Almost all 50 states are giving contracts to companies
that send the work overseas, but agencies in Iowa have done little
business with such outsourcing companies, a new report said.
Iowa has
not awarded contracts to any of the 18 companies identified in the
report as performing state government contracts with cheap overseas
labor, according to the report.
The
report was prepared by Good Jobs First, a nonprofit research center,
for a union representing white collar workers that has fought
outsourcing.
(more)
Schools: Gay rights covered in policies
The Hawk Eye Newspaper, Burlington, Iowa
Southeast Iowa districts don't specify sexual orientation in anti–discrimination guidelines
While
Burlington officials wrestle with whether to include a reference to
sexual orientation in the city's anti–discrimination ordinance,
southeast Iowa school district officials say even without that language
in current harassment policies, homosexual students and staff are
protected.
Only a
handful of Iowa districts have specific language on the subject, and
Burlington Superintendent Mike Book said he is surprised, given the
sheer number of districts in the state, that more do not.
(more)
Iowa Paraplegic Fights For Support
KWWL.com
The
freedom of living at home is something most all of us take for
granted. However, for one 20-year old Iowa man, that freedom may
soon be in jeopardy. Tony Ramos of Oelwein is a paraplegic.
Ramos was injured in a car-bicycle accident in the mid-90's.
Most
people look forward to turning 21-years old. Ramos however is dreading
his 21st birthday in September because that's when the state will
recognize him as an adult. That means he'll lose thousands of
dollars in state grants, which enable him to live at home. He says, "I
think its terrible. I don't want to go to a nursing home, that's for
older folks. I still want to live life. I want to go to college and I
want to make something of my life."
(more)
Report says Iowa tops in cutting taxes
Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier
DES
MOINES (AP) --- A new report says Iowa cut taxes by more than 1 percent
of its expected revenue in the current budget year, the only state in
the nation to do so.
. . .
But Rep. Ed Fallon, a Des Moines Democrat, said Iowa cannot afford to
continue cutting taxes and slashing the state's ability to provide
basic services.
"We're,
in fact, out of step with what legislatures across the country are
doing," said Fallon, who earlier this year proposed repealing tax cuts
to help pay for education. "The tax cuts are a big reason why our
budget is having trouble."
"This
report confirms what we've been saying all along, and that is Iowa
doesn't need any more tax cuts," said Lana Oppenheim Schlapkohl, a
spokeswoman for the Iowa State Education Association, which represents
about 32,000 teachers.
(more)
Tuesday, July 20
Ralph Nader, Doing What He Does Best
by
Linda Thieman
on Tue 20 Jul 2004 05:58 PM CDT
Ralph Nader, Doing What He Does Best
Demand a Say, a Big Say
by Ralph Nader
Published by In the Public Interest
The
widely televised indictment and arraignment of the hand-cuffed Enron
CEO, Ken Lay -- one of George W. Bush's closest friends and funders --
should not lull anyone into thinking that this is anything but a
limited move against corporate crime in an ocean of still-at-large
corporate criminals.
With
trillions of dollars stolen or drained away from small investors,
pensionholders and workers, this corporate crime wave receives less
Justice Department enforcement money than the cost of an annual
Congressional salary grab.
To place
the defiant, media-touring, though indicted, Ken Lay in perspective,
watch Lou Dobbs on CNN who has a regular tally on how few of these
corporate crooks are even prosecuted. Ken Lay now says he did not know
what his immediate subordinate executives were doing cooking the books
and inflating the stock which increased the value greatly of Ken Lay's
stock options. He just plumb did not know. What a gas for a corrupt
energy company that collapsed on the backs of thousands of its
employees now without their jobs and without their 401(k)s!
(more)
Monday, July 19
Florida Congresswoman Stricken From Record For Speaking Truth on House Floor
by
Linda Thieman
on Mon 19 Jul 2004 06:02 AM CDT
Florida Congresswoman Stricken From Record For Speaking Truth on House Floor
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,
or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and
to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. "
First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
Florida lawmaker says 2000 election 'stolen'
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
WASHINGTON
-- Think the passions from the 2000 presidential election have cooled?
Certainly not in the House, which voted Thursday to strike a Florida
representative's words from the record after she said Republicans
"stole" that closely fought contest.
The
verbal battle broke out after Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., proposed a
measure barring any federal official from requesting that the United
Nations formally observe the U.S. elections on Nov. 2. His proposal was
approved 243-161 as an amendment to a $19.4 billion foreign aid bill,
with 33 Democrats joining all 210 voting Republicans in voting "yes."
Rep.
Corrine Brown, D-Fla., and several other House Democrats have made that
suggestion. They argue that some black voters were disenfranchised in
2000 and problems could occur again this fall.
(more)
See a video of Rep. Corrine Brown's House speech here. Quick! Her words may be stricken from reality at any time!
Recap from Rapid Response Network
NBC News
first reported an "outburst" on the floor of the House. Turns out
it was Corrine Brown (D- Jacksonville, FL) debating the request made by
five Representatives to have the UN monitor U.S. Elections (see article
re/their original proposal above). Turns out that House
leadership answered their call with legislation forbidding any U.N.
money be used to monitor elections in the U.S. Brown then said
that the House leadership had participated in a "coup d'etat" in 2000
by stealing the election and that we would need monitoring to make sure
it didn't happen again. They played a tape of the leadership then
shouting Brown down, slamming the gavel and telling her to get off the
floor.
The House then voted along party lines - now here is the big news - TO HAVE HER COMMENTS STRICKEN FROM THE RECORD:
"The House's presiding officer, Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, ruled
that Brown's words violated a House rule. "Members should not accuse
other members of committing a crime such as, quote, stealing, end
quote, an election," Thornberry said.
SO, to
recap, we now live in a country where an elected representative may not
speak as she chooses if it violates the sensibilities of the ruling
majority. If such free speech does occur, it is then stricken
from the record? What happened to our representative democracy?
1984
"And if
all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed - if all records
told the same tale-then the lie passed into history and became truth.
'Who controls the past' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who
controls the present controls the past.'" "Day by day and almost minute
by minute the past was brought up to date. In this way every prediction
made by the Party could be shown by documentary evidence to have been
correct; nor was any item of news, or any expression of opinion, which
conflicted with the needs of the moment, ever allowed to remain on
record. All history was a palimpsest, scraped clean and reinscribed
exactly as often as was necessary."
George Orwell, "1984"
Call to Action
1.
Write NBC news and suggest that this story wasn't about an "outburst" -
the story should have been about the fact that an elected Rep's
comments were stricken. world@msnbc.com
2. Write a letter to your favorite political TV show or political writer and ask them to cover this part of the story.
3. Write to your elected Representative and express your feelings about Representative Brown's comments being stricken.
http://www.house.gov/writerep
You might want to add to your note that you support the original request for some kind of monitoring to occur.
4. Write Rep. Brown here - she could probably use some support.
Thanks to Liz Herbert/Rob Nesvacil, Rapid Response Network, for providing this information.
Saturday, July 17
Junta takes steps to cancel US election
by
Linda Thieman
on Sat 17 Jul 2004 05:12 AM CDT
Only Cowards Cancel Elections
TruthOut.org
by William Rivers Pitt
A number
of trial balloons have been floated in recent days, from Homeland
Security Director Tom Ridge specifically, about canceling or postponing
the national election because of a terrorist attack. DeForest B.
Soaries Jr., the Bush-appointed chairman of the newly minted U.S.
Election Assistance Commission, apparently got the ball rolling with
Ridge by writing a letter to him. In it, he bade Ridge ask Congress for
the power to put off the November election in the event of an attack.
There
are wild cards shuffled all through this deck. The simple fact,
however, is that no national election has ever been cancelled in all of
American history. This is not a streak to be broken under any
circumstances. In the darkest hours of the Civil War, when the
continued existence of the nation was gravely in doubt, Abraham Lincoln
wrote, "We can not have free government without elections; and if the
rebellion could force us to forego, or postpone a national election it
might fairly claim to have already conquered and ruined us."
Whatever
happens, come hell or high water, let us resolve to have an election in
November. Voting is the seedcorn act of democracy. Allowing anyone,
under any circumstances, to deflect or disrupt the basic, sacred
process of this republic would be an admission of absolute, final
defeat.
(more)
Junta takes steps to cancel US election
Axis of Logic
The
request by Bush administration officials for a detailed analysis of the
legal steps that would be necessary to postpone the 2004 election
represents an implicit threat to abrogate the US Constitution, dispense
with democratic rights, and establish a dictatorship based on the
military and police. This is the desperate action of a deeply
discredited and unpopular regime that fears, not merely electoral
defeat, but an explosion of social and political unrest in the United
States.
The
request was made public Sunday by Newsweek magazine, which reported
that three federal agencies are already involved: the newly established
Election Assistance Commission, which first suggested the possibility,
the Department of Homeland Security, which has been issuing repeated
but entirely unsubstantiated warnings about election-related terrorist
threats, and the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, which is
now studying the legal and constitutional issues at the request of
Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge.
The
chairman of the Election Assistance Commission, DeForest Soaries, sent
a letter to the Republican and Democratic leaders of both houses of
Congress Monday, pointing to the absence of any legal or constitutional
provision for postponing a national election. “There does not appear to
be a clear process in place to suspend or reschedule voting during an
election if there is a major terrorist attack,” he wrote.
(more)
TAKE ACTION NOW!
Contact
your U.S. Senators and Representative immediately and make sure they
know you are watching this issue closely. Demand that you expect nothing less than full elections held on time.
To write Senator Tom Harkin, go here:
http://harkin.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
To write Senator Chuck “I crafted tax cuts for the wealthy“ Grassley, go here:
http://grassley.senate.gov/webform.htm
To write to your Representative in the U.S. House, go here:
http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Thank you.
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