Friday, April 18, 2008

Big Dan's Big News Apr 18, 2008



ABC's George Stephanopoulos is arguing that he brought up the issues during last night's debate that Obama will likely face in the fall campaign. So! When John McCain is on Stephanopoulos's show this Sunday, he should ask McCain the following questions (if he holds true to his word):

1. Adultery. McCain reportedly was seeing his second wife while still married to his first wife. And, then we have the issue of the blond lobbyist who looks like McCain's second wife. America deserves answers.

2. Does John McCain require his mistresses to wear a flag pin?

3. McCain working for the enemy. If a US soldier made propaganda tapes for the enemy (like John McCain did), then went on to run for president as a Democrat, the Republicans would eviscerate that candidate. I want George Stephanopoulos to ask John McCain if he loves America as much as soldiers who didn't make propaganda tapes for the enemy while in captivity. Oh, and in case you think I'm kidding, here are McCain's own words:

"Later, I made a second, feebler attempt at suicide. On the fourth day, I gave up. I signed a confession that "I am a black criminal and I have performed the deeds of an air pilot".

The guards ordered me to record my confession on tape. I refused, and was beaten until I consented.
Well, I'm sure a POW has never been beaten before, so it's totally understandable why McCain betrayed his country during his "hero" years in Vietnam. (Or are we to assume that all American POWs betray their country while in captivity, right?)"

4. Old age. John McCain is old, everyone knows it. I love my parents, they're in their late 70s, they're great people, but they probably shouldn't be president at this age. John McCain would be the oldest new president EVER if he gets elected (and we all saw what happened to Reagan in his second term). I hope we'll be seeing some hard hitting questions about McCain being simply too old.

5. That enormous thing on the side of McCain's face. McCain had skin cancer a few years ago. He now has some enormous thing on the side of his face that no one is talking about. I want to know why we shouldn't be worried that John McCain is going to get sick and die in office.

6. Cindy McCain's drug addiction. What message does it send to America's children to have a drug addict, who actually stole drugs, as first lady?

7. Would John McCain quit a church that had his wife as pastor?

8. Is John McCain going to jail for 5 years? McCain has illegally pulled out of the public campaign finance system. That's a crime punishable by 5 years in prison. Is Stephanopoulos going to break media silence on this issue and ask John McCain whether he's too old to go prison?

9. Will McCain make propaganda tapes while he's in prison?


John McCain is going on Stephanopoulos's show this Sunday, let's see what types of questions he asks McCain!

George Stephanopoulos Responds To Obama, Defends Handling Of Debate


What Does 9/11 Have to Do with 60's Radicals? Ask Hillary Clinton. Election 2008: Behind the scenes, Hillary Clinton's campaign has been pushing a tenuous connection between Barack Obama and a Vietnam-era radical.

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(below/right, Pope sports "fonzy-like" pompador for American visit)

Welcome to America, Your Holiness! All 5 Catholic Justices Give Thumbs Up To Execution by Lethal Injection. VIDEO UPDATE: U.S. Named One of 'Top Five' Executioners with China, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia; Bush Kids Around With Pope: 'All human life is sacred'

Papal Message of Peace Met With 'Battle Hymn of the Republic' at White House

Red State Update on Pope visiting Bush:




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Other news:

BAGHDAD — A suicide bomber killed 30 people at a funeral in Diyala Province on Thursday, and a fierce dust storm that blanketed much of Iraq provided cover in Baghdad for intensified rocket attacks into the fortified Green Zone.

NYTimes: Trying to stem the infiltration of militia fighters, American forces have begun to build a massive concrete wall that will partition Sadr City, the densely populated Shiite neighborhood in the Iraqi capital. American soldiers scanned roofs in Sadr City on Thursday after shots were fired near their base. The construction, which began Tuesday night, is intended to turn the southern quarter of Sadr City near the international Green Zone into a protected enclave, secured by Iraqi and American forces, where the Iraqi government can undertake reconstruction efforts.

PTSD, depression afflict 300,000 Iraq, Afghan war vets: study

'Why Tuesday?' Video: 'No Trouble with Touch-screens' Say Your Clueless Democratic Public Officials in PA. Philly Mayor Nutter Says 'No Problems, They Got Me Elected'; PA Gov Rendell Admits He 'Knows Nothing About Them, But They're All Approved by HAVA'

The U.S. Nears the Limits of Its Water Supplies. Water: Public water systems are failing, several states are setting severe water use restrictions, and key water sources are drying up.

AAA daily gas record for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

(click on the above, to see how you're getting screwed in your local area)

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton Regular Mid Premium Diesel
Current $3.421 $3.607 $3.766 $4.415
Yesterday $3.391 $3.575 $3.733 $4.380
Month Ago $3.260 $3.437 $3.588 $4.207
Year Ago $2.834 $2.988 $3.120 $2.940

Highest Recorded Price:

Regular Unl. $3.421 4/18/2008
Dsl. $4.415 4/18/2008


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Democracy NOW! DISH channels 9410 & 9415, DirecTV channel 275:

Net Neutrality!!! One of the most important issues YOU don't know about!!!

Law Professor Lawrence Lessig on Net Neutrality, the Rise of Google and His “Change Congress” Project to Take on Corruption in Washington

Renowned Stanford law professor Lawrence Lessig is one of the world’s leading figures in the field of cyberlaw. He joins us for a conversation about today’s FCC hearing on net neutrality; Creative Commons; the rise of Google and its efforts to influence public policy; and Change Congress, his most recent project to take on corruption in Washington.

"The commission already held one public hearing in February at Harvard University. Comcast was later forced to admit it paid people to fill seats at that hearing. Harvard said dozens of genuine participants were forced to stand outside the hearing unable to participate."

"Comcast was alleged to be blocking traffic, and initially they said they weren’t. They repeatedly said they weren’t. And then, when it was essentially proven that they were blocking the traffic, then they said, “Well, we’re not blocking the traffic; we’re just slowing the traffic.” And they were doing so by inserting little messages in the internet traffic to confuse the recipient and the person sending to basically disrupt the traffic.

Now, one important fact about this is that they just weren’t straight, that it took forever to get them to admit what in fact they were doing. Secondly, they were doing something which most network technologists would say has nothing to do with really preserving the efficiency of the network, but is instead about being able to exercise control over what happens on their network."

Comcast is saying, “No, we want the right to say whether something can run on our network or not. Now, trust us. We’ll pick the best applications, and we’ll make sure that it’s the right mix of speech.”

But what Comcast has demonstrated right here is there’s no way to trust them.


DN! transcript or DN! video

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DN! covers the ABC "debate":



Great American Hypocrites: Glenn Greenwald on the Corporate Media’s Failures in the 2008 Race

ABC News is coming under intense criticism for its handling of Wednesday night’s Democratic debate in Pennsylvania. During the first forty-five minutes of the debate, the moderators Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos focused on Obama’s comments that some voters in Pennsylvania were bitter, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy, Clinton’s Bosnia “sniper fire” story, flag pins and the Weather Underground. We speak with Glenn Greenwald, author of “Great American Hypocrites: Toppling the Big Myths of Republican Politics.”

ABC News is coming under intense criticism for its handling of Wednesday night’s Democratic debate in Pennsylvania. It was the last before next week’s primary.

During the first forty-five minutes of the debate, the moderators Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos focused on Obama’s comments that some voters in Pennsylvania were bitter, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy, Clinton’s Bosnia “sniper fire” story, flag pins and the Weather Underground.

The prime-time debate was seen by 10.7 million people, according to Nielsen Media Research. That"s the most of any debate this election cycle. According to the Associated Press, nearly 17,000 comments were posted on ABC News" Web site by Thursday evening, the tone overwhelmingly negative. Tom Shales of The Washington Post, said Gibson and Stephanopoulos “turned in shoddy, despicable performances.” Media critic Greg Mitchell said it was “perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years.” Salon.com said “I’m not sure if we”ve seen anything quite as train-wreck, cover-your-eyes bad as the spectacle on ABC last night." Will Bunch, a Philadelphia Daily News writer, posted an open letter to Gibson and Stephanopoulos on his blog telling them, “you disgraced the American voters, and in fact even disgraced democracy itself.” And the group MoveOn said it would run an ad protesting ABC if 100,000 people signed their petition.

Glenn Greenwald is a former constitutional law attorney and a now a contributing writer at Salon. He is the author of three books, his latest, just out, is “Great American Hypocrites: Toppling the Big Myths of Republican Politics.” Glenn joins me from Washington DC.

Glenn Greenwald, constitutional law attorney and political and legal blogger for Salon.com. He is the author of three books, his latest is “Great American Hypocrites: Toppling the Big Myths of Republican Politics.”

DN! transcript or DN! video
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