Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Big Dan's Big News Apr 30, 2008



Not being covered in the corporate media: Tomorrow May 1, West Coast Ports to be shut down to protest war!

For Workers Strikes Against the War! ILWU to Shut Down West Coast Ports May 1 Demanding End to War in Iraq, Afghanistan. In a major step for the U.S. labor movement, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) has announced that it will shut down West Coast ports on May 1, to demand an immediate end to the war and occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Middle East.

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Remember the "voting" in Iraq? When we brought them "democracy"? We're spending more than $2 billion a week there!

U.S. Role Deepens in Sadr City. Fierce Battle Against Shiite Militiamen Echoes First Years of War. BAGHDAD, April 29 -- A four-hour battle Tuesday between U.S. soldiers and Shiite militiamen left at least 28 Iraqis dead in the capital's Sadr City neighborhood, making it one of the bloodiest days in a month of sustained street fighting. 6 GI's hurt.

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Elizabeth Edwards on John McCain's proposed health care plan:



For those of you always saying that Obama is always saying "hope" and has no specifics, here's McCain's "specifics" when McCain's advisor Holtz-Eakin is questioned about McCain's "specifics":

McCain's advisor: "Ummmmmmmmmmm........."

ON SPENDING CUTS
– “Mr. Holtz-Eakin says the mistake that people are making is treating the McCain platform as if it were a finished piece of work. ‘It’s April,’ he said. ‘We have until November.’ The campaign will later unveil ‘base broadeners’ in the corporate tax code — that is, loopholes it will eliminate — that will pay for the faster investment write-offs, for example.” [NYT, 4/23/08]

ON CLIMATE POLICY
– “He [McCain] certainly would revise the bill [Lieberman-Warner] in light of what’s transpired, and I expect he’ll put out, during the course of the campaign, something like an updated version of his view of how it should go.” [Holtz-Eakin interview with Grist, 4/21/08]

– “I’m just going to defer until he [McCain] puts out the climate policy.” [Holtz-Eakin interview with Grist, 4/21/08]

ON HEALTH CARE
“‘We are working on it,’ said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, McCain’s top policy adviser. ‘We’ll put out more details. As we do, it will be clearer to people.’” [Boston Globe, 4/3/08]

ON McCAIN’S TAX PLAN
– “Having secured the Republican nomination, McCain now also seems uncomfortable with the huge tax cuts he proposed months ago, and the campaign seems to be searching for a course correction. Holtz-Eakin has said that McCain ‘is by no means done making tax proposals.‘” [CBS News, 4/20/08]

McCain strongly rejected long term Iraq presence in 2005


Spurned By Negative Media Attention, Ashcroft Now Keeping His Mouth Shut On Waterboarding

Wolfowitz Concedes He Was ‘Clueless,’ But Still Contends Shinseki Was Wrong On Postwar Troop Levels

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The New Daily NEPA/AAA DAILY GAS RECORD:


Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton Regular Mid Premium Diesel
Current $3.619 $3.816 $3.984 $4.425
Yesterday $3.615 $3.811 $3.979 $4.435
Month Ago $3.275 $3.452 $3.605 $4.244
Year Ago $2.855 $3.010 $3.142 $2.931

Highest Recorded Price:

Regular Unl. $3.619 4/30/2008
Dsl. $4.444 4/28/2008

Pump prices lift Shell and BP to record £7.2bnDavid Robertson. BP and Royal Dutch Shell have reported massive increases in profits for the first three months of this year on the back of rocketing petrol prices, which are expected to hit £5 a gallon today. BP's pre-tax profits rose 48 per cent in the first quarter to $6.6 billion (£3.3 billion) while Shell increased its profits 12 per cent to a record $7.8 billion (£3.9 billion). The increase has been driven by the rising oil prices, which the companies have passed on to consumers in the form of higher petrol and diesel costs. The price of oil came close to $120 yesterday but was trading slightly lower at $118 in early trading today. Meanwhile, the price of petrol continues to rise because of supply concerns in Scotland - where the Grangemouth refinery was shut down for two days because of industrial action.

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NEPA:

Judge’s brother-in-law paid $877K. Psych services to court not bid out

Other news they're not telling you:

WASHINGTON — Millions of dollars of lucrative Iraq reconstruction contracts were never finished because of excessive delays, poor performance or other factors, including failed projects that are being falsely described by the U.S. government as complete, federal investigators say.

Canada's C-51 Law May Outlaw 60% of Natural Health Products; Big Pharma Pushing to Criminalize Supplements

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers has threatened to subpoena several former officials in the Bush administration if they do not agree to testify about their roles in the preparation of the so-called "torture memos" that authorized severe interrogation tactics in the war on terror. Conyers (D-MI) sent letters to former Deputy Assistant Attorney General John C. Yoo, Chief of Staff to the Vice President David Addington, and former Attorney General John Ashcroft. In each of the letters, Conyers provides a May 2 deadline for response or, he says, "I will have no choice but to consider the use of compulsory process."

Michigan to vote on legalizing marijuana for medical use (yeah, but on e-vote machines???)

CHICAGO -- A government witness testified Monday that political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko told him three years ago that Chicago's chief federal prosecutor was to be fired and replaced by someone chosen by then-U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Restaurant owner Elie Maloof quoted Rezko as saying the new U.S. attorney in Chicago, whom Rezko said would be chosen by Hastert, would then kill a federal investigation into corruption under Gov. Rod Blagojevich. "The federal prosecutor would no longer be the federal prosecutor, Patrick Fitzgerald would be eliminated," Maloof told Rezko's fraud trial.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Big Dan's Big News Apr 29, 2008



McCain Kicks Off Health Care Tour At Children’s Hospital That Supported SCHIP Expansion He Opposed

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4 US soldiers killed; militants shell Green Zone. BAGHDAD — Bombardments by suspected militants killed four U.S. soldiers Monday as troops tried to push Shiite fighters farther from the U.S.-protected Green Zone and out of range of their rockets and mortars. At least 44 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq in April, making it the deadliest month for U.S. forces since September.

CBS: Revealed: Veteran suicide stats deliberately kept from public

Did US 'Photoshop' Syrian military pics? A photograph of a 'supposed' Syrian nuclear site may have been altered.

Let the history books show that the Democrats, and the tiny number of Republicans, who voted NO on giving authority to George W. Bush to wage war in Iraq (and virtually everywhere else) anytime he wished, in October of 2002, were right on every score.

Those who spoke out, and were publicly tarred and feathered, labeled as unpatriotic, left-wing fringe, out of step with the country, and generally loons for having done so --- folks like Feingold, Kennedy, Durbin, Waters, Lee, Kaptur, Kucinich, Wellstone, Woolsey, Waters, Conyers, Hinchey, and perhaps, most prophetically, according to Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue's the new documentary film, Body of War, Robert Byrd of West Virginia --- are all owed a great debt of thanks by every American, particularly those who had maligned them for having the temerity to be right back then.

'Body of War', Let the History Books Show...

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Supreme Court Justice Anonin Scalia in CBS interview: "TORTURE IS NOT UNCONSTITUTIONAL"!!!



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Other news:

Stimulus rebates showing up in bank accounts. WASHINGTON — The government began depositing tax rebate checks in thousands of bank accounts on Monday as the stimulus program aimed at giving the ailing economy a jump-start got under way early. That's about 10 tanks of gas for your vehicle!

'Free Tibet' flags made in China

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As the great voting rights advocate, Rush Limbaugh, trumpeted at the beginning of his radio show this morning, today's 6 to 3 Supreme Court ruling allowing new, modern restrictions regarding which citizens may or may not cast a vote at an American polling place on Election Day, is "a huge, huge, huge move forward to undercut Democrat efforts to commit voter fraud this fall."

Fortunately, instead of coming in June as expected, this decision on an Indiana Photo ID restriction case comes just in time to prevent massive voter fraud at the polls in Indiana's Democratic Primary two weeks from now, when millions of fraudulent Democratic voters were almost certainly plotting to try and show up to vote on electronic voting systems on which it's impossible to prove one way or another whether they did or didn't vote the way the machines will tell us they did. With voting systems like those in use across the Hoosier State, and elsewhere around the country, it's all the more reason to ensure those Democrats can't show up and commit the fraud they were probably planning to on May 6th!

(read more below)

Voter Advocate Rush Limbaugh Applauds Supreme Court's 'Huge, Huge, Huge Move to Undercut Democrat Voter Fraud'. Polling Place Photo ID Restrictions in Indiana Upheld by SCOTUS in Courageous and Historic Dredd Scott-like Decision. By Why Stop at Keeping Black and Elderly Fraudsters from Stealing Elections?...

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Henry Rollins was in the punk band "Black Flag", the "Henry Rollins Band", is a stand-up comedian, a body builder, and he has a great show on commercial-free Independent Film Channel (IFC) channel 131 on DISH television.



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The New Daily NEPA/AAA DAILY GAS RECORD:

Kanjorski bill seeks to rein in big oil. WILKES-BARRE – U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski said it’s time for America to stand up to the big oil companies and shout out, “We’ve had enough.”


Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton Regular Mid Premium Diesel
Current $3.615 $3.811 $3.979 $4.435
Yesterday $3.613 $3.808 $3.977 $4.444
Month Ago $3.271 $3.448 $3.601 $4.236
Year Ago $2.856 $3.011 $3.144 $2.931

Highest Recorded Price:

Regular Unl. $3.615 4/29/2008
Dsl. $4.444 4/28/2008

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Big Dan's Big News Apr 28, 2008


After 5+ years, how are the "wars" going?

Afghanistan (5+ years into the war, Bush's handpicked puppet leader can't even walk the streets!)


Authorities probe attack on Afghanistan's president Attempts on Afghan president's life. US Marines deploying in Afghanistan for first time in years. Defense Min.: Afghan president safe after fleeing gunfire. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Afghan security officials hunted Monday for suspects in the attempted assassination of President Hamid Karzai during an attack that killed three people and underscored the fragility of his U.S.-backed government. Militants also wounded eight people when they fired rockets and automatic rifles at Karzai and other dignitaries during a Sunday ceremony in Kabul to mark the mujahedeen victory over the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the assault, which sent Karzai and foreign ambassadors scurrying for cover. Three of the attackers were killed, the government said, but the Taliban said additional attackers were involved.


Iraq (5+ years later, the most secure area of Iraq, the "Green Zone", is regularly under attack!)


American, Iraqi troops kill 38 militants in Baghdad. BAGHDAD (AP) -- American and Iraqi troops killed 38 militants in the fiercest clashes with militants in weeks in Baghdad, including 22 who attacked a military checkpoint in a Shiite militia stronghold, the U.S. military said Monday. Suspected Shiite extremists, apparently taking advantage of a sandstorm that blanketed the capital, attacked several checkpoints and hammered the U.S.-protected Green Zone in the fiercest salvo in weeks on Sunday. The sandstorm had grounded the American aircraft that normally prowl for launching teams. Attacks continued Monday morning as insurgents lobbed more rockets or mortar shells toward the Green Zone, which houses the U.S. embassy and much of the Iraqi government on the west side of the Tigris River, benefiting from continued limited visibility that gave cover to the launching teams. Alarms could be heard and the public address system in the area warned residents to take cover and stay away from windows.



'Disneyland' comes to Baghdad with multi-million pound Green Zone entertainment park

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

Scott Ritter: By Releasing Intel, U.S. Endorses Israel’s Illegal Bombing of Alleged Syrian Nuke Site

The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog group Mohamed El Baradei has criticized the United States for withholding intelligence that it says showed the construction of a nuclear reactor in Syria that Israel bombed in September. The International Atomic Energy Agency chief was critical of both the U.S. delay in releasing the information and of Israel’s bombing of the site before the IAEA could inspect it. We speak with former UN weapons inspector in Iraq, Scott Ritter.

The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog group Mohamed El Baradei has criticized the United States for withholding intelligence that it says showed the construction of a nuclear reactor in Syria that Israel bombed in September. The International Atomic Energy Agency chief was critical of both the US delay in releasing the information and of Israel’s bombing of the site before the IAEA could inspect it. Syrian officials say the site was an unused military facility under construction.

On Thursday, top U.S. intelligence officials presented lawmakers evidence they said proved Syria was building a nuclear reactor with North Korean assistance. Among the evidence they displayed were pictures–said to have been obtained by Israel–allegedly taken inside the facility showing the reactor core being built. Officials said the US believed the site was nearing operational capability but they declared “low confidence” the site played a role in a Syrian nuclear weapons program.

Meanwhile the Syria Ambassador to the United States Imad Moustapha dismissed the allegations.

For more we are joined on the telephone by Scott Ritter. He is a former UN weapons inspector in Iraq and is author of “Target Iran: The Truth About the White House”s Plans for Regime Change."

Scott Ritter, Ritter served from 1991 to 1998 as a United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq in the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM). He is author of “Target Iran: The Truth About the White House”s Plans for Regime Change."


Watch Democracy NOW! Video (click here)

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Also from DN!

Former Marine Returns to Iraq as Embedded Photographer Only to Be Ordered Home

James Lee is a former Marine from California who served two tours of duty in Iraq in 2001 to 2004. He’s been back in Iraq more recently—this time as an embedded photographer. Lee is now a journalism student at San Francisco State University and filed reports from Iraq for the college newspaper, the “Golden Gate XPress.” But earlier this month Lee was abruptly de-embedded. On April 2nd, just before General Petraeus was due to brief Congress on progress in Iraq, Lee was ordered to leave Basra.

James Lee is a former Marine from California who served two tours of duty in Iraq in 2001 to 2004. He’s been back in Iraq more recently—this time as an embedded photographer. Lee is now a journalism student at San Francisco State University and filed reports from Iraq for the college newspaper, the “Golden Gate XPress.” But earlier this month Lee was abruptly de-embedded. On April 2nd, just before General Petraeus was due to brief Congress on progress in Iraq, Lee was ordered to leave Basra. He had only been there for a day. I spoke to Lee while on the road in Santa Barbara, California.

James Lee, former Marine from California who served two tours of duty in Iraq in 2001 to 2004. He is now a journalism student at San Francisco State University and filed reports from Iraq for the college newspaper, the “Golden Gate XPress.”

Watch Democracy NOW! Video (click here)

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Bank bail-outs to be kept secret. The Bank of England has imposed a permanent news blackout on its £50bn-plus plan to ease the credit crunch. 'Lesser of two evils': The Bank of England will guard the names of credit-crunch banks with unprecedented levels of secrecy. Ferocious and unprecedented secrecy means taxpayers will never know the names of the banks that have been supported through the special liquidity scheme, which was unveiled by Bank Governor Mervyn King last week. Requests under the Freedom of Information Act are to be denied. Details will be kept secret even after 30 years - the period after which all but the most sensitive state documents are released.


1,000 flee foothill homes as wildfire burns near Los Angeles


Special commentary by Big Dan, about sharks: "Sharks are in the water. Stay out of the water. Only once did I see a shark out of the water. He was in a VW Vanagon, pretending to deliver flowers to customers. Saturday Night Live had good news coverage of this "land shark" years ago. It's a good thing the parents in this article had a 'close eye on their kids' as they were swimming in the ocean, this way, when the great white shark started chomping on them, they could say, 'Hey! I think a shark's eating our kids!!!'"


Californians head to the coast but keep eye out for sharks. SOLANA BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- Beachgoers looking to escape triple-digit temperatures inland stayed cautiously along the water's edge on Sunday as miles of sea front remained closed following a deadly shark attack near San Diego. Parents kept close watch over their bodyboarding or wading children, looking up with alarm at pods of dolphins whose fins broke the glassy water beyond the surf. There was no sign of the shark, believed to be a great white about 15 feet long, that killed triathlete David Martin on Friday. Coast Guard and San Diego County sheriff's helicopters continued to patrol the coastline, watching for signs of trouble.





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Has anything ever risen in price every single day for weeks, in history???

Pray-in at S.F. gas station asks God to lower prices. Rocky Twyman has a radical solution for surging gasoline prices: prayer.

Prayers For Lower Gas Prices Brought To California. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― A choir director who hopes prayer can bring down high gas prices is trying out his approach at some of the costliest pumps in the country.

The New Daily NEPA/AAA DAILY GAS RECORD:

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton Regular Mid Premium Diesel
Current $3.613 $3.808 $3.977 $4.444
Yesterday $3.603 $3.799 $3.966 $4.439
Month Ago $3.258 $3.435 $3.586 $4.250
Year Ago $2.846 $3.000 $3.133 $2.928

Highest Recorded Price:

Regular Unl. $3.613 4/28/2008
Dsl. $4.444 4/28/2008

Big Dan's Big News Apr 27, 2008

If you have ever said anything about Obama's Pastor Rev. Wright, and you don't watch this, then shut the fuck up! Because you are an easily brainwashed media soundbite idiot who should have their voting rights revoked!

This clip first shows you the 15-second soundbite the corporate media looped over and over and over again, to get you to hate Rev. Wright, then it shows the whole sermon it was extracted from , then an in depth interview of Rev. Wright by Bill Moyers.

THEN...if you still hate Rev. Wright, you can voice your concerns!






Add Media Propaganda to your page



Obama pastor: I had death threatsJeremiah Wright re-emerges to say his church has been threatened with attack just as the Democratic race heads for its last big contest

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Bell Supporters Want Federal Charges Against Cops. Plan To Continue Rallies, Marches In Protest. NEW YORK (CBS) ― With calls to shut down the city, hundreds of demonstrators launched the start of what could be a long series of protests following the acquittal of three New York City Detectives in the shooting death of Sean Bell.

Sharpton To Lead Campaign Of Civil Disobedience. “It did not take fifty bullets to realize no one’s shooting back,” said one citizen during protests following the acquittal of three New York detectives in the shooting death of 24-year-old Sean Bell. Among those outraged by the verdict is Rev. Al Sharpton, saying on April 25 that he will protest by leading a peaceful, but effective, campaign of civil disobedience against New York City. Sean Hennessey reports. This video is from CBS2 New York, broadcast April 25, 2008.

Angry march in Harlem over police acquittals in slaying. (04-27) 04:00 PDT New York -- Hundreds of angry people marched through Harlem on Saturday after the Rev. Al Sharpton promised to "close this city down" to protest the acquittals of three police detectives in a 50-shot barrage that killed a groom on his wedding day and wounded two friends.

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Yesterday the Department of Defense announced the creation of the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine, which will go by the happy acronym AFIRM. According to DOD's news service, AFIRM will "harness stem cell research and technology … to reconstruct new skin, muscles and tendons, and even ears, noses and fingers." The government is budgeting $250 million in public and private money for the project's first five years. NIH and three universities will be on the team.

Rearming America. The military's plan to regrow body parts.

Regenerative Medicine Seen as Means to Repair Wounded Warriors



The Pentagon Strangles Our Economy: Why the U.S. Has Gone Broke. 60 years of enormous military spending is taking a dramatic toll on the rest of the economy.

Click on picture below, for Ben's BB Demonstration of how much of our taxes are going to military spending (and NOT soldiers' pay & healthcare):



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"But over a seven-month period beginning last summer, Mr. McCain’s cash-short campaign gave itself an advantage by using a corporate jet owned by a company headed by his wife, Cindy McCain, according to public records. For five of those months, the plane was used almost exclusively for campaign-related purposes, those records show.

Mr. McCain’s campaign paid a total of $241,149 for the use of that plane from last August through February, records show. That amount is approximately the cost of chartering a similar jet for a month or two, according to industry estimates."

Remember rightwing "news" (lol) making a big stinkin' deal about Gore using a jet? Not a word from them about McCain using his millionaire beer heiress' wife's jet...Last year, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) backed legislation requiring presidential candidates to pay the actual cost of flying on corporate jets. He also promised not to use his wife’s personal wealth for his presidential nomination. Yet The New York Times is reporting that McCain repeatedly used Cindy McCain’s corporate jet at very little cost to his campaign (click here)

Google "Gore" & "Jet":

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Other News:

Bowling 1, Health Care 0; Elizabeth Edwards: Media are giving Americans only ‘Cliffs Notes’ of campaign news.

Elizabeth Edwards On Health Care: ‘This Is Not A Cheap Shot; It Is Potentially Life And Death’

Wall Street Journal on Brink of Becoming Journalistic Disaster. WSJ's managing editor resigns, leaving Murdoch one step closer to having a monopoly on New York news.

NYTimes: The Justice Department has told Congress that American intelligence operatives attempting to thwart terrorist attacks can legally use interrogation methods that might otherwise be prohibited under international law.

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Harold & Kumar


Gitmo Injustices Get Satirical Treatment From Harold & Kumar. The iconic teens come face to face with the injustices at Gitmo -- and young audiences are going to eat it up.





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The New Daily NEPA/AAA DAILY GAS RECORD:

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton Regular Mid Premium Diesel
Current $3.603 $3.799 $3.966 $4.439
Yesterday $3.593 $3.788 $3.956 $4.440
Month Ago $3.243 $3.419 $3.570 $4.253
Year Ago $2.827 $2.980 $3.111 $2.926

Highest Recorded Price:

Regular Unl. $3.603 4/27/2008
Dsl. $4.444 4/22/2008

Special commentary by Big Dan: "When Bush began his presidency, gas was $1.46 and now it's $3.60. A tank of gas cost me $20. NOW...the same tank of gas costs me $54!!! And heating oil was $4 gallon!!!"

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Big Dan's Big News Apr 26, 2008


"The check's in the mail! We're going to get some of our money back that they took off us!!! Yippee!!! Bush wants to 'stimulate' you!!! $600 is 10 tanks of gas for me!!! Throw in a coupla 40 lb bags of rice from Sam's Club, and I'll be 'right as rain'!!!"

President Bush sending your 'stimulus check' directly to the oil companies, wants to 'cut out the middleman' (just kidding!); 'president' Bush said tax rebates will start going out Monday, earlier than previously announced, and should help Americans cope with rising gasoline and food prices, as well as aid a slumping economy.


Here's where your tax $$$ is going: to a multi ga-jillion dollar Baghdad embassy that's all fucked up! Built by the 'conservatives'...

New US Embassy in Iraq has no housing for all its workers

US Embassy opening in Baghdad delayed indefinitely

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McCain's poverty tour filled with contradictions. For John McCain, it was either the perfect political photo op or a moment of striking, and potentially damaging, political dissonance. On a breezy sunny day, McCain was surrounded by friendly African-American ladies as they rode a ferry across the muddy Alabama River. Perfect image — except that McCain, who's promised to veto every bill with earmarks if he's elected president, was aboard a ferry financed by one of those earmarks.



McCain: "I'm your worst nightmare"

McCain recent quotes:

– al Qaeda: “My presidency will be al Qaeda’s worst nightmare.”

– Democrats: “John McCain: The Democrats’ Worst Nightmare.”

– Washington: “I’m prepared to cut hundreds of billions of dollars out of wasteful and unnecessary spending in America. … It’s the worst nightmare. I’m their worst nightmare, my friend.”

- bd: McCain's missing quote: "If I'm elected, I'll be America's worst nightmare, because I will be Bush III! Didn't you learn your lesson from Dubya???"

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Parents ditching polycarbonate baby bottles!

Canada declares chemical in plastic water bottles toxic

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A decade after Lasik eye surgery hit the market, patients left with fuzzy instead of clear vision are airing their grievances before federal health officials.

Patients Reporting Eye Injury From The Surgery To Federal Panel

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Other news:

Pentagon 'temporarily' stops pro-war propaganda campaign against the American citizens, after propaganda campaign is outed!

Behind TV Analysts, Pentagon’s Hidden Hand



Vote recount: Mugabe's party loses parliament. Official results confirm historic victory for Zimbabwean opposition

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NEPA:

Today's Daily NEPA/AAA DAILY GAS RECORD:

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton Regular Mid Premium Diesel
Current $3.593 $3.788 $3.956 $4.440
Yesterday $3.571 $3.764 $3.931 $4.442
Month Ago $3.239 $3.414 $3.565 $4.242
Year Ago $2.816 $2.969 $3.100 $2.921

Highest Recorded Price:

Regular Unl. $3.593 4/26/2008
Dsl. $4.444 4/22/2008

Special commentary about gas prices by Big Dan: "If oil companies are not gouging us, then how come they also have daily record profits?"

Crude awakening: Where’s price of oil headed?

More county buys questioned. Luzerne County officials are finding other examples of purchases that likely should have been bid out as they go department by department.

After I complimente Skrepenak & Urban for voting to count absentee ballots that came in after the arbitrary deadline, but BEFORE the election (get that? BEFORE the election!), they reverse their votes and disenfranchize voters! A few days ago when Skrepenak said he wanted to encourage voting by making these votes count, must now be wanting to DISCOURAGE voting by reversing his vote??? It's the only thing you can imply here, right? Nice going, idiots! And FUCK YOU to the other 'cabal of democracy-haters' who went out of their way to make this an issue! "FIGHTING TO KEEP YOUR VOTE FROM COUNTING!!!!!!!!!!!" Aren't you glad there's people make sure your vote doesn't count, even though it's in before the election?


Teenager allegedly threatened president judge for 'ruining her life' with sentence handed down...

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Thursday, April 24, 2008

Big Dan's Big News Apr 25, 2008



Exclusive: PA's Primary Results Website Listed Obama Three Times, With Three Differing Totals on Election Night
Oddity, Which Applied Only to Obama, Never Occurred Before, Remains Unexplained, But 'Didn't Make a Difference' in Final Results, According to State Official Who Confirmed the Anomaly...Early on election night last Tuesday, with just 18.07% of the unofficial returns from the Pennsylvania Primary in, astute BRAD BLOG reader Matt Sircely (who was aware enough to save off the HTML page locally!) noticed the following oddity on the official Dept. of State website results page...


Click here for the full large picture. Note the three different sets of bars and percentages representing Obama's tally. The problem did not occur for any other candidate, as seen on the full web page, which was noticed early in the evening, and saved locally by the alert reader. Whatever the problem, it was eventually corrected by officials. Today, Sircely called the PA Dept. of State to try and get an explanation of what caused the problem seen above (audio from call is posted at the end of the previous link article)...

Hillary Clinton: The Luckiest Woman in the World! The 9.2% Pa. Victory was rounded upwards by the media to give her the "10% margin of victory she needed to stay in the race"!!!

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From "Mr. Video's Blog" BlueBear:

Add Video Test to your page


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Scalia On Bush v. Gore: Get Over It! Supreme Court Justice Tells 60 Minutes It’s Nonsense To Say The Decision Was Politically Motivated

Scalia to Plug Book on '60 Minutes'



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Other news:

GOP TO TACK TELECOM IMMUNITY ON WAR BILL?

McCain Wraps Up Poverty Tour With Speech At ‘Business Awards’ Banquet. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is currently on his “Forgotten America” tour, talking about the need to address the places “ignored for long years by the sins of indifference and injustice.” The Washington Post writes, “In effect, McCain is launching Version 2.0 of Bush’s ‘compassionate conservative’ campaign.” Today, McCain is speaking in Katrina-ravaged New Orleans. But tonight, he will travel to upstate Louisiana to Baton Rouge and return to the wealthiest Americans as the “guest speaker” at the 25th annual Business Awards and Hall Of Fame banquet. BusinessReport.com reports:

McCain falsely claims he ‘never voted for a single earmark or pork barrel project.’

Gallup poll: Record high 63 percent say U.S. made a mistake in sending troops to Iraq.

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NEPA:

bd: I guess these 90 absentee ballots bothered these people so much, with all the stuff going on with the election and other things, they had the time to fight counting these 90 ballots! This seems awfully strange to me! A lot of time put in by a lot of people...to make sure 90 absentee ballots that came in BEFORE the election were not counted! Am I missing something here? These 90 ballots really bothered these people!!! Didn't they???

"Fighting to make sure your vote doesn't count"

Absentee extension to be tossed

Spirit stronger than ever! Activist died this week, but his son said his father’s influence strong, especially among those he helped. (bd: THIS guy was GREAT!)

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Oh! I forgot to post the DAILY gas record! Better late than never!

AAA DAILY GAS RECORD:

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton Regular Mid Premium Diesel
Current $3.571 $3.764 $3.931 $4.442
Yesterday $3.545 $3.738 $3.903 $4.442
Month Ago $3.237 $3.412 $3.563 $4.251
Year Ago $2.807 $2.960 $3.090 $2.924

Highest Recorded Price:

Regular Unl. $3.571 4/25/2008
Dsl. $4.444 4/22/2008

Rush Limbaugh Torpedo's Dan Meuser in Pa. 10th

Don't fergit ta buy yer "Operation Chaos" stuff from $285-millionaire oxycontin-poppin' Rush Limburr!!!


Rush Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos", which urged Republican voters to switch their registration to Democrat so they could vote in Hillary Clinton, has caused Republican Dan Meuser to lose to Republican Chris Hackett in an (until now) unexplainable loss in the Republican primary for Pennsylvania's 10th District. News is coming in, that all these unexplained Republican losses across Pennsylvania can be attributed to Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos".

Operation Chaos Republican voters showed up to polls in the 10th district and did what they were told by their leader Rush Limbaugh, and voted for Hillary Clinton. THEN...when they went to vote for Republican Dan Meuser, they realized that when they switched registration, they weren't allowed to vote in the Republican primary, which was really more important to them and is really what they wanted to do.

It was noted, that there was a direct correlation between the number of unforeseen Republican losses and Hillary Clinton's victory, turning the Republican Party of Pennsylvania into...CHAOS! The Republican Party of Pennsylvania states that blame can be solely placed upon the shoulders of Rush Limbaugh for these unpredicted outcomes of Republican races across the state. And blame can also be placed with the stupid "Operation Chaos" particpant voters.


Right: two "Dittohead" Operation Chaos Republican voters, brothers Jeb 'n Jeb Babaweenie.

Jeb: Howz cum we coudun't vote fer Don Muzik??? Rush Limburr left out duh part dat we coodun't vote fer Don Muzik!!!

The Other Jeb: Yeah! He dun went 'n not told us dat...'n stuff...we iz mad! Me 'n Jeb went 'n jest voted fer Hillry 'n we hate her!


(Of course, Rush Limbaugh may have orders to make all this shit up, to explain the mass exodus of Republican voters to the Democratic Party, though!)

Big Dan's Big News Apr 24, 2008




Chicago Sun Times: Blockbuster! Rezko friend: Rove was asked to dump Fitzgerald

(CBS) A government witness claims in 2004, Antoin "Tony Rezko" -- then the target of an investigation that would lead to his indictment and trial -- tried to grease the political skids to get his chief tormentor, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald fired. Rezko discussed efforts among high-ranking Republicans, including Karl Rove, to have Chicago's U.S. attorney fired, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday.

Rove involved in attempt to remove US Attorney Fitzgerald from Rezko trial, witness may testify

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Comedy Central (better than corporate ANBCBSNNX) outs "Message Force Multipliers"

Multiple choice: Of the following, which outlet covered two recent major national security stories -- NBC, CBS, NPR, PBS, or ... Comedy Central?

Summary: On April 22, The Daily Show's Jon Stewart highlighted two recent reports concerning national security that have been largely ignored by most television news outlets and NPR: a New York Times article reporting that "the Bush administration has used" media military analysts, many of whom have clients with or seeking Pentagon contracts, "into a kind of media Trojan horse -- an instrument intended to shape terrorism coverage from inside the major TV and radio networks"; and a Government Accountability Office report that found that the "United States has not met its national security goals to destroy terrorist threats and close the safe haven in Pakistan's FATA."



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Torturers in the White House: Why Is This Story Being Ignored?

The biggest news of the last week went virtually uncovered by the mainstream, print media. ABC News first reported last Wednesday that top Bush Administration officials, including Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, John Ashcroft, and George Tenet, Colin Powell, and Donald Rumsfeld met to discuss which particular torture techniques should be used against Al Qaeda suspects in U.S. custody.

The group signed off on specific techniques, including sleep deprivation, slapping, pushing, and waterboarding, and gave instruction "so detailed … some of the interrogation sessions were almost choreographed, down to the number of times CIA agents could use a specific tactic."

If John McCain is seriously considering Condoleezza Rice as a running mate, the former POW should keep in mind that Rice not only condoned torture, but chaired the National Security Council's "Principals Committee" meetings to plan the details of torture of prisoners in U.S. custody.

Then-Attorney General John Ashcroft was so troubled by the meetings, he was moved to object: "Why are we discussing this in the White House?" he asked, according to ABC. "History will not judge this kindly."

On Friday, ABC added this blockbuster: Bush himself was aware of the meetings. Unlike Ashcroft, he had no compunctions. There was nothing "startling" about the revelations that his top advisers were directing the waterboarding of individual prisoners, Bush told ABC's Martha Raddatz. "And yes, I'm aware our national security team met on this issue and I approved," Bush said.

Why is this not bigger news?

(read more)

Documents released last week by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) reveal that U.S. Special Forces interrogation teams operating in Paktia province illegally tortured Afghan prisoners. As a result of brutal treatment at the hands of his interrogators, one of the detainees subsequently died.

CIA has 7,000 documents relating to rendition, detention, torture programs, filing shows


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McCain dismisses equal pay legislation, says women need more ‘training and education.’

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Today's new daily gas record - $3.54

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton Regular Mid Premium Diesel
Current $3.545 $3.738 $3.903 $4.442
Yesterday $3.529 $3.721 $3.885 $4.441
Month Ago $3.234 $3.410 $3.560 $4.265
Year Ago $2.809 $2.961 $3.092 $2.931

Highest Recorded Price:

Regular Unl. $3.545 4/24/2008
Dsl. $4.444 4/22/2008

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Other News They're Not Telling You:

The 2008 election will be stolen

2006 Mid-Term Elections: LANDSLIDE DENIED!

EPA Scientists Decry Political Pressure. In Online Survey, Hundreds Complain That Their Superiors Want To Skew Findings

U.S. has 5% of world's population, and 25% of worlds prisoners

"I grew up with your father being the Attorney General," Siegelman told Kennedy, "and the heroic deeds that he did, and you know, you always thought that the Department of Justice was the last place that you could look to for justice and for fair play. But I think Karl Rove learned two things out of Watergate. ... He learned that you didn't have to create a secret plumbers unit within the White House when you had the Department of Justice. If you just appointed the right U.S. Attorneys, you could accomplish the same thing and more. And the second thing I think Rove learned was, you don't leave evidence behind like Nixon did with his tapes. You destroy e-mails."

Former Army Engineer Arrested for Spying for Israel. (bd: What if this guy was an ARAB???) A New Jersey man has been arrested on four counts of conspiracy and espionage for allegedly providing Israel with US military secrets on nuclear weapons, fighter jets and missiles in the 1980s.

'Taser Shock Triggers Fire in Man's Pants'

The North Carolina Republican Party unveiled an ad Tuesday that invokes the most incendiary comments from Obama's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, to attack two Democratic candidates for governor who have endorsed Obama for president. North Carolina holds its primary in two weeks.

Red State/Red Neck teenagers take a vow of chastity at their church and school. Then two weeks later contract gonorrhea and genital warts - of the mouth. But still consider themselves chaste.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Hillary won the battle, but lost the war



(bd: Hillary and her backers celebrating her "victory" in Pennsylvania, is a little like the lousiest team in football, the Miami Dolphins, being down 56-7, scoring a touchdown...and then doing an endzone dance & celebration! You kind of feel sorry for them, and are a little embarrassed for them! Maybe Senator Casey's endorsement of Obama cut her early lead from 20% down to 10%, thank you, Senator Casey! And btw...it was officially a 9.2% victory, NOT a 10% victory. And that's after an early 20% lead in a state with an outspoken, staunch Hillary supporter for its governor! I guess Hillary couldn't "seal the deal"! American voters have Obama ahead by an insurmountable lead. The "tide DIDN'T turn"! Reality vs. corporate media fiction!)

The Pennsylvania Primary was Hillary Clinton's last chance to deliver a game changing blow to Obama's campaign for the nomination. She failed to deliver.

Pennsylvania provided her with her final real opportunity to knock the wheels off the Obama campaign. She needed a crushing victory of 18% to 25% to have any real chance of altering the math or the psychology. Demographically, Pennsylvania was made for Hillary: the second oldest state in the nation, heavily blue collar, Catholic and rural -- Hillary's voter profile. She started with a lead of almost 20 points. But her final margin -- which the Pennsylvania Secretary of State says was only 9.2% -- fell far short of what was needed to stop Obama's nomination. Here's why:

1). Pledged Delegates. By CNN's count, Clinton netted about 14 pledged delegates in Pennsylvania. That still leaves Obama up by 151 pledged delegates. It is likely that after Guam, Indiana and North Carolina, there will be no net change in pledged delegates, even if Clinton wins Indiana, since Obama will certainly pick up delegates in North Carolina. But at that point only 251 pledged delegates will remain to be chosen.

Even if she got 80% of all of the pledged delegates that remain after Indiana, she would still trail Obama at the end of the day.

The battle for the pledged delegate advantage is over.

2). Popular Vote. Pennsylvania was her best opportunity to really close in on Obama's popular vote lead. She picked up about 216,000 net votes. But that still leaves her over 600,000 votes behind, and Obama will likely increase his popular vote margin further after the contests on May 6th. Her failure to blow Obama out in Pennsylvania makes it almost impossible for her to close the popular vote gap.

3). Electability. Clinton's entire strategy rests on the premise that she can convince Super Delegates that Obama is unelectable. Only a massive win in Pennsylvania would have credibly made that case. Clinton's victory did little to enhance her argument.

(read more…)

Big Dan's Big News Apr 23, 2008



Hillary: "Some counted me out and said to drop out. But the American people don't quit. And they deserve a president who doesn't quit, either."

bd: Who are the people who have Obama ahead of you by 100 delegates, even AFTER the Pa. primary...the Zimbabwaens??? The American people deserve a president who gets the most votes from them, not a loser who doesn't know when to quit!

From NBC's Mark Murray and NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
In a conference call with reporters this morning, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe argued that Clinton's win in Pennsylvania yesterday doesn't change the current trajectory of the race:
-- Obama leads among pledged delegates, and Clinton will have to win about 70% of the remaining ones to overtake Obama on this measure.
-- to get within 100 pledged delegates of Obama, Clinton will have to win 57% of the remaining ones
-- and when looking at the total delegate score (pledged delegates and superdelegates), Obama is about 300 away from clinching the nomination; Clinton, according to NBC's count, is more than 430 delegates away.

"We don't believe the structure of the race is going to change fundamentally," he said. "She does need to win out here and win by some margin."

Hillary wins Pennsylvania 55%-45% (Times Leader)

Hillary wins Pennsylvania 55%-45% (Citizen's Voice)

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For better or worse — and many Democrats fear it is for worse — the race goes on. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton defeated Senator Barack Obama in Pennsylvania on Tuesday by enough of a margin to continue a battle that Democrats increasingly believe is undermining their effort to unify the party and prepare for the general election against Senator John McCain.

bd: Actually, I posted this NYTimes BULLSHIT article, just to show you FALSE "talking points" put out in the corporate media (YES! NYTimes is not "liberal"!). The race going on only HELPS the Democratic Party. It causes more interest and record registrations across the board from state to state the more it goes on. This is corporate media BULLSHIT! McCain is the LOSER in all of this! No matter WHO wins in the Democratic Party! BEWARE! Just because it's in the NYTimes, don't just believe the corporate media FALSE TALKING POINTS!

MORE corporate media FALSE "talking points":

"The longer this goes on, the more it hurts the Democratic Party" (BULLSHIT!)

"Hillary's still in it"

"The tide is turning"

"Was race a factor?" (whenever Obama loses)

"Obama can't 'seal the deal'" (WHO is ahead??? Idiots!!! So, it's better to be behind? Somehow?)

"If Hillary wins big states over Obama, that means McCain will, too!" (Do you follow THAT logic??? SOMEHOW...if Hillary beats Obama in big states, McCain will too! What if Obama beats McCain in big states? THAT'S what's going to happen!)

The corporate media is against Obama, and in the presidential election, will be against Obama when he faces McCain. They put these "talking points" in the corporate media, and loop them over and over and over, and others in the media "parrot" these talking points like the parrots that they are. But, think for yourself...WHO is saying this? It's just parrots in the corporate media!

Obama camp charging voting problems in PA

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Today's new daily gas record!

Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton Regular Mid Premium Diesel
Current $3.529 $3.721 $3.885 $4.441
Yesterday $3.502 $3.692 $3.855 $4.444
Month Ago $3.241 $3.417 $3.568 $4.258
Year Ago $2.816 $2.968 $3.099 $2.931

Highest Recorded Price:

Regular Unl. $3.529 4/23/2008
Dsl. $4.444 4/22/2008

Gas prices continue their ascent. Local gas prices inched over another historic benchmark Tuesday as crude oil flirted with an eye-popping, wallet-crunching high of its own. A gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton metro area averaged $3.50, diesel fuel posted another record high at $4.44 and oil peaked within a dime of $120 per barrel. The trio of all-time highs, which came one day after the national gas average topped $3.50, were pushed by the strengthening global demand for fossil fuels and the weak dollar. Oil is traded in dollars and investors use it as a hedge against the greenback, which has devalued during the domestic credit crises and corresponding interest rate cuts. “We see no relief in sight,” said Catherine Rossi of AAA Mid-Atlantic.

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Other important news:

Suspicions grow that drugs were used in detainee interrogations

New radio ads are running in districts of several Democratic members of Congress, as well as Texas Republican Rep. Ron Paul, targeting the lawmakers for their opposition to a White House-backed surveillance bill. The ads play on national security fears in an attempt to spur these lawmakers to give in to the administration's demands.

Euro breaks through $1.60 as dollar slumps to record low

Bush keeps staunchly defending NAFTA!!!!!!!!!

Former Justice official pleads guilty in Abramoff probe; faces prison!