Over 300 may never leave Guantanamo - "“Yes, they could be held for the duration of their lives,” said Cully Stimson, the Defense Department’s assistant secretary of defense for detainee affairs." -- And never charged with a crime.
All the President's Lies - "Many Americans are cynical about what they hear from politicians – and often with good reason – but perhaps no U.S. political leader in modern history has engaged in a pattern of lying and distortion more systematically than George W. Bush has. Bush’s lies also aren’t about petty matters, such as some personal indiscretion or minor misconduct. Rather his dishonesty deals with issues of war and peace, the patriotism of his opponents, and the founding principles of the American Republic. They are the kinds of lies and distortions more befitting the leader of a totalitarian state whipping up his followers to go after some perceived enemy than the President of the world’s preeminent democracy seeking an informed debate among the citizenry. ... Even when acknowledging that Bush’s statements often turn out to be false, his defenders say it’s unfair to call him a liar. They say he’s just an honest guy who gets lots of bad information. But there comes a point when that defense wears thin. The evidence actually points to a leader who wants his subordinates to give him a steady supply of “talking points” that can be used to achieve his goals whether the arguments are true, half true or totally false."
The Worst Congress Ever - "How our national legislature has become a stable of thieves and perverts -- in five easy steps. There is very little that sums up the record of the U.S. Congress in the Bush years better than a half-mad boy-addict put in charge of a federal commission on child exploitation. After all, if a hairy-necked, raincoat-clad freak like Rep. Mark Foley can get himself named co-chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, one can only wonder: What the hell else is going on in the corridors of Capitol Hill these days?"
Can This Machine Be Trusted? - "The U.S.'s new voting systems are only as good as the people who program and use them. Which is why next week could be interesting."
U.S. digs for vote-machine links to Hugo Chavez - "In the debate about the reliability of electronic voting technology, the South Florida parent company of one of the nation's leading suppliers of touch-screen voting machines is drawing special scrutiny from the U.S. government. Federal officials are investigating whether Smartmatic, owner of Oakland, Calif.-based Sequoia Voting Systems, is secretly controlled by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, according to two people familiar with the probe." -- Hmmm. So if the Democrats win, then the Republicans can blame Chavez for rigging the election?
Glitches cited in early voting - "Several South Florida voters say the choices they touched on the electronic screens were not the ones that appeared on the review screen -- the final voting step. ... Debra A. Reed voted with her boss on Wednesday at African-American Research Library and Cultural Center near Fort Lauderdale. Her vote went smoothly, but boss Gary Rudolf called her over to look at what was happening on his machine. He touched the screen for gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis, a Democrat, but the review screen repeatedly registered the Republican, Charlie Crist."
Does e-voting need paper trails? - "No massive incidents of fraud have been reported yet involving DRE machines, which were designed to tabulate votes internally, often without producing a paper record. They have nonetheless created ongoing concern among voter transparency advocates and computer scientists because of their perceived susceptibility to hacking and general malfunctioning. And those worries are not entirely theoretical: A recent report by Common Cause cited seven reported occasions since 2002 in which votes were mysteriously added or subtracted in states like Florida, Texas and North Carolina--and without paper records to shed light on the anomalies. Many computer scientists remain convinced that a paper receipt is the single most effective safeguard against computer glitches--or something more malicious."
Sweatshops, made in the good, old U.S. A. - "If you're one of those independent-minded voters who drifted in recent years to the Republican camp and may be thinking twice about that allegiance come November, there is one more reason to do so: Allen Stayman." -- Disgusting.
WMD intercept exercise set to begin in the Gulf - "War games designed to intercept ships carrying weapons of mass destruction will take place for the first time today in the Gulf opposite Iran." -- What's going to happen in the next 7 days?
North Korea agrees to return to nuclear talks - "Washington hopes the talks will resume before the end of the year, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. In the meantime, U.N. sanctions imposed after an October 9 nuclear test by Pyongyang remain in place."
United States National Debt - "An Analysis of the Presidents Who Are Responsible For Excessive Spending." -- Interesting. Check out the chart.
Same-sex marriage joins taxes, terrorism on Bush agenda - "President Bush has for months cast the midterm elections as a choice about just two issues: taxes and terrorism. Now, with polls predicting bleak results for Republicans, he is trying to fire up his party by decrying same-sex marriage." -- Pathetic.
Bush Says 'America Loses' Under Democrats - "President Bush said terrorists will win if Democrats win and impose their policies on Iraq, as he and Vice President Cheney escalated their rhetoric Monday in an effort to turn out Republican voters in next week's midterm elections."
Former Republicans campaign as Democrats - "Call it the year of the former Republican. At a time of widely expected Republican losses in both chambers of Congress, a new breed of politician has emerged: former Republicans challenging Republican incumbents."
Limbaugh Outfoxed - "But if you worry about the embryos, you had bloody well better look into the eyes of the people dying of these diseases. You had better ask yourself whether slowing research that might save them is an acceptable price for your principles. If you can't -- if all you can see is "acting" -- then you need more help than they do. Fox's disease can only take your body. Limbaugh's can take your soul."
Court: Woman Can't Say No After Start Of Sex - "An appellate court said Maryland's rape law is clear -- no doesn't mean no when it follows a yes and intercourse has begun. ... The decision startled activists who believe people have the right to say no at any time. Jennifer Pollitt Hill of the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault called the law "insulting and dangerous."" -- Our days get darker.
MySpace to Block Copyright Music - "MySpace.com will use "audio fingerprinting" technology to block users from uploading copyright music to the social networking site, the company said Monday."
Cause Of Nerve Fiber Damage In Multiple Sclerosis Identified - "Researchers have identified how the body’s own immune system contributes to the nerve fiber damage caused by multiple sclerosis, a finding that can potentially aid earlier diagnosis and improved treatment for this chronic disease."
British scientists grow human liver in a laboratory - "British scientists have grown the world's first artificial liver from stem cells in a breakthrough that will one day provide entire organs for transplant."
New male contraceptive Pill with no side effects - "Scientists have discovered a substance that can temporarily block the development of sperm without altering testosterone levels and without causing unwanted side effects."
Quote of the Day
"They're coming to get you, Barbara!"
~ Johnny, Night of the Living Dead
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