Saturday, November 29, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Myanmar jails comedian who helped aid victims of cyclone
NY Times
Nov 21, 2008
A secret court run by Myanmar’s military leadership on Friday sentenced a prominent Burmese comedian and activist to 45 years in prison, continuing a recent crackdown on dissidents.
The comedian, U Maung Thura, 47, better known by his stage name Zarganar, or the Tweezers, was detained in June after he organized a private assistance effort to help victims of the May cyclone, which killed more than 130,000 Burmese. With aid organizations and Western governments, he criticized Myanmar’s handling of the disaster.
Full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/22/world/asia/22myanmar.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper
Nov 21, 2008
A secret court run by Myanmar’s military leadership on Friday sentenced a prominent Burmese comedian and activist to 45 years in prison, continuing a recent crackdown on dissidents.
The comedian, U Maung Thura, 47, better known by his stage name Zarganar, or the Tweezers, was detained in June after he organized a private assistance effort to help victims of the May cyclone, which killed more than 130,000 Burmese. With aid organizations and Western governments, he criticized Myanmar’s handling of the disaster.
Full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/22/world/asia/22myanmar.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Monday, November 03, 2008
A plea to the press on election day
Dear Press,
Please refrain from calling any states electoral votes until ALL THE POLES HAVE CLOSED.
Thank you.
Please refrain from calling any states electoral votes until ALL THE POLES HAVE CLOSED.
Thank you.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
The Acorn Story - the facts
You've heard the hype from McCain and others.
Here are the basic facts:
Yes, there are some questionable registration forms. There always are no matter who is doing the registration (any company).
What McCain and others are not telling you is that Acorn is required by law in many states to turn in ALL collected ballots, those that appear to be valid and those that don't. In some states they are allowed to help the state by flagging the ones in question. In other states, they are required to just turn them all in and the state tries to figure out which are valid and which are not.
So clearly much ado about nothing (other than yet another distraction rather than discussing the issues voters care about).
Here are the basic facts:
Yes, there are some questionable registration forms. There always are no matter who is doing the registration (any company).
What McCain and others are not telling you is that Acorn is required by law in many states to turn in ALL collected ballots, those that appear to be valid and those that don't. In some states they are allowed to help the state by flagging the ones in question. In other states, they are required to just turn them all in and the state tries to figure out which are valid and which are not.
So clearly much ado about nothing (other than yet another distraction rather than discussing the issues voters care about).
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Man Behind the Whispers About Obama
From The NY Times:
The Man Behind the Whispers About Obama
By JIM RUTENBERG
The most persistent falsehood about Senator Barack Obama's background first hit in 2004 just two weeks after the Democratic convention speech that helped set him on the path to his presidential candidacy: "Obama is a Muslim who has concealed his religion."
That statement, contained in a press release, spun a complex tale about the ancestry of Mr. Obama, who is Christian.
The press release was picked up by a conservative Web site, FreeRepublic.com, and spread steadily as others elaborated on its claims over the years in e-mail messages, Web sites and books. It continues to drive other false rumors about Mr. Obama's background.
Just last Friday, a woman told Senator John McCain at a town-hall-style meeting, "I have read about him," and "he's an Arab." Mr. McCain corrected her.
Until this month, the man who is widely credited with starting the cyberwhisper campaign that still dogs Mr. Obama was a secondary character in news reports, with deep explorations of his background largely confined to liberal blogs.
But an appearance in a documentary-style program on the Fox News Channel watched by three million people last week thrust the man, Andy Martin, and his past into the foreground. The program allowed Mr. Martin to assert falsely and without challenge that Mr. Obama had once trained to overthrow the government.
An examination of legal documents and election filings, along with interviews with his acquaintances, revealed Mr. Martin, 62, to be a man with a history of scintillating if not always factual claims. He has left a trail of animosity — some of it provoked by anti-Jewish comments — among political leaders, lawyers and judges in three states over more than 30 years.
He is a law school graduate, but his admission to the Illinois bar was blocked in the 1970s after a psychiatric finding of "moderately severe character defect manifested by well-documented ideation with a paranoid flavor and a grandiose character."
Full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/us/politics/13martin.html?hp=&pagewanted=print
The Man Behind the Whispers About Obama
By JIM RUTENBERG
The most persistent falsehood about Senator Barack Obama's background first hit in 2004 just two weeks after the Democratic convention speech that helped set him on the path to his presidential candidacy: "Obama is a Muslim who has concealed his religion."
That statement, contained in a press release, spun a complex tale about the ancestry of Mr. Obama, who is Christian.
The press release was picked up by a conservative Web site, FreeRepublic.com, and spread steadily as others elaborated on its claims over the years in e-mail messages, Web sites and books. It continues to drive other false rumors about Mr. Obama's background.
Just last Friday, a woman told Senator John McCain at a town-hall-style meeting, "I have read about him," and "he's an Arab." Mr. McCain corrected her.
Until this month, the man who is widely credited with starting the cyberwhisper campaign that still dogs Mr. Obama was a secondary character in news reports, with deep explorations of his background largely confined to liberal blogs.
But an appearance in a documentary-style program on the Fox News Channel watched by three million people last week thrust the man, Andy Martin, and his past into the foreground. The program allowed Mr. Martin to assert falsely and without challenge that Mr. Obama had once trained to overthrow the government.
An examination of legal documents and election filings, along with interviews with his acquaintances, revealed Mr. Martin, 62, to be a man with a history of scintillating if not always factual claims. He has left a trail of animosity — some of it provoked by anti-Jewish comments — among political leaders, lawyers and judges in three states over more than 30 years.
He is a law school graduate, but his admission to the Illinois bar was blocked in the 1970s after a psychiatric finding of "moderately severe character defect manifested by well-documented ideation with a paranoid flavor and a grandiose character."
Full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/us/politics/13martin.html?hp=&pagewanted=print
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Check the Facts
If you want more facts than are posted here,
or if you have friends or relatives that don't believe what you tell them,
then, in addition to TheTruthAboutPoliticalStuff.com go (and send them) to the totally non-partisan site, http://FactCheck.org
You will find that the facts are that McCain and Palin and the Republicans in general have lied and stretched the truth quite extensively. Yes, you will also find fact errors and exaggerations that have come from the Democratic side as well, but if you pay close attention, you will see that the difference if extreme.
or if you have friends or relatives that don't believe what you tell them,
then, in addition to TheTruthAboutPoliticalStuff.com go (and send them) to the totally non-partisan site, http://FactCheck.org
You will find that the facts are that McCain and Palin and the Republicans in general have lied and stretched the truth quite extensively. Yes, you will also find fact errors and exaggerations that have come from the Democratic side as well, but if you pay close attention, you will see that the difference if extreme.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
News you need to know
Sarah Palin: Earmark Queen Of The Earmark State
verified at snopes.com: A Note to All (About Sarah Palin) by Anne Kilkenny
FactCheck Article: FactChecking McCain
Palin: wrong woman, wrong message - by Gloria Steinem
Great video clip responding to Palin speech
Running From Reality
News article from May 7 2008: Alaska Rates for high school dropouts, college completion among worst
Sarah Palin: Iraq war 'a task that is from God'
Sarah Palin accepted at least $4,500 in campaign contributions in the same fundraising scheme at the center of a public corruption scandal that led to the indictment of Sen. Ted Stevens
John McCain foreign policy flip-flops
verified at snopes.com: A Note to All (About Sarah Palin) by Anne Kilkenny
FactCheck Article: FactChecking McCain
Palin: wrong woman, wrong message - by Gloria Steinem
Great video clip responding to Palin speech
Running From Reality
News article from May 7 2008: Alaska Rates for high school dropouts, college completion among worst
Sarah Palin: Iraq war 'a task that is from God'
Sarah Palin accepted at least $4,500 in campaign contributions in the same fundraising scheme at the center of a public corruption scandal that led to the indictment of Sen. Ted Stevens
John McCain foreign policy flip-flops
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Thursday, July 03, 2008
McCain Flips At Legit Question
McCain Flips At Legit Question
http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20080703/cm_huffpost/110681_200807031142
http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20080703/cm_huffpost/110681_200807031142