The American people have a high opinion of this country's goodness. Polls show that the majority of people in this country think it is the greatest, most generous country in the world. They also believe it is the moral leader of the world. Sadly, those who believe this the most are nothing more than war crimes enablers.

History is replete with examples of power gone bad, much like the example given by the Bush administration. The truly sad thing is that the people that actually enable this evil will never be held accountable for their support. Without a doubt, every person who voted for Bush/Cheney in 2004 has blood on his or her hands.

Long before the election, it was well known that the Bush administration encouraged the use of torture and was in the habit of imprisoning people with no more cause than unproven accusations. Those imprisoned were denied all legal rights and were held under what amounted to unending imprisonment.

Let's IMPEACH them, NOW! I pray this to honor every Iraqi child who was blown into redness for absolutely nothing -- other than happening to be born on oil-soaked sand -- in order to satisfy a bunch of chicken-hawk draft-dodgers who are currently running our nation using this bizarre, filthy, far-out Neocon "quasi-fascist" Middle-Eastern colonization attempt, just to help their buddies at Exxon and Haliburton. I really hope there is a fair judging for heaven and hell because that's where the Bush war criminals are going!

U.S. Military is now poised for a 2 weeks surgical strikes inside Iran.  The American public and the Obama campaign better be ready because with the pending bill on Iranian Naval Blockade in the congress, engagement is now inevitable.  And it'll occur at the earliest September 5 and no later than October 13, 2008.  The confrontation will last for 2 weeks in which the US will completely destroy Iranian nuclear capability and also disable the overall Iranian military establishment to the point that they couldn't pose a reasonable threat to little Jordan or Kuwait.
*    Here are my reasons for predicting that military confrontation is by now inevitable:
*    GW Bush will use his military capital to fight a war that would be swift and victorious; thus redeeming his image from the Iraqi debacle.
*    Iran as an Islamic Republic will not cower to the blockade and thus would resist.
*    The Iranian government sees resisting US as a service to Allah and thus a religious obligation.  They'll even fire the first shot, if US tries to impose the Congress-authorized blockade; therefore predicating the 2 weeks bombardment.

Now, let's move and make some more prediction before giving Obama some advice (I'm a pragmatic Obamacan and for the records, I like Gen. Clark and also believe that flying a plane does not qualify one to be president).  So here are my money predictions:
*    First oil will spike after the initial confrontation but will plummet below $100 after the US Navy has secured the Strait of Hormuz.
*    The action will resemble the bombardment of Belgrade but will not involve any major ground troop deployment inside Iran.
*    The whole Arab World will condemn the military action but nothing further than that.

Now, what is my advice to Obama campaign on this?  Be ready and know that it's coming and also get your talking points ready since you've moved to the center now.  
What are Obama's options on this inevitable bombardment of Iran?
*    Get his General together and start condemning Iran's nuclear pursuit in the strongest terms.  So long as he is unequivocal in his condemnation, he does not need to support or oppose military actions against Iran; he should keep his mouth shut and just keep condemning Iranian nuclear pursuit.
*    Declare that if this is the last resort to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities, then so be it.
*    Recommend that the action be swift and quick with no ground troop deployment or military occupation.

Update: Here is the Bill below: H.CON.RES 362 calls on the president to stop all shipments of refined petroleum products from reaching Iran. It also "demands" that the President impose "stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains and cargo entering or departing Iran."

For all those (understandably pissed-off) Clinton supporters, and us Obama supporters trying to talk some of them down off the ledge of voting for a Republic, I would like to suggest a change to the narrative a bit, since I hear a lot of "If you support McCain, you are voting to continue the policies of George W Bush?

A lot of people might recall then Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson's speeches the last two times Bush came to Salt Lake City. (2006 speech) (2007 speech)

Well, Rocky is planning an even larger demonstration when President Bush and Mitt "double-gitmo" Romney visit Utah again next week.

Since leaving office in Jan, has formed High Road for Human Rights Advocacy Project, which is sponsoring the event.

Rally for Peace and Human Rights.

If you're in Utah next Wednesday, May 28th, take an hour from 5:30 - 6:30pm at Washington Square in Downtown Salt Lake City (451 South State Street) and lend your voice to this protest.

Even if you're not in the Salt Lake City area next Wednesday, High Road could use a a little help with money to help defray costs. This is a very expensive undertaking and High Road is a non-profit still in its very early stages. You can help out HERE.

The Bush administration appears to have learned a few things from the Obama campaign and is now touting the "audacity of hope" about progress with the intransigent Israelis, whose colonial agenda is now open for all to see.

Turning to hope signifies that the US has lost any leverage it may have had to bring Israel out of its dream world as neither Rice, nor Bush and his shadow, Cheney, have been effective. Perhaps they haven't heard: Oslo and the principle of land for peace was pronounced dead back in 2000 when Sharon instigated the second Intifada, even before 9/11. It was 9/11, however, which benefited Israel most according to the Likud party chairman, Netanyahu, by providing Israel, with the help of the US State Department, with its greatest propaganda triumph ever, one that continues to dominate the news.

Israel is the victim of Palestinian terrorism. The purpose of the military occupation, therefore, is to root out and kill terrorists. Under this veil of propaganda, the occupation continues, even today, with its ethnic cleansing, land confiscations, and the unrelenting building of settlements. In short, Israel's colonialism is alive and well in the West Bank, or as it is known in Israel, Judea and Samaria.

The historic vote on New Hampshire State House Resolution HR 24, introduced by 87 year old State Representative Betty Hall, will be coming to a vote tomorrow, Wednesday, April 16th.  If adopted, New Hampshire will not only be the first-in-the-nation presidential primary but the first-in-the-nation on impeachment, employing Jefferson's Manual rules, whereby a single state legislature may direct Congress to initiate hearings.  This avenue has never before been employed for a president or vice president, and so legal ramifications are not clear.  What is clear is that legal scholars would have to get to work to decipher the meaning.  In addition, a resolution like this coming from flinty New Hampshirites rather than hippie Vermonters casts an different pale on impeachment.  

The vote follows a day-long event in Concord, which was reported to have standing-room-only, in support of HR24.  It featured Daniel Ellsberg, Dr. Robert Bowman, John Nichols, and others as speakers, and the "Paul" of Peter Paul and Mary as part of the entertainment.  

If you are in NH PLEASE CALL your state representative, urge "Yes on HR24." If you are not in New Hampshire you can still pick out a rep. or two and and explain that, although you are not a constituent, you are pleading with them as one American to another to vote yes on HR24.  The eyes of a nation weary of Bush-Cheney law-breaking are upon them.  Say "Please, New Hampshire, save America."  As Daniel Ellsberg has said, just waiting this administration out is not good enough.   Ellsberg argues that no future president or congress will roll back the new powers the government has to spy on us, because they are part of the government and could be beneficiaries.  Ellsberg has said "No congressman is going to cover his ears and say, 'no no I don't want to hear these things about my primary opponent, or that journalist.'"  He says if Bush and Cheney are not firmly reprimanded for breaking the FISA law through impeachment, the new NSA powers will stay, and "democracy is dead."  This, he says, is the main argument against just waiting these idiots out to the end of their terms.

If you are from NH, find your legislator.

If you are not, list of targeted legislators and their phone numbers, pick at random.

Full list of NH legislators (pdf.)

LETTER FROM NH STATE REP. JIM SPAINE

The Impeachment Resolution -- NH State Representative Betty Hall Is An American Hero
by: Rep. Jim Splaine
Fri Apr 11, 2008 at 23:11:34 PM EDT

One of my most golden memories of the New Hampshire State Legislature was in 1973, when I stood with just about two dozen other House members -- we stood in those days on "division" votes since roll calls before push button machines took 45 minutes or so to run through -- in favor of a resolution to call for the impeachment of President Richard "I Am Not A Crook" Nixon.

It was clear the President had lied, and had covered up his lie, and had participated in wrongdoing that put America's democracy in harm's way.  I have to admit that as a young pup that term, and being one of the younger members of the House as opposed to now when I'm close to "average" age (scary, huh?), I was shaking a bit while standing to be counted.

I won' be shaking (because I'll be sitting down just pushing a button) nor will I have any doubt about it being the right thing to do when I vote this coming Wednesday in favor of Representative Betty Hall's resolution calling for the United States Congress to begin an investigation regarding the impeachment of President George W. Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney.

Why?  Because just like President Nixon, the current occupant of the White House has lied, had tried to cover it up, and has participated in wrongdoing that has put American's democracy in harm's way.  And HIS lies have resulted in the deaths of more than 4,000 American soldiers, and hundreds of thousands of other men, women, and children.  The horror of it all.

Yes, this man and his alter ego will be put out of the White House in January.  But neither deserve to journey into history without the asterisk that there were efforts in various states to encourage Congress to impeach them.  As they leave the White House, the past has shown us that former Presidents usually go onto even richer lives and fame.  This one doesn't deserve it. Nor does his partner.  Their legacy should be shame.

The resolution appears in full below.  It is being recommended to be killed by the State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee by a vote of 10-5.  NH State Representative Betty Hall, to me and many others, is an American hero.  She seeks to impeach two people who are not.
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So ... what do George McGovern, Ralph Nader, Robert A. Feuer, Rocky Anderson, Blase Bonpane, Theresa Bonpane, Ramsey Clark, Mimi Kennedy, Andy Jacobs, Jr., James Abourezk, Daniel Ellsberg, Noam Chomsky, Paul Findley, Kevin Zeese, John Nichols, Tim Carpenter, Marcus Raskin, Jonathan Kozol,  and Harry Belafonte have in common?

They all signed a letter in January of this year (below the fold) asking Rep. Conyers to hold hearings into abuses and violations of the law by members of the Bush administration. The letter got some press coverage, but the Judiciary Committee has so far failed to act.

Now it's time for John and Jane Q. Public to raise their voices (via email and website) to up the volume quite a bit.

http://www.restoreruleoflaw.com

Please add your name to the call for hearings by the House Judiciary Committee and forward the link below to everyone on your email list.  Through networking, we can generate hundreds of thousands -- perhaps millions -- of supporters for hearings.

http://www.restoreruleoflaw.com