Media Watch---Please FACT CHECK

When will the corporate media allow journalists and reporters to do their jobs? The job starts with FACT CHECKING....The Republicans are dispersing a bunch of talking points that are FALSE...and the corporate media is once again becoming a fascist neo-con propaganda machine...simply reporting false accusations.

1--The White House wants the Democratic Congress labeled a "do nothing" Congress....FALSE...it's the Republican party who are putting the brakes on legislative activities. IF Congress does pass a decent bill King George is threatening to VETO.

2--The White House is reporting PROGRESS with the Bush Surge. FALSE--Insurgent attacks are higher now than they were pre-surge...and the Iraqi government has not met a single bench mark. The White House desperately wants the American people to think progress is being made so they can continue this war. The White House is already acting like the September deadline means nothing....They want another "new" deadline set for Spring. Once again the same old spin just to keep this war going on and on and on....while the American people continue to die and go heavier and heavier into death. And for what? So George Bush and Dick Cheney can save face and continue to collect war time profits for themselves and their cronies?

3--The White House is still itching to attack Iran so they continue to state that Iran is "meddling" in Iraq's affairs. This is partially true. However, they do not mention that the BIGGEST MEDDLER are Bush and Cheney's favorite Middle East nation--Saudi Arabia. The Saudi's are increasing their support (with manpower and material support) of the Sunni's....the very insurgents attacking our troops on a daily basis. In addition, the Bush White House has just discovered a Saudi bank and a Saudi family financing Al Qaeda...and they have decided to do nothing about it. Yet with the latest Bush executive order they will immediately confiscate an American citizen's property and cash assets if Bush thinks they are subverting the Iraqi war effort. And now Bush and Cheney want to sell the Saudi's more military hardware....military hardware that "could" make it's way into Iraq and be used against our troops. Heckuva job Bushie.

The corporate media has shown that all it will do is spread propaganda. The corporate media helped us get into this war with propaganda and they are going to continue the propaganda to keep us in this war....

So American's need to continue to shout out to the Congress to SUPPORT OUR TROOPS AND STOP THE WAR NOW!!

When you want factual news check out democracynow.org where you can access the daily report via video, audio, or transcripts. And of course, continue to check out "reputable blogs." Beware that the neo-cons have recently begun an onslaught into the blogosphere and are now supplying talking points to various right wing blogs.....They continue to believe the endless repetition will once again sell falsehoods as truth to the American people.

Please don't drink the Kool Aid folks. Remember that recent history shows that if the White House is making a statement it is probably false......don't believe anything unless you fact check it yourself.

Buzz...Buzz...

Today It Is CRUCIAL That We Spend Five Minutes.....

If we never do another political action in our lives….please take the time today to call and let your Senators know that we don’t want them to give Bush and Cheney a blank check to continue their disastrous course in Iraq…unabated. Phone calls to your Senators today maybe the most important thing you can do for your country and the next generation. Let them know to vote NO on the current bi-partisan war funding bill that basically provides Bush/Cheney a blank check to continue to act irresponsibly in Iraq. Following up the phone call with an email via Working Assets may also help. ….Then if you'd like to treat yourself for doing a good thing for your family, your community and your country...take the rest of the month off…guilt free and enjoy your Memorial Day.

Many of us thought we would be able to take back our country via the Democratic party. If the Democratic leadership REFUSES to listen to their constituents then the party is as contaminated as the Republican party and beyond hope. Then we will need to desert BOTH parties and draw up another strategy….Independents AND Democrats need to let the Democratic party know that they cannot sell us out and expect us to continue to support anyone who sells us out so easily.

Today, we need to call ALL our elected officials (Republican and Democratic) and ask that they not allow Bush and Cheney to continue to conduct their imperial wars with no accountability and responsibility. Democratic party members should take the extra step and contact the democratic leaders—Reid and Pelosi—let them know how angry you are that they are choosing to sell us out after only five months. I plan to call them as an independent and let them know I won't vote or offer any future monetary or volunteer support for a party that refuses to honestly represent their constituents.

Instead of following the wishes of 70 percent of Americans who went to the polls and clearly stated that Bush and Cheney’s approach to the Iraq War needed to be changed and made accountable….Reid and Pelosi are choosing to throw in the towel and surrender. Why? Bush simply had another one of his childish, rich frat boy temper tantrums...what backroom deal are these two democratic leaders making? The same one that Joe Lieberman made?

The Democrats need to continue to pass RESPONSIBLE war funding legislation that has strong accountability measures. Otherwise, there should be no more blank check war funding for Bush and Cheney. Don't the Democrats understand this is precisely why 70 percent of us wanted the "Republican rubber stamps" out of congress?

Please call your representatives AND REID AND PELOSI and let them know they are not only selling us out but the party will lose each and every one of us if it insists on carrying through with this madness. Bi-partisanship does NOT mean giving Bush and Cheney blank check to continue this war through the rest of his presidency on his terms. They are simply selling out the troops and us.

I will be adding another message to my Senators, Reid, Pelosi (and my house representative) tomorrow....in my phone calls and emails. ….STOP USING THE TROOPS TO EXCUSE FUNDING THIS WAR AND SENDING THEM TO THEIR DEATHS. I have no problem with funding the troops....which means money for their full 3.5% pay raise, first rate body armor (dragonskin), and funding for health care and education. Unlike Congress, the American people understand the difference between funding the troops and funding the war. (The Bush/Cheney administration should be ashamed; they use the message to “fund the troops” message to get money for their war while they cut real funds that actually do benefit the troops such as health benefits or the upcoming pay raise. The Democrats need to call Bush/Cheney out and be truthful about what is troop funding and what is war funding. I am sick and tired of politicians USING our troops in their political spin to get things that don't directly benefit our troops!!!)

Soldiers want withdrawal is not recent news....

The fact that the soldiers want to withdraw from Iraq is not a recent phenomenon. There's been a poll out for awhile where 72% of the troops (stationed in Iraq) thought the US should withdraw from Iraq. Grassroots "peace" activists in Hampton Roads are regularly approached by local service members voicing concerns about the Iraq occupation.

The "news" was that the topic got some coverage by the Nation. (I noticed a few other VA bloggers were posting this Nation scoop a few hours "after" it first appeared on the lefty blog roll...Kudo's go to this blog for breaking the story in the VA Blog network. Credit where credit is due folks.)

There are two Virginian Pilot articles featuring Jonathen Hutto and his appeal for redress. October article November article (So the VA Pilot "finally" deserves some credit for not ignoring this story. Hopefully, the Virginian Pilot will become "curious" about what local activists in Hampton Roads are up to and more pertinent local news coverage will be done. Folks are tired of the media obsession with crime, crime, and more crime. We want in-depth coverage on "pending legislation" so that folks have time to research and then contact their elected officials BEFORE the bill is passed.)

It is amazing that the Appeal for Redress project has managed to obtain over a thousand signatures in spite of systemic obstacles. We know that military personnel are "hesitant" to speak their minds when their opinion differs from the commander in chief. The military structure discourages speaking out an opinion or concern. The service members working on the Appeal to Redress project are not allowed to discuss the issue on base with their colleagues. All Appeal for Redress activities have to be done off base and in civilian life (including the clothing). [Note to Service Members: Jonathen Hutto (the founder of this Appeal for Redress) is currently up for "Sailor of the Year."]

I "predict" that if the Corporate Media adequately covers this story and the service members discover they can legitimately voice their concerns to Congress...there will be more "thousands" of signatures headed to Congress. I believe just the reservists who would like to "Appeal for Redress" number in the thousands....IF this gets adequate coverage the service members themselves may be the factor that ends the occupation of Iraq.

Heck....even Colin Powell has "finally" decided to speak out and call for the troops to withdraw within the next six months.

UPDATE: Star is correct on one point....This blog was first up on Lefty Blogs at 12:02 pm. However, as I surfed this a.m. I believe that the west of shockoe blog is the one who got the scoop on all. Their post on this reads 11:01 a.m. We stand self-corrected on this point....Buzz...Buzz...Mosquito

Bush's New Plan...A new version of stay the course.

With pressure from the American people, a new Democratic Congress, and the upcoming report from Bush's Iraq Task Force Bush is responding with a preemptive strike--a new version of “stay the course.”

Bush’s New Plan has the following goals: keep the troops in Iraq stationed at permanent bases, reduce American casualties, and reduce Iran’s influence. This is NOT the plan of the American people who voted loud and clear that they want the troops out of Iraq asap.

John McCain is an ally of the so called “new” Bush Plan. It’s not difficult to assume that Robert Gates is on board with this new plan also. Why else would Bush move so quickly to put his Rumsfeld replacement before a Congress that remains Republican controlled for a very short time. Bush had to move quickly to get “his” new “Rumsfeld” on board.

Bush plans to negotiate a ceasefire with the insurgent Sunni’s and then create an alliance with them that will either strengthen Prime Mininster Maliki or replace hime with a Sunni strong man. Then Bush will have the US troops work with the Sunni’s to restore order to Iraq and install a government “friendly” to America to strongarm the Iraqi people. (Bush’s version of a democratic government. Then Bush will keep US troops in Iraq at the permanent bases.

Unfortunately Bush is not living in the real world. Just like his other plans this plan will not succeed. According to Nir Rosen:

“....Shias own Iraq now. Sunnis can never get it back. There's nothing Americans can do about this.
So, for Sunnis, whether these reports are true or not, for Sunnis to ever imagine that they could ever regain power, that the Baathists could ever be restored to power, that Americans actually matter in Iraq anymore is naïve in the extreme. Iraq is Shia now. They have the majority, the security forces, they have the militias. What you are going to see in Iraq I think, in Baghdad especially, is a virtual genocide of the Sunnis. And the Americans are going to be unable to stop that.”

The reality of what is happening in Iraq is that the Sunni’s are going to go down in defeat. Whether or not American troops are there. The plans on the table with the best chance of success are the plans proposed by Senator Jim Webb--an orderly troop withdrawal while simultaneously working with Syria and Iran who have influence in Iraq and who have a strong interest in a stabilized, peaceful Iraq.

If Bush and his team are unwilling or unable to face reality they need to be replaced with a tean that can. A team that is able to work with Syria and Iran to help the US do the best we can with the awful disaster Beorge W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and their neocon cronies have created in the middle east.

Unfortunately, it looks like Jim Webb was right when he said that the people that made this mess are not going to be able to fix it.

Americans need to stop letting their President try to blame the victims--the Iraqis--or anyone else for this mess. It's time for Bush and the neocons to take responsibility and be held accountable for this disaster (and others).

According to Nir Rosen:

There is no solution. We’ve destroyed Iraq and we’ve destroyed the region, and Americans need to know this. This isn’t Rwanda where we can just sit back and watch the Hutus and Tutsis kill each other, and be like wow this is terrible should we do something? We destroyed Iraq. There was no civil war in Iraq until we got there. And there was no civil war in Iraq, until we took certain steps to pit Sunnis against Shias. And now it is just too late. But, we need to know we are responsible for what’s happening in Iraq today. I don't think Americans are aware of this. We've managed to make Saddam Hussein look good even to Shias at this point. And what we’ve managed to do is not only destabilize Iraq, but destabilize Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iran. This is going to spread for decades, the region won’t recover from this, I think for decades. And Americans are responsible . AMY GOODMAN: Do you think troop withdrawal now, if not an answer, a necessity? NIR ROSEN: Troop withdrawal, if I was an American, then I would want troop withdrawal, because why are Americans dying in Iraq? Every single American who dies in Iraq, who is injured in Iraq, dies for nothing. He didn’t die for freedom, he didn’t die to defend his country, he died to occupy Iraq. And if withdrawal the troops you’ll have less Americans killing Iraqis. Everyday the Americans are there they kill innocent Iraqis, they torture innocent Iraqis, and the occupy Iraqis and terrorize Iraqis. They should leave today.

Americans also need to face reality. I agree with Nir Rosen that there is no solution and we need to withdraw our troops immediately.