Transcripts & Speeches


A New Era of Service - Barack Obama
Panel on "Slow Motion Recession" - Special Report w/Brit Hume
Interview with David Axelrod - The Situation Room
Interview with Michael Dukakis - Hannity & Colmes
Interview with World Bank President Zoellick - The NewsHour

Best of the Blogs
In Praise of Barack Obama - Leon Wolf, Redstate
What Obama Can Do - BooMan, Booman Tribune
Flip-Flopping: American as Apple Pie - Nate, FiveThirtyEight
The Costs of Cap and Trade - Ezra Klein, TAP
Freedom of Speech: Negative Campaigning - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air

Echoes of Vietnam: VA Stalls, Dissembles While Vets Suffer and Die

Penny Coleman, AlterNet

Health and Wellness: The latest episode of the Department of Veterans Affairs' callous denial of veterans' suffering is a continuation of a long tradition.


The Science of Happiness: Is It All Bullshit?

Bruce E. Levine, AlterNet

Health and Wellness: Just because a Harvard academic says something is so, doesn't mean it is.


The U.S. Is Drowning in Pretend Patriotism

Robert Scheer, Truthdig

This Fourth of July, let's remember that it's not our God-given American right to reorder the world to our liking.

Pregnancy Pact Myth Refuses to Die

Amanda Marcotte, Pandagon

PEEK: Social conservatives refuse to give up on titillating conspiracy theory.


The World Health Organization Documents Failure of U.S. Drug Policies

Bruce Mirken, AlterNet

DrugReporter: WHO survey of 17 countries finds that we have the highest rates of marijuana and cocaine use.


Surviving a Weekend with America's Premiere Pro-White Activist Group

Gabriel Thompson, AlterNet

Immigration: Meet the Council of Conservative Citizens -- a group that offers a biblical defense of slavery and laments the surivival of African babies.

GW's War
Otis A. Glazebrook IV
Democratic republics never engage in war willingly. Wars are never popular for long. More

Do Liberals Love America Too?
Rick Moran
A great chasm that separates liberals and conservatives when it comes to defining the word "patriotism." More

Operation Gratitude Doing 4th-of-July Patriotism Year-round
Kyle-Anne Shiver
Happy Independence Day, dear readers! Now, you might want to take a short break from waving your flag, put your sparklers on hold and grab a hanky. This story is going to put a lump in your throat More

Assassination Rumors Fly as British Spy Chief Falls Ill
July 04, 2008
So far, British intelligence is denying that their chief, Alex Allan, who chairs the Joint Intelligence Committee, is the victim of an assassination attempt More

Forgery Revealed in Kos Publication of Obama 'Birth Certificate' (updated)
July 04, 2008
This is an issue that isn't going away for the Obama campaign and unless they address it in an effort to put it to bed, it will become one of those "distractions" the candidate really hates: More

Creeping sharia takes a big step
July 04, 2008
Britain's most senior judge has endorsed the use of sharia law in the UK. More

Iowahawk does Obama
July 04, 2008
Obama's doing somersaults on all his positions including Iraq and the inimitable Iowahawk does his take on it More

Jesse Helms, R.I.P.
July 04, 2008
Former North Carolina Republican Senator Jesse Helms passed away early this morning. More

Fallout from Colombian Hostage Rescue all Good
July 04, 2008
The daring rescue by the Colombian army of 3 Americans along with 11 members of the Colombian military and ex-presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt is being praised from one end of the western world to the other: More

Who Planned the Anthrax Attacks?: J. Raimondo

US Military Censorship in Fallujah: Dahr Jamail

What Does China Think?: Doug Bandow

When Is Independence Day?: Kathy Kelly

Sanctions Are a Coward's War: Simon Jenkins

Bush Used Phony Patriotism to Start War by Andrew Greeley

In Congress, July 4, 1776

OPINION



How Dare They Rip the Fourth Amendment?

by: Joseph L. Galloway, McClatchy Newspapers

OPINION



Istiklal

by: Kathy Kelly, t r u t h o u t | Perspective

OPINION



What Patriotism Is, and Is Not

by: Michael Winship, t r u t h o u t | Perspective

OPINION



Politicizing the Polar Bear

by: Richard Ellis, Truthdig

OPINION



Labor Must Battle Racism to Elect Obama

by: John Nichols, The Nation

Loss of Independence
Posted by Patrick J. Buchanan on July 04, 2008 / Comments (12) Not until a year after Lexington did the Continental Congress muster the resolve to declare the 13 colonies free and independent states, no longer subject to Parliament or Crown. Not for five years after July 4, 1776, did George Washington’s army truly attain America’s independence at Yorktown. Even then, Washington and his aide Alexander Hamilton knew that the 13 states, while … [Read More]

A Slogan We Can Believe In
Posted by Austin Bramwell on July 02, 2008 / Comments (9) In case Barack Obama (or anyone else) cares to listen, I have a winning slogan for him. So far, his campaign themes--"Hope" and “Change you can believe in"--have alluded to his inspiring biography and personal wonderfulness. Obama, these slogans suggest, will uplift Americans to a higher, happier and more harmonious plane of existence. As “model-heiress” and Obama supporter Lydia Shaw writes … [Read More]

The Fear Democrats Can Jettison - Peter Beinart, Washington Post
Keeping Tabs on Terrorist Communication - Scott Louis Weber, Forbes
Affirmative Action is a Distraction - Stephen Carter, New York Times
Economic Risk Has Shifted to Families - Peter Gosselin, Los Angeles Times
Reasons to Temper Our Pessimism - Richard Halloran, RealClearPolitics
Wall-E for President - Frank Rich, New York Times
Obama: Strength Out of Weakness - David Ignatius, Washington Post
Obama's Candidacy is a Test - Michael Barone, US News & World Report
For Republicans, Senate Outlook is Bad - Janet Hook, Los Angeles Times
Winning Blue-Collar Votes in Red States - Matthew Continetti, Weekly Std
The Republican Veepstakes - Dick Polman, Philadelphia Inquirer
Bloc-Buster Idea: Make It The G-3 - Jim Hoagland, Washington Post
Time for Iran to Face More Sanctions - Peter Zimmerman, Boston Globe
Tolerate Sharia, but Never Respect It - Minette Marrin, Sunday Times
How Do We Bring Bin Laden to Justice? - Ben Wittes, New York Daily News
Mugabe Betrays African Dreams - Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune
Escorting the Fallen - George Will, Washington Post

Editorials
Afghan Escalation - Washington Post
Drill, and Save, Now - New York Post
Detroit's Big Three in Even Deeper Trouble - The Economist
Harry Reid Becomes YouTube Sensation - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Political News & Analysis
White House, Candidates Plot Smooth Transfer of Power - WSJ
McCain Puts New Strategist Atop Campaign - Washington Post
Obama Picks Up Fundraising Pace - New York Times
McCain Works the Room, One Meeting At a Time - Los Angeles Times

• Election 2008
  • Obama: Committed to Ending War
  • Obama Addresses His Faith
  • Candidates Split on Afghanistan
  • McCain Battles the Teleprompter
  • Obama's Own Voice May Haunt Him
• VP Watch
  • Gore, or Someone Like Him
  • The Case For Sam Nunn
  • Crist to Marry. Who Cares?
  • Bayh Always a Shortlister
  • Gen. Wesley Clark 'Moving On'

08 Commentary

• Obama the Cynic, Part II
• Karl Rove's Third Term
• Can Barack Buy the Presidency?
• The Obama Flip-Flop Fallacy
• Missing Obama's Vulnerability

Transcripts & Speeches


A New Era of Service - Barack Obama
Panel on "Slow Motion Recession" - Special Report w/Brit Hume
Interview with David Axelrod - The Situation Room
Interview with Michael Dukakis - Hannity & Colmes
Interview with World Bank President Zoellick - The NewsHour

Best of the Blogs
Hispanics and Pocketbooks - Matthew Yglesias, Atlantic
The Two Sides of America Observe July 4th - Dymphna, Gates of Vienna
"Unity" is More than a Town in New Hampshire - McQ, QandO
The Jesse Helms "Racial Quota" Ad - Roger Clegg, The Corner
Explaining Obama, Defining Abortion Terms - Maha, The Mahablog

Immigration: It's Been Over 20 Years Since Congress Considered Amnesty, So Why All the Ruckus?

Joshua Holland, AlterNet

Immigration: Progressive immigration reformers need to do a better job framing their proposals.

The Superstitious Right Fights Good Science on Global Warming

David Michael Green, AlterNet

Environment: In a society devoted like no other to the politics of fear, we have somehow managed to forget the one thing we should probably fear most.


The Iraq War Was About Oil, All Along

Bill Moyers, Michael Winship, Bill Moyers Journal

War on Iraq: Oh, no, they told us, Iraq isn't a war about oil. That's cynical and simplistic, they said. It's about terror and al-Qaeda and toppling a dictator.


America Is in Major Need of Electoral Reform

Katrina vanden Heuvel, The Nation

Democracy and Elections: America is experiencing a surge of hope -- the time is right to invigorate our damaged democracy and capture greater power for the people.

Obama and the Woods Fund of Chicago
Richard Henry Lee
Barack Obama served on the board of directors of Woods Fund of Chicago from 1993 to 2001. During that time, the tax exempt foundation made some interesting grants, while some of investments are surprising. More

Obama: Radical in Liberal Clothing
Peter Kirsanow
The reigning media narrative is that because this is a heavily Democratic year, Senator McCain is a clear underdog to Senator Obama. The narrative has almost nothing to do with the appeal of the candidates' respective policies More

Obama and the 'Image Thing'
Miguel A. Guanipa
At a fundamental level, elections hinge upon the most trusted intuitions voters have about their candidate's character. More

President Bush exonerated of 'misleading statements' leading to Iraq war
July 06, 2008
Now that the truth about Iraq's WMD programs has come out, it is time to revisit the Joseph Wilson/Valerie Plame case. More

City inspectors know best
July 06, 2008
Celebrate diversity! Except, of course, when cultural food traditions run into the nanny state's desire to control what you eat. More

Strange G-8 Summit Starts Tomorrow in Japan
July 06, 2008
The G-8 Summit gets underway tomorrow in a little Japanese resort town of Toyako More

'Backtrack' Obama Puzzled over Press Reaction to his Iraq Comments
July 06, 2008
Barack "Backtrack" Obama is "puzzled" by the reaction in the press to his two completely opposite statements he made last Thursday on Iraq More

Bill Clinton Hints McCain Unstable
July 06, 2008
You stay classy, Bill Jeff: More

Show Your Gratitude
July 06, 2008
What is the best, least interruptive way of showing our young warriors gratitude for their service? Here's a suggestion that should catch on like wildfire. More

Iraqi Army Mopping up al-Qaeda in Mosul
July 06, 2008
In a joint US-Iraqi operation that began in May in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul directed at al-Qaeda's last redoubt, the Times OnLine reports that the Iraqis have achieved a spectacular success More

Bush to Attend Olympic Opening Ceremonies
July 06, 2008
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown won't be there. Neither will Germany's Angela Merkel More

Jesse Helms: Misunderstood (on purpose)
July 05, 2008
Senator Jesse Helms might well be the most mis-understood, mis-cast and "mis-appreciated" figure in American politics today. More

Thank a Warmist for third world starvation
July 05, 2008
A supposedly confidential World Bank report is said to blame biofuels demand for forcing world food prices up 75%. More

The Story behind Mugabe's Crackdown
July 05, 2008
This story in today's Washington Post is an incredible indictment of not just Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and the tactics he used to steal the election, but it also should bring shame to the African leaders who continue to back his rule More

Obama, Clinton to hold Joint Fundraisers
July 05, 2008
Mega-bucks for the Democratic candidate in the offing. More

In Organizing, Obama Led While Finding His Place
By SERGE KOVALESKIBarack Obama’s time as an organizer has figured heavily in his life story, though it is clear that the benefit of those years to Mr. Obama dwarfs what he accomplished.

July 7, 2008 Political Memo
Economy’s Move to the Fore Poses Problems for Both Candidates
By ADAM NAGOURNEYNot since at least 1980 has the economy been in worse shape heading into the heart of a presidential campaign, and the crush of bad economic news is increasingly setting the contours of the race.

July 7, 2008
The Facebooker Who Friended Obama
By BRIAN STELTERWhen a Clinton strategist said Barack Obama’s supporters “look like Facebook,” Chris Hughes took it as a compliment.

July 7, 2008
New Group Linked to G.O.P. Unveils Ad Attacking Obama
By KATE PHILLIPSThe group broadcast its commercial on energy in four battleground states on Sunday as part of a $3 million advertising campaign.

July 7, 2008 Op-Ed Columnist
Obama’s Message to Europe
By ROGER COHENWhen Senator Barack Obama meets with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany at the end of the month, he needs to remember the lessons of Berlin.

July 7, 2008 The Caucus
Aims of Democrats Reach Beyond the Oval Office
By JOHN HARWOODSummer is the season of political dreams. And this summer Democrats are dreaming big up and down the ballot.

Behind the Bush Bust
By PAUL KRUGMANOther politicians besides George W. Bush share the blame for the economic mess we’re in but most of them are Republicans.

July 7, 2008 Op-Ed Columnist
So Where’s Murphy?
By WILLIAM KRISTOLIn this election, Senator John McCain could use the help of his former campaign strategist Mike Murphy. The question is, will he get it?

July 7, 2008 Editorial
Lots to Look Into
The Federal Election Commission should investigate a plan by the Republican Governors Association to raise unregulated soft money in the name of Senator John McCain.

July 7, 2008 Political Memo
Economy’s Move to the Fore Poses Problems for Both Candidates
By ADAM NAGOURNEYNot since at least 1980 has the economy been in worse shape heading into the heart of a presidential campaign, and the crush of bad economic news is increasingly setting the contours of the race.

July 7, 2008
New Group Linked to G.O.P. Unveils Ad Attacking Obama
By KATE PHILLIPSThe group broadcast its commercial on energy in four battleground states on Sunday as part of a $3 million advertising campaign.

July 7, 2008 The World
For Some Foes the Chat, Some the Cold Shoulder
By HELENE COOPERThe U.S. didn’t talk to Castro. But it did talk to Mao, and that is the path most taken.

Alexander Cockburn
Could Anyone be "Worse" Than Bush?

Jeffrey St. Clair /
Joshua Frank
Preliminary Notes from No Man's Land

Patrick Cockburn
Blowback from a Strike on Iran

Mike Whitney
Hunkering Down in Afghanistan with Field Marshall Obama

Robert Fantina
Obama, Iraq and Change

Binoy Kampmark
The Anwar Case: Snitching and Sodomizing

Rannie Amiri
Can Nasrallah Unite Lebanon?

Eric Ruder
Hidden Casualties

Brian Cloughley
Israel Flexes Its Muscles

William Blum
Some Thoughts on Patriotism

Fake Flip-Flop Flap: Justin Raimondo

Will the US Attack Iran?: Alan Bock

Repatriation as Russian Roulette: A. Worthington

Managing Terror Risk: Charles V. Peña

No Proxy War With Iran: Los Angeles Times

Managing Risk in Defending Against the Terrorist Threat by Charles V. Peña

The Rise and McFaul of Obama's Russia Policy by Robert Dreyfuss

Oil Speculators Aren't the Problem
by Thomas McAdams Deford

Where the Race for the White House Stands - Stuart Rothenberg, Roll Call
Can McCain Turn Around His Campaign? - William Kristol, New York Times
The Stand That Obama Can't Fudge - E. J. Dionne, Washington Post
The Democrats' Ronald Reagan Moment - David Frum, National Post
Obama's Cash, Spin Piling Up - Dennis Byrne, Chicago Tribune
Economy Poses Problems for Both Candidates - Adam Nagourney, NYT
Latino Vote Is In Play - Josh Gerstein, New York Sun
GOP's Suburban Advantage Fading? - Robert Sullivan, Boston Globe
Dems' House of Mirrors on Trade, Foreign Policy - Stuart Gottlieb, CSM
Romney is Logical Choice For McCain VP - Heidi Przybyla, Bloomberg
Obama Veepstakes: Sebelius is 'Other Woman' - Walter Shapiro, Salon
Conservative Group Issues GOP an Ultimatum - Robert Novak, Chicago ST
Iraq Not Top of Obama's War on Terror Agenda - Avi Zenilman, Politico
American Politics Aren't 'Post-Racial' - Dorothy Rabinowitz, WSJ
The Jesse Helms You Should Remember - Marc Thiessen, Washington Post
Surprise! A Summit That Actually Matters - Rosemary Righter, The Times
The Greatest Tennis Match Ever Played - Bruce Jenkins, SF Chronicle
RCP Blog: AM Report / Politics Nation: Strategy Memo: Seeing Spots

Editorials
Where Do We Go From Here? - New York Times
Your Carbon Ration Card - Wall Street Journal
Back to Basics at G8 - Times of London
Guantanamo Crumbles - Washington Post

Political News & Analysis
Conservatives Ready to Battle McCain at Convention - Washington Post
Obama Showed Independent Streak in Lobbyist Dealings - USA Today
Obama and Clinton to Hold NY Fundraisers - NY Daily News
New Group Linked to GOP Unveils Ad Attacking Obama - New York Times

Transcripts & Speeches


Roundtable on the Election - Fox News Sunday
Sens. Graham & Kerry Debate Iraq (PDF) - Face the Nation
Interview with Secretary of State Rice - Bloomberg
A New Era of Service - Barack Obama
Panel on "Slow Motion Recession" - Special Report w/Brit Hume

Best of the Blogs
Why Barack Needs Hillary - Taylor Marsh
Monday's Hilarity Starts Early - Josh Marshall, TPM
Obama on Abortion (As of Now) - Ramesh Ponnuru, The Corner
McCain to Balance Budget - Here's How - James Joyner, OTB
Conservatives and Jesse Helms - Hilzoy, Obsidian Wings

Free Trade, Why "Free" Matters

by: Dean Baker, t r u t h o u t | Perspective

OPINION



The Economy? Words Fail Me

by: Dana Milbank, The Washington Post

OPINION



Cause for Alarm

by: Bob Herbert, The New York Times

OPINION



Rove's Third Term

by: Paul Krugman, The New York Times

OPINION

• The Obama Agenda
  
  by: Paul Krugman, The New York Times
• Obama's FISA Opportunity
  
  by: Keith Olbermann, MSNBC Countdown
• What Patriotism Is, and Is Not
  
  by: Michael Winship, t r u t h o u t | Perspective

• Martha Zoller : This Broadcaster Wants Freedom
• Andrew Langer : Deriving Their Just Powers
• John McCaslin : Life Outside
• Dr. Paul Kengor : Barack Obama Embraces Theocracy
• Jon Sanders : 'Spiritual' Democrats and the Satanic Rape Ritual
• Paul Greenberg : A Willfull Blindness
• Gregg Jackson : Same Sex "Marriage": Illegal in All Fifty States
• Chuck Colson : Government At Its Worst
• Robert D. Novak : No Permanent GOP Minority
• Debra J. Saunders : Escaping the Myth of 'Three Strikes' State Prison Law
• Star Parker : Remind Hispanics that it's about freedom
• Peter J. Wirs : Waving the Flag isn’t Enough
• Burt Prelutsky : High Self-Esteem, Low Test Scores
• Mike S. Adams : My Right to Unlimited Rights
• Allison Kasic : DC Gun Ban Lift Empowers Women
• Phil Harris : The Liberal's Agenda - Antichrist or just anti-Christ?
• Harry R. Jackson, Jr. : Black Republicans: Key to Party Restoration
• Terry Paulson : Demand Energy Independence Action Now
• Ken Connor : Big Bang on the Bayou
• George Will : In Honor of Our Fallen
• David R. Stokes : Hitler’s Favorite Jihadist
• Salena Zito : Weighing the Polls
• Paul Jacob : Hitchhiker's guide to gas prices: Don't panic!
• Jackie Gingrich Cushman : Extreme Dithering
• Doug Giles : Vermont is for Lovers, Liberal Judges, Pedophiles and Stupid Parents
• Floyd and Mary Beth Brown : Evolutionists Fear Academic Freedom

Getting Out Of Guantanamo
Since the Supreme Court delivered a "stinging rebuke of the Bush administration's flawed detention policies" last month by ruling that prisoners at Guantanamo Bay are entitled to habeas corpus rights, the White House has been scrambling to respond. Last week, ABC News reported that "[h]igh-level discussions among top advisers have escalated," and officials may ask Congress to "spell out procedures for scores of suspected terrorists whom the government does not plan to bring to trial." Roughly 270 detainees remain at Guantanamo, and a total of just 20 men "have been charged as part of a military commission system set up by Congress in 2006, including five accused of participating in the conspiracy that led to the Sept. 11 attacks." In the past, senior administration officials -- including Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice -- have reportedly pushed for the closure of the detention facility but been blocked by Vice President Cheney. This time may not be any different. President Bush insisted to Fox News on Thursday, "We're analyzing the decision and how to move forward, and there's no decision that is imminent on Guantanamo." The issue remains as urgent as ever. Last month, former Navy general counsel Alberto Mora told the Senate Armed Services Committee, "[T]here are serving U.S. flag-rank officers who maintain that the first and second identifiable causes of U.S. combat deaths in Iraq -- as judged by their effectiveness in recruiting insurgent fighters into combat -- are, respectively the symbols of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo."

BLOCKED BY CHENEY: The desire to close Guantanamo Bay has been on the minds of administration officials for years. "I'd like to close Guantanamo," Bush said in 2006. When he first took office that same year, Gates urged the President to shut down the detention facility "as quickly as possible" because it had become "so tainted abroad that legal proceedings...would be viewed as illegitimate." Yet voices for closure have been blocked by opponents such as Cheney and former attorney general Alberto Gonzales. In September 2007, Gates told Congress that his push to close the facility was running into "obstacles" from administration lawyers. A few months later, a senior administration official told the Financial Times that the effort "lost the intensity needed to have a realistic chance of closing the prison during the Bush administration." Although Gonzales is gone, Cheney is still around, leaving open the possibility that he will once again block any progress. Additionally, Gonzales has been replaced by Michael Mukasey, who told the Senate during his confirmation hearing, "I can't simply say we have to close Guantanamo."

A PLAN FOR CLOSURE: According to the Washington Post, administration officials are considering a proposal where "about 80 detainees would remain at the facility in Cuba to be tried by military commissions, and about 65 others would be turned over to their native countries." The issue still left to be resolved is "what to do with about 120 remaining prisoners, who are viewed by the administration as too dangerous to release but who are unlikely to be brought before military commissions because of a lack of evidence." The Center for American Progress's Ken Gude has put forth a five-phase plan to close Guantanamo over an 18-month period. The plan includes bringing "a small number of detainees into the United States to stand trial in regular federal or military courts," rather than under the flawed Military Commissions. It would create "a resettlement and rehabilitation program in partnership with allied countries and international organizations to find homes for detainees that can't be returned to their home countries" and transfer the remaining detainees to stand trial in the United States. Those detainees would be housed at either the U.S. Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence, CO, or at the U.S. Military Detention Barracks at Ft. Leavenworth, KS. Detainees captured in Afghanistan who are not candidates for trial but are too dangerous to be released would be transferred back to Afghanistan and held in a NATO-controlled detention program.

'MISLEADING AND INACCURATE' EXCUSES: Shortly after the release of the American Progress report, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) responded by describing the analysis as "misleading and inaccurate," asserting that "Fort Leavenworth has neither the space nor the security arrangements to handle detainees from Guantanamo Bay." But as Gude explains, Brownback's claim seems to be nothing more than an excuse to "prevent any Guantanamo detainees ending up in his home state of Kansas." Leavenworth is the only maximum security facility in the entire military prison system and has a state-of-the-art detention center with a special housing unit for maximum security prisoners. In fact, Brownback's close ally, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), has gone even further than Gude, proposing to move all detainees to Leavenworth. In 2007, McCain promised that as president, he would "immediately close Guantanamo Bay, move all the prisoners to Fort Leavenworth and truly expedite the judicial proceedings in their cases."



IRAQ -- MALIKI PUSHES FOR SHORT-TERM SECURITY PACT WITH WITHDRAWAL TIMELINE: Over the weekend, "<a target="_blank" __removedlink__1380400264__href="http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=7068&elq=EBAAA2B092ED4EECAEC5D580585C2C48">large crowds of Shiites" in Iraq gathered to protest the long-term security agreement that the U.S. and Iraq governments are currently debating, shouting, "No, no to colonization! Out, out you occupier!" With widespread opposition to the original long-term security pact -- which would grant nearly 60 permanent military bases to American troops -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki signaled today that he's discussing "a short-term memorandum of understanding" which "would keep U.S. troops in Iraq after the U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year." Notably, Maliki's proposal "includes a formula for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq." Allies of the Bush administration had previously dismissed the Iraqis' fierce opposition to the security pact. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) claimed the anger "is a sign of our success in Iraq, which is that Iraq now has a sovereign, independent, self-government." Bush agreed, claiming the opposition was proof of Iraq's "vibrant democracy," and White House Press Secretary Dana Perino insisted it was a "very positive thing" that Iraqis were "using politics and the press as a way to get their message out."

MEDIA -- NEW YORK TIMES CALLS OUT FOX NEWS'S 'PROPAGANDA' OF DOCTORING PHOTOS: On June 28, New York Times reporter Jacques Steinberg wrote that Fox News "has seen its once formidable advantage over CNN erode...as both CNN and MSNBC have added viewers at far more dramatic rates," even though Fox remains number one in the ratings. In response, Fox News anchors Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade aired a report calling Steinberg and his editor, Steven Redicliffe, "attack dogs" and called the article was a "hit piece." Fox accompanied the report with digitally altered photos of Steinberg and Redicliffe, in which "the journalists' teeth had been yellowed, their facial features exaggerated, and portions of Reddicliffe's hair moved further back on his head," Media Matters noted. Times Culture Editor Sam Sifton called the photos "disgusting." He added that the paper did not plan to respond to Fox because "C48". Everyone gets dirty and the pig likes it." But in the Times today, media critic David Carr takes Fox to task for its "scorched earth" reaction to criticism. In particular, Carr writes that the anti-Semitic overtones to the distortion of Steinberg's photo recall "a technique familiar to students of vintage German propaganda" as "his ears were pulled out, his teeth splayed apart, his forehead lowered and his nose was widened." Fox News has yet to apologize for the altered photos, though a spokesperson told Carr that "altering photos for humorous effect is a common practice on cable news stations."

JUSTICE -- REJECTED JUSTICE DEPARTMENT JOB APPLICANT SUES OVER HIRING IMPROPRIETIES: Sean Gerlich, a young lawyer who now works for a firm in Brussels, Belgium, has filed a class-action lawsuit against the Department of Justice alleging that he was rejected by the DOJ's honors program because of an illegal screening process that filtered out applicants who appeared to be liberal. Gerlich's lawyers are charging that the department politicized the selection process, mishandled the applications, and failed to maintain the records, in violation of the Privacy Act, the Civil Service Reform Act and the Federal Records Act. Despite his work the previous summer for a DOJ department chief and his noteworthy academic credentials, Gerlich believes he was rejected because of his volunteer work for Amnesty International and for a Democratic congressional candidate. Revelations about the highly politicized hiring process came about when a report released by the DOJ inspector general that found that starting in 2002 and continuing for five years, honors program screening committees "improperly deselected candidates for interviews based on political and ideological affiliations." "It appears the politicization at Justice was so pervasive that even interns had to pass a partisan litmus test," House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) said last week.

Nikolas Kozloff
Riding the Colombia Gravy Train

Laura Carlsen
North America Doesn't Exist: the New Geography of Trade

Is the GOP Cooking the Books to Avoid Recession Until After Election Day?

By James Galbraith, Mother Jones

Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: Two enormous clouds remain for whoever becomes president: the housing slump and the banking crisis. Both are far from being finished yet.

• July 8, 2008
• More »

AlterNet's Weekly Zeitgeist List -- The 10 Hottest Issues of the Day

Don Hazen, AlterNet

A pilot feature of AlterNet on key questions of the day -- is Obama really tacking to the center, and why gas is so damn pricey.


Obama Botches the Abortion Conversation

Marie Cocco, Washington Post Writers Group

Reproductive Justice and Gender: Why is a candidate praised for his rhetorical gifts perpetuating irresponsible stereotypes about women who have abortions?


Sex Crimes in the White House

Naomi Wolf, Huffington Post

Rights and Liberties: How Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo Bay basically turned into an organized sex-crime ring in which the trafficked sex slaves were US-held prisoners.

We Can't Even Tell Who's Speculating the Cost of Oil Through the Roof

Nomi Prins, AlterNet

Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: Oil prices won't be dropping any time soon. Not until the first mandatory and detailed trade reports cover the entire global futures trading markets.


Maliki Bombshell: U.S. Should Set a Timetable for Withdrawal

Robert Dreyfuss, The Nation

War on Iraq: In a stunning move, the Iraqi PM floats the idea of a timetable, while Bush -- and McCain -- continue to insist on indefinite occupation.


New Health Care Campaign To Pour $40 Million into Push for Universal Coverage

Roger Hickey, Campaign for America's Future

Health and Wellness: It's time to replace our fragmented, wasteful health care system with one that provides quality, affordable care for every American.

Bill Moyers on The Iraq War and Big Oil

Post by Isaac Fitzgerald
Video: "The bottom line turns out to be ... the bottom line. It is about oil." More »

• Full Post

How Obama Could Radically Alter the Election Map This Fall

Adam Doster, In These Times

Election 2008: Obama's experience as an organizer taught him a crucial lesson: Activating underrepresented communities can dramatically alter close elections.


Can Bush Attack Iran With Oil at $140 per Barrel?

Jim Lobe, IPS News

ForeignPolicy: Forswearing military action against Tehran would ease the upwards pressure on world oil prices.


Immigration: It's Been Over 20 Years Since Congress Considered Amnesty, So Why All the Ruckus?

Joshua Holland, AlterNet

Immigration: Progressive immigration reformers need to do a better job framing their proposals.

The Iraq War Was About Oil, All Along

Bill Moyers, Michael Winship, Bill Moyers Journal

War on Iraq: Oh, no, they told us, Iraq isn't a war about oil. That's cynical and simplistic, they said. It's about terror and al-Qaeda and toppling a dictator.


America Is in Major Need of Electoral Reform

Katrina vanden Heuvel, The Nation

Democracy and Elections: America is experiencing a surge of hope -- the time is right to invigorate our damaged democracy and capture greater power for the people.

America's AIDS Apartheid
Kai Wright
July 8, 2008
From our print issue: The domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic is increasingly black and Southern -- and spiraling out of control.

Web extra: The U.S. requires a national AIDS strategy from all countries it gives money to fight the disease. So why don't we have one?

Lawanda Bridges, a veteran with AIDS, and her 4-year-old son Barrett (AP Photo/Dave Martin).

Does EMILY's List Still Matter?
Holly Yeager
July 7, 2008
EMILY's List is one of the largest PACs in the nation and funds only pro-choice, female candidates. But is it still as effective as it once was?

The 550 Tons of Yellowcake
Randall Hoven
For years, the media and Democrats have sold the public an understanding that Gerorge W. Bush fabricated a story that Saddam Hussein had a WMD program. More

What Barack Obama learned from the Communist Party
Andrew Walden
American voters must make up their minds about what Barack Obama really believes in, if anything. We must look to his past for help in understanding the inner Obama. More

Torture redefined
Ray Robison
Three burly men in military uniform forced me to don a mask. I could barely see through the slits in it. But what I could see made me shudder. More

What WaPo Forgot to mention in Obama 'Faith' article
July 08, 2008
The MSM continues gliding over the more controversial aspects of Obama's life, pretending they don't exist or just ignoring them. More

Obama's lack of understanding exposed again
July 07, 2008
Barack Obama once again demonstrates both profound ignorance and naivete about the basics of running the American government. More

Voice of reason in Detroit
July 07, 2008
A small ray of hope in a city and profession with precious little. More

Soldier in Iconic Picture Dead at 31
July 07, 2008
It is good to be reminded at times of the human cost of our effort in Iraq. And that cost is born by our nation's finest - and the scars are not always visible. More

The multi-cultural one way street
July 07, 2008
Demands for "tolerance" in the name of multiculturalism apply only to wealthy, predominantly white countries. And within them, only to whites. More

UAE Cancels $7 Billion Iraqi Debt
July 07, 2008
In a sign that Arab countries may be starting to legitimize the Iraqi government, the United Arab Emirites has forgiven the entire $7 billion debt that Iraq owes the country: More

Obama's 'Nuremberg' Complex
July 07, 2008
Yes, I realize using a Nazi analogy is probably crossing a line somewhere but really, how else can you describe a candidate for President who eschews the forms and traditions of our democracy to substitute the imagry of totalitarian rallies of the past? More

Desperate warmists and weather reports
July 07, 2008
Dr. Tim Ball, a Canadian climatologist, debunks the desperate attempts of global warmists to assign blame for bad weather to rising atmospheric CO2 More

Despite Rhetoric, Obama a failure as an organizer
July 07, 2008
This piece in today's New York Times on Obama's "experience" as a community organizer in Chicago back in the 1980's is indicative of Obama's penchant for talking big with little to back it up: More

About That Democratic 'Unity'
July 07, 2008
It seems that despite the media-targeted love-fest in Unity, New Hampshire a week and a half ago, the Hillary-Obama marriage of convenience hasn't really taken off. More

Chris Hedges:
Surviving the Fourth of July


Daniel Ellsberg:
Learning From Past Disasters, Preventing Future Ones


Robert Naiman:
Americans Don’t Know There’s a Plan on the Table to Resolve the Nuclear Standoff With Iran


Nick Turse:
The Iraqi Oil Ministry’s New Fave Five


George Lakoff:
The Mind and the Obama Magic


Johann Hari:
Lies, Kidnapping and a Mysterious Laptop

An Entrepreneurial Agenda is in Order - Schramm & Litan, The American
Kitchen Table Issues Back on the Table - Madonna & Young, F&M Politics
Pump Prices Hurt Americans Not Just in Pocketbook - Gerald Seib, WSJ
Obama Lurching Right with Abandon - Bob Herbert, New York Times
Don't Misunderestimate Obama - Pat Buchanan, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
What About McCain's Tax Flip-Flop? - Michael Tomasky, The Guardian
Conservatives for Obama? - Thomas Sowell, RealClearPolitics
Janet Napolitano and the New Third Way - Dana Goldstein, Am. Prospect
Obama Leaves Blue Women Seeing Red - Marie Cocco, Indianapolis Star
Obama's Nixon Reprise - Bret Stephens, Wall Street Journal
U.S. Must Recommit to Afghanistan - Sen. Bob Casey, Philadelphia Inquirer
Will Israel Attack Iran? - Robert Kaplan, The Atlantic
Put War Powers Back Where They Belong - J. Baker & W. Christopher, NYT
Finding Common Ground With Russia - Henry Kissinger, Washington Post
The Aid Africa Can't Afford - E. Luttwak & M. Tupy, Los Angeles Times
What Americans Want in Immigration - Froma Harrop, RealClearPolitics
Save D.C.'s School Vouchers - Margaret Spellings, Washington Post

Editorials
Obama's Sensible Shift on Iraq - Washington Post
It's Good News, So There's Less of It - Rocky Mountain News
Terror in Kabul - The Economist
Comforts for the Enemy - New York Daily News

Political News & Analysis
As Campaign Resumes, It's The Economy - Los Angeles Times
Obama Makes Unscheduled Stop in St. Louis - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Hispanic Group to Grill Obama, McCain - McClatchy
Skepticism on McCain's Plan to Balance the Budget - New York Times

Transcripts & Speeches


Jobs for America - John McCain
An Agenda for Middle-Class Success - Barack Obama
Panel Discusses Judging the Bush Administration - Special Report w/Brit Hume
Analysts Look at Purple States - The NewsHour
Mike Huckabee on Iraq and the Election - Hannity & Colmes

Best of the Blogs
Helms & The Right - Jonah Goldberg, The Corner
The Myth of the Moderate - Mark, Publius Endures
Where McCain's Change is Bigger than Obama's - Bill Scher, HuffPo
DCCC Plays in Primaries - Patrick Ruffini, Next Right
Limbaugh - Ezra Klein, TAP