Thursday, March 11, 2010

Truthout 3/11

In Praise of the Gitmo Bar
David Frakt, Truthout: "A number of prominent conservative lawyers have now come to the defense of the Department of Justice attorneys who previously represented detainees or advocated for detainee rights. While their eloquent defense of "[t]he American tradition of zealous representation of unpopular clients" is appreciated, their letter overlooked one of the basic fallacies of the original and continuing attacks on these lawyers."
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Five Republicans Back Kucinich, but Antiwar Vote Loses
Jason Leopold and Yana Kunichoff, Truthout: "A resolution introduced in the House Wednesday, aimed at bringing a swift end to the war in Afghanistan, was overwhelmingly defeated following a passionate, three-hour debate on war policy."
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Doris "Granny D" Haddock, American Patriot
William Rivers Pitt, Truthout: "Doris 'Granny D' Haddock left us on Wednesday after a century of life lived to the utmost. Hailing from an era that told women to sit down and shut up, she cut a wide swath through politics and culture, and became a symbol of strength, integrity and perseverance that will not soon be forgotten."
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Jim Hightower | Stiffening the Backbones of Democrats
Jim Hightower, Truthout: "You know what we need to juice up the performance of our weak economy? Viagra. Yes, America needs a new Viagra, specifically targeted to stiffen backbones - in particular, the limp backbones of Barack Obama's team, as well as the flaccid spines of Democratic Congressional leaders. Where's the drug industry when we really need it?"
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At Senate Hearing, Lawmakers Deconstruct Citizens United Ruling
Kyle Berlin, Truthout: "The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing Wednesday about possible legislative responses to the Citizens United case, which struck down several longstanding prohibitions on corporate political contributions."
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House Afghanistan Debate: What Kucinich Accomplished
Robert Naiman, Truthout: "Yesterday, at long last, there was a vigorous debate about the war in Afghanistan on the floor of the United States House of Representatives. The legislative vehicle was a resolution introduced by Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich calling for US troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of the year. But House critics of the war have long been agitating for a real debate."
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Obama Administration Shifts Gears on Iran Sanctions
Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor: "With Congress moving inexorably toward passage of new US sanctions on Iran, the Obama administration is changing its tack: In place of an earlier desire to stall passage while it sought international sanctions, the administration is now seeking to modify measures Congress is considering that could make international support for UN sanctions more remote."
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Banking on Private Prisons
Beau Hodai, In These Times: "The sleepy town of Hardin, Montana, began its foray into the private prison industry in 2004, an adventure that would eventually saddle it with millions in debt and an empty, 464-bed prison collecting dust at the edge of town."
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How the Democrats Can Reclaim the Youth Vote
Paul Rogat Loeb, Truthout: "If the Democrats don't get the youth vote, they're toast. That happened in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts, where young Obama voters stayed home in droves. It's an ugly, conceivable future portended by a new Harvard poll that shows 41 percent of young Republicans planning on voting in November, compared to 35 percent of young Democrats and 13 percent of independents."
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Norman Solomon | War in a Box
Norman Solomon, Truthout: "The event on the House floor Wednesday afternoon was monumental - the first major Congressional debate about US military operations in Afghanistan since lawmakers authorized the invasion of that country in autumn 2001. But, as Rep. Patrick Kennedy noted with disgust on Wednesday, the House press gallery was nearly empty. He aptly concluded, 'It's despicable, the national press corps right now.'"
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Senate Passes Jobs Bill With Bipartisan Vote
David Lightman, McClatchy Newspapers: "The Senate Wednesday passed a $137.9 billion package aimed at helping jobless people get more benefits and businesses to hire more workers, but only after controversy about the bill's cost and impact. The rare bipartisan vote was 62 to 36."
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Health Overhaul's Supporters Make Case in Hearings, Protests
James Rosen, McClatchy Newspapers: "Joanne Johnson wiped a tear from her cheek as she told a Congressional hearing Wednesday how her brother died an unnecessarily early death because he didn't have health insurance."
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Ruth Marcus | Chief Whiner
Ruth Marcus, Truthout: "To listen to John Roberts, you'd think that mobs of pitchfork-waving Democrats had accosted a handful of trembling justices and demanded that they reverse themselves on the spot - or else. Speaking to law students at the University of Alabama, Roberts said anyone is free to criticize the court. Except, apparently, not to the justices' faces."
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"The Hurt Locker" Wins; Iraq Loses
Michael Gass, Truthout: "The movie, 'The Hurt Locker,' won six Oscars, including Best Picture, for its portrayal of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit in Iraq. The drama about the movie, however, has come from another source; Army Master Sgt. Jeffrey Sarver. Sarver has sued the movie company, claiming that the movie was based upon his time and actions in Iraq."
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Requiem for a Hummer
Dan Becker and James Gerstenzang, Truthout: "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to bid farewell to a giant, one whose demise has been recorded around the world, such was the impact of this icon of the interstates. One of massive strength, it left behind a vast mark - some would say gash - on our planet."
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NOW | Environmentalist Conrad Anker
NOW: "On Friday, March 12, at 8:30 PM (EST), David Brancaccio and environmentalist Conrad Anker - one of the world's leading high-altitude climbers - trek to the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayan Mountains, the source of the Ganges River, to witness the great melt and its dire consequences firsthand."
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