McCain's Lewinsky?

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Did John McCain have an inappropriate relationship with a 40-year-old lobbyist? Even if not romantic, is he in her pocket as a lobbyist?

And the Democrats. Two bad mistakes/slips of the tongue:
Hillary Clinton says Obama is not “ready” to be President….
Michelle Obama says for the first time in her adult life, she is really proud of her country….

Freedom Around the World

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George Bush often talks about promoting freedom around the world, but the mishmash of US policy promotes some dictatorships while attacking others. A look today at US policy in:

– Cuba, with the ending of Fidel Castro’s reign
– Pakistan, with the strong Pakistani vote against Musharraf
– Kosovo, with its declaration of independence
– Africa, where Bush is visiting this week, and
– Gaza, where Hamas is putting in Gaza in their worst misery ever while devoting the Strip’s entire meager resources into a useless, murderous war to kill as many Israeli civilians as possible

Here’s the article I reference on today’s show: Gazans Feeling Recoil of Attacks on Israel
As Armed Groups Continue Rocket Strikes, Palestinians Grow Weary; Farmer Fells an Orchard After Mother Is Killed. It was the Washington Post, not the New York Times, that printed the article. I regret the error.

History of Warrantless Surveillance- How "Telecom Immunity" Covers Up Bush's Lawless Police State- How Congress Can Stop Him

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Check the Comment Section for the eloquent speech by Senator Dodd attacking this travesty: Dodd: The Rule of Law Abandoned, “Dark Day” in the Senate

Also, read my diary on Daily Kos describing my extensive effort to get an answer from my Senator Webb on why he voted for this monstrosity.

For more information on today’s show, check out the Warrantless Eavesdropping Timeline on Wikipedia.
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Surveillance, Torture, and Contempt

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Mark on Michael Jackson and Leslie Marshall shows

Democrats Find Spine Today!Bush in Contempt! Torture Banned! No Retroactive Immunity for Bush's Illegal Surveillance!

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Flip-flopping McCain voted today to allow torture.
Meanwhile the House Democrats may have miraculously found their spine in Article I of the Constitution by voting today to hold Miers and Bolton in contempt!

And Republicans disrupt Tom Lantos’ Memorial Service! Boy they hate Congtressional Oversight. Don’t they!

Did you know we executed 8 Japanese for water torture (the old name for waterboarding)? Maybe they were trying to prevent an atomic bomb explosion. Wouldn’t that make — in Bush’s and McCain’s view — their torture of American servicemen justified?

Oh what a slippery slope we fall on when we start justifying inhumane and unconstitutional violence. Remember when we used to think of America as the good guys? Remember when the world used to agree?

Happy Valentine’s Day. Now if only we could create an America that spread love and was loved by the rest of the world…