By SueN
- Article: The Death Penalty: No Evidence for Deterrence, John J. Donohue and Justin Wolfers.
"John Donohue and Justin Wolfers argue that Gary Becker and Richard Posner are wrong to think that the death penalty deters murder: they find little empirical support for the claim. If anything, when one looks over the longest period possible (1934-2000) there is more evidence that the death penalty stimulates murder than that it deters murder." - Guest: Dudley Sharp, Founder of Justice Matters. Should the death penalty be abolished? Denver study.
- Bumper Music: Loser, Beck.
- Today is Amnesty International's international day of action for Troy Davis.
Call to Action: Stop the Execution of Troy Davis
Troy Anthony Davis has been on death row in Georgia for more than 17 years for the murder of Police Officer Mark Allen MacPhail at a Burger King in Savannah, Georgia – despite strong evidence suggesting he is innocent.
- There was no physical evidence against Troy Davis.
- The weapon used in the crime was never found.
- The case against him consisted entirely of witness testimony.
- Seven of the nine non-police witnesses have recanted or contradicted their testimony.
- Many of these witnesses have stated that they were pressured or coerced by police.
- One of the two witnesses who has not recanted or contradicted testimony is Sylvester Coles, the principal alternative suspect.
- Nine individuals have signed affidavits implicating Sylvester Coles.
- Troy Davis has never had a hearing in federal court on the reliability of the witness testimony used against him.
- Go to www.amnestyusa.org/troydavis for more information and to take action . . .
- Read the report: ‘Where is the justice for me?’: The case of Troy Davis, facing execution in Georgia.
- Guest: Jared Feuer, Southern Regional Director at Amnesty International USA. The case of Troy Davis, facing execution in Georgia. Go to their site for details of how to get involved.
- Bumper Music: Break On Through (To The Other Side), The Doors (video).
- Bumper Music: Let the Day Begin, The Call.
- Article: Breastfeeding mother told 'no food or drink by the pool'.
- United Nations. Does it take war to end war? Gandhi. Moral force. MLK.
- Dwight Eisenhower letter to Edgar Newton Eisenhower, November 8, 1954 .
"But to attain any success it is quite clear that the Federal government cannot avoid or escape responsibilities which the mass of the people firmly believe should be undertaken by it. The political processes of our country are such that if a rule of reason is not applied in this effort, we will lose everything--even to a possible and drastic change in the Constitution. This is what I mean by my constant insistence upon "moderation" in government. Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid. ...I suppose that even the most violent critic would agree that it is well for us to have friends in the world, to encourage them to oppose communism both in its external form and in its internal manifestations, to promote trade in the world that would be mutually profitable between us and our friends (and it must be mutually profitable or it will dry up), and to attempt the promotion of peace in the world, negotiating from a position of moral, intellectual, economic and military strength.I notice that everybody seems to be a great Constitutionalist until his idea of what the Constitution ought to do is violated--then he suddenly becomes very strong for amendments or some peculiar and individualistic interpretation of his own. ...
But the mere repetition of aphorisms and political slogans and newspaper headlines leaves me cold."
- Guest: Charles W. Dunn, Dean of the Regent University School of Government. The future of the GOP…could they be a threat in 2012? Regent University is the Pat Robertson Christian Network university. He's up in Banff. The history of cycles between the parties. Thom said Russell Kirk's principles were disastrous for the party. Eisenhower letter to his brother. The Center of the American Republic, most people are there. Reagan tacked right for nomination, Clinton and Obama tacked left, all moved toward the center once they were in. The center shifts. The party is run by Limbaugh and Cheney? Michael Steele should not have attacked Limbaugh, he should not have said anything, but worked quietly from the inside in that role. Limbaugh is not head of the party, but a voice reflective of part of it. Book: "The Future of Conservatism: Conflict and Consensus in the Post-Reagan Era (Religion and Contemporary Culture)".
- Bumper Music: Radio, Radio, Elvis Costello.
- Upcoming Event: May 21 1080 KUDO, Anchorage, Alaska presents an evening with Thom Hartmann, Hosted by Eddie P at the Anchorage Aviation Heritage Museum. Doors open at 6:30, dinner at 7. Catered by: Blues Central. Tickets $25 in advance $30 at the door.
- Upcoming Event: May 21 - 22 Show live from 1080 KUDO, Anchorage, Alaska. May 22 Thom will speak at the IBEW annual Progress Meeting (Western States) at the Hotel Captain Cook on Friday from 10 - 11 am (ADT).
- Article: Steele: The Era Of Republican Apologies Is Over. What apologies?
- Article: UPDATED: Source: "EIT" Term Wasn't In Use When Pelosi Was Briefed.
"Here's yet another reason (as if more were needed) to doubt that that CIA briefings document perfectly reflects what lawmakers were told about torture back in the early days of the war on terror.Almost every briefing described in the document -- including the September 2002 Pelosi briefing that's directly at issue -- refers to "EITs," or enhanced interrogation techniques, as a subject that was discussed. But according to a former intelligence professional who has participated in such briefings, that term wasn't used until at least 2006* (see correction below). ...*Correction: A Nexis search which we should have done earlier shows that the term "enhanced interrogation techniques" was used by CIA from June 2004 onwards. That month, the Associated Press reported:"
- Quote: "As a matter of fact, in interviews in 1999 with respected journalist, and long time Bush family friend, Micky [David] Herskowitz, then Governor George Bush stated: ‘One of the keys to being seen as a great leader is to be seen as a commander-in-chief. My father had all this political capital built up when he drove the Iraqis out of Kuwait and he wasted it. If I have a chance to invade, if I had that much capital, I’m not going to waste it. I’m going to get everything passed that I want to get passed and I’m going to have a successful presidency.'" Cindy Sheehan, My Testimony for the Downing Street Memo Hearings, June 16 2005.
- Why, if the Republican Party keeps its old values, it will never get power without lying. Russell Kirk's The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot. Conservatism is the opposite of democracy.
- Never underestimate the power of blind faith and willful ignorance. Nixon and Vietnam, Reagan and Iran.
- Which of Thom's books to start with? "Screwed", or, for the larger picture, The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight.
- Why the antagonism between socialism and liberalism? We're here for the people. That is socialism.
- Article: Short work of it.
"Economic data coming out of Germany may all spell doom and gloom. But viewed from her sun-drenched Stuttgart terrace, things do not look that bad for Regina Walz. "This talk of crisis is wildly exaggerated," she says. "We've been saving all our lives and we have a big family. Even if things go as wrong as they say, we'll always manage." She should know. The 42-year-old mother of five is no ordinary Hausfrau : Ms Walz is a Swabian housewife. To Germans, it is they who personify thrift and solid common sense - values that Angela Merkel, for one, thinks the world could have done with a bit more of in recent years. ... Like thousands of companies in the same situation, Mr Klopf tackled the problem by resorting to Kurzarbeit - short-time working where the government picks up part of the wage bill so employers can retain skills that will be needed in an upturn. The scheme, recently twice improved, can be credited for the relatively low increase in unemployment so far." - How many presidents took money from Social Security? Reagan and all since. The treasury bills will be repaid. There should have been a bookkeeping entry to include it in the deficit.
- Article: Feingold blocks measure commemorating Reagan's birth.
- Article: One way to kill fire ants: Turn them into headless zombies.
- Have the person who signs the order to execute be the one who actually carries out the execution.
- Why worry about Republicans? Dawn Johnson cannot get past a filibuster. The huge Republican deficit, lost jobs, corruption, they got us into war.
- Article: Remarks of Director of Central Intelligence Agency, Leon E. Panetta, at the Pacific Council on International Policy.
"I realize that there are many that focus on the past. And I understand the reasons for that. And I don’t deny Congress — as a creature of the Congress, I don’t deny them the opportunity to learn the lessons from that period. I think it’s important to learn those lessons so that we can move into the future. But in doing that we have to be very careful that we don’t forget our responsibility to the present and to the future. We are a nation at war. We have to confront that reality every day. And while it’s important to learn the lessons of the past, we must not do it in a way that sacrifices our capability to stay focused on the present, stay focused on the future, and stay focused on those who would threaten the United States of America." - Guest: Lamar Waldron, author, with Thom, of "Ultimate Sacrifice: John and Robert Kennedy, the Plan for a Coup in Cuba, and the Murder of JFK" and "Legacy of Secrecy: The Long Shadow of the JFK Assassination". The CIA says it told Pelosi about enhanced interrogation techniques (EITs), she said it did not, Panetta shows memos about EIT. The CIA was one of Thom and Lamar's clients when taught communications techniques. They researched the CIA's deception of Congress for almost 20 years. Panetta said yesterday it is important to learn the lessons of the past. The CIA has a history of deceiving Congress, and CIA directors. so Panetta may not realize that the CIA is withholding many files about JFK. CIA lawsuit to hide files that Jefferson Morley sued for about the CIA's active deception of Congress. The Church Committee. Cheney and Rumsfeld keep cropping up. George H W Bush was in charge. In the late 1970s the house select committee asked about Lee Oswald and Cuban exile group, so they wanted to talk to to the CIA employee involved. The CIA told them he was not available as a witness but, without telling them he was the person they wanted, the CIA assigned the him as liaison. We need to educate Panetta.
- Bumper Music: Peace, Love & Understanding, Elvis Costello.
- Tim McVeigh waved all appeals rather than face life in prison. Jeffrey Dahmer was killed in prison.
- Minnesota state budget, the Democrats can't get past governor Pawlenty, yesterday was the deadline.
- NormDollar.com to pledge to contribute 1 dollar for every day that Norm Coleman stalls. Thom did. They already have already $98,000, proceeds will support progressive democrats in primaries Democracy for America.
- Bumper Music: Crazy, Gnarls Barkley.
- Article: http://midmichigandining.com/2009/02/26/mcdonalds-outsources-jobs/.
- Article: Obey Tells Panetta He Found Another CIA Torture Briefing Error.
"In light of current controversy about CIA briefing practices, I was surprised to learn that the agency erroneously listed an appropriations staffer as being in a key briefing on September 19, 2006, when in fact he was not. The list the agency released entitled “Member Briefings on Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (EITs)”, shows that House Appropriations Committee defense appropriations staffer Paul Juola was in that briefing on that date. In fact, Mr. Juola recollects that he walked members to the briefing room, met General Hayden and Mr.Walker, who were the briefers, and was told that he could not attend the briefing. We request that you immediately correct this record." - Conservatives should have no problem with socialism if it is in their own self interest. Power rises, and needs to be redistributed so that it can come down and work up again, like water in the water cycle.
- Focus on that not on what Pelosi knew, but who was responsible for atrocities. Jesse Ventura on Larry King.
- Clip:
"Hannity: ...and we have radicals that think God is going to reward them with virgins in Heaven Jesse, how do we stop em? Tell me, what do you do?Ventura: You pay attention to memos on August sixth that tell you exactly what Bin Laden is going to do. Instead we hear Condoleezza Rice going, "I didn't know what they were going to do." And the memos says Bin Laden set to hijack planes and ram them into buildings and your buddy George Bush, he was on vacation in Crawford at the time. Do you know he took over 900 days off for vacation?Hannity: The President's never off....Do you know that, Let me give you an example...
Ventura: This one was on his watch because the biggest attack happened on his watch."
Jesse Ventura slams Sean Hannity, who actually says America is 'better off' after George Bush! - Press Briefing By Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton On Humanitarian Aid To Pakistan, May 19, 2009.
Helen Thomas: What assurance do you have that our assistance will not go to expand their nuclear power and arsenal? And what brought it center stage? We've been helping Pakistan for years and years and years, poured a lot of money into it. Why now -- I mean, I don't say why now -- I know the challenge of extremists. But what is it that that has been broken down?Secretary Clinton: Well, first I have to say how honored I was to share the podium and the stage with Helen Thomas last week at the NYU graduation ceremonies -- (laughter) -- where we were both given honorary degrees, and in Yankee Stadium, which was a pretty exciting experience.You know, Helen, I think that it is fair to say that our policy toward Pakistan over the last 30 years has been incoherent. I don't know any other word to use. We came in in the '80s and helped to build up the Mujahideen to take on the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. The Pakistanis were our partners in that. Their security service and their military were encouraged and funded by the United States to create the Mujahideen in order to go after the Soviet invasion and occupation. ...
Using your cell phones, Americans can text the word "swat" -- to the number 20222 and make a $5 contribution that will help the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees provide tents, clothing, food, and medicine to hundreds of thousands of affected people.
- Ellen Ratner of Talk Radio News. Hillary was at the White House giving 110 million dollars in emergency aid to Pakistan. Helen Thomas asked about the policy toward Pakistan and Hillary said it has been incoherent. $3b over years. Text donations. Guantanamo, Senate democrats voted to pull the money for moving out, the president can veto, change his mind about closing it, or take money from other sources. On Thursday the president will give a speech to Congress, working together, Guantanamo, photos and memos. Federals appeals court decided a case from CREW, National Security Archives saying the White House does not have to release emails from the Office of Administration. 3 republican appointees. The Obama White House wants them kept secret. Military commissions, Robert Gibbs supported them today. They were used in war, we are not at war now? Credit Card bill 90-5 in Senate, no cap on interest rates.
