Steve Freeman wrote the following to Oliver Dawshed, Barry at barry@comedyusa.com, and me:

Oliver: This is a terrific letter. Thanks for writing it. (I’m not sure what is going on at USVotes; i’ve been on a trip the past week, and am just now sorting through 600 emails.

Mark, Barry: Thanks for spreading the word. A couple other points you might want to know about TomPaine.com on this issue:

* They delayed by a full week publication of my response to Baker’s first article, which directly criticized me. Their reason: “Because of the assertions Freeman makes we needed to do some research before deciding to publish it.”

* I inquired, through my agent, about the ethics involved in Baker not even contacting me before publishing the article: “As for Baker contacting Freeman first, his unnamed source is highly credible.”

* After Baker issued his “rebuttal” of my response, Congressman John Conyers, who was also criticized in Baker’s two articles, wrote a response. Tom Paine refused to print it.

Ironic that we need Tom Paine-style methods to combat TomPaine.com misinformation.

– Steve

My Totally Gay Boy Scout Leader
The tormented Republican mayor of Spokane might have molested young boys. Boys like, well, Mark Morford

By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist
Wednesday, May 11, 2005

I was, in my youth, a Boy Scout of America. It’s true.

Read more.

Dear Friends and Family and Enemies whom I like anyway …

Apologies for the group email but … Well, it looks like the [Toronto] Star is taking a chance, on me! It’s giving me it’s very first real-ish blog — short for weblog, or online diary — starting on Monday. It will be about the media, but you know me. Media is just a point of departure.

Here’s the URL: www.thestar.blogs.com I hope you all click on it, lots. I also hope you find reason to hang around. If you plan to publicly flame me, forget about it. The comments will be turned off, but not because I wanted it that way. The Star just can’t deal with the 24/7 moderating and the likely lawsuits. After all, Canada has very onerous libel laws.

Antonia

P.S. This comes from my regular work email at azerbis@thestar.ca. Comments on the blog will be addressed to az@thestar.ca

P.P.S. For all you bloggers, I will be setting up a blogroll as soon as I figure out how.

New from DIRELAND, May 11, 2005

TOM RIDGE’S BOMBSHELL: HOW THE BUSHIES ISSUED UNJUSTIFIED TERROR ALERTS
Tom Ridge, Bush’s former Homeland Security czar, let the cat out of thebag — he opposed many of the heightened terrorism alerts, but was over-ruled by the Bushies, USA Today reports today. It’s clear what this means (as if we didn’t know it already): the Bush White House ratcheted up the terrorism warnings — on evidence Ridge considered incredibly flimsy — to create a climate of fear in preparation for Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign.

Read more.

From Walter Miale:

http://moscow.usembassy.gov/embassy/transcript.php?record_id=123

Q: Mr. President, you are a transformational, they call it, and promoting democracy in the world is a very ambitious goal; and achieve peace, changing the world, and it’s also acknowledging Europe. But such a far-reaching idealism can also easily lead to moral inconsistencies that risk to undermine your credibility. For
instance, how does the way detainees at Guantanamo Bay are being handled, how does that relate to your promotion of democracy and the rule of law?

THE PRESIDENT: I appreciate that. That, and, for example, the pictures people saw about the prison — prison abuse is different from the detainees in Guantanamo. We’re working our way forward, so that they — and our courts, by the way, are adjudicating this. It is a clear, transparent review of the decision I made by the courts, so everybody can see it. And they’re being argued in the courts as we
speak. People are being treated humanely. They were illegal non-combatants, however, and I made the decision they did not pertain to the Geneva Convention. They were not — these were terrorists. Obviously, we’ve looked at Iraq differently.

I can understand people being concerned about prison abuse when they see the pictures out of Abu Ghraib, and it made Americans universally sick, because the actions of those folks didn’t represent the heart and soul of America, didn’t represent the sentiments of the American people. And I am an idealistic person, because I believe in what is possible. I believe that freedom is universal, and I believe, if given a chance, people will seize the moment.

But I’m also a realistic person, and I’m realistic enough to know that images on TV have sullied our country’s image, at times. And we’ve just got to continue to spread — tell people the truth, be open about the mistakes of Abu Ghraib, hold people to account.

Like I been saying, he won.

From Kitty Overton:

huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive

From Carolyn Kay:

Friends, the Democratic Party power structure is at it again, doing their best to suppress the grassroots.

Christine Cegelis, in 2004, won 44% of the vote against the formidable Henry Hyde with a budget of only $140,000. It may well be that her success in that race convinced Henry to finally announce his resignation.

So did the Democratic Party rush to get behind Christine when she announced she’ll run again in Hyde’s district (Illinois Sixth) in 2006? Absolutely not! The Party is encouraging rich white males to run against her in the primary, thereby drying up potential early contributions in the district–donations that could give her an early jump in the race.

This is a woman who can win. And imagine the bragging rights! PROGRESSIVE WOMAN WINS HENRY HYDE’S CONGRESSIONAL SEAT!

As radio talk show host and former U.S. Senate candidate Nancy Skinner once asked, do we really want to be in the situation again where we run OUR boring white guy against THEIR boring white guy?

WE MUST TELL THE PARTY POWER STRUCTURE THAT WE WANT MORE ORDINARY AMERICANS, NOT JUST RICH WHITE MALES, IN OFFICE!

The best way to do that is to show financial support NOW for Christine Cegelis.

Here’s what you can do:

* Contribute as much as you possibly can–right now. Don’t wait, please.
http://www.cegelisforcongress.com/contribute

* Send this message to as many people as you can, asking them to contribute and to pass the message on, as well.

* If you have a website and/or a mailing list, post a link to Christine’s contributions page, along with the text from this message.
http://www.cegelisforcongress.com/contribute

* If you have a radio show, have Christine on as a guest. Her campaign manager is Pat Mogge, pmogge@cegelisforcongress.com, 847-797-8317. Christine is an interesting guest with an interesting story, no matter which district or state you broadcast in.

We just can’t let the Party power structure keep kicking us in the teeth.

Disclaimer: I met with Christine Cegelis once, a few days ago. I do not work for her campaign. It just makes me angry to see a highly qualified candidate like her trampled in the mud by the Democratic Party.

Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com

Philosophical question: If a Bush commits a crime and no one hears about it, has a crime really been committed?