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November 13, 2007 Alexander
Cockburn
November 12, 2007 Vicente
Navarro Ben
Brown Omar
K. Sadia
Abbas Farzana
Versey Richard
W. Behan Paul
Krassner Cindy
Sheehan Peter
Stone Brown Dave
Lindorff Website
of the Day
November 10 / 11, 2007 Alain
Gresh Mike
Whitney Ron
Jacobs Jeffrey
St. Clair Alan
Farago Binoy
Kampmark Robert
Fantina Fred
Gardner Ayesha
Ijaz Khan Nicola
Nasser Philip
Rizk Michael
Dickinson Joel
S. Hirschhorn Paul
Krassner Wadner
Pierre /
November 9, 2007 Patrick
Cockburn Mohammed
Hanif John
Ross Mike
Whitney Tom
Barry Corporate
Crime Reporter Badruddin
Khan David
Macaray Martha
Rosenberg Website
of the Day
November 8, 2007 Kathleen
& Bill Christison William
Loren Katz Mike
Whitney Sheldon
Richman Liaquat
Ali Khan Marc
Gardner Jackie
Corr Brenda
Norrell Dave
Lindorff China
Hand Sen.
Russ Feingold Website
of the Day
November 7, 2007 Paul
Craig Roberts Russell
Mokhiber Vijay
Prashad Niranjan
Ramakrishnan Alan
Farago David
Macaray Nikolas
Kozloff Charlotte
Laws Daniel
White William
Cook Website
of the Day
November 6, 2007 Mike
Whitney Ralph
Nader Andy
Worthington Pam
Martens Liaquat
Ali Khan William
Schroder Stephen
Lendman William
Blum Former
US Intelligence Officers
November 5, 2007 Alexander
Cockburn Russell
Mokhiber David
Macaray Gary
Leupp Dave
Lindorff Ludwig
Watzal Patrick
Cockburn Peter
Stone Brown Michael
Simmons Website
of the Day
November 3 / 4, 2007 Tariq
Ali David
Price Jeffrey
St. Clair Alan
Farago Paul
Krassner Rannie
Amiri P.
Sainath Ayesha
Ijaza Khan Robert
Fantina Seth
Sandronsky Ron
Jacobs Ramzy
Baroud Heather
Gray
November 2, 2007 Dr.
Mary Pipher Saul
Landau Andy
Worthington Sharon
Smith Gary
Leupp Gregory
Harms Christopher
Brauchli Peter
Morici Dave
Lindorff David
Penner Website
of the Day
November 1, 2007 Paul
Craig Roberts Patrick
Cockburn Dave
Lindorff Jonathan
Feldman Mike
Ferner William
S. Lind Diana
Johnstone Jacob
Hornberger A..K.
Gupta Lyuba
Zarsky / Felice
Pace Website
of the Day
October 31, 2007 Bill
Quigley Rev.
William E. Alberts Ray
McGovern Eric
Walberg V.
G. Smith Luis
J. Rodriguez Sheldon
Richman Walter
Brasch Website
of the Day
David
Price M.
Shahid Alam Andy
Worthington Patrick
Cockburn Anthony
Papa Floyd
Rudmin Sherwood
Ross Website
of the Day
October 29, 2007 Lisa
Hajjar Joe
DeRaymond Patrick
Cockburn Isabella
Kenfield / Fred
Gardner Farzana
Versey Stephen
Fleischman Marcelle
Cendrars Eamonn
McCann Martha
Rosenberg Website
of the Day
October 27 / 28, 2007 Alexander
Cockburn Jeffrey
St. Clair James
Bovard Ralph
Nader M.
Reza Pirbhai Robert
Sandels Jacob
G. Hornberger Missy
Beattie John
Ross Robert
Fantina Ron
Jacobs Ali
Moayedian David
Michael Green Poets
Basement Website
of the Day
October 26, 2007 Brian
Cloughley Saul
Landau Ahmad
Al-Akras Franklin
Lamb Mike
Whitney Dave
Lindorff Alan
Farago Yifat
Susskind Website
of the Day
Jeffrey
St. Clair / Manuel
Garcia, Jr. Paul
Craig Roberts Col.
Dan Smith Alan
Farago Chris
Kutalik Brian
McKinlay Cindy
Sheehan Website
of the Day
October 24, 2007 Natalie
Washington-Weik Andy
Worthington Michael
Birmingham Corporate
Crime Reporter Tariq
Ali Farzana
Versey Dave
Zirin James
Murren Todd
Chretien Martha
Rosenberg Website
of the Day
October 23, 2007 Ralph
Nader Lawrence
R. Velvel Vijay
Prashad Bonnie
Bricker / Dave
Lindorff Mike
Whitney Farzana
Versey Stanley
Heller / Marcelle
Cendrars Regan
Boychuk Website
of the Day
October 22, 2007 Ishmael
Reed Marjorie
Cohn Rannie
Amiri Diane
Farsetta Todd
Alan Price Robert
Jensen Stephen
Lendman Jemima
Khan Sunsara
Taylor Binoy
Kampmark Website
of the Day
October 20 / 21, 2007 Alexander
Cockburn Tariq
Ali Jeffrey
St. Clair Andy
Worthington Mike
Whitney Daniel
Wolff David
Rosen Saul
Landau Ron
Jacobs Robert
Fantina David
Heleniak Joe
Allen Prairie
Miller Poets'
Basement Website
of the Weekend
October 19, 2007 John
Ross Sheldon
Rampton Rahul
Mahajan Devra
Davis Christopher
Brauchli Wadner
Pierre Bill
Quigley Website
of the Day
October 18, 2007 Saree
Makdisi Meg
Dwyer Alevtina
Rea Norman
Solomon Kristoffer
Larsson Harvey
Wasserman Website
of the Day
October 17, 2007 Steve
Niva Andy
Worthington Alan
Farago Russell
Mokhiber Sharon
Smith Mike
Whitney Robert
Fantina Chris
Irwin Website
of the Day October 16, 2007 Peter
Linebaugh Paul
Findley Robert
Bryce Uri
Avnery Paul
Craig Roberts Ray
McGovern Norman
Solomon Martha
Rosenberg William
S. Lind Joel
S. Hirschborn Website
of the Day
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November 13, 2007 CounterPunch DiaryHillary's Big Problem and How Bill Can Fix ItBy ALEXANDER COCKBURN Hillary's problem is that she's not too quick on her feet, unlike her husband Bill, a Baryshnikov of equivocation, who in his heyday could pirouette effortlessly across the political spectrum in a single phrase. In that Fatal Debate, out there under the spotlights, with Tim Russert as moderator and Obama and John Edwards gunning for her, Mrs Clinton blew it, just exactly at the moment when every laptop pundit in the blathersphere was getting bored with the apparent certainty that H. Clinton would be the party's nominee. So they've been piling on ever since. Campaign Clinton protests they're picking on a woman, and the crowd roars that Hillary's playing the poor-little-me card. Campaign Clinton says she's one tough woman and the crowd howls back that she can't have it both ways. Right now, her campaign is dazed and bleeding. This time Hillary's "vast conspiracy" is not the grantees' list of Richard Mellon Scaife, but Tim Russert, Chris Matthews and a hefty slice of the press which wants to see HRC trip up and hence gives Senator Obama a fairly free ride in this phase. Will she implode, just like that front-runner of November, 2004, Howard Dean? I still doubt it, just like I doubt that the US will attack Iran. But, as the President of the Free World once said, "Fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again." Hillary Clinton has a ton of money and the solid support of the Democratic Party's bosses, which is not surprising since the Clintons picked these bosses in the first place. A great many women in America want her to be president. Recovery is a process the Clintons have been refining every since Hillary got herself into trouble with the voters of Arkansas back in 1978 for insisting on the first lady of that state be called Hillary Rodham, a stand on feminist principle she abandoned in time for the 1980 governor's race. Schizophrenia is a mandatory condition for all Democratic presidential candidates, never more so than at this stage in America's election cycle. They have to rush from Davenport, Iowa, to Manchester, New Hampshire projecting constructive uplift to the party liberals who can make and break them in these early days. But simultaneously they have to make sure not to offend the flag-wagging, book-burning, Fortress America legions who will elect America's next president in November, 2008. So when Hillary Clinton says she's in favor of giving illegal immigrants driving licenses, albeit hostile to this becoming a practical option; or in favor of an end to the war in Iraq, while vehement in the war on terror; or supportive of regulatory curbs on law-breaking corporations, while cautious about messing with free enterprise; or committed to hate-crime legislation to protect gays, while committed to equal rights for all Americans, she's just talking the talk and walking the walk. If a Democrat mentions love in the first part of any sentence, there had better be an endorsement of war before the full stop. Two endorsements, if the Democrat is a woman. So of course Hillary bobs and weaves. She's not alone. On a clear day from the summit of Mount Obama one can see as many as three contradictory political intentions in a single paragraph. Only the rank outsiders and third-ranked contenders like Edwards stick to principled positions, because they've got only truly committed enthusiasts to lose. So Hillary will probably survive this typhoon. But the bigger problem is not going away. There's a solid slice of the flag-wagging, book-burning, Fortress America legions which will never, under any conditions, vote for Hillary Clinton a year from now. Every equivocation on immigrants, on the war, will be replayed next fall as mercilessly as John Kerry's fence straddles in 2004 on his record on the war in Iraq. Hillary's only chance is to have the Republican vote split by the Evangelical Christians, unable to stomach a pro-abortion wife-hopper like Giuliani, running a candidate of their own. Some born again type from the South. Now if Bill really wants to make it up to Hillary ... *Talk about thinking slowly:
last week Kerry told a Massachusetts paper that ``We have put
together a documented portfolio that frankly puts their lies
in such a total light of absurdity and indecency, that should
they ever rear their ugly heads again, we have every single 't'
crossed and 'i' dotted, and I welcome that in a sense. It's a
shame we weren't able to produce all that at the time.'' Rumsfeld Flees Paris I expressed the hope here not so long ago that when they finally quit the White House, leading members of the Bush gang will find it impossible to travel outside the Homeland since every airport they land at, every conference they attend, will feature a posse of local gendarmes with warrants for their arrest so that they can answer charges of war crimes. On Friday, October 26, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had to be whisked out of France by US embassy officials to avoid just this fate. The New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights, the Berlin-based European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights and two Paris-based groups, the International Federation of Human Rights and the League of Human Rights. filed a legal complaint with the Paris prosecutor charging Rumsfeld of responsibility for torture at Guantanamo and in Iraq. Indeed Rumsfeld's role was personal and direct. Andrew Cockburn detailed on this website back in April, 2007, Rumsfeld's micromanagement of torture, as in the case of Mohammed al-Qahtani, a Saudi inmate in Guantanamo alleged to have been recruited for the 9/11 hijackings only to fail to gain entry into the U.S. Air Force Lt. General Randall Schmidt, appointed in 2005 to investigate charges by FBI officials of torture at Guantanamo, recorded in a 55-page statement how Rumsfeld ordered the techniques "for Mister Kahtani (sic) number one." On Rumsfeld's instructions, Qahtani's jailers forced him to stand for long periods, isolating him, stripping him, telling him to bark like a dog, and more. "There were no limits put on this and no boundaries", Schmidt reported. After a few days, the sessions had to be temporarily suspended when Qahtani's heartbeat slowed to 35 beats a minute. Rumsfeld was "personally involved", the general stressed, "in the interrogation of one person." Bypassing the normal chain of command, the secretary called the prison chief directly on a weekly basis for reports on progress with Qahtani. As for Abu Ghraib, Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, the overall commander of the U.S. military prison system in Iraq has described how she found a piece of paper stuck on a pole outside a little office used by the interrogators. "It was a memorandum signed by Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, authorizing a short list, maybe 6 or 8 techniques: use of dogs; stress positions; loud music; deprivation of food; keeping the lights on, those kinds of things," Karpinski said. Over to the side of the paper was a line of handwriting, which to her appeared to be in the same hand and with the same ink as the signature. The line read: "Make sure this happens!!" Only four days before Rumsfeld's arrival in Paris, Americans Against the War, a spirited organization (whose branches in Paris and Montpellier I addressed last year) learned of his impending visit to Paris to address a conference organized by Foreign Policy magazine. Let a couple of members of AAW take up the story, as they retailed it in the wake of the successful action:
Imagine what would happen to someone deploying a cardboard bazooka firing rubber bones in the vicinity of police and security guardsin Washington DC. There have also been efforts in Germany and Sweden to detain Rumsfeld on charges of war crimes and torture. Adieu to Norman Mailer I always liked seeing Norman at dinner parties in New York in the late 70s because alongside Norman would be his wife Norris Church and while the iron laws of placement made it unlikely I'd be cheek by jowl with Norman, there was a sporting chance I'd have Norris on my left or right. And so it came to pass often enough. We'd have lots of fun and I'd get up from the table thinking what a lucky dog Norman was to have a wife like that. If I had to take just one of his books on a train or plane it would be Advertisements for Myself. Reading the obits--mostly pedestrian hack work -- I came across a patronizing line in one of them about how Mailer had "dabbled in journalism". I guess that means he didn't put in an apprenticeship on the night desk and also wrote big novels, some of which I enjoyed dipping into. Joan Didion makes an effective case for the greatness of The Executioner's Song. In the long reporting pieces he did for Esquire and Playboy Mailer's prose would suddenly come alive and you'd see what a terrific writer and observer he could be, even though you'd have to skip past all the ranting about modern architecture and kindred peeves. He could be really smart and truly silly in alternate paragraphs. Having cut his political teeth on Henry Wallace and the Progressive Party's run in 1948, Norman had a sour and perceptive eye for the follies of American liberalism, and a commensurate respect for the libertarian strain in American politics. Around the time I was getting lashed by pwogs for giving a speech (from a left p.o.v of course) at an antiwar.com conference in San Mateo that had featured Pat Buchanan the previous day, Mailer had a to and fro with Buchanan about the possibilities of a populist left-libertarian fusion. I was glad to see CounterPunch and Mailer saw eye to eye on this. As a writer he was a hard worker.
Given the extended clan he supported, he had to be. He co-founded
the Village Voice in 1955, In other words, in journalistic and
political terms he was on the cutting edge of political and cultural
bohemia when it mattered. CounterPuncher David Price says he
contributed to Ed Sanders' Fuck You, a Magazine of the
Arts that started in 1962. Somewhere in a box I have photocopies
of F.U.'s nine issues, thinking once that we might ask Ed if
we could reissue it. To be frank, it lives better in the memory,
mostly for the coup de foudre of its title--at least back
then--than as a repository of cultural gems. I remember best
a poem by Al Fowler about President Kennedy going into baby Caroline's
bedroom in the White House and molesting her. Ed Sanders clearly
thought he might have gone over the edge by publishing that one,
because he appended a little squeal of trepidation about running
it. I guess, in proleptic homage to Norman, Fowler could have
called it Superman comes to the Nursery. As with cardboard bazookas,
(see the item above about the French action against Rumsfeld)
I don't think anyone here would write such a thing about a president
and his daughters these days.
Contains the Explosive Investigation That Rocked the Pentagon! General Petraeus's Counterinsurgency Manual Anthropologist DAVID PRICE exposes how the fabled Counterinsurgency Manual contains a chapter filled with "borrowed" quotations. Price reveals the crucial role in the debacle played by anthropologist Montgomery McFate. The University of Chicago Press is badly compromised. And much more. Get your copy today by subscribing online or calling 1-800-840-3683 Remember contributions to CounterPunch are tax-deductible. Click here to make a donation. If you find our site useful please: Subscribe Now 
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How the Press Led the US into War  Buy End Times Now! CounterPunch Books of the Crossroads: HOW THE IRISH INVENTED SLANG By Daniel Cassidy AMERICAN BOOK AWARD!  Click Here to Buy! Click Here for Dates & Venues Michael Neumann's Devastating Rebuttal of Alan Dershowitz  Click Here to Buy! Saul Landau's Bush and Botox World with a Foreword by Gore Vidal  Click Here to Order! How They Made a Killing on the War on Terrorism            The Occupation by Patrick Cockburn     Humanitarian Imperialism By Jean Bricmont                CITY BEAUTIFUL By Tennessee Reed       Bruce Springsteen On Tour By Dave Marsh                   |
