Good Morning! - Morning Headlines

[Caro]

Morning headlines brought to you by

Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com

Top Story

Reid-Feingold withdrawal legislation fails.
Today, the Reid-Feingold legislation, which would have cut off funds for combat in Iraq by June 2008, was rejected 28-70, “32 short of the 60 needed to cut off a GOP filibuster.” In May, the Reid-Feingold legislation failed by a 29-67 vote.
The senate knows that our troops’ lives aren’t what’s important. What’s important is condemning an advertisement. See below.—Caro

Senate Condemns "General Betray Us" Ad
The Senate voted Thursday to condemn an advertisement by the liberal anti-war group MoveOn.org that accused the top military commander in Iraq of betrayal.
John Aravosis of AMERICAblog wants to know, “If General Petraeus can't handle being called a name, how's he going to handle Al Qaeda?”—Caro

Boxer Resolution Fails to Get 60 Votes
The Senate is playing who can be nicest to military figures today. Sen. Barbara Boxer's resolution condemning political attacks on all current and former military figures (Grant? MacArthur?) got 51 mostly Democratic votes, less than the 60 needed to overcome the GOP's procedural roadblock.
Actually, the resolution was meant to rebuke those who told demented lies about Max Cleland and John Kerry.—Caro

The Illustrated Daily Scribble

The World

U.S. commander: Violence down in Baghdad
BAGHDAD - The No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq said Thursday that a seven-month-old security operation has cut violence in Baghdad by half, but he acknowledged that civilians were still dying at too high a rate.
Just how safe is it, U.S. commander? See below.—Caro

Iraq: Boycott of sermons after killings
BAGHDAD - Two aides to Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani were killed in shootings within hours, prompting his Basra followers to boycott Friday sermons in protest amid fears that an internal Shiite power struggle was increasingly targeting Iraq's top Shiite cleric.

Survivor recalls Blackwater shootings
BAGHDAD - Lawyer Hassan Jabir was stuck in traffic when he heard Blackwater USA security contractors shout "Go, Go, Go." Moments later bullets pierced his back, he said Thursday from his hospital bed.

First cholera case confirmed in Baghdad
BAGHDAD - The World Health Organization confirmed on Thursday the first cholera case in Baghdad since 2003, raising fears the disease is spreading from the north of the country where it has struck more than 1,000 people.

Refugees in their own land: 2m Iraqis forced to flee their homes
Nearly two million Iraqis have become refugees in their own land in the past year, redrawing the ethnic and sectarian map of Baghdad and other cities, a report by the Iraqi Red Crescent said yesterday. In Baghdad alone, nearly a million people have fled their homes.

Kurds denounce U.S. detention of Iranian
SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq — U.S. troops arrested an Iranian man during an early morning raid on a hotel in this northern Iraqi city Thursday and accused him of helping to smuggle a deadly type of roadside bomb into Iraq. But the Kurdistan Regional Government in a statement called the arrest "illegitimate," said the man was a member of a trade delegation that had been invited to Sulaimaniyah by the local government and demanded that he be released.

Israel urged to turn over Arab areas
JERUSALEM - Israel should turn over Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem to the Palestinians as part of a peace deal with the moderate government of President Mahmoud Abbas, Israel's deputy prime minister said Friday. The comment was one of the frankest remarks to date about what Israel might be willing to relinquish in talks.

U.S. calls meeting to prepare new sanctions against Iran
VIENNA, Austria — After 18 years of concealing a nuclear program from the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency and four years of fruitless talks with the international community, Iran has pledged to come clean with facts to back up its claim that it isn't seeking to build a nuclear weapon. But the Bush administration, wary of any Iranian moves short of an immediate halt to its nuclear enrichment program, will attempt to convince other major powers Friday to impose tougher United Nations sanctions on Tehran.

82 killed in Afghanistan violence
KABUL, Afghanistan - A bomb attack Friday against a convoy of French troops killed one soldier and injured many Afghans near the blast, while heavy fighting in southern Afghanistan killed about 75 Taliban fighters and six civilians, officials said.

Bin Laden urges Pakistanis to revolt
CAIRO, Egypt - Al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden called on Pakistanis to wage a holy war against President Gen. Pervez Musharraf in a new recording released Thursday, saying his military's siege of a militant mosque stronghold makes him an infidel.

The Nation

Staying in Iraq: $25 Billion per Year... Forever
The White House is once again talking about the half-century-long U.S. involvement in Korea as a model for Iraq's future. Such an approach would be brutally expensive -- costing as much as $25 billion per year for decades to come, according to a new study from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. That’s on top of the $567 billion already committed to the war. That could bring the final price tag for the Iraq enterprise up to $2 trillion, according to a statement from Senate Budget Committee chairman Kent Conrad.

$6 Billion in Contracts Reviewed, Pentagon Says
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 — Military officials said Thursday that contracts worth $6 billion to provide essential supplies to American troops in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan — including food, water and shelter — were under review by criminal investigators, double the amount the Pentagon had previously disclosed. In addition, $88 billion in contracts and programs, including those for body armor for American soldiers and matériel for Iraqi and Afghan security forces, are being audited for financial irregularities, the officials said.

Bush sidesteps criticizing Iraq shooting
WASHINGTON - President Bush on Thursday refused to criticize a U.S. security company in Iraq accused in a shooting that left 11 civilians dead, saying investigators need to determine if the guards violated rules governing their operations.
Bush knows who needs to be criticized. See below.—Caro

Bush: MoveOn.org ad on Petraeus 'disgusting'
Bush told reporters at a White House news conference that MoveOn.org's ad in The New York Times about Gen. David Petraeus was a "sorry deal." The September 10 full-page ad was titled "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?" "I felt like the ad was an attack, not only on Gen. Petraeus, but on the U.S. military," Bush said. "And I was disappointed that not more leaders in the Democratic Party spoke out strongly against that kind of ad."

Anonymous senator puts hold on bill unsealing presidential papers
WASHINGTON – A fight over White House secrecy has taken a new twist, with Senate officials confirming Wednesday that a Republican senator is secretly blocking a bill that would reverse President Bush's 2001 executive order allowing ex-presidents to seal their records indefinitely… The anonymous hold adds an ironic chapter to a fight that has pitted an administration with a penchant for secrecy against historians, archivists and librarians.
I am FED UP with these stupid Senate rules. I say no more holds of any kind, secret or otherwise, and no more filibuster. Get on with the business of the people, U.S. Senate!—Caro

Alaska Senator's Calls Were Secretly Taped
An Alaska oil contractor cooperated with the FBI by tape-recording phone calls with Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) as part of a public corruption investigation, a source familiar with the probe said last night.

Former DeLay CoS’s payroll records subpoenaed.
A federal grand jury in Washington D.C. has issued a subpoena for the House payroll records of Ed Buckham, former chief of staff to ex-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX). The subpoena “is the first formal notification that Buckham is the focus of a federal corruption probe by the Justice Department.” Buckham is not the first ex-DeLay staffer to receive a subpoena recently.

Glitch renders 'virtual fence' unworkable
TUCSON, Arizona (AP) -- Because of a software glitch, the first high-tech "virtual fence" on the nation's borders remains inoperable, three months after its scheduled debut… "The integration of all the systems into a common operating picture continues to be the challenge," said Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke. Boeing has put new people on the project who are working to resolve the problems, he said.

Chairman Waxman Reiterates Request for Information from State Department about Corruption in Iraq
After receiving an insufficient response from the State Department, Chairman Waxman reiterates his request that Secretary Rice make available information pertaining to the Committee’s investigation into corruption in Iraq.

Is This the Wile E. Coyote Moment? (by Paul Krugman)
Lots of buzz suddenly about the possibility of a sharp fall in the dollar… The argument I and others have made is that the U.S. trade deficit is, fundamentally, not sustainable in the long run, which means that sooner or later the dollar has to decline a lot… So, according to the story, one of these days there will be a Wile E. Coyote moment for the dollar: the moment when the cartoon character, who has run off a cliff, looks down and realizes that he’s standing on thin air – and plunges.

Media

Permanent link to MTA daily media news

The Right's Garden of False Narratives (by Phil Rockstroh)
This has been the right's craftiest accomplishment: inducing "reasonable" liberals and "sensible" centrists to enable their crimes, from stolen elections to their present preparation for a massive bombing campaign of Iran, by intimidating them with the fear that any protest on their part will cast them among the ranks of America-hating, lefty moonbats, who wish to see the terrorist win, dumpsters piled high with discarded fetuses and metro-sexuality made the official state religion. Moreover, these assaults upon both reason and the republic (what's left of it) will persist until progressives begin to effectively counter the narratives of the predatory right. Some call it shameful demagoguery; although, conservatives call it career advancement.

Rather to give most of any court award to journalistic causes
Dan Rather says he's suing CBS for $70 million to restore his reputation, and that he'll donate most of any winnings. Former CBS News correspondent and Rather critic Bernard Goldberg says the former anchor is a great reporter, "but the dark side is that he's unwilling or incapable of accepting responsibility... This is the man who signed off his newscast with 'courage,' and now he's alleging 'they made me do it, they just put the words in front of me.' This is ridiculous on so many levels."
Bernard Goldberg is a right-wing shill. Better to read Jim Moore’s and Mary Mapes’ recent commentaries about Rathergate. It was another one of those right-wing coordinated attacks that worked beyond their wildest dreams.—Caro

Democrats Should Attack Bush, Not MoveOn (by Paul Begala)
Before a single Democrat condemns MoveOn's ad, they should insist that George W. Bush and the Republican Party repudiate the anti-military smears on war heroes that have been the hallmark of Mr. Bush's political career… Mr. Bush is not leading a serious, sober discussion about public discourse during a war. He wants to divide progressives and score political points. We should not let him. Throughout his career he's been willing to tolerate and benefit from vicious lies about military men. We should not concede that he is legitimately angry now.

MoveOn moves on with its 'Betrayal' ads: Latest one targets Senate Republicans
Showing no signs of letting up in its campaign alleging that the nation has been "betrayed" by those who support President Bush's policies in Iraq, MoveOn.org Political Action today takes aim at Senate Republicans. A new "Betrayal of Trust" TV ad targets Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and other Republican senators for voting "against a plan that would give our soldiers reasonable time to spend with their families before having to return to war.

GOP FILIBUSTERS (by Kevin Drum)
Republicans (are) obstructing legislation at three times the usual rate… As things stand, though, Republicans will largely avoid blame for their tactics. After all, the (media are reporting) only that the DC bill "came up short in the Senate" and … that the habeas bill "fell short in the Senate." You have to read with a gimlet eye to figure out how the vote actually broke down, and casual readers will come away thinking that the bills failed because of some kind of generic Washington gridlock, not GOP obstructionism.
Click through to see a chart of the number of filibusters per congressional session from 1963.—Caro

Does the Washington Post Deserve to Be Taken Seriously? (by Dean Baker)
The Post rightly beats up on Alan Greenspan for his efforts to worm away from his support for President Bush’s 2001 tax cut… The economy at the time was being driven by a massive stock bubble which was already in the process of deflating… Some economists recognized this at the time (including Alan Greenspan). The Post chose to ignore these economists and instead rely on projections that proved to be hugely inaccurate. It should at least have the decency to acknowledge this mistake instead of covering it up with a classic Washington “who could have known?”

NONE DARE CALL IT DOWDING (by Bob Somerby)
(Maureen Dowd:) “… Nobody wants to simply admit they made a mistake… We should think of a name for this appalling modern phenomenon. Kissingering, perhaps.” Or perhaps we should just call it “Dowding!” Indeed, no one has made more “mistakes” through the years than the Times’ most insipid columnist. Dating back to 1992, she has invented an amazing array of bogus stories about various White House candidates—most fatefully, about Candidate Gore.

Associated Press' Ron Fournier: John Edwards Seems Genuine To Me, But He Might Be A Phony, Anyway (by Greg Sargent)
Oh, man -- we've got a live one here. This piece by the Associated Press' Ron Fournier is one of the most desperate efforts to breathe life into the "John Edwards is a phony" narrative that I've seen yet.

Technology & Science

Do Not Call listings to expire in 2008
WASHINGTON - The cherished dinner hour void of telemarketers could vanish next year for millions of people when phone numbers begin dropping off the national Do Not Call list.

Frequent Cell Phone Use May Slow Brain Function
There have been worries about cell phones causing brain cancer. And certainly everyone worries about driving behind the guy who's holding the steering wheel with his knees while tapping in a message on a wireless e-mail device.

Childhood Obesity Epidemic a Long-Term Challenge
It may take decades to reverse the health threats, experts say.

Support System Leads to Better Diet, Nutrition
Women who got phone counseling ate more veggies and fiber, less fat, study found

U.S. study finds potential new ways to fight aging
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers said on Thursday they had found more ways to activate the body's own anti-aging defenses -- perhaps with a pill that could fight multiple diseases at once.

Wrist action confirms Indonesian "Hobbit" was a new species of human: study
CHICAGO (AFP) - An analysis of the wrist bones of the tiny prehistoric human dubbed the "Hobbit" bolsters the theory that it was a new species of human and not some aberration of modern man, a study released Thursday said.

Scientists Say Velociraptor Had Feathers
WASHINGTON (AP) - Velociraptor, the terrifying predator made famous in the movie "Jurassic Park," appears to have had feathers in real life. A close study of a velociraptor forearm found in Mongolia shows the presence of quill knobs, bumps on the bone where the feathers anchor, researchers report

New Zone Inside the Earth Proposed
A first-time experimental recreation of the crushing, searing conditions within the Earth's lower mantle has led geophysicists to a surprising proposal that there is a new zone of rock within the planet.

Environment

Arctic sea ice refreezing after record seasonal low
Arctic sea ice may have started its annual fall refreezing after reaching an all-time record low, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

NASA: Antarctic Snowmelt Increasing
Antarctic snow has been melting farther inland and at higher altitudes over the past 20 years, NASA scientists announced today.

California Utility Donates $1.2 Million in Solar Installations to Habitat for Humanity
SAN FRANCISCO - Pacific Gas and Electric Company today announced a $1.2 million partnership with Habitat for Humanity International to install solar electric systems on every Habitat-built home throughout PG&E's northern and central California service territory in 2007.

A Hole In The Ocean To Store Energy
Imagine you’re looking for treasure on a small island in the middle of an ocean. The highest elevation on the island is just above sea level, which is rising because of global warming. (You’d rather not see that happen.) The hole you’ve dug is deeper than the surface of the ocean around your little island. Should the skies turn cloudy and a storm come in, the ocean could come pouring into your hole. You’d be in deep trouble in your hole in the middle of the ocean. But you have a second revelation, you’ve invented an energy storage device.

Eco-Gadget Shuts Off Electronic Gear When You Leave The Hotel Room
OYARZUN, SPAIN—Onity has launched Intellity, its latest innovation in energy management solutions for the lodging industry. Intellity is an intelligent energy saving device that reads the magnetic stripe on Onity hotel-specific keycards to identify and differentiate guest and staff keycards, while disconnecting electrical equipment when guests are out of the room.

Report: U.S. Natural Products Sales Top $56.7 Billion, 9.7% Growth
U.S. consumers continue to demonstrate a growing appetite for natural and organic products, as manufacturers and retailers expand into new and nontraditional areas and deepen their offerings.

For more headlines, visit MakeThemAccountable.com.

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1. Happy Friday!