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[Caro]

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Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com

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US dismisses Iranian pledge to help unite Iraq
Iran pledged at UN talks Saturday to help national reconciliation in Iraq but the assurance was immediately brushed aside by the Islamic republic's archrival the United States.
Don’t forget that Iran offered to help with Iraq in 2003, and was rebuffed. The truth is that this administration doesn’t want anything to do with Iran except to bomb it.—Caro

Webb: Lieberman And Kyl’s Hawkish Iran Amendment Is ‘Cheney’s Fondest Pipe Dream’
On the Senate floor (Tuesday), Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) made an impassioned appeal to his fellow senators, declaring that the Lieberman-Kyl amendment on Iran should be “withdrawn” because the “proposal is Dick Cheney’s fondest pipe dream.” Webb cautioned that the “cleverly-worded sense of the Congress” could be “interpreted” to “declare war” on Iran.
Click through to watch the video, and call your senators! Tell them not to give George Bush cover to start another war. Capitol switchboard (all toll free): 800-459-1887, 877-851-6437, 800-828-0498, 866-338-1015, 866-340-9281, 800-614-2803—Caro

The Heretik

The World

Iraqi Prime Minister Says That Civil War Has Been Prevented
Civil war has been averted in Iraq and Iranian intervention there has "ceased to exist," Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said (Monday). "I can't say there is a picture of roses and flowers in Iraq," Maliki told the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. "However, I can say that the greatest victory, of which I am proud . . . is stopping the explosion of a sectarian war." That possibility, he said, "is now far away."
Off the reservation?—Caro

WHO: Cholera outbreak in Iraq spreading
GENEVA - A cholera outbreak in Iraq is spreading, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, with new cases confirmed in Baghdad, Basra and for the first time three northern districts.

Suicide epidemic striking Kurdish women
IRBIL, Iraq— Three weeks after she was burned, the petite 18-year-old lay in a hospital bed, her head, arms and upper torso swathed in cotton. He seared face was daubed with ointment.

Iran leader says nuclear issue closed
UNITED NATIONS - Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared Tuesday that Iran's disputed nuclear program is "closed" as a political issue and said Tehran will ignore U.N. Security Council demands and sanctions imposed by "arrogant powers" to curb its nuclear program.

Bhutto: Extremism has grown in Pakistan under Musharraf
WASHINGTON — Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who's pledged to end her 10-year exile next month in hopes of returning to power, said Tuesday that the Bush administration had made a mistake by believing that the government of Gen. Pervez Musharraf was the best choice for fighting terrorism. Bhutto said extremism had grown under Musharraf, whose government has received more than $10 billion in U.S. aid since 9-11 in return for help in fighting al Qaida.

Buddhist monks defy assembly ban
YANGON, Myanmar - Security forces fired warning shots and tear gas canisters while hauling Buddhist monks away in trucks Wednesday as they tried to stop anti-government demonstrations in defiance of a ban on assembly.

Canadian military wrote Karzai speech: opposition
OTTAWA (Reuters) - A speech that Afghan President Hamid Karzai delivered to Canada's Parliament a year ago, urging the country's continued military support, was nothing more than a "political stunt," written by Canadian defense ministry staff, an opposition party charged on Tuesday.

Nicaraguan leader rails at U.S. hegemony
UNITED NATIONS - Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega accused the U.S. of imposing a worldwide dictatorship and defended the right of Iran and North Korea to pursue nuclear technology in a speech Tuesday before the U.N. General Assembly meeting.

The Nation

House approves increased child healthcare but misses veto-proof margin
In one of the biggest congressional health care votes since 2003, the House of Representatives voted 265 to 159 to reauthorize and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years. But the victory tally fell short of the tally needed to override a promised veto of the measure by President Bush.

Alleged Iranian 'Front' Represented by Mukasey Law Firm
For more than 25 years, U.S. intelligence and law enforcement authorities say they have suspected the New York-based Alavi Foundation is a "front" for Iranian espionage and anti-American activities. For more than 25 years, court records show the foundation has been publicly defended and represented by the New York law firm where attorney-general nominee Michael Mukasey is a partner: Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP.

Senate Rules To Consider FEC Nominations Wednesday
The Senate Rules and Administration Committee will consider four nominees to the Federal Election Commission Wednesday… Of the four nominees, (Hans) von Spakovsky could prove the most controversial because of his tenure in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. The conservative commissioner reported to Bradley Schlozman in the Civil Rights Division, and Rules Chairman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) isn't a big fan of latter's work. She grilled Schlozman earlier this year for his prosecution of several liberal organizers in Missouri in a controversial voter fraud case right before the last election.
Digby has the goods on von Spakovsky.—Caro

White House backs down, withdraws CIA nominee.
The White House has withdrawn the nomination of John Rizzo to become General Counsel at the CIA. Rizzo’s nomination had elicited a fury of outrage from key senators and human rights and advocacy groups. The anger stemmed form Rizzo’s refusal at a June confirmation hearing to disavow his approval of a 2002 memo that stretched the definition of torture.

McConnell reaffirms public FISA debate will kill Americans.
At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this morning, Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell reaffirmed that public discussion of the administration’s surveillance program would lead to the “killing of Americans.”
Click through to watch the video. Meanwhile, see below for what will really kill Americans.—Caro

Violent Crime, a Sticky Issue for White House, Shows Steeper Rise
Violent crime in the United States rose more than previously believed in 2006, continuing the most significant increase in more than a decade, according to an FBI report released (Monday)… The uptick presents a significant political challenge for the Bush administration, which has faced growing criticism from congressional Democrats, big-city mayors and police chiefs for presiding over cuts in federal assistance to local law enforcement agencies over the past six years.

Waxman: State Department blocking congressional probe
WASHINGTON — Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Cal., charged Tuesday that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her aides are trying to impede congressional probes into corruption in Iraq and the activities of controversial private military contractor Blackwater USA… The department also retroactively classified a study drafted by the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that reportedly details extensive corruption in al-Maliki's government, Waxman said.

Court Advances Military Trials for Detainees
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 — A special military appeals court, overturning a lower court ruling, on Monday removed a legal hurdle that has derailed war crime trials for detainees at Guantanámo Bay, Cuba. The ruling allows military prosecutors to address a legal flaw that had ground the prosecutions to a halt. The decision, by a three-judge panel of a newly formed military appeals court, was an important victory for the government in its protracted efforts to begin prosecuting some of the 340 detainees at Guantánamo.

NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD CALLS FOR … FEDERAL INVESTIGATION INTO JENA 6 ARRESTS AND PROSECUTIONS
The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) calls for the immediate release of Mychal Bell, one of the six high school students who have come to be known as the “Jena 6.” The Guild also calls for all charges against the Jena 6 to be dropped, and for the investigation and disbarment of Judge J.P. Mauffray and District Attorney Reed Walters.

Democrats Maintain Image Advantage Over Republicans
According to a new Gallup poll, the Democratic Party enjoys a large lead in favorability over Republicans. Currently 53% of respondents hold favorable opinions about the Democrats, compared with only 38% who do so for Republicans. The poll found similar margins believe Democrats will handle the economy better… (F)or the first time since Gallup asked about national security in this annual poll, Democrats are viewed more favorably in their ability to handle security issues than are Republicans (47% to 42%).

Nader Preparing for Another Run?
The "Ralph Nader Democratic Caucus Campaign Draft Committee" is seeking campaign workers in Iowa and New Hampshire, according to advertisements placed on Craigslist.

Jim Cramer: Bust the UAW - There’s No Reason To Build Cars In America
CNBC host Jim Cramer has a message for the hard-working men and women of the United Auto Workers Union currently on strike: sit down, shut up and be happy with less so GM execs can stay rich. (Tuesday) on Hardball, Cramer does his best tough guy act, fortunately Ross Eisenbrey, Vice President of the Economic Policy Institute … reminds Cramer that the UAW strike is about keeping jobs in America and that this war against the working class isn’t just about unions, it’s happening to non-union workers as well.
Click through to watch the video.—Caro

Media

Permanent link to MTA daily media news

The Left's Media Miscalculation (Redux) (by Robert Parry)
In view of the MoveOn fiasco, we are republishing our April 29, 2005, report, entitled “The Left’s Media Miscalculation,” which explains how this media asymmetry developed.
Click through to read or re-read the essay. This problem is so clear to me. But Bob Parry of Consortium News and Mark Karlin of BuzzFlash seem to be the only progressives with a platform who agree with me. Where are the rest of you? Why aren’t we working together to create our own mighty megaphone?—Caro

Dan Rather is right (by Eric Boehlert)
Using Bush's own military records, I'll list 10 glaring discrepancies regarding his fraudulent military service, none of which is based on the disputed memos that were aired by CBS News in 2004. And yes, I'm pretty sure all 10 discrepancies will come as news flashes to the same journalists who mocked Rather last week for having the temerity to suggest his National Guard report was true.
Please click through to read the entire article. The destruction of Dan Rather is one of the most important examples of the power of the right-wing megaphone.—Caro

Spacey to star in HBO's 'Recount'
Kevin Spacey, Laura Dern, Denis Leary, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson, Ed Begley Jr. and Bob Balaban have been set by HBO Films to star in “Recount,” the drama about the controversial Florida results in the 2000 presidential election. Jay Roach is directing a script written by Danny Strong.
And the Florida non-recount was one of the first national examples of the right wing’s power to re-create reality.—Caro

Timing is Everything (by digby, regarding “Recount”, above)
The people involved show that this is not going to be a "Path to 9/11" hit job so the wingnuts are going to have an epic case of the vapors not seen since ... well, their last epic case of the vapors. Good. It's past time Hollywood pulled out the big political guns and started making some straight-up political movies. We'll probably have to fight off the Democrats more than the Republicans because as always, they'll feel the need to distance themselves from even the tiniest bit of partisan controversy, but to hell with them. This story has never actually been told and it's long ov erdue..
This is how Hollywood can help build the mighty megaphone for truth, honor, and decency.

Bush astounds activists, supports human rights
UNITED NATIONS — President Bush implored the United Nations on Tuesday to recommit itself to restoring human decency by liberating oppressed people and ending famine and disease… Bush didn't mention the U.S. prisons in Afghanistan or at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. practice of holding detainees for years without legal charges or access to lawyers, or the CIA's "rendition" kidnappings of suspects abroad, all issues of concern to human rights activists around the world.
Have I told you lately that I love McClatchy?

Trump On Fox: Bush “Perhaps The Worst President In The History Of This Country”
Donald Trump, who is no fan of President Bush, gives his unvarnished opinions on Fox & Friends (Tuesday) morning, which got hosts Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade a little worked up. While it’s clear he’s not considered a hostile guest, the hosts do their best to push back against his criticisms. Kilmeade makes sure that Trump isn’t Pro-Saddam and Doocy proclaims the United Nations hates America!, but The Donald doesn’t miss a beat.

Journalistic progress on Iran
The New York Times does a piece on how -- despite right-wing hyperventilation -- Ahmadinejad isn't really that important. Not in his own country, and not in the grand scheme of international relations, except for how we keep supporting him by giving him too much attention and being belligerent.

White House prepares ‘phonetic guide’ for Bush.
As President Bush spoke to the United Nation’s General Assembly (Tuesday) morning, “a marked-up draft of the president’s speech popped up on the U.N.’s website” that included “phonetic spellings of some names and countries, and the cellphone numbers for Bush speechwriters.” White House Press Secretary Dana Perino got annoyed when a reporter asked “if the president has trouble pronouncing some country’s names,” calling it an “offensive question” before saying, “it was taken down and there’s nothing more to say about it.”

http://www.mediachannel.org/wordpress/2007/09/25/turning-ahmadinejad-into-public-enemy-no-1/">Turning Ahmadinejad Into Public Enemy No. 1 (by Juan Cole)
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to New York to address the United Nations General Assembly has become a media circus. But the controversy does not stem from the reasons usually cited.

O’Reilly Rips Columbia’s Invitation To Ahmadinejad As ‘Revolting,’ But Admits He Invited Him Too
(Monday) night, Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly criticized Columbia University’s decision to invite Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak on campus. O’Reilly, who spent much of last week railing against Columbia’s invitation, called the event “revolting” and singled out Columbia University President Lee Bollinger as being “hypocritical beyond belief” for his invitation. But moments later, O’Reilly revealed that he had also offered an invitation to Ahmadinejad to appear on his own show.

Technology & Science

Sharp to offer Blu-ray recorder with 1-terabyte HDD
TOKYO (Reuters) - Sharp Corp (6753.T) said it would launch a Blu-ray high-definition DVD recorder with a 1-terabyte hard disk drive (HDD), the world's largest storage capacity on any Blu-ray recorder, as it competes with the HD DVD camp.

Software Takes Aim at Altered Photos
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Tracing its roots to a founder's anger at a no-show home remodeling crew, the makers of Shoot & Proof software aim to erase any doubts that digital photos are faked or manipulated.

Scientists: Brain injuries from war worse than thought
Scientists trying to understand traumatic brain injury from bomb blasts are finding the wound more insidious than they once thought. They find that even when there are no outward signs of injury from the blast, cells deep within the brain can be altered, their metabolism changed, causing them to die, says Geoff Ling, an advance-research scientist with the Pentagon.
And they discovered this by blowing up animals. One horror on top of another.—Caro

Omega-3s Guard Against Type 1 Diabetes
High-risk kids who ate more fatty acids were less likely to develop diabetes, study says

U.S. breast cancer death rate continues dropping
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The death rate from breast cancer continues to drop steadily by about 2 percent a year, but black women are not seeing the same benefits as whites, the American Cancer Society said on Tuesday.

Smart Bra Does Breast Cancer Screening
A breast-screening smart bra developed by the Centre for Materials Research & Innovation (University of Bolton, UK) allows users to detect breast cancer at the earliest possible stage, making a cure much more likely.

Study Questions Flu Shot's Value for Older People
Most trials don't even include people over 70, researchers note

Migrating birds may "see" Earth's magnetic field
LONDON (Reuters) - Migrating birds, it seems, can "see" the Earth's magnetic field which they use as a compass to guide them around the globe.

Paleontologist aims to preserve mountain
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The Robledo Mountains' reputation as one of the world's most important landscapes of pre-dinosaur fossil trackways likely will be enhanced by another discovery — petrified wood slowly emerging from the desert floor.

NASA to Embark on Asteroid-Belt Mission
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - NASA is about to embark on an unprecedented asteroid-belt mission with a spacecraft aptly named Dawn. The 3 billion-mile, eight-year journey to probe the earliest stages of the solar system will begin with liftoff, planned for just after sunrise Thursday.

Environment

Climate change action urged at UN
Sep. 24 - The head of the United Nations and others urged quick global action to stem emissions that heat the planet.

Greenland Snowmelt This Year Could Cover U.S. Twice
The amount of ice that has melted away from Greenland's ice sheet this year could cover an area twice the size of the United States, with more melting occurring in 2007 than the average going back to 1988, a new study finds.

Alaskans warn House panel about global warming's effects
WASHINGTON — Scientists, conservationists and even the mayor of the eroding village of Shishmaref painted a grim picture of the effects of climate change in Alaska, including the loss of habitat for polar bears and the end of a way of life for native people.

Silicon Valley Revs Up Clean Tech Development
OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 26, 2007 -- From mass carpool programs to biofuels and solar research, a new report details how Silicon Valley is leading the charge to tackle climate change.

For more headlines, visit MakeThemAccountable.com.

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