Citizens for Legitimate Government

CLG's BREAKING NEWS and COMMENTARY

Her deadly wolf program --With a disdain for science that alarms wildlife experts, Sarah Palin continues to promote Alaska's policy to gun down wolves from planes. By Mark Benjamin 08 Sep 2008 Wildlife activists thought they had seen the worst in 2003 when Frank Murkowski, then the Republican governor of Alaska, signed a bill ramping up state programs to gun down wild wolves from airplanes... But that was before Sarah Palin took Murkowski's job at the end of 2006. She went one step, or paw, further. Palin didn't think Alaskans should be allowed to chase wolves from aircraft and shoot them -- they should be encouraged to do so. Palin's administration put a bounty on wolves' heads, or to be more precise, on their mitts. In early 2007, Palin's administration approved an initiative to pay a $150 bounty to hunters who killed a wolf from an airplane in certain areas, hacked off the left foreleg, and brought in the appendage. Ruling that the Palin administration didn't have the authority to offer payments, a state judge quickly put a halt to them but not to the shooting of wolves from aircraft. [The bears and the wolves need to learn to *shoot first.* Heads up! This sicko is going to have her hand on the nuclear button, once the evangelical nutjobs force McCain to retire - or retire him themselves - in order to put Palin in charge of the whole ball of wax. --LRP]

John McCain: Morally, Mentally, and Emotionally Unfit By Jim Fetzer 05 Sep 2008 The Republican Party has now nominated the most unqualified candidate for the Presidency in our history, with the possible exception of George W. Bush. Over his entire life-span, he has repeatedly shown that he is out of touch with reality, impulsive and reckless in his judgment, and intellectually lazy and lacking in curiosity... Past indications of his reckless judgment have been reinforced by his choice of a transparently unqualified running mate, Sarah Palin, another beauty queen. He married a trophy wife and has now selected a trophy nominee to run with him.

New Book: Palin Will Make You Miss Cheney By R J Shulman 07 Sep 2008 Democratic partisans cheered and laughed at their convention in Denver when New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson asked, "Will anybody miss Dick Cheney?" A new book contends that Bill Richardson's prediction could be wrong, dead wrong. James L. Wasserman, author of I Never Thought I’d Miss Richard Nixon has just written a new book called, I Never Thought I’d Miss Dick Cheney, No Never, No Way Never, No Way No How No Never... Wasserman tells us, "You have no idea what she is capable of doing when she gets PMS. That’s not sexist, as PMS stands for 'Pentecostal Mental State' which men can get, too. Jerry Falwell suffered from it. While Cheney supposedly swore on the Bible to uphold the Constitution, Palin will swear at the Constitution while upholding the Bible, and her version of the Bible at that." (Satire!)

Court Gives White House More Time --Stay Delays House Panel's Probe Into Prosecutor Firings 06 Sep 2008 A federal appeals court granted the White House a temporary delay in turning over documents to a House committee investigating the firings of nine U.S. attorneys. A three-judge panel ordered the stay on Thursday, the deadline set by the House Judiciary Committee for White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten to provide the records. The order by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit also will probably delay the appearance of former White House Counsel Harriet Miers before the committee.

NBC Removes Olbermann From "Election" Anchor Seat 08 Sep 2008 After months of [GOP] accusations of political bias and simmering animosity between MSNBC and its parent network NBC, the channel decided over the weekend that the NBC News correspondent and MSNBC host David Gregory [?!] would anchor news coverage of the coming debates and election night. Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews will remain as analysts during the coverage... As Mr. Olbermann raised his voice, his ratings rose as well, and he now reaches more than one million viewers a night, a higher television rating than any other show in the troubled 12-year history of the network. [Maybe NBC fears (journalist) Keith Olbermann might dare to call the upcoming "election" a coup in the middle *of* the coup. --LRP]

U.S. deserter feared torture orders --Arabic-speaking soldier may prompt Canada to wade into legal debate 06 Sep 2008 Peter Jemley is unique among the growing ranks of war resisters who have sought refuge in Canada. He wants Canada to accept him as a refugee because he's opposed to torture. Jemley argues that as one of only a small number of Arabic linguists with top security clearance, he could be forced to violate international law by participating in the interrogations of terrorism suspects. It was something he hadn't considered when he enlisted in 2005 and was handpicked to undergo two years of intense training due to his adeptness with languages.

Major ice-shelf loss for Canada 03 Sep 2008 The ice shelves in Canada's High Arctic have lost a colossal area this year, scientists report. The floating tongues of ice attached to Ellesmere Island, which have lasted for thousands of years, have seen almost a quarter of their cover break away.

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US to establish naval base in Georgia 07 Sep 2008 The US is negotiating with Georgia and Turkey to establish a naval base at one of the two key Georgian ports of Batumi or Poti, reports say. Turkey, in an attempt to avoid political tension with Russia, has not officially revealed its position regarding the plan, said Gruzya Online, a Russian-language internet site. Russia had previously announced its intention to station its own special forces at the Georgian ports.

Kremlin-watchers warn of direct U.S.-Russia clash 07 Sep 2008 In the aftermath of last month's war between Russia and U.S.-backed Georgia, Kremlin-watchers in Moscow are worried that Russia and America are closer to direct confrontation than at any point since the end of the Cold War. The rhetoric coming from the Bush regime - and presidential hopeful John McCain - suggests that tensions are still on the rise.

Vladimir Putin set to bait US with nuclear aid for Tehran 07 Sep 2008 Russia is considering increasing its assistance to Iran�s nuclear programme in response to America�s calls for Nato expansion eastwards and the presence of US Navy vessels in the Black Sea delivering [military] aid to Georgia. The Kremlin is discussing sending teams of Russian nuclear experts to Tehran and inviting Iranian nuclear scientists to Moscow for training, according to sources close to the Russian military.

Rice: 'Time isn't right for the Russia agreement' 06 Sep 2008 Now is not the right time for the U.S. to move forward on a once-celebrated deal for civilian nuclear cooperation with Russia, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday. Her comment increased speculation that President [sic] Bush is planning to punish Moscow for invading Georgia, a former Soviet republic, by canceling the agreement. Such a move is being planned, according to senior Bush administration officials, but is not yet final. [But will be in time to help McInsane/Palin.]

Iran to launch series of military maneuvers Monday --Three-day exercise to include examination of antiaircraft systems, aimed at upgrading army's combat preparedness, deterring US and Israeli from attacking Islamic Republic 07 Sep 2008 Iran will launch three-day military maneuvers on Monday, which will include the examination of antiaircraft systems, the Iranian Students' News Agency reported Sunday. According to the report, Iran's regular force and the country's Revolutionary Guards will take part in the exercise.

Iran to hold three-day war games: report 07 Sep 2008 Iran's armed forces will begin three days of war games on Monday involving anti-aircraft defense systems, Iranian media said on Sunday. The exercises will be held amid persistent speculation about a possible U.S. or Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, which the West and Israel say are part of a clandestine bid to build atomic bombs, despite Tehran's denials.

Hamid Karzai blames Britain for Taliban resurgence 07 Sep 2008 The president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, has blamed Britain for the resurgence of the Taliban and its growing activity in large tracts of the country. His remarks, made to Afghan MPs, follow a clash with Gordon Brown over the Kabul regime�s links with warlords and drugs barons.

US air power triples deaths of Afghan civilians, says report --Air strikes killed at least 321 civilians in 2007 08 Sep 2008 Civilian deaths in Afghanistan from US and Nato air strikes have nearly tripled over the past year, with the onslaught continuing in 2008 and fuelling a public backlash, a leading human rights group [Human Rights Watch] says today.

Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan 07 Sep 2008 A Canadian soldier [Sgt. Prescott Shipway] has been killed and seven others have been wounded in southern Afghanistan after their vehicle struck an explosive device.

Four killed in Iran mortar blast 08 Sep 2008 At least four people have died and two others were injured as mortars left from the imposed Iraq-Iran war were detonated in western Iran. A strong blast was heard after the mortars went off in Sarpol-Zahab, a small town bordering Iraq in Kermanshah province.

"They said everyone who comes here has to confess." Inmates tell of sexual abuse and beatings in Iraq's juvenile prisons --Children as young as nine held in sweltering cells --Karkh juvenile prison currently holds 315 children, while its capacity is 250 08 Sep 2008 Hundreds of children, some as young as nine, are being held in appalling conditions in Baghdad's prisons, sleeping in sweltering temperatures in overcrowded cells without working fans, no daily access to showers, and subject to frequent sexual abuse by guards, current and former prisoners say... Raad Jamal was 17 when US forces raided his home in the mixed Sunni and Shia district of Doura in June last year... Raad and a friend were taken to a US base and were transferred next morning to the seventh brigade of the Iraqi army's second regiment. Raad said he and his friend were hung from the ceiling on ropes, beaten with electric cables, and taken for interrogation one by one. "They said everyone who comes here has to confess," Raad said.

Israeli police urge PM's indictment for corruption --18-month inquiry seeks legal action against Olmert --Foreign minister likely to replace him this month 08 Sep 2008 Israel's police force has recommended that the prime minister, Ehud Olmert, be indicted for bribery, money laundering, fraud and breach of trust, following an 18-month investigation. Olmert is accused of receiving $150,000 (�84,000) in cash for political campaigns over a 10-year period, accepting tens of thousands of dollars in upgraded air tickets and expensive hotel rooms and of double-billing Jewish philanthropic organisations to the tune of $110,000.

Lieberman, Others Teaching Palin Foreign Policy 05 Sep 2008 Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman is among several national security experts helping brief Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin on foreign policy issues as she prepares to hit the campaign trail while cramming for a debate with her Democratic opponent, Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Del.), in less than a month, according to officials from Sen. John McCain's campaign. LieberBush, now an independent [agent for Israel], has helped introduce Palin to officials of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the leading pro-Israel lobby.

GOP Lawmaker Seeks Removal of Peer Leading Palin Probe 07 Sep 2008 The Alaska lawmaker leading an investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin's dismissal of her public safety commissioner should be removed because he appears to be manipulating the probe to damage her vice presidential candidacy, a Republican legislator [state Rep. John Coghill] said.

Palin used state funds for trip to speak at her former church 06 Sep 2008 Gov. Sarah Palin used state funds in June when she traveled from Juneau to Wasilla to speak to graduating evangelical students and urge them to fan out through Alaska "to make sure God�s will be done here."

Palin's Hockey Rink Leads to Legal Trouble in Town She Led 06 Sep 2008 The biggest project that Sarah Palin undertook as mayor of this small town was an indoor sports complex... The only catch was that the city began building roads and installing utilities for the project before it had unchallenged title to the land. The misstep led to years of litigation and at least $1.3 million in extra costs for a small municipality with a small budget. What was to be Ms. Palin's legacy has turned into a financial mess that continues to plague Wasilla.

Gov. Sarah Palin's eBay plane claim 05 Sep 2008 When Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin sought to illustrate her frugality and flair to delegates at the GOP convention Wednesday, she described how she disposed of a corporate jet acquired by her unpopular predecessor. "That luxury jet was over the top," Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, said to loud cheers. "I put it on eBay." Palin's statement implied the plane was sold through the online auction site, and Palin's spokeswoman insisted Thursday that the transaction occurred. But the plane failed to sell on eBay. Instead, the 23-year-old 10-seat Westwind II was sold in August 2007 for $2.1 million to a Valdez, Alaska, entrepreneur; that's about $300,000 less than a broker's asking price, according to news accounts. Also, while Palin characterized the plane as an extravagance of former Gov. Frank Murkowski, who arranged for its purchase in November 2005, the plane saw heavy use transporting Alaskan convicts.

Gay Groups Protest Palin Pick 07 Sep 2008 Gay groups are asking questions -- and finding answers -- about Republican presidential nominee John McCain's VP choice, Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin. Most are unhappy with their findings. Gay groups are troubled by Palin, calling her anti-gay record "frightening."

Questions remain on Palin vetting 06 Sep 2008 John McCain's presidential campaign did not speak with the Alaska House speaker and other leading Republicans before McCain tapped Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. The low-profile vetting allowed McCain to spring Palin onto the national scene uncolored by media scrutiny. But it has left the campaign open to criticism that McCain did not fully explore her qualifications. The subject is now closed, said McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds.

Palin requests talks with oil executives By Andrew Halcro 07 Sep 2008 Governor Sarah Palin has requested a conference call this week with the CEO's of the major oil companies playing a role in the potential development of Alaska's natural gas pipeline. The requested participants include Tony Hayward from BP, James Mulva from ConocoPhillips, Rex Tillerson from Exxon along with others. According to my source, no one knows exactly what the purpose of the call is, but some have never the less speculated. ...[The] state has done little more to move the gas pipeline forward over the last twenty months than to grant a Canadian company $500 million to push paperwork with no guarantee a pipeline will be built.

Palin and McCain's Shotgun Marriage By Frank Rich 07 Sep 2008 What was most striking about McCain�s acceptance speech is that it had almost nothing in common with the strident right-wing convention that preceded it. We were pointedly given a rerun of McCain 2000 -- cobbled together from scraps of the old Straight Talk repertory. The ensuing tedium was in all likelihood intentional. It�s in the campaign�s interest that we nod off and assume McCain is unchanged in 2008... Palin is a high-energy distraction from the top of the ticket, even if the provenance of her stardom is in itself a reflection of exactly what�s frightening about the top of the ticket. By hurling charges of sexism and elitism at any easily cowed journalist who raises a question about Palin, McCain operatives are hoping to ensure that whatever happened in Alaska with Sarah Palin stays in Alaska.

Sarah Palin, John McCain And Republican Fertility By BayouBuzz staff 05 Sep 2008 For the first time ever, the 2008 Republican Convention celebrated unwed teenage motherhood by seating Sarah Palin's reportedly 5-months' pregnant daughter with her teenage lover, proudly in the VIP row. As the swollen, 17-year-old Bristol Palin complacently gripped her swarthy impregnator's hand, Alaska's governor and the prospective mother's mother sternly lectured on family values and accused "the media" of persecuting her family. Has the Republican Party gone mad? No. But perhaps it's watched "The Da Vinci Code" too many times.

Obama: Palin aligned with Bush, Cheney 07 Sep 2008 Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama called Republican rival John McCain�s running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a "skilled politician," but said she was ideologically aligned with the Bush administration. "He chose someone who may be even more aligned with George Bush or Dick Cheney, or the politics we�ve seen over the last eight years than John McCain himself is," Obama said in a taped interview broadcasted Sunday on ABC�s "This Week."

Biden: Republicans silent on issues that matter to middle class --Vice presidential candidate rallies Pa. voters 06 Sep 2008 A sometimes angry Sen. Joe Biden on Friday railed against the "abject failure" of Republicans to help middle-class Americans cope with shrinking wages, job losses and the rising cost of gas, groceries, health insurance and college. The Delaware senator and Democratic vice presidential nominee brought a crowd of 1,200 people at Maple Point Middle School to their feet by pointing out "what I didn't hear" from Republicans at their nominating convention this week.

Bank Tied to John McCain's Son Goes Under --Andrew McCain Served On Silver State Bank's Board Until July Before Leaving; Bank's Failure Marks 11th of the Year 06 Sep 2008 Regulators on Friday shut down Silver State Bank, saying the Nevada bank failed because of losses on soured loans, mainly in commercial real estate and land development. It was the 11th failure this year of a federally insured bank. Nevada regulators closed Silver State and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was appointed receiver of the bank, based in Henderson, Nevada.

Bush poised to turn $200 billion over to corpora-terrorist cronies: US Government takes over mortgage giants --US Government seizes control of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac 07 Sep 2008 The Bush administration's seizure of troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is potentially a $200 billion bet that it will help reverse a [Bush-created] prolonged housing and credit crisis.

Fannie, Freddie aftershocks: More bank woes --Government seizure of Fannie and Freddie could cause problems, even failure, for many small banks, even if it helps to stabilize the battered mortgage market. 07 Sep 2008 The takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is likely to cause big problems for hundreds of community banks nationwide and could lead to a new round of bank failures.

Anti-terrorism laws used to spy on noisy children --Councils are using anti-terrorism laws to spy on residents and tackle barking dogs and noisy children. 06 Sep 2008 An investigation by The Sunday Telegraph found that three quarters of local authorities have used the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000 over the past year. The Act gives councils the right to place residents and businesses under surveillance, trace telephone and email accounts and even send staff on undercover missions. The findings alarmed civil liberties campaigners. The RIPA was introduced to help fight terrorism and crime. But a series of extensions, first authorised by David Blunkett in 2003, mean that Britain's 474 councils can use the law to tackle minor misdemeanours.

Sensitive UK computer data goes missing 07 Sep 2008 A computer firm in the UK has lost personal details relating to thousands of British prison staff, prompting the country's Justice Secretary, Jack Straw, to order an urgent inquiry into Electronic Data Systems. EDS has admitted the loss of data containing information on 5,000 prison guard employees of the National Offender Management Service.

Indonesian Minister: Rich nations creating "new viruses" to create markets for drug companies to sell vaccines --Supari says US using bird flu virus to develop biological weapons 06 Sep 2008 Indonesia stopped sharing the samples with the World Health Organisation (WHO) in December 2006 on fears pharmaceutical companies would use them to make vaccines that are too expensive for poor countries... Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari has broadened her critique of an "unfair, neocolonialist" global health system, raising the possibility earlier this year the United States was using the virus to develop biological weapons in her book "It's Time for the World to Change: Divine Hands Behind Avian Influenza." Supari told a rapturous crowd at a book discussion last week that rich nations were creating "new viruses" and sending them to developing nations in order create markets for drug companies to sell vaccines. "Indonesia sends a virus to the WHO but it suddenly it ends up with the US government. Then the US government turns the virus into dollars and we don't know what kind of research," Supari said.

Worst storm in 48 years batters Caribbean islands --Hurricane wrecks 80% of homes in Turks and Caicos --Call for urgent help as Ike closes in on Cuba 08 Sep 2008 Article history Hurricane Ike was closing in on Cuba and the Bahamas last night after shredding 80% of homes on the Caribbean islands of Turks and Caicos, causing fresh misery for a region battered by tropical storms. Ike, a category 4 storm with winds of up to 135mph, blew off hundreds of roofs and wrecked scores of fishing boats in Turks and Caicos, a British overseas territory.

Algae Turns Polar Bears Green --Three polar bears at a Japanese zoo are looking under the weather after their fur turned green. 07 Sep 2008 The powerful beasts at the country's Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens are normally white to match their native Arctic habitats. But their changed colour in July after swimming in a pond with an overgrowth of algae. The bears are expected to return to their natural colour when the algae growth subsides in November.

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Bristol Palin Wants to Be VP By Lori Price 06 Sep 2008 Bristol Palin: "'I'm also hoping my mother wins [sic] to be Vice President, who knows maybe someday I'll be following in her footsteps??" Yes, after the baby is born and the shotgun wedding has taken place, Bristol aspires to be a vice president, too! "Please don't judge my mother or me, she's the best mother in the world. Listen to her and what she has to say, don't forget to vote [sic] her!" --Even if we did forget to vet her. [Actual quotes from Bristol Palin's MySpace profile page, with commentary]

US military, contractors trained Georgian commandos 05 Sep 2008 The US military provided combat training to 80 Georgian special forces commandos only months prior to Georgia�s army assault in South Ossetia in August. The revelation, based on recruitment documents and interviews with US military trainers obtained by the Financial Times, could add fuel to accusations by Vladimir Putin, Russian prime minister, last month that the US had "orchestrated" the war in the Georgian enclave. The training was provided by senior US soldiers and two military contractors.

Cheney Warns Russia to Reverse Its Course [Reverse yours, Dick.] 06 Sep 2008 Vice President [sic] Dick Cheney on Saturday denounced Russia�s war against Georgia as evidence of a pattern of "troublesome and unhelpful actions" that threatened peace from Central Asia to the Middle East to Europe.

How Fast Should Iraq Re-Arm? U.S. officials inside and out of the Pentagon were quick to say Iraq 'needs' high-powered weapons, and that the U.S. defense industry would be more than glad to supply them. 06 Sep 2008 The disconnect on security between the U.S. and the government of Iraq crystallized Friday, as Washington made clear it is in no rush to pull troops out of Iraq, just as Baghdad made it clear it's shopping for 36 F-16 jet fighters that could end up costing the war-weary nation close to $4 billion. The U.S. push to help re-arm Iraq -- helicopter gunships are already in the pipeline, and Baghdad is looking to buy 400 armored personnel carriers and six C-130 cargo planes -- suggests an Iraqi government eager to fight its own battles without U.S. help.

U.S. needs more troops in Afghanistan, commander says 06 Sep 2008 A top commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan said Friday that he needed thousands of additional troops to combat violence along the border with Pakistan, a requirement that appears to be at odds with recommendations from Army Gen. David H. Petraeus on future troop levels in Iraq.

Bush to decide on keeping current troop levels in Iraq 06 Sep 2008 George W. Bush will decide next week whether to maintain the current troop level of US troops in Iraq for the rest of his presidency [sic], potentially leaving the next big decision on Iraq policy to his successor... Separately, Iraq reacted angrily yesterday to claims in a new book that the US government had spied on the Iraqi government. In a book released on Monday, Bob Woodward, the veteran Washington Post reporter, says the US eavesdropped on Mr Maliki and other leaders.

Palin's eldest son to guard top commanders in Iraq 05 Sep 2008 Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's eldest son, Track, will perform security duties for his brigade's top officers in Iraq. In military parlance, Palin is a "dismount." He and other soldiers operate armored vehicles called Strykers.

US-led air strike 'killed woman and child' in Afghanistan 05 Sep 2008 A US-led coalition air strike has killed a woman and child and eight 'Taliban fighters' in western Afghanistan, a top Afghan army official said. Farah province, where the latest raid took place, adjoins Herat where the government says more than 90 civilians were killed in a US-led coalition air strike last month.

Suicide Bomber Kills 6 06 Sep 2008 A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a government building in southwestern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing six people, including a provincial prosecutor and his deputy. The attack, which also wounded a lawyer, occurred in the town of Zaranj, on the border with Iran.

2 NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan 06 Sep 2008 NATO is reporting the deaths of 2 soldiers. It says they were killed in an 'insurgent' attack Thursday in eastern Afghanistan.

KBR inquiry broader --Federal bribery investigation goes beyond single case in Nigeria 04 Sep 2008 The federal government's investigation of Houston-based KBR and bribery payments extends beyond the scheme to win contracts to build a large natural gas liquefaction plant in Nigeria, regulatory filings show. The government has told KBR and its former parent, Halliburton Co., it has uncovered evidence of improper payments made to Nigerian officials in connection with a KBR-managed project in Nigeria for Shell, Halliburton noted in a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investigators also are looking into possible evidence of payments connected to unnamed energy service projects in Nigeria, as well as other programs in other countries, according to the Halliburton filing.

Children aged eight enlisted as council snoopers --Some local authorities describe them as "covert human intelligence sources." 06 Sep 2008 Children as young as eight have been recruited by councils to "snoop" on their neighbours and report petty offences such as littering, the Daily Telegraph can disclose. The youngsters are among almost 5,000 residents who in some cases are being offered �500 rewards if they provide evidence of minor infractions. One in six councils contacted by the Telegraph said they had signed up teams of "environment volunteers" who are being encouraged to photograph or video neighbours guilty of dog fouling, littering or "bin crimes".

Subpoenas weighed in Palin probe --Alaska lawmakers will consider forcing aides to the governor to testify in an inquiry into her firing of the public safety chief. 06 Sep 2008 Several top Alaska state legislators said Friday that they would meet next week to consider authorizing subpoenas to force aides to Gov. Sarah Palin to testify in a probe into whether she abused her powers when she fired the state's public safety commissioner. Palin ousted Walter Monegan in July, saying she wanted to go in a "new direction," but Monegan has said he was axed after he repeatedly refused to sack Alaska State Trooper Michael Wooten, who was involved in a messy divorce from Palin's sister.

McCain Ally Moves to Curb Probe of Palin 05 Sep 2008 Key Alaska allies of John McCain are trying to derail a politically charged investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of her public safety commissioner in order to prevent a so-called "October surprise" that would produce embarrassing information about the vice presidential candidate on the eve of the election. In a move endorsed by the McCain campaign Friday, John Coghill, the GOP chairman of the state House Rules Committee, wrote a letter seeking a meeting of Alaska's bipartisan Legislative Council in order to remove the Democratic state senator in charge of the so-called "troopergate" investigation.

Scott Richter Palin: Todd Palin Business Partner Emergency Motion 05 Sep 2008 Todd Palin�s former business partner Scott A. Richter, who allegedly had an affair with Sarah Palin, filled an emergency motion to seal his divorce records but it was denied. The Palins own few undeveloped properties on the Safari Lake and Big Lake, AK, in partnership with Scott A. Richter and his ex-wife Debbie under "Richter Investments LLC." Debbie Richter was Palin�s campaign treasurer. Richter was awarded a job as the Director of the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend Division for her service. The State of Alaska gives its citizens "free money" checks every year out of this fund. This "free money" comes from oil royalties collected and investments. The Fund is currently worth $35 billion. Under Sarah and Debbie's leadership in 2006, all Permanent Fund claims from residents (you have to make a claim for your check) were lost in a computer data entry failure.

The Authoritative Trig Palin Conspiracy Time Line By Vanity Fair 05 Sep 2008 The McCain campaign won�t countenance it, and Barack Obama has even declared it off-limits, but the question of Trig Palin�s parentage--whether his real mom is Sarah Palin or her five-months pregnant, 17-year-old daughter Bristol--has transfixed the blogosphere. To settle the matter once and for all, VF.com presents this handy timeline juxtaposing both the official narrative and the wingnut conspiracy theories.

On Obama, Earmarks, Palin Less Than Honest --Palin's RNC Speech Bent the Truth on Her Record and on the Opposition 04 Sep 2008 In a rousing speech at last night's Republican National Convention, vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, touted her record, attacked the opposition, and in some cases, bent the facts.

Palin Vetting Documents from 2006. For Hard Core Palin Addicts Only. (Mudflats) 05 Sep 2008 In 2006, when Sarah Palin ran for Governor of Alaska, the Democrats (unlike the Republicans of 2008) vetted her. The documentation is extensive, and was published online. Recently, the link from various websites including Politico to the documents went dead. Then it came back. Then it went dead. Then it came back. You get the idea. Considering the tendency for things to vanish these days, and thanks to a reader of Mudflats, you may now peruse the document in its entirety.

Palin: the real scandal By Leonard Doyle 06 Sep 2008 ...[T]he woman who could soon be a 72-year-old's heartbeat away from the United States presidency has an environmental policy so toxic it would make the incumbent, George Bush, blush... The 44-year-old governor says a federal government decision to protect the polar bear will cripple energy development offshore. As a result, she is suing the Bush administration, which ruled the polar bear is endangered and needs protection... Governor Palin would also like to bring open-cast coal mining to Alaska's Brooks Range Mountains, an act of environmental vandalism in the eyes of many. The Palin administration has allowed Chevron to triple the amount of toxic waste it pours into the waters of Cook Inlet. This, even though the number of beluga whales in the bay has collapsed from 1,300 to 350 � the point of extinction � because of pollution and increased ship traffic.

'This is an odd crowd, indeed, to be offering itself as a champion for working people.' Running From Reality By Bob Herbert 06 Sep 2008 If there was one pre-eminent characteristic of the Republican convention this week, it was the quality of deception. Words completely lost their meaning. Reality was turned upside down. From the faux populist gibberish mouthed by speaker after speaker, you would never have known that the Republicans have been in power over the past several years and used that titanic power to lead the country to its present sorry state.

The Sarah Palin Selection: Why McCain's Inexperienced Running Mate Falls Short of Meeting the Implicit Constitutional Qualifications For Vice Presidents By John W. Dean 05 Sep 2008 Given the fact that the 2008 GOP standard-bearer John McCain is seventy-two years of age, his selection of an inexperienced Vice Presidential running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, has again focused attention on the process and procedures for selecting vice presidents - or, to put it more bluntly, the utter lack of process or procedures in selecting the person who is a heartbeat away from the presidency... Consider this parallel: Does anyone believe that if John McCain were president and had selected Governor Sarah Palin under the Twenty-fifth Amendment to fill a vacancy in the vice presidency, Congress would have confirmed her? Not likely. In fact, it is even less likely that McCain would have even attempted to do so, for he would have embarrassed himself. While the Constitution does not expressly set forth qualifications for the vice-presidency, it strongly implies them --- and Palin falls short.

Alaskans Speak (In A Frightened Whisper): Palin Is "Racist, Sexist, Vindictive, And Mean" By Charley James 05 Sep 2008 "So Sambo beat the bitch!" This is how Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin described Barack Obama�s win over Hillary Clinton to political colleagues in a restaurant a few days after Obama locked up the Democratic Party presidential nomination. According to Lucille, the waitress serving her table at the time and who asked that her last name not be used, Gov. Palin was eating lunch with five or six people when the subject of the Democrat�s primary battle came up. The governor, seemingly not caring that people at nearby tables would likely hear her, uttered the slur and then laughed loudly as her meal mates joined in appreciatively. "It was kind of disgusting," Lucille, who is part Aboriginal, said in a phone interview after admitting that she is frightened of being discovered telling folks in the "lower 48" about life near the North Pole.

Obama At Bon Jovi Event: 'We Won't Be Bullied' --Presidential Nominee Vows to Fight Back Against Character Attacks Better Than John Kerry Did In '04 05 Sep 2008 On Friday, rock legend Jon Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea, hosted more than 100 people for dinner on their mansion lawn by the Navesink River in Middletown, N.J. Obama vowed to fight Republican attacks on his character and background more fiercely than John Kerry did in his ~~losing~~ campaign four years ago. "We're not going to be bullied, we're not going to be smeared, we're not going to be lied about," Obama said. "I don't believe in coming in second."

Presidential candidate Ron Paul rocks the house --The Ron Paul Revolution Continues By Mark Yannone 05 Sep 2008 Thousands of unhappy demonstrators were subjected to the blunt force of the oppressive state outside John McCain's Republican convention in Saint Paul. Meanwhile 18,000 rational and jubilant Ron Paul supporters rejected Demopublican violence and coercion and instead packed the stadium at Ron Paul's presidential convention across the river, in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis council members call for investigation of RNC police 05 Sep 2008 Minneapolis City Council Members Gary Schiff and Cam Gordon issued a call this afternoon for an independent investigation of police actions during the Republican National Convention (RNC). Today�s call follows two earlier statements on RNC policing statements from city council corridors in Minneapolis and St. Paul. On Tuesday, Gordon and City Council Member Elizabeth Glidden decried police intimidation that chills free speech and called on authorities to provide a safe space for political expression.

Nearly 600,000 Subject to Possible Caging in Ohio --How many voter-registration mass mailers are "returned to sender" in the run-up to Election Day may determine how many Ohio residents are eligible to vote. By David Rosenfeld 05 Sep 2008 Ohio election officials are sending out a mass mailer stamped "do not forward" to all registered voters today (Sept. 5) with an absentee ballot application and other important notices for Nov. 4. What�s important here is not so much what�s going out as what�s being returned to sender. Unbeknownst to the would-be recipients, the same mailer -- just 60 days before the election -- has the potential to determine their eligibility to vote, challenged not by election officials but by partisan opposition. A similar mailer in March netted nondeliverable mail from almost 600,000 registered voters in just five Ohio counties who could now have their ballots thrown out for voting under the wrong address... The law doesn�t, however, preclude mass partisan challenges on or shortly before Election Day -- known as voter caging -- based on the same returned envelopes from state-sponsored mailers like the ones in Ohio and others going out across the country. In 2004, the year the national election hinged on results from Ohio, the Ohio Republican Party challenged 35,000 voters based on returned mail from the GOP's own friendly reminder notices.

Paulson to Take Over and Restructure Fannie, Freddie 06 Sep 2008 Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will use his authority to rescue Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, likely placing the beleaguered mortgage-finance companies under government control as early as this weekend.

U.S. to take control of mortgage giants: reports 06 Sep 2008 The U.S. government plans to put troubled mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under federal control, the New York Times and Washington Post newspapers reported on Friday... It is not possible to calculate the cost of any bailout, but the huge potential liabilities of the companies could cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars and make any rescue among the largest in the nation's history [even bigger than Raygun/McCain's Savings and Loan crisis of the 1980s and taxpayer bailout], the paper said.

Silver State Bank Is Latest to Fail 06 Sep 2008 Regulators on Friday shut down Silver State Bank, saying the Nevada bank failed because of losses on soured loans, mainly in commercial real estate and land development. It was the 11th failure this year of a federally insured bank.

Hurricane Ike gains Category 4 strength 06 Sep 2008 More hurricane warnings were issued for parts of the Caribbean on Saturday as Hurricane Ike strengthened to a powerful Category 4 storm as it churned toward the Turks and Caicos Islands. At 5 p.m. ET, Ike was packing winds of 215 km/h and was centred 145 kilometres east of Grand Turk Island, the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported.

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