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Signs of hate, right here in Denver

Alan Franklin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:03:43 EST

What is our country coming to?

Earlier today, we learned about an offensive, racist billboard right here in Colorado--attacking President Obama and comparing him to terrorists. The billboard was created by Wolf Automotive, at their location here in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Check out the photo to the right, then join the pledge to boycott.

http://www.ProgressNowColorado.org/WolfAuto

We called Wolf Automotive to ask them what their intent was in putting up that sign. The man we spoke with defended the sign, and indicated he has no intention of taking the sign down, and it was quickly apparent that he was a "birther."

The "tea party" movement and the "birthers" are becoming more and more outrageous. They're in the thrall of demagogues like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Peter Boyles, Sarah Palin, and right-wing elected officials in Colorado like Senator Dave Schultheis--who sent out a statement last week comparing President Obama to the 9/11 terrorists who flew United Flight 93 into the ground.

We'll defend anyone's First Amendment right to speak his or her mind. However, the "marketplace of ideas" that the First Amendment protects only works when everyone speaks out. If hate like that spread by Dave Schultheis and the owners of Wolf Automotive are allowed to go without a response, then we allow the perception that these ideas have merit.

We have both the right and the obligation under the First Amendment to publicly reject ideas that we find abhorent and offensive.

Please help us respond to this latest attack from the Right by doing a couple of things. First, please click on the link below and pledge to boycott Wolf Automotive until they take down this billboard.

http://www.ProgressNowColorado.org/WolfAuto

After you sign the pledge, we'll provide you the phone numbers for the Wolf Automotive Group--they have four dealerships located in Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. Please take a few minutes to call and ask them, respectfully, to take their sign down. We want to respond, but we want to resist being dragged into incivility by the hatred that we're confronting.

P.S. If you are on Twitter, please copy and paste the tweet below and share far and wide:

Join the Boycott! Wolf Automotive Group in CO WY & MT proud of their anti-Obama, anti-Muslim, racist hateful billboard. http://bit.ly/4KLxtz

P.S.S. Denver talk-radio host Peter Boyles has apparently been coordinating with Wolf Automotive for months on this. http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=108289

Cross-posted at ProgressNow Colorado

HHS Task Force Mammogram Recs Slammed

Michael Collins — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:52:54 EST

Cancer doc (left) tops bureaucrat (right) on cancer recs (WUSA).

HHS Head Sibelius Says, Ignore Panel, Get Checked

Michael Collins

"The (task force) recommends against routine screening mammography in women aged 40 to 49 years." U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, Nov. 17, 2009

"My message to women is simple. Mammograms have always been an important life-saving tool in the fight against breast cancer and they still are today. Keep doing what you have been doing for years - talk to your doctor about your individual history, ask questions, and make the decision that is right for you." Kathleen Sebelius, Health and Human Services Secretary, Nov. 18.

Talk about a short news cycle. A Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) appointed "best practices" task force dismissed the value of "routine" mammograms as a cancer prevention technique for women 40 to 49 years on Tuesday, November 17.

A day later, Wednesday, Nov. 18, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius issued a statement dismissing the committee recommendations.

Toddler teacher convicted for DUI on 0.00 breathalyzer and negative drug test - Adams County Justice

User from Denver, CO — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:52:38 EST

This letter is in regards to a grave injustice done by Adams County Colorado prosecutors, Adams County Sheriffs officers, a lab department manager of the Colorado Department of Health and Environment, who falsely presented drug test results that were negative as positive, to convict a 53 year old toddler teacher, pizza delivery driver of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs with a breathalyzer reading of 0.00. Diane Branthoover, the victim of this false arrest, trial and conviction has never been arrested prior to this incident. This is all documented testimony sworn under oath
Mrs. Branthoover was a victim of snow covered roads, hypertension blood pressure of 202/108, and a county sheriff angry and determined to make an arrest, regardless of the cost. This is fully documented by drug test results that per federal laboratory mandates were to be reported as negative, perjured testimony under oath of arresting officer and State witness, more. Diane was also the victim of legal counsel that she hired that failed to present any defense what-so-ever during trial.
The test results of Diane were never presented in court, just lab tech manager Cynthia Silva-BurBach testifying that she failed. When Diane received the actual lab results, researched the lab requirements to urine testing, she found that per federal law, they were to be reported as negative. The same test results could be presented to Department of Transportation for a commercial driver’s license.
The same lab tech testified that the negative test results caused “uncontrollable eye and leg tremors” in Diane, as well as other unbelievable allegations. During the same trial, Adams County Sheriff Jason Gallegos testified that Diane crashed into concrete median and stop sign Highway 224 and York. There is not a stop sign or concrete median at that corner, it’s a traffic signaled intersection, as well as other perjured testimony as to Diane’s conduct. The same officer changed his testimony from an earlier hearing on the same incident. Her paid attorney Joe Lusk based his only defense on a label on the urine sample after Diane had given him everything he needed to get the case dismissed. He left her after trial crying uncontrollably, wondering what had happened. The same test results could be found by taking Advil, Nuprin, Motrin, Excedrin IB etc.
Diane lost her job and reputation as a toddler teacher and delivery driver, lost the respect of her peers, her license, her vehicle, more. They charged her at the same time with careless driving or which she was also convicted causing 16 points on her driving record, and was refused a “red license” because she refused to admit alcohol use. Her husband lost his business because of this, and they have assumed a debt of over $11,000 – not including the home mortgage debt of over $220k.
This is on appeal now before Adams County District court filed “pro se”, again all of this is documented and before the court awaiting decision. In the State’s response, they do not dispute the allegations describe here, except to say that the witnesses are beyond reproach. Because this is filed pro se, without attorney, she believes it will be brushed under the rug. Diane can provide all transcripts, drugs tests, pictures, etc., by contacting her or her husband at dyanfb@gmail.com or timthemechanic@gmail.com ; or by phone at 720 275-6985 or 720 338-7848.
Sincerely,
Tim and Diane Branthoover

Got Defense?

Mike Collins — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:41:32 EST

I will say it again, we are so bad at national defense that we had our pants down around our ankles for 52 minutes from the first strike on the WTC to the third strike on the Pentagon. At a speed of 17,000 MPH an ICBM can travel the distance of 4,800 miles from Russia to the USA in about 17 minutes (Barely enough time to kiss your ass goodbye). At 1500 MPH an F-16 can travel the distance fromWashington DC (204 miles) to New York City in 8 minutes, the time air traffic controllers suspected Flight 11 was hijacked and notification of NORAD, 20 minutes later. Flight 11 hit the WTC 6 minutes later. 17 minutes later Flight 175 hits the second tower of the WTC. 35 minutes later Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon proving that it takes a general over an hour and 15 minutes to get his pants back on. So why are we spending $1,688 every year on defense for every man, woman and child (all 305 million of us)? So we can fight them over there? So we can exploit the resources of third world countries? Is an M-1 Abrams tank a defensive weapon? A B-1 bomber? An Apache attack helicopter? An A-10 Wart Hog? A Stealth fighter? MCNY TimesNovember 15, 2009Op-Ed ColumnistThe Missing Link From Killeen to Kabul By FRANK RICH

THE dead at Fort Hood had not even been laid to rest when their massacre became yet another political battle cry for the self-proclaimed patriots of the American right.

Their verdict was unambiguous: Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, an American-born psychiatrist of Palestinian parentage who sent e-mail to a radical imam, was a terrorist. And he did not act alone. His co-conspirators included our military brass, the Defense Department, the F.B.I., the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the Joint Terrorism Task Force and, of course, the liberal media and the Obama administration. All these institutions had failed to heed the warning signs raised by Hasan’s behavior and activities because they are blinded by political correctness toward Muslims, too eager to portray criminals as sympathetic victims of social injustice, and too cowardly to call out evil when it strikes 42 innocents in cold blood.

Dave Schultheis is the Worst Person in the World

Michael Ditto — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:29:44 EST

Keith Olbermann went on a tear tonight!

Recently, Sen. Dave Schultheis (R-Colorado Springs) said this to his followers on Twitter: "Don't for a second, think Obama wants what is best for U.S. He is flying the U.S. Plane right into the ground at full speed. Let's Roll."

As reported in today's Denver Post, Ed Kowalski, a director for the New York-based 9/11 Families for a Secure America, said Schultheis was "clearly" referring to United Flight 93, the plane that hijackers flew into the ground on 9/11. (Denver Post 11/12/09). "Let's roll" reportedly were the last words from one of the passengers just before they attempted to storm the cockpit.

Schultheis claims in the Post article that he wasn't referring to Flight 93 and comparing President Obama to Al Qeada terrorists. But that's baloney, and we all know it.

Tell Dave Schultheis what you think.

http://www.ProgressNowColorado.org/Schultheis

What McInnis might say

Alan Franklin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:23:21 EST

At the ProgressNow Bat Cave yesterday (also known as my co-worker Jen's teeny windowless office), we got to talking about Scott "McLobbyist" McInnis and the coup recently scored on his behalf in the Republican gubernatorial primary. It's really odd that Josh Penry left the race so suddenly, isn't it? And most media reported that a big reason Penry left the race was an "independent committee" set up to fight off any challengers to McInnis.

This immediately got us thinking about our call last May for an investigation of McInnis after he left a voice mail message, leaked on the internet subsequently, describing in detail 'his 527'--inviting questions about illegal coordination between McInnis and 'his' so-called "independent committees." What happened this week to Penry could be seen as a confirmation of our worst fears.

What we at ProgressNow would really like to do is talk to McInnis about this, get his response to these potentially serious allegations on the record. Unfortunately, McInnis doesn't grant very many interviews. And some of the interviews he has granted haven't gone so well.

But then we remembered, we've got McInnis on the record addressing these very questions: the voice mail! If Scott McInnis were to come clean about his questionable campaign activities as we've called for over and over again, here's how we imagine the interview going. Not a real conversation, obviously!

It would be nice to have this kind of candor in the non-parody world, wouldn't it?

Veteran's Day 2009

belboi — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:38:26 EST

On this Veteran's Day, I am proud to say that even though I am a 4th class citizen who is denied more than 1,000 civil rights, I fully support the men and women who serve in our armed services.

I am proud to be an American and will support this nation and its Constitution with everything I have.

Until I am fully intregrated into full civil liberties and rights, I offer you peace.

Vincent Carroll: No Anti-Muslim backlash

NoWMDs — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:47:03 EST

Today on DenverPost.com, Vincent Carroll wrote: "Shouldn't this country's experience after 9/11 reassure those who fear a backlash against Muslims?... The most recent data, from 2007...: Of 1,477 offenses motivated by religious bias, only 9 percent were directed at Muslims."

Peter Boyles was echoing the "there has been no Anti-Muslim backlash" mantra. They seems to be ignoring the rest of the FBI Religious Hate Crimes data:

Year - % of Religious Hate Crimes that were Anti-Islamic

1995 - 2.3%

1996 - 1.9% (page 11)

1997 - 2.0% (page 10)

1998 - 1.5% (page 10)

1999 - 2.3% (page 9)

2000 - 1.9% (page 11)

2001 - 26% <-- I'd call this a "backlash"

2002 - 10.8% (page 13)

2003 - 11% (page 9)

2004 - 13%

2005 - 11.1%

2006 - 12%

2007 - 9.0% (last year available)

Muslims in America were 0.5% of total U.S. population in 2001 (Jewish was 1.4%). In 2007, Muslims made up 0.6% of total U.S. population (Jewish was 1.7%).

War Music for Veteran's Day

Mike Collins — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:34:25 EST

A bit of war music for Veteran's Day, the dead cry, 'Remember me' the mothers cry, 'I can't forget' the nation cries, 'I know not war or sacrifice and we will forget' MC

Music from "Mansions of the Lord"

The song was sung by the West Point Glee Club at the end of the movie "We Were Soldiers"

"The Mansions of the Lord"

To fallen soldiers let us sing
where no rockets fly nor bullets wing
Our broken brothers let us bring
to the mansions of the Lord

No more bleeding no more fight
No prayers pleading through the night
just divine embrace, eternal light
in the mansions of the Lord

Where no mothers cry and no children weep
We will stand and guard tho the angels sleep
All through the ages safely keep the mansions of the Lord

Words by Randall Wallace

Health Care Reform and the "Doughnut Hole"

belboi — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:31:17 EST

October 27, 2009

Dear Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow:

Far be it from me to say or do anything to defend Sarah Palin, however her claims to the Obama Administration in creating “death panels” is far from wrong.

The “death panels” were created by a Republican Congress and Senate under the Bush Administration with their creation of the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Benefit(?).

As a diabetic, it is important for me to take my insulin regularly to keep my blood sugar readings as normal as I can. The Part D Prescription Drug Benefit works very well for the first half of the year. However, come August and September, I deplete my benefit and enter what they call, “the Donut Hole” where we pay full price until we reach the third tier of catastrophic coverage.

My insulin alone during this “donut hole” is $358.00, which I cannot afford to pay. I rely on my Doctor to have insulin samples on hand to help me out until January of the next year. More than half the time, my Doctor does not have any samples probably because there of a lot of people in my predicament.

This has taken a mighty toll on my body in that I am losing my eyesight, my kidneys are overworked and I run the risk of kidney failure. I have diabetic neuropathy in both my lower legs and numb areas in my feet which make it feel as though I am walking on gravel. I stand a good chance of having an amputation or two in the near future. The sad thing about this is that I am 49-years of age.

That Republican Congress and Senate under that Republican Bush Administration have already signed my death certificate. They are the true death panel that Sarah Palin wants to blame on President Obama.

I know there are probably several “hundred” thousand retired and disabled individuals in this dilemma. The average Social Security Benefit is more than $100.00 LESS THAN my own personal benefit which means if I can’t afford my insulin or prescription during the “donut hole” period, there are MANY more that can’t get theirs either.

Thank you Republicans. And you wonder why your party is in such a mess.

Respectfully,
Brian Lund
Colorado Springs, CO

Cc: President Barack Obama, White House
Senator Harry Reid, Washington DC
Representative Nancy Pelosi, Washington DC
Colorado Springs Gazette
Colorado Springs Independent

Statement on Scott "McLobbyist" McInnis Avoiding Primary

Alan Franklin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:44:56 EST

Statement on Scott "McLobbyist" McInnis Avoiding Primary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 9, 2009
CONTACT: Michael Huttner, Founder at 303-931-4547

DENVER--In response to reports that Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry is suddenly leaving the Republican race for Governor, Michael Huttner, the founder of ProgressNow Colorado released the following statement:

"If this is true, it's the old D.C. lobbyist guard stepping out of the shadows to clear the field for Scott 'McLobbyist' McInnis. McInnis' ties to lobbyists, oil and gas interests, and corrupt cronies like Tom DeLay can't help but make one wonder what's really going on when his primary opponents start dropping out of the race.

This comes on the heels of awful press for McInnis, detailing his flip-flop away from his former stand in favor of women's health rights to the extreme right. So right after outraging the conservative base by avoiding a primary, he's alienating the vast majority of Coloradans who support a woman's right to choose.

And it should come as no surprise that this story broke first in Washington D.C. instead of Colorado, since that's where 'McLobbyist's' best friends are. We call on McInnis to disclose which of his lobbyist friends helped push Penry out."

###

Call for Penry to Answer for Hypocrisy

Alan Franklin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:55:15 EST

As Colorado Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry hypocritically attacked the state government and Governor Bill Ritter during Colorado's ongoing budget crisis, ProgressNow Colorado, the state's largest online progressive advocacy organization demanded Wednesday that Penry come clean about immediate family members both recently hired and currently employed by Mesa State College.

"It is ridiculous beyond belief that 'Pandering' Josh Penry misrepresents fiscal reality and vital state services for political gain, while his own family pockets state funds each payday," said ProgressNow Colorado Founder Michael Huttner.

Penry's Misrepresentation

The Denver Post recently reported that despite Penry's attacks on Governor Ritter's so-called "hiring spree," most of the growth in state employment can be traced to simple population growth, increases mandated by the voter's passage of Referendum C in 2005, and legislation passed by the General Assembly--including legislation sponsored by Sen. Penry. (Denver Post, "Analysis suggests increased Colorado state jobs may be overstated," 10/11/2009)

Penry's Hypocrisy

Last week, the Grand Junction Sentinel reported that state-funded Mesa State College "has a history of hiring former political workers and those connected to them," including Kristi Pollard, the recently-hired 'Interim Director of Development' at Mesa State and Sen. Josh Penry's sister. Jamie Penry, Sen. Penry's wife, is also a former Mesa State employee according to the Sentinel. (Grand Junction Sentinel, "Mesa State hires as campus grows, enrollment soars," 10/25/2009)

"That Penry would make these lazy, irresponsible accusations, while his own family snaps up the very same high-paying state jobs Penry complains the loudest about, is just mind-boggling and laughable," said Huttner. "Penry at the very least owes the public a good explanation. I think he owes the public, and thousands of hard working Colorado civil servants he's insulted, an apology as well."

"Finally," concluded Huttner, "we call on Penry to immediately disclose whether he personally has sought employment at Mesa State College while serving in the Colorado General Assembly, or at any time discussed the hiring of his family members with Mesa State officials."

Denver-- Vote tomorrow, save $2,700

Michael Ditto — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:27:26 EST

You think I'm kidding? It could have happened to me.

A few winters ago I let my new neighbor--a woman who had just escaped from an abusive relationship--borrow my car. She knocked on my door in the middle of the night, crying. Her newborn baby had a 105 degree fever, and she had to get to the emergency room.

Everything went fine until she was pulled over because one of the brake lights had burned out. As it turns out, her license had been suspended due to an unpaid ticket, and she didn't even know it. It was no big deal--the police called me, I put on my moon boots, and trudged half a mile to drive her and her baby home from the spot where she was pulled over. The police were nice, considering the circumstances: no tickets for her or for me.

If I-300 had been law, the police would have been required to impound my car, and I would have been forced to pay the $2,700 in bonds and fees to retrieve my car from the impound lot. And that doesn't even include the cost of towing.

That's why I'm asking you to vote No on Denver's Initiative 300 before 7:00 p.m. tomorrow.

It's deceptive. It's scary. It's expensive. And it's unnecessary.

Police officers already have the ability to impound vehicles if they are concerned about public safety. The Denver Post, Mayor Hickenlooper, ten members of the Denver City Council, House Speaker Terrance Carroll, and a long list of Denver community organizations and individuals oppose Initiative 300. And the proponents of this nightmare are counting on low turnout in an off-year election to sneak this one past us.

You can get more details on Initiative 300 by visiting http://www.VoteNoOnImpound.com.

Three Things You Can Do Right now

Vote. Turn in your ballot by 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. You can drop it off at the Webb Building downtown (201 W Colfax) or do a drive-through dropoff at the Denver Elections Division office. (3888 E. Mexico Ave. at Colorado Blvd.). It's too late to mail it--you need to hand deliver it.
Forward this e-mail to 5 friends in Denver.
Share this information on Facebook status, Twitter, and other social networks to remind people to vote and vote no on I-300.

If you haven't received your ballot yet, or if you lost it or spoiled it, go to either the Webb Building or the Denver Elections Division before 6:00 p.m. today, or between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. tomorrow. If you have any questions about the process, dial 311 to contact the Denver Elections Division.

Failure by Design - The "Public" Option

Michael Collins — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:21:27 EST

Triumph of the Money Party

Michael Collins

Do you know what the "public option" does or who it covers? If you've had trouble finding out, it's not your fault. Reading corporate media coverage provides little or no clue. It's hardly ever defined. There's a very good reason for the lack of clarity and definition. But first, a brief summary of the public debate that characterizes just about every public debate we have on critical issues.

If you think that the current version of the public option will provide a choice for a government administered health program, you're right. If you think that this option was designed for the general public, then you're wrong. It will apply to only some of the uninsured, possibly as few as six million citizens. It's a kind of public option.

The Angie Zapata Act

Michael Ditto — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 01:14:32 EDT

Wednesday, President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a bill that has been championed mainly by Democratic members of Congress for over a decade in the face of largely Republican opposition based on hideous lies from legalizing pedophilia to canceling the free exercise clause.

Somewhat lost in the celebration and remembrance of Matthew Shepard, the bill's namesake, was the story of Angie Zapata, an 18 year-old transgender woman from Greeley. She was brutally beaten to death with a fire extinguisher and left for dead just over a year ago because, as the thug who murdered confessed, "gay things must die."

“It’s not like I went up to a school teacher and shot her in the head or killed a straight, law-abiding citizen," he boasted to his girlfriend in a jailhouse-recorded phone conversation. And if he were to ever encounter a gay person in prison, he proclaimed that he would kill that "pink-shirt wearing motherfucker."

Have you turned in your ballot yet?

Michael Ditto — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:58:07 EDT

There's an election on Tuesday!

If you vote by mail and haven't turned your ballot in yet, hand-deliver your ballot to your County Clerk's office Monday or Tuesday to ensure that it's received in time for your vote to count. Your county may have more than one possible drop-off location for your convenience. If you haven't received your ballot yet, contact your county clerk to find out how to obtain a replacement ballot. Below, we've included some other information that may help.

Whether you're liberal, conservative, progressive, libertarian, or a completely unaffiliated free spirit, vote.

The elections in odd years involve local issues from school boards to city council to county commissioner. There may also be bond issues, initiatives, and referenda--all very local to your city or county. Although elections call to mind voting for President, Governor, and legislature, the fact is that most of what affects our daily lives happens locally. Our schools, our city streets, our zoning boards, even our trash collection are all local issues.

If you don't exercise your right to vote in these local elections, you will miss the best opportunity you will have this year to affect change for yourself and your family.

Helpful Information

According to the Secretary of State, there is an election in every Colorado county except Archuleta, Hinsdale, and Phillips.
Most Colorado counties have an all-mail election this year. If you have not received a ballot or information on where to vote, contact your county clerk right away.
Your ballot must be received by your county clerk no later than 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3rd for your vote to be counted. Postmarks don't count.
If you already voted by mail, you can make sure your ballot was received on the Secretary of State's secure voter lookup website:
https://www.sos.state.co.us/Voter/secuVoterHome.do
If your county has a polling place election, your polling place may not be in the same location as last year. Contact your County Clerk if you are not sure where you should vote.
If you need to contact your county clerk for any of the above reasons, you can find your county clerk's contact information here:
http://www.elections.colorado.gov/Default.aspx?PageMenuID=1397

Labor in the news

Richard Myers — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:18:00 EDT

In my job working for grocery workers, i sometimes hear that unions are a thing of the past. "We now have laws to take care of things like safety, and child labor," i am told.

An ABC News investigation reveals today that our child labor laws in particular haven't been so effective:

...an ABC News investigation found children, including one as young as five-years-old, working in its fields.

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/young-children-working-blueberry-fields-walmart-severs-ties/story?id=8951044

We Suck at Nation Building

Mike Collins — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:49:35 EDT

"If the only tool you have is a hammer, it is tempting to treat every problem as a nail"Don't think we suck at nation building?"The record of past U.S. experience in democratic nation building is daunting. The low rate of success is a sobering reminder that these are among the most difficult foreign policy ventures for the United States. Of the sixteen such efforts during the past century, democracy was sustained in only four cases ten years after the departure of U.S. forces. Two of these followed the total defeat and surrender of Japan and Germany after World War II, and two were tiny Grenada and Panama." SourceNY TimesOctober 29, 2009Op-Ed ColumnistMore Schools, Not Troops By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Dispatching more troops to Afghanistan would be a monumental bet and probably a bad one, most likely a waste of lives and resources that might simply empower the Taliban. In particular, one of the most compelling arguments against more troops rests on this stunning trade-off: For the cost of a single additional soldier stationed in Afghanistan for one year, we could build roughly 20 schools there.

It’s hard to do the calculation precisely, but for the cost of 40,000 troops over a few years — well, we could just about turn every Afghan into a Ph.D.

The hawks respond: It’s naïve to think that you can sprinkle a bit of education on a war-torn society. It’s impossible to build schools now because the Taliban will blow them up.

In fact, it’s still quite possible to operate schools in Afghanistan — particularly when there’s a strong “buy-in” from the local community.

Greg Mortenson, author of “Three Cups of Tea,” has now built 39 schools in Afghanistan and 92 in Pakistan — and not one has been burned down or closed. The aid organization CARE has 295 schools educating 50,000 girls in Afghanistan, and not a single one has been closed or burned by the Taliban. The Afghan Institute of Learning, another aid group, has 32 schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with none closed by the Taliban (although local communities have temporarily suspended three for security reasons).

In short, there is still vast scope for greater investment in education, health and agriculture in Afghanistan. These are extraordinarily cheap and have a better record at stabilizing societies than military solutions, which, in fact, have a pretty dismal record.

In Afghanistan, for example, we have already increased our troop presence by 40,000 troops since the beginning of last year, yet the result has not been the promised stability but only more casualties and a strengthened insurgency. If the last surge of 40,000 troops didn’t help, why will the next one be so different?

Matthew P. Hoh, an American military veteran who was the top civilian officer in Zabul Province, resigned over Afghan policy, as The Washington Post reported this week. Mr. Hoh argues that our military presence is feeding the insurgency, not quelling it.

Already our troops have created a backlash with Kabul University students this week burning President Obama in effigy until police dispersed them with gunshots. The heavier our military footprint, the more resentment — and perhaps the more legitimacy for the Taliban.

Schools are not a quick fix or silver bullet any more than troops are. But we have abundant evidence that they can, over time, transform countries, and in the area near Afghanistan there’s a nice natural experiment in the comparative power of educational versus military tools.

Since 9/11, the United States has spent $15 billion in Pakistan, mostly on military support, and today Pakistan is more unstable than ever. In contrast, Bangladesh, which until 1971 was a part of Pakistan, has focused on education in a way that Pakistan never did. Bangladesh now has more girls in high school than boys. (In contrast, only 3 percent of Pakistani women in the tribal areas are literate.)

Those educated Bangladeshi women joined the labor force, laying the foundation for a garment industry and working in civil society groups like BRAC and Grameen Bank. That led to a virtuous spiral of development, jobs, lower birth rates, education and stability. That’s one reason Al Qaeda is holed up in Pakistan, not in Bangladesh, and it’s a reminder that education can transform societies.

When I travel in Pakistan, I see evidence that one group — Islamic extremists — believes in the transformative power of education. They pay for madrassas that provide free schooling and often free meals for students. They then offer scholarships for the best pupils to study abroad in Wahhabi madrassas before returning to become leaders of their communities. What I don’t see on my trips is similar numbers of American-backed schools. It breaks my heart that we don’t invest in schools as much as medieval, misogynist extremists.

For roughly the same cost as stationing 40,000 troops in Afghanistan for one year, we could educate the great majority of the 75 million children worldwide who, according to Unicef, are not getting even a primary education. We won’t turn them into graduate students, but we can help them achieve literacy. Such a vast global education campaign would reduce poverty, cut birth rates, improve America’s image in the world, promote stability and chip away at extremism.

Education isn’t a panacea, and no policy in Afghanistan is a sure bet. But all in all, the evidence suggests that education can help foster a virtuous cycle that promotes stability and moderation. So instead of sending 40,000 troops more to Afghanistan, how about opening 40,000 schools?

NY Times

Jane Norton ties to corruption exposed in financials

Alan Franklin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:47:48 EDT

At a press conference this morning, ProgressNow Colorado described how Norton's first financial disclosures include corrupt DC lobbyists organized by her sister and brother-in-law, both of whom are DC lobbyists. They revealed a confidential invitation spearheaded by Norton's relatives and the lobbyist money that followed.

The group also joined over 400 of its members in calling on former Lt. Gov. Jane Norton to sign the "Family Transparency Pledge" rejecting trips, gifts, campaign donations and benefits from relatives who are lobbyists.

"A puppet of corporate lobbyists in her family, Norton is the DC lobbyist's dream candidate," noted Michael Huttner, Founder of ProgressNow Colorado, the state's largest online progressive advocacy organization. "It's only been a month and already Norton has a record of surrounding herself with corrupt DC lobbyists."

Since the morning Norton announced her campaign, over 400 Coloradans have joined the call for Norton to sign the pledge. She continues to refuse to sign it.

"We call on Jane Norton to stop placing DC special interests in Washington and sign the 'Family Transparency Pledge' today," stated Huttner. "We believe that Norton needs to reject trips or economic benefits through her relatives who are lobbyists."

Norton has failed to sign the "Family Transparency Pledge":

I, Jane Norton, pledge to the People of Colorado, that I am committed to fighting the undue influence of special interests in Washington, DC.

Accordingly, I pledge that I will reject any trips, gifts, campaign donations or economic benefits that are provided to me through my relatives who are lobbyists by the companies that hire them to influence public policy.

Download a printable .PDF copy of the Pledge here:

http://www.progressnowcolorado.org/page/-/Family%20Transparency%20Pledge.pdf

Norton's relatives who are lobbyists include:

Judy Black (Norton's sister) is a DC lobbyist whose clients include those from the for-profit health care and medical device companies, oil companies, chemical companies and the banking industry. (Washington Post, June 10, 2004; U.S. Secretary of the Senate Lobbying Disclosure Database, 9/10/2009)

Charlie Black (Norton's brother in law) head of BKSH & Associates is a DC lobbyist and made a lucrative career of representing foreign oil companies, tobacco companies, drug companies, auto companies and defense contractors. (Washington Post, 12/31/2007; Business Week, 7/19/2004) and evenZaire dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.(People's Weekly World, 3/1/2008) Black is so deeply entwined with tobacco companies he is known in Washington as "Mr. Tobacco."

The well-connected Black used BKSH & Associates to cash in on the homeland security consulting bonanza after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He was a consultant to Ahmad Chalabi, the CIA-connected Iraqi whose lies about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction promoted Bush's preemptive war on Iraq. BKSH also coached Eric Prince, CEO of Blackwater USA, before he testified on his mercenary company's massacre of scores of innocent Iraqis. (PWW)

A sample of Lobbyists in Norton's Disclosures (amount date of donation):

Alex Castellanos $2400 on 9/29, a CNN talking head recently exposed for being a media buyer for America's Health Insurance Plan's (AHIP) during the health care debate, he was an adviser to Bush/Cheney 2004, and known for being the "father of the modern attack ad," was the creator of the race-baiting Jesse Helms "Hands" ad [Politico, 10/15/09; www.natmedia.com; Greg Sargent, The Plum Line, 10/15/08]

Kristen Chadwick $500 on 9/22: She lobbies for the European Aeronautic Defense & Space Company (EADS). Her work for EADS came under scrutiny recently after it was revealed that Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) had written letters to the Defense Department asking it to reconsider a contracting requirement seen as disadvantageous to EADS. Shortly thereafter, the Defense Department made the requested change, and EADS eventually won the $35 billion contract to manufacture the next generation of in-flight refueling tanker planes.(New York Times, 3/12/2008)

Rick Davis $2000 on 9/30, John McCain's on-again-off-again 2008 campaign chief, was one of the Washington uber-lobbyists behind McCain's political operation from Davis Manafort, who lobbied for Verizon and foreign governments, including some unregistered liaison work between Sen. McCain and a Russian oligarch [NY Times, 5/20/08; Washington Post, 1/25/08] Davis came under fire for his conflicts of interest as McCain's 2000 campaign manager, since his clients SBC Communications Inc. and Comsat Corp. had mergers pending before Chairman McCain's Senate Commerce Committee.[Politico, 7/11/07]

Frank Donatelli $1000 on 9/29, a former deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee and recently elected chair of GOPAC, now a lobbyist and director of federal public affairs McGuireWoods Consulting, where his past clients have included Anthem and Verizon [www.opensecrets.org;www.mwcllc.com]. McGuireWoods was part of the legal defense team for indicted former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, and was fined $4,500 by the FEC in 2005 on an unrelated matter for failing to file a quarterly report for its PAC in 2004 [Richmond Times Dispatch, 11/24/05, accessed via Nexis 10/26/09]

Benjamin L. Ginsberg $500 on 9/29, GOP election lawyer who led the Bush-Gore recount, and currently a lobbyist at mega-lobbying shop Patton-Boggs LLP [www.opensecrets.org; www.pattonboggs.com]. Ginsberg resigned from the 2004 Bush campaign after it was discovered that he had consulted with both the campaign and the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, but maintained, after the Kerry campaign filed an FEC complaint, that his dual roles were legal. [Roll Call, 8/30/04]

Susan B. Hirschmann $1000 on 9/30, a former chief of staff to Tom DeLay, who went from Congress through the revolving door to become a lobbyist at Williams & Jensen, where her clients include AstraZenica, Pfizer, and Wyeth [www.opensecrets.org; www.williamsandjensen.com] At DeLay's office, Hirschmann had worked with Jack Abramoff's office to arrange a famous trip to St. Andrews golf course in Scotland, with her husband travelling on Abramoff's credit card [Washington Post, 12/20/06]. Hirschmann was one of the top two congressional staff members to take privately financed travel between 2000-2005, totaling $85,000 over a 26-month period [Washington Post, 6/9/06; Center for Public Integrity, 6/8/06]

Bob Livingston $500 on 9/10, the one-time successor to Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former Appropriations Committee Chairman, who resigned from the US House during the Clinton impeachment after allegations of extramarital affairs surfaced. Livingston became a lobbyist within a week of leaving Congress, founding the Livingston Group, which earned over $9 million in lobbying income in 2008 [Times-Picayune, 8/13/09, accessed via Nexis 10/25/09;www.opensecrets.org]. A report in 2007 claimed that a third of his firm's income came from foreign governments [NY Times, 10/17/07] Livingston was once part of a team of investors that tried to open a restaurant with Jack Abramoff before scandal broke and the deal fell through. [Roll Call, 11/17/05]

Scott W. Reed $500 on 9/25, Bob Dole's 1996 campaign manager and now a lobbyist and founder of Chesapeake Enterprises [www.opensecrets.org], has lobbied and consulted with numerous clients, including the Mortgage Bankers Association of America, who hired Reed along with Charlie Black [Real Estate Finance Today, 7/17/00, accessed via Nexis 10/26/09]. Other clients included American Taxpayers Alliance, a group that ran attack ads to sway the 2002 Illinois Supreme Court elections in favor of a pro-US Chamber of Commerce justice candidate. [Forbes, 7/21/03] Reed inherited the Saginaw Chippewa tribe of Michigan as a client from convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff after Sen. McCain launched an investigation into Abramoff's activities. [The Hill, 5/8/07]

Ed Rogers $500 on 9/25, chairman of The BGR Group, which he founded with Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, lists Citigroup, the Kurdistan Regional Government, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and Raytheon among his clients. Rogers was exposed engaging in a campaign to undermine Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, contradicting the official policy of the White House in Iraq [www.bgrdc.com; www.opensecrets.org; CNN, 8/24/07]

Norton has yet to disclose why she never registered as a lobbyist:

Norton refuses to explain why she never personally registered as a lobbyist, even though she was the head of "Government Relations" for a health insurance lobbying organization. The press yesterday to the company confirmed Norton headed "the lobbying arm" of the company. (Colorado Independent, 9/14/2009;Washington Times, 9/14/2009)

Between 1994 and 1999, Norton was the Director of Government Relations for the Medical Group Management Association, the public policy and lobbying arm of a for-profit health trade lobbying organization. (Denver Post, December 19, 1999) Yet an extensive search of state and federal lobbyist disclosure records has not found any lobbying disclosure records by Norton. (U.S. Secretary of the Senate Lobbyists Disclosure Database and Colorado SOS Lobbyist Database) The entire time, it appears that Norton never registered as either a federal or state lobbyist.

Urine-Powered Cars

Mike Collins — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:13:20 EDT

Waste not, want not. Pee- the most abundant waste on Earth.Urine-Powered Cars: The Pros and Cons

Bradford Plumer
October 23, 2009 | 12:39 pm

For reasons explained before [1], we'll likely all be driving electric cars long before we ever see mass-market vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells, which was once the great clean-car hope. Still, the fuel-cell approach is obviously worth researching, and now researchers have lit upon [2] a particularly promising fuel source. Oh yes, urine:

Using hydrogen to power cars has become an increasingly attractive transportation fuel, as the only emission produced is water - but a major stumbling block is the lack of a cheap, renewable source of the fuel. Gerardine Botte of Ohio University may now have found the answer, using an electrolytic approach to produce hydrogen from urine—the most abundant waste on Earth—at a fraction of the cost of producing hydrogen from water.
Urine's major constituent is urea, which incorporates four hydrogen atoms per molecule—importantly, less tightly bonded than the hydrogen atoms in water molecules. Botte used electrolysis to break the molecule apart, developing an inexpensive new nickel-based electrode to selectively and efficiently oxidise the urea. To break the molecule down, a voltage of 0.37V needs to be applied across the cell—much less than the 1.23V needed to split water.

Good to know! Meanwhile, there's an opposing school of thought that, while piss-powered cars are awfully promising, we should really be conserving our urine for other, more important ecological purposes:

However, Logan does feel that it would be a good idea to start saving up our urine—although not for the hydrogen. 'You have to remember about the P [phosphorus] in pee—globally we need to start thinking about conserving phosphorus for fertiliser, because, just like oil, one day the deposits are all going to run out and we need to start building phosphorus recycling into our infrastructure,' he says.