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Status of US Government and torture

Posted on June 15, 2009 by kwilder

There is an excellent, detailed article at the Washington post explaining some of the history and status of personnel at the CIA involved in decisions to waterboard. It interested me that Senator Diane Feinstein appears to have indirectly propped up someone in the administration who was connected with waterboarding.

(excerpt from) Washington Post
CIA Fired Firms Aiding Questioning. One Helped to Introduce Waterboarding By Walter Pincus / Monday, June 15, 2009

Weeks after President Obama took office, the CIA extended its contract with a firm run by two psychologists who helped introduce waterboarding and other harsh methods to the agency’s interrogation techniques, according to a news report.

Two months later, CIA Director Leon Panetta fired Mitchell, Jessen & Associates and all other contractors that aided the CIA in its interrogations of alleged terrorists, the New Yorker reported this weekend… Read more »

Filed under: News, progressive politics, US Politics | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Monserrate coming back to the Democrats

Posted on June 15, 2009 by kwilder

KW: I see this reported at Newsday, but not at the two more political-news sources I use. [Update! on where the news came from… Juan Gonzalez at the Daily News had the exclusive.]

(excerpt from) Newsday
Report: Monserrate returning to Dems
June 15, 2009 / 5:57am

…Monserrate, from Queens, told the New York Daily News “I’m coming home.”

A switch back to the Democrats makes the Senate even at 31-31, assuming Espada Jr. continues to align himself with Republicans.

Monserrate told the Daily News he will publicly announce his decision on Monday, citing Friday’s decision by Senate Democrats to replace Malcolm Smith as leader with John Sampson of Brooklyn…

Filed under: New York State Politics, News, politics | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Tell Paterson and Cuomo that Same-Sex Marriage is Already Legal in NY

Posted on June 14, 2009 by iwilder

NY Governor David Paterson and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo have had all this time to undo the damage done by their joint predecessor NY Attorney General (then Governor) Eliot Spitzer.  Back when Green Party New Paltz Mayor Jason West and Deputy Mayor Rebecca Rotzler were the first in the US to marry same sex couples, cowardly Spitzer stepped in with an opinion from the AG’s office saying that same-sex marriage was illegal in NY, not based upon the law, but upon historical practice.

You see as Green Party Mayor West explained at the time, by marrying same sex couples, he was simply following the mandate of NY’s gender neutral Constitution.  In fact, NY State law does not require that a married couple be of different genders.  It is only a Health Department regulation which requires a marriage certificate be issued to a man and a woman.  If you remember your civics class, regulations are issued by the executive branch solely and can be changed at any time.

Therefore, now-Attorney General Cuomo should correct the fallacious legal opinion issued by then-Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.  And the current Governor David Paterson should sign an executive order for his Health Department to act Constitutionally and follow NY law by striking any reference to gender in its requirements for Marriage Certificates.

This would also help cut through the ridiculous gamesmanship in the NY State Senate over the passage of a same-sex marriage law for something that is already legal.

NY State Senator Duane does not – as some have suggested – need to decide if he wants to reward or punish the NY State Senate Democrats based on a same-sex marriage promise. State Senator Duane, and the LGBT community, can receive the justice they need through Cuomo and/or Paterson. So, the whole NY legislature does not need to be held in abeyance over this one issue. The whole battle is misguided.

Related:

Filed under: 3rd party, Action Alert!, activism, Governor Paterson, grassroots democracy, Green Party, New York State Politics, politics, progressive politics, Same-Sex Marriage, third party | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Dem. SC Exec Levy Disses Same-Sex Ad, but Approves Anti-choice

Posted on June 14, 2009 by iwilder

NYCLU Seeks Records Regarding Suffolk County’s Rejection of Same-Sex Marriage Ad

The New York Civil Liberties Union today filed a formal freedom of information request for records regarding Suffolk County’s recent rejection of a local LGBT rights group’s attempt to place advertisements expressing support for same-sex marriage on county buses.

Related:The NYCLU’s Freedom of Information Law Request (PDF)

On May 21, the county rejected a bus ad proposed by the Long Island LGBT Coalition stating “Support Marriage Equality / Everybody should be able to marry the one they love / Call your state senator.” Explaining the denial in a newspaper article, County Attorney Christine Malafi said the county has a long-standing policy of not accepting political ads on its buses.

While the county rejected the LGBT group’s political ad, it previously accepted an ad from Birthright, an anti-abortion group. That political ad is currently displayed on county transit buses.  Read more »

Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, local, long island, Long Island Politics | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Huffington Post/Room 8: Did Monserrate trade quid pro quo?

Posted on June 14, 2009 by kwilder

Original Story at Room Eight: here. Re: NY State Senate coup, etc.

Monserrate-Golisano Smoking Gun?
June 14, 2009 / Room Eight

It appears that Hiram Monserrate–precisely as hypothesized here [Room Eight] on Friday–was/is in desperate straits for money to pay his newly acquired, $750 per-hour, super-lawyer Joe Tacopina, and keep himself from a seven-year state prison term.

Now today, by way of the New York Post, we learn that Monserrate has a “legal defense fund” that was/is soliciting quid pro quo donations. Read more »

Filed under: New York State Politics, News, politics | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

‘Save our CEOs’ Teaser for Michael Moore’s New Film

Posted on June 14, 2009 by iwilder

At select theaters in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Washington D.C. audiences were treated to this surprise teaser for Mike’s new film. Since we didn’t already give the CEOs enough, ushers entered the theaters with collection jars and some audience members actually pitched in!

Always giving it to the CEOs at http://www.michaelmoore.com/

'What can I do?' - SiCKOOn Wednesday, August 5, 2009 Gathering will feature a showing of the film Sicko at Pisces Café, 14A Railroad Avenue, Babylon, NY (631-321-1231)www.piscescafe.net map) Come hungry! For directions to the Babylon Green Gathering, call 631-422-4702 or email ian.wilder@yahoo.com Children are welcome. All gatherings are free of charge, and open to the public.

Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, Calendar, events, film | Leave a Comment »

NOW supports Sarah Palin

Posted on June 14, 2009 by kwilder

I just cannot believe that of all the problems in the world – including the sexist Republicans in the NY State Senate collaborating with Hiram Monserrate who is facing domestic violence charges – that the National Organization for Women (NOW) has decided to do an action alert against late night comedian David Letterman.

Here are the kinder excerpts of my letter to NOW:

Subject: Leave Letterman alone and go after Monserrate

…Leave Letterman alone. He was half wrong. But, he is only a comedian.

Palin is an evil, conservative politician who put her daughters in the awkward situation they are in… Read more »

Filed under: New York State Politics, News, progressive politics | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

You are to blame for Albany’s mess

Posted on June 14, 2009 by kwilder

Columnist Greg David wrote an excellent, if blunt and uncomfortable, reflection on the coup in the NY State Senate. I would also add to his list of why WE the people of NY are to blame. (See my thoughts at bottom.) – KW

(excerpt from) Crain’s NY Business
You are to blame for Albany’s mess
Greg David / June 14, 2009

Almost exactly five years ago—in July 2004—the Brennan Center for Justice put its finger on what was wrong in Albany: There was no democracy in the state Legislature…

The Brennan study’s stark and easy-to-understand findings had enormous influence and became the foundation for a crusade to reform Albany…

Last week’s coup is a reminder of how completely the reform movement has failed. It’s not just that two renegade Democrats joined with Republicans to retake control of the state Senate in an undemocratic grab for power that overturned the results of the last election. It’s that the fight has nothing to do with the important issues of the day. Read more »

Filed under: elections, media, New York State Politics, News, politics, progressive politics, rants, reform, social & economic justice | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Domestic spying on a political party

Posted on June 13, 2009 by kwilder

Hat tip to Ballot Access News for posting this story.

from Green Party Watch
Connecticut Greens subject of police surveillance
Gregg Joccoy / June 13, 2009

In what can be called a Kafkaesque abuse of taxpayer money and citizen’s political rights, the Connecticut Central Criminal Intelligence Unit set up a surveillance of the Connecticut Green Party in 2006. In a detailed account posted at Hartford Courant website, Government Watch reporter Jon Lender lays out what the Central Criminal Intelligence Unit did, the reasons they gave, and the outcome of the domestic spying they engaged in.

The police were on the alert for a protest by Green Party supporters who were upset that their candidate for governor, Cliff Thornton, was not being allowed in debates between Democrat John DeStefano and incumbent Gov. M. Jodi Rell. The Greens had protested a week or so earlier outside a debate in New London.

But that night, they didn’t show up.

Details of the operation were only recently exposed in papers filed by the defendants in a law suit brought by Ken Krayeske, a freelance journalist who was arrested for taking photographs of Governor Rell in her inaugural parade. Krayeske had served at Cliff Thornton’s campaign manager in the same gubernatorial race. Thornton is now one of the national Green Party’s co-chairs, and started the drug law reform website Efficacy.

Krayeske first appeared on the radar for the mainstream media after he asked University of Connecticut men’s basketball coach Jim Calhoun to justify his multi-million dollar salary at a time the state faced a two billion dollar deficit.

Filed under: 3rd party, Ballot issues, elections, green, Green Party, News, politics, progressive politics, third party, US Politics | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Clearwater Festival Coming Up!

Posted on June 13, 2009 by kwilder

(Ian and I probably won’t make it this year. But, PeaceSmiths is going to have a table.-KW)

For more information and a link to buy advanced tickets, go: here

Clearwater Great Hudson River Revival
by the water at Croton Park
Saturday June 20th and Sunday June 21

Music by: Taj Mahal, Richie Havens, Readnex Poetry Squad, Arlo Guthrie, Alejandro Escovedo, Sarah Underhill, Work O’ The Weavers and Susan Tedeschi. On Clearwater weekend, there is often the chance to catch Pete Seeger on stage, usually leading the audience in song. Also, storytelling , including Heather Forest. Read more »

Filed under: Calendar, children, Ecology, Environment, events, Food, green, music, News, Peace, sustainability, vegetarian | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

GHWBush “liberal” Sotomayor kept innocent Deskovic in Jail

Posted on June 13, 2009 by iwilder

For the past few years we have been following the case of Jeffrey Deskovic, a NY man who was found innocent by DNA evidence of a murder charge after 16 years in jail that he was railroaded into making a false confession for at age 16.  We knew Deskovic’s case had been handled improperly by the Westchester DA and the judges it came before.  Upon reading Jonathan Turley’s blog, it came to light that George HW Bush appointee and Obama nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, was one of those judges responsible:

Civil libertarians have been complaining that many liberals are ignoring that Judge Sonia Sotomayor has been viewed as hostile to core liberal values and has a fairly conservative voting record in many areas, including free speech, student rights, and criminal procedure. For a review of her cases, click here. Another case has come to light that shows little of the empathy cited by the White House. While Vice President Joe Biden has emphasized the Sotomayor “watches the back of police” in cases (which is supported in some of her more controversial rulings), she has shown little empathy for those challenging police or convictions. The case of Jeffrey Deskovic is being cited as one such case.

This video below tells the story of 6 men in NY jails who were found innocent by DNA evidence within a period of just 13 months due to the work of the Innocence Project. Music by Ahmad Ali. Directed by Ian Wilder. Read more »

Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, social & economic justice, video | Tagged: , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Hide from your tv! Thoughts on analog to digital

Posted on June 13, 2009 by kwilder

The whole universe seemed to change last week. Americans were forced to make the switch from their old television system, to something new. In the process, some folks lost tv reception altogether.

Newsday directs these folks, “Viewers without cable, satellite or other pay service have three options: sign up for such service; purchase a TV converter box, with or without a government coupon; or buy a TV with a digital tuner.”

But, there is a fourth option: Give up television. Read more »

Filed under: children, News, rants | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

Tim DeChristopher still prosecuted by Obama for Protecting Public Land

Posted on June 12, 2009 by iwilder

Interior Dept. Report Criticizes Bush Sale of Utah Federal Land
DemocracyNow.org

A new Department of Interior report has faulted the Bush administration for its rush to sell off oil and gas exploitation rights on vast swaths of federal land in Utah last year. The report says the Bush administration did not follow longstanding procedures in trying to sell off twenty-two parcels of land. The sale was later canceled by Obama administration Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. The report’s findings could bolster the defense of a college student who disrupted the auction by posing as a bidder. The student, Tim DeChristopher, is currently facing ten years in prison on charges of interfering with a public auction.

Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, Ecology, Environment, Global Warming, grassroots democracy, politics, US Politics | Leave a Comment »

David Letterman and Hiram Monserrate: The Republicans have got to be kidding

Posted on June 12, 2009 by kwilder

What?

Republican debutante Sarah Palin wants David Letterman to apologize for making a sexual joke ALLEGEDLY about her 14-year-old daughter? (Even though, we all know it was about her 18-year-old daughter, who clearly has experienced sex, and whom Sarah Palin paraded around the campaign trail as an unmarried, pregnant teen, exposing her to the attention of late night comedy hosts.)

How about the Republicans disavowing NY State Senator Hiram Monserrate who ALLEGEDLY slashed his girlfriend’s face with a broken shot glass? (as reported here and elsewhere.) Read more »

Filed under: New York State Politics, News, politics | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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