July 24, 2013

OpEdNews: "No Place for Principled Lefties"

No place for principled lefties
OpEdNews * Daily Kos post * 7/23/2013

The victory represented by the election of Barack Obama was also a tragedy, as it turns out. The sellout was predictable, perhaps inevitable but was surprising in its swiftness and completeness. From day one it was clear that we'd been had. The 1% neocon/neoliberal cabal wasted no time asserting itself through their new spokesperson. President Obama, as presidents do, made his loyalty to the empire evident. Overnight, it seems, proud revolutionaries, dissidents and radicals (not all of them of course) became simpering sycophants who suddenly couldn't find anything wrong with the system they once claimed to oppose.

As an anti-racist for all of my adult life and then some, I know about white privilege. I've written about it myself. I've observed it, experienced it and benefited unfairly from it. It's existence is beyond question and it is certainly an important matter that deserves our full attention as a society. Racism is wrong. All forms of racism are wrong. But for white privilege to be used as an argument against criticizing government surveillance is absurd. Not only is it absurd, it's underhanded. Black people have been historically abused by government so now for white people to complain about government abuses is white privilege. As if historical abuses get grandfathered in. They are to be endured without complaint. Not resisted, overturned or changed. Just STFU and take your medicine. It's illogical, inaccurate, harmful and self-destructive. It's a new way of tainting critics of the Obama administration with the charge of racism.

People fight dirty when they can't win a fair fight. Don't like what I write but can't refute a word of it? Accuse me of calling people Nazis and hope some ignorant fools believe it. Can't defend the shameful misconduct of our government but can't bear for it to be criticized? Call critics racists, accuse them of wallowing in white privilege, and hope some ignorant fools believe it.

Some critics of Obama are racists, especially on the right, and racist criticism of Obama bothers me as much as it does anyone. We've all seen it and it's been shameful. As a nation, we should be ashamed. Racism is for idiots and a**holes. I live for the day when racism no longer plagues us. But labeling non-racist critics as racist is as wrong as racism itself.

There is a larger problem with privilege in this society. It's what Barack Obama sold us out to. Privilege is privilege and real privilege, the kind that permeates our government and the halls of power in Washington DC, is not based on color, it's based on class/wealth/power. The privilege of the big checkbook crowd, the privilege of the 1%. That's the privilege we should all be united in railing against -- not protecting. Dividing us like this is how they win.

If a black man in the oval office is all it took to take the revolution out of your soul, you were never much of a revolutionary to begin with.

It's almost a certainty that I will be called racist for writing this by people who oppose my criticism and dissent and who don't mind being wildly inaccurate and utterly dishonest. Don't you believe it.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/No-place-for-principled-le-by-Daily-kos-130723-686.html

July 24, 2013

PLZ. CALL YOUR CONGRESSPERSON NOW TO SUPPORT AMASH-CONYERS AMENDMENT!

I just did, and it felt damn good doing it. My Congressman is Rep Earl Blumenhaur
in Oregon, and he IS going to vote in support of the amendment. woot!



~*~*~ FOR YOUR QUICK REFERENCE ~*~*~

R AK-00 Don Young 202-225-5765 AK-00 - Don Young

R AL-01 Jo Bonner 202-225-4931 AL-01 - Jo Bonner

R AL-02 Martha Roby 202-225-2901 AL-02 - Martha Roby

R AL-03 Mike Rogers 202-225-3261 AL-03 - Mike Rogers

R AL-04 Robert B. Aderholt 202-225-4876 AL-04 - Robert B. Aderholt

R AL-05 Mo Brooks 202-225-4801 AL-05 - Mo Brooks

R AL-06 Spencer Bachus 202-225-4921 AL-06 - Spencer Bachus

D AL-07 Terri A. Sewell 202-225-2665 AL-07 - Terri A. Sewell

R AR-01 Rick Crawford 202-225-4076 AR-01 - Rick Crawford

R AR-02 Tim Griffin 202-225-2506 AR-02 - Tim Griffin

R AR-03 Steve Womack 202-225-4301 AR-03 - Steve Womack

R AR-04 Tom Cotton 202-225-3772 AR-04 - Tom Cotton

D AS-00 Eni F. H. Faleomavaega 202-225-8577 AS-00 - Eni F. H. Faleomavaega

D AZ-01 Ann Kirkpatrick 202-225-3361 AZ-01 - Ann Kirkpatrick

D AZ-02 Ron Barber 202-225-2542 AZ-02 - Ron Barber

D AZ-03 Raul M. Grijalva 202-225-2435 AZ-03 - Raul M. Grijalva

R AZ-04 Paul A. Gosar 202-225-2315 AZ-04 - Paul A. Gosar

R AZ-05 Matt Salmon 202-225-2635 AZ-05 - Matt Salmon

R AZ-06 David Schweikert 202-225-2190 AZ-06 - David Schweikert

D AZ-07 Ed Pastor 202-225-4065 AZ-07 - Ed Pastor

R AZ-08 Trent Franks 202-225-4576 AZ-08 - Trent Franks

D AZ-09 Krysten Sinema 202-225-9888 AZ-09 - Krysten Sinema

R CA-01 Doug LaMalfa 202-225-3076 CA-01 - Doug LaMalfa

R CA-02 Jared Huffman 202-225-5161 CA-02 - Jared Huffman

D CA-03 John Garamendi 202-225-1880 CA-03 - John Garamendi

R CA-04 Tom McClintock 202-225-2511 CA-04 - Tom McClintock

D CA-05 Mike Thompson 202-225-3311 CA-05 - Mike Thompson

D CA-06 Doris Matsui 202-225-7163 CA-06 - Doris Matsui

D CA-07 Ami Bera 202-225-5716 CA-07 - Ami Bera

R CA-08 Paul Cook 202-225-5861 CA-08 - Paul Cook

D CA-09 Jerry McNerney 202-225-1947 CA-09 - Jerry McNerney

R CA-10 Jeff Denham 202-225-4540 CA-10 - Jeff Denham

D CA-11 George Miller 202-225-2095 CA-11 - George Miller

D CA-12 Nancy Pelosi 202-225-4965 CA-12 - Nancy Pelosi

D CA-13 Barbara Lee 202-225-2661 CA-13 - Barbara Lee

D CA-14 Jackie Speier 202-225-3531 CA-14 - Jackie Speier

D CA-15 Eric Swalwell 202-225-5065 CA-15 - Eric Swalwell

D CA-16 Jim Costa 202-225-3341 CA-16 - Jim Costa

D CA-17 Mike Honda 202-225-2631 CA-17 - Mike Honda

D CA-18 Anna G. Eshoo 202-225-8104 CA-18 - Anna G. Eshoo

D CA-19 Zoe Lofgren 202-225-3072 CA-19 - Zoe Lofgren

D CA-20 Sam Farr 202-225-2861 CA-20 - Sam Farr

R CA-21 David Valadao 202-225-4695 CA-21 - David Valadao

R CA-22 Devin Nunes 202-225-2523 CA-22 - Devin Nunes

R CA-23 Kevin McCarthy 202-225-2915 CA-23 - Kevin McCarthy

D CA-24 Lois Capps 202-225-3601 CA-24 - Lois Capps

R CA-25 Howard P. (Buck) McKeon 202-225-1956 CA-25 - Howard P. (Buck) McKeon

D CA-26 Julia Brownley 202-225-5811 CA-26 - Julia Brownley

D CA-27 Judy Chu 202-225-5464 CA-27 - Judy Chu

D CA-28 Adam Schiff 202-225-4176 CA-28 - Adam Schiff

D CA-29 Tony Cardenas 202-225-6131 CA-29 - Tony Cardenas

D CA-30 Brad Sherman 202-225-5911 CA-30 - Brad Sherman

R CA-31 Gary Miller 202-225-3201 CA-31 - Gary Miller

D CA-32 Grace Napolitano 202-225-5256 CA-32 - Grace Napolitano

D CA-33 Henry A. Waxman 202-225-3976 CA-33 - Henry A. Waxman

D CA-34 Xavier Becerra 202-225-6235 CA-34 - Xavier Becerra

D CA-35 Gloria McLeod 202-225-6161 CA-35 - Gloria McLeod

D CA-36 Raul Ruiz 202-225-5330 CA-36 - Raul Ruiz

D CA-37 Karen Bass 202-225-7084 CA-37 - Karen Bass

D CA-38 Linda Sanchez 202-225-6676 CA-38 - Linda Sanchez

R CA-39 Ed Royce 202-225-4111 CA-39 - Ed Royce

D CA-40 Lucille Roybal-Allard 202-225-1766 CA-40 - Lucille Roybal-Allard

D CA-41 Mark Takano 202-225-2305 CA-41 - Mark Takano

R CA-42 Ken Calvert 202-225-1986 CA-42 - Ken Calvert

D CA-43 Maxine Waters 202-225-2201 CA-43 - Maxine Waters

D CA-44 Janice Hahn 202-225-8220 CA-44 - Janice Hahn

R CA-45 John Campbell 202-225-5611 CA-45 - John Campbell

D CA-46 Loretta Sanchez 202-225-2965 CA-46 - Loretta Sanchez

D CA-47 Alan Lowenthal 202-225-7924 CA-47 - Alan Lowenthal

R CA-48 Dana Rohrabacher 202-225-2415 CA-48 - Dana Rohrabacher

R CA-49 Darrell Issa 202-225-3906 CA-49 - Darrell Issa

R CA-50 Duncan D. Hunter 202-225-5672 CA-50 - Duncan D. Hunter

D CA-51 Juan Vargas 202-225-8045 CA-51 - Juan Vargas

D CA-52 Scott Peters 202-225-0508 CA-52 - Scott Peters

D CA-53 Susan A. Davis 202-225-2040 CA-53 - Susan A. Davis

D CO-01 Diana DeGette 202-225-4431 CO-01 - Diana DeGette

D CO-02 Jared Polis 202-225-2161 CO-02 - Jared Polis

R CO-03 Scott R. Tipton 202-225-4761 CO-03 - Scott R. Tipton

R CO-04 Cory Gardner 202-225-4676 CO-04 - Cory Gardner

R CO-05 Doug Lamborn 202-225-4422 CO-05 - Doug Lamborn

R CO-06 Mike Coffman 202-225-7882 CO-06 - Mike Coffman

D CO-07 Ed Perlmutter 202-225-2645 CO-07 - Ed Perlmutter

D CT-01 John Larson 202-225-2265 CT-01 - John Larson

D CT-02 Joe Courtney 202-225-2076 CT-02 - Joe Courtney

D CT-03 Rosa L. DeLauro 202-225-3661 CT-03 - Rosa L. DeLauro

D CT-04 Jim Himes 202-225-5541 CT-04 - Jim Himes

D CT-05 Elizabeth Esty 202-225-4476 CT-05 - Elizabeth Esty

D DC-00 Eleanor Holmes Norton 202-225-8050 DC-00 - Eleanor Holmes Norton

D DE-00 John Carney 202-225-4165 DE-00 - John Carney

R FL-01 Jeff Miller 202-225-4136 FL-01 - Jeff Miller

R FL-02 Steve Southerland 202-225-5235 FL-02 - Steve Southerland

R FL-03 Ted Yoho 202-225-5744 FL-03 - Ted Yoho

R FL-04 Ander Crenshaw 202-225-2501 FL-04 - Ander Crenshaw

D FL-05 Corrine Brown 202-225-0123 FL-05 - Corrine Brown

R FL-06 Ron Desantis 202-225-2706 FL-06 - Ron Desantis

R FL-07 John L. Mica 202-225-4035 FL-07 - John L. Mica

R FL-08 Bill Posey 202-225-3671 FL-08 - Bill Posey

D FL-09 Alan Grayson 202-225-9889 FL-09 - Alan Grayson

R FL-10 Daniel Webster 202-225-2176 FL-10 - Daniel Webster

R FL-11 Richard Nugent 202-225-1002 FL-11 - Richard Nugent

R FL-12 Gus M. Bilirakis 202-225-5755 FL-12 - Gus M. Bilirakis

R FL-13 C. W. (Bill) Young 202-225-5961 FL-13 - C. W. (Bill) Young

D FL-14 Kathy Castor 202-225-3376 FL-14 - Kathy Castor

R FL-15 Dennis Ross 202-225-1252 FL-15 - Dennis Ross

R FL-16 Vern Buchanan 202-225-5015 FL-16 - Vern Buchanan

R FL-17 Thomas J. Rooney 202-225-5792 FL-17 - Thomas J. Rooney

D FL-18 Patrick Murphy 202-225-3026 FL-18 - Patrick Murphy

R FL-19 Trey Radel 202-225-2536 FL-19 - Trey Radel

D FL-20 Alcee L. Hastings 202-225-1313 FL-20 - Alcee L. Hastings

D FL-21 Ted Deutch 202-225-3001 FL-21 - Ted Deutch

D FL-22 Lois Frankel 202-225-9890 FL-22 - Lois Frankel

D FL-23 Debbie Wasserman Schultz 202-225-7931 FL-23 - Debbie Wasserman Schultz

D FL-24 Frederica Wilson 202-225-4506 FL-24 - Frederica Wilson

R FL-25 Mario Diaz-Balart 202-225-4211 FL-25 - Mario Diaz-Balart

D FL-26 Joe Garcia 202-225-2778 FL-26 - Joe Garcia

R FL-27 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen 202-225-3931 FL-27 - Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

R GA-01 Jack Kingston 202-225-5831 GA-01 - Jack Kingston

D GA-02 Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. 202-225-3631 GA-02 - Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.

R GA-03 Lynn Westmoreland 202-225-5901 GA-03 - Lynn Westmoreland

D GA-04 Hank Johnson 202-225-1605 GA-04 - Hank Johnson

D GA-05 John Lewis 202-225-3801 GA-05 - John Lewis

R GA-06 Tom Price 202-225-4501 GA-06 - Tom Price

R GA-07 Rob Woodall 202-225-4272 GA-07 - Rob Woodall

R GA-08 Austin Scott 202-225-6531 GA-08 - Austin Scott

R GA-09 Doug Collins 202-225-9893 GA-09 - Doug Collins

R GA-10 Paul C. Broun 202-225-4101 GA-10 - Paul C. Broun

R GA-11 Phil Gingrey 202-225-2931 GA-11 - Phil Gingrey

D GA-12 John Barrow 202-225-2823 GA-12 - John Barrow

D GA-13 David Scott 202-225-2939 GA-13 - David Scott

R GA-14 Tom Graves 202-225-5211 GA-14 - Tom Graves

D GU-00 Madeleine Bordallo 202-225-1188 GU-00 - Madeleine Bordallo

D HI-01 Colleen Hanabusa 202-225-2726 HI-01 - Colleen Hanabusa

D HI-02 Tulsi Gabbard 202-225-4906 HI-02 - Tulsi Gabbard

D IA-01 Bruce Braley 202-225-2911 IA-01 - Bruce Braley

D IA-02 Dave Loebsack 202-225-6576 IA-02 - Dave Loebsack

R IA-03 Tom Latham 202-225-5476 IA-03 - Tom Latham

R IA-04 Steve King 202-225-4426 IA-04 - Steve King

R ID-01 Raul Labrador 202-225-6611 ID-01 - Raul Labrador

R ID-02 Mike Simpson 202-225-5531 ID-02 - Mike Simpson

D IL-01 Bobby L. Rush 202-225-4372 IL-01 - Bobby L. Rush

D IL-02 Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. 202-225-0773 IL-02 - Jesse L. Jackson, Jr.

D IL-03 Dan Lipinski 202-225-5701 IL-03 - Dan Lipinski

D IL-04 Luis V. Gutierrez 202-225-8203 IL-04 - Luis V. Gutierrez

D IL-05 Mike Quigley 202-225-4061 IL-05 - Mike Quigley

R IL-06 Peter Roskam 202-225-4561 IL-06 - Peter Roskam

D IL-07 Danny K. Davis 202-225-5006 IL-07 - Danny K. Davis

D IL-08 Tammy Duckworth 202-225-3711 IL-08 - Tammy Duckworth

D IL-09 Janice Schakowsky 202-225-2111 IL-09 - Janice Schakowsky

D IL-10 Brad Schneider 202-225-4835 IL-10 - Brad Schneider

D IL-11 Bill Foster 202-225-3515 IL-11 - Bill Foster

D IL-12 William Enyart 202-225-5661 IL-12 - William Enyart

R IL-13 Rodney Davis 202-225-3515 IL-13 - Rodney Davis

R IL-14 Randy Hultgren 202-225-2976 IL-14 - Randy Hultgren

R IL-15 John Shimkus 202-225-5271 IL-15 - John Shimkus

R IL-16 Adam Kinzinger 202-225-3635 IL-16 - Adam Kinzinger

D IL-17 Cheri Bustos 202-225-5905 IL-17 - Cheri Bustos

R IL-18 Aaron Schock 202-225-6201 IL-18 - Aaron Schock

D IN-01 Peter J. Visclosky 202-225-2461 IN-01 - Peter J. Visclosky

R IN-02 Jackie Walorski 202-225-3915 IN-02 - Jackie Walorski

R IN-03 Marlin Stutzman 202-225-4436 IN-03 - Marlin Stutzman

R IN-04 Todd Rokita 202-225-5037 IN-04 - Todd Rokita

R IN-05 Susan Brooks 202-225-2276 IN-05 - Susan Brooks

R IN-06 Luke Messer 202-225-3021 IN-06 - Luke Messer

D IN-07 Andre Carson 202-225-4011 IN-07 - Andre Carson

R IN-08 Larry Bucshon 202-225-4636 IN-08 - Larry Bucshon

R IN-09 Todd Young 202-225-5315 IN-09 - Todd Young

R KS-01 Tim Huelskamp 202-225-2715 KS-01 - Tim Huelskamp

R KS-02 Lynn Jenkins 202-225-6601 KS-02 - Lynn Jenkins

R KS-03 Kevin Yoder 202-225-2865 KS-03 - Kevin Yoder

R KS-04 Mike Pompeo 202-225-6216 KS-04 - Mike Pompeo

R KY-01 Ed Whitfield 202-225-3115 KY-01 - Ed Whitfield

R KY-02 Brett Guthrie 202-225-3501 KY-02 - Brett Guthrie

D KY-03 John Yarmuth 202-225-5401 KY-03 - John Yarmuth

R KY-04 Thomas Massie 202-225-3465 KY-04 - Thomas Massie

R KY-05 Hal Rogers 202-225-4601 KY-05 - Hal Rogers

R KY-06 Andy Barr 202-225-4706 KY-06 - Andy Barr

R LA-01 Steve Scalise 202-225-3015 LA-01 - Steve Scalise

D LA-02 Cedric Richmond 202-225-6636 LA-02 - Cedric Richmond

R LA-03 Charles W. Boustany, Jr. 202-225-2031 LA-03 - Charles W. Boustany, Jr.

R LA-04 John Fleming 202-225-2777 LA-04 - John Fleming

R LA-05 Rodney Alexander 202-225-8490 LA-05 - Rodney Alexander

R LA-06 Bill Cassidy 202-225-3901 LA-06 - Bill Cassidy

D MA-01 Richard E. Neal 202-225-5601 MA-01 - Richard E. Neal

D MA-02 Jim McGovern 202-225-6101 MA-02 - Jim McGovern

D MA-03 Niki Tsongas 202-225-3411 MA-03 - Niki Tsongas

D MA-04 Joseph P. Kennedy 202-225-5931 MA-04 - Joseph P. Kennedy

D MA-05 Ed Markey 202-225-2836 MA-05 - Ed Markey

D MA-06 John F. Tierney 202-225-8020 MA-06 - John F. Tierney

D MA-07 Michael E. Capuano 202-225-5111 MA-07 - Michael E. Capuano

D MA-08 Stephen F. Lynch 202-225-8273 MA-08 - Stephen F. Lynch

D MA-09 William Keating 202-225-3111 MA-09 - William Keating

R MD-01 Andy Harris 202-225-5311 MD-01 - Andy Harris

D MD-02 C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger 202-225-3061 MD-02 - C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger

D MD-03 John Sarbanes 202-225-4016 MD-03 - John Sarbanes

D MD-04 Donna F. Edwards 202-225-8699 MD-04 - Donna F. Edwards

D MD-05 Steny Hoyer 202-225-4131 MD-05 - Steny Hoyer

D MD-06 John Delaney 202-225-2721 MD-06 - John Delaney

D MD-07 Elijah E. Cummings 202-225-4741 MD-07 - Elijah E. Cummings

D MD-08 Chris Van Hollen, Jr. 202-225-5341 MD-08 - Chris Van Hollen, Jr.

D ME-01 Chellie Pingree 202-225-6116 ME-01 - Chellie Pingree

D ME-02 Mike Michaud 202-225-6306 ME-02 - Mike Michaud

R MI-01 Dan Benishek 202-225-4735 MI-01 - Dan Benishek

R MI-02 Bill Huizenga 202-225-4401 MI-02 - Bill Huizenga

R MI-03 Justin Amash 202-225-3831 MI-03 - Justin Amash

R MI-04 Dave Camp 202-225-3561 MI-04 - Dave Camp

D MI-05 Dale Kildee 202-225-3611 MI-05 - Dale Kildee

R MI-06 Fred Upton 202-225-3761 MI-06 - Fred Upton

R MI-07 Tim Walberg 202-225-6276 MI-07 - Tim Walberg

R MI-08 Mike Rogers 202-225-4872 MI-08 - Mike Rogers

D MI-09 Sander Levin 202-225-4961 MI-09 - Sander Levin

R MI-10 Candice Miller 202-225-2106 MI-10 - Candice Miller

R MI-11 Kerry Bentivolio 202-225-8171 MI-11 - Kerry Bentivolio

D MI-12 John D. Dingell 202-225-4071 MI-12 - John D. Dingell

D MI-13 John Conyers, Jr. 202-225-5126 MI-13 - John Conyers, Jr.

D MI-14 Gary Peters 202-225-5802 MI-14 - Gary Peters

D MN-01 Tim Walz 202-225-2472 MN-01 - Tim Walz

R MN-02 John Kline 202-225-2271 MN-02 - John Kline

R MN-03 Erik Paulsen 202-225-2871 MN-03 - Erik Paulsen

D MN-04 Betty McCollum 202-225-6631 MN-04 - Betty McCollum

D MN-05 Keith Ellison 202-225-4755 MN-05 - Keith Ellison

R MN-06 Michele Bachmann 202-225-2331 MN-06 - Michele Bachmann

D MN-07 Collin Peterson 202-225-2165 MN-07 - Collin Peterson

D MN-08 Rick Nolan 202-225-6211 MN-08 - Rick Nolan

D MO-01 William Lacy Clay, Jr. 202-225-2406 MO-01 - William Lacy Clay, Jr.

R MO-02 Ann Wagner 202-225-1621 MO-02 - Ann Wagner

R MO-03 Blaine Luetkemeyer 202-225-2956 MO-03 - Blaine Luetkemeyer

R MO-04 Vicky Hartzler 202-225-2876 MO-04 - Vicky Hartzler

D MO-05 Emanuel Cleaver, II 202-225-4535 MO-05 - Emanuel Cleaver, II

R MO-06 Sam Graves 202-225-7041 MO-06 - Sam Graves

R MO-07 Billy Long 202-225-6536 MO-07 - Billy Long

R MO-08 Jo Ann Emerson 202-225-4404 MO-08 - Jo Ann Emerson

R MS-01 Alan Nunnelee 202-225-4306 MS-01 - Alan Nunnelee

D MS-02 Bennie Thompson 202-225-5876 MS-02 - Bennie Thompson

R MS-03 Gregg Harper 202-225-5031 MS-03 - Gregg Harper

R MS-04 Steven Palazzo 202-225-5772 MS-04 - Steven Palazzo

R MT-00 Steve Daines 202-225-3211 MT-00 - Steve Daines

D NC-01 G. K. Butterfield, Jr. 202-225-3101 NC-01 - G. K. Butterfield, Jr.

R NC-02 Renee L. Ellmers 202-225-4531 NC-02 - Renee L. Ellmers

R NC-03 Walter B. Jones, Jr. 202-225-3415 NC-03 - Walter B. Jones, Jr.

D NC-04 David Price 202-225-1784 NC-04 - David Price

R NC-05 Virginia Foxx 202-225-2071 NC-05 - Virginia Foxx

R NC-06 Howard Coble 202-225-3065 NC-06 - Howard Coble

D NC-07 Mike McIntyre 202-225-2731 NC-07 - Mike McIntyre

R NC-08 RIchard Hudson 202-225-3715 NC-08 - RIchard Hudson

R NC-09 Robert Pittenger 202-225-1976 NC-09 - Robert Pittenger

R NC-10 Patrick McHenry 202-225-2576 NC-10 - Patrick McHenry

R NC-11 Mark Medows 202-225-6401 NC-11 - Mark Medows

D NC-12 Mel Watt 202-225-1510 NC-12 - Mel Watt

R NC-13 George Holding 202-225-3032 NC-13 - George Holding

R ND-00 Kevin Cramer 202-225-2611 ND-00 - Kevin Cramer

R NE-01 Jeff Fortenberry 202-225-4806 NE-01 - Jeff Fortenberry

R NE-02 Lee Terry 202-225-4155 NE-02 - Lee Terry

R NE-03 Adrian Smith 202-225-6435 NE-03 - Adrian Smith

D NH-01 Carol Shea-Porter 202-225-5456 NH-01 - Carol Shea-Porter

D NH-02 Ann Kuster 202-225-5206 NH-02 - Ann Kuster

D NJ-01 Robert E. Andrews 202-225-6501 NJ-01 - Robert E. Andrews

R NJ-02 Frank A. LoBiondo 202-225-6572 NJ-02 - Frank A. LoBiondo

R NJ-03 Jon Runyan 202-225-4765 NJ-03 - Jon Runyan

R NJ-04 Chris Smith 202-225-3765 NJ-04 - Chris Smith

R NJ-05 Scott Garrett 202-225-4465 NJ-05 - Scott Garrett

D NJ-06 Frank Pallone, Jr. 202-225-4671 NJ-06 - Frank Pallone, Jr.

R NJ-07 Leonard Lance 202-225-5361 NJ-07 - Leonard Lance

D NJ-08 Albio Sires 202-225-5361 NJ-08 - Albio Sires

D NJ-09 Bill Pascrell 202-225-5751 NJ-09 - Bill Pascrell

D NJ-10 Donald Payne 202-225-3436 NJ-10 - Donald Payne

R NJ-11 Rodney P. Frelinghuysen 202-225-5034 NJ-11 - Rodney P. Frelinghuysen

D NJ-12 Rush Holt 202-225-5801 NJ-12 - Rush Holt

D NM-01 Michelle Lujan Grisham 202-225-6316 NM-01 - Michelle Lujan Grisham

R NM-02 Steve Pearce 202-225-2365 NM-02 - Steve Pearce

D NM-03 Ben Ray Lujan 202-225-6190 NM-03 - Ben Ray Lujan

D NV-01 Dina Tutus 202-225-5965 NV-01 - Dina Tutus

R NV-02 Mark Amodei 202-225-6155 NV-02 - Mark Amodei

R NV-03 Joe Heck 202-225-3252 NV-03 - Joe Heck

D NV-04 Steven Horsford 202-225-9894 NV-04 - Steven Horsford

D NY-01 Tim Bishop 202-225-3826 NY-01 - Tim Bishop

R NY-02 Pete King 202-225-7896 NY-02 - Pete King

D NY-03 Steve Israel 202-225-3335 NY-03 - Steve Israel

D NY-04 Carolyn McCarthy 202-225-5516 NY-04 - Carolyn McCarthy

D NY-05 Gregory W. Meeks 202-225-3461 NY-05 - Gregory W. Meeks

D NY-06 Grace Meng 202-225-2601 NY-06 - Grace Meng

D NY-07 Nydia M. Velazquez 202-225-2361 NY-07 - Nydia M. Velazquez

D NY-08 Hakeem Jeffries 202-225-5936 NY-08 - Hakeem Jeffries

D NY-09 Yvette D. Clarke 202-225-6231 NY-09 - Yvette D. Clarke

D NY-10 Jerrold Nadler 202-225-5635 NY-10 - Jerrold Nadler

R NY-11 Michael Grimm 202-225-3371 NY-11 - Michael Grimm

D NY-12 Carolyn B. Maloney 202-225-7944 NY-12 - Carolyn B. Maloney

D NY-13 Charles B. Rangel 202-225-4365 NY-13 - Charles B. Rangel

D NY-14 Joseph Crowley 202-225-3965 NY-14 - Joseph Crowley

D NY-15 Jose E. Serrano 202-225-4361 NY-15 - Jose E. Serrano

D NY-16 Eliot L. Engel 202-225-2464 NY-16 - Eliot L. Engel

D NY-17 Nita M. Lowey 202-225-6506 NY-17 - Nita M. Lowey

R NY-18 Sean Patrick Maloney 202-225-5441 NY-18 - Sean Patrick Maloney

R NY-19 Chris Gibson 202-225-5614 NY-19 - Chris Gibson

D NY-20 Paul D. Tonko 202-225-5076 NY-20 - Paul D. Tonko

D NY-21 Bill Owens 202-225-4611 NY-21 - Bill Owens

R NY-22 Richard L. Hanna 202-225-3665 NY-22 - Richard L. Hanna

R NY-23 Tom Reed 202-225-3161 NY-23 - Tom Reed

R NY-24 Daniel Maffei 202-225-3701 NY-24 - Daniel Maffei

D NY-25 Louise M. Slaughter 202-225-3615 NY-25 - Louise M. Slaughter

D NY-26 Brian Higgins 202-225-3306 NY-26 - Brian Higgins

R NY-27 Chris Collins 202-225-5265 NY-27 - Chris Collins

R OH-01 Steve Chabot 202-225-2216 OH-01 - Steve Chabot

R OH-02 Brad Wentstrup 202-225-3164 OH-02 - Brad Wentstrup

D OH-03 Joyce Beatty 202-225-4324 OH-03 - Joyce Beatty

R OH-04 Jim Jordan 202-225-2676 OH-04 - Jim Jordan

R OH-05 Bob Latta 202-225-6405 OH-05 - Bob Latta

R OH-06 Bill Johnson 202-225-5705 OH-06 - Bill Johnson

R OH-07 Bob Gibbs 202-225-6265 OH-07 - Bob Gibbs

R OH-08 John A. Boehner 202-225-6205 OH-08 - John A. Boehner

D OH-09 Marcy Kaptur 202-225-4146 OH-09 - Marcy Kaptur

R OH-10 Michael R. Turner 202-225-6465 OH-10 - Michael R. Turner

D OH-11 Marcia L. Fudge 202-225-7032 OH-11 - Marcia L. Fudge

R OH-12 Patrick J. Tiberi 202-225-5355 OH-12 - Patrick J. Tiberi

D OH-13 Tim Ryan 202-225-5261 OH-13 - Tim Ryan

R OH-14 David Joyce 202-225-5731 OH-14 - David Joyce

R OH-15 Steve Stivers 202-225-2015 OH-15 - Steve Stivers

R OH-16 James B. Renacci 202-225-3876 OH-16 - James B. Renacci

R OK-01 Jim Bridenstine 202-225-2211 OK-01 - Jim Bridenstine

R OK-02 Markwayne Mullin 202-225-2701 OK-02 - Markwayne Mullin

R OK-03 Frank Lucas 202-225-5565 OK-03 - Frank Lucas

R OK-04 Tom Cole 202-225-6165 OK-04 - Tom Cole

R OK-05 James Lankford 202-225-2132 OK-05 - James Lankford

D OR-01 Suzanne Bonamici 202-225-0855 OR-01 - Suzanne Bonamici

R OR-02 Greg Walden 202-225-6730 OR-02 - Greg Walden

D OR-03 Earl Blumenauer 202-225-4811 OR-03 - Earl Blumenauer

D OR-04 Peter A. DeFazio 202-225-6416 OR-04 - Peter A. DeFazio

D OR-05 Kurt Schrader 202-225-5711 OR-05 - Kurt Schrader

D PA-01 Robert A. Brady 202-225-4731 PA-01 - Robert A. Brady

D PA-02 Chaka Fattah 202-225-4001 PA-02 - Chaka Fattah

R PA-03 Mike Kelly 202-225-5406 PA-03 - Mike Kelly

R PA-04 Scott Perry 202-225-2565 PA-04 - Scott Perry

R PA-05 Glenn (GT) Thompson 202-225-5121 PA-05 - Glenn (GT) Thompson

R PA-06 Jim Gerlach 202-225-4315 PA-06 - Jim Gerlach

R PA-07 Patrick Meehan 202-225-2011 PA-07 - Patrick Meehan

R PA-08 Mike Fitzpatrick 202-225-4276 PA-08 - Mike Fitzpatrick

R PA-09 Bill Shuster 202-225-2431 PA-09 - Bill Shuster

R PA-10 Tom Marino 202-225-3731 PA-10 - Tom Marino

R PA-11 Louis J. (Lou) Barletta 202-225-6511 PA-11 - Louis J. (Lou) Barletta

R PA-12 Keith Rothfus 202-225-2065 PA-12 - Keith Rothfus

D PA-13 Allyson Y. Schwartz 202-225-6111 PA-13 - Allyson Y. Schwartz

D PA-14 Mike Doyle 202-225-2135 PA-14 - Mike Doyle

R PA-15 Charlie Dent 202-225-6411 PA-15 - Charlie Dent

R PA-16 Joe Pitts 202-225-2411 PA-16 - Joe Pitts

D PA-17 Matthew Cartwright 202-225-5546 PA-17 - Matthew Cartwright

R PA-18 Tim Murphy 202-225-2301 PA-18 - Tim Murphy

D PR-00 Pedro Pierluisi 202-225-2615 PR-00 - Pedro Pierluisi

D RI-01 David Cicilline 202-225-4911 RI-01 - David Cicilline

D RI-02 Jim Langevin 202-225-2735 RI-02 - Jim Langevin

R SC-01 VACANT 202-225-3176 SC-01 - VACANT

R SC-02 Joe Wilson 202-225-2452 SC-02 - Joe Wilson

R SC-03 Jeff Duncan 202-225-5301 SC-03 - Jeff Duncan

R SC-04 Trey Gowdy 202-225-6030 SC-04 - Trey Gowdy

R SC-05 Mick Mulvaney 202-225-5501 SC-05 - Mick Mulvaney

D SC-06 James E. Clyburn 202-225-3315 SC-06 - James E. Clyburn

R SC-07 Tom Rice 202-225-9895 SC-07 - Tom Rice

R SD-00 Kristi Noem 202-225-2801 SD-00 - Kristi Noem

R TN-01 Phil Roe 202-225-6356 TN-01 - Phil Roe

R TN-02 John J. Duncan, Jr. 202-225-5435 TN-02 - John J. Duncan, Jr.

R TN-03 Chuck Fleischmann 202-225-3271 TN-03 - Chuck Fleischmann

R TN-04 Scott DesJarlais 202-225-6831 TN-04 - Scott DesJarlais

D TN-05 Jim Cooper 202-225-4311 TN-05 - Jim Cooper

R TN-06 Diane Black 202-225-4231 TN-06 - Diane Black

R TN-07 Marsha Blackburn 202-225-2811 TN-07 - Marsha Blackburn

R TN-08 Stephen Fincher 202-225-4714 TN-08 - Stephen Fincher

D TN-09 Steve Cohen 202-225-3265 TN-09 - Steve Cohen

R TX-01 Louie Gohmert 202-225-3035 TX-01 - Louie Gohmert

R TX-02 Ted Poe 202-225-6565 TX-02 - Ted Poe

R TX-03 Sam Johnson 202-225-4201 TX-03 - Sam Johnson

R TX-04 Ralph M. Hall 202-225-6673 TX-04 - Ralph M. Hall

R TX-05 Jeb Hensarling 202-225-3484 TX-05 - Jeb Hensarling

R TX-06 Joe Barton 202-225-2002 TX-06 - Joe Barton

R TX-07 John Culberson 202-225-2571 TX-07 - John Culberson

R TX-08 Kevin Brady 202-225-4901 TX-08 - Kevin Brady

D TX-09 Al Green 202-225-7508 TX-09 - Al Green

R TX-10 Michael McCaul 202-225-2401 TX-10 - Michael McCaul

R TX-11 Mike Conaway 202-225-3605 TX-11 - Mike Conaway

R TX-12 Kay Granger 202-225-5071 TX-12 - Kay Granger

R TX-13 Mac Thornberry 202-225-3706 TX-13 - Mac Thornberry

R TX-14 Randy Weber 202-225-2831 TX-14 - Randy Weber

D TX-15 Ruben Hinojosa 202-225-2531 TX-15 - Ruben Hinojosa

D TX-16 Beto O'Rourke 202-225-4831 TX-16 - Beto O'Rourke

R TX-17 Bill Flores 202-225-6105 TX-17 - Bill Flores

D TX-18 Sheila Jackson Lee 202-225-3816 TX-18 - Sheila Jackson Lee

R TX-19 Randy Neugebauer 202-225-4005 TX-19 - Randy Neugebauer

D TX-20 Joaquin Castro 202-225-3236 TX-20 - Joaquin Castro

R TX-21 Lamar Smith 202-225-4236 TX-21 - Lamar Smith

R TX-22 Pete Olson 202-225-5951 TX-22 - Pete Olson

D TX-23 Pete Gallego 202-225-4511 TX-23 - Pete Gallego

R TX-24 Kenny Marchant 202-225-6605 TX-24 - Kenny Marchant

R TX-25 Roger Williams 202-225-9896 TX-25 - Roger Williams

R TX-26 Michael C. Burgess 202-225-7772 TX-26 - Michael C. Burgess

R TX-27 Blake Farenthold 202-225-7742 TX-27 - Blake Farenthold

D TX-28 Henry Cuellar 202-225-1640 TX-28 - Henry Cuellar

D TX-29 Gene Green 202-225-1688 TX-29 - Gene Green

D TX-30 Eddie Bernice Johnson 202-225-8885 TX-30 - Eddie Bernice Johnson

R TX-31 John R. Carter 202-225-3864 TX-31 - John R. Carter

R TX-32 Pete Sessions 202-225-2231 TX-32 - Pete Sessions

D TX-33 Marc Veasey 202-225-9897 TX-33 - Marc Veasey

D TX-34 Filemon Vela 202-225-9901 TX-34 - Filemon Vela

D TX-35 Lloyd Dogget 202-225-4865 TX-35 - Lloyd Dogget

R TX-36 Steve Stockman 202-225-1555 TX-36 - Steve Stockman

R UT-01 Rob Bishop 202-225-0453 UT-01 - Rob Bishop

R UT-02 Chris Stewart 202-225-9730 UT-02 - Chris Stewart

R UT-03 Jason Chaffetz 202-225-7751 UT-03 - Jason Chaffetz

D UT-04 Jim Matheson 202-225-3011 UT-04 - Jim Matheson

R VA-01 Rob Wittman 202-225-4261 VA-01 - Rob Wittman

R VA-02 Scott Rigell 202-225-4215 VA-02 - Scott Rigell

D VA-03 Bobby Scott 202-225-8351 VA-03 - Bobby Scott

R VA-04 J. Randy Forbes 202-225-6365 VA-04 - J. Randy Forbes

R VA-05 Robert Hurt 202-225-4711 VA-05 - Robert Hurt

R VA-06 Bob Goodlatte 202-225-5431 VA-06 - Bob Goodlatte

R VA-07 Eric Cantor 202-225-2815 VA-07 - Eric Cantor

D VA-08 Jim Moran 202-225-4376 VA-08 - Jim Moran

R VA-09 Morgan Griffith 202-225-3861 VA-09 - Morgan Griffith

R VA-10 Frank R. Wolf 202-225-5136 VA-10 - Frank R. Wolf

D VA-11 Gerald E. (Gerry) Connolly 202-225-1492 VA-11 - Gerald E. (Gerry) Connolly

D VI-00 Donna M. Christensen 202-225-1790 VI-00 - Donna M. Christensen

D VT-00 Peter Welch 202-225-4115 VT-00 - Peter Welch

D WA-01 Susan DelBene 202-225-6311 WA-01 - Susan DelBene

D WA-02 Rick Larsen 202-225-2605 WA-02 - Rick Larsen

R WA-03 Jaime Herrera Beutler 202-225-3536 WA-03 - Jaime Herrera Beutler

R WA-04 Doc Hastings 202-225-5816 WA-04 - Doc Hastings

R WA-05 Cathy McMorris Rodgers 202-225-2006 WA-05 - Cathy McMorris Rodgers

D WA-06 Derek Kilmer 202-225-5916 WA-06 - Derek Kilmer

D WA-07 Jim McDermott 202-225-3106 WA-07 - Jim McDermott

R WA-08 Dave Reichert 202-225-7761 WA-08 - Dave Reichert

D WA-09 Adam Smith 202-225-8901 WA-09 - Adam Smith

D WA-10 Denny Heck 202-225-9740 WA-10 - Denny Heck

R WI-01 Paul Ryan 202-225-3031 WI-01 - Paul Ryan

D WI-02 Mark Pocan 202-225-2906 WI-02 - Mark Pocan

D WI-03 Ron Kind 202-225-5506 WI-03 - Ron Kind

D WI-04 Gwen Moore 202-225-4572 WI-04 - Gwen Moore

R WI-05 F. James (Jim) Sensenbrenner, Jr. 202-225-5101 WI-05 - F. James (Jim) Sensenbrenner, Jr.

R WI-06 Tom Petri 202-225-2476 WI-06 - Tom Petri

R WI-07 Sean Duffy 202-225-3365 WI-07 - Sean Duffy

R WI-08 Reid Ribble 202-225-5665 WI-08 - Reid Ribble

R WV-01 David McKinley 202-225-4172 WV-01 - David McKinley

R WV-02 Shelley Moore Capito 202-225-2711 WV-02 - Shelley Moore Capito

D WV-03 Nick Rahall 202-225-3452 WV-03 - Nick Rahall

R WY-00 Cynthia Lummis 202-225-2311

July 24, 2013

Pennsylvania police chief: F*ck all you libtards out there, you take it in the a**

This guy is a real piece of work. How the fuck is he keeping his job again? Oh yah, by
being a complete asshole, threatening citizens openly, etc. The mayor needs her head
examined.

~~~~ * ~~~~ * ~~~~ * ~~~~ * ~~~~ * ~~~~ * ~~~~ * ~~~~ *

Pennsylvania police chief: F*ck all you libtards out there, you take it in the a**
By Eric W. Dolan * Raw Story * July 23, 2013 23:45 EDT

The mayor of Gilberton, Pennsylvania is standing by her city’s police chief despite a series of profanity-laced and threatening videos.

In a video that has received wide attention, police chief Mark Kessler repeatedly tells those upset by his use of profanity to “go f*ck yourself” as he fires various automatic weapons.

Mayor Mary Lou Hannon told The Morning Call that Kessler had the right to express himself. The city would “not take action to quash free speech, whether or not each member of council or any member of council agrees with it.”

Kessler has uploaded several profanity-laced videos to YouTube. In one video, Kessler berates “libtards” and warns of an armed rebellion against the government.

“F*ck all you libtards out there, as a matter of fact, read my shirt,” he says, turning around to show a message on his back which read, “Liberals take it in the a**.”

“You take it in the ass and I don’t give a f*ck what you say so you can all just go f*ck yourselves. Period. I wont be going to D.C. and I don’t give a f*ck. If you f*cking maniacs want to turn this into an armed revolt, knock yourselves out. I’m not about that, so see you on the other side.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/07/23/pennsylvania-police-chief-fck-all-you-libtards-out-there-you-take-it-in-the-a/

July 23, 2013

NSA is circling its wagons, in open defiance of Congressional concerns.

NSA's Keith Alexander Calls Emergency Private Briefing To Lobby Against Justin Amash Amendment Curtailing Its Power
Posted: 07/23/2013 10:00 am EDT | Updated: 07/23/2013 1:23 pm EDT

WASHINGTON -- The National Security Agency called for a "top secret" meeting with members of the House on Tuesday to lobby against the first House amendment to challenge the agency's authority to cull broad swaths of communications data, according to an invitation circulated in Congress.

The amendment was authored by Rep. Justin Amash, a libertarian Republican from Michigan, and cosponsored by former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and liberal Michigan Democratic Rep. John Conyers. The House ruled the amendment in order on Monday, and it is expected to get a vote sometime this week.

NSA head Gen. Keith Alexander scheduled a last-minute, members-only briefing in response to the amendment, according to an invitation distributed to members of Congress this morning and forwarded to HuffPost. "In advance of anticipated action on amendments to the DoD Appropriations bill, Ranking Member C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger of the House Intelligence Committee invites your Member to attend a question and answer session with General Keith B. Alexander of the National Security Agency," reads the invitation.

The invitation warned members that they could not share what they learned with their constituents or others. "The briefing will be held at the Top Secret/SCI level and will be strictly Members-Only," reads the invite.

The Amash amendment would put the House on record when it comes to NSA snooping. The measure, which would be attached to the Pentagon's spending bill, "ends authority for the blanket collection of records under the Patriot Act" and "bars the NSA and other agencies from using Section 215 of the Patriot Act to collect records, including telephone call records, that pertain to persons who are not subject to an investigation under Section 215."

The section of the Patriot Act that Amash is targeting was the subject of the first piece in The Guardian about NSA leaker Edward Snowden's revelations. A secret intelligence court has interpreted the law to allow the NSA to collect hundreds of millions of records on every American phone call under the theory that such records might be useful in future terrorism investigations. The intelligence community has claimed that the law is useful in thwarting potential terrorist incidents.

But Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee with access to classified details about the program, said there is no evidence that the data collection had been directly responsible for stopping any single plot. Civil libertarians, meanwhile, are aghast at the NSA's broad interpretation of the law, and even the bill's author said he was surprised at how it is being used.

Just seven months ago the House and Senate approved a military spending bill that reauthorized the NSA's extensive foreign surveillance operations, and in 2011 the Patriot Act was reauthorized by broad margins with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. But Amash's amendment could capitalize on a new awareness of the scope of the intelligence community's activities.

The amendment could draw support from both Democrats and Republicans. Just how much is uncertain -- this is the House's first up-or-down vote on the NSA's domestic surveillance activities since Snowden made his revelations.

"This is the real deal: It's our first chance to roll back the NSA's spying regime, and we don't know when we'll have another one like it," said David Segal, executive director of Demand Progress, a progressive policy group. "To invoke that expert on surveillance George W. Bush: After this vote we'll finally know who is with us in the cause to protect civil rights -- and who is against us."

Speaking at an event at the Center for American Progress on domestic data collection Tuesday, Wyden said that he hasn't read Amash's amendment but was encouraged by its progress.

"The fact that this has made it to the floor of the House of Representatives is unquestionably good," he said. "It is another step, as I've outlined, in the march to a real debate. We wouldn't have had that seven, eight weeks ago."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/23/keith-alexander-justin-amash_n_3639329.html

July 23, 2013

Shwarmy --> MIT Interjects Itself Into Aaron Swartz Secret Service FOIA Case

MIT Interjects Itself Into Aaron Swartz Secret Service FOIA Case
By: DSWright * FireDogLake * Monday July 22, 2013 9:57 am

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who played an active role in trying to incriminate Aaron Swartz, has intervened in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) case regarding Swartz’s secret service file. MIT is claiming it is afraid if the public knew the actions it took there could be a backlash against the personnel at the institution who helped destroy Swartz.

MIT claims it’s afraid the release of Swartz’s file will identify the names of MIT people who helped the Secret Service and federal prosecutors pursue felony charges against Swartz for his bulk downloading of academic articles from MIT’s network in 2011.

MIT argues that those people might face threats and harassment if their names become public. But it’s worth noting that names of third parties are already redacted from documents produced under FOIA.

The Secret Service FOIA case was brought by Kevin Paulsen of Wired magazine after his initial FOIA request was denied. Paulsen ultimately prevailed in court and the records were set to be released before MIT got involved. Paulson has said MIT’s actions are unprecedented.

I have never, in fifteen years of reporting, seen a non-governmental party argue for the right to interfere in a Freedom of Information Act release of government documents. My lawyer has been litigating FOIA for decades, and he’s never encountered it either. It’s saddening to see an academic institution set this precedent.

MIT has tried to cultivate a reputation for openness and positive innovation despite a large portion of its federal grant money coming from designing weapons systems. That reputation has already taken some damage from the Swartz case and is surely to suffer more as information comes out. The move by MIT to intervene in the Aaron Swartz Secret Service FOIA case is practically an admission of guilt. They know they failed miserably to live up to their stated ideals and are desperate to prevent their misdeeds from seeing the light of day.

Full disclosure, I also have a FOIA request into the Secret Service for the Aaron Swartz files and have been informed that compliance with my request hinges on the Paulsen court case.

http://news.firedoglake.com/2013/07/22/mit-interjects-itself-into-aaron-swartz-secret-service-foia-case/

July 22, 2013

Abu Ghraib Prison Break: 500 Detainees, Including Senior Al Qaeda Members, Escape Facility

The cluster-fuck in Iraq continues unabatted.

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Abu Ghraib Prison Break: Hundreds Of Detainees, Including Senior Al Qaeda Members, Escape Facility
By ADAM SCHRECK and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA 07/22/13 02:01 PM ET EDT

BAGHDAD -- Iraqi security forces locked down areas around the infamous Abu Ghraib prison and another high-security detention facility on Baghdad's outskirts Monday to hunt for escaped inmates and militants after daring insurgent assaults set hundreds of detainees free.

The carefully orchestrated late-night attacks killed dozens Sunday, including at least 25 members of the Iraqi security forces. Insurgents fired dozens of mortar shells and detonated suicide and car bombs, drawing Iraqi forces into firefights that lasted more than an hour.

Attacks elsewhere claimed at least 18 more lives on Monday, many of them soldiers, highlighting the rapidly deteriorating security conditions across Iraq.

The prisons in Abu Ghraib and Taji house thousands of prisoners, including convicted al-Qaida militants. Exactly one year ago, al-Qaida's Iraq arm launched a campaign called "Breaking the Walls" that made freeing its imprisoned members a top priority.

A surge of violence across Iraq has killed more than 3,000 people since the start of April, and the assaults on the prisons laid bare the degree to which security has eroded in the country in recent months. The spike in bloodshed is intensifying fears of a return to the widespread sectarian killing that pushed the country to the brink of civil war after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

Several officials, including lawmakers on parliament's security and defense committee, said more than 500 inmates managed to escape from Abu Ghraib. There were no immediate reports of escapes from Taji.

Authorities imposed curfews around both prisons as manhunts got under way. Guards at Taji appeared visibly on edge Monday, with rifles at the ready and wary police warning motorists not to idle even briefly nearby.

"This big security failure shows that the top security commanders have failed to sort out any solutions for the ongoing security deterioration," said Shawan Mohammed Taha, one of the lawmakers who confirmed the escapes. "The terrorists, not the security forces, are now taking the initiative."

Another lawmaker, Hakim al-Zamili, said many of the escaped inmates had been captured or killed by Monday afternoon. He said authorities believe the attack on Taji was a distraction, and that Abu Ghraib was the main target.

So many prisoners were able to get away from Abu Ghraib because they were in the prison yard for the communal iftar meal that ends the daylong fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, said a senior intelligence official and two other government officials.

They also confirmed the number of escaped inmates and said an investigation has now been launched into who ordered the open-air Ramadan feast. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.

A preliminary investigation suggests the insurgents had inside help, said the Interior Ministry.

As battles at the prisons raged between gunmen and guards, rioting inmates set fire to blankets and furniture, police said. Army helicopters were called in to help thwart the attacks, according to the Interior Ministry. It confirmed the escape of "several prisoners," without providing details.

Police reported 15 soldiers and 13 others wounded in the Taji attack, along with six militants. Ten policemen were killed and 19 others were wounded in Abu Ghraib, and also four militants, according to police and hospital officials, who all spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information.

A total of 21 prisoners were killed and another 25 wounded during the attacks, according to Justice Ministry spokesman Wissam al-Firaiji.

The U.S. military previously operated the lock-ups in Taji and Abu Ghraib but handed control of both facilities back to Iraqi authorities before the last American troops departed in December 2011.

Abuse of prisoners at the hands of American guards inside Abu Ghraib sparked outrage around the world and helped fuel anti-American sentiment in Iraq.

Jailbreaks are relatively common in Iraq.

A dozen prisoners, including al-Qaida-linked death row inmates, escaped from the Taji prison in January after seizing guards' weapons. And in September, scores more inmates got away following clashes at a prison in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit that left 12 people dead.

Still, the scale of this week's attacks was significant and "appears to have been an operation long in the planning" by al-Qaida, said Charles Lister, an analyst at IHS Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Center.

Al-Qaida's Iraq arm, now known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, has been positioning itself as a champion of minority Sunnis disillusioned with the Shiite-led government. It is also pushing to make itself a major player among the Sunni rebels fighting to topple the government in neighboring Syria.

"Releasing ordinary prisoners will help gain the group the image of a Sunni armed force representing Sunnis in a Shiite-governed state. Releasing militants will clearly provide a huge boost in morale," particularly if they include senior commanders, Lister said. "Depending on actual numbers, this could well boost (the group's) operations in Iraq but also feasibly in Syria."

In a separate incident early on Monday, a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into an army convoy in northern Iraq, killing at least 13 people, ten of them soldiers, according to police and hospital officials. They said 16 people were wounded.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/22/abu-ghraib-prison-break_n_3634381.html

July 22, 2013

"UK's Snowden", Sir Richard Dearlove, Former MI6 Chief, Threatens To Expose Iraq War Details

Sir Richard Dearlove, Former MI6 Chief, Threatens To Expose Iraq War Details
07/22/2013 * Huffington Post

The former head of Britain's intelligence agency has threatened to expose new details about the state of affairs leading up to the Iraq war.

Sir Richard Dearlove, who helmed the MI6 from 1999 to 2004, told the UK's Mail On Sunday that he has spent the last year writing "a record of events surrounding the invasion of Iraq from my then professional perspective." Dearlove told the Mail that he has been planning to leave his account as a record for scholars, but may reveal the details sooner if he doesn't agree with the findings of Britain's Chilcot Inquiry, which is investigating the country's role in the lead-up to the Iraq War:

'My intention is that this should be a resource available to scholars, but after my decease (may be sooner depending on what Chilcot publishes). I have no intention, however, of violating my vows of official secrecy by publishing any memoir.'
Dearlove, now Master at Pembroke College, Cambridge University, has taken a sabbatical from academic life to work on this account, and is said to be "extremely aggrieved" that Prime Minister Tony Blair and his chief spokesman Alastair Campbell overstated the possibility that Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons could jeopardize British troops in Cyprus, according to the Mail.

A security source told the Mail on Sunday that the account is "Sir Richard's time-bomb."

Dearlove is perhaps best known in the United States for denying MI6 involvement in the 1997 death of Princess Diana.

One Brit weighed in on Twitter, referring to Dearlove as "our own Snowden" while another wondered if Dearlove would be found "dead in a forest with minor cuts on his wrists":

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/22/richard-dearlove_n_3635208.html

July 22, 2013

Norman Solomon: Obama's Escalating War on Freedom of the Press

Obama's Escalating War on Freedom of the Press
By Norman Solomon * OpEdNews * 7/22/2013

The part of the First Amendment that prohibits "abridging the freedom " of the press" is now up against the wall, as the Obama administration continues to assault the kind of journalism that can expose government secrets.

Last Friday the administration got what it wanted -- an ice-cold chilling effect -- from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled on the case of New York Times reporter James Risen. The court " delivered a blow to investigative journalism in America by ruling that reporters have no First Amendment protection that would safeguard the confidentiality of their sources in the event of a criminal trial," the Guardian reported.

The Executive Branch fought for that ruling -- and is now celebrating."We agree with the decision," said a Justice Department spokesman. "We are examining the next steps in the prosecution of this case." The Risen case, and potentially many others, are now under the ominous shadow of the Appeals Court's pronouncement: " There is no First Amendment testimonial privilege, absolute or qualified, that protects a reporter from being compelled to testify " in criminal proceedings."

At the Freedom of the Press Foundation, co-founder Trevor Timm calls the court ruling "the most significant reporter's privilege decision in decades" and asserts that the court "eviscerated that privilege." He's not exaggerating. Press freedom is at stake.

Journalists who can be compelled to violate the confidentiality of their sources, or otherwise go to prison, are reduced to doing little more than providing stenographic services to pass along the official story. That's what the White House wants.

The federal Fourth Circuit covers the geographical area where most of the U.S. government's intelligence, surveillance and top-level military agencies -- including the NSA and CIA -- are headquartered. The ruling "pretty much guts national security journalism in the states in which it matters," Marcy Wheeler writes.

That court decision came seven days after the Justice Department released its "News Media Policies" report announcing "significant revisions to the Department's policies regarding investigations that involve members of the news media." The report offered assurances that "members of the news media will not be subject to prosecution based solely on newsgathering activities." (Hey thanks!) But the document quickly added that the government will take such action "as a last resort" when seeking information that is "essential to a successful investigation or prosecution."

Translation: We won't prosecute journalists for doing their jobs unless we really want to.

(snip)

At a news conference two months ago, when President Obama refused to say a critical word about his Justice Department's targeted surveillance of reporters, he touted plans to reintroduce a bill for a federal shield law so journalists can protect their sources. But Obama didn't mention that he has insisted on a "national security exception" that would make such a law approximately worthless for reporters doing the kind of reporting that has resulted in government surveillance -- and has sometimes landed them in federal court.

Obama's current notion of a potential shield law would leave his administration fully able to block protection of journalistic sources. In a mid-May article -- headlined "White House Shield Bill Could Actually Make It Easier for the Government to Get Journalists' Sources" -- the Freedom of the Press Foundation shed light on the duplicity: As a supposed concession to press freedom, the president was calling for reintroduction of a 2009 Senate bill that "would not have helped the Associated Press in this case, and worse, it would actually make it easier for the Justice Department to subpoena journalists covering national security issues."

Whether hyping a scenario for a shield law or citing new Justice Department guidelines for news media policies, the cranked-up spin from the administration's PR machinery does not change the fact that Obama is doubling down on a commitment to routine surveillance of everyone, along with extreme measures specifically aimed at journalists -- and whistleblowers.

The administration's efforts to quash press freedom are in sync with its unrelenting persecution of whistleblowers. The purpose is to further choke off the flow of crucial information to the public, making informed "consent of the governed" impossible while imposing massive surveillance and other violations of the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments. Behind the assault on civil liberties is maintenance of a warfare state with huge corporate military contracts and endless war. The whole agenda is repugnant and completely unacceptable.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Obama-s-Escalating-War-on-by-Norman-Solomon-130722-710.html

July 22, 2013

TPP: The Terrible Plutocratic Plan

TPP: The Terrible Plutocratic Plan
By David Swanson * OpEdNews * 7/21/2013
(Remarks July 21, 2013 at an Occupy Harrisonburg (Va.) Event.)

Thanks to Michael Feikema and Doug Hendren for inviting me. Like most of you I do not spend my life studying trade agreements, but the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is disturbing enough to make me devote a little time to it, and I hope you will do the same and get your neighbors to do the same and get them to get their friends to do the same -- as soon as possible.

I spend most of my time reading and writing about war and peace. I'm in the middle of writing a book about the possibility and need to abolish war and militarism. I hate to take a break from that. But if we think trade and militarism are separate topics we're fooling ourselves.

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, a big fan of the supposed wonders of the hidden hand of the market economy says, "The hidden hand of the market will never work without a hidden fist. McDonald's cannot flourish without McDonnell Douglas, the designer of the U.S. Air Force F-15. And the hidden fist that keeps the world safe for Silicon Valley's technologies to flourish is called the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps."

(snip)


In this year's State of the Union, Obama said the TPP and an agreement with the European Union were priorities for him this year.

There is also, of course, nothing hidden about the hand of corporate trade agreements. These are not agreements aimed at maximizing competition by preventing monopolies. These are very lengthy and detailed agreements that include protection and expansion of monopolies. Rather than relying on the magic of the marketplace, a corporate trade agreement relies on the influence of lobbyists. Just as the corruption of the military industrial complex helps explain a global military buildup in the absence of a national enemy -- I mean an enemy that is a nation, not a handful of criminals who ought to be indicted and prosecuted rather than blown up along with whoever's nearby -- so, too, the corporate ownership of our government explains our government's trade policies.

What is hidden, in another sense, is the detailed negotiated text of the proposed TPP treaty. Some 600 corporate advisors are helping the U.S. government write the text. Some of these advisors come from those benevolent, public-interest firms known as Monsanto, the Bank of America, Chevron, and ExxonMobil. The rest of us are shut out. The government gathers up our every communication, but we aren't allowed to see what it's doing in our name. We don't influence the text and we don't get to see it. Some courageous person or persons willing to risk charges of aiding the enemy (even if there is no enemy) has made parts of what is in the TPP known.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/TPP-The-Terrible-Plutocra-by-David-Swanson-130721-184.html

July 22, 2013

Meet "Tor", The Military-Made Privacy Network That Counts Edward Snowden As A Fan

Meet Tor, The Military-Made Privacy Network That Counts Edward Snowden As A Fan
Posted: 07/18/2013 7:45 am EDT * by Gerry Smith * HuffPo

When the U.S. Navy created Tor, a software that enables people to use the Internet anonymously, it didn't envision someone like Edward Snowden.

Quite the opposite: military programmers originally built the software in the mid-1990s to support government spying operations.

Yet last month, a photograph of Snowden, who leaked a trove of secrets about U.S. government surveillance, showed a sticker on his laptop supporting the Tor Project, the nonprofit that runs the anonymity network.

The image underscored the diverse -- and sometimes conflicting -- community of people using and supporting Tor to communicate anonymously on the Web.

Tor, which can be downloaded online, operates like a browser -- albeit slower because it is bouncing packets of data across several continents to protect anonymity. Journalists, whistleblowers, domestic abuse victims and dissidents living under repressive regimes use Tor to bypass government censors and prevent their online movements from being tracked. The U.S. State Department provides funding to the Tor Project to promote Internet freedom in other countries.

But the anonymizing software has also been used by whistleblowers to leak sensitive U.S. government secrets. Though it's unclear whether Snowden used Tor to disclose details about NSA surveillance to reporters, Wikileaks has reportedly used the software to protect whistleblowers.

"Tor's importance to Wikileaks cannot be understated," Wikileaks founder Julian Assange told Rolling Stone in 2010.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/18/tor-snowden_n_3610370.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009