Frozen Scandal

Frozen scandal: the body politic is a boiled frog

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Don’t Get Rolled!

from Public Citizen:

Once upon a time, corporate titans bankrolled our elections with no limits. There were no social safety nets, no real labor laws, and no voting rights for most Americans. There were the haves and have nots.

This fall, a century of modest limits on corporate influence in politics could be completely rolled back, crushing progress on health care, the environment, energy, economic recovery … on everything!

The Supreme Court on September 9 hears a case, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, that reopens the question of unlimited corporate money in our elections. In a stunning move, the Court will reach back and reconsider two other pivotal campaign finance cases settled long ago. The potential result? A century-old pillar of campaign finance doctrine could be swept away.

Friday was "a very bad day for international forces in Afghanistan”

"I went to get the fuel with everybody else, and then the bombs fell on us," the boy told a delegation led by U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Greg Smith, head of public affairs for the 103,000 U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan.

Spiegel - CIA Accused of Third Torture Prison in Europe

By Britta Sandberg

Former US President George W. Bush with former Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus in Vilnius in 2002: "They were happy to have our ear."

As Americans continue to debate the torture era of the Bush administration, a new report has emerged about the alleged existence of a third secret prison used by the CIA in Europe. According to ABC News, the CIA operated a "black site" prison in Lithuania until the end of 2005.

Firas Alkhateeb - "...who said being a socialist is evil?"

"It really doesn't make any sense to me at all," he said. "To accuse him of being a socialist is really ... immature. First of all, who said being a socialist is evil?" - Firas Alkhateeb

COTO Member Gets Some Press

 

Ward Eight: Glidden faces four rivals in south Minneapolis

By PAUL DEMKO 9/4/09 9:29 AM

Elizabeth Glidden and Greg McDonald, two of five candidates vying for the Ward Eight council seat

In 2005, the Ward Eight city council race was arguably the most hotly contested in Minneapolis. The primary featured 10 candidates — more than any other ward in the city. The principal reason for this electoral scrum: there was no incumbent candidate. A controversial redistricting plan had lumped council member Robert Lilligren into Ward Six with fellow incumbent Dean Zimmerman.

What? Me Worry?