DAGGER 24 Hour News Service

synchronous shoulders dip legally glued and blue stained

an eel is on the crack looking like sidewalks black tar

that flag aint a flag its a bag soaked in kerosene

a minister is minstering at no one inparticular

saying learning to stare was the best lesson of all

and this shadow of Tom Jones won't leave him alone

Slipkids tired on the way in that bus all alone

one will see his real mom again

and make her the woman she wanted to be

and I'll stare and I'll stare and I'll stare

Unlike our counterparts in most developed nations, American workers are not allowed to get sick. Many American workers, especially the middle-class and working-class, have no paid sick days under their employment policies, because they are not mandated by law.

full story

crossposted
By David Swanson

This article helps explain why I spend so much time trying to lobby other people's Congress Members, hoping that perhaps I share the same century with them. If you can return the favor and are inspired by this article to give Virgil Goode a call, here's his number: (202) 225-4711.

Goode makes complete ass of self
Anti-Muslim letter goes out to hundreds - not all are amused
BY ERIKA HOWSARE, Cville Weekly

Our congressman, Virgil Goode, stands by his anti-Islamic rhetoric: "...If American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran."

Brace yourself for the following letter, shared with C-VILLE by John Cruickshank, chair of the local Sierra Club chapter. Representative Virgil Goode (www.house.gov/goode ) told us, through his press secretary, “I wrote the letter. I think it speaks for itself.”

Congress of the United States
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515-4605

December 7, 2006

Mr. John Cruickshank
7—— S—————————— Dr. Earlysville, VA 22936

Dear Mr. Cruickshank:

Thank you for your recent communication. When I raise my hand to take the oath on Swearing In Day, I will have the Bible in my other hand. I do not subscribe to using the Koran in any way. The Muslim Representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don’t wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran. We need to stop illegal immigration totally and reduce legal immigration and end the diversity visas policy pushed hard by President Clinton and allowing many persons from the Middle East to come to this country. I fear that in the next century we will have many more Muslims in the United States if we do not adopt the strict immigration policies that I believe are necessary to preserve the values and beliefs traditional to the United States of America and to prevent our resources from being swamped.

The Ten Commandments and “In God We Trust” are on the wall in my office. A Muslim student came by the office and asked why I did not have anything on my wall about the Koran. My response was clear, “As long as I have the honor of representing the citizens of the 5th District of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives, The Koran is not going to be on the wall of my office.” Thank you again for your email and thoughts.

Sincerely yours,
Virgil H. Goode, Jr.
70 East Court Street Suite 215 Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151

Cruickshank had never communicated with Goode’s office about Muslim immigration or official uses of the Koran. According to Goode’s office, Goode had received a flood of e-mails from constituents in response to newly elected Minnesota Representative Keith Ellison’s declaration that he would use the Koran, not the Bible, when being sworn into Congress next month. This letter was Goode’s response to those e-mails; Goode’s office says Cruickshank received the letter in error.

___________

Remember, Goode's number is (202) 225-4711 and his name is pronounced BIG-uht.

Below is a letter sent from Rep. Louise Slaughter to President Bush:


December 19, 2006

The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

I am writing to seek clarification of the processes and policies employed by your Administration in determining whether materials contain classified information and when to withhold information from the public.

According to an article published in the Washington Post today, Flynt Leverett, a former National Security Council Advisory, who left the Administration in 2003, suggested that the White House had redacted substantial passages of an opinion article on Iran. According to Mr. Leverett, this article was "only a summary of a longer paper" he had written a few weeks earlier which the CIA had cleared as "containing no classified information."

I am concerned that your Administration is employing inconsistent policies when classifying information. If, indeed, redacting the information from the op-ed was necessary for national security purposes, then the CIA’s failure to deem the information in the previously published version of the article as classified may have put our security at risk. If classifying information in the previously published version of the article was not necessary, then I am left to believe that your Administration redacted information for political purposes.

I would also appreciate an explanation behind your Administration’s decision to redact substantial passages from Mr. Leverett’s op-ed, even though reportedly the CIA had already cleared the information based on which Mr. Leverett had drafted those passages

Given the questions this incident raises about your Administration’s consistency in applying policies and processes to reviewing classified information and your willingness to allow criticism by the national security and intelligence communities that disagree with your policies, I ask that you clarify and explain policies pertaining to how and when information is deemed classified and also your decision to intervene in the publication of the article written by Mr. Leverett.

Thank you for reviewing my request, and I await your response.

Sincerely,

Louise M. Slaughter
Member of Congress

by David Swanson

For the holidays this year, give your loved ones some TRUTH:

Camp Democracy lasted for 18 days this past fall; 18 days of workshops, press conferences, education, and actions. Some of the highlights have been captured in a 45-minute documentary. You and your friends and family can listen to the wisdom of Howard Zinn, Jeff Cohen, Elizabeth Holtzman, Col. Ann Wright, Ray McGovern, Iraq War vets, Iraq War resisters, Hurricane Katrina survivors, and many more. Watch the Bush Crimes Commission verdict being delivered to the White House and hear a panel of experts lay out the case for impeachment. See Helga Aguayo tell the story of her husband's refusal to serve in Iraq. Camp Democracy can continue to educate and engage those newly awakened to the issues before us; those who were there can remember the lessons learned.

Purchase the DVD. They're $17 each. The cost of shipping and handling is included.

Save by Puchasing DVD Together With a Book

You can save money by ordering the Camp Democracy DVD together with "The Canary in the Coalmine" by Jesselyn Radack, a compelling and shocking new book recounting the struggle of a young Department of Justice lawyer to compel her superiors to obey the U.S. Constitution. Learn more about the book.

Purchase the book alone for $24.95, including shipping:
Or save $9.00 by purchasing the DVD and the book for $32.95, shipping included.

Bonddad has an excellent report up on KOS regarding the rapidly falling dollar and our record trade deficit.  Here is a little taste:

US interest rates – which were noticeably higher than other countries for the last several years – protected the dollar’s value for the last year and a half. However, European interest rates are increasing. In addition, the US economy is slowing which makes the dollar less attractive. Compounding this development is accelerating European growth which makes the euro more attractive. As a result of all these events – the narrowing interest rate differential, the mammoth US current account and accelerating growth elsewhere – various countries are moving away from the dollar.

more

MoJo Blog takes a look at the latest decision by Viriginia Anglicans to join forces with the bizarre African-Anglican Communion. As an agnostic of sorts I enjoy watching the commotion.

Number 4 (leaving the top three spots for violent crimes): You join a church under the leadership of a Nigerian man who believes gays shouldn't be allowed to meet in public and should face jail time for their private encounters.
source

Daulton, over on Kos, pointed out some of the worst companies to work for if you are gay.  If you support the pursuit of happiness in America, perhaps you'll consider boycotting the compaines on his list.  Some of the name, like EXXON are no surprise, but did you know that Progressive Insurance was hostile towards gays at the workplace?

Go read more and then do something about it please.