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Posts published in “Day: November 29, 2005”

From the other side of the world

November 29, 2005

Not too often does the Arabic news agency al-Jazeerah take note of Northwest figures. It did in this passage from an opinion piece posted today:

The strategy to militarize the country is moving forward as planned despite apparent setbacks in Iraq. As the Washington Post reported on Nov. 27 the Dept of Defense is expanding its domestic surveillance activity to allow Pentagon spies to track down and “investigate crimes within the United States”.

An alarmed Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore) said, “We are deputizing the military to spy on law-abiding Americans in America. This is a huge leap without a congressional hearing”.

Is this the first time that the naïve Wyden realized that the war on terror is actually directed at the American people?

Courier

November 29, 2005

On the senator's part, he's just doing what senators usually do by way of passing along information. The question is, why is Senator Larry Craig - and no doubt he isn't the only 0ne in this position - being used by federal agencies as bearers of bad tidings?

Larry Scott of VA Watchdog, who lives in Washington and is heard on Portland radio, has a peculiar story to tell. Here's an excerpt from his post on Op-Ed News.com: (more…)

Who cares about campaign money

November 29, 2005

The traditional take on the p0litics of campaign finances is that most people don't care where the money for their candidates is coming from, and that it will not likely affect their vote.

If that is beginning to change - this being a debatable proposition - blogs could be one of the key reasons why.

Jim FeldkampBroadcast news media seldom mention campaign finances at all, as a matter of specifics about specific candidates. Newspapers sometimes note the totals, and occasionally list a major donor or two, but that's generally as far as it goes.

Some of the political blogs, however, have been digging deeper. Now, today, we're seeing specific impact affecting a substantial candidacy.

The candidacy is that of Republican Jim Feldkamp, who is rerunning his 2004 matchup against long-time Democratic incumbent Peter DeFazio. Feldkamp is an underdog, but he has started early and apparently has been working hard. And fundraising hard; and maybe a bit incautiously. (more…)