Whole Lotta Shaking Goin' On

Hawaii had an earthquake. Missouri's bigger than Hawaii, so we had to have one of our own. KFVS-TV reports (Cape Girardeau):

NEW MADRID COUNTY, Mo. - The United States Geological Survey reports an 3.4 magnitude earthquake centered two miles west of Lilbourn and three miles south-southeast of Catron. The tremor could be felt from Sikeston down to Portageville. The Geological Survey reports the earthquake happened almost seven miles below the surface.

"I pulled up in my car and everything started to shake. My hood was shaking and then all at once, it stopped," Kathy Hornberg said.

"I was in my house cooking, and at all once boom," Gregory Hughes said.

"I thought someone ran into the apartment with a car," Orlando Perkins said.

No one reported any damages, except for a few pictures falling off the walls. Local police patrolled areas, making sure no gas lines broke. So far, no reports of that either.

Dobson vs. Dobson

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James Dobson is a pathetic little man. He compares stem cell research to Nazi experiments, supports executing people who perform abortions, says liberals hate America, and claims not to be political. Guess he's worried about losing his tax-exempt status.

Another Deadly Day in Mess-O-Potamia

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Washington Post:

BAGHDAD, Oct. 18-Ten U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq on Tuesday, one of the bloodiest days of the war for American forces outside of major combat operations. ... October is on track to become one of the deadliest of the conflict for U.S. soldiers ...

Lying Liars, Cheats, Scum

Yes, I'm talking about neocon-ish Republicans. No doubt Mr. Schattenkirk would approve of this:

The state attorney general's office is investigating a letter received by some Southern California Hispanics that says it is a crime for immigrants to vote and tells them they could be jailed or deported if they go to the polls next month.[...]

The letter, written in Spanish, tells recipients: "You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time."

As Ezra Klein correctly points out:

Of course, naturalized immigrants, of which there are millions, can legally vote. It's just that some folks don't want them to.

Had Enough of this bullshit? Vote Democratic.

Street Talk: Honoring the Fallen

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Five years ago this month American forces entered Afghanistan in response to the September 11 attacks. Seventeen months later, American forces invaded Iraq.
Since then, more than 3-thousand U-S service personnel have died in those wars. Among them are 60 with ties to Missouri, including two women. Some of them come from communities that don't have many people living in them. Sixteen of them are from southwest Missouri. Three from Springfield.

No matter how you feel about the wars, you have to respect those who've been killed in the service of our country.

The fallen are real people. They have names and faces. Each deserves recognition for taking on a risky challenge. Compared to past national conflicts, the number of deaths is small. But the sacrifice and loss on a personal level is just as painful.

On STREET TALK, we remember and honor the Missourians who have made the supreme sacrifice. The tribute includes their names, rank, age, hometown and the circumstances of their deaths.

Our motivation is simple: to honor the young people who have given their lives. Nothing more.

You may watch this special edition of STREET TALK Wednesday at 8:00 p.m., Thursday at 10:30 p.m., or Sunday at 12:30 p.m. on Mediacom Connections Channel 14.

The Four Republicans of the Apocalypse

(shamelessly stolen from Attaturk, via Atrios)

President Bush signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006 today, which continues a secret CIA program for interrogating terrorism suspects whom Bush believes have vital information that could thwart a plot against America. Bush said it would allow intelligence professionals to question suspects without fear of being sued by them later. The White House has refused to describe what techniques will be allowed or banned. The law also establishes military tribunals for terrorism suspects, most of whom are held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The law also specifically bars detainees from filing habeas corpus petitions challenging their detentions in federal courts. It removes constitutional rights of defendants, such as a person's ability to go to court to protest their detention and the use of coerced testimony as evidence.

The bill also eliminates some rights common in military and civilian courts. For example, the commission would be allowed to consider hearsay evidence so long as a judge determined it was reliable. Hearsay is barred from civilian courts.

The legislation also says the president can "interpret the meaning and application" of international standards for prisoner treatment, a provision intended to allow him to authorize aggressive interrogation methods that might otherwise be seen as illegal by international courts.

So Bush will now be allowed to fabricate evidence against anyone (American citizens included), and decide what is and isn't torture, without ever stating so publicly, and without any oversight.

This is a shameful day in U.S. history.

The United States does not torture. It's against our laws and it's against our values.
-- George W. Bush

The President can now, with the approval of Congress, indefinitely hold people without charge, take away protections against horrific abuse, put people on trial based on hearsay evidence, authorise trials that can sentence people to death based on testimony literally beaten out of witnesses, and slam shut the courthouse door for habeas petitions. Nothing could be further from the American values we all hold in our hearts than the Military Commissions Act.
-- Anthony D. Romero, ACLU executive director

Wild animals never kill for sport. Man is the only one to whom the torture and death of his fellow creatures is amusing in itself.
-- James A. Froude

Are We Winning?

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How Many More?

God and Moses Against Minimum Wage?

There's an ad running in Colorado in which God and Moses campaign against minimum wage. Like Missouri, Colorado has a constitutional amendment on the November ballot which would raise the minimun wage and tie it to annual increases based on inflation. You may view the ad here.

The script reads:

MOSES: Hello!

GOD: Can you hear me now?

MOSES: We need divine intervention. They want to chisel Amendment 42 into Colorado's constitution where it doesn't belong.

GOD: What on earth are you talking about?

MOSES: An annual minimum wage increase in stone for eternity!

GOD: When inflation and recession come, it will be a catastrophe!

MOSES: It's a plague we'll face every year.

GOD: We can't let the people make this mistake. Go. Spread the word. Vote no on 42!

It shows Moses talking to God while holding two stone tablets. "Stop 42" is carved into one tablet, which Moses smashes at the end of the ad.

Seems rather odd, and perhaps sacriligeous, to use this dynamic duo to try to influence anyone to do anything. Perhaps that's why we haven't seen a similar ad here in Missouri. But I find it especially hypocritical that anyone would use Moses and God to try to stop an increase of the minimum wage.

Moses, the writer of the Torah, wrote many passages (inspired by God) in the Torah dealing with the treatment of the poor and needy. For example:

You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor. - Leviticus 19:15

To vote against a minimum wage would violate this passage of scripture.

And this verse:

For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, `You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.' - Deuteronomy 15:10

So how is withholding a much needed increase in the minimum wage consistent with this scripture? We are commanded by God and Moses to open our hand wide to the poor and needy in our land. But instead, this group in Colorado and similar folks in Missouri would rather close their hands to the poor and needy and open it wide to the rich and powerful.

You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is in your land within your gates. - Deuteronomy 24:14

To those barely surviving while working for minimum wage, an increase in the minimum wage is necessary. To not increase the minimum wage would be oppressing them. So why would this group, Stop 42 in Colorado, decide it was prudent to use God and Moses as spokesmen for a campaign to stop the raising of the minimum wage?

And why would any Christian be against increasing the minimum wage? Doesn't everything in scripture point to our responsibility to help the poor? Oh. Wait. That would also mean Christians should be against cutting Medicaid for the poor. But Gov. Blunt and the Republican legislature (including Aunt Norma) voted to do that. And Gov. Blunt, Aunt Norma, and Republicans all claim to be Christian. Aunt Norma even "teaches" at a Christian university.

Seems the "Religious Right" is neither.

Hastert Blames the Dems

From Think Progress:

Interviewed by Rush Limbaugh today, House Speaker Hastert said Mark Foley’s inappropriate behavior was “a political issue” and promised Rush that “we are going on offense.”

The “offense” is an effort to portray the scandal as a conspiracy specifically timed by liberals to affect the elections. “We are the insulation to protect this country,” Hastert declared, “and if they get to me it looks like they could affect our election as well”.

2,729 and counting

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The GOP Strategy for Iraq

An unamed Republican Congressman is quoted in Slate as characterizing the Bush war strategy as "just stay and let American kids die."



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Inspired by Betty B.