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* When The Supreme Court is no longer inviolate, the FDA is small potato. "...............it is a captive to the right-wing ideology of the Bush administration".The Newsweek report by Jennifer Barrett describes not only the chummy relationship between the pharmaceutical industry and the FDA but also the FDA's submission to right-wing zealots of the Bush administration. The holding up of approval of Plan "B", the morning after pill, for sale over the counter is symptomatic of the abuse of power in practice by various government agencies. We have seen it at work in The Department of the Interior and The Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The officials don't wear jackboots but they trample on policies that would serve ordinary Americans and blatantly cater to special interest groups.

*"Cheney Unleashed". Dan Froomkin, in his column White House Briefing,in the Washington Post wrote about the vice president's spirited defense on behalf of the beleaguered president. Just doing his job. After all he had a major role in cooking up the war. Reminded me of his appearance on CNN, May 30, 2005, when he said ''I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency." 415 American soldiers have died after the vice president's statement. Source: Iraq Coalition Casualties. Bear in mind that President Bush, VP Cheney, and Secretary of Defence Rumsfeld all avoided serving in Vietnam. And the president appears to be overwhelmed by the winds of change. Among the many memorable sayings of President Bush, this one is special: "There's an old...saying in Tennessee...I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee that says Fool me once...(3 second pause)... Shame on...(4 second pause)...Shame on you....(6 second pause)...Fool me...Can't get fooled again."--Nashville, Tennessee, Sept. 17, 2002. This man is our president ! He was right though. We are not going to get fooled again.

Candidate for A Job As Supreme Court Justice *Is he or isn't he--seeking confirmation as a justice of the Supreme Court ? Of course, he is. Therefore, his attempts to back away from his outright and clear position on abortion 20 years ago are not credible. Harold Meyerson, in his column "Alito's Smoking Gun" in the Washington Post quotes from Judge Alito's memo (application for a job) in 1985 to Regan's attorney general Ed Meese: "The Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion." Leaves no doubt, does it. After the Harriet Miers fiasco, one would be dumb to expect the president to nominate a candidate who would not receive approval of conservative Christians. Judge Alito is not naive but he is acting like one by trying to defend his 1985 statement, that he wrote it because he wanted a job. His declared position on women's right to choose is just one of the issues that raise a red flag but I would have respect for him if he stood up to his principles.

Down, Down, Down, and Down He Goes *The president's rating in a free fall. Thought my eyes were deceiving me! "In a specific comparison with President Clinton, those surveyed by 48%-36% say they trust Bush less." The president took off for Asia. Expectations are low; he might receive a better reception than he did during his recent jaunt to Latin America but apart from photo ops the trip will produce nothing. On the domestic front, however, it is a discouraging picture for the president. Results of a poll conducted by USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll (taken Friday-Nov.11th through Sunday-Nov.13th) show further erosion in support for G.W. Bush. Apparently, his Veterans' Day speech failed to win many converts. In the poll: Two-thirds of independents and 91% of Democrats disapprove of the job Bush is doing. Even among Republicans, who have solidly backed Bush in the past, 19% express disapproval — a new high. For the first time — albeit by a narrow 49%-48% — a plurality disapprove of the way Bush is handling the issue of terrorism. Six in 10 disapprove of the way he's handling foreign affairs, the economy, Iraq and immigration, and 71% disapprove of him on controlling federal spending. A 53% majority say they trust what Bush says less than they trusted previous presidents while they were in office. In a specific comparison with President Clinton, those surveyed by 48%-36% say they trust Bush less. A record high 60% say going to war in Iraq was "not worth it." In a finding consistent with previous polls, 54% say it was "a mistake" to send troops there. * "There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots. What is it? Distrust."---Demosthenes ...

How they sabotaged the Approval of OTC Morning After Pill*You can depend on them to follow the leader; the Bushies are ever mindful of the need to keep the conservative Christians--the self-appointed guardians of our morals-- happy. The Washington Post report by Marc Kaufman confirms what was previously mentioned in media...that the FDA, without any reasonable grounds, withheld approval for sale of the morning after pill over the counter. "The Government Accountability Office report said the apparent involvement of McClellan and other top officials was one of four unusual aspects of FDA's handling of the politically sensitive decision. The investigators reported that several key FDA officials told colleagues that the application to allow over-the-counter sales of the emergency contraceptive would be rejected months before the decision was announced." Almost like the decision to go to war long before the drum beat was orchestrated.

The Human Price* Soldiers and their feelings about Iraq is a subject that I often think about. I would have strongly discouraged my children from taking part in this war and I have low opinion of those who took us to Iraq, especially the ones who avoided taking part in battle (Vietnam war). Among them: G.W. Bush, Richard Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld.Jonathan Darman's article in Newsweek, "The Wages of War" is mostly about veterans of wars past. He mentioned the current war--in Iraq--in passing but experiences of veterans in other wars could not have been much different. It is interesting that majority of returning veterans do not take part in speaking out against war although they many of them "quietly hate war". "If history is a guide, only a few of these new veterans will join antiwar movements; most will proudly support their country in any future entanglements it may face. But many of those returning from Afghanistan and Iraq will doubtless join a tradition of brave veterans who quietly hate war." "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in a final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed—those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending its money alone—it is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children."—Dwight Eisenhower, Speech (1953)

"Two for the road"*Panic in Bush Land*It was such a pleasure to read the account of the motorcycle trip by Dustin Roasa and his girl friend, "Vietnam's Easy Rider" in the Washington Post. After the headlines about the Iraqi conspirator in Jordan and preparations for bioterrorism, Mr. Roasa was like a breath of fresh air. Reminded me that people in some parts of the universe still live normal lives. Yes, I am aware that Vietnam is not idyllic for all. But such journeys help one to get a feel of lands and people quite different than our own. If all of us cannot actually hit the road, reading about the journeys is the next best thing. "Leaving behind the traffic-clogged, European-scale streets of Hanoi's central districts, we dodged pedestrians and trucks to emerge into the booming exurbs, ground zero for Vietnam's recent economic explosion. Industrial parks, where local workers stitch and assemble the goods that fuel the global consumer economy, lined the road on vast plots that had been scratched out of the dust. The stench of vehicle exhaust gave way to a mixture of burnt brush, overheated metal and soggy rice paddy -- the unmistakable odor of progress in Vietnam." Who Will Say 'No More'* The president seemed to be out campaigning during his Veterans' Day appearance at Tobyhanna,PA. The Washington Post report by Linton Weeks and Peter Baker reads "Bush Spars with Critics of the War".Shrillness arising, the man is desperate. Fortunes of Republican politicians are tied to him. They loyally fell behind to offer tortuous arguments that there were no lies, no deception leading to the decision to go to war. Too many facts are now available to whitewash the records. Let them try. The truth is out there.Not easy for Democrats who didn't have the courage to take a stand. Back in August, Gary Hart, the former senator from Colarado said this in an op-ed piece "Who will say 'No more' " in the Washington Post: "History will deal with George W. Bush and the neoconservatives who misled a mighty nation into a flawed war that is draining the finest military in the world, diverting Guard and reserve forces that should be on the front line of homeland defense, shredding international alliances that prevailed in two world wars and the Cold War, accumulating staggering deficits, misdirecting revenue from education to rebuilding Iraqi buildings we've blown up, and weakening America's national security. "But what will history say about an opposition party that stands silent while all this goes on? My generation of Democrats jumped on the hot stove of Vietnam and now, with its members in positions of responsibility, it is afraid of jumping on any political stove. In their leaders, the American people look for strength, determination and self-confidence, but they also look for courage, wisdom, judgment and, in times of moral crisis, the willingness to say: "I was wrong." "To stay silent during such a crisis, and particularly to harbor the thought that the administration's misfortune is the Democrats' fortune, is cowardly. In 2008 I want a leader who is willing now to say: "I made a mistake, and for my mistake I am going to Iraq and accompanying the next planeload of flag-draped coffins back to Dover Air Force Base. And I am going to ask forgiveness for my mistake from every parent who will talk to me."

Newsweek*Torture*John McCain*Naomi Klein*The Disc Jockey*Bright and mild morning. Temp. about 48 degrees F (9 deg.C). The sky is blue. One of those mornings when just looking out of the window makes me feel good.Only a few weeks back the leaves of gingko trees alongside the street were green; almost overnight they turned yellow and now they have started to fall. The bulbs in my pocket size garden are emerging. Need a few rainy days before going out to forage for chanterelles in the foothills. I have done with surfing the net, read the news. There is little to feel cheerful about. The violence and senseless loss of lives in Iraq. It saddens me every time I read about dead soldiers. Majority of them are in their twenties. Dead for what--lies spread by a group of men who stayed away from serving when they were young. And the monstrous budget deficit ! So what did the Republicans in Congress try to do to reduce spendings ? Zeroed in on cutting benefits for Medicaid recipients...people at the lowest end of the ladder ! So typical. But even with the majority they enjoy in both houses, the measure failed to gather enough support. They are back at the drawing board, cooking up plans to push it through by cutting deals with moderate Republican members.It is heartening to know that the president and his men are not having an easy time answering the critics. Chickens come home to roost. They did their share and more of creating miseries for thousands of people here and abroad. It is fitting that they are in the proverbial "hot seat" trying to justify their actions. Bill Clinton faced impeachment for diddling with Monica Lewinski. G.W. Bush, responsible for deaths of more than 2,000 of our soldiers, and emptying the nation's coffers, continues to bluster. Things might catch up with him some day.The Debate About Torture, by Evan Thomas and Michael Hirsh in Newsweek's online edition covers the "dark side of intelligence gathering". "But at what cost? While many Americans probably don't wish to know too much about the "dark side" of intelligence gathering, the horrific images of tortured detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken a terrible toll on America's standing in the world. "It's killing us," says Sen. John McCain of Arizona, whose NEWSWEEK essay on the subject follows this article." At what cost ? Recommended reading Naomi Klein's "True Purpose of Torture", The Guardian,UK.Plan to go out for a run. Like the late runner, author Dr. George Sheehan, my energy flows when the sun is in its azimuth. In the meantime, there is music for company. Bach is good at any time. But this morning I am in the mood for jazz. A mixed bag. Listened to The Very Best of Fats Waller,then John Coltrane's Blue Train; MJQ play "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise" I have Arturo Sandoval's Evolution, and a few Cuban jazz CDs lined up for the rest of the morning: Introducing Ruben Gonzalez, piano (it has the classic "Siboney" composed by the great Ernesto Lecuona), and the Ry Cooder/Manuel Galban compilation Mambo Sinuendo.*"Tis a gift to be simpleTis a gift to be freeTis a gift to come downWhere you ought to be...And when we find ourselves in the place just rightWe'll be in the valley of love and delight."---A Shaker hymn

Their voices beginning to make an impact *Reason to cheer. The Washington Post report by Claudia Deane and Chris Cillizza reads "In the most recent ABC News poll, 44 percent of GOP moderates said that conservative religious groups have "too much influence" in the Bush administration, compared with 17 percent who thought those groups didn't hold enough sway. About a third saw religious conservatives as appropriately influential." It took a while but more and more Americans are questioning the Bush administration's outright support of the Christian right. To paraphrase the saying about the Moral Majority, "it is neither Christian nor right". G.W. Bush, the Born Again Christian, aligned himself with the zealots because he felt they held the key to the White House. Having let the Genie out of the bottle the president lost control of it. The fundamentalists took over and the president became their pawn.

"What Goes Up Must Come Down"*Reading "The Autumn of Discontent" by Marcus Mabry in the online edition of Newsweek about the president's falling numbers in recent polls made me happy. Support for him is dwindling across the board. "Half of all Americans now believe he is not 'honest and ethical' ". He never was. It is amazing--the damage that G.W. Bush has caused during his presidency is unmatched. He is trying to claw his way back, using tactics that worked in the past. This time it might be difficult or unachievable. It took a while but people are finally beginning to see through him. The tragedy of 9/11 allowed him to exploit it to the fullest. He desperately needs an event to latch onto. No doubt he is praying for one. A hollow man. Comments Anonymous — 2005-11-12 His Veteran's Day speech was a reused pack of the same old lies (cf. October 6?, well early October speech that was very similar).