by Monica Smith [courtesy of Blog for America]

There's a reason why witnesses called to testify in a court of law are required to pledge to

Tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Things left out or embellishments stuck in pervert the truth and turn it into a lie. We recently saw that happen with Hillary Clinton's sniper fire in Tuzla and it's also been apparent in the stories told by the twenty-two dirty pensioners--perjurers in the court of public opinion--who spread half-truths and snippets of mis-information about the invasion/occupation of Iraq to deceive the American people and enrich themselves. And yesterday Secretary Robert Gates joined them. Or maybe he just decided to do his own dirty work. Because the dirty pensioners were a Department of Defense operation.

by Monica Smith [courtesy of Blog for America]

This past Sunday, the venerable New York Times published a lengthy screed in which it was revealed that some twenty-two high ranking retired military men and one still on active duty in the Pentagon had been suborned to give false evidence, about the conduct and progress of the aggression against Iraq, to the electronic and print media.

To those of us who have been attentive to foreign press reporting, as well as a few unembedded independents like Dahr Jamail, that the truth wasn't getting through the major media filters is not news. Neither does the suborning of the pensioners come as much of a surprise. After all, the Bush Administration has made an art out of circumventing Constitutional limitations on the federal government by suborning private corporations to do its dirty work; of course for a hetfy price that we the people pay.

Nevertheless, that men who have sworn to honor the Constitution and serve the United States have lied to the public, not to protect the nation but to cover up malfeasance, comes as a bit of a shock. As does the fact that fully twenty-two are identified by name and rank.

One really has to ask, "Have you, at last, no shame, sirs?"

by Monica Smith [courtesy of Blog for America]

As you may have heard, Senators Clinton and McCain took exception to Senator Obama speaking truth to power and referred to him as an elitist.  Perhaps they don't know what that word means.  Perhaps, like George W. Bush when he lies to the troops to "build their morale," they think that lying to people to "protect" them from the truth is what's expected of leaders.  Perhaps it's just  their paternalistic instinct that trots out the boogie man when things look bad and relies on the tooth fairy when people's teeth fall out because they lack health care.

In any event, some of the major media outlets took exception to the McCain and Clinton spin and Barack Obama addressed their spinning of his words directly. 

by Monica Smith [courtesy of Blog for America]

Last weekend, Julia Marden organized Burlington Vermont's entry into Worldwide Pillow Fight Day. Ah... the video speaks for itself.

by Monica Smith [courtesy of Blog for America]

2006 was a good year for New Hampshire Democrats. We had Carol Shea-Porter headlining electoral successes all over the state and for almost no money.
2008 looks to be not quite as good. The end of the quarterly fund-raising reporting cycle has brought missives to my mail box, suggesting it's all about the money again.

by Monica Smith [courtesy of Blog for America]

The Strategic Air Command had a slogan, "Peace is our Profession," but what they were really after was "pacification"-- that the peoples of the globe would be obedient to our directives, because, if they weren't we'd nuke them.

The Strategic Command is, of course, a subset of the Air Force and it's my sense that if we want to move our forces out of Iraq, it's the bases that have to be shut down. After all, the boots on the ground have been tasked with "protecting" the Air Bases from being shelled by insurgents who object to having four or five Manhattan-sized islands of death and destruction plopped down in the midst of their country. If we shut down the bases, the troops can go home.

Which is why I have been paying closer attention to the Air Force, an organization that's got grandiose plans about world domination, even as its core activities seem increasingly irrelevant. Besides, it's pretty clear that the goal in Iraq is to gain acquiescence to a long term presence for the Air Force by killing off all those who object. The Air Force is the key to peace in Iraq.

The following is a diary I originally posted on KOS, the political blog. My apologies, if you get multiple copies. In addition to peace, my purpose is to prompt a discussion of the morality of making assassination by remote control a standard component of our arsenal.

M/H

by Monica Smith [courtesy of Blog for America]

Although the Democracy for America community voted to endorse progressive candidates for president and Senator Barack Obama was one of three who qualified, there's been no further endorsement and this email is not intended to be one.

The purpose of the email is to provide some factual information to people who may have been confused by gossip and a media script that often has little relevance to the election process.  Even if elections are mainly a voter-driven activity, it's important that the information distributed about the candidates be accurate.

Enjoy.  And, if you find it worth-while, pass it on.