Follow & Support The BRAD BLOG!

Now celebrating 15 YEARS of Green News Report!
And 20 YEARS of The BRAD BLOG!
Please help The BRAD BLOG, BradCast and Green News Report remain independent and 100% reader and listener supported in our 21st YEAR!!!
ONE TIME ONLY
any amount you like...
$
MONTHLY SUPPORT
any amount you like...
$
OR VIA SNAIL MAIL
Make check out to...
Brad Friedman/BRAD BLOG
7095 Hollywood Blvd., #594
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Latest Featured Reports | Thursday, September 26, 2024
Trump Weaponized Govt Against His Enemies, Vows to Do It Again: 'BradCast' 9/26/24
Also: NYC Mayor indicted; D.C. disbars Rudy; Newsmax settles with Smartmatic; Helene goes Cat 1 to 4 in single day before FL landfall...
'Green News Report' 9/26/24
  w/ Brad & Desi
Hurricane Helene guns for Florida; Global warming doubled odds of Europe's catastrophic flooding; PLUS: Biden promotes climate action at final U.N. address, with a warning...
Previous GNRs: 9/24/24 - 9/19/24 - Archives...
The Climate and Economy Stakes of 2024:
'BradCast' 9/25/24
Guest: Ryan Cooper of The American Prospect; Also: Trump's Project 2025 in reality, in the U.S. House, and in song!...
Good News for Democracy in Nebraska, Arizona (Less So Montana): 'BradCast' 9/24/24
Also: Hurricanes John and Helene; Biden's final address at the U.N. General Assembly...
'Green News Report' 9/24/24
  w/ Brad & Desi
CA sues ExxonMobil for plastic recycling lies; John strikes Mexico as Cat 3; Three Mile Island coming back to power Microsoft's A.I.; PLUS: Climate Week summit kicks off in NYC...
Previous GNRs: 9/19/24 - 9/17/24 - Archives...
No, GA's New Rule Does NOT Mandate Hand-Counted Results: 'BradCast' 9/23/24
Guest: Voting system expert Marilyn Marks on the wildly misreported Georgia news and what voters should be worried about instead...
Sunday 'Not Going Back' Toons
THIS WEEK: Springfield Follies ... Political Violence ... The Undecidables ... Pro-Life? ... And much more in our latest collection of the week's best toons!...
Losers' Stench: GOPers Gaming the Map to 270: 'BradCast' 9/19/24
Bad news for Rs in NC; Trump/Vance lies in OH; Desperate GOP Electoral Vote scheme in NE; Gaming result certification in GA; Vote suppression in TX; Vote expansion in CA...
Dueling Lawsuits: State A.G. and County Election Officials Square-Off Over Voter Registration in Texas
Right to register under assault following state's massive voter roll purge...
'Green News Report' 9/19/24
  w/ Brad & Desi
U.N. weather agency warns of climate chaos...that may already be here; NC storm tops $7B in damage; PLUS: Biden's air pollution policies will save 200,000 lives...
Previous GNRs: 9/17/24 - 9/12/24 - Archives...
Winning Over White Evangelicals for Harris: 'BradCast' 9/18/24
Guest: Pastor Doug Pagitt; Also: With great power (and a huge microphone) comes great responsibility...
PA County Election Chief on 2024 Challenges in 'Tipping Point' State: 'BradCast' 9/17/24
Guest: Fayette County Election Dir. Marybeth Kuznik; Also: It's Nat'l Voter Registration Day!...
'Green News Report' 9/17/24
NatGas pipeline explosion in Houston suburb; Deadly storms, flooding in Europe, Africa, North Carolina; PLUS: Trump threatens California...
Amid Trump's Racist, Anti-Immigrant Screeds, Supp-orters Tell Us Why They Back Him: 'BradCast' 9/16/24
Some reasons are as bad as you might guess; Also: New assassination scheme; More lies...
Debate Moderator Was Right: Trump Lost 2020 Challenges for Lack of Evidence
Former President falsely claimed it was due 'only' to lack of 'standing'...
Sunday 'Da Bait' Toons
THIS WEEK: Doggone Springfield ... Swift Boating 2024 ... Afterthoughts ... and more, in our latest collection of the week's best toons!...
'Green News Report' 9/12/24
Climate policy gets short shrift at Presidential Debate, as fires rage in the U.S. West and Hurricane Francine slams into Louisiana...
BARCODED BALLOTS AND BALLOT MARKING DEVICES
BMDs pose a new threat to democracy in all 50 states...
VIDEO: 'Rise of the Tea Bags'
Brad interviews American patriots...
'Democracy's Gold Standard'
Hand-marked, hand-counted ballots...
Brad's Upcoming Appearances
(All times listed as PACIFIC TIME unless noted)
Media Appearance Archives...
'Special Coverage' Archives
GOP Voter Registration Fraud Scandal 2012...
VA GOP VOTER REG FRAUDSTER OFF HOOK
Felony charges dropped against VA Republican caught trashing voter registrations before last year's election. Did GOP AG, Prosecutor conflicts of interest play role?...

Criminal GOP Voter Registration Fraud Probe Expanding in VA
State investigators widening criminal probe of man arrested destroying registration forms, said now looking at violations of law by Nathan Sproul's RNC-hired firm...

DOJ PROBE SOUGHT AFTER VA ARREST
Arrest of RNC/Sproul man caught destroying registration forms brings official calls for wider criminal probe from compromised VA AG Cuccinelli and U.S. AG Holder...

Arrest in VA: GOP Voter Reg Scandal Widens
'RNC official' charged on 13 counts, for allegely trashing voter registration forms in a dumpster, worked for Romney consultant, 'fired' GOP operative Nathan Sproul...

ALL TOGETHER: ROVE, SPROUL, KOCHS, RNC
His Super-PAC, his voter registration (fraud) firm & their 'Americans for Prosperity' are all based out of same top RNC legal office in Virginia...

LATimes: RNC's 'Fired' Sproul Working for Repubs in 'as Many as 30 States'
So much for the RNC's 'zero tolerance' policy, as discredited Republican registration fraud operative still hiring for dozens of GOP 'Get Out The Vote' campaigns...

'Fired' Sproul Group 'Cloned', Still Working for Republicans in At Least 10 States
The other companies of Romney's GOP operative Nathan Sproul, at center of Voter Registration Fraud Scandal, still at it; Congressional Dems seek answers...

FINALLY: FOX ON GOP REG FRAUD SCANDAL
The belated and begrudging coverage by Fox' Eric Shawn includes two different video reports featuring an interview with The BRAD BLOG's Brad Friedman...

COLORADO FOLLOWS FLORIDA WITH GOP CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
Repub Sec. of State Gessler ignores expanding GOP Voter Registration Fraud Scandal, rants about evidence-free 'Dem Voter Fraud' at Tea Party event...

CRIMINAL PROBE LAUNCHED INTO GOP VOTER REGISTRATION FRAUD SCANDAL IN FL
FL Dept. of Law Enforcement confirms 'enough evidence to warrant full-blown investigation'; Election officials told fraudulent forms 'may become evidence in court'...

Brad Breaks PA Photo ID & GOP Registration Fraud Scandal News on Hartmann TV
Another visit on Thom Hartmann's Big Picture with new news on several developing Election Integrity stories...

CAUGHT ON TAPE: COORDINATED NATIONWIDE GOP VOTER REG SCAM
The GOP Voter Registration Fraud Scandal reveals insidious nationwide registration scheme to keep Obama supporters from even registering to vote...

CRIMINAL ELECTION FRAUD COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST GOP 'FRAUD' FIRM
Scandal spreads to 11 FL counties, other states; RNC, Romney try to contain damage, split from GOP operative...

RICK SCOTT GETS ROLLED IN GOP REGISTRATION FRAUD SCANDAL
Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL) sends blistering letter to Gov. Rick Scott (R) demanding bi-partisan reg fraud probe in FL; Slams 'shocking and hypocritical' silence, lack of action...

VIDEO: Brad Breaks GOP Reg Fraud Scandal on Hartmann TV
Breaking coverage as the RNC fires their Romney-tied voter registration firm, Strategic Allied Consulting...

RNC FIRES NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION FIRM FOR FRAUD
After FL & NC GOP fire Romney-tied group, RNC does same; Dead people found reg'd as new voters; RNC paid firm over $3m over 2 months in 5 battleground states...

EXCLUSIVE: Intvw w/ FL Official Who First Discovered GOP Reg Fraud
After fraudulent registration forms from Romney-tied GOP firm found in Palm Beach, Election Supe says state's 'fraud'-obsessed top election official failed to return call...

GOP REGISTRATION FRAUD FOUND IN FL
State GOP fires Romney-tied registration firm after fraudulent forms found in Palm Beach; Firm hired 'at request of RNC' in FL, NC, VA, NV & CO...
The Secret Koch Brothers Tapes...

By Brad Friedman on 9/11/2004 11:55pm PT  

First Max Cleland, and now the Police. Does Bush talk to anyone that he doesn't agree with?

On Friday morning, the White House officially refused to meet with law enforcement leaders about saving the assault weapons ban. The International Association of Chiefs of Police had requested a meeting, offering to send police chiefs to meet with the President on any date that the White House chose. The White House response said the President would not meet with the police due to a "scheduling conflict." (Again, the IACP had not requested any specific date or time for the meeting.)

The boy in the bubble. Let's pop the bubble, shall we?

Share article...



According to an analysis of Bush's OWN Records!
By Brad Friedman on 9/11/2004 11:44pm PT  

It's been about three days since the report on the Killian memos, and still no denial from the White House on either the legitimacy of the memo's or their substance which charge that Bush disobeyed a direct order to take his physical and lost his flight privileges because of it. As well, that he received preferential treatment in the bargain. The White House silence would seem to speak volumes.

Yet up until now, their singular reply in their own defense is that Bush "fulfilled his duty and received an honorable discharge."

Well, looks like there yet may be more bad news for President AWOL. U.S. News is now reporting that --- according to Bush's own records, (that he himself released!) --- Bush did not fulfill his required duties for the Texas Air National Guard!:


A review of the regulations governing Bush's Guard service during the Vietnam War shows that the White House used an inappropriate--and less stringent--Air Force standard in determining that he had fulfilled his duty. Because Bush signed a six-year "military service obligation," he was required to attend at least 44 inactive-duty training drills each fiscal year beginning July 1. But Bush's own records show that he fell short of that requirement, attending only 36 drills in the 1972-73 period, and only 12 in the 1973-74 period. The White House has said that Bush's service should be calculated using 12-month periods beginning on his induction date in May 1968. Using this time frame, however, Bush still fails the Air Force obligation standard.

Moreover, White House officials say, Bush should be judged on whether he attended enough drills to count toward retirement. They say he accumulated sufficient points under this grading system. Yet, even using their method, which some military experts say is incorrect, U.S. News's analysis shows that Bush once again fell short. His military records reveal that he failed to attend enough active-duty training and weekend drills to gain the 50 points necessary to count his final year toward retirement.

The U.S. News analysis also showed that during the final two years of his obligation, Bush did not comply with Air Force regulations that impose a time limit on making up missed drills. What's more, he apparently never made up five months of drills he missed in 1972, contrary to assertions by the administration. White House officials did not respond to the analysis last week but emphasized that Bush had "served honorably."

It bears repeating...The analysis above is based on records released by Bush and the White House themselves! Perhaps those were also forgeries? The world awaits how the Freepers will apologize for this one!

(From BRAD BLOG tipster, Alexi again!)

Share article...



By Brad Friedman on 9/11/2004 11:20pm PT  

From BRAD BLOG tipster, Jaime, as reported just now from Reuters:


Blast, Mushroom Cloud Reported in N. Korea

SEOUL, South Korea - A large explosion occurred in the northern part of North Korea, sending a huge mushroom cloud into the air on an important anniversary of the communist regime, a South Korean news agency reported Sunday.

The Yonhap news agency, citing an unidentified source in Beijing, said the explosion happened Thursday in Yanggang province near the border with China. The explosion in Kim Hyong Jik county blasted a crater big enough to be noticed by a satellite, the source said...

Jaime's comments:

So...since Bush doesn't do diplomacy and we can't invade N. Korea due to our lack of troop strength in the region (pulling our troops out of the region doesn't seem like a good idea does it Rummy?) and with our prior commitments in the totally necessary Iraq war...this doesn't bode well.

Share article...



By Brad Friedman on 9/11/2004 7:27pm PT  

As Iraq becomes Afghanistan-ized as one city after another falls away from control of Baghdad (so far the major cities of Fallujah, Tikrit, Najaf, Ramadi and Karbala are all now under "insurgent" rule) and heads ever closer to civil war, here are the raw numbers according to McLaughlin:

THE HUMAN TOLL as of Friday, 9/10/04...

U.S. Military Dead: 1008
Amputees, Wounded, Injured, Psychologically Disabled: 27,100 est.
Iraqi Civilians Dead: 20,300 est.

It's the judgement, stupid.

Share article...



By Brad Friedman on 9/11/2004 2:29pm PT  

It's not just squirrel hunters who can celebrate on Monday when Bush's failure to renew the ban on Assault Weapons opens the doors to any and all such weapons as we mentioned previously. Now Jihadists in the U.S. can celebrate as well!

That's right, as spelled out in the article "How Can I Train Myself for Jihad?" the first thing shown is the picture of the AK-47 at right! And later these words of advice:

In other countries, e.g. some states of USA, South Africa, it is perfectly legal for members of the public to own certain types of firearms. If you live in such a country, obtain an assault rifle legally, preferably AK-47 or variations, learn how to use it properly and go and practice in the areas allowed for such training.

"Some states"? Heck, it'll be just about all states as of Monday! Let the jihad begin!

At this rate, if Bush gets any "tougher" on fighting "terrorism", we may not even make it to November 2nd! Better get your AK-47 this Monday!

(Thanks to the always sharp John Aravosis of AMERICAblog for the catch!)

Share article...



Post-Convention bounce (if it much existed) now evaporating.
By Brad Friedman on 9/11/2004 1:57pm PT  

The REPUBLICAN polling firm, Rasmussen released their latest numbers today from their daily tracking poll. Bush has a 1 point lead over Kerry. 1 point. With Bush at 47% and Kerry at 46%.

Rasmussen has had Bush out in front of Kerry for months, even while most polls showed Kerry ahead of Bush. So if they are now showing just a 1 point lead for Bush, well, feel free to extrapolate.

It's not clear whether those numbers are "Likely Voters" or "Registered Voters", but in general, the polling of "Likely Voters" has shown better numbers for Kerry than do the polls of "Registered Voters". So extrapolate again.

The race is still Kerry's to lose. Which, in case you're reading this John Kerry, doesn't mean you should keep trying to lose!!!

UPDATE: The numbers from ALL of the latest state polls indicate that Kerry leads Bush in the electoral count still: 273 to 233 (with 270 being the number needed to win).

Share article...



Twice in one speech!
(Might explain a few things!)
By Brad Friedman on 9/11/2004 1:35pm PT  

On the eve of 9/11, our own Secrety of Defense seems unable to tell the difference between Saddam Hussein, who didn't attack America, and Osama bin Laden who killed at least 3000 on American soil...

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld mixed up Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden with deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein twice in a speech Friday.

Among other things, Rumsfeld talked about the world just before the Sept. 11 attacks, whose third anniversary is today. In Afghanistan, he told the National Press Club, "the leader of the opposition Northern Alliance, Masoud, lay dead, his murder ordered by Saddam Hussein, by Osama bin Laden, Taliban's co-conspirator."

Ahmed Shah Masoud, who opposed the ruling Taliban, was killed by suspected Al Qaeda operatives — not Hussein — two days before the Sept. 11 attacks.

Later, Rumsfeld said, "Saddam Hussein, if he's alive, is spending a whale of a lot of time trying to not get caught. And we've not seen him on a video since 2001."

Hussein was captured by U.S. forces in Iraq; Bin Laden has not been found.

Apparently Rummy not only skipped the "understand your enemy" part of war school, he must have been absent for the "know WHO your enemy actually is" lesson as well!

Or perhaps it's as BRAD BLOG tipster, Alexi put it: "Must be something in the water over at the White House". Apparently.

Share article...



By Brad Friedman on 9/11/2004 12:24pm PT  

Courtesy of The Freeway Blogger...

Share article...



So Far...
The White House Still NOT Denying.
By Brad Friedman on 9/11/2004 12:16pm PT  

Kos does a fine job of refuting the forgery fanatics. Point by point. It would be lovely if both sides were so dilligent and level-headed and sober and responsible in their analysis.

Mind you, the memos may still turn out to be forgeries, but the items that the Right Gone Wild are pointing out as reasons why these documents couldn't have been produced in 1972, have in fact been 100% debunked. Point by point. But nice try boys!

Meanwhile --- the larger and more substantive issue --- we're still waiting for the White House to deny either the legitimacy of the memos, or their substance. So far, they've done neither. Leaving unanswered the question about whether Lt. Bush disobeyed the direct orders of superiors by not reporting for a physical, losing his flight status because of it, and --- the Boston Globe's story that ended up overshadowed in all of this --- whether he perjured himself (or whatever one would call it) by signing official documents that he would join a Reserve unit up in Boston in exchange for being released from his Air National Guard commitments in Texas/Alabama, but then never did.

And yes, with 1000 US Troops dead in Iraq, and thousands and thousands more ordered, including Guard and Reserve, to extend their tour of duty beyond what they were promised, sent there by a self-proclaimed "War President" for a self-admitted "miscalculation", Bush's own behavior and possible subordination of his own military superiors is all very relevant --- especially so --- in 2004.

Share article...



By Brad Friedman on 9/10/2004 7:15pm PT  

Thank God that George W. Bush flip-flopped on his campaign support in 1999 to renew the Assault Weapons Ban which expires Monday!

Remember in 1999 after a man shot 3 people with an assault rifle at the community center and Dubya said "It makes no sense for assault weapons to be around our society"?

Well it looks like he was just kiddin' around! That crazy kidder, George!

This Monday can't come soon enough! All assault weapons, all the time! Look out wascally wabbits! Finally the playing field will be even!

Share article...



By Brad Friedman on 9/10/2004 3:45pm PT  


"Take Your
Country Back"

9/19/04


"Wrong
Choice"

9/8/04


"Anything
To Win"

9/4/04

Share article...



Actions, as ever, Speaking Louder Than Words...
(as the Mainstream Media continues to sit this election out)
By Brad Friedman on 9/10/2004 3:15pm PT  

As reported by AP (with thanks again to Alexi for the link!):

Untrained Officers Sent to Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON — The government has assigned unqualified employees to Saudi Arabia, where they are supposed to ensure that terrorists do not get U.S. visas, a federal watchdog reported Thursday.

Fifteen of the 19 men who hijacked planes on Sept. 11, 2001, were from Saudi Arabia. When Congress created the Homeland Security Department, lawmakers ordered that security officers be assigned to the kingdom to screen visa applicants for terrorist connections.

The department's inspector general, Clark Kent Ervin, said nine of the 10 temporary employees sent to Riyadh and Jidda neither spoke nor read Arabic, the language in which many documents they review are written and the sole language spoken by many applicants.

Still waiting for CNN or Fox to give the real story on Bush's fake "War on Terror". Another 12 hours of discussion about who's ahead in Pennsylvania will have to do in lieu of any actual reporting of the issues, I guess.

Any idea which side would prefer that sort of discussion versus reporting? Remind me again how the media is "Liberal" please?

Share article...



(...making it's way around the blogosphere)
By Brad Friedman on 9/10/2004 2:55pm PT  

Share article...



...about Iraq, Abu-Ghraib, and going to war without the necessary support from the 'Commander-in-Chief'
By Brad Friedman on 9/10/2004 2:47pm PT  

And now a word from someone who made it out of 15 months in Iraq alive. Someone who signed up for the Army Reserve after September 11th. Someone who wasn't a chickenhawk. Someone who ended up stationed in Abu Ghraib. Someone, unlike the Bush Supporters (as witnessed even here in BRAD BLOG comments) who doesn't find it necessary to avoid telling the truth about what's going on there, and how things went so terribly wrong via the incompetence and lack of support for our troops by this failed "Commander-in-Chief".

Here's the full article, please read it! It's short and to the point. Here's just one, of many quotable excerpts:

When my company landed in theatre in May, I was one of the few soldiers equipped with body armor effective at stopping powerful AK-47 ammunition. My mother, an elementary school art teacher, shipped the bullet-proof ceramic plates to me from the States. Other soldiers weren't so lucky, having to raid buildings and patrol dangerous streets while wearing inferior Vietnam-era flak jackets. Later I learned that 40,000 troops had been sent into Iraq without effective body armor. We rode in ‘soft shell' Humvees, equipped with flimsy fiber-glass doors. A Volvo has more protection. I saw the blood of American soldiers spilled because of the lack of ‘up-armored' Humvees.

After training 2,000 police, and bringing law and order to the city of Al Hilla, my unit was tasked to run Abu Ghraib prison, a mission for which we had no prior training. We were combat support military police, ideal for conducting convoy security, not administering prisoner-of-war camps. My unit was desperately under-manned, so I was assigned to run an entire tier at the ‘hard site'. Even as a junior-enlisted soldier, I was personally responsible for 320 prisoners and a staff of four or five ill-disciplined Iraqi police...

Educate yourself. Read the whole thing.

Support the Troops! Vote Bush out of office!

(Thanks to Alexi for the link!)

Share article...



And the Death of Human Rights.
By Brad Friedman on 9/10/2004 2:36pm PT  

I came across this post last night (or it was sent it from a reader), but now I can't remember where, or who sent it! So apologies for the lack of credit. None the less, good commentary and good link. And as usual, under-reported by the "Liberal" Media:

Ghost detainees: Finally, the Army admitted today that they didn't hide just a few Iraqi prisoners from the Red Cross, they hid "dozens, to perhaps up to 100."

And why did they hide these prisoners? Because the CIA asked them to. And what did the CIA do with them? We don't know? And were the prisoners ever returned to normal military custody? We don't know that either. Lovely.

Share article...



Total Pages (843):
« Newest ... « 804 805 806 807 808 [809] 810 811 812 813 814 » ... Oldest »

Support The BRAD BLOG
Please visit our advertisers










Support The BRAD BLOG
Please visit our advertisers
Brad Friedman's
The BRAD BLOG



Recent Entries

Archives


Important Docs
Categories

A Few Great Blogs
Political Cartoonists



Please Help Support The BRAD BLOG...
ONE TIME ONLY
any amount you like...
$
MONTHLY SUPPORT
any amount you like...
$
Or by Snail Mail
Make check out to...
Brad Friedman
7095 Hollywood Blvd., #594
Los Angeles, CA 90028

The BRAD BLOG receives no foundational or corporate support. Your contributions make it possible to continue our work.
About Brad Friedman...
Brad is an independent investigative
journalist, blogger, broadcaster,
VelvetRevolution.us co-founder,
expert on issues of election integrity,
and a Commonweal Institute Fellow.

Brad has contributed chapters to these books...


...And is featured in these documentary films...

Additional Stuff...
Brad Friedman/The BRAD BLOG Named...
Buzz Flash's 'Wings of Justice' Honoree
Project Censored 2010 Award Recipient
The 2008 Weblog Awards



Wikio - Top of the Blogs - Politics

Other Brad Related Places...

Admin
Brad's Test Area
(Ignore below! It's a test!)

All Content & Design Copyright © Brad Friedman unless otherwise specified. All rights reserved.
Advertiser Privacy Policy | The BradCast logo courtesy of Rock Island Media.
Web Hosting, Email Hosting, & Spam Filtering for The BRAD BLOG courtesy of Junk Email Filter.