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VIDEO - British Film Crew in Afghanistan Held at Gun Point by Taliban as Cameras Roll

Police Break Up Incident, Fire Indiscriminently and Beat the Film Crew as Taliban Escape

All as Bush Rolls Into Town Touting 'Success' of Afghanistan Campaign

By David Edwards on 3/2/2006 8:16am PT

Guest blogged by David Edwards of Veredictum.com

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This is truly amazing reporting from a very dangerous situation. A film crew from UK's Channel Four was threatened with execution while filming the Taliban burning a school accused of teaching Western ideology.

It seems that the camera man is on his knees as members of the Taliban threaten the lives of the film crew. Before the matter is resolved, machine gun fire is heard and the Taliban men scramble for cover. Pakistani special police are seen running into the frame shooting wildly into the air.

As the Taliban disappear, the Pakistani police begin beating the film crew. The producer falls to the ground and he is repeatedly hit with an assault riffle. The police are clearly not trained well. Apparently, all of the Taliban were able to escape this encounter.

President Bush visited Afghanistan earlier this week and trumpeted success of the war. Facts on the ground call Mr. Bush's claims into question.

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Gonzales Indicates Warrantless Domestic Spying Wider Than Previously Admitted

The AG Attempts to Cover His Ass After Previous ~~Lies~~ Congressional Testimony

(Good thing they didn't swear him in, huh?!)

By Brad Friedman on 3/1/2006 10:25pm PT

Is there anything these guys won't lie about? Good thing they didn't swear him in.

From today's WaPo...

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales appeared to suggest yesterday that the Bush administration's warrantless domestic surveillance operations may extend beyond the outlines that the president acknowledged in mid-December.

In a letter yesterday to senators in which he asked to clarify his Feb. 6 testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Gonzales also seemed to imply that the administration's original legal justification for the program was not as clear-cut as he indicated three weeks ago.
...
At least one constitutional scholar who testified before the committee yesterday said in an interview that Gonzales appeared to be hinting that the operation disclosed by the New York Times in mid-December is not the full extent of eavesdropping on U.S. residents conducted without court warrants.

"It seems to me he is conceding that there are other NSA surveillance programs ongoing that the president hasn't told anyone about," said Bruce Fein, a government lawyer in the Nixon, Carter and Reagan administrations.

Of course there are other programs they're not talking about. David Edwards has blogged about it repeatedly here on The BRAD BLOG. We reported (each time with video) on NSA whistleblower Russel Tice trying to sound the alarm that the warrantless surveillance programs were much bigger than the White House was admitting. One report is here from mid-January, then again here from mid-Februrary, and finally yet again last Monday.

Just one more wave yet to fully breach the Bush Administration's crumbling levee, we suppose.

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VIDEO - Analysis: Pre-Katrina Tapes Show Bush Lied

White House Spins Scandal With Paper That Was Withheld from Investigation

By David Edwards on 3/1/2006 6:37pm PT

Guest blogged by David Edwards of Veredictum.com

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MSNBC Countdown reports on the tapes of FEMA/Bush teleconferences held the day before Katrina hit New Orleans. Bush was on the call when the experts said they were concerned about the levees and a "disaster within a disaster" at the Superdome.

Just hours after AP released the tapes, the White House responded with a transcript where Brownie says that Bush was "engaged." A very weak rebuttal, indeed. What's more is that the White House had earlier refused to turn over this same document to the Congressional investigation on Katrina.

Crooks and Liars has a high-quality video of AP's report.

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VIDEO - Thousands Protest Bush's Arrival in India

By David Edwards on 3/1/2006 1:00pm PT

Guest blogged by David Edwards of Veredictum.com

Local police report that "over 100,000" people protested Bush's arrival in India. American corporate media reports say there were "tens of thousands" of protestors.

More protests are planned for the duration of Bush's visit.

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Air America Off the Air in Phoenix...

[UPDATED]

By Brad Friedman on 3/1/2006 11:13am PT

Received this note yesterday before heading off to Guest Host "The Young Turks". It's from Fred McChesney, co-host of the excellent "M&M Show", where I've appeared several times, on Air America Phoenix:

Hi Brad,

Today is KXXT's (Air America Phoenix) last day. Phoenix is getting its eighth AM Christian Station, starting tomorrow. Air America is off the air in Phoenix.

Fred

The KXXT website now has a thanks and farewell message from the now-former General Manager, who apparently had tried to save the station. It reads, in part:

You helped take an unrated, unprofitable AM radio station and pushed it to a tie for 3rd place out of 25 AM stations in Phoenix. You took that same AM station and made it profitable in less than a year and even after the sale was announced you stood by Air America Phoenix and we kept on making money even when our future was in doubt and we didn't know when our "plug" was going to be pulled. In fact, the last month we were on the air was the 3rd best month we've had financially!

Air America Phoenix has now disappeared into the ether and Phoenix is left with multiple Christian formats, some in English and others in Spanish, several "brokered' time stations (you know the radio stations selling you vitamins, good bowel movements and financial advice) a bagful of right wing "Conservative Talk stations" featuring Rush, Sean, Laura, Bill Bennett, Savage, Medved and all of their local imitators, three "Sports Talk" stations that live off the largess of their sister stations in the big corporate clusters that dominate the dial in Phoenix. Is anyone enjoying Tony Snow on KTAR�did anyone ask for him?

I welcome commenters here who have any suggestions about what --- if anything --- can be done about it.

UPDATE: The links to the KXXT webpages have now been removed. Unfortunately, I failed to cache them when I visited them. If anyone happened to cache those pages, please let me know, and I'll link to them instead. The message from the now-former GM, Bob Christy, can now be read in full right here. (Hat-tip to Zelph at Desert Rat!)

UPDATE 3/7/06: A campaign has now been mounted to get Air America Phoenix back on the air! They could use your help!

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VIDEO - Colbert Report on Bush Poll Number, Iraq, Mardi Gras

Also Includes Mardi Gras Special: 'CNN Anchors Gone Wild'

By David Edwards on 3/1/2006 10:53am PT

Guest blogged by David Edwards of Veredictum.com

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Includes Special Mardi Gras video intro: "CNN Anchors Gone Wild"

Stephen Colbert, in character as always, frowns on Bush's latest approval poll numbers. Highlighting a Scottish investigation into a Bush bicycling accident, Colbert reminds us of the many cuts, bruises and falls the President has sustained in past years.

Colbert offers the obtuse suggestion that Iraqi's problems could simply be solved with "Iraqi-Gras".

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Garrison Keillor Calls for Bush Impeachment

By Brad Friedman on 2/28/2006 9:54pm PT

His Salon piece, entitled "Impeach Bush", starts this way:

The man was lost and then he was found and now he's more lost than ever --- and he's taking us into the darkness with him. It's time to remove him.

...and ends this way:

The U.S. Constitution provides a simple ultimate way to hold him to account for war crimes and the failure to attend to the country's defense. Impeach him and let the Senate hear the evidence.

Sounds about right to me.

Or better yet, Mr. Bush, show some courage for the first time in your life. Step down now and save the country from even one more day of the agony, danger, shame, harm and destruction that you've already inflicted upon us.

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'Daily Voting News' For February 28, 2006

By John Gideon on 2/28/2006 5:10pm PT

Guest Blogged by John Gideon of VotersUnite.org and VoteTrustUSA.Org

I'm back and today's DVN includes some articles from the past two days added in with today's articles. Early voting for this year's primaries is taking place in TX and IL. It looks like NY will be using their lever machines for another election year. It would be catastrophic for them to change this late in the game. PA is a mess with counties rushing to get anything and not much really certified by the state or federal authorities. ...

--- Click here for REST OF STORY!... ---

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VIDEO - Rep. Murtha: 'We have become the enemy and our troops are the targets'

72% of U.S. Troops Want Out of Iraq Within One Year

By David Edwards on 2/28/2006 10:33am PT

Guest blogged by David Edwards of Veredictum.com

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Rep. John Murtha was interviewed on yesterday's edition of CNN Situation Room.

Transcript:

MURTHA: They have to settle this themselves. They have to settle the underlying problems which have caused the insecurity there.

For instance, water supply, the electricity supply, the oil supply. All those things are prewar level. And there's no way they're going to settle.

Unemployment is 60 percent. There's no way they're going to settle this by talking about it. It's not rhetoric.

And the military has done everything they can do. They have done a marvelous job. Now it's up to the political leaders to take hold of this thing and settle it themselves.

And, you know, I keep getting different reports about the Iraqis being ready to take over, and then the next day they say there's no battalions ready. But the Iraqis themselves have more confidence in their police and in their army than they do in the United States Army.

We have become the enemy, and our troops, unfortunately, have become the targets. So it's time to redeploy our troops.

Related: Zogby poll via ThinkProgress - 72% of U.S. Troops Want Out of Iraq Within One Year. 29% of U.S. troops serving in Iraq favor "immediate" withdrawal.

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VIDEO - Curfews are Lifted as Violence Continues in Iraq

By David Edwards on 2/28/2006 9:26am PT

Guest blogged by David Edwards of Veredictum.com

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Three reports from three networks based in different countries:

MSNBC (U.S.) - Low poll numbers for Bush on approval of Iraq war. Latest tallies of today's violence.

BBC (U.K.) - More in-depth reporting on bombings in Baghdad earlier this morning.

Al Alam TV (Iran) - While American leaders have mostly blamed the bombing of the "golden dome" mosque on "terrorists", this report looks at suspicions from the "Shi'ite street" that American occupation forces should share some of the blame.

Please note that views expressed in the video are those of the broadcasters. We invite viewers to evaluate the material and make their own conclusions.

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Brad Guest Hosts 'The Young Turks' on Tuesday!

Along with Michael Shure!

Tuesday, 6p-9p ET (3p-6p PT) - Listen in via Sirius Satellite Ch. 146 or WATCH the Video Webcast at www.TheYoungTurks.com!

By Brad Friedman on 2/27/2006 11:26pm PT

I was just asked last minute to jump in and Guest Host The Young Turks radio program on Tuesday from 6p-9p ET (3p-6p PT). When an opportunity arises to "Be the Media", you know I'm always happy to answer the call. As best as I can. Even at last minute. Cuz somebody's got to.

I'm happy to say I'll be sitting in along with the good Michael Shure once again.

Please tune in via Sirius Satellite Channel 146 or watch/listen to the LIVE video webcast at www.TheYoungTurks.com. Call in to say hey, if you like, at 866-99SIRIUS!

Amongst Tonight's Special Guests (so far) ...

+ Ion Sancho, Supervisor of Elections, Leon County, FL
(he, of the now-infamous Diebold "hack test"!)

+ Lowell Finley, Attorney, Co-Director of VoterAction.org
(he, of the CA Diebold decertification lawsuit, and Sequoia temp restraining order in NM!)

+ Kay Brown, Comm. Director for DNC in Alaska
(they, of the Alaska/Diebold 2004 Election Data bait and switch!)

More to be announced tonight. Feel free to call in to the show tonight and help us stir up trouble and save democracy at the same time!

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POLL: Bush Supporters Disappearing

Bush Dead-Enders Poised to Hit Endangered Species List

American Minority Fringe Continues to Control Majority of Government

By Brad Friedman on 2/27/2006 7:04pm PT

Who are the Bush dead-enders? Latest poll...

Bush Approval Rating: 34%
Cheney Approval Rating: 18%

Approval of Bush's Handling of War: 30%
Approval of Bush's Handling of Katrina: 32%
Approval of Bush's "War on Terror": 43%

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VIDEO - Journalists Death Toll Surges to New High in Iraq

By David Edwards on 2/25/2006 9:13am PT

Guest blogged by David Edwards of Veredictum.com

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As violence surges in Iraq, the death toll for journalists has risen to a new high. Depending on the source, between 76 and 82 journalists have been killed since the war began.

While covering the bombing of a revered Shi'ite mosque, Al-Arabiya's Atwar Bahjat and two of her colleagues were shot by two gunmen. Atwar Bahjat had recently left the Al-Jazeera television network for pro-American Al-Arabiya network. She was widely known and respected in the Arab world.

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For Whom the Trolls Call...

Brad and 'Ryan from Salinas' on Today's Peter B. Collins Show

By Brad Friedman on 2/24/2006 11:37pm PT

"Ryan" seemed like a nice enough fellow...until a few tell-tale signs of trollishness seems to have slipped into his repartee. We'll let you see if you can spot them.

My weekly radio appearance on KRXA 540am in Monterey, CA with the always delightful Peter B. Collins was a gas as usual. This week we covered everything from Diebold in Alaska and California to Sequoia and Clint Curtis in Florida. Much to cover, and we didn't even get to all of it. It was a busy week in the trenches of the War on Democracy.

Late in the program came a call from "Ryan in Salinas" asking about Photo ID requirement laws at the polls --- a question I'm always happy to answer to. The ensuing exchange, I believe, is worth posting here for your listening pleasure.

-- Photo ID Call with "Ryan" [MP3, about 6 minutes]
-- Complete Appearance Today with Peter [MP3, about 30 minutes]

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AP: 100,000 ERRORS REPORTED ON SEQUOIA VOTING MACHINES IN PALM BEACH, FL 2004 ELECTION!

Audit Shows Electronic Voting in Disarray, Thousands of Re-boots, Re-Calibrations Required Throughout Election

PLUS: 'Butterfly' LePore is Back!

By Brad Friedman on 2/23/2006 11:47pm PT

AP --- yes, AP --- is now reporting the just released audit information obtained from Palm Beach County, Florida's 2004 Election. And the picture of the Sequoia paperless touch-screen voting machines used that night is not pretty. The information was obtained and released tonight by BlackBoxVoting.org...

From the AP story...

BlackBoxVoting.org, which describes itself as a nonpartisan, nonprofit citizens group, said it found 70,000 instances in Palm Beach County of cards getting stuck in the paperless ATM-like machines and that the computers logged about 100,000 errors, including memory failures.

Also, the hard drives crashed on some of the machines made by Oakland, Calif.-based Sequoia Voting Systems, some machines apparently had to be rebooted over and over, and 1,475 re-calibrations were performed on Election Day on more than 4,300 units, Harris said. Re-calibrations are done when a machine is malfunctioning, she said.

"I actually think there's enough votes in play in Florida that it's anybody's guess who actually won the presidential race," [BBV's Bev] Harris added.

The election officials in Palm Beach, however, say there are perfectly good reasons that their own election audit tapes showed thousands of errors and other anomolies...and, of course, they blame the victims...

Palm Beach County election officials said the BlackBoxVoting.com findings are flawed, and they blamed most of the errors on voters not following proper procedures.

"Their results are noteworthy for consideration, but in a majority of instances they can be explained," said Arthur Anderson, the county's elections supervisor. "All of these circumstances are valid reasons for concern, but they do not on face value substantiate that the machines are not reliable."

Meanwhile, the folks from Sequoia Voting Systems, who make the apparently error-prone machines in question, say "all is well"...

Sequoia spokeswoman Michelle Shafer disputed the findings, saying the company's machines worked properly. Sequoia's machines are used in five Florida counties and in 21 states.

"There was a fine election in November 2004," Shafer said.

That "fine election", however, apparently seems to have included votes cast prior to the start of early elections...

Harris said one machine showed that 112 votes were cast on Oct. 16, two days before the start of early voting, a possible sign of tampering. She said the group found evidence of tampering on more than 30 machines in the county.

BlackBoxVoting.org now has many more details on all of this up at their site. Amongst a few of the other notable points from BBV not mentioned in the AP article:

Records are being turned over the the Palm Beach County office of the FBI Friday morning at 9:00 a.m.

The internal logs of at least 40 Sequoia touch-screen voting machines reveal that votes were time and date-stamped as cast two weeks before the election, sometimes in the middle of the night.

Black Box Voting had to sue former Palm Beach County (FL) Supervisor of Elections Theresa LePore to get the audit records for the 2004 presidential election. (NOTE: Yes, that Theresa LePore..."Butterfly Ballot" LePore, "Democrat" in 2000 now Republican LePore)

Several dozen voting machines with votes for the Nov. 2, 2004 election cast on dates like Oct. 16, 15, 19, 13, 25, 28 2004 and one tape dated in 2010. These machines did not contain any votes date-stamped on Nov. 2, 2004.

In addition to the date discrepancies, most had incorrect polling times, with votes appearing throughout the wee hours of the night.

The evidence indicates that someone accessed the computers after the [Logic & Accuracy tests]and before the election, and that this access caused a change in the machine's reporting functions, at least for date and time. Such access would take a high degree of inside access.

One machine was powered down 128 times during the election.

Sequoia touch-screens are also used in Pinellas County (FL), Riverside, San Bernardino and Santa Clara countis (CA), New Mexico, New Jersey, and formerly in Snohomish County (WA). (NOTE: We should have more soon on the Sequoia machines in Snohomish County, WA, where apparently the machines are not yet "formerly" in use, but still to be used through September of 2006, according to the current lawsuit by Paul Lehto and John Wells against Snohomish and Sequoia up there. As we say, more on that soon.)

See BBV for more anomolies, details and explanations on all of the above.

A "fine election" indeed.

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