“Very real, concrete problem: US political system today, history tells us, is one of most unstable combinations there is - domestic democracy & foreign empire. A nation can be one or the other, a democracy or an imperialist, but it can't be both.”

New Yorker magazine reports Pentagon has established Joint Chiefs of Staff group to plan Iran bombing attack that could be implemented within 24 hours of Bush go-ahead. Seymour Hersh reveals U.S. military already in Iran pursuing Iranian operatives.

Why would Karl Rove have ignored Iranian peace initiatives? The answer is obvious. You don’t attack your friends; you attack your enemies. If Iran is a friend, you cannot attack Iran to steal its oil. Can anyone name another reason? Contact Tabacco

Amazing how Christians can blame today’s Jews for the “Death of Christ” (2,000 years ago), but when it comes to Reparations for Blacks (Emancipation Proclamation 1863), they respond, “That’s not my fault; I had nothing to do with Slavery!”.

?Power concedes nothing without demand. Find what people will submit to, you have exact measure of injustice & wrong, which will be imposed upon them. Limits of tyrants are prescribed by endurance of those whom they oppress.? - Frederick Douglass

Republicans wouldn’t let a simple Minimum Wage bill go through without loading it down with benefits for the wealthy. Democrats can only refuse to pass Bush legislation, which means DEFUNDING THE WAR by refusing to renew appropriations!

LOU DOBBS: Corporate lobbyists & special interests are helping Senator Edward Kennedy write illegal alien amnesty legislation in secret. You thought this was a Democratic Congress and would be unlike the Republican Congress? Well, get ready.

A Federal judge has ordered New York Police Department to stop videotaping innocent protesters at political demonstrations. The judge ruled police repeatedly violated Handschu guidelines: how police carry out political investigations.

Iraqi blogger Raed Jarrar has obtained a copy of the proposed oil law and has just translated it into English. He discusses the new law with Antonia Juhasz, author of "The Bush Agenda: Invading the World One Economy at a Time.”

Chris Hedges' new book examines Christian dominionists seeking absolute power & Christian state. Movement strongly resembles 1920s & '30s young fascist movements in Italy & Germany. Hedges was NY Times Middle East bureau chief.

Rebel leaders want to buy weapons; they need money; to get money, they need diamonds. The diamond mines of Sierra Leone are the initial targets of rebel attacks. Trading diamonds allows rebel forces to buy fuel, to buy weapons, to buy friends.

Tabacco received this email from "Amazon" threatening to CANCEL my account if I don't respond with my credit/debit card and checking account info. I don't even have an Amazon account! Warn the elderly and gullible about taking the BAIT!

Cicero, "It is the peculiar quality of a fool to perceive the faults of others and to forget his own.".. "If we are not ashamed to think it, we should not be ashamed to say it." - Of course he spoke Latin. Yes, he knew Caesar well.

House of Representatives has challenged Bush’s authority to conduct this war. The vote, mostly along party lines, with 17 GOPers joining Democrats. Bush dismisses non-binding resolution, expects Democratic efforts to cut off funding.

Conyers calls for cutoff of appropriations for Iraq war, "may be only way we're going to end war". I asked Pres. Bush about Paul Singer & Michael Sheehan; whether he would stop incredible misuse of gov?t charity toward funding aid to poorer nations.

Vermont State Legislature passed resolutions in both House & Senate calling for the immediate & orderly US troop withdrawal from Iraq. Vermont has lost more soldiers per capita than any other state in the nation.

Vulture fund companies buy up the debt of poor countries at cheap prices, and then demand payments much higher than the original amount of the debt, often taking poor countries to court when they cannot afford to repay. - Goldfinger & GWB involved!

Would I like to be 55 or 45 or 35 or 25 or even 15 again? Not really! I would never want to be that Stupid again! (Smile)

DaimlerChrysler AG, considering "far-reaching strategic options with partners" and "no option excluded", reported 40% profit drop for 4th quarter. DaimlerChrysler's U.S. shares rose nearly 5 percent. Bad News to Workers = Good News to Shareholders!

Along with flowers and jewelry, Valentine's Day is the holiday of chocolate. Lots of chocolate, made with slave labor. Over 40% of world’s cocoa comes from West African Ivory Coast. – And child exploitation.

Wal-Mart, the nation's largest employer, has formed a coalition with labor unions and other large corporations to call for quality affordable health coverage for all Americans by 2012. Tabacco: Great, but it’s “no Skin off their nose”.

"Once again, Neocon ideologues have been flogging questionable intelligence about WMD, dubious MiddleEast exile groups are making rounds in DC, this time urging regime change in Syria & Iran. Once again, heroic exile leaders are promising freedom."

Bush’s faith-based initiative resulted in enormous money flow into churches. Bush Court will validate unitary presidency with sole control over foreign affairs, is very anti-media, will end integrated schools begun in ’54 with Brown v. Board of Ed.

Producer Raney Aronson discusses new PBS documentary series; “News Wars” begins airing tomorrow night. It examines Bush political & legal forces challenging MSM, reporters’ legal jeopardy including jail time for refusing to reveal their sources.

Josh Wolf, 24, has spent 170 days in jail, more time than any journalist in US history for protecting his sources. He refused to turn over video he shot of anti-G8 demonstration in San Francisco. Bush tries to make him agent of the State.