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___.COMPOSITION______In This Issue_______________________________
Anti-Bush Protests
Bu$h Runs Deficits But Threatens to Veto Congressional Budgetary Appropriations
Republican House Passes Watered-Down GOP Pension Reform Bill
Billionaire Philanthropist George Soros Scores Bu$h's Foreign Policy as 'Quite Dismal'
Defiant, Renegade Bush Regime Won't Support Global War Crimes Tribunal
Bush Plants the Seeds of a New Cold War with Russia
Military Reform....or Frightening Intensification of Bush's Push toward a Fascist
Regime?
Fatherland Czar Ridge Defies Public Scrutiny and Legal Culpability While Reps Rush
Meeting
George W. Bush, Eco-Terrorist
Here's a List of the Poisons Bush Wants Americans in All 50 States to Continue to Be
Exposed to...Indefinitely
Republicans Clean Up While Superfund Tanks and Taxpayers Ante Up
Texas Republicans Reject Armey's Son Despite Gramm's Help
'Suicide Note' of Former Enron Executive Cliff Baxter Released!
CBS: Exec's Mysterious Death 'Biggest Outstanding Mystery in Enron Story'
__Anti-Bush Protests
On 4/15, protest Bush in Cedar Rapids IA, and protest Cheney in Collinsville IL. On
4/19, protest Cheney in Allentown PA. On 4/20, participate in major demonstrations
against Bush's War in DC and SF. On 4/22, protest Cheney in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. On
4/24, protest Bush in Sioux Falls, SD.
http://legitgov.org/action.html
__Bu$h Runs Deficits But Threatens to Veto Congressional Budgetary Appropriations
In a closed-door White House meeting, Mr. Bu$h told GOP leaders that he would "enforce
fiscal discipline" by "vetoing appropriations bills if I have to." The statutory
deadline for Congress to approve a budget resolution is April 15. Senate Democratic
Policy Committee Chairman Byron Dorgan (N.D.). "We haven't even begun the
appropriations process and to be threatening to veto bills that haven't even begun to
be written at this point is hardly a way to extend a hand to work together with
Congress." Sen. Robert Torricelli (D-NJ) noted it was ironic that Mr. Bu$h is talking
about fiscal discipline when he inherited a budget that had been balanced for years
and is now submitting a budget that "establishes a deficit."
http://www.rollcall.com/pages/news/00/2002/04/news0411a.html
__Republican House Passes Watered-Down GOP Pension Reform Bill
"The Republican-led House passed a [GOP pension reform] measure Thursday, rejecting a
more far-reaching Democratic bill in favor of one based on President [sic] Bush's
response to the Enron debacle. The Republican bill, which Democratic leaders said
would offer workers few new protections and open loopholes for executives, would give
employees somewhat more control over assets in their 401(k) retirement accounts than
they have now. After a five-year phase-in period, workers could sell stock in their
401(k) accounts that came from company-matching contributions after holding it for up
to three years. Under current law, employers can prevent workers from cashing out
their stock until they retire...Earlier in the day, the House rejected a Democratic
alternative by 232 to 187. Key features included employee representation on boards
that oversee 401(k) accounts and the ability to convert their company-contributed
stock into cash after participating in the plan for three years."
http://www.msnbc.com/news/697712.asp
__Billionaire Philanthropist George Soros Scores Bu$h's Foreign Policy as 'Quite
Dismal'
Known for his financial prowess and philanthropy, billionaire George Soros graded
Bu$h's foreign policy since 911 as 'quite dismal,' recently while at the University of
Pennsylvania. Noting that Bu$h fell for a trap set by terrorists who wanted this
country to go to W-ar and sow the seeds for further acts of terrorism, Soros said that
instead of acting like the world's greatest power and leader of the global capitalist
system, 'the US is acting out of fear. Although the terrorist threat is real, and we
must defend against it, we are going about it the wrong way. What makes the situation
so dangerous is that nobody dares to say so. The nation is endangered, therefore it is
unpatriotic to criticize our leader,' Soros said. 'That is not what has made this
country great. The strength of this country lies in the Declaration of Independence
and the Bill of Rights and the freedom of speech and thought.'
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/business/personal_finance/3026933.htm
__Defiant, Renegade Bush Regime Won't Support Global War Crimes Tribunal
The world's first permanent war crimes tribunal, the International Criminal Court, was
ratified by the UN and takes effect July 1st. Ten nations shared the honor of being
the decisive signatory, but not the US. The ICC will step in when countries are
unwilling or unable to dispense justice for the most serious crimes committed by
individuals after the effective date: genocide, crimes against humanity and war
crimes. After failing to exempt US soldiers and officials, the Bu$h administration is
considering 'unsigning' the treaty President Clinton signed. Aside from Bu$h's
unilateral ethnocentrism, just what has the Bu$hies so afraid? Is this consistent with
'restoring honor and dignity?'
http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/04/11/international.court.ap/index.html
__Bush Plants the Seeds of a New Cold War with Russia
How many times has Shrub repeated that inane, seemingly obvious line that "The Cold
War is over" in reference to U.S.-Russia relations? Seems, though, that this was just
another one of Shrub's "mantras" meant to convince the public that he's doing one
thing when he's really doing the opposite. Thanks to Shrub's actions - trashing the
ABM treaty and deceiving Russia about eliminating nuclear warheads- we're headed for a
NEW Cold War. The latest insult concerns the alleged recruiting and DRUGGING of a
Russian Federal Security Service agent by 2 CIA operatives.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-041102spies.story?coll=la%2Dhome%2Dtodays%2Dtimes
__Military Reform....or Frightening Intensification of Bush's Push toward a Fascist
Regime?
First Terrorists (Negroponte, Reich) are named to key diplomatic posts. Now the
military is being "reformed" in a way that is setting off warning buzzers and bells
for rational observers. Now tell us this line from the Washington Post isn't ominous:
"Rumsfeld has selected people [for top command posts] who stand out among the current
top brass as unconventional thinkers who are likely to be supportive of his drive to
'transform' the military to better address terrorism and other new challenges." In
other words, "nonconformists" who don't find anything wrong with torture, military
tribunals, covert drives to overturn other governments.....or just about anything else
the "Bush Reich" finds just dandy. After all, on Newshour Rummy did cite Hitler's army
as an example of the militaristic efficiency he admires.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29137-2002Apr10.html
__Fatherland Czar Ridge Defies Public Scrutiny and Legal Culpability While Reps Rush
Meeting
Tom Ridge, former PA governor, former member of Congress and current Bu$h Homeland
Security Director, avoided public scrutiny by meeting with a congressional
subcommittee behind closed doors while evading legal culpability in the unsworn
informal discussions. The White House argues that Director Ridge, for whom the White
House is seeking a $38 Billion budget for Homeland Security, cannot be compelled to
testify because he is a 'presidential adviser' without operational authority. So, if
he has no operational authority, no congressional oversight or budgetary
accountability, how is $38 billion of your hard-earned tax dollars to be spent?
Wouldn’t you like to know?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28908-2002Apr10.html
__George W. Bush, Eco-Terrorist
Editor Scott Galindez of Truthout.com counts the ways - in which Dubya is terrorizing
the planet: unnecessary new oil drilling, storing nuclear waste at Yucca mountain,
using the war on drugs to protect oil companies at the expense of indigenous people.
"George, George, George...In one year you have threatened our planet with destruction
that no terrorists could ever implement. Perhaps Ashcroft should classify you and your
Administration eco-terrorists. Those currently classified as eco-terrorists actually
defend the environment that your policies would destroy."
http://www.truthout.org/docs_02/04.11D.SG.George.htm
__Here's a List of the Poisons Bush Wants Americans in All 50 States to Continue to Be
Exposed to...Indefinitely
What kind of president would knowingly - and willfully - push to have millions of his
fellow countrymen/women exposed to toxic substances so lethal that the sites they have
contaminated must be given a special designation: Superfund? Not one who gives a damn
about the average American, that is certain. After reading this information from PIRG
on just what the toxics at these sites do to human health, there will be no doubt in
your mind that the nation's well-being is being put at grave risk. By blocking the
progress of superfund site cleanups, Bush has taken his obsession with protecting the
wallets of corporations at the expense of all else to a new - and terrifying extreme.
http://www.pirg.org/enviro/superfund/superfund.asp?id2=6208&id3=superfund&;
__Republicans Clean Up While Superfund Tanks and Taxpayers Ante Up
The EPA's Superfund program is slated to clean up about half as many sites under Mr.
Bu$h as were cleaned up during the last years of President Clinton's administration.
Superfund officials were asked to explain why 25 cleanup sites were struck from lists
designated for restoration. Bu$h officials deny that the policy change is motivated by
a desire to help chemical (Republicans received 81% of more than $11 million total
contributed in 2000), oil (Republicans received 78% of almost $34 million contributed
in 2000), and other businesses largely responsible for the toxic waste (waste
management donors contributed over $1.5 million, 73% to Republicans). In addition to
halving the program's effectiveness, the primary funding source has shifted from
corporations to taxpayers, who will cover 54% of Superfund costs next year. Sen.
Barbara Boxer (D-CA) noted "the pace of the cleanup and the principle that the
polluter must pay - are now under attack by this administration."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28927-2002Apr10.html
__Texas Republicans Reject Armey's Son Despite Gramm's Help
Texas voters rejected Dick Armey's son, Scott, as the Republican nominee for the
District 26 House seat, instead favoring a political novice, obstetrician Dr. Michael
Burgess. Despite overspending Burgess by 3 to 1, Phil Gramm's help on radio spots and
letters to voters -- not to mention his Daddy Dick's full-page advertisements -- the
younger Armey only received 45% of the vote. In an ironic twist given his opponent's
occupation, Scott Armey promised if elected to introduce a bill overturning Roe v.
Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.
http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/3033148.htm
__'Suicide Note' of Former Enron Executive Cliff Baxter Released!
The Sugarland, Texas, Police Department, has released the suicide note of former Enron
executive, John Clifford Baxter. The note, addressed to Cliff Baxter's wife, stated:
"I am so sorry for this. I feel I just can't go on. I have always tried to do the
right thing but where there was once great pride now it's gone. I love you and the
children so much. I just can't be any good to you or myself. The pain is overwhelming.
Please try to forgive me." It was signed, "Cliff." The note was handwritten in all
capital letters on a blank sheet of paper. An attorney for the family stated the note
was found in Carol Baxter's car in the garage of the family home. Baxter's alleged
"suicide" has been the subject of controversy and still remains an open case. How
strange that Baxter would write a suicide note to his family in all capital letters
(which just happens to be the most difficult type of handwriting to do an analysis of!)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/020411/168/1dvc7.html
__CBS: Exec's Mysterious Death 'Biggest Outstanding Mystery in Enron Story'
Just before his death, Enron Executive Cliff Baxter had agreed to testify before
Congress to provide evidence against others. Two months after police were criticized
for calling the death a suicide before investigating, the case remains open. And for
good reason: irregularities and unanswered questions abound. Among them: Did a last
note contain mention of Enron? Why was peculiar ammunition, "rat-shot" used? What
caused mysterious wounds on one hand? Why weren't his hands protected for further
examination? What about the glass shards on his shirt? Was the body removed and
returned to the vehicle? Why won't the police say who handled and saw the body before
its arrival at the coroner's? Though legally required, why wasn't an autopsy ordered?
What was Cliff Baxter about to divulge to Congress about history's biggest corporate
scandal?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/04/10/eveningnews/main505845.shtml
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