ANTE RAISED AT WORLD SERIES OF TERROR TOURNAMENT

WITH HALLOWEEN A MONTH AWAY, THINGS ARE GETTING SCARY IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE ON CAPITAL HILL
Yesterday, the Senate endorsed President Bush's plans to prosecute and interrogate terror suspects, all but guaranteeing congressional approval for legislation that Republicans intend to use on the campaign trail to assert their toughness on terrorism. The legislation could let Bush begin prosecuting terrorists connected to the Sept. 11 attacks just as voters head to the polls. It will also allow the GOP to claim that any Democrats who are opposed to the bill are soft on terror. The bill would create military commissions to prosecute terrorism suspects. It also would prohibit some of the worst abuses of detainees like mutilation and rape, but grant the president leeway to decide which other interrogation techniques are permissible (allowing Dubya to interpret the Geneva Conventions, the treaty that sets standards for the treatment of war prisoners). The bill would also eliminate some rights common in military and civilian courts. For example, the commission would be allowed to consider hearsay evidence so long as a judge determined it was reliable. Hearsay is barred from civilian courts. This is supposed to show a level of toughness on terrorism? The only thing that this bill achieves is to provide more fodder for our enemies. The Senate is giving Dubya the right to interpret the Geneva Conventions? I wouldn’t even feel comfortable letting him interpret Dr. Seuss. “According to this brief, if the Grinch stole Christmas he’s obviously against Jesus and Jesus loves freedom. We better find this Grinch and torture him. While we’re at it, let’s build a few military bases in Who-ville”. This business of allowing hearsay as long as a judge determines that it’s reliable is just plain scary. How does a person determine how reliable hearsay is? I’ll field a guess. If the information allows us to further detain, jail, or torture a suspect, it will be determined to be reliable. If the hearsay information can in any way help prove a suspect’s innocence, it will be deemed unreliable. Democrats contended that the legislation could set a dangerous precedent that might invite other countries to mistreat captured Americans. Their opposition focused on language barring detainees from going to federal court to protest their detention and treatment (the right known as "habeas corpus").
"The habeas corpus language in this bill is as legally abusive of rights guaranteed in the Constitution as the actions at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, and secret prisons that were physically abusive of detainees," said Sen. Carl Levin, the top Democrat on the Armed Services panel. The saddest part of this bill passing is that there are millions and millions of Americans who will actually view this as a positive step in the “war on terror” and vote for the GOP because of it. That’s why they rushed to have this bill passed so quickly. It isn’t because it makes the American people safer from terrorist attacks as they claim. It’s because it makes their job security (with elections in less than two months) and stranglehold on capital hill safer. I’m not fooled. I hope the rest of you readers aren’t fooled either. Democrats need to take back capital hill in November to insure that there is a check for this renegade President who may have already started world war three.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN
The al-Qaida leader in Iraq, in a chilling audiotape released Thursday, called for nuclear scientists to join his group's holy war. The leader said experts in the fields of "chemistry, physics, electronics, media and all other sciences (especially nuclear scientists and explosives experts)" should join his group's jihad, or holy war, against the West.
"We are in dire need of you," said the speaker, who identified himself as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir (also known as Abu Ayyub al-Masri). "The field of jihad can satisfy your scientific ambitions, and the large American bases (in Iraq) are good places to test your unconventional weapons, whether biological or dirty, as they call them." A U.N. report released Wednesday said al-Qaida "has gained by continuing to play a central role in the fighting and in encouraging the growth of sectarian violence; and Iraq has provided many recruits and an excellent training ground." Basically, since the U.S. blindly invaded Iraq, we have provided fodder for many new enemies and the perfect place for them to train. Seems to contradict what Bush has been telling the American public…I wonder who’s telling the truth? This isn’t going to end well. Martyrdom is revered among Islamic fundamentalists. By calling scientists to holy war, they have opened the door to many new levels of attacks. We might be looking at the end of the days of suicide bombers as the main tool of attack and the dawn of much larger scale atrocities. The military bases we have built in Iraq (one of our biggest reasons for invading the country, although Dubya would never admit to that) are now being lined up as targets for radicals to test their weapons on. If our soldiers don’t have body armor to protect against bombs, what’s the likelihood that they have proper equipment to protect against chemical or radioactive weapons? Once these weapons have been tested on American military bases in Iraq, how long will it be before they make their way to American soil? Either way, we lose. We are either attacked on a massive scale, or we are forced to completely give up the freedoms we have here at home in order to attempt to better protect ourselves. Bush will try to use this as yet another reason that we need to get “tough on terror” but all he has done since taking office is make this entire situation worse, not better. Sadly, I do not think there is a way to realistically end this whole thing in any sort of peaceful manner and I fear it’s going to get much worse before anything gets better. I don’t think that the real effects of George Bush’s actions in his time as president will be felt for years and years to come.
LET’S LIGHTEN THE MOOD BEFORE THE WEEKEND KICKS OFF
With the Senate elections looming, it’s only another year until we vote for a new President and finally get Dubya out of office. After leaving office most former Presidents lend themselves to humanitarian efforts of some degree. As we all know, George Bush is incapable of bettering society and therefore will need some other job to occupy his time once he leaves office. As luck would have it, late last night, while working on today’s post, I received a package here at the Spoon, Full of Truth. The package contained a copy of Bush’s resume. I decided it was my obligation to share this information with my readers. Here is a copy of the resume I received which I have verified to be 100% accurate (verification process not verified).
George W. Bush's Resume
The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, D.C. 20500
Past Work Experience
*Ran for congress and lost.
*Produced a Hollywood slasher B movie.
*Bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas; company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.
*Bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money. Biggest move: Traded Sammy Sosa to the Chicago White Sox.
*With father's help (and his name) was elected Governor of Texas.
Accomplishments in Previous Positions
*Changed pollution laws for power and oil companies and made Texas the most polluted state in the Union.
*Replaced Los Angeles with Houston as the most smog-ridden city in America. Cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas government to the tune of billions in borrowed money.
*Set record for most executions by any governor in American history.
*Became president after losing the popular vote by over 500,000 votes, with the help of my father's appointments to the Supreme Court.
Accomplishments As President
*Attacked and took over two countries.
*Spent the surplus and bankrupted the treasury.
*Shattered record for biggest annual deficit in history.
*Set economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.
*Set all-time record for biggest drop in the history of the stock market.
*First president in decades to execute a federal prisoner.
*First president in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.
*First year in office set the all-time record for most days on vacation by any president in U.S. history.
*After taking the entire month of August off for vacation, presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history.
*Set the record for most campaign fundraising trips than any other president in U.S. history.
*In my first two years in office over 2 million Americans lost their job.
*Cut unemployment benefits for more out of work Americans than any president in U.S. history.
*Set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.
*Appointed more convicted criminals to administration positions than any president in U.S. history.
*Set the record for the least amount of press conferences than any president since the advent of television.
*Signed more laws and executive orders amending the Constitution than any president in U.S. history.
*Presided over the biggest energy crises in U.S. history and refused to intervene when corruption was revealed.
*Presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history and refused to use the national reserves as past presidents have.
*Cut healthcare benefits for war veterans.
*Set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously take to the streets to protest me (15 million people), shattering the record for protest against any person in the history of mankind.
*Dissolved more international treaties than any president in U.S. history.
*My presidency is the most secretive and unaccountable of any in U.S. history.
*Members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history (the 'poorest' multimillionaire, Condoleezza Rice, has an Exxon oil tanker named after her).
*First president in U.S. history to have all 50 states of the Union simultaneously go bankrupt.
*Presided over the biggest corporate stock market fraud of any market in any country in the history of the world.
*First president in U.S. history to order a U.S. attack and military occupation of a sovereign nation.
*Created the largest government department bureaucracy in the history of the United States.
*Set the all-time record for biggest annual budget spending increases, more than any president in U.S. history.
*First president in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the human rights commission.
*First president in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the elections monitoring board.
*Removed more checks and balances, and have the least amount of congressional oversight than any presidential administration in U.S. history.
*Rendered the entire United Nations irrelevant.
*Withdrew from the World Court of Law.
*Refused to allow inspectors access to U.S. prisoners of war and by default no longer abide by the Geneva Conventions.
*First president in U.S. history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 U.S. elections).
*All-time U.S. (and world) record holder for most corporate campaign donations.
*My biggest lifetime campaign contributor presided over one of the largest corporate bankruptcy frauds in world history (Kenneth Lay, former CEO of Enron Corporation).
*Spent more money on polls and focus groups than any president in U.S. history.
*First president in U.S. history to unilaterally attack a sovereign nation against the will of the United Nations and the world community.
*First president to run and hide when the U.S. came under attack (and then lied saying the enemy had the code to Air Force 1)
*First U.S. president to establish a secret shadow government.
*Took the biggest world sympathy for the U.S. after 9/11, and in less than a year made the U.S. the most resented country in the world (possibly the biggest diplomatic failure in U.S. and world history).
*With a policy of 'disengagement' created the most hostile Israeli-Palestine relations in at least 30 years.
*Fist U.S. president in history to have a majority of the people of Europe (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and stability. *First U.S. president in history to have the people of South Korea more threatened by the U.S. than their immediate neighbor, North Korea.
*Changed US policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.
*Set all-time record for number of administration appointees who violated U.S. law by not selling huge investments in corporations bidding for government contracts.
*Failed to fulfill my pledge to get Osama Bin Laden 'dead or alive.'
*Failed to capture the anthrax killer who tried to murder the leaders of our country at the United States Capital building. After 18 months I have no leads and zero suspects.
*In the 18 months following the 9/11 attacks I have successfully prevented any public investigation into the biggest security failure in the history of the United States.
*Removed more freedoms and civil liberties for Americans than any other president in U.S. history.
*In a little over two years created the most divided country in decades, possibly the most divided the U.S. has ever been since the Civil War.
*Entered office with the strongest economy in U.S. history and in less than two years turned every single economic category heading straight down.
Records and References
*At least one conviction for drunk driving in Maine (Texas driving record has been erased and is not available)
*AWOL from National Guard and deserted the military during a time of war.
*Refuse to take drug test or even answer any questions about drug use.
*All records of my tenure as governor of Texas have been spirited away to my father's library, sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
*All records of any SEC investigations into my insider trading or bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
*All minutes of meetings for any public corporation I served on the board are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
*Any records or minutes from meetings I (or my VP) attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review. ***For personal references please speak to my daddy or uncle James Baker (they can be reached at their offices of the Carlyle Group for war-profiteering.)
FRIDAY AGAIN? DIDN’T WE JUST HAVE ONE OF THOSE LAST WEEK? That’s all for today folks. Have a great weekend and check back next week to feed your need for the truth and intelligent writing (it’s like one stop shopping here at the Spoon). I’d also like to wish a quick Happy Birthday to my mother who will be turning a year older tomorrow. Happy Birthday Mom, I love you. I love the rest of you too.

A LITTLE TASTE OF THE WORLD BUFFET

THE SPOON PRESENTS: A LITTLE TASTE OF THE WORLD
Instead of focusing on one or two things today, I’m going to give quick little updates on things going on around the world, and right here at home. Without further ado, here is the world, through the Spoon point of view.
THE DEVIL WEARS COWBOY BOOTS
Last Wednesday, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called U.S. President George W. Bush "the devil" in a speech to the United Nations, making the sign of the cross in a dramatic gesture and accusing him of "talking as if he owned the world." Thank you Hugo (yes we’re on a first name basis now). It’s about time someone says what we’re all thinking. George Bush is the devil. He does think he owns the world. He’s been handed everything he desires since he was a child: an Ivy League education, a free-pass from the military, a professional baseball team, free-passes for cocaine use and drunk driving, and (drum roll please) the presidency of the United States. He watched his brother get a free pass for the savings and loan scandal. He watched his father start an unjust war with Iraq with no real consequences (for the Bush family) as well as lie to the American public. “Read my lips, no new taxes,” I guess we should have been reading Bush Senior’s lips instead of listening to what they were actually saying. The only thing Dubya ever needed to learn was the secret rich man’s handshake. He represents a group of very wealthy people and their interests. As long as those people are kept happy and their interests are preserved, Bush doesn’t give a rat’s ass about anyone else. If he doesn’t care about poor people here at home, imagine how little he cares about those around the world. Until more world leaders like Hugo Chavez are willing to stand up to Bush and his insanity, he will continue to act with total disregard for non-wealthy individuals and nations.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Bill Clinton takes home the best quote of the week award for saying that the biggest problem confronting the world today is "the illusion that our differences matter more than our common humanity." One day religion will kill us all.
THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMMMM
I was watching an ad on TV for Jack-ass 2 and there was a scene where a guy was running down the street being chased by a gang of angry looking midgets. This got me to thinking what is proper etiquette when it comes to defending yourself against an under-sized foe? Being a non-violent person I would never start a physical confrontation with a midget (or anyone else for that matter) but would not hesitate to defend myself if attacked. So, if a gang of angry midgets was after me, would it be wrong to just make a fist and start bopping them all on the top of the head like a game of “whack-a-mole”?
FEDS DON’T LET FRIENDS DRINK AND FLY
We all know about the ban of liquids on airplanes due to the alleged foiled terror plot out of Britain. No liquids or gels in carry-on baggage. If you haven’t been on a plane since the new regulations took effect, there is something you might not know. You aren’t even allowed to bring liquids onto the plane that you buy in the airport after clearing security. When I flew to Canada on Labor Day, I checked my bags (I normally try to just do carry-on but now you have to check your bags to even bring toiletries), and proceeded to my gate. On the way to the gate I stopped at one of those magazine stores and picked up a few snacks and a few 20 oz. bottles of soda and water (at about $3 a bottle). When we got to the gate, they made an announcement that no liquids were allowed onto the plane including any items purchased within the airport. Of course they don’t tell you that you can’t bring the items onto the plane at the store; they are too busy overcharging you. I’m diabetic and I get dehydrated often. I’m not allowed to bring any drinks onto the plane, and the flight attendants often tell me that they can’t bring the drink cart out until the specified time. So what am I supposed to drink? Today it was announced that drinks purchased within the airport (after security) will most likely be allowed onto planes again. Who wants to bet that they now raise the price of a 20 oz. drink to about $5 and start charging an airport tax per sip.
IS IT FINALLY NEXT YEAR?
When it comes to Philadelphia sports teams, it’s always the same story; we’ll win the championship next year. Sadly, whenever “next year” rolls around, it’s no longer next year. We never seem to be able to win anything “this year”. Philly hasn’t won a major sports title in 23 years. This year, with six games to play, the Phillies are tied for the lead in the wild card. I sat at the Phillies last home game last night as they blew a two-run lead and lost the game. It took about five years off of my life. I’m 28 years old, and about 90 in Phillies years (I’d also be 196 in dog years if you’re counting). Three games into the NFL season, the Eagles are leading the NFC East and look like the cream of the crop again. Could 2006 finally be “next year”? Philadelphia is a city on the verge of greatness. It was great once. It will be great once again. All it needs is a little swagger courtesy of a trophy.
TRICK OR TREAT
I thought that this year for Halloween that I would go all out. Last year, I attached a gigantic afro wig to the front of my pants that looked like a gigantic patch of pubic hair. I also got a set of bike chains from Home Depot and wore them around my neck. If you haven’t guessed it yet, I was “Bush and Cheney”. With Halloween fast approaching, I thought it might be fun to not only dress up, but to get in character. Why not work for a grassroots GOP campaign but once out in the field trick people into voting against the GOP by giving them all sorts of bad information disguised as fact? Isn’t that what the GOP is all about anyway?
"Hello Ma’am. I am here today to urge you to vote for Rick Santorum for U.S. Senate. Rick Santorum is a strong candidate. Despite the fact that his wife aborted their first two children, he still takes a strong stance against abortion; much like Dick Cheney does against homosexuals despite having a homosexual daughter".
“Good day sir. I am here today to suggest that you vote for Rick Santorum for U.S. Senate this November. He said that Hurricane Katrina was sent to New Orleans to punish the people there for being poor and I’m worried that if a democrat is elected to the Senate from Pennsylvania, that we’ll all be taxed more and wind up poor. Then it’s only a matter of time before Jesus sends a hurricane here.”
T-SHIRTS WOULDN’T LIE TO ME, RIGHT?
I was out last Saturday night at an after-hours club in Philadelphia having a few drinks with my friend Karen when a guy strolled into the room with a T-shirt that said, “Future Millionaire” on it. As soon as I saw him, I wished I was wearing a T-shirt that said, “Current Millionaire”. I would just casually stroll up to him at the bar, glance at his T-shirt, look down at my own shirt, and remark, “Good luck with that.”
Then again, he wouldn’t need luck. You couldn’t just wear a T-shirt that says “Future Millionaire” if you aren’t actually going to be one, right? If people are permitted to blatantly lie about themselves through fashion then pretty soon everyone’s going to have a “World’s largest penis” T-shirt and mine won’t be cool anymore.
FOR WHOM THE DEATH TOLL MATTERS
2,973 people lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks five years ago. That’s the total from NYC, DC, and PA. This past Friday, the number of U.S. military killed in Afghanistan and Iraq met, and then surpassed that total. Five years ago we had 2,973 dead Americans. Today, thanks to continued fighting over seas, we have more than twice that total. Among the Americans killed in the Iraq war, 34 percent have come from communities reporting the lowest levels of family income, half come from middle income communities, and only 17 percent from the highest income level. Good thing we have poor people to “protect our freedom” so that the rich don’t have to do it. Then golf courses and day-spas might go out of business! It sure makes me want to buy stock in soap. Dubya is going to need a whole lot of it to wash all of this blood off of his hands.
IT’S GOING TO BE HOW HOT? I DON'T BELIEVE YOU, NOT IN A MILLION YEARS!
In about 45 years, temperatures on Earth will be hotter than at anytime during the past one million years, says the U.S. government's top climatologist in a new report released today. I’m sure that whole “global warming” thing is just some liberal rhetoric (like universal health care or a woman’s right to choose). According to the report, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the planet is just two degrees shy of an average temperature of 59 degrees Fahrenheit, which is what they believe the temperature was about a million years ago. Those 2 degrees the scientists are worried about may not sound like much, but what that change means is that by mid-century, the world will experience even more record heat waves, wildfires, more intense storms and flooding. Let’s just hope that if that happens, we actually have leaders in place that will care if the wildfires, heat waves, intense storms, and flooding occur in impoverished areas. Otherwise we could be looking at massive repeats of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. I’m sure by then Dubya and his goons will have build a nice safe space station that anyone is welcome to live on (assuming they have enough money).
MISS PENNSYLVANIA WINS MISS AMERICA! IN OTHER PAGEANT NEWS, THE AMERICAN PUBLIC IS CROWNED MISS INFORMED
Yesterday, Retired military officers bluntly accused Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld of bungling the war in Iraq, saying U.S. troops were sent to fight without the best equipment and that critical facts were hidden from the public. A member of Bush’s cabinet would actually lie to the public? What’s next? Illegal wire-taps?
"I believe that Secretary Rumsfeld and others in the administration did not tell the American people the truth for fear of losing support for the war in Iraq," retired Maj. Gen. John R. S. Batiste told a forum conducted by Senate Democrats. A second military leader, retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, assessed Rumsfeld as "incompetent strategically, operationally and tactically." I don’t know Rumsfeld personally but given the track record of Bush and everyone associated with him, I’d say these statements are true. Batiste also mentioned that Rumsfeld at one point threatened to fire the next person who mentioned the need for a postwar plan in Iraq. Of course the GOP put it’s own typical spin on the situation. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of the Armed Services Committee, dismissed the Democratic-sponsored event as "an election-year smoke screen aimed at obscuring the Democrats' dismal record on national security."
"Today's stunt may rile up the liberal base, but it won't kill a single terrorist or prevent a single attack," Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement. He called Rumsfeld an "excellent secretary of defense." Let me make this VERY clear. The war in Iraq may kill many terrorists, but it will create even more. Not only will it not prevent a single attack, it will almost guarantee several. I applaud these generals for speaking out against Rumsfeld and the mess he has created.
AND AWAY WE GO
That's all for today folks. I'd like to wish a quick happy and healthy new year to all my Jewish readers out there. Through the emails I receive, I know many of you readers have many important things to say. I urge you to make your voices heard! What better way to do that then by writing a guest column for the Spoon, Full of Truth? If you're interested, please contact me at: Spoonfulloftruth@aol.com I hope to see you all back here soon, to get your truth fresh from the Spoon.

THE SPOON IS BACK!!!

PAINT A BETTER PICTURE (BY THE NUMBERS) The American military did not count people killed by bombs, mortars, rockets or other mass attacks (including suicide bombings) when it reported a dramatic drop in the number of murders in the Baghdad area last month, the U.S. command said Monday. The decision to include only victims of drive-by shootings and those killed by torture and execution (usually at the hands of death squads) allowed U.S. officials to make the argument that a security crackdown (that began in the capital Aug. 7) had more than halved the city's murder rate. To make matters worse, the types of slayings (including suicide bombings) that the U.S. excluded from the category of "murder" were not made explicit at the time. Is there anything this administration will not do to make their enormous blunder in Iraq look like less of a mistake? Gen. William B. Caldwell, said violence had dropped significantly because of the operation. Caldwell said "attacks in Baghdad were well below the monthly average for July. Since Aug. 7, the murder rate in Baghdad dropped 52 percent from the daily rate for July." Of course the rate dropped! That’s what happens when you exclude almost every major source of violent death. I think corporations will probably start following suit. McDonald’s could claim that the Big-Mac is actually quite good for you (if they don’t account for any fat or calories that come from the cheese, buns, meat, or special sauce). Ford could say their cars now get unlimited fuel mileage (if you don’t count any driving that occurs once you leave your garage). You can always make numbers seem better if you doctor them to your liking. That is EXACTLY what the Bush administration is doing here. Last Monday, for example, at least 20 of the 26 people slain in the capital were killed in bombings. "These comments were intended to highlight some specific indicators of progress and were never stated in relation to broader casualty figures," U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Barry Johnson said. I should use this tactic at work.
“Mr. Miller, it has come to our attention that you haven’t been doing much work around the office this week,”
“Actually I have spent every single minute of my time here working my butt off this week!”
This could be an honest statement if I do not count time spent talking on the phone, checking my email, surfing the web, updating my four fantasy football teams, going to lunch, going to the bathroom, daydreaming, getting coffee, talking to co-workers, instant-messaging friends, and napping.
“Mr. Miller we observed you doing all sorts of non-work related activities including two hours when you appeared to be sleeping at your desk,”
"These comments were intended to highlight some specific indicators of my work progress and were never stated in relation to broader work productivity figures,"
That would work, right? Isn’t the President supposed to be representative of the American people? Sadly, the only people Dubya represents are those foolish enough to believe his lies, religious zealots who want their hateful agendas made into laws (no abortion, no gay marriage, jesus on the $1 bill, etc), military personal who are blinded by love for their country (and will follow their leader in chief no matter where he leads them), and those he has succeeded into frightening enough that they truly think that Iraq is our enemy and that we are now more safe then we were five years ago. Maybe I’m just being too hard on him. After all, Bush is a great President (if you don’t factor in anything he’s done since taking office).
PARDON ME? YOU’RE GOING TO PARDON WHO? This week, the Senate is planning to very quietly hold a vote that would pardon President Bush for breaking the law by illegally wiretapping innocent Americans without warrants. Senator Leahy says, the bill would "...immunize officials who have violated federal law by authorizing such illegal activities." It’s pretty simple, President Bush broke the law (and courts are starting to agree). Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter had once said that the wire-tapping program was illegal "on its face." Now caving under pressure from Vice President Cheney, the two introduced legislation that marks a new low. This bill justifies everything the president did! Worse, it makes it legal to wiretap Americans, in secret, without warrants or oversight, whenever the administration wants to. This sets a very dangerous president. If the President can break the law whenever he sees fit, and can later have bills passed that not only allow him to get away with his behavior but make the behavior legal in the future, he will be even more wildly unchecked. In this era of election fraud, constant lying to the American public and the world, the Patriot Act, and blatant illegal behavior by government officials, we can not allow to lose the one small power we have left: accountability. So far, Democrats (and some Republicans) are holding strong against the bill, and there are good chances to stop it if enough of us speak up. Many legal experts agree that the president's program to wiretap Americans who have nothing to do with terrorism violates the law. President Bush already has the authority to wiretap suspected terrorists (or anyone it likes as long as it gets approval from a court). Instead, of trying to let President Bush off the hook completely, Congress should be trying to hold him accountable. It’s their job! Why haven’t we heard more about this on TV and in the papers? For the same reason that we never hear about things like this, the papers and television networks are all owned by Dubya supporters. Instead we’ll get a nice puffy front page story about a local murder and the evening news will take ten minutes to tell us about hurricanes that will not come within hundreds of miles of the United States. I sure feel informed after a solid 30 minutes of TV news, don’t you?
Here are some quick facts about the Cheney-Specter bill that you won’t find on TV or in the paper:
*It allows President Bush (and every president after him) to wiretap Americans indefinitely, in secret, without a warrant and without any oversight. (Does anything he does use any sort of oversight?)
*It effectively pardons the president for any illegal behavior by forcing Congress to concede that he has the inherent authority to conduct the program (something federal courts, numerous legal experts and many leading Republicans disagree with).
*It completely guts FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) which has protected the privacy of Americans against illegal wiretaps for close to 30 years. (What’s a little privacy when compared to the “war on terror” and spreading freedom to the world?).
*It prevents any legal challenges from taking place in the public court system. Instead, it moves all cases to a secret court, where only Bush administration officials can argue it. (Who do you think the judge in secret court would be? Dick Cheney, or Neil Bush?)
*It would help "immunize" any officials who broke the law in this program from being held accountable in the future. (Maybe they can use Tami-Flu for this. They certainly purchased enough from Rumsfeld’s former company).
Since the wire-tapping program was exposed in December of last year, it’s been learned that President Bush personally blocked a Justice Department investigation of the program, Vice President Cheney also personally intervened to stop telecom companies from testifying to Congress about it, and a federal court recently ruled the program unconstitutional (but what do they know anyway?). It’s like he stills thinks he’s a little kid and he can steal some candy from the store. When he gets caught, he just has his mommy get him off the hook but he’s truly sorry, honest. Enough is enough. I urge you all to contact your senator ASAP and demand that this bill not pass. These reckless politicians will push the envelope as far as we let them. It’s time we start pushing back. Pick up the phone, write a letter, or send an email…whatever it is, do something. If not, the next time you feel like picking up the phone and calling someone big brother might be listening, and this time, it could be legal.
THE RUMORS OF MY DEATH HAVE BEEN GREATLY EXAGGERATED Hello readers and welcome back to the Spoon, Full of Truth. I am truly sorry for my extended absence here at the Spoon as the last month has been a whirlwind of emotions. The time to fret has ended, the Spoon is back! Please continue to share the Spoon, the link, and the truth with everyone you know. Nothing says I care like the gift of knowledge. I welcome you all back with open arms and hopefully (as before) with open minds.

SADNESS

Due to the recent passing of my father-in-law, the return of the Spoon, Full of Truth will be delayed until further notice. Garry was a wonderful father-in-law to me as well as a loving husband, father, friend, and human being. He was a beacon of light in a sometimes dark world and he will be sorely missed, always loved, and never, ever forgotten. When the Spoon returns in the coming weeks, it will feature a tribute to the passing of this wonderful man and all he meant to myself, my wife, her family, his friends and countless others. I'll miss you Garry, and I won't forget the promise I made you the last time we were together.