Complicit Pelosi

We are just getting our wind back after being socked in the gut and stabbed in the back by Nancy and the Democrats. CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS CONGRESS FOR?

foto in Washington Times 12/20, after Bush got his early Christmas present from Congress

A Picture Worth One Word:

complicity

Merriam-Webster definition:

complicity[noun]

Entry Word: complicity

Definition: a secret agreement or cooperation between two parties for an illegal or dishonest purpose complicity to drive up the prices> — see collusion

---

Article published Dec 20, 2007
House OKs spending bill

December 20, 2007

By S.A. Miller - The Democrat-led House yesterday gave final approval to a $555 billion bill to fund the federal government, ending a long budget battle by buckling to President Bush's demand for war funds and to his spending limit.

The bill, which funds every Cabinet agency except the Pentagon and provides $70 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, passed 272-142 and finished Congress' work for the year.

S.A. Miller: Party base slams top Democrats for yielding

Republican support carried the legislation, accounting for 194 "yes" votes along with 78 cast by Democrats. Rep. John J. "Jimmy" Duncan Jr. of Tennessee cast the lone Republican vote against the measure, joining 141 Democrats.

Despite House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's vow of "no blank check" for the Iraq war, she allowed the vote amid intense pressure to finish the overdue spending package and wrap up the session before Christmas.

"It's disappointing, but it is the will of the Congress," Mrs. Pelosi told reporters on Capitol Hill.

Democrats couldn't budge Mr. Bush from his promise to veto any spending bill that broke his budget limit or didn't come with $70 billion in emergency war funds, a down payment on the $196.4 billion war request for 2008.

Rep. Barbara Lee took to the House floor to accuse Mr. Bush of holding domestic programs hostage for war money, and fellow California Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters urged her colleagues to defeat the bill.

"We are never going to end this war until we stop feeding this war with taxpayer money," said Mrs. Waters, who with Mrs. Lee co-founded the Out of Iraq Caucus.

House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, Missouri Republican, applauded the approval of the war funds but lamented the months it took to secure spending for troops in combat.

"Perhaps more troubling than the delay, though, is the fact that so few Democrats in the House thought it worthy of their support," he said. "For this new majority, the story of this session has been a tale of false-starts, missteps and unimaginable overreaches. But at least on this issue — the most critical one outstanding — Democrats decided to do what was right and allow our members to cast the right vote, finally, on behalf of our men and women in the field."

The roughly $555 billion bill included the war funds and $11.2 billion in other emergency funds that don't count toward the budget limit. Coupled with the $459 billion Defense Department bill signed into law last month, the new bill met Mr. Bush's $933 billion cap for total discretionary spending.

The other emergency funds cover veterans' health care, border security, drought relief and other domestic programs.

Democrats first proposed spending about $23 billion more than the president requested. They later offered to split the difference and spend $11 billion over the limit, then cut the offer to about $4 billion before surrendering to Mr. Bush.

Appropriators met Mr. Bush's budget limit, in part, by slashing his defense and foreign-aid priorities to pay for restoring and even boosting domestic-spending programs that the White House wanted to trim.

The Democrats' emphasis on domestic priorities included adding $1 billion to expand health care access, $607 million for medical research, $767 million for education programs such as Head Start, $486 million for renewable energy and $1.8 billion in Homeland Security grants.

They cut administration priorities, including increased funding for abstinence education, expansion of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and some weapons-program requests.

Republican support for the bill came despite early criticism that the majority rushed to pass a 3,500-page bill that conceals more than 9,000 pork projects and some abrupt policy shifts, including a provision that undermines current plans for a U.S.-Mexico border fence.

The 2006 Secure Fence Act specifically called for "two layers of reinforced fencing" and listed five specific sections of border where it should be installed. The spending bill nixed the two-tier requirement and the list of locations.

The White House pledged anyway to pursue the original plan to build about 670 miles of border fence in 2008, despite Democrats' attempt to obstruct the project.

BIPARTISAN APPETITE FOR EARMARKS

For all the public tuttutting about congressional earmarks, the targeted spending items seem almost as popular as ever, with about 9,000 included in the massive appropriations bill Congress is sending to President Bush.

They will steer $7.4 billion in taxpayer funds to birds and bees, locks and dams, parks and ponds, and scores of other projects throughout the nation, including:

• $825,000 to expand the neonatal intensive-care unit at St. Louis Children's Hospital (Sen. Christopher S. Bond, Missouri Republican)

• $464,000 for hops research (Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, Washington Democrats, and Oregon's Gordon H. Smith, a Republican, and Ron Wyden, a Democrat)

• $100,000 for the historic Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, N.Y. (Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, a Democrat)

• $705,000 for brown tree-snake management in Guam (Sens. Daniel K. Akaka and Daniel K. Inouye, Hawaii Democrats)

• $2.2 million for Mormon cricket control, evenly divided between Nevada (Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat) and Utah (Sen. Robert F. Bennett, a Republican)

• $223,000 for beaver management in North Carolina (Sen. Elizabeth Dole, a Republican, and Rep. David E. Price, a Democrat), and $475,000 for beaver management in Mississippi (Sen. Thad Cochran and Rep. Roger Wicker, both Republicans)

• $353,000 to combat Asian long-horned beetles (Sen. Richard J. Durbin, Illinois Democrat)

• $779,000 for wolf-predation management in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan (Reps. James L. Oberstar, Minnesota Democrat, and David R. Obey, Wisconsin Democrat)

• $332,000 for oyster post-harvest treatment (Rep. Allen Boyd, Florida Democrat)

• $244,000 for bee research in Texas (Rep. Chet Edwards, a Democrat)

• $513,000 for blackbird management in four states, sponsored by numerous lawmakers.

Associated Press

---

Winter Solstice and the Pink House

These wonderful women came on the Winter Solstice to bestow Pinkers protection for the difficult work still to come. Thank you winter wiccans for the wonderful gifts and your blessings!

So Long, And Thanks For All The Pink

We're watching a Special Comment by Keith Olbermann from January 2, 2007 on the obligatory retrospective show:

First, we sent Americans to their deaths for your lie, Mr. Bush.

Now we are sending them to their deaths for your ego.

If what is reported is true — if your decision is made and the "sacrifice" is ordered — take a page instead from the man at whose funeral you so eloquently spoke this morning — Gerald Ford: Put pragmatism and the healing of a nation, ahead of some kind of misguided vision.

Atone.

Sacrifice, Mr. Bush?

No, sir, this is not "sacrifice." This has now become "human sacrifice."

And it must stop.

And you can stop it.

Next week, make us all look wrong.

Sing out, KO. Sadly, we were not proven wrong. Bush went ahead with his "surge" and Congress continued to enable his folly. So here I am in DC, running the halls of government wearing pink hats, orange jumpsuits and oversized George Bush heads.

As much as I was a C-SPAN and MSNBC junkie before I killed my television a couple years ago, and as much as I've read the news, blogs, etc, this week was still an incredibly eye-opening experience. The Anti Mister Smith vibe is probably the biggest thing for me: that distant Subway Stare we citizen activists got from our Congressional employees and the blatant contempt shown for actual constituents really exposed more than any intellectual exercise just how insulated and out of touch these people are inside the Beltway. Yet there were a number of moments where I did see some real engagement that gave me renewed hope, like talking with John Murtha, hearing a cop say they liked George Bush's prison garb, and having restaurant staff thank me for working with CodePink.

It's still frustrating, and the realization that it's going to be a longer, harder slog than I ever realized just exhausts me, but I know there's nothing else to do but keep fighting. In that vein a while back I blogged a favorite scene from my favorite movie, Casablanca:

RICK: Don't you sometimes wonder if it's worth all this? I mean what you're fighting for?

LASZLO: We might as well question why we breathe. If we stop breathing, we'll die. If we stop fighting our enemies, the world will die.

RICK: What of it? Then it'll be out of its misery.

LASZLO: You know how you sound, Monsieur Blaine? Like a man who's trying to convince himself of something he doesn't believe in his heart. Each of us has a destiny, for good or for evil.

Clearly CodePink is actively living out its destiny for good. Although I guess it's not so much a destiny as it is a choice. Each member has recognized her (ahem...and his!) responsibility as a moral agent, as well as an inherent power we all possess, then decided to act for change.

As I've said many times before we are all complicit, to various degree, with the crimes our nation has unleashed whether we voted for Bush or not. Not everybody is going to decide to use CodePink's tactics, but everybody who thinks murdering 1,200,000 Iraqi human beings, stranding our troops in a quagmire and mortgaging our future for seven generations has an obligation to step things up.

We criticize Congress for not doing more, for not being brave, for not standing up for what's right--well, put some skin in the game beyond voting, donating to candidates, writing letters or even marching. Gene Sharp cataloged 198 methods of nonviolent action. Choose some that you haven't tried before, go beyond your comfort level and escalate your involvement in stopping the horror. Then get a friend or two to join you. Pretty soon, we've got a movement.

CodePink has been acting as my proxy for a long time. I'm extremely grateful to them for that and for allowing me to stay down here in the DC and learn from them. I cannot fully communicate with words, pictures or even video just how amazingly energetic and dedicated everybody here is. I mean, geesh: speedwalk up to the Hill in the chilly morning after some coffee, watching Democracy Now and planning out a tentative schedule; demonstrate outside the RNC; split up to attend an FCC hearing and a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing; engage several Senators in the halls of the Hart office building; get harassed by the Capitol Police; grab a quick bite in the Dirksen cafeteria; meet and greet Senators in the tunnels; visit Harry Reid's office; back to the tunnels...all on my first day. The following days were even more eventful!

I hope that conveys some sense of what CodePink has done on a daily basis here. You might see a picture or a short video clip here and there, but that's representative of mere moments in full days that are consumed with giving voice to the voiceless and trying to counter the lobbyists, consultants and self-interest that drive our government.

There are many ways to fight. When you need some inspiration, visualize Des, Ellen, Gael, Joanne, Liz, Medea, Midge and all the other women and men working so hard, then go Pink in whatever way you can.

ntodd

A Little Theatrical Fun

We spent today at the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse, where there was a hearing about the CIA tapes, then the Department of Justice, and finally the National Gallery of Art's sculpture garden and ice rink.

In front of the Prettyman Courthouse after the Gitmo prisoners' lawyers spoke to the press about the CIA tapes.

Just before we ran over to the DoJ. Des had played Cheney previously, but switched to a cop role and promoted Gael to Veep--I was Bush while we were at the courthouse, then Ellen took over after lunch.

Lots of people wanted to have their pictures taken with the criminals. We even had a bit of an entourage at one point.

A number of other pictures over at Pax Americana. That's all I got right now...

ntodd

Hall Of Shame

I mentioned yesterday that Rep Jose Serrano was rather upset he's in CodePink's Hall of Shame, and today some of the action I'm missing involves hand-delivering some new certificates to Congresscritters:

Medea's hands are the perfect size for some bloody handprints.

Scores of certificates set out to dry this AM before the gang headed up to the Hill.

While I'd rather be out and about, it was actually kinda fun pretending to grade exams here at the house, watching the hearing on Pakistani elections and seeing my new friends behind Tom Daschle and the other panelists, and texting them about whether I could see their signs and such. Before that I'd gotten a text from Des saying she (and later I learned Gael, too) had been detained yet again in Rayburn. Gael was subsequently barred from Conyers' public hearing because of "dress code violations" that the cop could not specify.

I guess compared to the insult of telling Medea that she'd be arrested if she held up her copy of the Constitution in the freaking JUDICIARY committee hearing it's a minor thing, but it was yet another example of harassment by the apparatus. The incident came after we know all the cops have gotten word that Des does not, in fact, have a stay away order and that Gael always carries a letter from her Congressperson (escapes me at the moment) that gives her permission to be on Capitol grounds.

Do the Pinkers fail to observe the usual rules of decorum sometimes? Absolutely. So the hell what (note: on my personal blog I generally use much "stronger language" that I learned from Dick Cheney)?

Being polite has gotten us nowhere, except to the disastrous point where we now have a criminal Executive fully aided and abetted by a compliant, complicit Legislature. That's juuuuust a tad more impolite than holding up a pink sign or--GASP!--demanding answers and accountability from our government employees.

A funny moment in a Foreign Relations committee hearing over on the House side yesterday morning: Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA46) was talking about how the surge was a huge success and if the American people really wanted out of Iraq, well by golly Congress would've already gotten us out--since Congress hadn't done so, clearly The People want to stay! He then got rather petulant and asked the Chair, Bill Delahunt (D-MA10), to request that the audience refrain from "gesturing" while he spoke, which he said was rude. I admit it could have been my fault because after I heard his load of codswollop I began to scratch my nose in a rather vigorous, exaggerated fashion with one particular finger (note to self: cover Method 30 in this week's 198 Sundays post).

But what is war if not the ultimate rude gesture?

As Ellen noted to me while we waited for resolution of Des' false arrest yesterday, the old AIDS awareness slogan "Silence = Death" really holds true today regarding Iraq. Politeness is just another form of silence, and it equals death for millions of Iraqis and thousands of Americans. It also equals 2 trillion dollars wasted that could be spent on universal healthcare and energy independence. It equals undemocratic government.

So, how will you be impolite today?

ntodd

I am so outraged. Congress once again approved another blank check for more unending war, more occupation, and more brutality in Iraq. But heaven forbid you remind the members of congress of the cost of the war to the Iraqi people. If you do you'll get responses like "you have the nerve", "I know that", "spare me", "who told you the democrats caved" or even an outstretched hand.

Worse were those representatives, if you can call them that, that justified the Iraq war by saying to me "I didn't vote for the appropriation" knowing full well that it is a brutal occupation costing countless lives. This is the morality of those in office, a simple negative vote absolves them instantly.

The only rep that connected with our message was Mr. Murtha, a combat veteran in Vietnam. Seeing us as he returned from voting on the appropriation for more plunder, he came right up to us and embraced us. He then counted out on his fingers what $550 billion could do besides war.

So why only Mr. Murtha? Where are all the other representatives? Shouldn't they be embracing us too? Can this brutal occupation be justified on any grounds? Why do they persist in supporting it? Though I tried at every opportunity to explain that this war is completely unfair, not just illegal and immoral, none of them ever agreed with me.

The only question now that matters is who will end this war? Us or the Iraqi people.

George

Club Pinkmo

NTodd again. Despite Anonymous' best efforts to convince me that I'm a ComSymp, I've decided to continue working with CodePink. Some of us began our day at the Senate Judiciary hearing on confirming Bush's nominee for Deputy AG, chaired by my Senator, Pat Leahy.


I'm in the middle. They tell me orange is a nice color on me.



Mazie Hirono (D-HI2) said to us after voting no on the appropriation this evening: "It did not go the way I would have wanted."



Rep Jack Murtha spoke with us for quite a while this evening after the House approved the appropriations bill.

I've got some more pics at Pax, and maybe there will be some thoughts from other Pinkers up here later...

What A Day

NTodd here. I'm a Pink Rookie from Vermont and very honored to be staying at the DC Activist house this week.

I'd gotten an e-mail update from the gang back in November, noticed a link to apply to join in the action and felt compelled to click on it. I have to admit that I was rather nervous filling out the application, wondering if I'd have the credibility to come down and join the CodePinkers, what with my being a guy and not having a lot of experience in direct action.

I've always been vocally against the war and done the marches and whatnot, but Medea, Des, Liz and the others have done so much for so long. Only this year did I become a war tax resister by refusing my 2006 taxes, and quit my corporate job to allow me to live below the taxable threshold and afford me more time for activism.

But I got an e-mail inviting me down, and I'm very glad I did. Today was a whirlwind introduction into the Pink Life, demonstrating down at the RNC, attending a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, and engaging members of Congress in hallways and offices. Our government employees didn't always give us the time of day, but many were at least cordial and some really did give us their attention for a bit.

One vignette that really made the whole day for me: we were sitting in Harry Reid's office and overheard a staffer on the phone say, "sir, i can't hear you when you're yelling."

Oh, we also were detained for a while by the Capitol Police for allegedly violating Senate Office Building rules: they claimed we'd been spotted putting up signs on the walls. 45 minutes later with no witness appearing, we were finally released. Is it wrong of me to think that was kinda fun? Maybe I don't want you to answer that.

Anywayz, I'm wicked tired and not sure what else I can say right now, except that anybody who has been feeling powerless and wondering what else they can do to change the direction of this country should consider coming to DC and working with CodePink. As Thoreau said:

Cast your whole vote, not a strip of paper merely, but your whole influence.

It's real participatory democracy in action here. The more the merrier. And freer.

PS--You can see more pictures from today over at my group blog, Pax Americana.

Sunday Morning CODEPINK ALERT SENATOR!

This morning George(NYC) and Liz walked over to the news station to stake out a moment of inquiry with some of the Senators that were in studio.We ran into Pat Buchanan as a surprise guest on the list.We referred to Pat as a peacemaker rational type thinker etc .....He smiled while saying no one wants to listen to him.I asked him if he had an apportunity to read the NIE report. He commented the report came at a good time and may fend off the Bush Agenda.

Senator Christopher"Kit" Bond from Missouri rushed right by in a hurry to avoid the truth
George had walked the distance from the car to the entrance with Kit as the Senator skillfully kept the umbrella up as a shield!

Senator Evan Bayh had difficulty getting out of the SUV with a defective umbrella so cheerfully I told him he could borrow my poncho with my hand out- The first question we were curious about is DID YOU READ THE NIE REPORT SENATOR????
if there were another sound byte it would have been Mister Indiana was why did a national guard soldier die of neglect in Fort Knox?????
It was long cold wait to have a few seconds of messaging
Worth IT!
George
HAD his PINK HAT !!

Proper American Flag Etiquette

Dear All,
We face many challenges in our push for peace. One of them should not be harassment for how we fly our flag (or if we chose NOT to fly our flag). Recently a CODEPINK coordinator has been hassled for NOT flying the flag in a peace march - so I thought I check it out.

The link below will take you the best information on flag etiquette:
http://www.lifescript.com/channels/healthy_living/Life_Tips/the_flag_code_proper_flag_etiquette.asp?trans=1&du=1&gclid=CJ-kg_6erZACFRYasgodkxK1KQ&ef_id=1350:3:s_1c394dd53fa6600cf69282e35be7db24_594479465_us%20flag%20etiquette:78TcEENIYX0AADjnFk8AAAAI:20071216163916

Some interesting notes:

1. Even the President himself has been associated with several flag code violations. After September 11th, a carpet with the image of the flag was placed at the Ground Zero memorial. Not only did the President and the First Lady have their picture taken while standing on the flag carpet, the small carpet was also in direct violation of Section 8b of the Flag Code that states: “The flag should never touch anything beneath it, including the ground.”

2.If your flag needs to be retired, it should be disposed of in a dignified manner with all due respect. Section 8k of the Flag Code states: “The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” - didn't congress pass a law "against" flag burning - shows what they know.

3. - An upside down flag is a distress signal -

The third rule of etiquette tells us that we should fly our flag upside down until this president is removed from office, until we stop attacking countries who never attacked us, until our constitution is restored and our American rights are restored and until we bring our soldiers home to protect us, on American soil, should we need them.

For me, I always have an inverted American flag with me. This is my country and I love her. I will never abandon her.

I hope you will all go to the site above and learn about the flag. Then, the next time anyone gives you trouble about "flag issues" you will know what to say. And, you will probably find out that, like President Bush himself, most Americans don't have a clue what to do with the flag they are supporting.

Peace for America, Peace for the World Lydia

Adel Hamad is free from Guantanamo

Dear All,
After a wonderful 12 days at the CodePINK House in DC, I received one of the most awesome gifts I've ever gotten. Adel Hamad's attorney, William Teesdale, wrote to me to let me know that he is free and home with his family.
It all started when I decided some time ago that I simply had to do something about the horror happening in my name at Guantanamo prison.
I found a detainee named Adel Hamad, #940, and started to stand for him in orange jumpsuit, black chains and black hood. Not long after that my dear friend Liz (Arizona coordinator and full time DC House CODEPINKer) and I joined our efforts. We learned all we could about Adel.
He was a hospital worker in Afghanistan with family and friends galore. A hard working family man dedicated to helping others at work and in his community. He had 2 grandchildren when he was arrested - 4 more were born during the 5 years he was at GITMO. He was taken from his bed in the middle of the night and someone in his village was paid $25,000 by our government to turn him in. This was an easy U.S. campaign in a country where the average pay is less than $300 a year. America did not know that the hooded and chained men being transferred roped together like animals were not all terrorists who hated us - many were and are still innocent men.
College students started an Internet campaign called Project Hamad - they printed tee shirts and petitions and pressed forward for his release.
Last year he was so discouraged that he stopped seeing his attorney, William Teesdale, and started to suspect that he was being betrayed by William. Adel started to go blind from looking thru chain link fence for so long. He had been tortured for years, lived in a small windowless room and was at the end of his rope. Thanks to the persistence and dedication of Mr. Teesdale, Adel came back into the program and found the courage to carry on. You can imagine the joy in Mr. Teesdale's e-mail that Adel was, finally, free.
It's impossible to express the joy Dave and I are feeling tonight knowing that Adel is home with his family, friends and love ones. Dave's support is the reason I can run around like I do. CODEPINK's support, ideas and continuous courage helps me to do outrageous things to get the message to the press. And, special loving relationships with women like Liz make it possible to carry on. Her courage in Congress, day after day is such an inspiration - I remember like yesterday the day she said she would help with the effort to free Adel. We were at the 1st DC CODEPINK house.
My message tonight is - know that what we do is making a difference and changing the world. Even the small effort of focusing on one person at a time can bring huge, positive change. Our country is in trouble and our charge is gigantic. Knowing that an innocent man if free tonight brings the kind of peace in my heart that we all hope for everyday.
The only greater joy will be when our troops are coming home to stay, for good. Peace Lydia

To New Orleans with love

As the people of New Orleans were stopping bulldozers today, D.C. activists from the Advancement Project, the Hip-Hop Caucus, New Orleans Public Housing Residents, Empowered D.C., One D.C., No War No Warming, Code Pink, Students for a Democratic Society, and possibly more (sorry if we missed you), met in front of the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to demand justice, humanity and the halting of the planned demolition of Public Housing Projects in New Orleans. There were picket lines, a live band, and many respected, intelligent, and passionate speakers (Rep. Maxine Waters, Dick Greggory, Fay Williams, Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Julie Andrews an effected resident of New Orleans and many more). Later 8 people sat in the street, blocking traffic and exciting the press. They stayed there for about two hours in the cold rain while the police blocked off the 4 blocks of traffic in the area. There were no arrests. Go to http://www.voicesoftheworld.net/ , under the New Orleans section to hear the speakers and music, and to view the photos from today's protest in D.C.

CODEPINK CHASING DIFI @ CNN

Slide show for the 2007 Women's Peace Conference

Ann Wright was there as a speaker with many other fantastic women from around the world. Enjoy! Lydia

http://www.womenspeaceconference.org/peace_000.wmv

"What Would Jesus Buy"

If you stuck CODEPINK and a 5 minute long movie-trailer-like advertisement for the Army National Guard in the same room, what would happen? Well, such little scientists we are, and here is how it went down.
First of all, everyone should see the new documentary of Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping called "What Would Jesus Buy." It was such a good film and the Rev. and his wife showed up here in D.C. for the showing. But long before they showed the National Guard trailer came on, and was met with boos for the first few minutes until someone stood on the back chair and blocked out the screen with his body. That is steps 1 and 2 of the 4 step program of activism of the coalition of the willing to oppose the propaganda that fools the youth (oops,I mean advertising; propaganda is what the Nazis used). Peace is Patriotic, stopping atrocities is patriotic; Is that what they do in the National Guard, or will they end up committing them? They even forgot to say in the add that even more troops from the guard are going to be sent over to Iraq (Kind of a big point, huh)
Step 3 is asking for a refund and step 4 (which was carried out by an unknown group of individuals, and not code pink, but I thought it was so great, that I added it here) is to steal any posters or any 7 foot tall signs advertising for the Army National Guard. Oh Billy

Video from the Pakistan Hearing

By Sally

This was the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs



After a trip to the National Museum of Women in the Arts I'll be heading home. It's been lovely!

Free at last

Dear All,
Col. Ann Wright is out of jail - they gave her credit for her 1st court
date and for yesterday and today was 3 days - we all cried (seriously).
Medea is on the way to the house and we are all going to the Pakistan
hearing - NO MONEY FOR PAKISTAN (just in case you want something to
call about :-D)
Lastly, check out Democracy NOW today - Sally, our new CP law student
was interviewed and she was eloquant. I'm in the black hood (too
funny, we're alllll in black hoods) but I have a sign that says Adel
Hamad. His lawyer sent me a thank you note today.
Off to do some house work and then - TO THE HILLLLLLL - NO MONEY FOR
PAKISTAN! L.

Notes from DC

Dear All,
What an amazing day. Got settled in last night and up and at 'em at
6:15 am.

One bummmmmmmmmer! Col. Ann Wright was sentenced to 6 months
probation (the strictest kind you've ever heard of - she can't even
raise her voice near the Hill) - it was a jury trial and just blew
everyone's' mind in the room. Check out the video interview with
Bill O'Reilly that Deidra posted for the group not too long ago.

When Gen Petraeus spoke in the Senate in September (not the House
where I stood on a chair), Ann said "I am a diplomat for peace". She
knows Crocker, didn't interrupt anyone.....it was profiling for sure.

The jury was selected in the morning. They found her guilty! (the
judge was the same one who recently let Midge off with a $500 fine -
Midge was back on the Hill the next day and the judge (a woman)
mentioned that when sentencing Ann. "I gave your friend some
leniency and she was back here the next day" (Midge didn't do
anything but go up there, don't even know how the judge knew that????)

WORST OF ALL, she also got 3 days in jail and they took her away,
right there. She looked freaked out, had tears in her eyes. Her
sciatic nerve has been so painful it's hard to walk at times. I
wasn't there but the group that was came home bummed, bummed,
bummed.

Send Ann your good vibes and love. They will give her credit for
tonight and she should be home on Friday.

As for today, real quick. I dressed in orange jumpsuit, black
chains and hood and joined CodePINK and a Catholic coalition from NY
in front of the Supreme Court for the opening arguments on
Guantanamo. It was snowing, cold and really awesome. I represented,
as usual, Adel Hamad.

Came home to change and spruce up and headed for the Hill at 1:00PM
I gave Pink Badges of Courage and a thank you from FFP to
Congresswoman Brown and Congressman Hastings. I didn't see them but
have uploaded pics with their reps. Both offices were very
appreciative.

Then I headed over to Allen Boyd's office (my rep in Tally) and lo
and behold he walks out to meet another group. He smiled, gave me a
hug and asked what's up - I told him nothing today unless he could
get the Senate to filibuster the $45 billion request - he smirked.

Off to Senator Nelson's to let the staff know I was in town - I told
them I would be back. Told them FFP is counting on him to fund the
troops home.

Then, I attended the Iraq Reconstruction Hearing in Rayburn. I'll
report on that more later - basically there is going to be another
troop surge, soon and then a civilian surge right after that. Also,
they admitted that 1/3 of the funds for reconstruction are lost in
the process - "that's about normal for these third world countries"
is exactly what they said - we just have to expect that! Probably
$100 billion down the drain on that deal.

Walked home in the snow (did I say it was snowing :-D) and rushed
right back out the door to the Tree lighting ceremony at the
Capitol. I had my cape and a huge pink cowboy hat, we had a good elf
and a bad elf, and two other combinations of pink garb, plus a driver
and the most awesome Will. We sang our own version of some Christmas
carols, handed our peace peppermints and had a great time.

Got home to a wonderful Wednesday night pot luck supper and
some "laughter yoga" with Kik (CP from Rhode Island).

I'll be up on the Hill again tomorrow and feel like I should just
start going to EVERY Florida reps office, Nelson and Martinez also,
and just insisting they stop the war now. I'll come up with
something good to present - all suggestions are welcomed.

Medea will be in tomorrow so I'll get the inside scoop on her
kidnapping in Pakistan. I do know that they we scared to pieces....

Bye for now L.

A Revolutionary Command

Early this morning, before dawn, anonymous activist (Pink Sign? who could that be?) put up this banner just a few blocks from congress. The statue is from the Revolutionary war and he is ordering a revolutionary command, "Troops Home Now."
The anonymous activists reported that both the police and park service officials (brought in to take down the sign, hanging roughly 20 ft. off the ground) laughed when they saw the banner. And later, when the police were not around, the park service officials said that they would take their time with this one; after all, it was snowing. They finally got the banner down at roughly 11 am., but not before the morning crowds had their fill. People were smiling, children were pointing, phones were snapping pictures and one woman said that she would call the Washington Post to get them to cover this (there was also a freelance reporter on scene interviewing people walking by). A final thanks to the weather for snowing an hour after the sign was put up, and not before.

Iraq Reconstruction Hearing 12-05-2007

By Lydia Vickers
The Hearing started out with LOTS of comparisons to VietNam. Ironically they kept mentioning that they two conflicts really did not have that much in common.
It was mentioned that one of the retired generals who was on the panel lost his own grand daughter in a fire fight in Afghanistan in 2005. He has 6 other family members in the service at this time.
The discussion focus on using PRT's (provisional reconstruction teams) which are civilian. In Afghanistan the PRTs are run by the military. In Iraq it's different, they work outside of the military. There are also embedded PRTs who work directly with the government (in both countries).
The goal is success without military force. Excellence is winning war without fighting (a bit confusing since "war" is fighting?)
Hard power is military and soft power is political.
The panel was working on what they call a National Counter-Insurgency plan. The idea is to win the ground fight then forward deploy U.S. Ambassadors to work with the local people. Secure, Build and Hold.
Discussion again return to VietNam and Congressional members continued to say "but we didn't win in VietNam" - The question being, why do we want to follow that protocol when it did not work? The answer was, the plan worked to beat the Viet Cong but did not stop the North Vietnamese army from winning.
Discussion continued to explain micro loans and grants that are helping the economy in each country. The Sunni insurgents who are now working with PRTs in Iraq, again, outside of the military.
Some of the challenges are: geography, transportation and assets. Security restrictions hinder the PRTs efforts. No one owns PRTs and no one explained who controls them. Again, they are many private companies working together as PRTs.
The panel reported that success today and in other wars (Kosovo and Bosnia for instance) will need civilian workers with larger numbers in the State Department.
One congressman (sorry, I didn't get names) asked how can we help our troops assimilate to civilian jobs. Rather than build up a working military they prefer (now) to build up civilians to support the military. Civilians will share information with the troops
The question was asked, again, if the reconstruction teams did so much good, why did we still lose the war in VietNam? It was explained that the idea was to win over the hearts and minds of the people to beat the VietCong BUT, we couldn't stop the North Vietnamese from attacking.
One suggestion was that we need cross training in languages. The panel did not feel that the military could accomplish this and civilians would be used instead. No one explained why we can't train our military men and women to speak new languages.
PRTs are directly linked to the counter insurgency effort with a short term, high impact plan directly supporting the military command, but not under military command.
The goal is to rebuild the local government, return the rule of law and reconstruction of the infrastructure. Embedded PRTs continue to work directly with the counter insurgency.
Question - in the international effort, why aren't we sharing and learning. Discussion at the higher levels is not filtering down. The State Department does not answer to Congress. The military does not answer directly to Congress.
Question - why aren't we learning from these past lessons? It appears that the Department of Defense feels most passionately and the civilian agencies need to step it up to catch up.
There was some discussion about "military force" VS "military forces" and that military force cannot be the face of our foreign policy. It was mentioned what a fantastic job our military did during the Tsunami a few years ago. That is the example we should try to duplicate.
Discussion - Iraq is the 3rd most corrupt county in the world. It is accepted that 1/3 of all reconstruction money in Iraq disappears or is stolen.
Question - do we have to accept this? Answer - yes. Prime Minister Malaki calls it the 2nd war in Iraq (against corruption and graft).
Many 3rd world countries have this problem because the government employees are not paid very well so they cheat. In Iraq they are paid very well though. Still government officials in high positions are still on the take. Some of the money is also ending up with other countries and even with people from our own country. It appears that no one has an answer to this problem.
The panel would like to focus on post conflict stabilization - which is impossible until there is some stabilization. Deployment rather that employment of force.
The panel mentioned that Churchill said we can't have military success without civilian support.
Congress asked "when will we learn from history?" We are using a program in Iraq and Afghanistan which was written for peace missions like Kosovo. Again, how can that work while conflict continues in these countries.
Question - why doesn't the State Department have an interest in building and stability as much as the military does.
Answer- the State Department is small and underfunded. When they have to take people out of one job into another there are usually no replacements. The military is larger. Diplomats are trained to prevent problems and "cave in when the problems start".
Note: Behind me in the room was a huge picture of a battle in Viet Nam, bloody, a bomb blowing up and a shirtless soldier shooting at the enemy. The picture behind the representatives was of a military parade in WWII. Opposite walls had a huge fighter plane and a group of tanks.

Will and Sally Go To Washington And Stop the War

By Will Chapple and Sally Newman

Hi dear everyone - today was our second day on the Hill hanging out with the senators. Will got here a couple nights ago and has been a great, and hardworking, and smart presence. As his new banner says, "Real Men Make Peace"!

We have a special place where you can catch Senators hustling by, and flag them down to talk to them. Senators are SO interesting. Did you know that that with a little training, you can identify them by posture and dress? And and...well, sex age and race, obviously. And did you know they have a hand-shaking reflex? Like a newborn baby will automatically grip a finger offered to them, in a life-preserving instinct, a senator will automatically shake your hand if you touch theirs. Neat.

Anyway, we don't want to give away all our special lobbying tips, but with some helpful guidance from Desiree, Will and Sally were able to catch and talk to a dozen plus senators. (at least Sununu, Burr, Hagel, Thune, Stabenon, Inhofe, Bond, Dorgin, DeMint, Nelson, Isakson and Lieberman). They were all varying degrees of rude, but we still got in some good eye contact and (very) brief conversations. Lieberman especially - on our first talk with him, he said he'd just gotten back from Iraq so we asked whether he ever left the Green Zone. We were met with sulky silence from the Senator and his five aides, and when we repeated the question one of them (not sure if it was an aide or Lieberman himself) laughed and snapped sarcastically, "Oh yeah! Waaaaay out of the Green Zone." Ouch. When the war supporters find leaving the Green Zone laughable, things ain't good.



Joe Lieberman: Disarmingly Cute. Alarmingly Militaristic.

When Lieberman came by a second time, Sally walked and talked with him for a few minutes. They spoke about the meaning of "success" in Iraq, which the Senator believes has to do with Iraqis governing themselves, and she spoke to him about how Iraqi legislators are so frustrated with overly aggressive and humiliating "security" enforcement by Americans that dozens of them walked out of Parliament last week. Then they talked about the effect of war on American veterans. (Sally: Six thousand Iraq veterans committed suicide in 2005. Lieberman: That's not true. Sally: CBS says it is). Anyway, when the aides started elbowing her and the Senator got tired - "OK, that's enough dialoguing!" she left him alone. Don't want to wear anyone out with facts. (sidenote: this was better than when Lieberman spoke at Sally's college a few years ago and she got bored and wandered off before he finished. Politicians are so much better one on one)

The rest of the day was senate hearings (sidenote: discussions in the Commerce committee on climate change are officially five or ten years outdated) and then evening discussions on tomorrow's Supreme Court habeas hearings and the administration's aggression against Iran (at Georgetown Law and George Washington University). Learning and lobbying, it's like the best Civics lesson EVAH.

Tomorrow - constituents breakfast with Baucus and Tester (Sally's from MT), more senate hearings, a Supreme Court vigil and fast, the Capitol Christmas Tree lighting, and then a potluck (and end-of-fast, for some of us at least).

Karl Rove and John McCain, On the Lam from CODEPINK: women for peace!

By Sally Newman
Photos Jes Richardson

I arrived In DC last night, and was up early this morning to track down Karl Rove and bring him to justice - the great thing about DC is that all these crazy war criminals are just walking around, for anyone to talk to. Rove got to Fox an hour early, so we just caught him entering the building and presented him with a large poster-sized warrant for his arrest on charges of perjury, contempt of Congress and general war crimes.Ellen Taylor, Desiree Fairooz, Leslie Angeline, Liz Arizona, and me, Sally Newman outside Fox Studios Sunday December 2, 2007

As a cameraman followed the whole crew (Rove+ five pink policewomen attempting arrest), Karl twirled his finger around his ear in a "they're crazy" motion. This from the man who now claims the Democrats rushed Bush into war (yes, really), and famously "forgot" that he revealed a CIA operative's identity.

Ex CIA Agent Valerie Plame

Unfortunately, after his interview he didn't come back out. He skipped the planned press conference and had his town car pick him up in the indoor garage, and probably went home to make sure the rest of his week's schedule doesn't include exposure to dangerous public forums like sidewalks.


So we went on over to CBS, where Liz was excited to talk to her Senator John McCain again about his delusional insistence how well everything is going in Iraq. She had warmed up her voice already and her megaphone at Fox, so when we arrived as McCain was about to come out and get interviewed by assembled cameramen outside, the whole street plus the guests at the hotel across the street listened.

Unfortunately McCain got skittish, and turned right around just before walking out the door. We spent the next hour and a half playing tag with the camera dudes. They'd set up in one place, then an aide would come out and huddle with them and they'd go around to the back and set up next to the dumpsters, and we'd follow them, and they'd move things around to the front again. His town car was driving around and around the block, and Pink Police chasing it. Reality show worthy. In fact, the cameramen were getting sick of being dragged around - one of them finally asked if they could just run behind us on the next lap.


Apparently McCain hates Code Pink more than he loves publicity because at some point his town car peeled out, tires squealing, and that was the end of that. (Incidentally, CP is very respectful of reporters, and we always let them conduct their interviews. They might get a spine and start asking worthwhile questions, so it'd be a shame to interrupt that. There was no reason for the elaborate hide-the-senator game)

One of the funny things about direct action is that passersby are SO awkward with you, sort of like they might act toward a mentally challenged or a homeless person: "Get a JOB!" yelled one nicely dressed young woman at the Fox news studio. Well, jeez, I'm an Ivy League graduate, halfway through law school, and I look nice in a suit too. It's not like I'm out here yelling at Karl Rove with my toes freezing off for my health. It's just that having been failed by the media, the justice department, Congress, and the courts, I figure if I want him held accountable I have to do it myself. It's like signing a petition, but more emphatic. Don't be scared!


Liz last week outside of ABC. See, he survived to tell the story!



Outside CBS, a grumpy man scuttled by blowing cigar smoke and muttering. "Oh, so we're supposed to just turn tail and run, huh..." "Excuse me sir," I said, "I'm not running anywhere, I'm right here participating in my democracy. Where are you going?" He gave me a frightened look and ducked into the building.

Well, well. That's all for now! Youtube video coming soon!

Food for Thought

The CODEPINK house had, yet another, fabulous potluck last night bustling with a great turn out of about 40 friends in attendance. There was much food, drink, and conversation shared making a wonderful evening. CODEPINK was very happy to be able to welcome into our home yesterday evening special guest, author and activist, Genevieve Vaughan. Gen, while in town participating in the Anthropology Association Conference, came to share her evening with CODEPINK for our potluck. We gave her a tour and a beautiful CP poster that a friend in NY made for us. Gen was very sweet, telling us how proud she was of our work. She contributed to the house copies of her book Women and the Gift Economy and her new children’s book Free, Not Free.

Gen, along with a couple of friends of hers, Bernadette from South Africa and Mary from Ireland, who were also in town for the conference, took time to share with us a little about their work. Gen shared with us her perspective of The Gift Economy which is a new paradigm that identifies the destructive, gendered exchange economy of today. Through this awareness, the Gift Economy provides a new perspective enabling social change. Gen shared with us her idea of how present institutions and social structures based on competition, domination, and egotism produce an economy focused on exchange. The Gift Economy, however, is based on nurturing and gift giving. Gen, Bernadette, and Mary were very inspirational and shared ideas and great conversation with many guests throughout the evening.

Later, in the evening activist, scholar, and writer Riane Eisler arrived and spoke to us after dinner about her philosophy of changing the language from domination to partnership. Riane also generously donated her book The Real Wealth of Nations. She gave us the gift of the tool of knowledge to put forth to action. Riane told us that with our creative and active group she hoped she could contribute through inspiring future actions and would love to hear about them if she did. The group all engaged in a lively conversation following her talk.

With an evening full of special guests, we even had reporters from the D.C. weekly, City Paper and Bloomberg. They were able to enjoy food and drinks and talk with many of our amazing CODEPINK activists. All in all, we had lots of great home cooked food and enlightening company.

If you are interested in hearing Genevieve Vaughan speak, you may see her at the American Anthropological Association’s 106th Annual Meeting from November 28 – December 2, 2007 in Washington DC at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. For more information visit

http://www.aaanet.org/mtgs/mtgs.htm.

A Look Inside Iraq with Author Haifa Zangana & the Filmmakers of Meeting Resistance

In honor of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, CODEPINK co-hosted an event at Busboys and Poets to provide an insightful look into the present state in Iraq with Haifa Zangana and the filmmakers of Meeting Resistance.
Haifa Zangana as an artist, journalist, and novelist bares witness to her native war-town country, Iraq.

Zangana was raised and studied in Iraq, was for a time imprisoned by Saddam Hussein’s Ba’ath regime at Abu Ghraib, and is now is the only Iraqi woman in the West writing about the situation in Iraq. She presently works as a contributor to the Guardian in London and recently released City of Widows: An Iraqi Womans Account of War and Resistance. City of Widows offers an insightful and moving account of Iraqi women throughout the recent history of sanctions, occupation, and war.


Molly Bingham and Steve Connors partnered in directing Meeting Resistance, a documentary of the resistance in Iraq through a collection of personal statements by members of the opposition. Connors went to Iraq as a photographer at the start of the invasion and worked fourteen months there. Bingham is a photojournalist who began her work on Iraq by capturing some of the only close up pictures of the attack on the Pentagon on September 11th. From there, she continued her coverage of America’s response to the attack in Afghanistan. Bingham worked for a year in the Gaza Strip and Iran before finally in 2003, just before the US attack, she went to Iraq. Bingham was a prisoner in Abu Ghraib and shortly after her release, she teamed up with Connors to begin work on Meeting Resistance to understand and readdress those behind the emergence of post-war violence in Iraq.


Through their work on Meeting Resistance, Bingham and Connors were able to learn the underlying ideological foundation of the resistance and how members funded, recruited, armed, organized, and now run this US counter-insurgency operation.


The book reading, film clip, and question and answer session with the artists provided me a more comprehensive understanding of the war resistance in Iraq. The present opposition to the War in Iraq is said to be the largest grassroots communal resistance movement which is embedded in the Iraqi society. The US efforts in Iraq are a fight against violence but the violence is fueled by the foreign occupation of the country. Fighting the opposition violence is therefore essentially fighting the people of Iraq. Zangana, Bingham, and Connors explained the counter-insurgency operation as being comprised of anyone who assists by even simply providing shelter, leaving a gate open, or refusing to give information.

The clip from Meeting Resistance provided a visual of these ordinary people, such as the school teacher or the doctor, talking of their active commitment in the resistance. Haifa further explains the resistance in saying:
What the occupation and its puppets have chosen not to see is that the Iraqi resistance would not have continued and sustained its attacks, over three years, in 13 provinces unless it was first Iraqi, second national, third and above all supported and protected by Iraqi people through various social networks, communities, tribes, NGOs, and political parties.
The War in Iraq is working against the united people of Iraq. Bingham and Connors state that, “Some of the people we interviewed were Shia - fighting alongside their Sunni colleagues - and the idea that has recently become common currency, that Iraq is a country driven by ancient sectarian hatreds, is a claim for which we found little evidence.” And further they note, that research for the film further indicated that any fissures in Iraq present at the time of the invasion where exacerbated and exploited by the invasion.



Zangana shared stories of families forced out of their homes by war, whole families of all religious divisions, intermixed, living and surviving together beautifully. The War in Iraq is tearing the country apart and support for the War in Iraq is fueled by the wrongful representation of main stream media. Witnessing these testaments of the state of Iraq has given me a better understanding of the resistance and need for troops to come home from Iraq. If we truly want what is best for the people of Iraq we should support them and the end of this war.

To read an article by Haifa on Iraqi Women visit:
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/haifa_zangana/2007/03/iraqi_womens_empowerment_under.html.
To read an article on Iraqi resistance by Haifa please visit:
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/haifa_zangana/2006/09/the_defiant_triangle_of_the_ir.html
For more information on Meeting Resistance visit the official website at http://www.meetingresistance.com/.
To purchase City of Widows: An Iraqi Womans Account of War and Resistance, visit
http://www.sevenstories.com/.

Gandhi Peace Brigade/ Thanksgiving & Homegrown Terrorism

Dear Friends,

Leslie and I won't be coming home to the Bay Area for Thanksgiving this year. I've been charged with "unlawful conduct" for shouting,"Shame on you Senator" at Dianne Feinstein (as explained in a previous email) and my court hearing is scheduled for November 27. I'll be pleading not guilty and asking for a jury trial. I accept the consequences of what I did and I'd gladly do it again. Please encourage the Democratic Party in California to censure Senator Feinstein by signing MoveOn's Courage Campaign petition: http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3163&id=11668-2621263-CNfRuR&t=2

What I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving:

* I'm thankful my sons are adults (they're 28 and 31). I loved being a full time dad, but now I can devote 100% of my energy to creating a more peaceful world.

* I'm so thankful Leslie is in my life. Our love for each other gives us the courage to confront the challenges ahead.

* I'm thankful for my sabbatical from teaching. There isn't time for the children to grow up and make the change ... these are critical times and the change needs to happen now.

* I'm thankful to be free of worldly attachments. When Leslie and I returned from Iran we put everything in storage and started touring the United States. We want to clear up the misconceptions Americans have about Iranians.

* I'm thankful for the passion I feel every day ... and for "being the change I want to see in the world".

* I'm thankful for CodePink http://www.codepink4peace.org/ and the hope it offers ...

* I'm thankful to be living in a country FILLED with grassroots activists who cherish their freedom and love this country.


What concerns me:

The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. This act claims to set up a Commission for a study that will "examine and report upon the facts and causes" of so called violent radicalism and extremist ideology and then make legislative recommendations for combating it. It will focus on passing additional federal criminal penalties that are sweeping and inclusive in criminalizing dissent and protest work. Further, this bi-partisan attempt can set the ground for an even more acquiescent Congress, never wanting to look weak on terrorism. On October 23 it was passed by the House (400-6) and will next go to the floor of the Senate. Click on the Democracy Now! link for more: http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/11/20/1458214

Detention Camps inside the U.S. in preparation for a roundup after the next 9/11 for Mid-Easterners, Muslims and possibly dissenters:
http://news.pacificnews.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=eed74d9d44c30493706fe03f4c9b3a77

Listen to this Naomi Wolf Interview on The End of America:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0LvtQAQ6sc

What inspires me:

Pink's Dear Mr President PLEASE PLEASE click on this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oegoI80t6WE&feature=related

This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their Constitutional Right of amending it or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it. If the founding fathers gave us anything, they gave us that. Abraham Lincoln 1865

Peace and Freedom,

Jes & Leslie

PS Happy Thanksgiving!

VIDEO BLOG: Once upon a monday...

On monday November 12th 2007, CODEPINK Women were on Capitol Hill... Here is what happened:

A Chat with Senator Feinstein:


Liz Talks Intelligence:



Desiree Falsely arrested by Capitol Police:

VIDEO BLOG: Blackwater Parodied by CODEPINK @ Press Conference CBS thought was REAL!!!

Shame On You, Feinstein

Dear Friends,

I LOVE CALIFORNIA! When I was fourteen, Billy Williams moved to the west coast with his family. He came back two years later with the longest hair I had ever seen on a guy. "If they let you do that in California, I want to live there," I thought to myself ... and now I do. I appreciate everything California stands for ... freedom, acceptance, compassion, and love. On Tuesday Dianne Feinstein trashed all of that.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to approve the nomination of Michael B. Mukasey as our next Attorney General. The vote was 11 to 8 ... Feinstein and Schumer joined the Republicans on the committee to send him to the floor of the Senate for a "probable" confirmation next week. As part of his testimony to Congress last week, Mukasey refused to define waterboarding as torture. You be the judge ... this is waterboarding: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaQ1Eryjq9I

I held up a sign in the hearing room that read Shame as Senator Feinstein explained her position ... Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. It was the, "I really believe that this man is going to be an independent breath of fresh air," that pushed me over the edge. When she finished, I yelled,"Shame on you Senator! Shame on you! I'm from California ..." Five policemen grabbed me roughly from behind and before I knew it I was straddling a table in the hall. Click here to see what happened: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBujJVKrzCY

I was booked and released from jail in a little over three hours. Feeling just a little incomplete, I went to Feinstein's office to talk with her. She wasn't in, so I left her this letter:

Dear Senator Feinstein,
I was the person arrested in the hearing room today. The police pulled me out so quickly, I didn't have a chance to finish what I wanted to say.
As you know, I was able to get out,"Shame on you Senator, Shame on you. I live in California ..."
I want to finish by saying how ANGRY your constituents are with your vote today. I'm sure you have an explanation for what you've done, but in the eyes of the world you condone waterboarding and torture.
Many of us feel you have betrayed the democrats on the Judiciary Committee, democrats in general, and Californians.
I never thought I'd say this, but I am ashamed to be a Californian.
Peace.
Jes Richardson

She claims she's voting for Mukasey because Bush might appoint someone worse during the recess. LET HIM! Congress's approval rating is 11% ... Bush's is 28%. Do you think this low rating might have something to do with the spineless nature of Congress? You had an opportunity to take the moral high road and show the world the United States Congress does not approve of torture. Why didn't you take it, Dianne ... what did Bush offer you on that helicopter ride over fire-ravaged California? http://www.kesq.com/global/story.asp?s=7265981 Are you concerned that Schwarzenegger might run against you in 2012 and you're looking for some Republican support? Or maybe you're concerned about your husband's two contracting businesses in Iraq, Perini and URS http://www.metroactive.com/feinstein/ . What about us Dianne ... your constituents!

We are tired of politicians playing with our lives, pretending to speak for us, pretending to act on our behalf when they are only concerned about their own political careers and nothing else. We want our country back!

Peace and Freedom,

Jes & Leslie

If Dianne Feinstein isn't representing you, please take a minute and call her: 202-224-3121 (The Congressional Switchboard). Those of you who live in other states, please call your Senators and tell them to vote NO on Mukasey (same number). They really do pay attention to phone calls. Meanwhile, Leslie and I will be visiting Senators personally up until the vote on Mukasey. We haven't given up yet!

This VIDEO speaks for itself: Feinstein Constituent Arrested @ Mulkasey Confirmation Hearing

A Day in the Life of CODEPINK Peace Activists on Capitol Hill

On Tuesday November 6th CODEPINKers were unnecessarily detained and harassed by Capitol Hill Police in Congress.

VIDEO: CODEPINK at FCC Hearing on Halloween as "Corporate Whore" and Asks Question During Public Hearing

Depict Waterboarding outisde Dirkesn Senate Bldg

Monday 11.05.07 a rainy morning in DC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W20iR7bBEs


Today Michael Mukasey will be confirmed as Attorney General!

Next Gonzo!!SHAMEFUL!!!!!

CODEPINK and supporters feel so outraged to have rep's who do not stand for our
values of justice, fairness,bill of rights,constitution and so easily confirmed
another BUSH PUPPET .................. so Jes,
Ellen,Dick,Stephen,Marietta,Liz,Clark,Danielle
went to Dirsken Senate Office Building at 830am
to exhibit the harsh military interrogation practices of TORTURE--- WATERBOARDING
(which Arizona has a part in these trainings and teachings and outsources to CACI)
during the morning rush hour outside the Dirken Senate Office Building.
We take this time to participate through educating our
representatives and the public on the UNamerican like practices through
policy of the failed Bush Regime.The practice of waterboarding is en vogue at the
moment (no matter what Condi or Bush say WE TORTURE WE WATERBOARD FOLKS)
and we feel it our moral obligation to bring unjust practices to the attention of
every citizen! We all have the power to make change through our voice, our
actions,our dollars everyday,our vote,our passionate resistance and lack of
acceptance for bad policy!This was our opportunity to show a horrible act against
humanity and promote awareness through informational fliers & action!

We had a script each person had a specific role to make
the exercise in extreme interrogation seem realistic.The media was ready to get the show on........
Everything was on schedule until the Capitol police started harassing me.Officer Timothy
O'connor asked me if i had stay away order that was in effect to keep me away from the
Capitol grounds.Timothy O'Connor then
went into the Dirksen for 2 minutes and came out with 3 officers - Sweet Tara Neeld started ordering me inside the building to do a quick check of my I.D. by myself. She said it will be quick it is for my protection the same ole junk they always spew out
The Police try to get you alone and isolated feeling vulnerable...this time lucky me the media was all over the harassment.The various media outlets were able to film this harassment for all the world to watch because it will be uploaded friends.After 15 minutes we were back in action the police confirmed i don't have any restrictions on the Senate side deemed arrestable NOW the show begins~
Waterboarding reconvenes
Great Job TEAM!!
THANKS to all participants for exposing what is really going on and how our military is being MIS_used
my question is how will these soldiers ever forgive themselves for these crimes against HUMANITY??
Forgiveness is the hardest part for the conscience
BLIND FAITH IN BAD LEADERSHIP IS UNPATRIOTIC
..........

www.witnesstorture.org

POLITICAL PRISONER - Eve Tatez jailed for peaceful protest

On Monday November 5th 2007, a 76 year old retired school teacher reported to DC Superior Court to begin serving a 7 day jail sentence.

Waterboarding Torture Demonstration at Justice Department to Protest Mukasey Attorney General Nomination

On Monday November 5th in Washington DC a graphic demostration of "waterboarding" was performed at the Departmnent of Justice in Washington DC

Longer video with background story:


Shorter video (MORE INTENSE)

CODEPINK Shows Senator Feinstein Waterboarding at CNN

On November 4, 2007, CODEPINK activists re-enacted a live waterboarding demonstration for Senator Feinstein as she entered CNN studios in Washington, DC

Low Blow from Di Fi

Yesterday Senators Dianne Feinstein (CA) and Chuck Schumer (NY) parted from their party colleagues including the four Democratic candidates for President and instead sided with President Bush by announcing their support for former judge Michael B. Mukasey as United States Attorney General. The votes of Feinstein and Schumer would give Mukasey at least 11 yes votes on the 19 member Judiciary panel, sending his nomination to the full Senate.
In committee hearings, Judge Mukasey claimed ignorance about waterboarding. Obfuscating, he avoided a condemnation of this method of torture. In addition, he would not support granting habeas corpus to detained prisoners at Guantanamo, and suggested the President can ignore surveillance statutes in wartime, signally that his views mesh significantly with the administration's.

Dianne Feinstein stated on CNN today that Mukasey is the best we can expect and that if he isn't confirmed now, Bush will probably appoint someone worse during the holiday recess. This is unacceptable! Our senators are second-guessing what George W. Bush will do and this drives the votes of the U.S. Senate? Incredible!!

A small group of concerned citizens turned out at CNN this morning to voice our dissent to this confirmation. Karen, Liz, Leslie, Medea, Gael, Allison, Mona, Marietta, Carol, Jess, Steve, Dick, Clark, Mahboud, Vernon and I arrived around 10:30 this morning at the doors to the CNN studios to pressure Sen. Feinstein to change her mind. We staged a mock waterboarding on her way in and after the program. As we cornered Ms. Feinstein all she said and I paraphrase, "We're going to pass legislation to declare waterboarding illegal". On Wolf Blitzer's Late Edition she stated that only the CIA can waterboard legally.

The New York Times reported 3 years ago that Maj. Gen. George R. Fay said the conduct of C.I.A. personnel at Abu Ghraib was perceived by military officials there as more aggressive than that allowed by the military and had a corrupting influence on military interrogators. So what does this say for us, America? What's good for the goose is good for the gander!

We cannot stand idly by while our "representatives" confirm Gonzo II.

Those of you here in Washington, D.C. can join us noon tomorrow at the Justice Department, 9th and Constitution. If you are in N.Y. you can protest at Schumer's office. Those in California are speaking their minds at DiFis. Please join us tomorrow and stand up for human rights!

Dangerous Books!

The level of security here in Washington DC seems more like a campaign to frighten the American people than like security against terrorism. Tourists have to get passes to get into the Capitol itself. To get into the gallery, they need a pass signed by their Senator or Representative. They can't get into the Senate or House Office Buildings without going through a metal detector and putting their purses and bags through X-rays. And cops are everywhere.

A couple of weeks ago during the “No War, No Warming” demonstration, even though we had a permit for a rally on the West Lawn of the Capitol, police, some carrying automatic rifles, closed off all the front entrances to the Capitol, so that to get to the West Lawn, we had to climb over waist-high walls.

All this excessive security recalled my first trip to the capital of Montana, Helena, last year. I went with a labor group for a rally on an initiative to raise the minimum wage, and I was sitting alone on the steps of the Capitol, beside the stage, listening to the speakers, and a man in working clothes and his dog sat down on the steps beside me. I was playing with the dog when the governor of the State of Montana was introduced. The man beside me turned out to be the governor, daring to wander around the state Capitol without even an entourage.

The Senate and House Office Buildings are anything but user-friendly. The long, long hallways don't have a single bench or chair or anywhere at all to sit down, and the hallways are snarled in a labyrinthine puzzle that all but guarantees a person will get lost and wander in exhausting circles trying to find their Senator or Representative.

I blogged yesterday about distributing Naomi Wolf's new book, “The End of America,” to all the Senators. It did occur to me after I posted it that maybe the Capitol Police read Code Pink blogs. Distributing anything to Senators is illegal, but I've been carrying heavy bags full of books into the Senate office buildings over and over all week, going through the X-ray every time without being stopped, until this morning. This was my last day, I'm leaving Monday for Montana, and I had 14 books left to distribute.

But I didn't make it through the first X-ray at the Russell Building this morning. The Capitol Police guarding the entrance stopped me, wanting to know what was in my bag. They found a bunch of copies of just one book, very suspicious. I said they're for a select list of Senators, from the publisher, and showed them the names on my list, organized by building. They said it's against the law to distribute anything to Senators.

I left and walked over to the Dirksen Office Building, and almost made it through security there. My books got through the X-ray unmolested, but as I was walking away a warning came over the police radio about a suspicious woman, who may be from CODEPINK, trying to distribute material to Senators. A friendly woman cop named Tyra came after me. She was carrying her radio and I could hear nonstop chatter about me and CODEPINK. Exciting! A 65-year-old grandmother wearing pink is on the loose on Capitol Hill, with books! I showed Tyra the books, told her this was the last group and I'd already distributed the books to all the rest of the Senate, and they were grateful to receive them. It's a $14 book! People recognize a valuable gift when they see it. I told her the whole story (explained in an earlier blog) about how I came to be distributing these books. I invited her to accompany me to the office of the first Senator on my list, and she walked along beside me as we looked for the office.
She reported on the police radio that she had me; they could stop looking. After a few minutes she got a call and walked away from me, not leaving me but taking a call she didn't want me to hear. I waited, there being no chance at all of getting away. She came back to me and said she wouldn't accompany me further, warned me that it's against the law to distribute anything to Senators, and if they received a complaint, they would take action. I noted they hadn't yet received any complaints, and I'd almost finished the task. I don't know why they let me proceed with something they'd just told me, repeatedly, was against the law. Maybe they realized they might get complaints from Senators who wanted their copy of the book!

I was thoroughly decked out in pink, since I'm one of the few Pinkers who can still wander Capital Hill hallways, and we want to show the colors. On the other hand, I really wanted to finish the task of getting this book to all the Senators, and this is my last day. I was afraid, after all the police radio chatter about me, that I might be stopped again by any cop who saw me, had heard the chatter, and missed the denouement. So I ducked into a restroom, took off my CODEPINK T-shirt. I was wearing a “Arrest Cheney First” black long sleeved T-shirt underneath. I turned my CODEPINK black hoody inside out, and tried to carry my CODEPINK bookbag so the logo didn't show. Couldn't do anything about my long pink skirt. And the “Arrest Cheney First” T-shirt also attracted a lot of attention. Several suit-clad men in the hallways and in Senate offices laughed and complimented me on it.

No one else stopped me. I finished distributing Naomi Wolf's “The End of America” to the whole Senate and celebrated with a tiramisu at Union Station.