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Trick or Treat
 Congress took advantage of the Dubai Port scandal in early March to do some additional damage to our country. They again weakened states rights, made us less safe, and gave in to yet another lobbying industry. Here’s how they did it. Each state has laws about food processing, but the new bill passed by the house, The National Uniformity of Food Act, will bring food labeling under the control of the FDA alone. What’s the problem with that? Well, the Consumers Union and the Consumer Federation of America warns that are 200 health laws established by the states that would be eliminated, without a replacement added to FDA laws. It was a state law that originally revealed the truth about Ephedra and Aspartame. With this bill, we will no longer see important warnings about mercury in fish, arsenic in drinking water and lead in candy. The Attorneys General of 37 states sent a letter to Congress to fight the bill, to no avail. And now wonder… After accepting $31 million in campaign contributions, the House passed this law requiring states to follow only the FDA regulations, which are much more lax. For example, the FDA has guidelines for how much lead can be in candy. States could previously outlaw any candy that had lead in it. They said they did this so that food companies don’t have the additional expense of printing 50 different labels. However, when the top industry lobbyist for the Food Products Association was asked, he couldn’t come up with a single company that prints 2 different labels. With America facing obesity and other health-related problems, it only benefits us to be as informed as we can about the food we eat. Unrelated: My brother and his wife have a new baby girl! I am officially an aunt.
Bush's Freedom: Killing Christians
On more occassions then one can count, President Bush has explained that we are "spreading freedom" throughout the Middle East. Bush explains that Afghanistan was the first step in this alleged "freedom spreading." Problem: In the new Afghanistan government, the place where all Republicans seem to celebrate as some sort of great success, a person can be legally executed for converting to Christianity. I repeat, the Afghani government authorizes the death penalty for becoming a Christian.  Just this week Abdul Rahman was set for execution because he "abandoned Islam." He was originally jailed for carrying a bible. Then when he confessed his love of Jesus, he was set for execution. Then, amid international pressure, they let the guy go. However, it is believed that thousands of other Afghanis are facing execution for their faith. Way to go Operation Enduring Freedom! Freedom is on the march! Oh, and speaking of that great success story, Afghanistan, 4 years later, the Taliban is still up and running....and attacking (and killing) US soliders. I asked the same question almost a year ago: the Taliban? Seriously, how in the hell are they still running shop in Afghanistan? Oh wait, there's that whole thing about how we only have like 10,000 troops there, because we needed to send all of our troops to that waste in Iraq.
The White Stuff is Hypocrisy
 It's time to address the issue of border control here at The Chief Source.I must say something about these anti-immigration hard liners...
 These people are a rare breed, people who are actually farther to the right than Bush. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't these the people who tend to champion free markets, criticising nations that put tariffs on imports and subsidize their industries? The global market, the logic goes, runs best without government interference. Let the suppliers (our companies) and demanders (your people) alone to work things out. The invisible hand ad nauseum...
But when you put a sombrero on the issue, their tune changes dramatically.
It is obvious to these people that Mexico, in the interests of sound capitalism should not only allow, but invite U.S. corporations across the border. Everyone benefits from trade! But what about Mexican workers crossing the other way? Won't that low-cost-labor benefit small American business owners and ultimately us, the end consumer? Shouldn't we let them decide how they chose to do business? No sir! Those Mexicans are stealing jobs from Americans! (Not competing for, but stealing.) Turns out, time and time again, that competition is only holy when we have an advantage (see Japanese steal or African cotton).
Hold that thought...
There is a famous long-forgotten inscription on the base of the Statue of Liberty:
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!!
Haven't these Mexican workers come here, like our ancestors, in the great tradition of American immigration: to provide better lives for their families? Or is that pre-Sept 11th mumbo jumbo? As a last line of defense, the anti-immigration hard liners, confronted with an economic and moral double standard, always play the terrorism card. Even against our trading partner, peaceful neighbor and ally in the War on Terrorism. Wouldn't we be safer if we offered these people a legal, monitorable, controlable means of entering our country?
Now, for the elephant in the room. I understand that at the heart of this issue is the fact that "illegals" currently cost American tax payers $45bn each year in education, prison and health costs (by the high end estimates). However, if these workers were brought out of the shadows and started paying taxes like you an I (instead of bribing traffickers) then it seems to me, that this problem evaporates and the wonder of free markets can chug on.
 And how many Mexicans would flood across the borders? Well according to our right wing laissez faire advocates...as many as we demanded. These people assure us that the assembly line didn't cost us jobs, but freed us up and allowed us to have better, more fulfilling jobs. It doesn't surprise me that these people would subconsciously favor robots over Mexicans.
Can someone please give me a valid reason why upstanding, hard-working Mexicans who are willing to play by the rules and pay taxes on their earnings, should not be allowed to come across our border and work?
When Morons Speak.....
Fire this Clown: Rumseld recently said, "if I were grading I would say we probably deserve a 'D' or a 'D-plus' as a country as to how well we're doing in the battle of ideas that's taking place in the world today. " Umm, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it he and the other Bushies that are in charge of the "battle of ideas" in this country?
More Evidence: A new five-page memo has surfaced from a January 31, 2003 Oval Office meeting between Bush, Blair and six of their top advisers. It reveals the Bush Administration's fierce determination to invade Iraq even without a second UN resolution. There are like 50 similar memos.....but Bush just denies it, and this country just accepts it (or maybe it will finally stand up and give these Republicans the finger in 2006).
Delay Speaks: Tommy claims society "treats Christianity like some second-rate superstition." What society is he living in? Because in this society (the US, that is), like 80% are Christians. When Tom Delay speaks, we all get a little dumber. At least that crook lost his right to carry a handgun.
Card Games
 Andy Card resigned today, amid both calls for and denials of a staff shake-up at the White House. It has been speculated that Karl Rove and Andy Card were not exactly friendly. Members of the Republican party called for Bush to replace a member of his staff, to bring in some "new blood" and try to boost his poll numbers. Bolten is hardly new blood. He became the Budget Director in 2003, and prior to that he was Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy. He's been loyal to Bush since Texas. He's no ace either. Bolten was budget chief when the government ran its three largest deficits ever, including the record $413 billion shortfall in 2004 Since Bush is shuffling his deck, perhaps it's time to discard Rumsfeld. Update: Kyle called from Mississippi. His group is working in a distribution center, helping people get necessary food and clothing. Some students are helping rebuild houses. He'll have much more to tell when he returns! ( story in the Beacon Journal)
Who needs a bomb?
 Iran doesn't need to build a nuclear bomb. Our fear of "the bomb," and the resulting obsession has caused more damage, and "has given the ruling clerics free reign to devastate opposition with all the brutality they can muster." This kind of brutality and oppression are a direct result of American foreign policy. The Iranian people elected President Ahmadinejad because he was the candidate who promised to stand strong against Bush. He also promised to help the poor. As it turns out, he ignores civil rights conventions that Iran has signed, and even ignores their own constitution, which allows the formation of professional associations.  If Bush wasn't name calling and stomping our military around in the Middle East, the Iranian election would have undoubtedly had a much different result. Many people think Iran is next on Bush's list for military action. A better idea would be to wait for the rising student movement to take decisive action, or to fund the movement underground. I know it's unorthodox, but as the Dalai Lama said, "war is outdated" - we need new solutions. There is widespread discontent in Iran and people there are ready for a revolution. Funding the resistance would actually save us a lot of money and potential troops, and the movement may have the strength and support to overrun the clerics and establish a democracy that Iranians could benefit from. Perhaps we would be seen as a little wiser in the region.
2 Weeks Later: Bush Family Still a Bunch of Scumbags
Introductory Comment: After 2 weeks of sick leave (computer troubles) I am back in action. Thanks to Kyle, Bob, and Terra for picking up for me. I feel energized and ready to take on these disgusting Republicans......Barbara Bush, the former first lady and current first grandma, is a serious piece of crap. Consider, in 2003 this piece of trash told Good Morning America the following about the deaths of Americans in Iraq: "Why should we hear about body bags and deaths? Oh, I mean, it's not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?" Truly shocking. The only question is why this quote not more frequently discussed?  She followed that unmentioned and horrific comment with her more infamous statement about the victims of Hurricane Katrina: "What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas... and so many of the people in the arenas here, you know, were underprivileged anyway. This is working very well for them."
Well, the old bag is up to her sick crap again. Recently, Barbara donated money to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund. This should be a great thing, and I should be jumping for joy at further attention paid to the Katrina victims, many of whom are still homeless and helpless. However, her "donation" had specific instructions that the money be spent with an educational software company owned by her son Neil. So in reality, she didn't give a donation.....she gave her son money......and she will avoid paying taxes on that money because it is still allowed to be considered "charity".....in the name of the Katrina Relief Efforts. Related: Just as a reminder, Neil Bush, brother of the President, is the same man that demanded a divorce from his wife BY EMAIL. Oh, and during the divorce it was revealed that, as a married man, Neil had a fetish for " Sex Romps" in Asia.
V for Vendetta
I know that one thing The Chief Source seldom touches is movie reviews. However, I cannot stay silent about an unforgettable film I saw Friday night: ‘V for Vendetta.’ The fact that it’s absolutely overflowing with timely political messages and imagery makes it fair game for discussion here at the site. Don’t worry…I won’t spoil it. The comments section will be reserved for discussion by those who have seen it. I will say this though…
"Amazing"
"Elegant"
"Explosive"
"Fascinating"
This was how Kurt Loder, from MTV.com, described the film. In addition he added that V for Vendetta, "may leave you weeping at the end." And wept we did…for the sixteen dollars and fifty cents worth of quarters that my girlfriend and I had coughed up at the ticket counter. I mean, for just eight dollars and ninety-five cents we could have purchased a copy of the novel 1984 and defecated on it ourselves!
Spoiler in comments…
Top Priority
 Now that Congress is debating immigration reform, it has become a “top priority” for the Bush Administration. I remember that after Hurricane Katrina struck, Scott McClellan told us that securing levees is and always has been a top priority for the Bush Administration. That's pretty interesting that while we're fighting 2 wars and trying to maintain our own security, levees would be a top priority. What are some of the other top priorities for President Bush? Making health care more affordable and accessible. Human rights. Protection of our country and the strengthening of our economy. Tax relief and education. National Security and homeland defense. Going after Al Qaeda . The war on cancer. The health of the agriculture sector. A "fairer and simpler" tax code. The processing time of claims made by disabled veterans. Government performance. Improving benefits delivery. Preventing the spread of WMD. Job creation and security. (continued in comments...)
A Pro-Lamp Policy
 At first, it might seem strange that I’m IN FAVOR of a marriage age limit, even more severe than the new one the French Parliament passed today.
In fact, as President it’ll be my first act in office to establish a marriage age minimum of 25 within the continental United States! [My second and third acts will be to convert Alaska into a lawless penal colony for embezzlers, money launderers and war criminals (like ‘Escape from New York’ with bears), and Hawaii into an all-expense-paid resort for anyone of Native American decent…Yes, I realize it might be a hard platform to win on].
Seriously though, what’s the rush to marry young these days? It’s not like anyone who believes in evolution is saving themselves anymore! And under my policy, if two people have a child out of wedlock, they can get engaged, but the actual marriage must wait until the child reaches puberty and gives consent!
Imagine it! With my policy in place we could attend weddings without that distracting thought dancing around in the back of our minds:
“There’s a 50% chance this’ll end in lamp throwing.”
Teasing Capri Cafaro, Walken For President
  I have found a couple of political websites that might peak your interest. Each image is linked to their respective site. First, there is the Cafe Press "Anybody But Capri" website that is selling anti-Capri Cafaro attire. To clarify, SMH = Shopping Mall Heiress. The 28 year old Capri comes from mall money and is running for OH-13. She is in for a tough primary against Betty Sutton and my favorite Tom Sawyer. I would be happy with either Sutton or Sawyer. I'm looking forward to seeing if Sherrod Brown or Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic will endorse for this race. Those two could play king maker. The Walken For President site is pretty funny if you are a fan of Walken's work, quotes and mannerisms. He is my favorite host of SNL and I love his character " The Continental."
Tax Pain
 The Senate recently passed the 2007 budget for a whopping $2.8 trillion. It reduced the President’s sweeping cuts on education and Medicare, and refused to make his tax cuts permanent. That was a baby step in the right direction. Republican rhetoric states that tax cuts are the key to stimulating the economy, so each year, they re-write the tax code. It is now so complex that single people with one job have to use an accountant to file their taxes. These tax cuts have several problems: They leave education un-funded. If the state of Ohio, for example, committed its budget to education with the goal of 25% of adults holding a college degree, state revenue from income taxes would increase by approximately $1.5 billion, according to the NOCHE report. Our current tax system is a disincentive to save according to common sense, and even the President's tax Advisory panel. The current American savings rate is negative .5%. The savings rate has been negative only twice in our history, in 1932 and 1933 – during the Great Depression. The most obvious problem is the deficit, which has reached a record-breaking $350 billion deficit. (The recent poll indicated American’s views on the 2007 budget, and one notable result was that 47% of people said that Democrats would do a better job of reducing the deficit, compared to 29% who said Republicans could do it.  The system has too many loopholes. If we closed the tax loopholes, it would allow for a lower overall tax rate for everyone, because people would pay what they are supposed to pay. Even Jesus has something to say about taxes. He says "Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." Luke 20:25 This is the year that middle and lower class Americans will see tax increases cover the cost of the tax cut for the wealthy. Let’s see what you think come April 15th…
IS IRAN NEXT?
It's tough to watch the President's speeches and not get the burning suspicion that some scary-aggressive strategy shifts are being discussed in the deep recesses of the White House. Now is your chance to go on record. Is Iran next?
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Mike D., 
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