4 Recipes in the Kitchen

Last week, I tossed it back to you and you came through and then some. There were many wonderful recipes and I'm noting four of them.

Lucille noted a recipe that uses some really basic ingredients. She is using ground turkey mainly because it is cheaper than beef. But she needs new ways to serve it and she came up with this when her son asked her for the X-time wasn't turkey supposed to be sliced meat?

Thanksgiving in a cup
Ingredients:
1 pound extra lean ground turkey
1 box stuffing mix
1 cup water
2 egg whites
1 medium green bell pell (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)

You'll need to mix all ingredients together and put them in cup cake liners.
Even if you have a muffin pan, that's the easiest way to clean. If you're not using those, be sure to spray the muffin pan with non-stick spray. If you are using the cup cake liners, you can place them in any oven safe pan and cook. Without the liners to hold the ingredients in, you will need a muffin or cup cake pan.
Bake the above at 350 degrees for forty minutes.

Lucille notes that you can also pop some rolls in the oven and open a can of cranberries to really make it into a meal.

Casey came up with a recipe she remembered her mother used to make. She remembered it while staring in her cabinets looking for something to fix. You're combining basics that many have on hand.

Casserole
1 can of green beans
1 16 ounce can stewed tomatoes
3 tablespoons bread crumbs (or croutons)
2 teaspoons butter
1/4 teaspoon dried basil

Spray or lightly grease a casserole dish. Add the beans (drained) and then the stewed tomatoes (non-drained -- meaning drain the liquid out of the beans before you put them in the dish, with the stewed tomatoes, just add it to the dish). Add the basil and pepper and stir. Top with bread crumbs or croutons. Add a 'dot' of butter to the bread and then back for 25 minutes in a 425 degree oven.

You do not have to use croutons. It tastes fine both ways. However, Casey has a problem with having left over croutons when she buys them for a salad and this recipe was her way of tossing everything together. This really is good and I think there are four recipes here that you can add to your week that are inexpensive and are easy to make.

I loved the title of Sandra's recipe but doubted her on the taste. I made it twice and it turned out great both times. The microwave is a great benefit because most people are more comfortable with their microwaves than their stoves.

"Microwave Tuna au Gratin"
Ingredients:
4 potatoes, sliced thin
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup flour
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter
1-3/4 cups milk
6 oz. can tuna (drained)
1-1/2 cups shredded cheese

Place the potatoes, carrots and oninons in a microwaveable casserole dish, add flour, butter and pepper. Stir. Add milk and stir again. Place cover over casserole dish and cook on high in the microwave for ten minutes. Stir. Cook for an addition 5 minutes. Stir. Cook for an addition 5 minutes. Stir. Cook five more minutes. Now add the tuna and cheese and stir again. Cook for 3 minutes.

It's really easy and very tasty.

Billie found this at the Dallas Morning News and e-mailed it today:

Taquito casserole

Put a layer of frozen taquitos (Delimex is one brand) in a baking pan. Top with a can of red or green enchilada sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese (cheddar or Mexican blend). Bake according to instructions for taquitos. The sauce will soften the taquitos and the finished product will come out like enchiladas.

Billie noted that in addition to taquitos, she also sometimes uses burritos or chimichangas. She suggests you start out with some chips and salsa which will add to the meal mood. Then serve the above with a can of black beans cooked on the stove. Her kids like it when there are also tortillas and will spoon the beans into their tortillas. You can use another bean if black beans aren't your favorites or aren't on hand.

I enjoyed all the recipes above except one. Billie's came in at the last minute but it was an excuse to go the store. I served it and I can't tell you how it tastes because it went fast. I was asked for the recipe by three people so I will assume it went over well.

All the recipes are easy and they are inexpensive. Jodi e-mailed that her aunt was worried about her and bought her a rice cooker. Those do make cooking rice very easy. Next week, I'll try to come up with some inexpensive ways to utilize cooked rice. (And anyone who has a suggestion should e-mail.)

I'm taking three recipes (Brandon's, Alicia's and Marco's) over to Hilda's Mix where I'm doing a guest column this coming week. Hilda's newsletter serves community members with special needs and she explained to me how some are looking for recipes that will cost less. Like the rest of us, we are all being hit by this Bully Boy economy. I'll do an audio version for Hilda's Mix (that Dona, Ty and Jess compile) -- that will most likely just be me reading the text I've written.

A number of you e-mailed to talk about stories you saw in your newspapers this week echoing the point about how the holiday shopping season will not bring enough sales to save the year. That's rather obvious (I'm no genius) but I'm glad the paper's are noting it. Star e-mailed about making presents. Here's my advice to all on that: Don't.

If you're thinking about it, don't. If you're thinking about it, that means you really don't have the skill. If you have the skill, you're already going to be making presents. But it is early enough that you could learn to knit or crochet or any other craft. So if you're thinking about and my "don't" did not discourage you, I would urge you to begin learning.

The thing about making presents is that a lot of times, 'newbies' end up spending more money than they should. They mess up or they buy more supplies than needed.

Here's another tip: If you're giving something personal (say a photo in a new frame), include a note that explains why.

I don't mean, "We're broke." I mean a note explaining why you chose whatever. If it's a photo, why you chose that one. That will add meaning to the gift. We're Catholic and we celebrate Christmas. In our home, if you didn't include a note, you'd have to hover around waiting for the gift to be opened and usually mulitple gifts are being opened at once so a note allows the person to know why you selected something.

If you're going to purchase something for a friend or family member who knows your circumstances, look at what they have. By that I mean, kitchen towels. I always need kitchen towels. Pair it up with a new scrub brush, you've got something I'll use and won't go broke. I will appreciate it and use it. I don't need anything for Christmas and have told my children that. But that's the sort of thing you do. Think about some little thing they need and would use. Maybe they always use coasters but their coaster are looking worn? Think along those lines.

While fruit is better than candy, I would also encourage to consider candy for non-diabetics. I don't mean an expensive box, I mean their favorite candy. If they like M&Ms, get them a bag of M&Ms. That sort of thing. One of my sisters loves olives. When we were teenagers, our aunt and uncle were having a very rough time economically. It meant the world to her that she had a jar of olives. (I'm not joking. My father said we'd packed it but we hadn't and we had to go back to my grandparents to get it. My sister insisted.)

So think along those lines if you're tempted to make a gift for the first time.

On the economy, Lee Sustar's "Salesman of the Month for Wall Street" (Dissident Voice) is a strong read:

While the Pentagon can expect the money to keep flowing, Obama is promising hard-pressed workers a modest tax cut that won’t undo the impact of high food and fuel prices and declining real (after inflation) wages.
And Obama's proposed $50 billion economic stimulus package is two-thirds smaller than the Bush stimulus program implemented earlier this year. Compared to the bailout of the bankers, that's chump change.
The economy issue is almost certainly burying whatever hope McCain-Palin had of eking out a victory--always a long shot for them anyway on the heels of the most discredited Republican administration since Herbert Hoover in the 1930s.
But anyone who expects an Obama administration will seriously challenge Corporate America and its priorities ought to take a closer look.

And that's reality people better start recognizing. Elaine's "The Common Ills" so be sure to check that out. This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot" for Friday:

Friday, October 10, 2008. Chaos and violence continue, another journalist is killed, yesterday's assassination causes more suspicions of the US, Iraqi Christians are targeted says an Archbishop, and more. Yesterday at the White House, spokesperson Dana Perino was asked about Iraqi Christians "losing representation in Iraq's Muslim-dominated legislature" and Perino responded that "I think that that was resolved and the Christians' rights were restored." (Full answer: "I'll check, but I think you should double check, because I think that that was resolved and the Christians' rights were restored.") No, they were not. Leila Fadel (McClatchy Newspapers) reported, "a separate bill" will be sent "to parliament to restore" Article 50. The bill may or not pass. But the provincial elections bill, which passed by Parliament, passed the presidency council and was signed into law by Iraqi president Jalal Talabani, eliminated Article 50 which guaranteed representation to religious minorities. Yesterday, Kim Gamel (AP) reported that in Mosul so far this month, 7 corpses of Iraqi Christians have been discovered, notes that a person's religion is listed on the state i.d., that there are approximately 800,000 Iraqi Christians still in the country, and quotes Chaldean Archibishop Louis Sako stating, "We are worried about the campaign of killings and deportations against the Christian citizens in Mosul." The Kurdish Globe reported yesterday that the Yazidis and the Christians continue protesting over the elimination of Article 50 and quotes Jamil Zeito ("head of the Seriaques-Chaldeans Public Council") stating, "We will demonstrate and protest until we achieve autonomous rights for Christians in our districts as well as fair representation for religious minorities, including Christians, in the provincial elections. The protests and demonstrations will not stop till we accomplish our fair rights; ignoring the rights of minorities indicates incomplete democracy in Iraq." And, as AINA reports, the issue has led to protests elsewhere as well such as the Iraqi embassy in Sweden where protestors gathered and Isak Monir ("spokesman for the Chaldean Federation in Sweden") explained, "Since the decision to exclude minorities representatives was taken by the Iraqi parliament the violence against Christians has increased remarkably. The groups who want Iraq cleaned from other ethnic and religious groups maybe felt that they are backed up by the parliament and consequently have begun to kill Christians again. They want a homogeneous Iraq -- cleaned from other ethnic and religious groups." Ethan Cole (Christian Post) notes the 3 Iraqi Christians killed on Tuesday in Mosul and he explains of Mosul "the city is a historic center for Assyrian Christians, who view it as their ancestral homeland. It is home to the second-largest community of Christians in Iraq, after Baghdad." Asia News (via Catholic Today) identifies the dead: More Christian blood in Mosul. On October 7, a father and son were killed in the neighborhood of Sukkar while they were working. Amjad Hadi Petros and his son were killed because "they were guilty of being Christian" in a place where a "systematic persecution" is being seen. In a second attack, recorded in another of the city's neighborhoods, a fundamentalist group broke into a pharmacy and killed an assistant, also of the Christian religion. We also recounted the execution, on Monday, October 6, of Ziad Kamal, a 25-year-old disabled shop owner in the city. The young man owned a store in the neighborhood of Karama: he was taken by an armed group from inside his store and brought to a nearby spot, where he was shot to death. Also, on Saturday, October 4, two more men were barbarously assassinated in two other areas of Mosul: Hazim Thomaso Youssif, 40, was killed in front of the clothing store he owned, while 15-year-old Ivan Nuwya was shot to death in the neighborhood of Tahrir, outside of his house in front of the local mosque of Alzhara. Vatican Radio offers a report: Vatican Radio: Concern is growing once again over violence against Christians in nothern Iraq where, in the last week alone, seven of them have been killed in the city of Mosul. Attacks have tapered off amid a drastic decline in overall violence nationwide but these latest killings have sparked renewed fears. The Chaldean Archbishop of Kirkuk, Luis Sako, has condemned the violence. Archbishop Sako: In Mosul the situation is terrible especially for the Christians and many families left the city, children cannot go to the school and also people cannot go to work they are staying in their houses. Just a real tragedy for them. I made an appeal to the Mosul population because I am from Mosul -- I lived years in Mosul, in a parish -- and I had many, many relationships with Muslims most of them so I made a call and an appeal. This appeal has been delivered in all the local medias. This could be helpful to encourage Muslim moderates to react and to do something. The United Nations and Peoples Organization notes the Wednesday meeting of the European Parliament of the EPP-ED in Brussles which addressed "Christian Communities in the Muslim World: Iraq". Archbishop of Mosul Basile Georges Casmoussa called the crisis "heartbreaking" and stated Iraq Christians make up 40% of the refugee population despite being only 4% of Iraq's population. He also noted that that "aid was not reaching Christians in Iraq". The report also notes: "Kirkuk was identified as a crucial issue by Ms. Naglaa Elhag, of the IKV Pax Christi organization, in her presentation on 'The Situation of Refugees in Iraq' -- the topic of the final panel. Until this was addressed and Europe adopted a cohesive policy there were few positive signs to be seen in the region Ms. Elhag concluded. Even outside Iraq, Christians continued to find themselves excluded from basic social services and had to face ongoing intimidation and violence. There was also a pressing need to hold the Iraqi government accountable for its failure to adequately protect the Iraqi Christian minority." Marwan Ibrahim (AFP) reports Archbishop Louis Sako declared today, "We are the target of a campaign of liquidation, a campaign of violence. The objective is political. . . . We have heard many words from Prime Minister Maliki, but unfortunately this has not translated into reality. We continue to be targeted. We want solutions, not promises." So, to toss back to Dana Perino, no, "that" was not "resolved." Dana Priest (Washington Post) was online at her paper yesterday afternoon for a discussion with readers and the topic of the National Intelligence Estimate [] was raised. Priest: "The jist of the NIE has been known for a while, since all the reporting that the Washington Post and other major news organizations have been doing over the past year says, basically, the same thing. In this sense, the NIE does not offer a big revelation; it just brings the series of daily intel/military analysis on Afghanistan to a higher level with more visibility. Unlike the days before the Iraq war, many people have access to what's happening in afghanistan and are willing to share it with reporters, in part because they are frustrated it's not getting more attention and they believe it should if, as we have said since 9-11, defeating terrorism is a priority." Wednesday Jonathan S. Landay, Warren P. Strobel and Nancy A. Youssef (McClatchy Newspapers) reported on the upcoming National Intelligence Estimate (which may or may not be released prior to the US elections in November), "The draft NIE, however, warns that the improvements in security and political progress, like the recent passage of a provincial election law, are threatened by lingering disputes between the majority Shiite Arabs, Sunni Arabs, Kurds and other minorities, the U.S. officials said. Sources of tension identified by the NIE, they said, include a struggle between Sunni Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen for control of the oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk; and the Shiite-led central government's unfulfilled vows to hire former Sunni insurgents who joined Awakening groups." At the White House yesterday Dana Perino noted that US Secretary of State Condi Rice has not read the report. Not a slam at Condi, just noting that the report is under wraps. Rice noted she hadn't read it in brief remarks to the press before meeting with Maris Reikstins (Lativian Foreign Affairs Minister) in DC, "Well, in fact, I have actually not seen the NIE. I will -- I assume that we'll be briefed on it shortly. But in any case, we had asked for the intelligence community to take a look. It's important that it do so." The issue of the NIE was raised at Thursday's State Dept press briefing conducted by Sean McCormack who noted, "She [Rice] has not yet seen it, and I don't believe any of the policy makers in the State Department have seen any drafts of this assessment. I would expect at some point that they will be briefed on it." As noted in yesterday's snapshot, Iraqi MP Saleh al-Auaeili was assassinated yesterday. al-Auqaeili had been one of the 30 member Sadr bloc in Parliament. Tensions are high over the assassination and Jeffrey Fleishman (Los Angeles Times) reports overnight fighting in the Sadr City section of Baghdad between, on one side, Sadr supporters and, on the other, Iraqi and US forces. Fleishman also notes that Ahmed Massoudi ("a Sadr spokesman") states, "The occupation sent us a message by staging this attack [the assassination] because of our stance against the agreement." Sam Dagher (New York Times) quotes Sheik Salah al-Obeidi (Moqtada al-"Sadr's chief spokesman") stating, "By killing Ugaili they are silencing a major opponent of the agreement" -- which would be the treaty the White House and the puppet of the occupation want to pretend is a SOFA. Sheik al-Obeidi ties the assassination in with other pressure to push on the treaty including US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte's visit to Iraq this week and he also notes that a demonstration will take place October 18th in Baghdad "against the American presence in Iraq." Ernesto London (Washington Post) quoted MP Ahmad al-Massoudi stating, "We have laid the blame on the occupation forces and the Iraqi government for the martyrdom of [the lawmaker] because the explosion happened in an area that is under the control of" the US military (the Green Zone). Marwa Sabah (AFP) reports that the "[m]ourners shouted anti-American slogans . . . as relatives hugged each other and wept while the wooden coffin of Ogayly was brought out of his home early on Friday draped in the tri-colour Iraqi flag." Khaled Farhan (Reuters) notes a statement released by Moqtada al-Sadr: "The martyr gave most of his time to eject the occupiers. . . . And for this reason the hand of the hateful occupation and terrorism killed him." Leila Fadel (McClatchy Newspapers) explains that observers (US and Iraqi) are noting a shift from acts of violence targeting mass numbers of people to assassination attempts "using magnetic bombs, weapons with silencers and bicycle bombs. As provinicial elections approach, some officials worry that assassinations will increase as political parties try to eradicate their competitors." Leila Fadel (McClatchy) quotes the statement by al-Sadr reading, "Here is another star that brightens in the sky of martyrs, of Sadr followers and the sons of Iraq. Another martyr waters the land of Iraq with his blood, a martyr that sacrifices himself for the sake of Iraq and the people of Iraq, a martyr that gave all of his time to expel the occupier and not to sign agreements with him." Tensions in Baghdad also include the ongoing conflict between northern Iraq and Turkey. Hurriyet notes reports coming out stating that Turkey will be "direct talks with the regional administration in the northern Iraq in its fight against the terror organization, PKK". CNN notes that Turkey bombed northern Iraq again today. Reuters provides the catch-up for the latest tensions, "Turkey's parliament on Wednesday approved a government request to extend for another year a mandate to launch military operations against PKK rebels based in northern Iraq from where they are suspected of crossing into Turkey to attack soldiers. Turkish authorities are under mounting pressure after a series of deadly attacks on Turkish security forces and police, which has left more than 20 dead in recent days." Meanwhile the Turkish Daily News offers this observation, "It looks like the [Turkish] government will not bow to pressure from the opposition which calls for a ground incursion to Iraq as well as setting up a security zone in the border." At the US State Dept today, spokesperson Sean McCormack was asked about Prime Minister Tayyip Recep Erdogan's statements regarding " a buffer zone in northern Iraq" to prevent attacks by the PKK on Turkey and McCormack replied, "We are working with the Turkish and Iraqi governments on a common problem, and that is the threat of terrorism from the PKK." An October 17th vote for a non-permantnet seat on the United Nations' Security Council will be held and that Turkey is a candidate for that seat. Asso Ahmed (Los Angeles Times) quotes PKK "senior leader" Bozan Takeen declaring in a phone interview "from his hideout in Iraqi Kurdistan," "We are ready and our forces are ready. We are not afraid of them. If they want to attack Iraq's Kurdistan, then the Middle East will turn into a fire ball." Meanwhile Wednesday, in the Green Zone, US Maj Gen Jeffery Hammond declared: Now, take for example, the transition or transfer of the Sons of Iraq to Government of Iraq control. Now, we have two phases to this plan. The first one is the transfer of the Sons of Iraq to the, to the Government of Iraq control, which will include the assumption and the payment of their salaries starting this month in October. We're working very closely with our Iraqi counterparts to make sure this works. The Government of Iraq has committed to accept responsibility for the Sons of Iraq and it's been mandated in the Prime Minister Order No. 118‑C, and we're going to be there to assist in the transfer. We spent the last few weeks working hand in hand with the Iraqi Security Forces, the IFCNR, our Iraqi partners and I'm confident ‑‑ I'm confident this is going to go well. But again, effective this month, the Government of Iraq will start paying the salaries for the Sons of Iraq. Actually . . . Anwar J. Ali, Sam Dagher, Stephen Farrell, Erica Goode and Alissa J. Rubin (New York Times) report on the tensions brewing among the "Awakeing"s including graffiti appearing that is "the motto of a feared paramilitary unit during Saddam Hussein's era": "Allah. Homeland. Salary" -- which "Awakening" Sgt. Alaa al-Janabi ("Dora Awakening") states is "our slogan." al-Janabi goes on to cite that the Iraqi government is not paying them enough money to live on and offer "We're not going to fight again. Unless they make us." Saleh al-Jubori ("a leader of the Awakening Council in Dora") states that "there is no trust between us and the National Police" and, "if the Awakening is let go, Dora will go back to worse than it was before. I hope you don't consider this a threat." And staying with the topic of "worse," Robert Fisk (Independent of London) reports "that secret executions are being carried out in the prisons run by Nouri al-Maliki's 'democratic' government. The hangings are carried out regularly -- from a wooden gallows in a small, cramped cell -- in Saddam Hussein's old intelligence headquarters at Kazimiyah. There is no public record of these killings in what is now called Baghdad's 'high-security detention facility' but most of the victims -- there have been hundreds since America introduced 'democracy' to Iraq -- are said to be insurgents, given the same summary justice they mete out to their own captives." Staying with violence, Reuters notes that 28-year-old journalist Diyar Abbas was shot dead in Kirkuk today joining "at least 135 journalists [who] have been killed in the line of duty since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003." Tuesday the Committee to Protect Journalists featured Robert Mahoney's report on 27-year-old Iraqi journalist Jehad Abdulwahid Hannoon who had surived a shooting in Baghdad and, with help from the international journalism community (including CBS News' Lara Logan), was able to come to the US where he had "successful surgery in a California hospital to repair his bullet-shattered right leg." CPJ notes "135 journalists and 50 support workers" have died in Iraq. Here, we say 185 journalists. "Support workers" are doing a great deal more than that classification implies. So Diyar Abbass becomes at least the 186th journalist to die in Iraq. In some of today's other reported violence . . . Bombings? Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a Baghdad roadside bombing that claimed 2 lives and left twelve wounded, a Baghdad car bombing claimed 12 lives with twenty-two more wounded, a Mosul roadside bombing that claimed 2 lives and left fourteen wounded. On the Mosul roadside bombing, China's Xinhua cites a police source who explains, "A roadside bomb detonated in the afternoon at a popular marketplace in the Bab al-Tob neighborhood". Corpses? Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports 1 corpse discovered in Baghdad. In legal news, mercenaries in Iraq got a setback today. Matthew Barakat (AP) reports that KBR contractor Ira L. Waltrip -- caught with child pornography -- was informed by US District Judge T.S. Ellis III that he wasn't any getting any special breaks and that the argument that Waltrip was doing the same duties soldiers do so should be punished the same way one of them would have been was bunk. The Judge informed Waltrip's attorney that, "He wasn't there because he volunteered. He was there to get some money." Public TV notes. NOW on PBS examines the American Dream as gas prices soar and home values crumble. PBS' Washington Week finds Gwen sitting down with Washington Post's Dan Balz, National Journal's James Barnes, Wall St. Journal's David Wessel and mystery guest Karen Tumulty (Time magazine) who may or may not do her Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte impersonation. Both programs air tonight in some PBS markets, check local listings. Turning to the US presidential race, Cynthia McKinney is the Green Party presidential candidate and Rosa Clemente is her running mate. Rosa has the following upcoming campaign event this weekend in New York: Jericho 10th Anniversary Weekend of Resistance http://www.jerichomovement.com/ Saturday, October 11, 2008 @ 12 Noon Rally at the Harlem State Office Building (Corner of 126th St. & A.C. Powell Blvd.) March through Harlem @ 1 p.m. Closing Rally in Morningside Park @ 2 p.m. Between 112th & 114th near Morningside Ave. entrances Ralph Nader is the independent presidential candidate and Sunday he will be Fairfax, VA to speak at a press conference and rally at Geroge Mason Univeristy beginning at 5:00 p.m. Barack Obama is the Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden is his running mate. As Wally and Cedric noted yesterday, Barack seemed to offer some sort of Born Free/Elsa excuse for his friendship with Ayers whom he called "rehabilitated." Jake Tapper (ABC News) ponders rehabilitation: And Ayers has made it clear that he is unrepentant. ''I don't regret setting bombs,'' Ayers told the New York Times in 2001. ''I feel we didn't do enough.'' Asked if he would do it all again, Ayers said ''I don't want to discount the possibility. I don't think you can understand a single thing we did without understanding the violence of the Vietnam War." In a comic strip that Ayers recently posted on his blog, Ayers tried to explain the "we didn't do enough quote" from seven years ago, writing, "It's impossible to get to be my age and not have plenty of regrets. The one thing I don't regret is opposing the war in Vietnam with every ounce of my being. During the Vietnam War, the Weather Underground took credit for bombing several government installations as a dramatic form of armed propaganda. Action was taken against symbolic targets in order to declare a state of emergency. But warnings were always called in, and by design no one was ever hurt. "When I say, 'We didn't do enough,' a lot of people rush to think, 'That must mean, "We didn't bomb enough s---."' But that's not the point at all. It's not a tactical statement, it's an obvious political and ethical statement. In this context, 'we' means 'everyone.' The war in Vietnam was not only illegal, it was profoundly immoral, millions of people were needlessly killed. Even though I worked hard to end the war, I feel to this day that I didn't do enough because the war dragged on for years after the majority of the American people came to oppose it. I don't think violent resistance is necessarily the answer, but I do think opposition and refusal is imperative." (He doesn't think violent resistance is NECESSARILY the answer?) So today, with today's facts, does Obama think Ayers has been "rehabilitated"? No, he doesn't think so, a source at the campaign tells me. Mike did a press roundup on Barack's Ayers stories last night, Kat called out AP's Philip Elliott who does not seem to grasp the number of "40," Ruth contemplated the press mistakes, Rebecca noted the lack of standards and Marcia congratulates Oklahoma community members (as have Kat, as did Elaine and Mike). Oklahoma community members are supporting the Republican ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin. The McCain-Palin campaign has a new TV ad entitled "Ambition" (click here to read more about it): ANNCR: Obama's blind ambition. When convenient, he worked with terrorist Bill Ayers. When discovered, he lied. Obama. Blind ambition. Bad judgment. Congressional liberals fought for risky sub-prime loans. Congressional liberals fought against more regulation. Then, the housing market collapsed costing you billions. In crisis, we need leadership, not bad judgment. JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message. In addition, the Republican ticket notes: Today McCain-Palin 2008 announced that Bill Bruins, a dairy farmer from Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, joined the McCain-Palin Farm & Ranch Team National Steering Committee. Bruins joins a distinguished team of elected officials and leaders in agriculture who share a common goal with John McCain: to provide the leadership necessary to create prosperity in America's rural heartland. "John McCain understands agriculture's need for a comprehensive national energy policy that will combat rising energy costs," Bruins said. "I support John McCain because he will foster greater opportunities for agriculture to thrive in a market-driven society by reducing taxes and government regulations. Most importantly, he understands that reducing trade barriers expands international commerce and increases farmers' income." In addition to serving on the McCain-Palin Farm and Ranch Team National Steering Committee, Bruins joins former Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture Jim Harsdorf as a Wisconsin state co-chair on the Wisconsin McCain-Palin Farm & Ranch Team. "Bill's understanding of agriculture from both state and national public policy involvement makes him a great addition to the McCain-Palin team in Wisconsin," Harsdorf said. "Bill Bruins is a hands-on dairy and crop producer who understands the importance of John McCain's support for free trade, his commitment to reducing the inheritance and capital gains tax on farmers and his plan to reduce high energy costs by pursuing domestic energy sources." The continuing success of American agriculture and the health of America's rural heartland require a leader who understands that productivity and innovation are created by the effort, ingenuity and investment of individual Americans. As president, John McCain will address the key issues facing agriculture and rural America: Establishing a comprehensive energy strategy Controlling taxation and regulation Judicial restraint and preserving property rights Providing a sustainable, market-driven risk management system for farmers Promoting agricultural markets and reducing trade barriers Improving incentives to invest in technology and rural infrastructure Encouraging common-sense conservation and food safety measures Securing America's borders and implementing a fair and practical immigration policy Recognizing the role of agriculture in national security Strengthen America's economic competitiveness by eliminating wasteful government spending The benefits of American leadership in agriculture extend well beyond our borders -- America's contribution to meeting the food, fiber, feed and energy needs of a growing world population through efficient production and technology innovation are critical to our national security. More details on John McCain's statement on "Prosperity for Rural America" can be found on the McCain-Palin 2008 web site at rural.JohnMcCain.com. MCCAIN-PALIN 2008 FARM & RANCH TEAM NATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE* And finally, Team Nader notes: This morning, as markets around the world are crashing, Nader/Gonzalez is on the rise. And we need your help right now. Here's why: We have a chance over the next week to run inexpensive radio ads. In battleground states all across this country. To expose The Bailout Boys -- Obama and McCain. And to let the American people know that on November 4, they have a choice. The people's candidate -- Independent Ralph Nader. The man who stood against the bailout of Wall Street crooks. And for regulation that would have prevented the current crisis. Here's the problem: We want to run the radio ads from October 21 to Election Day -- November 4. In thirty markets all across this country. Our radio guy tells us he needs the money by Monday to be able to reserve air time for the last two weeks before the election. Throughout this year, when we have asked, you have delivered. Thanks to you, we have not missed one fundraising deadline this year. Now, we are in a corner. Over the past week, you have donated $130,000 to our October Surprise Fund. On our way to our goal of $250,000 by Sunday midnight. Now, to reach our goal, we need 12,000 of you -- our loyal supporters -- to kick in $10 each. We know that many of you have dug deep for the past seven months. So, after you hit that contribute button, pick up the phone and get your friends, relatives, neighbors -- who are angry about the bailout and looking for an independent outlet -- to support the one candidate who has stood with the American people against the corporate criminal elite on Wall street. To give you a sneak preview, we have cut a demo tape. If we reach our goal by Sunday night, we will be professionally producing a version of this demo ad and getting it out to our radio guy in Los Angeles. As the Dow collapses, the Nader/Gonzalez shift the power platform is on the rise. So, donate now -- whatever you can afford -- $10, $100, $1000 -- up to the legal limit of $2,300. Help us fund our nationwide radio ad buy. Inform the American public. There is a choice on November 4. Vote Independent. Vote Ralph Nader for President. Onward to November. The Nader Team iraq ethan cole kim gamel the new york times alissa j. rubin erica goode sam dagher stephen farrell anwar j. ali robert fisk the washington post dana priest leila fadel mcclatchy newspapers nancy a. youssef jonathan s. landay warren p. strobel jeffrey fleishman the los angeles times now on pbs pbs washington week like maria said paz kats korner sex and politics and screeds and attitude the daily jot cedrics big mix mikey likes it ruths report sickofitradlz

Economic melt in the Kitchen

The economy. First up, we know how to make rice, we've gone over that. We know how to make beans. We've gone over that.

I mention it because a number of you are really stretched.

So what I want to do today is not offer a recipe. I want you to think about what you know how to make and e-mail me your recipe for next week.

I'm turning the power to you because that's what matters.

I say that mainly due to Heidi's e-mails. At the end of our exchange, she wrote, "Why didn't I think of that?" (And she said I could note her e-mails.)

Things are so tough for her family (as they are for many families) that long ago the kids sack lunches started being peanut butter but last week it was time to serve peanut butter sandwiches with dinner. She was very upset and, when people are, they need to talk.

This is not, "Heidi, I had other things to do!" I was glad to help. But Heidi needed someone to talk to more than she needed advice. (She came up with, all on her own, buying some bananas and cutting those up to put with dinner sandwiches and with cutting up the sandwiches so it wasn't just two slabs of bread on a plate.) But there are many more who will not write going through what Heidi did. I've never written about peanut butter sandwiches here. (I honestly don't eat peanut butter sandwiches. I buy crunchy peanut butter for myself and will have a few spoonfuls of it plain, no bread. Peanut butter -- and peanut butter brittle -- are two of my weaknesses.)

Heidi had the answers that would work for her all along and just needed someone to bounce ideas off and some encouragement. But she wrote. And I know some others must be feeling the same and didn't. So I'm giving an assignment here: Come up with something to serve from what you already know how to cook. It might be adding tuna to mac & cheese and calling it a casserole or something similar. But think of an idea because if Heidi needed one, a lot more probably do.

I was about to move deeper into the economy but I am looking at my e-mails and see that Heidi's friend Robyn is on the same wavelength. She just wrote in to suggest a mac & cheese recipe. Use a box of mac & cheese, add one small can of tomato sauce and one small can of mushrooms and call it "pasta and cheese." That's what I'm talking about.

This isn't a bakeoff. No one needs to be highly creative. I'm talking about basic ways to dress up things you already make so that they are fresh if you're eating them repeatedly.

And with the current economy, we'll probably all be eating dishes repeatedly.

Call it the left over economy.

So last week I noted that the country didn't need to rush to a bailout and, no surprise, Congress felt otherwise. First the House briefly stood up at the start of the week -- due to phone calls from constituents. Then the Senate caved with all three senators on presidential tickets caving (Joe Biden, John McCain and Barack Obama). And Friday afternoon, the House caved.

If you've read what the House or Senate passed (or read of it), you know it is filled with pork and has little to do with helping the people. They made sure they got what they wanted and we the people apparently weren't on their lists of concern.

The bailout was never needed. It was never needed that it be rushed through.

I think, my opinion, Monday's revolt by citizens scared them that we might actually grow more informed so they rushed through a bill in both houses.

So while we got no checks and we got no protections, an industry that violated the laws got 'saved.' It lives to destroy another day and, be sure, it will.

With McCain, I'm less disappointed. That's because I don't expect a lot of 'change' from Republicans. (Though, in fairness, Republicans in the House voted against it in large numbers on Monday and on Friday.) But what about the so-called 'change' ticket?

This is the 'change' Barack and Joe plan to take us to? More corporate socialism while the people live under a ruthless capitalist system? We're preyed upon but corporations get special protection?

Who knew that corporations constituted a special class of people?

I kind of thought, with all their money and not being actual living human beings, they took the backseat to we the people. But what do I know? I'm not in Congress.

Barack danced the dance his corporate donors commanded. Big surprise. If elected, he would do the same every day for four years.

That's why I am supporting Ralph Nader.

There is no Democrat at the top of the ticket. Only another War Hawk whose loyalties are to corporations.

Might I also add that Democratic 'leaders' are idiots?

The only reason Barack finally saw a bounce in the polls was this problem. It was to the Democratic ticket's benefit to postpone passage of a law. That would have kept the anger on and driven people to the voting booths on election day.

But 'leaders' aren't very smart and the bulk of them, like Barack, are bought and paid for by corporations.

With the crisis 'resolved' (that's how it will be played by the press), look for Barack to fall back down in the polls and, at some point, Pelosi will smack her forehead -- in her best "I could have had a V8!" fashion -- and grasp that she took an issue that could have driven the election and set it aside.

Things are not going to get better. Yes, that is a prediction but it's based on awareness.

You need to think about what time of year it is.

Reading various stories not on the bailout recently, economic stories (some of which C.I. sent me, thank you, C.I.), it really drove home how much trouble the economy is in. Take for example an article I read (Monday, I think) in The New York Times about the music industry. The last quarter needs to have huge sales in order to make up for a lackluster year. It is true that, regardless of sales in any year, the music industry sells recorded product best as people begin buying their holiday presents.

There will be no great sales in music this last quarter (my prediction) because most people do not have the money.

So the music industry will post a lousy quarter that reflects a lousy year.

And that should have you thinking about the way sales are flat across the board. With the economy tanking, holiday presents will not be bought in their usual numbers. And last year saw a big drop off in spending for the holidays.

So this crisis is not over, the economy is actually worse than most are admitting. The final quater (due to a number of holidays) regularly offers all industries the chance to make up for a sluggish year. But this year, there is just not money in the consumer sector to assist with that last minute push.

We will get the usual propaganda of "Christmas buying off the charts!" They run those stories every year. A few weeks after the retail season is over, we tend to get more honest assessments. Those original stories are nothing but sales pitches where the corporate press attempts to make you think everyone else is buying so why aren't you? Don't you love your family? Don't you want to give presents? Are you a Scrooge?

This year spending is going to be way down and the brief drop in oil prices (at a time when we also have less need for air conditioning) will quickly be wiped away as home heating costs dig into our pockets (as it does every year at this time).

I kept listening to radio programs and reading newspapers all this past week in search of one person who would make that point. No one did.

And they're the economists.

Under the Bully Boy, we've had several years where, if it weren't for the last quarter profits, the economy would have been much worse. Now we're going to be heading into the holiday buying season with Americans nervous (with good reason) about the economy and with few having disposable cash. (A second relief check from Congress at the start of December could avert what I'm talking about. I'm not advocating for that -- though I wouldn't refuse to cash such a check -- I'm just saying.)

Then there was the other issue (personal) last week. Mid-week, our third oldest daughter (or second youngest) phoned. She'd been let go. Her company let go twenty employees because they're nervous about the economy and about making the payroll. My youngest son (Mike) moved out recently so we have his room and we suggested she immediately move back in. That allowed her to pay for breaking her lease but not be stuck with even more housing bills. She's paying down on a car, she needs to watch her money. (Should she not be able to find a job -- wouldn't surprise me in this market -- her unemployment check should make the car payment. And we're certainly not going to charge her rent. We wouldn't do that in a good ecoonomy.)

Back in April, she had an evaluation that was glowing and she received the maximum raise. Now she's been laid off. It has nothing to do with her and I explained that over and over as did my husband but she can't be blamed for thinking it must be her fault.

It's not but that is what goes through your head.

I think we'll be seeing more layoffs and I think that will also impact spending. You will have those who cannot spend due to layoffs and those who will cutback on spending due to fear of layoss. The last quarter is going to be a very bad one for retail and for companies who sell anything other than fuel most likely.

We imposed a rule, my husband and I. We do not need gifts. If our children can afford gifts, our rule is that they buy for those brothers and sisters who are not working, not us. I'm going to be so guilt ridden on Christmas morning, it's not going to cheer me up to unwrap presents. I will be cheered to see my daughter (or my two children in college) opening gifts.

Guilt ridden? I cannot help taking this economy personally. I dropped other topics some time ago to focus on this and we know from your stories that the situation was so much worse than what the press was portraying. I can't help but think I should have hit even harder on the economy. And done so much sooner.

I open the e-mails now and am always nervous afraid that a reader just lost a job or their spouse did. Afraid that a house payment is so much and they're about to go into foreclosure.

My husband and I paid off our house long ago. We did save for a rainy day so -- unless the banks collapse -- we should be able to weather a brief bad spell. (I do worry it won't be brief.) But there are so many families and individuals who can't. I was reading an e-mail from a reader whose best friend just left.

He lost his job. She offered for him to move in with her family but he didn't want to be a burden and he has no family. (He's not married but I mean his parents are dead and he's got no one.) She has no idea where he is. He lost his job, he doesn't live in his apartment and no one knows where he is.

And I really feel for those who are alone because that must make it even more frightening. I'm one of eight children and I gave birth to eight children. I have no idea what it's like to be alone. I have to picture it. Visualize it. And I imagine it must be very, very scary. I also think about young women who have been the victims of physical abuse and/or incest in their families and how, if they lose their jobs, where do they go?

We have been a society living from pay-check to pay-check for so long that we think it is normal and we think the destroyed social net is normal. We may very well be on the verge of grasping why the New Deal was so very necessary all those years ago.

I'm not trying to depress anyone. And maybe you have a large, loving family like I do and you can find some happiness during this bad period in that? If so, great.

I was talking to C.I. about that and she said, "Trina, you know that you or anyone in your family can come live out here." And I do know that and we're all very lucky if we have friends we can count on.

But I keep thinking about that young man who just up and disappeared. I have to wonder what will become of him? And others like that. And it's not just young women who were the victims of incest and physical abuse. There are a large number of people -- living pay check to pay check -- who, if the rug is pulled out from under them, have no where to go.

We will know the economy is completely in the toilet when the press begins telling those stories.


Betty's "Robin Morgan, kiss my Black ass." is the something thing I want to talk about. (The period in Betty's title is intended.) I was making coffee and going around the kitchen trying to wake up when the phone rang and it was Betty. She was about to post that and wanted to read it to me because C.I. listened and offered some input. But Betty was surprised (and worried) because the input didn't include trying to alter what she was saying. (C.I.'s input was along the lines of, "If you're making that point, you should reference . . .") Betty was worried about it. So I said, "Coffee's done, let me pour a cup, I'll sit down at the table and you'll have my full attention."

Then she read it and it's wonderful. C.I.'s not going to have a problem with it and if Betty and C.I. weren't so close, Betty wouldn't have worried. C.I. never cares if we disagree or take a point C.I.'s made futher or whatever. Yes, C.I. likes Robin Morgan but C.I. also likes Betty. Betty's opinions are as valid as Robin Morgan's and her response is to Morgan's nonsense is needed.

So first I told her how great I thought her writing was and then I went over that. Since Betty and I are on the one week posters, I thought I'd note it here.

And C.I. is not upset (as Betty worried). Please. Betty wrote honestly and shared her thoughts, C.I. will have no problem with that. I'll prove it: Robin Morgan's an idiot.

That's my opinion of her and has been since she wrote that Ms. cover story in the 90s that fell apart. Robin Morgan saw sexual victimization everywhere but one place she saw it, that she chose to emphasize? Not reality. It was a trend story and she looked like the biggest fool in the feminist movement as a result. So sorry, Morgan, I'll never take you seriously as a result. I know C.I. likes her but C.I. knows (and understands) my opinion and it's never been a problem when I've expressed it privately and it won't be a problem that I've expressed it publicly. There are some online sites that have group-think. For this community, we're just on the left. C.I. created the community and she has always been the first to say that it's okay to disagree. She's encouraged it anytime any of us have disagreed, encouraged us not to worry about it and that disagreements and differences of opinions can be healthy (which they can) and we can all learn from them. So I can (and will) say Robin Morgan is a joke in my book and it is not going to upset C.I. or lead to a phone call or e-mail. The community agrees on principles, it doesn't have to agree on individuals.

Due to the fact that C.I. gets blamed for everything, we all try to note it when we're disagreeing. That's been a constant in the online world since 2005. It's because C.I. and The Common Ills are the most widely known online. But Rebecca writes something and there's FAIR rushing to e-mail C.I. to complain. It's not really C.I.'s business (as she would be the first to admit) what Rebecca writes at her site. But there's FAIR whining in an e-mail to C.I. about how mean Rebecca is. It's nonsense.

And more recently we all saw the attack on C.I. My father didn't get that. Not just the attack period but why it was i.d.ed with C.I. C.I. never wrote that crazy woman. Dona, Jess and Jim are part of The Third Estate Sunday Review. But putting Third in the title wouldn't get the LYING COWARD any 'hits' so she uses C.I.'s name to try to build one for herself.

Or The Nation is peaved with Third so they e-mail C.I. about what is at Third's site.

No matter what any of us do or say (and this isn't a gripe at C.I.), online, anyone with a beef always turns it into "The Common Ills."

Equally true is that C.I. tells it like it is. C.I. does it in a nicer manner than the rest of us. But C.I. tells it like it is and that really ticks off a number people.

They are always lying in wait for anything any of us write that they can grab and run with. Not to attack us because we're not 'important' enough. (I would've thought Rebecca's sizeable audience would have qualified her as important enough. Third and my son Mike also have big audiences. Not as big as The Common Ills but that's a huge number of readers.) My father saw an attack on something I'd written last fall and said that they referred me to as "a Common Ills blogger." (I didn't read it. Attack at will, I honestly do not give a damn.)

I was reminded of that when Riverdaughter was specifically attacked by a woman who seeks male approval so desperately that, while claiming to be a feminist, she hopes and prays that no woman ever notices that not only can she not stop praising Bob Somerby, she never praises a woman.

I was tempted to write Riverdaughter (who I don't know) and tell her, "She attacked you because you have importance." That's what it really comes down. And I would not be at all surprised if the attack wasn't egged on. That's what happened with the most recent attack on C.I. A little bitty baby got his little feelings hurt and he's a Barack supporter so he egged on the attack. He seemed to think C.I. wouldn't know about it but C.I. knew about it within four days of finding out about the attack. If there's information to be found, C.I. will get ahold of it.

So Anglachel, or whatever the pompous blowhard's name is, attacked Riverdaughter, all the posters at Riverdaughter's site and PUMA as racists. Uh, Anglachel, some of your writing on affirmative-action struck me as borderline racist and that's why I marked you off my reading list.

Riverdaughter and her friends at The Confluence are not racists. It's a baseless charge and it's made to silence. You really shouldn't even try to defend yourself from it. If you've got to note it, say you aren't and move on. But what they're really hoping (as with attempting to attack C.I. for being against the illegal war) is that they can distract you. If you're focusing on the charge (denying it), you're not writing about what has them so ticked off.

Anglachel is a pompous blowhard who can't take a stand. She also really needs the 'linky goodness' from males.

Hey, Anglachel, I understand that. I don't agree, but I do understand it. I've gotten several e-mails about a list online of 500+ female bloggers. People keep writing that they've tried to have me added but their comments don't even make it out of moderation.

So I know what assholes are online, Anglachel. And I certainly know that women are the first ignored.

But that's no excuse for your yelling "racism" falsely. And that's what it looks like, that to get in good with the men, she decided to attack Riverdaughter. Riverdaughter and the others at that site are not racists. They are people outraged over the undemocratic nature of this year's selection, over the homophobia and sexism, over the lack of standards (Barack can cave on anything and not be called out or held accountable). They are writing from the heart as they attempt to make sense of the world around them. And that's why they are a threat and people like Anglachel attempt to silence and discredit them.

The only one who has anything to be ashamed of is priss-pot Anglachel.

I mentioned the following:

Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,

And I also need to note Elaine's "Thoughs on Robin Morgan" on the same theme Betty's written about. And let me just steal from C.I. Friday morning and include this:

On the debate last night, Kat weighed in with "My focus group scores Palin the winner," Marcia with "My grandparents say Palin won (I agree)," Mike with "Why I think Palin won the debate" and Cedric's "Biden gets a big topic wrong" and Wally's "THIS JUST IN! PRECONDITIONS THROWS JOE!" (joint-post). Rebecca focused on the independent presidential candidate last night with ''ralph nader, the lenny bruce of politics" while Ruth focused on the latest nonsense from Naomi Wolf, "Naomi Wolf needs to get medical help."

This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot" for Friday:

Friday, October 3, 2008. Chaos and violence continue, the US military announces another death, Rosa Clement (Green Party) and Matt Gonzalez (independent) take part in a vice presidential debate this morning, Sarah Palin (Republican) and Joe Biden (Democrat) took part in a vice presidential debate last night, what got signed in Iraq today?, and more.

Megan Feldman (Dallas Observer) notes the suicides of war veterans Andrew Valez, Ted Westhusing, Nils Aron Andersson, Jeff Lucey, Derek Henderson and Chad Barrett and explains:

A series of recent reports reveals that record numbers of active-duty troops are committing suicide, raising concerns about the military's ability to adequately screen, diagnose and treat soldiers with mental health problems.
An Army report released in May showed that at least 115 soldiers killed themselves in 2007, the highest rate since the Army began keeping records in 1980. One of the officials to present the study cited extended and multiple deployments, frequent exposure to "horrifying" experiences and easy access to loaded weapons.
This year's suicide tally among active-duty troops -- 62 confirmed and 31 other deaths still under investigation -- is on pace t surpass last year's and push the rate of suicides per 100,000 service members above that of the civilian population for the first time ever, Army officials announced in early September.
The reports follow the controversy that enveloped the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs earlier this year when the agency was caught deliberately hiding high suicide rates among veterans. An e-mail to colleagues from Ira Katz, the VA's head of mental health, began "Shh!" and estimated the unreleased number of suicide attempts at 1,000 per month. "Is this something we should (carefully) address ourselves in some sort of release before someone stumbles on it?" he wrote. That was after the agency told CBS there were just 790 suicide attempts in all of 2007. After a three-month investigation, the network reported "a hidden epidemic" of suicides among veterans, especially the youngest ones who had served most recently.

In November of last year, CBS News aired a story entitled 'Suicide Epidemic Among Veterans.' On April 21, 2008, CBS News aired a story 'VA Hid Suicide Risk, Internal E-mails Show.' The reports (Armen Keteyian reported and Pia Malbran was the producer of the reports) were noted in an May 6th hearing of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee entitled "The Truth About Veterans' Suicides." The chair of the committee is US House Rep Bob Filner who pointed to these reports in his opening states and reminded Dr. Ira Katz (one of the witnesses appearing before the hearing) that not only had CBS News reported on this after being misled by the VA in November, but that Katz had told Congress in December 2007 that "from the beginning of the war through the end of 2005 there were 144 known suicides among these new veterans." Katz' e-mail that Feldman refers to in her report was replied to by Ev Chasen (VA's chief communication director) who declared, "I think this is something we should discuss ourselves, before issuing a release. Is the fact that we're stopping them good news, or is the sheer number bad news? And is this more than we've ever seen before? It might be something we drop into a general release about suicide prevention efforts, which (as you know far better than I) prominently include training employees to recognize the warning signs of suicide."

In July, the VA was stated that their suicide hotiline had received calls from more than 22,000 veterans (the number is 1-800-873-TALK). And, apparently keeping Ev Chasen's words in mind ("Is the fact that we're stopping them good news, or is the sheer number bad news?") declared that their work had prevented 1,221 suicides.

The May 6th hearing would include testimony from Dr. Roger Maris (University of South Carolina) where he would note that "the vast majority of VA facilities, in fact, do not have suicide coordinators." Monday Mike Mount (CNN) reported, "The U.S. Army is establishing a suicide prevention board to examine the mental health of its recruiters around the country after the fourth suicide in three years by Houston, Texas-based recruiters, according to Army officials. The board will look at how to handle the high-stress climate facing recruiters who may be both under pressure from their job and victims of post-combat deployment stress, according to Douglas Smith, a spokesman from the U.S. Army Recruiting command." CNN refers to a recent suicide in the article and states they've chosen not to name the victim. AP reports there were two recent ones (Staff Sgt. Larry G. Flores Jr in August and Sgt 1st Class Patrick G. Henderson in September) "from the same Houston-based battalion" for a total of five from that battalion. Linsay Wise (Houston Chronicle) quotes Texas Tech's psychology chair David Rudd stating, "Clearly, there's a problem. Somebody needs to look and see if there's a broader national problem outside of this one battalion. Is it a problem placing these combat veterans in recruiting positions?" Wise also notes that US Senator John Cornyn has asked the Secretary of the Army "for a briefing on the ongoing investigation and on the policy of returning soldiers from combat and reassigning them to a recruiting office."

Today Kathlyn Stone (Twin Cities Daily Planet) reports on the work of Penny Coleman who runs PTSD workshops (and states, "It's not a disorder, it's an injury") including one in August at the Veterans For Peace conference and notes, "The VA is in denial about PTSD contributing to the high suicide rate of combat veterans, she says, adding that official counts aren't accurate. Speaking of Vietnam vets, Coleman said, 'There are more suicides than names on the [Vietnam Memorial] wall.' Veterans For Peace members agree that the United States must be better prepared to provide not only care for physical wounds but also better mental health support for soldiers now serving or just returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Coleman cited figures released by CBS News documenting over 6,256 military suicides in 2005." At the start of the week John C. Bersia (McClatchy-Tribune) observed, "Most Americans are familiar with the official Iraq toll -- as of last week, 4,169 U.S. dead, along with a several hundred from allied nations. Missing from that list, though, are Americans who fulfilled their duties and returned home unable to cope with the complexities of life after Iraq, often compounded by post-traumatic stress disorder. One such person died last week; his name was Dominic D.H. Pritchard, a resident of Ovideo, Fla. He was a U.S. Marine, a student, a citizen-soldier who volunteered with the Florida Army National Guard because of his desire to serve his community in times of clamity, and an emerging writer with a particular passion for history, military affairs and art."

Meanwhile retired Army Col and retired US State Dept Ann Wright pens a column for The Fayetteville Observer:

As a former army officer who once served proudly at Fort Bragg, I'll be returning here Wednesday. I'm going to join in a commemoration of the deaths of three military women, and the suffering of the many other victims of military-related domestic violence and sexual assault.
The commemoration will start with a vigil at the Yadkin Road gate of Fort Bragg at 11 a.m. The vigil will be followed by a luncheon-discussion at 12:30 p.m. at the Quaker House and conclude with a wreath-laying at the grave of another victim of military spousal homicide.
We invite the military and civilian communities of Fayetteville and Jacksonville to join us.
We'll be especially mindful of the three women soldiers who were murdered in this area in the first six months of this year, allegedly by male GIs: Army Spc. Megan Touma, who was seven months pregnant; Fort Bragg nurse 2nd Lt. Holley Wimunc; and Marine Lance Corp. Maria Lauterbach, who had been raped and also was pregnant.

And AP is reporting that arrrests have been made in the death of Sgt Christina E. Smith ("the third off-post killing of a Fort Bragg servicewoman in four months") -- her husband, Sgt. Richard Smith, is "charged with first-degree and conspiracy to commit murder" and "Pfc. Matthew Kvapil, 18, faces the same charges, and [Theresa] Chance [spokesperson for Fayetteville police] said he was hired by Smith to kill the wife as the couple walked together Tuesday evening."

In Iraq today . . . confusion. Corinne Reilly (McClatchy Newspapers) reports that the presidency council "has agreed to approve a long-delayed law that will allow most of the country to hold provincial elections early next year, officials said Friday." However, China's Xinhua reports that the "presidential council had not approved the provincial election law passed by the parliament, local media reported Friday." Al Jazeera does not say that they have agreed to pass it, Al Jaezeera states that it is passed. AP also states it has passed and, in fact, signed into law by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani: "Firyad Rawndouzi, a Kurdish lawmaker, told The Associated Press that the three-member panel led by President Jalal Talabani had signed the law Friday and asked the parliament 'to solve the minorities problem'." Article 50 issue was never addressed. It is the one that has been called out by everyone from Iraqi Christians to Moqtada al-Sadr and puts minority representation at risk. Nouri al-Maliki did express some public statements and there is said to have been concern on the part of the presidency council. But if it's signed, it's the law. The Parliament can try to fix it but the law is what was signed by Talabani.

Erica Goode and Mohammed Hussein (New York Times) report on Samarra and among the details provided by the reporters is that the reconstruction of Askairya Shrine (after the 2007 bombing) is not only expensive (expected to cost $8 million), the reconstruction is being done "without blueprints." Samara, like everywhere in Iraq, suffers from the same problems: "few jobs available, that the water is not potable, that the electricity is intermittent at best, that they have not received their pensions and that there are shortages of medicine." At Baghdad Bureau Blog (the paper's blog) Mohammed Hussein has written of the journey taken to report that story and notes, "The Awakening and National Police and Iraqi army all manned different checkpoints. It took one and a half hours to drive only 70 miles. There was some risk along the whole journey, but during the 90-minute drive I was really worried for only five minutes, near Meshahda. Five minutes can be a big deal." Hussein shares impressions of all the areas they traveled through, by the way.

Wednesday, the US 'handed over' the "Awakening" Councils to the puppet government in Baghdad. Scott Peterson (Christian Science Monitor) reports today: "Fresh concern is washing over Iraq of a new wave of insurgent violence as the bands of mainly Sunni Muslim Iraqis, trained, armed and paid by the US military to fight Al Qaeda in Iraq are now coming under the control of a skeptical Shiite-led government. While the group called the Sons of Iraq (SOI) has been critically imporant in improving security, the US military and many leaders within the SOI worry that their foot soldiers -- many of them ex-insurgents -- will simply return to their old ways if they are not paid or brought into Iraq's official security forces." The Charleston Post and Courier editorializes on the same topic, expresses similar concerns and notes: "Doubts about the ability of the two sides to quickly develop a satisfactory relationship is a major reason why the Pentagon on Wednesday announced plans for sending additional forces to Iraq next year. The reinforcements, if needed, would maintain U.S. troop strength in Iraq at the present level of about 152,000 through 2009." Meanwhile UPI reports on the female branch of "Awakening" (also called Daughters of Iraq) and states that "is taking on a new role under U.S. financing as part of the counterinsurgency strategy there, officials said." They are paid 20% less than males and that wage discrimination was put in place by the White House. On the issue of counter-insurgency, Karen DeYoung and Walter Pincus (Washington Post) report on the US Defense Department's latest contracts ("up to $300 million") which will "produce news stories, entertainment programs and public service advertisements" in Iraq aimed at Iraqis in a program called "information/psychological operations" that is part of the counter-insurgency strategies. The US has a lengthy history of attempting to use the media within Iraq to propagandize to the Iraqi people. For an earlier effort, you can refer to Borzou Daragahi and Mark Mazzetti (Los Angeles Times) explaining the process in 2005 which noted the US military penned articles and that many were then "presented in the Iraqi press as unbiased news accounts written and reported by independent journalists. The stories trumpet the work of U.S. and Iraqi troops, denounced insurgents and tout U.S.-led efforts to rebuild the country."

It's Friday so little violence gets reported but some of today's violence includes:.

Bombings?

Reuters notes a Sulaiman Pek roadside bombing which resulted in two people being injured.

Shootings?

Mohammed Al Dulaimy (McClatchy Newspapers) reports 1 corpse discovered in Baghdad.

Today the US military announced: "A Multi-National Division -- Center Soldier was killed when an improvised explosive device exploded near his vehicle south of Amarah Oct. 2." That is the first announced death for the month and brings the number of US service members killed in Iraq to 4177 since the start of the illegal war.


On Democracy Now! today, a vice presidential debate took place between Matt Gonzales (Ralph Nader's running mate) and Rosa Clemente (Cynthia McKinney's running mate). During their debate, they were shown clips of GOP v.p. nominee Governor Sarah Palin and Democratic v.p. nominee Joe Biden weighing in on various topics from last night's debate.
From the transcript (and remember, it is watch, listen or read at DN!):

JUAN GONZALEZ: Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Biden, talking about the war in last night's debate. Rosa Clemente, Green Party vice-presidential nominee, what's your viewpoint on the war?

ROSA CLEMENTE: Well, the Green Party's viewpoint -- and Cynthia has been very clear, and the party has been very clear -- an immediate end to the war, an immediate withdrawal of troops in Iraq, but also in Afghanistan. And, you know, one thing Cynthia agrees with a former colleague of hers, Dennis Kucinich, is that we now have to talk about creating departments of peace. And we have to also talk about withdrawing troops wherever they reside in other people's homelands. I always found it interesting -- or, you know, the fact that we, as the United States government, and we, as the people in this country, allow our military to be placed in other people's homelands. And being from Puerto Rico, I'm very clear on why the military does what it does. But we would never allow another country to have a military base there. And that might be a little simplistic kind of thing to throw out there, but I also think it speaks to the way we want to move forward in the future. And I don't think that either party is planning on ending the war. I think that the Democrats are more about transferring troops to Afghanistan and potentially preparing for a war in Pakistan. And even yesterday, Joe Biden talked about the possibility of putting troops in in Darfur. And I think that's something that we have to say immediately is unacceptable and that the majority of young people in this country have been clear for the last five years that we want an end to the war right now.

AMY GOODMAN: Independent vice-presidential candidate Matt Gonzalez?

MATT GONZALEZ: Well, I certainly -- and Ralph Nader supports getting our troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan immediately. I think the problem with a lot of the rhetoric that we're hearing is that if you concede that the surge is working, which we do not concede--but the moment you do that, you are going to run into a problem with the so-called timetable. Are the Democrats going to stick to a timetable if, as they start to draw down troops, there's increased sectarian violence? And I think the answer to that is really unclear, and probably no. I think the only way that we can successfully get out of this country is if, at the outset, we make it clear we're going to -- we're going to work quickly to get our troops out of the region, that we're part of the reason why the region remains unstable.

And we'll also note this section of the debate:

AMY GOODMAN: Matt Gonzalez, I know you have to leave, so I'm going to give you the first stab at this, as you catch a plane. And also, a correction: in 2004, yes, Ralph Nader was an Independent candidate, as well. He was, 2000, the Green Party candidate. Your comment on same-sex marriage?

MATT GONZALEZ: Well, obviously, Nader and I support marriage rights for all. I think it's insulting to hear these candidates want it both ways. They're essentially trying to appeal to both conservative voters who are opposed to gay marriage and somehow also appeal to progressive voters who want to see equality. You know, I think Ralph Nader, you know, when you step back and look at his history, he is somebody who is an enormously important voice against the growing corporate greed in this society and what concentrated capital does when it's left alone. And I think he's not somebody who has decided to fight against the two parties. You know, he has, his entire life, been fighting against these parties -- it's not a recent conversion -- on a host of issues. And I think he should have been in this debate. I think he has a legislative record that's stronger than the candidates that we saw in that debate. I mean, Joe Biden should have been asked about his support of credit card companies in Delaware, of the federal sentencing guidelines that he helped pass in the 1980s that, you know, has disproportionately hurt people of color. These were things that were absent. And I think if Rosa and I had been in that debate, it would have been a better debate.

AMY GOODMAN: And, Rosa Clemente, your perspective on gay marriage?

ROSA CLEMENTE: I mean, full 100 percent equal rights for everybody. I also take it a step further for it being about human rights. LGBT people are human beings, and they have a right, like anyone else, to get married, to get divorced, to not get married. But if I could just quickly just say, yes, Cynthia did leave the Democratic Party after twelve years, but while she was in there, it was Cynthia McKinney that had a hearing on the issue of political prisoners, the first-ever congressional hearing on that. It was Cynthia that pushed the envelope about what happened on 9/11. It was Cynthia that wrote the articles of impeachment. And I think that speaks highly to someone who will leave a party, finally, based on principles and values and then pick someone that truly represents what the majority of this country is going to look like. I think if me and Matt were on there, and if Cynthia, Bob Barr, [Chuck] Baldwin, Ron Paul and Ralph Nader were allowed to debate, the presidency on November 4th would look radically different and would represent the majority of American people.

Green Party presidential nominee Cynthia McKinney took the "super pledge" Thursday:
I, Cynthia McKinney, pledge to use my candidacy, whenever feasible, to advance the preservation of democracy. I will officially challenge the results of the election as provided by law if the combination of election conditions, incident reports and announced election results calls into question the reliability of the official vote count. I will wait until all valid votes are counted and all serious challenges resolved before declaring victory or conceding defeat. I will involve my campaign volunteers in actions to enhance the accuracy and verifiability of the election in which I am a candidate. I will speak out publicly during the pre-election period about the importance of fair, accurate and transparent elections and about this pledge. I will designate a liaison between my campaign and "Standing For Voters" so that "Standing For Voters" can alert me to any red flags they are aware of regarding my election.

Meanwhile independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader weighs in on the economic bailout. Click here for his post before the House voted today (it passed) and here were his thoughts prior to vote:

People often ask me -- what forces shaped you, Ralph? I reply simply: "A lucky choice of parents." Among other things, my parents passed down many traditions. Traditions that were handed down from generations before them. Traditions that served as a counterweight to the addictions. And fads. And technologies.

Of modern life. Traditions such as: The tradition of listening. The tradition of scarcity. The tradition of discipline. And the tradition of civics. A couple of years ago, I sat down at my manual Underwood typewriter and wrote a book titled The Seventeen Traditions (Harper Collins, 2007). It's about growing up in my hometown of Winsted, Connecticut (above is a picture of me standing next to my mother Rose). And it details the seventeen traditions of my youth. It's the only book that I've written that everybody loves. When you get a copy, you'll know why. Flipping through a copy of the book the other day, I asked myself -- If the majority in this Congress was governed by the traditions that we grew up with in the New England of my youth -- wouldn't they have acted to prevent Wall Street's "sustained orgy of excess and reckless behavior" -- as Richard Fisher, the president of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank put it last week?
Surely they wouldn't then turn around and reward that behavior with a $750 billion bailout? By now you know that McCain, Obama and Bush all support the bailout. And Nader/Gonzalez are opposed. And we again urge all members of the House to vote against the bailout today.

But no matter how the House votes today, Nader/Gonzalez will be barnstorming the country in October. Putting front and center our platform of shifting the power from the corporations back into the hands of the American people. We're on the ballot in 45 states and the District of Columbia. We've deployed a contingent to each state to coordinate our get out the vote drive. And we're raising money to drive the campaign home to election day. But we need to raise $1,000,000 in October to get it done. Our first October goal is to raise $250,000 by October 12. Yes, that's a heavy lift. But it's been heavy before, and you've come through every time. So, here's the idea:If you donate $17, or $170, or $10, or $50 -- whatever you can afford to donate -- by midnight tonight, we'll e-mail to you tomorrow a signed one pager listing the 17 traditions.

You can share it with your friends and family.Or just stick it in your drawer for posterity's sake.If you donate $100 now, we will send you a copy of the 150-page hard cover edition of The Seventeen Traditions -- my favorite book. And I'll autograph it.In my humble opinion, this book makes a wonderful present -- for the upcoming holidays, as a wedding present, birthday present, Mother's Day present, or for a baby shower. (This Seventeen Traditions book offer expires on October 12, 2008 at 11:59 p.m.)So, stock up now.The more the merrier. The proceeds will power our campaign during this momentous October.Thank you again for your generous support.Together, we are making a difference.
Onward to November

Thursday night, Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Joe Biden debated. The John McCain - Sarah Palin campaign issued this statement regarding the debate:

Statement From Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker
ARLINGTON, VA -- McCain-Palin 2008 Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker issued the following statement on tonight's Vice Presidential Debate: "Tonight, Governor Palin proved beyond any doubt that she is ready to lead as Vice President of the United States. She won this debate, putting Joe Biden on defense on energy, foreign policy, taxes and the definition of change. Governor Palin laid bare Barack Obama's record of voting to raise taxes, opposing the surge in Iraq, and proposing to meet unconditionally with the leaders of state sponsors of terror. The differences between the Obama-Biden ticket and the McCain-Palin ticket could not have been clearer. The American people saw stark contrasts in style and worldview. They saw Joe Biden, a Washington insider and a 36-year Senator, and Governor Palin, a Washington outsider and a maverick reformer. Governor Palin was direct, forceful and a breath of fresh air."

The McCain - Palin campaign also quotes Geraldine Ferraro, the first women to make the ticket of one of the country's two major parties (1984, the Democratic ticket of Mondale - Ferraro). Ferraro stated on NBC: "I really wanted her to get up there and do a good job, and I think she did. . . . I think it was a good evening for -- certainly for Governor Palin. . . . . I think she showed she is certainly capable of going toe to toe with a man who is more than qualified to be vice president, if not president of the United States."

Quickly, TV notes, NOW on PBS offers a look at New Mexico which is seen as a battleground state in the 2008 election and speak to various voting groups as well as to Governor Bill Richardson. Washington Week finds Gwen sitting around the table with four journalists including the AP's Charles Babington. (And for others, 'journalists' is being generous.) In a book note, independent journalist David Bacon's latest book is Illegal People -- How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants (Beacon Press) which came out last month. The Oakland Institute notes: "Since NAFTA's passage in 1993, the U.S. Congress has debated and passed several new trade agreements - with Peru, Jordan, Chile, and the Central American Free Trade Agreement. At the same time it has debated immigration policy as though those trade agreements bore no relationship to the waves of displaced people migrating to the U.S., looking for work. Meanwhile, a rising tide of anti-immigrant hysteria has increasingly demonized those migrants, leading to measures that deny them jobs, rights, or any pretense of equality with people living in the communities around them. To resolve any of these dilemmas, from adopting rational and humane immigration policies to reducing the fear and hostility towards migrants, Uprooted: The Impact of Free Market on Migrants, a new Backgrounder from the Oakland Institute, suggests the starting point has be an examination of the way U.S. policies have both produced migration and criminalized migrants."

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