AT&T whistleblower: I was forced to connect 'big brother machine'
11/07/2007 @ 9:17 pm | Filed by David Edwards and Jason Rhyne

A former technician at AT&T, who alleges that the telecom forwards virtually all of its internet traffic into a "secret room" to facilitate government spying, says the whole operation reminds him of something out of Orwell's 1984.

Appearing on MSNBC's Countdown program, whistleblower Mark Klein told Keith Olbermann that a copy of all internet traffic passing over AT&T lines was copied into a locked room at the company's San Francisco office -- to which only employees with National Security Agency clearance had access -- via a cable splitting device.

"My job was to connect circuits into the splitter device which was hard-wired to the secret room," said Klein. "And effectively, the splitter copied the entire data stream of those internet cables into the secret room -- and we're talking about phone conversations, email web browsing, everything that goes across the internet."

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5252
Sent in from a reader, as purportedly published in the Charlotte Observer...
To The Editor:

The Senate Judiciary Committee has been unable to extract a yes or no answer from Mr. Mukasey, Bush's candidate for attorney general, about whether waterboarding does or doesn't constitute a form of torture. Why not do what the C.I.A. would do to get him to answer the question and that is, waterboard Mr. Mukasey himself so he could find out about it firsthand? Wouldn't that speed things up?

Yours truly,
Bernie Hargadon

From Garry Shay...

Dear Readers:

Feinstein and Schumer say Mukasey is the best we can get. That may be true. And I will concede there may be times when that kind of logic is correct.

This is not one of them.

The entire world, yea verily, even the Bush Administration, agrees torture is wrong.

This has devolved into an issue of semantics as to what constitutes torture in an attempt to obfuscate reality.

I believe water boarding is torture. Torture is not limited to "organ failure" or whatever it is the Bush Administration defines it as this week.

You only need to think of the Chinese Water Torture to be aware of that. The steady drip of water on the forehead will not induce organ failure, nor anything they define as torture. Yet, I think all agree it is in fact torture.

DiFi:

The attorney general nominee's answers on torture are clear, and he will rise to the challenges of the job.

I'm going to focus on the sanctioned torture by this administration and our alleged Representatives and leave aside the other "qualifications" Mr. Mukasey is alleged to have in spades, if I get time later this week I'll get into his so-called national security qualifications. I've got a few videos for you Dianne

.

But first I think you should read the following because it calls into question his veracity and sincerity in his answers to the Judicial Committee in regard to how he'll run the Dept. of Justice ...

Yea, sure, his answers are clear in that he thinks the Fourth Amendment is merely precatory (advisory)

US Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey has written a very lawyerly letter to the Senate Judiciary committee. The letter fails to use the word “waterboarding” although the acceptance of a cast-iron prohibition on “torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment” might fairly be seen to cover banning it. The letter might be enough to peel off a few votes on the torture issue.

If you read the letter with any care, however, you will see that it very carefully refuses to say that — even in the face of the FISA legislation occupying the field

Here's the recording of Colonel Ann Wright's address at Time-Tested Books on Oct. 17th.

AWright10-17-07.mp3 link here. (1:29:27)

AWright10-17-07.ra link here. (1:29:27)

Thursday, Oct 18, 2007

9-10:30am: CSU Sacramento, Hinde Auditorium, University Union. 6000 J St., Sacramento. Sponsored by Center for Practical and Professional Ethics, FMI: 916-278-4162, cppe@csus.edu

12:30-1:50pm: Sierra College, Room W110, Sierra College, 500 Rocklin Rd, Rocklin.
Time: Thursday, October 18, 2007 - 10:00am PST

Here's the Mp3 of Colonel Ann Wright's address to Sacramento City College from 12-1pm on 10/16/07.

AWright10-16-07.mp3 link here. (55:30)

AWright10-16-07.ra link here. (55:30)

Tell Congress to Support Workplace Equality for All!

Call your Representative TODAY at (202) 224-3121 and ask him/her to “support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), H.R. 2015, as originally introduced, a fully inclusive bill that provides workplace protections to gay, lesbian, bisexual, AND transgender individuals.”

Last week, House leaders attempted to weaken the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) by stripping it of vital protections for transgender workers, which also protect gay and lesbian workers. After lots of hard work, we were able to convince the House leadership to put off consideration of the bill so that the grassroots has an opportunity to speak up and let their representatives know loud and clear that ENDA should protect the entire gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community from unequal treatment in the workplace.

Congress must not cut out anyone, including transgender Americans from workplace protections. Despite advances in protecting transgender workers on the state and local levels, as well as in the private sector, it remains perfectly legal in 39 states to fire someone solely based on his or her gender identity.

Including explicit protections against discrimination based on gender identity not only helps transgender workers, it also strengthens ENDA for the rest of our community by ensuring that an employer cannot fire or refuse to hire a gay employee for an “effeminate” walk or a lesbian employee for dressing “too butch.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Thursday, October 11, 2007
Contact: Rebecca Sandoval 916/505-8947 Rev. Ashiya Odeye 916/267-4199

West Sacramento gang injunction lawyers release court documents, cite ‘railroading' of defendants if they are not allowed court-appointed counsel

WEST SACRAMENTO – Lawyers representing defendants in the controversial West Sacramento "gang injunction" case will hold a major news conference here Friday to release new court documents urging the court to allow appointed counsel for needy defendants.

The lawyers have called the NEWS CONFERENCE for FRIDAY (10/12/07) at 11 a.m. at the West Sacramento City Hall (1110 West Capitol Avenue).
Time: Friday, October 12, 2007 - 12:00pm PST

I got this picture from Amnesty International. We should all make a display like this in our front yards for Halloween.

40th Anniversary Celebration of
Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's speech to Sacramento State

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2007
UNIVERSITY UNION
10 AM - 9 PM
Event Schedule:
Time: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 - 11:00am PST

Thursday, Oct 18, 7 - 9pm,

Dissent: Voices of Conscience, Colonel Ann Wright resigned from the U.S. Foreign Service in March 2003 over several disagreements with the Bush administration including their decision to attack Iraq and curtailing of civil liberties. Wright's newly published book will be available at the talk.

San Joaquin Peace and Justice Center, 231 Bedford Rd., Stockton,
pjcsjc@sbcglobal.net, 209-467-4455
Time: Thursday, October 18, 2007 - 8:00pm PST

Wednesday, Oct 17, 7 - 9pm

Dissent: Voices of Conscience, Colonel Ann Wright resigned from the U.S. Foreign Service in March 2003 over several disagreements with the Bush Admin. including their decision to attack Iraq and their curtailing of civil liberties. Wright's newly published book will be available at the talk.

Time Tested Books, 1114 21st St, Sacramento.
916-448-7157; sypeaceact@jps.net
Time: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 - 8:00pm PST

Thursday, Oct 4, 8:30am, Mobilize Workers to Stop Police Attacks and the "War on Terror". ILWU Local 10 longshoremen were attacked by West Sacrmento police on the docks; a mass protest rally is planned at the court hearing, Yolo County Superior Court, 213 Third St., Woodland. Info: laborstopwar@gmail.com

Read more about this issue here: http://sacramentofordemocracy.org/?q=node/view/10450
Time: Thursday, October 4, 2007 - 9:30am PST

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Visits New York, while New Yorkers‘ Show him Undemocratic Intolerance and Censorship
by Andrew H. Dral

I find the rhetoric coming from New York concerning the visit from Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad very disturbing. Mayor Bloomberg forbids him to visit ground zero and give his condolences by laying a wreath. Representative Anthony D. Weiner, State Assemblyman Sheldon Silver, and Concilwoman Christine C. Quinn weigh-in to censor the president, doing their utmost to make sure he doesn’t speak at Columbia University. The newspapers vilianize him, one rag put a red circular not sign on Ahmadinejad‘s front page image. New Yorkers believe he’s connected to 9/11. The Israeli Likudniks are rabid in their indignation against him. Yes, Mr. Ahmadinejad offends, yes his views are controversial, so why not expose his fraudulent arguments and inconsistencies for public consumption, let the people decide from an open debate. Are the Israeli Likudniks afraid he might say some fact or truth that offends their nation of first loyalty?

Yes, indeed, they are afraid of the truth. Mr. Ahmadinejad put it eloquently, “it (Israel) is based on ethnic discrimination, occupation and usurpation and it consistently threatens its neighbors.“ There can be no denial or argument against his quote.

The fact is Iran had nothing to do with 9/11, neither did Iraq. Iran is not trying to expand its borders by attacking its neighbors or building settlements on its neighbors‘ land. Iran does not occupy any of its neighbors. Iran doesn’t have over 200 nuclear weapons. Iran hasn’t orchestrated atrocities like the Jenine refugee camp in the West Bank or Sabra and Shatila in Lebanon. Iran hasn’t built an Apartheid Wall to keep its neighbors out or stop Palestinian children from attending school or stop farmers from accessing their land or stop the locals from getting to medical care at hospitals or clinics. Iran doesn’t imprison its neighbors and torture them or practice collective punishment. Iran doesn’t flaunt international treaties on torture and the Geneva Conventions. Iran hasn’t snubbed its nose at the international community by breaking over 60 U.N. resolutions, particularly U.N. Resolution 242 to return to its pre-1967 borders. Iran hasn’t started an unprovoked war nor has it decimated the infrastructure of one of its neighbors.

The Matthew Shepard Act PASSED!

From The Human Rights Campaign...

I've been waiting for months to write this.

With your help, the U.S. Senate has just passed the Matthew Shepard Act!

I want to thank you, personally, for everything you've done to help make this moment possible. HRC supporters sent 350,000 emails, made 30,000 calls to Congress, and wrote over 5,000 letters to local papers. Your commitment was inspiring. And even Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) acknowledged the work of the Human Rights Campaign during debate on the Senate floor.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your incredible support.

But even as we celebrate this victory – we know we face a tough road ahead. The bill has to survive final negotiations between the House and Senate before it gets to President Bush. Even then, he has threatened to veto it.

As you know, pressure from the radical right will be fierce the whole way. Our support must be fierce as well – so we will continue to ask for your support over the coming weeks.

Join us at the hate crime hearing of Aleksandr Shevchenko, one of those responsible for the tragic killing of Satender Singh who was innocently picnicking with friends at Lake Natomas!

Show your concern by coming out Wednesday, September 26th 8:30 am at the Sacramento County Courthouse Department #4 located at 720 9th Street between G. and H. Streets!

Call for justice for Satendar and to oppose future hate crimes in our community.

Thank you for your support.
Ed Bennett
President
Sacramento Stonewall Democrats

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Come to the Court Hearing Wed., Sept. 26th 8:30 am!

Satender Singh Dies from Hate Attack!
by Andy Noguchi, Civil Rights Co-Chair, Florin J.A.C.L.

What could be more reasonable than wanting to have a picnic with your friends in a public park? This apparently simple outing turned tragic for 26 year old Satender Singh who was part of a group of 7 Fijian and South Asian Americans as a crowd of Russian immigrants started insulting them with anti-Asian and anti-Gay slurs (“7-11 workers, faggot, sodomites”, etc.) on July 1st at Lake Natomas. Though Singh’s group tried to avoid trouble, the other group called for reinforcements, attacked them, punching Singh who fell, hit his head, and drifted into a comma. Four days later he died.
Time: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 - 9:30am PST

Columbia University Shows True American Values
by Thom Hartmann

Columbia University, by inviting Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak, has shown confidence in the wisdom and adultness of their students and our republic.

Ahmadinejad is the president of a major nation in a vital part of the world, and we should have enough self-assurance and belief in our own system of government, and in the intelligence of our college students, that we can let them (and our larger public) evaluate his words, whatever they may be.

To be terrified of his speaking there (or, for that matter, laying a wreath at Ground Zero) is behavior one would have expected from a fragile régime like Khrushchev's USSR or Burma's military junta, not the bold, brave, and fearless USA.

And yes, Lieberman is a Republican

Senate Blocks Detainees' Rights Bill
By David Stout | The New York Times | Wednesday 19 September 2007

Washington - A move to give terrorism suspects the right to challenge their detentions in federal court fell short in the Senate today, even though it had majority support.

Fifty-six senators voted to cut off debate, and move forward to a vote on the bill itself, a step known as cloture. But under Senate rules, 60 votes are needed to invoke cloture.

Some supporters of the bill said they might bring it up again, although it was not clear just when.

"The truth is that casting aside the time-honored protection of habeas corpus makes us more vulnerable as a nation because it leads us away from our core American values," said Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont, a co-sponsor of the measure with Senators Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, and Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut. Mr. Leahy is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Mr. Specter the committee's senior Republican; both are former prosecutors.

The legal concept of habeas corpus ("You have the body" in Latin) dates back to medieval England, and is meant to protect people from being locked up indefinitely without a court review. Last year, Congress passed and President Bush signed an act eliminating the right of habeas corpus for non-Americans who are labeled "enemy combatants" in the continuing campaign against terrorism.

Protesters gather on Louisiana town
Marchers support black teens who were charged with attempted murder
The Associated Press | Updated: 8:28 a.m. PT Sept 20, 2007

JENA, La. - Thousands of chanting demonstrators filled the streets of this little Louisiana town Thursday in support of six black teenagers initially charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white classmate.

The crowd broke into chants of “Free the Jena Six” as the Rev. Al Sharpton arrived at the local courthouse with family members of the jailed teens.

Martin Luther King III, son of the slain civil rights leader, said the scene was reminiscent of earlier civil rights struggles. He said punishment of some sort may be in order for the six defendants, but “the justice system isn’t applied the same to all crimes and all people.”