Wednesday, December 17, 2003

...As long as we were led over there by the hand, step by halting step, for the better part of the year, because we were terrified by the Administration's carefully-constructed looming menace, we might just as well try to win the hearts and minds of the conquered. How to begin? First, kill the leader's two sons, and display their dead, bloodied faces before the world, day after day. Next, find the straw man and take him down. Announce the capture of the loathsome tyrant in the language of a sporting event. "We got him!" The homeland "What me worry?" people will eat it up. Show close-ups of latex gloved hands searching the man's head for lice, and an extreme close-up of a tongue depressor forcing his mouth wide open. Show it endlessly. Rub it in. Degrade the fallen enemy, defy the wishy-washy Geneva Convention. Dignity and restraint in the handling of this man would have confounded our enemies, and maybe won some hearts and minds.   6:18:23 PM    comment []

New on The Public i: The Politics of Energy: Oil & Gas How a gusher of giveaways to oil and gas industry was crafted in Congress The sweeping energy bill now pending in Congress offers a geyser of new tax breaks and other government goodies for energy companies and related industries. Not surprisingly, the well-connected oil and gas industry-which has been among the leading contributors to the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush, as well as other Republican candidates and political committees-stands to reap the biggest bonanza should the legislation eventually become law. To read the full report, visit www.public-i.org Also on the Public i, an update on fundraising by 527 polical groups Political committees organized under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code have raised nearly $32 million this year, according to the ongoing Center for Public Integrity analysis of the most recent filings by such groups. Those totals do not include figures for some of the most well-known committees, including the Democrat-supporting America ComingTogether, backed by financier George Soros, and Americans for a Better Country, a Republican-backed organization that filed its statement of organization with the IRS on September 4, 2003. Initial reports from those committees and others formed recently are expected to be filed in early 2004. The Center will continue to issue regular reports on 527 activity throughout the 2004 election cycle and will update its data at least once a month, and more often when warranted. The database and reports can be accessed at http://www.publicintegrity.org/527/. To unsubscribe: Send an e-mail to majordomo@lists.publicintegrity.org, with the following text in the body of the message: unsubscribe public-i M. Asif Ismail Production Editor Center for Public Integrity 8:15:42 AM    comment []