Got this from an email. Seems like a good idea. Pass it on to your family & friends.

Not One Damn Dime Day

Since our religious leaders will not speak out against the war in
Iraq, since our political leaders don't have the moral courage to
oppose it, Inauguration Day, Thursday, January 20th, 2005 is "Not One Damn
Dime Day" in America.

On "Not One Damn Dime Day," those who oppose what is happening in
our name in Iraq can speak up with a 24-hour national boycott of all
forms of consumer spending.

During "Not One Damn Dime Day" please don't spend money.
Not one damn dime for gasoline. Not one damn dime for necessities or
for impulse purchases.
Not one damn dime for anything for 24 hours.

On "Not One Damn Dime Day," please boycott Walmart, KMart and Target.
Please don't go to the mall or the local convenience store. Please don't
buy any fast food (or any groceries at all for that
matter).

For 24 hours, please do what you can to shut the retail economy
down. The object is simple. Remind the people in power that the war in
Iraq is immoral and illegal; that they are responsible for starting it
and that it is their responsibility to stop it.

"Not One Damn Dime Day" is to remind them, too, that they work for
the people of the United States of America, not for the international
corporations and K Street lobbyists who represent the corporations and
funnel cash into American politics.

"Not One Damn Dime Day" is about supporting the troops. The
politicians put the troops in harm's way. Now 1,300 brave young
Americans and (some estimate) 100,000 Iraqis have died. Over 10,000 of our troops are wounded and/or maimed. The
politicians owe our troops a plan -- a way to come home.

There's no rally to attend. No marching to do. No left or
right wing agenda to rant about. On "Not One Damn Dime Day" you take
action by doing nothing. You open your mouth by keeping your wallet
closed. For 24 hours, nothing gets spent, not one damn dime, to remind
our religious leaders and our politicians of their
moral responsibility to end the war in Iraq and give America back to the people.
************************************************************************
**************************

PLEASE HELP TO SPREAD THIS AROUND...EMAIL AND TELL FRIENDS & FAMILY...NO SPENDING MONEY ON JAN 20, AYATOLLAH SHRUB'S CORONATION!! THANKS!!!

I came across this today on a local site. We should definitely try to get the word out on this.

this and the coup flu are both great ideas:

THE JANUARY 20TH COALITION OF NEW ORLEANS
ORGANIZERS OF
THE JAZZ FUNERAL FOR DEMOCRACY
http://www.jazzfuneralfordemocracy.com/




CALL FOR A
GENERAL STRIKE
ON
INAUGURATION DAY
JANUARY 20, 2005

NO WORK
NO SCHOOL
NO SHOPPING

THE COUP FLU, IT'S GOING AROUND

Those are great ideas but for people going to the counterinaug, it wont be easy to avoid spending money, at least to eat out.

ANSWER did get a permit, finally! I posted the notice on PitAs ANSWER thread if anyone is looking for info on logistics.

Let me get this straight, boycotting the Mom & Pop shops and stores of America is going to end this war? How on earth did this come into your mind?

Bin Laden said in his last message to destroy America attack America's economy, is this the first wave?

Please don't compare a one-day protest with the warped mind of a madman and mass murderer. And if you read the email (which I didn 't start) it didn't target mom and pop stores, the idea behind this protest is that since bush is all about money (and his 40 mil coronation is further proof) then we need to send a message that only he can understand. You can't really be rational with someone who is irrational, and like the Saudis(his best buds), you have to hit em where it hurts- the pocketbook!

I would also urge all NOT to patronize Exxon/Mobil when you get gas because they are the largest buyers of Saudi oil, which because of the House of Saud's financial support of worldwide terrorism, fueling hatred, and oppressing its own people, well every time you fillup at Exxon/Mobil, that fuel pump turns into blood.

I would suggest you shop at places you know are BLUE anytime you shop.
http://www.choosetheblue.com/main.php
If the Mom & Pop voted Bush (as they did in my area) then boycott them.
If you do not know and really need something that day, then use the M&P.

good suggestion; thanks for the website. I would also urge an email campaign to the companies that are forking over the big $$$ to the coronation to register our protest. Major companies include the Home Depot and Time Warner.

January 15, 2005
The Deep-Pocket Donors to Bush's Second Inauguration

ASHINGTON, Jan. 14 - Following is a list of companies, organizations and people who had given $250,000 to President Bush's second inauguration as of Friday, according to the Presidential Inaugural Committee.

A. G. Spanos, Stockton, Calif.

ACS State & Local Solutions Inc., Washington

Alagem Capital Group, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Altria Corporate Services Inc., New York

American Financial, Cincinnati

Ameriquest Capital Corporation, Orange, Calif.

Argent Mortgage Company, Orange, Calif.

AT&T

Bank of America Corporation

Bristol-Myers Squibb

Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Corporation

Carl H. Lindner, Cincinnati

ChevronTexaco

Cinergy Corporation

Corporate Capital, New Orleans

Dr. Miriam Ochshorn Adelson, Las Vegas

Elliott Broidy, Los Angeles

Exxon Mobil Corporation

FedEx Corporation

First Data Corporation, Greenwood Village, Colo.

Ford Motor Company

Golden Eagle Industries Inc., Charlotte, N.C.

The Home Depot

Hunt Consolidated Inc.

Kojaian Ventures, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Long Beach Acceptance Corporation, Paramus, N.J.

Marriott International

Marriott Vacation Club International

Nancy and Rich Kinder, Houston

National Association of Home Builders

Nelson Peltz, New York

New Energy Corporation, South Bend, Ind.

Occidental Petroleum Corporation

Pfizer Inc.

Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company

Rooney Holdings Inc., Tulsa, Okla.

S. Davis Phillips, High Point, N.C.

Sallie Mae Inc., Reston, Va.

Sheldon G. Adelson, Las Vegas

Southern Company

Stephens Group Inc., Little Rock, Ark.

Strongbow Technologies, Corp., Burtonsville, Md.

Susan and Michael Dell, Austin, Tex.

T. Boone Pickens, Dallas

Time Warner

Timken Company, Canton, Ohio

Town and Country Credit, Irvine, Calif.

United Parcel Service

United Technologies

UST Inc., Greenwich, Conn.

Wachovia Corporation

Washington Television Center, Washington


Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company

Here's another way to register your complaint against these huge supporters of shrub, a letter I sent to Citibank:

Due to your bank's heavy financial contributions to President Bush's reelection and his Coronation, I have decided I no longer wish to do business with a bank that is connected to a man whose policies have ruined this great country. Please close my account IMMEDIATELY and remove my name from your mailing list and email lists. My account is paid in full and I have destroyed my card. Thank you.
Sincerely,

When I contacted citibank this AM to confirm, the rep was very receptive to my idea. She said she understood my position and she let it be known that she's not too pleased with the folks in the White House, although it was coded- don't want her to get fired.

FYI...

Dear DriveDemocracy Member or Texans for Truth Supporter,

This week President Bush and his cronies will throw a champaign-and-cavier party for themselves at a cost of $40 million, plus $11 million diverted from Washington, D.C.'s Homeland Security budget.

In light of the continued horror and tragedy in Iraq and the natural disaster in Indonesia, we think this is obscene. And with your help we're going to tell the public. We've produced a new online video clip that cuts right to the chase: it's wrong.

Help us make sure the video is seen this week. We plan an internet-based distribution strategy, and will purchase ad time on web sites viewed by millions of Americans each day. To contribute to this effort please click here: https://www.onlinecontribution.com/drivedemocracy/

The spot is produced in partnership with the national Clergy and Laity Network, an organization of 1,100 progressive religious leaders who have decided it's time their voices were heard. Such courageous leadership has been a part of every successful progressive movement in our nation's history, as it was in the Civil Rights Movement. It is fitting that we unveil this spot on the day we celebrate the Rev. Martin Luther King's birthday.

For too long Big Media has given the hypocritical Christian Right exclusive access to the national political stage. Progressive religious leaders have had enough.

Help us make sure the video is seen this week. We plan an internet-based distribution strategy, and will purchase ad time on web sites viewed by millions of Americans each day. To contribute to this effort please click here: https://www.onlinecontribution.com/drivedemocracy/

thank you,
Glenn Smith, DriveDemocracy.org

Dear MoveOn member,
In the next four years, George Bush plans on pushing a radical conservative agenda through Congress. But we don't have to let him. Many members of Congress are already nervous -- most of these plans are not supported by a majority of Americans. We believe that the best way for MoveOn to stop the Bush administration is to build a massive volunteer-powered, neighbor-to-neighbor campaign to expose the truth about the radical Republican agenda and push members of Congress to vote with their constituents.

We'll build national opposition to Bush initiatives and put enormous pressure on Representatives from moderate districts to vote against extremist policies like gutting social security -- depriving Bush of the majority he needs. To pull it off, we'll need dedicated volunteers who are willing to spend an hour or two a week reaching out to their neighbors and organizing events. If we launched this network, would you be in?

http://www.moveon.org/field/?id=5056-29373...FgL6hYmbeXZsvZw

Here's how it would work: If you join in, we'll have one, or sometimes two, main projects each month: talking to voters on your block, handing out flyers around your neighborhood, holding a house party or a bake sale, meeting with your member of Congress, or even organizing a news conference to show a new local TV ad.

Once a week or so you'll receive an email from us with an update on the campaign and our next steps toward countering the Republican agenda. We'll send a how-to guide for each project and give you a way to ask questions of other experienced volunteers or even of a local staff organizer in a few places. Your main support will come from being on a neighborhood team with other MoveOn members (or you could form a team with your friends). You'll take responsibility for some part of the overall project and share the work with your teammates.

With thousands of teams around the country, we'll run a massive, grassroots, neighbor-to-neighbor drive to mobilize opposition to the Republican leadership's conservative policies and to promote our progressive agenda. We'll reach millions of people at their homes and many more through the media.

In any district where conservative leaders are out of step with their community, we'll work hard to make clear their constituents' vision for a more progressive America. We'll publicize each and every vote they cast against the public interest. Elsewhere, we'll work to expose Republican mis-leadership and build the momentum for change that it will take to move our agenda forward -- this is a national fight.

We based this plan on all the wisdom, feedback and proposals many of you have sent since November. We think it's the right way to go. But we need to make sure that we're all together on this. So, before we make a decision, we want to know -- if we do this, are you in? If you think you might want to participate (or if you have other feedback on this idea), please click the link below.

http://www.moveon.org/field/?id=5056-29373...FgL6hYmbeXZsvZw

Changing the national political landscape is a tall order. But if we build on the enormous grassroots energy we saw over the past six months, we know it's possible. For us, for our families, for our children, for our country, the stakes could hardly be higher.

Thank you for all that you do,

--Adam, Justin and the whole MoveOn.org team
Tuesday, January 18th, 2005

Teacher731 -

Thank you for all the posts. Lot's of great information in them. FYI - Marriott et al.
is destroying my neck of the woods in the name of redevelopment. It has pushed
many M&P's out of business, and local residents out of jobs and the area, because they cannot afford to live here anymore. They are in the middle of Aspenizing the once sleepy little mountain town I live in. The economic ramifications have been
tremendous, big plus for big business and sink the little guy...They are my main focus, because it hits so close to home. I am a part of MoveOn..(closest branch,
Sacramento...about 100 miles away), but they are gathering steam, hopefully I'll have good things to report in the near future.

mtnmagic

you're welcome. unfortunately, the marriots, home depots, and walfarts of the world have been doing this to M&P businesses for years because they know how to grease the local politicians. What they don't realize is that you then have a multinational corp that swoops in and could care less about your town. If you're interested in seeing how a local town, East Aurora, NY fought back against a Walfart invading their town, maybe do a google. What the folks there did could inspire you and your town to do the same.

Here's an updated list on major donors. As you can tell, the majority are oil interests, energy interests, lobbyists, financial interests, drung cos, health orgs,so you know who's got shrub in their pocket. Think of all that good $40 mil could've done; instead it's going to boost someone's ego. that's a bush for you!

Major Donor Information < Home


ACS State & Local Solutions, Inc. Washington DC $250,000
A.G. Spanos Stockton CA $250,000
AFLAC, Incorporated Columbus GA $100,000
AFLAC, Incorporated Columbus GA $150,000
A. J. Scribante Omaha NE $100,000
Alan B. Fabian Cockeysville MD $100,000
Al Hoffman, Jr. Fort Myers FL $100,000
Alagem Capital Group, LLC Beverly Hills CA $250,000
Alexander F. Treadwell Westport NY $100,000
Altria Corporate Services, Inc. New York NY $250,000
American Bankers Association Washington DC $25,000
American Chemistry Council Arlington VA $25,000
American Financial Cincinnati OH $250,000
American Health Care Association Washington DC $50,000
Ameriquest Capital Corporation Orange CA $250,000
Amgen, Inc. Thousand Oaks CA $100,000
Andrew C. Taylor St. Louis MO $100,000
Anheuser-Busch Cos., Inc. Washington DC $100,000
Argent Mortgage Company Orange CA $250,000
AT&T Washington DC $250,000
Bank of America Corporation Charlotte NC $250,000
Barbour, Griffith & Rogers, LLC Washington DC $25,000
Bensco, Inc. Metairie LA $100,000
Benson Football Metaire LA $100,000
Benson Mineral Group, Inc. Denver CO $100,000
Beverly Enterprises, Inc. Fort Smith AR $50,000
Beverly Enterprises, Inc. Fort Smith AR $20,000
Bill G. Hartley Tyler TX $25,000
Blank Rome, LLP Philadelphia PA $200,000
BlueCross BlueShield of Florida, Inc. Jacksonville FL $100,000
Bob Tuttle Beverly Hills CA $25,000
Boone Pickens Dallas TX $250,000
Bradford M. Freeman Los Angeles CA $100,000
Bristol-Myers Squibb Washington DC $250,000
Broadcast Music, Inc. Nashville TN $25,000
Burlington Norhtern & Sanata Fe Corp. Topeka KS $250,000
Burton J. McMurtry Portola Valley CA $50,000
California Farm Bureau Federation Sacramento CA $100,000
Carl H. Lindner Cincinnati OH $250,000
C. Edward McVaney Greenwood Village CO $100,000
Century Homebuilders, LLC Miami FL $100,000
Charles E. Cobb, Jr. Coral Gables FL $25,000
Charles D. Miller Pasadena CA $100,000
Cherie and Robin Arkley Eureka CA $100,000
CheveronTexaco Concord CA $250,000
Cinergy Corporation Cincinnati OH $250,000
Cisco Systems, Inc. San Jose CA $100,000
Clearwire Corporation Kirkland WA $100,000
Computer Associates International, Inc. Islandia NY $100,000
Corporate Capital, LLC New Orleans LA $250,000
Cove Partners, LLC Santa Monica CA $100,000
Cove Partners, LLC Santa Monica CA $25,000
Credit Union National Association Madison WI $50,000
CSC Federal Sector Headquarters Falls Church VA $25,000
David Girard-diCarlo Washington DC $50,000
Direct Supply, Inc. Milwaukee WI $25,000
Donald J. Carty Dallas TX $100,000
Dr. Miriam Ochshorn Adelson Las Vegas NV $250,000
Duane Acklie Lincoln NE $100,000
Dwight C. Schar McLean VA $100,000
Edison Electric Institute Washington DC $25,000
Edison Electric Institute Washington DC $25,000
EDS Plano TX $100,000
Elliott Broidy Los Angeles CA $250,000
Entrepreneurial Capital Corporation Newport Beach CA $100,000
E-Team Communications Austin TX $50,000
Exxon Mobil Corporation Washington DC $250,000
Fairfax Reality, Inc. Salt Lake City UT $100,000
FedEx Corporation Memphis TN $250,000
First Data Corporation Greenwood Village CO $250,000
Ford Motor Company Dearborn MI $250,000
Frank Baxter Los Angeles CA $100,000
Frederick R. Meyer Dallas TX $25,000
George Richmond Earth City MO $50,000
GMAC Horsham PA $100,000
Golden Eagle Industries, Inc. Charlotte NC $250,000
H. Edward Baher Bluffton SC $250,000
Horizon Bay Management, LLC Tampa FL $25,000
Hratch Kaprielian New York NY $25,000
HSBC USA Inc. Mt. Prospect IL $25,000
Hunt Consolidated, Inc. Dallas TX $250,000
Hunter Engineering Company Bridgeton MO $100,000
Ilene L. Flaum and David M. Flaum Rochester NY $100,000
Independent Community Bankers of America Washington DC $100,000
International Paper Memphis TN $100,000
International Traders, INC Nashville NC $30,000
Intervest Construction, Inc. Daytona Beach FL $100,000
J. Ronald Terwilliger Key Largo FL $100,000
Jack Overstreet Englewood CO $100,000
James A. Haslam, II Knoxville TN $50,000
Jerome V. Ansel Boca Raton FL $100,000
JM Family Enterprises, Inc. Deerfield Beach FL $25,000
John Elliot Associates Charleston WV $30,000
John L. Kemmerer, III Morristown NJ $100,000
John W. Childs Boston MA $100,000
JPMorgan Chase Houston TX $100,000
KB Home Los Angeles CA $100,000
Kenneth J. Kies McLean VA $25,000
Kojaian Ventures, LLC Bloomfield Hill MI $250,000
Lawrence Auriana Greenwich CT $100,000
Lawrence Lacerte Dallas TX $25,000
Leach Capital, LLC San Francisco CA $100,000
Linger Longer Development Co. Greensboro GA $100,000
LMD Properties, LLC High Point NC $50,000
Lockheed Martin Corporation Arlington VA $100,000
Long Beach Acceptance Corp. Paramus NJ $250,000
Lydian Asset Management Westport CT $25,000
Marathon Oil Corporation Houston TX $25,000
Marc S. Goldman Hoboken NJ $100,000
Marc S. Goldman Hoboken NJ $150,000
Marna D. Schnabel Los Angeles CA $100,000
Marriott International, Inc. Washington DC $250,000
Marriott Vacation Club International Washington DC $250,000
Matthew R. Simmons Houston TX $100,000
Max M. Fisher Detroit MI $100,000
MCI Ashburn VA $25,000
Michael W. Murphy El Dorado AR $25,000
Microsoft Corporation Redmond WA $100,000
Morgan Stanley Jersey City NJ $100,000
Nancy and Jeffrey Marcus Dallas TX $100,000
Nancy and Rich Kinder Houston TX $250,000
National Association of Home Builders Washington DC $250,000
National Association of Realtors Chicago IL $50,000
Ned L. Siegel Boca Raton FL $100,000
Nelson Peltz New York NY $250,000
New Breed Corporate Services, Inc. Greensboro NC $25,000
New Breed Corporation Greensboro NC $25,000
New Century Mortgage Corporation Irvine CA $100,000
New Energy Corp. South Bend IN $250,000
Nicholas Taubman Roanoke VA $50,000
Northrop Grumman Los Angeles CA $100,000
Nuclear Energy Institute Washington DC $100,000
Occidental Petroleum Corporation Los Angeles CA $250,000
Office of the Commissioner of Baseball New York NY $100,000
Oracle Corporation Rocklin CA $100,000
Peabody Holding Company, Inc. St. Louis MO $100,000
Pepsi-Cola Company Purchase NY $100,000
Perennial Strategy Group, LLC Washington DC $25,000
Pfizer, Inc. New York NY $250,000
Phil Wendel Charlottesville VA $100,000
Pilot Corporation Knoxville TN $50,000
Piper Rudnick Washington DC $25,000
PricewaterhouseCoopers Tampa FL $25,000
Qualcomm Incorporated San Diego CA $100,000
Retzer Resources, Inc. Greenville MS $25,000
Richard Warren Lake Forest CA $100,000
Rick J. Caruso Los Angeles CA $100,000
Robert Day Los Angeles CA $100,000
Robert C. Rhein Interests, Inc. Cincinnati OH $100,000
Robert Frank Pence McLean VA $100,000
Robert W. Johnson, IV New York NY $100,000
Rooney Holdings, Inc. Tulsa OK $250,000
R. T. Farmer Cincinnati OH $100,000
S. Davis Phillips High Point NC $250,000
Sallie Mae, Inc. Reston VA $250,000
Sam & Marilyn Fox St. Louis MO $100,000
SBC Communications, Inc. Washington DC $100,000
ServiceMaster Memphis TN $25,000
Sheldon G. Adelson Las Vegas NV $250,000
Southern Company Atlanta GA $250,000
Stanley P. Whitcomb, Jr. Bonita Springs FL $25,000
Stephen A. Schwarzman New York NY $100,000
Stephens Group, Inc. Little Rock AR $250,000
Strongbow Technologies, Corp. Burtonsville MD $250,000
Susan and Michael Dell Austin TX $250,000
TC Management Partners IV, LLC Washington DC $100,000
Terry & Jane Semel Beverly Hills CA $125,000
The Boeing Company Arlington VA $100,000
The Coca Cola Company Washington DC $100,000
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. New York NY $100,000
The Home Depot Washington DC $250,000
The Limited Service Corporation Columbus OH $100,000
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC Chevy Chase MD $250,000
The Shaw Group, Inc. Baton Rouge LA $100,000
The Timken Company Canton OH $250,000
The Washington Post Washington DC $100,000
Thien H. Nguyen Redington Beach FL $100,000
Thomas F. Petway, III Jacksonville FL $100,000
Thomas F. Stephenson Atherton CA $225,000
Time Warner New York NY $250,000
Titus Electrical Contracting, Inc. Austin TX $100,000
Tom Benson Metairie LA $50,000
Town and Country Credit Irvine CA $250,000
Toyota Motor North America, Inc. New York NY $25,000
TRT Holdings Inc. Irving TX $100,000
Tyson Springdale AR $100,000
Union Pacific Corporation Washington DC $100,000
United Parcel Service Roswell GA $250,000
United Technologies Hartford CT $250,000
UST Inc. Greenwich CT $250,000
Valhi, Inc. Dallas TX $100,000
Vernon G. Buchanan Sarasota FL $100,000
Wachovia Corporation Jacksonville FL $250,000
Washington Group International Boise ID $25,000
Washington Television Center Washington DC $250,000
Waste Management Service Center Houston TX $100,000
Well Care Health Plans, Inc. Tampa FL $100,000
William Earl Riggs Pleasantton CA $100,000
William O. DeWitt, Jr. Cincinnati OH $100,000
Williams & Jensen, PC Washington DC $50,000
* UPDATED AS OF FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2004

Wouldn't it be great if shrub couldn't get out of his limo AGAIN!!! What a message that would say in addition to the 56% who do not support the war, 49% who disapprove of his job(lowest of any prez reelected), and lest we forget, he had the smallest victory margin of a sitting prez ever!! What mandate?? Doesn't he know that most will say you need 55% of the vote to have a mandate???

Here's a message from Sarah Brady, another way to register opposition to shrub's coronation. Also check your local area for vigils if you can't come down to DC to protest. You also may wish to avoid buying anything from the following entertainers who are part of this party(all have no talent):

Michael Bolton, Geraldo Rivera, Hillary Duff, JoJo, I'll find out more- supposedly the big outdoor concert was delayed/postponed due to a couple of inches of snow!!! Hope it hails and locusts fly tomorrow in DC!!!!!

Tomorrow is Inauguration Day. Don't miss out on the opportunity to demand a safer and saner America from President Bush — one free from gun violence!

Click here to donate to our efforts for sane gun laws, send a message to Bush, and spread the word to others!

Through Inauguration Day, we'll be gathering messages and will deliver them to the President on Friday, his first full day of his second term.

Click here to learn how you can join our Inauguration Campaign!

Together we can be the voice of reason.

Warm Regards,


Sarah Brady
Chair, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

Its like a who's who of corporate fraud theft and greed

It helps me make business decisions!!!

Protesters Target Bush's Inauguration

2 hours, 25 minutes ago

By JEANNINE AVERSA, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Anti-war protesters, including some who carried coffin-like cardboard boxes to signify the death of U.S. troops in Iraq (news - web sites), descended on the capital Thursday.



About 500 people rallied in a park several miles from the Capitol, where George W. Bush was taking the oath of office for a second term.


"Worst President Ever" and "Four more years: God HELP America" were on some of the signs. Protesters covered hundreds of cardboard boxes with black cloth and American flags to symbolize U.S. troops and others killed in Iraq.


"It's important to show that when Bush's second inauguration goes into the record books, there was healthy dissent" said Jared Maslin, 19 of Hanover, N.H.


Aidan Delgado, 23, of Sarasota, Fla., returned to the United States last April after his military service. He said he was a mechanic at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, which gained notoriety as a place of torture during Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s rule and was the scene of alleged prisoner abuse by U.S. troops.


"What I experienced in Iraq fills me with remorse," Delgado told the crowd of protesters. "If we are going to preserve our nation at all, we need to criticize what we did wrong and we have to criticize ourselves," he said.


Several police cars lined the perimeter of the park, but the event remained peaceful.


At one demonstration, supporters of the president engaged in a shouting and shoving match with some opponents of the war.


An anti-war group called the Rhythm Workers Union banged on steel drums and danced in mudcaked boots.


Elsewhere in the city, more than 300 anti-war protesters — organized by a social justice peace movement called CodePink — sported beauty pageant style banners with "resist!" scrawled in black.


"We're against the war mostly," said Shannon Fell, 22, of Detroit, who wore a bright pink wig and feather boa.


Some protesters carried signs advocating abortion rights. Others urged people to donate money to tsunami relief efforts. Some took issue with Bush's environmental and economic policies.


___


Associated Press writers Genaro Armas and Libby Quaid contributed to this report.




[SIZE=7]thanks to all who practised their First Amendment Rights!!! COntinue to do so to send Ayatollah Shrub a message!!

Good news: Condi the Liar and Gonzales the Torturer Appointments Have Been Held Up! Much credit goes to the lone Democrat with balls, Barbara Boxer!!![/SIZE]

MESSAGE TO OTHER DEMS: DON'T SIT BACK AND LIE DOWN LIKE A POODLE FIGHT LIKE A BOXER!!!!

Dear MoveOn member,

Today, as Bush's corporate donors celebrate their victory, it may feel like the progressive America we're all fighting for is very far away. But it doesn't have to be that way.

In 1994, just two years after a big presidential defeat, Republicans with a pro-corporate, right-wing agenda swept to power in the House. From there, they gained control of all three branches of government. It's our turn. If we can convert the passion and energy of the progressive movement we've built together into power on the ground, we can take back Congress and make 2006 our 1994.

Today, we're launching our plan to do that. Together, MoveOn members will build an organized network of neighbors and friends in every Congressional district to stop the Bush agenda. We'll organize press events, we'll hold living room meetings with our neighbors, and we'll meet with local leaders on the issues we care about most -- Social Security, right-wing judges, media reform, and more. We'll develop a national message together. And then we'll use this field network to take back the House in 2006. It's bold, it's audacious, and it's yours: the plan comes directly from tens of thousands of your comments about MoveOn's future.

Making this watershed moment come true will take real time, real energy, and, of course, real money -- we estimate at least $5 million over the next two years. We'll be spending the next months getting the program off the ground -- hiring organizers, building infrastructure, and recruiting the grassroots leaders who will make it all happen (stay tuned!). But we need to raise $500,000 this week to get this thing going.

Can you help? You can contribute by credit card or check quickly and securely at:
https://www.moveonpac.org/donate/2006.html

Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America" swept in 54 new Republican representatives in 1994 and brought conservatives to power. The 15-seat gain that Democrats need in 2006 is modest by comparison. And we have three key advantages over Republicans in 2006:

1. Republican leaders have dramatically overreached -- they've staked the Party's future on a deceptive and extreme agenda. And now that they control all three branches of government, they're responsible for everything that happens. By exposing right-wing corruption and deception one community at a time, we can block their agenda and turn their strength against them.

2. A good team of dedicated volunteers can make a big difference in a House race -- much more so than in the race for President. So our energy in 2006 will have an ever larger impact.

3. We have enormous momentum from our presidential campaign. Today, the progressive movement is bigger and stronger than it has been in decades. Hundreds of thousands of new leaders got involved in politics in 2004, and we developed new tools that revolutionized grassroots organizing and fundraising. At MoveOn, our Leave No Voter Behind Campaign showed that by linking our members together locally, and focusing on systematic voter outreach, we could have an unprecedented impact -- literally turning out more voters than Kerry's victory margin in at least three key battleground states, and turning out hundreds of thousands more in battleground neighborhoods nation-wide.

In 2004 we ran a field program in 10,000 neighborhoods in the swing states. To win in 2006, we're going to use what we've learned to repeat it in every neighborhood in America. We'll ask MoveOn members and their friends to form local teams and commit a few hours a month, starting now. We'll use a variety of new and creative tactics to reach millions of people at their homes and through the media, to build the broad, national momentum for change that it will take to sweep aside our opposition.

In key swing districts where conservative incumbents are vulnerable, we'll take extra steps to publicly hold them accountable for every vote they cast against the public interest. And instead of starting three months before the election, we'll begin now to recruit leaders, persuade voters, and build a grassroots base for victory.

Changing the political direction of the country will not be cheap. In order to proceed with confidence and start hiring staff, developing materials and advertisements, and targeting carefully, we need to know that we won't run short of funds partway through, so today's request for support is an important yardstick. Can you help us raise the $500,000 we need to begin?

Click here:
https://www.moveonpac.org/donate/2006.html

This big strategy stems from thousands of emails and conversations with MoveOn members, both online and at house parties and in-person gatherings. You told us to focus on key issues like social security, election reform, and energy policy. And we will, with a combination of high-profile, coordinated national grassroots actions (like our anti-war vigils) and constituent pressure in targeted swing districts. You told us you wanted to develop a progressive message. That national message -- which we'll develop from the grassroots on up -- will be a critical part of the 2006 campaign. And you emphasized the importance of intensive, local, grassroots organizing. That's what this plan is all about.

By combining the strategies MoveOn members are most passionate about, we can stop the Republican agenda, win at the ballot box, and put the country on a progressive path.

Sincerely,

--Adam, Eli, and the MoveOn PAC Team
January 20th, 2005

America's Future | www.ourfuture.org

Dear

Today, President Bush will be inaugurated into his second term. In his acceptance speech, he'll exploit the media's attention to literally market the right wing's plans for our country. Each of us has a critical role to play in countering the president's hype. We can familiarize ourselves with the flaws in his scheme, and expose each false sales pitch to friends, neighbors and the media.

http://www.ourfuture.org/no_inaugural_deceit.cfm

President Bush's first term was defined by a radical notion -- that "preemptive war" was the path to security and peace. His administration hyped the case about WMD in Iraq to justify the invasion, while at the same time fatally miscalculating what it would take to transform that country into a functioning democracy. Now, the disastrous results of his deception and misjudgment are in plain view. More than 1,300 American troops are dead, Iraq is a recruiting ground for Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden remains at large and there's no end in sight to the war against terrorism.

President Bush will begin his second term with an equally radical notion: that building economic stability lies in dismantling successful government programs like Social Security. To sell his scheme, just as he sold the war in Iraq, he'll drum up a false crisis and then pitch a brash cure loaded with unattainable but tantalizing benefits. He'll work to build support for a make-believe "ownership society."

Almost ironically, don't expect to hear much from him about the economic elements that would genuinely boost ownership among ordinary Americans: good jobs, fair wages and a reduction in wealth disparity. Why these omissions? Because neither his economic policies nor his risky Social Security plans benefit ordinary Americans. Just look at the facts:

Personal incomes are frozen.

Bush has the worst job-creation record since President Herbert Hoover.

Gas, food and health insurance costs are soaring, sapping people's ability to save.

The richest 1% of Americans own more of the nation's overall wealth than the bottom 90% combined -- and the president's next round of tax cuts would exacerbate this gap.

Financial management firms would be the primary beneficiaries of the White House's Social Security privatization plan -- they stand to gain an estimated $940 billion in new fees if it is privatized.
If President Bush was truly interested in promoting ownership in America, he would stop pursuing economic policies that reward the few while the many lose ground. For starters, he would:

Ensure that quality, affordable healthcare was available to all Americans.

Drop his opposition to a living wage.

Reverse his plans to cut back Pell grants that make college affordable to middle and lower income kids.

Stop the outsourcing of American jobs.

Abandon his plans to extend tax cuts for the wealthiest 1% -- those who make $1 million or more. (They already received $148 billion in cuts last year.)

Ditch his plan to privatize Social Security which would cut guaranteed benefits and put the financial stability of millions of American families at risk.
We can't sit back and expect the mainstream media to expose the emptiness of Bush's promises to the American public. Instead we have to prod them and also become our own messengers. In your conversations with friends, neighbors, and colleagues, please debunk Bush's make-believe ownership society. And, if you have the time, please take a moment to share the truth with your local media.

http://www.ourfuture.org/no_inaugural_deceit.cfm

Thank you for all that you do.

Sincerely,



Robert Borosage, Co-Director
Campaign for America's Future

from MediaChannel.org:

Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Reverse Payola
Post Ombudsman Michael Getler reveals that The Washington Post Co. is among the more than 100 companies that have donated large sums of cash to support President Bush's $40 million-dollar inaugural gala. According to Getler, The Post gave $100,000 to ensure that it would have enough tickets to the nine balls, three candlelight dinners, two church services, one parade, and single congressional brunch planned for the day. "Readers who wrote to me said they viewed this as inconsistent with the role of a hard-nosed news organization," Getler writes. "I would say they have a good point. "


Other media companies chipping in to fund Thursday's extravaganza include His Royal Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Washington Television Center ($250,000) and Time Warner ($250,000). In the interest of good journalism, shouldn't a disclosure be pasted to their every report on the inauguration? Don't hold your breath.

MediaChannel's Danny Schechter wonders whether any "hard-nosed" Post, Washington Times or CNN journalists will exchange their ball gowns and tuxedos for a camera and a pen to cover the major street protests planned throughout the day. The only news organizations that appear to be paying attention to the protests are their breathless detractors in the right press, including this predictable swipe from Cybercast News Service's Kathleen Rhodes, who brands the protestors as communist backers of Cuba's Fidel Castro and North Korea's Kim Jong Il.

SIDEBAR: Communications companies are also footing the bill, hoping perhaps to find a favorable ear in Washington as Congress gets set to rewrite the 1996 Telecom Act. Those on the Inaugural A-list include AT&T ($250,000), Qualcomm ($100,000), SBC Communications ($100,000), Cisco Systems ($100,000), Clearwire ($100,000) and Oracle ($100,000). Think about that the next time you pay your phone/cable/Internet bill.

[COLOR=blue]Let's put the Coronation in perspective...[/COLOR]

Inauguration: Lifestyles of the Rich and Heartless

Due to $17 million worth of inaugural security – paid for by the city of Washington, D.C. – the Progress Report is unable to access its office. Never fear – it takes a lot more than that to keep us down. We put this list together for you ahead of time. Your regularly scheduled Progress Report returns tomorrow.

A look at this week's festivities by the numbers:

$40 million: Cost of Bush inaugural ball festivities, not counting security costs.

$2,000: Amount FDR spent on the inaugural in 1945…about $20,000 in today's dollars.

$20,000: Cost of yellow roses purchased for inaugural festivities by D.C.'s Ritz Carlton.

200: Number of Humvees outfitted with top-of-the-line armor for troops in Iraq that could have been purchased with the amount of money blown on the inauguration.

$10,000: Price of an inaugural package at the Fairmont Hotel, which includes a Beluga caviar and Dom Perignon reception, a chauffeured Rolls Royce and two actors posing as "faux" Secret Service agents, complete with black sunglasses and cufflink walkie-talkies.

400: Pounds of lobster provided for "inaugural feeding frenzy" at the exclusive Mandarin Oriental hotel.

3,000: Number of "Laura Bush Cowboy cookies" provided for "inaugural feeding frenzy" at the Mandarin hotel.

$1: Amount per guest President Carter spent on snacks for guests at his inaugural parties. To stick to a tight budget, he served pretzels, peanuts, crackers and cheese and had cash bars.

22 million: Number of children in regions devastated by the tsunami who could have received vaccinations and preventive health care with the amount of money spent on the inauguration.

1,160,000: Number of girls who could be sent to school for a year in Afghanistan with the amount of money lavished on the inauguration.

$15,000: The down payment to rent a fur coat paid by one gala attendee who didn't want the hassle of schlepping her own through the airport.

$200,500: Price of a room package at D.C.'s Mandarin Oriental, including presidential suite, chauffeured Mercedes limo and outfits from Neiman Marcus.

2,500: Number of U.S. troops used to stand guard as President Bush takes his oath of office

26,000: Number of Kevlar vests for U.S. soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan that could be purchased for $40 million.

$290: Bonus that could go to each American solider serving in Iraq, if inauguration funds were used for that purpose.

$6.3 million: Amount contributed by the finance and investment industry, which works out to be 25 percent of all the money collected.

$17 million: Amount of money the White House is forcing the cash-strapped city of Washington, D.C., to pony up for inauguration security.

9: Percentage of D.C. residents who voted for Bush in 2004.

66: Percentage of Americans who think this over-the-top inauguration should have been scaled back.

Check out this website from one of CGCS's talented musicians...

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GOP Senator Wavers on Bolton Washington Post

Abu Ghraib scandal points to conspiracy at the highest levels Portsmouth Herald News

NKorea urged to stop provocation, get back to talks Forbes

S.Korea criticised on talks but North needed aid Reuters.uk