Expats Against Bush

Dem Convention: July Surprise

Remember last month when rumors were floated that the Bush administration was going to ask Pakistan to produce a July Surprise - a high-level al-Qaeda figure - during the Democratic Convention?

Could this be it?

I tend to think they couldn't possibly think we were that stupid - but you have to admit the timing was pretty coincidental.

(tin foil hats at the ready please)

Message from Ron Kovic

I'm sure a lot of you remember meeting Ron Kovic during our march against Bush in London last November. Whilst corresponding with him about someone wanting to interview him, he passed along this message (edited for relevance and spelling/punctuation):

Dear Luke, of course I definitely remember you from London ...and the great march to Trafalgar Square that day with all of us leading the way!... I hope you're well [...] my very best to you Luke and all the other courageous American expats for peace in London, and all over Great Britain! Please keep up the good work, and know you will always have my full support! Have a great summer!

Most sincerely,
Ron Kovic

Well we certainly appreciate the support, Ron! Good to know we've got folks like you on-side.

Dem Convention: Bloggers United

In case you've been living in a cave you'll know that one of the big stories of this year's DNC Convention is the elevation in status of bloggers from outsiders to quasi-mainstream accredited press.

Now, in the last couple of days a new site has debuted which aggregates all of the bloggers' posts in real time so you can keep up hour-by-hour with the view from the Convention floor.

Check it out:
ConventionBloggers.Com

In other news, I caught excerpts of Gore's and Clinton's speeches and I must say I was impressed, especially with the restraint shown by both. Clinton struck a chord when he talked about how Bush and Kerry are "strong men who love their country dearly" but have vastly different worldviews. I thought that was a genius touch: He's saying to those swing voters and Republicans who like Bush but not what he's done, "It's OK, Bush seems like a nice guy and I'm sure he means well, but let's be honest, he hasn't been a success as a President." It kind of welcomes the fence-sitters into the folds, and creates a less antagonistic environment in which to persuade people. Nicely done.

Dem Convention: How much Bush-bashing?

I hesitate to link to this, but an item in the Drudge Report (boo! hiss!) purports to describe some internal dickering inside the DNC as to how much Bush bashing will be too much for Joe American to take.

I can imagine that it is a tough job being Terry McAuliffe at the moment, if there's any truth to these reports. We all know that we can get pretty fired up over our anti-Bush feelings and occasionally let our mouths run away from us and say something a bit over the top in order to be heard. The Democrats could really shoot themselves in the foot if they stray too far off the mainstream message from pro-Kerry into anti-Bush.

Of course, I recognize the irony of a website called Expats Against Bush touting anti-anti moderation, but there you have it. Politics makes strange bedfellows.

On a side note, how many of you are staying up late to watch speeches? Over here in London the main speeches kick off around the 2AM mark, which is a bit much on a weekday. I would love to see Clinton's speech, if only to see if he can poke fun at himself for his interminable speech at the 88 convention. I would also like to see Gore as he seems to have found his feet as a speechmaker in the last year or so. Kennedy I could take or leave. Edwards and Kerry are obvious ones to watch. But 2AM? I can only imagine that those trying to watch from the Middle East or beyond have even tougher propositions in front of them.

Liberal Hate-Fest

Being expats, some of you will be missing Jon Stewart's Daily Show on Comedy Central, and have had to rely on the Comedy Central website for your fix. And, every once in a while, the website earns its keep, and throws up a tasty morcel such as this clip on Conventional Wisdom (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love GOP Talking Points).

Republicans for Nader

In a move that should surprise nobody, it appears the GOP are trying to make sure Ralph Nader remains a thorn in the side for Gore Kerry in this year's election, and the Democrats ain't happy:

Michigan Democratic executive chairman Mark Brewer said he thinks the state GOP exceeded a state political party campaign limit of $5,000 in helping Nader get on the ballot.

"The staff costs and administrative expenses incurred by the Michigan GOP in spending several weeks collecting 43,000 signatures for Nader clearly exceed that limit," Brewer said in a release.

"Unless Nader withdraws his attempt to qualify as an independent candidate and disavows those GOP signatures, we will file complaints against him and the Michigan GOP with the Federal Election Commission," he said.

Nader spokesman Kevin Zeese dismissed the Democratic Party's claims.

"The Republican Party made no contribution to us. They didn't coordinate this with us. It's an independent expenditure. So I don't know what the Democrats are talking about," he said.

Zeese added that no decision has been made on whether Nader will accept the GOP signatures, which made up the bulk of the 50,000 signatures turned into the Bureau of Elections by Thursday's deadline.

A bizarre turn of events, to be sure.

Ralphie, baby, if you screw this election for Kerry I sure hope you've picked a nice holiday home in some nice, non-extradition-treaty country somewhere.

The 51st State

The Washington Post says the 51st state... is all of us out here in expat-land. And boy howdy, if we aren't signing up to vote in droves!

"People are motivated," King said. "You have people literally coming out of the woodwork to register. This is a very contentious, personal election. People really feel that it's going to affect them personally." He said Republicans were also planning advertising blitzes in foreign newspapers this summer and fall to register more voters.

Officials at the Federal Voting Assistance Program, the government agency that handles overseas voting, said that in 2000 they had 250,000 requests for voter registration applications from U.S. citizens living abroad. This year, as of earlier this month, they had sent out 340,000, and they expect to mail many more before the November election.

It goes without saying, if you haven't sent in your FPCA, what're you waiting for? Go do it! Now!

Engagement vs Aggression

An interesting article about Turkey and its possible invitation to join the EU in the New York Review of Books posits that we could all learn a bit about how to go about bringing stability and democracy to the Middle East from the example set here:

December's vote will be as much about Europe as about Turkey. It is a chance for Europeans to confront their fear of outsiders, and to emerge from centuries of hostility and suspicion directed against the Muslim world. The prospect of EU membership is a principal reason why Turkey is now moving so resolutely toward full democracy, which means that Europe has already had a very positive effect on Turkish life. This is a welcome example of how democratic countries can use their influence to promote the cause of freedom abroad. "While the hard power of the United States is destroying Iraq," Sahin Alpay, a professor of politics at Istanbul's Bahcesehir University, told me, "the soft power of Europe is transforming Turkey."

Of course, this has something to do with the new Prime Minister Erdogan's radical push towards the West; I'm sure if Turkey had an intractable hardline Islamic government then there wouldn't even be a debate over their EU status. Still, it bears some comparison to America's approach to spreading democracy down the barrel of our very big gun.

Outfoxed: The Memos

You may have heard about Outfoxed, the documentary about the Fox News Channel that said news channel are trying to block or at least discredit. Fresh on the heels of the controversy, the makers of said documentary have released to DC gossip blog Wonkette a nice selection of the memos that were sent out from the top levels of Fox News to the troops, guiding them on the editorial slant they should take. Some of these have been seen before, but some of them are new - and make hard reading:

The president is doing something that few of his predecessors dared undertake: putting the US case for mideast peace to an Arab summit. It's a distinctly skeptical crowd that Bush faces. His political courage and tactical cunning are worth noting in our reporting through the day.

Hogwash. Bush has made nothing more than a token effort towards peace in the Middle East, unlike most of his predecessors. It's obscene to claim that he is to be patted on the back for his "efforts." I mean, before the abortive "roadmap" last year he basically ignored the issue for two years.

The so-called 9/11 commission has already been meeting. In fact, this is the eighth session. The fact that former Clinton and both frmer and current Bush administration officials are testifying gives it a certain tension, but this is not "what did he know and when did he know it" stuff. Do not turn this into Watergate. Remember the fleeting sense of national unity that emerged from this tragedy. Let's not desecrate that.

Right. Let's not trouble our post-9/11 patriotic feelgood hug-a-thon with examining what went wrong or how we could prevent it next time.

Thursday update: the pictures from Abu Graeb prison are disturbing. They have rightly provoked outrage. Today we have a picture -- aired on Al Arabiya -- of an American hostage being held with a scarf over his eyes, clearly against his will. Who's outraged on his behalf?

Well we've been through this argument time and again on this site... Nobody expects terrorists to play nice. People expect better from us. Remember? We're the good guys.

AP: Iraqi insurgency far larger than thought

Breaking news: The Iraqi insurgency is not being run by (foreign fighters / terrorists / boogeymen / delete where appropriate):

Contrary to U.S. government claims, the insurgency in Iraq is led by well-armed Sunnis angry about losing power, not foreign fighters, and is far larger than previously thought, American military officials say.

[...]

"We're not at the forefront of a jihadist war here," said a U.S. military official in Baghdad, speaking on condition of anonymity. [...] Most of the insurgents are fighting for a bigger role in a secular society, not a Taliban-like Islamic state, the military official said. Almost all the guerrillas are Iraqis, even those launching some of the devastating car bombings normally blamed on foreigners — usually al-Zarqawi.

Damnit, that's gotta be inconvenient. I mean, it's easier if it's terrorists (sorry, Enemies of Freedom) we're fighting in Iraq rather than Iraqis pissed off because we're in their country. Right?

Don't watch Fahrenheit 9/11...

... on your computer, that is.

On Wednesday I posted about Michael Moore saying it was OK to download pirated copies of his film. I guess that's still OK, and from what I've heard a lot of people have chosen to jump the queue and watch the film this way, in their homes. For some it's practicality (not being able to get out to the cinema) and for others its itching curiousity (wanting to be the first to have seen it). I've got a copy, but it's a pretty poor pirate camcorder job (as I suspect are most of the other copies floating around out there).

If you're considering seeing this film, and you have the capacity to do so, I would very much urge you to see this in the cinema. Not only will you contribute to the success of the film and thereby send a message to the Bush administration, but you will have a much more visceral experience. Seeing this film with a crowd makes it all the more poignant, especially as the crowd gets into it and starts to interact with the film (read: hissing and booing).

This is not a perfect documentary by any stretch of the imagination: it is at times infuriatingly coy and omits facts that might provide counterpoint. But these are inconsequential, as overall the film beats you senseless with the sheer horror of the War on Terror and its many sordid aspects. Several times I felt myself welling up with tears (yes, I was emotionally manipulated, and knowingly so) and other times (such as anytime Bush spoke) I found myself sinking into the chair and grimacing. Everyone I was with came out shaking their heads and muttering "Bastards..."

By far the most moving sequences are those surrounding Lila Lipscomb, the Flint, MI mother of Michael, who was killed in action only 2 weeks after shipping out to Iraq. I won't spoil the experience, but I was genuinely moved by her words and experiences, and I would think you would be hard-pressed to argue that she is not speaking from her heart (in fact someone does try to argue that point and comes off looking like Satan's little sister).

In short, whatever you think of Michael Moore, this is a powerful piece of filmmaking. Go see it.

Moore: Pirate My Film

Michael Moore says he has no problem with people downloading pirated copies of his film, according to this article. Bizarrely, the distributor (Lions Gate) also seems to have no problem with it. Not so, predictably, with the MPAA or the Hollywood establishment, who are unimpressed.

I am still going to see in in the cinema sometime in the next week, as are many of you, but it's good to know that Mr Moore wants his message to get across no matter the cost. Especially now that it's already done $60 million. I endorse this film with my usual reservations about the auteur - but no reservations strong enough to make me overlook the fact that this film will have a definite positive impact on the balance of swing voters in November.

By the way, not that I advocate this or anything, but www.suprnova.org might be a starting point (it's also linked from the article above so I don't feel like I'm telling tales out of school...) - but bewarned, all I could see is camcorder ripoffs. If Mr Moore truly believes, he should provide a DVD-rip pirate version for the masses :)

Update

Looking into this a bit more, I see that Michael Moore is basking in his own brilliance a bit (who'da thought?) but that he's had some factoids regarding the success of his flick brought to his attention, one of which disturbs me. See if you can spot which one I mean:

** More people saw "Fahrenheit 9/11" in one weekend than all the people who saw "Bowling for Columbine" in 9 months.

** "Fahrenheit 9/11" broke "Rocky III’s" record for the biggest box office opening weekend ever for any film that opened in less than a thousand theaters.

** "Fahrenheit 9/11" beat the opening weekend of "Return of the Jedi."

** "Fahrenheit 9/11" instantly went to #2 on the all-time list for largest per-theater average ever for a film that opened in wide-release.

Now, that's just wrong.

CNN: It's Edwards

Well CNN has jumped the gun on Kerry's planned announcement today of John Edwards as his running mate.

I have to say I think this is a good thing. He can counteract the "northern liberal" rubbish slung against Kerry, and inject some youth into the campaign. Plus he was born in South Carolina and I voted for him in the Dems Abroad caucus earlier this year, so I'm ever so slightly biased.

UPDATE

It's official now - Kerry has announced it via email:

In just a few minutes, I will announce that Senator John Edwards will join me as my running-mate on the Democratic ticket as a candidate for vice president of the United States. Teresa and I could not be more excited that John and Elizabeth Edwards will be our partners in our journey to make America stronger at home and respected in the world.

You are the heart and soul of our campaign. You've shattered records and expectations every step of the way. Every time someone said you couldn't do it, you proved them wrong. Because of your incredible grassroots energy and commitment, I wanted to make the first official announcement of my decision to you -- more than one million online supporters at johnkerry.com.

I want you to know why I'm excited about running for president with John Edwards by my side. John understands and defends the values of America. He has shown courage and conviction as a champion for middle class Americans and those struggling to reach the middle class. In the Senate, he worked to reform our intelligence, to combat bioterrorism, and keep our military strong. John reaches across party lines and speaks to the heart of America -- hope and optimism. Throughout his own campaign for President, John spoke about the great divide in this country -- the "Two Americas" -- that exist between those who are doing well today and those that are struggling to make it from day to day. And I am so proud that we're going to build one America together.

In the next 120 days and in the administration that follows, John Edwards and I will be fighting for the America we love. We'll be fighting to give the middle class a voice by providing good paying jobs and affordable health care. We'll be fighting to make America energy independent. We'll be fighting to build a strong military and lead strong alliances, so young Americans are never put in harm's way because we insisted on going it alone.

I can't tell you how proud I am to have John Edwards on my team, or how eager I am for the day this fall when he stands up for our vision and goes toe-to-toe with Dick Cheney.

This is the most important election of our lifetime, and a defining moment in our history. With you by our side every day of this campaign, John and I will lead the most spirited presidential campaign America has ever seen and fight to lead our nation in a new and better direction.

Thank you,

John Kerry

Stop Bush

A simple but powerful concept for a website: Collecting images of grassroots street-level anti-Bush displays. Check it out.