Saturday night, April 24, join thousands of music lovers around the country in protesting anti-music legislation, raising money to protect live music, and organizing voters

Via Drug War Rant:

Check out ProtectLiveMusic.org a project of the Drug Policy Alliance. It's a good awareness site of some of the drug laws in particular that are targeting the music industry (just as Anslinger targeted musicians in the early days of criminalization). There are action items where you can make a difference. This Saturday, April 24, is their Day and Night of Outrage, complete with some wonderful music, in clubs around the country.

by TChris

Bush administration supporters have been chanting a new mantra: "Iraq is not Vietnam. Iraq is not Vietnam." In the words of Molly Ivins: "It may not be Vietnam, but it's sure a quagmire."

Iraq may not be Vietnam, but the Vietnam Syndrome has returned.

At the height of his Gulf War triumph in 1991, President Bush Sr. impulsively and defiantly exulted, "By God We've kicked the Vietnam Syndrome once and for all."

Now former President Bush's son has taken us back to the future, as government officials lie to the public in an effort to win support for a war. The Vietnam Syndrome is back with a vengeance.

As in Vietnam, the role of the U.S. in Iraq is dividing the country. The central question at this point: should we stay in Iraq (with or without broad international support) or should we leave? Howard Zinn's view: get out now.

Along with Planned Parenthood, the ACLU is taking a lead role in the Women's Rights March this Sunday in Washington, D.C. They have launched a tv ad for the occasion, which prominently features Attorney General John Ashcroft. You can watch it online here. The National Journal (subscription only) describes it this way:

The American Civil Liberties Union hit airwaves this week with a TV ad promoting Sunday's March for Women's Lives. The 30-second spot begins with scenes of women staring into the camera and includes a photograph of Attorney General John Ashcroft as an announcer says, "You have to stop this man." Reasons -- "discrimination," "opposes medically necessary abortions," "opposes birth control" -- flash across the screen. The spot concludes with an enjoinder to attend the march, as the announcer says, "Don't just sit there and take it.

by TChris

Louisiana seems to be having a difficult time keeping judges on the bench. First the Louisiana Supreme Court removed Criminal District Judge Sharon Hunter for "administrative incompetence" (among other problems, she misplaced the trial transcripts of a murder case). Then, as TalkLeft recently reported, the supreme court tossed Civil District Judge C. Hunter King for trying to extort campaign contributions from court employees.

Now the supreme court has shown the door to Judge Yvonne Hughes, who ran for judge a dozen times before being elected in 2001. The judicial commission concluded that Judge Hughes abandoned her private practice clients (without refunding their retainers) when she assumed the bench and was equally inattentive to her duties as a judge. The supreme court was also disturbed that Judge Hughes hired felons to work in the courtroom (which the AP says is a violation of Louisiana's Constitution) and gave some of them access to confidential juvenile records.

Kevin Drum at Political Animal explains why there's still good reason to be suspicious about President Bush's National Guard Service, and why the press has been silent about it lately. Kevin reviews the documents that have been released and then addresses those that are missing. He says the two together give us plenty to be suspicious about. As to the silence of the press, Kevin says, there's just no smoking gun. We think he's probably right.

However, we did receive this email today from a retired lieutenant colonel, who's not willing to let Bush off the hook and who pleads with Kerry and the Democrats to stay on this:

by TChris

This man in Pretoria is a lucky fellow:

Telkom senior manager Petrus Mthethwa on Wednesday escaped unhurt after two alleged assassins broke into his house at midnight and opened fire.

The botched assassination attempt was Mthethwa's third escape from death.

In an attack last October, one of the security guards provided by Telkom sustained gunshot wounds to the neck and was admitted to hospital.

In another incident, Mthethwa was followed while driving home from work. The occupants of the car fired several shots but he escaped unharmed.

As we reported here, some USA Today employees were hoping USA Today's top editor, Karen Jurgenson, would not take the fall alone for the Jack Kelley scandal. Turns out she won't: Managing News Editor Hal Ritter submitted his resignation today, and Executive Editor Brian Gallagher will be next.

The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in the Zacarias Moussaoui case, splitting the baby:

For the defense:

The government had asserted that Brinkema, in Alexandria, Va., exceeded her authority by ruling that Moussaoui - an acknowledged al-Qaida member - could have access to three prisoners from Osama bin Laden's terrorist organization. The three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the government's argument. Rather, the judges affirmed the trial judge's findings that "the enemy combatant witnesses could provide material, favorable testimony on Moussaoui's behalf."

However, the appeals judges rejected Brinkema's view that it was not possible to craft a compromise - saying that written statements from the prisoners could substitute for direct questioning of the witnesses.

For the Government:

Judge Brinkema sought to punish the government for refusing her orders allowing access to the prisoners - barring all evidence related to Sept. 11 and also banning the death penalty, which the government said it would seek if Moussaoui was convicted. The appeals judges rejected the sanctions.

You can read the opinion here.

Congressional Quarterly (paid subscription only) is reporting that the Victims' Rights Amendment is dead--the proponents have abandoned their attempt to pass a constitutional amendment and instead will try to pass a law applicable to victims rights in federal cases.

Supporters of a long-stalled constitutional amendment that would guarantee
rights for crime victims are at least temporarily conceding defeat and planning to back alternative language that would spell out such rights in a statute. New legislation (S 2329) agreed upon late Wednesday by constitutional amendment sponsors Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and others, is scheduled for Senate floor debate and passage on Thursday.

Final details of the bill were not available, but Democratic Senate aides
said Wednesday that the compromise would likely include language that would
give victims or their representatives the right to be heard at public release, plea sentencing and other proceedings and would require judicial officials to take victims' safety into account when deciding the fate of defendants. The compromise is also expected to authorize federal grants for crime victims.

A law is a lot easier to change or repeal than a constitutional amendment. Wise choice. We hear there are some problematic provisions in the planned law, but we'll save that for another day. Right now we're just thrilled that the VRA is dead.

Update: The AP reports:

Feinstein and Kyl had to sacrifice a proposed victims' rights constitutional amendment to get the bill through the Senate. A constitutional amendment would have required all states to follow the federal government's wishes. The bill passed by the Senate would only apply to federal crimes and federal courts.

Buzzflash asks, Can You Feel the Draft?

The military has already wasted millions of dollars trying to boost recruitment through entertainment like NASCAR. Not surprisingly, recruitment goals have fallen far short of expectations. Current soldiers, meanwhile, have made it clear that they want out. Not even signing bonuses are coaxing them to re-enlist. Why go through this mess again?

The draft is the only remaining option. Bush will start implementing a draft through reactivation of the Selective Service Boards, shortly after he is sworn in for a second term, if that nightmare scenario of his election should come to pass. But not to worry for the offspring of the Bush dynasty. The Bush loyalists will find a way to keep the twins and other Bush kin from serving. None of the Bush brothers, including George, have fought in a war. They don't plan on starting any new Bush traditions now with the "next generation."

It's our sons and daughters who will be drafted not the kin of the Bush family. You can be sure of that.

Here are some details of post-9/11 bills calling for the draft. More here.

For those who haven't read our many, many posts on the draft, we unequivocally oppose it. You can access them by placing "Rangel" or "country joe" "military draft" in the search box. (Our archives have moved so internal links within the posts won't work, but the search box does.)

Where's Country Joe when we need him? And Arlo? And Bruce? (scroll to the bottom for that one.)

The U.N. Security Council has adopted a resolution to back the investigation of the "oil for food scandal", which will include a probe of contracts with Iraq around the world. We don't know enough about this to opine yet, but if you do, feel free to comment.

Paul Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, began a high-level investigation yesterday into allegations of kickbacks and bribes in the U.N.-run oil-for-food program for Iraq. Volcker assumed his post as head of a three-man team after he was assured all 15 members of the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution to back the investigation, which will include a probe of contracts with Iraq around the world. "We will be following the money as well as we can," Volcker told a news conference.

....Under the now-defunct program, Iraq was permitted to sell oil in order to buy civilian goods. Its purpose was to ease the impact on ordinary Iraqis of sanctions imposed after the 1991 Persian Gulf War...The panel intends to hire investigators, accountants and legal specialists in an effort to analyze contracts, he said. The program allowed Saddam's government to choose buyers of its oil and suppliers of goods. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he took the allegations seriously, which include accusations that a senior U.N. official took a bribe from Saddam's government.

Kelley at Demopower writes that the woman who allowed the rarely shown photo of coffins of U.S. troops awaiting transport back home to be published has been fired. The news report of the firing is here.

Tim Dunlop has more over at Road to Surfdom.