Mike and I both think that today's Democracy Now! is one you really shouldn't miss. Instead of sensationalism, they dealt with reality and a whole host of issues involving the mining disaster that aren't the ones anchors putting on the "sad face" are noting.
Remember to check out Mikey Likes It! to get Mike's take.
WV Paper: Mining Deaths Were "Preventable"; Says Bush Undercut Safety Regs (Democracy Now!):
In West Virginia, about 125 people gathered Wednesday night for a candlelight vigil in the town of Sago to mourn the 12 coal miners who died in what was the country's deadliest mining accident in four years. One miner survived and remains hospitalized. The town has been in a state of shock since Tuesday night when residents were initially informed that 12 of the 13 trapped miners had been found alive. But the report turned out to be false. The owner of the mine - the International Coal Group -- is coming under increasing criticism for its handling of the tragedy and its safety record. The company's president Ben Hatfield said he sincerely regretted the manner in which the families were falsely notified. The company waited over two hours to tell the celebrating family members that their loved ones were not in fact alive. The editors of the Charleston Gazette in West Virginia have published an editorial in today's paper titled "Preventable Deaths." The editorial reads "this tragedy was not a surprise - both because the mine had a disturbing safety record, and because the Bush administration in Washington has been undercutting mine safety." Last year, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration filed 200 alleged violations against the Sago mine. 46 citations were issued in the past three months - 18 of them were considered "serious and substantial" We'll go to West Virginia later in the show.
You can't cut ignore oversight without having consequences and if you don't enforce the laws, what happens isn't an "accident," it's negligence. That's exactly what Bully Boy's been to the country. We saw his neglect with the after effects of Hurricane Katrina. We see it in Iraq.
Bush Reserves Right To Order Torture of Prisoners (Democracy Now!):
This update on a story we have been tracking closely. Last week President Bush officially signed a bill outlawing torture of detainees. While the bill signing received significant press coverage, what Bush did following the signing has not. According to the Boston Globe, Bush quietly issued what is known as a signing statement in which he lays out his interpretation of the new law. In this document Bush declared that he will view the interrogation limits in the context of his broader powers to protect national security. Legal experts say this means Bush believes he can waive the anti-torture restrictions. New York University Law Professor David Golove criticized Bush's move. He said ''The signing statement is saying 'I will only comply with this law when I want to, and if something arises in the war on terrorism where I think it's important to torture or engage in cruel, inhuman, and degrading conduct, I have the authority to do so and nothing in this law is going to stop me.' "
Who knew Bully Boy was a fan of Starship and went around singing "Nothing's Going To Stop Me Now"? I'd say that's far less suprising than the fact that he once again thinks he's above the law and isn't answerable to anyone. In fact didn't he say that, that people needed to explain to him? He said that not to admit that he's functionally illiterate but because he's appears to believe that the country exists to glorify him as opposed to believing that he owes the country a huge debt. Gratitude doesn't appear to run in that family.
While the Bully Boy doesn't grasp the concept of oversight, CODEPINK does:
Women Say NO to War!
We at CODEPINK, together with 200 prominent women from around the globe, have written our own Urgent Peace Plan to end the war in Iraq. From now until March 8, International Women's Day, we will be gathering signatures to deliver to U.S. embassies worldwide. So join Alice Walker, Susan Sarandon, Margaret Cho, Dolores Huerta, Eve Ensler, Congresswomen Barbara Lee, Lynn Woolsey, and Cynthia McKinney, Iraqi women from the Organization for Women's Freedom in Iraq and Women Living Under Muslim Laws, and many more (see initial endorsers) by signing the call today at www.womensaynotowar.org and passing it on to your friends.
I'm wiped out tonight so that's going to be it. I'll blog tomorrow night. (A promise.)
Peace is . . .
knowing when you need rest.
