LIBERADIO(!)

The Always On series illustrates what we’d be talking about on any given day if we were on the air 5 days a week.

If we were on the air today we’d be talking about how sometimes we like the way the Nashville City Paper thinks. In today’s editorial, they called for Governor Bredesen to stop his offensive on a Republican-led effort to lower the state’s sales tax on food and possibly eliminate it completely over the next decade.

Although we’re tickled pink that our Governor has decided to make education a priority during his remaining time in office, we’re disappointed in the heavy-handedness in which he is treating the Republican suggestion that we cut tax on food. He also seems too quick to discount the proposal and too willing to accept the cigarette tax’s regressiveness as a necessary evil. The City Paper is right, the Governor should give the idea of a tax cut on food some serious thought. Somewhere in the two proposals there is room for discussion and undoubtedly room to compromise.

Ah, remember the heady days of 2002, back when war was so fantastic? I mean, it was so great, right?! Being pro-war was the conceptual American flag lapel pin! We were not going to let any WMDs catch us lying down, especially over a late night game of Iraq Hold ‘Em being played by Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda! Waging pre-emptive war in Iraq was like Bush’s moon mission — he would accomplish it before the end of his term — and we were all giddy at the prospects! Imagine the freedom! Imagine the oil! Imagine being able to sleep soundly again, which we hadn’t been able to do since 9/11!

But then… the shine somehow came off. That $1 billion suddenly became $1 trillion. There were no WMDs. There was no connection between al-Qaeda and Iraq.

But at least we could look to the courageous Democrats for leadership to get us out of the mess! Their unified chorus of voices heralded one of the most vigorous anti-war resonances heard from around the world! Oh, wait. No. That’s now. Back then, only 23 Democrats in the U.S. Senate found enough courage to muster a principled stand against the president and the war drums being beat by his entire administration. Well, at least all the Democrats in the Senate at the time who opposed the war are now running for president! Crap! Wrong again. It turns out that all four Democrats now running for president who were in the Senate at the time of the vote of the Iraq war resolution VOTED FOR THE RESOLUTION! Yes, even Joe Biden and Chris Dodd.

Here’s the rundown for presidential candidates:

Democrats

• Joe Biden: Y
• Chris Dodd: Y
• John Edwards: Y
• Hillary Clinton: Y

Republicans

• John McCain: Y
• Sam Brownback: Y

Project Vote Smart has the complete list. And here’s the text of the bill.

No surprises from the Republicans. And no surprise that Dennis Kucinich voted ‘nay’ in the House. But, yes, John Edwards you were wrong. Frankly, I think you should’ve had some better actuaries on hand at the time who could’ve told you that $1.2 trillion would’ve made a big impact in combating poverty. And Sen. Clinton? If you only knew then, right? How is that a bunch of people on the outside looking in had a feeling that the Bush administration might have been selling a lemon? Isn’t part of your institutional responsibility skeptical oversight? You’re right: there are other choices for those who don’t like your vote. And I’ll be seriously considering them.

The Always On series illustrates what we’d be talking about on any given day if we were on the air 5 days a week.

If we were on the air today we’d be talking about U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez’s visit to Nashville and his pandering to Southern Baptist leaders.

Gonzalez told a gathering of Southern Baptist leaders in Nashville yesterday that the U.S. will establish a new Religious Freedom Task Force to protect against religious discrimination. The Department of Justice’s “First Freedom Project” will “review religious discrimination complaints, hold seminars to educate religious leaders about how to file complaints and launch a Web site with information on religious liberty laws.”

I had three thoughts when I heard this news: 1) I wonder if the Attorney General would have announced the same task force in front of a group of Muslim leaders; 2) I thought that’s what the ACLU already did; and, 3) Is there a War on the Southern Baptists that I don’t know about?

Imagine my surprise this morning to come across this in an updated post from a couple days ago by Joe Klein at Time’s Swampland blog. He’s speaking to a commenter who was a member of the armed forces currently feeling guilt and shame about the state of our deployment in Iraq, partly for not being there. The commenter’s solution is to bring the troops home now. Joe says:

First, thank you for your service. Second–and I know this doesn’t mean much–but I’m never so infuriated with Bush et al as when I think about your unwarranted shame and guilt, multiply it 100,000 times across the force, and think about the disastrous consequences for our military and our country. This has now happened twice in my lifetime, in Vietnam and Iraq. And I’m dedicating the rest of my life to making sure that we never go to war so foolishly again–if at all.

Wow. That’s powerful stuff. Dedicating the rest of this life to preventing this sort of war? Can you imagine David Brooks or even Christopher Hitchens making such a claim? I have to admit: that’s a dose of inspiration from the ol’ mainstream media this morning. Seems like Joe had a splash of Cronkite in his coffee on Sunday.

I just went to the Chancellor’s Lecture Series at Vanderbilt to hear Bob Herbert speak. And I’m glad I did. He gave a solid (although not quite inspiring) lecture on the notion of pervasive indifference in American society. It’s the same sort of indifference that inspired Mary to engage in her Lucy Votes voter registration drive back in 2004 and ultimately led to the creation of Liberadio(!).

Herbert lamented that the pervasivevness extends from the aftermath of Katrina to civilian deaths in the Iraq war. Why are we so compassionate for the few thousand who lost their lives in the tragedy of 9/11 but vastly less so regarding the “scores of thousands” who have lost their lives as a result of the war in Iraq? The lecture was markedly anti-war. And it was pointed in its criticism of the lack of leadership among various communities (specific mentions of the black and feminist communities) where indifference has led to pervasive problems and near hopelessness.

Long-time listeners of Liberadio(!) will know that we often challenge our guests with a final question: “What can we and our listeners do…?” We constantly fight against indifference on the show. We’re all about participatory democracy. To us, the highest form of patriotism is civic activism, whether by being involved politically or otherwise in ways that improve the world. From changing lightbulbs to going door-to-door on behalf of a favored candidate to filing papers oneself. And many of these were on the same list that Herbert gave in his discourse.

But I challenged him, as I challenge our guests, during the question and answer period that followed the lecture. I complimented him on his thought leadership and asked for examples of individual leadership based on an experience in his life that caused him to change his behavior in order to avoid indifference. He punted. I don’t fault him for that. He explained the fine line he must walk as a writer for The New York Times and that he felt uncomfortable answering lest he inappropriate use his bully pulpit. But I’m always looking for ways to enhance the toolkit of making a difference in the face of almost overwhelming indifference. I wanted a way that members of the audience could find to relate to a small step he had taken in his own life and not feel the pressure of ending the Iraq war or rebuilding after Katrina. Concrete options supplementing conceptual remarks are a strength, in my opinion. Despite the lack of concrete options, I appreciated the lecture and thought it was both relevant and important. Thank you, Mr. Herbert.

The Always On series illustrates what we’d be talking about on any given day if we were on the air 5 days a week.

If we were on the air today we’d be talking about accused terrorism financier Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari and his direct ties to the GOP.

Last week, John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia, took a page from Karl Rove’s Handbook of Un-American Activities and said that Al-Qaeda was praying for Seantor Barack Obama to win in 2008:

“I think that would just encourage those who wanted completely to destabilise and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and victory for the terrorists to hang on and hope for (an) Obama victory. If I was running al-Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008, and pray, as many times as possible, for a victory not only for Obama, but also for the Democrats.”

Tsk. Tsk. All that rhetoric because Senator Obama wants us to extricate ourselves from a war where we’re hemorrhaging American lives and other valuable resources while inflaming anti-American sentiment in the region.

Howard, it turns out, was one letter off. The terrorists are not praying for Democrats but rather they are paying for the Republicans.

ABC News’ The Blotter is reporting that The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the main political group dedicated to helping the Republican party win seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, received thousands of dollars from Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari, who stands accused in a New York court of being a terror financier.

Alishtari gave $15,250 to the NRCC since 2002, according to FEC records published on the Web site opensecrets.org and last Friday he pled not guilty to funding terrorism and other crimes, including financial fraud.

The indictment charges him with providing material support to terrorists by transferring $152,000 between banks to allegedly be used to purchase night-vision goggles and other equipment needed for a terrorist training camp. He was paid thousands for this service.

Guests: Metro Councilman-at-large Adam Dread and David Barsamian, founder and director of Alternative Radio, radio producer, journalist, author and lecturer.

Links: 2003 Memo Says Iranian Leaders Backed Talks (Washington Post), Iranian Talks offer (.pdf), “Oh What a Malleable War,” By Frank Rich (NY Times), “Don’t Get Fooled Again,” by Clay Evans (Boulder Daily Camera), To the Left, to the Left…, Vanderbilt Community Alliance (Living Wage Campaign), Laborers’ International Union of North America, Danny Glover in Nashville to help support Vanderbilt employees fighting for a living wage

Actor and activist Danny Glover and Laborers’ International Union President Terry O’Sullivan will be in Nashville tomorrow, Tuesday, February 20, to support Vanderbilt University employees who are struggling to win a living wage.

Tuesday Events Include Discussions with Workers at Homeless Shelter, Campus Activities Conference, and a Town Hall Meeting.

Tuesday, February 20, 2007
10:30 a.m. Acclaimed actor Danny Glover and Laborers’ President
Terry O’Sullivan will meet with Vanderbilt University workers at Safe Haven Family Shelter, 1234 3rd Avenue South, Nashville, a homeless shelter where one employee lives.

12:30 p.m. Danny Glover addresses the National Association for Campus Activities, Gaylord Opryland Hotel, 2800 Opryland Drive, Nashville.

2:15 p.m. Danny Glover and Laborers’ President Terry O’Sullivan
meet with Vanderbilt employees as they clock in and out for work at Vanderbilt Peabody College, just north of 18th Street and Edgehill Avenue.

4:00 p.m. Town Hall meeting with Vanderbilt University workers, students, community leaders, Danny Glover and Terry O’Sullivan, at Scarritt Bennett Center, Wightman Chapel, 1008 19th Avenue South, Nashville.

Vanderbilt workers, many of them members of Laborers’ Local Union 386, have been struggling since last year to achieve a living wage, which in Nashville is $10.18 per hour. Currently, Vanderbilt’s lowest paid workers earn about $7.55 an hour, well below the poverty level.

This doesn’t have much to do with the 2008 field, but it’s still important. Actually, I take that back: Dennis Kucinich voted to oppose the surge. Jake Tapper of ABC News gives us the scorecard of yesterday’s vote on the “surge” in the House of Representatives. Look at John Duncan, a Tennessee Republican, standing strong against his partisan tide.

Pre-emptive military foreign policy has not historically been a part of the conservative movement, which is why we often hear the term “neoconservative” associated with many intellectuals and administration officials associated with supporting Bush. Based on what neoconservativism has bought us (with a price tag of $1 trillion), I’d be happier with a dose of good old fashioned conservatism in American foreign policy. Strengthening the foundations of global democracy does not mean being completely isolationist; but it means being a little less trigger happy.

Summary: Al Franken gets it. Tennessee’s own John Duncan from the 2nd district (the Fightin’ 2nd!) gets it. The states that are passing anti-war resolutions get it. Al Gore might get it if his series of live concerts (Clim8?) to raise awareness about global climate change are also carbon neutral. There’s only one person who definitely doesn’t get it and his initials are President George W. Bush.

Listen to: He Just Doesn’t Get It (30:37 28MB)