JULY SURPRISE?

CHENEY REBUFFED

THE FURPHY REVEALED

"July surprise" anyone? That’s apparently what some in the White House are scheming towards, according to the New Republic which reports from South Asia that "Bush officials are pressuring Pakistan to catch Osama bin Laden or his top deputies before the election. Some even have a specific date in mind — the middle of the Democratic convention."

Readers of this dissectorblog may recall a report months and months ago, based on a high level discussion with a low level Pakistani taxicab driver here in New York who told me after that "breaking news" of the imminent "capture" of Al Qaeda’s #2 in Pakistan’s tribal areas fizzled in public view, that Pakistan was then making a deal with the US for arms in exchange for Osama or Dr. Zwaheri’s head on a platter. It was, he said, all over the country’s media.

THY WILL BE DONE

"They must deliver," the man told me with the assurance of one who sped me to my destination without stopping at one light, a Manhattan mitzvah, inshallah. "They will or Musharef is mud." What took the New Republic so long to get on the trail?

Hold on to your hats. The dirty tricks have just begun. Fox was poo pooing the Edwards selection reporting that the Kerry campaign did not get the "bump" Clinton got with Gore or Gore with Lieberman when they named their number twos. The Foxes say it was only four points when nothing less than fifteen will do. If Kerry was worried, he wasn’t showing it, drawling on about his ticket as a "dream team," in part, because this Batman and Robin have "the best hair." He has the hair club for men vote, thats for sure.

MARCHING THROUGH DIXIE

Salon editor (and ex-Clintonian) Sid Blumenthal sees the Edward’s selection as part of a Southern strategy, writing:

The battle for the south has begun. Edwards’s roots are key to Kerry winning the presidential election. Just as Edwards underscores the endurance of the Southern Democratic tradition, so does he underscore the dead end of conservatism in the person of Dick Cheney. The thread of the Southern Democratic tradition that now runs through Edwards opposes the one represented by President Bush and Vice President Cheney. These Southern politics have been in conflict since President Andrew Jackson split with his vice president, the original theoretician of Southern reaction, John Calhoun. The Jacksonian slogan was “opportunity for all, special privilege for none.” But the Calhoun wing of the party triumphed, leading to the Civil War, eventually the end of Reconstruction, and the long rule of the Bourbons, or local oligarchs, who maintained their power under the rubric of states’ rights against federal authority. African-Americans were disenfranchised under Jim Crow, and poor whites, sharecroppers and mill hands like Edwards’ father and grandfather were manipulated by racial fears and a hatred of intruding Yankees like Kerry’s ancestors.

KENNY BOY SAYS WHAT ME WORRY

"Kenny Boy" Lay, former chairman of the former Enron says there must be some mistake as he insists that he does not deserve to be indicted as a Grand Jury did yesterday in Houston for the 2001 collapse of the seventh largest company in the world. He is in Court today and was all smiles to the cameras yesterday.

IRAQ ON HIGH BOIL

In Iraq, AJ reports: "The Philippines has ordered a halt to futher deployment of its troops in Iraq, alarmed by the abduction of a Filipino worker.”

The Information Clearing House carries some articles of more than a little interest:

"Cheney Had No New Data on Saddam, Al Qaeda-Panel: The Sept. 11 commission, which reported no evidence of collaborative links between Iraq and al Qaeda, said on Tuesday that Vice President Dick Cheney had no more information than commission investigators to support his later assertions to the contrary.” (link)

"The true human cost of the war in Iraq: Are we getting the whole story from the Pentagon? Bill Moyers NOW reports, " The number of casualties from Operation Iraqi Freedom are, thousands and thousands of soldiers higher than the Pentagon seems to say" (link)

SANCTIONS ON SUDAN?

Al Jazeera reports: "The United States has warned Sudan that it could face immediate sanctions if the situation in Darfur did not improve. John Danforth, the new US ambassador to the United Nations, said the UN Security Council members would begin negotiations on Thursday on a US-drafted resolution that imposes arms and travel ban on militia leaders accused of atrocities in Darfur. ‘We are talking about days. We are talking about this week. This is a matter of urgency,’ Danforth said on Wednesday."

Elsewhere in Africa, BBC reports: "Police shoot Kenyan protesters — One person has been shot dead and at least 10 injured after Kenyan police fired live bullets at demonstrators in the western city of Kisumu. A BBC reporter in Kisumu says police started shooting after hundreds of protesters started burning tyres. They were protesting at President Mwai Kibaki’s announcement last week that a new constitution would be delayed.The issue has deeply divided the ruling coalition and there were street battles on Saturday in the capital, Nairobi."

Back in the USA, Justin Rood of Congressional Quarterly reports: "The Defense Department, largely prohibited from gathering information on U.S. citizens, has arranged for access to state and local police intelligence that it says will help defend its forces and the country at large against terrorist attacks. Through a secure, Internet-based law enforcement information exchange network, the Pentagon has access to information involving U.S. citizens, resident foreigners and other individuals that has been collected by state and local police and is considered to have a terrorism connection. Created by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in 2002, the program was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security in February 2004 and given a new name."

KIRK ADMITS CIA CONNECTION

My partner Rory sent me this beaut: "Mark Kirk (Republican, 10th District - Illinois) admitted on the floor of Congress that he has been working for the Central Intelligence Agency at the same time he is serving in Congress. Lee Goodman, Kirk’s Democratic opponent, called for Kirk’s resignation from Congress. “The conflict of interest is blatant and appalling,” said Goodman. “Congress has been struggling to investigate intelligence failures by the CIA and now it turns out Kirk is working for the CIA. No wonder Kirk voted not to investigate these failures after 9/11. He is working for the people who didn’t want to be investigated. Any high-schooler who has studied the separation of powers in U.S. history class would recognize the problem.”

Sawsan Zaidah Program Producer AmmanNet in Jordan sent us a synopsis of the first seven episodes of their program “Eye On Media.” Here is one of the issues covered:

Pictures of Abu Ghreib prison in Arab media Pictures of the horrible treatment of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers have been the headline of media outlets for months in the Arab countries, as the rest of the world. The Arab media, in general, published or broadcast the pictures of the tortured Iraqi prisoners professionally away from sensationalism. However, patriotism could be strongly felt in the Arab media coverage of the event.

The Jordanian press coverage of the event appeared mainly in the columns which expressed the anger of its writers. However, the reaction of the ordinary people in the street was absent in most of the media outlets. There was also a lack of field coverage. Non of the newspapers published exclusive reports by correspondents (except the daily Al Arab Al Yawm whose correspondent interviewed Iraqi prisoners released from Abu Ghreib.

The Lebanese media coverage varied between passionate and analytical columns, and professional field reports and news stories. Meanwhile, the Palestinian media outlets wore their patriotism on their sleeve. The event occupied a large space on the Palestinian newspapers and the TV and radio news and program. This is because of the similarity between the suffering of the Iraqis under the American occupation and the suffering of the Palestinians under the Israeli occupation."

Mohammed adds to this story: "There is a new abu gharib story out there about Norway protesting the U.S. abuse of children. Nothing in Google (yet), or at least I couldn’t find anything. There may be new pics of kids being abused by soldiers in U.S. military uniforms."

DEBATING F-911: MICHAEL MOORE AND HIS CRITICS

(1) Eric Alterman is defending Michael Moore from the onslought of journalists like the Washington Post’s Richard Cohen who I quoted trashing his journalism as laughable:

"The fact is that while Moore makes a few contentions that are arguable, most of them adhere pretty closely to the known facts. This is not the case of the Bush argument for war -the media by and large reporting those phony contentions with credulous admiration. I’m willing to bet that I could find more lies, phony statements and false accusations in just about any single episode of "Meet the Press," "This Week" or "Face the Nation" devoted to Iraq and the war on terror than can be found in Moore’s entire film.

"I could probably find more in any single five minute segment of an O’Reilly, Hannity or Scarborough show. Why are the media so furious at Moore? Because he is doing their job for them and taking away their narrative. If they did it better, he wouldn’t have to. Perhaps those reporters attacking Moore should be good enough to publish some of their own comments on the war alongside it."

R MONGER"

(2) Tanya C. Hsu, of the Institute for Research: Middle East Policy says Michael Moore is "making common cause with Richard Perle who wants to invade Saudia Arabia":

Michael Moore’s new film "Fahrenheit 9/11" has done a tremendous favor for some proponents of a war upon the Arabian Peninsula. The film achieves what endless pages of conservative think-tank studies and panel discussions, hours of PR time and books can not: spill gasoline on the anti-Saudi sparks already ignited within the United States. Moore’s film lambastes the Saudis not only for their business relationships but also for leaving the US after the attacks of September 11th 2001 as did other non-Saudi officials on the same day when specific flights were permitted. The overwhelming popularity of this documentary takes the anti-Saudi message to a whole new market. It is the latest manifestation of a rationale for war that could finally execute a long-term plan to invade and occupy the Kingdom. In spite of its progressive producer and target audience, "Fahrenheit 9/11" falls lock-step in line with the stated agenda of neoconservative hawks: rid Arabia of the House of Saud thereby granting the US and allies full access to the Middle East’s biggest prize.

YOUR LETTERS: THINGS ARE "TURNING AROUND"

The Walrus thinks that sometimes the Dissector could benefit from a signal that things are turning around. Here’s a small, but telling one: "The Fox News website has for a while run a Bush/Kerry poll that was promoted on their home page, marketed as ‘updated regularly’ and actually had an interesting, if incorrect, blend of questions and historical data stratification. The Walrus couldn’t help but notice that after F911 was released, updates stopped. Now, the promotion is gone, the poll is buried and the last date for data reporting is June 4. The only question remaining is a variation of “do you approve of the President’s performance? They are running scared."

The Walrus suggests everybody contacts the “Fair & Balanced” network and inquire as to why the poll they were following with such interest has disappeared. Point out that you were especially interested in the post F911 results. It helps that they provide a phone number on their website: 888-369-4762. Email is foxnewsonline@foxnews.com.

Lauren and Ginger Brightwel of Bellingham, Washingon write about a flag that a reader wanted to make: "I would like a smaller version to fly at my home. Your idea is Brilliant!! This is the first one that has me interested in flying ANY FLAG. But yours would be wonderful to have and display."

Rudolf Guthier of La Vernade St. Silvain sous Toulx writes: "The media report often that foreigners interfere in Iraq and execute terrorist acts. Up to now nobody really could demonstrate that interference. How comes? Furthermore if a Jordanian or a Saudi (as example) is active in Iraq. They are not really foreigners, they belong to the Umma (the Arab Mother). The boundaries between Arab nations are a foreign concept."

Reports that the Bush-Cheney campaign will target Edwards as a trial lawyer has Jackie Newberry up in arms: "It was lawyers on the Court Supremo who installed Bush and Cheney as Presidente and Vice. It was the lawyers who helped cover up Kenny boy and friends for so long before Enron sham collapsed. It was the lawyers who wrote all the language that looked like Bush boy and Rummy and friends were using to dodging the Geneva Convention and International Convention on Torture. And the White House, Bush and Cheney call on their legal counsel regularly to run defense for them when it comes time to answer to the 9/11 Commission, investigation of the Plame leak, the Abugraib prison investigation, etc, ad nauseum … It would be nice if the media would quit nagging on the same old sound bites and snap to some sense and point out the realities."

Steve Withers writes from Foxton, New Zealand: "I’m fascinated that an Australian can be arrested by Americans in Pakistan, shipped to Egypt and tortured … but at no point is he actually charged with any crime in anything resembling a court of law. Australia’s brand of right-wing liar (’They threw their babies into the sea!’), John Howard, doesn’t want one of his own citizens back because he would have to let him go. If this is sort of American ‘freedom’ Bush wants to spread around the world, he’s more dangerous than Bin laden in many important respects — not the least of which is reach."

NOTE: More prosecutions will begin of Guantanamo detainees — 15 are being charged in military tribunals but they will now have legal recourse of some kind.

ON "THE MOVIE"

Leo Girard writes: "Still reading your mailings with interest and general agreement up here above the 49th parallel. We saw Fahrenheit last evening. For me, it was a bit of a disappointment in that I didn’t think it was critical enough of neocon philosophy/plottings and was somehow loosely edited … too many in your face conclusions made for you … no deft strokes leading you to form a conclusion of your own. Fewer sledgehammers and more fly-swatters would have suited my taste. Just finished watching Dennis Miller. I am ever more soured by Miller’s complete bias and ad-hominem arguments. I thought he was a sharp guy at one time (10 yrs ago) when he was razor sharp Mort Sahl-esque commentator. He sure was nicely muzzled by two of his ‘varsity’ panel who tried to introduce the alien concept of issues to the discussion. Thanks for the ear."

WHAT IS A "FURPHY?" THE MYSTERY SOLVED

I had a busy day on the radio yesterday starting off on a South African station in the morning and ending the day with Peter B. Collins, a fantastic talk show host on Icicle All American Radio heard on the serious left stream on satellite. He broadcasts from the Inner City Broadcasting studios used by Air America. I had a peek of Jeneane Garafalo in the next studio but a thick glass kept me from saying hello. In the afternoon I was on ABC’s Australian breakfast radio and still puzzling over a reference yesterday in a letter from David Cameron Staples from down under who wrote about a "Furphy." What is that I wondered? He responds today:

"A ‘Furphy‘ is Australian dialect for extremely tenuous gossip, with the overtone that the gossip would be proved false with an iota of thought or an ounce of common sense. It is named from the First World War, when the Australian troops would gossip around the water tanks, which were marked ‘Furphy & sons, Manuf.’" … He jokes that terms like this are examples of "Two countries, divided by a common language."

THE EYES OF TEXAS

I have been talking to press outlets in Texas about the preview screening of WMD, my film on media coverage that screens Saturday afternoon at the Dallas Video Festival. This is my first outing in Bush country. Should be interesting. If you live in the area, please say hello. I will be there answering questions and taking part on a panel.

Keep me in your loop. Write: dissector@mediachannel.org