Saturday, October 02, 2004

A letter from Micheal Moore talking about things you well not hear from either of the Parties, or the candidates


"He who is willing to sacrifice freedom for safety deserves neither freedom nor safety." - Ben Franklin
&
"One useless man is called a disgrace; two useless men are called a law firm; and three or more useless men are a congress" - John Adams
&
Politicians and diapers should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons.
&
"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it."
--Mark Twain

Dear Friends,

This is it: One month to D-Day! That's "Dump Bush Day," November 2nd.

It's now time to roll up our sleeves -- each and every one of us -- and get to work. There will be nearly 10 million of you who will read this letter either on my list or on my site. An army of ten million cannot be defeated! The time for hitting the snooze button has passed, voter registration deadlines start Monday and we only get one shot at this!!!

My plan is simple. Will you join me in the following?

1. REGISTER FIVE PEOPLE TO VOTE THIS WEEKEND. There are only a few days left in most states before voter registration is cut off. Keep asking like-minded people you know if they are registered. If they are not, take them to this website where you can show them where they need to go to get registered. Offer to take them there yourself. Take them to lunch afterward! If you can, pick up registration forms from your local city or county clerk (or get them from you local Democratic Party or Kerry HQ). Carry them with you everywhere you go. Hook up with local groups standing outside shopping centers and events this weekend or Monday or Tuesday and register people there. Nothing is more critical in the next 48 to 72 hours than to get our people registered. The wealthy and the conservatives are already registered -- the poor, the single moms, the recent transplants to your town are not. And neither are students and young adults (check local and state laws, some of which make it very hard for college students to register and vote). VOTER REGISTRATION ENDS ON MONDAY IN Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. Make no mistake, if you live in any of these states – realize now that WHAT YOU DO OR DON’T DO THIS WEEKEND will have an effect on this election!!!

2. CALL AND VOLUNTEER NOW. There is nothing more important in the next 31 days than spending whatever free time you have working to remove George W. Bush from the White House. Again, call the local Democratic Party HQ or the local Kerry HQ or the ACT office and say you want to help. They will put you to work making calls, going door to door, putting up yard signs, lining up rides on Election Day for senior citizens, etc. Removing Bush and electing Kerry will require physical labor on all our parts. We just can't sit home and wish it to happen. (A Warning: Some local Dem HQs are not always as organized as you would hope them to be. If you call and they don't have it together, don't get discouraged. Just move on to my next point, #3...)

3. START YOUR OWN KERRY CAMPAIGN HEADQUARTERS! If the Dems don't have it together in your area, don't complain, just take matters into your own hands and run your own campaign for Kerry. Or, even if there is a strong Kerry presence in your county seat, there still may not be in the outlying areas where you live. There's nothing wrong with you and your friends saying, "OK, today we inaugurate the Kerry HQ here in Hooterville...or Kurt Cobain High...or Dorm Building 5!" If you can't get signs or leaflets, make your own! Don't wait for someone to do it, otherwise it won't get done. Send me pictures of your own renegade Elect Kerry/Dump Bush HQ and I will put them up on my site!

4. IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN A SWING STATE, GO THERE AND START SWINGING. Virtually everyone in this country lives within driving distance of one of the 20 battleground states where the election will be close. Pick one weekend this month and go on a fall color tour to dump Bush. Pack up the kids or the neighbors, pick a town -- any town -- in your nearest swing state, reserve a room at the local Motel 6 and hit the road! Volunteer online or call ahead to the local party HQ to say you are coming and you want them to put you to work (again, if there is no one there to put you to work, make your own handbills, print out a thousand of them, and just show up in Anywhere, Ohio and start going door to door). There are other groups doing work in the swing states that you can hook-up with, like ACT and Driving Votes who could really use your help getting out the vote. You don't have to feel left out of this election just because you live in New York or California or Illinois or any of the other 29 states the candidates won't be visiting. Take matters into your own hands. Think of what a great educational experience it will be for your kids -- or yourself. JUST ONE WEEKEND THIS MONTH -- PLAN IT NOW!

5. TAKE OFF WORK OR SCHOOL NOVEMBER 2. We need everyone working the polls, the phones, the neighborhoods from dawn to dusk. Poll watchers are needed to make sure there is no cheating. Help is needed in all 50 states and you can do it from home or you can park yourself in a swing state for the day.

There you have it. Five Simple Steps. I’ll be doing my part as I travel the country to the 20 swing states. Please join with me in this effort. Kerry is doing his part, he won the first debate (stop the kvetching...of course YOU would have done a better job! But YOU'RE not running for president! He beat Bush...Bush must go!!). Remember, what's at stake in this election is bigger than John Kerry, bigger than political parties and all the other noise that accompanies politicians and their elections. This is about that mother from Flint, Michigan -- and all the other mothers from all the other towns in America -- who have lost and WILL LOSE their sons and daughters in Bush’s never-ending war in Iraq.

Please, put aside whatever keeps you from jumping in to do the necessary work to remove George W. Bush from office. This can only be accomplished when you, right now, stop reading this letter and make that call (or click that mouse) to get involved.

Thanks so much...

Michael Moore
mmflint@aol.com
www.michaelmoore.com
www.michaelmoore.com/takeaction/vote/

P.S. If you are having trouble registering or voting, call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

P.P.S. If you have a chance to see Going Upriver, the great new documentary about John Kerry in theaters this week, do so!



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

send comments via Email to me,

A pic for you mind


"He who is willing to sacrifice freedom for safety deserves neither freedom nor safety." - Ben Franklin
&
"One useless man is called a disgrace; two useless men are called a law firm; and three or more useless men are a congress" - John Adams
&
Politicians and diapers should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons.
&
"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it."
--Mark Twain


"MORE OF THE SAME" It's up to your VOTE



And this Picture was taken... LIVE TIMES AGO.

MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

send comments via Email to me,

Friday, October 01, 2004

Judge disarms Patriot Act proviso! Wow!! One for our side. See what you can do, when you do something.


"He who is willing to sacrifice freedom for safety deserves neither freedom nor safety." - Ben Franklin
&
"One useless man is called a disgrace; two useless men are called a law firm; and three or more useless men are a congress" - John Adams
&
Politicians and diapers should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons.
&
"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it."
--Mark Twain

Judge disarms Patriot Act proviso
Published: September 29, 2004, 5:26 PM PDT
By Declan McCullagh
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

A key part of the USA Patriot Act that allows the FBI to secretly demand information from Internet providers violates the U.S. Constitution, a federal judge said Wednesday in a ruling that could have a broad impact on government surveillance.

U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero barred the FBI from invoking that portion of the law in the future, saying the mandatory gag orders amount to an "unconstitutional prior restraint of speech in violation of the First Amendment."

The 2001 law requires Internet service providers and any other type of communication provider--including telephone companies--to comply with secret "national security letters" from the FBI. Those letters can ask for information about subscribers--including home addresses, what telephone calls were made, e-mail subject lines and logs of what Web sites were visited.

In a lawsuit filed in April, the American Civil Liberties Union challenged the law on behalf of an unnamed Internet company as an undue restriction on free speech and privacy rights. The recipient of a national security letter (NSL) is forever gagged against disclosing its existence "to any person"--a strict requirement that the ACLU argued could not be squared with the U.S. Constitution.

"All but the most mettlesome and undaunted NSL recipients would consider themselves effectively barred from consulting an attorney or anyone else who might advise them otherwise," Marrero concluded, "as well as bound to absolute silence about the existence of the NSL...For the reasonable NSL recipient confronted with the NSL's mandatory language and the FBI's conduct related to the NSL, resistance is not a viable option."

Such letters are not new: Before the Patriot Act was enacted a few weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, they could be used in investigations of suspected terrorists and spies. But after the change to the law, the FBI needed only to say that a letter may be "relevant" to a terrorist-related investigation. No court approval is required.

Marrero said his order blocking the FBI from using national security letters--a type of administrative subpoena--would not take effect for 90 days, so the government would have time to appeal.

A Justice Department spokesman said late Wednesday that "we are reviewing the ruling" and no decision had been made about what to do next.

Political setback?
Wednesday's decision could prove to be an embarrassing election-season setback for President Bush, who has campaigned as a wartime leader and rarely misses an opportunity to argue that the Patriot Act should be renewed. Some portions are scheduled to expire Dec. 31, 2005.

"Every action in the Patriot Act requires a court order, before the government can move," Bush said at a rally in Derry, N.H., last week. "In other words, your rights are protected...We need to extend the Patriot Act, with the constitutional safeguards for our U.S. citizens."

This is not the first rebuff related to the Patriot Act that the Bush administration has encountered. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court said that prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay can ask American judges to review their confinement--a blow to Bush's assertion that "enemy combatants" can be held indefinitely without judicial review.

Concerns over the sweeping powers that the Patriot Act granted to federal police are prompting action in Congress.

Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 309 to 118 for legislation that would essentially block part of the Patriot Act that permitted law enforcement officials to seek a court order that would let them surreptitiously enter a home or business. One proposal in the Senate, called the Safe Act, would amend the Patriot Act by slapping limits on current police practices relating to surveillance and search warrants.

In the past few weeks, Bush and his allies have invoked the Patriot Act when stepping up their attacks on Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry. "He has been for the Patriot Act--and against it," Vice President Dick Cheney said in Tulsa, Okla., on Friday. "Senator Kerry says he sees two Americas. It makes the whole thing mutual--America sees two John Kerrys."

Kerry supported the 2001 law, and his campaign says the senator "stands by his vote for the Patriot Act...He even wants to strengthen some aspects of it relating to terrorism, such as improving intelligence information sharing."

Kerry has argued that the problem with the Patriot Act is not the law, but the "abuse" of the law by Attorney General John Ashcroft. That's why, Kerry says, he supports the Safe Act's proposed amendments.
The long arm of the court
If upheld on appeal, Wednesday's decision could have a far-reaching impact on the way the FBI conducts investigations. Other portions of federal law that let the FBI serve secret national security letters to banks, financial firms and credit reporting companies are now vulnerable to court challenge, Washington attorney Stewart Baker said.

"This could have significant impact on a whole host of other statutes," said Baker, a former general counsel to the National Security Agency who now advises Internet providers. "This is really the first core provision of the USA Patriot Act that's run into constitutional trouble. It will certainly play into the debate."

FBI agents can, however, continue to use other mechanisms to obtain data from communications firms, including a subpoena, warrant or court order after the 90-day period elapses.

The impact of Wednesday's decision extends beyond the Patriot Act. NSLs to telecom firms originated with a 1986 law called the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, which permitted them only in relation to an investigation of "an agent of a foreign power." That once-strict requirement was broadened in 1993 and again by the Patriot Act eight years later.

It's unclear how often NSLs are sent to communications firms. The FBI redacted every line in one such document released to the ACLU through the Freedom of Information Act. But the number of records implies that hundreds of NSL requests were made between October 2001 and January 2003. Judge Marrero said that, to the best of his knowledge, this is the first time an NSL has been challenged in court.

Marrero said another reason to halt the use of NSLs to communications firms was the worrisome potential for misuse. "For example, the FBI theoretically could issue to a political campaign's computer systems operator a (letter) compelling production of the names of all persons who have e-mail addresses through the campaign's computer systems," he wrote. "The FBI theoretically could also issue an NSL (to learn) the identity of someone whose anonymous Web log, or 'blog,' is critical of the government."

Kurt Opsah, an attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which filed a brief in the case opposing the government's position, said that line of thinking could eventually could provide a precedent that would give more legal protection to online anonymity. "That analysis could be more broadly applied than just to the NSL context as a protection to subscriber privacy," Opsah said.

Three bills currently in Congress, HR3179, HR3037, and S2555, would clear up some of the murkiness surrounding national security letters by clarifying what procedures would be used and imposing penalties on those who disclosed the existence of such a letter.

One reason NSLs are particularly disturbing when sent to Internet providers, Marrero wrote, is that so much more information may be on file than in an analog age: "Internet records of the type obtained via (an NSL) could differ substantially from transactional bank or phone records (and disclose) a log of e-mail addresses with whom a subscriber has corresponded and the Web pages that a subscriber visits."



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

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Thursday, September 30, 2004

Power Plant Pollution, Bush Administration Policies, Causing Health Problems for Latinos


"He who is willing to sacrifice freedom for safety deserves neither freedom nor safety." - Ben Franklin
&
"One useless man is called a disgrace; two useless men are called a law firm; and three or more useless men are a congress" - John Adams
&
Politicians and diapers should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons.
&
"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it."
--Mark Twain



Pollution from power plants--which routinely exceeds federal standards in some areas and would continue at unhealthy levels under President Bush's "Clear Skies" initiative--causes disproportionate health problems for Latin American families, according to a new report by the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and Clear the Air, a coalition of environmental groups.

Air of Injustice: How Power Plant Pollution Affects the Health of Hispanics and Latinos, summarizes the health impacts of air pollution upon Latin American communities in the U.S. The report states that 7 out of 10 Hispanic Americans breathe air that violates federal pollution standards. It points to power plants as a major culprit. As a result, Hispanic children are 2.5 times more likely to develop asthma than non-Latino white children, the report found. [1]

The report comes as the Bush administration weighs proposed air pollution standards for power plant smokestacks. A separate report from Clear the Air, Danger in the Air: Unhealthy Levels of Air Pollution in 2003, was released last week. It found evidence of "massive air pollution problems across the U.S.," especially from dangerous levels of fine particle soot and smog. According to the report, soot-forming sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants increased by 4 percent from 2002 to 2003. [2]

The Bush administration's "Clear Skies" initiative would do less to curb pollution from coal-burning power plants than any other proposal--including simply following the laws that are already on the books--according to an analysis released earlier this year by Clear the Air. The analysis noted that fine particle pollution from power plants shortens the lives of 24,000 Americans each year by an average of 14 years (including 2,800 from lung cancer). [3]

Prior to taking office, President Bush promised to clean up power plant pollution. But after being sworn in, he reneged on his promise to require mandatory reductions in carbon dioxide; delayed the deadlines for reducing ozone smog; delayed deadlines for removing fine particles from the air; delayed action to reduce haze in national parks; and delayed by more than 10 years reductions in toxic mercury emissions from power plants.

The LULAC report showed that Hispanic American families face a disproportionate risk of breathing bad air. In 2002, the report found, 71 percent of Hispanics lived in counties that violated federal health standards for ozone or particulate pollution. In contrast, 55 percent of the overall population lives in counties with poor air quality. [4]

"The Latino community suffers from the health threats associated with air pollution at epidemic proportions," said Angela Ledford, director of Clear the Air, in a press release. "All Americans deserve stronger safeguards to reduce pollution. But the tens of millions of Hispanic Americans who breathe dirty air are among those with...the most to lose if we continue doing nothing." [5]

###

SOURCES:
[1] LULAC press release, Jul. 8, 2004.
[2] Clear the Air press release, Sept. 23, 2004.
[3] BushGreenwatch, Jun. 10, 2004.
[4] LULAC website.
[5] Ibid.



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

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FYI on Iraq


"He who is willing to sacrifice freedom for safety deserves neither freedom nor safety." - Ben Franklin
&
"One useless man is called a disgrace; two useless men are called a law firm; and three or more useless men are a congress" - John Adams
&
Politicians and diapers should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons.



http://www.truthuncovered.com/
The truth on The War in Iraq that is. Now on DVD. And check out what theaters too.

"When the emperor has no clothes, you have to have the presence of mind and the courage to stand up and say, 'The emperor has no clothes'.”
--Ray McGovern (27 year CIA analyst)
"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it."
--Mark Twain

MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

send comments via Email to me,

See, it can be done


"He who is willing to sacrifice freedom for safety deserves neither freedom nor safety." - Ben Franklin
&
"One useless man is called a disgrace; two useless men are called a law firm; and three or more useless men are a congress" - John Adams
&
Politicians and diapers should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons.

Judge orders Alaska to rewrite ballots
517,000 ballots must be rewritten, redistributed before election
The Associated Press
Updated: 10:16 p.m. ET Sept. 29, 2004

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A Superior Court judge on Wednesday ordered the state to rewrite, reprint and redistribute all of its ballots for the Nov. 2 election, saying the wording of a ballot initiative was inaccurate and biased.

advertisement
Gallo of Sonoma
Elections officials said that they could comply with the order, but that it would take 15 days and cost nearly $300,000.

The ballot initiative concerns how the state fills its U.S. Senate vacancies.

Currently, the governor can appoint a replacement to a vacant Senate seat. The initiative would abolish appointments and require a special election in all cases except when the vacancy occurs within 60 days of a primary election.

The four-sentence summary on the ballot wrongly estimates how long a Senate seat would be vacant under the initiative, Judge Moorage Christen wrote in her order. The summary also says the measure would leave Alaska without full representation in the Senate, wording which is not impartial, she said.

“Emphasizing one consequence to the exclusion of others is impermissible advocacy,” Christen wrote.

Nearly all 517,000 ballots have arrived at the state’s regional election offices, according to Thomas Godkin, an administrative supervisor for the Division of Elections. He said it will take 15 days to reprint and redistribute the ballots and will cost the state about $295,000.

Ballots are required to arrive at regional election offices 25 days before the election. Reprinting and redistributing them will break that deadline, but Godkin said there is little danger of any precinct not receiving its ballots by Nov. 2.
END

They haven't gaven their afares away. They still own their state, so take back your and your nation along with it.

MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

send comments via Email to me,

Wednesday, September 29, 2004

I hear it on the radio, there's a bill before Congrass for a DRAFT


"He who is willing to sacrifice freedom for safety deserves neither freedom nor safety." - Ben Franklin
&
"One useless man is called a disgrace; two useless men are called a law firm; and three or more useless men are a congress" - John Adams
&
Politicians and diapers should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons.

And would you believe the Bush people say there "is not". There would have to if you're going to have a draft in '05.
But that's OK, cause well just believe them when they tell us "we didn't think it would come to this."

YOu'll hear more on this later, unless we don't vote him back in.
MMMMMMMMMMM


MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

send comments via Email to me,

How has CALIFORNIA fared under a Republican Administration?


"He who is willing to sacrifice freedom for safety deserves neither freedom nor safety." - Ben Franklin
&
"One useless man is called a disgrace; two useless men are called a law firm; and three or more useless men are a congress" - John Adams
&
Politicians and diapers should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons.

Californians have suffered under the extremist policies of the Bush Administration.
Over 18% of Californians – including more than 1.5 million children – are uninsured.

Almost 7 million Californians had no health insurance for all of 2000 and 2002. Over 15% of California’s children are without health insurance.

(“Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2002,” U.S. Census Bureau Report, September 2003; “Annual Social and Economic (March) Supplement,” Current Population Survey (CPS), November 2003; “Children’s Defense Fund Analysis Shows Percentage of Uninsured Children Varies by State,” Children’s Defense Fund, October 24, 2003)
Those Californians lucky enough to have health insurance are paying high insurance premiums and huge prescription drug costs.

*

The average price for a retail prescription in California is $54.08.

(“Average Price of Retail Prescriptions, 2002,” State Health Facts Online (http://www.statehealthfacts.kff.org), Kaiser Family Foundation)
*

The average annual cost for employment-based family health insurance coverage in California is $7,161.60.

(“Average Annual Cost of Employment-Based Health Insurance, Family Coverage, 2001,” State Health Facts Online (http://www.statehealthfacts.kff.org), Kaiser Family Foundation)

The people of California are suffering under GOP fiscal policies. Almost 13% of Californians living in poverty. Almost 42% of California’s children are poor.

(“Percentage of People in Poverty by State: 2000, 2001, 2002,” 2-Year Average (2001-2002), Census Bureau, December 19, 2003; “Number and Percent of Children under 19 Years of Age, at or below 200 Percent of Poverty, by State: Three-Year Averages for 2000, 2001 and 2002,” Census Bureau, October 30, 2003).
Republicans’ economic policies have cost us over 390,000 California manufacturing jobs.

Since this Administration took office, America has lost 3 million jobs, and you have lost 390,500 manufacturing jobs in California.

(U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)
The Bush Administration’s deficit will top $520 billion in 2005.

In his proposed 2005 budget, Bush revealed the budget deficit will reach an astonishing $521 billion – a full $150 billion higher than last year’s record-setting deficit.

(“Deficit Is $521 Billion in Bush Budget,” Washington Post, February 2, 2004)
So far, the Republicans have spent $141 billion on the war in Iraq. California’s share of that bill is $18.07 billion.

(“The Cost of War for States and Selected Cities,” National Priorities Project, October 2003)
The burden of the Bush Administration’s tax cut and borrowing policies is falling on California’s families. The average six-year net cost of the debt buildup for a family of four in California is $39,010.

(“We’re Paying Dearly for Bush’s Tax Cuts,” Citizens for Tax Justice, September 23, 2004)




MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

send comments via Email to me,

The Question is still good, "Are you better off than 4 yrs ago?


"He who is willing to sacrifice freedom for safety deserves neither freedom nor safety." - Ben Franklin
&
"One useless man is called a disgrace; two useless men are called a law firm; and three or more useless men are a congress" - John Adams
&
Politicians and diapers should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons.
&
"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it."
--Mark Twain


NOPE, I'm NOT.


Just keep asking yourself this same question as you watch and as you recall after it's over. I use the word, "It" because I don't know what to call this thing we are going to watch between the current President and Sen.Kerry. If you've read the RULES you know you can't call this a debate.

MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

send comments via Email to me,

Tuesday, September 28, 2004

The pic of the Day


"He who is willing to sacrifice freedom for safety deserves neither freedom nor safety." - Ben Franklin
&
"One useless man is called a disgrace; two useless men are called a law firm; and three or more useless men are a congress" - John Adams
&
Politicians and diapers should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons.





MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

send comments via Email to me,

The Fed. is now buying small town for itself... from The_Puter_Diva of letsnet.org


"He who is willing to sacrifice freedom for safety deserves neither freedom nor safety." - Ben Franklin
&
"One useless man is called a disgrace; two useless men are called a law firm; and three or more useless men are a congress" - John Adams
&
Politicians and diapers should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons.

NEW YORK (AFP) - The US Department of Homeland Security is buying a tiny town in the western state of New Mexico to turn it into a lab for terrorism response training.

A small New Mexico engineering school will buy Playas, population 50, from a mining company with five million dollars provided by Washington, The New York Times reported Sunday.

The town, located in empty desert plains just north of the Mexican border, was built by a mining company in the 1970s and had a peak population of 1,000 before the copper smelter was shut down.

Though now practically deserted, it "has all the characteristics of a contemporary American community: the churches, the bank, the health clinic, even the baseball diamonds," said Van Romero, vice president for research at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.

But since it's a company town, Playas is actually somewhat better appointed than most towns its size, with a watering hole, bowling alley, rodeo ring, community swimming pool, shooting range, helicopter pad and a small airstrip.

But the closest city, El Paso, Texas, is three hours away.

Wild animals roam empty cul-de-sacs and weeds poke through the asphalt.

"I wish they'd hurry up and start hiring people," resident Carol Davis said of the town's sudden change in fortunes. "It's too quiet out here right now. I'd like a job driving an ambulance or something."

New Mexico Tech has trained 90,000 emergency workers since the bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building in 1995, and is currently receiving 20 million dollars in grants from the Homeland Security Department for anti-terrorism programs, the report said.

Another school, Texas A and M, operates Disaster City, a facility in College Station, Texas, where high-rise buildings can be collapsed in mock-disaster scenarios for training purposes, it said.



MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

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The "Debates" Memorandum of Undrestanding from Steelhoof


"He who is willing to sacrifice freedom for safety deserves neither freedom nor safety." - Ben Franklin
&
"One useless man is called a disgrace; two useless men are called a law firm; and three or more useless men are a congress" - John Adams
&
Politicians and diapers should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons.




MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

This Memorandum of Understanding constitutes an

agreement between Kerry-Edwards, '04, Inc. and
Bush-Cheney, '04,

Inc. (the "campaigns") regarding the rules that
will govern

debates in which the campaigns participate in 2004.
This

agreement shall be binding upon the Bush-Cheney and
Kerry-Edward~

Campaigns and, provided it agrees to sponsor the
debates by

executing this agreement on or before September 22,
2004, upon

the Commission on Presidential Debates (the
"Commission").

1. *Number, Dates, Time, Locations, Topics*

(a) Presidential Debates

Date Location

Thursday, September 30 University of Miami

Coral Gables, Florida

Friday, October 8 Washington University in

St. Louis

St. Louis, Missouri

Wednesday, October 13 Arizona State University

Tempe, Arizona

(b) Vice Presidential Debate

Date Location

Tuesday, October 5 Case Western Reserve

University

Cleveland, Ohio

(c) Each debate shall begin at 9 p.m., Eastern
Daylight

Time.

(d) The parties agree that they will not (1) issue
any

challenges for additional debates, (2) appear at

any other debate or adversarial forum with any

other presidential or vice presidential

candidate, or (3) accept any television or radio
air

time offers that involve a debate format or
otherwise

involve the simultaneous appearance of more than

one candidate.

(e) The topic of the September 30 debate shall be
foreign

policy and homeland security. The topic of the
October

13 debate shall be economic and domestic policy.
The

October 5 vice presidential debate and the October
8

presidential debate shall not be limited by topic
and

shall include an equal number of questions related
to

foreign policy and homeland security on the one
hand

and economic and domestic policy on the other.

*2. Sponsorship*

The two campaigns will participate in four debates

sponsored by the Commission. However, if the
Commission fails to

execute this agreement on or before September 22,
2004, the two

campaigns shall each have the option of terminating
this

agreement, or by agreement between them, seeking
other sponsors

for some or all of the proposed debates. The
parties agree that

the Commission's Nonpartisan Candidate Selection
Criteria for

2004 General Election Debate Participation shall
apply in

determining the candidates to be invited to
participate in these

debates.

*3. Participants*

If one or more candidates from campaigns other than

2

the two (2) signatories is invited to participate
pursuant to

those Selection Criteria, those candidates shall be
included in

the debates, if those candidates accept the terms
of this

agreement. Any modifications to this agreement must
be agreed

upon by each of the signatories to this agreement
as well as all

other candidates selected to join the debate.

*4. Moderator*

(a) Each debate will have a single moderator.

(b) The parties have accepted the Commission's

recommendations of the below listed moderators,

provided that each proposed moderator executes a
copy

of this agreement at least seven (7) days prior to
the

.

debate that individual is to moderate in order to

evidence his or her understanding and acceptance
of,

and agreement to, the provisions hereof pertaining
to

moderators. If any proposed moderator fails to

execute a copy of this agreement at least seven (7)

days prior to the proposed date of the debate he or

she is to moderate, the two campaigns will agree
upon

and select a different individual to moderate that

debate:

i) Jim Lehrer for the first presidential debate,

September 30, 2004 at the University of Miami;

ii) Charles Gibson for the second presidential

debate, October 8, 2004 at Washington University

in St. Louis;

iii) Bob Schieffer for the third presidential
debate,

October 13, 2004 at Arizona State University,

and;

iv) Gwen Ifill for the vice presidential debate,

October 5, 2004 at the Case Western Reserve

University.

*5. Rules Applicable to All Debates*

debates:

The following rules shall apply to each of the four

(a) Each debate shall last for ninety (90) minutes.

(b) For each debate there shall be no opening
statements,

but each candidate may make a two (2) minute
closing

statement.

(c) No props, notes, charts, diagrams, or other
writings

or other tangible things may be brought into the

debate by any candidate. Neither candidate may

reference or cite any specific individual sitting
in a

debate audience at any time during a debate. If a

candidate references or cites any specific

individual(s) in a debate audience, or if a
candidate

uses a prop, note, or other writing or other
tangible

thing during a debate, the moderator must interrupt

and explain that reference or citation to the
specific

individual(s) or the use of the prop, note, or
other

writing or thing violates the debate rules agreed
to

by that candidate.

4

(d) Notwithstanding subparagraph /5(c), /the
candidates may

take notes during the debate on the size, color,
and

type of paper each prefers and using the type of
pen

or pencil that each prefers. Each candidate must

submit to the staff of the Commission prior to the

such paper, pens, and pencils on the podium, table,
or

other structure to be used by the candidate in that

debate.

(e) Neither film footage nor video footage nor any
audio

excerpts from the debates may be used publicly by

either candidate's campaign through any means,

including but not limited to, radio, television,

internet, or videotapes, whether broadcast or

distributed in any other manner.

(f) The candidates may not ask each other direct

questions, but may ask rhetorical questions.

(g) The order of questioning and closing statements
shall

be determined as follows:

(i) The Commission will conduct a coin toss at

5

debate all such paper and any pens or pencils with

which a candidate may wish to take notes during the

debate, and the staff of the Commission will place

least seventy-two (72) hours before the first

presidential debate. At that time, the winner of

the coin toss shall have the option of choosing,

for the September 30 debate, either (a) whether

to take the first or second question, or (b)

whether to give the first or second closing

statement. At that time, the loser of the

coin toss will have the choice of question

order or closing statement order not exercised

by the winner of the coin toss. For the

October 8 debate, the loser of the coin toss

shall have the option of choosing either (a)

whether to take the first or second question,

or (b) whether to give the first or second

closing statement, with the winner of the coin

toss having the choice of question order or

closing statement not exercised by the loser

of the coin toss. The Commission shall set a

time at least seventy-two (72) hours before the

October 8 debate at which the candidates shall

make their choices for that debate.

(ii) For the October 13 debate, the order of

questioning and closing statements shall be

determined by a separate coin toss in the same

manner as the September 30 debate, to take

place at least seventy-two (72) hours before the

debate.

(iii) The order of questioning and closing

statements for the October 5 vice presidential

6

debate shall be determined by a separate coin

toss in the same manner as for the September 30

debate, to take place at least seventy-two (72)

hours before the debate.

(h) Each candidate shall determine the manner by
which he

prefers to be addressed by the moderator and shall

communicate this to the Commission, at least
fortyeight

(48) hours before the September 30 debate.

(i) Whether or not a debate runs beyond the planned
ending

time, each candidate shall be entitled to make a

closing statement in accordance with subparagraph
(b).

The Commission shall use its best efforts to ensure

that the TV networks carry the entire debate even
if

it runs past the specified ending time.

(j) No question shall be asked of a candidate by
the

moderator if less than six (6) minutes remain in
the

scheduled time of the debate.

(k) The candidates shall not address each other
with

proposed pledges.

(1) In each debate, the moderator shall:

(i) open and close the debate and enforce all time

limits. In each instance where a candidate

exceeds the permitted time for comment, the

moderators shall interrupt and remind both the

candidate and the audience of the expiration of

the time limit and call upon such candidate to

7

observe the strict time limits which have been

agreed upon herein by stating, "1 am sorry...

[Senator Kerry or President Bush as the case may

be]...your time is up";

/(ii) /use his or her best efforts to ensure that
the

questions are reasonably well balanced in all

debates and within the designated subject matter

areas of the September 30 and October 13 debates

in terms of addressing a wide range of issues of

major public interest facing the United States

and the world;

/(iii) /vary the topics on which he or she
questions

the candidates and ensure that the topics of

the questions are fairly apportioned between

the candidates;

(iv) use best efforts to ensure that the two

candidates speak for approximately equal

amounts of time during the course of each

debate, and;

(v) use any reasonable method to ensure that the

agreed-upon format is followed by the

candidates and the audience.

*6. Additional Rules Applicable to September 30 and
October 13*

*Debates*

For the September 30 and October 13 debates, the

candidates will appear at podiums. The September 30
and October

8

13 debates shall be governed by the rules set forth
in section 5

and the following additional rules:

(a) There shall be no audience participation in the

September 30 and October 13 debates. After the
start of each

debate and in the event of and in each instance
whereby an

audience member(s) attempts to participate in the
debate by any

means thereafter, the moderator shall instruct the
audience to

refrain from any participation in the debates as
described in

section 9(a) (viii) below. The moderator shall
direct the first

question to the candidate determined by the
procedure set forth

in subparagraph 5(g). The candidate receiving the
question shall

be entitled to give an opening response not to
exceed two (2)

minutes, and thereafter the other candidate shall
be permitted to

comment on the question and/or the first
candidate's answer for

up to one and one-half (1~) minutes. Thereafter the
moderator in

his discretion may extend the discussion for a
period of time not

to exceed sixty (60) seconds, but the moderator
shall begin each

such discussion by calling upon the candidate who
first received

the question. To the extent that the moderator
opens extended

discussion, the moderator shall use best efforts to
ensure that

each candidate has a maximum of approximately
thirty (30) seconds

to comment in the extended discussion period.

(b) The moderator shall then ask a question of the
other

candidate, and the answer, comments by the other

candidate, and extension of discussion by the

9

moderator shall be conducted as set out in
paragraph

6(a) above for the first question. Thereafter the

moderator shall follow the procedure in paragraph
6(a)

above by asking a question of the first candidate
and

shall continue with questions of the candidates in

rotation until the time for closing statements
occurs.

(c) During the extended discussion of a question,
no

candidate may speak for more than thirty (30)
seconds.

(d) The moderator shall manage the debate so that
the

candidates address at least sixteen (16) questions.

(e) At no time during these debates shall either
candidate

move from their designated area behind their

respective podiums.

*7. Additional Rules Applicable to October 8
Debate*

The October 8 debate will be conducted in an
audience

participation ("town hall") format. This debate
shall be

governed by the rules set forth in section 5 and
the following

additional rules:

(a) There shall be no audience participation in the

October 8 debate other than as described below.
Other

than an audience member asking a question as

permitted by this section, at the start of the
October

8 debate and in the event of and in each instance

whereby an audience member(s) attempts to
participate

in the debate by any means thereafter, the

moderator shall instruct the audience to refrain
from

*10*

any participation in the debate as described in

section 9(a) (viii) below. The moderator shall

facilitate audience members in asking questions to

each of the candidates, beginning with the
candidate

determined by the procedure set forth in
subparagraph

5(h). The candidate to whom the question is
initially

directed shall have up to two (2) minutes to
respond,

after which the other candidate shall have up to
one

and one-half (l~) minutes to respond to the
question

and/or to comment on the first candidate's answer.

Thereafter, the moderator, in his or her
discretion,

may extend the/discussion of that question for
sixty

(60) seconds, but the moderator shall begin each
such

discussion by calling upon the candidate who first

received the question. The moderator shall balance

additional discussion of the question with the

interest in addressing a wide range of topics
during

the debate. To the extent that the moderator opens

extended discussion; the moderator shall use best

efforts to ensure that each candidate has a maximum
of

approximately thirty (30) seconds to comment in the

extended discussion period.

(b) After completion of the discussion of the first

question, the moderator shall call upon an audience

member to direct a question to the candidate to
whom

the first question was not directed, and follow the

*11*

procedure outlined in paragraph 7(a) above.

Thereafter, the moderator shall follow the
procedures

in this paragraph by calling upon another audience

member to ask a question of the first candidate and

shall continue facilitating questions of the

candidates in rotation until the time for closing

statements occurs.

(c) During the extended discussion of a question,
no

candidate may speak for more than thirty (30)
seconds.

(d) The audience members shall not ask follow-up
questions

or otherwise participate in the extended
discussion,

and the audience member's microphone shall be
turned

-

off after he or she completes asking the question.

(e) Prior to the start of the debate, audience
members

will be asked to submit their questions in writing
to

the moderator. No third party, including both the

Commission and the campaigns, shall be permitted to

see the questions. The moderator shall approve and

select all questions to be posed by the audience

members to the candidates. The moderator shall
ensure

that the audience members pose to the candidates an

equal number of questions on foreign policy and

homeland security on the one hand and economic and

domestic policy on the other. The moderator will

further review the questions and eliminate any

questions that the moderator deems inappropriate.
At

*12*

least seven (7) days before the October 8 debate
the

moderator shall develop, and describe to the

campaigns, a method for selecting questions at
random

while assuring that questions are reasonably well

balanced in terms of addressing a wide range of
issues

of major public interest facing the United States
and

the world. Each question selected will be asked by
the

audience member submitting that question. If any

audience member poses a question or makes a
statement

that is in any material way different than the

question that the audience member earlier submitted
to

the moderator for review, the moderator will
cut-off

the questioner and advise the audience that such
nonreviewed

questions are not permitted. Moreover, the

Commission shall take appropriate steps to cut-off
the

microphone of any such audience member that
attempts

to pose any question or statement different than
that

previously posed to the moderator for review.

(f) The debate will take place before a live
audience of

between 100 and 150 persons who shall be seated and

who describe themselves as likely voters who are

"soft" Bush supporters or "soft" Kerry supporters
as

to their 2004 presidential vote. The number o£
"soft"

Bush supporters shall equal the number of "soft"
Kerry

supporters in the audience. The moderator shall

ensure that an equal number of "soft" Bush
supporters

13

and "softY Kerry supporters pose questions to the

candidates. These participants will be selected by

the Gallup organization ("GallupH). Gallup shall
have

responsibility for selecting the nationally

demographically representative group of voters. At

least fourteen (14) days prior to October 8, Gallup

shall provide a comprehensive briefing on the

selection methodology to the campaigns, and both
the

Kerry-Edwards Campaign and the Bush-Cheney Campaign

shall approve the methodology. Either campaign may

raise objections on the methodology to Gallup and
to

the Commission within twenty-four (24) hours of the

briefing.

(g) Participants selected shall not be contacted
directly

or indirectly by the campaigns before the debate.
The

Commission shall not contact the participants
before

the debate other than for logistical purposes.

*8. Additional Rules Applicable to October 5
Debate*

For the October 5 vice presidential debate, the

candidates will be seated at a table with the
moderator. This

debate shall be governed by the rules set forth in
sections 5 and

6. There shall be no audience participation in the
October 5

vice presidential debate. At the start of the
October 5 debate

and in the event of and in each instance whereby an
audience

member(s) attempts to participate in the debate by
any means

thereafter, the moderator shall instruct the
audience to refrain

*14*

from any participation in the debate as described
in section

9(a) (viii) below.

*9. Staging*

(a) The following rules apply to each of the four
debates:

(i) All staging arrangements for the debates not

specifically addressed in this agreement shall

be jointly addressed by representatives of the

two campaigns.

(ii) The Commission will conduct a coin toss at
least

seventy-two hours before the September 30 debate.

At that time, the winner of the coin toss shall

have the option of choosing stage position for

.

the September 30 debate; The loser of the coin

toss will have first choice of stage position for

the October 8 debate. The loser of the coin toss

or his representative shall communicate his

choice by written facsimile to the Commission and

to the other campaign at least seventy-two (72)

hours before the October 8 debate. The stage

position for the October 13 debate will be

determined by a coin toss to take place at least

seventy-two (72) hours before the debate. The

stage position for the October 5 vice

presidential debate will be determined by a

separate coin toss to take place at least

seventy-two (72) hours before the debate.

*15*

(iii) For the September 30, October 8, and October
13

(iv)

(v)

debates, the candidates shall enter the stage

upon a verbal cue by the moderator after the

program goes on the air, proceed to center stage,

shake hands, and proceed directly to their

positions behind their podiums or their stools in

the case of the October 8 debate. For the October

5 vice presidential debate, the candidates shall

be pre-positioned before the program goes on the

air, and immediately after the program goes on

the air the candidates shall shake hands.

Except as provided in subparagraph (d) (viii)of

this paragraph 9, TV cameras will be locked into

place during all debates. They may, however, tilt

or rotate as needed.

Except as provided in subparagraph (d) (viii),

TV coverage during the question and answer

period shall be limited to shots of the

candidates or moderator and in no case shall

any television shots be taken of any member of

the audience (including candidates' family

members) from the time the first question is

asked until the conclusion of the closing

statements. When a candidate is speaking,

either in answering a question or making his

closing statement, TV coverage will be limited

*16*

to the candidate speaking. There will be no

TV cut-aways to any candidate who is not

responding to a question while another

candidate is answering a question or to a

candidate who is not giving a closing

statement while another candidate is doing so.

(vi) The camera located at the rear of the stage

shall be used only to take shots of the

moderator.

(vii) For each debate each candidate shall have
cameramounted,

timing lights corresponding to the

timing system described in section 9(b) (vi) below

.

positioned in his line of sight. For each debate

additional timing lights, corresponding to the

timing system described in section 9(b) (vi)

below, shall be placed such that they are visible

to the debate audiences and television viewers.

(viii) All members of the debate audiences will be

instructed by the moderator before the debate

goes on the air and by the moderator after the

debate goes on the air not to applaud, speak, or

otherwise participate in the debate by any means

other than by silent observation, except as

provided by the agreed upon rules of the October

8 town hall debate. In the event of and in each

*17*

instance whereby an audience member(s) attempts

to participate in a debate by any means, the

moderator shall instruct the audience to refrain

from any participation. The moderator shall use

his or her best efforts to enforce this

provision.

(ix) The Commission shall use best efforts to

maintain an appropriate temperature according

to industry standards for the entire debate.

(x) Each candidate shall be permitted to have a

complete, private production and technical

briefing and walk-through ("Briefing") at the

location of the debate on the day of the debate.

The order of the Briefing shall be determined by

agreement or, failing candidate agreement, a coin

flip. Each candidate will have a maximum of one

(1) hour for this Briefing. Production lock-down

will not occur for any candidate unless that

candidate has had his Briefing. There will be no

filming, taping, photography, or recording of any

kind (except by that candidate's personal

photographer) allowed during the candidates'

Briefing. No media will be allowed into the

auditorium where the debate will take place

during a candidate's Briefing. All persons,

including but not limited to the media, other

*18*

candidates and their representatives, and the

employees or other agents of the Commission,

other than those necessary to conduct the

Briefing, shall vacate the debate site while a

candidate has his Briefing. The Commission

will provide to each candidate's representatives

a written statement and plan which describes the

measures to be taken by the Commission to ensure

the complete privacy of all Briefings.

(xi) The color and style of the backdrop will be

recommended by the Commission and mutually

determined by representatives of the

campaigns. The Commission shall make its

recommendation known to the campaigns at least

seventy-two (72) hours before each debate.

The backdrops behind each candidate shall be

identical.

(xii) The set will be completed and lit no later

than 3 p.m. at the debate site on the day

before the debate will occur.

(xiii) Each candidate may use his own makeup
person,

and adequate facilities shall be provided at

the debate site for makeup.

(xiv) In addition to Secret Service personnel, the

President's military aide, and the President's

physician and the Vice President's military aide

*19*

(b)

(xv)

and the Vice President's physician, each

candidate will be permitted to have one (1)
predesignated

staff member in the wings or in the

immediate backstage area during the debate at a

location to be mutually agreed upon by

representatives of the campaigns at each site.

All other staff must vacate the wings or

immediate backstage areas no later than five (5)

minutes before the debate commences. A PL phone

line will be provided between each candidate's

staff work area and the producer.

Other than security personnel not more than

two (2) aides will accompany each candidate on

the stage before the program begins.

(xvi) Each candidate shall be allowed to have one

(1) professional still photographer present on

the stage before the debate begins and in the

wings during the debate as desired and on

the stage immediately upon the conclusion of

the debate. No photos shall be taken from the

wings by these photographers during the

debate. Photos taken by these photographers

may be distributed to the press as determined

by each candidate.

In addition to the rules in subparagraph (a) the

20

following rules apply to the September 30 and
October

13 debates:

(i) The Commission shall construct the podiums

and each shall be identical to view from the

audience side. The podiums shall measure

fifty (50) inches from the stage floor

to the outside top of the podium facing the

audience and shall measure forty-eight (48)

inches from the stage floor to the top of the

inside podium writing surface facing the

respective candidates, and otherwise shall be

constructed in the style and specifications

recommended by the Commission, shown in

attachment A. There shall be no writings or

markings of any kind on the fronts of the

podiums. No candidate shall be permitted to use

risers or any other device to create an

impression of elevated height, and no candidate

shall be permitted to use chairs, stools, or

other seating devices during the debate.

(ii) Each podium shall have installed a fixed

hardwired microphone, and an identical microphoJ

to be used as backup per industry standards.

(iii) The podiums will be equally canted toward the

center of the stage at a degree to be

determined by the Commission's producer. The

*21*

podiums shall be ten (10) feet apart; such

distance shall be measured from the left-right

center of a podium to the left-right center of

the other podium.

(iv) The moderator will be seated at a table so as

to be positioned in front, between, and

equidistant from the candidates, and between

the cameras to which the candidates direct

their answers.

(v) As soon as possible, the Commission shall

submit for joint consultation with the

campaigns a diagram for camera placement.

(vi) At least seven (7) days before the September
30

debate the Commission shall recommend a system,

to be used as a model for each successive debate,

of visible and audible time cues and placement

subject to approval by both campaigns. Such a

system shall be comprised of camera mounted

timing lights placed in the line of sight of each

candidate and additional timing lights that are

clearly visible to both the debate audiences and

television viewers. Time cues in the form of

colored lights will be given to the candidates

and the moderator when there are thirty (30)

seconds remaining, fifteen (15) seconds

remaining, and five (5) seconds remaining,

22

respectively for the two (2) minute, one and
onehalf

(1~) minute, and sixty (60) second response

times permitted under section 6(a). Pursuant to

Section 5(1) (i) the moderators shall enforce the

strict time limits described in this agreement.

The Commission shall provide for an audible cue

announcing the end of time for each of the

candidate's responses, rebuttals and rejoinder

time periods to be used in the event the

moderator(s) fail to take action to enforce the

strict time limits described in this Agreement.

The audible cue shall be clearly audible to both

candidates, the debate audiences and television

viewers. The Commission shall commence the use

of the audible cue and continue its use through

the conclusion of any debate where a moderator

fails to take the action described in Section

5(1) (i) after two (2) instances in which either

candidate has exceeded the time for responses,

rebuttals, or rejoinders described in this

Agreement.

(c) In addition to the rules in subparagraph (a),
the

following rules apply to the October 5 vice

presidential debate:

(i) The Commission shall construct the table

according to the style and specifications

23

proposed by the Commission in consultation

with each campaign. The moderator shall be

facing the candidates with his or her back to

the audience.

(iv)

(v)

(vi)

wireless lapel microphone, and an identical

microphone to be used as a backup per industry

standards.

At least seven (7) days before the October 5

debate the Commission shall recommend a system

of time cues and placement subject to approval

by both campaigns and consistent with the visual

and audible time cues described in section

9 (b) (vi) .

As soon as possible, the Commission shall

submit for joint consultation with each

campaign a diagram for camera placement.

The candidates shall remain seated throughout

the debate.

(d) In addition to the rules in subparagraph (a),
the

following rules apply to the October 8 debate:

(i) The candidates shall be seated on stools

before the audience, which shall be seated in

approximately a horseshoe arrangement as

*24*

(ii) The chalrs shall be swlvel chairs that can be

locked in place, and shall be of equal height.

(iii) Each candidate and the moderator shall have a

(ii)

symmetrically as possible around the

candidates. The precise staging arrangement

will be determined by the Commission's

producer subject to the approval of

representatives of both campaigns.

The stools shall be identical and have backs

and a footrest and shall be approved by the

candidates' representatives.

(iii) Each candidate shall have a place to put a

(iv)

(v)

glass of water and paper and pens or pencils

for taking notes (in accordance with

subparagraph 5(d)) of sufficient height to

allow note taking while sitting on the stool,

and which shall be designed by the Commission,

subject to the approval of representatives of

both campaigns.

Each candidate may move about in a predesignated

area, as proposed by the Commission

in consultation with each campaign, and may

not leave that area while the debate is underway.

The pre-designated areas of the candidates may

not overlap.

Each candidate shall have a choice of either

wireless hand held microphone or wireless

lapel microphone to allow him to move about as

provided for in subparagraph (iv) above and to

25

face different directions while responding to

questions from the audience.

(vi) As soon as possible, the Commission shall

submit for joint consultation by the campaigns

a diagram for camera placement.

(vii) At least seven (7) days before the October 8

debate the Commission shall recommend a system

of time cues subject to approval by both

campaigns, and consistent with the visual and

audible cues described in sections 9(b) (vi).

(viii) Notwithstanding sections 9(a) (iv) and

9(a) (v) a roving camera may be used for shots

of an audience member only during the time

that audience member is asking a question.

(ix) Prior to the start of the debate neither the

moderator nor any other person shall engage in a

"warm up" session with the audience by engaging

in a question or answer session or by delivering

preliminary remarks.

*10. Ticket Distribution and Seating Arrangements*

(a) The Commission shall be responsible for
printing and

ensuring security of all tickets to all debates.
Each

campaign shall be entitled to receive directly from

the Commission one-third of the available tickets

(excluding those allocated to the participating

audience in the October 8 debate), with the
remaining

26

one-third going to the Commission.

(b) In the audience participation debate, the

participating audience shall be separated from any

nonparticipating audience, and steps shall be taken
to

ensure that the participating audience is admitted
to

the debate site without contact with the campaigns,

the media, or the nonparticipating audience.

(c) The Commission shall allocate tickets to the
two (2)

campaigns in such a manner to ensure that
supporters

of each candidate are interspersed with supporters
/of/

the other candidate. For the September 30, October
5,

and October 13 debates, the family members of each

candidate shall be seated in the front row,
diagonally

across from the candidate directly in his line of
site

while seated or standing at the podium. For the

October 8 debate, the family members of each

candidate shall be seated as mutually agreed by

representatives of the campaigns.

(d) Any media seated in the auditorium shall be

accommodated only in the last two (2) rows of the

auditorium farthest from the stage. Two (2) still

photo stands may be positioned near either side of
the

television camera stands located in the audience.
(A

media center with all necessary feeds will be

otherwise available.)

(e) Tickets will be delivered by the Commission to
the

27

chairman of each candidate's campaign or his

designated representative by 12:00 noon on the day

preceding each debate. The Commission will invite

from its allotment (two (2) tickets each) an agreed

upon list of officeholders such as the u.s.

Senate and House Majority and Minority Leaders, the

Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the State
holding

the debate, an appropriate list of other public

officials and the President of the University

sponsoring the debate. The Commission shall not
favor

one candidate over the other in the distribution of

its allotment of tickets.

*11. Dressing Rooms/Holding Rooms*

(a) Each candidate shall have a dressing room
available of

adequate size so as to provide private seclusion
for

that candidate and adequate space for the staff the

candidate desires to have in this area. The two (2)

dressing rooms shall be comparable in size and in

quality and in proximity and access to the debate

stage.

(b) An equal number of other backstage rooms will
be

available for other staff members of each
candidate.

Each candidate shall have a minimum of eight (8)
such

rooms, five (5) of which shall be in the debate

facility itself, and three (3) of which shall be

located next to the press center. The rooms located

28

next to the media center shall be located so that
each

campaign has equal proximity and ease of access to
the

media center. Each of the eight (8) rooms shall be
a

minimum of 10 feet by 10 feet. All of these rooms

shall be furnished as deemed necessary by the

candidates' representatives. Each candidate's rooms

shall be reasonably segregated from those
designated

for the other candidate. If sufficient space to

accommodate the above needs is not available at a

particular debate facility, the Commission shall

provide trailers or alternative space mutually

agreeable to the candidates' representatives. Space

that is comparable in terms of size, location, and

quality shall be provided to the two campaigns.
These

rooms shall be made available at least seventy-two

(72) hours in advance of the beginning of each
debate.

Each campaign may, at its own cost, rent one or
more

additional trailers so long as the Commission and

authorities responsible for traffic and security do

not object.

(c) The number of individuals allowed in these
rooms or

trailers shall be determined by each candidate. The

Commission shall issue backstage passes (if needed)
to

the candidates' representatives as requested.

(d) The Commission shall provide each candidate
with a

direct television feed from the production truck to

*29*

two (2) monitors placed in the candidate's dressing

room and staff holding rooms as requested by the

candidates' representatives. In addition, the

Commission shall provide at least one (1)
additional

functioning TV set for each of the eight (8) rooms.

*12. Media*

(a) Each candidate will receive not fewer than
thirty (30)

press passes for the Media Center during the debate

and more if mutually agreed upon by the campaigns.

(b) Each candidate will be allowed to have an
unlimited

number of people in the Media Center upon the

conclusion of the debate.

(c) The Commission will be responsible for all
media

credentialing.

*13. Survey Research*

The sponso~ of the debates agrees that it shall

not, prior to two days after the Presidential

Inauguration of 2005, release publicly or to the
media

or otherwise make publicly available any survey

research (including polls or focus group results or

data) concerning the performance of the candidates
in

the debate or the preferences of the individuals

surveyed for either candidate.

*14. Complete Agreement*

This memorandum of understanding constitutes the

entire agreement between the parties concerning the
debates in

30

which the campaigns will participate in 2004.

*15. Amendments*

This Agreement will not be changed or amended
except

in writing signed by those persons who signed this
Agreement or

their designees.

*16. Ratification and Acknowledgement*

The undersigned moderators selected by the
Commissior

agree to the terms contained herein and agree to
fulfill their

responsibilities as described in the Agreement.

Agreed and Accepted:

Bush-Cheney

Printed Name:

'04, Inc.

~

By:

Title:

Executed on September , 2004

Printed Name:

Kerry-Edwards

By:

Title: ~~ //-r~ /Executed on setember , 2004 ~

The Commission on Presidential Debates

By:

Printed Name:

Title:

Executed on September , 2004

The provisions hereof pertaining to moderators are
understood,

agreed to and accepted:

Jim Lehrer (Date Executed)

Charles Gibson (Date Executed)

Bob Schieffer (Date Executed)

Gwen Ifill (Date Executed)


--
Bill


MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

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Monday, September 27, 2004

9/11 didn't change EVERTHING...


"He who is willing to sacrifice freedom for safety deserves neither freedom nor safety." - Ben Franklin
&
"One useless man is called a disgrace; two useless men are called a law firm; and three or more useless men are a congress" - John Adams
&
Politicians and diapers should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons.





MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

send comments via Email to me,

A pic is worth a thousand words


"He who is willing to sacrifice freedom for safety deserves neither freedom nor safety." - Ben Franklin
&
"One useless man is called a disgrace; two useless men are called a law firm; and three or more useless men are a congress" - John Adams
&
Politicians and diapers should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons.





MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

send comments via Email to me,

These Debates should NOT be called debates, becsuse by their own rules they aren't. Read the rules;


"He who is willing to sacrifice freedom for safety deserves neither freedom nor safety." - Ben Franklin
&
"One useless man is called a disgrace; two useless men are called a law firm; and three or more useless men are a congress" - John Adams
&
Politicians and diapers should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons.

Read the rules thanks to PBS & Bill Moyers' TV NOW and of course their website. You'll have to go read them yourselves as they are in a format which doesn't let me copy them here. Acrobat. And if you need the program that's fine Acrobat "reader only" is free to all just download it at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
You won't be able to save it so you only be able to see for as long as it on the NOW web page, so if you won't to see do it now. It's not good. The "Commissions" for both sides have set the rules so that you DON'T get what they call debates. I don't know what to call this, but I know what it NOT and that is a debate. Your debate has been Hi-jacked. OH! And by the way, after running this blog for months, look what has happen to my views and feelings. I think it made me a non-bush person.
Calling these Debates is like saying, "Gave me your watch and I'll tell you what time it is." Which is what Bush is saying evertime he opens his mouth. No mater what he says the really message is gave me everything you have and I'll care for you better than you care for yourselfs. IF that the live you want, vote Bush, if you are your own person, don't.

I DON'T LIKE WHAT WE HAVE ALLOWED THIS COUNTRY TO BE COME. WE'VE BEEN "HI-JACKED" AND WE ASKED THEM TO DO. WE GAVE THEM OUR WATCHS AND NOW WE'VE HAPPY WITH WHATEVER THEY TELL US THE TIMES IS, WHENEVER THEY WANT TO TELL US THE TIME. AND THEN CHARGES US FOR THE SERVICE. WHO ARE THEY, THEY ARE EITHER OF THE PARTIES. THEY'VE WORKING FOR BIG BUSINES NOT US. BOUGHT AND PAID FOR. YES AND DON'T BLAME ANY OF THE LAST FEW PRESIDENTS BECAUSE THEY ARE JUST PUPPETS TO THEIR PARTIES. THAT'S WHY YOU HAVEN'T HAD ANYONE WORTH VOTING FOR IN YEARS.

And don't think your picking the guy who you want, he pick long before your "hi-jacked" on that item too. The parties make their minds up or are told what dummy to run before us for our OK. Take your country back cause you've just about lost it. No one cares more about your afares than you. It does take a village, but that for the village's good. And when your talking about one PERSON TO ANOTHER that works to, but after that don't ask teachers to tell your kids about sex. Think on it. What time is it? Time to take back your watch and tell the time for yourself when and were you want.
These people are called "public servants" for a reason, they work for the public as servants. The public, that is us. You and me. Not anyone else. We, the people, gave them orders as to what to do, how to do it and when to do it. Where to do it. And why to do it. So if we don't tell them what to do and we haven't, who is? Big Business is. Take back your country before you can't anymore.

ENOUGH...for now anyway. I feel a little better. I'm still scared!

MY ADVICE endeavors at keen.com. The number is 1-800-275-5336 (800-ask-keen) + ext. 0329063 for tech stuff, 0329117 for running a small business, and 0329144 on investing. Want to CHAT, I use Yahoo's IM as the_web_ster. View me in the Friends & Family part of webcamnow.com, just click on "view cams", then in the Java window click on WebcamNow Communities drop down arrow & select Friends & Family. Under the live webcams look for & click on me "the_webster".

send comments via Email to me,