2006 Mid-Term Elections

Of course I can’t pass by the 2006 mid-term elections without comment. It was clearly a stunning victory for Democrats, and I can only hope the new Democratic majority will roll back some of the powers granted to the executive branch. Unfortunately, that normally comes very slowly.

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Once Again A Call To Methodist Bishops to Denouce Torture

I have, several times in the past, called on the U.S. Bishops of the United Methodist Church, to write George Bush and denounce the practice of government sponsored torture. To the best of my knowledge, only five have done so. In light of the recent revelations, I am, again, calling on these Christian leaders to denounce toture. I will be much aggressive this time in that I plan to make a phone call to each.

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Army Captain Alleges Systematic Abuse of Iraqi Prisoners

Time magazine yesterday revealed new allegations of “systematic abuse” of Iraqi detainees made by a “decorated former Captain in the Army?s 82nd Airborne Division.” For months, Capt. Ian Fishback said, U.S. soldiers were directed “to conduct daily beatings of prisoners prior to questioning.”

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Haliburton Taking Good Care of Our Troops

Not only did Halliburton’s KBR subsidiary serve U.S. troops in Iraq spoiled food (sometimes a year past the expiration date), but also contaminated water from Iraq’s Euphrates River, containing “numerous pathogenic organisms” at nearly two times the normal contamination levels of untreated water. “[R]aw sewage is routinely dumped less than two miles from the water intake location.”

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