The American Conservative
by Doug Bandow

For years Republicans promised revolutionary change in Washington. But after Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980, they complained that the GOP needed to run Congress. After Republicans gained control of Congress in 1994, they said they needed the presidency as well. Now, with both the White House and Capitol Hill under firm GOP control, Republicans have no more excuses. Unfortunately, the budget results have been ugly, and the future looks even worse. Notes Peter Ferrara of the Free Enterprise Fund, 'under current law Federal spending as a percent of GDP will rise from 20 percent today to 34 percent by 2030.' That is higher than at any other point since World War II. Toss in state and local spending, and half the economy will be in government hands. And these estimates ignore the natural tendency of government outlays to climb far faster than projected... (for publication 11/21/05)

http://www.amconmag.com/2005/2005_11_21/cover.html


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Free Market News Network
by Noel Gibeson

11/10/05

One more thing to fear from the Patriot Act is the use of a national security letter issued unilaterally by a FBI special-agent-in-charge from one of the more than 60 FBI field offices scattered throughout the country. A national security letter, when presented to the recipient, demands that the institution provide all financial records and communications records for the person or people listed on the letter. Furthermore, the letter recipient is warned never to reveal or to disclose the existence of this letter or the person of interest to anyone, ever. More than 30,000 national security letters have already been issued and it is estimated that more than 100,000 people have been the intended targets of these letters...

http://www.fmnn.com/Analysis/94/2872/2005-11-10.asp?wid=94&nid=2872


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

http://antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=7993


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Tracy Press

11/11/05

The trade deficit surged to a record in September as oil imports hit an all-time high, driven up by hurricane-related shutdowns of Gulf Coast production. The deficit with China also hit a record as that country shipped a flood of televisions, toys and clothing to the United States, triggering demands that President Bush take a hard line on what Democrats in Congress called China's unfair trading practices. The Commerce Department reported Thursday that September's trade deficit was a record $66.1 billion, 11.4 percent higher than August and much worse than economists had been forecasting...

http://www.tracypress.com/2005-11-11-biz-one.php


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

http://www.geocities.com/jurisnot


Informant: Milo

After Lewis Libby's indictment, Philippe Gelie argues, the tug-of-war between the CIA and the White House is intensifying. A subterranean war, waged by confidential information strikes and accusations of talking too much, but which all reverts to the fundamental disagreement between the Agency and the Republicans about the justifications for the war in Iraq.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/111005H.shtml

Senate Democrats issued their first coordinated challenge to Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, seeking extensive records about his participation in a 2002 appeals case despite a six-figure investment with one of the defendants.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/111005D.shtml

Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski - former commander at Abu Ghraib - says she was hung out to dry by the Pentagon.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/111005B.shtml

The Pentagon's inspector general has been asked to investigate the pre-war intelligence role of a planning office headed by former US defense policy chief Douglas Feith, a main architect of the Iraq war, officials said on Tuesday.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/111005A.shtml

Strange, but true: Poultry -- turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese, and other birds -- are NOT protected by humane slaughter laws in this country, even though they make up the overwhelming majority of farm animals killed for food in the United States (9 billion a year). Today, you and I have the power to change that.

https://community.hsus.org/campaign/petition_for_poultry/

Some background: Since the 1950s, the Humane Slaughter Act has required that all livestock be rendered "insensible to pain" before slaughter. Seems like such a modest requirement reflecting our society's belief that animals should not suffer unnecessarily, right? Yet this most basic requirement does not extend to more than 95 percent of the farm animals slaughtered in this country, simply because the law does not explicitly mention poultry.

We need your help to change this shocking situation. To get Congress to amend the law to provide the same basic protections for poultry that cows, pigs, lambs, and other livestock have, we need to demonstrate widespread support as quickly as possible.

Our goal? At least 150,000 signatures on the Petition for Poultry by Thanksgiving, the day when millions of birds have nothing to be grateful for. It only takes a minute of your time to sign the petition

https://community.hsus.org/campaign/petition_for_poultry/

- and then, please, tell a friend.

https://community.hsus.org/campaign/petition_for_poultry/forward/

* Click here to sign the Petition for Poultry and instantly join thousands of compassionate Americans who are urging Congress to amend the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act.

https://community.hsus.org/campaign/petition_for_poultry/

* And then... click here to pass the petition on to a friend.
https://community.hsus.org/campaign/petition_for_poultry/forward/

It's that simple to make a difference for billions of animals today - including the 46 million turkeys consumed at Thanksgiving alone. I hope you'll agree that it's time to fix this gaping hole in our animal welfare laws. Please, help us achieve this long-overdue reform today.

https://community.hsus.org/campaign/petition_for_poultry/


Sincerely,

Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO The Humane Society of the United States