Advertisement

Representative Jim Trakas proudly accepts the Franklin County Republican Party Endorsement

Columbus, OH – State Representative, and Ohio Secretary of State Candidate, Jim Trakas (R- Independence) received the endorsement of the Franklin County Republican Party on January 11, 2006.

“I am truly honored to have received their very important and timely endorsement of my candidacy,” Trakas said. “I believe the Franklin County Republican Party recognized that my campaign is highly organized and ready for an aggressive battle in the fall. My unique and extensive experience in the Legislature sets me apart from all the other candidates in the race. I have visited all of Ohio’s 88 Counties and have built a strong and enthusiastic grassroots network and an effective campaign organization,” expressed Representative Trakas.

Trakas continued, “As an alumnus of The Ohio State University, I have always viewed Franklin County as my second home and I greatly appreciate their support of my candidacy. I look forward to carrying the momentum I have gained through this endorsement all the way through Election Day.”

Birth of awareness

One of the heroes of My Lai died a few days ago, dislodging the old horrors and a fleeting national debate the world is begging us to reopen.

Are we the good guys? Is God on our side?

"We kept flying back and forth, reconning in front and in the rear, and it didn't take very long until we started noticing the large number of bodies everywhere. Everywhere we'd look, we'd see bodies. These were infants, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-year-olds, women, very old men, no draft-age people whatsoever."

This story only gets worse. It took almost two years before a full-scale investigation got underway and the American public slowly became aware of what helicopter pilot Hugh Thompson happened upon on March 16, 1968: a wanton slaughter of Vietnamese civilians, being carried out by American troops.

"I think a count has been anywhere from two to four hundred, five hundred bodies. . . . I think that's a small count," Thompson, who died of cancer on Jan. 6, related during a My Lai symposium at Tulane University in 1994. He and his two-man crew stood in for the American conscience on that day.

If it's not one thing...

AUSTIN, Texas -- Boy, you really can't take your eyes off this bunch for a minute, can you? If they're not screwing up one thing, then they're screwing up another -- busy little beavers. And then there are the administrative nightmares they have created all by themselves: The new Medicare prescription-drug benefit is such a disaster area, four states took it over in less than a week just to make sure poor people received their drugs.

It's been a long trek since Nov. 2, 2004 -- now getting shorter

Dear Friends: It took the downfall of a lobbyist who dresses like a Hasidic rabbi one day and a baseball coach the next to make it happen. But if looks as if our 14-month-long effort to expose the fraud in Ohio that gave the 2004 to Bush is bearing fruit at last.

Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) was one of the architects of HAVA (Help America Vote Act). In that role he worked with Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and others to reform certain election procedures that had arisen from the controversial 2000 election. But where electronic voting machines were concerned, the HAVA architects neglected accusations that they were "hackable" and focused instead on lesser issues, in particular making it easier for blind people to vote.

RE: They must really think we're morons

Dear Editor:

In her column ("They must really think we're morons" - Creators Syndicate Columnist Molly Ivins - January 10, 2006), Molly Ivins writes falsely that Newt Gingrich was "fined $300,000" for "misusing nonprofit organizations for political purposes, personally benefiting from political contributions, cutting a sleazy book deal and giving false statements to ethics investigators."

Ms. Ivins has been around long enough to have known the facts. Democrats filed 84 politically motivated ethics charges against Speaker Gingrich. All of them were found to be without merit. The last three were dismissed on October 10, 1998, including the charge of using tax-exempt foundations for political purposes. The fact is, not a single ethics charge filed against Speaker Gingrich was ever found to be based in fact - not one.

During the investigation into the bogus charge of using a tax exempt foundation for political purposes, a letter responding to an inquiry by the Committee prepared and filed by a Gingrich lawyer contained an inaccuracy which was that it characterized GOPAC as an educational

Fitzgerald maintains focus on Rove but attorney says 'Architect' not a target

Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is said to have spent the past month preparing evidence he will present to a grand jury alleging that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove knowingly made false statements to FBI and Justice Department investigators and lied under oath while he was being questioned about his role in the leak of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity more than two years ago, according to sources knowledgeable about the probe.

Although there have not been rumblings regarding Fitzgerald's probe into the Plame leak since he met with the grand jury hearing evidence in the case more than a month ago, the sources said that Fitzgerald has been quietly building his case against Rove and has been interviewing witnesses, in some cases for the second and third time, who have provided him with information related to Rove's role in the leak. It is unclear when Fitzgerald is expected to meet with the grand jury again.

Three years

Today in Iraq for perspective, commentary and news

Interview with Susan Oehler of Today in Iraq

At the end of last year I came across an excellent website, "Today in Iraq." What caught my eye was an email about "This day in history of Iraq" that highlighted the handshake between Donald Rumsfeld and Saddam Hussein on December 20, 1983. Six bloggers make up the site - all with diverse backgrounds and perspecitves thereby producing a lot of depth and nuance. I interviewed one of the bloggers, Susan Oehler and then asked her fellow bloggers to comment at the end of the interview. My hope in sharing their work is not only to provide you with a useful source of information and analysis on Iraq but also inspire you to take action and do what you can to end the war.

Kevin Zeese: Describe yourself, your background (activist and professional) and your work.

Strickland Leads Blackwell, Montgomery, and Petro

Congressman Ted Strickland Leads GOP Rivals by 4 to 16 Points in Head-to-Head Match-ups

Columbus, Ohio - Ohio gubernatorial candidate Congressman Ted Strickland holds a lead over every Republican challenger for the governor's office, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports poll released Saturday.

The survey, conducted January 3, shows Strickland with a four-point lead over Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, 44% to 40%. Strickland leads Attorney General Jim Petro by five points, 43% to 38%.

The survey also found that Strickland leads Ohio State Auditor Betty Montgomery by a sixteen-point margin, 49% to 33%.

According to Rasmussen Reports, Strickland is viewed favorably by 54% of respondents, higher than the Republican challengers and significantly higher than the 40% favorability rating attributed to Strickland in the previous Rasmussen Reports poll (November).

For more information please visit: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/

A peace movement demanding the rule of law

Remarks prepared for Out of Iraq event in Washington, D.C., on day of 164 Out of Iraq Events around the country, Jan. 7, 2006.

President Nixon famously said that if the President does it, it's legal.  And he didn't think that up on his own – that's a way of thinking that has long had currency in America. 

Today there are over 150 Out of Iraq events like this one happening around the country.  A dozen members of Congress are taking part.  Numerous candidates for Congress, local elected officials, and national leaders of the peace movement are speaking.  Large crowds are gathering.  We'll see what sort of job the media does of noticing.  Thus far, progressive and rightwing radio have provided the most coverage.  The event in New York will be broadcast on Air America / Nation Radio at 7 p.m. ET, as soon as this event is over.

When I spoke on a rightwing radio show yesterday, I heard from callers who would paraphrase Nixon thus: If the U.S. military does it, it's legal.

Pages

Subscribe to ColumbusFreePress.com RSS