Today, a little noticed vote took place in the Senate. S.AMDT. 2476 was killed on a what was essentially a straight party line vote. That amendment to the 2006 defense authorization bill, sponsored by Byron Dorgan(D-ND), would have established a Special Committee of the Senate on War and Reconstruction Contracting, similar to the Truman Commission which oversaw US contractors during WW II. That commission saved US tax payers the equivalent of billions of current US dollars.

Given the number of unbid contracts granted in Iraq, and elsewhere, not to mention the $8.8 billion in taxpayer dollars that simply disappeared during J. Paul Bremer's tenure as Proconsul in Iraq, it would behoove Congress to begin taking its oversight duties seriously. That the Republicans in the Senate, decided to kill the amendment raises serious questions. Not the least of which is, "Just what are you trying to hide?" Indeed, what is it that you don't want found out? Don't you think that we, the people deserve some accounting as to how our tax dollars are being used, abused or outright stolen?

Senate Republicans, should be ashamed of themselves.

During my childhood, November 11th was called Armistice Day -- to commemorate the day that the Armistice was signed that ended the World War, The Great War, The War to Make the World Safe for Democracy, The War to End All Wars. Since then we have been through so many wars that the day’s name has been changed to Veterans Day.

Understandably, all the attention on this day has been on those who were killed, with no notice taken of the killers and why they started the War. Understandably because no one in public life or among the veterans knows, or has even thought about it. That sad ignorance and indifference will be compensated for here now, albeit all too briefly.

I’ve seen the future replacement for gasoline, its name is butanol.

In August, I was attending a conference of the International Association of Educators for World Peace at the University of San Francisco, when a 1992 Buick rolled up on campus. The sign on its door read, “Powered by: 100% BUTANOL www.Butanol.com.”

The driver, David Ramey, had just driven from Blacklick, Ohio to the west coast on a fuel that replaces gasoline, gallon for gallon, with no engine modifications. Within a few minutes, Dave had us touching, smelling and burning butanol in small samples he supplied. The first thing I noticed is the absence of black smoke when it’s burned indoors.

“I began this project looking for a sustainable fuel source for small farmers to put in their tractors, then I realized you could put it right in a car,” Ramey told us.

I am so very, very disappointed in the election outcomes.  With so much corruption in Ohio politics and so much dissatisfaction with the Republican Rule, I expected the amendments to pass.

The results are not even close and it makes me wonder if the results were fixed.  One cannot trust elections.  I would have thought that the “no” numbers would have been the “yes” numbers.  I am appalled!!!!!

We are doomed.
Carole Malisiak
Delaware, Ohio

AUSTIN, Texas -- I can't get over this feeling of unreality, that I am actually sitting here writing about our country having a gulag of secret prisons in which it tortures people. I have loved America all my life, even though I have often disagreed with the government. But this seems to me so preposterous, so monstrous. My mind is a little bent and my heart is a little broken this morning.

Maybe I should try to get a grip -- after all, it's just this one administration that I had more cause than most to realize was full of inadequate people going in. And even at that, it seems to be mostly Vice President Cheney. And after all, we were badly frightened by 9-11, which was a horrible event. "Only" nine senators voted against the prohibition of "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of persons under custody or control the United States." Nine out of 100. Should we be proud? Should we cry?

"We do not torture," said our pitifully inarticulate president, straining through emphasis and repetition to erase the obvious.