AUSTIN, Texas -- Well, fellow Texans, they can stick a fork in us, 'cause we're done. Not only has Governor Goodhair called yet another special session (cost now at over $5 million) to implement Tom DeLay's dirty redistricting deal, but we're about to vote an end to public access to the courts, as well.

            Unless a miracle occurs -- like a whole lot of Texans giving up time on a football Saturday to go vote on a bunch of boring propositions -- Sept. 13 will see the end of the open courts provision of the Texas Constitution. Cleverly disguised a cap on medical malpractice awards, Proposition 12 is a direct assault on an independent judiciary.

            A hundred years ago, Justice Moody of the U.S. Supreme Court wrote: "The right to sue and defend in the courts is the alternative to force. In an organized society, it is the right conservative of all other rights and lies at the foundation of orderly government. It is one of the highest and most essential privileges of citizenship." The sickening irony is that we will vote to do this to ourselves, under the impression that we're helping doctors contain the cost of medical malpractice insurance.

Beating up on neocons used to be a specialized sport without wide appeal. With all due false modesty, I offer myself as an earlier practitioner. Back in the mid-to-late '70s, when I had a weekly column in the Village Voice, I used to have rich sport with that apex neo-con, Norman Podhoretz, editor of Commentary, I nicknamed him Norman the Frother and freighted him with so many gibes that he made the mistake of publicly denouncing me in Commentary, exclaiming that "Cockburn's weekly pieces have set a new standard of gutter journalism in this country," a testimonial I still proudly feature on the back of my books.

            The neo-cons' political hero in those days was U.S. Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson, much venerated in Israel and the corporate offices of Beijing for his ardor and constancy in sluicing the U.S. taxpayers' money into their treasuries. The neo-cons' great hope was Scoop for president, but he failed to impress the voters in the Democratic primaries in 1976. To the neocons' chagrin, the new occupant of the Oval Office was Jimmy Carter, whom they construed to be soft on Communism and an Israel-hater. Carter threw

The Bush administration never hesitated to exploit the general public’s anxieties that arose after the traumatic events of September 11, 2001.

Testifying on Capitol Hill exactly 53 weeks later, Donald Rumsfeld did not miss a beat when a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee questioned the need for the United States to attack Iraq.

Senator Mark Dayton: “What is it compelling us now to make a precipitous decision and take precipitous actions?”

Defense Secretary Rumsfeld: “What’s different? What’s different is 3,000 people were killed.”

As a practical matter, it was almost beside the point that allegations linking Baghdad with the September 11 attacks lacked credible evidence. The key factor was political manipulation, not real documentation.

Former CIA analyst Kenneth Pollack got enormous media exposure in late 2002 for his book “The Threatening Storm: The Case for Invading Iraq.” Pollack’s book promotion tour often seemed more like a war promotion tour. During a typical CNN appearance, Pollack explained why he had come to see a “massive invasion” of Iraq as both desirable and

I am a registered Democrat, & having read your attack monologue on the present politics of our country, & on our Pres. Bush, I do believe that you are providing our 9/11/01 enemies with untold sanctuary & favor.

Further, our troops currently fighting for your rights to spew your venum on this country, & its COMINCH, Pres. Bush ought to be real proud of you. You are a true credit to the U.S.A.  You compare our Pres. to a "Nazi" Shame on you sir!

Would that you should show some support for our country, rather than publish all that self agrandizing propaganda!  I feel sorry for you & your kind!

Let us hope that there aren't too many of your type, that want to turn the American people into milk-toast-socialists.

Let me assure you I'm not a pessimist, & that I'm still looking for a wothwhile Democrat with a "PLAN" to lead our country into health & prosperity!

Thus far, the Democrat would be leaders, have emerged with too many false promises & pledges.  They would tax us to smithereens to take care of their special interest causes, & programs.

Is there any reason why H. Wasserman(in his "Bush to NY: Drop Dead) refers to the demise of the World Trade Center as 'explosions' and not an anti-US terrorist attack by Muslim extremists??? Yes I know why..LIBERAL SCUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!