Two side notes...

Firstly, the podcast pages/feeds are now correct; you can now access all four of our spectacular podcasts from our iTunes page! There will be podcast updates on at least two of the three days before Christmas (of tonight's show), and one or two "greatest hits" before Thursday night's "surprise guest-host" program. I should make that "guest-hosts," though I will only reveal the identity of one host tonight, so make sure you listen tonight at 10:00PM Eastern US Time!!!

Secondly, Dick Morris has vowed to leave the country if a Hillary-Obama ticket is elected in 2008. I'd vote for Hil just to see that happen!

Meat packing industry cries poverty.... time to lobby for cheap labor!!!

Here is more indiciation of how big business has systematically chipped away at the middle class. The recent meat-packing raid of illegal workers proves how industry has become dependent on cheap labor. The industrial industry, the hotel industry, construction and others depend on cheap illegal labor to maximize the profits and screw the working class in America. Now the meat industry will lobby for a quick solution, a GUEST WORKER plan. Bush has already indicated as part of a trade off for a minimum wage increase is his desire for a guest worker program. Starting to connect the dots yet folks???

Hitleresque "meeting with the troops"

In a meeting with the troops in Iraq, Mr. Gates declares "we need more troops, the soldiers said so". What is fascinating is the fact that only 15 troops got to speak to Gates. 15 handpicked soldiers, agreeing with Bush. The concept of a pre-determined meeting is very similar to the nazi propaganda movies Hitler created, where concentration camp membrs declared the camps "great places to work at"!!!
These 15 soldiers are most likely the only 15 in the country who want to stay the course. You are witnessing propaganda in action

Only in Georgia...

Of course, I mean Georgia the American state, not the former Russian one.

Read a synopsis on the sad case of Genarlow Wilson at the New York Times.

Who's the Hitler?

Right-wing radio host Mike Gallagher attacked Joy Behar for comparing Donald Rumsfeld to Hitler - granted, not the best comparison - by calling for people who criticize anyone in the administration to be put into "detention camps."

So... who's the Hitler, Mr. Gallagher? Who's the Hitler? Sieg Heil, Mr. Gallagher.

Listen and read at ThinkProgress.

More on the Iraq "surge"

The military is against it - and top commanders are letting new SecDef Gates know it.

Sen. Norm Coleman (R - MN), likely to be opposed by comedian/Air America host Al Franken in 2008, has spoken out against it.

Oh, and when Sen. John Kerry (D - MA), in his run against Bush in 2004, suggested that the size of the Army be increased, Bush was AGAINST it!

So, what do YOU think is going to happen in Iraq? Bush is going to send more troops, and try to increase the size of the Army.

Bush had some funny and scary stuff to say at a press conference yesterday. Americans should go shopping more, he thinks.

A summary of the press conference from the New York Times.

*EDIT* More NeoCons against Bush...
Joe Scarborough and Mike Barnicle
Rich Lowry, editor of the National Review

Goode v. Ellison, rounds 1 and 2.

Yesterday, Rep. Virgil Goode (R - VA) was revealed to the world as an unabashed bigot, writing a vicious letter against Muslims to his constituents in response to Rep.-elect Keith Ellison's desire to have his photo-op "swear-in" done with a copy of the Qur'an instead of the Bible. Goode has since refused to apologize.

The right-wing has misrepresented the swearing-in issue; members of Congress are not sworn in on ANY book - Qur'an, Bible, Torah, etc. All this hoopla and drama is over a SYMBOLIC ceremony - in no way official - that new representatives typically do to have an official-looking picture to present to their people.

Goode repeatedly mentions restricting Muslim immigration in his attacks on Ellison; it's too bad, though, that Ellison's family has been in America since the mid-1700's - he converted to Islam in college.

I just hope the fact that so much anti-Muslim sentiment - including the right wing attacks on Barack Obama (coincidentally, a Christian) we've seen recently - is coming just in time for Christmas. Boiling hatred at the celebration of the birth of the "Prince of Peace."

Oh, wait, I forgot; to the NeoCons, Jesus is the "Prince of Profits and Prejudice." Sorry, I'll try to remember better next time.

Robbing the treasury BLIND!!!

...and the filthy right wing complicit media does not give a damm.

The GAO has determined that private contractors in Iraq are robbing the American taxpayer.

The media is ignoring this report; we here at the ELPN will not ignore this!!!

Right Wing psycho says "Obama bad for the War on Islam"

This is one of the most unreal things ever written by a right wing pundit. Debbie Schlussel wrote in a published column, and on her website, "Obama's 'loyalties' must be called into question as he emerges as a possible Democratic presidential candidate." In the column, Schlussel asked, "So, even if he identifies strongly as a Christian ... is a man who Muslims think is a Muslim, who feels some sort of psychological need to prove himself to his absent Muslim father, and who is now moving in the direction of his father's heritage, a man we want as President when we are fighting the war of our lives against Islam? Where will his loyalties be?"

This is one of the most pathetic right wing hack jobs, the most bigoted and fear-based of all time. We are not in a "war against Islam", and Obama is not a Muslim!!!!

We will tear this woman to shreds tonight!

Harry Reid, flip-flopper.

Three days ago, Sen. Harry Reid (D - NV) said he could "go along with" a fake "troop surge."

What a difference a LOUD liberal outcry makes, indeed!

Read Sen. Reid's blog @ HuffPo.

Podcasting Update

Our next podcast will drop later this afternoon. It will be the first segment of last night's show, tentatively titled, "Harry Reid Goes Along With It."

*EDIT* It has dropped! Another episode will drop Thursday morning.

In additional ELPN news, at least one co-host has confirmed for next Thursday's show. Tune in Thursday to find out who it is!

The Department of No Defense

Why in the world is the DoD's updated Counterinsurgency Manual (warning: large PDF) being released publicly?

I'm guessing it's no surprise, then, that the "counterinsurgency" has found it, and is mocking us for it.

Read a synopsis at IraqSlogger.

The MSM vs. Barack Obama - it's on!

They just can't help themselves.

Barack Hussein Obama. That'll be "interesting down the road," eh?

He dresses like Ahmadinejad.

He's an empty vessel.

He's got big ears.

The one thing this tells is that they are SCARED of the black man being President - even if he's only half-black.

Read the MediaMatters synopsis. CNN has, apparently, not allowed anyone to post Jeff Greenfield's insanity in any form other than text, so we can't get that right now. Can we find it?

Clueless Condi

She's just another Bush cabal member trying not to drown in her own hubris.

Fred Hiatt of the Washington Post points this out clearly.

Filthy warmongers censoring Middle East experts!

A Middle East expert, who served under Bush on the National Security Council, wrote an op-ed on Iran, and the United States government stopped the article from being published!!! It contained nothing classifed by the CIA, and was even cleared by them! The White House is itching for an attack on Iran - Saudi Arabia talks, America listens. An opinion by a Bush appointee who is not in lock-step with the administration will not be tolerated. Yes, America's media is held hostage by filthy warmongering radicals. If you think America has a free press, think again!

Colin Powell speaks out!

Colin Powell, former token brother and Secretary of State for the Bush cabal, stands up with the Iraq Study Group in calling for troop reductions and a turnover of control to Iraq "sooner rather than later."

Yet another MILITARY voice joining the chorus against the Bush cabal's "stay the course" war cry.

Read about it in the Washington Post.

*EDIT*
Watch him talk to Bob Schieffer, at ThinkProgress. Another bit from ThinkProgress.

Harry Reid playing politics with the troops and selling out the voters

You would think, after the November 7th landslide for the Democrats due to the Iraq war, maybe, just maybe the Democratic Party would actually listen to America... right?? Not so for Harry Reid, who is too busy pleasing the 12% of this country who want to stay the course and send more troops into Iraq. Shame on you, Harry Reid. I will never shill for the Democratic party EVER AGAIN. I'm pissed off!!!!

*EDIT* Well, at least Hillary is against it...

Tune in tonight at 10PM EST!!!!

Shocking!!! Detainee treatment exposed!

Hey folks,

First, sorry about not updating the podcast. Between working on other projects and entertaining friends visiting town, there has not been the time. A new podcast will be available this afternoon.

On to the news...

Prepare to be shocked! An American man detained in Iraq for three months for allegedly helping the illegal weapons distributors he was trying to blow the whistle on speaks about how he was treated during his time in "prison". This amounts to shameful, disgraceful treatment of a human being, let alone an American by Americans!!!

Read his words in the New York Times.

Laura Bush still in a state of denial....

Recently, on right wing complicit MSNBC, Laura Bush, in the tradition of Hannity, Limbaugh and O'Reilly, claimed "good things are going on in Iraq," and yes... we don't know about it because of the "media". Naturally, the MSNBC host did not challenge this ridiculous talking point. It is time to come to the understanding that the mainstream media is nothing but a Goebbels like propaganda machine for the Republican Party. If you do not see it, you might be a dittohead!!!

Leave it all to big business......

The lack of oversight by the government towards big business has created failure after failure. From Iraq, to Afghanistan, to the energy industry to New Orleans , industry left to its own devices, with no oversight, will work for the bottom line! The nature of conservatism is to starve the government, slash regulatory agencies, and lift restrictions, leaving everything in the hands of private industries.
Lately, we have heard stories of food poisioning all over America, from the spinach scare, the chicken scare, the deadly onion scare, Taco Bell, Olive Garden, mad cow disease, mercury in the fish, etc. What is going on in America?? Why is it that in this America you risk your life every time you eat? De-regulation and big business is the answer, and of course the lack of oversight by the FDA. Eric Schlosser, author of "Fast Food Nation," explains in the N.Y. Times.