contributions

By Kim Sengupta in Baghdad
A final assault on the rebel city of Fallujah appeared imminent yesterday after Iyad Allawi, Iraq’s interim Prime Minister, said chances of a peaceful solution had virtually ended and warned of civilian casualties.
"Our patience is running thin," Mr Allawi said. If no deal was reached, he added: "I have no choice but to secure a military solution. I do so with a heavy heart, for even with the most careful plan there will be some loss of innocent lives. But I (…)

by Maureen Dowd
WASHINGTON Some people thought the October surprise would be the president producing Osama.
Instead, it was Osama producing yet another video taunting the president and lecturing America.
After bin Laden’s pre-election commentary from his anchor desk at a secure, undisclosed location, many TV chatterers and Republicans postulated that the evildoer’s campaign intrusion would help the president.
O.B.L., they said, might re-elect W.
They follow the Bush strategists’ (…)

World Would Perceive Support For Preemptive War
by Helen Thomas
The presidential election on Tuesday is one of the most crucial in American history.
There are many reasons — in foreign policy and on the domestic front — why President George W. Bush should not be reelected.
Among them is the dominance of the radical right in his advisory councils, who are taking the United States down the wrong road at the start of the 21st century.
The road could lead to more mindless wars abroad (…)

Tens of thousands celebrated in the streets after socialist Tabare Vazquez declared victory in Uruguay’s presidential election, an historic first for the left in the South American country.
Vazquez greeted weeping, cheering followers after exit polls showed his coalition, which includes former guerrilla fighters, with more than 50 percent of votes cast.
"Celebrate Uruguayans, celebrate, for the victory is ours, thanks, many thanks," Vazquez told crowds gathered along Montevideo’s main (…)

by WILLIAM J. KOLE
VIENNA, Austria - From the deserts of the south and west to the outskirts of Baghdad, Iraq is awash in weapons sites - some large, others small; some guarded, others not. Even after the U.S. military secured some 400,000 tons of munitions, as many as 250,000 tons remain unaccounted for.
Attention has focused on the al-Qaqaa site south of Baghdad, where 377 tons of explosives are believed to have gone missing - becoming a heated issue in the final days of the U.S. (…)

By William Hare
The word conservative is derived from conserve. To conserve is to behave prudently. In a political context the word conservative is linked to tradition, to move with caution, operating in lockstep with tried and true propositions and fundamental concepts whose validity have been proven over time.
This form of traditionalism has been jettisoned by the new wave of Bush so-called conservatives. Bush initially ran for the presidency touting himself as a “compassionate (…)

by Charley Reese
Americans should realize that if they vote for President Bush’s re-election, they are really voting for the architects of war - Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz and the rest of that cabal of neoconservative ideologues and their corporate backers.
I have sadly come to the conclusion that President Bush is merely a frontman, an empty suit, who is manipulated by the people in his administration. Bush has the most dangerously simplistic view of the world of any (…)

Reveals: National Text-Message Poll Breaks New Ground
Polling firm Zogby International and partner Rock the Vote found Massachusetts Senator John Kerry leading President Bush 55% to 40% among 18-29 year-old likely voters in their first joint Rock the Vote Mobile political poll, conducted exclusively on mobile phones October 27 through 30, 2004. Independent Ralph Nader received 1.6%, while 4% remain undecided in the survey of 6,039 likely voters. The poll is centered on subscribers to the (…)

New Info proves that Central Tabulating Computers have modems connected and are open to manipulation. ie- all this stuff about vote challengers is just a diversion, because one person can change the state total from their home computer. Take the day off of work to help save our country.
Yeah sure conspiracy nuts- they can’t steal it- wrong. We now have evidence that certainly looks like altering a computerized voting system during a real election, and it happened just six weeks ago. (…)

by Jane Stillwater
Someone just asked me what my latest prediction is. "As of today, who do you think will win on Tuesday?"
My prediction is this: George Bush will win. Why? No-brainer! Even as we speak, members of the George Bush fan club who are willing to do ANYTHING to see that their guy wins have been embedded in positions of influence in every electoral board, registrar of voters’ office and secretary of state staff in America. I predict that we will see innumerable election dirty (…)