TRUFFULAUT #17

http://home.earthlink.net/~truffulaut/id28.html

4 July 2004

HISTORY

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

They seem to have left out the part abt Jesus.

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is at once the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson's most enduring monument. Here, in exalted and unforgettable phrases, Jefferson expressed the convictions in the minds and hearts of the American people. The political philosophy of the Declaration of Independence was not new; its ideals of individual liberty had already been expressed by John Locke and the Continental philosophers. What Jefferson did was to summarize this philosophy in "self-evident truths" and set forth a list of grievances against the King in order to justify before the world the breaking of ties between the colonies and the mother country. http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/declaration.html -- transcription of Declaration of Independence

http://www.constitution.org/img/trumbull_doi.jpg -- painting of signing ceremony

http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/l/locke.htm -- John Locke

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRgeorgeIII.htm, http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page111.asp -- King George III

WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, OUR LAST DULY ELECTED PRESIDENT

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/bc42.html - official White House bio

http://www.clintonpresidentialcenter.com/ - Clinton Library in Little Rock, Arkansas

http://www.randomhouse.com/knopf/clinton/ - official website for his new book

WASHINGTONS FAREWELL ADDRESS 1796

It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration, to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach upon another.

At the beginning of each Congressional session, someone always reads this out loud, and it is always fascinating to hear the words of the Father of our Country echoing through current events.

http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/washing.htm

EISENHOWERS FAREWELL ADDRESS, JANUARY 17, 1961 (televised)

Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence, is a continuing imperative. Together we must learn how to compose difference, not with arms, but with intellect and decent purpose.

It is fascinating that a man who had been intimately involved with actual warfare, which had been imposed upon the world, would be opposed to it.

http://www.eisenhower.utexas.edu/farewell.htm

OUR FOUNDERS AND THE UNBALANCE OF POWER

Al Gore, the man who was elected President in 2000, spoke at the Georgetown University Law School at an event sponsored by the American Constitution Society.

http://www.acslaw.org/pdf/gore6-24.pdf

http://www.americanconstitutionsociety.org/

THE FOUNDING FATHERS MEET GEORGE BUSH

This excellent article includes an extensive list of relevant quotes from a wide variety of folks provided by Maureen Farrell at Buzzflash.

in the fall of 2002, a poll indicated that nearly half of all Americans think the First Amendment "goes too far," while in the spring of 2003 a VH-1 poll showed that fifty-four percent of US citizens believe it's "inappropriate" for celebrities to make political statements.

http://www.buzzflash.com/farrell/04/06/far04021.html

MILITARY

INDIAS AIR FORCE DEFEATS USA

While we have cozied up to the military dictatorship in Pakistan, we should not forget that India also has nuclear weapons. The worlds largest democracy should not be ignored or treated with anything except respect.

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/06/23/airforce.supremacy.reut/index.html

http://indianairforce.nic.in/

Aircraft mentioned in article:

http://www.en.npc-m.ru/members/aircraft

http://www.aviation.ru/Su/#30

http://www.aviation.ru/MiG/#27

http://www.aviation.ru/MiG/#21

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/f-15.htm

http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/f15/flash.html

http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=101

http://www.punchdown.org/rvb/F15/

http://www.lmaeronautics.com/products/combat_air/f-22/

http://www.lmaeronautics.com/products/combat_air/x-35/

THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION IRAQ INDEX

The Iraq Index is a statistical compilation of economic and security data. This resource will provide updated information on various criteria, including crime, telephone and water service, troop fatalities, unemployment, Iraqi security forces, oil production, and coalition troop strength.

http://www.brookings.edu/iraqindex

http://www.brookings.edu/default.htm

Sadly, we will now be counting number of soldiers killed since the handover of sovereignty instead of number of soldiers killed after major combat operations ended.

CONGRESS

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Real answers. Right now.

http://democrats.house.gov/

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT REFORM MINORITY OFFICE

The Committee on Government Reform is the main investigative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction to investigate any federal program and any matter with federal policy implications.

Because Democrats are in the minority, the only investigating that gets done is by the minority. The majority behaves exactly like Tom DeLays personal harem, with both males and females at his constant beck and call.

http://www.house.gov/reform/min/

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 268

The Defense Department should be a completely in-house operation; otherwise, defense is more like a giant crossing of fingers and hoping for everyone to behave.

the House of Representatives failed to pass an amendment that would have blocked the Department of Homeland Security's contract with Bermuda-based Accenture. The amendment failed by a vote of 182 to 221.

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll268.xml

http://www.accenture.com/xd/xd.asp?it=enweb&xd=index.xml

http://www.washingtontechnology.com/top-100/2004/24.html

SENATE DEMOCRATS

the official web page of the United States Senate Democratic Leadership. It is intended to be a source of information about the legislative agenda and issues being worked on by Senate Democrats.

Republicans uh, nevermind

http://democrats.senate.gov/

MEDIA

MICHAEL MOORE, TIME MAGAZINE COVER BOY

http://michaelmoore.com/

My First Wild Week with "Fahrenheit 9/11"... By Michael Moore

White House moving vans START YOUR ENGINES!

http://michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?messageDate=2004-07-04

ARE YOU AN ARTIST OR A TERRORIST?

Art becomes the next suspect in America's 9/11 paranoia

On May 10 Steven Kurtz went to bed a married art professor. On May 11 he woke up a widower. By the afternoon he was under federal investigation for bioterrorism.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1236288,00.html

MEDIA MATTERS

Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively [sic] monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.

http://mediamatters.org/

MOLLY IVINS

The day the Constitution died.

Among the legal memos that circulated within the administration in 2002, one is by White House counsel Alberto Gonzalez, famously declaring the Geneva Convention "quaint [see Truffulaut #16 http://home.earthlink.net/~truffulaut/id27.html for link to Geneva Convention].

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=17092

PAX

TRUFFULAUT