Last week I discussed the economic mess we are in. Someone commented that I am making things up and that job growth has been fine under Bush. She claimed I gave no evidence that job growth has been nearly flat during the Bush administration. Well, let me quote Paul Krugman, with an illustration:

The Progressive Democrat Newsletter grew out of the frustration of the 2004 election. I have try mixing my own rants and ideas, with national issues, news items, and some very local groups and events in an attempt to both help shape debate and to help people find their own ways of getting involved.

This week I highlight Bill O'Reilly's latest insult: denying the existence of some 200,000 homeless Veterans. For my NYC readers I highlight a very important attempt in the City Council to require permits for citizens to use devices that detect harmful materials in the air, water and soil. For my North Carolina readers I highlight a Democratic candidate for Congress, Marshall Adame, who is pissing off the mercenary firm Blackwater. I am urging people to support Marshall Adame for his willingness to challenge Blackwater. And I continue to highlight local events in all the states where I have had a good number of readers. Interestingly, Florida and Texas are joining New York and California as states where I have lots of readers. Don't forget to visit an advertiser or two and if you want more, please visit Culture Kitchen.

Here's a spooky story that tells you why Iraq is related to Christmas toys.  It takes us to Baghdad and China, Washington and Wal-Mart, and ends (or begins?) under the Christmas tree.  It's our 2007 version of the 1925 poem by T.S. Eliot:

We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpieces filled with straw

It starts with the scary mercenaries of Blackwater and the evil sorceror Rumsfeld...

Episode 1: The Hollow Military (Read on if you dare...)

Ingredients

Unaccountable private military contractors
1 Arrogant administration
Generous helpings of "compassionate conservatism"
A fundamentally flawed healthcare system

Instructions

1.Hire private military contractors to conduct core mission-critical security business.  Mix contractors into cauldron of insurgency.
2.Allow said contractors to operate outside of military chain of command, accountable only for particular client services, but wholly unaccountable to the larger mission of winning the hearts and minds of Iraqi citizens.   For extra zest, encourage contractors to treat all Iraqis as "potential terrorists."
3.Grant contractors immunity from Iraqi courts.  Follow up by failing to prosecute employees on American soil .
4.Provide sweetheart deals to connected contractors (to taste).  Cook the books thoroughly to ensure that these contracts both waste billions of taxpayer dollars and deny troops adequate supplies and services.
5.Finally, site cost and ideology as reasons for denying adequate healthcare to the exact demographic that tends to enroll in your military.

Served Hot: An unwinnable cauldron of insurgency that costs thousands of American lives; tens of thousands of Iraqi lives; billions of dollars; and your country's international reputation.

Served Cold: An armed forces that struggles to recover from over-extension.

Served Now: Sign a Call for Consequences for renegade contractors and urge Congress to over-ride Bush's SCHIP veto here.

Two things: 1) laws are only as good as the enforcers, and 2) every tax dollar that goes toward fraud is one less dollar for legitimate government needs. According to attorney Alan Grayson -- who represents whistleblowers in contractor fraud cases -- former Justice Department supervisor Peter Keisler repeatedly failed to take action against contractors reportedly involved in fraud. Truthout's Matt Renner reports:

"Grayson said Keisler has purposely delayed investigations into Iraq contractor fraud because of Keisler's political allegiance to the Bush administration. Keisler has refused to prosecute whistleblower lawsuits because Bush 'does not want more bad news coming out of Iraq,' Grayson said, adding 'to have an entire class of cases treated this way is truly unprecedented....'

"Keisler was appointed by President Bush...."

Dick DeVos is running to be govenor of Michigan. Russ Bellant, author of The Religious Right in Michigan Politics, is very concerned. Here is why:

Dick DeVos is the richest and most right wing major party candidate for Governor in Michigan history. He is the product of the Amway company and its decades of interlinks with the most influential religious extremists. He conducts himself like an Amway recruiter, deception and all.

And Bellant believes DeVos would like to be president someday. Bellant has written what can only be called a profile in extremism, outlining DeVos' far-right religious and political involvements over many years. Originally posted in its entirety at Michigan Liberal, Bellant is posting it as a four part series at Talk to Action, where he will be a regular contributor after the election.  

Excerpts from the first two parts on the flip.

Facing mounting opposition to the War at home and  Iraqi requests for a timetable for a draw-down of US forces, Pentagon and Administration officials have begun to float the idea that it might be time to start turning the debacle over to the Iraqis. Lately reports of both US and British troop reductions have appeared in the press. Iraqi President Talabani recently stated that British troops could leave by the end of 2006 and that the Iraqis should be ready to take over in the southern provinces around Basra by that time. Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Chalabi has echoed the same sentiment in regards to US troops.

It would appear from these reports that the training of Iraqi forces has been far more successful then we had previously believed.

Perhaps, as has been par for the course with this administration, there's something they have neglected to tell us.  

What could possibly have changed the situation on the ground so drastically?  In one word: Blackwater.