BETWEEN THE LINES
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Hungry for more news from Between The Lines?

Many BTL interviews are excerpted from Scott Harris' live, 2-hour program, Counterpoint. To hear more in-depth analysis you won't get in mainstream media, listen to Counterpoint LIVE Monday nights from 8 to 10 p.m. EST on WPKN Radio

Counterpoint is now archived in its entirety on The White Rose Society website


Check out our
collection of selected in-depth interviews and other audio collectibles on our distribution production company's site at www.squeakywheel.net

medichannel.org

WPKN Radio mentioned in Danny Schechter's "The News Dissector" column

on independent media values.


New Haven Advocate's
"Best of New Haven 2001"
-- Staff Picks --
Scott Harris, Best Radio News Reporter
WPKN Radio, 89.5 FM

"Giving Voice to Dissent: Bridgeport's WPKN Radio Covers The News With Left-Of-Center Takes Not Found In The Mainstream Media"Hartford Courant, Feb. 26, 2003


ISSUES IN DEPTH
War And Profiteering

"The Future of Iraq: The Spoils of War," Blood and oil: How the West will profit from Iraq's most precious commodity, by Danny Fortson, Andrew Murray-Watson and Tim Webb, The Independent/UK, Jan. 7, 2007

"Cheney is Longtime Bad News for U.S.," by John Nichols, by the Madison Capital Times (Wisconsin), Jan. 16, 2007

"Bush administration provokes open war on Iran: Irbil raid, and other operations, authorized "several months ago," by Larry Chin, Global Research, Jan. 15, 2007

"Iran: The Next War," by James Bamford, Rolling Stone, July 24, 2006

Those Who Dared to Come Forward
Compilation of Washington insiders speaking out on Bush administration policies and actions

Project for the New American Century's Letter to President Clinton on Iraq, Jan. 26, 1998 Urges President Clinton to remove the threat that Iraq poses by stating a strategy to do so in his "upcoming State of the Union Address."

"Iraq On The Record," U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman report, March 16, 2004

"Greenspan Testimony Highlights Bush Plan for Deliberate Federal Bankruptcy," by Michael Meurer, truthout.org, March 2, 2004

"Noam Chomsky on Middle East Conflict and U.S. War Plan Against Iraq," Between The Lines interview with Noam Chomsky, conducted by Scott Harris, for the Week Ending May 3, 2002

"The Iraq War & The Bush Administration's Pursuit of Global Domination," Counterpoint, Sept. 15, 2003

The Iraq Crisis, a Global Policy Forum, U.N. Security Council section on the 13 years of sanctions and other background of the war, the humanitarian situation, the importance of Iraq's huge oil resources, and disputes over a post-war government and reconstruction plan

"Occupation, Inc." Southern Exposure, Winter, 2003/2004

"Pipeline Politics: Oil, The Taliban, and the Political Balance of Central Asia," World Press Review Special Report, Nov.-Dec. 2001

"War Profiteering," by The Nation editors, April 24, 2003

"An Annotated Saddam Chronology," ZNet, Dec. 15, 2003


Civil Liberties

"Martial Law Threat is Real," by Dave Lindorff, commondreams.org, July 27, 2007

"ACLU: US Constitution in Grave Danger,"United Press International, July 25, 2007

"Old-line Republican warns 'something's in the works' to trigger a police state," by Muriel Kane, Rawstory.com July 19, 2007

"Fascist America, in 10 easy steps," by Naomi Wolf, The Guardian, April 24, 2007


"Keeping Secrets: The Bush administration is doing the public's business out of the public eye. Here's how--and why," by Christopher H. Schmitt and Edward T. Pound, U.S. News & World Report, Dec. 12, 2003

"Fascism Anyone?" 14 Signs of Fascism, Free Inquiry Magazine, Volume 23, No. 2

"Germany In 1933: The Easy Slide Into Fascism," The Crisis Papers, June 9, 2003

Between The Lines

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Between The Lines
For The Week Ending Feb. 15, 2008


THIS WEEK'S PROGRAM

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Between The Lines Special Report:
John McCain Antiwar Protest

About 100 peace activists demonstrated as U.S. Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.) and U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) spoke at a Sunday, Feb. 3 rally held at Sacred Heart University, in Fairfield, Conn. for Republican presidential candidate John McCain. Between The Lines' Scott Harris interviewed several protesters (in MP3).

Related links:

demo

Protesters affiliated with Connecticut Opposes the War demonstrate outside Sacred Heart University in Fairfield Sunday, showing their unhappiness with Republican presidential candidate John McCain. (Tony Spinelli/ConnPost.com)

"War protesters turn out in force," Connecticut Post, Feb. 4, 2008




UHCF

View Between The Lines' single-payer health plan forum "Health Care: Basic Human Right or Privilege?" with Dr. Stephanie Woolhandler, cofounder of Physicians for a National Health Program and John Wilhelm, president/hospitality undustry, UNITE HERE union.
  • Bypassing Congress, Bush Negotiating
    Long-Term Iraq Occupation

    For story text and audio, Click here!

  • White House Budget
    Cuts Essential Programs,
    Gives Billions to the Rich

    For story text and audio, Click here!

  • Progressive Election Victories
    Hinge on Articulating Shared Values

    For story text and audio, Click here!

  • Underreported News Summary
    from Around the World

    For full summary text and audio, Click here!
LISTEN to this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines by clicking on one of the links below.



This week we present Between The Lines' summary of under-reported news stories and:


 Bypassing Congress, Bush Negotiating
Long-Term Iraq Occupation


Interview with Raed Jarrar,
Iraq political analyst,
conducted by Scott Harris


occupation

The United Nations Security Council mandate authorizing foreign troops to operate in Iraq was extended for one year on Dec. 18. But the Bush administration is now negotiating with the Iraqi government to put in place a long term agreement that will provide continuing authority to Washington to conduct combat operations and grant immunity to U.S. troops and civilian contractors from Iraqi prosecution. It appears that President Bush and Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki intend to bypass both the Iraqi parliament and U.S. Congress in approving such a treaty.

According to constitutional scholars a defense pact of this type, committing the U.S. military to defend Iraq from internal and external enemies, has always in the past required congressional approval. Throughout U.S. history security treaties with other nations have required a two-thirds vote in the U.S. Senate for ratification.

In a related development, President Bush issued a signing statement on Jan. 28 asserting he had the right to bypass a recently passed congressional law prohibiting federal funds from being used to establish permanent U.S. bases in Iraq or controlling Iraqi oil resources. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Iraqi political analyst Raed Jarrar, a consultant to the American Friends Service Committee's Iraq Program. He examines the apparent intentions of the Bush administration to extend the occupation of Iraq indefinitely without congressional approval, a commitment that will be borne by the next U.S. president who will take office in 2009.

Contact the Friends Committee at www.afsc.org. Read Jarrar's articles online at alternet.org

Related links:



White House Budget
Cuts Essential Programs,
Gives Billions to the Rich


Interview with Richard Kogan,
senior fellow,
Center for Budget and Policy Priorities,
conducted by Melinda Tuhus


bush

President Bush has introduced his lame-duck 2009 budget with more than half a trillion dollars for military spending and "homeland security," and cuts in many domestic spending programs. His budget, which includes projected deficits of more than $400 billion for 2008 and 2009, predicts a balanced budget by 2012. The president arrives at that improbable forecast by employing three items of "magical thinking": he includes zero funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan beginning in 2010; he proposes no relief for middle-class taxpayers effected by the creeping burden of the "alternative minimum tax" -- which has cost billions annually up to now; and he recommends drastic cuts in Medicare that are extremely unlikely to pass through the Democratic-controlled Congress.

Along with a dramatic reduction in domestic spending, Bush advocates $2.4 trillion in tax cuts over the next ten years. The further slashing of taxes would benefit the wealthiest sector of Americans, while many of America's most vulnerable citizens would suffer a loss of essential social programs and services. The president's budget would also compel many states to make deep cuts in their programs or institute tax increases to replace falling revenues triggered by a weakening economy.

Between The Lines' Melinda Tuhus spoke with Richard Kogan, a senior fellow at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. He describes in broad strokes some of the main features of the Bush budget, and what a budget would look like that better meets human needs.

Contact the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities by calling (202) 408-1080 or visit the group's website at www.cbpp.org

Progressive Election Victories
Hinge on Articulating Shared Values


Interview with Bernie Horn,
author of "Framing the Future:
How Progressive Values Can
Win Elections and Influence People,
conducted by Scott Harris


ballot

When Ronald Reagan was elected President in 1980, he rode into office on a wave of public support for change in Washington. Reagan and the Republicans trumpeted limited government, personal responsibility and traditional values. In his two terms in office, Reagan realigned American politics by moving the national debate to the right on social issues, domestic and foreign policy.

Now some 28 years later, after a succession of foreign and domestic policy failures and perceived incompetence in the presidency of George W. Bush, the nation seems ready for another re-alignment, this time toward progressive politics. The catchphrase in every presidential candidate's primary campaign this year has been all about the word "change." While polling reveals that most Americans agree with progressive policy prescriptions on issues like healthcare, taxes, gun control and reproductive rights, many have often in the past voted against their own self-interest.

In his new book "Framing the Future, How Progressive Values Can Win Elections and Influence People," author Bernie Horn discusses how candidates who skillfully articulate the American values of freedom, opportunity and security can win elections and public support for progressive ideas. Between the Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Horn, a 25-year veteran political operative and senior director for policy and communications at the Center for Policy Alternatives, who talks about his electoral strategy and the 2008 election campaign.

Contact the Center for Policy Alternatives at (202) 387-6030 or visit their website at www.cfpa.org
  • Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice recently traveled to Europe to deal with a growing rift over NATO troop deployments in Afghanistan, where American and European military planners are at odds over strategy. ("Rice Heads to London as Afghan Crises Looms," The Guardian, Feb. 2, 2008; "Germany Rebuffs U.S. on Troops In Afghanistan," Washington Post, Feb. 2, 2008; "Allies Feel Strain of Afghan War," Jan. 15, 2008)
  • The recent Gaza crisis where the Egyptian-Palestinian border fence was breached, and Egyptian police have aggressively broken up anti-Israel, anti-American rallies has given increased legitimacy to Egyptian Islamic opposition groups.("Border Crisis Bolsters Islamists" Los Angeles Times, Jan. 29, 2008; "Egyptians Reseal Borders Cutting Access from Gaza," Feb. 4, 2008)
  • The number of foreclosures has increased 75 percent over last year, affecting 1.3 million homeowners, and is expected to rise. Rainbow/Push and Acorn are calling for dramatic action to save lower-income homeowners, including a yearlong ban on foreclosures and a New Deal-style corporation to restructure mortgages. ("U.S. Sub-Prime Misery Deepens," The Guardian, Jan. 29, 2008; ("U.S. Sub-prime Obama," The Nation, Feb. 11, 2008)


Credits:
Executive producer: Scott Harris
Segment producers: Scott Harris, Melinda Tuhus
Senior news editor: Bob Nixon
Program narration: Denise Manzari
News reader/Copy editor: Chris Ferrio
Senior web editor/producer: Anna Manzo
Web producer: Jeffrey P. Yates
Newswire editor: Hank Hoffman
Photo editor: Scott Harris
Outreach coordinator: Anna Manzo
Distribution: Anna Manzo, Bill Cosentino and Jeffrey P. Yates
Theme music: Written by Richard Hill and Jody Gray, and performed by Mikata


Between The Lines
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Last Week's Program

Between The Lines Week Ending 2/8/08

Between The Lines' Blog
"Reading Between The Lines"

U.S. Politics

"The Chicken Doves: Democrats Surrender To Bush On Iraq," by Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone, Feb. 21, 2008

"Obama, McCain Win In Va., Md., DC," Associated Press, Feb. 12, 2008

"Death Of Reform, Birth Of Reform: Clinton Democrats Face The Obama Future," by Tom Hayden, Huffington Post, Feb. 12, 2008

"Obama And Progressive Change," by Dave Lindorff, Common Dreams, Feb. 12, 2008

"Amnesty Day For Bush And Lawbreaking Telecoms," by Glenn Greenwald, Salon, Feb. 12, 2008

"Obama's Demographic Problem," by Dana Goldstein, The American Prospect, Feb. 11, 2008

"The War Against Tolerance," by Chris Hedges, TruthDig, Feb. 11, 2008

"Bad News From The Job Market," by Carl Bloice, The Black Commentator, Feb. 10, 2008

"Where Does Obama Come Down On Bush's 'War On Terror?,'" by Liliana Segura, AlterNet, Feb. 9, 2008

"Democrats Question Mukasey On Permanent Iraq Bases," The Hill, Feb. 8, 2008

"Is Retroactive Telecom Immunity Unconstitutional?," by Ryan Singel, Wired, Feb. 8, 2008

"AP Poll: To Fix Economy, Get Out Of Iraq," Associated Press, Feb. 8, 2008

"The Democrats' Class War," by David Sirota, Creators Sundicate, Feb. 8, 2008

"The Repudiation Of Rove," by Harold Meyerson, The American Prospect, Feb. 7, 2008

"Millions Without A Voice," by Amy Goodman, TruthDig, Feb. 6, 2008

"Why Obama Has The Advantage," by Matthew Rothschild, The Progressive, Feb. 6, 2008

"Straight Talk And Militarist Madness," by Justin Logan, Cato at Liberty, Feb. 5, 2008

More newswire ...

Bush Regime

"How Karl Rove And Torture Influenced The 9/11 Report" by Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!, Feb. 11, 2008

"Cheney Trying To Block Videotaped Depositions In Denver Secret Service Case," Crooks and Liars, Feb. 10, 2008

"Bush Justice Department Goes After Another Democratic Lawyer (And Why This Is Bad News For Yoo And Bradbury)," by Scott Horton, Harper's, Feb. 9, 2008

"Justice Dept. 'Cannot' Probe Waterboarding, Mukasey Says," Washington Post, Feb. 8, 2008

"Now Is There Any Excuse For Not Disclosing The OLC Opinions?," by Marty Lederman, Balkinization, Feb. 8, 2008

"Mukasey: The Law Is What The Justice Department Says It Is," by Paul Kiel, Talking Points Memo, Feb. 7, 2008

"Waterboarding: Two Questions For Michael Hayden," by Andy Worthington, Antiwar.com, Feb. 7, 2008

"CIA Destroyed Tapes As Judge Sought Interrogation Data," by New York Times, Feb. 7, 2008

"White House defends Interrogation Method," Associated Press, Feb. 6, 2008

"The Legacy Of Bush II," by Robert Scheer, TruthDig, Feb. 5, 2008

"Lie After Lie: What Exactly Colin Powell Knew Five years Ago Today, And What He Told the World," by Jonathan Schwarz, A Tiny Revolution, Feb. 4, 2008

More newswire ...

American Empire/War Profiteering

"Deep State Coup Averted In Turkey," by Christopher DeLison, balkanalysis.com, Feb. 9, 2008

"Another Act Of War," by Gordon Prather, Antiwar.com, Feb. 9, 2008

"Undermining Bolivia," by Benjamin Dangl, The Progressive, Feb., 2008

"Chomsky On The Rise Of The South," by Michael Shank, Foreign Policy in Focus, Jan. 30, 2008

More newswire ...

"Postwar" Occupation of Iraq, Afghanistan

"Conflicting Assessments Of War In Afghanistan," Washington Post, Feb. 11, 2008

"Iraq's Tidal Wave Of Misery: The First History Of The Planet's Worst Refugeee Crisis," by Tom Engelhardt & Michael Schwartz, TomDispatch.com, Feb. 10, 2008

"Standoff In An Iraqi Province," Los Angeles Times, Feb. 10, 2008

"Conflicts Deepen Between Local Iraqi Governments And U.S.-Backed Sunni Groups," New York Times, Feb. 10, 2008

"Documentary: Military Brass Frequently Viewed Hooded, Shackled Detainees," Raw Story, Feb. 9, 2008

"The Truth Is, Iraq's Future Is Abysmal," by Scott Ritter, TruthDig, Feb. 8, 2008

"Violations Of 'Islamic Teachings' Take Deadly Toll On Iraqi Women," CNN, Feb. 8, 2008

"More U.S. Bombing Creates New Enemies," by Ali al-Fadhily & Dahr Jamail, Inter Press Service, Feb. 8, 2008

"Why Baghdad Will Explode Again: A Question Of When Not If," by Patrick Cockburn, Counterpunch, Feb. 7, 2008

"Shia Call On Mehdi Army To Again Take Up Arms In Iraq," by Patrick Cockburn, Independent/UK, Feb. 7, 2008

"Top U.S. Uniformed Military Officer: Troops Are Tired," Associated Press, Feb. 6, 2008

More newswire ...

Civil Liberties/ Human Rights

"Every Year Brings Us Closer To 1984," by Leonard Pitts, Jr., Miami Herald, Feb. 12, 2008

"The Police And Tasers: Hooked On Shock," by Naomi Klein, Common Dreams, Feb. 11, 2008

"'Taxi To The Dark Side': A Nation Betrayed, A Nation's Conscience Stained," by Eric Mink, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Feb. 11, 2008

"'State Secret' Privilege Used To Block Lawsuit On Behalf Of Torture Victims," by Maya Harris, ACLU of Northern California, Feb. 10, 2008

"Tortured Justifications," by Alan Bock, Antiwar.com, Feb. 9, 2008

"Corporations Are Given 'Human Rights,' Humans Are Denied Them," by Jeffrey Kaplan, New America Media, Feb. 8, 2008

"The Surveillance Scam: Why The Protect America Act Is A Bad Idea," by Tim Lee, Reason, Feb. 7, 2008

"The Ticking Time Bomb Thought Experiment," by Caroline Arnold, Common Dreams, Feb. 7, 2008

"Border Searches Of Electronic Devices," American Constitution Society blog, Feb. 7, 2008

"Clarity Sought On Electronics Searches: U.S. Agents Sieze Travelers' Devices," Washington Post, Feb. 7, 2008

"Exclusive! The FBI Deputizes Business," by Matthew Rothschild, The Progressive, Feb. 7, 2008

"AP Confirms Secret Camp Inside Gitmo," Associated Press, Feb. 6, 2008

"The Torture State's Domestic Face," by William N. Grigg, Pro Libertate, Feb. 6, 2008

"FISA: Get Ready To Be 'Rockefellered,'" by Kagro X, Daily Kos, Feb. 6, 2008

"Informant Games: The Disturbing GreenScare Case Of Briana Waters," by Ben Rosenfeld, Counterpunch, Feb. 5, 2008

"Sen. Rockefeller Lets Slip The Spying Truth: Drift Nets To Be Legalized," by Ryan Singel, Wired, Feb. 5, 2008

"New Court Can Silence Captives Who Tell Secrets," Miami Herald, Feb. 4, 2008

"The New Crime Of Thinking," by Gary D. Barnett, Future of Freedom Foundation, Feb. 1, 2008

"A Scary Way To Further Erode Our Liberties," by Bob Barr, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Jan. 30, 2008

More newswire ...

Media Issues

"The WSJ Editorial Page Lies About Our Surveillance Laws," by Glenn Greenwald, Salon, Feb. 11, 2008

"How The Spooks Took Over the News," by Nick Davies, Independent/UK, Feb. 11, 2008

"All The Dirt That's Fit To Print," by Jerry Lanson, Common Dreams, Feb. 10, 2008

"There's Nothing Mainstream About The Corporate Media," by Harvey Wasserman, Common Dreams, Feb. 10, 2008

"The New York Times And the Politicization Of Torture: How The Press Covers Waterboarding," by Anthony DiMaggio, Counterpunch, Feb. 8/10, 2008

"Discovery Channel Drops Plans To Air Taxi To The Dark Side Because it Is Too 'Controversial,'" Think Progress, Feb. 8, 2008

"'Objectivity' Or Spinelessness?," by Scott Horton, Harper's, Feb. 7, 2008

"How Big Media Hides The Real Economic News," by Charles McMillion, Blog for Our Future, Feb. 7, 2008

"It's 2008. Do You Know Who Your Reprter Is Voting For?," by James Poniewozik, Time, Feb. 7, 2008

More newswire ...

Activism

"Corporate Globalization: Standing At The End Of The Road," by Ronnie Cummins, Common Dreams, Feb. 12, 2008

"Berkeley To Decide On Revoking Marines Letter," San Francisco Chronicle, Feb. 12, 2008

"Like Some Raven At My Window With A Broken Wing: Carl Oglesby's Ravens In The Storm," by Ron Jacobs, Dissident Voice, Feb. 9, 2008

"Mexicans Say: Integrate This!," by Katie Kohlstedt, Foreign Policy in Focus, Feb. 8, 2008

"25 Education Protesters Detined In Baltimore," Baltimore Sun, Feb. 7, 2008

"Whose Political Moment Is This?," by Tom Engelhardt & Laura Flanders, TomDispatch.com, Feb. 7, 2008

"Former Teacher Arrested For Burning U.S. Flags," by Keith Harmon Snow, Dissident Voice, Feb. 6, 2008

More newswire ...



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