Virtual march on Washington

Now you can be an activist from the comfort of your own home! Join the Virtual March on Washinton by committing to contact your Senators on Thursday, February 1 and voice your opposition to President Bush's proposed Iraq troop escalation. Sign up for a convenient time slot throughout the day, and keep the Capitol switchboard from getting jammed by everyone calling at once.

The Senate will be voting on this issue soon, so please do what you can to help set a better direction for the U.S.

A sad day for NPR

At first, I thought someone played a practical joke on me by switching the radio station from NPR to FOX. Then I realized that the reporter throwing softball questions to President Bush was none other than Juan Williams. I was stunned, listening to President Bush bumble his way through this political version of an infomercial, while Juan Williams helpfully put words in his mouth when the going got tough:

MR. WILLIAMS: One last thing, Mr. President, with the Democrats. You asked the Democrats on a bipartisan basis to form an advisory council and monitor the war, work with you. They haven't responded at all. What do you take from that?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, I'm going to have to keep working with them and explain that my notion is to – is to put in place a consulting-type group that will be able to talk about the war on terror in general. In other words, I don't want – I think that a lot of these folks aren't happy we're in Iraq to begin with, and I understand that, and then they are – they don't believe we are going to succeed in Iraq, and I understand that too. I think what some may be afraid of is I'm trying to get them into an Iraq-type situation where they are forced to say something they don't want to say. I don't know.

MR. WILLIAMS: Oh, that they would be co-opted by cooperating or working with you?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, and that may be part of the issue.

Even more disturbing was Juan's gushing thanks at the end of the interview. I imagine that President Bush was "glad" it was his "buddy" Juan Williams and not a less partisan journalist like Robert Siegel on the other side of the microphone:

MR. WILLIAMS: Mr. President, I want say thank you from National Public Radio.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Juan, thank you, buddy. Glad you're here.

MR. WILLIAMS: I appreciate it, sir.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes sir.

MR. WILLIAMS: Thank you again.

It's enough to make me consider asking NPR to refund my membership.

Uniting for peace

According to the Washington Post, thousands of people representing a diverse coalition of groups turned out in D.C. yesterday to stand for peace. (If the Washington Post prompts you to login to read the story and you're not interested in registering with their site, try one of the ids listed at bugmenot).

Now it's important to maintain the pressure on our members of Congress. Call, e-mail, or fax your representatives to urge them to stop funding this illegal war. El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido! (The people united will never be defeated!)

Taking it to the streets

Today, a broad coalition of groups will rally in D.C. and at solidarity rallies all over the U.S., calling for an end to the Iraq war. Even if you can't attend any of these rallies, you can make your voice heard by contacting your Congressional representatives this week, urging them to oppose a troop escalation and to vote against additional funding for the war.

Visit the National Priorities Project to see a real-time calculation of the cost of the war, along with examples of other services (like education and healthcare) those dollars could have purchased.

First snow

I had to brush snow off the car this morning for the first time all winter! Okay, I could still see the blades of grass on the lawn, and there was no need for my snow tires, but this is the kind of winter weather I can wholeheartedly endorse. Can you tell I'm not one of those people who goes around singing, "Let it snow!"?

Where have I heard this before?

I heard an interesting interview on NPR this morning with Professor Robert Brigham, discussing the similarities between the Bush administration's plans to "put an Iraqi face" on the military occupation and the "Vietnamization" policies pursued by Presidents Johnson and Nixon. If you're not old enough to remember the 1975 Fall of Saigon, know that the story didn't have a happy ending for many South Vietnamese who had allied themselves with the American military. It didn't work then, why would it work now?

Meet the New Way Forward, Same as the Old Way Forward

In the spirit of putting out fires with gasoline, President Bush has decided to ignore the call by the Iraq Study Group for "new and enhanced diplomatic and political efforts in Iraq and the region" in favor or throwing more bodies at the "Iraq problem." Most Americans are opposed to increasing the number of troops in Iraq and believe it will not help to reduce the violence in Baghdad or other areas of the country. Why does the majority of Americans understand there is no military solution to the chaos and violence in Iraq, while Mr. Bush cannot?