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Democracy Now!
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From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown 6-12-03
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8:00-8:01 Billboard:
Road Map to Peace or Road Map to War?
INTRO: Just one week after President Bush met with the Israeli
and Palestinian Prime ministers, 25 Israelis and Palestinians
were killed in suicide bombings and Israeli military attacks
in one of the bloodiest days in the region in years.
Pentagon Advisor Richard Perle on North Korea: "We Should
Always be Prepared to go it Alone, if Necessary”
INTRO: Perle says the U.S. should be prepared to unilaterally
and preemptively attack North Korea to destroy its nuclear
facilities.
The House Votes on Whether to Include Some of the Nation’s
Poorest Working Families in President Bush’s Tax Cut
INTRO: A debate between freelance reporter Aaron Schatz
and Chief Economist for the Americans for Tax Reform, Dan
Clifton.
8:01-8:06 Headlines
8:06-8:07 One Minute Music Break
8:07-8:20 Road Map to Peace or Road Map to War? Israeli army
radio is reporting the Israeli army has been ordered to use
whatever means necessary to completely wipe out the militant
Palestinian group Hamas. Every member is a legitimate target,
from the top leadership to the lowest member.
This comes after one of the bloodiest days in the region
in years.
Yesterday, a Palestinian suicide bomber boarded a rush-hour
bus in Jerusalem and detonated a bomb, killing 16 people.
More than 100 were injured. Hamas claimed responsibility for
the bombing.
Immediately afterwards, the Israeli military launched a missile
attack on Gaza City. Two Hamas members were killed including
a senior commander, Tito Massaoud. The Israeli Ha’aretz
reports six bystanders were also killed and 25 people were
injured.
The deadly suicide bombing came just one day after Israel
attempted to assassinate Dr. Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a top political
leader and spokesman for Hamas. Rantisi was injured, but at
least two others were killed.
According to the Guardian of London, there is an uncommon
consensus ranging from the Israeli far right to the Palestinian
leadership that the assassination attempt on Rantisi is bound
up in Sharon’s reluctance to start down the Bush administration’s
so-called “road map to peace.” Foreign diplomats
and Israeli newspapers are asking of the assassination attempt:
why now?
Just last week, President Bush met with the Israeli and Palestinian
prime ministers in a historic peace conference in Jordan.
Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Mazen pledged to exert full
efforts to ending the armed intifada. Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon said the establishment of a democratic Palestinian
state is in Israel’s interests and pledged to dismantle
some ‘unauthorized’ outposts.
- Gideon Levy, Israeli journalist working for Ha’aretz.
Speaking from Tel Aviv
Link: www.haaretzdaily.com
8:20-8:21 One Minute Music Break
8:21-8:40 The House Votes on Whether to Include Some of the
Nation’s Poorest Working Families in President Bush’s
Tax Cut
The House is set to vote today on an explosive issue which
has led to widespread condemnation of Republicans by the mainstream
media and Democrats, and an embarrassing rift between President
Bush and House Republican leaders, and protests.
At issue is whether or not some of the nations poorest working
families should be included in the sweeping tax cut legislation
President Bush signed last month. The tax cut package includes
an increase in the child tax credit. This means millions of
families will soon receive a check for $400 per child.
But the controversy started when the Center on Budget and
Policy Priorities and child advocacy groups discovered that
working families who barely make the minimum wage would not
receive the kickback. Senate and House Republican leaders
had cut these families out of the bill at the last minute.
The same day papers around the world reported that Bush had
signed into law the much-touted tax cut, The New York Times
reported on its front page that some of the nation’s
poorest working families had been cut out of the deal. Other
news outlets followed the lead, and Democrats denounced the
Republicans.
Within days, the Senate voted 94 to 2 to extend the tax credit
to the low-wage families. (They took the opportunity to extend
the tax credit to wealthy families as well.)
House Republican leaders refused to do the same. House Majority
leader Tom Delay said the House would approve the tax credit
only as part of a broader tax-cut package that could even
include the permanent repeal of the estate tax.
Enter the White House. At a press conference on Monday, White
House spokesman Ari Fleischer was asked what President Bush
would say to Republican lawmakers who disagree with the Senate
bill. He ordered the lawmakers to "Pass it." Fleischer
said: "His advice to the House Republicans is to pass
it, to send it to him, so he can sign it."
But the Republicans refused to back down. Tom Delay said:
“Ain’t going to happen.” When he was reminded
of Fleischer’s demand that House republicans pass the
Senate bill quickly, Delay replied: “The last time I
checked, he doesn’t have a vote.”
Delay said the House would include the working poor into
the tax credit only as part of much broader tax-cut bill –
one that will cost $82 billion dollars – 8 times as
much as the Senate bill cost.
On Tuesday, the Congressional Budget Office projected that
the budget deficit will exceed $400 billion this year. That
would be the biggest deficit in U.S. history. The non-partisan
office said this is due to the war in Iraq, the weak economy
– and the series of tax cuts.
- Aaron Schatz, freelance reporter
- Dan Clifton, Chief Economist for the Americans for Tax
Reform
8:40-8:41 One Minute Music Break
8:41-8:58 Pentagon Advisor Richard Perle on North Korea:
"We Should Always be Prepared to go it Alone, if Necessary”
Pentagon advisor Richard Perle said yesterday the U.S. should
be prepared to unilaterally and preemptively attack North
Korea to destroy its nuclear facilities.
Perle added, "We should always be prepared to go it
alone, if necessary.”
Perle also suggested North Korea may attempt to help Al Qaeda.
He said: "I think we must assume that if they had a nuclear
weapon, and if al Qaeda wished to purchase a nuclear weapon,
it's a deal that could be done.”
Perle’s comments come a week after the U.S. announced
that it would pull back it 37,000 troops stationed along the
North Korea-South Korea border.
By removing the troops from the demilitarized military zone,
some analysts say the U.S. is making its troops less vulnerable
to an attack or counterattack from North Korea.
Meanwhile in South Korea, candlelight vigils are scheduled
across the country tomorrow to mark the year anniversary since
two South Korean middle school girls were run over by a United
States armored vehicle. The soldiers who had been driving
the vehicle were acquitted of negligent homicide by a U.S.
military court.
Thousands are expected to take part in memorial services
in Seoul and other major cities nationwide. The protesters
are demanding the U.S. reverse the acquittal and for President
Bush to issue an apology.
In Seoul, participants plan to march toward the U.S. embassy,
but the Korea Times reports that 10,000 police officers will
be deployed with orders to block protesters from bringing
in U.S. flags and effigies of President Bush.
- John Feffer, author of the forthcoming book North Korea,
South Korea: U.S. Policy at a Time of Crisis (Seven Stories).
He is also the editor of Power Trip: U.S. Unilateralism
and Global Strategy After September 11
8:58-8:59 Outro and Credits
9:00-9:01 Billboard:
Myrlie Evers-Williams on the Murder of Her Husband Civil
Rights Leader Medgar Evers Who Died 40 Years Ago Today. It
was 40 years ago today that a gunshot in the night took the
life of Medgar Evers, the Civil Rights leader. His assassination
concluded a seminal day in the Civil Rights movement.
Should Corporate Criminals Face Jail Time for White Collar
Crime? As Martha Stewart might face jail time, former imprisoned
insider trader Foster Winans debates Russell Mokhiber, editor
of the Corporate Crime Reporter.
The Red & The Blacklist. A look at Hollywood during the
McCarthy Era with blacklisted screenwriter Norma Barzman
9:01-9:06 Headlines
9:06-9:07 One Minute Music Break
9:07-9:20 Myrlie Evers-Williams on the Murder of Her Husband
Civil Rights Leader Medgar Evers Who Died 40 Years Ago Today
It was 40 years ago today that a gunshot in the night took
the life of Medgar Evers, the Civil Rights leader. His assassination
concluded a seminal day in the Civil Rights movement.
Earlier that day, Alabama Segregationist Governor George
Wallace stood on the steps of the state’s all white
University and tried to block the admission of two black students.
That night, President Kennedy delivered an impassioned speech
defending the Federal Government’s intervention on behalf
of the students. He spoke of a “moral crisis”
facing the nation.
With Evers’ death, the movement lost one of its most
inspired leaders. He became an NAACP leader in 1954 after
the all-white University of Mississippi rejected his law school
application. Through the NAACP, Evers fought to increase black
voter registration, led business boycotts and brought attention
to the murders and lynchings, like the slaying of black teenager
Emmet Till
Tape: Medgar Evers, speaking shortly before he was killed
40 years ago.
- Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of civil rights leader Medgar
Evers who was killed 40 years ago today. He was shot dead
by a white separatist in front of the family’s home
in Jackson Mississippi. From 1995 to 1998 she served as
the chair of the NAACP. Prior to that she was the first
African-American woman to be appointed to the Los Angeles
Board of Public Works. She has written two books: "For
Us, the Living," with William Peters, and an autobiography,
"Watch Me Fly: What I Learned on the Way to Becoming
the Woman I was Meant to Be."
9:20-9:21 One Minute Music Break
9:21-9:40 Should corporate criminals face jail time for white
collar crime? As Martha Stewart might face jail time, former
imprisoned insider trader Foster Winans debates Russell Mokhiber,
editor of the Corporate Crime Reporter
As the government pursues Martha Stewart for avoiding $50,000
in losses, the press has begun to question why it has yet
to indict former Enron CEO Ken Lay and former WorldCom CEO
Bernard Ebbers.
Both men are alleged to have made millions in profits from
fraudulent schemes and caused significant losses to millions
of investors.
On Tuesday, the founder of ImClone Systems, Sam Waksal, was
sentenced to seven years in the stock-trading scandal that
has ensnared his friend Martha Stewart.
A federal judge handed down the sentence Tuesday. Waksal
was also ordered to pay nearly $4.3 million in fines and back
taxes.
Stewart, a longtime friend of Waksal, is accused by federal
prosecutors of unloading her ImClone stock when she heard
the Waksals were quietly selling their stocks.
Also Tuesday, Stewart appeared at the FBI's Manhattan headquarters
for a quiet mug shot and fingerprinting session.
- Foster Winans, former Wall Street Journal reporter convicted
of insider trading for leaking advance word of his columns
to broker, served 9 months in prison in 1988. Author of
Trading Secrets: Seduction and Scandal at the Wall Street
Journal. He is also a freelance author and ghost writer
and President of a non-profit writers center in Pennsylvania.
Link: www.fosterwinans.com
9:40-9:41 One Minute Music Break
9:41-9:58 The Red & The Blacklist - A look at Hollywood
during the McCarthy Era with Blacklisted Screenwriter Norma
Barzman
"Even a hint of the blacklist must never again be tolerated
in this nation.”
That was part of the text of a memo sent by the Screen Actors
Guild to Hollywood filmmakers in March as the U.S. prepared
to invade Iraq. By then some of Hollywood’s biggest
names were already coming intense criticism for their anti-war
views. Some of those targeted were: Michael Moore. Susan Sarandon.
Sean Penn. Martin Sheen. Tim Robbins.
Well today we are going to go back 50 years to Hollywood
during the McCarthy era to speak with blacklisted screenwriter
Norma Barzman. She has just published a memoir of the era
titled “The Red and the Blacklist.”
In 1948 she and her husband screenwriter Ben Barzman were
identified as communists. They were forced to flee Hollywood
and the country. They went into exile in Europe.
While blacklisted, she worked on numerous films and wrote
numerous screenplays but her name often didn’t appear
in the credits. The Writers Guild of America just restored
her credit for Never Say Goodbye, Luxury Girls. She is still
battling for credit on the classic film The Locket.
- Norma Barzman is a screenwriter and novelist who lives
in Beverly Hills. She wrote the screenplay for Never Say
Goodbye, Luxury Girls (for which the Writers Guild of America
has recently restored her credit), and is battling for credit
on the classic film The Locket. She also worked for the
Los Angeles Examiner, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner and
the Los Angeles Times Syndicate. She was the wife of blacklisted
screenwriter Ben Barzman.
9:58-9:59 Outro and Credits
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Kris Abrams, Mike Burke, Angie
Karran, Sharif Abdel Kouddous, Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press,
Noah Reibel and Vilka Tzouras. Mike Di Filippo is our music
maestro and engineer. Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston,
Emily Kunstler, Orlando Richards, Simba Rousseau, Rafael delaUz,
Gabriel Weiss, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Karen Ranucci, Denis
Moynihan and Jenny Filipazzo.
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