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Democracy Now!
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From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown 6-23-03
PRSS Channel: A67.7
8:00-8:01 Billboard:
Protesting the War on Women and the "War on Terror"
INTRO: As President Bush and Karl Rove launch the largest
political fundraising campaign in history, women's rights
advocates join forces with the peace movement to protest today's
fundraiser in NYC
USDA opens $3 million dollar biotech conference in Sacramento;
agriculture ministers from over 100 countries are attending;
1000 people march in protest
INRO: A debate between the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Counsel
David Hegwood,
Food First's Anuradha Mittal, who co-edited a new report
called: "Voices from the South: The Third World Debunks Corporate
Myths on Genetically Engineered Crops," and Luke Anderson,
author of "Genetic Engineering: Food and Our Environment"
Benton Harbor: where does it go from here?
A week after an African-American motorcyclist died in police
crash, the Rev. Russell Baker of Benton Harbor examines the
impact of the recent protests and riots on Michigan's poorest
city
8:01-8:06 Headlines
8:06-8:07 One Minute Music Break
8:07-8:20 Protesting the War on Women and the "War on Terror":
As President Bush and Karl Rove Launch the Largest Political
Fundraising Campaign in History, Women's Rights Advocates
Join Forces with the Peace Movement to Protest Today's Fundraiser
in NYC
President Bush and the Republican Party have launched the
largest political fundraising drive in history.
Last week, more than a thousand CEOs, lobbyists and other
wealthy Republicans paid $2,000 a piece for access to the
ballroom of a Washington hotel where they were treated to
hotdogs, nachos and President Bush.
Bush said: "There's nothing like having a few friends over
for a cocktail or two."
But the event was far more than a cocktail party with unusual
hors d'oeuvres. It was the first event, in a first wave, of
fundraising blitzes. Over the next few weeks, Bush is scheduled
to make 10 paid appearances at receptions, lunches and dinners.
He makes his New York City fundraising appearance today.
The presidential offensive is unexpectedly early. Federal
election law stipulates that the money Bush raises in these
efforts can only be used through the Republican convention
at the end of next summer and Bush faces no primary
opposition.
According to the Washington Post, Republican officials say
they will use the money for television ads that will boost
Bush's image and attack Democrats.
In addition, several GOP strategists told the Post, Bush
has directed his team not to give him "a lonely victory."
He wants to create a long-term, durable governing Republican
majority.
Senior White House adviser Karl Rove is directing the behind-the-scenes
operations. The plan will use every political and governmental
strategy available, including maximizing the advantages of
the war on terrorism, neutralizing a Democratic strength by
adding a prescription drug benefit to Medicare, and potentially
waging an ideologically charged battle, if a Supreme Court
vacancy opens up.
The Washington Post also reports the Bush team is targeting
swing voters and elements of the Democratic coalition, including
Latinos, married women, white union workers, Jews and what
GOP officials call the growing "investor" class.
Bush will face opposition. For the first time ever, Planned
Parenthood today officially joins forces with United for Peace
and Justice to protest Bush's appearance in New York. The
protest will be outside the Sheraton Hotel, 51st and 7th Ave,
where President Bush is holding his fundraiser is being held
from 5:00 to 7:00pm.
Next week, President Bush signs into law a ban on so-called
"partial birth" abortions.
- Carla Goldstein, Vice President of Public Affairs of
Planned Parenthood, NYC
Contact: www.ppfa.org
"George W. Bush's War on Women: A Pernicious Web":
http://www.ppfa.org/about/pr/030121_war_intro.html
- Lisa Martens, Christian Peacemaker Team member who remained
in Baghdad after several fellow peace activists were expelled.
She recently returned to Winnipeg and spoke to a local audience
about her experience as a human shield.
8:20-8:21 One Minute Music Break
8:21-8:30 Bush and women, cont'd
8:30-8:40 Benton Harbor: where does it go from here? A look
at Michigan's poorest city following days of riots and protests
It was a week ago today that the city of Benton Harbor in
Michigan entered the national spotlight.
A 28-year-old African-American motorcyclist died during
a police chase.
Soon the city was in flames. For three nights protests and
riots shook this city, the poorest and one of the most segregated
in Michigan. By Thursday, 21 houses had been burned. Hundreds
of police in riot gear marched the streets.
One local resident said Benton Harbor looked more like Beirut
than the former popular lakeside vacation spot that it once
was.
The problems in Benton Harbor have been growing for years.
During the 1980s a team of urban affairs professors examined
the city in search of a solution. The effort failed.
One of those professors, Joe Darden, of Michigan State University,
told the Detroit News, "When you combine segregation
with the intense, concentrated poverty, hopelessness and grievances
associated with police brutality, you have potential powder
kegs on your hands."
Guest: Rev. Dr. F. Russell Baker, First Congregational United
Church of Christ
8:40-8:41 One Minute Music Break
8:41-8:58 USDA Opens $3 Million Dollar Biotech Conference
in Sacramento; Agriculture Ministers From Over 100 Countries
are Attending; 1000 People March in Protest: a Debate Between
the USDA and Food First
A three-day conference on biotechnology backed by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture opens today in Sacramento, California.
The USDA is spending some $3 million on the conference,
which in large part is designed to showcase U.S. agricultural
biotechnology to the agriculture ministers from more than
100 countries.
The Bush administration says the latest scientific breakthroughs
can help to fight hunger by developing pest-resistant crops,
and has been exerting intense pressure on African nations
to accept GM crops.
But many governmental figures in African countries, and
activists, say the war on hunger will not be won until the
real cause is addressed: poverty. They also say international
food policy should not be decided by a select few.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Venemen is leading the conference.
She served on the board of directors for Calgene Inc., which
became the first company to bring genetically-engineered food,
the Flavr Savr tomato, to supermarket shelves. Calgene was
bought out by the nation's leading biotech company, Monsanto,
in 1997. Veneman also served on the International Policy Council
on Agriculture, Food and Trade, a group funded by Cargill,
Nestle, Kraft and Archer Daniels Midland.
Around a thousand people marched through downtown Sacramento
yesterday in protest of the conference. They blocked traffic
in an effort to disrupt the meeting. Around a dozen people
were arrested.
All of this comes just days after the Bush administration
announced that talks between the US and the European Union
on GM foods broke down in Geneva.
The Bush administration is trying to force the EU to end
its ban on GM foods. The U.S. filed suit at the World Trade
Organization over the issue last month. Last weeks talks were
convened to try to resolve the issue. But now, US officials
say they will ask the to convene the WTO to hear the case.
Tonight in Sacramento, Counsel to the U.S. Secretary of
Agriculture David Hegwood will be squaring off against Amadou
Kanoute of the Consumers International Office Africa and Anuradha
Mittal of Food First India/U.S. in the only public debate
at the conference.
Well right now, we'll hold a debate of our own:
- Anuradha Mittal, co-director, Food First (also known as
the Institute for Food and Development Policy). She co-edited
Food First's new report called: "Voices from the South:
The Third World Debunks Corporate Myths on Genetically Engineered
Crops." Anuradha Mittal, a native of India, is the co-editor
of America Needs Human Rights (Food First Books, 1999).
Her articles and opinion pieces on trade, women in development
and food security have appeared in numerous national and
international news papers and journals including, the New
York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington
Post, Bangkok Post, The Times of India, Economic and Political
Weekly, Seattle Times, and The Nation.
Contact: www.foodfirst.org
"Voices from the South: The Third World Debunks Corporate
Myths on
Genetically Engineered Crops":
http://www.foodfirst.org/progs/global/ge/sactoministerial/voices.php
- Luke Anderson, Author, Genetic Engineering: Food and
Our Environment
8:58-8:59 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, Sharif
Abdel Kouddous, Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Vilka Tzouras
and Noah Reibel. Mike Di Filippo is our music maestro and
engineer.
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