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Special 2 Hour Program
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John McCain to John Kerry: The Vicious Smear Tactics of the
Bush Campaign
McCain Attacks Michael Moore In Primetime RNC Address Sparking
Thunderous Response From GOP Crowd
Still We Rise: Poor People March Against the 'Bush-Kerry'
Agenda
The W Effect: Bush's War on Women
Thousands From Poor People's Campaign March From UN to Near
Madison Square Garden
With 600+ Arrests, Attorney Norman Siegel Warns About Unsafe
Jail Conditions For Protesters
The Full Rudy: As Giuliani Takes Center Stage At the RNC,
We Look At The Man NYC Knew Before 9/11
Suite Expectations: We Go From the Streets to the Corporate
Suites
Michael Franti on the RNC Protests & His Trip to the
Middle East
From John McCain to John Kerry: The Vicious Smear
Tactics of the Bush Campaign
Sen. John McCain gave an impassioned defense of President
Bush at the opening of the Republican National Convention
- an unthinkable move four years ago when the Bush campaign
launched a vicious smear campaign on McCain during the race
for the Republican nomination. We speak with the author of
"Bush's Brain" about the dirty tactics and Karl
Rove, who many believe orchestrated the smear campaign. [includes
rush
transcript]
Welcome to Democracy Now!'s special coverage, Breaking with
Convention: The Battle for New York, I'm Amy Goodman.
The Republican Party kicked off its national convention last
night in Madison Square Garden a day after hundreds of thousands
of protesters took to the streets of New York in the largest
demonstration ever at a political convention.
Outside, an unprecedented show of police force patrolled
the streets, and the area around Madison Square Garden was
heavily fortified with barriers and checkpoints.
The numerous speeches and events of the day left little doubt
about why the GOP decided to hold its first convention in
New York. Meeting less than three miles from Ground Zero,
Republicans repeatedly invoked the memory of the Sept. 11
attacks which killed some 3,000 Americans and defended President
Bush's term in office and his decision to invade and occupy
Iraq.
With the major broadcast networks providing limited coverage,
convention organizers staged the evening as their own TV show,
complete with roving reporters interviewing upbeat delegates
who praised the president and hailed the service of U.S. troops
abroad.
The stars of the night were Arizona Senator John McCain and
former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
Giuliani, along with most other Republicans, took swipes
at John Kerry, accusing him of being soft on terror and of
taking both sides of issues. By contrast, McCain who is a
friend of Kerry and a fellow Vietnam War veteran, refused
to criticize Kerry and said he was "fortunate" to
call many Democrats his friends.
Four years ago, McCain and Bush were bitter rivals in the
race for the 2000 Republican presidential nomination. Today,
he has emerged as one of President Bush's most influential
supporters. He took the stage last night to endorse President
Bush's renomination.
- Sen. John McCain (R - AZ), speaking at the Republican
National Convention on August 30, 2004.
McCain"s support for President Bush is surprising for
those who remember the bitter race between the two men four
years ago in the Republican primaries.
A smear campaign directed against McCain during the 2000
South Carolina primary is believed by many to have been directed
by Bush's senior political advisor, Karl Rove.
Rove is the subject of a new documentary called "Bush's
Brain" that is based on a book by the same name journalists
James Moore and Wayne Slater. It examines what happened in
South Carolina four years ago. This is an excerpt.
- "Bush's Brain," an excerpt from the new documentary
based on the book, "Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made
George W. Bush Look Presidential."
That was an excerpt of the new documentary "Bush"s
Brain" that is showing in theaters across the country
this month. It is based on a book by the same that is co-authored
by journalists James Moore and Wayne Slater. Wayne Slater
joins us in our studio today. He is the senior political writer
for the Dallas Morning News and is in New York covering the
Republican convention.
- Wayne Slater, senior political writer with the Dallas
Morning News and co-author with James Moore of "Bush's
Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Look Presidential."
McCain Attacks Michael Moore In Primetime RNC Address
Sparking Thunderous Response From GOP Crowd
Sen. John McCain drew the biggest response at the RNC when
he referred to filmmaker Michael Moore who was sitting in
a press box at the convention as a credentialed USA columnist.
We hear the excerpt of McCain's address and we speak with
GOP delegates about Michael Moore and Fahrenheit 9/11.
McCain drew the biggest response of the evening not for his
comments about President Bush or the war in Iraq but when
he referred to filmmaker Michael Moore who was sitting in
a press box at the convention as a credentialed USA columnist.
- Sen. John McCain (R - AZ), speaking at the Republican
National Convention on August 30, 2004
That was John McCain last night on the floor of the convention
referring to Michael Moore. Moore's latest film "Fahrenheit
9/11" is one of the most successful documentaries in
film history and has been seen by millions. It examines President
Bush's actions before and after the Sept. 11 attacks including
his ties to prominent Saudis including the family of Osama
bin Laden. Last night at Madison Square Garden, I caught up
with a few Republican delegates as they were leaving the convention
to get their reaction to Fahrenheit 9/11.
- Republican delegates speak with Democracy Now! inside
Madison Square Garden.
Still We Rise: Poor People March Against the 'Bush-Kerry'
Agenda
The Kensington Welfare Rights Union holds an unpermitted
march in New York to protest policies of both George W. Bush
and John Kerry. Filmmaker Rick Rowley of Big Noise Tactical
Media files a report from the streets of the march.
As the Republican National Convention builds toward George
W Bush's acceptance speech on Thursday night, the streets
of New York continue to be filled with police and protesters.
So far, more than 600 arrests have been made. Yesterday, there
were two main marches-both organized by groups representing
the poor or disenfranchised. The Kensington Welfare Rights
Union held an unpermitted march, which went on for several
hours before ending in police dividing the march and arresting
some of the demonstrators.
Earlier in the day, the "Still We Rise" coalition
led an unpermitted march from Union Square to the heavily
fortified and barricaded Madison Square Garden, where the
Republican Convention was just kicking off. Filmmaker Rick
Rowley of Big Noise Tactical Media was on the march and filed
this report.
The W Effect: Bush's War on Women
A group of 900 Republican women gathered Monday at the Waldorf
Astoria to hear about why women should rally behind George
W. Bush. We hear former first lady Barbara Bush and Lynne
Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney at the event and
we speak with radio host Laura Flanders about her new book
The W Effect: Bush's War on Women.
President Bush's supporters frequently cite the number of
women in his cabinet as proof of his support for women's rights.
But numerous women's groups this week have held protests against
Bush's agenda and what they call the war on women.
In response, a group of 900 Republican women gathered on
Monday at the Waldorf Astoria to hear about why women should
rally behind George W. Bush.
The "W Stands for Women" event featured members
of both the Bush and Cheney families, including the Bush twins,
Jenna and Barbara, who sat silently on stage; the president's
sister, Doro Bush Koch, and mother, 76-year-old former first
lady Barbara Bush; as well as Dick Cheney's wife Lynne and
daughter Liz.
- Barbara Bush, Former First Lady speaking at the Waldorf-Astoria
Hotel, August 30, 2004.
- Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney speaking
at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, August 30, 2004.
- Laura Flanders, author of the book Bushwomen: Tales of
a Cynical Species and the editor of the new book The W Effect:
Bush's War on Women. She is also the host of "Your
Call" heard on KALW-FM in San Francisco, and on the
Internet.
Thousands From Poor People's Campaign March From
UN to Near Madison Square Garden
Rick Rowley from Big Noise Films reports from the streets
on the Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign march.
[includes rush
transcript]
Today in New York, several groups are planning a day of
direct action and civil disobedience in New York. Some of
the actions have been announced and others are being planned
in secret. Already some 600 people have been arrested protesting
at the Republican National Convention. Yesterday, there were
two major marches organized by poor and dienfranchised people.
And unlike the massive half-million person march on Sunday
organized by United for Peace and Justice, these "poor
peoples" marches were not given permits. Early in the
day, some 3,000 people gathered for the Still We Rise march
that went from Union Square to Madison Square Garden. Later,
the Kensington Welfare Rights Union Organized the Poor Peoples
March for Our Lives that kicked off at the United Nations.
Rick Rowley of Big Noise Tactical Media was on the march and
files this report.
With 600+ Arrests, Attorney Norman Siegel Warns About
Unsafe Jail Conditions For Protesters
Transit union workers have warned Siegel the police are
holding protesters at an abandoned pier that was once (and
may still be) contaminated with asbestos. We also hear from
Charles Barron of the New York City Council and musician Michael
Franti. [includes rush
transcript]
Police arrested about 20 protesters yesterday bringing the
total to around 600 over the past five days. In response,
the National Lawyers Guild held an emergency press conference
Monday to condemn the city for jailing nonviolent protesters
and then denying them legal aid, food and medical treatment.
One of the speakers at the press conference was
- City Council member Charles Barron, speaking at the National
Lawyers Guild Press Conference
- Norman Siegel, former head of the New York Civil Liberties
Union.
The Full Rudy: As Giuliani Takes Center Stage At
the RNC, We Look At The Man NYC Knew Before 9/11
Giuliani biographer Jack Newfield looks back on his years
as mayor and examines how 9/11 helped resurrect his political
career. [includes rush
transcript]
It was the kick-off of the Republican National Convention.
The theme of the opening night was that Americans owe it to
the victims of the September 11th attacks to reelect George
W Bush to another four-year term to continue his so-called
war on terror. Speakers at the podium defended Bush"s
invasion and occupation of Iraq and portrayed his rival John
Kerry as soft on terror. An Iraqi woman, Zainab al-Suwaig,
addressed the convention wearing a hijab on her head and defended
the Iraq war. A woman whose husband was killed on September
11 praised Bush for his leadership following the attacks,
as did former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik,
who headed the police during 9-11. House Majority Leader Dennis
Hastert castigated John Kerry for flip-flopping on the war.
John McCain quoted Franklin Delano Roosevelt, spoke of his
"Democratic friends" and portrayed the Republicans
as multilateralists. But the star of the night was New York
Mayor Rudy Giuliani. In the months preceeding the convention,
the Democrats have accused the Republicans of timing and locating
their convention to tap into the emotions surrounding the
anniversary of 9-11. While the Republicans have dismissed
these accusations, 9-11 was very much the theme of Rudy Giuliani"s
speech.
- Jack Newfield, author of the book "The Full Rudy:
The Man, The Myth, The Mania" and longtime New York
journalist. In April he published a piece in The Nation
titled "Bush To City: Drop Dead."
Suite Expectations: We Go From the Streets to the
Corporate Suites
Pratap Chatterjee of CorpWatch looks at Republican senator
Peter Domenici of New Mexico, the chair of the Energy and
Mineral Resources subcommittee, and his connections to lobbyists
in the nuclear power and the fossil fuel industry.
Michael Franti on the RNC Protests & His Trip
to the Middle East
Michael Franti joins us in our studio to play two new songs
and to talk about his travels.
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 Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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