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Worst Congress Ever: Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi on How Our
National Legislature Has Become a "Stable of Thieves
and Perverts"
NJ Supreme Court Affirms Legal Rights for Same-Sex Couples
Breaking the Silence: Fmr. Israeli Soldier Tours U.S. to
Expose Abuse of Palestinians by Israeli Military
Worst Congress Ever: Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi
on How Our National Legislature Has Become a "Stable
of Thieves and Perverts"
Rolling Stone contributing editor Matt Taibbi takes an in-depth
look at the outgoing 109th Congress in his article, "The
Worst Congress Ever." In it, Taibbi writes that over
the past six years, "The U.S. parliament became a historical
punch line, a political obscenity on par with the court of
Nero or Caligula -- a stable of thieves and perverts who committed
crimes rolling out of bed in the morning and did their very
best to turn the mighty American empire into a debt-laden,
despotic backwater, a Burkina Faso with cable." [includes
rush
transcript]
With just over a week left to Election Day, the mainstream
media is focusing on key contests and issues that are shaping
this year's mid-term elections. Control of the House and Senate
is up for grabs in what many describe as the most pivotal
battle for Congress in over a decade.
Whatever the outcome, the 110th United States Congress will
open session on January 3rd, 2007. While the country's attention
remains focused on the upcoming elections, few are considering
the current state of the legislative branch. How did the 109th
Congress perform?
The cover story of this week's issue of Rolling Stone magazine
takes on that issue. The article is "The
Worst Congress Ever: How our national legislature has become
a stable of thieves and perverts -- in five easy steps."
It's written by Matt Tabbi, a contributing editor for the
magazine. He joins us in the firehouse studio.
- Matt Taibbi, contributing editor for Rolling Stone Magazine.
He is author of "Spanking the Donkey: Dispatches from
the Dumb Season."
NJ Supreme Court Affirms Legal Rights for Same-Sex
Couples
The Supreme Court of New Jersey ruled Wednesday that gay
couples are entitled to the same legal rights as married heterosexuals.
The ruling could make New Jersey the second state in the nation
to allow gay marriage. We speak with one of the seven gay
couples who filed the lawsuit. [includes rush
transcript]
The Supreme Court of New Jersey ruled Wednesday that gay
couples are entitled to the same legal rights as married heterosexuals.
The ruling could make New Jersey the second state in the nation
to allow gay marriage. Until now, the only state to allow
gay marriage was Massachusetts, while Vermont and Connecticut
allow civil unions for gay couples.
Lawmakers will have six months to decide whether state law
should allow same-sex couples the right to marriage or the
right to civil unions. The ruling was approved by a vote of
four to three. The dissenters say they voted against the ruling
because they believe it doesn't go far enough. The three judges
say the ruling should have asserted gay couples" fundamental
right to marriage rather than leaving it to lawmakers. On
November 7, voters in eight states will vote on ballot measures
limiting gay marriage or unions.
We are joined by Saundra Toby Heath and Alicia Heath Toby
-- one of the seven gay couples who filed the suit in New
Jersey.
- Saundra Toby Heath, plaintiff in gay marriage lawsuit
in New Jersey.
- Alicia Heath Toby plaintiff in gay marriage lawsuit in
New Jersey.
Breaking the Silence: Fmr. Israeli Soldier Tours
U.S. to Expose Abuse of Palestinians by Israeli Military
We speak with Yehuda Shaul, a former Israeli soldier, who
has just begun a tour of the United States to give an inside
look at how the Israeli military treats Palestinians in the
West Bank and Gaza. [includes rush
transcript]
A leading Israeli human rights organization accused Israel
on Thursday of breaking international humanitarian law by
holding thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
According to B'Tselem, international law prohibits the transfer
of civilians, including prisoners, from the occupied territories
to Israel.
On Thursday B'Tselem issued a 53-page report outlining how
Israel's prison policies has made it nearly impossible for
Palestinians to regularly visit relatives in jail.
Meanwhile, a former Israeli soldier named Yehuda Shaul has
just begun a tour of the United States to give an inside look
at how the Israeli military treats Palestinians in the West
Bank and Gaza.
Shaul is a co-founder of Breaking the Silence - a group of
former Israeli soldiers committed to exposing human rights
abuses by the Israeli military.
Last year the group revealed that Israel soldiers had been
ordered to open fire on unarmed Palestinians. The group has
also gathered photographic evidence that proved Israeli soldiers
have abused Palestinian corpses.
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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