MIRON

Full Version: Why I hate Hillary and can't live without her

It's hard to imagine Hillary conceding to Obama. It's hard to imagine Hillary conceding to anything. The woman's tenacity is legend. I watched her campaign not so much for her message but to see what she'll do next, how she'll bounce back, what new rationale she'll invoke as her reason for staying in what all clear-thinking people saw as a lost race.

In the end, she was painful to watch, computing her odds with her own math, unflinching and deep in denial. But like a car wreck, you just can't look away.

Obama made history, but all eyes are on Hillary. We can't help it — she's makes excellent TV.

Obama's soaring speeches caused generations to time travel back to the age of Camelot, where he and Michelle could be the young king and queen to a young and still dreamy America. Obama is the stuff of Life Magazine: oozing charisma in grainy black and white.

That charisma and the internet — it's powerful alchemy.

Hillary, on the other hand, is very much about today. Reality-TV today. Bill Clinton in a brawl with a college student in YouTube today. Chelsea: None-of-your-business today. Hillary in tears, why-don't-you-like-me today. Hillary in SNL, Live from New York It's Saturday Night today.

Today, the CNN panel post mortems the car wreck that was her campaign. There is a riveting flashback of what went horribly wrong. The lost message. The Bill factor. The sniper fire story that backfired. Like Anna Nicole's descent and Britney Spears' breakdown, the collapse now looks inevitable. And cruelly entertaining.

No wonder Hillary doesn't quit. We pundits just wouldn't know how to go on.

Television has always been about high contrasts. Heroes against villains. Pros versus Cons. The powerful versus the marginalized. Rich versus poor. Doves against Hawks.

And the Hillary-Obama match made in TV heaven. For a medium largely concerned with images and sound, it could only see black versus white, man against woman, the strong but tempered voice of Obama versus the near-shrill Hillary screaming Choose Me! Choose Me!

What is life without Hillary? In a word, McCain. A man who disappears in the glare of television and is either in the shadow of Bush, or worse, behind his wife Elvira. With the entire Republican machinery solidly behind him, and with a head start of several months, the best McCain could come up with was: "That's Not Change We Can Believe In."

Huh. Dude, are you sure you want to go with that? Do you need another couple of months to think of another line?

I don't know. He survived torture in enemy hands, but I wish he had gotten more out of it than the ability to walk like a hotdog. Obama's going to cream you.

Some good will come out of this. Jon Stewart will have a field day. David Letterman and Steven Colbert, too. What we will lose in depth and heft, we will make up for with jokes. But after months of nail-biting suspense and a shifting landscape only John King could navigate with his magic board, it's becoming increasingly clear that, yes, we will be bored.

I hate Hillary and I miss her already.

Hillary Show

It's hard to imagine Hillary conceding to Obama. It's hard to imagine Hillary conceding to anything. The woman's tenacity is legend. I watched her campaign not so much for her message but to see what she'll do next, how she'll bounce back, what new rationale she'll invoke as her reason for staying in what all clear-thinking people saw as a lost race.

In the end, she was painful to watch, computing her odds with her own math, unflinching and deep in denial. But like a car wreck, you just can't look away.

Obama made history, but all eyes are on Hillary. We can't help it -- she's makes excellent TV.

Obama's soaring speeches caused generations to time travel back to the age of Camelot, where he and Michelle could be the young king and queen to a young and still dreamy America. Obama is the stuff of Life Magazine: oozing charisma in grainy black and white.

That charisma and the internet -- it's powerful alchemy.

Hillary, on the other hand, is very much about today. Reality-TV today. Bill Clinton in a brawl with a college student in YouTube today. Chelsea: None-of-your-business today. Hillary in tears, why-don't-you-like-me today. Hillary in SNL, Live from New York It's Saturday Night today.

Today, the CNN panel post mortems the car wreck that was her campaign. There is a riveting flashback of what went horribly wrong. The lost message. The Bill factor. The sniper fire story that backfired. Like Anna Nicole's descent and Britney Spears' breakdown, the collapse now looks inevitable. And cruelly entertaining.

No wonder Hillary doesn't quit. We pundits just wouldn't know how to go on.

Question Mark

As more and more is known about Cho Seung-Hui, the student gunman who mowed down 32 of his fellow students and professors, more and more of us allow ourselves to feel some sort of relief, as this event becomes less and less of a mystery:
He was a loner. He had been taking medication for depression and was becoming increasingly violent and erratic. He wrote bizarre and violent screenplays that featured fights resolved through the throwing of hammers and attacks with a chainsaw. He was South Korean, a foreigner implanted in American land who never quite felt at home. In his backpack, an 8 page rant against rich kids and religion. On the sign-in sheet where everyone else had written their names, Cho had written a question mark. "Is your name, Question mark?" the professor asked him. Cho did not respond.
He is no longer a question mark, but an exclamation point.
(with quotes from AP)

Hello Again Garci!

At long last, Garci appears in Congress. Chiz throws first questions and cuts to the chase.
Garci: "hindi ko ugali to throw allegations indiscriminately. Let me... (looks for his list)
Chiz:  Sa  mga tumawag sa inyo, mayroon bang nagsabi ng mangdaya kayo?
Garci: (Darth Vader type of breathing) That is already in my statement
Chiz: walang humiling sa inyo na mandaya sa lahat ng tumawag sa inyo
Garc: Loren Legarda. Juan Ponce Enrile. Jamby Madrigal
Hooting and howling in session hall.
Chairman: can we ask garcillano to continue please..
Garci: Lim. Gordon. Mar Roxas. Ping Lacson. Congr. Clavel Martinez, Alan Peter Cayetano. Escudero. Suarez. Fuentabella. Bungbravo. Villarosa. Sandova. Miranda. Roilo Golez. Zialcito. Falcon... (am missing names here unintentional on my  part dunno about Garci)....  Liwayway Chato, Eusebio of Pasig,   I think there are still others whose names I may remember in the future. (Ayos!)
Chairman: Order! ORDER! as much laughter and hooting in session hall.
Chiz: ito ang napansin ko sa listahan ninyo. Bakt kayo tinatawagan ng mga kandidato ng buong pilipinas. ano ba ang special na talento mo. Eh buong Pilipinas!
Garci: ... I was just answering concerns about their districts.

(pause for sip of Starbucks, much satisfied and entertained as motion for everyone in list to submit an affidavit. Teddy Locsin saying motion is not proper. Chiz says in that case, Gloria should be asked to make an affidativit as well if motion is approved. I make a motion for the bathroom...)

Session suspended. Garcillano laughing. Congressmen grinning, bear hugging, excessive chumminess all around. May as well be planning their Christmas party. Ricky Carandang who is there says "there's a sense of drama over there. Whether or not the opposition can trip him up. It can be compared to the boxing match with Garcillano giving the first blow by naming people...taking Round One."

With Garci already saying he won't discuss the Garci tapes, I wonder if viewers will stick around for Round Two.

Starbucks.

Round Two. Ah good, motion is withdrawn with congressman of course, naturally and as expected, asking for time to explain why he is withdrawing motion.

Chiz: Bakit binukod ang pangalan ni Arroyo?
Garci: these are the members of congress who personally contacted me..
Chiz: gano katagal noyo na kilala si Pangulong Arroyo
Chiz: kung sa matagal, talagang matagal na okay I will stop there
LAUGHTER.
Chiz: Is your nickname Garci?
Garci: di ko po kilala yung Garci! (galit talaga) If you will address me as Garci I will not answer you!
Chiz: nobody calls you Garci?
Garci: Some congressmen, jokingly and in jesture, they call me Garci.

IN JESTURE?!!! Your honor, let the record reflect that Garci said IN JESTURE!!! heeheeeheee

No time to laugh. Someone waves his time to Chiz

Chiz: ano ang ibig sabihin ng protektahan ninyo ang boto ko. pagpapataas ng boto? pagririgodon ng mga opisyal? pagsisiguro ng ang testigo hindi magtetestigo. kung hindi ito, ANO ANG MGA GAGAWIN NG ISANG ELECTION OFFICIAL KUNG
Garci: I cannot answer the questions because there were so many questions asked.
Chiz: Ito ang simpleng tanong. Ano ba ang nilalaman ang gawain pag an isang opisyal ay pinoprotektahan
Garci: Walang sinabi ang presidente na protektahan ang boto...

This guy can be made to mention the President. He can be tripped up.

Locsin: What will the use of these conversations and their value?
Garci: nothing wrong with asking for help in connection with behavior of those in the field.
Locsin: How will banning these conversations serve the public interest?
Garci: I dont know whats wrong...

Rep: what helps your memory of names
Garci: waiting for time to come out helped me recall but I still have no perfect recollection of all those who called me
Rep: what will aid you in helping you recall
Garci: in my office before I may have recorded those calls. I don't know if those records still there in the office.
Chairman: Congressman that is your last question (ay salamat)
Rep: yes, how will you prove you never left the country
Garci: my cousin..
Rep: you have never gone to singapore, hongkong
Garci I have not gone to Singapore.

Darlene yields to Chiz. yey.

Chiz: sa tawag niya sa inyo hindi hiniling ni Arroyo na protektahan niyo ang boto niya
Garci: kung maririnig niyo yung sinabi, na di ko tinatanggap...paki tingnan kung bakit yung abante ko naging (some figure) lang. that was already After the elections.
Chiz: sa kanyang I am sorry statement sinabi niya na kumausap siya ng isang opisyal ng comelec. Hindi ba kayo ang kinausap?
Garci: dapat si presidente ang tatanungin dyan.
Chiz: ayaw pong sumagot sa amin eh. Inakusahan niyo si Zuce at Mendoza--- na partners in crime sa pagmanipula ng halalan kahit di sila opisyal ng comelec. Eh ibig sabihin mas kaya pa ng opisyal ng comelec
Garci: di ko masasagot...
Chiz: pumunta ba kayo sa Mindanao.
Garci: you are putting words into the mouth
Chiz: for the record, kayo po ba ang tinutukoy ni gma na election official na kinausap niya?
Garci: I'm sorry. I was not --- I accept that I was the one who talked to the president. Di ko masiguro kung yan ang boses ko.
Chiz: he refuses to answer allegations pertaining to the tape. How can he say he wants the truth out when he doesnt want to talk about the tape
Garci: diba your honor napagusapan na natin na di na paguusapan yung tape...

Rep: meron bang kahit sino na humingi sa inyo na mandaya
Garci: hindi ko masasabi
Rep: meron ka bang kakayahan
Garci: magandang tanong yan. Ako ay hindi si Superman. Doing that is like a Superman. Kailangan mo ang provincial officials. City fiscal. (names people need to pull off fraud). How will you do it? Hindi kaya ng isang tao katulad ko... I never rigged the elections. I was never included although I was dubbed to be one of those involved in dagdag bawas before. Sana naman katotohanan lang...
Rep: Nung tumawag ba si Loren Legarda, iba rin ba ang issue?
Garci: walang ganon. as I said before, hindi ko kayang gawin

Zamora: What is the reason for your not answering questions about the tape. This is not a criminal procedings. You filed a case and used the case as a reason not to answer questions.
Garci: Let the Supreme Court first decide on this things.
Zamora: in interviews, you mentioned incidents. in your exclusive interview withe Henry Omaga Diaz, you said that the president called you, but only inquired by her lead was reduced to lead of less than a million votes. Do your remember that
Garci: I remember that but I will talk when the supreme court.
Zamora: can you tell us if you were the person in that tape, in that instance
Garci I will not accept that I was the one on the tape because we were never given the original of the tape. The law should protect me , the victim of the wiretapping
Zamora: So you are accepting that you are the one on the tape?
Garci: I am not accepting that. but I hope you can show us the original of the tape. and probably I will be willing.
Zamora: how can he say he is a victim of wiretapping at the same time say he is not the voice on the tape?

Zamora rocks!

Locsin points out that this issue bedevils the hearing. No one has filed a complaint against wiretapping. No one accepts he was a victim of wiretapping.

Round two goes to the opposition, wouldn't you say folks?

Noel yields to Zamora. Yey.

Zamora: if you are the victim of the wiretapping. then clearly you must be the one in the wiretapped conversations.
Garci: I cannot answer that because the prerequisite is the orihinal tapes...
Zamora: Are you denying that you are the one on the wiretapped tapes?
Garci: we are not denying.
Zamora: Just referring to the May 24 2004 when you said she merely inquired that her lead
Chair warns lawyers not to coach Garci. Hala ka Garci
Garci: there was no acceptance of bugging and who bug it? why dont we investigative
Zamora In short you are prepared to accept one conversation but not 14?
Garci: might be possible your honor. I cannot even accept that
Zamora: If they were splice altered, then at least one is authentic and 14 may have been
Garci: The whole tape was splice edited and corrected.
Zamora: you were in mindanao and you have witnesses..
Garci: you are saying that its not mine. i was here half the time
Zamora: in your affidavit there is no truth that I left the country
Garci: majority of times I was in Mindanao but majority of time I was in Luzon

Rep Solis asks for break for lunch.

Garci: can we reset for another day?

Chair: I have not recognized you Mr. Garcillano

Remulla: Did you have conversations before and after the election period?
Garci: I can remember talking to the President only once. We never talked after the elections.
Remulla: Are you saying the government of Singapore was wrong when it said you were in Singapore
Garci: Already answered that
Remulla: You are invoking your rights under article 4200? So you made the case subjudice so that you wont answer questions
Garci: I did not make it subjudice.
Remulla: you are invoking his right under 4200 at the same time he is saying not the voice on the tape
Garci getting confused: I did not say I am invoking because of 4200.

Locsin: he may invoke subjudice but you can ignore it. you can keep asking questions. he can keep refusing. We just received notice from the Supreme Court! (Cool. breaking news) Congress being asked to answer in 10 days.

Congressman: LUNCH FOR HUMANITARIAN REASONS!

Galing! Suspended.

BREAKING NEWS BREAKING NEWS BREAKING NEWS: SAMUEL ONG APPEARING IN CONGRESS TOMORROW. "A few days ago, I was surprised to see Garcillano, giving interviews. My God! I thought he is coming clean! But by God, here he is again, peddling lies. Nagngingit po ako. Akala ko lalabas siya para magsabi ng totoo. Yun pala he's coming out to peddle more lies. Kaya tinawagan ko mga kamag-anak ko na lalabas. Gusto mo bang mamatay paano na kami. Pero sabi ko sa mga anak ko I have to come out to rebut what Garcillano is saying. They  reluctantly agreed that I come out. After they agreed, I called by lawywers to make representation to the House and the Senate for my appearance today and tomorrow. I also gathered all the tapes from the persons I entrusted. I now have 4 master tapes. I have already given you a background on the two. It was given to me by technical sgt vidal Doble of Isapf. Handa na po ako na lalantad sa Kongreso ngayon at Senado bukas. The other tapes are equally as damning. gusto ko parining sa Senado.

ZUCE insists it was Garcillano on the tape and that he was beside Garci when he made some of those conversations.

Bully the bully

It's a dangerous delusion: Gloria actually feels she's being bullied when she has in fact bullied and beaten everyone into silence, with people like Gonzales speechless at the Senate, and direct witnesses like Garci choked and possibly muted forever.

Today there's talk of Gonzales's coronary angioplasty. A procedure involving pumping tiny balloons into a coronary artery to widen a blocked area that prevents the heart from functioning properly.

Well, something's blocked, that's for sure. And it's not just Gonzales's heart that's not functioning properly. Something someone somewhere has definitely got to be removed.

              PCIJ: Arroyo’s wrath?

DECLARING that she is tired of "chasing the bully around the schoolyard," Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s tough-talking days are back and could actually signal a role reversal, with Malaca�ang hereon taking the offensive and the president seemingly acting the bully herself.

First, the "maximum tolerance" policy in dealing with street demonstrations has now been replaced with a "calibrated preemptive response" (echoes of U.S. Pres. George Bush’s preemptive strike policy?) meant to disperse rallies without permits and arrest "illegal" protesters.

Second, known vocal critics and those perceived to be anti-Arroyo are also now beginning to feel the brunt of what is viewed as Malaca�ang’s "vindictiveness" following Arroyo’s impeachment escape act two weeks ago that was masterfully performed by the pro-Arroyo House of Representatives.

Speaking of Leaks

Bush Source of Leak at the UN Summit? You've got to be kidding?!!

But the photo taken by Reuters (left) that many thought was a joke turned out to be true: Bush did indeed write this note to Condoleeza Rice in the middle of the UN Summit, to say: "I THINK I MAY NEED A BATHROOM BREAK? IS THIS POSSIBLE."

Yes, it's possible. It's possible for even the most powerful nation in the world to elect a (what is a kind word for idiot) to the highest office. Hey people make mistakes.

As expected, once official confirmation came out, the story and matching photo have been leaking like anything. There's just no holding it back (hehehe!).  It's bound to come out sooner or later (harharhar!)  There's no keeping a lid on this (hahahahaaa!) This article from Editor & Publisher covered how this leak was, well, uncovered by all: 

Reuters Says Bush Photo Not 'Malicious,' Reports Wide Interest at Home and Abroad: "NEW YORK With confirmation that an accidental photo of President Bush at the United Nations on Wednesday, writing a note to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about a ‘bathroom break,’ was indeed real, newspapers around the U.S. and abroad are now planning to run it widely. But many, it seems, will treat it as something more than a joke.
A source at the Washington Post tells E&P that the paper is considering it for prominent play, in the context that, at least in some minds, it raises questions about overall perception of the U.S. at the United Nations, right or wrong. Reuters reports extremely strong interest in the photo today. The fact is, according to Reuters -- and this has not been widely reported -- President Bush did indeed take a bathroom break after passing the note to Rice.
This apparently raised some eyebrows around the room, because American representatives (among others) have a reputation for suddenly bolting, though normally for a far different reason than this latest one. Fair or not, the European press has already had a field day with the photo, often centering on the notion that Bush had to ask Rice for permission, or warning of a 'leak at the U.N.'
The Times of London, for example, ran no less than three separate articles about it on its Web site, one at the top of its front page. (It's a Murdoch paper.) One headline reads: 'Excuse me Condi, can I go to the bathroom?'
Another story, believe it or not, opens: 'The need to relieve oneself diplomatically has on occasion determined the fate of nations.' The third discusses the sordid history of the particulatar lavatory in question, and contains this passage: 'Medical experts said that the 59-year-old President was wise not to wait any longer.' The headline at the BBC news site suggested that Bush had been 'caught short' at the U.N. summit. From The Sun: 'I fear a leak, Condi.' The Irish Examiner headline? 'To Pee or Not to Pee, That is the Question.' Der Spiegel in Germany translated 'a bathroom break' as 'eine Toiletten-Pause.' And, of course, it made The Daily Show back in the U.S. late Thursday night. On Friday morning, Newsday chortled: 'Photographer leaks Bush potty idea.' The Minneapolis Star-Tribune headlined: 'Bush note inspires bathroom humor.' Gary Hershorn, news editor-photos for the Americas at Reuters, told E&P today that the photographer, Rick Wilking, informed him yesterday afternoon that he had observed Bush pass the note to Rice, and a little later, rise from his seat, leave the room, and then return. And while some have suggested that Wilking, a well-known photographer just back from taking some of the most gripping images in New Orleans, was out to embarrass the president, Hershorn said that the photojournalist had no idea what Bush was writing on the paper. Wilking assumed the president was taking notes on what some other official was saying. ‘Rick had no idea what he was shooting, or what Bush was writing,’ Hershorn said. ‘If Rick knew what he was writing we'd have 25 pictures of this, not two.’ The photo was taken at 12:08 p.m. and it was Hershorn, about three hours later, who took the trouble to examine the photo closely. It was only then that he noticed the writing and decided to put it on the wire after 4:00.
The photo, as E&P observed Wednesday night in the first story about the incident, shows Bush scribbling in pencil on a note that already holds the words: 'I think I may need a bathroom break? Is this possible.' Wilking is a veteran Washington photographer who has long covered Bush campaigns and the White House. As for transmitting the photo, Hershorn says, 'There was no malicious intent. That's not what we do.'
There's a simple explanation, even a serious one, for all of this, he adds. Bush, he points out, is not used to attending meetings at the U.N. and probably did not know what the protocol was for exiting a room and returning. His question to Rice was ‘proper’ and not all that surprising, ‘asking someone with more experience there about protocol,’ he said. Wilking told Gelf magazine today that he has not yet heard from the president—whom he says he knows very well—about the note. ‘I’m curious to know what the White House thinks,’ Wilking said. "

Ape Shit

How did we come to this? We now have a President who refuses to speak, a Vice President who speaks but when he speaks says nothing, and a National Security Adviser who had the Senate going ape-shit over his "see no evil, hear no evil, say no evil" monkey routine during the Venable hearing.

Which might give the opposition an idea: why not send the whole lot of them to the Senate where they could be questioned and very likely detained?

PCIJ provides the full lowdown below: (bert and banana photo courtesy of inq7)

"During the questioning, Gonzales tried to shield the President from any culpability in the signing of the Venable contract, leading some senators to remark that he was trying to be a fall guy for Mrs. Arroyo. Although they tried as hard as they could, the senators could not get Gonzales to answer the following questions:

Whose idea was it to get the contract? Gonzales said the idea came to him after the resignations of the Hyatt 10 on July 8, but he could not say who told him to get in touch with Venable and whether the president had a direct hand in the choice of the firm.
Whose idea was it to let private donors foot Venable’s bill? In an interview with GMA 7 news earlier this week, Gonzales said it was the president’s. Today he was no longer as categorical. He gave a vague answer to the effect that he and the president talked about getting private donations to pay for the hefty contrac
Who introduced him to Venable? He said could not name names without clearing it with the broker, whoever it was. Sen. Serge Osmeña asked leading questions whether it was businessman Tomas  Alcantara, the president’s chief of staff.
What is the extent of the President’s involvement in getting the contract? Gonzales said he was given verbal authority to get the services of a lobby firm but had not shown the president a copy of the actual contract.
Has Venable been paid for its services? Previously, Gonzales had told GMA 7 that the firm had been given a three-month advance, that there was work rendered, and a report filed. Today he said he’s not sure but he assumes Venable had been paid. He explained that while the National Security Council is the implementing agency for the contract, it was not the Council but private donors, who would pay for it. When asked if he had a receipt for the payments, Gonzales said no, but he will find out. Do you have receipt? No, but he will find out.
How was the contract rescinded? Gonzales said he called one of the Venable lawyers this week and asked for a “mutual termination” of the contract, which would mean that the three-month cancellation fee need not be paid. But further questioning showed there was no written agreement that the fees would be waived and because of this, the provisions of the contract, which stipulated cancellation fees, were still in effect. Gonzales said he was not sure whether the phone call sufficed to cancel the provision on cancellation fees."

Noli de Castro: Unfit to Run Country?

I had a good laugh over this latest intelligence report to have leaked from the US Embassy: Noli de Castro INEPT and UNFIT to run the country? What kind of intelligence is that?! I could have told you that! My nine year old nephew could have told you that! My nephew's best friend's cousin's dog could have confirmed that report and he's just a regular native askal, like me!

But wily Noli -- you naughty boy! While being interviewed by the Americans, (which might have been the  biggest audition of his life), Noli hints he knows something about Gloria's alleged election fraud.

Read and tell me why these reports shouldn't be compiled into a book. Book of Philippine Fables. Correction: Foibles.

US: RP worse off under De Castro (inq7)

While De Castro seemed to have failed to impress the Americans, he supposedly came up with a surprise statement regarding Ms Arroyo and the 2004 presidential election. "De Castro told us he believed there was circumstantial evidence of PGMA's involvement in the alleged election fraud scandal, but he would not comment on the possible role of his Senate colleague, Sen. Franklin Drilon, on the 'failed Cabinet coup,'" the report said. "President GMA's destabilization woes, he feared, are not over as the opposition 'cannot accept her,'" it said.
The report pictured De Castro as an inept replacement for Ms Arroyo. "We asked about his legislative priorities and waited patiently as he searched for words. His chief of staff, Jesse Andres, broke the silence, noting that De Castro identif[ied] his policy interest as anything that would benefit the masses (especially for the TV-watching, vote-rich masses), and he supports programs to promote investment by 'balikbayans'," the report said.

Watching the Watchers

The thought hit me again and at the worst possible time: shouldn't we be out there?
I've been watching the Plenary for hours, hypotized by the crawl.. LOCSIN NO MACARAMBON YES  MAGSAYSAY YES MAGTUBO NO MALANYAON YES..DATUMANONG YES DE GUZMAN YES DE VENECIA YES DEFENSOR YES DIMAPORO YES DOMINGUEZ YES, YES TO GLORIA, NO TO IMPEACHMENT, NO TO TRUTH, WAKE UP MIRON YES YOU'RE DREAMING!
AND FALLING ASLEEP to the lullaby of pretty speeches and the drone of strong words now lacking in energy and fueled by coffee, bitter and sugar free. We are burying the impeachment under a mountain of words guaranteed to make the nation stop listening.
SHOULDN'T WE BE OUT THERE?

Unite for Truth

An absolute must read is mlq's powerfully worded column today. When you're done reading that, you'll appreciate this:

Statement of Unity
Bukluran Para sa Katotohanan

We come from all walks of life, from different political, cultural, and economic persuasions, different points of view. But in diversity, we find a cause for unity. That cause for unity is our common objective to secure the truth.

We all seek the truth. We want the truth to come out. And yet every means for seeking the truth has been frustrated; every avenue for arriving at the truth has been blocked; and every opportunity to find the truth is being closed.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s response to our call for the truth has been to suppress evidence, hide her accomplices, engage in a grand cover-up, sow fear, foment distrust and use every instrument at her disposal to encourage division among our people.

We will not be divided in these critical times.

We say with one voice, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo must go. For the good of the country, she must go. For the sake of our nation’s future, she must go. For the preservation of hope as a motive force in our national life, she must go.

We are united by the belief that this crisis must be resolved in a manner that is peaceful and democratic. Without the truth, there cannot be peace; without the truth, there is no genuine democracy. The truth must set our nation free.

Unite for the truth. Demand the truth. Defend the truth.