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 23 detainees at the Guantanamo Bay military base tried to kill themselves during several mass suicide attempts during the last weeks of August of 2003. The attempts were made after Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller was brought in by the Pentagon for the express purpose of getting more information from the detainees. Torture allegations similar to those seen at Abu Ghraib prison were been heard from those released from he Guantanamo Bay detainee facility.
The Associated Press courtesy of MSNBC, January 24, 2005
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Allegations of torture of Iraqi civilians by American Special Forces at American detention centers across Iraq include sodomy, beatings, electric shock, and sexual humiliation.
The New York Times, January 25, 2005
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Education Secretary Margaret Spellings condemned PBS for funding an episode of the children's program "Postcards From Buster" in which Buster the bunny visited a Vermont farm run by a family headed by a lesbian couple. Additional, the Department of Education disinvited "Postcards From Buster" producer Carol Greenwald from an upcoming children’s-TV conference it is co-sponsoring with PBS.
The New York Times, January 26, 2005
Broadcasting & Cable, February 3, 2005
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The US government continues to hold four Iranian brother accused by Homeland Security of terrorism-related activities even though they have been cleared in court of all charges. The brothers have been held in a federal detention facility since October of 2001.
The San Francisco Chronicle, January 17, 2005
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It has been revealed that three commentators have been paid by the Bush Administration to promote various Bush policies to the public through their syndicated columns and personal appearances. The commentators never reported to their audience they were being paid for their views.
USA Today, January 7, 2005
The Washington Post, January 25, 2005
Salon, January 27, 2005
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In an unprecedented move, the White House refused to reimburse the District of Columbia for the majority of the 2005 inauguration expenses associated with the increased security that was need for the event. To cover the extra expense the District is being forced to divert $11.9 million from homeland security projects.
The Washington Post, January 10, 2005
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George W. Bush has recently asked Congress to enact asbestos litigation reform which could place limits on compensation. Halliburton, which was once headed by vice president Dick Cheney, is one of the largest asbestos defendants, paying close to $2.8 in claims.
The Associated Press courtesy of The Washington Post, January 7, 2004
American City Business Journals Inc. courtesy of the Houston Business Journal, January 25, 2005
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George W. Bush has appointed Claude Allen to be his domestic policy advisor. Mr. Allen is a former Bush U.S. Court of Appeals nominee who is anti-choice, anti-sex education/pro-abstinence only, and is a board member of the Peacemakers Ministry, a religious group that believes most litigation is anti-christian and that sexual abuse allegations should be resolved within the church.
The Associated Press courtesy of the Akron Beacon Journal, January 6, 2004
LA Weekly, January 14, 2004
Independent Judiciary
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The Bush Administration is pushing states to funnel more of the $40 billion in federal funds they receive to churches and religious organizations who provide social services. Under George W. Bush's faith-based initiate, these religious organizations are exempt from discrimination in hiring practices.
The Associated Press courtesy of the Guardian, January 3, 2004
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FBI antiterrorism agents raided the home of members of the Philadelphia animal rights group Hugs for Puppies. The house was also home to environmental and antiwar activists whose belongings were also searched.
NBC10, November 4, 2004
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Dick Cheney and his longtime aide, attorney David Addington, have been instrumental in legislative attempts to increase the president's power. Addington has also been instrumental in blocking access by environmentalists to information on Cheney's energy task force and argued against Geneva Convention protections for prisoners of war.
The Washington Post, October 10, 2004
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George W. Bush met with the Roman Catholic pontiff and requested he ask American bishops to speak out on domestic political issues such as gay marriage.
The New York Times courtesy of Independent Media TV, June 16, 2004
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The Bush Administration has rejected a proposal that would have allowed Congress to appeal when government agencies deemed documents "classified" and therefore unavailable for scrutiny.
Agence France Presse courtesy of Channel NewsAsia, October 20, 2004
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George W. Bush opposes a Congressional measure designed to increase protections for governmental whistleblowers against retaliation for exposing fraud and waste.
The New York Times courtesy of Truthout.org, October 3, 2004
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Legal experts and civil rights groups report that millions of Americans will be kept from voting in this Presidential election because of "legal barriers, faulty procedures or dirty tricks." African-American voters are disproportionally effected by these obstacles.
Reuters courtesy of Common Dreams, September 22, 2004
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The Bush campaign has recently been inflating its campaign rally numbers by 45 to 75 percent. Rally attendees have also been required to fill out what amounted to a loyalty oath before receiving event tickets.
The Washington Post, September 9, 2004
The Washington Post, July 31, 2004
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Writer Seymour Hersh has alleged that top Bush Administration members including National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has been warned about potential abuses of prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.
The Associated Press courtesy of CBS News, September 13, 2004
The Guardian, September 13, 2004
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A report by a coalition of groups advocating for more transparency in government has revealed the "federal government under President Bush is classifying more information as secret, spending more to do it and falling further behind in dealing with the public's requests for information."
San Francisco Chronicle, August 27, 2004
"Secrecy Report Card: Quantitative Indicators of Secrecy in the Federal Government,"
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A report by the Rockefeller Institute of Government reveals George W. Bush has bypassed Congress to institute widespread implementation of his faith-based initiative. Bush's White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives has set up branch office in ten federal agencies, and has allowed religious organizations to be involved with "activities ranging from building strip malls for economic improvement to promoting child car seats."
San Francisco Chronicle, August 17, 2004
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Porter Goss, George W. Bush's nominee to head the CIA, has introduced legislation that would allow the CIA to conduct operations inside the United States -- including arresting American citizens -- a move that would overturn the 57 year old ban on such domestic activities.
Newsweek courtesy of MSNBC, August 11, 2004
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A former assistant cook for the Taliban regime who has been held at Guantanamo Bay prisoner for more than two years was denied a request to call witnesses to prove his innocence of any charges. The military tribunal hearing his case maintained any evidence provided by such witnesses would be "irrelevant."
The Associated Press courtesy of CNN, August 11, 2004
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Inmates held at Guantanamo Bay prison are reporting widespread incidents of torture, abuse and sexual humiliation, including being injected with unknown substances during interrogation, being forced to sodomize each other, and being urinated on.
Independent courtesy of Truthout, August 4, 2004
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Attendees at Bush/Cheney campaign events are being required to sign endorsement forms before being allowed access to those events.
The Boston Globe, August 9, 2004
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The Bush Administration fought a court-approved settlement that addressed discrimination against African-American farmers in the implementation of the USDA crop loan program. 82,000 of the 94,000 black farmers who made settlement claims against the USDA were refused payment by that department.
Environmental Working Group, July 20, 2004
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Even though the US Supreme Court ruled that prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay have the right of access to the U.S. court system to challenge the legality of their confinement, the Bush Administration has instead created a 3 person military tribunal by which the prisoners can contest their status.
Reuters via MSNBC, July 8, 2004
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George W. Bush is the first president since Herbert Hoover to not attend the annual NAACP convention. Though NAACP leaders have requested several meetings with the White House, Bush has yet to meet with the civil rights organization.
The Associated Press courtesy of ABC News, July 8, 2004
The Associated Press courtesy of Common Dreams, July 28, 2003
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Bush appointee to the federal Election Assistance Commission DeForest B. Soaries is urging the adoption of guidelines for the "canceling or rescheduling elections if terrorists strike the United States again".
The Associated Press courtesy of ABC 7 News, June 25, 2004
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A report by Human Rights First alleges that the Bush Administration is operating more than "two dozen detention centers worldwide and about half of these operate in total secrecy". Such secret detention centers would be in violation of the Geneva Conventions.
Reuters courtesy of the Global Policy Forum, June 17, 2004
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Donald Rumsfeld violated international law when he ordered that an Iraqi prisoner of war be held "off the books" and away from the International Red Cross.
MSNBC, June 16, 2004
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The Bush Administration is attempting to get an exemption from the 1974 Privacy Act that would allow government officials to spy on Americans without their knowledge. The Privacy Act currently requires an official to identify themselves and why they are seeking information on a person.
The Christian Science Monitor
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George W. Bush requested that the Vatican push American bishops to speak out to their congregations on the same cultural and political issues he himself is campaigning on.
The New York Times courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle, June 13, 2004
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Iraqi women being held at Abu Ghraib prison have been subjected to rape, abuse, and humiliation by American soldiers.
Guardian, May 20, 2004
The Village Voice, May 25, 2004
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The Bush Administration is "studying" the legal possibilities of withholding Geneva Convention protections from foreign fighters caught in Iraq.
Agence France-Presse via Australian Broadcast Corporation; May 27, 2004
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Amnesty International has issued its annual report in which it describes George W. Bush's "war on terror" as "bankrupt of vision and bereft of principle". It also criticizes the treatment of prisoners of war held at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib.
BBC News, May 26, 2004
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After images of prisoner abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq surfaced, the Pentagon put into effect a ban on "digital cameras, camcorders and cellphones with cameras" at all military compounds in that country. They are also proposing the ban be expanded to the entire US military.
Agence France-Presse courtesy of Australian Broadcasting Corporation, May 25, 2004
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The first commander of the detainee facility at Guantánamo Bay, Brigadier General Rick Baccus, has alleged he was relieved of command because of his insistence on abiding by the rules and regulations of the Geneva Convention.
Guardian, May 19, 2004
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A military witness to the abuse and torture at Abu Ghraib prison has been targeted with punitive actions by the Army for alleging the true extent of the abuse has been covered up.
ABC News, May 21, 2004
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A top secret interrogation facility located at the Baghdad airport and run by Delta Forces is being investiagted for prisoner abuse. Insiders describe it as "the scene of the most egregious violations of the Geneva Conventions in all of Iraqs prisons". The Pentagon initially declined to confirm the existence of the facility.
NBC News, May 20, 2004
CNN, May 21, 2004
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Confidential Justice Department memos that offer a legal framework for ignoring international law regarding the categorization and treatment of prisoners, and "provided arguments to keep United States officials from being charged with war crimes for the way prisoners were detained and interrogated" have been discovered.
The New York Times courtesy of Common Dreams, May 25, 2004
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In a proposal to the UN Security Council, the Bush Administration is attempting to have American peacekeeping forces be made exempt from war crimes prosecution by the world court at the Hague.
Agence France-Presse courtesy of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, May 25, 2004
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After the International Red Cross released a report that revealed the torture and abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib, Army officials attempted to block spot checks of the prison by the IRC members.
The New York Times, May 19, 2004
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Information regarding women's health, women's economic status, scientific data regarding women, and women's protections have been "deleted, buried, distorted and has otherwise gone missing" from governmental web sites by the Bush Administration.
Reuters courtesy of Women's Information Technology Transfer, May 3, 2004
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In an unusual move, George W. Bush is attempting to replace the current Archivist of the United States prior to the November election. The Archivist is responsible for, among other things, overseeing the housing and dissemination of presidential and executive department records. Records that are soon due for release include all presidential records relating to George H. W. Bush's term as President and the 9/11 Commission records.
National Coalition for History courtesy of History News Network, April 16, 2004
Findlaw, April 23, 2004
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The former director of communications for Condoleeza Rice and the National Security Council under George W. Bush has taken a position as executive vice president for communications for NBC television. Ms. Anna Perez has no prior experience in the television industry.
The New York Times, April 2, 1004
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Military involvement with domestic law enforcement -- something banned by the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act -- has been on the increase, since the Bush war on terrorism was declared.
The Wall Street Journal courtesy of the Dow Jones Newswire, March 3, 2004
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George W. Bush's appointee to the office of Special Counsel, Scott Bloch, has determined gays and lesbians do not qualify as a protected class and therefore are not covered by workplace protections granted under the country's civil rights laws.
365Gay.com, March 17, 2004
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Two important computer privacy programs that would have protected Americans during "data mining" of commercial transactions and personal health records for alleged antiterrorism activities have been jettisoned by the Bush Administration.
The Associated Press courtesy of MSNBC, March 15, 2004
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The Bush Administration has said that they may continue to detain "enemy combatants" held at Guantanamo Bay even if military tribunals find them innocent of any charges of war crimes.
BBC, February 26, 2004
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The Bush Administration has refused to grant those who have been caught in the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts prisoner of war status in keeping with the Geneva Convention's protocols on the treatments of people no longer participating in hostilities. Labeling them as "enemy combatants" instead of prisoners of war allows them to detain suspects indefinitely without charges or access to counsel.
CNN, November 10, 2003
Amnesty International, July 22, 2003
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George W. Bush bypassed the Senate judicial committee and used a recess appointment to install Alabama Attorney General William Pryor on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Associated Press courtesy of MSNBC, February 20, 2004
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George W. Bush is proposing changes to Title IX regulations of the 1972 Federal Education Act that would allow public schools to segregate classes and even entire schools based on sex.
The San Francisco Chronicle, March 4, 2004
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The Bush Administration is proposing that the Federal Communications Commission extend the indecency standards currently limited to broadcast media to pay services such as satellite and cable.
Reuters, February 26, 2003
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The new head of the Office of Special Counsel, an agency whose task it is to protect federal employees, has removed information on workplace protections against discrimination for gay employees from the Office's web materials.
The Washington Post February 18, 2004
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Political committees, such as MoveOn.org, that have been formed under Section 527 of the tax code and who plan on running ads in support of Democratic candidates and against George W. Bush, are being targeted by the Federal Elections Commission with a series of new restrictions.
The Washington Post courtesy of Free Press, February 19, 2004
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Bypassing Congress, George W. Bush signed an Executive Order that allows religious organizations to vie for and receive federal funds to provide certain services and programs. Groups that receive these funds are allowed to discriminate in hiring and in the selection of board members on the basis of religious faith and sexual orientation.
The Associated Press courtesy of Tallahassee.com, September 22, 2003
The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
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The Bush Administration issued new guidelines to federal attorneys that has limited their discretion in criminal cases and requires them to seek the most severe charges possible under the law in all cases.
The Washington Post, courtesy of Mindfully.org, September 22, 2003
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The Bush Administration attempted to subpoena the private medical records of hundreds of women from across the country who'd had medically necessary late term abortions.
Associated Press, via CNN, Feb. 13, 2004
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On October 3, 2003, George W. Bush signed a proclamation creating Marriage Protection Week, that stated marriage was a union between a man and a woman and calling for protection of its sanctity.
Presidential Proclamation, October 3, 2003
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Peace activists on their way in cars to demonstrate at George W. Bush's ranch outside Crawford Texas were arrested by authorities at a town blockade for not having a parade permit. Testimony at the trial suggested wearing a political button could be enough to violate the local parade ordinance.
The Waco Tribune, February 8, 2004
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Two U.S. peace activists have been restricted from airplane travel after their names appeared on an FBI no-fly list.
CBS 2 New York, February 5, 2004
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Four activists who were involved in a Drake University antiwar conference were subpoenaed to appear before a secret, federal grand jury, without being given any information on what is being investigated or the purpose of the grand jury. The subpoenas were later withdrawn after outcry from civil liberty organizations.
The Des Moines Register, February 6, 2004
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George W. Bush has threatened to move forward with a constitutional amendment banning marriage between homosexuals if State courts continue to rule they cannot be discriminated against under current marriage laws.
The Associated Press courtesy of ABC News, January 5, 1004
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On November 1, 2001, just a month after entering office, George W. Bush signed an Executive Order severely undermining the 1978 Presidential Records Act, which requires the releasing to the public of all Presidential documents after twelve years. In doing so, George W. Bush successfully blocked the release of documents pertaining to his own father, then Vice President George H. Bush, and members of his current administration.
Washington Post, October 31, 2001
FindLaw, November 9, 2001
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Under the new CAPPS II (Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-screening System II) all passengers will be given a security rating for airline travel, derived from government intelligence and personal information obtained from private companies.
The Washington Post, September 8, 2003
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An overhaul of the federal government's drug screening policy that allows for the testing of worker's sweat, saliva, and hair has paved the way for private businesses to adopt the same testing requirements.
CBS, January 15, 2004
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Bowing to pressure from conservative religious groups, the Bush Administration has recently advocated for the inclusion of religious symbols and literature at our National parks.
CNN, January 7, 2004
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The Bush Administration is attempting to circumvent the 6th amendment right to a public trial in the Supreme Court case of a Florida waiter held secretly by authorities for five months after 9/11.
The Associated Press courtesy of ABC, January 5, 2004
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The Secret Service is setting up and strictly enforcing "free speech zones" that keep protesters far out of sight and hearing from George W. Bush during presidential events.
The San Francisco Chronicle, January 4, 2004
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Recently, foreign journalists trying to enter the United States have been subjected to detention, deportation, fingerprinting and DNA sampling by authorities.
Associated Press courtesy of CNews, December 6, 2003
Reporters Without Borders, May 20, 2003
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George W. Bush signed the Intelligence Authorization Agreement, which expands the FBI's authority to investigate financial records without court approval. Most of the details of the $40 billion dollar bill remain secret.
Associated Press courtesy of The Boston Globe, December 15, 2003
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The Bush Administration successfully delayed a court ordered accounting of potentially billions of dollars owed by the government to American Indian Tribes by slipping a rider onto the emergency California wildfires bill.
The Associated Press courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle, October 28, 2003
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The broad powers provided by The Bush Administration's Patriot Act have been used by law enforcement agencies to investigate crimes not related to terrorism.
Contra Costa Times, September 28, 2003
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Under pressure from conservative and religious groups, the Bush Administration canceled an annual Justice Department Gay Pride event.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 6, 2003
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The Bush Administration has used their antiterrorism campaign as a means to allow increased spying on and infiltration of peace groups and other activists.
Sacramento Bee, November 9, 2003
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For a November 17, 2003 visit to London, George W. Bush attempted to force the British security services to implement an unprecedented shutdown of the city center and ban on all marches.
Evening Standard courtesy of ThisIsLondon.com, October 11, 2003
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The FBI has received expanded powers to use subpoenas to gather personal financial information that previously required a judge's approval.
New York Times, November 12, 2003
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After voicing complaints of potentially unjust legal proceedings, a team of military lawyers brought in to defend Guantanamo Bay detainees were fired by the Pentagon.
Guardian, December 3, 2003
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United States Forces have begun an unprecedented practice of bulldozing the homes of suspected Iraqi insurgents, as well as taking their family members hostage and making threats against them.
San Jose Mercury News, November 18, 2003
The Washington Post, July 27, 2003
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The Bush Administration enacted the Terrorism Awareness Program (formerly the Total Information Awareness) that allows security agencies to collect and keep files of unprecedented amounts of information on American citizens. Possible information tracked includes financial, education, medical, and library records, car rentals and airline tickets, and reports of suspicious activities.
Wired, December 2, 2002
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