Source: Religioscope
Author: Richard Cimino
While there have been allegations in the past of government investigation of mosques on issues relating to terrorism, the recent report, first featured in the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper, is said to be the first confirmation that surveillance is taking place.
An article in the Los Angeles Times (May 29) reports that information about the alleged spying surfaced in a case about classified files concerning terrorism that were stolen from a secure office used by military and civilian law enforcement officials at Camp Pendleton. Some of these classified records referred to the surveillance of Muslim communities in Southern California, specifically, the Islamic Center of San Diego. The records alleged that the mosque had been monitored as part of a federal surveillance program targeting Muslim groups, according to the Union-Tribune article. Read More »
Source: Salon
Author: Juan Cole
The U.S. Justice Department is considering a change in the grounds on which the FBI can investigate citizens and legal residents of the United States. Till now, DOJ guidelines have required the FBI to have some evidence of wrongdoing before it opens an investigation. The impending new rules, which would be implemented later this summer, allow bureau agents to establish a terrorist profile or pattern of behavior and attributes and, on the basis of that profile, start investigating an individual or group. Agents would be permitted to ask "open-ended questions" concerning the activities of Muslim Americans and Arab-Americans. A person's travel and occupation, as well as race or ethnicity, could be grounds for opening a national security investigation.
The rumored changes have provoked protests from Muslim American and Arab-American groups. The Council on American Islamic Relations, among the more effective lobbies for Muslim Americans' civil liberties, immediately denounced the plan, as did James Zogby, the president of the Arab-American Institute. Said Zogby, "There are millions of Americans who, under the reported new parameters, could become subject to arbitrary and subjective ethnic and religious profiling." Zogby, who noted that the Bush administration's history with profiling is not reassuring, warned that all Americans would suffer from a weakening of civil liberties. Read More »
Boren for Congress
Friday, June 27, 2008
I am proud to announce the launch of the 2008 online headquarters of the Boren for Congress campaign.
http://www.borenforcongress.com
As we continue growing into the 21st Century Economy, I think it is important that elected officials recognize the importance of technology and the internet in our nation's political discourse, as well as use every tool possible to communicate with voters.
I hope you take the time to read through the resources on this site and send us any questions, comments or criticisms which come to mind. If you like what you see, I hope you'll consider a donation of time or money to our campaign, and that you'll sign up for email alerts so we can keep you updated about activities on the campaign.
Thanks again for being a friend and supporter!
Sincerely,
/s/ Dan Boren
Dan Boren, Second District Congress
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Paid for by Boren for Congress, Post Office Box 1924, Muskogee, OK 74402; 918.683.2401
Friend --
Barack Obama recorded a video message with an important announcement that he wanted you to hear first:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Snsnqbq_OCo
We have made a crucial decision that will impact how we compete in the general election, and it's important that you understand the decision, its implications, and the challenge ahead.
Please take a moment to watch the video.
Thank you,
Obama for America
If you'd like to help our local fundraiser, here you go: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/maingroup/newsmyrnaforobama
YES WE CAN!!
voters. And it will, trust me! We must be willing to, while giving as much attention to environmental concerns as reasonably possible, explore for oil, coal, and natural gas immediately. We must retrieve and process our fossil fuels as soon as we can while frantically developing alternative energy sources with which to power our industry, motor vehicles and homes. Unfortunately, Mr. Bush and Mr. McCain have beaten Barack and the rest of our party to this unavoidable common sense approach. Barack will ultimately loss the election if he does not realize and act on the fact that our economy is presently and for the near future entirely dependant upon affordable and available fossil fuels and their derivatives. If we don’t act now we may not have the ability to research and develop the needed technologies to make us independent of these fossil fuels. The looming energy crises will put us into the basic survival mode, and the means for such activities will not be available as they currently are. Unless Barack and the rest of the Democrats get on board, the Republicans will continue to run things. Why can’t the Democratic party use some common sense. Why is it always one extreme or the other? It's embarrassing. To the Democrats I beg,… Please wake up??????? We need to get our nation back!
I am a white 61 year old Vietnam vet and a retired building trades union supervisor who retired out of the engineering department at my last job. I am just trying to say many smart common sense people like myself (all races and colors) who want Barack to win and to have a couple of successful terms in office are very concerned that he has not picked up on this. I share many of his views and would like to see a prosperous period where we are not so preoccupied with the fossil fuel crises that we can't implement the needed policies etc. I pray for the sake of our party that Barack and the rest of the party quickly become aware of the gravity closing the door to the immediate pursuit of our reserves will have. This is one of the few mistakes we can make that will allow the Republicans to stay in office, and we are very likely currently making it.
Last night Hillary Clinton made a very difficult heart warming speech, after winning in the South Dakota primary, in which she congratulated Barack O8ama for his primary success. She then went on to thank a multitude of campaign staff employees, her supporters, etc. Hillary then ended her speech with not knowing what her next move will be.
This statement, which I paraphrased, has been misinterpreted into meaning that she is not conceding. Well, duh!! On the last primary day in which all the votes are not even counted she's supposed to come out and concede? No way! Why should she be forced, or coerced, into conceding by CNN, Fox, MSNBC, or any other MEDIA outlet's schedule?
In the first place, she had 18 million votes, which is about the same as O8ama had, so she must ensure that the voters that voted for her are duly represented by the Democratic party platform agenda. She will ensure that before she concedes Barack will unite with her in creating the Democratic party agenda. Just as John Edwards did before throwing his support behind O8ama. It's just the way it works, and she owes that to her supporters.
Secondly, is the possibility of a political appointment amongst the O8ama administration. She will need to think out how she feels about a potential request from Barack O8ama. That's only natural. How would she fit into his administration and/or is that what she wants to do with her future, not to mention the political capital that she has developed through this campaign.
Lastly, is the fact that she does not need to concede in a negative 'I lost and Barack won' fashion. In my mind she conceded on Tuesday night when she congratulated O8ama and thanked all of her staff and supporters. It has been a long, very long, hard campaign. Give her a break and allow her to assess where she goes from here. All of this talk that she did not concede was generated by the media that is hoping that she will do as Harold Ickes warned and take her fight to Denver.
Beware the media hype because that is precisely what this concession, no concession, story is about.
Posted: 11:20 AM ET

Most of the 17 senators who remain uncommitted will announce their support of Obama, CNN has learned.
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Most of the seventeen Democratic senators who have remained uncommitted throughout the primaries will endorse Barack Obama for president this week, CNN has learned.
Sources familiar with discussions between Obama supporters and these senators tell CNN’s Gloria Borger that the senators will wait until after the South Dakota and Montana primaries to announce their support for Obama.
Two sources familiar with the sessions said the endorsements will come sometime later this week.
Obama supporters have been “pressing” for these superdelegates to endorse earlier in the week, but according to one source, “the senators don’t want to pound Hillary Clinton, and there is a sense she should be given a grace period.”
A series of meetings on the topic have been facilitated at different times by Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin. Durbin and Daschle are Obama supporters, while Harkin is uncommitted.
According to CNN’s Candy Crowley, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will remain uncommitted until Clinton officially drops out of the race.
Posted: 11:41 AM ET
From CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney

Vilsack is a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton.
(CNN) – Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, one of Hillary Clinton's most ardent supporters, said Sunday it's time for Hillary Clinton to acknowledge she has lost her bid for the Democratic nomination.
Vilsack, who was briefly a presidential candidate himself last year, told the Associated Press it's "pretty clear that Senator Obama is going to be the nominee."
"After Tuesday's contests, she needs to acknowledge that he's going to be the nominee and quickly get behind him," Vilsack also said.
Vilsack first announced he was running for president in November, 2006, but dropped his bid three months later after the Democrat failed to drum up a significant level of support or raise the necessary campaign funds needed to compete. He endorsed Clinton shortly after and played a key role in the New York senator's unsuccessful Iowa campaign effort.
His comments came the same day the Clinton showed signs she plans to press on after Tuesday's contests — continuing argue she has won the popular vote and that the party's superdelegates are able to switch their allegiances before the convention in August.
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