If your primary political news source is TV, radio or print media you're aware that the "Rev. Wright Controversy" is a huge issue. One that weighs heavily on voters minds around the country. You might also know that the issue is completely overblown, that in reality people are far more concerned with bigger issues then whether or not Obama agrees with everything his pastor said.

Question: Why is that the patriotism of America's worst is unassailable?

I'm talking about the "thought" leaders in America that lead America in the most self-destructive
directions, the war mongers, tax cheaters, Constitution perverters and all around general distortionists.

The politicians and spinmeisters who shuck for the right wing agenda are a dangerous fifth column,
completely counter to what America was envisioned to be by the founders.

Proof on the flip...

We need a better name to communicate what is going on with the FISA fight.

Vote with your recs!

I'm now going to babble to meet the character requirement.

FISA is to opaque. Telco Amnesty is sounds like a local branch of Amnesty international. FISA - Telco Amnesty sounds like a disease.

There has to be a short name we can use that gets the message across
without having to read up on it.

I have an idea on how we can make a mass protest of the war in a convenient, simple and effective manner. It need not be dressed in a million words so here it is:

Everyday, at noon, we sit down on the ground for one minute: wherever we happen to be.

The location should be as public and obvious as possible, but it should not be obstructive. Sitting on a sidewalk or in a hallway is the right idea, a crosswalk the wrong idea.

more below...

If a Chinese person had outed Valerie Plame we'd be reminded of Wen Ho Lee. The media narrative would remind us of how Asian people might have divided loyalties, quietly murmuring that China might be the next great enemy of the US.

Help me media, I am getting confused.

We need more troops in Iraq, "the surge", or so I'm told.

I thought we had enough troops and equipment in there, that's at least what the President said. He said he was listening to the commanders and giving them what they requested.

He's baaaccckkkkk...

(Yes, this is not new news, but the inauguration was interesting.)

Nicaragua's Ortega returns to power

By TRACI CARL
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

MANAGUA, Nicaragua -- Former Marxist guerrilla Daniel Ortega celebrated his return to power in Nicaragua with two of Washington's biggest critics - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Bolivia's Evo Morales - who welcomed him as an ally in their campaign to curb U.S. influence in Latin America.

(continued below)

Hola!

This is Latinokos, the latino/latin america interest open thread. Here are some stories I find interesting. Feel free to post your own stories, links and chatter.

From Venezuela:

Analysis: Oil helps Venezuela growth again
By CARMEN J. GENTILE
UPI Energy Correspondent

MIAMI, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Venezuela's supercharged petroleum-based economy has posted greater than 10 percent economic growth, for the third year in a row, according to the country's central bank.

...

The statistics, at face value, seem to support the Chavez policy of renegotiating contracts with foreign oil firms to increase Venezuela's share of the profits. Growth reached 10.3 percent in 2006, said Central Bank President Gaston Parra, equaling last year's mark. In 2004, the Venezuelan economy expanded by a staggering 18 percent.

...

http://www.upi.com/...

Welcome to Latinokos, the Latin America interest open thread on dkos. This will be a regular discussion area for topics of interest to Latinos and Hispanics in the US and for current events in Central and South America. This is the successor to Mexikos, a Mexican interest group, and will be run in the same way.

Mexikos, the dkos Mexico news collective, was set up during Mexico's last election with the goal of giving more prominence to Mexico related news on dkos. It suceeded in getting kossacks good info on the election and has been appreciated.

This election is going to be a big day for dkos and the nation. Kos and the tech team are busily preparing for the load, but what if it isn't enough? There are sites that can take over but which ones? How will we know where the community has gone.

Here is your Mexico News Roundup for September 1st, 2006.

 Mexico tense ahead of key speech
By Duncan Kennedy
BBC News, Mexico City

Hundreds of riot police have surrounded Mexico's Congress building ahead of a speech from the outgoing President, Vicente Fox.

They are on guard against thousands of supporters of the left-wing candidate, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Some of his party's deputies have threatened to disrupt Mr Fox's speech inside the chamber.

Mr Lopez Obrador claims he was robbed of victory by massive fraud in the recent presidential election.

continued below

It's the August 16th, 2006 Mexico News Roundup.

First we have another good article from John Ross at http://counterpunch.org

Towards Armageddo and After
Endgame Engulfs Mexico

By JOHN ROSS

Mexico City.

They carried the coffin of Jose Jimenez Colmanares on their shoulders through the narrow streets of Oaxaca city into the old colonial plaza they had occupied for months and deposited it outside the state government offices. There his comrades ­- striking schoolteachers and militants of the mostly-indigenous Oaxaca Popular Peoples' Assembly (APPO) mourned the fallen car mechanic with furious epithets and accusations. Jimenez, the husband of a striking teacher, had been gunned down by goons during a march two nights before and the assailants had been tracked to a nearby warehouse where they were captured by the furious crowd and their hideout burnt to the ground.

continued

Welcome to the Mexico News Roundup, August 14, 2006.

Mexican Police, Protesters Clash
By VOA News
15 August 2006

Mexican riot police have fired tear gas to disperse protesters who massed outside Congress to demand a full recount in last month's disputed presidential election.

Officials say the tear gas was fired to end a brief clash Monday between police and supporters of leftist presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

...

http://www.voanews.com/...

Hola!

Here is your dkos Mexico News Roundup for 8/12/06.

First, some election irregularities have been uncovered...

 MEXICO CITY -- In contesting the official results of Mexico's presidential election, aides to Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador have insisted their cause is about more than just arithmetic. It's about justice and democracy, too, they say.

But with a partial recount of the July 2 election winding down Friday, Lopez Obrador's supporters found hope in hard numbers.

They said the recount was uncovering enough irregularities to challenge official results that had scored the election for Felipe Calderon of the conservative National Action Party.

And the trend, leaders of Lopez Obrador's leftist coalition said, favored their candidate.

...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/...

More on the flip...

Not to break up the dkos Joementum, but... it's Mexico News Round up time, August 8th, 2006.

MEXICO CITY, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Mexican leftists blockaded a ministry and threw open highway toll gates on Tuesday in an escalation of protests against what they say was fraud in last month's presidential election.

It was the first time the demonstrators have disrupted federal facilities in weeks of protests to support candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who lost the election by 0.58 percentage point to conservative Felipe Calderon.

...

http://www.alertnet.org/...

Hats off to the Mexican people for standing up for themselves.

More below...

Welcome to the first Mexico news collective diary. This will be, we hope, a somewhat regular diary covering news related to Mexico. It's an open thread format. Mexico will be the primary focus, but we're not too picky yet.

This diary exists because people expressed interest in it. If you want this to be a regular part of the kos diary family contribute to it. Stories, links and pictures are great, and if you can give none of that there is always mojo.

I'm proposing that we start a Mexico interest collective here on kos in order to pay better attention to important news from Mexico. At this point the election is critical but there will surely be other stories.

Usually when there is an important story going on someone with a strong interest and subject background will step up and track an issue. There doesn't appear to be a regular diarist for issues regarding Mexico.

More on the flip...