From Roy Rogers Website:

March 30th

Musicians for Kerry

Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh (The Grateful Dead) , Boz Scaggs, Ray Manzarek (The Doors)

Roy Rogers and Norton Buffalo Form The All for One Band for

John Kerry for President for Democratic Fundraiser

On March 29th The All for One Band (so aptly named by Mickey Hart) performed and rocked the house at the John Kerry for President fundraiser in San Francisco at the Westin Saint Francis Hotel. The Democratic event raised 3 million dollars for the candidate.

Roy Rogers opened the show with Walkin' Blues saying "Let's give Bush his walking papers!" as the other band members tore in to the blues classic. Boz Scaggs then led the band in a fine Dylan song"Takes A Lot to Laugh, Takes a Train to Cry." 'Ain't No Bread in the Breadbox ' was performed by Norton Buffalo. Phil Lesh performed "Tom Thumb Blues" and then Boz led the group in a raucous "Johnny Be Good" and "I Feel So Good" and then Mickey brought down the house leading the group with Iko Iko.

What a night! Special thanks go to Mickey Hart and his incredible staff for helping pull this event together.

A national coalition of musicians called Musicians for Kerry is being formed. More news on this soon!

-----------------

From a Berkeley resident:

Here's a story you'll like. I was lucky enough to be invited to the Kerry fundraiser in SF last night. At $1,000 a head for admission (fortunately, I was a guest), the Grand Ballroom at the St Francis Hotel on Union Square was a friendly -- if high-powered -- sea of gray suits, bald spots, and diamonds. A music stage at the far end of the immense chamber was occupied for a while by an over-amped acappella group, who were fair, no great shakes, but too loud to stand anywhere near; so we stayed at the opposite end, where the excited small talk of 2,000 well-heeled Bush defoliators provided a pleasant sonic buffer. I was frankly getting a little bored, waiting too long for Kerry to come out and speak from a podium midway down the left-hand side of the room. After the acappella group ended, I thought, "Finally! We're going to hear the guy from Mass with JFK's hairline." But then, oh bummer, more activity onstage - another band, another 30 minutes of standing around, waiting, having to settle for more little pieces of pork tenderloin with lime glaze on tortilla chips, and bits of marinated chicken in miniature cracker cups - if you can stop a waiter - instead of the classy dinner I was expecting for a grand a head. (Typical freeloader, aren't I?) So the playing starts up and I'm tuning it out, immersed in funny conversations with my friends, not really hearing the music. Then this bass line catches my ear. It sounds awfully familiar, and penetrates the buzz in the room. Hey, I say to Pam without looking up, these guys are covering "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues," and they're ripping off the Dead's arrangement! But it sounds pretty good. So I look up and squint at the players, who are a good 75 yards away. What? Can it be?? Holy Shit! THAT'S PHIL! "When you're lost in the rain in Juarez, and it's Easter time, too!" And there's Mickey pounding some pads! And that guy with the gray beard on drum kit, it's Billy! And shit, there's Ray Manzarek on keyboards! And Boz Scaggs is playing guitar! And Roy Rogers on double-neck! And that's Norton Buffalo on harp! We work our way through the crowd toward the stage, which was only slightly easier than at the Coliseum on NYE, and all the gray suits, bald spots, and diamonds within 30 yards of the stage are rocking out! The band fires up Johnny B. Goode, and we all know who they're talking about. Then they blast into Iko Iko, with Mickey taking lead vocal, shouting the refrain that became, in my mind, the anthem of the night: "Gonna set your flag on fire!" It was inspiring and incendiary. Afterward, Kerry came out and told us, among other, more important things, about how he discovered the Fillmore West and the Dead when he came to SF after Viet Nam, and how the Dead have remained a big part of his life ever since. As soon as he said it, a woman just behind me screamed out, "Yeaaaah!!!!" I turn around expecting a hippy chick who got in, like me, on a miracle ticket. I see a 60 year old, perfectly coiffed woman in a $2,000 gown, looking every inch a CEO, with a huge grin on face, shaking her fists in the air. Every one around me is grinning, too. A couple of high-buck, gray-beard lawyers in front of me start up the chant: "Go Johnny! Be Good!" And you know, I started to believe he will be. What a night. I arrived with the intention of voting for the hairline - anything but a Bush. I left with an honest belief in the man.

Very cool.

Go Johnny indeed.

Anybody Taping?

Taper tics were probably only $750 if Phil had any say. Great story thanks for sharing.

good story, too bad beedfack had to ruin it.

SWEET, killer story , made me smile :-)

Dont believe It

Prove it

Go Bush

If Phil Likes Kerry

Cant vote for him now

Bad Vibes

Kerry's a big time head; I believe it...has a pic of Jerry in his office in Mass

Long live Freedom, Democracy and The Grateful Dead!!!

That story made my day!!! Thank you.

Lick Bush!

Right on! That's a righteous story! Made me smile too Kate.

Cool deal there..But reminds me just how old I am..How long this trip has been..how times have changed..how some things never change..

When I was born Harry Truman was President..

Phil was born a year and a half before Pearl Harbor was attacked.

cool

at first I ws a bit wary of hearing this, but after the review, I feel much better about it.

Send Bush back to Crawford!

Nice Story thanks for being there and sharing with us.

I thought Kerry had that look about him, someone who would appreciate the Dead scene.

You know, I had to check the date on this post to make sure it was legit. (We are dangerously close to April Fool's Day, you know!

Hey, doesn't this belong in the Politics folder?

har har har

thanks for sharing the cool story
i will cut and paste for the local friends

Sounds more like music to me than politics...but then again, I'm a political 'head.

Regime change starts at home!
Regime change in '04!

Nice story!

Patrick Leahy for vice president!

:0)

Yeah, let's bring the SYF logo to the Oval Office! If you look on page 29 in the February 9, 2004 issue of Time magazine, You'll see J.B. Goode sitting in his office with a GD 1995 tour poster as well as a large photo of the Boys performing live on the wall above his head!

I have one of the earliest SYF patches made which I've been saving for many, many, years. If J.B. Goode becomes President, I'm going to send it along with a nice "good vibe" note to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue attention: President John Kerry! It may not quite get to him... But at least we'll know the SYF logo made it to The White House mail room...

I think we should start a movement right here on the Zone, so that Kerry will receive thousands of stickers, patches, postcards, or anything Dead-related you want to send to him when he (hopefully) get's elected to office!

I'm sure he'd appreciate all the good vibes and support that only our community can conjure up! Anyone else in? Spread the word!

Peace, love and uproot the Bush,
Hlpslpfrnk

In addition to all the Dead memoriablia, how about sending some cash his way as well? It's gonna take a lot of money to whack the shrub!

COOL!
Sounds like a dream you could have about a band like that!

Great story!

I may believe in our goverment once again.

A Deadhead in office......cool

Vote or it doesn't matter.

WAS IT A CLEAR CHANNEL EVENT?

Actually, I'm voting the "new" Bush ticket.

Sam Bush, that is. His running mate?

Arlen Spector. The slogan will be

"BUSH-N-SPECTOR '04"

Whadasay?

As a union rep voting for Kerry is the ONLY MOVE to make

Absoultely AWESOME.....BUSH WAS NEVER ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE ANYWAY....GREAT STORY....I THINK KERRY SHOULD USE "RUN FOR THE ROSES" AS HIS CAMPAIGN THEME SONG........"ALL GOOD THINGS IN ALL GOOD TIME!!!!!"

JUST MY 2 CENTS

Excellent Creampuffin!
Let's make "Run For The Roses" the Kerry theme song! And for Dubya, his line will be (cuz he doesn't deserve a theme song) "I don't know, must've been the roses!" he, he, he!!!!!

JUST MY 2 CENTS TOO

Everyone GO OUT AND VOTE!!!!

xoxoxo and uproot the Bush,
Hlpslpfrnk

Heard it was Kerry who ran on stage naked for JGB at Caldwell college and freaked jerry out so bad he canceled the late show. Soon after that event Kerry grew dread locks and started touring. He actually was the original Wookie!

>>>and then Mickey brought down the house leading the group with Iko Iko

Emptied the house would prolly be more accurate

I don't get it....?? Why vote for Kerry?? None of you people have given any good reasons except that he says he likes the Dead(does that really matter) and there were rich people rockin' out?? Sounds like some of you need a lesson in what's going on in the real world to me.

Kerry is a nothing-candidate. He stands for government control of all aspects of our life!!

I pose this question: name 3 things that you know that John, the phony, Kerry has accomplished in his "great" political career??
If you can't then you know nothing of this person and therefore have no knowledge of which to base your decision to vote for this jerk(other than that most of you feel it's "cool" to hate Mr. Bush and republicans, in general).

Remember, it was the Democratic Party that lied to get the USA involved in Viet Nam. It was President Johnson and the Democrats who authorized the use of Social Security into the General Fund. Get your facts and then make intelligents choices.........please!!!

Fudd, like your relative, Elmer, you are an ignorant fool! Since you seem to be a history fan, maybe you remember that John Kerry came back from Vietnam and was a leader of Vietnam Veterans Against the War. About that time, George W was busy getting set up in a series of failed business ventures by his rich daddy and his other corrupt friends.

W is the worst president in my lifetime; in retrospect, Nixon and Reagan look positively Jeffersonian compared to this idiot.

Mickey and Phil know what they are doing!!!

Can't believe the set didn't include the obvious...U.S.Blues...
Red and White, Blue Suede shoes,
November 4th, it's Kerry we'll choose.
Bush must go..and Cheney too.
You can tell these guys, their time through..

Wave that flag...wave it wide and high,
Let's all vote now..and make Kerry our guy.

ok, so it ain't Hunteresque, but I sing better than him....lol

Well stated Robnelsong... Perhaps Fudd may be missing the point by stating:
"Kerry is a nothing-candidate. He stands for government control of all aspects of our life!! "

Last time I checked, Dubya was the one interested in government control of all aspects of our life! Can we spell PATRIOT ACT????? Dub simply has Fudd living in fear as well as many others...

Fudd, I'm not interested in an arguement or putting you down by any means... This is America and all of us are certainly entitiled to our opinions and beliefs.

However, Hitler was able to accomplish his foray into destroying the planet by instilling FEAR in his people and country... Just like Dub is doing now. What is Dub's campaign motto? "Consistant leadership during times of change."

After 9/11, the rest of the world felt compassion for the U.S. It wasn't until Dub's rush to war (with a country that had nothing to do with 9/11), that made the rest of the world question our motives and question us as a people. I for one do not want to be represented this way!

Dub's administration led us into "his war" (Cuz someone threatened to kill daddy) and has been instrumental in the rest of the world viewing the USA as selfish, bombastic killers interested in overthrowing an oil rich country out of simple GREED!

I look at the current Dub administration as liars, thieves, crooks, cheats and murderers. I'm not going to fall for the "fear factor" the governement is releying on to get their Hitler back in office for another four years.

It's sad, (and perhaps I am a bleeding heart liberal) but many times I look at flag waivers today was pro-war rednecks wanting to "kick ass on the rest of the world cuz dey ain't be thinkin'like us."

I'm not part of that hateful gang and I refuse to be a flag waiving "Merkin," (can someone tell Dub that there is indeed an "A" in America and remind him that terror has two syllabes, not one as in "ter").

I could go on and on but I cooking dinner for my family tonight and I need to go.

Peace, love and uproot the Bush!
Hlpslpfrnk

"Fudd, like your relative, Elmer, you are an ignorant fool! Since you seem to be a history fan, maybe you remember that John Kerry came back from Vietnam and was a leader of Vietnam Veterans Against the War. About that time, George W was busy getting set up in a series of failed business ventures by his rich daddy and his other corrupt friends.",,,,,,this is quite funny because while Kerry was doing all this the "great stuff" in the early 70's and Bush was screwing up his life, the Grateful Dead were partying and playing concerts and screwing up thier lives with drugs and whatever else they were doing!!.....and now you want me to listen to them politically..??? Ha, ha, ha...hey, I love the Dead, but they are just guys that play in a band to me. They are not the "Obi Wan Kenobi" of politics or the real world!!!

"Mickey and Phil know what they are doing!!!".....what exactly does this mean??? Does it mean that you are some sort of robot that has no mind of your own and has to get "direction" from a bass player and a drummer..???

Now, it's your turn...."Last time I checked, Dubya was the one interested in government control of all aspects of our life! Can we spell PATRIOT ACT????? Dub simply has Fudd living in fear as well as many others...".....Excuse me, but please state one aspect of the Patriot Act(Did you know the Patriot Act was sponsored in the US Senate by Tom Daschle, a democrat and the Senate Majority leader at the time??)??

Now after you realize you know less about the Patriot Act than your own state's motor vehicle laws, please realize how silly you make yourself out to be when you talk about things but have no actual real knowledge of the subject. One more thing, The Patriot Act was voted by the US Senate by a vote of 99 to 0!!! But don't let facts get in the way of ignorance and hate.

I'm still waiting for the 3 things that you know John Kerry has done in his political carreer that have made an impact to our country..??

Also, Kerry has married into money twice in his life!! I guess it's OK to be rich but only if you like the Grateful Dead.

Man, you guys are weird..

Fudd, thank you for your negative spin on a positive thread.

May the Bush instilled fear inside of you serve you well my friend.

The three things you are waiting for cannot be found here I'm sure, because we are ignorant.

Good luck and so long.

Fear..?? Who's afraid?? Not me..??

Thank you, my lost friend, for validating your own ignorance to all. I have stated facts, you have given spin. I have asked for answers to questions, you have given none.

As for a "positive thread", all you've done here is insult the President personally and "flag-waving rednecks". Ha, ha, ha............how sad.

Maybe Phil, the bass player, and Mickey, the drummer, will set the world straight on life!!!

Go Mr. Bush!!! Sorry Phil, maybe you can afford to pay the high taxes and deal with the crap a liberal would bring to us.

John Kerry Sucks. Sorry guys - I love your music and definately share your opinion on that - but definately not w/ politics. Can't we ever keep politics out of the music scene? You shouldn't alienate your fans that happen to be Republican and/or support Bush. Seems like a bad move to me.

All politicians are fucking crooks,just have to choose the lesser of two evils,and some of you call that democracy ????? Whatever happened to "For the people and By the people" ?? Might as well wipe your ass with the Constitution,cause that's about as useful as it's gonna be in this day and age !!

>>>>You shouldn't alienate your fans that happen to be Republican and/or support Bush

Why should you care about musicians' politics? Why shouldn't they play for whatever politician they support just to make you happy?

Shit, even the republicans I know are voting for Kerry, cause Bush SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS.

Q: Why should you care about musicians' politics? Why shouldn't they play for whatever politician they support just to make you happy?
A: Honestly - I go to the shows to hear the music, and I go to Phil's website to read about the music. I really don't care what their political views are - I just think it might not be the wisest thing for the band members to unwittingly divide up their fan base over politics by setting up a posting supporting John Kerry on Phil's website.

Q: Shit, even the republicans I know are voting for Kerry, cause Bush SUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKS.
A: I don't like to get involved w/ who is better than who. Fact of the matter is that both candidates suck - again - and if a Libertarian ever had a chance in hell of getting elected President than he would have my vote 100%. It's too bad that we get stuck w/ these sucky candidates every 4 years. Maybe McCain would be a better choice as a Republican candidate since he is more "middle of the road" and does not have a history of voting partisan on all of the issues as both of the candidates in this year's election do have that history. McCain votes for what he thinks is right - period. That is refreshing.

Everytime Bush comes up, people get mad. Some get mad because they feel duped by the government, others get mad because they know how the rest of the world feels about our Bush-led military imperialism, but I just get mad that his minions (like Fudd) refuse to listen to reason.

Here's three good reasons to vote for Kerry:

-He's a Vietnam Vet who had the guts to come back home after two tour of duty and protest against it. Before he was twenty-five he was challenging Nixon and changing the world.

-Worked with John McCain and other members of the republican party in order to do such things as retrieve all information about remaining P.O.W.s and M.I.A.s, reforming public education, and reforming campaign finance legislation.

-As DA of Boston he destroyed the organized crime in the city.

He is an articulate leader well respected worldwide, and hate mongers like Fudd cannot change the tides. Peace, Legalization of Herb, Mutual respect among world nations and Freedom are coming, whether you like it or not Fudd!

Screw Bush in 04!

Ah, excuse me, but why am I a "Hate Monger"?? The fact is you have a hateful heart, not me.

John Kerry is not an articulate speaker.?? He is dull and void of any intellectual thought, a pure politician.

A Viet Nam vet who has accused all Viet Nam soldiers of war crimes(He said that, I didn't). So what if he helped get information on MIA"s, so did Ross Perot!!!

As for your Nixon reference, the conflict was started by JFK, escalated under LBJ, and Nixon inherited the war in 1968!!!

Your reasons aren't reasons for President. They are reasons to be an ambassador!!

Oh yeah, how's that crime-free Boston doing lately..?? Kerry hasn't been involved in state politics for 18 years!!

You know, give me reasons and point of view, not this crap about "herb" being legal. The free world is trying to be destroyed by the Muslim population(yet again)as we speak, and make no mistake about that!!!

Fudd, to claim that the Muslim population is trying to destroy the world certainly proves you are the hate monger others have suggested you are. Although Nixon didn't start the war, he escalated it and it was Nixon who was in power when Kerry returned from the Indochinese War. (It was certainly not just a war in Viet Nam.)

It's possible that his war/protesting record isn't enough to elect him, but it seems to be swaying many Vets. whom the Dems. need to win the election. This is important because even if the War isn't important enough to get your support, many other reasons exist:

1. His environmental stance is much more sustainable than Bush's. He is against allowing the oil industry to write invironmental policy. Even you, Fudd, must realize that the oil indust. isn't focused on the good of the planet, but rather the good of their pocket books. It could be argued that everyone does, in which case we need to determine who is least likely to do major harm to the enviroment.

2. He plans to work towards reuniting the U.S. with the rest of the world. He sees the role we play in international politics as one that needs the respect of the world rather than the fear. The adversarial relationship Bush has created with most other world leaders is unacceptable and needs to be changed. By going against the UN, he and his administration have shown the world that we will stop at nothing to "get our way." It's like we're a bunch of children in a schoolyard. Respecting the world community and rebuilding bridges in fundemental to our future, not as a nation, but as a human race.

3. His support of the working class is stellar. Although he doesn't want to repeal NAFTA like other Dem. canidates, he realizes it must be shaped in order to improve the econ. here in the U.S. and the working conditions throughout North America. Furthermore, his support of unions is important in that they are meant to ensure that the working class has it's rights protected. While some see this as lazy and outdated, without unions the checks and balances in the work force wouldn't last and the corporate world would be running our lives even more than they already do.

(Fudd, I know you asked for three, but here's a forth for good measure.)
4. Kerry supports individual rights in a way that Bush could never fathom. Whether we are talking about civil rights for minority races and religions, or for women's rights and the rights of the gay community, Kerry is head and shoulders above Bush. While he isn't as progessive on this point as other canidates were, Kerry doesn't support the outright removal of rights that have been slipped through (unbeknownst to most people) by the Bush administration.

In response to those who have suggested that music and politics should remain seperate,
seperating music and politics is impossible. The political world encompasses everything we do and to ignore it is to simply reinforce the status quo. This is something any political thinker can telll us. Be it Gramsi and Althasure (sp?) or Hitler and Rumsfeld, they all know the power of hegemony and the ways in which the ideas shift. For a musician to remain apolitical like Britteny Spears or The New Kids on the Block that musician simpley supports things as they are.

People who want musicians to be silent dancing clowns usually just dislike the the musicians have said, and realizing that one's idols are more intelligent and clear headed than the fans is hard for people to take.

To steal a Reagon quote, "There you go again". You are laughable and very niave, to say the least, my left wing foolish friend.

Let's start with the "environmental stance issue". First, where do you get off saying the environmental policy is written by the oil indusrty..?? Give me facts to back that up and not a leftwing talking point(I always ask for facts and get nothing but weak responses). Second, how is your house staying warm for you every winter..?? How's that food in your refridgerator doing and how was it delivered..?? How are those clothes you are wearing feel..? I wonder how they got from the manufacturor to you..?? Please stop with this environmental bullshit. It's a weak point and a mute one. You'd be the first to bitch if your lifestyle changed. The oil industry, the gas industry, whatever you want to call it, affects every part of your life and the life of the United Sates, so wise up about that.

As for the "reuniting" of the rest of the world, what does that mean..?? We are the "world", my friend, and stop living in fantasy land for one day.

Let's see how that doucebag Clinton "reunited" with the world.....hmmm, how about the "reuniting" with North Korea..?? That went so well we gave them nuclear power plants for electricity that the commies are using for nuclear weapons(with special thanks to that loser Jimmy Carter for his part in that shit!!). Then President Erection gave the OK( via the Commerce Dept.) to ship high-tech electronis parts to China that are now being used in thier missles!!

As for "reuniting" with socialists nations like France and Germany, I ask you why..??

Now for John "I'm worth millions I've never worked for" Kerry, what is he going to do for the "middle class" when all he does is vote "yes" for every tax increase that will be paid by me and my family..??!! The Budget of 1993 is a prime example. With the vote of Vice President Bore, I mean Gore, a budget was passed that will tax my already-taxed Social Security(80%) as income when my pension "pays" me $30,000!! How is that helping the working class....??? Don't believe me....???Ask any accountant.

Now for "cvil rights", name two, no one, right that has been "taken away" from President Bush..?? All you have rhetoric and no facts. Why should a fag or lesbian have "special rights" because they choose to put thier cock and tongue somewhere..?? I don't ask for any of these "special rights". "Women's rights", now that's a joke!! Every been to divorce court..?? I'd like you to see what happens to you when that happens, since you obviously feel that gender should never dictate "special treatment" ina cvourt of law. Don't get me wrong, I'm for every CITIZEN to be treated the same when it comes to this!!

It's funny, I work for UPS and I don't feel that the corporate world runs my life. You must really have some emotional issues of inferiority and envy to come to that conclusion!!

All in all, you are a Socialist, comrade. Someone who feels that "fairness" and "equality" can only be achieved through means of elected officials. That's very wrong. You will feel free and equal when you pass on those things to fellow citizens through your strength of charactor and personality.

Oh yeah, to put Hitler and Rumsfeld in the same sentence is a low thing to do. Not only is it unworthy of Rumsfield, but it deminishes and dilutes what Hitler stood for and the results of WW2.

I would never put Hitler and Rumsfeld in the same sentence. The more fitting analogy would be Goebles or Goering.

BTW, I originally got into the Dead both because of the music *and* the counterculture from which it came. In fact, it was their affiliation with the sixties counterculture which attracted me to them in the first place.

Quite frankly, if you believe in the beauty of the music and the wisdom of the lyrics, then it would behoove you to listen to what the musicians have to say about cultural and political matters as well. If you radically disagree with Phil, Mickey and Bobby's politics, then maybe you should rethink your alignment with the music and the culture. Maybe it's really not for you.

POsibly you didn't understand the Hitler/Rumsfeld comment. It was contingent on teh Gramsi/Althusure comment. If you don't know who they are, then the Hitler/Rumsfeld connection won't make sense either. Maybe you should try to gain you info from places other than The National Review and The O'Rielly Factor. You'll be amazed at the variety of ideas out there.

Jackaroses says: Quite frankly, if you believe in the beauty of the music and the wisdom of the lyrics, then it would behoove you to listen to what the musicians have to say about cultural and political matters as well. If you radically disagree with Phil, Mickey and Bobby's politics, then maybe you should rethink your alignment with the music and the culture. Maybe it's really not for you.

My Answer: Sure, the Dead were into the counter-culture in the sixties - but the music and lyrics were designed to take people's minds off of the war going on at the time etc... so they can have a break and have a good time. Listen to the older dead tunes - do you hear any political references etc... I think not. I read a quote from Jerry saying exactly this... the music is about a good time, to take people's minds off of the war and politics. I believe the first (and possibly only) politically based Dead song didn't even come out until the 80's and that would be Throwing Stones. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I am pretty sure of this. I definately enjoy the music - especially the older stuff - whether or not I have the same political views as Phil, Bobby, or Mickey. Why can't someone enjoy the music of a band even if their political views differ? My only point was why would they want to try to start a bickering war between fans on the website. Seems foolish to me - and I really hope when I go to see the dead this summer there is not much stage bantering going on pro-Kerry (or pro Bush for that matter, but I know that's not going to happen) ... that would be pretty annoying.

>> Let's start with the "environmental stance issue". First, where do you get off saying the environmental policy is written by the oil indusrty..?? Give me facts to back that up and not a leftwing talking point(I always ask for facts and get nothing but weak responses).

Fudd,

Isn't there a case coming up before the Supreme Court asking for transcripts of the meetings between Cheney and oil industry leaders in which the Administration's Energy Bill was formulated?

Correct me if I'm wrong...

Of course that's the same Supreme Court with Judge Scalia, the famous guest of Cheney's on a recent hunting trip. And of course another famous Cheney friend, at least in these circles, is John Barlow, his former neighbor in Wyoming. But then its a strange world.

That said, I think music is deeper than politics. Just look at the range of political opinions on this site, yet somehow we still connect to the same music. And I trust that the Dead will continue to let their music speak for them.

Fudd,

Try typing in "Cheney oil industry energy policy supreme court" into google and see what comes up. Sorry, just another "leftwing talking point".

>> Second, how is your house staying warm for you every winter..?? How's that food in your refridgerator doing and how was it delivered..?? How are those clothes you are wearing feel..? I wonder how they got from the manufacturor to you..?? Please stop with this environmental bullshit. It's a weak point and a mute one. You'd be the first to bitch if your lifestyle changed. The oil industry, the gas industry, whatever you want to call it, affects every part of your life and the life of the United Sates, so wise up about that.

Left wing talking point number 2:

This is a phony and purposely stupid argument that doesn't survive any level of rational reflection.

Of course we're spoiled by our comforts, and very dependent on them. That doesn't mean we don't have options when it comes to making personal and policy decisions that have an affect on the environment. It also doesn't mean that CO2 levels are not reaching record levels every year, that mercury and sulfur emissions from coal-fired power plants aren't worth paying attention to.

Whether or not lefty enviro types are a bunch of hypocrites is the real moot (not mute) point. The point is to look at the facts and make decisions. Time to dial down the rhetoric a little bit, and get our collective heads out of our asses.

What's your next car going to be? A hybrid that gets 60 miles to the gallon, or a Hummer?

Fudd,

Back to left wing talking point #1, found in the above-mentioned google search.

Title: Cheney, energy and Iraq invasion; Supreme Court to rule on secrecy
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
URL Source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi? f=/c/a/2004/03/21/ING0H5LTDA1.DTL
Published: Mar 21, 2004
Author: Larry Everest
Post Date: 2004-03-21 09:48:52 by Brian S
Ping List: *Brian S List*
2 Comments

Sunday, March 21, 2004

The case Cheney vs. U.S. District Court is scheduled to be heard before the Supreme Court next month and could end up revealing more about the Bush administration's motives for the 2003 Iraq war than any conceivable investigation of U.S. intelligence concerning Iraq's purported weapons of mass destruction.

The plaintiffs, the Sierra Club and Judicial Watch, the conservative legal group based in Washington, argue that Vice President Cheney and his staff violated the open-government Federal Advisory Committee Act by meeting behind closed doors with energy industry executives, analysts and lobbyists.

The plaintiffs allege these discussions occurred during the formulation of the Bush administration's May 2001 "National Energy Policy."

For close to three years, Cheney and the administration have resisted demands that they reveal with whom they met and what they discussed.

Last year, a lower court ruled against Cheney and instructed him to turn over documents providing these details.

On Dec. 15, the Supreme Court announced it would hear Cheney's appeal. Three weeks later, Cheney and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia spent a weekend together duck hunting at a private resort in southern Louisiana, giving rise to calls for Scalia to recuse himself. So far, he has refused.

Why has the administration gone to such lengths to avoid disclosing how it developed its new energy policy?

Significant evidence points to the possibility that much more could be revealed than mere corporate cronyism: The national energy policy proceedings could open a window onto the Bush administration's decision-making process and motives for going to war on Iraq.

In July 2003, after two years of legal action through the Freedom of Information Act (and after the end of the war), Judicial Watch was finally able to obtain some documents from the Cheney-led National Energy Policy Development Group.

They included maps of Middle East and Iraqi oilfields, pipelines, refineries and terminals, two charts detailing various Iraqi oil and gas projects, and a March 2001 list of "Foreign Suitors for Iraqi Oilfield Contracts," detailing the status of their efforts. The documents are available at www.judicialwatch.org.

These documents are significant because during the 1990s, U.S. policy- makers were alarmed about oil deals potentially worth billions of dollars being signed between the Iraqi government and foreign competitors of the United States including France's Total and Russia's LukOil.

The New York Times reported the LukOil contracts alone could amount to more than 70 billion barrels of oil, more than half of Iraq's reserves. One oil executive said the volume of these deals was huge -- a "colossal amount."

As early as April 17, 1995, the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. petroleum giants realized that "Iraq is the biggie" in terms of future oil production, that the U.S. oil companies were "worried about being left out" of Iraq's oil dealings due to the antagonism between Washington and Baghdad, and that they feared that "the companies that win the rights to develop Iraqi fields could be on the road to becoming the most powerful multinationals of the next century."

U.N. sanctions against Iraq, maintained at the insistence of the United States and Britain, prevented these deals from being consummated.

Saddam Hussein's removal in 2003 has left the deals in a state of limbo, but the Bush administration's insistence that only countries supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom are eligible for postwar reconstruction does not bode well for French and Russian concerns.

An April 2001 report by the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations and the Baker Institute for Public Policy -- commissioned by Cheney to help shape the new energy policy -- also devoted serious attention to Iraq.

The report, "Strategic Energy Policy Challenges for the 21st Century," complained about Hussein's oil leverage:

"Tight markets have increased U.S. and global vulnerability to disruption and provided adversaries undue potential influence over the price of oil. Iraq has become a key 'swing' producer, posing a difficult situation for the U.S. government. ... Iraq remains a destabilizing influence to ... the flow of oil to international markets from the Middle East.

"Saddam Hussein has also demonstrated a willingness to threaten to use the oil weapon and to use his own export programme to manipulate oil markets."

Significantly, the report concluded that the United States should immediately review its Iraq policy, including its military options.

There are many other indications that, despite the Bush administration's repeated and insistent denials, petroleum politics may have played a crucial role in the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

For instance, both the State Department and the Pentagon had pre-war planning groups that included a focus on Iraq's oil industry; protecting the industry was an early U.S. objective in the war.

In October 2002, Oil and Gas International reported that U.S. planning was already under way to reorganize Iraq's oil and business relationships.

In January 2003, the Wall Street Journal reported that representatives from Exxon Mobil Corp., ChevronTexaco Corp., ConocoPhillips and Halliburton, among others, were meeting with Vice President Cheney's staff to plan the post- war revival of Iraq's oil industry.

Cheney is said to have once remarked that the country that controls Middle East oil can exercise a "stranglehold" over the global economy.

One-time Bush speech writer David Frum wrote in "The Right Man," his 2003 biography of his boss, that the United States' "war on terror" was designed to "bring new freedom and new stability to the most vicious and violent quadrant of the Earth -- and new prosperity to us all, by securing the world's largest pool of oil."

Further records from Cheney's Energy Task Force could shed more light on the inner workings of the Bush administration's march to war in Iraq. The first question, though, is whether the Supreme Court will lift the Bush-Cheney veil of secrecy.

Larry Everest is a Bay Area journalist and author of "Oil, Power & Empire: Iraq and the U.S. Global Agenda" (Common Courage Press 2004). He is scheduled to address San Francisco's Commonwealth Club on that topic on May 5.

Well, if he is the right one or not, at least his name ain't Bush. What a joke of a leader, I mean, ain't he a hell of liar?

I reiterate,they,meaning politicians,are all liars and fucking crooks,bottomline.And then they have the nerve to throw peaceful acid selling hippies in prisons for years on end,for what??? America,land of the hypocrites,not the free!!!!

"Fudd,

Isn't there a case coming up before the Supreme Court asking for transcripts of the meetings between Cheney and oil industry leaders in which the Administration's Energy Bill was formulated?".......first off, since your the "expert", tell me what the "Administration's Energy Bill" is, because I have no idea what the fuck that is and what you are talking about...!!!

I thought all bills were submitted to Congress and signed by the President. Am I wrong about that..???

Also, both sides of the isle are screwing us!! I do NOT believe that either party is squeeky clean, but to believe that John Kerery is the democratic political Messiah is a joke and most of you are smart enough to realize that.

Stop living in the Grateful Dead fantasy land!!! They are full of shit, too!!!

I don't worship or idolize these guys because of what they are, Iliked them for the jams, and thier talent, that's it!! They are not Ghandi's or Edison's or Thomas Jefferson's!! They are guys that played in band that made awesome music and alot of cash along the way. It's this attitude of Deadheads, the childish crap like I heard in the 80's about Weir and Garcia "battling on stage"-type nonsense that irks me.

If I'm the expert, we're all in trouble.

Getting back to the Dead and politics, I don't think Garcia ever voted in his life, for whatever that's worth. He lived in the Bay Area in the 60's and grew up around all the political radicals in Berkeley, but he didn't like them very much.

From an old (1970?) interview in Guitar Player magazine he said,

"It could be that music is one of those things left that isn't completely devoid of meaning. Talk - like politics - has been made meaningless by endless repetition of lies... You listen to a politician make a speech, and it is like hearing nothing. Whereas music is unmistakably music (and) nobody listens to it unless its real."

And the lies are still running pretty thick.

Dudes, Bush is a demon anti christ fool. Kerry is dopeness, fuckin Nader can't even stop this thug, and Phil should rock out with Kerry. Eat some shrooms too. Damn, I say kick out Bob Weir and let John Kerry join the band. I was once in this shitty band called music and I gave Bob Weir a cd and he never emailed me back, so I quit the band because Bobby hurt my feelings. I'd say Phil should defineatly kick out everyone but Billy Mickey Bobby(unless Kerry replaces him) and kick everyone the fuck out. I'm sick of all the damn solos. I don't think solos sell the tickets, its the boys, BRUCE HORNSBY needs to get back, YEAH Bruce, Vince, mickey billy bobby donna, phil, possibly tom for a few jams, and call it Dead Live or even better, The Super Grateful Dead. I'd pay money to see that shit. I'm not a punk, I was wearing my other ones shirt from 2000, back when it was almost da bomb, phil was gone. I support the dead, I'm Pizza T dawg, Old skoolz.

Wow,old school is now 2000?? I must be prehistoric,fucking imagine that,I'm now a dinosaur.

"If you're listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you're a bigger moron than they are. Why are we rock stars? Because we're morons. We sleep all day, we play music at night and very rarely do we sit around reading the Washington Journal."

Alice Cooper, August 20, 2004

posted by Fudd april 24, 5:51

>>>Why should a fag or lesbian have "special rights" because they choose to put thier cock and tongue somewhere..??

no, i guess you're not a hate monger, just a bigot.

>>>I don't ask for any of these "special rights".

you didn't have to ask, these so-called "special" rights have been GIVEN to you.

Tin soilders and Nixons coming
We're finally on out own
This summer I hear them calling
4 Dead in Ohio
CSN
now thanks to dad get me out of this bust or service or dui bush
we have the blood of one thousand americans on Iraqi sand Would he be there if the was no texas tea in iraq ?Is chenny a lobbist for the company building the afganistan pipeline?where are the weapons of mass destrution? I'd say North Korea but no oil there I know my daughter dont dry hump puff daddy at paries I know Bush is a union busting motherfucker and his father a cia commander of hitmen that belongs in jail Remember Silverado S and L Redeat bush and dick in nov and let them rot in hell They don't care about anything besides corparate amerika Fuck them and feem em fishheads now go into a spin about how meansprirted anti Bush people are On vacation 41 percent before 9-11? what was he up to Jim Beam and some smoking coke? hes a Dr Stangelove Please register to vote Get this maniac out.These republican union busters would not mind if you ate dog food for the rest of your life Listen to thr lyrics of Throwing Stones Deadheads These guys know what they are talking about Power to the People Vote

>rock stars are morons> then what the fuck are grade B movies stars running for gov in california Alice Koopermight not read but Mickey worked with the Smithsonian Inst wake up and smell the coffee

Rob You suck shit out of my ass, Bitch !