James Ridgeway

In 1965, James Ridgeway helped launch the modern muckraking era by revealing that General Motors had hired private eyes to spy on an obscure consumer advocate named Ralph Nader. He worked for many years at the Village Voice, has written 16 books, and has codirected Blood in the Face, a film about the far right. In 2012, he was named a Soros Justice Media Fellow.

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Army Times: Sack Rumsfeld

—By James Ridgeway

| Sat Nov. 4, 2006 9:10 AM PST

On Monday Army Times (and Navy Times, Air Force Times, Marine Corps Times) published by Gannett, and sold to people in the services, will call for Rumsfeld's removal from office:
"Rumsfeld has lost credibility with the uniformed leadership, with the troops, with Congress and with the public at large. His strategy has failed, and his ability to lead is compromised. And although the blame for our failures in Iraq rests with the secretary, it will be the troops who bear its brunt. This is not about the midterm elections. Regardless of which party wins Nov. 7, the time has come, Mr. President, to face the hard bruising truth: Donald Rumsfeld must go."

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The Latest Polls: Burns Picks Up Steam, GOP to Retain Control of the Senate

—By James Ridgeway

| Fri Nov. 3, 2006 11:34 AM PST

According to Congressional Quarterly's Poll Track, Conrad Burns is picking up steam in Montana and conceivably could win this race, which was once thought to be in the Dem column. The hottest races remain Missouri and Virginia. Both dead heats. Poll Track speculates that the Dems will take the House, but lose the Senate:

A majority of both Republicans and Democrats responding to National Journal's Insiders Poll this week predicted that Democrats would gain over 20 seats in the House next week, winning them control of the chamber. But in a similar show of consensus, both sides also foresee the GOP retaining control of the Senate, with 91 percent of Republicans remaining optimistic and 63 percent of Democrats conceding their party's uphill battle.

The Stem Cell Question

A roundup of the tightest races where the stem cell debate has played a major role.

—By James Ridgeway and Caroline Dobuzinskis

| Fri Nov. 3, 2006 1:00 AM PST

WASHINGTON—Unexpectedly, stem cell research has emerged as a central issue in at least eight congressional campaigns -- a fact that may have ramifications far beyond next week's midterm elections, and beyond the core subject of scientific research. In fact, the broad support for embryonic stem cell research evident in the Senate battles in Missouri, Ohio, and Maryland and House races in California, Florida, and New Jersey, among others, stands as an open challenge to the Christian Right’s longstanding monopoly on questions of life and death.

[Read the full article]

American Casualties in Iraq More than 44,000

—By James Ridgeway

| Thu Nov. 2, 2006 12:05 PM PST

Winslow T. Wheeler, former staffer at the Senate Budget Committee, currently working for the Center for Defense Information, has just published an extraordinary analysis of American casualties in Iraq which he says total more than 44,000 servicemen have died or been injured. (You can read his article at counterpunch.com.)

Here is a thumbnail rundown of his findings, which are mostly based on two well-known sources.

In October 2006, 104 uniformed American military personnel died in the war in Iraq. As of Nov. 1 of this year, 2,817 Americans have died in the war of all causes; 239 military personnel have been killed from other countries (UK: 120; "other": 119), for a grand total of 3,055 deaths from the coalition forces. (See these and more data at Iraq Coalition Casualty Count.)

More from Wheeler: "The leading cause of non-hostile deaths were vehicle accidents (201 deaths, or 7 percent of the total). Other causes included: helicopter accidents: 74, or 3 percent; weapon accidents: 76, or 3 percent; friendly fire: 8, or 0.3 percent; homicides: 7, or 0.2 percent; and suicides: 3, or 0.1 percent."

The wounded category is the most startling. "Contrary to the approximate 20,000 wounded that the press typically reports, the www.icasualties.org website reports the following: 14,414 wounded -- no medical air transport required; 6,273 wounded -- medical air transport required; 6,430 non-hostile injuries -- medical air transport required; 17,662 diseases -- medical air transport required."

Thus, he reports, "Grand Total: 44,779... Counting all forms of wounds, injuries, and illness, the total 'casualties' are more than twice the number typically reported in the press.''

Northeast Dispatch, Part 2

Stender-Ferguson smackdown in New Jersey.

—By James Ridgeway

| Thu Nov. 2, 2006 1:00 AM PST

NEW YORK-- Linda Stender, the Democratic challenger in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, seems to represent both what’s right and what’s wrong about her party as it faces the pivotal midterm elections. Bringing to mind Elizabeth Edwards far more than Hillary Clinton—down-to-earth warmth overlaying a kind of no-nonsense toughness—she may have what it takes to beat incumbent Mike Ferguson, if she can keep him from controlling the terms of the debate. That’s a big “if,” because it’s precisely what the Dems have still failed to do, even in these days of widespread disillusionment and dissatisfaction with Bush and the Republicans.

[Read the full article]