Democracy Now! Monday, December 17, 2007

Today's Headlines

• Turkish Warplanes Bomb Kurdish Villages in Iraq
• Democratic Senators OK $189 Billion in New Iraq War Funding
• Report: More Troops Sought For Afghanistan
• Mukasey Blocks Congressional Probe of Destroyed CIA Tapes
• Anti-Torture Bill Fails in Senate
• Senate to Debate Expanding Government’s Spy Powers
• Bali Talks Ends Without Plan To Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Rep. Wexler Leads New Effort to Impeach Cheney
• Players Linked to Bush’s Texas Rangers Named in Steroid Report
• Demolition of New Orleans Public Housing Postponed

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  Spending Bill Includes $24 Billion Loan Guarantees for Nuclear Industry

  The House is set to vote Tuesday on the $500 billion 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill. Hidden in the bill is a major energy package that would boost government financing for the nuclear industry. It would provide loan guarantees of up to $25 billion for new nuclear reactors. We speak with Harvey Wasserman, editor of nukefree.org. [includes rush transcript]

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  Harvey Wasserman on New Ohio Voting Report: "The 2004 Election Was Stolen… Finally We Have Irrefutable Confirmation"

  Ohio’s top election official, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, announced Friday that the voting systems that decided the 2004 election in Ohio were rife with “critical security failures.” We speak with Harvey Wasserman, author of “What Happened in Ohio: A Documentary Record of Theft and Fraud in the 2004 Election.” [includes rush transcript]

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  Four of Bolivia's Wealthiest Regions Declare Autonomy in Protest of New Constitution

  Bolivian President Evo Morales formally received a copy of the country’s new draft constitution on Saturday, as tens of thousands of supporters marched through the capital of La Paz. But four of Bolivia’s wealthiest regions have declared autonomy in protest of the plans. We speak with Jim Shultz of the Democracy Center in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

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  A Debate on Hugo Chavez and Venezuela's Failed Constitutional Referendum

  Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was handed his first electoral loss since winning the presidency seven years ago when he narrowly lost a controversial referendum on 69 proposed changes to the constitution earlier this month. Chavez conceded defeat in the referendum and said he would leave office in 2012. We host a debate with Greg Wilpert, author of “Changing Venezuela by Taking Power,” and Francisco Rodriguez, the former chief economist of the Venezuelan National Assembly. [includes rush transcript]

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  FCC Chair Kevin Martin Refuses to Delay Vote on Proposed Rewrite of Media Ownership Rules

  Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin has refused to delay a vote on his proposed changes to rewrite media ownership laws. The vote is set for Tuesday. We speak with Craig Aaron of Free Press, a national media reform organization. [includes rush transcript]