His speech has gotten attention from across the media spectrum. According to Rachel Maddow, the mainstream press unfairly focused on the critical points in his speech. Black commentators have had mixed reactions to his demand to “stop complainin’.” ColorLines points out that the CBC has been working on job creation longer than the American Jobs Act has been in existence. African-American author Karen Hunter claims the AP’s transcription of the speech is “inherently racist” because it was published as spoken, with dropped g’s. Tavis Smiley was particularly incensed, asking Representative Sheila Jackson Lee if Obama would dare to tell Jews, Latinos, or any other constituency to stop complaining.

Personally, I agree with Smiley’s criticism. And as a fan of Zora Neale Hurston, I reject the idea that transcribing speech as it is said is “inherently racist.” I agree that we need to get moving.

But here’s the thing – until the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are ended, until all troops and war profiteers come home, until all people have the right to marry and all gender identities are accepted, until everyone has food to eat, a home to live in, free education, universal, single-payer healthcare, until nuclear power and nuclear weapons are abolished, until our infrastructure is rebuilt and the water and power industries are fully regulated, until significant money is spent on research in renewable, sustainable energy, I will march on. And I wont waste a minute of my time or a dime of money on political campaigns. We need to continue occupying Wall Street, challenging Obama at every public appearance he makes, and gathering in Freedom Plaza. Politicians wont hand us change. Just as the New Deal was forged because of the demands of people in the streets, just as Civil Rights laws were enacted because people refused to condone racism, we must continue to challenge the empire. Will you join me in telling Obama to Make Jobs, Not War?

Last night WikiLeaks began releasing tens of thousands more U.S. diplomatic cables, bringing the total number of WikiLeaked cables to nearly 100,000. Among the findings revealed in the latest release is evidence that the Obama administration has worked with the Egyptian government to keep the Gaza border with Egypt closed. As the Washington Post describes, WikiLeaks is relying on twitter followers (hashtag: #wlfind) to pull out important pieces of information from the newly released cables.

Just hours before the release, federal prosecutors issued an order to Dynadot, a California Internet registrar that had hosted WikiLeaks, demanding that Dynadot produce “information on Julian Assange.” A few weeks earlier, the same prosecutors approached Twitter seeking records of accounts held by Assange, WikiLeaks, and Bradley Manning.

CODEPINK Kansas Coordinator Priti Gulati Cox highlights how Manning’s treatment and ongoing pre-trial detention serve as a troubling barometer for democracy in her insightful new article Parallel Lines of Dissent. Her critique compares the case of Manning, currently imprisoned in the author’s home state of Kansas, to that of Dr. Binayak Sen, a pediatrician and civil liberties activist who blew the whistle on government arming of militia groups in her birth country of India. Gulati Cox points out that like Manning, Sen faced life in prison for his alleged crime of doing service to his country – a sentence he was spared only due to international public outcry on his behalf.

In anticipation of the release of Dick Cheney’s new book, In My Time, CODEPINK has launched a two-sided Free Bradley/Arrest Cheney bookmark highlighting why war criminal Cheney should be “Doin’ Time” and Bradley Manning should be free. CODEPINK is also holding a photo contest to encourage activists to move Cheney’s book to the crime or other appropriate section of local bookstores.

An investigation by the Associated Press revealed on Thursday that after 9/11, the NYPD collaborated with the CIA to secretly monitor mosques and target ethnic communities. The Muslim American Civil Liberties Coalition has issued a statement condemning and demanding accountability for the NYPD’s spying on Muslim American Communities.

The FBI’s post-9/11 counter-terrorism tactics are also under scrutiny in the wake of an investigation released by Mother Jones magazine this week. The report found that nearly half of terrorism-related prosecutions after 9/11 have involved the use of informants, many of whom were given large cash incentives to produce victories for the FBI’s War on Terror.

In “How Washington lost faith in America’s courts,” Karen Greenberg laments another post-9/11 trend: the use of executive intervention to bypass the judicial system and due process. Greenberg draws parallels between the pre-trial punishment of NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake and that of alleged WikiLeaks source Bradley Manning, noting

“Like bin Laden’s killing, both cases reflect an unspoken worry in Washington that our courts will prove insufficiently ruthless and so incapable of giving the “obviously guilty” what they “obviously” deserve.”

In his first solo op-ed, Thomas Drake describes in his own words how he was attacked for blowing the whistle on illegal activity and waste within the National Security Agency. Like Greenberg, he sees his case as a troubling sign of how constitutional rights have been subverted in the name of security post-9/11:

“The government’s penchant since Sept. 11, 2001, for operating in secrecy and hiding behind an executive branch “state secrets” doctrine has damaged our long-term national security and national character. It has, by sacrificing Americans’ general welfare and civil liberties, given rise to a persistent military-industrial-intelligence ­con­gressional surveillance complex.”

In this time of economic austerity, when jobs are being slashed and Americans are fearful about their future, the Congressional recess is the time for our elected representatives to be home in their districts, reaching out to their constituents and servicing the people they are paid to represent. Instead, this August one out of every five representatives will be taking a junket to Israel, compliments of an affiliate of the Israel lobby AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) but still clocked in on the taxpayer’s dime.

Americans who have lost their jobs and seen their life savings evaporate because Congress can’t seem to get it together deserve an explanation of how this crisis will be solved. Following the recent debt debacle, the public is hungry for information about the mysterious 12-person “super committee” that will slash over one trillion dollars from the federal budget. But instead of opening their doors to their constituents, 81 members of Congress will be getting briefings from Israeli government officials, touring historic religious sites, and perhaps “seeking a salty dip in the Dead Sea.” Representative Steny Hoyer, who is leading the Democratic delegation, said he is pleased members of Congress have this opportunity “to gain a deeper understanding of the issues involved in increasing stability in the region.” One has to wonder whether our elected officials are more concerned about the stability of Israel or the well-being of American families.

Not surprisingly, trip expenses are being paid by an affiliate of the all-powerful AIPAC lobby, the American Israel Educational Foundation. AIPAC lobbies hard to ensure that Israel is kept on the U.S. dole, with $3 billion of US taxpayers’ dollars a year going to the Israeli military. Without AIPAC and the financial contributions to Congressional campaigns made by its affiliate organizations, our representatives would be freer to speak out against funneling precious taxdollars to this already wealthy nation. This junket goes to show that those who claim AIPAC has a stranglehold over our Congress are not far off the mark.

Going on an AIPAC-sponsored trip to Israel is the moral equivalent of using an Anglo-Boer travel company to visit apartheid-era South Africa. Although they claim to be visiting leaders “across the political spectrum”, including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, you can bet your bottom dollar that AIPAC will not be giving these 81 Congresspeople a fair and balanced view of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. They won’t observe one of the weekly demonstrations in Bi’lin or Nabi Saleh, where Israeli soldiers routinely tear gas and arrest non-violent protesters. They won’t spend time with grieving Palestinians whose homes have been demolished to make way for more Jewish-only housing. They won’t spend a few hours at a checkpoint to witness how Palestinians are detained, abused and humiliated, or how this “thriving democracy” forbids Palestinians from driving on Jewish-only roads. They won’t go to Gaza, where 1.5 million people are suffering under an unbearable siege, unable to travel freely, conduct business transactions across borders or even rebuild their homes destroyed by the Israeli invasion. And they won’t likely be visiting the burgeoning tent cities in Tel Aviv where hundreds of thousands of Israelis are currently camped out, protesting the lack of affordable housing, gas and food.

With the disapproval rate for Congress at a record 82%, now is not the time for our representatives to pander to AIPAC. Now is not the time for “free” junkets to Israel—with an implicit promise of $3 billion of our taxdollars in return. Now is the time to stop the freefall of the American economy. If our representatives want to earn more respect from the American public, they better prove that their allegiance is not to a foreign government or a group that lobbies on behalf of a foreign government, but to their constituents back home.

Medea Benjamin is cofounder of Global Exchange and CODEPINK. She encourages you to contact your congressperson and ask where they will be this August recess. Call  202-224-3121.

In order to sabotage the Freedom Flotilla II, the Israeli government has unleashed its powerful propaganda machine with the hopes of winning media favorability. Israeli authorities have even gone so far as to suggest that the Audacity of Hope may be carrying chemical weapons. In truth, the Freedom Flotilla II is intended to draw attention to the inhumane and unjust Israeli blockade of Gaza, a goal it has already accomplished.  The obstruction of the flotilla has sparked the global production of news stories that have exposed Israel as the ruthless regional bully that it is.

Determined to spread awareness of the obstacles placed in front of the resilient flotilla activists, CODEPINKers from all around the DC metropolitan area have gathered in front of the Greek embassy over the past few days. The entire first night, activist Tighe Barry stayed awake, holding a sign that read, “Stop Israeli Meddling In Greek Affairs!” On the second day of the vigil, activists garnered audible support with a sign that urged the passerby to “HONK FOR THE FLOTILLA!” At least every one in five cars honked its horn in support.

Throughout the entire affair, countless people rolled down their car windows, offering words of support and encouragement. “It’s the right thing to do,” a man shouted across Mass Ave. “Greece cannot afford to be doing that!” another man exclaimed, completely bewildered that the Greek government would spend time and resources to block the boats’ passage. Mostly, though, people voice their thanks that someone is taking a stand. “Thank you for being here” men and women said time and again.

And the vigil was significant. It might not have compelled Greek embassy officials to call their affiliates in Greece and urge them to let the Audacity of Hope sail, however, the vigil has certainly given a face to the Freedom Flotilla II in our nation’s capital.

Nine passengers on the U.S. Boat to Gaza began an open-ended fast in front of the U.S. Embassy on the evening of July 3, calling on the U.S. government to pressure Greece to release our Captain and ship. We staked out a little area across the street from the Embassy entrance, decorating it with Free Gaza/Free Our Boat signs and two American flags placed upside down as a distress signal.

At 10pm, several hundred flotilla supporters, most of them from Greece, marched to the Embassy to show solidarity with us. The Greek police blocked off the street to keep the two groups apart, but the fasters linked arms and marched down the road to meet them in a joyous reunion. After singing and chanting together (separated by a police line), the marchers moved on.

The fasters were then harassed by police, who insisted that we could not spend the night in front of the Embassy. The police were very apologetic, not anxious to arrest a group of fasting Americans on the 4^th of July. But they were getting pressure from their officers to move us, as all embassies have secure areas around them. They said that if our embassy gave us permission to stay, then we could. We tried for hours to get in touch with a representative from the embassy. One wonders what happens in a real emergency! Finally the Duty Officer said that the Embassy did not authorize our stay.

At midnight, the police reluctantly lifted us up and put us into police cars. The nine people detained are Linda Durham, Ken Mayers, Carol Murry, Paki Wieland, Ray McGovern, Brad Taylor, Kit Kitteridge, Kathy Kelly and myself. They took us to the police station, where we had to give them our passports and other details. After detaining us for three hours, we were released at 3am.

Undeterred, the fasters are back at the Embassy today, continuing the vigil.

Once again, our embassy has proven to be deaf to our cries, working hand-in-glove with the Israelis to thwart are mission. How shameful, especially on the 4^th of July! It’s time for the U.S. to declare its independence from Israel!

Make sure to watch the video of our reunion with the Greek supporters!

Let’s keep the pressure on Washington. They need to tell the Greek government to release our captain and our boat.

Here are some other numbers and email addresses:

• State Department general number:  202-647-4000 - ask for the Overseas U.S. Citizen Services Duty Officer and you’ll get a live State Dept. official who has to hear you out.

• You can email the U.S. Embassy in Athens at:  athensamemb@state.gov or you can send an email to them at: athensamericancitizenservices@state.gov

• If you can place an international phone call, the number for the U.S. Embassy in Athens is 011-30-210-721-2951.

Please also try to call, fax or email your members of Congress as well.

More information is on our website: ustogaza.org

Help us keep the pressure up. Thanks for all the support!

After being detained at sea and forced to return, the US Boat to Gaza was guided by the Greek Coast Guard into a military compound just outside Athens. The press left the ship, but the passengers remained on board and spent the night in the boat. The Greek government has fully cooperated with the Israelis in impeding our movement. The only help we’ve received from the Greek government are two port-o-potties they put outside our boat, knowing that our toilets are not working when we’re not at sea.

The Greek authorities are coming today to investigate the captain for having broken a police order to stay at dock. They also say they will finally give us the list of infractions from the inspections of our boat a week ago, something they have been refusing to do.

The other boats in Greece have been denied permission to sail due to a variety of bureaucratic obstacles the Greek authorities have thrown in their way. But like us, they will make an attempt to leave.

This shameful chapter in Greek history is symbolized by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu thanking his Greek counterpart Papandreou for his cooperation in helping thwart the flotilla, and by the fully-armed and masked Greek commandos at sea, pointing their guns at unarmed American civilians singing “We are a gentle, loving people.”