Dean and DFA are first. Any DLCer is last

1. Susan, that's right.

And anyone thwarting the Democratic process by telling a candidate to get out of the election to make way for another, or who refused to hold a recount on an election that faced extreme computer malfunctions that showed almost every single vote on ES&S voting for Bush(in a Democratic area), but most absentee ballots cast (because lines were too long) was for Kerry. And when a recount would have been paid independently, he doubled the cost of a recount.

33.

Tom Bearse


Tom, what can I say, maybe they're polling the same people that still believed for how many years that Iraq had something to do with 9 11.

puddles, i was including those regular people in my assessment also.

fred, slippery slope, dangerous territory, imho.

I will thank Governor Richardson for saying we don't need to or should keep forces in Iraq.

Thanks, DFA, for getting the candidates to come here with their views. For those of us in late primary states, it's pretty much all we will see of them!  I have no problem with getting emails alerting me to this.

It would be great if they or even a campaign staffer would come to blog here.

Gov. Richardson, thanks for your strong statements on Iraq. You know we'll hold you to it! Please speak as boldly elsewhere to prove you mean it. It looks like the next Democratic President will have to take strong action.

And the emphasis on diplomacy while we also get out is a breath of fresh air. Let's stop the upcoming war against Iran as well.

Linda wrote "Tom, what can I say, maybe they're polling the same people that still believed for how many years that Iraq had something to do with 9 11."

Well at least we solved that mystery.  Are they polling any of the people who will be voting in the nominating primaries?

to be clear, that should have read, "don't need to or should not keep forces in Iraq".

7.

LOL

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/20...

D.C. CONFIDENTIAL
Pro-Union Hillary Harbors Labor Foes

DISORGANIZED Clinton speaks to the Communication Workers of America

As Hillary Clinton bashed corporate America for union-busting this week at a Washington convention of labor-schmoozing Democratic politicians, her chief campaign strategist and pollster, Mark Penn, must've been grinning at the rich irony. He's the Worldwide President and CEO for Burson-Marsteller, an international PR conglomerate known for, well, busting unions, The American Prospect's Mark Schmitt notes.

Beware the Evil Labor Bosses, Burson-Marsteller's website warns. "Companies cannot be caught unprepared by Organized Labor's coordinated campaigns."

There's more where Penn came from, and they're not just limited to the Hillary campaign. Russ Baker exposes the little-talked about dark side of the Democratic Party with a long list of paid Democratic campaign consultants who simultaneously shill for union-busters, tobacco-peddlers, and other assorted underworld characters.

Then there's the lawfirm Jackson Lewis, full of some of the nation's best known union-busting mercenaries. Way back in 1972, the firm's partner William Krupman published an entire union avoidance handbook, a tome experts call "the best-known guide to defeating organizing campaigns." And wouldn't you know it—the same William Krupman is an official Friend of Hillary Clinton, forking over a fat $1,000 check for her campaign.

At least Hillary waited 14 years after leaving her seat on the board of Wal-Mart—one of labor's biggest foes—before cracking on corporate America.

By David Sirota 03/30/07 8:31 AM
File Under: Hillary Clinton, Mark Penn

Non-political types don't vote in caucuses.

A few more do so in primaries, but *caucuses* draw the hardcore activists--who aren't DLC-types, by a longshot (she'll probably draw Rethugs, who can register same day as a Dem. in open caucus states).

 We have very progressive absentee voter laws (vote 5-6 weeks in advance), so I'm guesstimating that will indeed occur--people don't need to be in attendance to vote @our caucuses.

Maine has open same-day registrations @caucus. The RNC is licking its chops for Billary, in many respects--they're more strategic than are Dems.; and they beat us on the ground every time (Dems are too busy wasting time in neverending "meetings" & useless phone banking people to freakin' death).

The Dem. base here (I'm on the local & county committees--plus, an activist) does NOT support her.  Enough is enough w/the triangulated DLC Clintons. She'll murder our ticket (esp. @the state legislature level, & Gubernatorial). Nada.  Ain't gonna happen.

Any fool who's already online is quite capable of visiting any Prez. candidate's portal within seconds on Google, HQ.

Stop spamming people's inboxes to death--it's unethical; as well as infantilizing.

African American women face the intersections of race AND sex discrimination all of the time; and are substantially poorer (read the stats per state, folks).  That's why we see the CBC female members (Maxine Waters, Sheila Jackson Lee, Barbara Lee, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, etc.) as progressive Dems.--they "get it." 

Obama & Hillary better watch what they say about poverty & welfare deform, that's all I can say (Billary & Big Dog ruined the lives of millions of women of color & their families w/triangulated TANF b/s).

It's still slavery, but it's corporate in nature (perping free labor off the backs of poor women--primarily, of Hispanic and AA ancestry--as well as poor "white trash"--esp. in the Deep South). Georgia's slashing of SCHIP eligibility is a prime example of systemtic institutionalized racism.

They face sex discrimination within the AA community all of the time from their males (high rates of DV, rape, lack of affordability to birth control and abortions,  & lack of child support payments, etc.)--that's why they're typically more opposed to marriage...it's just one more mouth to feed/scarce resources, etc.

Maine's Pres. of the Senate, Beth Edmonds (a "good Dem" ) has introduced MaineCare covering abortions...I'm on her activist list, for sure!

LD#1309

Talk about overt *hostility*--it's bringing the sexists and the right-wing nutjobs out of the woodwork!

Watching Beth swing that gavel is as much of a thrill, as was watching Boxer last week.

Will be ordering some snarky pro-choice stuff from jc, for sure--too many choice, is my only beef!

April 26th is rally day.

Breaking News from Riad, Creation for Arab Nuclear Center.

Oh, how nice. Good goin' Bush. How are your steps making us safer?



Bush=Disaster

Since when is anyone who's online incapable of visiting Richardson's portal on their own time, Steve? ...or that of any other candidate.

I don't consider you to be a Neo-Luddite...the incessant spamming of my inbox by HQ is more than you wanna hear about.

I'm "the Decider," thanks.  If I want to opt-in to a candidate's spamming of my inbox, I'll do so (sans any 'suggestions' from HQ).

How infantilizing. Like Linda, there's nothing wrong w/my long-term memory recall, re: Richardson's slimy crap during the '04 debacle (he's a hack).

(from previous thread)
42. linda b
Fri, 03/30/07
12:37 pm
NOW RICHARDSON IS TALKING TO DFA.

WISH HE HADN'T STOPPED THE IMPEACHMENT VOTE IN THE NM SENATE.
==========

he did that? why would he do that? and since when can a governor stop a state's move toward impeachment? is that even constitutional?

And the emphasis on diplomacy while we also get out is a breath of fresh air. Let's stop the upcoming war against Iran as well.

indy, that is what Webb wants to but u hammered him the other day. why the change????

Webb has voted with the Dems on this past bill and he and Hagel had an ammendment to make sure the troops are well equipped and trained.

gulp.

he did that? why would he do that? and since when can a governor stop a state's move toward impeachment? is that even constitutional?

I believe Linda in NM was involved with that in the state senate. I believe she said that richardson influenced to halt of the vote after it passed 2 or 3 committees.

I appreciate the candidates for talking to dfa but why is it posted at kos before the dfa blog?

Charles?

FEC quarterly deadline, folks...these hacks are all pathetic.

<yawn>  The silence & refusal to click-through should be revealing.

Breaking News from Riad, Creation for Arab Nuclear Center.

linda, do u have a link? gee, wonder if they are gonna invade saudi arabia?

this has got to stop.

10. Susan Rowe
Fri, 03/30/07
1:30 pm

the david sirota piece Susan cites above has a link to this discussion of Dem/DLC consultants who are making life easier still for the corporate rich:

http://realnews.org/rn/content/25demcons...

with a very long & detailed list.

ugh

but the report ends on a positive note. :-)

Gore/Dean in 08

16. linda b
Fri, 03/30/07
1:40 pm

i just don't get why so many dems consider impeachment radioactive. have they READ the constitution lately?

jean, I have no idea. it is "natural progression" as I see it.

I am waiting for bush to get on tv this weekend and say I AM HOLDING MY BREATH TIL YOU GIVE ME THE MONEY FOR IRAQ. REALLY I AM, JUST WATCH ME. HERE I GO.

mainefem wrote "Non-political types don't vote in caucuses.  A few more do so in primaries, but *caucuses* draw the hardcore activists--who aren't DLC-types, by a longshot." 

This is a riveting theory, but it does less to explain Kerry's near sweep of the 2004 primary and caucus season than the candidate's campaign machine that lurched into action shortly before the Iowa caucuses convened and kept its foot on the gas. 

I appreciate the candidates for talking to dfa but why is it posted at kos before the dfa blog?

Because BFA's rankings are in Technorati's toilet, that's why.

Shoulda gone w/a Scoop blog 3 years ago, huh?

:::wink::::

Paste it into your Google toolbar, Linda B (should be Raid).

linda b, I just heard it on the Radio. Coming from the Arab meeting they've been having which is where the King made his statement about our illegal occupation in Iraq.


I like how a woman called in from Vermont to Bernie Sanders on the Thom Hartmann show this morning, about no onw want to go forward with the Impeachment. He was saying they have investigations going on for the first time in 6years and there is so much they have to work on, not to focus on Impeachment. Which we all know is not correct, because they should be able to chew gum, walk and possibly even bounce a ball-at the same time. But then he closed with, if we impeach George Bush, we end up with Dick Cheney as President.

linda b, here's a story.


HA!


Arab leaders plan talks on joint nuclear venture


Associated Press

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Arab leaders pushed ahead Thursday with plans to develop nuclear programs, even as they warned of a possible Middle East nuclear arms race created by their powerful rivals Israel and Iran.


On the final day of their annual summit, Arab League leaders said they would hold a high-level meeting this summer to review plans for an Arab nuclear industry.
Jordan's King Abdullah II called for the creation of a "Peaceful Arab Center for Using Nuclear Energy" to help "build our societies and modernize the realms of science, industry, agriculture and health."

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...

13.

To be fair, Mainefem, there are a lot of people who are willing to receive email but who won't be caught dead going online, using a browser and visiting a candidate's web page. Trust me. I have one in my house.
Browsing may not come naturally to humans. Many prefer to be fed. LOL

On the other hand, it may be a mistake to accuse people of racism whenever the beat on someone who's of another race. While the victims may take some perverse satisfaction from assuming that they are being victimized because of some characteristic or act of their own (motivated violence being, for some reason, preferable to random), defining behavior in terms of the target serves to distance the actor from his act.

So, I'm thinking that what we're really witnessing is "lordism." People want to lord it over someone and they don't really much care who. LORDISM is what we should identify and reject.
Sometimes it might be enough to mutter "lordy, lordy" and shrug off the effort with a shake of the head. The problem with these people is that they are just too full of themselves.

puddles, i was including those regular people in my assessment also.

fred, slippery slope, dangerous territory, imho.

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

Not sure what you mean.  I was just making a point about a sector of voters' psychology - the "feel good" advantage of voting for a woman, as a "first."  Obama takes much of that advantage away from Hillary, because Obama is a "first" also.

I am not talking using this as a campaign strategy or rhetoric about it.

Thank you Bill Richardson for your stance on Iraq.

 Other than that - I believe you are even more a corporatist than Hillary Clinton. Not the corporatist that "Gentleman Fascist" Rudy Giuliani is, but not my cup of progressive tea.

And, as always, it is so very good to be here among friends.

27.

Talk about smoking the queen bee out. Should have taken advantage of the Central Asian Nuclear Weapons Free Zone extension into the Arabian Peninsula when it was offered.

I would be very proud to vote for the first woman or first black president.

That action would be difficult if it were Hillary Clinton - although I understand why my fellow NOW members have endorsed her. . . . . .somewhat less difficult if it were Barack Obama. Based on their prospective Rethuglican opponents - particularly Rudy "Gentleman Fascist" Giuliani and Fred Thompson - I would vote for either in a heartbeat.

.....African American women face the intersections of race AND sex discrimination all of the time; and are substantially poorer (read the stats per state, folks).  That's why we see the CBC female members (Maxine Waters, Sheila Jackson Lee, Barbara Lee, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, etc.) as progressive Dems.--they "get it." 

Obama & Hillary better watch what they say about poverty & welfare deform, that's all I can say (Billary & Big Dog ruined the lives of millions of women of color & their families w/triangulated TANF b/s).

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

You got my vote there.  Billary can talk the talk but she and Bill took two steps back on welfare deform, turning it into a work program, and sending the hard case to Social Security, which means they need to win a hearing with an often right-wing judge to get anything.

Still - would have been much worse with a Republican prez.  So Bill wasn't that bad.  But from what i've heard so far Obama sounds better for minorities and women - not to mention trade and war.

03 28 2007
Bill Richardson Threatens 'Nuclear 9/11' & Al Gore's Life

http://wonkette.com/politics/bill-richar...

Is Dennis Kucinich slated to speak with we DFA members ?

Otherwise, you can find his positions on all the issues at www.Kucinich.us .

sKerry didn't win the caucus here--we had ZERO ads from HQ, BTW.

In the largest state in New England...not one effin' ad (-30 below temps.).

Not when you combine Dean & Kucinich votes...nada.

This was after the IA implosion, & immediately after NH's primary ('electability' was already a brushfire issue--too late); and it affected votes (sheeple in the Dem. party also like the hop on the bandwagon/sheeple approach).

Nothing...HQ had burned through kazillions & was fundraising for WI (which was another total disaster before it started).

I know more about caucuses than you do, Tom...ever organized one; or been a Victory Captain for a candidate?  I have.

Mine went fine, as the turnout wasn't horrific (42 folks)--no room for corruption--I had the caucus rules in my lap, and knew what to look out for.

Larger caucuses were run by machine hacks--crooked as hell; and w/no resultion @the state party's HQ--hence, the delegate selection plan 15% threshold change mandate by the 'roots for '08.

Elevator 9 Trial - Thursday April 12th at 9am at 421 Gold SW in Albuquerque
The Court House is at the corner of 5th & Gold, 1 block south of Central. Please come and bring your Peace and Antiwar signs - WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!!!

Actually only 8 of us are going to trial, they dropped the charges against Jordan who was 15 at the time of the incident way back on September 26th, but Fr. John, Michella, Jan, Bruno, Sansi, Ellie, Philip and myself would really appreciate your attendance inside the courtroom and outside in front of the Courthouse. There is an article about our upcoming trial at www.freenewmexican.com/news/59049.html

The courtroom is small so people will have to rotate in and out with the people on the street protesting the war, and we need room for our own families, loved ones and witnesses. Please show respect for the proceedings when you are in the courtroom because unruly behavior would only reflect badly on the defendants and we are potentially looking at 30 days in jail.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON AND TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS & PEACE COMPATRIOTS TO JOIN US AND SAY NO TO THIS EVIL WAR!!!

 . . . . .somewhat less difficult if it were Barack Obama. Based on their prospective Rethuglican opponents - particularly Rudy "Gentleman Fascist" Giuliani and Fred Thompson - I would vote for either in a heartbeat.

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

By "either" I assume you meant either Obama or Clinton.  Remember when Giuliano rejected a $5million dollar offer of help from Saudi Arabia' Prince, just because he made a comment about the Palestinian tribulation aggravating extremist tensions?

Obama's unifying and peacmaking talents would never allow him to be so obnoxious, and think of what an Israeli supporter with a moslem name and father would do for the peace process in the Holy Land (yes, we used to call it that.)  A big plus that has yet to be considered in the collective consciousness IMO

http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_...

New Mexico lawmakers agree on HPV vaccine for girls

3/12/2007 4:24 PM
By: Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A spokesman for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson says the governor will sign a bill requiring sixth-grade girls to be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer.

The state House approved the legislation Sunday.

The spokesman calls it "an important anticancer vaccine" and says Richardson believes it's "imperative for all girls to be protected."

Texas is the only state to require the vaccine so far, but other states are considering it.

While federal regulators have approved the vaccine, the issue of making it a requirement for girls has created controversy.

The vaccine's maker, Merck, said last month that it would suspend a behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign to get states to require it.

LMAO



Published: 30th March 2007 17:27 CET

Former American vice president Al Gore, along with EU Commissioner Margot Wallström, spoke about global warming on Friday in a discussion moderated by SVT host Henrik Ekman.

The event was held at Kulturhuset in Stockholm

Gore peppered his more serious warnings with tidbits of humour. “I fear I’m loosing my objectivity on Bush and Cheney,” he said. “So take whatever I say [about them] with a grain of salt.”

THANKS LINDA IN NM ( NOT OHIO OR CINCY BUT NM)

FOR THE LINK AND STORY. U BE THE BESTEST.

Fred: "Obama's unifying and peacmaking talents"



WHAT? WHAT? That is one thing I've never heard ANYONE EVER try to claim from B O.

Peacemaking skills? Mr. Condescending? Mr. Quick tongue to lash out at " the 'bloggers' that's who we call the liberals of the party", "[Dean] probably needs to be a little more careful and I suspect that is a message he is going to be getting from a number of us" and so many others, including the first girl asking her question at the Health care forum in Vegas. Peace making skills is not his forte AT ALL.

HR #4 (TANF reauthorization) goes into effect this fall...it's inhumane.

DLC beltway Dems. hardly whimpered (no longer an entitlement); as it was at its inception during the New Deal.

Childrearing isn't a "countable work activity."  It's farmed out to (soon to be) nutjob religious orgs (family formation, faith-based initiatives, & to "father's groups").  That's where those block grants are headed.

WTF:  MARRIAGE PROMOTION w/taxpayer dollars.  Yup.  Thanks, DLC Dems.

I have nothing positive to say about Billary or Big Dog--it's nothing short of institutionalized racism &  sexism (and progressive orgs benefit, as they're the folks who implement said human service programs)....they'd be out of work/on the other side of the desk w/o it.

'Workfare' farms out children to complete strangers, and uses the reproductive labor of women (esp. of color) to benefit corporate America...there's nothing empowering about it whatsoever...Hillary being on Sprawl-Mart's board screams volumes (they are subsidized by hiring those women, & receive corpotate economic development tax breaks, too--as well as perks included in the reauthorization for hiring those women).

Benefits?  Nah... "Prayer" will pay the bills.

As I said before--NOW's PAC is a redux of what factionalized the 70s feminist movement into smithereens...it was led by upper SES Euro-white borgeois women...same shit, different decade. They learned quickly from the working class, African Americans, Hispanics, and GLBTQ folks that it was unacceptable. In vast numbers.

Billary wants the 3rd waver college women (more grunt labor), who have no institutional memory...there's nothing wrong w/my memory, that's for sure.

Not a chance...I vote for *progressive* Dems. only (like Paul Wellstone...let's ressurect him from the dead, huh)?

Problem is...there's nobody yet in the running, so I'm sitting back, watching all of the tirangulating & bullshit ensue.

Not one of them deserve my support.

26. Linda*in*SFNM
Fri, 03/30/07
2:07 pm

I like how a woman called in from Vermont to Bernie Sanders on the Thom Hartmann show this morning, about no onw want to go forward with the Impeachment. He was saying they have investigations going on for the first time in 6years and there is so much they have to work on, not to focus on Impeachment. Which we all know is not correct, because they should be able to chew gum, walk and possibly even bounce a ball-at the same time. But then he closed with, if we impeach George Bush, we end up with Dick Cheney as President.
===========

well, apparently Bernie has NOT read the constitution lately. the idea is to impeach both Bush AND Cheney:

"Article II, Section 4

"The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

that just about sums up this administration

mainefem wrote "sKerry didn't win the caucus here."

Nevertheless, that makes Maine's caucus a little more of the exception rather than the norm.

I'm not impressed with the screen captures being chosen for our visiting candidates.  This reminds me of the days when all the shots in the media for Dean were angry, and I could go through the same videos and capture lots of wonderful smiles.

Bill Richardson is a long shot candidate that is getting a very good look in Iowa because he is so clear against the war, which makes him in synch with 95% of the likely caucus goers.

headline "Senate and House pass supplemental with deadlines"

the public: "What took you so long."

Well, I guess Jc, once they get one ugly picture the rest have to be ugly just to be fair. I have images turned off and so am spared. LOL

44.

Jean Wyant


Oh, you would have loved the lady. She was going to town with all the reasons...etc, when Thom H. cut her off to ask if she had a question..........then Bernie said "I know why she's calling".

I think Reed and listener and all the others have been voicing their wishes quite successfully. But yes, they aren't PENETRATING.

what makes going back so painful is that Howard Dean could have won Iowa.

mainefem,

Here are a couple of snarky choices...

LOL, Monica.  This one has to be even worse than the one they did of Obama.

Tom I just gave your survey methods a try with a non-activist, rank and file.

random sampling I asked the trucker delivering some springers whether he had started thinking about who he might back for President (knowing he is a Democrat from GOTV lists)

"a little bit"

who do you like?

"Edwards, maybe"

what about Hillary?

"no way"

and as rich would point out the statistical significance of a sample of one is zero

jc

when I download on dial up I get these little pieces before they are made into a file and they stop the video at random as related to expressions and I find myself thinking about how some of the captured expressions seem to belie the words but then when I replay (or I guess "play") the file the photogenic look comes through

they all look like hell after a few years in the White House anyway

Our local NPR radio is broadcasting the Capitol Steps April Fools show tomorrow Saturday at Noon. Believe it is taped so 'check your local listings'
http://www.capsteps.com/

It depends upon one's state, re: who will be the "deciders" in '08. Primaries & caucuses are still being frontloaded.

Makes you wanna storm the F&DA:

FDA says pet food poison may be in dry food, too - and didn't rule out human food
by ChristieKeith [Subscribe]

Fri Mar 30, 2007 at 08:53:54 AM PDT

I'm a contributing editor for Universal Press Syndicate's Pet Connection, a syndicated pet column appearing in around 70 newspapers nationwide. We've been covering the pet food recall story on our blog as well as our column.

I just got out of an FDA press conference, where a reporter asked the agency's Dr. Stephen Sundlof if people could be feeding unsafe food to their pets right now, because the FDA won’t reveal the name of another company - one that makes dry or "kibbled" food as well as "wet" pet food - that received wheat gluten from the same source Menu did.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/3/30/...

This is the link to Menu Foods -- doesn't talk about the dry kibble on the KOS diary linked at 57., but does list brands they supply and what was recalled. Also links to their press releases and appears up to date on those.

59. Sorry -- heres the link to Menu Foods
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/

54.  And some of them look like hell now.  LOL

50.

what makes going back so painful is that Howard Dean could have won Iowa.

=======

indeed, phil. i may never go to Iowa again (unless Gore needs me there).

 Female college professor - Researcher for Merck 

Researcher blasts HPV marketing

BY CINDY BEVINGTON

"Giving it to 11-year-olds is a great big public health experiment," said Diane M. Harper, who is a scientist, physician, professor and the director of the Gynecologic Cancer Prevention Research Group at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth Medical School in New Hampshire. "It is silly to mandate vaccination of 11- to 12-year-old girls. There also is not enough evidence gathered on side effects to know that safety is not an issue.....So far more than 40 cases of Guillian-Barre syndrome - a dangerous immune disorder that causes tingling, numbness and even paralysis of the muscles have been reported in girls who have received the HPV vaccine in combination with the meningitis vaccine. Scientists already know that sometimes a vaccine can trigger the syndrome in a subject. "With the HPV vaccine, it is a small number but higher than is expected, and we don't know if it's the combination of the two, or the meningitis alone," Harper said." .....

http://www.kpcnews.com/articles/2007/03/20/online_features/hpv_vaccine/hpv01.txt

LONG ARTICLE - VERY INTERESTING

Fred: "Obama's unifying and peacmaking talents"



WHAT? WHAT? That is one thing I've never heard ANYONE EVER try to claim from B O.

Peacemaking skills? Mr. Condescending? Mr. Quick tongue to lash out at " the 'bloggers' that's who we call the liberals of the party",

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

OK Maybe I'm exagerrating, or wishful thinking, but Billary makes him look that way

Makes you wanna storm the F&DA:

FDA says pet food poison may be in dry food, too - and didn't rule out human food
by ChristieKeith [Subscribe]

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

Looking back at my late Border collie, I feel guilty about having given him "0n-Sale," non-organic beef and turkey/

Regarding Phil's post about his friend the trucker,  I think Edwards will be doing a Kerry in Iowa.  He will use the caucuses as a launching pad to improve his fortunes in the future primaries.  He seems to be ahead in organization and in polls there right now. 

puddle

From previous thread--re McCain

I lived in AZ for 25 years--and I can vouch for the fact that he's a mean, nasty, hypocritical, lying SOB. And that's his good side!

He's

puddle

From previous thread--re McCain

I lived in AZ for 25 years--and I can vouch for the fact that he's a mean, nasty, hypocritical, lying SOB. And that's his good side!

He's

I was starting to type he's not very bright either, when I hit some key that i shouldn't and got the incomplete double post.

Guess I fall in that category too

We're going @LD#1309 strictly from a legal & fiscal (equity) basis, jc.

http://tinyurl.com/2p74ux

From an MCLU perspective:    http://tinyurl.com/bvrnn 

..as one more option for women, but to include/add $283,272 into appropriations.  I'm sure the 'moral' God crap w/be included in testimony, but I'm also researching now for MaineCare dollars which are presently going towards Viagra, etc. (which ain't medically necessary)....

Sen. Pres. Beth Edmonds is great-very pro-feminist legislation...Second Waver, etc.  She 'gets it.'  Swing that gavel, Beth!

 http://www.maine.gov/legis/senate/senators/index.htm

We basically need to get it into the statutes/fund it this first yr. (she terms out in '08). 

What ME's Freeperville is saying about Beth (talk about angry misogynistic white Rethug men--they don't care for Heath--see below)!

 http://tinyurl.com/347m9n

And here's our pet nutjob, Mike Heath ("God" says so--and the Roman Catholics won't be thrilled about it, either).

Mikey has *his* donation button @the tippy-top of his 'news' page--a real wacko--he's broke; and so very busy these days, fighting thim heathen lib'ruls.

http://tinyurl.com/2mqnah

Need to find that Viagra data on the Janus portal (we can switch funding, if they say "we don't have enough $$"). 

Well, well. Here's a little from the Crypt's article at Politico:

"House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) has invited Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to testify before his panel on whether the government of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein tried to acquire uranium yellowcake from the African country of Niger."

"Waxman wants Rice to answer questions about the 'fabricated intelligence about Iraq's efforts to obtain uranium from Niger to justify launching the Iraq war,' according to a March 12 letter he sent to Rice. Waxman gave Rice until March 23 to respond to that letter, but according to him, there was no response.

"Now Waxman wants Rice to appear before his panel on April 18.

http://tinyurl.com/3cutl5

68. Huron John
Fri, 03/30/07

some doubleposts are more equal than others.

Susan Rowe is  #1 today and she is right, any DLCer is last.

~~~~~~

ROFLMAO, CNN Time poll (Guest Bill Press, right wing pundit) polling Obama and Clinton against Giuliani and McCain.

In all four contests, Giuliani and McCain won over Obama and Clinton by small margins.

My laugh for the day which I sorely needed.

64.

FRED from OR
Fri, 03/30/07
3:51 pm

Fred, I know -- my dog and cat get supermarket stuff -- time to rethink...maybe research making our own.

Joan, Gore has been the only candidate (and he isn't a candidate-YET-WE HOPE) that has beat any of the Republicans.

Gore also has the highest aproval rating in Democrats......over 10 points above Hillary at 84 percent.

Al Gore is our only answer and Hope.




Al Gore
2008

Joan wrote "Bill Press, right wing pundit."

Press is the former chair of the California Democratic Party.

A Different Vision of a Union Movement

As millions across America honor Cesar Chavez on his March 31 birthday, it's worth recalling that when he began building the United Farm Workers of America on his birthday in 1962, my grandfather had a different vision of what a union movement could be. He carefully studied why all earlier attempts to organize farm workers had failed. Cesar Chavez recognized workers are not just workers. He was convinced it would take more than a union to overcome the crippling burdens farm workers faced -- it would take a movement.

We thank his granddaughter, Christine Chavez, for writing about her grandfather and his legacy for the California Democratic Party website. read more: http://www.cadem.org/site/c.jrLZK2PyHmF/...

TIME MAG IS GOING RIGHT WING.

CARNEY, MARRIED TO A TV JOURNALIST IS NOT EVEN PUTTING THE ATTORNEY SCANDAL IN THE MAG.

HE SHOULD NOT BE AN EDITOR.

TIME MAG IS GOING RIGHT WING.

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

"Going?"  - Always was.

Oh good. If you missed the stream, you can catch it on Cspan.
I hope it's the entire forum, not cut pieces.

Last Saturday, in front of a live audience of SEIU members and others, seven presidential candidates responded to questions from SEIU members on health care. With your questions – more than 400 of them – we were able to get specifics from the candidates about how they would address our country's health care crisis.

Watch the forum *tonight* at 8pm EST on C-SPAN2, and then again at 1am EST on C-SPAN.

75.

linda b

Yep, we canceled our subscription at least a year ago.

~~~~~

Linda NM,

I can't agree with you except about Gore.

These polls are bogus. I don't believe ANY of the Republicans have a prayer of a chance in 2008 against most any decent Democrat.

Why? They all have a ton of baggage in addition to the baggage that will be left to them from Bush. Almost all Republican Senators who have to run in 2008 are running for their lives.

These polls are not only useless, since the election is more than 1 1/2 years away, but they are also bogus, an attention getter (tune in tomorrow for another addition of our polls), and a way to give hope to honest to goodness Republicans that may be left out there. 

I shouldn't even mention them at all since they are in fact garbage.

... 

Your points all show Obama's strength --- His ability to be balanced, to look at all sides of an issue and to appeal to many people.   This translates into many votes.   We have had nothing but leadership leading according to an extreme point of view for the last 6 years.  We have had nothing but someone rushing headstrong into decisions.   I for one am ready for a balanced perspective from a thinking man.  

...

+++

Julie -

Thanks for your comment here on this blog regarding Obama. I look forward to seeing more of them.

64.

We feed my mother's dog boiled chicken and rice. The chicken gets boiled with onions and celery and a carrot and we eat that. The chicken gets doled out a half cup at a time with a cup of cooked rice. Since the dog likes to have some dry kibble in her bowl, we provide that, but she only consumes about a cup in three days. Every once in a while we give her a "treat" of IAMS canned food. Although the dog has trouble eating a whole can at once, she does eat it up and I notice that it generates a much larger quantity of poop. I conclude from this that there's a lot of non-nutritional roughage in the canned stuff and it probably isn't all that good.
A cheap chicken costs about three bucks and we get at least five or six days of meat off one. Canned food is a buck each. So, the chicken and rice costs about half as much, especially since we eat the broth as onion soup.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070330/ap_on_el_pr/obama_prosecutors_1

Obama: Bush not respecting Constitution

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON

1 hour, 13 minutes ago

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record) on Friday accused President Bush of failing to respect the Constitution amid the uproar over the firing of eight federal prosecutors.

The Illinois senator also took a swipe at embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Obama has joined several other Democrats in calling for Gonzales to resign.

"I was a constitutional law professor, which means unlike the current president I actually respect the Constitution," Obama told an audience at a campaign fundraiser. "I believe in an attorney general who is actually the people's lawyer, not the president's lawyer."

Obama's remarks drew one of the most enthusiastic responses in a speech often interrupted by applause.

...

Obama told the group that he can unite the country, and a united country will bring change.

"But there are going to be times when I'm tired, there are going to be times when I'm weary, there are going to be times when I make mistakes, but none of that matters if we have millions of voices who are coming together insisting on a new America," he said.

...

81.

Joan* In*Florida


What do you mean? I didn't make up those poll numbers and favorable ratings that you can't believe me.

Now Joan, too, I don't know if you saw one of the latest polls on the R side......which is pretty interesting considering your opinion about them...and THE R VOTERS, and the latest numbers of a head to head match up.

Guiliani's numbers have dropped significantly already from 44, down to 31 and McCain same at 22 and Thompson after announcing he's holding his options open is polling at 12percent.


But yet, they still beat in all the matchups. Interesting, huh?

83.

Monica Smith

Very Interesting.

85,

Linda NM

Democrats will win in 2008, with or without Al Gore. The game of Nov. 2008 is, for all purposes, over! Whoever wins our primary will be in the WH in 2009. Pundits and others will, however, continue to play the 2008 games.

Hi Folks,

 Two days ago, temperatures in the 70s, two nights ago, six inches of snow, now more snow.  Love it, Colorado in the spring.

 Good discussions, as I review the threads.  Lately, I 've been thinking of that old, "The times they are a changin'" Bob Dylan song.  I think they are.  Oh, there are plenty of angry, aggressive, bigoted people out there, but something else has come along, and I think that has a lot to do with the Internet, with life experience, with reading and learning, with caring deeply about our planet and social justice, with creativity.  

When we were teaching in China, a Chinese teacher remarked that "you Americans are amazing.  You seem to be able to work with anybody, to get people to cooperate."  I thought about that, and yes, it's true.  Since this country is made up of every ethnicity imaginable, which brought to its shores every nation on the planet, we have learned to respect and recognize individuals on the basis of character and contributions.  In China, there were class differences and ethnic differences that prevented easy communication.  Again, "You treat vendors and cab drivers with respect.  We don't"  How true that all is, I can't know, but I do know this.  We communicate with each other.  We hold as deep values equality, social justice, honesty, integrity, generosity, and fairness.  

It occurred to me that maybe, maybe, Al Gore doesn't have to run for the presidency.  Maybe, the presidency isn't all that important.  Maybe, it's been way too important.  Maybe, the grassroots, the ordinary people will participate in their communties, virtual and material in responsible and creative ways and the president will be mostly a figure head, someone who speaks to the people reiterating their values.  Maybe, the people will begin to take over their government as our prescient spokesman, Howard Dean foreshadowed.  Maybe it doesn't make all that much differnce who is president as long as we, the people, hold her/him accountable, as we see to it that we protect the planet, live responsibly, treat our fellow citizens with respect and generosity, and provide a check against corruption and oppression.

 and my husband, who just heard me read this to him added, and maybe the presidency should run for Al Gore.

 Well, 

Excellent, thoughtful post Pat

Thought of the day:

THEY NEVER EXPECTED THE WAXMAN INQUISITION

It seems to me that the essence of equality is that everyone can ask questions and expect a reasonable and truthful answer.
The inability to comply with that expectation should be a clear sign that the person is not an egalitarian. You can't really have liberty and fraternity without equality.

Thanks, Huron John.

Last night I participated in a poetry reading at the Loveland Museum and Gallery.  There were 14 of us in the class under the direction of Katherine West, an outstanding teacher, poet, and editor.  We decided how we would present our poetry: some of us chose accompaniment with harmonica, guitar, bull roarer, triangle, Brazilian rain stick, drums.  Some of us read in two parts or in chorus.  What came about was a varied presentation of individual voices.  

We all brought desserts.  There were about 70 in the audience, all ages from 8 months old to 90, and the audience listened carefully and responded.  I can't imagine that happening in a medium sized town 50 years ago.  It was a cooperative effort, and  there was support, appreciation, and recognition of individual voices.

That Loveland is an arts town is wonderful and the infrastructure to support it.  But, everyone was invited. There were no famous folks, the class was $80.00 for 8 weeks, affordable for almost everyone, and it was evenly divided between men and women.  As Katherine said, fall in love with your poetry again and give it as a gift.

The class seemed to ripple with insights and a kindness that inspired courage and creativity.  So much is possible.   

89.

Pat in Colorado


Nice. Very insightful.

89. pat, i have to disagree. it really does matter who is president.

leaving aside federal judicial appointments (and if we get another right-winger like robscalithom, i can assure you that citizens won't have a prayer of getting corporate power reined in for another generation or more - by which time it will be too late) the fact is that most of government consists of agencies which answer to cabinet officials who are picked by the president and are nearly always confirmed by a supine senate.

so under bushocracy, we have anti-environmentalists running the EPA and the interior dept., anti-consumerists running the FDA, horseshow organizers running FEMA, people who disdain military service running the defense dept., and people genetically allergic to justice running the justice dept.

to name just a few.

give us a president who knows how to use the appointment authority effectively, for the common good, and we can actually move FORWARD, rather than having to constantly spend all our time and money holding people accountable for their misdeeds and cleaning up their often tragic messes.

but i really like that "maybe the presidency should run for Al Gore" line !!

Gore/Dean 2008!!

I agree, Jean, my idealism was running rampant.  But, wouldn't it be great if the presidency wasn't as overly important as it is?

Driving by to say howdy ;-)

Looking forward to spring happening here and being sprung! Was hoping to be east by the 9th but now it'll be a week later ::sigh:: Fingers crossed that gas prices don't get too much worse ($2.65-$2.79)

Pat, love the presidency running for Al line, too!

Wishing all wellness, happiness, and freedom.

&hearts's

Kindness is free!

Joan, do you really believe anybody wearing a D next to their name will win? In this country, in an election that is almost 2 years away it doesn't matter who the nominee is?

If the game is already over, what are we doing?


4 Years ago Gephardt and Lieberman were our Front runners. I'm happy I didn't just accept that.

Even though we were all pretty sure that Kerry wouldn't win the General and we were right, I'm much happier that the chance would have been him and Joe LIEberman.

that should have been, "Even though were were all pretty sure that Kerry wouldn't win the General and we were right, I'm much happier that the chance would have been him and NOT Joe LIEberman."

OK, I can't type.

I feed Kiah Evo or Wysong's (Vitality) as his dry food (only @night, as he vomits/eats too fast, if fed any earlier in the day). Maybe 1/2 c. per day, if that--it's concentrated, so a 6.6 lb. bag lasts quite a while for him.

http://tinyurl.com/rchtf

http://tinyurl.com/ywh3b4

He'll have Uretic when he's older, as he's neutered--keep his renal system flowin' as freely as is possible.

Neither have preservatives that I'm aware of (hope not--he's my baby).

Shrimp is dirt cheap up here (thankfully)--so yesterday, I bought him a large bag of frozen cooked/or uncooked (I de-vein it)-for $4.50--I take whatever size shrimpies are on sale. It will last 4-5 wks. (I can have some, too)!

I clean off & tear up into small pieces two shrimpies per day for him, add those to his Evo; sprinkle w/Wysong's Call of the Wild powdered vitamins (those last for 2 yrs.--store in the fridge); and he's good to go. It's nearly a raw diet; he likes it; and it's affordable for me. Dab some E.V.O.O. (Rachel Ray acronym) on his nose when I can sneak it past him (he runs before I open the damned bottle top); and his coat stays shiny (a very handsome shaggy Maine Coon cat, if I do say).

http://tinyurl.com/2gsns3

Glad he doesn't like scallops or lobster, as they're sky high ($13.00 per lb.+)! Damned kids, huh? It works, as I don't have to prep all of that nonsense for a raw diet; and he likes it.

I wouldn't want to feed a large dog; as that already adds expense...and "cleanup."

Thankful.....HOWDY!

Are you headed to the Bay State, Ms. Roadpop? As in...moving...finally? I didn't look today, but yesterday, unleaded up the street was $2.60 per gallon (could be anything, as they're cranking it up for tourist season). That's a huge reason that Rethugs will lose--all those guys in pickup trucks are spending a fortune in just going back & forth to work--sans a tax deduction.

Gas prices affect everyone...I never have anyone flipping me the bird, swearing (that I can hear), or giving me dirty looks when I gas up (and there are lots of pickup twucks in this area where I gas up). It's also affecting the tourism industry, as folks can just as easily visit NH or So. ME...Chambers of Commerce in New England are taking a hit (as well as for mandatory passports to Canada).

"Just desserts," I say! Tourism brings congestion, shitty jobs (no bennies), and it suits me just fine if the CofC takes a hit, just for once.

Same w/the SUV crowd--glad I'm not paying to fill 'em...I'll drive my clunker until the rims fall off...no payments=I own the damned thing.

mainefem. Do they treat your Shrimp and / or seafood with sodium tripolyphosphate?

I can't eat seafood, anymore because most places are adding that. Squid, shrimp, scallops, crab legs, tails, etc.

I have to be guarenteed fresh with no additives or chemicals what so ever...and I haven't been able to find that. The last place was local fresh in Kentucky a few years ago.

Howdy Linda :-)

mainefem - heading that general direction, more likely be Nutmeg. May swing thru ME before the end of the month, I'll give ya a call over this weekend.

You can also dump Gas Buddy's gas lists into your mobile phones while traveling/map out your trips, etc....nice feature:

http://tinyurl.com/29v2pv

It's up $.08 cents since yesterday afternoon...bastards. Could be anything tomorrow, as they crank it up on the weekends. Averages $2.66-$2.75 within 2 mi. of me.

Peace sign growing on Capitol Lawn.


"Growing the Peace Movement

The antiwar movement has put down roots at the Capitol.

In the past several days, a huge peace sign has appeared in the grass in front of the U.S. Capitol. Not planted, mind you, but in the form of darker and longer blades of grass. According to the Washington Times, the U.S. Capitol Police suspect that antiwar protesters carefully placed fertilizer to grow the sign.

The Capitol Police contacted Communities for Peace about the mark after a demonstration Sunday, the group’s founder Gerry Eitner said. The grass mark is the same size — and located in the same place — as a children’s peace quilt placed on the Capitol lawn for 15 minutes during the demonstration. Eitner said no fertilizers were used, and added that the quilt has been placed there before."

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2007/03/29...

I hope u watch the barbra walters interview on abc tonite with guiliani's latest wife.

she is something else. when barbara asked her where she met rudi she nodded her head slowly up and down and then said "we want to keep that secret".

you want to keep secret where u met your future husband while he is married to another.

the woman is a piece of work. touting how her nursing skills helped her on 9/11.

then said she was just a nurse but didn't say she had worked for a major drug company pushing pills for many years.

the ladyies on the view had a field day with it.

OIL AND THE EMPIRE

http://www.counterpunch.org/maass03302007.html

The oil men of the Bush administration are trying to set up one of the biggest swindles in history--the great Iraq oil robbery.

The cabinet of the new Iraqi government--under pressure from the U.S. occupiers who put them in power--approved a law that would undo Iraq's nationalized system and give Western oil giants unparalleled access to the country's vast reserves.

The oil companies would be guaranteed super-profits--on a scale unknown anywhere else in the Middle East--for a period of 20 to 35 years from oil pumped out of two-thirds or more of Iraq's oilfields. Meanwhile, Iraqis would continue to endure poverty and the devastation of war while sitting atop what is estimated to be the third-largest supply of the world's most sought-after resource.

The great Iraq oil robbery isn't a done deal. Even if the law is finalized by May as expected, the major oil companies say they won't have anything to do with production in Iraq until "security" is established--and that would mean a success for the occupiers and their Iraqi puppets that the U.S. hasn't been able to achieve over the past four years since the invasion.

Still, the law underlines the importance of the scramble for oil to the U.S. empire--no matter how much George Bush and his administration deny it with claims about spreading "democracy" and making the world safe from terrorism.

Hey linda b!!! Don't forget Bill Maher tonight...this may be a real rough one though:

This week: comedian D.L. Hughley, radio host Michael Smerconish and TV anchor Catherine Crier. Plus, via satellite, fmr. Sec. of State Madeleine Albright, and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX).

linda, thanks. d.l hughley will lay them out, he is really good.

never heard of the michael critter. but they let the rethugs talk too much.

Indigo Girls together with a new record
Singing live on Rachel Maddow now, AAR

I emptied the shrimp into a Ziploc baggie yesterday, Linda--will check tomorrow morning when I hit the grocery store.

The seafood industry is totally unregulated, for starters. Nada.

Snowe's #1 contributors are O'Hara Corp. (out of Rockland--they fish way out on the George's Banks, etc.); and they're a huge fisheries lobby, for instance.

When shrimpies are in season, I try to purchase directly off the back of a guy's pickup twuck--they park on the side of the road & in parking lots--sell directly to anyone. It's hard work & they deserve cash (prices were way down this yr. for them)...wasn't worth going out fishing (diesel fuel/gas & bait costs are killing those folks).

All fish & seafood are dependent upon the health (or lack thereof) of the waterways (can you say mercury?), so while shrub's regime is in power, we aren't going to see the fisheries industry regulated--nada.

The bags of shrimpies I purchase are frozen, so @least they don't hit a processing plant (that I'm aware of--will check the bag, as I said). It's $1.00-2.00 less per lb. for me to de-vein them (which is fine by me).

Fisheries industry in ME is a hot topic--they hate being regulated by the 'gubmint', competition is fierce (among Canada & MA--fishing in the same waters--tough to regulate)!

Notice in the following article that Sen. Dennis Damon is encouraging these shrimp guys to *market* their shrimp all yr. @farmer's markets--it's a foreign concept to them--skip the processors and restaurant industry & sell directly to consumers--off their boats.

http://tinyurl.com/ywme5q

Haddock prices are sky high--I refuse to pay those prices--a serious ripoff.

111.
linda b.

Yes, DL Hughley is great and he should be spicy tonight with Smerconish.

Smerconish I got to know from Hardball....a rightie in the Phili area. Thankfully he's been in the shadows since the November election loss.

WOW, they are so harmonic.......my hairs are standing up.


INDIGO GIRLS ROCK!!!

Oh, mainefem, that would be great if they can sell directly to the consumers. You'll have a much stronger local fish market and commnuniy economic justice. If they don't gouge. I wasn't sure if that is what you were referring to with the Haddock.

Unfortunately frozen is usually what is treated. No it doesn't need to be, but they do it to benefit themselves. See, Sodium tripolyphosaate is a white powder chemical that makes the tissue absorb WATER. WATER weighs alot. So when you pay by the pound, you're paying for water. And of course, the high salt changes the texture of the seafood, chewey and then after ingesting it, your body gets to swell up like the seafood that was treated does.

I was able for a short time find sea scallops that were no additives and SPECIFICALLY NO SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE at Costco, but it's been years. Trader Joes used to print that on their labels some 8 years ago, but they stopped too. And when you see a high sodium content on something that should hot have added salt, worry.

mainefem, GREAT article. I hope they do it.

That is disgusting, .25 a pound...and tossing their loads.

The reason North carolina's group didn't work is because they were still dealing with the large Corporations that were going to squeez them and threaten them again China's products. Maines would be for local distribution. Protect themselves. And yes, it will be quality. Once they get the hang of selling it directly, they may be able to ship themselves, fresh frozen.

The fact that they restricted the shrimpting to-what was it, 28 days, was so they could drive up the prices for saying they had little shrimp. They squeeze the shrimpers to accept a lower price because they won't have a season to sell more and they'll have to take what they offer, then they gouge the retail public saying there is a limited supply.

Threse Republican Corporate Monopolies are destroying America. No competition and gouge in their "supply and demand".

No more consolidations!

For Bush's IRAQ WAR! 

No Foreign Entanglements: 

George Washington, 1796

Yes, $.25 per lb. isn't worth going out (and most didn't) this year, Linda. The laws change yearly (how long they can fish, how many licenses, how far out, etc.); but w/diesel & bait costs so high, it's not cost-effective to go out too far/at all (same w/those who lobster fish). It costs a fortune to *ship* the lobsters anywhere, so that they arrive fresh.

They sell to the pounds/or to restaurants, which is why prices in the store yesterday were $13.00 per lb. (I nearly fell over--poor people used to eat lobster & clams)...caught their own. Russ Libby (in the article you read) is a Greenie; so I'd love to see him talking marketing w/these tough shrimper guys--they don't market--they fish. They need to adapt, which may or may not happen. And consumers need to know where to find them--sometimes they pull over on the side of the road/in a parking lot--maybe not. That's screwing yourself over, intentionally!

It will interesting to see whether folks purchase lobsters for Easter--yikes.

Similar to supporting Maine authors--they write, but are terrible @marketing their product.

When I bought syrup last weekend (Maine Maple Sunday) they were out of syrup (I bought the last two 1/2 pints--$4.00 each)--the place was packed; and they don't have a web portal...see what I mean? "But, we've never *had* to do it" is this Yankee anally retentive mantra. {{{shrug}}} I would've stocked up, but the season was late; and they had no product to sell. This was @2:00 p.m., & I don't know how much $$ they lost from not having product to sell...it was a zoo in that sugar shack.

Lesson: even when you try to support local folks, they still resist change and adaptation...it sucks.

They're 17 mi. round trip, so that would mean me calling in advance; & another trip to their business/home. Crazy.

mainefem and monica -- thanx for pet food tips. I'll ask the vet next time we're in -- cooking chicken/gr bf not all that hard to do. i've always bought the story that there were 'magic ingredients' good for them in the pet food. Linda in sfnm pretty good story about the peace sign on the lawn. On the petfood, the kibble being recalled for having the tainted wheat gluten is a hill's prescriptive brand -- I'm pretty sure hill's make science diet. This is not cheap dog food.

http://tinyurl.com/33ak8o

is it late enuf at night to post music? if you can ignore the silly outfit and that the gods being invoked are not Judeo-Christian, you can hear a really pretty song from Magic Flute at this you tube (about 2.5 min)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeP0NOPAI...

I keep waiting for a gaggle of Richardson supporters to stop by and wonder why we aren't commenting on the thread topic.

someone actually SUPPORTS richardson??? well, besides the tax payers of new mexico...

Please speak up Richardson supporter. Otherwise it will be a bit of a bummer for the guy to read our response to his video.

phil, ya think even one of his staff minions would read this blog? they're probably over at kos getting dissed.

I think Gov Richardson has a lot of strengths -- his varied experience in Government jobs and his talent and experience working with foreign government groups. Also his knowledge of border issues and ability to speak fluent Spanish and the fact that he is Hispanic himself.

Problem is that we are not fond around here of people who are involved with groups like the DLC or people who are involved with corporatists -- can't see how they are much different from Republicans really. We here want to take our country back -- we'd like to do it with Gov Dean -- but.......

annilow, i'd pick a personal bone too though. several recent appearances on the msm have shown him, to me, to be somewhat arrogant and petty. the way he comes off is as if he's owed something and he's pissed because he won't get it. he said somewhere in the last few days that he "isn't a rockstar, but will raise the money" to be viable anyway. is it that he's pissed that he isn't a rock star??? is that a dis to obama??? does he have the same feeling, like lieberman had, that somehow its his turn???

You're welcome, seashell--nothing in life is guaranteed, I guess--try Googling raw diets for cats, etc.--if you don't mind cooking from scratch/finding basic ingredients which also aren't processed to death/paying through the nose.

Funny article--why caucuses suck (same as annual town meetings--very typical).

50 people (who are dependent upon each other all yr.--in the poorest ME county). Toss in racism, as there are two Native American tribes in that area, too. A freakin' fire truck, folks. They'd like casinos, too--Maine voters turned down 3 citizen's initiatives on that, too (elsewhere in the state, it's fine and dandy).

I would've loved to have been a fly on the wall.

"PERRY - It took less than five minutes to pass the $1 million school budget, but two hours to pass town money issues including buying a new firetruck."

http://tinyurl.com/36fo5f

119.

mainefem, yeah "never had to before" and they weren't fishing in the 20's when the Companies were screwing you over. And that's what these NeoCons have been striving for these past several decades. So if they want to get screwed over by the Large Coroporations, they better change their ways and protect themselves and their community.

120.
annilow

I read that they have now tested the products, haven't found any rat poison, but found a chemical that is used to make PLASTICs. I guess that doesn't change the fact that you still have to be careful, or you may have still lost your pet, but maybe it's better that someone didn't intentionally add rat poison.

Phil,
I was. :)


126.
mprov
BINGO. YES. And he is a control freak. Top down and secretive. When he tries to lay on the "sincerity", he comes across very badly. He's also not happy that "image" has made him go on a diet.

No wacky weather here.

15 to 17 degrees above normal. Then downpours, hail snow and tornados. Then below normal tempatures this week and I just walked out to find it snowing again.


Yeah, ok, cool. :(

Anything high in ash content is nasty for indoor, esp. neutered male cats, seashell...they can be prone to crystal blockage buildup (even w/the premium stuff). My former Maine Coon (I adopt from shelters) male died from renal failure; and I was an absolute wreck for months after his death...spent a fortune on him, attempting intervene (and he was eating Kiah's diet--may have been congenital for him, I don't know). I fed him Wysong's Uretic, etc.--and had to watch him atrophy...bad stuff. Their ureter tubes aren't huge; and if he'd been healthy enough to operate on, he'd have had more lopped off re: his urethra w/another surgery (tranny cat). I was sick about it, so I can imagine what these folks are going through. Ugh. Uretic doesn't nasty ash content/preservatives, but I still felt guilty. He was only 3 yrs. of age.

What is it now, three candidates have responded?  That's great. 

Al Gore, U.S. Vice President

Born: 31 March 1948
Birthplace: Washington, D.C.


Happy 59th Birthday!!!

braised the venison tederloin cutlets in a cranberry walnut vinegrette

sauteed mushrooms and onions and then added them with a dash of diced tomato and garlic

removed and made pancake buckwheat flour gravy and ladled the mix over long grain brown rice

not just pets get to eat well

Orvil Redenbacher's

Smart Pop

when there is a vacuum, something will fill it 

I love cooking on a whim, buckwheat gravy? what the heck

bring on the Kucinich video

Paine you don't like the thread?

About the tainted pet food the big story is how absolutely immense the market share is for some of these agri-giants and how far a screw-up can spread

plus the dirty secret that we learned from the peanut butter that the expensive label and the store brand differ only by the package label

I figured Fred would break the story of the plastic in the wheat gluten.

On CSPAN2 (Presidential Candidates Health Care Forum) 

Kucinich just said that insurance companies say...

~OMG what are we going to have ...healthcare rationing?

to which Kucinich says my g@d what do we have now?  40(plus) million American who aren't even in line to ask for their ration! 

Annilow

Do I give that impression?   Sure I do, although I may not know whatit is...

Sen. Damon (the one who told the shrimpers to start marketing locally) the the *only* person from that county (I was raised there, unfortunately) who's ever won (twice) a Senate seat (is a progressive Democrat)--it takes *generations* to purge that narrow mindset! Maine is more purplish than blue, as those guys are paranoid that someone will take away their freakin' guns...they've lost big bucks w/shrub's "tax cuts" for the wealthy.

He's lobster fished & coached basketball, so that helps--diesel fuel never used to be expensive, but there comes a time when you have to vote your wallet, too. Same w/the syrup people--that road has nothing but beat up trailers & pickup trucks on it, and it's blood red Rethug--American flags hanging off the rusted mailboxes...we've never won in that small town--not even close (not to mention--frost heaves, that can rip off the undercarriage in a heartbeat). The place was only 1 mi. from the main road, so that was good--shoulders were washed out from all of the rains & mud of late. I think sometimes their false sense of machismo is all they've got (until reality takes a huge bite out of their butts/way of life)--or polluted waterways kills off their fisheries,etc. Then, they somewhat "get it."

I'm waiting for one of the globalist candidates to come to the obvious conclusion that our heath care management should be outsourced to Canada and folded into their single payer. ... would save trillions

126.

mprov
Fri, 03/30/07
9:20 pm

I know mprov linda sfnm already convinced me about Gov Richardson. Phil your dinner sounds delish except for the part about the venison :~(

139. Paine -- your comment about filling the vacuum -- I just figured that's what you thought of our comments -- songs, petfood, Phil's gravy, etc... just joshin' ya. It's Friday night after all...

141. There would be a couple of good things about a north American union -- Canada's healthcare system would be one. Let's see the other would be........

annilow...LOL, me too. Phil, your dinner (besides the v) does sound good. I know the V sounds good to some. :)

Phil, I'm actually looking forward to Dennis' video.

guns and pickups, my kind of guy mainefem

if I get up that way I'll canvas for you

somebody has to prevent another car accident by eating venison

just doing my part, thank you

Annilow, I follow some whacked out drummer in my head.  That's fersure. 

My allusion to "filling the vacuum"  and ones last meal was to draw a relation to Bush's words on Iraq and our withdrawl ("if we pull out, the terrorists will fill the void we leave") and Phil's dinner tonight...

I had popcorn 

somebody has to prevent another car accident by eating venison

>

And in the same fashion, road-kill-turtle soup leaves little wasted and honors the turtles life (indigenous American Indians would be proud of such economy)

148. Just popcorn?? LOL

Good news for Massachusetts residents (and kudos to MA Gov Deval Patrick for being in favor of Cape Wind project and I hope that Sen Ted Kennedy MA reconsiders his opposition to the project):

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070330/ma_cape_wind.html?.v=1

Mass.: Cape Wind Project Clears Hurdle
 

Friday March 30, 2:37 pm ET
 

By Steve Leblanc, Associated Press Writer

Massachusetts: Cape Wind Project Gets Environmental Approval From State

Cape Wind hopes to build 130 windmills across 25 miles of federal waters in Nantucket Sound. The turbines would rise up to 440 feet above sea level when the tallest blades are pointing straight up.

...

The project still needs to clear federal regulatory hurdles before moving forward.

...

The Cape Wind project has also been a contentious political issue.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, whose family's Hyannis Port compound would have a clear view of the farm, opposes it, citing risks to fishing, navigation, aviation and the sanctuary of Nantucket Sound.

But Gov. Deval Patrick said the state needs to invest in environmentally friendly energy technology. In a statement Friday, he called Cape Wind "an important symbol of our commitment to clean energy."

The Minerals Management Service, the federal agency that will decide the farm's fate, is expected to release a draft report on the project's environmental impact this year. After public comment, the agency will make a final decision in early 2008.

popcorn abhors a vacuum, Annilow. 

Also had H2O.  Of course I ate chicken parm(salad, anglehair pasta,rolls) on the road @ 3.   Coulda had veal, but I ain't into it.

The Apollo Summit: For Clean Energy & Good Jobs

The Apollo Alliance held a National Summit of key representatives of our business, labor, environmental, and community partners in Washington, DC.  Elected officials present included Governors Ed Rendell (D-PA), Bill Ritter (D-CO), Deval Patrick (D-MA), Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS), Christine Gregoire (D-WA), Joe Manchin III (D-WV), Representative Jay Inslee (D-WA), Mayor Douglas Palmer (D- Trenton, NJ), and Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY).  The Summit concluded with a “lobby day” on Capitol Hill and a rousing wrap-up speech from Senator Hillary Clinton.

Gotta go.  Peace to all.  Night bloggie.

http://www.capecodtoday.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=0186

The Promise of Offshore Wind is Here

Speech given by Theodore Roosevelt IV at the Renewable Energy Finance Forum Waldorf Astoria Hotel, N.Y. June 23, 2005. Mr. Roosevelt is the great, grandson of our first "Environmental President" and owns a home on Martha's  Vineyard. He is an executive with Lehman Brothers and the Chair of the Pew Center on Global Climate Change.

What a pleasure it is to be here with all of you today as we anticipate the outcome of a great race into the future of energy generation.  We are in position on the start line, muscles tensed, counting each breath, eager for the start gun to go off.  In terms of offshore wind development in the United States, the successful completion of the Cape Wind project is the signal event.

...

capitalnews.org Now Polling:

Is the person who should be the next President currently in the race?

\

speaking of mainefem's neighbors 

reminds me of the time I spent an extra hour trying to cluck and purr a hung up gobbler to come a hundred yards closer and was late for an event with Michael Dukakis (88) and showed up in camo and and wiped off face paint with a gun case in the front seat and freaked out the secret service. I later had a conversation with Hedrick Smith covering the event who was trying to pry a para-military connection out of me, and I was picking his brain about impressions of Gorby as he was just back from Russia   

peace out you animal lovers, we were all soil, rain, and sunshine at some time in our nutrient cycle

It would be hard to starve to death in Iowa, no possum tail soup for me 

If the candidates don't meet a guy like me in Iowa they will have to do penance campaigning in Arkansas or Alabama

we rural types make up a pretty large demographic

barn check time bbl

audrey or linda b, or anybody interested this is a small gathering with a good program

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are invited to join a gathering of elections integrity activists for a weekend retreat at Twin Lakes State Park outside of Richmond, Virginia, on the weekend of April 28-29.  For all the details, visit: http://www.grassrootsretreats.org. 

75.

Linda*in*SFNM
Fri, 03/30/07
4:59 pm

....
Al Gore is our only answer and Hope.

---------
I'm beginning to expect Gore is not running..., exactly for the reason stated above.

If he doesn't run, then I hope that's because he realizes that NONE can save American people but themselves...

http://www.capitalnews.org/

There's a (not too scientific) poll at C-span today -- 46% of those polled say the person who should be the next President is NOT running.

Audrey -- great minds run in same direction?? Just saw your post.

Yes windpower!!!!


Nite all! Sweet dreams...

hope u got to see bill mahr tonite. very strong. except the last speech by bill on drugs.

anyway. quite good.

thanks phil for the infor on the richmond grassroots. I have to work that weekend. but thanks so much.

Hey former. Well, I didn't mean to sound so dramatic, but truly he is a great leader and visionary, and would be the ideal President for us so I remain hopeful.

When we are told we have the power, that means, we have to help make the change. Not to lose sight that this is a democracy (or supposed to be) and we are represented by a government of the people. We won't be placing our buns in the Prez's chair. But we hopefully will be placing one we hope to represent us in that chair.

so in response to "NONE can save American people but themselves...", that will be when we get a government representative of us. So hopefully we will succeed in showing Al Gore know and recognize that we want him to be our Pres.

linda b, DL Hugley slayed me. AND Catherine Crier was GREAT.

I agree that Catherine Crier was excellent.  I guess I don't watch the places she reports, but maybe I should.

Crier also suggested the Gore running was not out of the realm of possibility.

"the" should have been "that"

Although, The Gore works for me, too 

jc, The Indigo Girls were on Rachel Maddow and mentioned him, but I didn't hear exactly what they said, but Rachel responded, "The Goracle". LOL

ok time for me to watch some stored Keithie.

Linda,

I've appreciated the Indigo Girls for many years.  Very talented. 

oh, btw jc, I only knew Catherine Crier from CourtTV. But I stopped watching it because I coudn't stand their Nancy Grace and other's coverage. I swore them off 5 years ago and never put it back on.

Good night.

They sang on the air. They really sounded good. Very harmonic.

Best news I've heard all year -

Dean raking in big-donor dollars

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/3/30/...

Watching a replay of the AG's CoS testimony online and its kinda remarkable that Kyle Sampson didn't keep some offiical document detailing decisions to dismiss these U.S. Attorneys. We're talking about the careers of public servants and leadership of the DoJ can't maintain an official document dealing with these important matters.

I hate to beat a dead horse, but the question of recklessness, dysfunction and disregard rears its ugly head again with this administration....the list is long.....Iraq War, Abu Ghraib, Katrina, CIA Leak Case, Walter Reed, etc....

In my mind, the only candidates that have semi-earned, even our entertaining the notion of supporting them is:

Gore

Kucinich

Clark

Obama

Edwards

(I like Hart for VP) Homeland Security CRED!

Gore/Hart!

Actually, I would switch Edwards and Obama in the above list.

Edwards has been extremely tuned into issues that Deaniacs and Kossacks care about.

That is great for the short term, but what about the snake-oil salesman vibe we got from him when he was running against Howard in the '04 primary???

We Progressive cannot take the '08 election lightly.

We cannot make the mistake that the (r)ight wing did when they elected Captain fascism. They valued winning over everything else, and they are poised to do it again with

Giuliani=THE MOB

sorry don't have link. Google away.

Doesn't that make "christian" values seem like an oxymoron???

Leftwing Christianity..STEP UP!

Beware of Corporatist Hillary Clinton.

Is Big Brother now cloked in BIG SISTER??

Real Women of America Beware!

Is Big Brother now cloked in BIG SISTER??

Is Big Brother now cloked in BIG SISTER??

Is Big Brother now cloked in BIG SISTER??

Is Big Brother now cloked in BIG SISTER??

Do the Washington insider Corporatist SkullandBones-esque democrat triangulators HATE REAL PEOPLE JUST LIKE  B*SH??????? I mean real hatred!!!

Seriously, the question is: do Corporatist Dem Washington Insiders hate real people???? It's a valid question.  The bible says you will know them buy the FRUITS of their labor.  Not their ability to conduct political theatre! 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/3/30/202048/311 

Good morning, BFA ... it looks as though Sheri is getting into bed earlier these last few days since this is still a Friday afternoon thread ... with lots of comments.

I'll add a few more but they are likely to get lost at the end of the thread. 

*************

Here is an article, dated from 2001, that was (I believe) intended to be satire since it appeared in The Onion.  Unfortunately, it was remarkably prescient and predicted the events of the next six years better than anything that the MSM has done before ... or since, with the possible exception of The Daily Show.

h/t to DU

=====================

January 17, 2001 | Issue 37•01

WASHINGTON, DC–Mere days from assuming the presidency and closing the door on eight years of Bill Clinton, president-elect George W. Bush assured the nation in a televised address Tuesday that "our long national nightmare of peace and prosperity is finally over."

"My fellow Americans," Bush said, "at long last, we have reached the end of the dark period in American history that will come to be known as the Clinton Era, eight long years characterized by unprecedented economic expansion, a sharp decrease in crime, and sustained peace overseas. The time has come to put all of that behind us."

Bush swore to do "everything in [his] power" to undo the damage wrought by Clinton's two terms in office, including selling off the national parks to developers, going into massive debt to develop expensive and impractical weapons technologies, and passing sweeping budget cuts that drive the mentally ill out of hospitals and onto the street.

During the 40-minute speech, Bush also promised to bring an end to the severe war drought that plagued the nation under Clinton, assuring citizens that the U.S. will engage in at least one Gulf War-level armed conflict in the next four years.

"You better believe we're going to mix it up with somebody at some point during my administration," said Bush, who plans a 250 percent boost in military spending. "Unlike my predecessor, I am fully committed to putting soldiers in battle situations. Otherwise, what is the point of even having a military?"

On the economic side, Bush vowed to bring back economic stagnation by implementing substantial tax cuts, which would lead to a recession, which would necessitate a tax hike, which would lead to a drop in consumer spending, which would lead to layoffs, which would deepen the recession even further.

Wall Street responded strongly to the Bush speech, with the Dow Jones industrial fluctuating wildly before closing at an 18-month low. The NASDAQ composite index, rattled by a gloomy outlook for tech stocks in 2001, also fell sharply, losing 4.4 percent of its total value between 3 p.m. and the closing bell.

Asked for comment about the cooling technology sector, Bush said: "That's hardly my area of expertise."

[...]

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28784/print/

In line with Huron John's post upthread at 109, here's a great diary at Kos, based on an article reported in Common Dreams.

And yes, the looting and pillaging of Iraq is about to begin in earnest. 

=============

Over at Common Dreams I found an article by Richard Behan which left my heart pounding so much that I HAD to put it up as a diary.

We all knew that the Iraq war was mostly about oil, money, and weapon sales, but Richard Behan weaves a hundred loose threads together into a whole,in the course answering countless questions that were left in my mind about the seemingly massive stupidity, brazenness and ineptitude of this administration. Well, the veil has fallen. Since the author specifically states that this article is not copyrighted and can be freely distributed in full, I am doing so, and will skip my own analysis (still digesting it), and save it for the comments section.

It's a MUST READ, and deserves a large readership.  Please pass it along.

If the Iraqi People Get Revenue Sharing, They Lose Their Oil to Exxon
by Richard Behan

George Bush has a land mine planted in the supplemental appropriation legislation working its way through Congress.

The Iraq Accountability Act passed by the House and the companion bill passed in the Senate contain deadlines for withdrawing our troops from Iraq, in open defiance of the President’s repeated objections.

He threatens a veto, but he might well be bluffing. Buried deep in the legislation and intentionally obscured is a near-guarantee of success for the Bush Administration’s true objective of the war-capturing Iraq’s oil-and George Bush will not casually forego that.

This bizarre circumstance is the end-game of the brilliant, ever-deceitful maneuvering by the Bush Administration in conducting the entire scenario of the "global war on terror."

[...]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/3/30/14628/6089

In re the thread topic, if Richardson were the only Dem left standing and the only other choice were a Reep, that would be the only reason that I would vote for him ... if I voted at all.  Sorry to be so negative, but ... .

Richardson was IMO a good US Ambassador to the UN, however.

*********** 

In re the current Iran hostage crisis ... wherever these individuals actually were at the time they were taken hostage ... and there are indeed sincere differences over whether they were where the US and UK gov'ts say they were (such is the loss of USG/UKG credibility that no one other than putzCo loyalists believes that they were NOT in Iranian territory) ... my own feeling is that Iran has been paying serious attention to the reports of US attacks on Iran set to begin in early April and is hoping that the fact that these hostages have been taken will perhaps delay that.

Whatever the reasons, my heart does go out to these poor individuals and their families ... small pawns in a very evil game of chess.  So long as poodle can keep putzCo's warmongers at bay, there is a chance for them.

But when has poodle ever really had any lasting influence with putz? 

===================

Leader
Saturday March 31, 2007
The Guardian

In one sense it is perhaps just as well that it was British, rather than American, sailors and marines who were taken prisoner. If they had been Americans, the rump of neoconservatives in the Bush administration, in particular Dick Cheney and Elliott Abrams, would have been saying: "We told you so." They have long argued that Iran is not susceptible to diplomatic pressure, that the European approach is doomed to failure and the only way to stop Iran acquiring a nuclear-weapons capability is a military strike on its nuclear facilities.

Even though the prisoners are British rather than Americans, neocons have been desperate to head for television studios. The only reason they have not done so yet is a request by the British government to the Bush administration to stay out of it. Word has also reached members of Congress. The British fear is that even a mild rebuke from President George Bush, or a neoconservative such as John Bolton, will be counterproductive, escalating the crisis and making it harder to get the 15 back.

Tony Blair is well aware of the battle lines in Washington and, hopefully, will keep this at the top of his mind during the crisis. He is in a hard place this weekend. He is, understandably, under pressure from the public and parliament to do something amid a sense of outrage that Iran not only captured the group, but denied them consular access and paraded them on television. To address these concerns Mr Blair has made the necessary strident noises.

But he has to resist more hysterial voices. Throughout his premiership the British government has consistently opted for negotiation with Iran to try to resolve the nuclear issue, not military action.

[...]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2046966,00.html

More about the humiliation of British prisoners being paraded on TV ... and whether, if outrage is due, whether we should not also scrutinize our own actions.

Selective application, if any at all, of the Geneva Conventions ... .

===============

No hoods. No electric shocks. No beatings. These Iranians clearly are a very uncivilised bunch

Terry Jones
Saturday March 31, 2007
The Guardian

I share the outrage expressed in the British press over the treatment of our naval personnel accused by Iran of illegally entering their waters. It is a disgrace. We would never dream of treating captives like this - allowing them to smoke cigarettes, for example, even though it has been proven that smoking kills. And as for compelling poor servicewoman Faye Turney to wear a black headscarf, and then allowing the picture to be posted around the world - have the Iranians no concept of civilised behaviour? For God's sake, what's wrong with putting a bag over her head? That's what we do with the Muslims we capture: we put bags over their heads, so it's hard to breathe. Then it's perfectly acceptable to take photographs of them and circulate them to the press because the captives can't be recognised and humiliated in the way these unfortunate British service people are.

It is also unacceptable that these British captives should be made to talk on television and say things that they may regret later. If the Iranians put duct tape over their mouths, like we do to our captives, they wouldn't be able to talk at all. Of course they'd probably find it even harder to breathe - especially with a bag over their head - but at least they wouldn't be humiliated.

[...]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2047128,00.html

I'm especially intrigued by the connection to Morocco here ...

==============

Iraqis Unite Behind Their Heroine on Arab 'Idol'
Singer Transcends Sectarian Tensions
By Karin Brulliard
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 31, 2007; A01

BAGHDAD, March 30 -- By early Friday night, families here were hunkered around their televisions, nervously awaiting the election results that would come hours later. In the northern Iraqi town of Irbil, thousands packed into a shopping mall courtyard and stood before a massive screen, shouting for the victory of their candidate: "Shada! Shada!"

The chestnut-maned object of their obsession was Shada Hassoun, Iraq's contestant on the fourth season of the Lebanese talent show "Star Academy," the "American Idol" of the Arab world. She had made Friday's finals, and a public vote, sent via cellphone, would decide her fate. And so Iraqis everywhere were in a Shada frenzy this week -- causing many to observe that, win or lose, Hassoun, a 26-year-old who professes to love jet-skiing and Antonio Banderas, had managed to engender a sense of national cohesion that has eluded Iraq for years.

"Sunnis and Shiites will unite with your victory!" read one text message, sent by a viewer, that scrolled across the screen Friday during a pre-show telecast on Iraq's al-Sharqiya satellite channel. "You are the one who unites all of Iraq, from North to South, from the Tigris to the Euphrates!"

Hassoun might seem an unlikely ambassador for Iraq, because she's never been to the country. Born in Casablanca, Morocco, she lays claim to Iraqi nationality through her father, a native-born member of the Shimary tribe of southern Iraq. Some say the distance may also have aided her rise as a unity candidate: No one knows for sure whether she's Sunni or Shiite, so both sects have claimed her. And living abroad is forgivable these days in Iraq, which many residents have fled as violence has worsened.

But what really counts, fans said, is that the beautiful, Paris-educated Hassoun embraced bombed-out, struggling Iraq. Iraq, in turn, embraced her.

[...]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/30/AR2007033002426_pf.html

From Andrew Cohen's Bench Conference at the WaPo .... there are some excellent comments that follow.

================

You just cannot make this stuff up. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' former chief of staff, D. Kyle Sampson, spends much of his Thursday deflating his former boss' story about the eight fired U.S. Attorneys and how does the Attorney General respond? By issuing a written statement late in the day that essentially says this: Yes, Sampson may have been keeping me in the loop on the firings after all but I wasn't really paying attention ("never focused" was the exact phrase) to what he was saying. It's the Homer Simpson defense to the Kyle Sampson story and if this were a Little League game they would have invoked the 10-run rule by now and sent Gonzales go home to Texas to once again become a lucrative private attorney.

But, alas, the Attorney General is still with us, at least for today, his credibility and reputation tattered and the wolves-- not just Democrats, mind you, but increasingly creeped-out Republicans-- howling at the door. Even if Gonzales is now telling the truth about his role in Firegate, even if somehow his story can be synched up with Sampson's, we all deserve so much more from our Attorney General that the next 18 days or so-- leading up to Gonzales' testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee-- will be excruiating. How badly does an Attorney General have to behave, how badly does he have to lead, how much prestige and trust does he have to lose, before he is forced, by his own conscience if nothing else, to make way for someone else? You tell me.

Meanwhile, while his position becomes more and more untenable, Gonzales is sticking to a schedule that has him going from venue to venue to talk about a worthwhile initiative called Project Safe Childhood. It is a shame that this creative project gets buried, day after day, under the weight of the strife and turmoil at the Justice Department. It is a shame that all anyone wants to talk to Gonzales about is his botched leadership. It is a shame that the charade of "keeping up with the daily business" has to be played out day after day. Gonzales had his chance to be a good leader at the Justice Department. He had his chance to stand up for what's right and push for what is good. Instead, he now says he "never focused' on the specifics of the plan to fire the U.S. Attorneys. Not good enough. Just not good enough.

[...]

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/benchconference/2007/03/post_24.html

You'd think this would be the least the putzCo minions could do  ...

================

Senator Demands AG Clear Iglesias' Name

Saturday March 31, 2007 8:31 AM

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - A New York senator is demanding a retraction from Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on behalf of New Mexico's former U.S. attorney, who was fired along with seven other prosecutors last year.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote Gonzales on Friday demanding that the attorney general clear David Iglesias' name. Schumer's letter came the day after Gonzales' former chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, testified before Congress that in hindsight, he would not have recommended Iglesias for dismissal.

Sampson orchestrated the firings for department officials as part of a plan to replace some prosecutors in President Bush's second term. He added Iglesias' name late in the process but on Thursday said he couldn't remember exactly why.

[...]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,,-6522556,00.html

Ah, yes, putzCo succeeds once again in bringing *freedom* where there was at least a semblance of stability before the recent US-sponsored Ethiopian takeover of Somalia.

===============

Insurgents shot a helicopter gunship out of the sky yesterday and mortar shells slammed into a hospital during the worst fighting in this beleaguered capital in more than 15 years, leaving corpses piled in the streets and sending hundreds of bloodied civilians streaming into hospitals.

At least 30 people, and likely many more, have been killed and hundreds wounded since Thursday.

The violence came on the second day of an offensive by Somali government troops and their Ethiopian allies to quash an increasingly lethal insurgency. The insurgents are linked to the Council of Islamic Courts, which was driven from power in December by Somali and Ethiopian soldiers, accompanied by US special forces.

Mohamed Deq Abukar Aroni, who was carrying two mattresses on his head as he escaped the city, said he had never before abandoned his home in Mogadishu, one of the world's most violent and gun-infested cities.

"But today I'm fleeing because shells are hitting residential areas indiscriminately," said Aroni, whose children were carrying two small paper bags of belongings. "I saw two of my neighbors get killed. I'm not going to stay here anymore."

The exact number of casualties was unclear due to the chaos in the capital. Hospitals were overwhelmed and bodies were scattered in the crumbling streets. The International Committee of the Red Cross said dozens of people have been killed since Thursday and more than 220 wounded, most of them civilians with bullet, grenade and other shrapnel wounds.

[...]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/article2408097.ece

The Independent points out that there is only one negotiating partner that Iran might listen to during the British hostage crisis, in part because the US and the UK have no credibility whatsoever in the region but also because the UN has been severely compromised.

================

It is now more than a week since Iran captured 15 British service personnel in the Persian Gulf. All the claims and counter-claims from British and Iranian military spokesmen this week over whether this incident took place in Iraqi or Iranian territorial waters are something of an irrelevance. There is never likely to be conclusive proof, accepted by both sides, of who was really trespassing. The most important question is how the situation can be defused and the return of the captured personnel secured.

It has been suggested that Britain has played it wrong diplomatically over the past seven days. Some former diplomats feel Britain went to the UN Security Council for a condemnation of the Iranians too soon, and that this should have been held in reserve until all other avenues of pressure had failed. Referring the issue to the UN certainly seems to have angered the Iranians, who, on getting wind of the Security Council's statement that expresses "grave concern" at Iran's actions, announced they would not be releasing early the sole female captive, Leading Seaman Faye Turney, after all.

But there is a bigger problem here than clumsy diplomacy. Quite simply, Iran is holding most of the cards. Because of the catastrophe in Iraq, the UK has no real diplomatic leverage in the region. Tony Blair calls the Iranian action illegal in international law and cites the United Nations mandate for the presence of British forces in Iraq. But the US and Britain invaded Iraq ignoring the will of the UN. The former UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, called the action illegal. Mr Blair has little moral authority when he cites international law now. It is notable that the UN statement stopped short of deploring the Iranian action, as requested by Britain. It also makes no mention of Security Council resolution 1723 that authorises the coalition presence in Iraq. The wounds opened by the foolish invasion of Iraq by the US and the UK have not healed.

[...]

http://comment.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/article2407970.ece

Believe me, putzie, the only way in which you might compare is in the category of unparalleled destruction.

And Truman sincerely regretted that decision, which was indeed more than a *petty* mistake.

===================

Oh for the lost art of short biographies! The thought struck me the other day as I was re-reading Roy Jenkins' lapidary life of President Harry Truman, founder of the Pax Americana that George Bush seems well on the way to destroying. Including references and index, it came to just 232 pages. For figures infinitely less consequential than Truman you're lucky these days not to have to wade through three times as much - and, given the qualities of Jenkins as both writer and historian, for a quarter the reward.

But, you may ask, why Truman? Simply because he is the historical figure Bush most looks to for solace in this dismal final chapter of his own presidency. And certain similarities are undeniable. For both, a foreign war - Korea in the case of Truman, Iraq for Bush - was the dominant issue in their last two years in the White House. Both became intensely unpopular. If you think Bush's present approval rating of around 30 per cent is bad, what about Truman who left office with one of 23 per cent?

Yet he is now deemed one of the near-great presidents, right up there behind the troika of Lincoln, Washington and Franklin Roosevelt. He may have made a host of petty mistakes, historians agree, but the big things - Nato, the Marshall Plan, containment of the Soviet Union - he got triumphantly right.

Churchill told Truman later that "I misjudged you badly," and that since Roosevelt's death, "you more than any other man, have saved Western civilisation". As his own presidency implodes, Bush clings to the hope that events, even after he leaves office, will lead to a similar re-evaluation of the Iraq war; and that he, like Truman, will be hailed as a saviour of Western civilisation, by posterity if not by his own ungrateful and uncomprehending contemporaries.

[...]

http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article2407980.ece

Well, Elizabeth Holtzman should know quite a lot about the parallels here. 

And it's errand time.  Have good ones.

===============

The stealth dismissal of U.S. attorneys by the Bush administration carries echoes of the Nixon administration firing special prosecutor Archibald Cox in 1973. Now, as then, we may be witnessing criminal acts of obstruction of justice at the highest levels of government. If left to fester, they will poison our system.

Cox was investigating White House misdeeds when Nixon told Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire him. Richardson refused and resigned, as did Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus. Third-in-charge, Robert Bork, complied, and the “Saturday Night Massacre,” as it was called, came to epitomize an imperial administration, acting above the law and using its power to interfere with legitimate processes of justice.

Outrage among the American people triggered the impeachment inquiry against Nixon and his eventual resignation.

In the current U.S. attorney massacre, the public outrage and the line of inquiry invited by these events feel eerily familiar: Why were these eight U.S. attorneys ousted? Why did the Justice Department misrepresent the reasons for the firings? Why were political aide Karl Rove and other top administration advisers involved in the decisions of whom to fire? Why is Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ aide who helped coordinate the firings, Monica Goodling, invoking the Fifth Amendment to avoid testifying before Congress? And what did the president know and when did he know it?

[...]

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/03/30/205/

Good morning, everybody

What I'm thinking is that Republican voters must be increasingly distressed by the growing evidence of just plain criminal behavior at the highest levels of their government. When we referred to the "culture of corruption" I don't think even we ever imagined the extent of the criminal enterprise and to many the words probably brought to mind a petri dish in biology class.
Who would have thunk it?

I suspect that in this case, the President wouldn't know the attorneys if they walked unannounced into the Oval Office. Indeed, even though they were, by all accounts, highly competent managers of their offices and had important cases underway, given the track record of this Administration, it's quite likely that there was nothing personal in their firing. They could have been let go just to send a message to the rest of the U.S. attorneys that they'd better be good a following orders or they'd be next. Though, come to think of it, that the fired eight had a bit of an independent streak seems pretty obvious. Just look at the fuss they're making.

186.

Oh, I like the Washington Post blog. It doesn't require registration. I'm assuming there's a way to check whether the posters are complying with the rules, but at this point it's not apparent or intrusive.
Anyway, I left this comment:

What we seem to have missed is that "privatization" and the destruction of government agencies is all of a piece. The ultimate goal is to evade responsibility--to rule without accountability. That, as Justice Kennedy has so clearly stated, the purpose of the rule of law is to "bind" the agents of government and limit what they can do is clearly unacceptable to this crew.
What the neocons aim for is the return of "sovereign immunity" which lets government officials do whatever they want, as long as they can claim to be doing it in their official capacity.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/benchconf...

*rdorgan

You're welcome. :)

You know, we've been looking at how terrorism works for some time and the core of it seems to be "indirection" or, as I prefer to call it, "triangulation." That is, one object or person is "hit" for the purpose of affecting some other object or person.
In that sense, kidnapping is a terroristic act--not just because it strikes terror into the hearts of caring parents, but because its purpose is to extract payment from the parents and, in a sense, the victims are just colatteral damage.
Which leads me to suggest that the firing of the eight U.S. attorneys is also terroristic in nature, especially if it turns out that the real purpose was just to send a message to their colleagues that ass-kissing is the main requirement for keeping their jobs.
This kind of "triangulation" is really the defining characteristic of the Bush/Cheney clan. It's why Iraq was attacked--to impress on Iran and Russia and China and whoever else was paying attention that they'd better not cross the U.S.

I've never been happy with the use of the term to describe splitting things down the middle. Which was how it was used against Clinton. But maybe even then the term was used to obscure what the triangulators were doing themselves. Perhaps they were pelting Clinton with Monica to get him to get off the pot and attack Iraq. It certainly would have been a lot more convenient if Clinton had done it.

Daily reminders:

http://www.democracyfest.net/


The District Blogs are in danger of becoming all carol, all the time, unless somebody contributes something else.

http://districtblogs.com/default.asp


DFA-Link Stats

# of members: 43,421
# of new members today : 7
# of groups: 855
# of Congressional Districts: 428
# of upcoming events: 456

Third way politics is by definition a compromise and when the opponent is bent on destruction of all things Democrats hold dear, it is just a way to slow the process.

It might have been appropriate in 94 to slow the baby drowning juggernaut that surprised us then.

We are in charge now. Compromise is inappropriate.

The Democratic Party represents a vision of building a better life for the masses and we don't need a gang of hoodlums on our job site kicking down the framing.

Put up a construction fence and build on.

PA

don't forget the mob ties reached into Iraq when Guilliani's buddy was sent to train the cops, introductions must have been:

"Negroponte's death squad meet the hit men."

"Death squad meet the Bill Casey black bag car bombers."

"Bombers meet hit men."

kind of like the Umpire doing the the coin toss at midfield

"remember guys we are just doing training here"  "play clean"

drug running from Afganistan must have got a professional boost when they brought in the mob

what's a big city mayor to do without repproachment with the mob

Polls Suggest Americans Want Out of Iraq by 2-1 Margin, But GOP Wingers Stand By Thair Failed Leader, Like a Dog to Its Vomit

http://pundits.thehill.com/2007/03/29/will-alberto-gonzales-take-the-fifth/

Alberto Gonzales is a basically nice man who is in over his head. He is an average attorney elevated to great heights by his sycophantic devotion to one man. Unfortunately that one man has tendencies that Republicans from George Will to Chuck Hagel have labeled as monarchical, and that one man believes he is above the law.

If there ever was a president who desperately needs an attorney general of stature, integrity and legal authority it is George W. Bush. If ever there were an Attorney General who should never be a sycophant or enabler for George W. Bush, it is Alberto Gonzales.

The president should appoint Jack Danforth as the next attorney general. Danforth is a former senator, brilliant lawyer and devout minister of unquestioned integrity and high-stature legal authority.

Otherwise our country may be headed for an endless succession of Scooter Libbys, with the buck finally landing squarely on the desk of the president, with consequences that will be grave indeed

Had forgotten about Kerrick, Phil. How's Bloomberg managing? And Corzine in New Jersey? Maybe time to take a look.

202.

No, I don't think you can call someone who strains to make torture legal a "nice man."

While I don't usually indulge in guilt by association, there's a story about one of Gonzales subordinates in the Texas USA office that I need to follow up.

bbl

To :  Linda*in*SFNM

 RE: Fred: "Obama's unifying and peacmaking talents" (Fred you are 100% correct)

From Linda : WHAT? WHAT? That is one thing I've never heard ANYONE EVER try to claim from B O. "

My Response:   Never heard it ?  Then you've heard it here first and you'll hear it again from me !  :)    Not only does Obama have the talents of unifying and peacemaking, these are his main strengths.   

My background is in community development --- I can tell you for certain Obama 's experience as a community organizer showed his talent for unifying and peacemaking, in our own city streets as it will in the future in the Middle East.   I guarantee Obama knows how to bring people to the table find common ground and find solutions.

to :  *rdorgan  Thanks for the reprint !  :)

Tortured rationalizations seem to be par for the course in the DOJ. When I first became aware of this story it was being covered by WorldNetDaily, not a source reputed to be even minimally objective. The following comes from the Austin Statesman:

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/re...


Youth Commission sex cases finally go to a grand jury
Federal inquiry highlights difficulty prosecuting such cases.
By Mike Ward
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Thursday, March 22, 2007

As the Texas Youth Commission sex assault cases that sparked a statewide scandal went to a West Texas grand jury Wednesday, a fizzled federal inquiry offered evidence that prosecuting such cases is not as easy as it might seem.

Federal prosecutors cite a host of difficulties in pursuing charges, including insufficient evidence that two administrators at the West Texas State School in Pyote were acting in their official capacities when they were accused of having sex with youths at the school; difficulty in proving that any sexual relations were not consensual (including a lack of bodily injury to the victims); and a belief by supervisors that the cases would not result in felony charges.

Consequently, the U.S. Justice Department investigation resulted in no charges being filed. Assistant Superintendant Ray Brookins and Principal John Paul Hernandez resigned in 2005 from the West Texas lockup, which is southwest of Odessa. Neither has been charged or arrested.
[...]
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Baughman stated in a response letter that although charges of conspiracy to violate civil rights and deprivation of civil rights under the color of law were considered, only lesser charges were likely to stick.

"Although both men are technically employees of the state as administrators in a Texas Youth Commission facility, I believe that a jury would consider their assaults of these students to be the actions of individuals and not the actions of persons acting 'under color of law,' " Baughman responded in a July 28, 2005, letter obtained under the federal Freedom of Information Act.

"I am very concerned that we would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the actions of Hernandez and Brookins were committed 'under color of law,' " the letter states.

Consent, Baughman added, was another potential problem.

"Although none of the victims admit that they consented to the sexual contact, none resisted or voiced any objection to the conduct," he wrote. "In order for the government to be successful in a criminal prosecution, it would be essential for us to show that the victim was in fact victimized. . . . Although it is apparent that many students were retained at West Texas State School long after their initial release date, it would be difficult to prove that either Mr. Brookins or Mr. Hernandez prevented their release."
[...]

New thread

205.

Julie Stipich
Sat, 03/31/07
9:16 am




To : Linda*in*SFNM

RE: Fred: "Obama's unifying and peacmaking talents" (Fred you are 100% correct)

From Linda : WHAT? WHAT? That is one thing I've never heard ANYONE EVER try to claim from B O. "

My Response: Never heard it ? Then you've heard it here first and you'll hear it again from me ! :)


_______________________



I'm happy you feel confident of that fact. I have not seen those examples displayed in his reactions on any level.