Scooter Libby just got his sentence commuted by Bush. Wanna vent in real-time? Come join us at DemocracyInteractive.com

Impeach Bush and Cheney .   Bush will give Libby a full pardon on his last day in office. Bring them home now. Oh, and Howard, you did not mention Kucinich and Gravel being against the war.

70 % against the war, and 72 % against pardoning Libby. Bush is going to do what he wants while in office(power). Attacking Iran if he or Dick wants to get a flag waving increase in the polls, and of course more profits for the industrial military complex, and keeping Aipac happy.

President commutes Libby's prison sentence - http://www.sacbee.com/749/story/253105.h...

This is no big surprize to me.

I just read a comment over at DKos about how Paris Hilton spent time in jail...

Half hour ago, I was told that to fix the shower in my basement rental would prolly run 4 figures.  Then I come in the house and see that Libby's sentence has been  communted and Chertoff on CNN doing his Boo shit.

I was about to fix some things in my own house.  :-=( 

Time to write and call again and insist on impeachment.  Let's see what Keith has to say.

My special comment on putz today:

&%#@&^^(*@! 

There are no longer any words to express how I feel about this WH....none.

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

Great legs, Thankful!  (whistling, cat-calling)  :-) 

and of course, Howard Dean is first here!

Great going, SFD. Keep is up!

Pics from the Pride Parade for those on the night crew who asked to see the shoes :-)
http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l15/T2...
that's me in the middle, stopped to give a hug to one of Rene's friends that had walked with us for a while.

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l15/T2...
The whole photo. My younger sister is to the left, me hugging Dean, older sister in front. Each group had to have 4 people wearing 'Monitor' armbands, but it was so big I had to pull the crazy thing way up my leg, lol.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

♥'s to all

Kindness is free!

Thanks sea :-)

later...

Putz will continue to flaunt and break the laws.  Canceling the election will be easy for him, should he wish to do that, becuz we no longer have a Congress who will stop him.

And, of course, now our terror threat is high, so another little attack might be right at the top of the list. 

Do you spose the Congress is disgusted enuf yet to actually do something or are they gonna just whine away?

Pelosi, wake up. Your not gonna win the WH the way you're going. 

The latest Bush action is yet another impeachable offence. Democrats are sputtering, but don't have the balls to do anything substantial about it.

On the thread topic. Tjhe message of "Sicko" is that we need universal, single-payer, government-funded health coverage.

• you wont get it from Hillary
• you won't get it from Obama

They're both swimming in cash from the health care industry, which stands to lose big time if single payer (a simple extension of Medicare to everyone) is adopted.

• Dennis Kucinich supports it completely
• John Edwards supports it mostly

What I want to know is why most DFAers are buying into the MSM money derby and accepting the "inevitability" of a Clinton (possibly a Clinton-Obama) nomination.

 Sure, they're both raising lots of money. Obama fraudulently claims it's mostly from small donations. They're both owned and operated by corporate America. Either one or both would be better than any of the creepy Repugs, but there are better choices. The lesser of evils does not solve this nation's problems.

Tom is correct when he says that independents do not constitue a monolithic voting bloc-- I daresay, neither do Democrats.

But hey folks, we can do better than hyper-funded, corporate Democrats!

The Brits have once again demonstrated that thwarting terrorists is a police matter. The bombs fizzled, they've made some arrests that will probably lead to convictions without torture or Gitmo-type trials, and (so far at least), they haven't invaded another country.

#10             yup

I was givin a Bush voodoo doll a few weeks ago. Never been used until a few minutes from now. I will use a pin for bfa !

10. Did anyone notice that Governor Dean PROMISED Universal Health Care from a Democratic President in 09? If that's the case, that nixes some top tier candidates that are not offering that, doesn't it?

Linda wrote "Did anyone notice that Governor Dean PROMISED Universal Health Care from a Democratic President in 09? If that's the case, that nixes some top tier candidates that are not offering that, doesn't it?"

1)  It would be up to the Congress in any event, and

2)  Why? A president who assumes office in 2009 would have from 4 to 8 years to promote just such a proposal.

15.

Tom Bearse

1) It would be up to the Congress in any event, and


Answer: LOL Well, if the President doesn't even offer one to have it threatened by Congress, it doesn't matter what Congress's view is,right?

2) Why? A president who assumes office in 2009 would have from 4 to 8 years to promote just such a proposal.

Answer: Because if the candidate who wants to be President doesn't even support a Universal or Single payer system in his current campaign, what makes you think he's going to change his mind once he's elected with that as written policy?

I'm watching Hardball.  Is Dean on today?

Unfortunately, the Constitution gives putz the right to commute and pardon.  We are slowly seeing flaws in our Constitution, aren't we?  Our founders simply didn't or couldn't imagine s/o like putz as dick ta ter.

From now on, I'll refer to these 2 as prez the Dick and putz the puppet.   Putz doesn't deserve to be called president.  Actually neither does the dick.

Just speechless and I think he's warming up for the bombing of Iran ....  

Tom Bearse
Mon, 07/02/07
6:56 pm

1)  It would be up to the Congress in any event, and

2)  Why? A president who assumes office in 2009 would have from 4 to 8 years to promote just such a proposal

Huron, don't you believe that the fix is in?   Or at least think it possible?

One of the pundits on CNN made the point that now that Scooter is 'decided' then the Pres, Snow et al can no longer hide behind not commenting on a case in progress. We shall see.

Thankful you are beautiful and your legs aren't bad either!!

Don't forget SINGLE PAYER Universal Healthcare.  All Universal Healthcare is not created equal.  The CA plan, Sheila Kuehl's SB 840 is a single payer plan. 

Everyone that works pays into the plan and those that do not work are covered as well.  You basically get a payroll deduction on each check (same as Social Security, Fed / State taxes, etc).  I believe it is currently set up for about 3.75% of your income, but the first $7,000 you earn each year is free of this deduction.  This will greatly help out those with lower incomes.  That basically means that those earning $10 / hour will not have any medical deductions for the first 4 1/2 months of each year.  After that it will be about $40 a month.  There are NO deductibles and NO co-pays.

At my last job, I was paying over 5% of my check to health insurance and I had a $500 deductible as well as co-pays.  SB 840 is the plan we all need (and will eventually get once everyone wakes up - or watches SiCKO).

21.

Absolutely. And tragically, rank and file Democrats are being starry-eyed about Corporate candidates who won't change a damn thing!

Huron, agreed.  That's why I keep complaining about IA being first.  It's the conservative middle of the country and I grew up in a neighboring state and know about how midwesterners think.  They're going to go safe and they want to be told who to vote for.

The CMWs are very accommodating. 

22. If you want some hope. Even shopping at Costco down in ABQ on Saturday, wearing my button, I was stopped by a couple ladies very excited and asking if he was going to run. While I was talking with them and having to go steal hubbies button for the other, a worker walked by asking for one and he said, [Gore]"the man has so much support, he's gotta' run".

Then yesterday at a neighborhood party, each and every one are enthused and supportive about Al running, including the Inde's. Of course, they have to stare at my license plate daily :).

Six American military killed in Iraq today. That's what the Libby smoke screen is for today. Who knows about tomorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~~

22.

tragically, rank and file Democrats are being starry-eyed about Corporate candidates who won't change a damn thing!

John,

You apparently are not a rank and file Democrat yourself or you would be calling yourself tragic.

MSM constant pimping for Clinton vs. Obama may actually work to Edwards' favor. They can fight and counter each other so the public becomes tired of the top two. And meanwhile, Edwards works the ground in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, raising funds and relying on the grassroots to work his campaign.

Just might work if/when Clinton/Obama cancel each other out.

Bush's commutation of Libby's sentence just might not run strong in the Conservative law community. Although he has the power to do anything he wants, this might not be the right move for law and order types in his base. Perhaps Bush DOES have further to fall. Maybe he'll be in single digits by next year!

seashell
Mon, 07/02/07
7:14 pm

Not sure I agree that Iowans are play it safe types. But, hey, if the rest of the country didn't follow whomever Iowa picked, it wouldn't matter now would it. No, don't blame Iowa or the "conservative" midwest. Go-along Democrats that follow the leader coming out of Iowa and New Hampshire are the problem. And that means all of us.

John wrote “Getting to single payer will require aggressive presidential leadership-- and even then (witness both Truman and Nixon), Congress may fail because most of them are also stooges for Big Pharma and insurance companies.”

It certainly won’t be easy. As you well know, Dean did not champion it for one reason. Not because he didn’t favor it, but because he realized it would not gain acceptance, leading him to embrace an incremental approach towards this goal.

I am conscious of the great antipathy towards Obama as a corporatist candidate. The phenomenon interests me, and I’m not immune to the sense of it. However, I feel convinced we’re dealing with a different sort of politician, something completely foreign to me years ago, and I appreciate the insight in Walter Shapiro’s analysis from Salon:

“Obama also seems reluctant to play the populist card that has been a staple of Democratic rhetoric for decades. Previewing his plan for universal healthcare coverage at an ice-cream party in a downtown park in Berlin, N.H., Sunday night, Obama went out of his way to declare, ‘I'm not somebody who will run down the insurance companies and the drug companies just for the sake of it.’

“Drug companies and insurance companies have long been a favored target of Democratic presidential candidates. They were directly in the firing line when Al Gore built his 2000 campaign around -- not global warming or the environment -- the mock populism of ‘the people vs. the powerful.’ Neither Edwards nor Hillary Clinton is apt to miss many opportunities to go after the greed of the pharmaceutical industry. But there was Obama, speaking to a largely Democratic audience in an old pulp-and-paper town, promising not to take any cheap shots at these corporate villains.

“Tuesday morning in Iowa, Obama unveiled his long anticipated healthcare plan -- joining Edwards, the initial policy pacesetter, and Hillary Clinton, who once claimed this as her signature issue in a competition to provide universal coverage for the 45 million uninsured Americans. The Obama proposal, which was estimated to cost between $50 billion and $65 billion a year, would both create a new national healthcare plan for those without coverage and launch a new federal watchdog agency to set standards for (and police) the insurance marketplace.

“With another Democratic debate slated for Sunday night, it is possible that the campaign may pivot for a while on the details of the rival healthcare plans. This was the terrain of the 2000 battle between Al Gore and Bill Bradley. More likely, the model will be the 2004 campaign in which all the Democratic contenders announced their healthcare plans with great fanfare -- and then watched the race revolve around the war in Iraq.

“ . . . .

“So here is a working theory, subject to many modifications as the campaign unfolds: Barack Obama is simultaneously both aware of the power of cheap rhetoric and easy emotion -- and intellectually contemptuous of it. He is a candidate in quiet rebellion against the banalities that too often govern political discourse. It is questionable whether he can maintain this high-minded stance through the debates and the primaries. But for the moment, Obama is running for president on his own terms, and succeeding.”

Linda*in*SFNM
Mon, 07/02/07
7:14 pm

Thanks for the hit of hope! I'm hoping for an announcement coming off the Live Earth concerts.....or maybe after he wins the Nobel prize! If not, we've got to start getting serious about supporting a true progressive.

We can't wait for Al too long or Clinton will sweep up.

Tom B. wrote: Obama went out of his way to declare, ‘I'm not somebody who will run down the insurance companies and the drug companies just for the sake of it.’

Of course not. They are a great source of funds when the Internet dries up! Hey, we just LOVE the insurance and drug industry. Sheesh.

linda b, are you aware of this site???

http://www.rootcamp.us/trainingtools.htm...

Linda wrote "if the candidate who wants to be President doesn't even support a Universal or Single payer system in his current campaign, what makes you think he's going to change his mind once he's elected with that as written policy?"

Nothing, but Obama supports universal health care.  Here's an excerpt from a speech he gave in January :

"On this January morning of two thousand and seven, more than sixty years after President Truman first issued the call for national health insurance, we find ourselves in the midst of an historic moment on health care. From Maine to California, from business to labor, from Democrats to Republicans, the emergence of new and bold proposals from across the spectrum has effectively ended the debate over whether or not we should have universal health care in this country.

"Plans that tinker and halfway measures now belong to yesterday. The President’s latest proposal that does little to bring down cost or guarantee coverage falls into this category. There will be many others offered in the coming campaign, and I am working with experts to develop my own plan as we speak, but let’s make one thing clear right here, right now:

"In the 2008 campaign, affordable, universal health care for every single American must not be a question of whether, it must be a question of how. We have the ideas, we have the resources, and we must find the will to pass a plan by the end of the next president’s first term.

" . . . .

"Now is the time to push those boundaries once more. We have come so far in the debate on health care in this country, but now we must finally answer the call first issued by Truman, advanced by Johnson, and fought for by so many leaders and Americans throughout the last century. The time has come for universal health care in America. And I look forward to working with all of you to meet this challenge in the weeks and months to come. "

Indy wrote "Obama went out of his way to declare, ‘I'm not somebody who will run down the insurance companies and the drug companies just for the sake of it.’ Of course not."

It is safe, then, to conclude that you are someone who will run down the insurance and drug companies for the sake of it? 

Tom Bearse
Mon, 07/02/07
7:33 pm

One small problem....Obama's plan doesn't provide universal health insurance or guarantee care. He admits this...but don't fret the details if he says he's for universal care.

 Another case of hope and change without the beef. Universal care....for some.

It is safe, then, to conclude that you are someone who will run down the insurance and drug companies for the sake of it? 

Tom Bearse
Mon, 07/02/07
7:36 pm
 

No, because they've earned it. A well-deserved criticism which Obama refuses to make. Think: dialing for dollars.

Indy wrote "No, because they've earned it."

Maybe they'll see the errors of their way and repent.  You never know.

Indy wrote "One small problem....Obama's plan doesn't provide universal health insurance or guarantee care. He admits this...but don't fret the details if he says he's for universal care."

Maybe he'll see the error of his ways and modify his position.

Indy wrote "A well-deserved criticism which Obama refuses to make. Think: dialing for dollars."

I don't mean to be critical, but I think what we were discussing was whether Obama was somebody who will run down the insurance companies and the drug companies just for the sake of it.  The speech to which I liked does show a glimpse of Obama's criticism of insurance and drug companies. 

33.

Tom Bearse

Tom, you are wrong, Obama is not offering a Universal Health Care plan and YOU should be aware of that.

There is no such thing as affordable universal healthcare as long as there are multiple insurance companies involved in the process.  As Michael Moore clearly points out, the profit motivation / overhead of the insurance companies is what is wrong with our current system.  Any candidate that proposes a "universal healthcare" system that keeps the medical insurance industry in the loop, is not proposing a solution, but rather a band-aid to the problem.

 The insurance companies must be removed from the process. 

Indy, good point.  IA chooses and the rest of the voters go baa baa baa.  I would think that would make Iowans break early from the pack and show some guts and discernment.  Perhaps they could turn off their TVs.  Or just refuse to caucus for the big 3.  

So can we agree that voters are just plain dumb as rocks?  :-)

What else explains Kerry's rise to the top in IA?  We can't blame money or the CM or anything else ... or the "scream."  If caucus voters can't see past this kind of manipulation, who will?

I guess the dumb as rocks insults the rocks.

IA should graciously cede its place as number one, since they've failed so miserably in 04. 

i agree with bill.

signed the snitch for the evil empire (insurance inspector at large.)

Just a note that on this date in 1776, the Congress of the United States passed Virginia's resolution that "these colonies ought to be, free and independent states."  Two days later, they approved a Declaration laying out the reasons for that independence.  The paperwork got all the publicity. :-)

I saw Sicko this afternoon.  As someone (I think Dean Nut in San Diego) said, it makes me mad.

It also makes me want to move to Canada, or England, or even Costa Rica! 

41.

Bill Lackemacher

and

mprov

I definitely agree, too.

What I want to know is why most DFAers are buying into the MSM money derby and accepting the "inevitability" of a Clinton (possibly a Clinton-Obama) nomination.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

John,

Stupidity, blindness, ineptitude and arrogance knows no boundaries like party, race, nationality or colour...........

So can we agree that voters are just plain dumb as rocks?  :-)

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

Edwards leads in Iowa. Obama second, Hillary third as of now. Richardson is the only other candidate with any traction.

seashell, I still don't understand why this doesn't please you rather than upset you with Hillary in third? 

"Only a president clinically incapable of understanding that mistakes have consequences could take the action he did today. President Bush has just sent exactly the wrong signal to the country and the world. In George Bush's America, it is apparently okay to misuse intelligence for political gain, mislead prosecutors and lie to the FBI. George Bush and his cronies think they are above the law and the rest of us live with the consequences. The cause of equal justice in America took a serious blow today."

John Edwards

oberman's going to call for bush/cheney resignations on tomorrow's show.

George Walker Bush:  worst person in the world - July 2, 2007

Olberman 

s/b since it failed.

Altho if Gore jumped in, wouldn't he win Iowa?  I guess IA is focusing on who can win, even if it's the lesser of two evils.  I can understand the line of thinking, even if I don't agree.  I think it's time to risk it all and nominate a real progressive while giving the finger to corporations and war mongers and AIPAC.

NEWS ALERT:

Tomorrow Keith does a special comment calling on the dick and putz to resign!   Grab the popcorn!   

50 was a response to 51

freaking blog is at it again

iowa's 6 months from now for everyone. that's the breadth of a universe.

:56

(damn timestamp) 

Iowa doesn't have a ballot to get on to go to the printers. the filing deadlines for the Feb 5th states is the final deadline

the term of American memory  is less than 6 months

Phil, you are such a dear and I am not happy with any of the 3.  Edwards offends me the least, so yes, that mollifies me a bit.  But Hillary and Obama, IMO, shouldn't even be considered; that's what I don't understand.  Why aren't Gravel or Kucinich up there?  Becuz they're *unelectable* the way Kerry was *electable?*  Voters everywhere need to start thinking for themselves and becoming more savvy about how the CMWs and money elect our officials and fool the people.

I've been privy to enough tracking polls to know 48 hours is a long time nearing an election. 

Hi Linda in sfnm, are you still here?

I didn't see your response to my post on the earlier thread until now (my internet access was down).  Just wanted to say that my friends comment "she's not a christian (catholic)" did not mean what you thought.  She was referring to the fact that I am a Catholic, rather than a Christian.  I've heard that before, the fact that Catholics are not Christian and I don't understand it, but it usually comes from right wingers.  I guess my 'friend' has moved that way lately. 

The three all have roughly equal ground games going with staffers and canvassing and as they identify supporters they are finding the leadership for the precinct for their candidate. I was on the phone with Edwards' State Director today (about July 14th schedule issues) and he was disappointed when I said Gore when he asked if I had a candidate picked.

Hi Folks,

 My computer has a new motherboard, and I'm back in contact. 

My friend is delighted over the commuting of Libby's sentence by Bush.  Of course, the reason is that Libby's lawyers said,  you take care of us or we're going to take this administration down.  Libby will be taken care of for the rest of his life.

But, the reason my friend is delighted is because even the dumbest among us know that Libby commited obstruction of justice and perjury.  All those law and order folks, all those rule of law folks will have to admit that Bush, though he has the power to commute a sentence, has violated the rule of law by his allowing Libby to go free.  Bush is complicit in the perjury and obstruction of justice as we knew all along.

Another thing, John Dean on Keith Olbermann said it, Fitzgerald can grant immunity to Libby and have Libby testify all over again, and if he lies, he can once again be convicted of perjury.  Congress can do the same thing.  

As far as impeachment, maybe there is something better, like Leahy's committee chargingBush and Cheney with contempt of Congress which is a felony.

Frankly, folks, are Americans as dumb as I think we are?  I know so many people with college degrees who don't know anything about politics, who don't read, who spout ideology, who can't and won't reason.  Money is their only value.  I can't quite believe that a whole life should be devoted to the pursuit of money, that it is the only value, and yet, I've met some this weekend who espouse exactly that.

Well, we'll see if my friend is right, that the blowback will be enormous for this pcommutation, which is a bargain Libby struck with the administration or he would bring them down. 

Hillary is concentrating on women supporters as well she should. She has some very dedicated volunteers and will likely remain viable.

Edwards hasn't lost any of his supporters from last time.

The young crowd is going for Obama, not unlike Dean support last time, and Kerry supporters appreciate Edwards loyalty from the last cycle so, the Dean contingent will be decisive. 

But the deciding factor are those that wait and analyse all of the candidates and make up their mind on caucus night, so the candidate that finishes best usually win.

Dean would have won any caucus in 03.

And this from Joe Biden.  Let's do it tomorrow.

Last week Vice President Cheney asserted that he was beyond the reach of the law. Today, President Bush demonstrated the lengths he would go to, ensuring that even aides to Dick Cheney are beyond the judgment of the law.

It is time for the American people to be heard.

I call for all Americans to flood the White House with phone calls tomorrow expressing their outrage over this blatant disregard for the rule of law.

202-456-1414

Remind George Bush what he told staffers during a swearing in ceremony for White House staff back in January 2001:

Phil, I am delighted that Clinton is in third and horrified that she's still in the race and may still win if I'm any judge of *fixes* and the Clinton money and  power...plus Soros is behind her, isn't he?

Anyway, I'm prolly too hard on Iowans and voters in general .....too high of expectations of people ...

Hi Pat, welcome back.

bbl. 

Frankly, folks, are Americans as dumb as I think we are? 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Pat,

I think this sums it up best about us....................Americans are capable of accomplishing such beautiful dreams...................and such horrible nightmares.   Yup, that says it all.

"Until now, it appeared that the President merely turned a blind eye to a high ranking Administration official leaking classified information. The President’s action today makes it clear that he condones such activity. This decision is inconsistent with the rule of law and sends a horrible signal to the American people and our intelligence operatives who place their lives at risk everyday. Now that the White House can no longer argue that there is a pending criminal investigation, I expect them to be fully forthcoming with the American people about the circumstances that led to this leak and the President’s decision today."  John Conyers

..."There is a reason we have laws and why we expect our Presidents to obey them. Institutions have a collective wisdom greater than that of any one individual. The arrogance of this administration's disdain for the law and its belief it operates with impunity are breathtaking.

Will the President also commute the sentences of others who obstructed justice and lied to grand juries, or only those who act to protect President Bush and Vice President Cheney?"   Bill Richardson

on the un-electible question:

i think that some of the credit has to be paid to each of the candidates themselves. dennis has been in this for a while now. why doesn't he have a huge ground team of grassroots to do his bidding. and gravel, i want the guy in the discussion, but, never-the-less, chided him at his web site blog because it didn't look to me that a serious campaign was being run.

if a person wants to be the president of these here states, its incumbant on them to be something more than just right some of the time. they need to present leadership, charisma, vision, management skills, as well as attracting money, troops, and media attention.

we're 300 million of us. no one's going to please everyone, but that 50+1 will get the job.

i don't think that money alone wins the race. its powerful, but not all encompassing.

none of us here are ghandi, MLK, JFK, jefferson. none of us here are either hitler, stalin, mao, pol pot. rock star can be just as damaging as it can be inspiring and fruitful.

our world calls for a real person, not a personality. a real plan, not a shrink-wrapped dream. real vision, not an endless road map to hell. caring is ultimately more powerful than a low me-first point of view.

perhaps, ebenizer scrouge should be held up as an example. at least he got it right in the end.

rant over....resume your prior position...move along...nothing to see here...

Hi, Pat!  Man, is this blog messed up with the consecutive numbers.

No, it's not Soros behind her, it's Murdock.  Worse.  We need to get her outta the race.

I like Sen Clinton and hope she does very very well with Dem voters.

seashell, here is what I mean about women's support

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

Dear Friend,

As a four-term U.S. Senator from Iowa, I am no stranger to the commitment and passion Iowans have for politics. It is a passion I share and is one of the reasons I have worked hard to maintain Iowa's leadership status in electing our next president.

My wife, Ruth also shares my passion for political involvement, and like many Iowans, she feels feels a very personal responsibility to choosing the right person to support. Ruth recently made that personal decision and tonight plans to formally endorse her friend and one of her mentors,Hillary Clinton, for President of the United States.

Ruth took many things into account before deciding on this endorsement. When Ruth was elected to the position of Story County Attorney in 1972, she was honored to be the first woman to hold the position of county attorney in our state's history-and one of the first county-wide prosecutors in the country. It was an exciting and challenging time for her, but it taught her that groundbreaking accomplishments don't just happen. They are not just made-they happen over time with that hard work, determination and focus. She feels that women who are lucky enough to serve in public office had, and continue to have, a responsibility to opening doors and paving a new way for those seeking other leadership roles. And as Ruth looked closely at who is best suited to do the job of President and to inspire a new generation of leaders, Hillary topped the list.

Unlike my wife, I have not made a decision to support, nor do I plan to endorse, any of the Democratic presidential candidates. I have worked closely with many of them, and I am extremely proud of each of them for their commitment to public service. I remain focused on my own re-election campaign in 2008 and look forward to working with a Democrat in the White House.

Thank you-

Sen. Tom Harkin

Hi again, then off to take a shower in this heat.  We've had 90 +  degrees Fahrenheit these last two days.

Thanks Phil and Michael for the welcome.  I've missed the dialogue.

I hope we can do something.  We are capable of great things.  Just recently, it may have been the Christian Science Monitor or Time or Newsweek that reported Americans privately gave more money to charity than any other nation and our percentage of giving was also the largest.

Our sense of justice, equality, preserving the commons, honesty, respect for the rule of law, if only, if only, the violations this administration has committed against all these ideals would galvanize us, would make the communication mediums overwhelm any diversion from what has occurred.

I hope so.

 BBL

What 'blowback' does Bush have to fear for kissing Libby's ... ??
Bush wont be running for public office ever again.

Would it affect Repugs in general ?? I doubt it. This
was a personal act by Bush to save a 'friends' arse,
so to speak. Of course i'm not condoning it but i cant
see it having an effect on the 08 elections.

btw, my above remarks apply just as much to biden, richardson, & dodd, as well as the "so called front runners."

i really hate that non-committal phrase. what, we can't apply noun descriptions anymore??? "so called."..that is

Hi chilimac,

I hope you are wrong, but I'm inclined to feel the same way.  My friend thinks differently.  He is convinced that there will be outrage among those conservatives, independents and old fashioned republicans who do believe in the rule of law, who will note those republicans who voted to impeach Clinton for perjury and yet, approved Libby's getting off free.

If we have any integrity left as a country, my friend will be correct and you and I will be wrong. 

Edwards, Obama, and Clinton are all spending millions in Iowa but the money wouldn't make them front runners without some other traction. 

it could be nice to be wrong.

Pat, Americans have a short attention span since we "live in interesting times." 

Libby's commutation is one of those things we have pretty well hashed out in past threads, but what the heck I'll add my two cents.Minimal effect as a singular event but it adds to the general disgust.

Works in Democrats favor if a change agent is nominated.

I hope we're wrong.

Linda wrote "Tom, you are wrong, Obama is not offering a Universal Health Care plan and YOU should be aware of that."

I know I'm wrong.  I accept that I'm always wrong.  It's not necessary to keep bringing it up.  Just assume it as a fundamental premise before making your case.

I'll reconstruct the dialogue to assist in the discussion.  I'm fairly accustomed to it.  You said because Dean promised universal health care from a Democratic President in 2009, a top tier candidate who isn't offering it is automatically omitted on that basis.  I said that's not true, because a top tier candidate would have his or her term to offer universal health care, and would need the vote of the Congress in any event.

This was met by the question: what makes me think a candidate is going to change his or her mind once he or she is elected if he or she doesn't support a universal health care plan.  I responded that Obama supports universal health care, citing to the text of his speech.  I understand you're assuming that if his proposal is not a universal health care plan, Obama 1) can't be the president Dean promised and 2) won't promote such a plan while in office.   I'm only pointing out that neither of these is necessarily true, in spite of the fact that you may be right.  If I had the uncanny ability to see into the future, the entire matter could be resolved without the formality of a debate but, to be honest, I don't.

                              March on Washington Sept. 15th. Impeach Bush and Cheney.

50. Best statement of all the top tier candidates imo.

Could Bush still pardon LIbby just before he's out of office, if he wanted too? And would that take away the fine Libby has to pay & the felony conviction itsself?  Would he then be able to retain his law license? Could this commutation just be  a way to keep him out of prison for now with the rest of it later down the road? Anyone? 

Bush can give a full pardon on his last day in office.

90 Thanks    So, this is just to keep him out of jail time. The rest will come later when Bush will be out of office & won't have to pay a price for it.

howdy all - interesting viewpoints! I personally don't think this will go away anytime soon.

there's a wealth of opinions splashed across the net tonight. here's a good headline - it fits the moment. and it's actually pretty mild compared to the rest of his thoughts:

Tony Hendra: War Criminal Commutes Sentence of Convicted Perjurer at Behest of Traitor.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-hendr...

Putz is an accessory..impeach him already.

Former Liberal Talk Show Host Mike Webb Stabbed to Death 7/2

Putz sinks deeper into mental illness.

Sometimes Toady, Sometimes Interesting, Sometimes Bizarre Washington Post Piece on Bush's State of Mind. Our Favorite Quotation: Beyond Gonzales, the discontent with the Bush presidency is broader and deeper among Republican lawmakers, some of whom seethe with anger. "Our members just wish this thing would be over," said a senior House Republican who met with Bush recently. "People are tired of him." Bush's circle remains sealed tight, the lawmaker said. "There's nobody there who can stand up to him and tell him, 'Mr. President, you've got to do this. You're wrong on this.' There's no adult supervision. It's like he's oblivious. Maybe that's a defense mechanism."

The problem is that the dick is the prez/

Nation needs intervention to get Cheney out of office 7/3

Your Chance to Ask Al Gore a Question
by: JekyllnHyde
Mon Jul 02, 2007 at 18:42:24 PM EDT



Al Gore will be appearing on a live webcast on Thursday, July 5th to promote the Live Earth Concerts scheduled for Saturday, July 7th

AL GORE ON LIVE EARTH
Watch Live Webcast July 5th

Al Gore wants to hear from you! Get your environmental questions answered live, in an exclusive online webcast moderated by Simran Sethi, environmental journalist from Sundance Channel's "The Green" on July 5th at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.

MSN will host former Vice President Gore who will answer your climate crisis questions. Whether you have questions on how to make your home more green or how to make small, yet effective, changes to your daily routine, Gore will offer simple tips and tricks you can start using immediately. To submit your questions, simply send an email to: goreonmsn@hotmail.com

The Live Earth Concerts will take place in eight separate locations around the world - as well as in Antartica where the world-famous rock group, Nunatek, will perform in sub-freezing temperatures.

http://liveearth.msn.com/green/gorewebca...

New Poll Shows Clinton and Edwards Way Ahead in Iowa
by noneed4thneed [Subscribe]
Mon Jul 02, 2007 at 06:55:17 PM PDT

A new poll came out today showing Hillary Clinton and John Edwards way out in front of everyone else in Iowa.

Here are the results from the American Research Group (May's support in parenthesis)...

Clinton 32% (31%)
Edwards 29% (25%)
Obama 13% (11%)
Richardson 5% (8%)
Dodd 2% (2%)
Biden 2% (3%)
Kucinich 1% (4%)
Gravel 1% (1%)
Clark 1% (1%)
Undecided 14% (14%)
noneed4thneed's diary :: ::

At first, I was surprised Hillary was leading with over 30% when other polls show her around 20%. However, if you look at the trends, Hillary has consistently been in the low 30's in this poll, except for May when she had just 23%. In fact Hillary is basically right where she was back in December before her campaign even started (32% to 31%).

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/7/2/2...

NEW THREAD