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Last Night School of 2007 Is Tomorrow: Sign Up Now

Written by: Sheri Divers on Oct 1, 2007 2:34 PM EDT

Last Night School of the Year finishes with a  bang. RSVP Today!

Our special guest Parag Mehta, the Democratic National Committee's Training Director, will lay out the DNC plan to win the White House one neighborhood at a time. You don't want to miss this first look at the ambitious plan for victory. I am confident you will be excited about how it involves you and what you'll learn to take back your neighborhood.

RSVP for the free conference call and live web presentation now:
http://www.DemocracyforAmerica.com/BuildingNetworks

Organizing your neighborhood by itself can make a significant impact on an election. Think of what we can do when we work together across voting precincts. In this free 1 hour Night School session, we'll focus on how your neighborhood team can coordinate with other precincts in your area as well as the county or state party:

Precinct Organizing: Building Networks
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
8:30 pm Eastern Time

Also, joining me on the call will be Annette Osterlund from one of our local DFA group, Democracy for Colorado, and the Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party Pat Waak.  Together, they'll discuss the highly successfully Think Precinct plan, how it can work for you and how it

will help you work with and improve your local Democratic party for the better.

RSVP now for the phone number and access code:
http://www.DemocracyforAmerica.com/BuildingNetworks

Your neighborhood organizing will increase Democratic voter registration and progressive turnout in every election. That means victories for progressive candidates from School Board to the Presidency. If you want to improve the performance of the Democratic Party, this Night School is for you.

Please join me on the call,

Arshad Hasan
Training Director

P.S. Want to bring Night School to your own local party or organization? You can when you purchase a copy of Night School on DVD!

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/nightschooldvd

Every purchase helps DFA keep Night School free and open to everyone. Get yours today!

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By Susan Rowe on Oct 1, 2007 2:40 PM EDT

DFA Night School is first!

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By FRED from OR on Oct 1, 2007 2:53 PM EDT

PATHETIC BLOGGER QUESTION OF THE DAY

196. Huron John
How will one of the pathetic rethugs beat Hillary?

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I guess it depends on which pathetic one is running.

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By Huron John on Oct 1, 2007 2:58 PM EDT

Good One Susan.

Last night, Ken Burns once again  demonstrated his sheer genius by turning a faithful representation of the history of WWII into perhaps the most powerful antiwar statement of all time.

 His matter-of-fact portrayal of the monumental screwups of the second half of 1944, combined with the stark description of the racism and bogotry of the US military, are completely devastating.

 I'm sure he's mightily pissed off all of our chickenhawks and armchair crusaders (of both parties)

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By seashell on Oct 1, 2007 3:00 PM EDT

Again, I tend to simplify.  If Iowans had been watching the debates ,reading a few good newspapers and knew that 70 of us want out, and if THEY  truly want out of Iraq, Kucinich would be leading.

What's leading in IA is old party machinery, outdated caucus, *organizational skills* and MONEY; hardly good qualities to choose a nominee.

Quality and consistency of voting and spoken word is not even considered.  Even Dodd should be up there.  But no, it's again the least qualified to run our country well and in the interest of the people.

I can hear the pressure and deals and back slapping as I sit here and I am appalled that we've been taken over by thugs and criminals and liars and warmongerers. (DC crowd)

Then again, maybe there are only 2 or 3 progressive in IA, something I've suspected for a long time.  IMO IA is republican most all the way, claiming otherwise.

How else can you account for war parched candidates who change their rhetoric in order to lie themselves into office?  And why in the world are Iowans believing their s*it?

Boggles the mind. ( and not demeaning the good work Phil always does.)

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By Huron John on Oct 1, 2007 3:01 PM EDT

2. I would guess any one of them will use some combination of the techniques I enumerated.

As in 00 and 04, Carville and other Democratic nincompoops will be continually predicting victory while handing the rethugs the asses of the Democrats.

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By seashell on Oct 1, 2007 3:04 PM EDT

Monica, that was a great link, but the font was tiny.  Cliff notes please, as I got lost in the conspiracies.  It sounds like Russia and China will bring us down when they choose.  Is that the cliff note?

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By FRED from OR on Oct 1, 2007 3:06 PM EDT

5. Huron John

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Remember the Rovian Rule, go after their strengths, not their weaknesses. So what are Hillary's strengths? Anyone?

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By FRED from OR on Oct 1, 2007 3:10 PM EDT

5.Huron John

I would guess any one of them will use some combination of the techniques I enumerated.
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possibly, but TV funds are limited, so on which specific attack they put the most money, would depend on whom is running and how vulnerable (or defendable) that person is to the same attack.

I've already given this some thought, John.

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By FRED from OR on Oct 1, 2007 3:14 PM EDT

One thing I would postulate is that one of Hillary's strength right now is "money," so how many scandals can they go after there, now let's see, there's

1. insider trading on beef futures, a cool $100,000
2. Whitewater.
what else?

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By linda b on Oct 1, 2007 3:20 PM EDT
Leading The NewsPDF Print E-mail Democrats go after Limbaugh By Klaus Marre October 01, 2007 Democrats on Monday called on the chief executive of Clear Channel Communications to denounce remarks by radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, whom they say made a “hateful” and “unpatriotic” attack on U.S. troops opposed to the war in Iraq.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/democrats-go-after-limbaugh-2007-10-01.html

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By linda b on Oct 1, 2007 3:21 PM EDT

Remember the Rovian Rule, go after their strengths, not their weaknesses. So what are Hillary's strengths? Anyone?

nice hair. wide stance.

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By Michael Ellis on Oct 1, 2007 3:21 PM EDT

 So what are Hillary's strengths?

___________________________________________________________________________

Loudest most annoying laugh Ive ever heard....................

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By Phil Specht on Oct 1, 2007 3:23 PM EDT
Dear Democrats:

Word has been received that John Edwards, candidate for President, will be in Elkader on Friday, October 5th. 

He will be at Schera’s Restaurant, corner of Bridge and Main Streets at 4:45PM.

 

Hope to see you there. Remember, whether you have made a decision on who to support or not, it is important to check out all of our candidates when they make an appearance locally.

 

Thanks,

Jean Marie Hall

Clayton County Chair

I have just learned that presidential candidate Senator Joe Biden's wife Jill will be attending Senator Schoenjahn's fundraiser on Saturday.  Let's have a good turnout for Brian's sake primarily, of course, but also to learn more about our Democratic candidates for president.Jean Marie
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By seashell on Oct 1, 2007 3:23 PM EDT

Clinton's greatest strength.  Bill.  Many folks will be voting for Bill.

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By Phil Specht on Oct 1, 2007 3:25 PM EDT

machine politics at work LOL

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By Phil Specht on Oct 1, 2007 3:30 PM EDT

Rove attacks where his candidate is weak. When you point out the flaw, it becomes a draw, they are 'the same" on that characteristic.

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By FRED from OR on Oct 1, 2007 3:33 PM EDT

14.seashell :-)

Bill. Many folks will be voting for Bill.
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it's true. He's very congenial. Hillary has the brains, but I'd much rather have Bill over for dinner, if I had a choice.

Remember the Blues Bros. "stand by your man"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8bKxdPaX...

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By FRED from OR on Oct 1, 2007 3:39 PM EDT

16.Phil Specht

Rove attacks where his candidate is weak
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I don't know where i read it, but there was an analysis of his strategy and it was usually the strenghts.

For instance, Kerry was selected in large part for his military service and macho "security" image, ---enter, the Swifties.

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By roger rankin on Oct 1, 2007 3:40 PM EDT

3804

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By Michael Ellis on Oct 1, 2007 3:44 PM EDT

Heres how Hillary will deal with those dang gummed Iranians!  Forget nuking them.............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzVYP0wfEvg

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By rich^kolker on Oct 1, 2007 3:48 PM EDT

Hillary's strengths (from a Rovian attack the strengths point of view) are experience, Bill and competence.

So, if you want to go after Hillary that way:

Say if just living in the White House gives you experience, we should elect Socks!

Hit Bill on NAFTA, welfare "reform" and what he didn't do to build a Democratic majority in his eight years.

Hit competence by  talking about how she screwed up health care (this also helps on the other two) and how it cost the Dems Congress in 1994 and stopped Bill from accomplishing any major Democratic goals for the rest of his two terms, how she voted for the war, etc.

 

Of all of those, I get a grin out of the first one. 

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By Tom Bearse on Oct 1, 2007 3:50 PM EDT

Al Gore explained the phenomenon in "An Inconvenient Truth."  This is from the Newsweek article Project Green: The Power of the Sun:

"[I]n sectors like solar energy and biofuels, payrolls are growing so rapidly it's hard for researchers to keep an accurate count. Despite the lack of precise numbers, all observers agree the ranks are growing quickly. Based on the flow of venture capital, K. R. Sridhar, CEO of the fuel-cell start-up Bloom Energy, believes the clean-tech sector could produce 50,000 new jobs by 2010. (By way of comparison, General Motors' hourly work force, which briefly went on strike last week, currently numbers 73,000.) Peter Beadle, president of Greenjobs.com, cites estimates that the solar sector alone could employ 2 million people by 2020—more Americans than currently work as elementary-school teachers.

" . . . .

"The focus on all things green may be getting a little ahead of itself. Between 2005 and 2006, venture-capital investments in the clean-tech sector jumped from $623 million to $1.5 billion, with solar and biofuel garnering the biggest infusions, according to analysts at Lux Research. That's led to talk of an alt-energy bubble. 'From the perspective of investors and entrepreneurs, this is the new Internet,' says Lux Research president Matthew Nordan. Even employees at alt-energy firms acknowledge that renewable energy has suffered false starts in the past. Still, even skeptics suggest that for young workers charting a career path, the industry's allure is hard to beat. 'It's virtually impossible to beat the long-term trends in clean tech,' says Nordan."

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By FRED from OR on Oct 1, 2007 3:55 PM EDT

22. Tom Bearse

==============
Thanks to King George and his oil wars, we can count on a perpetual energy shortage and high prices to keep alternative energy going for the long term. maybe we should thank him?

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By FRED from OR on Oct 1, 2007 4:05 PM EDT

21. rich^kolker
===============

I am sure republican aides and intern will be spending many weeks going over newspaper archives of the Clinton years looking for clues. Judging from the remarks in the last Republican debate, I would say, social spending, taxes, and breakdown of moral values would be their biggest issues, and they could probably dredge up a lot of slander and spin about all that, between her and Bill.

Another thing was that Bill thought espionage was a very unimportant issue. The author of the book on the history CIA (forgot the name) said Bill Clinton was the least concerned with the agency of all the presidents in the history of the CIA. He blamed "Blackhawk down" on such indifference, and that only after many years did he start meeting with the CIA on regular basis, too little too late.

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By Tom Bearse on Oct 1, 2007 4:06 PM EDT

audrey wrote "You must be willfully not seeing the expressions of wishing for a Dean presidency on this blog."

No. Here was my comment, to which yours refers: "So have I [ruled out a Dean run for the presidency], but have you noticed any remarks on this site to the [effect] that he should run, or that people would like him to run, because they lack enthusiasm for many of the current group of candidates?"

You need to appreciate that Sitka and Mike were explaining how useless it was for me to suggest comparing Obama’s Iran policies with those of Gore or Dean, assuming for purposes of the discussion that they were candidates. I surmised there would be no substantive difference in the respective positions. I purposely asked he question to which you responded to remind Mike that many people here have suggested Dean should run, or want him to, making antipathy towards Obama in this regard all the more difficult to comprehend.

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By Phil Specht on Oct 1, 2007 4:07 PM EDT

Rovian politics: find a generally held negative perception of a personality characteristic or unpopular principled stand that you are certain will come up later and use that in an early attack, so there is an "I thought so" moment

example

McCain is of an age he will have a long day and get tired, catch him napping at an event after you have first run an ad showing your candidates vitality (Romney out for a morning run in an ad is using this one)

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By Phil Specht on Oct 1, 2007 4:09 PM EDT

It doesn't matter which candidate Democrats select; rovian politics will attack "socialized medicine".

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By FRED from OR on Oct 1, 2007 4:13 PM EDT

27. Phil Specht
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Probably. Any kind of reform proposals from a Democrat (especially Hillary), no matter how "market oriented" will be framed "socialized medicine"

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By rich^kolker on Oct 1, 2007 4:15 PM EDT

Al Oerter, the discus great who won gold medals in four straight Olympics to become one of track and field's biggest stars in the 1950s and '60s, died Monday of heart failure. He was 71.

 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/01/AR2007100101008.html

I always liked Al Oerter.  For one thing, he lived on Long Island, as I did, and between Olympics went back to his job at Grumman where he was an engineer.  He was not the favorite in any of the four Olympics where he won gold, and competed into his late 40's.  The classic amateur athlete.

 

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By Huron John on Oct 1, 2007 4:22 PM EDT
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By Phil Specht on Oct 1, 2007 4:22 PM EDT

Janet Reno was totally on top of the domestic terrorist threat and slept at the office so she could get a quick court warrant if needed to thwart a millenium attack. Bush brushed off the daily briefing on Aug. 8 2001 threat assessment that "al-Queda to attack America using planes as missles", and went back to vacation  letting Cheney exploit the levers of government for the enrichment of his cronies while he cut brush. Historians will uncover what was in the letter Clinton left for Bush in the Oval Office.

I'm pretty sure 50 years from now the record will show G.W.Bush President when al Queda hit the towers.

rovian attacks should focus on who was in charge during the greatest security lapse ... Republicans

when people b!tch about illegals; remind them who was in charge of securing the borders for the last seven years

when Bush vetoes Childrens Health Care over fiscal responsiblity as an issue, point out the size of the Republican deficit, and pass a paygo for his war by rescinding his "fiscally irresponsible" tax cut

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By Monica Smith on Oct 1, 2007 4:24 PM EDT

Phil, in answer to your question:

There isn't much of one, because there is such a vast difference in
available services. Hosting can run anywhere from $5/month to $5000/month
depending on needs. Also, quite often one can find two companies providing
virtually the same level of service but one charging many times the other.
 
I pay $18/month or so for the hosting I get for smith-family.com. This is
probably more than you might need to pay for the Congressional District
web site.

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By Huron John on Oct 1, 2007 4:25 PM EDT
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By Huron John on Oct 1, 2007 4:30 PM EDT
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By Phil Specht on Oct 1, 2007 4:31 PM EDT

Thanks Monica, the first offer was $35 a month, and I had heard google will do a stripped down job for $8. $35 isn't out of line if they provide security and backup.

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By FRED from OR on Oct 1, 2007 4:31 PM EDT

30. Phil Specht
===============
Interest. Is Janet Reno still around?

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By Phil Specht on Oct 1, 2007 4:37 PM EDT

Monica

I want the design to include a password protected work space for platform committee work with a link to a page showing our committee vote approved draft, not to be secret about anything since our meetings are open to the public, but simply to have privacy while vitual commuting to do rough work, and save a bunch of highway miles, and there was some dispute about who is responsible for security arrangements for that. The site designer or the server provider

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By Monica Smith on Oct 1, 2007 4:43 PM EDT

OK, so what exactly is wrong with being socialized?  Isn't social the opposite of selfish and aren't Republicans opposed to selfishness?  Seems to me that somebody's either confused or wanting to confuse.

Yes, there are some people who are opposed to social security.  Most of them are people who thrive on others feeling in-secure.  Why should we pander to these anti-social beings?

What we need to remember is that Rovians hijack terminology for the simple purpose of denying their antagonists its use.  The irony is that by not using the targeted terminology, we inadvertently re-inforce the negatives.  So, for example, by not using the term social, we suggest agreement with its designation as a negative attribute.  

When we come to consider socialized medecine, it's entirely logical and appropriate that there be social involvement in determining its appropriateness and cost, since the individual who needs the service is not equipped to make an informed decision as to either.  In other words, cutting out social involvement merely facilitates the activities of shysters and charlatans and other opportunistic operators--i.e. cutting out social involvement simply serves the criminal element.  Why would anyone want to do that, unless they happen to be of a similar criminal mind-set?

I don't think it's a personal attack to point out that a particular policy is socially destructive.  I can think of no valid reason to oppose societal involvement in medicine.  If there's any time in a person's life when he/she needs social support and involvement, it's when someone is angling to cut off a piece or infuse the body with poisons. 

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By roger rankin on Oct 1, 2007 4:43 PM EDT

DEAN '08!

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By Phil Specht on Oct 1, 2007 4:47 PM EDT

I remember rich's  "campaign in a box" and I am hoping someone has Congressional District Web Site in a box that includes a virtual work space. The essential we agreed on were to have county links to a master calendar, links to the official Congressman's portal, RSSS content feed from the Party and press secretary, youtube capability like here, (but never on the first page, due to sensitivity to the vast rural part on dial-up). We are going to pay someone several hundred dollars just to design the site, but I think a front page that  has just a few links and loads quickly for convienience with much else archived and a click away, Since we are all volunteers I think the monthly server bill will have to include items which might normally go to the webmaster.

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By Susan Rowe on Oct 1, 2007 4:52 PM EDT

Supreme Injustices

"It is not often in the law that so few have so quickly changed so much."–U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer

The addition of Justices Roberts and Alito swung the Supreme Court dramatically to the right. Hosted by Emmy-award winning actor Bradley Whitford, Supreme Injustices examines the impact of the first full term of the Roberts Court. Thought an exploration of the personal stories behind two of this term’s most controversial cases, addressing the legal of Brown v. Board of Education, workers and civil rights, we learn just how much power the Supreme Court has to affect the lives of ordinary Americans.

watch the film: http://www.afj.org/for-students/supreme-...

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By FRED from OR on Oct 1, 2007 4:56 PM EDT

39.Monica Smith

OK, so what exactly is wrong with being socialized? Isn't social the opposite of selfish and aren't Republicans opposed to selfishness? Seems to me that somebody's either confused or wanting to confuse...

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We should call it "State insurance" because that is exactly what we need, a Government alternative that will rival the Private, for profit system, that if used (on a strictly voluntary basis,) will entitle people to tax deductions/tax credits to compensate for payroll health deductions used to pay for the State insurance.

Premiums and copays would be on sliding scale, starting at zero to no limit. Copays would be tax deductible.

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By Monica Smith on Oct 1, 2007 5:02 PM EDT

37.

To answer some of your question:

The site designer would typically be responsible for implementing this sort of thing. The hosting company will typically provide just a bare system that can be configured as desired by the customer. The hosting provider would be responsible for the physical security of the machine as well as file system level security. Application level security (which we're talking about here) would be the customer's responsibility.
 

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By mprov on Oct 1, 2007 5:12 PM EDT

Obama raises $20 million in third quarter
Democrat unveils totals as primary contests near

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/ob...

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By floridagal . on Oct 1, 2007 5:31 PM EDT

South Carolina Democratic chairwomen is afraid to come to Florida.  I can't say that I blame here.  With Geller threatening to sue her state along with the other 3 for inimidating candidates...and being rogue terrorist states...can''t blame her. 

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1533

She's afraid they might shoot her.   I would laugh but it is too embarassing.

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By Monica Smith on Oct 1, 2007 5:45 PM EDT

42.

Let me respond as a person who hasn't had a medical examination or visit to a doctor's office for about 25 years (i can't remember what year I got mono and had the doctor tell me I would just have to rest and take it easy until I got over it), that insurance is not the answer and co-pays just add unnecessary paper-work.  

One of the things that's happened to the health care industry is that because remuneration has been artificially restricted, providers are motivated to schedule reviews and checkups on a regular basis, regardless of need.  I figure that by failing to have regular check-ups, I've avoided taking estrogen during menopause (which has now been found to be ill-advised, if not simply harmful) and I've avoided getting mamograms and pap smears (which have now been adjudged to be mostly useless) and I've also avoided the risk of contacting some contageous infection from some really sick person who happened to be in a waiting room at the same time as myself. 

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By jao Wight on Oct 1, 2007 5:45 PM EDT
167.
puddle
Mon, 10/01/07
2:00 pm

Reply to this

Bill would return to office (essentially) under the skirttails of his wife becoming President --

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

That might could work. . . . Only that I doubt that Bill has been under Hillary's skirt in a good long time. . . .

 

_____________________

Brought this forward... Too good....You make me laugh, puddle..

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By Huron John on Oct 1, 2007 6:11 PM EDT

I'm really sorry that Indy Steve feels that this blog is dying. We've certainly evolved from the heady days of the Dean campaign, when it seemed briefly that the "Democratic Wing" was going to take back the Democratic Party, then take back our country.

I do agree that there is less collegiality, and a fairly clear division between Democratic loyalists and those (like myself) who believe that the Democrats are the 21st Century Whigs.  But even though the parameters have changed greatly, there is still a current of energy directed toward disentanging this Nation from the web of corruption and social darwinism (not to mention the bogus "war on terror" and all its manifestations) in which the incredibly evil Bush administration has placed us.

I'm confident that BFA will survive the horrors still to come, and hope  we can influence the course of events in a positive way.

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By seashell on Oct 1, 2007 6:15 PM EDT

If the repugs blather on about socialized medicine, lets' us talk about how we  now have socialized education, socialized upkeep on roads, socialized medicare etc.  We can't let them control the dialogue anymore.

Or...

compassionate medicine, compassionte health care, modern healthcare...something like that.  Let's steal the "compassionate" away from those turkeys. 

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By seashell on Oct 1, 2007 6:27 PM EDT

Another in a long line of articles that is beating the drum.

Chorus of Bush Advisers Seek Iran War
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/100107B.shtml
Ros Taylor, of The Guardian UK, reports, "John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the United Nations, told Tory delegates today that efforts by the UK and the EU to negotiate with Iran had failed and that he saw no alternative to a pre-emptive strike on suspected nuclear facilities in the country." Sarah Baxter reports for The Times UK: "One of the founding fathers of neoconservatism has privately urged President George W Bush to bomb Iran rather than allow it to acquire nuclear weapons." Simon Walters reports for The Daily Mail UK: "British MPs visiting the Pentagon to discuss America's stance on Iran and Iraq were shocked to be told by one of President Bush's senior ... officials: 'I hate all Iranians.'"

 

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By seashell on Oct 1, 2007 6:38 PM EDT

If it's Clinton/Guiliani, the votes will be counted very quickly.

Repugs 5

Dems 4

The rest will stay home. 

CNN reporting that the fundis are so upset with the thought of Rudy, that there's talk of a third party.  So let's rephrase the numbers.

Repugs 5

Dems  4

New fundi party  33 million

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By Sitka on Oct 1, 2007 6:52 PM EDT

No one can say with any accuracy or meaning how other people will vote  in 08. It's just a way of dissing those we don't like. Unelectability is as big a canard as electability.

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By seashell on Oct 1, 2007 6:53 PM EDT

52, tongue in cheek, my dear.

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By FRED from OR on Oct 1, 2007 6:55 PM EDT

48.Huron John

...I'm confident that BFA will survive the horrors still to come, and hope we can influence the course of events in a positive way.
================

If you start posting more positive things, maybe that will happen. The effort of people trying to turn this blog into a fiefdom of their own image, ideas and non-partisan idea of what is a progressive ideal, is what will kill it.

The free flow of all points of view, WITHOUT anyone, or any highly active few, trying to dominate it with their own POV will save it in the Dean tradition.

You cannot change the course of events by trying to dominate the conversation, and/or by humiliating those who disagree with you. That will only distill the participation of the blog to only those who agree with you already. What have you gained?

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By Sitka on Oct 1, 2007 6:57 PM EDT

If the repugs blather on about socialized medicine, lets' us talk about how we  now have socialized education, socialized upkeep on roads, socialized medicare etc.  We can't let them control the dialogue anymore.

Michaels Moore has it figured out, When asked the "socialized medicine" question he just asks in return, "do you approve of Medicare? Because that's what it is -- socialized medicine."

I really think we've turned the corner on that red herring.  Americans are ready for "socialized" medicine if DCDems would only grow the spines to realize it. 

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By Sitka on Oct 1, 2007 6:58 PM EDT

52, tongue in cheek, my dear. 

Unelectability seems to the only argument left to stop Hillary. Too bad it's a hollow one. 

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By Sitka on Oct 1, 2007 7:01 PM EDT

I'm really sorry that Indy Steve feels that this blog is dying.

He was just in a funk because I posted Edwards' brown nosing speech to the DLC back in 2002. 

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By FRED from OR on Oct 1, 2007 7:02 PM EDT

48.Huron John

I do agree that there is less collegiality, and a fairly clear division between Democratic loyalists and those (like myself)who believe that the Democrats are the 21st Century Whigs.

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

Democratic Loyalists

or

those (like myself)

John, it is so obvious that you try to pigeon-hole every person here as either WITH YOU or AGAINST YOU, as a "blue" Democrat or a "true" Democrat (or just a "true" good people.)

You set yourself as judge and jury - a witch hunt.

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By Sitka on Oct 1, 2007 7:06 PM EDT

I do agree that there is less collegiality, and a fairly clear division between Democratic loyalists and those (like myself)who believe that the Democrats are the 21st Century Whigs.

It could be that both parties are that way, with their left and right splitting from each respectively. It wouldn't surprise me if the remaining Repos and Dems then joined together as the Demoblican or Republicrat party, which they virtually are now anyway.

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By Sitka on Oct 1, 2007 7:12 PM EDT

With conservatives trying to organize voting "third" party this in light of what they see as GOP betrayels, this would be the perfect time for liberals to do the same.

Where's Ralph when we really need him? 

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By Sitka on Oct 1, 2007 7:15 PM EDT

Pay no attention to the little man with the bag of insults.

Tango_trance_tinythumb

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By seashell on Oct 1, 2007 7:22 PM EDT

How quaint.  The dems are now wanting to pass resolutions preventing neener neener name calling.  Fearless leader Reid is leading the charge.

Let's just sew everyone's mouth shut, OK?  Who needs that pesky amendment anyway? 

The problem with Limbaugh is that he's an untreated drug addict and a criminal who's not been treated or jailed.  If he were to begin a healing process, he'd go off the air. 

 

Tango_trance_tinythumb

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By seashell on Oct 1, 2007 7:23 PM EDT

Sorry, Sitka, but Clinton is as unelectable as Kerry was electable.

Tango_trance_tinythumb

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By seashell on Oct 1, 2007 7:25 PM EDT

Yeah, Nader is very quiet, isn't he?  Paid off?  Backing the *leaders?*Running as VP with Al?  :-)

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By FRED from OR on Oct 1, 2007 7:26 PM EDT

59. Sitka

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Interesting observation - and I have no objection, but such things evolve in their own way and no one should set themselves up as decider of who belongs to what camp, etc.

I am all for multi-party, and if there is such a revolution waiting to happen we should try to write a bill or amend the Constitution, if necessary, to have run-off election, for all Federal offices, if no one candidate has 50% or more of the votes cast, or else this Democracy may be headed for doom.

Tango_trance_tinythumb

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By seashell on Oct 1, 2007 7:29 PM EDT

Hersh was just on Blitzie.  So here it is.  Another *war.*  We must keep on killing to protect those who will be killed.

 Why can't we impeach these *&*&^^%$?


Seymour Hersh | Shifting Targets: New Plans for Iran
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/100107J.shtml
Seymour Hersh, of The New Yorker, reports: "in a series of public statements in recent months, President Bush and members of his Administration have redefined the war in Iraq, to an increasing degree, as a strategic battle between the United States and Iran. 'Shia extremists, backed by Iran, are training Iraqis to carry out attacks on our forces and the Iraqi people,' Bush told the national convention of the American Legion in August. 'The attacks on our bases and our troops by Iranian-supplied munitions have increased.... The Iranian regime must halt these actions. And, until it does, I will take actions necessary to protect our troops.' He then concluded, to applause, 'I have authorized our military commanders in Iraq to confront Tehran's murderous activities.'"
 

 

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By FRED from OR on Oct 1, 2007 7:30 PM EDT

Does anybody know where the terms "left" and "right" come from? does it come from Democratics being on the left side of the aisle in the Senate and the House, and the Republicans on the Right side? When did they start using these terms?

Tango_trance_tinythumb

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By seashell on Oct 1, 2007 7:32 PM EDT
Or we could always just tow it out to sea, sink it, and it’d make a great artificial reef by Mark Drolette | Oct 1 2007 - 2:20pm |  permalink
article tools: email | print | read more Mark Drolette

Amongst liberals, a popular American parlor game these days (in addition to trying to determine where the popular American parlors are), is to ponder this question: “How, exactly, will America’s long dark nightmare end?”

A typical response to this loaded query (a reply too often accompanied by a gratuitous snarky aside about President Cheney’s plan to nuke Iran in the next seven minutes) goes like this:

“What makes you think it’s gonna end?”

And this is the optimistic version.

Well, “Fie!” say I. Any gloomy Gus can write about how terrible things are and how much worse things will get, but aren’t there other possible scenarios, too, even shiny, happy perky ones? Of course there are! Now, I’ll admit, things may be a tad dicey at the moment, but just as sure as Iraq is well on the IED-laden road to freedom and democracy -- you know, just like we have here -- there are any number of post-Bushian possibilities for America, and none of which, mind you, include the cynical projection of living in a society under constant secret surveillance, stripped of civil liberties, pulsating with fear, run by corporations, perpetually at war and in which rigged elections preclude prospect for any real change.

article continues...
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By FRED from OR on Oct 1, 2007 7:38 PM EDT

left wing
The liberal or radical faction of a political group, as in Many consider him a leader of the Democratic Party's left wing. This expression originated in the seating practice of European legislatures, whereby those holding liberal views were assigned to the left side of the house. [First half of 1800s]

left

In political terms, now indicative of the radical or progressive socialist spectrum, but originally literally a spatial term. In the French estates general of 1789, commoners sat on the left of the king, because the nobles were in the position of honour on his right. This is the connection with the root sense of ‘left’ as pertaining to ‘the hand that is normally the weaker of the two’, a pejorative association also found in French gauche, Latin sinister, and their derivatives. In the assemblies of the French Revolution this evolved into a custom that the radical and egalitarian members sat towards the left-hand side of the assembly, viewed from the presiding officer's chair (and higher up, so that some of them were labelled the ‘Mountain’).

http://www.answers.com/topic/left-wing-p...

Tango_trance_tinythumb

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By seashell on Oct 1, 2007 7:42 PM EDT

How does a woman who's handcuffed behind her back strangle herself?  Just ask the police. 

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-- An autopsy was planned Monday for a 45-year-old mother of three who died in police custody at Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport.

art.womandead.jpg

Carol Ann Gotbaum, in an undated family photo, may have accidentally strangled herself while in custody.

Carol Ann Gotbaum was arrested at the airport Friday for alleged disorderly conduct, said Phoenix Police Department spokesman Sgt. Andy Hill.

Police handcuffed Gotbaum with her hands behind her back and took her to a holding cell, where she was later found dead, said Hill.

Police "found her with the handcuffs up by her neck area," Hill said. Gotbaum was unconscious and police and firefighters tried to revive her by CPR and other means, Hill said. "They could not revive her and tragically, she died." Video Watch police describe woman's death »

Hill said Gotbaum -- the daughter-in-law of longtime New York labor leader Victor Gotbaum -- may have accidentally strangled herself while trying to escape from the handcuffs.

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"There are many people that are able to get handcuffs around their back and get them up and around," Hill said. How the handcuffs "got placed on that neck area ... we don't know yet."

A spokeswoman for the Maricopa County medical examiner said an autopsy would be conducted Monday morning on Gotbaum.

On Saturday, Hill said investigators guessed that "Gotbaum had possibly tried to manipulate the handcuffs from behind her to the front, got tangled up in the process, and they ended up around her neck area."

Airport witnesses told police Friday that Gotbaum was "very loud, she was yelling and screaming and running around the concourse area," said Hill. Police "could not calm her down" and "it was very difficult for them to get her handcuffed." However, arresting officers "did not have to pepper spray her or [use a TASER device] on her or anything else," Hill said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/10/01/phoenix.airport.death/index.html?eref=time_us 

 

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By mprov on Oct 1, 2007 7:55 PM EDT

http://www.blogforamerica.com/view/22413...

new thread's been there a while...

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By seashell on Oct 1, 2007 7:58 PM EDT

Stopping the madmen in the BH.  It can be done, but will it?

***************** 

This past July, Colorado Congressman Mark Udall introduced a companion measure, House Resolution 3119, with identical language.  I'm suggesting they both go even further, to include a pledge to initiate or support impeachment proceedings if Bush initiated such an attack without explicit Congressional authorization. In the House, such a resolution wouldn't even need Senate ratification (or overcoming a Republican filibuster or Bush veto), since the House can initiate impeachment proceedings on its own. While such a line-drawing Senate bill could be vetoed or filibustered, it can still assert a fundamental constitutional prerogative, with a commitment to follow through if Bush violated it.

http://www.paulloeb.org/articles/IranPetition.html 

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By FRED from OR on Oct 1, 2007 8:12 PM EDT

78. seashell :-)

===============
Good idea. In the Senate I believe Feingold and Wyden are both (at least ethnically) Jewish, and both voted against Kyl-Leiberman. Maybe they would have better moral authority to sponsor it.

Dean_tinythumb

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By Sitka on Oct 1, 2007 9:30 PM EDT

Sorry, Sitka, but Clinton is as unelectable as Kerry was electable.

In that case, put your money on the next President Clinton. 

Dean_tinythumb

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By Sitka on Oct 1, 2007 9:31 PM EDT

Yeah, Nader is very quiet, isn't he?  Paid off?  Backing the *leaders?*Running as VP with Al?  :-)

He too is waiting for Goredot. 

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By Phil Specht on Oct 1, 2007 9:34 PM EDT

Richardson and Dodd are clearest in articulating the need for the next President to unilaterally undo the unitary executive doctrine to preserve the Constitution. That question should be posed to the others. Supporters out there have any answers before we begin the poll here. Links?

Sharon_christmas_angel_119_tinythumb

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By Phil Specht on Oct 1, 2007 9:39 PM EDT

Sitka the great blog Hillary defender. Who'd a thunk it.

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