just stopping by to say hello.

Be well.

Howar Dean is FIRST.

Time for

a COOL

change,

GORE

2008 

Dean is first.

Linda that snow machine driver looks a little too much like a seal and the window looks a little too open for me to enjoy that polar bear shot.

Happy Holidays.

Good morning everyone! I just scanned the NY Times. Everyone trying to
diss the other candidate. My, my.

I'm off to do some Christmas shopping with my son. This should be
a real treat. He loves doing this every year. He and my daughter
did quite a bit last week to help out at the Senior Center. I feel blessed
to have kids who would rather give although my son did ask for lots
of chocolate since he's not wrestling for a few weeks. LOL

Everyone trying to
diss the other candidate. My, my.

It all evens out since there's no shortage of people trying to sell them.

Sift through it all. Keep the facts. Toss the trash. 

auh, yes, the holiday season, celebrate life.

Rome lights up Colosseum to celebrate UN vote on death penalty, abolition in New Jersey



The Associated Press

Published: December 19, 2007


ROME: The city of Rome lit up the Colosseum on Wednesday to celebrate a U.N. vote calling for a moratorium on the death penalty and a decision by the U.S. state of New Jersey to abolish capital punishment.

The ancient arena was bathed in white light as Italy celebrated the U.N. General Assembly resolution approved Tuesday despite opposition by supporters of the death penalty, including the United States, Iran and China.

Italy, a firm opponent of capital punishment, spearheaded the drive for the nonbinding resolution, which was co-sponsored by European Union states and 60 other countries.

Italy also hailed the signing Monday of a law abolishing the death penalty in New Jersey, making it the first U.S. state to abolish capital punishment in more than 40 years.

Rome's Colosseum, once the arena for deadly gladiator combat and executions, has become a symbol of Italy's fight against capital punishment. Since 1999, the 1st century monument has been lit up every time a death sentence is commuted somewhere in the world or a country abolishes capital punishment.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/19/europe/EU-GEN-Italy-Death-Penalty.php

The ancient arena was bathed in white light as Italy celebrated the U.N. General Assembly resolution approved Tuesday despite opposition by supporters of the death penalty, including the United States, Iran and China.

That's some great company we keep. 

BUG REPORT

This might be another bug in the blog's program.

...Promoted Thursday, 12/20/07 @ 11:00 am. Published Thursday, 12/20/07 @ 11:03 am. Linked to Florida DFA....

This post got promoted before it was published? Very strange?

As Phil likes to ask "Who lost Russia?".

Now, what's more important for the rest of the World, that somebody has (or hasn't) "lost Russia" or that Russia hasn't lost itself?...lol!
--------------

http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?arti...

Putin: U.S. mars Russia's image and rejects friendship
Wed Dec 19, 2007 5:41pm EST


MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the United States of trying to undermine Russia to further its global dominance and said Washington had ignored Moscow's attempts to build a friendship.

In an interview with Time magazine, which named the Russian president its "Person of the Year" for 2007 on Wednesday, Putin said Washington had adopted its strategy of belittling Russia to try to influence the country's domestic and foreign policy.

"I believe ... this is a single-minded attempt to create a certain image of Russia which allows (Washington) to influence our internal and external policy," Putin said in the interview posted on the Kremlin's official site www.kremlin.ru.

"Russia hasn't only said but also repeatedly demonstrated by its entire policy in the last 15 years that we do not only want to be America's partner, but a friend as well," he said.

"But sometimes I have the impression that America does not need friends. We have the impression that America needs vassals to command."

He said the United States was trying to "seek problems inside Russia all the time".

"That's why they tell us and all the others, 'Well, let's pinch and reproach them a bit, because they (Russians) are not quite civilized, they are still wild, they have just jumped off a tree. This is why we must comb their hair a bit -- they cannot do it themselves -- and shave them and wash off their mud'."
...........

"GREAT MISTAKE"

The 55-year-old ex-KGB agent has been criticized for backtracking on democratic reforms. He has accused the West of meddling in Russia's internal affairs by financing its liberal opposition which he dismisses as "a bunch of marginals".

Putin said Russia must get rid of the legacy of its Soviet-era history when the Soviet Union tried to lead a universal communist revolution.

"This was a great mistake," he said. "We don't want to rule anyone, we don't want to be a superpower of any kind. ... But we want to have enough forces to be able to defend ourselves, to protect our interests."
...............
Asked to explain earlier statements that the demise of the Soviet Union was "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century", Putin replied: "I meant not the political aspect of the Soviet Union's break-up, but the humanitarian one."

He said 25 million ethnic Russians became foreigners in other ex-Soviet states after the Soviet Union's collapse, often having no means to visit their motherland.
.................
Asked how he felt being a "national leader" -- a term coined by loyalists specially for Putin's post-presidency period -- he replied: "I never felt and don't feel like being one right now."

"I feel like such a workhorse drawing a heavily laden cart. And I must say, I in general get pleasure, depending on how fast and how efficiently I manage to keep moving in this direction."

http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?arti...

Progressive Democrats Of America To Support Edwards For President: http://www.blogforamerica.com/view/23337...

<>DCDems Latest Compromise Used As Excuse To Go Backward

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday denied California and 16 other states the right to set their own standards for carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles.

The E.P.A. administrator, Stephen L. Johnson, said the proposed California rules were pre-empted by federal authority and made moot by the energy bill signed into law by President Bush on Wednesday. Mr. Johnson said California had failed to make a compelling case that it needed authority to write its own standards for greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks to help curb global warming.

The decision immediately provoked a heated debate over its scientific basis and whether political pressure was applied by the automobile industry to help it escape the proposed California regulations. Officials from the states and numerous environmental groups vowed to sue to overturn the edict.

Let's hear some more party apologists brag about the great environmental bill enacted by Democrats and eagerly signed by Bush. 

Progressive Democrats Of America To Support Edwards For President:

That lets me out since I'm a liberal. 

As Phil likes to ask "Who lost Russia?".

What was never had can't be lost. 

Thanks for the heads up on the radio event.

Some of you have messages on DFAlink.

Former Democratic Rep. Cynthia McKinney, who was ousted from office last year after a headline-grabbing scuffle with a Capitol Hill police officer, has decided to seek the presidency -- as a Green Party candidate.

Can't say how I'll vote. but if the Greens ask me to sign a petition to get her on my ballot, I will. 

The question "Who lost China?" was used by Nixon as Eisenhower's V.P. successfully in leveraging his anti-communist credentials into a Presidency later. Even though that fear later turned into the misguided notion that China was behind Ho Chi Minh's anti-colonial struggle.and a domino

Yalta and Potsdam had consequences that led to the deaths of many tensof thousand of US soldiers and millions of others.

just asking the question about Russia so we think our actions through

I salute Kenneth for this thread post and all of the individuals and organizations who are working to get the useless Democrats off the dime on impeachment!

"The Democrats do not speak for us," she said. "The Democrats are no different than their Republican counterparts."

Too many at least. 

DEMOCRATS BLOW THEIR OPPORTUNITY

http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/linkframe.php?linkid=47896

The first Democratic-led Congress in a dozen years limped out of Washington last night with a lengthy list of accomplishments, from the first increase in fuel-efficiency standards in a generation to the first minimum-wage hike in a decade.

But Democrats' failure to address the central issues that swept them to power left even the most partisan of them dissatisfied and Congress mired at a historic low in public esteem.

Handed control of Congress last year after making promises to end the war in Iraq, restore fiscal discipline in Washington and check President Bush's powers, Democrats instead closed the first session of the 110th Congress yesterday with House votes that sent Bush $70 billion in war funding, with no strings attached, and a $50 billion alternative-minimum-tax measure that shattered their pledge not to add to the federal budget deficit.

When Cynthia McKinney blogged here live during a book club it freaked some people out as I remember it. She should be a pretty good fit as a candidate for the some of you that see Howard's 50 state quest a lost cause. She seems a better Green Party fit than Nader. Democrats are the worse for her and those like hers loss

Shout out to Bill in Madison. Go for it.

The first Democratic-led Congress in a dozen years limped out of Washington last night with a lengthy list of accomplishments, from the first increase in fuel-efficiency standards in a generation to the first minimum-wage hike in a decade

Which nobody seems to have questioned why it was passed so easily by a corrupt corporate Congress and signed so eagerly by Bush. 

Because it's actually not only slows the adoption of higher pollution standards which are already technologically possible, but moves us backward in the effort to reduce CO2 emissions by undercutting the requirement of better standards by states. 

Three cheers for the DCDems! They've done it (to us) again!

17.

Phil Specht
Thu, 12/20/07

.......so we think our actions through
----------

Agree.

I just felt what he was saying about:

"Russia hasn't only said but also repeatedly demonstrated by its entire policy in the last 15 years that we do not only want to be America's partner, but a friend as well.

But sometimes I have the impression that America does not need friends. We have the impression that America needs vassals to command."

One can lost Russia one only once: the first and...the last time.
Of course, one may try to find it back...BUT to succeed now it must be the different one.

Phil -

Just curious are you or your son familiar with any of these IA chairs ?

Jim Jameson—Appanoose County Democratic Chair

Bob Nelson—Audubon County Democratic Chair

Ron Donald—Benton County Democratic Chair

Becky Lyon—Boone County Democratic Chair

Howard "Butch" Heisterkamp—Carroll County Democratic Chair

Vern Harper—Franklin County Democratic Chair

Brian Kingsolver—Fremont County Democratic Chair

Nicole Friess-Schilling—Greene County Democratic Chair

John Cramer—Guthrie County Democratic Chair

Gloria Goll—Hancock County Democratic Chair

Terry Kocker—Humboldt County Democratic Chair

Steve Hanson—Iowa County Democratic Chair

Buzz Malone—Lucas County Democratic Chair

Joe Judge—Monroe County Democratic Chair

Dennis Cole—Page County Democratic Chair

Chuck Wredt—Pottawattamie County Democratic Chair

Carl Vandermeulen—Sioux County Democratic Chair

Jan Bauer – Story County Democratic Chair

Steve Prickett—Van Buren County Democratic Chair

John Ralls—Winnebago County Democratic Chair

QUESTIONS FOR "OBAMANITES"

http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=472&Itemid=1

I have a question for some Obamanites: what has he done to prove that he's a legit anti-war progressive? What bills has he pushed through the senate to prove that he's dedicated to ending this war? And please don't bring up that mawkish 2004 speech of his because that was nothing more but typical rhetoric with him. If one looks very closely at Obama's record he's no different than Clinton, and sadly, black people know this! However, they'll support him anyway, for in a sick way it makes some of them -- mostly buppies -- feel a sense of pride knowing they have accomplished the unthinkable: electing a black man as president. It seems that some buppies care more about electing a black man rather than electing the right person to rehabilitate this country and bring this war to a close. Many buppies can gleefully say to their white counterparts, "Hey, we're just as smart and capable to run this country too -- look at Obama!" Tragically, this is the sorry legacy that Jim Crow has brought to many of us: we'll pimp whoever is appealing and acceptable to White America as a positive symbol -- even when said person does not have their constituency's best interest at heart -- just to feel some form of self-worth and gratification. To quote Adolph Reed, Jr., "We have to do better."

 Kucinich does not have a shot, no doubt, but John Edwards has spoken more about the issues that effect poor blacks far more vividly than either Obama or Clinton. Then again, I must remind myself, only in America do we treat our presidential elections like the Miss America pageant; style over substance is the key to winning elections (just ask Ronald Reagan). As long as Obama can give his own version of "Morning in America" to the gullible public, they'll fall for it the same way they did with Reagan in the 80s.

there is, actually, another new thread.

I have a question for some Obamanites: what has he done to prove that he's a legit anti-war progressive? What bills has he pushed through the senate to prove that he's dedicated to ending this war?

In all fairness, what has anybody "pushed through" to end the occupation? 

Kucinich does not have a shot, no doubt, but John Edwards has spoken more about the issues that effect poor blacks far more vividly than either Obama or Clinton.

Edwards speaks a lot, that's for sure. But what did he "push through" to back up his rhetoric when he had the chance?

Anyone who supports Edwards or not is invited to answer that question. 

Like you, I feel the excitement building in Iowa and throughout the country.

Democrats are motivated, inspired, energized - we are ready for new Presidential leadership in 2008.

But we can't wait until next January to start turning the page on the Bush era.  We have to stand up to him today and every day until he leaves the Oval Office.  We have to move forward now and not wait through another year of failed policy initiatives and misplaced priorities.  Our time is now.

And in the Congress, there is no one who has stood stronger against President Bush than I have.  In fact, I am the single most-vetoed Senator in Washington these days, and I wear that distinction as a badge of honor.

Please stand with the most vetoed Senator by making a donation before theyear-end fundraising deadline!

The Senate has twice passed my stem cell bill to pave the way for science to find cures to Parkinson's disease, cancer, diabetes and other diseases that affect our friends and loved ones.  And, as you might guess, the president has twice vetoed my legislation.

But we're not done yet.  I will keep fighting until we have enough votes to override his vetoes and restore hope for the millions of Americans battling these diseases everyday.

We defied him by adding funding for cancer research, education, health care, Head Start and home-heating assistance to my health-and-education appropriations bill last month.  Yes, he vetoed that too.

But we're not discouraged.  We have to continue to stand up for our shared values and keep fighting to overturn his critical mistakes.

Now, Bush is threatening a veto on the new Farm Bill that I passed as Chairman of the Agriculture Committee.  Among many things, the bill provides fresh fruits and vegetables to elementary students.  But, the president would rather spend $12 billion a month on his war in Iraq.  Trust me, you haven't heard the last of this one either.