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Kucinich purge in TX?
I just read that the Dem Party of TX has purged Kucinich from the ballot because he refused to sign a "loyalty oath" to support the party's eventual nominee. He's filed suit to get back on. DFA should support him in this. It violates his first and fourteenth amendment rights. I'm pretty sure he will and hope he does support the nominee, and if they want, the party should certainly publicize that he doesn't want to pledge such support, to bring public pressure on him to do so. But to PURGE him from the ballot? Absolutely not. Especially in the midst of all our hype and hoopla about how we're the "Party of Change" bla bla bla??? It's positively Rovian, and should not stand. As Howard has said a zillion times, "we're BETTER THAN THAT!" Let's see us be better than that in this issue. Support Kucinich's right to be heard and voted for. What are they afraid of, exactly?
Howard Dean is first here!
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Well, I don't know about a pledge, but we did recently have a well-known situation where one Dem primary loser got into a snit and ran as a Dem-Independent, taking votes away from the candidates that Dem primary voters wanted.
Perhaps that man should have taken a pledge. If he had, Ned Lamont would now be a Senator.
Of course, the Dem party is NOT a cult, but it does seem that if one runs in a primary as a Dem, one should BE one, and one should support the eventual nominee of the Dem party.
Dennis is getting desperate, IMO. It's not pretty.
Sorry, please strike the "s;" it s/b *candidate that Dem primary voters wanted*
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Now off for a time.
2. Obama/Hillary
5. "Thumper" altho I love his passion for stopping the killing.
JE says he has a personal stake in this and I'm convinced about his sincerity. I agree with Linda SF...If IA saw these same candidates, it's very odd that Obama won so big.
Hillary's manners are terrible, interrupting and demanding time. Neither she nor BO copped to previous debate gaffes. And she played the female sex card and in a subtle way, BO played the black card - CHANGE from man to woman, white to black. Not good to do that IMO.
What is with all this signing of pledges deal? Weren't people asked to sign pledges to caucus for clinton? It's outrageous.
Perhaps people need to be reminded that they pledged an oath to protect the Constitution.
When do you spose Pelosi and Reid will wake up? Will this do it? How long has this been going on w/o our knowing? Infiltrator, my a$$.
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Iraqi soldier 'killed US troops'A militant "infiltrator" in the Iraqi army deliberately shot dead two US soldiers during a joint patrol, officials say.
article tools: email | print | read more Weldon Berger
Barack Obama's speech following his Iowa caucus victory has been described as inspirational. The reaction seems much more a measure of how desperate many people are for inspiration than of any inherent value in Obama's oratory, which seemed to me to be a largely substance-free exercise in exceptionalism.
Obama used the word "change" six times, and "hope", 11. He described his victory as singular, something upon which people would look back years from now and remember as "the moment when it all began", "the moment ... when we rallied people of all parties and ages to a common cause", "the moment when we finally beat back the policies of fear and doubts and cynicism". He said his supporters "came together as Democrats, Republicans and independents*, to stand up and say that we are one nation. We are one people. And our time for change has come."
But hope is not a plan; it's a thing with feathers. And change is guaranteed, assuming there's an election.
» article continues...This is so discouraging. How could clinton come outta tonight beating Edwards? It makes no sense. What is going on with these early voters. Clinton over Edwards? Pathetic.
FLASH: RASMUSSEN New Hampshire Poll: Obama 37% Clinton 27%... MORE...
What's with all this "loyalty" and "pledge" garbage coming from Democrats all over the place? The Dem Party is looking more and more like the GOP every day. But then, they too often govern like them, so why not act like them?
How could clinton come outta tonight beating Edwards? It makes no sense. What is going on with these early voters. Clinton over Edwards? Pathetic.
It's probably because Edwards has the same record as Clinton, but not the same machine.
That poll is from before the debate. The next one will reveal the results of the debate. Given the voters concerns Edwards will do fine as ex-Hillary supporters look for a new home.
sitka is in the strange position of having to hope for an Edwards win somewhere or Iowa will be first again in four years
In Iowa you just have to attest that you are a Democrat, there is no loyalty oath.
sitka is in the strange position of having to hope for an Edwards win somewhere or Iowa will be first again in four years
My low opinion of the Iowa caucuses and of the entire primary system are not dependent upon the outcome in this season.
and you will be griping about it again in four years
did anyone listen to the repub debate? imo it should be a NO-BRAINER to support the dem nominee. but some folks apparently feel another 4 to 8 years of the same assault on our country would be preferable to certain dems. probably voted for Nader last time too, huh? duh! petty bs.
I dont want another dlc tool like Hillary or Richardson but they are highly preferable to any of the repugs. if we continue to supply our gov't with good grassroot progressives the dlc'ers will continue to lose their power base.
Hillary did not 'win' the debate but of course her spinmeisters, her MACHINE will say otherwise. looking at the polls the voters in NH and the folks who trade on this contest disagree. Hillary lost 10 points on intrade last night and Obama gained 9 - it's now 55 to 41...
probably voted for Nader last time too, huh? duh! petty bs.
Nope. Voted for Gore and Kerry. Can't say who I'll vote for this time, but my mind is more open than ever.
If Democrats want my vote they'll need to govern and campaign as Democrats all the way to the wire. It hasn't made more than a cosmetic difference having them in control of Congress so far, so I might as well shop around for other candidates to give my vote to.
I dont want another dlc tool like Hillary or Richardson but they are highly preferable to any of the repugs
Over the past couple of decades, the cumulative effect of voting for the lesser of evils has been greater evil.
I thought both BO and HC were less than stellar tonight. And a tire as they all were, JE reached deep down and found his passion again.
I do like Obama a lot but my take is that people like him the way they would like a new and novel rare pet. This is not to demean him in any way, but I do think that he draws the mental types as well as the people who like shiny new things. I can see why intellectuals would vote for him and I can also see why people who know little to nothing about what's really going on would vote for him. He has broad appeal. Unfortunately, the article I posted above is almost completely spot on. That speech was arrogant. He is not the beginning or the end. That attitutude belongs to Hillary. :-)
Edwards, OTOH, appeals to people who use both left and right brain well and are emotionally intelligent and willing to forgive and move out of the past. Edwards has humility which is totally lacking in Hillary and is on its way to being lacking in Obama.
The question then becomes: who do you trust? For me it's
1.Gore
2. Dodd
3. Edwards
Disclaimer: These are gen'l statements; late night thoughts.
And.....I have to wonder if I could cast a vote for BO. I wonder becuz that nagging feeling is that it could be a Clinton/Obama fixed ticket. In that case, I don't have to wonder.
Attention NH. Before you cast your first and second choices for BO and HC, think about what I just wrote....you know, about the HC/BO ticket you'd be forced to vote for.
Please re-consider. In your enthusiasm for BO, you may be stuck with voting for HC in the gen'l and then losing. Don't throw John Edwards away.
THINK, PEOPLE, PLEASE. Don't be sheeple and follow in IA's footsteps which I think we'll come to see as horrible missteps.
Make me eat my words.
If JE comes in third, will he move on? If so, I'll send more money.
Edwards, OTOH, appeals to people who use both left and right brain well and are emotionally intelligent and willing to forgive and move out of the past.
I think he appeals to people who close both left and right eyes and ignore his record.
It's amazing what people can overlook when they WANT to believe.
Over the past couple of decades, the cumulative effect of voting for the lesser of evils has been greater evil.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Edwards would agree with that assessment to a point. Cooperation cannot be allowed to become complicity. The current system is broken and needs a a major overhaul where the will of the people is re-instated
I'm rooting for Obama to finish off Clinton as a machine in New Hampshire so it can be about the future
Clinton mught even recover if it wasn't about her (expereience)but about where she wants to take America.
John Edwards wants an America free of the grip of inside special interests lining their pockets as they destroy the middle class and ignore completely anyone too tired to vote.
A blogger who's plugged into New York politics notes:
"Many in the blogsphere (Jewish or otherwise) are giddy today about Saint Rudy saying Israel should be in NATO. Did not John Edwards say it more directly, at the Herziliya conference last January?"
I'd forgotten -- but yes. Here's the January 22 Edwards quote:
"We should be finding ways to upgrade Israel's relationship with NATO. This could even some day mean membership. NATO's mission now goes far beyond just Europe. Therefore, it is only natural that NATO seeks to include Israel."
With all respect Sitka, it's not wanting to believe. He's far from my first choice, but somewhere along the way, we have to choose, trust, forgive and move on. He recanted and that's more than HC did.
Read what I said about a HC/BO ticket. What a fine mess we'd be in then. The way to stop that is to keep Edwards in the race and that's what I'm trying to do by sending money and posting.
An Obama/Edwards or Edwards/Obama ticket is one I could get behind.....but Clinton/Obama? Doubtful.
Actually, I hope NH does follow in the footsteps of IA and vote JE and BO first and second.
As usual, JE is getting very little press and it's a *2 man race* meaning HC is a man. LOL
I am proud to present to you Senator John Edwards.
Senator John Edwards:
It’s a great privilege for me to be able to participate in this conference which has played an important role in bringing people together from all walks of life. The Herzliya Conference is a great forum for what is happening in Israel.
I am aware that it was at this conference that PM Ariel Sharon gave his courageous speech outlining his disengagement. He helped Israel face some of its major challenges.
Throughout his career and public service Sharon has shown courage, including his historic decision to evacuate Gaza. More than anyone else, Sharon has, in my judgment, believed that a strong Israel is a safe Israel and that Israel needs to defend itself against security threats.......
The challenges in your own backyard – rise of Islamic radicalism, use of terrorism, and the spread of nuclear technology and weapons of mass destruction – represent an unprecedented threat to the world and Israel.
At the top of these threats is Iran. Iran threatens the security of Israel and the entire world. Let me be clear: Under no circumstances can Iran be allowed to have nuclear weapons. For years, the US hasn’t done enough to deal with what I have seen as a threat from Iran. As my country stayed on the sidelines, these problems got worse. To a large extent, the US abdicated its responsibility to the Europeans. This was a mistake. The Iranian president’s statements such as his description of the Holocaust as a myth and his goals to wipe Israel off the map indicate that Iran is serious about its threats.
Once Iran goes nuclear, other countries in the Middle East will go nuclear, making Israel’s neighborhood much more volatile.
Iran must know that the world won’t back down. The recent UN resolution ordering Iran to halt the enrichment of uranium was not enough. We need meaningful political and economic sanctions. We have muddled along for far too long. To ensure that Iran never gets nuclear weapons, we need to keep ALL options on the table, Let me reiterate – ALL options must remain on the table.
seashell
you sell Obama short
he is a good listener and he has a good heart, the part of his speech that makes this an "historic" election makes if too much about him, and he will lose that direction or he will lose the primary.
John Edwards most powerful line is
"This is not about me. Elizabeth and I will do fine."
"You have the power." lives
somewhere along the way, we have to choose, trust, forgive and move on.
Somewhere along the way we have to hold politicians accountable for what they do. Forgiveness is a noble quality, but not when you're played for a sucker over and again.
There is no democrat who will NOT support AIPAC and Israel, even if it hurts America. We're stuck with that for now, horrible as it is.
None of them are, IMO, the best choices. But I didn't get a chance to voice my opinion, did I?
Gore, Dodd, Kucinich, Edwards...those are my choices. effing system!
Gore, Dodd, Kucinich, Edwards...those are my choices. effing system!
I merely point out that by selling Edwards you sell what you don't really seem to believe in.
It's one thing to vote for who we see as the lesser evil. It's another to put lipstick on the least ugly pig.
Phil, perhaps so and I could vote for him...but with HC as prez? Not a good thought at all.
Sitka, I could go retrieve almost the same speech made by HC and BO at AIPAC. We know all this. That's why I wanted Gore or Dean so much.
And no, I worked and voted for Kerry, knowing he'd lose.
I'm just tired of all this crap and losers and lesser of two evils and losing our Constitution. Did any of the dems even mention the Constitution tonight?
HC/BO....the dems are great at putting us in a Catch-22. I wonder if JE would take VP slot. Phil, what do you think?
my first prediction was "No one will win Iowa who voted for the war."
my other was "No one will win the Democratic Party nomination who is not a friend of Israel."
and since they all are that; we can put that argument to rest
John Edwards most powerful line is
"This is not about me. Elizabeth and I will do fine."
Your record speaks for itself. Don't do us any more favors, Edwards.
no
and since they all are that; we can put that argument to rest
It isn't a sticking point with me. But those who promote Edwards should at least know the whole truth about him and then overlook it if they can.
Sitka, I hear you and see your point. I've decided that I could live with JE as prez.
To not vote is a horrible thought. To vote for a HC/BO ticket is just as horrible.
So I guess I'll have to find another country. LOL
So I'm hoping that Ms. Clinton comes in third again. Or that if BO gets the nod, he chooses Dean as running mate.
I think it unwise to scratch Hillary. She has nine lives.
I wonder if JE would take VP slot.
Of course he would. But nobody will be dumb enough to offer it again since he delivered nothing for Kerry.
I've decided that I could live with JE as prez.
I could live with it too. But that's a far cry from promoting him over someone with the same record and another with a better one.
As an elected official inside the Democratic Party and under the rules of the California Democratic Party. I can not publicly support or endorse a candidate for political office who is not the elected Democratic nominee unless the Democratic Party doesn't have one. Further more there is no rule that says I must publicly support them nor is there any rule that says I must vote for them or that I must vote at all. Voting in California is done by a secret ballot. There is also no law that states all US citizens must register to vote and must vote to maintain their citizenship. Nor is there any law in California that states when you choose to register to vote that you must claim a political party and if you do claim a politcial party that you must only vote for it's candidates.
Sitka, I've known about that JE speech for ages and that's why I was so reluctant. The reality is that dems don't get elected w/o signing pledges of support for Israel....literally.
My nightmare is that many of us will be forced to vote for HC just to protect what's left of the SC and to defeat McCain/ Huckabee. But I think she's lose. Where are the polls showing her losing to McCain/Huckabee/flat/scorched-earth people?
So my late night question for Obama supporters is this: Will you vote for a HC/BO ticket? If we end up with such a ticket, people will rue the day they didn't run full speed to vote for Dodd or at the very least, Edwards. We need to think ahead. If it becomes a BO/HC race, she'll steal it. That's the plan.
Gotta go to bed rather than write about this nightmare.
Edwards needs the place at least second to whoop her fanny.
Sitka, I've known about that JE speech for ages and that's why I was so reluctant. The reality is that dems don't get elected w/o signing pledges of support for Israel....literally
How brown do you think Edwards' nose was with all that praise for Sharon and threats to Iran?
And calling for Israel to be in NATO (and dragging NATO into every Israeli aggression) is a lot more than kneeling and kissing AIPAC's ring.
Edwards needs the place at least second to whoop her fanny.
Edwards in second is fine with me. In fact, being #2 seems to be what he was born for.
Ok, Sitka, of the *top* 3, I see JE as the lesser of evils. Happy now? :-)
And I do love his corporations schtick. Off with their heads. All of them...LOL
OK, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Ok, Sitka, of the *top* 3, I see JE as the lesser of evils. Happy now? :-)
I already figured that out. If you sell him as that only you'll get no further response from me on it.
When Mr. Kucinich did not sign that "loyalty oath" to the Texas Democratic Party he was protecting the U.S. Constitution. Which speaks to the moral character and the honesty of his person. The Democratic Party of Texas and it's present Chair needs to read the U.S. Constitution. Mr. Kucinich will win in court and he will also win in the court of public opinion.
What Momentum did in CT was legal but being legal doesn't make it fair or moral. That choice also speaks to the character of his person and the morality of the political philosophy and practices of the "Third Way" (centrism).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Way_%...
Voting is a sacred act. Running for political office is not. Politicians and their political operatives lie to voters and the media all the time to win elections. It is a very common practice. They even threaten voters into voting and giving them money by using rhetoric which induces fear and false hopes for a better future. They will say just about anything to get elected and once they do what they want. They even gerrymandered the whole country under a Democratic Congress so they could continue to do what they and their corporate sponsors want and to ensure their next elections. The third way philosophy does not encourage grassroots participation or new voter registration. It doesn't allow for the building of a democracy of participation. The "Emerging Democratic Majority" is one of the most disgusting and blasphemous books to our Democracy that I have ever read. http://www.amazon.com/Emerging-Democrati...
sea, what in the world would leave you to believe, at this point, that Edwards could whoop Hill's fanny but if we support Obama it will be a Hillary/Obama ticket? your dislike for Obama is affecting your judgement. the grassroots have Obama's back, in cse you haven't noticed - his support is broader and deeper than Howard's was, as a matter of fact. Hillary will not steal this one. the people won't let her - they've gotten wise to her and her dlc crowd and are rejecting it as we speak.
Good morning, everybody
I guess I'm just not a TV person. Didn't stay up for last night's event either.
This video is telling
16. People who don't want to make choices or think for themselves (because they're afraid to make a mistake) do not feel that they have been assaulted. They feel that, if they haven't been a victim of crime, they've been protected. That's the beauty of setting up a hypothetical threat. Its efficacy depends on nothing happening.
21. There are no second choices in NH, sea. It's an election. We only get to vote for one OUT OF FIFTEEN, btw. Yes, there are fifteen names on the NH ballot and you can do a write-in. There are reports that the people who have been promoting a Gore write-in are thinking of endorsing someone on the ballot. The spouse is going with AlGorythm. LOL That's what he's telling the campaign callers.
Good morning again, BFA!
Love *AlGorythm,* Monica!
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Here's one view from Over Here.
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Wounded Clinton takes fight to New Hampshire
Barack Obama is mobbed as the battle moves on from Iowa, while the former Democrat frontrunner battles for her political life. Meanwhile the Republican race is in turmoil. Paul Harris reports from Concord
Paul Harris
Sunday January 6, 2008
Observer
The New Hampshire Democratic Party's 100 Club dinner is a staid affair, attracting the main candidates as speakers in an act of shameless fundraising. But on Friday night extraordinary scenes unfolded there that captured the mood of a party suddenly filled with the desire to kick out its old guard.
Barack Obama was so mobbed by supporters that a security announcer begged people surging towards the stage to retake their seats. Many were chanting Obama's new signature slogan: 'Fired up! Let's go!'
In stark contrast, Hillary Clinton had been booed twice. The first time when she seemed to borrow from Obama's main theme of 'change'. The second was when she made a veiled reference to her greater experience. 'Who will be ready to lead from day one?' she asked the 3,000-strong crowd. But she was forced to pause to let the resulting boos die down. A few weeks ago, such a spectacle would have been unthinkable.
For Clinton, who has long sought an aura of inevitable victory, it was a defining moment of how much the political landscape has now changed. She is facing the battle of her life in New Hampshire to rescue something from the wreckage of her life-long presidential ambitions.
It is not going to be pretty. Her only chance is to come out swinging in New Hampshire, wresting a comeback victory in the state where her husband first made his name. Campaign aides are already signalling that they are going to go negative on Obama. The only question is how negative.
But it is not just Democrats gearing up for a bloody political scrap in the icy woods and hills of New Hampshire. Obama's win was seen as a voter plea for change, a cry echoed in full in the Republican contest. Iowa's Republicans resoundingly rejected the big money establishment candidacy of ex-Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. Instead, they elected Mike Huckabee, a little-known religious conservative who ran a grassroots effort on a shoestring budget. It is not a coincidence that Obama and Huckabee are the two youngest candidates.
The fact is that change is in the air in America. In Iowa both parties saw their own political machines given a bloody nose by the voters. Insurgent candidates rode to victory over the bodies of mainstream favourites and insiders. But the thing about establishments is that they do not go away quietly. Now that the dust has settled the battle lines are being drawn for round two. The fight is just beginning.
[...]
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,...
V. interesting literary tidbit ... it is amazing how such personal histories have survived. But the fact is that they have.
For a long time, we had Riverbend to chronicle events under US-occupied Iraq. But I have not found anything from her later than October 22, 2007, after she escaped to Syria with her family. I did find one note on another blog that her family's visa in Syria was renewed for two months, but I have no idea where that information came from.
I wonder how many Iraqis are keeping journals in the old-fashioned way, i.e., on paper.
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France finds its own Anne Frank as young Jewish woman's war diary hits the shelves
Jason Burke in Paris
Sunday January 6, 2008
Observer
It starts like any other young woman's diary - with a description of hobbies, a first boyfriend, schoolmates and trips to the country - but it ends like few others. The final words are 'the horror, the horror, the horror'.
This week The Journal of Helene Berr will arrive in French bookshops. The harrowing story of a young Jewish girl in occupied Paris, will be, according to the newspaper Liberation, 'the publishing sensation of 2008'. Two years ago, an account by another French Jewish writer, Irene Nemirovsky, who died in Auschwitz, sold hundreds of thousands of copies and sparked a fierce debate.
With her family, Berr, died in the concentration camps, among the 70,000 Jews deported from France in the Second World War, often with the help of the French police or officials.
'We thought everything had already been said on the Jews under the German Occupation,' said Michel Lafitte, a French historian who described the journal as 'incredibly rich'.
Berr, already being dubbed 'France's Anne Frank', is very different from both her Dutch counterpart and Nemirovsky. Her manuscript lay untouched for 50 years before being discovered by archivists from France's Holocaust Museum.
She was 21 when she started her diary in 1942 - only a few weeks before Nemirovsky died. Cultivated, steeped in Russian and English literature, from a wealthy old French family and a keen violinist who attended the Sorbonne University, Berr starts her diary with an account of picking up a signed copy of the works of poet Paul Valery from his home.
The early pages of the diary are full of descriptions of the countryside around Paris - 'I went to gather fruit in the upper orchard ... the blue sky and the sun made the dew drops sparkle and joy flooded through me like a spell', she writes.
'She is barely aware of her Jewish identity, the war has barely touched her and she is largely unaware of what is happening elsewhere in Europe,' said the book's editor, Antoine Sabbagh. 'She is in love for the first time. But then things start to change. The book reads like a novel, but with a terribly sad end.'
[...]
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,...
Things are simmering along in Kenya and lots of work is going on behind the scenes. I truly hope that it bears fruit.
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Seeds of genocide were sown a decade ago by Moi
Sam Kiley
Sunday January 6, 2008
Observer
Roads are blocked with trees, lamp-posts and burning tyres. Young men drunk on booze and blood, armed with Iron Age weapons, paraffin and matches scrutinise ID books to select victims for tribal murder.
That was the scene in Kenya last week. It has happened before, not just in Rwanda but a decade ago in Kenya. And there is very little time to act before Kenya's tribal tensions explode into more widespread massacres. It is no surprise, or accident, that up to 50 Kikuyu were murdered in the western city of Eldoret last week in revenge for alleged rigging of the elections by the Kikuyu President Mwai Kibaki over Christmas.
His predecessor Daniel arap Moi, a Kalenjin, allowed Kalenjin warriors, who dominate the region around Eldoret, to conduct a pogrom against the Kikuyu in 1991-92 and again in 1999-98. It was the Kalenjin who torched terrified men, women and children seeking sanctuary in Eldoret last week.
In 1992, 1,500 Kikuyu or 'non-indigenous' people were slaughtered in the Rift Valley east of Eldoret by Kalenjin and Masai moran, or warriors, armed with pangas. Many were hunted down like animals with bows and arrows in the woodland and farms around Nakuru, the provincial capital. An estimated 300,000 fled their homes. Back then their 'crime' had been to vote for the opposition parties against Moi's Kenya African National Union (Kanu).
There were no arrests, no proper inquiries, and very little publicity for these atrocities - most foreign correspondents were too busy cataloguing the larger horrors of Congo and Rwanda. But the seeds of the genocide that engulfed the Great Lakes of central Africa were sown by Moi in Kenya. Until now they lay dormant, but in fertile ground.
Kenya is the most stable and economically successful state in the region. It has been the base for international emergency relief operations to Somalia, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Sudan for decades.
But it is no less riven by ethnic hatred than any of its neighbours. Put crudely, very few Kenyan tribes get along well with one another - and almost all hate the Kikuyu. The Kikuyu are the biggest tribe, with 42 different ethnic groups, and make up about a fifth of the population. They fought the British in the Mau Mau uprising that led to independence in 1963. Led by President Jomo Kenyatta until his death in 1978, the Kikuyu did well out of freedom, the other tribes less so.
[...]
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,...
Helene Berr's diary brought reminiscences of our visit to Amsterdam in 2000, where we also visited the Anne Frank house there. I believe that, until one actually sees it, one does not realize how much their was an integral part of the city ... with the street, canal and everyday life being literally yards away.
One realizes then in a non-academic situation how real the horror was, how amazing that they lasted there so long without discovery, and how courageous all were, not least those non-Jewish Dutch friends and employees who risked their lives on a daily basis, maintaining a pretence of normality in an aberrational world, to keep the Franks provisioned and safe.
Helene Berr was at least able to lead her life in the open ... until she wasn't.
The horror is certainly no less.
omitted *house* after *their above ... sorry about that
47.
Momentum s/b Joementum
They will say just about anything to get elected and once they do what they want. s/b They will say just about anything to get elected and once they do, they do what they want.
Speaking of diaries under traumatic situations, here are extracts of one from Kenya.
===============
'Two years of hard work up in smoke in minutes'
Sunday January 6, 2008
Observer
Alison Rogers, 42, a British teacher, and her Kenyan husband, Steve, 39, fled their home in Kisumu as mobs destroyed their beloved Heshima, an arts centre they set up on the shores of Lake Victoria to help disadvantaged children. Throughout last week's bloody events in Kenya, Alison kept a harrowing diary. It tells of how the couple feared for their lives and those of their son Dan, 9, daughter Layla, 7, and newborn Ella, aged just three weeks, as tribal hatred drove them out of Luo-dominated Kisumu because Steve, a former London social worker, is a Kikuyu. Now in Nairobi, they have no idea when, or if, they can return. And with no birth certificate for Ella, they face difficulty leaving the country. Below are edited extracts from Alison's diary.
[...]
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,...
Hi, Susan.
Believe it or not, I had figured out what you meant! Then I thought that it was a new name for him that I hadn't yet heard. LOL
He's just another putzCo minion, IMO.
Thanks for all that you do, btw.
This is exactly what Musharraf is counting on.
================
At the heart of Pakistan, life keeps a normal beat
Jason Burke in Old Jatoi
Sunday January 6, 2008
Observer
The village of Old Jatoi is divided by a bitter rivalry in this election season. It pits young against old, splits families, sets tribes against one another. Though the postponed polls are six weeks away, there is one burning question: do you patronise Ghulam Razzaq's teashop or that of Hadyattullah?
Sadly for Hadyattullah, the answer for most villagers is clear. Except on those numerous days when the power fails, the villagers buy their five rupee cups of sweet, milky tea from his rival. Because, much as they like him personally, Hadyattullah has not invested in a television and now that the sugar cane has been cut and the wheat is in the fields, the dramas, musicals and news talk shows fill the long afternoons. 'I've just got married. I can't afford a television. What can I do? I just watch the customers go next door,' Hadyattullah says mournfully.
Of course, the teashop rivalry is not the only point of conversation locally. There is the coming election, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the recent outbreaks of violence and the various manoeuvres carried out by President Pervez Musharraf.
Occasionally you hear the name of Nawaz Sharif, the former Prime Minister whose two administrations in the Nineties, like those of Bhutto, were ousted amid allegations of corruption and incompetence. There is everything on which the media, internally and overseas, tends to concentrate.
But, says Niaz Ali, 65, a retired government office janitor, 'Islamabad is a long way away' and so are the extremists and the country's top politicians, dead or alive. Nothing much happens in Old Jatoi. Deep in rural Sindh, Pakistan's southern province, it was untouched by the violence that followed Bhutto's assassination.
[...]
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,...
Some ominous news for us all in the works here ...
===============
Crude awakening: central banks urged to cut rates fast as price gushes threaten to spill over
As the $100 mark is breached and seems set to go higher, fears are voiced that the global economy can no longer take expensive oil in its stride
By James Moore
Published: 06 January 2008
The surge in the price of oil to more than $100 a barrel could be enough to tip the global economy into a nasty tailspin if central banks fail to cut interest rates quickly enough, economists have warned.
The price briefly "paused for breath" after a lone trade pushed the price over the $100 barrier for the first time on Wednesday but then hit $100.09 on Thursday. Friday's rotten employment figures in the US resulted in some slippage amid predictions of an American slowdown easing demand for the black stuff. But speculators are intent on pushing the price higher, against a background of continued global tension and fears over supply in several volatile oil-producing regions.
That first $100 trade actually lost the trader – known to be a one-man band, or "local", operating off his own account – a small amount of money as the price slipped shortly afterwards. But other traders are confident the price will quickly move beyond $100. That same local may reap a rich reward the next time he chooses to play at these levels, if his fingers were not burnt too much this time around.
Some economists are now beginning to voice fears that expensive oil could begin to have an impact on the wider econ-omy, after a number of years when the world appeared comfortable with an inflated price.
[...]
http://news.independent.co.uk/business/n...
Al Gore has probably already sent his deepest sympathy. We all owe a debt of gratitude to this man, Bert Bolin, whom many of us may never have known until now, when he is no longer with us.
==============
Bert Bolin: Meteorologist and first chair of the IPCC who cajoled the world into action on climate change
Published: 05 January 2008
Bert Richard Johannes Bolin, meteorologist: born Nykoping, Sweden 15 May 1925; Professor of Meteorology, Stockholm University 1961-90; Chair, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 1988-97; married Ulla Frykstrand (two sons, one daughter; marriage dissolved 1979); died Stockholm 30 December 2007.
The Swedish meteorologist Bert Bolin was one of the giants of the climate-change debate. For 30 years he, more than any other individual, made sense of the rising tide of research emerging from weather observations and computer models, and cajoled a reluctant world into recognising the urgency of the issue.
Between 1988 and 1997, Bolin chaired the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. These were the years of the IPCC's most crucial work, establishing a broad scientific consensus for political action, and many believe Bolin, more than the panel's current leading lights, deserved the Nobel prize that it won last month.
[...]
http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obi...
my prayers to Kenyans and all other savaged and oppressed peoples of the world. and my prayers for America, too - to begin to make things right in our own country so that we have the capacity to bring greater good to the world. I imagine right now Obama carries the daily burden of fear for his family's safety and welfare - my prayers for them, as well.
Interest rates need to rise to keep the dollar from tanking further as it is the single biggest cause for the price of oil being as high as it is. producers get paid a value and 100 sixty cent dollars equals $60 a barrel oil
take the medicine
hi Judy! long time no see! thanks for the daily fix of news. we're expecting a heat wave here - it's been in the single digits but will be 40 and 50s for the next few days. I will have a river between the 4 foot snowbanks along my driveway...! but that's way better than much of the country, so no worries here!
I've just been thinking - why all the Obama hatred here? I mean, really, whose head would explode if say Al Gore endorsed Obama? what would you all do if dfa members VOTE to throw their support behind him? I know that I have spent much of the past year trying to determine who Obama is and what to expect of him and I do now feel that I can support him with enthusiasm. I would've liked to vote for Dodd, but... and to be honest about it, we really do need Dodd and Biden in the Senate and not on the road right now - so much to do and most is so very urgent!
6:47 am eastern...
good morning, Phil! is Iowa airtime quiet now that the circus has moved on?
Hi Jo & Phil, I'm just about to go take down the holiday decorations. It's always sad, but the full season is now over and we have enjoyed it very much.
It's good, as always, to see you both.
************
I'm thinking that we not only need Dodd & Biden in the Senate (I liked Dodd a lot myself), but I would like to see both Barak and Hillary back there too, concentrating on their jobs there, and hopefully improving their progressive credentials. One thing that I have held against Barak was that he is a first-term Senator who began running for Prez without even completing one term. (OK, to be fair, the same can be said about Edwards in 2004.) At least Hillary has completed one full term; this is her second.
One thing in Edwards's favor this year, IMO, is that he is fully engaged in this run. In the cases of all Senators and Congresspersons who are running this time around without giving up their day jobs, we are not getting full service from them ... just at a time when we need full service most.
Here's Juan Cole's latest on the situation in Iraq.
And now gone for a time.
===================
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Bombings Roil Diyala;
Driving ban Imposed;
US Soldier Killed
Radio Sawa reports in Arabic that Iraqi members of parliament dismiss the pledge of US presidential candidate Barack Obama to end the Iraq War and withdraw US troops from the country. They say it is just campaign talk and that if Obama were elected he would swiftly become more realistic. (It is my firm impression that the Iraqi political class has unrealistic expectations of the US public. The likelihod is that most US troops will be out by summer 2010 no matter who wins, and if Iraqi politicians want to avoid being taken out and shot in the aftermath, they had better cut some deals locally soon.
Frank Rich, perhaps our most perceptive political commentator points to a continuing public discontent over the Iraq War as a key causal factor in the Iowa primary results, where the two candidates least associated with the war did best. I made a similar argument on Friday.
[...]
http://www.juancole.com/2008/01/radio-sa...
Sorry for the misspellings, *Barak* s/b *Barack* ... please don't read any *hatred* into that. LOL I certainly do not hate him and believe that he's an excellent candidate in many ways.
I have just found his performance so far to be disappointing, much more so than his rhetoric.
Now really gone.
If dog soldier wants to continue yesterdays discussion I will offer this. The three frontrunners are now running on platforms that are remarkably similar. The three frontrunners would have wildly different kinds of White Houses and agendas, but not because of specifics of their policies, but rather because of the nuances of those specifics as they are worked out in conference committee under Administration guidance, would benefit different people. They would fail further with voters if they got into nuances of specifics. The battlelines can't be known ahead but it is easy to predict there will be some.
They are upfront about who it is they think they are working for
and there is the difference
bbl
Annilow and Joan*in*Florida -
The Steelers go down to defeat !:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap;_ylt=An22NaOqCnWOIFqDC._HGrBDubYF?gid=20080105023
Jacksonville 31, Pittsburgh 29Jacksonville 31, Pittsburgh 29Preview - Box Score - RecapBy ALAN ROBINSON, AP Sports Writer
January 6, 2008
AP - Jan 6, 1:12 am EST
More Photos
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The past means nothing to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Pittsburgh, and neither does a frantic Steelers fourth-quarter rally. The Jaguars overcame both obstacles there for the second time in three weeks, and next up might be another date with history.
Josh Scobee saved the game by kicking a 25-yard field goal with 37 seconds remaining and the Jaguars came back after squandering an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter to beat the Steelers 31-29 on Saturday night in an AFC wild-card game that was wild in every sense of the word.
Jacksonville, becoming the first opponent to win twice in Pittsburgh in the same season in the Steelers' 75-season history,
Sitka
Sun, 01/06/08
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On election day 2008.................id love to be a fly on the wall when you go into the booth..............
Independents..................just stay home.............these candidates are so beneath us.
Susan wrote "I will not sign this pledge from the DNC either."
Be sure to drop a line to Howard Dean and Al Gore to let them know about your decision.
Hillary Clinton ... tangled with O'Reilly today. Marc Ambinder reports:
Clinton took her first question from a woman who said that Bill O'Reilly, who stood about 40 feet away from Clinton's left, asked her about Clinton's troop withdrawal plan from Iraq.
"Bill O'Reilly!" Clinton said, gesturing to the talk show host.
>
So, the media stages events? I heard that the Clinton campaign induced a rally participant to ask a question, but now I see that those who "report the news" seek to manipulate. I am shaken to my foundation. All I have been taught is now in question.
O'reilly should be taken off the air. :-)
George S is demeaning himself in his attacks on Huckabee.
O'Reilly should be held accountable:
>
when O'Reilly--with a Fox News crew shooting--was screaming at Obama National Trip Director Marvin Nicholson "Move" so he could get Obama's attention, according to several eyewitnesses. "O'Reilly was yelling at him, yelling at his face," a photographer shooting the scene said.
O'Reilly grabbed Nicholson's arm, said "move" and shoved him, another eyewitness said. Nicholson, who is 6'8 said O"Reilly called him "low class."
Secret Service agents came after O'Reilly pushed Nicholson and the agents flanked O'Reily.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/05/secret-service-restrains-_n_79954.html
_________
I saw F(ALSE)OX report this morning in which they described the Secret Service as bodyguards.
George S
George S(ucks)
'nough said.
And BTW, what did Bill see in this guy? I'll bet he let the cat out of the bag on Monica's ... err, gravitation to Billy...
On election day 2008.................id love to be a fly on the wall when you go into the booth..............
>
Checkin' out his wide-stance?
Morning Folks,
I'm still reeling after reading "The Envoy" in the Jan. 7th New Yorker by Samantha Power. Iraq is Katrina a million times over. That Bremer received The Medal of Freedom! It is more than sickening, more than grievous. If Americans really knew the incompetence, the arrogance, the destructiveness of this administration, they would have insisted on impeachment five years ago.
About Obama, Clinton, Edwards, etc. I don't think we need to demean any candidate to promote another. I will personally be more than happy to see Clinton defeated. In my opinion, we've had enough of the DLC faction. But, how is a democrat to be elected if he or she cannot get independents, republicans, and conservatives to vote for him/;her?
We are no longer a farming or industrial country. People need jobs to support themselves and their families. Corporations provide those jobs. Rather than destroy or cripple corporations, we have to make them accountable. They have to be regulated in terms of their influence on the government and how they treat people. To simply say we'll go after them, not only is not enough, but will set up an opposition when frankly, we need to get a democrat into office.
I have to laugh at all the analysis about who has fire in his belly, right brain/left brain. It shows how we need to somehow figure out what makes a candidate tick, to find some assurance into their capabilities, honesty, and sincerity. If only we did have such a yardstick!
Probably the best we can do is get a democrat elected and them hold that person accountable, and that's what the grassroots has the power to do.
Dem. parties across the country have lost members (state, county, & municipal).
From '04-'06, the ME party has lost 10K+ members (mostly progressives, who have been treated like sh^t since '04).
In a state w/a majority of unenrolled voters, it hurts--they have trouble recruiting convenors, BTW. Gee...can't imagine why!
Attendance at last month's county meeting? A whopping 14 people.
http://mainedems.org/caucus08.aspx
"Go along...to get along" doesn't work anymore.
It's still an internal *war* within.
Anyone who denies it isn't living in reality.
Great post, re: Prof. Mink, Susan (she was my daughter's adviser @Smith).
"Ending welfare as we know it" ruined the lives of millions of low income women and their children. Esp. women of color. It's nothing more than federally subsidized 21st century slavery/misogyny.
Thanks a bunch, "Big Dog."
http://tinyurl.com/2urcm6
Billary is no different. Nadar & the Greenies inflicted even more damage in '00 & '04 w/his "there's no difference between Gore or Bush" farce.
If one is a low income woman (or attempting to advocate for that demographic cohort group), there most certainly is!
Speaking as an ardent Second Wave feminist, she will *never* receive my vote (she must've dozed off during feminist theory lectures, while @Wellesley).
She's a Euro-white borgeois 1960s NOW sellout (redux).
Dennis does need to pack it up & withdraw-he isn't the least bit viable in any state--nothing more than a grandstander attention-seeker. Must be broke or close to it by now.
I hold anyone who self-identifies as a feminist (male or female) to a higher standard...they should know better!
Again--it's a war *within* the Democratic [not] party.
Between the DLC Beltway insiders, and the progressive base.
That's why I unenrolled.
I vote for "good Dems" only.
www.tomallen.org
See 'ya, Collins (supports McCain, BTW)!
www.pingreeforcongress.com (don't reside in Chellie's CD #1 district, but do support her race...bigtime).
Huckabee gets it about the Washington disconnect his final statement to George S spells trouble if he gets teamed with McCain.
We had better have someone at the top of our ticket that has a similar worldview of the relationship to government and the people.
Gant's "kitchen table" issues. $3 gas isn't an abstraction that might be balanced against a stock portfolio that inclues Exxon; it is devastating working famlies budgets.
But, how is a democrat to be elected if he or she cannot get independents, republicans, and conservatives to vote for him/;her?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
half of the people don't vote Pat because they haven't sensed that it made a difference, but if Obama or Edwards are elected and then deliver there won't be "Republicans" anymore
ok, I watched the entire repub debate last night and I've have to admit, the one I could at least minimally tolerate is Ron Paul --
-- outside of him ?
Mike Huckabee, less so
the others ?
(nope, especially Rudy and Mitt, and with McCain pulling in a close second NO to the other two; all three of them smirked when Ron Paul spoke last night -- smirking chimps ?)
Hi Phil,
I don't think we have any republicans anymore. We have radicals, ignoramuses, medieval minds that see the devil everywhere. The old small town republican, (Garrison Keillor talks about him/her in his book, (can't think of the title right now) has been long gone.
IMHO we need that kind of republican who was honest, who contributed to community, who represented less government and more community help as neighbor to neighbor, who regarded change with suspicion. I think the balance is good, and we're way out of balance.
Obama speaks to me of that balance. So, did Dodd, so did Dean, Gore, and I can understand why Ron Paul resonates on some level with people. Georgie Geyer in her column quotes Ron Paul's saying that he's not an isolationist, rather a non-interventionist. He wants peaceful and progressive communication and cooperation with other countires. That's what the old republicans were more like, like Ike himself.
But, they died. They are extinct. Maybe, the democratic nominee can get those non-voters to believe in this country again.
ok, I watched the entire dem debate last night and there's just two CHANGE agents, and Clinton is not one of them (she's the EXPERIENCE [aka status quo] agent)
don't think we have any republicans anymore...they died. They are extinct.
>
Killed off by American grown corporate fascists.
Boston sports teams did good last night -- both the Celtics and Bruins won
Rudy and Mitt, and with McCain pulling in a close second NO to the other two; all three of them smirked when Ron Paul spoke last night -- smirking chimps?
or to say it another way (ie. replace the "i" with a "u"):
Rudy and Mitt, and with McCain pulling in a close second NO to the other two; all three of them smirked when Ron Paul spoke last night -- smirking chumps ?
Pat's comments helped me remember the service of Michigan Governor William Milliken, a Republican who held the office for 16 years, based on support from many Democrats He was pro-choice and helped champion many early, environmentally sensitive measures in the state. Conservatives weren't enamored with him for good reason. He actually supported Kerry's candidacy against Bush in 2004.
88. Imn2Paine
Thanks.
In a state this small in population, "losing" 10K in a party (within 2 yrs.) is indeed significant.
Our county Chair was a Deaniac delgate to Beantown for Howard...he holds crooked elections, BTW. That's something Rethugs do, not Dems. As kimmy would lament, we were "buckwild," suffice to say.
A bunch of us bailed--some unenrolled, some simply aren't showing up, or donating $$ to the county committee (the latter).
*14* people (out of a potentiality of 34,082) attending his bogus Jan. "meeting" (one month before caucuses) is revealing. Silence can be deafening.
Billary was spewing "what she's done" these past 35 yrs. for women...for instance, Family Medical Leave Act.
It's freakin' UNWAGED labor, people.
Shit like that...she's no feminist. All that Wellesley education down the crapper.
My UMaine (public land grant university, thanks so much) WST minor beats her credentialism to smithereens...hands down.
Get real.
We don't sell low income women (esp. of color) down the river.
EVER.
The goal now is to prop up Edwards (go w/what you've got), to blast her out, pronto.
Monica:
have you decided for whom to vote as yet on Tues.?
Weather forecast looks good (downright "balmy" up here today!), so that won't be a barrier.
I'm guessing your phone will be ringing off the hook; and your snail mail tomorrow will be chock full of glossified *junk*, Monica?
Death knell to the DLC is my mantra (out w/Billary and Big Dog, NOW).
97. rdorgan
Put in a good word or 50 for bad-assed efette Atheist heathens?
{insert copious snark}
S.C. will bring the fundies & racists out of the woodwork...I'm enjoying NH's crusty "mind your own effin' business" Libertarianism while it lasts.
mainefem "The goal now is to prop up Edwards (go w/what you've got), to blast her out, pronto."
You mean a repentant war authorization supporter trumps an unredeemed supporter. It would be easier to accept this logic if Edwards hadn't exerted his powers of persuasion during the 2004 campaign to keep his waffling ticket mate, John Kerry, from recanting his earlier position in favor of the authorization.
Supporting the invasion, urging your colleague to harden his resolve in favor of it, abandoning your position, and criticising your opponent for not retracting hers, strikes me as too much political contortionism to withstand a credibility test.
58 degrees on Tues. in Manchester, NH=freakin' BALMY=higher than usual voter turnout.
http://tinyurl.com/2hez6a
Buh=bye DLC/Billary/Big Dog.
Finally.
Down With Stalanistic Pledges In Either Party!
______________________________
Apparantly, the Secret Service Trumps Fox Security or the Worm Has Turned
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/OReilly_uses_profanity_causes_incident_at_0105.html
AP's Philip Elliot is reporting today that:
"Bill Bradley, a former presidential hopeful and senator, planned to endorse Barack Obama for president on Sunday, Obama's aides said.
"[A]ides, speaking on condition of anonymity in advance of the formal announcement, said they hope the endorsement will help Obama end the national front-runner status for Clinton, who placed a disappointing third in Iowa's caucuses last week and is deadlocked with Obama in New Hampshire according to a poll released Saturday.
"'Barack Obama is building a broad new coalition that brings together Democrats, independents and Republicans by once again making idealism a central focus of our politics,'' Bradley said in a release scheduled to be released on Sunday.
"'Because of his enormous appeal to Americans of all ages and backgrounds, Obama is the candidate best positioned to win in November. ... His movement for change could create a new era of American politics - truly a new American story.'
" . . . .
"Bradley briefly considered a 2004 bid but instead stayed a consultant. In that presidential primary, he supported then-Vermont Gov. Howard Dean."
By Josh Marshall
So, a few observations about the Democratic debate.
First, a few months ago, I said that I didn't get what Barack Obama thought he was doing in one of the debates, that he was doing a very good job debating as the frontrunner, when in fact he was falling further and further behind Hillary Clinton. It showed tonight. There are a lot of differences between now and then. And I thought he had a good night. But tonight was an example where his style worked much better when he's on top. He parried Clinton pretty well. And I don't think she really laid a glove on him.
As I wrote earlier, I think the debate started in a pretty shambling fashion. Then it began to engage and built to a pivotal, even defining exchange on the subject of change around 9:30 PM. Obama made his case. Significantly, Edwards largely agreed with Obama to the effect of trying to close the door on Hillary's candidacy. Hillary was clearly pissed and responded with what you probably consider (depending on your perspective) either an impassioned or enraged response (perhaps both) that I think very articulately and effectively described her argument for her candidacy. I think that Hillary moment will become a Rorschach for voters around the country.
Last from Josh Marshall:
John Edwards also had, I thought, a very strong debate, particularly in the latter half of the debate. He talks a lot about feeling this fight in his blood and being a fighter. And it's important when you say things like that that it really resonates in what you say, how you act, who you seem to be. And I think it did on every count. Unfortunately for Hillary, most of the eloquence and fire was directed at her tonight.
The exchange I noted earlier from around 9:30 PM was the emotional, dramatic crux of the evening. After that a lot of the energy seemed to be released from the discussion. Not in a bad way necessarily. I thought each of them had very good moments in the second half. But that was the crux of the debate, where the key points were enunciated, and each candidate defined.
In general, I think Obama's the winner tonight. I think Hillary made her case well. I think Edwards had the best debate. But the debate can only be understood in the context of the moment. Right now, Obama's on fire. The first post-Iowa polls show him picking up a big post-caucus bump. He needed to come off well. Not make any mistakes. And not let Hillary open up any strong line of attack against him. And I think he did each one of those things. Which means he gave some reassurance to those who might be hesitating to get on the bandwagon and didn't do or allow anything to happen which significantly changes the trend of the moment, which is moving heavily in his favor.
I'm watching an election special in NH from ABC.
Cokie is a shameful, establishment spinmeister. Yuck. Where's the journalism? Go have a cocktail.
George Will and Cokie are really really really afraid of John Edwards.
These Un-American, corporatist sex-workers make me sick.
Like it, or not, it's down to Edwards, Obama, or Billary.
We don't live in an ideal world.
It's called strategic voting (or, defensive voting).
I would've loved it if Gore had run, but he *isn't*.
Accept it.
Dennis is toast...he didn't hit *less than* one percentage point in IA.
Richardson is nearly out (he's taking up space and money)--Gravel also needs to get the hell out.
Most of these folks' funds will be unbelievably drained by Tues. night.
Those who are Senators (Dodd & Kucinich) need to get their asses back to the Senate; and fight like hell (Dodd already said he would--esp. for FISA).
The U.S. Senate & House races will be equally important.
Primary 'em out whenever possible.
No, I'm no longer a Democrat...I'm a disaffected type; who can vote for at least one progressive (Tom Allen) in the general (and support Chellie's race in her primary, as she'll represent Maine and the nation/globe).
Chellie's NOT a sellout feminist, BTW.
pingreeforcongress.com
tomallen.org
Collins needs to take an effin' *hike*.
It's doable.
She supports McCain's warmongering & the "surge" (Mainers are crippled w/high gas and oil prices--shrub doesn't poll well here at all, BTW); and joementum is stumping for her.
Go, Tom!
Addenda:
Even if I *was* still registered as a Democrat, there's zero chance in hell I'd ever sign a "loyalty oath."
No effin' way.
Morning mainefem!
Glad your voice is still here :)
Been up for awhile, still on Central time I guess.
8am PT here
Reallly looking forward to the NH primaries, especially with the great weather report. If Indies like my brother and his family vote Dem (Obama as of last night's conversation with him) it will be looking good for him.
I concur with the others who will be so happy if Hillary gets her handbag handed to her and shown the door. But she won't leave until the final ballot can be cast - she has too much ego for that.
here is a link with YouTube debate highlights. If you scroll down you'll come to a video clip from a post-debate focus group with New Hampshire voters who attended/watched the debate. Interesting.
On the Hillary anger moment, my opinion. Actually I think her comeback was appropriate in terms of content, essentially, "it's one thing to talk about change it' another to accomplish change."....then she rattled off her accomplishments. HOWEVER, she seemed rattled and visibly angy during her delivery of this. For a woman, sadly, getting angry just isn't permitted. She needed to say all of that with a big ole smile and slower, motherly-like delivery.
I agree with Josh Marshall that JRE had a great debate. I thought his tag-team moment with Obama was tactically brilliant. Also shows how he thinks on his feet. Perfectly timed and clearly unplanned.
At this point though, Obama's got the mo. He is truly a gifted speaker and indeed inspires people (check out that clip from New Hampshir voters). He's on his way to becoming our Party's nominee, I believe. Still voting Edwards in my primary, however:)
Good morning, Denise:
I never lose my "voice"...are 'ya nuts?!
It's also an opportunity to nail down the DLC coffin...finally.
Buh-bye Will Marshall, Harold Frost, Al From, and Bruce Reed.
A$$holes.
Big Dog, also.
No more "Comeback Kid" (which I find as ironical as hell, as it will hopefully occur in the same state which propped his race up).
Both of them are too freakin' arrogant for my taste.
Big Dog was no friend to feminism, that's for sure (yes, better than Rethugs--as w/Prof. Mink's analysis & interview, upthread); but his welfare deform and blatant sexual harassment over the decades (in addition to Billary "standing by her man" on national TV) sickened me to no end.
Shoulda thrown the bum out, Billary...she's a disgrace of an enabler.
They killed Gore's chances in '00--the country was; and still is sick and effin' tired of the Clintons.
Enough, already.
Ms. Presumptive can go back to the Senate and actually DO something progressive.
I'd love to see it.
I didn't even bother to attempt to count the #of times they were all parroting the word "change" last night.
Beyond sickening.
Voters aren't dumb (esp. Libertarian New Hampstuuh types).
NH always has a high turnout...look for higher than normal on Tues.
20. As long as people continue to say they'll support the D no matter who it is - things won't change IMO. This isn't meant to hurt feelings but as an INdy that's how I see it. Of course most D's are better than R's but we're enabling the continued behavior by saying *I'll support the D no matter who...* And the pols know this - just ask Bill Clinton.
cC - I watched that focus view clip last night. Very insightful - the reaction to Hillary was pretty bad. Look at their body language when they talk about her - and many of these people were supporters of her fairly recently.
LOL..."am I nuts"...you know I am :)
I'm gonna send you a plane ticket to SF someday so we can go to Napa, but I'll drive so you can enjoy and not get lost (he he).
Can't wait to see where the next DemFest will be!
I have to go to the store for a bit, back later.
62.
JudyforDean
Sun, 01/06/08
Reply to this
Al Gore has probably already sent his deepest sympathy. We all owe a debt of gratitude to this man, Bert Bolin
------------->>>I'm sure he did, too, Judy. I posted an article when Dr. Bolin died, where it mentioned he was one of the first Al Gore called when they announced he received the Nobel Prize and that he spoke of him in his speech in Oslo.
...no one mentioned how AGAIN, I have watched few of these debates and forums, but every time I do, Richardson is thanking Al Gore for not getting in the race.
Kind of like the same reason Kucinich gave his supporters in Iowa to Obama, it was better for him to have a stay in the race. Just like Richardson did. ....not on good footing with Hill/Bill now, which is why he gave a vomitus heavy load to support Hill.
...but I remind you, if Thumper has the opportunity to attend another debate, like in Cali, someone better strap his hands to his legs.
_____________________________
Monica, yes, the New Hampshire Draft folks decided to stop. I'm happy. It's either all or none. It doesn't help to have an effort like that, when there is no chance to really make an impact, let a lone in one state.
If we can't have Al Gore on the ballots, the only thing you can do is support the one who supports his issues. Sadly none of them mirror him, but even more so on the key components. They discussed how Chris Dodd was the only one who was calling for a Carbon Tax and why aren't these. I wish they allowed Edwards to answer that. Richardson and Obama showed their nonunderstanding of the entire thing. They talked about increasing costs to Americans without even having a Carbon Tax, and having a tax would increase it more, because the businesses would pass it on to the consumers. But if they didn't just listen to sound bites and special interests, they would know there are other ways of addressing this. And collectively, it would be minimal. Obama even offered that our rates will go up when they retro fit. The cost of retro fit is absolute minimal. And, they allowed the energy companies, like in Cincinnati, Convergys, (big Bush donors) to increase their rates twice, without retro fits, and the company was being investigated for soaring profits. They later sold to Duke Energy.
Then there is the other point if they didn't listen to just sound bites and listen to their corporate backers, the Carbon Tax Al Gore has mentioned, a long with the Cap and Trade, he said to cut payroll taxes in exchange for a Carbon Tax, which makes them responsible and have a stake in cutting down carbon emissions. We have a responsibility to our planet and our country.
----
And now...go Dennis. I heard him on AAR talking about the pledge. Gee, I remember when the Democrats complained about the Republicans doing loyalty oaths for speeches, etc. But do keep in mind, this is Texas only, not the entire DNC.
The Only Way Clinton Can Win the Democratic Nomination is to Go Left Of Obama and Neutralize Edwards by Getting All Eleanor Roosvelt on Their *SS!
I'm not for Hillary's candidacy, though I don't dislike her personally. I could have at one time supported her candidacy, but the Clinton's time is done. It doesn't in all cases even have anything to do with HIllary or Bill. It's just not time.
Unless...she goes back to Eleanor Roosvelt Hillary. It's Progressive. It's timely. It's just the re-balance that the country needs. She could neutralize some of Edwards and Hucksters populism.
But can she move left even if she wanted to?? What deals did she make with Rightwing Corporatist Propogandist Murd-och?
There is an interesting column in our newspaper today by Rubin Navarrette, a columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune. I have no link since that paper and ours only puts up older pieces online. Here's just a few lines of the column:
ANNOYED LIBERALS ATTEMPT TO SMEAR OBAMA
. . . At a time when Democratic leaders like to talk about "Republican dirty tricks," it's becoming clear that Democrats know a few of their own.
It's all so disappointing."
We can certainly see that going on right here on this blog. Smears are not facts. Let's keep the facts here and dump the smear.
mary vb, yes, I was surprised at how quickly her former supporters changed. She really turned them off in that debate. Personally, I think she's toast. While I have some problems with her voting record, I also approve of some of her work in her time in the Senate and in her lifetime, for that matter (Children' Defense League).
It bugs me when folks here call her Billary as the origins of that are rightwing radio blow-holes.
116. mary vb
Disagree.
It's doable (via ActBlue) to vet and primary out DLC Dems. whenever possible.
Get one...you *are* a PAC, in essence.
www.actblue.com
Vet their voting records (incumbents); and vote strategically in your primaries and caucuses (if anyone decent is running--esp. in state legislative races).
We have clean elections here for those statewide legislative races, so it's different.
Edwards needs to GOTV enough in NH, in order to stay viable/boot out Billary before S.C.'s fundie nutjob race; and NV (and kick the DLC machine in the a$$, in the process).
Hopefully, NH voters can fathom it.
Stratergy is indeed doable.
I do it all the time.
Will it happen overnight?
Hell, no.
121. Joan, thanks so much for posting that. Wish we could see the whole thing.
dear mainefem,
Who are you working for again... enablers of 'compromise'?
"Dennis does need to pack it up & withdraw-he isn't the least bit viable in any state--nothing more than a grandstander attention-seeker. Must be broke or close to it by now."
"Those who are Senators (Dodd & Kucinich) need to get their asses back to the Senate; and fight like hell (Dodd already said he would--esp. for FISA)."
I believe, based on votes and facts(not raging emotion), that the fighter, in this field of candidates, for the people is Dennis Kucinich.
... bite me!
After Hill's rant last night I can't wait to go back to work in my retail job and do a riff on my "years of experience making change."
BWAhahahaha
104.
Interested to hear Bradley's going to endorse Obama. I have enormous respect for Bill Bradley, the only person besides Howard I have ever been willing to freeze my tuchaus working for.
I thought Edwards did very well last night and also today on Steph. I don't expect him to win NH but it would be nice if he could once again beat Hill.
-- volney
volney simmons
Sun, 01/06/08
Reply to this
After Hill's rant last night I can't wait to go back to work in my retail job and do a riff on my "years of experience making change."
-----------
LOL!!!
BTW Dennis is in the U.S. Congress, mainrage, let's get it correct, and a d@mned fine one at that!!
Yes Mainefem...and as paine pointed out.
...the media is playing a strong hand on this election. Pretty much giving it to Obama. As many have questioned, being they like to build up and use their power to tear down, what will they do when it comes to a Republican and Democrat.
Yes, it boils down to who to choose is your preferred candidate from the existing ones if you're going to vote.
Obama said last night, when they pointed to his inconsistencies and lack of experience, that people like to to hear (I'm paraphrasing) good talk. He reaffirmed to me that there is no way he will be a good president. He studies what to say, not what to do. Richardson, oh, I cannot even go through the list-issues, policy, lets make nice for the Corporations....OH OH OH,,,, that reminded me. Didn't anyone hear the total shift in Obama? Now he changed his positioning towards Edwards and talking about he cares to, he wants to make bold changes. What happened to his entire campaign theme that you can't be of Ideals and you must compromise on everything?
Anyhow, so on the issues, if I have a chance to vote, it is Edwards hands down. His To Do List, is my list. And he has the passion to get it done, or at least try.
Hard to believe, C-Span 1 having a pundit debate this morning. Seems like that's a far cry from what they are supposed to be doing!
And Hillary, yesterday in a rally, talked on and on and on for hours. Yes, she always does when she sees the TV cameras, but yesterday was really outlandish. C-Span obligingly replayed it at least twice, nice of them to cram Hillary down our throats all day.
130. I don't know if that helps Hillary, Joan. Just look at that video cC linked to. She's not playing well in NH which will be reflected in the polls nationally soon enough. Name recognition can only get you so far.
Another Obama lie quoted in this morning's Detroit Free Press:
"We are one Nation. We are one people."
Edwards hs it right. There are 2 Americas, and they have grown farther apart under Bush. The "one People" meme is as fraudulent as the ludicrous statement that "African Americans are 90% along in the process of equality with white America".
Bull Crap!
"I believe, based on votes and facts(not raging emotion), that the fighter, in this field of candidates, for the people is Dennis Kucinich.
... bite me!"
My read on Mainefem's comment is that she lives in the real world. DK isn't going to win the Dem primary nor the presidency. She's right--go back home-do your work in congress.
I believe that was her message.
I
11:41 am
125.
121. Joan, thanks so much for posting that. Wish we could see the whole thing.
I'll make a note of it, check back here tomorrow. Perhaps it will be up either in San Diego or Daytona Beach News-Journal. You might check them or your own "paper" newspaper if they carry Ruben Navarrette's columns.
My heart goes out to Dennis. He had a real shot, but the media belittled and ignored him, and the Democratic Party finished the job.
11:44 am
Hi Linda in SFNM,
#129 "He studies what to say, not what to do." Huh?
I think there are a variety of ways of perceiving how someone speaks. I want someone to be thoughtful, to study, to carefully articulate.
By the same token, someone could say that Edwards polished his speech and has repeated it over and over with no nuances whatsoever, much like a commercial.
Moreover, "He affirmed for me that there is no way he'll make a good president."
Pretty sweeping, in my estimation.
is Iowa airtime quiet now that the circus has moved on?
Now that iowans have milked the candidates of their millions.
There's no need to smear Obama. An objective reading of the facts should show he's unqualified to be president
11:45 am
Thanks Joan, I'll check the SF Chron.
131.
I know it doesn't help Hillary, it probably hurt her. My complaint was that C-Span is doing things (I believe) that they shouldn't be broadcasting.
There primary job is to cover both houses of Congress when in session. The cable networks pay for all three C-Spans just for this purpose.
When they go off to punditing, which we all know is someone's personal "opinion," it does seem a bit out of the rules that are in place for them.
... i'm sorry, that should have been 'mainerage', my bad.
Is there any explaination why ABC let Ron Paul back in, but not Dennis Kucinich? Could it be that the Repukes were all tooo willing to laugh, on cue it seemed, at Paul to diminish him? Or was it just the money he has which could have been used to sue?
I'm curious, is it all about the money even here? Funny how far this place fell after the money was gone (wasted)
... if you can be bought, or if you can buy, in politics you are soul-less.
#132
Have to agree that we aren't one America, which is the problem. I think it's important to remind people that we are all part of this country, that we have to somehow work together. We must recognize the injustices, the polarization, but to not work towards a one America is simply destructive.
Huron John
Sun, 01/06/08
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Personally, I dont see anytime soon a black man, a woman or a white man uniting this country in the fantasy terms they all seem to lay out.........Im too old and have witnessed too much in this country to say we will all become united...........personally, I like diversity myself...............
Let them talk, and preach and tell the mases what they want to hear in their make believe world of returning to the Kennedy camelot days, which were pretty bad too in theior own way..........
Again, ill sit back.......keep my money(spend it what would have been political donations) on a nice trip somewhere.........just kick bakc and watch it all unfold..............its worth a few laughs anyway.................
Romney says everyone should read the fine print.
But he's with Edwards in not wanting primary voters to read the record.
Yes, Dennis is a Rep.; and it would be a real treat if he, Dood, Biden, & Billary all bowed out; and go show up for their committee assigments and roll call votes.
Dodd is the only one who even *mentioned* (as well as thanked) the netroots in his concession speech/withdrawl).
I respect him for doing so--am sure he'll scrap for FISA.
None of the rest are viable.
Period.
I foresee nailing the DLC (once and for all) as imperative at this point (and it's doable, come Tues.).
Nail Hillary=death knell to DLC.
Sounds like a plan.
Dennis's campaign was alerted (as were all candidates) to participation criteria *early*.
[...]
"The network set rules to narrow the field. Candidates had to meet at least one of three criteria: place first through fourth in Iowa, poll 5 percent or higher in one of the last four major New Hampshire surveys, or poll 5 percent or higher in one of the last four major national surveys.
Democrats Joe Biden and Chris Dodd took some of the pressure off ABC by quitting the race Thursday night."
[...]
I didn't see *any* of his so-called "protestors" outside St. Anselm's last night (nor did he garner anything close to zero percent in IA).
Total grandstander.
He bullshit in his email, claiming to have "won" unscientific online bogus "polls" (DFA's was noted). He wanted money & attention, plain and simple.
He receives the wrong *kind* of attention, is the problem.
What a joke...there isn't such a beast online ("poll")...none of them are legitimate. Easily rigged.
I think Obama is trying to include the not-so-wacky Republicans (I used to be one) and disaffected Indies. Is there something wrong with that? Not all registered Republicans are religious nuts, etc. That's what I loved about Howard Dean. Look how many Republicans he drew in.
LOL.....it was just a few days ago that you were calling Edwards "Mr. Photogenic," posting his flipflops, and resenting the suggestiion that you should support him.
Tired of waiting for Goredot?
cC
I found a link in SLC to this as you wanted: Enjoy!
"At a time when Democratic leaders like to talk about "Republican dirty tricks," it's becoming clear that Democrats know a few of their own.
It's all so disappointing.
That's the word liberals tend to use whenever members of minority groups think for themselves, as if all those years of supporting expanded opportunity have just blown up in their faces by creating a batch of ungrateful affirmative action babies."
George McGovern Defends Nixon Compared to Bush; Calls for Impeachment in the Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/04/AR2008010404308_pf.html
"loyalty oath"
Lieberepublican?
the one-time Democratic Party VP candidate (2000) is endorsing 'Cain.
This should percolate.
Lat'r (BBL)
IRAQ AS AN ISSUE
http://www.counterpunch.org/fantina01052008.html
In November of 2006 it was made clear to even the dullest student of politics that the Iraq war was the most important issue to the voters. The Congress elected then has betrayed the people, who now look desperately for a president to accomplish what Congress can but refuses to do. There is a healthy degree of skepticism about the possible course a President Edwards or President Clinton would take, based on their past actions. The caucus participants apparently felt far more comfortable with the idea of a President Obama.
The dreary, endless primary season has begun. Who the eventual candidates will be is still very much in question. But Ms. Clinton and Mr. Edwards, if they wish to remain viable candidates, must somehow come to terms with the fact that the nation does not have quite the short attention span they may have believed or hoped. They voted for the war, and all the explanations and apologies in the world will not change that. Whether or not his early and consistent opposition to the war will propel Mr. Obama to the White House remains to be seen.
Conversely, Mr. Edwards' and Ms. Clinton's early endorsement of the war may be sufficient to deny them the prize they both covet.
11:55 AM
*** cChalfonte***
Sun, 01/06/08
Oh you can bite me tooo, but thanks for stepping into my sights.
You who, if i recall, don't mind a government that props up a racist warring maniacal murdering Israel.
Please continue to tell the rest of us to sit down and shut up.
The missing piece to the debate of the Democrats was the one with the record to speak of progressive values - whose record supports that. As Ron Paul did in the Republican debate on his libertarian view.
I'll not be silenced, or my support for a candidate, by raging fearful minions of the 'wave' of delivering 'independant and Republican' votes, or who has how much money.
Not all registered Republicans are religious nuts, etc.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This is true mary........many Dems think that and they are stupid to do so.....many repubs I know are established, hard working, thoughtful people......alot of mansions on lakes, alot live in the average areas of towns across America..............
They only stay with the repubs bacuse the democrats scare them...........as an Independent, personally both parties really scare me these days............I can see a Ron Paul really catching fire in this one, and maing a big differance in the final election...........
sp=Dodd.
Jim Himes is running against dipsh^t arrogant Shays (CT).
Pick 'em off wherever possible.
Read the threads on Blue Hampshire--their state blog will be going nuts.
http://bluehampshire.com/frontPage.do
Nadar & the Greenies inflicted even more damage in '00 & '04 w/his "there's no difference between Gore or Bush" farce....
Again--it's a war *within* the Democratic [not] party.
Between the DLC Beltway insiders, and the progressive base.
That's why I unenrolled.
I vote for "good Dems" only.
It all boils down to how one defines "good dems."
147. Exactly, mary vb. Plus, what I hear in a message of hope is the rejection of cynicism and hopelessness that sooooo many of us have felt for the past 8 years.
Mike, I believe that we must always aspire to high ideals even if we don't always reach them. Giving up on our high-minded, liberal ideals such as peace in the world and true equal opportunity for all is simply turning over our country to the Republicans and their agenda.
Gotta keep fighting that good fight. It's worth it--even if Obama wins and doesn't deliver all that we would have wanted--we'll have moved the ball down the field a bit and shown those guys that we're not just going to roll over for them.
Whether or not his early and consistent opposition to the war will propel Mr. Obama to the White House remains to be seen.
He opposed the war, but he voted repeatedly to fund the occupation............
158
LMAO
Deaniac your passion is only exceeded by the number of your opponent's teeth :)
A president is only as good as the Cabinet and advisors he chooses, so whomever wins let's hope for the best in these positions as well.
You, who I recall waxes rhapsodically over the antebellum South where the Negra slaves and whites got along oh so well. One of the few things that I cheered old Oler on for, was when he repeatedly challenged you to provide the Slave & Massah Love lecture at DemFest.
You lecturing ANYONE on racism, quite comical, actually.
so..ya....shaddup.
148.
Sitka
Sun, 01/06/08
129. Linda*in*SFNM Anyhow, so on the issues, if I have a chance to vote, it is Edwards hands down. His To Do List, is my list. And he has the passion to get it done, or at least try.
LOL.....it was just a few days ago that you were calling Edwards "Mr. Photogenic," posting his flipflops, and resenting the suggestiion that you should support him.
Tired of waiting for Goredot?
_________________________________
Yes, and your point?.....I answered that when I posted, but I guess it made you feel good to pull out the part that didn't cover that.
Yes...as you rightfully pointed out my comparison of the Beuty Pageant they are calling an election....he is Mr. Photogenic.
...and as I also pointed out. No doubt I would actually like the best person for the job, that is Al Gore, but out of the candidates that are running, the only possible choice is John Edwards.
Thank you for allowing me the chance to clarify, again, if there were any misunderstandings.
How long before we are all silenced?
Social Repression and Internet Surveillance
H. Res. 1695, 1955 & S.1959
By Nikki Alexander
01/04/08 "ICH" -- - Perhaps a clear and simple law is needed that states: “Congress shall pass no law abridging the freedom of speech. Speech includes ‘the broad and constant streams of information’ freely exchanged on the Internet.” Does the Internet need to be singled out? Or is this self-evident in the First Amendment to the Constitution? “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
Clearly, Jane Harman (D-CA) who sponsored H.Res.1955 does not respect the Constitution. Nor does her partner, Dave Reichert (R-WA), who authored the original bill, H.Res.1695. Both bills seriously violate the most precious amendments to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) are preparing to follow suit with a Senate companion bill, S.1959. Did any of the 404 members of the House of Representatives who voted for the passage of this bill understand that they violated our Constitutional rights, once again? The “immanent threat” charade seems to nullify their capacity for critical thinking and erase their memory of the Constitution, as well as their oath to defend it. How many Senators will succumb to terrorist fear tactics and betray the American people?.....
http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com/2008...
Like it, or not, it's down to Edwards, Obama, or Billary.
True enough. But one doesn't have to sell any of them like the more most buttery tasting margerine.
And we can still vote for anyone who remains on our ballots if that person is closest to our core values and has the record to back it up.
I for one don't intend to fall in line with what those who vote before me dictate my choices to be.
Off for now. As always, enjoyed the exchanges.
161. yes, I've thought a lot about that lately. Whoever wins, assuming a Dem, let's hope they include Dodd and Biden in their cabinet. Actually, for Obama, Biden would be an excellent veep choice, strategically.
Ciao for now. Work to do.
For those who ridicule Kucinich
http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=5452
Dennis Kucinich is the one candidate with the courage, integrity, and ability to lead this country in a new direction.
::::::::
Dennis is the candidate who:
-vehemently opposed the Iraq war from the start and warned of the dangers we’d face;
-voted against further funding to continue the Iraq nightmare, and to use existing funds to bring the troops home now;
-has plans to get out of Iraq and for what to do once we are out:
-voted against the misnamed "Patriot Act" (and is probably the only one who stayed up all night reading it);
-submitted a bill to Congress to establish universal health coverage—nonprofit insurance for all, at a cost that is less than Americans now pay;
-promises to withdraw from corporate giveaways like NAFTA and the WTO (called “the most serious threat to the world’s environment and people”), and replace them with fair trade agreements, including labor and environmental protections;
-has a plan to make our military more efficient, and to redirect resources being squandered now;
-has introduced legislation for a Department of Peace, that would seek non-violent solutions to global and domestic conflicts, ultimately eliminating motives for terrorism;
-has a plan to repeal Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and invest that money in public education;
-stands against privatization of Social Security and would return retirement age to 65;
-has pledged to break up corporate monopolies in agriculture, energy, media and other sectors that are strangling farmers and the environment, as well as you and me;
-has pledged to sign the Kyoto Treaty on global warming and lead our country to 20% renewable energy by 2010;
-has a plan to put Americans to work rebuilding dilapidated schools, roads, bridges, ports, water and environmental systems;
-has a decades-long track record which proves he operates from principles of truth, justice, peace, and reason, and will not be tainted by influences not in the public interest.
-and of course, he is our lone representative who has shown enough fortitude and wisdom to put impeachment back “on the table.”
Dennis Kucinich is the only candidate who has clearly defined the issues facing us and offered workable solutions to them. His voting record shows he understands the importance of caring for America, as opposed to plundering and destroying it. He’s the one candidate with the wisdom and vision to restore this country to its former greatness, and take it to even higher ground, and operate on principles beyond capitalist greed and “every man for himself”—he would bring us together a nation of people helping each other. His steadfast maturity and correctness don’t make big headlines, but they do make Dennis worthy of your vote and spreading of the word.
<><>Vet their voting records (incumbents); and vote strategically in your primaries and caucuses (if anyone decent is running--esp. in state legislative races).
Edwards needs to GOTV enough in NH, in order to stay viable/boot out Billary before S.C.'s fundie nutjob race; and NV (and kick the DLC machine in the a$$, in the process). <>
<><>But not the record of a former incumbent DLCer?
*** cChalfonte***
Sun, 01/06/08
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Pretty well said.........I cant add much. Tomorrow Im going to wakw up, and it will be Inauguration Day 2001.........Al Gore will be the President, there was no 911, no Iraq war, no George Bush..............this has simply been a nightmare............whata doozey of one!
Dennis can't organize, HuJo. That's an essential skill in politics and he's been in the game long enough to know that....yet he refuses to put together a winning campaign. Then he whines about it when he gets booted.
ok, really got to run.. Mucho to do today.
Love this blog, lol:)
Phil....
I think you have this one backwards, if the election stopped being about him, he'd find something else to do.
I would agree, Biden would probably be Obama's choice as VP. Very similar voting records. The only other dem (with exception to the known (5 and 5 Group of 10) that wouldn't even allow the Senate to cap interest rates to 30 percent.
Hillary and Dodd did, even thought they Commercial Banking industry are large contributors to them as well.
I would like to see Kucinich included in debates for his ideas -- as someone earlier mentioned Ron Paul still being included for his.
But realistically Kucinich cannot win either the nomination or the election, nor can Paul.
I think we will all have lest angst and negativity when the herd is thinned a little more and we're left with the 3 or 4 viable candidates on each side to discuss.
I'm off for now too.
-- volney
...oh...and I really hate this...even Joe Lieberman did.
Whoever wins, assuming a Dem, let's hope they include Dodd and Biden in their cabinet.
What's wrong with Kucinich?
12:16 pm
*** cChalfonte***
Sun, 01/06/08
Apparently you are as 'factless' as maine, please supply one quote to back up your assertion that i supported in anyway the 'slavery' issue. You won't find it.
Fact is my family was killed and their property burned by the Army of the North, while a plaque hung on the wall given to them by Congressman Lincoln. That plaque was for 'saving' 'slaves' who were not 'bought' at auctions and were about to be loaded back onto Northern slave traders ships, then 'dumped at sea'. His commendation was for caring for them with doctors, education, and making them 'freedmen' - while protecting them from being re-enslaved.
But why even sight facts to a fan of the troller.
162. they thought they were voting for a boondoggle study at some university.
There's no way Dennis will remain viable.
NONE.
I have a friend who lives in a very 'red' small town in western Maine--relocated there in Sept. from progressive Cumberland County (huge difference in voter demographics, for sure).
Even if he stayed on the ballot (by Feb. 10th caucus, he won't); she insists upon writing him in.
That's fine...go for it.
However, even if Dennis remained on our ballot by Feb. 10th--that's insane (Pres. preference), there aren't enough Kucinich supporters among the registered Dems in her town to draw 15% proportional viability.
I don't think she's even bothered to register to vote there as yet--she's too busy "emoting"...for something which cannot be changed.
However, she does have a very 'red' R Senator in the statehouse; and would be wise to attempt to boot his a$$ out (w/her municiapl and county committee).
She's yet to even seek any of them out, BTW.
Politics is pragmatic as hell, folks.
Keeping Edwards viable...in 2nd place Tues. in NH's primary slams the DLC (and Ms. Presumptive--with one fell swoop).
D.O.A.
It's doable.
Quoting bogus online "polls" was beyond a joke.
Get a grip.
Yes, and your point?.....
When did you find your epiphaney?
I answered that when I posted, but I guess it made you feel good to pull out the part that didn't cover that
No need to get mean and grouchey now that you're an Edwardian. I'm only teasing you like I've been teasing them all along and you never minded it before -- and in fact did it yourself.
You further prove that supporting Edwards requires the suspension of one's own past beliefs along with Edwards suspension of his own.
Will check in tommorrow for your phone call & snail mail count report, Monica!
Do you have caller ID and/or voice mail?
Hey Denise!
... it's not unusual to be outnumbered by the 'one born every minute' crowd.
Keeping Edwards viable...in 2nd place Tues. in NH's primary slams the DLC (and Ms. Presumptive--with one fell swoop).
"Responsibility of the kind we have seen in New York is at the heart of what the DLC has always stood for; it is written in the record and work of this organization. From national service to community policing to deficit reduction, the ideas you have advanced around the country have been about inspiring a new sense of responsibility in all walks of American life....
"A decade ago, the DLC said we should expand opportunity and demand responsibility. Now the president is borrowing our words and says he wants to usher in a responsibility era. "
I would agree, Biden would probably be Obama's choice as VP. Very similar voting records.
If the choice is determined by very similar voting records, Edwards would choose Hillary as his VP -- or maybe even Lieberman.
I'd like to see Jim Webb as a VP.
Gotta go exercise. Bye!
I think it would be awesome to see Biden in anyone's cabinet or as VP.
Teamwork, and lots of it, is what it's going to take to bring America together.
I work with lots of good people that vote Republican, and I have yet to run into one that does not regret their Bush vote - or does not recognize that Iraq is a mistake.
Even our government affairs office (I work in biotech) is starting to get it. The director of our Federal accounts is going for Obama (that's personal, not a corporate decision). Our PAC leans more Dem than GOP, which is very unusual for a biopharma company. But that is what makes us different from Big Pharma.
I just got done taking 30 short courses on compliance and influence regarding grants and contributions to the medical community. There are STRICT guidelines in place about how those grants are reviewed and approved/denied.
I agree with Pat in Colorado - corporations are not bad, but how they can manipulate election outcomes does need some serious reform. I think that message is not lost on the current crop of candidates.
If you haven't made it over to dailykos lately, this is the funniest thing I've read since the Daily Show went into re-runs.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/1/6/25723/26527/751/431492
I agree with Pat in Colorado - corporations are not bad, but how they can manipulate election outcomes does need some serious reform.
How they manipulate legislation AFTER elections is an even worse problem. At least voters have a say in the former instance and can accept or reject corporate candidates (except of course when both parties are being bribed and there's no other choices on the ballot).
38.
Sitka
Sun, 01/06/08
I've decided that I could live with JE as prez.
----------------
I could live with it too. But that's a far cry from promoting him over someone with the same record and another with a better one.
***********
To me the debate yesterday, particularly the Demos one (Reps was an absolute emptiness except enjoying Ron Paul again..., lol) was very first one that were not boring and sometimes even interesting to watch.
Several “new” things I’ve noticed.
Obama’s notions about:
a)“including people” into the process of “change” (as balancer to Edwards “radical” notion to “fight corporations”, instead of “negotiating” with them);
b)his mentioning of word “self-governance”(!!!) at least once;
c)his compliance with Edwards’ meme on “corporate greed and power”.
Edward’s sharpened and enhanced rhetoric about the same “corporate greed and power” along with agreement on Obama’s “people inclusion” meme.
Hillary’s very first and very human way to demonstrate her dissatisfaction with how things seems turning out for her in New Hampshire along with the way she dethroned what Edwards described as one of his biggest achievements while in a Senate (she revealed that legislation he praised to participate was eventually killed).
All of these tell me that every one of the 3 major candidates are embracing each other’s vocabulary that is “Iowa verified” to be quite “votes productive”.
Overall impression is that American Revolution has already been started and...IS been televised every day!
It will only accelerate now each next day BUT NOT WITHOUT ours, “the People’s” PUSH!
185.
Sitka
Sun, 01/06/08
I would agree, Biden would probably be Obama's choice as VP. Very similar voting records.
If the choice is determined by very similar voting records,
__________________________
The difference would be that he also brings the experience that Obama doesn't have.
164.
*** cChalfonte***
Sun, 01/06/08
"One of the few things that I cheered old Oler on for, was when he repeatedly challenged you to provide the Slave & Massah Love lecture at DemFest."
Actually, rather than do troller's bidding(as you seem to be doing now), in Austin DemFest i was in the very magnifi company of Deaniacs of all stripes. That is undeniable. Ask any of them if there is one nano of racism or supremacy in me.
Stupid desperate comments of someone who can't debate with facts, just slurs. Deny my assertion, if you dare.
I like how John Edwards said that in the debate. "Not all Corporations are bad". "As a matter of fact, some are good, like Costco....".
that was funny.
The difference would be that he also brings the experience that Obama doesn't have
Hillary would provide the experience Edwards also doesn't have -- according to her at least.
189
Agreed Sitka - what some people don't know is that Obama, as a state senator, helped bring about some one of the strictest state laws (Illinois) regarding this very thing. And that was working with a mostly GOP state senate.
Off to the farmer's market between raindrops!
I like how John Edwards said that in the debate. "Not all Corporations are bad". "As a matter of fact, some are good, like Costco....".
Wal Mart too if cheap foreign made products is the criteria.
Dodd as AG, or to replace spineless Reid.
Think about it.
Again--go w/what's doable.
Keeping Edwards viable in NH gets rid of Billary and the DLC.
Sounds good to me.
None of the three are my top choice; however, it's up to NH's Libertarian voters to set the pace/winnow the field even further on Tues.
Expect unusually high voter turnout (which is always high in a primary).
They don't call it "Granite State" for nothin'.
You'd never find them signing "loyalty oaths."
Too funny....
I have more faith in *them* doing so, vs. the right-slanted nutjobs in S.C. & NV.
That's when whomever is still standing tacks to the right (can you say coded racism & "religious" pandering)?
Ugh.
Time for Billary to go (do something really "change-oriented" in the Senate).
Go ahead...impress me!
Tuesday. Buh-bye "Comeback Kid" meme.
At the scene of the crime (Big Dog fame & glory), which is a hoot.
Oops meant to post this earlier - an account of some of the bills Obama supported while a state senator
http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2007/0...
Deaniac, you repeatedly asserted that there was love/respect between slaves and their masters in the South. No, I will not search the archives for you--but your comments to that effect are there and hence the taunts from Robert about a lecture on said topic at DemFest.
My disagreements with robert o. are well-documented on this blog....not particularly proud of it but they are certainly documented here.
Mainefem provided reasonable and logical facts as to the futility of the DK campaign. You attacked her personally as is your habit.
My observations of you as a blogger, Deaniac, is that you are very quick to attack personally. Claiming to be "Deanier" than thou is desperate, imo. "Bite me", is what we expect from 14-year old boys on a school yard.
Joan, thanks for that link. Printed it out. Worth a click & read.
Let's not forget that regardless of who wins our primary we've a long, hard fight against any Republican. These people are wickedly adept at winning elections.
Now.....PEACE OUT, ALL.. Running late.
Sitka wrote: "I'm only teasing you like I've been teasing them all along and you never minded it before"
Sorry if I didn't pick up on that.
Denise
Sun, 01/06/08
... just pointing out he's not made me happy with several of his votes in the U.S. Senate. However, by the 'numbers', as you have pointed out, my opinion, my liberal peacemongering anti-monopoly non-bought-and-sold by corpwhores brand of politics is rare.
Well, well, it has been a very long time since I was here last. It is comforting to still recognize some names from the good old days of dean for america. This was also the place were we first heard about Barack Obama, supported his candidacy and contributed to the coffers of his senatorial campaign. Watching the Iowa Caucuses brought back a lot of memories. And it has not been simple to gather enthusiasm for any candidate for this Deaniac. However, I have found inspiration,enthusiasm and hope in the presidential aspirations of Barack Obama. In the present line-up, I feel he is in a league of his own and his candidacy represents a unique historical opportunity which the times call for. I really believe he will be the next President of the United States of America.
197.
Sitka
Sun, 01/06/08
I like how John Edwards said that in the debate. "Not all Corporations are bad". "As a matter of fact, some are good, like Costco....".
--->Wal Mart too if cheap foreign made products is the criteria.
______________________
well sitka, LOL, if you want to add WalMart as a good corporation, go ahead. It wouldn't be my first pick. Yes, WalMart is trying to go cleaner in some efforts on the environment, but I think Costco was the right choice in showing good Corporations.
Costco has always paid their employees a living wage and provided benefits and a good environment. The CEO makes one of the least salaaries. Last I checked under 400K, as opposed to the greed of Millions the other take, while sacrificing their workers salaries. There's more, but I wouldn't want people to think I have stock in Costco or anything.
200.
*** cChalfonte***
Sun, 01/06/08
There were very few folk down South who had the relationship with African slaves, brought to America by NORTHERN slave traders that my family did. That most of my family's name are now African-American tells you that they knew the difference.
I'm not trying to fool anyone. The facts are that once the North won the war they abandoned the 'freed slaves' to those who did them great harm - after having destroyed everything and everyone regardless of their stance.
For those who didn't see the debate, here are some vid's of John Edwards speaking about fighting FOR the American peopl
Ooops, link didn't work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh0OhPdRl...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFLZgvaM3...://bluehampshire.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3130
Now I've really gotta go get some exercise. This is such a lazy morning for me.
179 and 162 -- Monica I bet you're right -- btw HB 1955 is alive and well as SB 1959
even the Mormons (Libertarians?) think it stinks. http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,5143,69...
==========================
'loyalty oath' -- you think the Dem's are worried about people jumping ship to suppport a Bloomberg candidacy? Maybe w/ a Dem VP candidate? Just a thought.
==========================
"Heads" on Russert predict an Obama vs. McCain election. Also 12 to 0 "heads" on Chris Matthews predict an Obama nomination. Of course you know what they say about predictions -- oh no, that was opinions, lol.
One thought I've had about Obama is I've read that his campaign is highly organized like a well oiled machine -- I think (while it's a function of the people he employs too) that is a plus for Obama -- that he can organize, get things done. Another thought, in reading the reports on O'Reilly's skirmish w/ Obama staffers, I was pleased/relieved to hear Obama has a 'personal assistant' who is 5 feet eight. I worry, Secret Service notwithstanding.
==========================
rdorgan - Our Jaguars seem to be having a good year -- I hope it inspires them to build a much improved and state of the art enclosure for the jaguars at the fine Jax zoo, where the jaguars enjoyed a below average exhibit last time I was there.
1:02 PM ET north Florida
200.
*** cChalfonte***
Sun, 01/06/08
... soooo, you do not deny or denounce your support for Israel killing women and children because they are not of the House of David?
How sad is it that you are still 'there' in 2008.
Mainefem provided reasonable and logical facts as to the futility of the DK campaign.
And I repect Mainefem's opinions and insights.
Still, there's a chicken-egg quandary here. If both the media and the party had given Dennis a fair shake (his alleged lack of organizational ability notwithstanding), his campaign would have been much more viable. His alleged "whining" is IMO only a natural reaction to the cruel and unfair treatment he's had from both the party and the media.
1:07PM
If kucinich isn't already flat broke, he's probably in the hole (is my guess).
That's why he sent yesterday's idiotic emotional appeal/fundraising email. There isn't an online "poll" anywhere on the internets which is statistically valid.
Time to withdraw~his FEC quarterly from Sept., 2007.
The 4th quarter FEC reports will be out shortly, BTW.
http://tinyurl.com/3dhobv
No, he's not even close to being considered as "viable," folks.
Get his butt back to the House; and show up for roll call votes/committee work would be nice.
He's a lousy organizer and fundraiser, for starters.
...and the grandstanding this late in the political season is disgusting.
I'm still angling for Dodd as VP and an ACTIVE President of the Senate. Was going to write a diary for KOS (still have a draft) and then discovered that Dan Quayle had that idea but because the Senate majority was Dem it didn't work. It seems that Quayle matured in office.
I'm not sure that Lloyd Bentsen's snide comment about his comparison to JFK was in good taste, in retrospect. The press liked it, but it didn't get him elected. Dan Quayle did, in fact, have more experience than Hillary does now when he was picked to be VP. Maybe when Bush One picked him, he thought he was related to John Danforth, to whom we can credit Kit Bond, John Ashcroft and Clarence Thomas.
I did not know that Clarence Thomas was studying to be a Catholic priest when he overheard a derogatory comment about blacks, left the seminary and turned into an Episcopalian. Which is how he hooked up with Danforth, an Episcopal priest.
Whoa ... are we already speculating on Veep and even cabinet choices? It's still a bit premature to my mind.
And if so, why are we limiting choices to the current Prez candidates? It's clear that some could be good in various other positions but personally, I'd rather keep good ones in the Senate and House where they are now. Believe me, there are LOTS of great people out there who haven't even been mentioned.
Remember how prick's *experience* and *maturity* were supposed to balance putz's callowness and inexperience?
That worked so well. Not.
***************
Just to open the focus a bit from NH, although it is certainly understandable that NH's on a lot of minds.
It looks as if Condi is getting it wrong yet again. What a tragic farce the woman is. What a tragic farce all of putzCo is! I'm with Mike; I just want to wake up and find that it's 2001 again and Al has just been inaugurated.
Perhaps in a parallel universe ...
===================
U.S. Relying on Two in People's Party to Help Stabilize Pakistan
By Robin Wright and Griff Witte
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, January 6, 2008; A17
With the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the Bush administration is now depending on two politicians -- one accused in the 1990s of being a crook and the other still viewed as almost powerless -- to help prop up President Pervez Musharraf and stabilize volatile Pakistan, according to U.S. officials, regional experts and Pakistanis.
Asif Ali Zardari, who has assumed the regency of his wife's Pakistan People's Party, is nicknamed "Mr. 10 Percent" for alleged corruption by profiting off government contracts when Bhutto was prime minister in the 1990s, charges for which he spent 11 years in prison. He will remain caretaker of Pakistan's largest opposition movement until their 19-year-old son finishes studies at Oxford and is ready to assume party control -- potentially many years away.
"He represents the old, entrenched faction of the PPP that resisted modernization of politics and sees parties as an extension of family politics, which is connected to the aura of corruption around him," said Isobel Coleman of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Makhdoom Amin Fahim, who led the party during Bhutto's eight-year exile, is the party candidate to become prime minister if the PPP wins the largest vote in the Feb. 18 elections and forms a coalition government. First elected to parliament in 1970, he lacks both charisma and clout, according to U.S. officials and Pakistani experts.
[...]
The biggest unknown is which way the PPP will lean. For the Bush administration, the worst-case scenario is the PPP aligning with the party of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in a coalition to try to change the constitution and oust Musharraf, said Stephen Cohen of the Brookings Institution.
A political alliance between the PPP and Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N Party was once as unlikely as a Democratic-Republican coalition in the United States, said Lawrence K. Robinson, a former U.S. diplomat in Pakistan who knows all the current players. But both parties now share more common views of Musharraf.
[...]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...
I'm no longer a Democrat; and don't like any of 'em.
However, I'm also pragmatic/realistic as hell; and strategic voting is doable.
Esp. in NH.
Keep Edwards in 2nd place; and ditch the DLC/Billary in the process.
A two-fer.
... otay, guess i've been all warm and cuddly long enough today. LOL
Futile? Probably, but i'd rather lose in the fight for peace, than win in the pursuit of domination. Think on it.
Kucinich/Feingold '08!! Strength thru Peace!!
Linda 204 - yes they are a good employer - and you can buy American made products at Costco - good luck finding (m)any in WalMart!
Lots of items to read from last night.
About the $100 per barrel price for oil.
Read Krugman: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/010408...
The short answer: The cause is China and things will get worse.
About the nuances of the candidates:
There are very significant differences in their platforms:
Iraq: JE gets them out the fastest and leaves the fewest behind, BO and HC leave them in until possibly 2013 and with more left behind.
Health Care: Edwards will cover all people. BO & HC cover less people. The HC plan sells out to the insurance lobby.
Each candidate has a website with their laundry list agendas. They all read pretty good regarding jobs, etc.
I am vey familiar with JE work on raising the minimum wage (ACORN). I don't know if the other candidates are that passionate about it.
So who can deliver?
HC who is the most Repub?
BO who is very visionary and has performed well in state activity but maybe less so in the US Senate?
JE who has spent his life confronting the rich and powerful and is himself rich and powerful. His record as head of the NC poverty center is mediocre at best. His voting record is inconsistent. His speech is the most populist but are we a jury? There are hedge fund questions and NC poverty activity that bear looking in to.
Caveat: Judging Senators strictly by their voting record is very short-sighted. By definition, they have to compromise on bills to push legislation forward. Each has a voting record that can be challenged which is why only two Senators were ever elected Presidents.
They must be prepared to defend their votes. JE apologized for his Iraq authorization vote. He claimed misinformation.
"...and the grandstanding this late in the political season is disgusting."
sadly, this statement is an assault on the freedom of a person to pursue their heartfelt desires to correct the errors of this Nation.
You mainefem are a disgrace to the ideals of Howard Dean. period
211. Deaniac ... luv ya and yes, cC is more forgiving of what most in the international sphere see as illegal activities by Israel against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Territories, but your comment here is, IMO, out of line and not worthy of what I think that I know of you.
We can agree to disagree without the personal slurs against someone who really is on our side.
Should I duck? LOL
The only things that really get my personal dander up here are when something that I say or post is deliberately mischaracterized, and repeatedly so, or when something that I did NOT say is wrongfully attributed to me.
Otherwise, have at me.
I am almost always against having many candidates from the House or Senate move into the executive wing because it weakens our majorities.
If BO or HC become President and other Senators become VP or Cabinet heads then we loose the Senate (assuming very few seats are picked up). But that isn't known until after the election.
John Edwards, taking on the Special Interests
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbhVFAAVJ...://www.johnedwards.com/watch/nhdebate/
IMPEACHMENT AN ISSUE?
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_john_kus_080106_hooray_for_mcgovern_21.htm
When a bank robber is caught in the act, it is correct to say "put down the loot." Those who call for impeachment are basically saying that. The U.S. executive branch should disgorge its ill begotten gains. America, and especially its younger generations, have every good reason to be angered, livid, and blistering with their criticism of the Bush administration.
Barack Obama would like to be swept into office without taking up these questions. He's already cut deals with the HMOs and the medical insurance companies, so that on health care, "change" won't include disruption for HMOs and medical insurance companies. It's a fair question to ask: Is that change? Or, is that continuity? And on trade, he has parroted some general platitudes about trade while missing the need for a substantially different trade regime. His answer to outsourcing is to fiddle with the tax code. That way, "change" won't include disruption for NAFTA, CAFTA, WTO, PNTR, etc. Again, one could ask: Is that change? Or, is that continuity? (Note. To fiddle with the tax code is what politicians have been doing since the dawn of time.)
If the presidential election year passes without an impeachment, then a new man like Obama would be able to take office and to pocket the ill begotten gains of the Bush/Cheney executive branch. Heck, if Bush/Cheney is the new baseline as for the expectations that we should have of the executive branch, then politicians can make an industry out of incrementally fixing the situation at the margins, and then patting themselves on the back. We may hear things like, "I'm so proud to have fixed eminent domain." "I'm so proud to have fixed Habeas Corpus." "I'm so proud to have fixed Posse Comitatus." All of that effort might return America to January of 2001, but to me that is still continuity and that is still not change.
JudyforDean
Sun, 01/06/08
Love ya tooo Judy! Just don't take kindly to all the 'shut up and sit down' talk - along with the denegrating of proven patriots.
... guess i'm saying i'll " not be silent!" hmmmm, who said that?
My husband has decided that he really would like to have dinner now, so it's off for now.
A hungry man and a hungry bear have lots in common.
When the Cold War was waging then Israel would have been a good addition to NATO. With the Cold War over, is NATO even needed? There aren't any risks to Western Europe that require a regional organization.
Just saw your response, Deaniac!
Stay cool ... no one takes kindly to such and far be it from me to ask people to be silent. But you are a good guy and cC is also a good person ... and so is mainefem.
You are all also very outspoken ... and I like you all that way.
Hang in there!
The problem with Prick and Lieberman was that they were poor decisions, perhaps not properly vetted.
224 - John,
From BOs web site:
Trade
Obama believes that trade with foreign nations should strengthen the American economy and create more American jobs. He will stand firm against agreements that undermine our economic security.
Fight for Fair Trade: Obama will fight for a trade policy that opens up foreign markets to support good American jobs. He will use trade agreements to spread good labor and environmental standards around the world and stand firm against agreements like the Central American Free Trade Agreement that fail to live up to those important benchmarks. Obama will also pressure the World Trade Organization to enforce trade agreements and stop countries from continuing unfair government subsidies to foreign exporters and nontariff barriers on U.S. exports.
Amend the North American Free Trade Agreement: Obama believes that NAFTA and its potential were oversold to the American people. Obama will work with the leaders of Canada and Mexico to fix NAFTA so that it works for American workers.
Improve Transition Assistance: To help all workers adapt to a rapidly changing economy, Obama would update the existing system of Trade Adjustment Assistance by extending it to service industries, creating flexible education accounts to help workers retrain, and providing retraining assistance for workers in sectors of the economy vulnerable to dislocation before they lose their jobs.
... yes Judy, everyone here today is welcome to advocate, i'm glad they come to play here. One has to expect to be 'fired upon' if they enter the paintball arena of politics.
Really need to go...
Love ya'll, mean it!!
218.
Jo*in*Vermont
...oh, you have NO idea how bummed I am that I don't have a Costco near me. My best friend in Cinci was from going to Costco there. A nice man that greeted me every day at the store. That was like the liberal haven in Cinci, NO LIE. I never had so many like minded people under one roof. It was our savior. LOL We started talking because of my hat :) Democracy for America.com, he approached me, obviously that I was not the norm in Cinci "So, how are are you handling living here?"
Anyhow, this is my first time in almost 2 decades of not having Price Club/Costco to shop at nearby. They are in ABQ,(about an hour) so now I really feel like I live in a rural area. We don't have a lot of shopping choices here. I go down about every 6-8 weeks and stock up.
......Judy...AMEN!
and now I say, be well.
Totally OT b/c I need to do Sunday chores but the Chicago Symphony is playing the marvelous Brahms 1st with the dueling horns (I almost typed hores again) in the 4th movement. My comm coll students are by necessity very pragmatic about their education but I had a pre-vet student pondering if she should 'waste' an elective on Art History. At 65 I think the college courses I took that have most informed my life are Art History and Music History. I love that I know a little about the eras in both areas. When I travel I like to hit the art museums and if it hadn't been for Mr. S. (I still correspond with Mrs. S my psych prof) I wouldn't have even heard of Fra Angelico or chiarascuro (sp). Art History and Music History rock (in a manner of speaking).
ooops...just saw the comment.
But Barack Obama proudly declared and is on record, so if he changed his website, ....??? hmmmm....."I am for Free Trade" "And I support adding Peru to the Free Trade Agreement". (which is why most Unions, besides also the health care issue, were against him)
caio!
FRANK RICH
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/opinion/06rich.html?ref=opinion
..............if Clinton operatives know how to go negative, they don’t have the positive balance of a 21st-century message. Iowa confirmed that the message the campaign has used to date — experience — is D.O.A. in post-Bush America. It was fascinating to watch that realization sink in on Thursday night. In her concession speech, Mrs. Clinton had her husband, the most tangible totem of her experience, standing right beside her, yet she didn’t mention him or so much as acknowledge him.
Even before that tableau was swept away by the sight of the Obama family all but dancing across the stage in celebration, it looked like the passing of an era.
1:33 PM
225. OK, now I know what bothers me about that characterization, "special interests." First of all it's an ironic designation invented by Republicans for people they don't consider in any way special and certainly way beneath themselves. Republicans are into superior status. When they use the term "special interest" it's derogatory as in "special education"--another sop to keep the peons quiet.
Now, Democrats may well be aiming to return the favor by referring to corporations and trade associations as special interests, but it doesn't have the same connotation. It may just be that Republicans are irony-deficient. But, it's not working.
I just think it might be better to talk about Republicans laundering their crony contracts through private corporations and charitable institutions. That leaves open the possiblity that the latter are innocent victims of corrupt public officials.
Reading past Cole posts and other journals.
The Pakistan Army is 20% Pushtin who are al Queada supporters on the Afgan/Pakistan borders. Pakistan will not fight al Queda. I would be happy with real nuclear security.
MoDo
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/opinion/06dowd.html?ref=opinion
At a hangar in Nashua, with chatty Bill and chatless Chelsea, Hillary tried to purloin more of the Obama message. Besides saying the word “change” as often as possible, she said she was particularly reaching out to young people to help them “reclaim the future.” She claimed that she disliked the red state, blue state terminology — “We are one country,” she said, echoing Obama — even as she added that she should be the nominee because she’s the best one “to withstand the Republican attack machine.”
What she doesn’t mention is that she knows how to fight off the Republican attack machine because she and her husband were so adept at revving it up.
Listening to Hillary and Obama evokes the famous scene in the classic “The Night of the Hunter,” when Robert Mitchum, whose fingers are tattooed with “LOVE” on his right hand and “HATE” on his left, has a wrestling match with his hands to see which emotion triumphs.
In the movie, love does, but it’s a close call.
1:40 pm
238 True, should be Corporate Interests.
We bought in to that from Howard Dean too. "I am Howard Dean's Special Interest"
235,
Nice going.
BO is against the current Free Trade agreements and for Free Trade. He needs to clarify what his trade vision really is and define "free trade".
Hmmm.
I'm a realist, John.
Am reading Dennis's FEC reports now (thru Sept., '07).
I'm guessin' he's well beyond broke by now.
He was in every debate until last night (and had ample forewarning, re: specs). Not the time to whine. Everyone else had the same criterion to follow.
It's time for Dennis to bow out; and get back to work in the House. *That* is indeed doable. Apply pressure, along w/Conyers and Wexler, etc.
Same w/Biden, Clinton, & Dodd. FISA needs to be repealed, pronto.
They've missed waaaaaaaaaaaay too many important roll call votes.
Pres. campaigns aren't his thang (nor is organizing/staffing offices/GOTV).
Terrible.
He doesn't spend the $$ he *does* have wisely (yacks on the phone quite a bit; and is overloaded w/"consultants" of various stripes).
Should've invested what money he had into staffing IA & NH offices. Spent a fortune on OH offices...isn't even rational.
http://tinyurl.com/2f6tvg
Huron John ...136
You wrote that Dennis had a chance, but the Media pulled him down and the Dem. Party finished the job.
And now a few here want him to get out of the way because he disturbs their conscience.
They've signed the pledge.
Stay in Dennis, if you can, a little truth can't hurt us.
Obama - Prez
Dodd - VP
Edwards - AG
Joe Biden - an adviser to the president
Howard Dean - Whatever position he wants, if any
We ahve no Costco stores here.
Infiltrated by Sprawl-Mart all over the place--along with Home Depot.
Two Home Depot stores moving in shortly...one in my small "city," (1/2 mi. up the street); and one opening in April, 25 mi. from me (small city where I grew up).
They depress the crap out of wages; and pay zilch bennies.
Combined w/crappy seasonal tourism "jobs," it's not pretty.
Billary was once on Sprawl-Mart's board of directors, BTW.
http://tinyurl.com/2rjrct
Time for her to scoot back into the Senate--and show me some "change."
"35 yrs. of change" schtick is a farce.
Comparing Billary vs. Edwards as a friend to organized labor and/or non-unionized working class folks...I'd opt for Edwards firstly.
Keep Edwards in 2nd place on Tues., New Hampstuuh!
Correction: two Lowe's moving in shortly.
Same crap. Low wages, no bennies to speak of; and non-unionized labor.
Sucks.
Annilow to Bill Richardson's credit he mentions the need for Art in the Schools at every stop. Here in Iowa there is a strong music tradition but less so art.
But I can't imagine a BA degree without Art History as a requirement.
after watching some of the stupid news shows this a.m. I am now convinced these whores are paid shills.
mathews is a complete embarressment. wolf needs to take some elocution lessons.
he actually told edwards that his win in iowa wasn't that great.
don't watch the putzes.
go john edwards.
230. I don't know what caused it, but American enterprise has been putting out schlock for a long time. I suspect it's a combination of monopolistic protection and the profit motive that has stymied innovation and quality in many areas.
I'm reminded that when my mother was designing ski wear in the early sixties, she had to import stretch fabric from Switzerland and, for the summer line, she went with fabric from Italy because the American colors were uninspiring. Since industrial spinning and weaving were invented in the U.S. and the mills were long established, why were they not innovating? Of course, the same question could be asked of the automotive industry. After our new Ford Fairlane wagon had a rusted tailgate after a year and within four had to be replaced because the bottom in the passenger compartment had completely rusted out (I had to count on the kids sitting still rather than standing up while I was driving), I wrote a letter to Ford to alert them to the shoddiness of their product (not as bad as the exploding Pintos, I'll grant) and got some self-serving letter in response about satisfying customer demand (which was not for quality--a not easily observable factor). Then they were surprised when imports from Japan captured the market. Ditto for electronics.
Your caucus is Apr. 19th, correct, Deaniac?
http://tinyurl.com/2k2kad
*No way* will Kucinich be on the ballot by then.
John Edwards would have a place for Howard in his cabinet if he wanted one, Obama might too. You know Hillary would railroad him out of his current job as so as she gets to 50.1% of the delegates.
I say vote your heart. If you don't like the idea of fighting the K Street crowd, you can try to transcend them with Obama.
Obama's neo-transcendental politics has very old New England roots with the original movement from there.
I will have to admit that my heart jumped when the ABC analyst said in reviewing Iowa that the candidates hadn't caught on that it's not about them, "it's about the voters." Of course, he may just have been trying out a new meme. Regardless, it told me that the major media script has changed. Iowa was a shocker to their common wisdom.
Let's hope it lasts.
no vote is wasted if you vote your heart and convictions, as a "protest" vote you make yourself clear supporting Kucinich
he has a snowball's chance in hell of becoming President but that shouldn't keep him off a ballot where he has the number of signatures
For info:
Home Depot contributes all their political $$$ to Republicans.
Lowes and Costco all to Democrats.
Shop Lowes or Costco.
Does anyone know how many super delegates there are to the Democratic convention? Is there a certain date that they have to declare by? My guess is that a huge % of them will be supporting Clinton, out of pressure from the Clinton machine? If they've already committed to Clinton can they change their mind? I'm not sure how that works. Thanks.
Just read on Kos, that in addition to an endorsement from Bradley; John Kerry will endorse Obama very soon and give him access to his 3 million name list.
I'm not shouting BTW, I'm watching football and when I scroll to find my place like the bold type as a marker (like a receiver looking for the chains)
the candidates got out of here just in time we have had pea soup fog since
This is BIG.
Family of Nataline Sarkisyan to Join Edwards Today on Campaign Trail in New Hampshire Today!....it's personal for them, too.
Well, then John Kerry lied again, when he said the candidate would have to endorse his position on the Global Warming fight.
...does Liquified Coal fit in with that?
I say, you go Dennis. This is what is WRONG in D.C. Change .We need NEW CHANGE.
any delegate can change their mind but ones allocated by rules must be approved by the candidates after they are elected, which is why the nomination process is a preliminary one for the actual people elected as delgates to Denver, some do it before the primary some after, but as we saw with the Dean delegates to Boston they ended up casting ballots for Kerry once there, but in the case off Dean delegates you can be sure if it was a contested convention Howard would have had the loyalty of his delegates
in the Democratic Party our National Convention officially makes the nomination, the old rule used archane language something like "no vote can be bound aforehand"
Sorry about this. I wanted to comment on the above blog, I am kind of new doing this.
thank you Phil, I know that Thursday night after the results were in, the Clinton campaign was on the phone with all of them trying to calm their fears.
Also Phil, I'm not sure if you saw my posting last week; but thanks for your great postings on Iowa. You do a great job on this blog.
jeanie be
the comments here have the relationship to the top post that Letters to the Editor have to an editorial on the same page of a newspaper which doesn't mean they can't be on topic just that most aren't
4.
seashell
"Hillary's manners are terrible, interrupting and demanding time. Neither she nor BO copped to previous debate gaffes. And she played the female sex card and in a subtle way, BO played the black card - CHANGE from man to woman, white to black. Not good to do that IMO."
regarding the part I underlined...
HUH!?! Did I miss something!?! Were we watching the same debate???
john
I blog too much and don't canvass enough but I am enough of an old hand here to have some insight into Iowa politics since I have held a party position of one title or another since 1969, glad to have been of service.
12.
"sitka is in the strange position of having to hope for an Edwards win somewhere or Iowa will be first again in four years"
LOL, Phil!
I'm with you on this. Enough is enough. Out with the old. If America doesn't roll the dice and take a chance we will still be in the same place in 50 yrs. With Hill she says experience. I wish someone last nite would have said, Should have had enough experience to know not to vote for the war in Iraq.
251. Phil, Obama's campaign is being managed by K Street people--some of them retreads from Gebhardt. The question is whether he's more in control of them than Hillary is of her's.
21.
regarding Obama..."That speech was arrogant."
seashell, I didn't hear arrogant at all, I heard confidence.
269. Not in Iowa according to this Newsweek article:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/84326?rf=nwne...
LIVING POLITICSHoward Fineman
Winning Formula
How Obama's team built a victory
Jan 4, 2008 | Updated: 1:34 a.m. ET Jan 4, 2008
I mention this for one reason: to say that, among other things, the 2008 Iowa caucuses will be remembered as the place where a new generation of superb Democratic organizers made its debut.
Obama rode to victory on a tide of emotion, charisma and desire for change. But mark this: these kids—and most of them are kids—beat the older crowd of traditional operatives at their own game and did it with tech and Internet savvy, brains, fund-raising skills, connections, street smarts and old-fashioned shoe-leather dedication.
This won't happen. Obama needs a runnning mate from the east and with foreign policy experence to win a general. Edwards didn't bring that much to the table for Kerry
I would not give Howard Fineman any air time. He has NO creds at all.
Hey Joan, I love Costco. MY son worked there summers during college.
They paid him well and they treat their employees very well.
263. john nelson
DNC Superdelegates are not "bound" to any candidate.
Esp. now. Nada.
15% is where it's at, re: remaining viable.
Go, Granite Staters on Tues.
Give Ms. Presumptive the DLC "boot."
http://tinyurl.com/3dglkq
Howard Fineman is the Anti Dem....bashed Al Gore...and Howard Dean...who's next.
Annilow
Fineman got it right. The best organization won. But the candidate plus money plus the atrraction of good people by the candidates message, plus the hunger for change by the grassroots all combined to make this the year for that to work.
265. If you read the transcript, Clinton mentioned verbally that one of the changes was a first female prez. It got applause. Obama was much more subtle since he didn't say "black" prez, but it was there if you listen closely. In music, many times the rests say more than the notes played. There's so much blah blah blah going on with these cans. that you have to listen between the lines and to what's NOT said.
That said, I never said I hate BO. I don't. I like him. I just think that of the 3, Edwards, IMO, is the least objectionable. I want a fighter, not an appeaser, and BO's vote for the Peru trade and continued funding really annoyed me.
Those of us who love Gore, Kucinich, Dodd are now forced to choose and frankly, it sucks. I would never have vetoed for any of the *top* three. I'm still not sure I'll back whomever is nominated. And I dislike caucuses even more, since several truly good men were winnowed out. And the CMWs encouraged Iowans, and now NH, to do the same ... follow the leader. Yuck!
And what's wrong with having fire in the belly? People liked that in Dean and now laugh at it in Edwards? It's OK for Dean to be angry, but not Edwards, who did not come off angry last night.
The candidate, Gore, most of us wanted, isn't running. So we've had to settle, once again and let IA tell us who we want. NH will prolly confirm it, since the CM is largely ignoring JE.
I want progress, not change.
As far as which candidate is about himself or the country, Dodd and JE were about the people, since it's the people who are being affected by the destruction of the Constitution and by corpations. So that argument about Dodd being about him and not the people doesn't wash. Hillary is about Hillary and the 90's. BO is about the year 2070 - ain't it grand? JE is about here and now; a very good spiritual place to be.
I'm with you on this. Let's start a new beginning with 21 Century.I'm tired of the same old mind set. I'm a baby boomer, but new things and new ideas from youth is exciting. They do bring something to the table. The next generation.
Linda in NM. I saw fineman work his shtick in NH in 2004 when I was there to help Howard in the primary.
I tried to track him down, he wouldn't talk to me.
He is a shill.
The ranch is one of eight providers of mental health services that are paid by the state when, for instance, a juvenile offender is referred by a juvenile court for mental health services. It received $8.5 million from the state in 2005, up from $140,000 just five years ago.
The ranch drew attention recently when Gov. Mike Huckabee, using an airplane provided by Suhl for a political trip, encountered engine trouble and had to make an emergency landing.
Suhl said Tuesday that the plane is not owned by the Lord's Ranch, but that he leases aircraft for businesses besides the Lord's Ranch.
Huckabee said in a recent interview that his political connections with Suhl had no influence on business the Lord's Ranch does with the state. His office does not award state contracts, the governor said.
"There are a lot of people who have government contracts that if it were left up to me, they wouldn't have them. Why? Because they've supported every political opponent I've had," Huckabee said. "There are a lot of people who have business with the state that if it were as personal as (critics) want to make the Lord's Ranch, they wouldn't have business with the state because they haven't been my supporters."
I have been amazed year after year for decades really of the really outstanding young people who take a year off from whatever else they were doing to come to Iowa and work on Democratic campaigns, especially at the entrance level tier where they get to meet voters face to face and learn what politics is really about ... meeting peoples needs. some of them hang on to the knowledge and stay in politics as a career but I think few would trade it, win or lose. I got to know a young woman from Indiana last year working for Bayh, and the scouting team for Warner was exceptional, but the "kid" from California working for Obama was tireless even if the young woman for Hillary was more organized and the young man from North Carolina was more polite, and the Richardson operative more idealistic
I'd hire them all in a minute.
There are fifteen names on the NH ballot. Much to choose from. LOL
JE, please stand up and say you'll repeal the MCA and most of the Patriot Act.
Forgot that NH is a primary and not a caucus. My bad!
I keep hearing Pelosi and how she talked about change.
John Edwards for progress and president!
The corporations, under Clinton or Obama, will make sure the "change" is kept in their pockets.
Politics is an acquired taste. It has to be introduced and cultivated. We want to make politics as exciting as baseball--a year 'round avocation. That's what DFA is up to , you know.
The Mouth from Maine....
Excuse me, even though she demonstrates being an expert on grandstanding, I have to disagree.
Dennis needs to stay in the race.
And excuse me once more, but....being told to give it up is reminiscent of the Big D's for Kerry telling us to get over it. Enough.
Lookie here, Folks. Another war. Our craven critters still give money to putzie.
So many countries to invade and destroy...so little time left.
FOCUS | US Considering New Covert Push Within Pakistan
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/010608Y.shtml
Steven Lee Meyers, David E. Sanger and Eric Schmitt, writing for The New York Times, report: "President Bush's senior national security advisers are debating whether to expand the authority of the Central Intelligence Agency and the military to conduct far more aggressive covert operations in the tribal areas of Pakistan. The debate is a response to intelligence reports that Al Qaeda and the Taliban are intensifying efforts there to destabilize the Pakistani government, several senior administration officials said."
Fineman may be a shill but at least he (and I) provided a little evidence for what we were setting forth -- that Obama had a great organization and they weren't K streeters they were young folks -- 2 too many Rhodes scholars, to quote Fineman's article. We need some evidence if we are going to assert that they were K streeters. This is Critical Thinking 101.
bbl 3:53 PM ET north Florida
Marathon thread tonight -- sorry dial uppers.
I forgot to mention that Patrick Healy NYT is hot :~~)
NH is moreso of a crapshoot, seashell.
It's a primary=secret ballot. Look for a *massive* turnout; and be grateful that it isn't in S.C. instead (they'll all lurch to the right).
Fuel prices (and gas) in New England now isn't helping the RNC one iota. It's balmy now, but was cold as hell for the past few weeks...all of which drives the unenrolleds to the Dem side--at least for now, which is fine.
"God" doesn't pay the utility bills, thanks. Screw that evangelical propaganda...I want to see that sh^t tossed to the curb, also.
*Enough*, already.
Agree--the DNC's Caucus Rules and Bylaws national committee already set things up.
Unless anyone's on that committee (who blogs here--nada), you deal w/it.
My goal is to toss the Clintons to the curb.
Along w/the DLC. It's (hopefully) over, thankfully.
Grantite Staters will be "The Deciders" come Tues., and winnow things down further.
Keep Edwards in there for the #2 spot.
Billary is looking defensive and desperate--a sense of "entitlement."
Dustbin of history (Pres. races) for the triangulated Clintons.
Good riddance.
270. I think it's true that we hear and see the same event differently; that's been scientifically proved.
I would like to know who Deepak Chopra or Gore or the Dali Lama would pick. IMO, these men are filled with Light and would be able to clearly see others who are also filled with Light.
We need change alright. We need a spiritual renaissance in this country.
Crazy sounding or not, spiritual Light would choose a good candidate.
And by spiritual Light, I don't mean *god.* I mean people who can *see* and *hear.* I do not include myself in the above mentioned spiritual giants. I'm still taking baby steps. :-)
David Plouffe is one of the most experienced and successful strategists in the Democratic party.
As executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the 1999-2000, Plouffe led a focused national campaign that moved a record $95 million to House races across the country, and helped add to the party's membership in the House of Representatives.
Prior to joining the DCCC, Plouffe served as Democratic leader Richard Gephardt's Deputy Chief of Staff in 1997-1998. He joined Leader Gephardt after managing the successful campaign to fill Bill Bradley's seat in the U.S. Senate for Bob Torricelli, the most hotly contested U.S. Senate race in the 1996 cycle.
Plouffe served as the Campaign Director at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Director in 1995, joining the DSCC after managing a U.S. Senate race in Delaware in 1994 for Attorney General Charlie Oberly against Senator Bill Roth.
Plouffe also successfully managed Congressman John Olver's first reelection bid in western Massachusetts in 1992 and served as a State Field Director for Senator Tom Harkin's Presidential campaign in the 1992 cycle, after serving as the Deputy Field Director in Harkin's successful 1990 U.S. Senate race.
Plouffe joined AKP&D Message and Media in the winter of 2000, and became a named partner of the firm upon returning in February 2004 after serving as a top strategist to Dick Gephardt in his Presidential bid.
MSNBC again:
*** Bill Bradley jumps on board: On the day after the Iowa caucuses, we noted that the Obama endorsement bandwagon could start getting crowded. Well, one of the big gets who had been sitting on the sidelines is getting on board Monday. Bill Bradley will travel to New Hampshire Monday to campaign for Obama. It's the type of elder statesman endorsement Obama's camp had hoped to get before Iowa. But because of the Howard Dean debacle in 2004, many folks -- like Bradley -- probably decided to wait until Obama had won something before climbing aboard. Bradley, after all, endorsed Dean four years ago.
Annilow
Your post got me motivated to call the young organizers and thank them and I just got off the phone with the "kid" from California working for Obama and he now has the title of director for the campaign for Orange County CA for the 5th, which is not far from where he grew up. They will like him there. I think raising money to put in the pockets of young people giving up a year of college or worse a year in the real job market softens the sacrifice and is a good use of our donations by any campaign instead of overpaid consultants at the top.
The "Mouth From Maine" reads FEC reports w/a discerning eye.
Regardless of the candidate.
Who contributes to whom; how it's spent, & how one votes speaks volumes about a candidate.
Pls. do so; and cease "emoting."
Kucinich doesn't have the $$$ (or field staff in various states), in order to *stay* in the race (the Jan. quarterlies will be out soon).
BTW Paul Tewes ran the Obama campaign in Iowa
290. Mea Culpa--not KStreet, consultants out of Chicago.
Maine.......
Why do you care if he stays in the race, with or without money. Do you have some objection to what he is saying? You are so emoional about his getting out. What are you afraid of?
Giants may be trouble down the road.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Agreed Phil and congrats to the Broadway Blues.........the Giants are prime pickin position right now.......everyobody is in bed with New England.....thats great....Dallas too..............
A quick word to people blabbing about what a dynasty team NE is......let me remind allfans that Brady DID fumble that ball, several years ago against the Raiders in that snow bound playoff game......so theres one Super Bowl less......a few years ago they won on the last play against Carolina, so thats another one to not bragg about........in 1986 the Patsies got total colonoscopied against the Bears 46-10, the packers handed them ther butts in 1997, they had a last minute winning drive agaionst the rams.....so that only leaves them with a win against Philly and that they only won by 3...................
New England will go down this year.......If they get to the Super Bowl their time is due.......
Yes Mr. Obama, a Lobbyist IS Running Your Campaign
In last night's debate, honey-tongued Barack Obama eloquently made his case for 'change.' Obama wants to form a coalition of willing Democrats, independents, and yes -- even Republicans -- to shake up Washington. Before Mr. Obama does to Washington, the first term Senator may want to consider shaking up his own campaign: His New Hampshire co-chair Jim Demers is a lobbyist for the pharmaceutical industry.
Hillary Clinton informed the Senator that a lobbyist was running his campaign during a sharp exchange about health care. Obama righteously denied the charge, but unfortunately for Obama, it was
proven true by Time's Mark Halperin.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/6/1...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080106/ap_on_el_pr/obama_bradley;_ylt=AvJwFrsBLJ.1raZ4q.1FGFob.3QA
Bill Bradley endorses Obama's campaign
By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer
Sun Jan 6, 12:31 PM ET
MANCHESTER, N.H. - Bill Bradley, a former presidential hopeful and senator, on Sunday endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president.
...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20080106/pl_bloomberg/ahs42d3pcj7a_1
Obama Leads Clinton 38% to 26% in New Hampshire, ARG Poll Says
Dan Hart
Sun Jan 6, 9:24 AM ET
Jan. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Barack Obama, who won the Iowa caucuses, leads Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire by 12 percentage points among likely voters in the Jan. 8 Democratic presidential primary, according to an American Research Group Inc. poll.
Obama, an Illinois senator, led with 38 percent, over Clinton, who received 26 percent support in the American Research Group poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The survey of 600 likely Democratic primary voters was conducted yesterday and Jan. 4 via telephone.
Obama had trailed Clinton by 4 percentage points in a Jan. 1-3 poll, when he had 31 percent support. Clinton's support waned from 35 percent in the previous poll, after she finished third in the Iowa caucuses behind Obama and former North Carolina senator John Edwards.
Edwards picked up some support in New Hampshire with 20 percent in the latest poll, up from 15 percent from Jan. 1-3.
...
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2008/01/06/obamas_rise_worries_clinton_faithful/5411/
Obama's rise worries Clinton faithfulPublished: Jan. 6, 2008 at 11:50 AMCONCORD, N.H., Jan. 6 (UPI) -- The rise of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, especially after his first-place showing in Iowa, has Hillary Clinton's backers expressing worry.
With the New Hampshire primary Tuesday, the senator from Illinois is overshadowing the New York senator and former first lady, sometimes drawing crowds double and triple the size of Clinton's on the stump. ...
mary vb
Sun, 01/06/08
Reply to this
I think Obama is trying to include the not-so-wacky Republicans (I used to be one) and disaffected Indies. Is there something wrong with that? Not all registered Republicans are religious nuts, etc. That's what I loved about Howard Dean. Look how many Republicans he drew in.
+++
mary vb -
Nice comment about Obama. Thanks.
Sarkisyan Family in New Hampshire,
talking about what they and their lost daughter went through
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3umpzLHC...://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/6/103755/8442/586/430632
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/6/1...
Great site, Monica:
I plugged in trippi (lower case) on a wildcard search...he did just FINE w/all of those emotional BFA "You have the power" emotional plea bats.
Scam.
http://tinyurl.com/2pb9h3
He should buy a freakin' new sport jacket; get a haircut, and spring for some intensive dental work--w/all that moula.
oops, 2nd video of the father
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMT_6QiaF...://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/6/103755/8442/586/430632
Glenn Beck Rambles About Botched (penis enhancement) Surgery, Suicidal Thoughts stemming from realization he will continue to be a very, very little man.
Interesting op-ed.
---
Obama the favorite in beauty shop survey
By Bill McEwen/The Fresno Bee
Kelly's Creative Hair Center isn't only about relaxers, curls, weaving and cuts. The women talk politics, too, like the guys at any barbershop.
They're talking politics over at Lily's Beauty Salon, too, and Hillary Clinton's people wouldn't be happy with what they're saying. ...full op-ed: http://www.fresnobee.com/columnists/mcew...
Ceci Boloca
Sun, 01/06/08
Reply to this
Well, well, it has been a very long time since I was here last. It is comforting to still recognize some names from the good old days of dean for america. This was also the place were we first heard about Barack Obama, supported his candidacy and contributed to the coffers of his senatorial campaign. Watching the Iowa Caucuses brought back a lot of memories. And it has not been simple to gather enthusiasm for any candidate for this Deaniac. However, I have found inspiration,enthusiasm and hope in the presidential aspirations of Barack Obama. In the present line-up, I feel he is in a league of his own and his candidacy represents a unique historical opportunity which the times call for. I really believe he will be the next President of the United States of America.
+++
Ceci -
Welcone back here !
The treacly Obama-spama gets a little tiresome after 8 or 9 posts.
Tom should like this--From Dennis:
Linda in SFNM,
I don't get what your ire is with Barack Obama. He's certainly not a Republican; he's much more inclusive and flexible than HIllary Clinton; he's serious about winning, which means he can't just trash corporations; and he's got a record of community activism in the South Side of Chicago, and I've taught there. There's lots of poverty, neglect, and danger. He's a professor of Constitituional Law, and he was evidently a very popular teacher.
Don't really understand the vehemence.
Huron John
Sun, 01/06/08
The treacly Obama-spama gets a little tiresome after 8 or 9 posts
HJ you have to be kdding with this post! Door swings both ways, my friend.
Responding to the Death Threats by Kids For Edwards
This is Duncan, 14, of Kids For Change andKids For Edwards. Since my websites have been published, I have received significant hate mail from Republicans across the country, and for that matter like-minded conservatives around the world. After beginning to post diaries at Daily Kos, the messages increased. Then finally after the email address being disclosed on two conservative blogs, numerous mailing flood my inbox at every hour interval. But instead of marking the emails as spam and moving on, I personally respond to each of them. Here are a couple of my favorite messages (selected from many) and how I replied. ...read moe and take Duncan's poll: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/6/1...
322.
Pat in Colorado
...do share with me the vehmence you claim? Because I don't support him or his policy it is called vehemence, now? That's a first.
so when you have some examples of "my vehemence" for Obama, please share.
It's amazing. People can post nonstop attacks on someone else, pro Obama, but if someone shows they like real issues and therefore don'ts support an Obama for President, you get charged with every offense and claim.
Gee funny that the Obama supporters wish to go on this way if you don't support their beloved. I've shared numerous times when asked why I don't support Obama. There is an entire list that many could post.
Do I sit here an ask the vehemence to the Obama supporters and why they are so against this candidate or that?
Remember, this is not an Obama blog, so if everyone wants touchy feely, Kumbaya and ignore the issues, and hail for one candidate, sorry.
Okd, if the word vehemence is insulting, I'll offer another, opposition?
You said that you were convinced he wouldn't make a good president. You also said that he was a talker and not a doer, and you've given lots of examples detrimental to him.
I guess, I'm curious more than anything as to how you've come to these conclusions.
Huron John
Sun, 01/06/08
+++Huron John -
The treacly ABB anti-Obama-spama gets a little tiresome after 8 or 9 posts.
Good point by Stan Goff at the end of a long post:
http://www.feralscholar.org/blog/index.php/2008/01/04/my-ron-paul-rant/
We are entering a period of imperial decline, stagflation, and international exterminism. The problem is that we are gaining altitude. The sooner we crash, the less damage we’ll suffer.
Practical, tactical, revolutionary politics beats the shit out of all-inclusive “programs” any day. Leftists and libertarians can and should form tactical alliances. That doesn’t mean we have to hang out together in a jacuzzi. It means we pursue some goals together; and leave the rest to pursue apart
I'm glad that Dennis Kucinich encouraged his supporters in Iowa to back Barack Obama as their second choice, if he Dennis was not viable (didn't reach the 15 % threshold).
Thank you Dennis.
I started an open thread to get away from this monster... join me if you will!
I have learned what Obama supporters hate most. Facts. They would like it much better if you just acted, oh I don't know- childish, and irrationally called names and like charges. But when you point one honest little piece of information, it's hard to refute it and they get down right hostile because, it doesn't paint there candidate in a good light.
+++Huron John -
The treacly ABB anti-Obama-spama gets a little tiresome after 8 or 9 posts.
Only a couple of my last 8 or 9 posts have even mentioned Obama.
And none featured the mythical ABB.
Get a grip!
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Pat.......
I don't understand why I'm hearing the Obama supporters responding here to criicism of Obama in terms of "ire, vehemence, anger etc." I apologise for saying this, but that's what Carl Rove has been telling us, that we hate Bush, in order to demean and embarrass us. Nobody here, I believe, hates Obama as someone earlier suggested.
It's just that there are so many questions about his intentions. There are legitimate questions being raised. He should be treated equally in his vetting to the other candidates,
If working as a social worker in Chicago makes Obama special, then all the work Edwards has done should make him even more special.
Stilll waiting for the facts, Linda in SFNM.
Why all the generalizations: "Obama supporters hate ...facts"; "they would like ...."; they get down right hostile". As I said, I don't understand the intensity (is that a better word?) I've heard a variety of viewpoints about all the candidates, but the hostility towards Obama seems to be stronger now that he and Edwards are viable.
As I mentioned, I am curious as to how and why you've come to the conclusion that you are convinced he would make a bad president (my words).
Finally, when it's all said and done, I think we all want someone with integrity, strength, intelligence, experience, and values that include all the people in this country. No candidate will be perfect, and that's where we all come in, to keep them accountable.
I'm not in love with Obama, Dodd, Gore, Edwards. Frankly, I was only capable of falling in love twice, with Eugene McCarthy and Howard Dean. But, I still want to know your real reasons for opposition to Obama.
After a long pause from here (4 years), I decided to come and see what was being said about the upcoming election and the candidates.
Quite frankly I was very turned off by Linda in SFNM constant anti-Obama posts without any facts on her part.
Also John H posts also.
316. lol...you sure it wasn't an operation for cranial obstruction of the colon...I emailed Headline News last week with my displeasure of Glenn Beck being on the air.
327.
Pat in Colorado
Sun, 01/06/08
Okd, if the word vehemence is insulting, I'll offer another, opposition?
You said that you were convinced he wouldn't make a good president. You also said that he was a talker and not a doer, and you've given lots of examples detrimental to him.
I guess, I'm curious more than anything as to how you've come to these conclusions.
___________________
I don't know, Pat, would you like me to ask what is your vehemence towards me?
I don't need to tell you of all people the meaning of a word and being you charged me with that, would you be bothered if someone claimed you display vehemence to me for supporting another candidate?
Also, I don't believe I have used the word "convinced". But if you feel that way, that's your choice. I would probably say I don't believe he would be a good president, sure and there are many reasons why. Most supporters get upset when those facts are brought up, EVEN AFTER SOMEONE LIKE YOU ASKS WHY I DON'T SUPPORT HIM...and then I get more names called at me. Oh, it was "gotchas","anti Obama spam", a lot irrational behavior here.
There really is no reason for me to go through that huge list. The reasons are know or can be found out.
But I'm still waiting from you these examples of your claim. Where in the heck did you pull that out from. Upset that I actually posted a link to a diary someone wrote about Obama? Oh my, I should be whipped. Oh wait, I have, thank you.
New CNN NH Poll
Obama at 39, McCain at 32, in new pollhttp://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/01/obama_at_39_mccain_at_32_in_ne.html
more proof up thread... oh no, some one posted another post that doesn't paint Obama favorable. should we be counting all the posts you and others make that are not just factual and not painting someone favorable, but attacking like you trying to claim Elizabeth Edwards sounds racist?
s m so happy the occassional post I might make of Obama didn't turn you off completely from coming here and sharing your sweet storys and attacks.
Holy smokes - same thread?
Another poll - I think Tuesday will be a blow-out in Obama's favor - I think Indies and R's will break to him as well as tried and true Dems.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/200...
If McCain is the nominee and Obama is the nominee - he HAS to choose Webb.
I see s m beat me to the punch. Oh jeez, cat is attacking dog right now.
Mary there is a new thread that Jo in Vermont posted - link upthread.
346.
mary vb -
Looks like the sour grapes trio (Linda*in*SFNM, Huron John and audrey.nc), upset at Iowa voters and soon the NH voters, will have a long haul ahead of them, all the way to the general election in Nov !
Go Obama/Edwards '08 !
347
Agreed - only 3 out of many, though, isn't too bad :)
Better buck up, it's a long election cycle LOL
Hey guys - First and foremost Howard Dean brought us all together here - let's not forget that. We all like different candidates for different reasons. I'm guilty of not being so gracious to Hillary (sorry) but I'll try to not trash candidates and their supporters.
OMG rdorgan I had no idea you were posting that! LMAO now that is funny.
Hey they are all good people.
Hi Linda,
This is getting downright unpleasant. Your post #129 is where I picked up on your conclusion.
No, I'm not against you, didn't mean to insult you, generally enjoy your posts. I'm just sensitive to the tone of your posts, and I do sense anger against Obama, and if I'm mistaken, I apologize.
Here's the post I responded to:
"Obama said last night, when they pointed to his inconsistencies and lack of experience, that people like to to hear (I'm paraphrasing) good talk. He reaffirmed to me that there is no way he will be a good president. He studies what to say, not what to do. Richardson, oh, I cannot even go through the list-issues, policy, lets make nice for the Corporations....OH OH OH,,,, that reminded me. Didn't anyone hear the total shift in Obama? Now he changed his positioning towards Edwards and talking about he cares to, he wants to make bold changes. What happened to his entire campaign theme that you can't be of Ideals and you must compromise on everything?
Anyhow, so on the issues, if I have a chance to vote, it is Edwards hands down. His To Do List, is my list. And he has the passion to get it done, or at least try."
But, it's time for me to go. Again, I really dislike it when posts become personal attacks, and if I started this, I'm sorry. I learn from argument and generally enjoy it.
Bye for now.
Gardner doesn't mention Tues.'s downright balmy (wear mud boots) weather forecast.
Record turnout projected...historical.
On tonight's NBC national news, Tim Russert was blabbing about "cold New England weather". What an ignorant *moron*. It's a heatwave thaw up here now! David Gregory was showing off his shiny black patent leather Prada ankle boots last night during the MSNBC debate blabfest. These reporters need to learn how to dress appropriately...the slush will do wonders for over-priced dressy Prada footwear. If they had brains (or an ounce common sense), they'd be dangerous!
Dummies....
Go, Granite Staters! Get out of purple mode.
http://tinyurl.com/2p7xfz
Here's another poll - only click if you're interested or please scroll.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/1...
Pat you don't have to apologize for anything.
Denise
Sun, 01/06/08
Reply to this
OMG rdorgan I had no idea you were posting that! LMAO now that is funny.
Hey they are all good people.
+++
Denise -
I know that -- that Linda*in*SFNM, Huron John and audrey.nc -- are good people. IMO they're just a bit misguided (call it the ABB bug has bitten them and they can't seem to find anything to get rid of the sting).
ciao everyone, I'm off to watch PBS's Globe Trekker (tonight's episode on Ecuador; just next door to Peru, the country I visited in the mid 1980's).
Jo in Vermont started a new thread
http://www.blogforamerica.com/view/23456...
This one is rather long
cARL Rove tells us we just "hate" Bush. It was meant to demean. We just operate from emotion, and have no facts. It's interesting why that is being used by some here about those who do have facts actually, about Obama, and try to point them out. Why are the Obama supporters here so defensive? The hate thing wasn't thrown out there when other candidates were being criticised. Nobody is allowed to vet Obama? Let's hurry and get him under the radar, and America will rid itself of past sins, and we'll all feel better?
Well, I have waited all my life for a woman President, and now I'm not supporting one. It's time we could have a minority Pres., but please send someone in with integrity like Maxine Waters. I could win on both counts then.
new thread
http://www.blogforamerica.com/view/23463...
354.
Pat in Colorado
Amazing. Why did I say that. Because he said that. He said [words help and the words can inspire, so you can use words to make change]
...thank you.
If you would like to read the transcripts, go here.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/...
349.
* rdorgan
Sun, 01/06/08
346.
mary vb -
Looks like the sour grapes trio (Linda*in*SFNM, Huron John and audrey.nc), upset at Iowa voters and soon the NH voters, will have a long haul ahead of them, all the way to the general election in Nov !
Go Obama/Edwards '08 !
---->
So nice to see you and your friends.
John Edwards speaking about fighting FOR the American people
Talk is cheap. When Edwards had the chance to deliver, he didn't.
363. John Edwards speaking about fighting FOR the American people
Talk is cheap. When Edwards had the chance to deliver, he didn't.
_________________________
If you're interested to see some examples of those things he did do when he had the chance, here you go.
SPRADLING: Can you give New Hampshire voters a guide of something significant that you accomplished in your six years as a U.S. senator...
EDWARDS: Absolutely.
SPRADLING: ... that would give us some guide as to what kind of president you're going to be?
EDWARDS: Absolutely. I could tell you exactly one -- I'll give you one very specific example, a big example.
When the Democrats finally took over the United States Senate, the first issue that was brought to the table was the so-called patient's bill of rights, so that patients and families could make their own health care decisions.
EDWARDS: What's happening now is insurance companies are running all over people. I mean, the case of Nataline Sarkisyan, which a lot of the audience will be familiar with -- 17-year-old girl who lost her life a couple of weeks ago because her insurance company would not pay for a liver transplant operation.
She had health insurance, but the insurance company wouldn't pay for it. They finally caved in a few hours before she died.
We need a president who will take these people on. What we did -- and I didn't do it alone, don't claim to have done it alone -- but I, Senator McCain, who was here earlier, Senator Kennedy, the three of us wrote the Patient's Bill of Rights. The three of us took on the powerful insurance industry and their lobby, every single day of the fight for the Patient's Bill of Rights. And we got that bill through the United States Senate and got it passed.
...unfortuntately, W vetoed the Bill, and probably the main reason that poor young girl didn't have to die if it passed.
Huron John
Sun, 01/06/08
The treacly Obama-spama gets a little tiresome after 8 or 9 posts
If you're interested to see some examples of those things he did do when he had the chance, here you go.
Patirents bill of rights. Yahoo.
Looks like just more talk to me.
<>I'm really curious, Linda, what turned you from an Edwards basher to an Edwards pusher in just a couple of days?
<>Did something happen on the road to Damascus?
Again, there is a new thread.
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By Susan Rowe on Jan 5, 2008 4:53 PM ESTI will not sign this pledge from the DNC either.
http://www.democrats.org/GetUnited
It's insulting to anybody who is honest and has a mind of their own. The Democratic Party is not a cult.
This pledge is un-Amercian. My primary is February. Why should I bother to go a vote at all.
This cartoon below has been on our refrigerator since 2004 when I clipped it out of the Fresno Bee. It's a reminder of what the Democratic Party must never be allowed to become again.
DNC Convention 2004 Democratic Unity
http://www.kirktoons.com/july_2004/Image...
Yellow dog Democrats aka yaller dogs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_dog_...
Now the Yellow Dogs Democrats are all cowards as far as I'm concerned.
---
http://www.accuracy.org/newsrelease.php?...
http://www.commondreams.org/news2004/072...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 27, 2004
5:48 PM
CONTACT: Institute for Public Accuracy
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020
David Zupan, (541) 484-9167
News Release
* Direction of Democrats * Money at Conventions * Peace Voices Squelched * 9-11 Families March
...VINCENT LAVERY
Currently in Boston, Lavery is a delegate from Fresno, Calif. He had a "No War" sign taken from him by convention organizers as he entered the convention hall and was handed a Kerry sign. Lavery said today: "How ridiculous, it's like we're robots, we're given signs to wave on cue. They take all signs people bring in. The convention is very controlled." ...
Two Gags at the Dem. Convention
By Matthew Rothschild
full story: http://www.progressive.org/mag_mcdemcon