Deans are first!

Lots of spin from Forbes about the delegates of FL and MI.  The writer is saying the two states are in a stronger position to choose the nominee.  The writer acts like he does not know about the lawsuits and the Supreme Court ruling that give the DNC the power to do what they did.

Forbes says FL and MI strengthened their positions. Really?

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1844

There is summary of 3 of the lawsuits.

A mostly accurate article on DemocracyFest coming to town in a local paper there today!

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/arti...

Danny I bet you are a great communications director and truly understand what it means to communicate well.

So, if that's true (and I'm sure it is) - can you persuade the powers that be up there to please put some time and $$$ (which a blogger is trying to raise) into fixing the blog so we, DFA, can talk to one another well? You know, communicate?

We'd appreciate it - thanks!

Has everyone heard about the new McCain scandal?

I have been reading about the McCain scandal and I must say that I have been shocked.  Shocked!  How could he?  Cindy is such a lovely woman and she is really proud of her country.  How could he do to his second wife what he did to the first?

American Hero.  American Cad.

Is Cindy his current wife? What was the last one's name? Does his last wife support him or is he another Rudy?

Did he think this would never come out?

ibid p148,149 

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

a repost test to see if Ronald does his creative editing again or takes the argument as a whole

the only certain thing about Florida and Michigan is that they will not "choose the nominee"

Paine, don't be silly.  I'm neither an ABB or ABH person.  The reason I haven't made a decision is becuz I don't think either one should be prez.  I wanted a true progressive.  It's bad enuf to vote for someone I don't want in the gen'l...,no reason to do it in the primary.  

I will prolly write in JE since with the endorsement today, it looks as if BO has it.  So be it.   My vote will not count, no matter who I vote for. 

Ås I recall, you were a HC supporter way back when.  What happened?  That bandwagon roll over you?  :-)

Meanwhile, the truck has just rolled over McC. 

<

Haha hehe, I was never a Hillary supporter.  I did often say, "I am not afraid of hillary Clinton."

Why?

To counter the seemingly endless and uncheck anti-Hillary onslaught - both here and on the street.

I'm still not against Hillary, even asI am hopeful and committed for Barack.  Sen Clinton will do well in the Senate.  She takes no shame as she exits.

You say that the truck just rolled over 'Cain?  I say, "roll on brother trucker, ROLL ON!"

AND BTW, vote for one or the other or don't bother showing up at the polls, sister:-)

Is this the proverbial p*ss in the ocean?

U.S. slaps duties on refrigerator magnets from China
Wed Feb 20, 2008 5:36pm ESTP
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States will impose a steep duty on Chinese refrigerator magnets because production subsidies in that country put comparable American products at a disadvantage, the U.S. Commerce Department said on Wednesday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsN...

+Refrigerators which use freon gas

I recall reading in The Economist years ago that China was contributing loads of freon gas to the atmosphere, because they build refrigerators which THE US EXCLUDES from their market

so zapping the  Chinese with US duties...I don't know?  Does anyone trust this Admin. of ours?

I had a run in with the Patriot Act today. There is a place online that I get money for trips - currency from other countries - mostly just Euros. I've used them several times and they are very efficient. Today I ordered some money and got an email with a form to fax to them with my SS, birthdate, pix ID, everything but my mother's maiden name. I'm still deciding whether to send or just take my chances exchanging when I get there. It's too bad b/c it's always been a great place to do business.

10. donna, snark about Cindy loving her country lol. Seashell was saying on last thread who benefits from the McCain scandal. I'm an Obama fan -both of them- but if I were being objective and looking for 'motive' this sure takes the spotlight off Michelle.

Danny, we are glad you are here and are posting. I agree with Denise -- I hope you can prevail on the powers that be to fix the blog so if nothing else the posts appear in order. Susan is trying to raise money -- I haven't given b/c I think it just gets thrown in a general fund - not a blog fixing fund. I just gave to the general fund. Anything you can do? Thanks.

9.

Phil Specht .. thats why there tanking the dollar and the america economy. its big bankers,they will come in an buy our roads raise toll prices, there buying up water rights, hell they own all are nation park now! you think taxes are high just wait. collapse economy,lower standard of living fallin wages, the middle class will be gone that mean us!its much more worst than what this post state,phil who wrote this? i know it wasnt you! and do you agree with this?

the only living real democrate left! Kucinich to Investigate 9/11 Insider Trading

Aaron Dykes
JonesReport.com
February 20, 2008

Congressman Dennis Kucinich revealed that he is initiating an investigation the insider trading that took place leading up to 9/11, particularly in regards to put options placed on American Airlines and United Airlines stock.

Kucinich said that he had personal questions about the implications insider trading had.

"I’ve indicated a long-standing interest in gathering information and trying to get to the bottom of exactly what happened with respect to all the stock activity that took place preceding 9/11." Kucinich said.

Kucinich said it was the bizarre record-level put options that caught his attention initially. The odd trades heavily indicate prior knowledge of the September 11 attacks and have raised a number of questions that Kucinich hopes to probe.

"First of all, I’m not afraid to ask questions about 9/11," Kucinich told the Alex Jones Show.

"From my own personal standpoint, I’ve had long-standing questions about why this volume, why those airlines, why that time, who made the buys, why did they buy them, who told them to make the buys, who was involved? There are questions there that need to be answered as part of an effort to get to the truth," Kucinich said.

He made clear he was not yet pointing the finger. "I don’t know what happened. I’m not alleging anything here. But I sure want to find out how it happened."

But Kucinich hopes that inquiries in a committee hearing would clarify the information and answer questions.

 Fair enough.  It would appear to be a selective edit that led into my recent blog entry.  Actually, I just read the first sentence and impulsively stomped on it. 

From Barnes and Noble Site, I see that The Audacity of Hope was published:

Pub. Date: October 2006

As far as I'm concerned we are already where Mr. Obama forecast in 2006 that we would be "over the long term" and we very well could be in a real time collapse that he assures us, with Wall Street coolness, will not imminently occur.  I'd like to see a sense of urgency on this from the next Prez.

Don't y'all see Robert Rubin whispering in "The Chosen One's" ear.  Kerry 04 Redux.

I'll do what I have to in November, but no Kool Aid for me, please.  

Billie Holiday - I Can't Pretend        http://hypem.com/track/491752

Elite Funding Both Sides Of Immigration Issue

Ethan Allen
IntelStrike
February 20, 2008





In yet another move by the global elite in hedge funding to insure victory no matter who wins, the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, the Gates Foundation, the Macarthur Foundation, as well as others, have been providing funding to the National Council of La Raza, one of the most racist Hispanic ‘civil rights’ groups. La Raza literally means ‘The Race’ translated from Spanish, and is well known for selling racist and xenophobic propaganda to legal as well as illegal Hispanic immigrants inside the United States. They have a long and controversial history and have had clashes with whites and minorities of other races over immigration, employment and cultural issues.

The elites’ cash cows have also been big donors to other left leaning illegal immigration, including MALDEF, the Center for Immigrant democracy, Casa Mexico, and the Mexican-American legal defense and education fund. A quick google search of the philanthropic groups will reveal that they are open and proud of their investments into these immigration groups. The Macarthur Foundation’s own website admits proudly how they showered La Raza with $600,000 and a $350,000 grants. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has gone ever farther, coughing up over $20 million to La Raza since 2002.

And on the flip side of the immigration issue, the pro border control and anti-illegal immigration group, FAIR (Federation for American immigration reform), has received over $1.2 million dollars from the Pioneer Fund, a group founded in 1937 on the basis of study in eugenics and ‘race sciences.’ Several of the the Pioneer fund’s beneficiaries include Arthur Jenson, Richard Lynn, J Phillip Rushton, and Roger Pearson, all right leaning eugenicists and social biology advocates. The Pioneer fund also has ties to the Council for National Policy and the Heritage foundation, two more right wing policy research organizations.

Despite funding both sides of the immigration issue and the apparent contradictions involved, that’s not the end to the madness. The Macarthur Foundation has also been forking over dough to several planned parenthood organizations to increase the education and use of abortion and safe sex; tools of soft population control. Since 1986, the Macarthur Foundation has donated over $215 million to almost 1,000 groups and individuals in the field of population and reproductive health.

Whether it’s left wing groups promoting open borders and drivers licenses for illegal aliens, or right wing groups calling for deportation and border control, the eugenics loving, big brother hugging elites have been bank rolling their way to a victorious step in moving us all closer to their vision of a new world order. How can one fail when one has pawns on both sides of the chess board? The game is fixed.

John McCain has a reputation as a straight-talking maverick who appeals to the independent voters who can tip the balance in this fall's presidential election. Democratic strategists want to change that image.       http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/28212.html 

Navy Missile Hits Spy Satellite, Results Still Unclear

Teamsters Endorse Obama, Offering a Blue-Collar Lift

http://www.nytimes.com/

http://hypem.com/track/423706       Kate Nash - Dickhead

Why is there no outrage for the statement Bill O'Liely made today about Michelle?  Guess it's ok for him to use the phrase he didn't want to lynch her.  Why isn't he being suspended?

Aztlan La Raza (the race)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9pr0SlZH...://www.infowars.com/?p=360 you think i dont like mexican see what they think of you? ps my wife is full blood mexican.

Meet Obama’s Foreign Policy Brain: Zbigniew Brzezinski

Aidan Monaghan
911 Blogger
February 20, 2008

Obama foreign policy advisor sanctioned creation and support of militant Islam tied to al-Qaeda




Apparent Democratic party presidential front-runner and supposed anti-war candidate Barack Obama has obtained the endorsement of and foreign policy advice of Zbigniew Brzezinski, who once endorsed the creation and support of militant Islamic forces in Afghanistan, that were directed by accused 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden. Brzezinski has admitted to the provocation of a Soviet-Afghan war that claimed the lives of 1 million people in Afghanistan during the 1980’s. Brzezinski also sanctioned the support of a southeast Asian regime that claimed the lives of up to 2 million during the 1970’s, through execution, starvation and forced labor.

Brzezinski is confirmed to be an Obama advisor:

It was very, very cold but I stuck it out watching the eclipse as long as I could, and standing in the snow and hearing the crunch of my boots and watching the star sparkles in the fresh snow when the moon was gone was worth the pain, but the atmosphere to the north was so clear the light pollution from LaCrosse 60 miles away made looking towards the pole kind of like looking at sunrise, no northern lights while I was watching.

leaving our primitive past behind when we were in tune with nature hasn't been all gain

yet I thank god for creating the furnace

26. True, s m. At the very least he should be suspended. Guess the networks are all caught up in McCain's NYT story.

O'Reilly is disgusting. What he said is not only racist but very dangerous.

Hey Rooney, do you have any hobbies or anything that you like to do for fun? Something to let out all of that stress you must feel by reading and digesting all of that stuff you post here?

You know, to balance it all out?

yet I thank god for creating the furnace

>

Better, thank Promethius.

NIU Shooter On a “Cocktail” of Dangerous Pharam Drugs
Abbie Boudreau and Scott Zamost
February 20, 2008

Steven Kazmierczak had been taking three drugs prescribed for him by his psychiatrist, the Northern Illinois University gunman’s girlfriend told CNN.

Jessica Baty said Tuesday that her boyfriend of two years had been taking Xanax, used to treat anxiety, and Ambien, a sleep agent, as well as the antidepressant Prozac.

Baty said the psychiatrist prescribed the medications, a fact that made her so “nervous” that she tried to persuade Kazmierczak to stop taking one of the drugs.

She said he had stopped taking the antidepressant three weeks before the Valentine’s Day rampage on the NIU campus in DeKalb, Illinois, which left five students dead and 16 wounded. He then killed himself.

In an exclusive interview with CNN Sunday, Baty said Kazmierczak had been taking the anti-depressant for obsessive-compulsive tendencies and anxiety caused by school pressures.

She told CNN that, during their two-year courtship, she had never seen him display violent tendencies and she expressed bewilderment over the cause of the rampage.

Kate Nash - Foundations (Explicit Edit)       http://hypem.com/track/485861

Kate Nash - Foundations (video)         http://chime.tv/#v/4vmm6_zoom

If there is intelligent design it sure as heck includes the furnace paine. twelve below on the thermometer

My mom's furnace died the night before last and was very lucky to get a good recommendation from a neighbor for an installer. They even went to Home Depot to bring her a new electric heater so she'd be warm during the installation of the new unit.

Her other one was 30 years old - she'll be seeing a huge difference in her heating bill, hopefully. And perhaps no more thermostat wars when I go home for the holidays.

seashell

I think it fair enough to point out that there are not major policy differences between Clinton and Obama.

more a question of leadership styles and who you think can deliver on their promises

it was a total eclipse here and a clear sky, but with the fresh bright white snow and the starlight you could have read a newspaper

nice work paine but the internet doesn't quite capture the magic

nite all 

There are some differences between Barack and Hillary. A diarist at Kos has done the homework via the Library of Congress. Hillary has some accomplishments but Barack (despite Hill's rhetoric) has more.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2...

seashell - Please read through.

Stay warm, Phil.

Nite.

yup, nighters here too.

26.

Denise
Wed, 02/20/08

Reply to this

Hey Rooney, do you have any hobbies or anything that you like to do for fun? Something to let out all of that stress you must feel by reading and digesting all of that stuff you post here?

You know, to balance it all out? Prozac joking:} lol
thanks deise for asking yes stress is hard sometime but i thank god for my family and kids an a loving wife of 26 yrs it help to deal with stress but no man is with out it.playing with my kids, and i fish when i can, sorry my post are depressing i know they are and it get worst when you get attack, by so many here on the blog, its ok as long has i keep planting the seeds. i hope you an your family are doing well? if i didnt care for people i would not be here.

I wanted a true progressive.  It's bad enuf to vote for someone I don't want in the gen'l...,no reason to do it in the primary.   I will prolly write in JE since with the endorsement today

I remain baffled that anyone can call Edwards, who voted for the very worst of Bush's agenda, a true progressive -- except that progressive is what the DLC and PPI calls itself. 

Meet Obama’s Foreign Policy Brain: Zbigniew Brzezinski

Otherwise know as the brains behind the Camp David Accord.

John McCain has a reputation as a straight-talking maverick who appeals to the independent voters who can tip the balance in this fall's presidential election. Democratic strategists want to change that image.

He's doing a good job of it himself. 

Two old friends were just about to tee off at the first hole of their local golf course when a guy carrying a golf bag called out to them, "Do you mind if I join you? My partner didn't turn up."

"Sure," they said, "You're welcome." So they started playing and enjoyed
the game and the company of the newcomer. Part way around the course, one of the friends asked the newcomer, "What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a hit man," was the reply.

"You're joking!" was the response.

"No, I'm not," he said, reaching into his golf bag, and pulling out a beautiful Martini sniper's rifle with a large telescopic sight. "Here are my tools."

"That's a beautiful telescopic sight," said the other friend, "Can I take a look? I think I might be able to see my house from here." So he picked up the rifle and looked through the sight in the direction of his house.

"Yeah, I can see my house all right. This sight is fantastic. I can see right in the window." "Wow, I can see my wife in the bedroom. Ha Ha, I can
see she's naked!! Wait a minute, that's my neighbor in there with her...... He's naked, too!!!

He turned to the hit man, "How much do you charge for a hit?"

"I'll do a flat rate, for you, one thousand dollars every time I pull the trigger."

"Can you do two for me now?"

"Sure, what do you want?"

"First, shoot my wife, she's always been mouthy, so shoot her in the mouth."

"Then the neighbor, he's a friend of mine, so just shoot his dick off to teach him a lesson."

The hit man took the rifle and took aim, standing perfectly still for a few minutes.

"Are you going to do it or not?" said the friend impatiently.

"Just be patient," said the hit man calmly, "I think I can save you a grand here....."

Article Archives Listen to Alex Jones Contact TruthNews
The Fix Is In: Superdelegate loyalists will choose Clinton for nomination
The Truth Will Set You Free
February 20, 2008



Let’s be clear that if Hillary Clinton is crowned with the nomination by the overwhelming majority vote of the superdelegates at Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado the last week of August, it will swing the moderates, hostile towards Hillary’s “socialist agenda” (mandatory health care, economy micromanagement, etc) to cast the ballot for McCain (if chosen by RNC hacks), ensuring the win for McCain in fulfilling his quest to become the next “war president” eager to order the attack on Iran/Syria should Bush back out.

Obama, if nominated, will triumph over McCain in a landslide election. Because Obama spoke to the audience with the “heartfelt” appeal to reason, as far as Obama’s campaign run is interpreted, which Hillary criticize with the air of elitist arrogance in her steadfast refusal to believe she could lose - “It’s about picking a president who relies not just on words, but on work, hard work, to get America back to work…someone who’s not just in the speeches business.”

I checked out 2008 Democratic Convention Watch on the number of delegates compared to superdelegates collected by Clinton and Obama. Here’s what I found as of 2/19:

Delegates

Obama - 1112
Clinton - 979

“Pledged” superdelegates

Obama - 162.5
Clinton - 240

Total: Obama - 1274.5; Clinton - 1219.0

(Delegates needed: 2024.5)

Naturally, Clinton, serving two terms as a junior senator for the express promotion of her White House bid, owns New York state in sheer number of pledged superdelegates numbering over 30 while Obama had a measly one.

We've hardly discussed this here - the fact that we need 60 senators to enact progressive legislation and that the repubs will obstruct everything good that is proposed.  Repugs don't negotiate and the rancor in congress is as bad or worse as it is sometimes here on the blog.  We are a microcosm............

My money and time go locally.

by Mike Pridmore, Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 09:08:35 AM EST

Obama promises that he can change the tone in Washington, and derides "the partisan politics of the past" (ie the nineties and Hillary Clinton).  But he can't change the tone because the problem is with Republicans not Democrats.  A non-partisan Democratic President will be as hapless against partisan Republicans as the Democratic congress is often accused of being now. Republicans are willing to block progressive legislation.  

Unless Obama has a Congress with 60 Democratic Senators or more, and that is unlikely even with the favorable circumstances we will see in the fall, Republicans will continue to block whatever progressive legislation comes along.

Digby described it this way:

The truth is that Republicans out of power believe in total obstruction. They are perfectly happy to block all progressive legislation because they know they will suffer no consequences for it from the mild mannered Democrats and the bipartisan zombies.

I agree with Markos Moulitsas who said the problem Democrats have lately in Washington is "valuing compromise over confrontation."  (link) Markos's schtick has been to rail against the DLC centrists which he associates with the Clintons.  But he has failed to appropriately apply that same venom to centrist triangulator Barack Obama. (Obamaism = Clintonism)

That point about partisanship, incidentially, bears much resemblance to a central point of Paul Krugman's book The Conscience of a Liberal (link):

To be a progressive, then, means to be a partisan--at least for now.

It is true that Krugman has also railed against the incrementalism of the nineties.  But when it comes to choosing between Obama and Clinton, he chooses Hillary. Why is that? Perhaps a key insight is that Senator Obama denigrates previous fights for progressive values, as discussed by Barney Frank here.  If he has no respect for those fights, but is himself destined to have to deal with obstructionist Republicans, then is he the leader we really need to fight for progressive values?

We need a fighter not a compromiser.  Obama promises to lead by ending partisanship.  But since he won't have a filibuster proof senate and he can't wave a magic wand and make Republican partisans disappear, it doesn't take a genius to see why he can't do what he promises."

http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/2/20/9835/12479 

Ås Phil points out, it comes down to style, trust etc.  Neither one is addressing the issues most important to me.  For example,they both should be screaming. "No unitary executive."

Not to worry, mary vb.  The way everyone is talking, BO has it in the bag.  I look forward to tomorow night's debate. 

We shall see. 

Info on Bzrezinski for those who want to know.

Ex-Security Chief Brzezinski's Interview makes clear:
The Muslim Terrorist Apparatus was Created by US Intelligence as a Geopolitical Weapon

Le Nouvel Observateur's Interview with Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Jimmy Carter's National Security Adviser 
Published 15-21 January 1998
Translated by Jean Martineau

I. Comment: The US & European States are still using Brzezinski's Muslim terrorist strategy!
by Jared Israel

II. Interview with Brzezinski

[Posted 6 September 2004]

http://www.tenc.net/interviews/brz.htm 

a WaPo opinion:

********************* 

"A favorite Obama line is that he will tell "the American people not just what they want to hear but what we need to know." Well, he hasn't so far. Consider the retiring baby boomers. A truth-telling Obama might say: "Spending for retirees -- mainly Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid -- is already nearly half the federal budget. Unless we curb these rising costs, we will crush our children with higher taxes. Reflecting longer life expectancies, we should gradually raise the eligibility ages for these programs and trim benefits for wealthier retirees. Both Democrats and Republicans are to blame for inaction. Waiting longer will only worsen the problem."

Instead, Obama pledges not to raise the retirement age and to "protect Social Security benefits for current and future beneficiaries." This isn't "change"; it's sanctification of the status quo. He would also exempt all retirees making less than $50,000 annually from income tax. By his math, that would provide average tax relief of $1,400 to 7 million retirees -- shifting more of the tax burden onto younger workers. Obama's main proposal for Social Security is to raise the payroll tax beyond the present $102,000 ceiling.

Political candidates routinely indulge in exaggeration, pandering, inconsistency and self-serving obscuration. Clinton and McCain do. The reason for holding Obama to a higher standard is that it's his standard and also his campaign's central theme. He has run on the vague promise of "change," but on issue after issue -- immigration, the economy, global warming -- he has offered boilerplate policies that evade the underlying causes of the stalemates. These issues remain contentious because they involve real conflicts or differences of opinion.

The contrast between his broad rhetoric and his narrow agenda is stark, and yet the media -- preoccupied with the political "horse race" -- have treated his invocation of "change" as a serious idea rather than a shallow campaign slogan. He seems to have hypnotized much of the media and the public with his eloquence and the symbolism of his life story. The result is a mass delusion that Obama is forthrightly engaging the nation's major problems when, so far, he isn't."

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/news/12960 

Someone was saying yesterday or so that experience isn't that big a deal...something like that. (referring to HC/CO)

I'm a tango teacher and the only reason I can teach is becuz I've been dancing and studying 12 years.  Without 12 years of experience, I can't teach zip.

I also have considerable life experience that has taught me to trust my intuition and check if head meets heart meets soul.

When people minimize HC's experience and prattle on about BO's soaring rhetoric and personal history...mouth hangs on floor.

We all have personal history and I, like most or all of you, could write or ghost write fabulous personal histories since we're all unique and have ideas and hopes and dreams.  We are living monuments to courage, hope, despair, joy and love.

HC sounds like a fighter and we need a fighter.

BO sounds like a preacher and we don't need that IMO. (I already do enuf of that here)  :-)

JE still gets my primary vote.

I keep posting this becuz I find it so troubling.  Is he a born-again?  We are not a Christian nation; so either he's bs ing the RW or he really believes in this.  Either way, this doesn't bode well for the separation of church and state.

I feel uneasy about him.

Excerpt from a BO speech. 

 "You need to come to church in the first place precisely because you are first of this world, not apart from it. You need to embrace Christ precisely because you have sins to wash away - because you are human and need an ally in this difficult journey."

I wonder what sins he's referring to...his or ours?  If his, which ones?

Is he a dreamer?  If so, is that what this country needs?  A friend of mine tonight called him "politically naive."  Is she right?  Ånd even tho there's much about HC I don't like, she's used to power and still has her feet on the ground and I know exactly where she stands or says she stands.   He's perhaps beginning to sense and maybe taste power and he seems to have his head in the clouds.  Is he a dreamer?  That's not a bad thing, but as prez?

I come away from listening to him and ask myself, (if I'm still awake) "What did this man say?"  Huckabee is a good example of a style that's clear, funny and down to earth (tho he's a bit of a crackpot IMO).  

So maybe it's just his style I don't find comfortable.  Hillary is also more down to earth.  When she speaks, she's in my living room.  When BO speaks, I don't know where he is.  Or even who he is.  And that's said at several levels.  Hillary knows who she is.  BO...I'm not so sure. 

Now I'm blathering and boring you.  Late night musings. Never mind!  LOL

nite bloggie! 

There's a new thread about an event in Washington.