Dean is first!


I heard Representative Barbara Lee present this on C-Span. I was cheering at the TV screen. Barbara Lee worked for Shirley Chisholm when she was in Congress.


http://lee.house.gov/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Chi...

Titus Nez is an interesting and an ambitious young man.

Please send MSNBC an email of support for Olbermann. He put his neck out there for justice. The Clintons are after him.

Does anyone have a link to where Clinton supporters discuss "going after" Olbermann? I keep seeing reference to that, but I can't seem to find anything supporting that claim. I'm not doubting that it's out there, just saying that all I've seen so far is Obama supporters saying "they're after Olbermann".

Paglia strikes again  

Hillary's race against time

Are Clinton's inept attack ads and faux-feminism enough? Can Obama learn to attack? Plus: American eroticism devolves to Barbie boobs and Botox.

By Camille Paglia

.... And that scare ad was produced with amazing ineptitude. If it's 3 a.m., why is the male-seeming mother fully dressed as she comes in to check on her sleeping children? Is she a bar crawler or insomniac? An obsessive-compulsive housecleaner, like Joan Crawford in "Mommie Dearest"? And why is Hillary sitting at her desk in full drag and jewelry at that ungodly hour? A president should not be a monomaniac incapable of rest and perched on guard all night like Poe's baleful raven. People at the top need a relaxed perspective, which gives judgment and balance. Workaholism is an introspection-killing disease, the anxious disability of tunnel-vision middle managers.....

http://www.salon.com/opinion/paglia/2008/03/12/red_phone/

3987

Political news from OR

A local female talk radio show host in encouraging all repugs and indys to register as democrats (and then switch back) and vote for Hillary; the idea being that the race will continue longer, giving McCain a big advantage.  Some people interviewed were not buying it.

There was no mention that Hillary is behind this, so please don't start bashing her.  Or me.  :)

A friend of mine has a new show.

http://www.spirituallyincorrectcomedy.co...

They'll be in LA this weekend.

M Bar
1253 North Vine Street
Hollywood (323) 856-0036
Sunday, March 16th
doors open at 7:00PM

Good morning, BFA!

*********
Anyone ever hear of a strategy called *divide and conquer?*

It seems to be working well for the Rethugs.

Let's either be FOR Obama or FOR Clinton and AGAINST neither.

Obviously there are differences between them, but there are MAJOR differences between either one and 'Cain.

'Cain = putz Third Term.

This is Froomkin's last column for a couple of days. But it's one that should be on all of our minds.

Congress: it's still not too late to do the Right Thing. Begin impeachment proceedings against putz & prick before they actually attack Iran.

=======================
Are We Closer to War?
By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Wednesday, March 12, 2008; 11:51 AM

The abrupt resignation yesterday of the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, Admiral William J. "Fox" Fallon, has sparked a new round of speculation that President Bush and Vice President Cheney have some sort of plan in the works to attack Iran before their time is up.

Fallon's resignation -- or firing -- was apparently precipitated in part by a recent Esquire profile that depicted him as brazenly pushing back against the White House hawks eager to launch another war.

Now it turns out that what Thomas P.M. Barnett, a former Naval War College professor, wrote in that profile was eerily prescient: "How does Fallon get away with so brazenly challenging his commander in chief?

"The answer is that he might not get away with it for much longer. President Bush is not accustomed to a subordinate who speaks his mind as freely as Fallon does, and the president may have had enough.

[...]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...

Now that Spitzer has done the Right Thing, perhaps we can start paying attention to Rethugs' doings once again.

We SHOULD be paying attention.

====================
NRCC Treasurer Under Scrutiny Was Thought of as 'Gold Standard'
By Paul Kane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 13, 2008; A01

In the tiny world of people who keep the books for Washington's multitude of political committees, Christopher J. Ward was considered the Republican "gold standard," in the words of a former co-worker -- one of the few people with so much expertise in election law that everyone wanted Ward's services.

The quiet workaholic is listed as treasurer for 83 GOP fundraising committees over the past eight years, according to Federal Election Commission records. In the past five years alone, he oversaw the accounting for committees that raised more than $400 million, $368 million of it at the National Republican Congressional Committee, according to a Washington Post review of those records.

But in late January, Ward, 39, was dismissed as the NRCC announced that it had found financial "irregularities" that "may include fraud." The FBI is investigating what appears to be "a significant amount of money" missing from the House Republican fundraising arm, according to a law enforcement official.

[...]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...

Whoodda thunk?

Anyone with an IQ above double digits who was paying attention knew this at the time. But now it's official.

This is one reason why I am STILL angry at every one of those who voted FOR the IWR and has still not acknowledged the error of their ways.

=================
Saddam Hussein had no direct ties to al-Qaida, says Pentagon study
Elana Schor
guardian.co.uk
Thursday March 13 2008

A US military study officially acknowledged for the first time yesterday that Saddam Hussein had no direct ties to al-Qaida, undercutting the Bush administration's central case for war with Iraq.

The Pentagon study based on more than 600,000 documents recovered after US and UK troops toppled Hussein in 2003, discovered "no 'smoking gun' (ie, direct connection) between Saddam's Iraq and al-Qaida", its authors wrote.
George Bush and his senior aides have made numerous attempts to link Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda terror in their justification for waging war against Iraq.

Wary of embarrassing press coverage noting that the new study debunks those claims, the US defence department attempted to bury the release of the report yesterday.

[...]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar...

In connection with the Pentagon study, deep-sixed in the US MSM or not, head over to this site and watch the video of the lies that were deliberately used to take us to war ... and the media complicity in spreading them.

Still don't see a reason to impeach, Congress?

http://www.leadingtowar.com/

Impeach, indict, imprison.

Voting them out of office is not sufficient.

More power to Mr. Paterson!

================
Paterson once again defies conventional wisdom
Elana Schor in Washington
guardian.co.uk
Thursday March 13 2008

David Paterson was not supposed to be where he stands today, the replacement for the fallen white knight Eliot Spitzer as New York governor.

He leapt a series of hurdles to become deputy governor - from his lifelong, near-total blindness to his father's endorsement of another candidate to run alongside Spitzer. But Paterson is used to defying conventional wisdom.

Although Paterson, 53, lost most of his eyesight from an infection he contracted as a baby, he wasted no time in following the path laid out by his father Basil, one of New York's leading black politicians.

[...]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar...

More on Fallon's resignation, which is being taken VERY seriously abroad.

==================
Leading article: An admiral and a self-serving administration
Thursday, 13 March 2008

Esquire magazine's recent description of Admiral William Fallon as "the man between peace and war" seems a little unfortunate in the light of his resignation this week as head of US Central Command. It is especially so, considering that the article to which this description was attached is being cited as the reason Admiral Fallon had to step down.

The official explanation for his resignation is that there was a damaging "perception problem" of a difference of opinion between Fallon and the White House. On the contrary, this departure was all about substance. It was an open secret in US military circles that the admiral disagreed with the Bush administration's strategy in the Middle East. He was against the troop "surge" in Iraq and wanted to give military priority to Afghanistan and Pakistan instead. In particular, he disagreed with the administration's bellicose attitude towards Iran. The White House is at pains to argue that the military option with regard to Iran remains "on the table", despite the release last year of a US National Intelligence Estimate report stating that Tehran is no longer pursuing a nuclear weapon. Yet Admiral Fallon had this to say last autumn on Iran to the Arabic broadcaster Al-Jazeera: "This constant drumbeat of conflict is not helpful or useful. I expect that there will be no war, and that is what we ought to be working for." A more obvious rebuff to his political masters could scarcely have been conceived.

[...]
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/lea...

The ant versus King Kong ... the makings of a suicide bomber, perhaps?

And we wonder why?

===============
Bereaved Iraqi mother vows revenge on US
By Patrick Cockburn in Baghdad
Thursday, 13 March 2008

Um Saad, a middle-aged woman living in the Sunni district of Khadra in west Baghdad, blames the Americans for the death of her husband and two of her sons and threatens revenge.

"They are monsters and devils wearing human clothes," she exclaims vehemently. "One day I will put on an explosive belt under my clothes and then blow myself up among the Americans. I will get revenge against them for my husband and sons and I will go to paradise."

Just as the White House and the Pentagon were trumpeting the success of "the surge" – the dispatch of extra American troops to Iraq last year – and the wire services' claim that the country has enjoyed "months of relative calm", Um Saad saw Saif, her second son, shot dead as he opened the door of her house.

[...]
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/...

This is the last.

If this indeed happens, wonder how we will feel being on the wrong side of sanctions.

Under putzCo, our nation has not only been labelled a *rogue* nation but is fast becoming an international pariah.

This is no joke, believe me.

================
March 13, 2008
EU threatens to punish climate deal rebels
David Charter in Strasbourg

America and China face trade protection measures from Europe if they fail to join a global climate deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol, EU leaders will caution at their summit in Brussels today.

Nations that refuse to curb greenhouse gases will be told that they face “appropriate measures” — code for trade sanctions — if they try to gain a competitive advantage by continuing to allow cheap, high-pollution production.

EU leaders are particularly concerned to try to stop big companies relocating from Europe to countries that refuse to join a post-2012 climate change agreement in order to avoid the EU's tough CO2 targets.

[...]
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/en...

Good morning, everybody

Still have to find that Air Force article again.

And listen to Olberman.  Hear he did good. 

BTW, i've registered with the Rockridge intitute to contribute to their blog.  They're looking for new frames, but I don't know what good reframing a lie will do.  The Air Force, in particular seems to have been living in a fog of illusion for decades.  Now they've started advertising for their cyber warfare program but have to go back to square one to find an HQ.

Maybe we should frame the inability to deal appropriately with pollution as a waste erradication problem.  Or, let's do a war on waste.  Never mind.  We never win those.

I think i mentioned yesterday, judy, that it's my sense that the iraqis have turned a psychological corner and have realized that all the troops share in the responsibility for the mayhem and so all of them are now targets for revenge; not just the particular individuals who go out of control or the vehicles that go where they are not wanted.  You see, the mentality behind the IEDs was the same as the one that countenanced people in vehicles at check-points being shot up because they didn't stop.  In other words, the Iraqis had bought into the frame that nobody's responsible when people get killed because they're in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Now, I think somebody's issued a fatwah against all of the occupying forces, including the co-operating police, and they are intentional, rather than incidental targets.  If the death toll of our troops keeps going up, that's how I'd explain it.

Printable version

Scepticism about whether the Federal Reserve's plans to provide liquidity to the banking system will work was one factor weakening the dollar.

Speculation that the United Arab Emirates is about to abandon its dollar peg also weakened the US currency.

The Bush tax cuts were the biggest factor in the tanking dollar/inflation as the need to borrow for an offbudget war and hide the cost led to duplicity between the Fed. and theTreasury..No money, not to worry, print some.

Kind of relieved to find last night that the Clinton calls were being made to her own folk to buck them up and encourage attendance Sat., and no one had been doing outreach to the Edwards people.

Iowa actually has as many delegates in play as Wyoming at the county conventions Sat.

Michigan could create credentialed delegates at no cost, simply by unpledging the pledged delegates and letting them caucus for allocation at the District Conventions like Iowa does.

Denise day at the barn today. bbl

my effort over at BH

http://bluehampshire.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3740 

oh, and I finally found the Air Force article I misplaced

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0311/p03s03-usmi.html?page=1 

I knew it was a reputable source. 

Not dismissing your attention to the dollar, Phil.  I just think it's past worrying or doing anything about.  What will be will be.

Throwing bad money after bad. 

6:58 am - Howard coming up on Morning Joe.

Not dismissing your attention to the dollar, Phil.  I just think it's past worrying or doing anything about.  What will be will be.

Throwing bad money after bad. 

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

cost of farm inputs have more than doubled during the Bush years, somebody has to worry about it

the collapse of German currency has been widely blamed for setting the stage for the rise of Hitler

an unstable currency leads to incredible domestic tensions eventually, might all work out like it did in Argentina,  ... when Mexico went through this process they had a safety valve for ten million, send them north

7:36 AM EST

Don't forget --

Keith Olbermann

will have a "Special  Comment" tonight

on the Clinton Campaign!

+++

Joan -

My wife and I caught Keith's commentary and we were very impressed.  That 5 minutes or so of his was IMO a Ed Murrow moment of taking on Senator Clinton especially for allowing her campaign to descend to the lowest denominator -- Fear. 

He said correctly so that Hillary is acting like a republican.

Hillary and her handlers IMO are their own worst enemies.

The ball has always been in her court to do really do something about it.  The American people are waiting.

Taking mary vb's advice, and I'm sending MSNBC an email of support to Keith.

7:38 AM EST

to all the signatories (like Clinton and McCain) who authorized Bush to go to war in Iraq, here's a reminder --

(as roger rankin already attested to) today's number is 3987:

http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/

http://www.leadingtowar.com/watch_online.php

Well, it's true, I've been arguing for months that Clinton should have run as a Republican.  However, the brand has become so degraded, that I suspect most of the rank and file won't buy it.  To a large extent, Republicans are in 'hope springs eternal" mode.  Air Force honchos who are trying to promote their service are making references to the Eisenhower era.

1,185,800 estimated Iraqi deaths per rd's link.

http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/

8:02 AM EST

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/dotmusic/20080313/ten-rem-remember-heath-31c8aba.html

REM dedicated a song to Heath Ledger at the opening night of SXSW in Texas,

...

played a string of older material at the gig, plus voiced their support for Barack Obama's continuing bid for power in the US Presidential race.

...

HQ   Danny  HQ

you have spam on the browse all posts

I was just talking to someone at work about work matters, and it seems to me there's a parallel.

In the longer run, it's not about Obama and Clinton, it's about how we want to do politics in this country.

In business, as in politics, there are several theories of how to do it.  There's "win at all costs", there's "cover your ass", and on down the line is acting honorably, "do unto others..."

I think Obama began this campaign (or at least he publicly said) trying to "do unto others..."  Yes, politics is about drawing contrasts, but that can be done honestly and honorably.  I think all the Democratic candidates pretty much went along this path for a while. 

Now, the stakes are higher.  It's one on one, and both remaining candidates can see the finish line -- that big desk in the funny shaped office, and it becomes tempting to transition to the Al Davis mode "Just win baby!"  Even more so for the staffers whose public faces are effectively invisible but whose private "name" will be made if they help a winning Presidential campaign.  So they start recommending to the candidate moving off the golden rule to win at all costs, and keep repeating "we're not going negative" or "politics ain't softball". 

Who loses?  The people.  The nation.  Anyone who thinks governing the "last, best hope" is about more than a game with winners and losers.

Some may call that attitude naive.  I call it patriotic.  More than that, I call it necessary.

Monica, thanks for that link re. Air Force budgets and thanks for your ongoing commentary on military spending, military cyberforces, etc. Good reading and something we should all be aware of.

JudyforDean, thanks for the article upthread:

Bereaved Iraqi mother vows revenge on US
By Patrick Cockburn in Baghdad

I am sick at the thought of what this administration has done to destroy the lives of so many innocent people. Any one of us would feel exactly as that poor woman in the article feels.

Lastly, JudyforDean, thanks for reminding us re. The Circular Firing Squad.

Wow. My lucky morning, I guess. I'm never usually here at this time of day.

Beautifully said, Rich.
They should front-page that one.

I turned my post here into a thread.  Please recommend it for the top if you would.

http://blogforamerica.com/view/24210 

Phil, I'm guessing "this" economy is a good place to be if one produces commodities? You grow corn and soybeans, I believe?
Good for you, if so!

New thread.

I have no horse in this race, but I have reluctantly (and against my better judgment) decided that I will vote for Obama as the "lesser of evils" if he is the Democratic nominee.

Not so, HRC. I won't vote for McInsane of course, but I'll find someone (other than poor old Ralph--who, like Kucinich, is right on the issues) to support.

If Hillary and the Democratic establishment steal the nomination, blacks and progressives will desert in droves.

McCain will win, and America will be doomed.