Electability + Experience = Clinton Irony.

I happened to talk with him in 1988 before he decided not to run, and also in 1991 before he decided to run the following year. His calculation at both times was decidedly rational and entirely political, based on whether he could win."

In other words, Clinton wouldn't run until he had the experience to be electable. The article goes on to describe a "what it" scenario. What if Clinton had run in 1988? It's a good read.
  ¶ 10:48 PM 1 comments

  Fred Thompson, The Comedian.

Also in Florida, he was taken aback when asked about the touchy issue of Everglades energy exploration. "Gosh, no one has told me that there's any major reserves in the Everglades, but maybe that's one of the things I need to learn while I'm down here," he said.

Fred Thompson is one funny guy. Who cares if Hillary has the biggest mouth. Fred is much more entertaining.  ¶ 6:10 PM 0 comments

  Obama, A Man Of Faith. It's a powerful statement to go to a white and a black church. First, the separate but equal churches are a symbol of what is wrong in America. Obama, bridging the gap, is an example of what is right. The second point I'd like to make, is that it is refreshing for Democrats have some ownership of our nation's Christian heritage.

I am wary of Evangelicals. However, Obama is a person who has strong core values that just happen to be Christian values. He's like the Seventh Heaven father, except he's a politician. I loved that show.

Here is a man who fights for this woman's rights. He doesn't just say that he believes that I should have control over my own body, he has taken on the fight to protect my reproductive rights. Yet, he can be a "good Christian." I like that. I'm a pagan, and I like that a lot. We need a positive spiritual influence in Washington. Only a man who can differentiate between what he believes is right, and what is in the public interest, has the moral authority to play the faith card.  ¶ 12:53 PM 0 comments

  Did You Know. That Obama's website is in English and in Spanish? That's what I was talking about last night. His living in multicultural and multiracial Hawaii probably shaped his outlook. The "English only" issue simply divides Americans. The racists can live in their little enclaves and stick to their kind. Obama has the ability to bring the rest of us together as a nation.   ¶ 9:46 AM 0 comments

  I Can't Sleep. The fight between Obama and Clinton boils down to whether or not Democrats want electability or change. It looks like change is in the air.

Tomorrow, I'm going to buy the ingredients to make an "Obama-rama." You need some Gray Goose O, Malibu rum, orange juice, cranberry and pineapple. Obama spent his youth in Hawaii. No wonder he's so grounded. I spent my youth in Panama. I have a different perspective than many Americans, especially about the world outside of the states.

Right now, I'm somewhere between hypobamamanic and just plain obamamanic. Paging Dr. Blind.   ¶ 3:17 AM 0 comments

  HE'S DOING IT! HE'S DOING IT!!!!!!!!!! People are giving. People are buying t-shirts. People are responding to Obama's message of hOpe. I am speechless and overjoyed and blessed to be a part of this. I wonder how many people are awake tonight, watching the numbers rise on Obama's website. The numbers go up about 25 more or less every five minutes. Every once in awhile there's a big jump. I'm trying to be the 350000th. person or the 500000th. dollar donation. I have two windows waiting with a ten dollar matching donation. I've already given $295 plus merchandise. I love this guy.  ¶ 11:32 PM 0 comments

  Obama - The Anti-War Candidate. This took hours to track down. It was on Obama's web site, but you couldn't find it in the news. No wonder the Republicans like him. He has passed some awesome bipartisan legislation. I can't think of a better one than the amendment they just got passed. Contrast that with the Hillary Iran vote.

Sponsors:
Pete Domenici
Chuck Hagel
Barack Obama

To require a comprehensive nuclear threat reduction and security plan.
Bill # S.AMDT.2692
Status:
09/06/2007: Amendment SA 2692 as modified agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
09/06/2007: Amendment SA 2692 proposed by Senator Leahy for Senator Obama.   ¶ 10:03 PM 0 comments

  A Look At Last Year In Congress. It's an important issue. The claim that in spite of having a Democratic majority, not much is being accomplished is just plain hogwash. In any event, the legislature that Barack Obama has sponsored and to which Hillary did not attach her name are listed below.

I admire the folks that write diaries for the big blogs. It is time-consuming and tedious. I don't know much anything about this, but I thought it was an interesting look. Hillary put through a lot of children's issues, which are consistent with her latest initiative - five grand/child. She's a very good senator. She does have some explainging to do about her votes on Iraq and Iran.

Hillary sponsored her own bill on Zimbabwe which did not call for condemnation, but rather to support democracy and human rights in Zimbabwe, and for other purposes.
S.1500
Title: A bill to support democracy and human rights in Zimbabwe, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] (introduced 5/24/2007)
Latest Major Action: 7/24/2007 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders.
Calendar No. 284.
Co-sponsors are ... they withdrew too?:
Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. [PA] - 6/12/2007
Sen Dole, Elizabeth [NC] - 6/18/2007
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 6/13/2007
Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] - 5/24/2007
Sen Hagel, Chuck [NE] - 6/27/2007
Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] - 6/7/2007
Sen Lieberman, Joseph I. [CT] - 6/13/2007
Sen Lugar, Richard G. [IN] - 5/24/2007
Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] - 6/12/2007



Barack's Bills:

1. S.CON.RES.25: A concurrent resolution condemning the recent violent actions of the Government of Zimbabwe against peaceful opposition party activists and members of civil society: They also withdrew? their names:
Sen Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [DE] - 3/29/2007
Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT] - 3/29/2007
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 3/29/2007
Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] - 3/29/2007
Sen Hagel, Chuck [NE] - 5/24/2007
Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] - 3/29/2007
Sen Lieberman, Joseph I. [CT] - 4/11/2007
Latest Major Action: 6/26/2007 Held at the desk.

S.115: A bill to suspend royalty relief, to repeal certain provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal certain tax incentives for the oil and gas industry. cosponsors- none

S.433: A bill to state United States policy for Iraq, and for other purposes:
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 2/27/2007
Sen Leahy, Patrick J. [VT] - 2/1/2007
Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] - 2/5/2007

S.1084: A bill to provide housing assistance for very low-income veterans.
Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] - 4/10/2007
Sen Cantwell, Maria [WA] - 4/10/2007
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 9/19/2007
Sen Harkin, Tom [IA] - 4/24/2007
Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] - 4/16/2007
Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ] - 5/22/2007
Sen McCaskill, Claire [MO] - 4/16/2007
Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] - 4/10/2007
Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] - 4/10/2007

S.737: A bill to amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 in order to measure, compare, and improve the quality of voter access to polls and voter services in the administration of Federal elections in the States.
?

S.117: A bill to amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to improve benefits and services for members of the Armed Forces, veterans of the Global War on Terrorism, and other veterans, to require reports on the effects of the Global War on Terrorism, and for other purposes.
?

S.767: A bill to increase fuel economy standards for automobiles and for other purposes.
Sen Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [DE] - 3/6/2007
Sen Bingaman, Jeff [NM] - 3/6/2007
Sen Coleman, Norm [MN] - 3/6/2007
Sen Lugar, Richard G. [IN] - 3/6/2007
Sen Smith, Gordon H. [OR] - 3/6/2007
Sen Specter, Arlen [PA] - 3/6/2007

S.768: A bill to increase fuel economy standards for automobiles and for other purposes.
Sen Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [DE] - 3/6/2007
Sen Bingaman, Jeff [NM] - 3/6/2007
Sen Coleman, Norm [MN] - 3/6/2007
Sen Lugar, Richard G. [IN] - 3/6/2007
Sen Smith, Gordon H. [OR] - 3/6/2007
Sen Specter, Arlen [PA] - 3/6/2007

S.795: A bill to assist aliens who have been lawfully admitted in becoming citizens of the United States, and for other purposes.
Co-sponsors withdrawn?
Sen Bingaman, Jeff [NM] - 3/7/2007
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 4/11/2007
Sen Lieberman, Joseph I. [CT] - 4/16/2007
Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] - 3/7/2007
Sen Salazar, Ken [CO] - 3/7/2007


S.674: A bill to require accountability and enhanced congressional oversight for personnel performing private security functions under Federal contracts, and for other purposes.
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 6/7/2007
Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] - 9/19/2007
Sen Whitehouse, Sheldon [RI] - 6/4/2007

S.692: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a Hospital Quality Report Card Initiative to report on health care quality in Veterans Affairs hospitals.
Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] - 7/24/2007

S.976: A bill to secure the promise of personalized medicine for all Americans by expanding and accelerating genomics research and initiatives to improve the accuracy of disease diagnosis, increase the safety of drugs, and identify novel treatments.
Sen Burr, Richard [NC] - 3/23/2007

S.1084: A bill to provide housing assistance for very low-income veterans.
Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] - 4/10/2007
Sen Cantwell, Maria [WA] - 4/10/2007
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 9/19/2007
Sen Harkin, Tom [IA] - 4/24/2007
Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] - 4/16/2007
Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ] - 5/22/2007
Sen McCaskill, Claire [MO] - 4/16/2007
Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] - 4/10/2007
Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] - 4/10/2007

S.1151: A bill to provide incentives to the auto industry to accelerate efforts to develop more energy-efficient vehicles to lessen dependence on oil. cosponsors- none

S.1181: A bill to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to provide shareholders with an advisory vote on executive compensation.
Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] - 4/30/2007
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 4/25/2007
Sen Harkin, Tom [IA] - 4/25/2007
Sen Johnson, Tim [SD] - 6/4/2007
Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] - 4/26/2007
Sen Levin, Carl [MI] - 5/3/2007

S.1222: A bill to stop mortgage transactions which operate to promote fraud, risk, abuse, and under-development, and for other purposes.
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 4/25/2007

S.1271: A bill to provide for a comprehensive national research effort on the physical and mental health and other readjustment needs of the members of the Armed Forces and veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and their families.
Sen Baucus, Max [MT] - 5/10/2007
Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. [PA] - 6/12/2007
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 5/10/2007

S.1324: A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuel sold in the United States.
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 5/10/2007
Sen Harkin, Tom [IA] - 5/7/2007

S.1389: A bill to authorize the National Science Foundation to establish a Climate Change Education Program.
Sen Bingaman, Jeff [NM] - 5/14/2007
Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] - 5/23/2007
Sen Snowe, Olympia J. [ME] - 5/14/2007

S.1430: A bill to authorize State and local governments to direct divestiture from, and prevent investment in, companies with investments of $20,000,000 or more in Iran's energy sector, and for other purposes.
Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] - 5/24/2007
Sen Brownback, Sam [KS] - 5/17/2007
Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. [PA] - 6/26/2007
Sen Coburn, Tom [OK] - 6/26/2007
Sen Collins, Susan M. [ME] - 7/17/2007
Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] - 7/19/2007
Sen Klobuchar, Amy [MN] - 7/19/2007
Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ] - 6/25/2007
Sen Lieberman, Joseph I. [CT] - 5/24/2007
Sen Lott, Trent [MS] - 9/18/2007
Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] - 9/11/2007
Sen Mikulski, Barbara A. [MD] - 5/24/2007
Sen Murray, Patty [WA] - 7/17/2007
Sen Nelson, Bill [FL] - 6/6/2007
Sen Salazar, Ken [CO] - 9/10/2007
Sen Smith, Gordon H. [OR] - 7/19/2007
Sen Vitter, David [LA] - 9/19/2007
Sen Wyden, Ron [OR] - 6/5/2007

S.1513: A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize grant programs to enhance the access of low-income African-American students to higher education.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 5/24/2007). Cosponsors- none

S.1574: A bill to establish Teaching Residency Programs for preparation and induction of teachers: Cosponsors- none

S.1790: A bill to make grants to carry out activities to prevent the incidence of unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections among teens in racial or ethnic minority or immigrant communities, and for other purposes.
Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] - 7/26/2007
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 7/30/2007

S.1817: A bill to ensure proper administration of the discharge of members of the Armed Forces for personality disorder, and for other purposes.
Sen Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [DE] - 7/26/2007
Sen Bond, Christopher S. [MO] - 7/19/2007
Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] - 7/19/2007
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 7/19/2007
Sen Johnson, Tim [SD] - 7/19/2007
Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] - 7/31/2007
Sen Lieberman, Joseph I. [CT] - 7/19/2007
Sen McCaskill, Claire [MO] - 7/19/2007
Sen Murray, Patty [WA] - 7/19/2007
Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] - 7/26/2007

S.1818: A bill to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to phase out the use of mercury in the manufacture of chlorine and caustic soda, and for other purposes.
Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] - 9/19/2007
Sen Menendez, Robert [NJ] - 9/11/2007

S.1824: A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish a Hospital Quality Report Card Initiative under the Medicare program to assess and report on health care quality in hospitals.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 7/19/2007). Cosponsors- none

S.1873: A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish demonstration programs on regionalized systems for emergency care, to support emergency medicine research, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 7/25/2007). Cosponsors- none

S.1885: A bill to provide certain employment protections for family members who are caring for members of the Armed Forces recovering from illnesses and injuries incurred on active duty.
Sen Baucus, Max [MT] - 7/26/2007
Sen Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [DE] - 7/26/2007
Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] - 7/31/2007
Sen Conrad, Kent [ND] - 9/17/2007
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 7/26/2007
Sen Harkin, Tom [IA] - 7/26/2007
Sen Kennedy, Edward M. [MA] - 7/26/2007
Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] - 7/26/2007
Sen Landrieu, Mary L. [LA] - 7/31/2007
Sen McCaskill, Claire [MO] - 7/26/2007

S.1977: A bill to provide for sustained United States leadership in a cooperative global effort to prevent nuclear terrorism, reduce global nuclear arsenals, stop the spread of nuclear weapons and related material and technology, and support the responsible and peaceful use of nuclear technology.
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 9/11/2007
Sen Hagel, Chuck [NE] - 8/2/2007

46. S.1989 : A bill to provide a mechanism for the determination on the merits of the claims of claimants who met the class criteria in a civil action relating to racial discrimination by the Department of Agriculture but who were denied that determination.Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 8/3/2007). Cosponsors- none


S.2030 : A bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require reporting relating to bundled contributions made by persons other than registered lobbyists.
Sen Feingold, Russell D. [WI] - 1/11/2007

S.2066: A bill to establish nutrition and physical education standards for schools.
Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 9/18/2007). Cosponsors- none  ¶ 4:18 PM 0 comments

  And Bill Said To Obama, "Are You Experienced?"

But first, are you experienced?
Uh-have you ever been experienced-uh?
Well, I have

~~~Jimi  ¶ 3:23 PM 0 comments

  A New Poll.

Democratic race is much tighter, according to the latest NEWSWEEK Poll. Among all Iowa Democrats surveyed, Clinton enjoys a 6-point lead over her nearest rival, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. But among likely Democratic caucus-goers, she is locked in a three-way race with Obama and former North Carolina senator John Edwards, with Obama enjoying a slight edge.

Obama gets 28 percent over Clinton's 24 and Edwards' 22 percent  ¶ 2:27 PM 0 comments

  A Balanced Bio Of Obama.   ¶ 2:18 PM 0 comments

  Obama's Speech On Tuesday. Tuesday marks the fifth anniversary of a speech Barack Obama delivered articulating his opposition to the invasion of Iraq. He'll be in Coralville, Iowa.

“What I am opposed to is the attempt by potential hacks like Karl Rove to distract us from a rise in the uninsured, a rise in the poverty state, a drop in the medium income—to distract us from corporate scandals and a stock market that has just gone thorough the worst month since the Great Depression. That’s what I am opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war, a war based not on reason, but on passion, not on principle, but on politics.”

“I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undermined cost, with undetermined consequence of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequence. I know that an invasion of Iraq without clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than the best, impulses of the Arab world and strengthen the recruitment arm of al Qaeda.”

  ¶ 2:02 PM 0 comments

  Let's Go Change The World.

Banking on the youth vote may well be a risky endeavor. But targeting it in specific primary contests does make sense. While overall youth turnout for the Democrats in 2006 was disappointing, they are credited with helping hand over tight races like Jim Webb in Virginia and Jon Tester in Montana. David Broder wrote a column in Sunday's Washington Post about youth participation in government, emphasizing, as is typical, distrust and apathy. His final statement, however, hinted at what I think might make the difference for the Obama campaign: "young people respond when they are treated seriously." Most young people say they don't vote because they don't feel politicians care what they have to say anyway. Obama is taking the gamble of taking them seriously, letting them know how vital they are to his campaign. Admitting what to most looks like a weakness may actually deliver some extra strength at the ballot box.

  ¶ 1:43 PM 0 comments

  M-Voing In Estonia.   ¶ 1:31 PM 0 comments

  40% Of All Americans Have Never Lived When There wasn't A Clinton Or Bush In The White House. Change is not just hype. Change is an issue.  ¶ 1:16 PM 0 comments

  A Shameless Plug.   ¶ 1:05 PM 0 comments

  Women For Obama.

Today,Sen. Barack Obama became the first Democratic presidential candidate to weigh in on the battle over a Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora.

Not surprisingly, the abortion rights supporter from Illinois said he would like to see the clinic open soon.

"I fully support Planned Parenthood's desire to open a new facility in Aurora," he said in a statement released this afternoon. "The proposed center will serve the growing population in a part of the state where access to a full range of reproductive health care services is lacking."

FYI, Verizen reversed its ban on abortion messages.  ¶ 1:00 PM 0 comments

  Huge. Rep. Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, who is running for Iowa Senate, verified that she is endorsing Barack Obama.

Judging from the audiences Obama draws in his appearances, Jochum said she was struck by the large number of young people who come to his events.

"He is inspiring them in a way I haven't seen since the days of Bobby Kennedy," Jochum told the Telegraph Herald.

Jochum said the Democrats' field of candidates is as good as any she has seen, but she waited to see how the various campaigns developed and how they matured as candidates before making a selection.

  ¶ 12:55 PM 0 comments

  Hillary Clinton Is Not Electable. Isn't it ironic that the Democratic party has invented the word, electable? Whether or not, Barack Obama is electable doesn't really apply. Or are we just going to have a pissing contest to see which one is the more electable? That makes more sense.

"My own personal bias is there is still a lot of political baggage left from her husband. If I saw her name (on the November ballot) I wouldn't vote for her. I think the general public who don't follow the issues but vote for the person are going to look at her entire history, which isn't too good, and she may pay for her husband's mistakes." Cheryl Klemmer, registered nurse, Oshkosh

"I'm more of a conspiracy theorist so I think the media is playing her up as the front-runner, and you'll see who really is the front-runner when people go to the polls. I don't think that America is ready for another Clinton in the White House to be honest. I don't think any of the candidates have been that impressive so far so I don't think there's any front-runner at this point." Mia Spooner, business analyst, Chicago

"I have mixed feelings on that. I think she has a lot of supporters out there, but there are a lot of people who would never want her in office. I think she could do a lot of good things, but I'm still on the edge whether to support her or not. I think people have a hard time with the idea of a powerful woman. There are a lot of Republicans who wouldn't want a woman in office." Jenny Gehn, student, Coloma

"She's not my No. 1 candidate. She's my No. 2 choice as I like Barack Obama better, but I tend to agree that Hillary will be the Democrat candidate and that she'll be a good choice. She has the experience of not only being first lady but as a senator too. I think she's a smart lady. I also think that most of the people will think she can do the job and vote for her." Bob Soldner, manager, Madison

"I think she probably would be, but I think Barack Obama and John Edwards are going to be very close. I think the baggage she brings with her is the universal health care coverage she proposed (when Bill Clinton was president) and I think Edwards has a better universal health care plan than Hillary, which could affect the outcome of the election." Nancy Wanek, nurse, Madison

"You either like her or you don't. There's no middle ground with Hillary, and that leaves the Republicans with some room to take her on. ... She's been waffling on Iraq ... but regardless of the status of the war in Iraq at the time of the elections, when people go into the booth they will be thinking of what candidate can best protect them against terrorism, and I think in that sense Hillary may be in a weak position unless she changes some minds." Gerald Boyle, vocational consultant, DeForest

"I think Hillary has too much baggage coming in to this to appeal to the whole nation. That doesn't say she wouldn't be the most electable because that depends on who the Republicans run. I think Hillary has too many negatives from her past related to health care, the scandals her husband was involved in, that will adversely affect the voters' opinions of her in the next election." Troy Meyer, economic support supervisor, Janesville

  ¶ 12:47 PM 0 comments

  Kendrick Meek Sold Out. The Killaries Are Uniting.

Who would Jesus have endorsed?
He couldn't have waited until after New Hampshire? My so called progressive representative, Kendrick Meek, just punched me in the gut. I'm falling and I can't get up. Here's the story. If Kendrick Meek had not supported a Floridian, I would have felt the same way. So, in a sense, it is about race. However, if you look at it in another way, it's not about race. It's about back up - back up for progressive candidates, principles, issues, and actions. I have come to the conclusion that there are very few values driven politicians in office. The idiots in Washington, who are killing our young people over in Iraq, who are killing our old people with pitiful health care, who are holding back our children with a complete lack of health care and their stupid NCLB .... these politicians have lost the public trust. They will continue to lead us down the low road. Not even Kendrick Meek. Good Lord.

Well, now I know that Meek is no progressive. He just endorsed war with Iran. His little protest vote down the road when Bush/Clinton call for military action, will be a lie, a bold faced lie that he will have to account for in front of God Almighty. How many boys and girls from his district have died? Has he no heart? Has he no shame? He has just endorsed one of their killers. There is a lot of blood on his hands today. He'd better take a bath, cuz he stinks too.

It's fucking insane. They are all money hungry power monsters. I am going to have to pick between two of them in the general election, and vote for my party. I should have fucked that in 2004. Fuck Clinton. Fuck Kendrick Meek. If he is an example of a progressive Democrat who represents his multcultural district, we are doomed. I think that I became in Independent today. I'll support values driven candidates who promise to end these wars.  ¶ 7:10 PM 0 comments

  Obama - A Record Breaking Crowd.

They don't tell the truth.

Mr. Obama’s aides said more than 20,000 people registered for the event through the campaign’s Web site. While it was impossible to determine even a reliable attendance estimate, view from the vantage point of an elevated lift seemed to reveal the gathering as one of the largest campaign events of the year.

Not one of the largest, the largest. Right in Hillary's backyard.  ¶ 2:17 AM 0 comments

  I Believe In A Better Way. I heard someone today belittle the Obama hype about hope and change. I started thinking about the substance of the different campaigns. There isn't really a big difference between the candidates except for the electability issue. So it's about the hype. It's the so-called hype that makes Obama's campaign stand out from the rest. So, here's some hype/hOpe - Obama's campaign song. I like this version, although, I wish the video didn't cut off like that.
  ¶ 1:06 AM 0 comments

  Council For National Policy (CNP) The Council for National Policy describes itself as

"an educational foundation organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. We do not lobby Congress, support candidates, or issue public policy statements on controversial issues. Our over 600 members include many of our nation's leaders from the fields of government, business, the media, religion, and the professions. Our members are united in their belief in a free enterprise system, a strong national defense, and support for traditional western values. They meet to share the best information available on national and world problems, know one another on a personal basis, and collaborate in achieving their shared goals."

The Heritage Foundation is committed to building an America where freedom, opportunity, prosperity and civil society flourish.

The founder of the CNP, Tim LaHaye, co-authored the Left Behind series of books. The books deal with Christian dispensationalist End Times: pretribulation, premillennial, Christian eschatological viewpoint of the end of the world. It's not just that the Council is based on raeical conservative Christian beliefs. Check out the titles of the collection:

13. The Rising: Antichrist is Born: Before They Were Left Behind (ISBN 0-8423-6056-5) (All Libraries)
14. The Regime: Evil Advances: Before They Were Left Behind #2 (ISBN 1-4143-0576-1) (All Libraries)
15. The Rapture: In the Twinkling of an Eye: Countdown to Earth's Last Days #3 (ISBN 1-4143-0580-X)
1. Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days (ISBN 0-8423-2912-9)
2. Tribulation Force: The Continuing Drama of Those Left Behind (ISBN 0-8423-2921-8)
3. Nicolae: The Rise of Antichrist (ISBN 0-8423-2924-2)
4. Soul Harvest: The World Takes Sides (ISBN 0-8423-2925-0)
5. Apollyon: The Destroyer Is Unleashed (ISBN 0-8423-2926-9)
6. Assassins: Assignment: Jerusalem, Target: Antichrist (ISBN 0-8423-2927-7)
7. The Indwelling: The Beast Takes Possession (ISBN 0-8423-2929-3)
8. The Mark: The Beast Rules the World (ISBN 0-8423-3228-6)
9. Desecration: Antichrist Takes the Throne (ISBN 0-8423-3229-4)
10. The Remnant: On the Brink of Armageddon (ISBN 0-8423-3230-8)
11. Armageddon: The Cosmic Battle of the Ages (ISBN 0-8423-3236-7)
12. Glorious Appearing: The End of Days (ISBN 0-8423-3237-5)
16. Kingdom Come: The Final Victory (ISBN 0-8423-6061-1)

Although these books promote the belief that the conservative Christian way of life is paramount in the fight to "save" the nation, the organization insists that they are

an educational foundation organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. They do not lobby Congress, support candidates, or issue public policy statements on controversial issues. Our over 600 members include many of our nation's leaders from the fields of government, business, the media, religion, and the professions. Our members are united in their belief in a free enterprise system, a strong national defense, and support for traditional western values. They meet to share the best information available on national and world problems, know one another on a personal basis, and collaborate in achieving their shared goals."

In August, Bill Frist accepted the group's "Jefferson Award." Frist acknowledged the group’s power, telling attendees,

“The destiny of the nation is on the shoulders of the conservative movement.”

With all these blockquotes to insert, I almost forgot why I looked into the CNP. Dick Cheney is paying them a visit. It's just his kind of get-together. Membership is strictly confidential and new members require unanimous consent from the other members in order to join. It sounds like a masonic lodge. They pick presidents? This will be interesting.  ¶ 2:26 AM 2 comments

  Random Quotes.

On September 26th, 2007 at 2:39 pm, memekiller said:
So nice to see such decorum return to the halls of Congress. The third war in the trilogy will be a bipartisan effort!

On September 26th, 2007 at 2:50 pm, Mark said:
History will record that the citizens of the nation looked on in goggle-eyed wonder as a self-centred little alcoholic Texas yahoo climbed into the drivers seat, cocked his elbow out the window and drove the United States to destruction.

and this is my favorite:

On September 26th, 2007 at 3:04 pm, Zeitgeist said:
I tell ya, I just can’t figure out these unpredictable Dems.

Clinton, Schumer, Levin, Whitehouse (and others) had been routinely voting the correct way on these Middle East war issues; on this they did not.

Cantwell, Klobuchar and McCaskill had been voting wrong and suddenly vote correctly (good for them!)

Obama skips yet another key vote on these issues.

I’m confused.

  ¶ 9:07 PM 0 comments

  You Are My Heroes.
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Dodd (D-CT)
Feingold (D-WI)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Leahy (D-VT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Sanders (I-VT)
Tester (D-MT)
Webb (D-VA)
Wyden (D-OR)  ¶ 8:59 PM 0 comments

  The Latest Picture Of Karen.   ¶ 8:22 PM 0 comments

  Let Me Get This Straight. Iran is NOT a nuclear power, but it could be a nuclear power, therefore, it is a threat to US.  ¶ 8:05 PM 0 comments

  Alvinia Has Been Captured. She is a pistol that little one. I had to clear everything out of the bookshelf/headboard and use a broom to sweep her out. This time Alvinia doesn't seem too happy about being home. Theodora had to force a kiss out of her. I don't know what she sees back there. I had to give her a bath, she smelled. Plus, I swept behind the headboard. Now, everyone's tucked into bed.  ¶ 7:56 PM 0 comments

  If Hillary Doesn't Win Iowa. I think it will be over for her. She's a lot of hype, and hype can unravel. Look at what happened to GWB. I know, I know. But there's always hOpe.  ¶ 6:50 PM 0 comments

  Throw Their Sorry Asses Out Of Washington. I did not want my money going to the destruction of 35% of Iraq's population, back in 2003. And now, no one, except the warmongers in Washington, want the continuation of the Iraq war, much less a new one. This Iran resolution is not rhetoric, it's propaganda ... here in the good 'ol USA. I rest my case.   ¶ 1:36 AM 0 comments

  Senate Passes Bill To Clean Up The Everglades. Bush is threatening to veto the bill.   ¶ 12:35 AM 0 comments

  Why I Support Barack.
I'm a good Democrat, but I'm a good American too. I want the warmongers voted out of office. There is nothing wrong with that.  ¶ 10:33 PM 0 comments

  More On The Chinese Hackers. A Cover Up.

Indeed.

I found the story at Slashdot, if you'd like to read the comments. I'm too tired to check them out.   ¶ 8:05 PM 0 comments

  Hillary And GQ.

Hillary Clinton's campaign team "killed" a negative magazine story by using an article on her husband as bait, it was claimed yesterday.

According to Politico newspaper, Clinton advisers told GQ that if the article was published they would withdraw co-operation over a piece on Bill Clinton, expected to feature on December's cover.

Jim Nelson, editor of GQ, said: "Yes, we did kill a Hillary piece. We kill pieces all the time for a variety of reasons."

  ¶ 7:53 PM 0 comments

  Obama Made A Little Headway. In all fairness,

The somewhat smaller lead may reflect a modest tightening of the race or it may be nothing more than statistical noise.

Alvinia, aka Superhamster, ran away again. I left the top off the cage. She had to leap to get to the opening. I hope she comes back. She was getting beautiful and cute at the same time. Theodora is moping around, heartbroken again.  ¶ 7:35 PM 0 comments

  WOO HOO! What a great day for Barack Obama. Hot damn.

In the last week before the third quarter fundraising draws to a close, the presidential campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., is busy lowering expectations for their fundraising haul -- and raising expectations for those of her chief Democratic rival -- Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

An aide to Clinton's campaign tells ABC News that they expect to have raised between $17 and $20 million in the third quarter fundraising period between July 1 and Sept. 30, and suggested the campaign of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., will raise over $30 million, thanks in large part to online donations.

Blaming a vacationing donor base during the summer months of July and August, and suggesting previous donors have "maxed out" their contributions to the New York senator in the first two fundraising quarters, the Clinton campaign predicted Obama's campaign will beat them by over $10 million.

ROTFLMAO. She's blaming her donors for being on vacation. That is special (interests.) Special interests are maxed out. She has no one else. This is our frontrunner? It's shameful.  ¶ 6:23 PM 0 comments

  This Is The Truth About The Polls.

The poll also shows that while most likely New Hampshire Democratic primary voters have a preference, fully 55 percent have yet to make up their minds.

  ¶ 6:21 PM 0 comments

  Iowa Will Be Won On The Ground, Not In The Polls. Great article and great comments. Notice how many Obama supporters commented. Kind of makes you think twice about the polls.  ¶ 6:17 PM 0 comments

  WTF? The SEIU should be proud that they endorsed Howard Dean. As much as I support Obama, Edwards is their man this time around. I am disappointed that the executive board did not even take a vote, or take a membership vote earlier. If they really do not support Hillary, sitting on the fence only helps her.

Clinton's lack of majority support within the SEIU shows discomfort with the prospect of her nomination among some of the Democratic Party's rank and file. She holds the edge in labor endorsements, but there are some doubts about whether she would get the SEIU's backing, say officials involved in the talks.

Clinton was at a disadvantage in appealing to Change to Win when her plane was grounded in Little Rock, Ark., on Tuesday. She addressed the crowd by phone, but several seats were empty.

Her speech didn't have the same effect as Edwards' and Obama's in-person appeals. She drew applause when she said UAW workers are "holding the line on the American dream."

  ¶ 5:54 PM 0 comments

  Obama Votes To Fund Iraq War. Not. No wonder Obama raises more money from servicemen and women than any other candidate.

September 19, 2007

Dear Colleague:

In July, we filed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would place a temporary moratorium on the use of personality disorder discharges for those service members who have served in a combat zone. We urge you to join as a cosponsor of this important bipartisan measure.

On June 21st we wrote with 22 of our colleagues to Secretary Gates expressing our deep concern over continuing reports that personality disorder discharges have been implemented inappropriately and inconsistently. In mid-August, Dr. David Chu, Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, responded to our offices without addressing two key requests in the original letter: that DOD conduct a thorough review of all policies related to the use of this discharge; and that the military establish an independent review board to address any questionable cases. Instead, this response suggests that the Department does not believe this issue requires further examination. Dr. Chu writes: "The Department is confident in the effectiveness of the current process."

We do not share Dr. Chu's confidence. Therefore we are seeking to halt this practice until Congress can be assured that adequate safeguards are in place. Our offices continue to receive and attempt to resolve questionable cases in which service members who appear to be suffering from combat-related psychological injuries are instead facing an administrative discharge for a personality disorder. We believe that even one case of an improper diagnosis and discharge for a personality disorder is too many. Over the last six years, Defense Department records indicate that over 22,500 personality disorder discharges have been processed -- an average of 10 service members discharged each day. We owe it to our fighting forces to ensure that air-tight procedures are in place to guide this serious and lasting diagnosis.

This amendment is offered as another step in our ongoing efforts to improve the quality of the Department of Defense's mental health services and care. This temporary moratorium is a commonsense safeguard to ensure a proper review and revision of current DOD policies. The amendment also gives the DOD flexibility by granting an exception to the moratorium in those cases in which a service member provides false or misleading information, or omits information about past criminal behavior during the recruitment or enlistment process. The moratorium would be lifted after the DOD reviews its current policies, ensures it is following standard clinical diagnostic practices, and establishes an independent review board to ensure that service members who have received this diagnosis may seek a review.

We hope you will join us in this worthy bipartisan effort. If you have any questions about this amendment, please contact Mark Linton in Senator Obama's office at 8-5553; or James Pitchford in Senator Bond's office at 4-6844. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,


Barack Obama

Christopher S. Bond

Barbara Boxer

Joseph I. Lieberman

Patty Murray

Claire McCaskill

John F. Kerry

Joseph R. Biden

Tim Johnson

Bernard Sanders

  ¶ 5:45 PM 0 comments

  TD Karen. Karen is not strengthening and is not forming an eye, but she sure is pretty. Check out the dry air to the north.  ¶ 5:34 PM 0 comments

  TD 12. Karen Tomorrow? She's probably just a fish storm, but it's still kind of fun to watch her develop.  ¶ 11:17 PM 0 comments

  96L-Back To Hurricane Blogging.
There's a big boy out there. It isn't in range of the NOAA satellites yet. But you can see Eumetsat here. It's pretty neat. You can really tell the size of the storm. Dr.Masters doesn't like the looks of this one. However, the GFDL model does not show development. Well, I'd better get some sleep, just in case.

Far Atlantic disturbance 96L
I don't like the looks of this one. A tropical wave "96L" in the far eastern Atlantic, about 650 miles southwest of the Cape Verdes Islands, has gotten more organized during the past 24 hours, as seen in the latest Satellite imagery. The circulation associated with the wave is unusually large. The storm will be a little slow to get going, since the storm is so far south. At the storm's current latitude--6 degrees north of the Equator--it cannot leverage the earth's spin very much to help spin up the huge circulation it has. Despite it's close proximity to the Equator, low-level spiral bands have already formed, as seen in recent microwave satellite images (Figure 1). The wave is under about 10 knots of wind shear. The shear is forecast to remain below 10 knots through Wednesday, and there is some favorable anticyclonic outflow at high levels. There is a good chance 96L will become a hurricane late this week, as forecast by the SHIPS intensity model. The Lesser Antilles Islands should anticipate the possibility that this will be a hurricane by the time it reaches the islands seven days from now, although it could miss to the north. It is possible 96L will encounter a zone of high wind shear beginning four days from now. The HWRF model develops 96L into a 55-mph tropical storm by Tuesday, then weakens the system the remainder of the week. The GFDL model does not develop 96L at all.

  ¶ 12:30 AM 0 comments

  Hillary Clinton And The Vast Right Wing Consipiracy. In light of Hillary's statement on Fox today, I'm bumping this. I wonder who elso was in the audience?Senator Hillary Clinton, Samuel R. Berger, Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke, and Council President Richard N. Haass.I was reading this. The pic of Hillary speaking to the Council of Foreign Relations piqued my interest. I'm still a bit dizzy trying to make sense out of the connection between Hillary Clinton, The Blackstone Group, The Council of Foreign Relations, and Kissinger Associates, Inc., besides the fact that Blackstone and Kissinger occupy the same building.

I love a good conspiracy theory. What one can say with a reasonable amount of certainty is that Richard Haass does not want to get out of Iraq quickly. I wonder what Hillary thinks about that.

Leaving Iraq quickly—“precipitate withdrawal” in the jargon of the Iraq Study Group—would create a humanitarian disaster and a terrorist safe haven, and set the stage not just for a more intense civil war but for a regional conflict that could destabilise much of the oil-rich Middle East. It would also raise questions—every where about American reliability and staying power. Rebalancing in this fashion would actually make a bad situation even worse.

If the current situation in Iraq is not a humanitarian crisis, then I don't know what is. Here is a list of current notable members. I starting heaving after I read Dick Cheney's name. Politics sure does make strange bedfellows.  ¶ 4:37 PM 0 comments

  Hillary, How Will You "Rein In" Iran?

Obviously, we have a very difficult problem ahead in dealing with Iran, something that I think the Bush administration put on the back burner for too long, outsourced to the French, the British and the Germans, instead of, you know, going forward and seeing if there were any ways that we could rein in this regime and certainly prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons.

And that's going to be my focus as a senator and as president.

I will be interested to see how Hillary's plan differs from the plan outline by Bush (9/14). WTF does "not outsourcing the problem" mean? WTF does "rein in" mean? Sounds like more cowboy talk to me.

The sanctions are aimed at getting Iran to suspend its enrichment of uranium. The international efforts to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been complicated by America’s conflict with Iran in Iraq, which Russia and some European countries argue should take a back seat to the nuclear issue.

  ¶ 4:08 PM 0 comments

  Edith Childs, "Fired Up! Ready To Go!"

My staff and I, we're looking at each other, we don't know what to do," he says on the stump. "But here's the thing after about a minute, I'm starting to feel kind of fired up. And I'm starting to feel like I'm ready to go.

There is no more disciplined, motivated, aggressive, and focused campaign than that of Hillary Clinton, the commanding front runner of the race. Nevertheless, click on these videos and be prepared to be inspired.If you would care for another glass or two of Obama spirit, go to BarackTV. Will it translate into votes? Can he win without a strong media presence? Obama is pacing himself. He is in control, and he has the faith that can move mountains.

"There's something going on and you don't know what it is, do you, Mr. Jones?" (Bob Dylan)
  ¶ 2:01 AM 1 comments

  Bush's Brain. Bush believes that Hillary will replace him. He just might be on to something.

As Bush was describing his thinking about Iraq and the future, he indicated he wants to use his final 16 months to stabilize Iraq enough and redefine the U.S. mission there so that the next president, even a Democrat, would feel politically able to keep a smaller but long-term presence in the country. The broadcasters were not allowed to directly quote the president, but they were allowed to allude to his thinking and George Stephanopoulos of ABC News later cited the analogy of Dwight D. Eisenhower essentially adopting President Harry S. Truman's foreign policy despite the Republican general's 1952 campaign statements.

"He had kind of a striking analogy," Stephanopoulos said of Bush on air a few hours after the lunch. "He believes that whoever replaces him, like General Eisenhower when he replaced Harry Truman, may criticize the president's policy during the campaign, but will likely continue much of it in office."

It is, in fact, a striking analogy, and of course Bush has been positioning himself as a latter-day Truman for a while, particularly in the sense that Truman was reviled by the public toward the end of his presidency but later earned the respect of history for his leadership at the beginning of the Cold War. Not surprisingly, Bush critics consider that wishful thinking.

The alt.money quote: broadcasters were not allowed to directly quote the president, but they were allowed to allude to his thinking.

The whole thing is rather bizarre, and I'm feeling kind of sick. So, I sent Barack Obama $100 and pledged to match another donor.  ¶ 8:38 PM 0 comments

  Sometimes, You Just Gotta Laugh. Or you'll cry. I have a feeling that history will not be too kind to Albert Gore, if he doesn't run.   ¶ 5:01 PM 0 comments

  Surveillence Cameras. Don't work. Nevertheless, the city of Miami is placing a system in Bayfront Park. Who is paying for it?

Phase one will be paid for with a $400,000 grant from Homeland Security, but additional phases will cost more money.

I never would have guessed.  ¶ 10:05 PM 0 comments