A real holiday present for us all

Wishing it to come true - please, please, please

ever so cynical?

I am a cynic - I admit that...but the events of this week bother me a lot- not a surprise to me but nonetheless very very bothersome...

Spying on US citizens? by presidential order?

Wanting to speak of Iraq but his "agenda" was disrupted by Katrina?

Cheerleading for the mess in Iraq?

More stupidity in the House? [war on xmas and more on Iraq departure] - do they have nothing of import to discuss? I guess not....we here in the USA are irrelevant to the right wing idiots.....damn the public- they will do as they please....hurt poor people, take money from kids and students in college, but hey in the face of growing debt we need to cut back right? well no- they continue to give money to the richest...and the corporation of course

#$@!#$%^&^%&^(*(* ARGH>>>>>>

so many rants - so little time

wow - not sure what to rant about lately - there is so much out there my mind is spinning - so instead of worrying about which I'll jump in and start with the weirdest one tonight - what one is that? the alleged "war" on christmas....does Fox have so little real infotainment to present that this is all they can spit out day after day? Is it for the ratings? or to deflect us from what the shrub is doing????

If you read my previous blogs you know I was raised as a Christian and switched out of that religion... part of me began to hate this season because it is a time when all the idiotic nasty behaviors humans are capable of are out in full force.... drivers are more dangerous, shoppers are just damned rude and the closer we get to December 25- the worse humans behave...

Many years ago I decided that except for necessities I do not go near large stores from Thanksgiving until after January 2...There was a time when the stores did not put out Christmas stuff until after thanksgiving - now it's out there right around Labor Day and the weight of the Sunday papers grows each week..

So who started this war? the greedy corporations who want all your money and who do not give one thought to what Christmas is supposed to be celebrating.... Does Fox go after them? no the right wingnuts go after anyone who is not Christian and blames them...so anti semitism, anti Islam and anti all non-Christian religions is more rampant...

If you are a Christian ask yourself what gift giving has to do with your religion, what does a tree mean? what about the costly house decorations? the bills that come in January?

Do you ever stop and think that all religions have holidays that coincide with the Summer and Winter soltices and the Spring and Autumnal equinoxes.. our more modern religions started using the pagan celebrations of the time and incorporated them into their religions.

There was a period in my past when my friends and I spent a few years "doing" all the pagan celebrations as best we could - it was a lot of fun and very educational...no one felt left out and no one felt thier religion was being made fun of or that there was a war on anyone's religion....maybe we should all learn where our celebrations came from and gain tolerance

but to Fox and all other media outlets who are stuck on this "war" theme - I suggest they get a sense of proportion and a sense of humor

Hurrah for Howard

When I lived in Vermont I was not always a Dean fan....somewhere in the course of running for President, Howard changed from a boring bureaucrat to an exciting speaker.

I'm all for change and know it can happen at any age...so GOOD FOR DEAN-

here is some stuff from him that was in The Hill and on Truthout

Most important, we will talk about Democratic values, which are AmericaÂ’s values.

"The vast majority of Americans believe it is immoral to lets kids go hungry. We agree. The other party cuts school lunches (they just canÂ’t seem to leave that one alone.)

Americans believe it is immoral that not everyone has some kind of health insurance. We agree.

The vast majority of Americans believe that government overreaching into personal and family decisions is wrong. We agree.

Americans believe that it is immoral to leave huge debts to our children and grandchildren. We agree.

Americans believe that using issues to divide us as a country to win elections is bad for America. We will restore AmericaÂ’s sense of community.

Together, America can do better. And in 2006, the Democrats will lead America to do just that."

Medicare part D - for damnable

I am still pissed at the Medicare part D mess - it so reeks of the repugs - scare tactics followed by taking your money!

Maybe the best alternative is to NOT select a plan and to vote in saner heads in 2006 who will make the selection process SIMPLE and eliminate any penalties.....or select the cheapest plan and hope you don't lose too much money waiting until you needs meds. And why will you need meds? because the pharmacies will tell you you need them!- just like the ads- "ask your doctor if XYZ is right for you! What gaul.. let's get the pharmaceuticals out of the legislation business - and let's get the credit card industry out as well....

I have tried to access the Medicare website to see what plan[s] they suggest for me and this is what I get:

Medicare.gov - Page Temporarily Unavailable

We're currently experiencing high traffic. Please try again later. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Sounds just like the FEMA website after Katrina-

Justice IS falling apart!

This from the news wires:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A chunk of marble fell from near the roof of the U.S. Supreme Court onto the stairs in the front of the building but no one was injured, a court spokeswoman said.

The marble was right above the inscription near the top of the building saying, "Equal Justice under Law."

DUH

No one was hurt - well that's what was said about the marble chunk's landing...but I say it's an omen that justice is falling apart in the USA and we are all getting hurt.

Medicare penalty redux

The more I read and think about the prescription "benefit" and the penalty to NOT buying into it now- the angrier I get. It reminds me of the credit card bill aka the bankruptcy "reform." It's all about scaring people into paying paying paying....

Here is the penalty: at least 1% of the national average premium will be added to your premium for each MONTH that you delay signing up...and of course, we are reminded, that the average premium will go UP each year ...[so they have already calculated that increase] Let's see - if you do not need medications now and you choose to sign up you are "giving" the feds about $360 a year to insure not paying the "penalty" later...

to me it sounds like the credit card bill - pay now and pay later OR ELSE!!!!

Why is our government into penalizing people who are healthy now? Is it the same reason the dark sider in the WH is pushing torture? They just don't like people? And why can't we look at better preventive care instead of warning people they WILL get sick as they age? Actually I have gotten sick less as I have aged...because I have learned how to follow alternative ideas re my health and well if I do need expensive meds at some point, I'll pay for them myself and not pay those dark siders their penalty -

I bet when we elect a saner Congress we will see major changes in this Medicare "benefit." Some people actually have respect for their elders and are not out to punish those who live a long time and stay healthy!

Ratings Contest

I say we have a contest to see if the shrub's ratings can beat those for Nixon - making the shrub the most untrusted president ever!

C'mon you of that 35%....what more info do you need? Oops I forgot - that's the 35% who, like the shrub, don't bother listening to the news - they get their info from "trusted" friends like faux [thank you to who ever thought that one up] and/or their rapture leaders....

As for the 16% who have changed their minds in less than a year - why did you not listen to us last October/November BEFORE the election? A belated welcome to our side and - PLEASE help vote out the repugs in Congress in 2006 or you will be sorrier, poorer and in worse overall shape than you are now... these people are removing the safety net we had for the poorest among us..and when you move into that category - they [your repug congress people] will laugh at you and tell you to get yourself out of your own mess....

And lastly - did you see that DeLay calls you? This is from Scanlon, a DeLay aide [as reported in Salon]
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/11/03/abramoff/index_np.html

"The wackos get their information through the Christian right, Christian radio, mail, the internet and telephone trees," Scanlon wrote in the memo, which was read into the public record at a hearing of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. "Simply put, we want to bring out the wackos to vote against something and make sure the rest of the public lets the whole thing slip past them."

Such hypocrites!

The hypocrisy in the administration and it's cohorts in Congress never ceases to amaze even cynical-old-me..and it's not just about the indictment and it's aftermath on the RWM talk shows, it's the Medicare so-called prescription "benefits" and the phony choked up voice of the seer-in-chief aka Frist.....

Let's start with the indictment of Libby. Gee - "no crime" they all say - did they not hear Fitzgerald? the Bush WH COVERED UP and OBSTRUCTED the investigation - so the crime, although known, has not been fully investigated - BUT IT WILL BE... I guess they also missed Fitzgerald saying he is not done!

Next- Medicare...all I can say is geeze....a lot of killed trees are being turned into paper for this one - I am over 65 so I have been inundated with all sorts of offers about Medicare Part D - the alleged prescription plan that they hypocrites passed in the middle of the night after threatening, cajoling and keeping the vote open all night - Oh yes and lying about the costs....It is a nightmare to figure out - and I can read and parse the "if" and "may" sections. Basically one can pay an amount, conveniently deducted form your social security check monthly for the alleged benefit of maybe getting some or if you are lucky, all, of your medications at a cheaper rate AFTER you pay a yearly deductible. Here in Oregon I got a 100 page "booklet" about this and a list of the plans I can choose from. I understand the lucky Californians have at least twice as many plans to read about.

The part that pisses me off the most is that you are advised to buy into the plan now even if you do not need it - why? to avoid a financial penalty later on when you may need it. So let's see - I can pay the feds $30 to $40 a month for years to come only to avoid a penalty in 10-20-30 years? Duh! Is this the way we are going to pay for the lies of the repugs about the cost of this plan?

Oh yes and the news today is that the cost of drugs for "older" people is outstripping inflation - this from the AARP:

The Associated Press

"WASHINGTON -- Price increases for brand-name prescription drugs popular with older people rose at twice the general rate of inflation for the year ending June 30, though the gap narrowed a bit, the AARP said.
The lobbying group said the average price increase for 193 brand-name drugs that are most often prescribed to people over 50 amounted to 6.1 percent. Meanwhile, the overall inflation rate was 3 percent for the year."

If you think it's bad now- wait til the plan last days of enrollment next May- I predict the costs of the more "popular" drugs will skyrocket and the companies now offering those drugs will remove them from the list of what you can buy at a discount...that's the "if" and as you can only change plans once a year you will be stuck buying at the higher cost - yes they say you "may" be able to switch plans but cynical me thinks that will be impossible- "may" is not "can."

Lastly Frist - the man who can diagnose a brain dead woman as okay and do it from afar - gets all chocked up that Reid called forth a Senate rule and Frist did not know ahead of time....poor baby...guess he lost his super all-knowing powers... YECK.....what a turd...

Peace

Indictment

Well Libby was indicted....do I feel happy? not at all...it's sad that our country has fallen to such a position - again! and I am referring to Nixon - not Clinton - I'd rather have an administration get bad press over sex than national security.... as one hears often, Clinton's blow job did not kill anyone.

What keeps nagging at me - and others to whom I have spoken is the shrub's "ratings." He is now at 40% or less - and this is NOT EVEN one year since that re-selection.... if he legitimately got over 50% of the vote...why did he lose 10% of that base so fast? Nothing different is known now than was known last November - he's still a liar- he is still arrogant - his administration is still engaged in an endless killing field in Iraq - they still have no plans for Iraq, the economy etc. except his dorky "stay the course" - and they still go after tose who disagree with them..

so either the vote was rigged last year or a lot of people now realize how stupid they were to vote for this #$@%$%%$&**&...

After that election a friend and I said that we'd sit back and wait for voter's remorse and the say "we told you so" but it's too sad a state of affairs right now to say that : (

The indictments are coming!

Oh wow....a day I have waited for since November of 2000....Even if the shrub tries to pardon the criminals after they are indicted - I'll still smile....but you know what? I don't think the public will take lightly to pre-trial pardons like with the shrub's father....and I am almost sure the shrub is not a bold as Nixon and won't try for a mass firing tonight and tomorrow..so I will await my celebration - saddened by the vigil I will also attend for the 2000th child who died as a result of this illegal action in Iraq...

peace

The Miers "mess"

Hey Georgie boy..Yer so smart...most smartest man I know. And so cool -well I mean you and er...hmmm... Laura..can't ferget her now ken I?

Dint I do a good job ansering them silly questions the senators ast? One I jist said "no." and them lefties are so danged mad- its such fun to do this...make them mad I mean...

I forgot to pay some bills and you'd think I committed a crime...heh heh ..we all know yer friends, and you can't commit crimes...we got them friends out there saying perjury is not a crime and well - it's a danged shame, them lefties are criminalizing politics...

Hey Georgie boy - about them bills- cant you get someone back, in Texas to make sure they put the right spin on that lien stuff and isn't there someone here in the D.C. Bar who ken take the blame, for my not payng them dues? Why on earht should someone of my power have to remember those silly things?

And about those questions those Senators sent back - cant we find someone as good as my clerks, and associates to write the answers for me- my english int too good. I forget why we use commas, and all that - not important for people like me and you to know those things - thats why we hire lackies, int it? Can't I just tell them that when I am confirmed and I will be confimed, wont I, I'll jist hire me some super fancy law clerks, who know how to think and write...can't be bothered with all that chatter can we? need to do the lord's work there on the court - well my lord and yers- not that lord them lefties like -

Love you [ and whats her name- oh Laura]

Harry

Rain rain go away

Having lived on the East coast for most of my life - I have lived in or very near many of the areas now affected by flooding... I-91 is closed? Wow! We all expect the dirt roads of Vermont and New Hampshire to have damage when it rains but not flooding on a major major north/south route that has heavy traffic from Connecticut to Canada....

And I bet King Shrub will still tell you he is "doing all he can" to help the environment and that global warming is a "theory" - just like evolution. Well mr shrub - the scientists think our weather patterns are a bit off kilter.... but then he is unable to listen to scientists - only to big oil company people...

Some of my friends and I knew this administration would implode - crime and corruption seem to do that at some point in time...the only bad thing is that we get another few years of this guy waging war on everything and I mean everything..

HE is the natural disaster!!!

What worries me most right now is that if his ratings stay low he will start another war or two - no matter what Congress says or the obvious lack of troops ... reality is not part of his psychological makeup. He is a bully who is used to getting his way so he pouts and screams and then does what he wants...

Hopefully the public will wake up more and start taking action....It's beginning to happen but until it includes a lot more of us, we will be ignored - big time!

peace

Cheer-leader-in-chief [c-i-c]

Why is the shrub doing so much cheer leading lately? Does he miss his days as a cheer leader at his all boys school? Is this another example of gender confusion? or latent homosexuality? [I think most of the "persons" in the WH have an issue with their own sexuality- why else are they so concerned with everyone's sex lives? ] And why else was Gannon/Guckert around thee so so much????

Back to c-i-c... seems to me if you have an ongoing military action [I am one who believes you can't have a "war" on a concept] - you should have the public's support and you should not have to be the c-i-c about that action. And if you need to be the c-i-c about that military action - maybe it's time to stop the military action.....

Real leaders don't need to be cheer leaders about their policies!

Who the hell is Harriet?

Yikes! Is she an unknown? Nope - like with Roberts her views are known in great detail - but only to the shrub and his cronies - after all she is yet another shrub crony.

Will the public find out anything about her? Nope - she too will refuse to answer questions at her senate hearings.. But info is dribbling out and will continue to come out from the researchers who actually care about the courts..

So far, from all I read, the firm at which she she was the managing partner has ties to Delay, and in 1998 and again in 2000 paid hefty fines in settlement of suits involving allegations of defrauding investors...So she fits right in with the bush crime family... a perfect person to put on the supreme court - that is if you want a court like one that could be run by Tony Soprano.

I mean, come on, if it looks like you might be facing indictments and impeachment - wouldn't you want to know ahead of time that the judges will always rule in your favor???????

George, G-d and Jesus

First a sort of disclaimer... I was raised as a protestant but gravitated to Judaism as a teen and during my adulthood made the label official...I say this only to show I am familiar with both religions.

George claims to be a Christian and to have found g-d but in so doing he has skipped away from the bible [if not run away] - at least the parts of the bible that speak of Jesus. Like so many right wing people of all persuasions, he has picked and chosen his way around the "old" testament [to use the common lingo] and ignored the "new."

Jesus was a Jew and I do think he would be astounded to see what some people do in his name. And those pickers thru of the old testament ignore all the years of rabbinical debate over many of the issues they raise...pretending instead to stick to the "original" concepts..

Hmmm....for starters there are many "versions" of bibles - sort of depends on who translated them and when the translating was done...so what is original? I have seen the portions of the Dead Seas Scrolls that are in the museum in Jerusalem and they ain't in English! And certainly not the version by King James or any of the other modern translations either.

We know George does not read so we can expect that he has been only given the briefest of summaries of bits and pieces of the bible - much like the DVD he got of the hurricane Katrina. He seems to have missed the parts that speak to treatment of the poor and loan sharking..and behaviors akin the credit cards and bankruptcy.

I don't have a problem with religious persons - I just do not want them telling me what to believe and especially when they have chose to ignore more appropriate parts of the bible than they spout off about.

To be continued....

George and Hitler

Over the past week I have been debating this "article" but I can no longer let it sit in my head... When I lived in D.C. I never went to the Holocaust Museum as I knew it was a depressing trip - so one did not go when it was cold, rainy, or if one was not in a very upbeat mood. When I was hanging around D.C. before my move West, there was a bright warm sunny Fall day and my friend and I went! It was still depressing but we made it through and then went immediately to a more joyful exhibit at another museum...

What was most depressing was the reading of the museum exhibits about the rise of Hitler....and in my head transposing Bush for Hitler...it was scary - well now it's only gotten worse...

Here are examples from the museum website http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en


"After a suspicious fire in the Reichstag (the German Parliament), on February 28, 1933, the government issued a decree which suspended constitutional civil rights and created a state of emergency in which official decrees could be enacted without parliamentary confirmation."


"In the first months of Hitler's chancellorship, the Nazis instituted a policy of "coordination"--the alignment of individuals and institutions with Nazi goals. Culture, the economy, education, and law all came under Nazi control. The Nazi regime also attempted to "coordinate" the German churches and, although not entirely successful, won support from a majority of Catholic and Protestant clergymen."

chilling...but it gets worse

There was a propaganda machine, Hitler saw himself outside the legal state and made his own "rules," criticism was suppressed and well we know what happened to Jews and others...

When anyone who is not a Republican likens Bush and the Repugs to Hitler - there is an outcry from the Repugs... Why - because they KNOW IT IS TRUE..But the propaganda machine whines and whines until some weak kneed person apologizes...

Well readers - we are living in a similar time here - corporations have all the power, poor people and minorities take back seat to tax cuts for the wealthiest of citizens, corruption and cronyism are rampant, the courts will soon be turning into more propaganda machines and citizens will lose what few rights they have not already lost under the ruse of the "war" on terrorism...

Beware - we are already living in fascist country "the united states of corporations."

Is John Conyers the only one willing to speak truth to power????

Amid the criminal negligence that is New Orleans - please do not forget the criminal outing of a CIA agent - or the criminal acts taking place in Iraq, etc. And the shrubbies said Sadaam is evil? Take a long look in the mirror George, Karl, Dick and the rest of you!


News from Congressman John Conyers, Jr., Michigan, 14th District; Ranking Member, U.S. House Judiciary Committee; Dean, Congressional Black Caucus:

H. Res. 420, Resolution of Inquiry to Attorney General Regarding CIA Leak

We are here because the Bush administration refuses to police itself in the midst of criminal and ethical misconduct. We are here because this Congress continues to turn a blind eye to the wrongdoing of this administration. In July 2003, over two years ago, a Bush administration official committed one of the most serious breaches of national security in recent history by disclosing to the press the identity of an undercover Central Intelligence Agency operative. Even worse, it likely was done for political reasons, to retaliate against the operative's husband for successfully challenging the President's claim that Iraq had sought nuclear material in Africa.

The purpose of this resolution is to get to the bottom of what happened and why the Justice Department slow-walked the investigation at the beginning. We know that, despite urgent pleas from the CIA for a criminal investigation into the leaker, the Justice Department and White House dragged their feet. The Department waited three days before notifying the White House of the breach and subsequent investigation. The White House, then waited eleven hours before telling staff to preserve evidence.

Despite these serious irregularities, early last year, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle rejected this same measure. They apparently did not believe that the Judiciary Committee, whose job it is to police the Justice Department, should look into a national security breach and delayed investigation.

There have been significant developments in the case since that time that I believe should lead them to support it this time. First, for the past two years, the White House has denied that any of its top officials, namely Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove, vice presidential Chief of Staff I. Lewis Libby, or National Security Council official Elliot Abrams, were involved in any way in the leak of Mrs. Wilson's covert identity. We now know that both Karl Rove and Lewis Libby spoke to reporters about Mrs. Wilson's identity.

Second, when the Justice Department first started investigating, the President made it clear that he would fire anyone involved in the leak. But when it became clear that his top political advisor, Mr. Rove, was implicated, he changed his ethical standards. This past July, the President said he would fire someone only if that person "committed a crime," raising the bar for firing someone like Mr. Rove.

Further, we now know that then-Attorney General John Ashcroft insisted on being briefed on Department interviews of Mr. Rove that were conducted in connection with the leak. He did so despite his long-standing ties to Mr. Rove; Mr. Ashcroft had paid Mr. Rove almost $750,000 for work on several campaigns. That Mr. Ashcroft eventually recused himself demonstrates there were conflicts of interest with his continued involvement.

It is time for Congress to exercise its duty to oversee the Executive Branch. Some will claim that we should not look into a matter that is being investigated by the Justice Department. That is not and has never been our standard. This year alone, Congress has held hearings on allegations of criminal misconduct in the United Nation's Oil-for-Food Program; the same misconduct being reviewed by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Congress also has been looking into the Jack Abramoff scandal at the same time as the Justice Department.

Let us not forget the endless hearings in this Committee and others on alleged Clinton-Gore campaign finance violations, the Whitewater claims, and Clinton White House Travel Office firings. These were matters all under Justice Department review at the time of our hearings.

Finally, I must remind my colleagues of the numerous House and Senate hearings on Watergate that were simultaneous with the Justice Department's own investigation.

I urge my colleagues vote "Yes" on this resolution.

From BuzzFlash

If you have not read this afternoon's BuzzFlash read this:

So, Mr. And Ms. Mainstream Media, how much longer will you allow Karl to feed your fears and keep you under his thumb? -- A BuzzFlash Reader's Open Letter to the MSM

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION

Dear Washington Press Corps and All Mainstream Media,

For five years Karl Rove has used and abused you; using you to spread his "talking points" (read: Propaganda), and abusing you by threatening your job, your family and your reputation if you don't comply with and promote the Party line. And for five years, you've enabled this sick relationship with your acquiescence. Most of the country has watched in horror as you slowly lost your self-respect, your integrity, and finally, any pretense of basic journalistic practices. Despite millions of emails, letters, faxes, phone calls and protests by concerned Americans begging you to report the truth about the war on Iraq, you instead marched in lockstep with the murderous Bush regime and actually promoted their lies. Your complicit actions have directly resulted in the slaughter of thousands of innocents in Iraq and around the world. Your lazy, sloppy non-reporting is your personal contribution to the deaths of American soldiers. You have blood on your hands. Oh, yes you do.

com·plic·it (k&m-'pli-s&t) adj.

Associated with or participating in a questionable act or a crime; having complicity: newspapers complicit with the propaganda arm of a dictatorship.

Read the rest here - could not have said it better myself!


http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/05/09/con05324.html

Memo to the shrub

You don't get to keep the land of New Orleans because you were criminally negligent.. and besides it is not yours...

So help the survivors and for gods sake stop calling them refugees - they are AMERICAN citizens- they may be black and we know you don't like that - but tough - they get to go back home to New Orleans - you don't get to give it to your cronies!

Anyone else thinking this was planned in advance? Hmmm waterfront mansions? And now I am very seriously thinking that this administration knew about the attacks on September 11th and allowed them to happen - they just did not think it would get as bad as it did - and besides they get to pardon each other for all the crimes being committed...

C'mon congress- get some backbone - these people need to be put in jail!!!

Wow - another thank you shrub!

I can not believe that this subhuman is the president. Everything he touches turns into a disaster! He is an utter total failure as a leader and a human being. His parents should go into hiding seeing what they created!

The subhuman can not even get back to D.C. to deal with the New Orleans disaster he is responsible for without waiting several days until he can be told what to say. Even then he made an ass of himself - if I hear him or anyone in the administration say "who could have predicted .x..." I will go nuts!! Anyone with a little bit of intelligence who can watch TV or read knew this was coming - it WAS predicted!! it just means he has zero intelligence.....and therefore should not be in a position where he has to make decisions.. he has no idea how to think

And the looting - well these idiots in the administration gave looting a good name when it happened in Iraq and we did nothing ..see what a good example this subhuman is setting? I don't condone the looting for the TVs etc but for those looking for food and medicines I'm not sure I would say that is a problem right now - and after seeing the chaos in New Orleans I now am amazed that the Iraqi people waited a year for us to fix our mess there before they started fighting us - hey we are Americans - we are very impatient - we only wait a day or two and if things are not fixed we get MAD...

I said to a friend the other day that the shrub was staying away from D.C. until he and his buddies can figure out how to enrich Haliburton with this latest mess they created.. Not sure if it's true but I heard that Haliburton was getting a contract to do repairs in new Orleans! Watch out America - if a disaster can come to your neighborhood - they will let it come - they will sit back and watch - they will say "who could have predicted this" - and then call in Haliburton... nice game isn't it - shows how much they care about citizens - we can all die as long as they make money from our deaths...and of course they can then keep or social security payments!

enuf - I am sick sick sick of this administration - I hope there is a very good lawyer who will start a suit against the shrub accusing him of criminal neglience for this latest "plan" of his...

Peace

Lynn

Thank you Shrub!!

For the 4th year in a row - the number of poor people in the USA has grown...The last year for a decline in poverty was the year 2000 and take a guess what happened in 2000....Correct! Mr. Corporate Shrub stole the election and now we can add another glowing piece to his resume - 4 years of presiding over an annual increase in poverty. 37 million of us are in poverty and with Shrub and his corporate Mafioso playing king and Court - it will only increase...

I forgot that the shrub was a cheer leader in college [hmm what does that say about his sexuality] and maybe that's why he is out cheer leading about the Iraq mess....Heard someone on AirAmericaRadio imagining Lincoln out there cheering the crowds to root for the North or any president [ the real ones] out there playing cheerleader when they were war time presidents.. Think about it - it's gross...But he could get a designer to make him a cheerleader uniform - it could look military as he just loves that macho stuff....we could call him the "Cheerleader-in-Chief"

Peace

The BuzzFlash petition

I have been saying this kind of thing fro years- maybe BuzzFlash read my posting here in my new rules - but no matter where they got the idea for this petition - it's sorely needed.

So read it - and it you agree - sign on

'Not One of the Latest Bush Generation Eligible for Military Service Has Joined America's Armed Forces to Die for George's "Noble Cause" and Make the "Supreme Sacrifice of Patriotism." The Bushes Let the Poor, Middle Class and Rural Kids do the Dying for Them. Kids Like Casey Sheehan. They Always Have. SIGN THIS BUZZFLASH PETITION NOW: EITHER THE BUSH KIDS "SACRIFICE" TO FIGHT FOR GEORGE'S "NOBLE CAUSE," OR BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW.'


http://www.buzzflash.com/editorial/05/08/edi05061.html

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problem. Click here to find out more:
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/9903/9903.html

SPECIAL GUESTS: Hit the Think Tank at the times below
to ask questions and put your heads together with these
experts and patriots:

Sat. Aug. 27 10-1 Pacific time (1-3 Eastern): ROB COHEN
Sun. Aug. 28 2-4 Pac. time (5-7 Eastern) RUSSELL MICHAELS
GUEST TOPIC: “THE BIG PICTURE”
Votergate filmmakers Rob Cohen and Russell Michaels have
been filming on the front lines for two years. Get the eagle's
overview from these producers. After covering the issue
intensively for an upcoming feature length documentary on
voting problems, they can share some unusual perspectives
on America's problems with elections. Ask them anything.

Sun. Aug. 28 2-4 Pacific time (5-7 Eastern): LYNN LANDES
GUEST TOPIC: COURAGE FOR REAL REFORM
Landes is one of the first journalists and activists on
electronic voting. An articulate advocate of hand-counted
paper ballots, she has filed a federal lawsuit to block the
use of voting machines. Whether or not you agree with her
views, we guarantee she's up for the debate.

Sun. Aug. 28 3-5 Pacific time (6-8 Eastern): JEFEMIAH AKIN
GUEST TOPIC: ELECTION OBSERVER’S HOUSE OF HORRORS
Akin, a computer programmer, first gained notoriety when he
ventured into a Riverside, Calif. L&A test, and wrote the report
of its absurdities covered in WiredNews.com. He has analyzed
the Sequoia central tabulator software, uncovering stunning
flaws in its design. Akin has been instrumental in exposing
problems with citizens' right to observe, untruths told by
elections officials, and logical flaws in the current voting system.

Sun. Aug. 28, 5-7 Pacific time (8-10 Eastern): LEONARD SCHMIEGE / GYAN HARDMAN
GUEST TOPIC: CITIZEN STRATEGIES – YOU CAN DO IT TOO
Schmiege and Hardman operate effectively on many levels.
They set up their own citizen tests for the Sequoia touch-screens
in Pinellas County, Florida, videotaping 12 hours of citizen
touching to test machine functionality for themselves. Schmiege
made the news when he dumpster-dived Pinellas, finding
shredded absentee ballots which the elections supervisor then
had to explain to the local newspaper. These two activists
have many creative ideas for improving election integrity.

Mon. Aug. 29, 1-3 Pacific time (4-6 Eastern): VICKIE KARP
GUEST TOPIC: THE BULLSHIT-FREE ZONE
Texas straight-shooter Vickie Karp, a BBV board member,
understood the direction we were going with no-ballot voting
right away. She took creative action by making voting machine
issues a Toastmaster topic, hitting the speaking circuit and
communicating with everyone who would listen, even before
the topic of election reform was "cool." Also a key person with
the Coalition for Visible Ballots, Karp is an idea person -- positive,
and creative. Jump in for some tough love.

Mon. Aug. 29, 5-7 Pacific (8-10 Eastern): HARRI HURSTI
GUEST TOPIC: ‘ASK ME ANYTHING’
Finnish computer expert Harri Hursti came to the U.S. to see,
as he puts it, "How deep is the rabbit hole really?" He has
traveled to Leon County, Florida twice to conduct red-team
tests of the Diebold voting system, quickly penetrating security
to manipulate the Diebold system, and he has now looked
into the systems produced by other vendors. Hursti has a
fascinating world-view of how the corporate and political
world works, and also has creative ideas for technical solutions.

Tues. Aug. 30, 4-6 Pacific time (7-9 Eastern): JIM HOGUE

GUEST TOPIC: ‘JUST DO IT’ – CITIZEN LEGISLATION

Hogue, from Vermont, was one of the first citizens to successfully
push through state legislation to protect the paper ballot. Hogue
is proof that a single citizen can make a real difference. He was
off, running, and achieving success before the national movement
was even formed.

Tues. Aug. 30, 4-6 Pacific time (7-9 Eastern): BRUCE SIMS

GUEST TOPIC: ROLLING THE BIG BALL UPHILL
San Diego citizen Bruce Sims has immersed himself in the
election issue, and can provide a wealth of knowledge about
how to engage in day to day watchdog actions, researching
state and local laws, and most important -- the kinds of
obstacles you will face on the local level. He takes a licking
and keeps on ticking, and will share articulate tips about what
he has learned and what to expect as you join this movement.

Tues. Aug. 30, 5-7 Pacific (8-10 Eastern): BRUCE O’DELL
GUEST TOPIC: RISKS AND COUNTERMEASURES
O'Dell, the director of the Election Audit Institute
(ElectionAuditInstitute.org) will provide expertise on
identifying risks to the integrity of the vote, and
countermeasures. A 'numbers guy' who speaks
plain English, he can help you separate the wheat from
the chaff in statistical studies and audit techniques.

Tues. Aug. 30, 5-7 Pacific (7-9 Eastern) ARMEN YOUSOUFIAN
GUEST TOPIC: HOW TO GET ACTION WITH PUBLIC RECORDS &
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS
We call Yousoufian “The King of Public Records.” Yousoufian
made public records history by taking King County, Wash.
to the state supreme court to force it to turn over public records
-- and was awarded over $100,000 in punitive damages from
King County. He can offer wonderful insights for strategic public
records access -- a critical component to watchdog the elections
process.

Wed. Aug. 31, 11-1 Pacific (2-4 Eastern): FREDDIE OAKLEY
GUEST TOPIC: MEET AN ELECTION OFFICIAL WHO’S ‘ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS’
Oakley is beloved by California citizens for her courage and
feistiness in protecting the paper ballot and insisting on
transparency and citizen access. For citizens frustrated by
obstructive local officials, here's a Registrar of Elections who
will be happy to answer your questions, without evasions or
spin. She is committed to openness and transparency in elections.

Wed. Aug. 31, 1-3 Pacific (4-6 Eastern) THERESA AMATO – NADER CAMPAIGN MANAGER
GUEST TOPIC: BALLOT ACCESS
As the campaign manager for Ralph Nader (2000 and 2004),
Amato is intimately familiar with problems like ballot access,
campaign finance shenanigans, and the like. One of the most
important election reforms is to open up the ability for qualified
candidates to get on the ballot and compete on an even playing
field. Ask questions, and learn about these issues from one who's
been on the front lines.

Wed. Aug. 31, 4-6 Pacific (7-9 Eastern): THOM HARTMANN
GUEST TOPIC: CORPORATE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS?
Hartmann, author of "Unequal Protection" -- the pioneering book
exposing the problems that have resulted from 'corporate
personhood' -- has become a well known radio talk show host.
Hartmann brings a wonderful sense of history to the issue of
election reform, and his insights are of critical importance
for questions of campaign finance reform. He has been at the
forefront of examinations of the breakdown in our electoral
process, and was also one of the pioneers in reporting on
problems with voting machines.

Wed. Aug. 31, 6-8 Pacific (9-11 Eastern) ECHO STEINER & SUSAN VAN HOUTEN
GUEST TOPIC: WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE HOTBED OF CONTROVERSY – PALM BEACH COUNTY FLORIDA
These women have been at the forefront of election reform
in troubled "Butterfly Ballot" country. Steiner fought a battle
for early voting records, and captured Nov. 2, 2004 Palm Beach
police blockades on videotape. Van Houten and Steiner have
shown consistency and courage in the fight to regain election
integrity in one of America's hotbeds of controversy, and they’ve
got surprising updates.

Thurs. Sep. 1, 11-1 Pacific (2-4 Eastern): ION SANCHO
GUEST TOPIC: MEET THE LEON COUNTY SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
Ion Sancho is an example of what we WANT in an elections
official. He will answer your questions and set a public
example of openness and honesty in elections administration.
Sancho, originally from New York, took over elections in Leon
County, Florida about 15 years ago, and has become one of
the most popular elections officials in the state with citizens.
He's gone head-to-head with Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris.
Sancho authorized the security tests of the Diebold system by
Dr. Herbert Thompson and Harri Hursti, receiving threat letters
from Diebold attorneys for his efforts.

Thurs. Sep 1, 12-2 Pacific (3-5 Eastern): CATHERINE ANSBRO
GUEST TOPIC: DECAPITATING NATIONAL E-VOTING
In 2004, Ireland committed over 50 million euros (more than
US $60 million) for paperless touch-screens, and the citizens of
Ireland took action. Ansbro was involved in the group that killed
the golden goose for vendors hoping to push touch-screens into
Ireland. The decision to ditch the touch-screens caused a
shakeup among Irish officials, and new watchdog entities were
formed in response to the fiasco. Ansbro captures a wealth of
hands-on knowledge, and imparts it with warmth and wisdom.

Fri. Sep. 2, 7-9 a.m. Pacific (10-12 Eastern): KEVIN ZEESE
GUEST TOPIC: THE POLITICS OF DEMOCRACY REFORM
Rise and shine, this one’s a.m. – Zeese worked with the Nader
campaign, and before that, spent years a consumer protection
litigator. How to challenge those who oppose paper ballots by
any means necessary – including running for office against them.
How to truly engage in democracy. How to run for office on an
election integrity platform – raise money, organize, educational
campaigns, and parallel electoral campaigns.

Fri. Sep. 2, 3-5 Pacific (6-8 Eastern): DAVID COBB, 2004 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (GREEN PARTY)
GUEST TOPIC: PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION SOLUTIONS, AND HOW POLITICS REALLY WORKS IN AMERICA
Green Party presidential candidate David Cobb was instrumental
in kicking off auditing in Ohio. He has important information
to share about proportional representation, and alternate ways
to choose political leaders. Cobb can address problems with
ballot access, election anomalies in Ohio, and other shenanigans.
Cobb will provide straightforward answers to your questions about
how politics really works in America.

Fri. Sep. 2, 4-6 Pacific (7-9 Eastern): DR. TOM RYAN
GUEST TOPIC: CITIZEN ORGANIZING
Dr. Ryan is with Arizona Citizens for Fair Elections. He’s been
effective in many areas, ranging from strategic use of public
records, to convincing local mainstream reporters to write
tough-minded articles exposing hacks and flaws in the voting
machines. Find out how to not only agitate, but activate real change.

Sun. Sep 4, 2-4 Pacific Time (5-7 Eastern): SHAR 7 JIM HAMILTON
GUEST TOPICS: LOCAL ORGANIZING AND SETTING UP EVENTS
The Hamiltons have been at the forefront of many election
reform actions, including organizing local events to build public
awareness, taking action on legislative issues, and motivating
others to excel. If you are considering organizing a community
event, but would rather not lose your mind trying to put the
whole thing together, start by getting advice from Jim & Shar,
former educators who know how to break it down into achievable
steps.

With apologies to Bill Maher – these are my new rules

If you vote for a war – you must agree to a drafting of your relatives to fight in that war – your children, grandchildren, in-law spouse, etc. – any relative between 17 and 42 must serve! They will have no choice and no way to get an exemption.

If you say negative anythings about gays and lesbians – and you are a politician with a gay or lesbian person anywhere in your family - you must immediately resign your political position.

If you use the term family values in your arguments against abortion, against gay marriage or civil unions and have a divorce in your own background or anywhere in your family – you must resign any elected position you have immediately and/or if you are a talk show person, you shall immediately quit your job.

If you have a minimum of 2 divorces in your own past - you shall never again be allowed to marry.

If you dislike abortions and speak out and/or vote against them, you must adopt one child a year.

If you say you are against abortions because you are pro life – you must agree to eliminate the death penalty.

If you say you want to fight terrorists “there” so you do not have to fight them “here” – you must immediately go “there” and join the fighting.

If you say you support the troops – you must donate your salary and savings to pay the soldiers as much as the mercenaries and Halliburton get paid and let them have the same vacation as the shrub and the same vehicles as rummy uses in Iraq.

more as I hear the hypocrites speak

D.C.

I have been thinking and wondering why few Dems are speaking out about Iraq or Cindy Sheehan or Valerie Plame these days. It's not because they are on vacation. It's because they like living in D.C. and they LOVE the power they have. Power corrupts and it corrupts even the best of the pols.

I never met a politician, except one, who was not arrogant and self-serving. At functions they look over your shoulder as they speak to you eyeing the crowd to see if there is anyone more important they should be talking to. After I left D.C. and was living in Vermont, I met one of the Vermont Senators at a business function and I introduced myself as a newcomer to Vermont. He said something trivial and was looking past my shoulder as he spoke. I lost all respect for him at that point - and he is a D.

And it's not just the pols - most anyone, including the heads of labor unions, who rises to prominence in D.C. glories in it and wants to stay - it makes for a very insulated society - where the Dems and the Repugs and the union leaders speak only to each other and not to real people. That's why no one is speaking out- they are too scared that they may lose their power - because in D.C. power comes from others who are seen as being in power and those whom we elect thinking they will represent us - do not - they represent only themselves and their corporate sponsors. I'll bet very few engage in meaningful conversations with their constituents - like the shrub - they tend to preach to the choir - except in electon years when they pretend they represent us. NOPE - they just want to go back to D.C.

At this point I am of the mindset that we need to get rid of even those with D after thier name who do not represent the people in their states.. I need to go thru a list of who voted for what but pols like Biden come immediately to mind - Mr. MBNA....along with anyone who voted for the bankruptcy bill -

I like the slogan of the 60's "power to the people." Where did my generation go wrong? We had it right in the 60's and we lost sight of something along the way to old age...but I am heartened to see a "movement" starting again...it's not like Boston or Berkeley in the 60's and 70's - it's more technologically oriented but it's here! God is in her heavens and we shall prevail!

Peace

A conversation with a son

I am so angry at those who have the gall to say that Casey Sheehan would not want his mom doing what she is doing...who better than Cindy to know what is in her son's heart and mind? Certainly not those who are now spouting such nastiness..

I asked my son - my one and only - the one who served 4 years in the 82nd Airborne and then 4 years in a Guard unit - the one who is as opposed to the shrub as I am - the one who does not believe we should be in Iraq - BUT WOULD HAVE GONE - since he was the one in charge of others! He too voluntarily joined the Army - for his own reasons - that did not mean he wanted to go into a war zone and die for the shrub's lies...

AND - if he had gone and had died he would have wanted me to do what Cindy is doing! He knows I am anti war and knows of my involvement in working against the Vietnam War... he knows me and I know him...so why should Cindy not know what her son Casey would have wanted?

I now know how absolutely lucky I am that I could have the conversation with my son - and I cry when I think that Cindy can no longer talk to Casey...but if she can't speak with him - she can speak for him - that's what mommies can do - and to those others who disagree with me - I use the right wing parrot's words [the ones he says he never said] "shut up!"

ARGH$%%$&^ Technology

Oh well - we now live in a world of advancing technology - not all of which do I understand nor do I wish to learn - I like knowing the basics but the last few weeks left me almost ready to scream because the problems went far beyond my understandings.

My PC died but the hard drive lived on - except that I could not retrieve some important info...it's probably there but beyond my ability to retrieve it - then the link to my cable company stopped working except sporadically.... so I could not get online when I wanted to - it's still in need of the "line" person to fix the line - hmm Comcast says they have 24 hours after the report to get to it - it was first reported Wednesday and I don't think anyone has yet looked at the main line - for one my service is still off and on - [off of course when I have time to use it] - and two- they were to call me when they came...

I'm tired of calling them so will wait until tomorrow... this has been ongoing since Wednesday -

While I was unable to get online I tried again to "find" the archived Incredimail emails - warning to all - DO NOT USE INCREDIMAIL -

Then back online I start crying when I read any news about Camp Casey and/or Iraq. I had told my son this week that I could not do what Cindy Sheehan is doing if he had been killed when he was in the Army and the Guard. I am thankful he finished 8 years of a military commitment safely and I realized that I spent those 8 years in a state of worry....even now as he is finally starting college a nag inside my mommy head will worry until he has his honorable discharge forms in hand! I do not trust the person in the WH...he is arrogant and a bully and arrogant bullies act irrationally when they are angry and he is angry right now - he doesn't like people to confront him...he only speaks to those who agree with him..and that fewer each day are in agreement makes him all the more dangerous.

Being one who started as a protester in the 60's and thinking that Nixon was the worst that could happen to the USA - wow - were we all wrong about that.. the shrub is far more dangerous- I do believe he'd start another invasion if his poll numbers go down- and he won't care if congress gives him the go ahead or not- after all he is the dictator and he can do what he pleases

hey if I were North Korea, Iran or some other countries in his sight, I'd be stock piling weapons...he is a menace to the world and he makes it more dangerous for all people...

Peace

Cindy Sheehan for President

I posted this on dailyKos last night

Cindy Sheehan for President


I've been thinking this week that Cindy is just the kind of person we need in the WH.... one with real courage, one who knows what it is like to lose a child in a war, one who has actual scruples and beliefs, one fine person who could make a damned great president - the hell with all those dems...where are they? why do we not hear from them? because they are scared of dubya? ... Cindy is not afraid to speak truth to power. You go girl! Cindy for President!

Lynn

by LynnD on Sat Aug 13th, 2005 at 21:44:28 PDT


Why not Cindy? As I posted previously - she is a hero - she has the qualities needed to be a President - not some faked emotions or bully headed "stay the course." She is really about the culture of life - being able to enjoy our freedoms without the need to attack with weapons - except for minds, hearts and words.

What's wrong with talking George and neocons? Of course I am a psychologist and you know all we do is talk...but then one has to ask why are we able to do such good things when all we do is talk? DUH - BECAUSE TALKING WORKS!!!

Cindy Sheehan for President

New rant flavor this week

Has anyone else noticed the amount of spam has increased? I know how to use my filters and delete buttons so I don't do much except laugh at the "subject" line...and wow have I laughed.

C'mon who would actually check out the following - which are actual subject lines in my junk file today

Re: With wakeup by seating
was reply an coordinate regions
Re: To smoke or unbeknown
Are reply a debacle contaminate

I guess these are to get by spam filters? oh well - someone probably opens them and buys whatever it is or they'd stop

The other spam that is proliferating is the "Christian" whatevers - I guess the right wingers have spawned a new cottage industry... one can now get Christian mortgages [ not usury rates I hope] , Christian debt relief [ maybe they pay off your loan or get total debt forgiveness like the jubilee years] , Christian dates [wonder if they promote unmarried sex?], etc.

I hate to think I am putting this idea in someone's head but I can't wait until I start seeing the Christian Viagra [etal] ads.

Too much to rant about so I did not

To be honest I have ranted in person and via emails to some friends but not here... not sure why except for being being so overwhelmed with what is going on... still keep coming back to the question of why can't persons in the administration see the errors they keep making?

Since they refuse to see anything as errors my more cynical self says then that everything this group does, including what appears on the surface to be sheer stupidity, is part of a larger plan to bring such chaos to Iraq that Americans will call for nuking the middle east - so carefully though, of course, that we don't hurt the oil [or Saudi Arabia ]

for example - why do we keep asking Iraqis to line up to apply for security type jobs? even you and I see that it gets them killed and therefore lessens the numbers who will apply for policing jobs...

and why don't we have enough troops there or ask other countries for real help and give them a share of the profitable work?????

the media never asks these questions - but I have been asking them - and I'm not a military strategist - just a thinking American...

But since the WH says all is going swimmingly well in Iraq maybe it's time to believe them and see that what is going on there is WHAT THEY WANT. Little else makes sense.

A new Declaration needed?

Read this carefully - mentally insert "new" King George for the original King George - and think seriously about what is happening to our county -

and I'll bet there are many celebrating today who if asked about this document would call it "bad," "evil," "subversive" and tell you that anyone who thinks this way ought to be put in jail for treason and left there to rot- sad state our country is in - BUT WE CAN CHANGE IT


The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies

The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen ColoniesIn CONGRESS, July 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. —Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain [George III] is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

The signers of the Declaration represented the new states as follows:
New Hampshire
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts
John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
For additional information about the Declaration of Independence, see these sites:
National Archives and Records Administration: Declaration of Independence
Library of Congress: About the Declaration of Independence

an aha

The other day I had an ephiphany.... I know we live in a two word, 30 second sound bite culture and I hate it. In my past and now current lives I have written and talked for a living...and although I speak much like I write here [sort of simply] - I am not a sound bite thinker or writer...my mind wanders and I love intellectual give and take...

I had IM set up on my computer but only used it for a few people - I just realized that it was leading me to try and say things too briefly due to its format and that I was not being clear about my feelings and was having trouble thinking about how to write in a limited space - my brain was trying to function in 30 second sound bite language...And the responses I got - due to the IM set up on a few machines was often a series of short sentences...sometimes a day or two or more after my IMs - so I'd forget what I had actually said unless I looked in the archive....and worse was the more typical response - an emoticon - or a YEAH! and then I'd have no idea to what it referred. And IMing in real time meant that I had to sit at my computer to communicate - not bad if it's a rare thing but as the main way to communicate - not my thing...

I decided that IMing was a cultural problem and part of the issue as to why we live in a sound bite culture - everyone IMs - so I notified my IM pals that I was removing IM from my computer at least for the summer and we could communicate by phone or email...

Let's see if we can change the complexity of discourse starting on a personal level.....

I am still upset

Admittedly I did not read Milbank's piece in the WaPo but given that it has become an embarrassment of a "news"paper it did not surprise me to read this Conyers letter.

Mr. Michael Abramowitz, National Editor
Mr. Michael Getler, Ombudsman
Mr. Dana Milbank
The Washington Post 1150 15th Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20071

Dear Sirs:

I write to express my profound disappointment with Dana Milbank's June 17 report, "Democrats Play House to Rally Against the War," which purports to describe a Democratic hearing I chaired in the Capitol yesterday. In sum, the piece cherry-picks some facts, manufactures others out of whole cloth, and does a disservice to some 30 members of Congress who persevered under difficult circumstances, not of our own making, to examine a very serious subject: whether the American people were deliberately misled in the lead up to war. The fact that this was the Post's only coverage of this event makes the journalistic shortcomings in this piece even more egregious.

In an inaccurate piece of reporting that typifies the article, Milbank implies that one of the obstacles the Members in the meeting have is that "only one" member has mentioned the Downing Street Minutes on the floor of either the House or Senate. This is not only incorrect but misleading. In fact, just yesterday, the Senate Democratic Leader, Harry Reid, mentioned it on the Senate floor. Senator Boxer talked at some length about it at the recent confirmation hearing for the Ambassador to Iraq. The House Democratic Leader, Nancy Pelosi, recently signed on to my letter, along with 121 other Democrats asking for answers about the memo. This information is not difficult to find either. For example, the Reid speech was the subject of an AP wire service report posted on the Washington Post website with the headline "Democrats Cite Downing Street Memo in Bolton Fight". Other similar mistakes, mischaracterizations and cheap shots are littered throughout the article.

The article begins with an especially mean and nasty tone, claiming that House Democrats "pretended" a small conference was the Judiciary Committee hearing room and deriding the decor of the room. Milbank fails to share with his readers one essential fact: the reason the hearing was held in that room, an important piece of context. Despite the fact that a number of other suitable rooms were available in the Capitol and House office buildings, Republicans declined my request for each and every one of them. Milbank could have written about the perseverance of many of my colleagues in the face of such adverse circumstances, but declined to do so. Milbank also ignores the critical fact picked up by the AP, CNN and other newsletters that at the very moment the hearing was scheduled to begin, the Republican Leadership scheduled an almost unprecedented number of 11 consecutive floor votes, making it next to impossible for most Members to participate in the first hour and one half of the hearing.

In what can only be described as a deliberate effort to discredit the entire hearing, Milbank quotes one of the witnesses as making an anti-semitic assertion and further describes anti-semitic literature that was being handed out in the overflow room for the event. First, let me be clear: I consider myself to be friend and supporter of Israel and there were a number of other staunchly pro-Israel members who were in attendance at the hearing. I do not agree with, support, or condone any comments asserting Israeli control over U.S. policy, and I find any allegation that Israel is trying to dominate the world or had anything to do with the September 11 tragedy disgusting and offensive.

That said, to give such emphasis to 100 seconds of a 3 hour and five minute hearing that included the powerful and sad testimony (hardly mentioned by Milbank) of a woman who lost her son in the Iraq war and now feels lied to as a result of the Downing Street Minutes, is incredibly misleading. Many, many different pamphlets were being passed out at the overflow room, including pamphlets about getting out of the Iraq war and anti-Central American Free Trade Agreement, and it is puzzling why Milbank saw fit to only mention the one he did.

In a typically derisive and uninformed passage, Milbank makes much of other lawmakers calling me "Mr. Chairman" and says I liked it so much that I used "chairmanly phrases." Milbank may not know that I was the Chairman of the House Government Operations Committee from 1988 to 1994. By protocol and tradition in the House, once you have been a Chairman you are always referred to as such. Thus, there was nothing unusual about my being referred to as Mr. Chairman.

To administer his coup-de-grace, Milbank literally makes up another cheap shot that I "was having so much fun that [I] ignored aides' entreaties to end the session." This did not occur. None of my aides offered entreaties to end the session and I have no idea where Milbank gets that information. The hearing certainly ran longer than expected, but that was because so many Members of Congress persevered under very difficult circumstances to attend, and I thought - given that - the least I could do was allow them to say their piece. That is called courtesy, not "fun."

By the way, the "Downing Street Memo" is actually the minutes of a British cabinet meeting. In the meeting, British officials - having just met with their American counterparts - describe their discussions with such counterparts. I mention this because that basic piece of context, a simple description of the memo, is found nowhere in Milbank's article.

The fact that I and my fellow Democrats had to stuff a hearing into a room the size of a large closet to hold a hearing on an important issue shouldn't make us the object of ridicule. In my opinion, the ridicule should be placed in two places: first, at the feet of Republicans who are so afraid to discuss ideas and facts that they try to sabotage our efforts to do so; and second, on Dana Milbank and the Washington Post, who do not feel the need to give serious coverage on a serious hearing about a serious matter-whether more than 1700 Americans have died because of a deliberate lie. Milbank may disagree, but the Post certainly owed its readers some coverage of that viewpoint.

Sincerely,

John Conyers, Jr.

Cindy Sheehan

A mother for whom I shed tears - an even more heroic person than Conyers  

John Conyers - my current congressional hero

a thought

Let's move the internet movement out to the streets!

I think we need to get major demonstrations going like in the 60's - I went from Boston to DC more times than I can remember and when I lived in Berkeley we had anti war demonstrations all the time- I think it's time to take the internet involvement and move it to the streets- half a million people signed John Conyers petitions and the WH blew him off and finally sent someone to the gates to take them from him yesterday- the internet anti war movement needs makes it to the TV screen because unfortunately that's where those who love the war get the news and they are not even seeing that a majority of Americans now are now opposed to this war - and more and more demonstrations showing on TV may make the public wake up.

thank you John

Because I don't have CSPAN 3 I just watched a re-airing of John Conyer's "hearing" on the DSM [Downing Street Memo]. I cried through most of it- how nay parent deals with the murder of their child because they were sent into an illegal "war" based on lies is beyond me. Every time Cindy Sheehan spoke or someone directed a comment to her about her son Casey - I wept... I am still weeping....I weep for all the American and Iraqi families who lost loved one and continue to lose loved ones while the lying sons of bitches who sent our troops there sit here and refuse- absolutely reuse to even talk about these issues - and of course have NO family members in the military..

So "borrowing" from Bill Maher's "new rules" - we need a new rule for Congress - "If you vote to send our American children to war - you must send YOURS - or your grandchildren or your nieces and nephews." So Mr. Bush- why are your twins not in Iraq?

I'm almost speechless

I am so angry I can't even rant. On Friday Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., adjourned a Judiciary Committee hearing ostensibly because he was unhappy with what he was hearing- ah democracy? HAH - not with those people wielding power...and remember power corrupts! And wow has ever corrupted this administration...

After the alleged election last Fall a D.C. friend and I said the best way to get through the next 4 years was to sit back and laugh as these persons do their thing and those who voted for them saw they were being screwed....then we could say "Don't blame me - voted for Kerry."

Unfortunately it is so bad I can't find much humor in this-and now John Conyers is told he has to have his WMD hearing tomorrow in the House basement - for god's sake the basement? And it's on CSPAN3 which not everyone gets. I hope someone films the entire meeting - halls, basement and all and it shows all over the Internet.... How low can we go? Apparently it has to be a lot lower before the people wake up and see what has happened to our country.

More deaths in Iraq, more lies by the WH, more corrupt use of power and less accountability. And silly me, I thought Nixon was a baddy - George wins that hands down - or rather hands in the pockets of the oil corporations.......

YEA for John Conyers

A Dem with guts!!!

For Immediate Release:
THURSDAY, JUNE 16
CONYERS TO HOLD DEMOCRATIC HEARING ON DOWNING STREET MEMO AND LEAD UP TO IRAQ WAR
WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Thursday June 16, 2005, Rep. John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member of House Judiciary Committee, and other Democratic Members will hold a Democratic hearing to hear testimony concerning the Downing Street Minutes and the efforts to cook the books on pre-war intelligence.

At least one person in D.C. is trying to get the media's attention on this one....let's see if any of the press actually covers it - or even mentions it will happen : (

What a month was May....

Why oh why is not the major media putting the Downing Street memo on the front pages in LARGE fonts? Why are we not hearing about it on those alleged "news" shows????? Is it because the WH and the corporations who run this country don't want anyone to know about it?

We just found out who Deep Throat was and very very few articles point out the analogies between Nixon's lying and King George's lying.. about the break in at the Watergate and the corruption in the Ohio election or the hacking of the black box voting machines... about 1000's dying in Vietnam and 1000's dying in Iraq?

John Conyers panel on the media problem was very important yet you did not see it or hear about it unless you listen to progressive radio or can watch CSPAN...we no longer have "news" we just have infotainment - that's why you won't get the Downing Street Memo or the follow up memo that shows we did "extra" bombing of Iraq before our invasion in an attempt to get Saddam to fire at us and thus provoke a war... And because we have a one party system there will not be any investigations even though many in Congress have asked the pResident to answer questions about the memos.

and speaking of the pResident - his 60 days tour of the country to convince someone there is a crisis in Social Security has now been running over 70 days - since he can't count - be glad no one is believing him - and remember he talks only to his "base." And yet another indication he is not in charge - no one told him the capital was evacuated when airplane flew too close- guess they figured why bother- he's not in charge so let him ride his bicycle. He's useless anyway - he'd just either fall off his bike or stand there with the stupid look like he had on September 11th...

Here's to a final analogy - BUSH GETS IMPEACHED AND LEAVES OFFICE IN DISGRACE

Sex and the White House

After Georgie's handholding with the Saudi prince and the picture I posted, we next heard from his wife that George masturbates horses! And I thought bestiality was a sin for people of his persuasion... If that was not enough we next learned that Neal Horsley, an anti-abortion fanatic had sex with animals claiming: "When you grow up on a farm in Georgia, your first girlfriend is a mule." And this was said on Fox http://www.newshounds.us/2005/05/06/bizarre_sex_habits_of_the_extreme_rightwing.php

And so now we have a new show called Sex and the White House. In the next episode maybe we get to learn what Condi and Karl do - and of course Jeff Gannon...who was at the WH more times than there were press conferences...

Is there a new Sodom and Gomorrah in D.C. ??? and is the address 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W. ?

Hmmmmmmm

Oh and we have another Republican sex scandal in the "other" Washington - the anti gay mayor of Spokane, WA is GAY and he is talking about masturbating in parking lots- Jocelyn Elder was fired from her job as Surgeon General Jocelyn Elder when she said that masturbation perhaps should be taught. Is the Mayor fired? Nope - he took a leave of absence - oy - these hypocrites....
http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0519/050511_news_mossback.php

What's this about?

huh?

This photo was from last Fall - and now we also have George hand holding with the Saudi prince- hmmmm. School systems and libraries banning books, rabid anti-choice persons abounding, the Bible as a text book....

Methinks there is a description for all this - it's called Projection. And what is that? A fear of one's own impulses - so fearful that you attribute them to others.

So the next time you hear someone screaming [the righties never speak without shouting] ask them why they are so afraid of homosexuality, pregnancy, etc? or if you really want to get to them - just straight out tell them that they themselves are homosexuals or maybe they are men who fear that science may someday cause them to be able to be pregnant? now that's an interesting new thought for me...

I'm jumping into the blogosphere

Imagine - a place to do my own ranting about politics. I needed somewhere to vent my feelings and thoughts and I am not good at waiting on hold at AirAmerica.

Disclaimer: Although I have a Ph.D. in Psychology and have a law degree - nothing I say here is to be construed as my offering psychological analysis, diagnosis or counseling or offering legal advice.

any comments by others are their responsibility - not mine

Opening commentary

Since my background includes a Ph.D. in Psychology and a law degree so I have thoughts all over the place about this administration - coming from both parts of my brain.... and I lived in Washington,D.C. for about 18 years.

Also lived in Vermont while Dean was Gov and was not always happy with him and did not support him when he ran for Pres. Am glad he won the DNC Chair and I'm sort of sorry now that he or Gen. Clark were not the candidates we needed.

Kerry fizzled out in August and we needed a fighter; not a fizzler. Even Edwards was a better fighter. But that's passed and now we still have a person in the White House who is an embarrassment.

The Psychology part of my brain is intrigued that so much of the rhetoric coming from the administration and their minions is indicative of what we call diagnosable conditions.

For example - DSM IV 301.81 Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Narcissistic personality is characterized by behavior or a fantasy of grandiosity, a lack of empathy and a need to be admired by others. Has unrealistic or inflated sense of self-importance, an inability to see the viewpoints of others ...

Characteristics:

Grandiose sense of self-importance.
Fantasies of and preoccupied with beauty, brilliance, ideal love, power, or unlimited success.
A belief of being special and unique and can only be understood or a need to associate with people of high status.
A need for excessive admiration.
An unreasonable expectation of being treated with favor or excepting an automatic compliance to her / his wishes.
Will use others to achieve her / his goals.
Lacks empathy.
Believes others are envious of her / him or is envious of others.
Contemptuous or haughty attitudes / behaviors.

Fit anyone we know?