Ok Tim, I’ll bite let’s try some other ways to describe how unprepared we are and help out our president because after all he is the only president we have....well except for "I shot a man in the face" Cheney...

Pitifully unprepared.

Astoundingly unprepared.

Remarkably unprepared.

Miserably unprepared.

Criminally unprepared.

Living on a commune smokin homegrown unprepared.

Too much coke in the blood stream to take the flight qualification test unprepared.

Too loaded and feeble to get a hunting license unprepared.

Distracted by these damn pretzels unprepared.

On vacation again and unprepared.

To use an old Mayor Koch phrase:

"How’m ah doin?"

I think Bette Davis said it best, "Better put on your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy ride."

sandyh, and as she said to joan crawford in "whatever happened to baby jane", 'eat your supper'...

Looks like Smokey Bear is about to lose his job:

FOREST SERVICE EYES OUTSOURCING TWO-THIRDS OF WORKFORCE — Thousands of Ranger, Biologist, Smoke-Jumper Jobs Out to Bid

Washington, DC —The U.S. Forest Service is studying how to contract out more than two-thirds of its total workforce by 2009, according to agency planning documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Coming on the heels of Bush administration plans to sell off 300,000 acres of Forest Service land, the agency is also looking to potentially privatize large portions of its environmental, law enforcement, fire-fighting and research operations.

Under the agency plans, 21,350 full-time jobs will soon be under review for possible replacement by private sector firms. The Forest Service has a total of 31,625 full-time jobs, according to Office of Personnel Management figures for FY 2003...

http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=651

I wonder if Yogi and Booboo will underbid Smokey, and we'll have Hanna Barbara running our Forestry Service? Disney would go balistic.

Funny, I already thought the Bush administration had already sold off all our forestland to loggers, cattlemen, and mining operations. Why do we need anyone to oversee their operations....it's just like the port question. All we need to do is trust them?

Everyone should know that smoke jumping into a fire is one of the most dangerous jobs. It requires special training to be aware of the wind and flame travel. I heard the forest service was complaining because a group of Republican Religious Fanatics coersed prisoners with no training into outdoor forest work. They didn't even know they were entering a hot zone to fight forest fire. This is the kind of outsourcing that is willful disregard for lives that Republican cronies seek as their highest standard. The fire fighters had to deligate some of their urgently needed personnel into training and baby setting for the contract winning company. The cronies profited as the fire raged and peoples lives were put at risk.

Some one should be going to jail for a long time this kind of stunt. ...but hey this is the Gouge Our People party that has a very low standard of acheavement, staged incompetence, horrific lack of accounting and accouability, most outragous con-job ripoff pricing for the public.

This Party sucks. What tougher questions have Democrats ever asked the Commander in Chief? We're all guilty. We're scared as hell of President Bush and no one is standing up to him in public. It severely unfortunate. These guys have bad goals in mind for our country. We are too busy to do anything about. Democrats are definitely guilty. Who forget to challenge the vote and ask for a recount in Ohio.

Is the Democratic Party for term limits. Say two or three or even six terms and then you are out. It might save our Democracy.

What do you think?

The port deal goes through in a couple days.
All I see so far is talk from congress.
A 45 day discussion at this point is pointless.

BUSH: I think the U.S. is better prepared than woefully unprepared.

I think Bush is More completly retarded than he is just retarded.;D

Bush shrugged off the poll numbers in an interview with ABC News yesterday. "If I worried about polls, I would be -- I wouldn't be doing my job," he said before leaving Washington for a trip to India and Pakistan. "And, look, I fully understand that when you do hard things, it creates consternation at times. And, you know, I've been up in the polls and I've been down in the polls. You know, it's just part of life in the modern era."

Dear god, this guy really does have his head up his ass. While Bush "Ignores the polls", the country is in the toilet. Even Republicans have finnally woken up to how sorry a leader this moron is. Democrats have another prime opportunity to cese the moment and tear Bush and his girlfrien Rove up while they are down....I really hope the DNC gets it together now, and does whatever it takes to take this country back, and build it up to it's former glory.

With the new patriot act comes a national police force.
Language in the act if interpreted by Bush could lead to warrantless arrests, warrantless searches to combine with his warrantless spying on US citizens.
In a recent Gonzales letter it may be construed that more than what has been leaked is happening with the spying.

Here comes the Stormtroopers

Joe Nomentum Lieberman is about to be endorsed by Connecticut Republicans. They love the guy who loves Bush and they all apparently love the pending Dubai Port deal.

Way to stand up for national security and your own party, Joe!

Go Ned Lamont!

Atten: This is the March 1 Open Thread until the DNC sees fit to post a fresh one.

Morning, Chuck - I heard that news this morning. I signed up on Lamont's campaign and gave a donation, too!!

How much chaos can Americans stand?

Chaos in Iraq, that is, civil war, serves the US's long-term strategic interests, some ATol writers have argued recently. The question is, how long can Americans - both the troops on the ground and the folks back home - stand it? At home, support for the occupation is at an all-time low. Now comes the news that more than half the US troops in Iraq want complete withdrawal within six months. And at a certain point, the sheer dollar cost of it all is going to become unacceptable.

THE MEN: US troops want out - Jim Lobe

THE MONEY: When the dollars stop making sense - Mark Engler

THE MAYHEM: Civil war all but declared - Michael A Weinstein

Greetings on this thread as well.

Everyone, have a great day!

ok so here we be!

here is an excerpt from salon. makes me wonder if babs and granpappy bush sold off the family jewels to buy junior's spot in the air natural guard back during the vietnam adventure? didn't think so but they sure are in a hurry to sell off our nations jewels as fast as they can....why the fire sale? maybe they all be moving to the uae soon ?

Senators Balk at Plan to Sell Public Land

By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press Writer

February 28,2006 | WASHINGTON -- Senators from both parties on Tuesday challenged a Bush administration plan to sell more than 300,000 acres of national forest to help pay for rural schools in 41 states.

Lawmakers said the short-term gains would be offset by the permanent loss of public lands. They also said profits from the proposed sales would fall far short of what's needed to help rural governments pay for schools and other basic services.

"I just don't think we can play Russian roulette with these local communities," said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who vowed to "do everything I can" to stop the plan.

Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, had a more visceral reaction: "No, heck no," he told Bush administration at a Senate hearing Tuesday.

Wyden and Craig were co-sponsors of a 2000 law that has pumped more than $2 billion into rural counties hurt by logging cutbacks on federal land. The so-called "county payments" law has helped offset sharp declines in timber sales in Oregon and other Western states in the wake of federal forest policy that restricts logging to protect endangered species such as the spotted owl.

The law is set to expire Sept. 30. The land-sale plan would reauthorize the law for five years, but calls for a phased reduction in funding to zero by 2011.

Thanx, Bleu

And you too! Enjoy your meeting tonight, and may those plans bring Zack Space to the front of the line, where he belongs.

cyn, that series from Asia Times is excellent--->

how much more, indeed?

gregg, i saw that in salon, too. sell forest land to build schools. talk about whacked priorities.

it's clear that the corporate interests and those of the American people are NOT AT ALL SIMILAR

the options are limited, too...what to do, what to do?

well, duty calls...

peace, love and a song in your heart, y'all...

so this may seem dumb but if the conneticut republicans endorse joe the schmo does that mean he could run on both the democratic and republican line in 06? this is weird stuff. does it mean they are so weak in conneticut they don't even want to bother with a candidate?

got this from over at crooks and liars:

From Bob Garfield's interview with Wall Street Journal reporter Farnaz Fassihi (left), who recently left Baghdad:

BOB GARFIELD: When you read criticism of the press in general, that it is somehow so fixated on bad news that it doesn't report the good, that it's essentially suppressing the good news out of Iraq, what do you all say to one another? How do you react?

FARNAZ FASSIHI: I can just say that if there were five car bombs going off in New York and 50 people kidnapped a day, I'm sure that metro reporters would be writing those stories and not talking about the school that was painted. When you're sitting in Iraq and putting your neck on the line to try to bring as balanced a story as possible, it's very frustrating to hear criticism like that, because you know, as a professional reporter, that the only reason you're there is because you want to convey the truth. And I can say that everyone is trying to go out their extra mile to find out exactly what's happening there, good or bad, to try to find progress, obstacles, frustration. And I think, considering, we've done a pretty good job. I'm proud of what my colleagues have achieved.

----this brings things nicely into focus. "just" one car bomb in mid town would get quite a bit of coverage wouldn't it?-------

Help John Laesch run and defeat Dennis Bubba Hastert in Illinois-14:

http://www.john06.com/

I think we all need a laugh this morning at the Chimpee's expense.

Check this out!

This was actually sent to me by a Pug I know. It's amazing that even they find him stupid enough to make fun of but STILL vote for him! I don't know if that says more about them or about him. (shaking head in disbelief)

I guess Conrad Burns was right: Bush does have a skull of "solid granite."

does it mean they are so weak in conneticut they don't even want to bother with a candidate?
Posted by gregg on March 1, 2006 at 08:27 AM

Exactly! It means the Republicans do not have a candidate they could run against Lieberman and win! THIS is why Lieberman has been so cocky and arrogant about his crossing party lines and voting with Republicans whenever he wants to! He has had NO competition at all.

AND, Joe just celebrated his 64 th birthday last week. Well, the paper ran an article about his party, and EVERY SINGLE DEMOCRATIC POLITICIAN IN THE STATE, was there and Endorsed Joe! They are all backing him, no matter if he kisses George Bush or not! And of course, all the state Republicans love him. PLUS, he starts this new season with over $2 million in his money chest already! Ned Lamont has a tough time, as we now have Schumer and Emanuel, etc, calling for him not to rattle the Democratic party by trying to run against Joe!

Politics make for some strange bedfellows! And it ain't pretty!

Here's the story on the GOP considering backing Joe in the state, if anyone is interested.

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-shays0301.artmar01,0,4523174.story?coll=hc-headlines-home

New threads are for slugabeds
They come in the afternoons
The morning news is lost in a snooze
But it will be nighttime soon

Mornin! I guess that makes Conneticut a purple state. Any chance of running a progressive dem against Leiberman? I have to push the mute button whenever he starts to speak...just can't listen to his voice.

Mark Twain was a keen observer of human behavior during wartime.

"Next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception."

— Mark Twain, The Mysterious Stranger, 1916,

Good Morning! What do you call it when Rove's Ace in the hole turns into a Joker? a damn shame? cosmic payback? commepance? better late than never?

maybe we don't need Rove in the slammer after all!

GOP Unease Spreads to Security Issues
Port Deal Among Challenges to What Has Been Bush's Strength

The first heading on the issues page of Rep. Mark Foley's Web site brags that he is "one of President Bush's strongest supporters in Congress." The Florida Republican voted for the president's legislation 90 percent of the time, according to the Web site, "the 3rd highest ranking among the Florida delegation."

Now the Florida delegation's third-strongest Bush supporter is on the front lines of the Republican revolt against the president on the deal to turn over key operations at six U.S. ports to a United Arab Emirates company. Republicans who once marched in lock step behind their president on national security are increasingly willing to challenge him in an area considered his political strength.

The signs of GOP discontent have been building in the past few months. Dissident Republicans in Congress forced Bush to sign a measure banning torture of detainees despite his initial veto threat, blocked renewal of the USA Patriot Act until their civil liberties concerns were addressed and pressured the White House into accepting legislation on its secret eavesdropping program. By the time the port deal came to light, the uprising was no longer limited to dissidents.

"We simply want to participate and aren't going to be PR flacks when they need us," Foley said. "We all have roles. We have oversight. When you can't answer your constituents when they have legitimate questions . . . we can't simply do it on trust."

The breakdown of the Republican consensus on national security both reflects and exacerbates Bush's political weakness heading toward the midterm elections, according to party strategists. Even as Republicans abandoned him last year on domestic issues such as Social Security, Hurricane Katrina relief and Harriet Miers's Supreme Court nomination, they had largely stuck by him on terrorism and other security issues.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/28/AR2006022801607.html?referrer=email&referrer=email

Mornin! I guess that makes Conneticut a purple state. Any chance of running a progressive dem against Leiberman? I have to push the mute button whenever he starts to speak...just can't listen to his voice.

deb,

We are a Blue State, except for Lieberman. I can somewhat understand why a Landrieu might vote both ways, in order to keep her position in a Red State, but a Joe Lieberman in a Blue State? Not hardly. The man has no principles.

We have a new candidate testing the waters. Ned Lamont. He is Very Progressive and anti-Iraqi War.

As for the Bushies' assessment of the Coast Guard itself, the truth is mangled even further. The president keeps telling us it's not the UAE or Dubai Ports World that will be charged with safeguarding America's gateways, but the Coast Guard. True. The Coast Guard is principally responsible for protecting our ports and the roughly 100,000 miles of waterways. But according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, the Coast Guard has been faced with resource challenges that leave our ports quite vulnerable. According to Kim Petersen, president of SeaSecure LLC, the nation's largest maritime-security consulting company, the Coast Guard cannot fulfill all of its regulatory, security and search-and-rescue missions. He said the Coast Guard "doesn't have either the people or the necessary physical resources to provide the in-water patrols that are so desperately needed."

It's utterly mind-boggling that Bush has for 4 1/2 years now drilled into our heads that we're fighting a war on terror, and that "we must fight the terrorists over there so that we don't have to fight them over here", yet he's approved the sale of port operations to an Arab nation--one with a drug-trafficking, money-laundering, terrorist-connected recent past--under the flimsiest of circumstances while lying about the true risk.

http://www.ostroyreport.blogspot.com/#22806A

If you're disturbed about Joe Lieberman, keep in mind two things:

1) Lieberman is one of the most outspoken Democrats in Congress and a former VP candidate. His popularity is unquestioned.

2) Maryland, one of THE most progressive states in the union, had a Republican in office for 20+ years in the form of Connie Morella. She did a great job but was pushed out when it was necessary to remove her (Pug majority).

If you're troubled by Lieberman's politics, don't try to get his opposition elected. It's literally a waste of time; he's going to carry Connecticut with a 60+% majority. Write him letters and tell him how you feel about his politics and tell him that they need his convictions on the "right" side as much as ever.

So how did we end up on the wrong side of Tim this week? :)

I heard the funniest (yet not) thing this morning on the Rachel Maddox show. She said that as Republicans Rats are jumping off the Good Ship Georgie Boy because it is clear he no longer holds any political capital from which they can gain. Their public reason for this is not going to be what any of us are expecting...no one will point and say the things they have supported were wrong for the country...nope...the real Republican talking point will be that Bush is a Liberal! Rachel had her first glimpse of this last night on Tucker Carlson's show.

I think we should all write letters to these talking heads and let them know that we liberals don't want him and the Republicans picked him and get to keep him as their very own Monkey on their Backs.

Posted by Contrarian on March 1, 2006 at 10:15 AM

Contrarian, I wish I had a dollar, for every call, email, fax I have sent through to Lieberman's office, as one of his constituents. I even send some through using my sister and my daughter's names! He must receive thousands of letters and pleas per week, asking him to stand united with the Democrats , at a time when we need him! Yet, his aides LOVE to use the phrase over and over "Joe is a man of principle, that's why he votes the way he does"!

Now Today, I am sending him a note, asking him what kind of principles does a Politician have, when his opposing party wants to Endorse him???

(And ps, the form letters they use, are just a carbon copy of the ones they used previously. For instance, the Alito response, was EXACTLY the same letter, they sent out on Roberts, and all the previous Justices. He is hardly worth the effort! He is just a POS as far as I am concerned. I will not pull the lever for this man this Fall, no matter what)

Posted by Kristen on March 1, 2006 at 10:20 AM

Kristen, I heard that too and laughed my head off. If you run into anyone in that 34% make sure to tell them they put a liberal in office. Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

The frustrating thing about the 34% is that he can't run again...so it gives these guys the ability to not really learn from the lesson. I think what we need to focus on is the continued failures coming from the Republican lead congress as those are the elections that really matter right now. So much attention is being focused on who will run in 2008, that I'm worried we aren't looking to the ones that matter most right now.

PamB, I know how frustrated you are with Lieberman...and I'm sure as sure can get that most of us here hope you all are able to shuffle him off into retirement this fall.

Good News from the state of Indiana. Mitch Daniels, our clown Governor, got into a bit of a bind yesterday. You see, he wants to "lease" the toll road to a foreign country. The vast majority of Hoosiers don't want it. (why is it that republican want to sell this country?). He had a public meeting yesterday for support of the project. One thing he didn't plan on - protestors - hundreds of them and they were very loud!

Please Mitch - go away.

Major Moves Rally Draws Vocal Proponents, Opponents

(WSBT/AP) Hundreds packed the Statehouse Tuesday morning for a rally designed to build momentum for Governor Mitch Daniels' major highway initiative.
Jeers from opponents sometimes drowned out the Governor and other speakers.

“This is the time there is no other way, there is no other plan and there isn't gonna be,” Gov. Daniels told the crowd. “You're either for this plan or you're against our future."

The bill is expected to go through because republicans rule both houses.

An update for my friends on the blog:

I have thrown my hat into the ring to run for our Democratic Party Secretary position. The vote will take place on March 11th. For someone who never got involved in anything to someone who went to her first protest last summer to someone who is now running for a political position... I've come a long way don't you think?

Interesting...Washington State is working to bring a bill to the state congress that would make protesting at funerals illegal. I honestly can say that I hope it passes. When I think about the fact that the wacko Rev. Phelps is using the service for private citizens to spread his hate it makes me angry. I always wonder how in the world they felt they had the right to disrupt a private funeral. You would have the right to ask them to leave if they showed up outside your door screaming 'hate' why should this be different.

Capitol Watch: Rest in peace

Posted by Kristen on March 1, 2006 at 10:40 AM

I think it's an excellent object lesson for 2006. You never know what will finally get through to a person. I think being called the L word is the ultimate insult to those types. Instruct them not to vote for ANYONE in November who describes himself as a conservative.

Kathy, congrats! Good luck.

Melissa, I guess I would like to help them see how being conservative has failed them rather than allowing them to write these guys off as 'liberal' and therefore vote in folks even more conservative than the nutcases they have currently.

I want us to take back the name Liberal and make 'conservative' a bad word.

Oh, I agree, Kristen. I consider it a great compliment to be called a liberal. I'm very much in favor of progressive as well. I just think whole idea of calling Bush a liberal is too hilarious to take seriously. I think this talking point is really going to backfire.

Good Morning All

We have got to call on our congress persons today and demand that the UK hold off on signing the UAE deal tomorrow - If this goes through in the UK then the 45 'investigation' is only lip service because the UAE will already own!

Take Action!

Tim - Why isn't the DNC all over this?

I just sent an email to Nancy Pelosi - my congressman is John Doolittle, gop brown nose poster boy!

1) Lieberman is one of the most outspoken Republican in Congress and a former VP candidate. His popularity is unquestioned.

Way to go Kathy - you go girl! : - )

Me, I went back to school to get master degree in political science to teach it at the junior college level

Everyone ready for a good laugh?

Cheney Tries to Calm Vets on Health Care

"The President and I came to office determined to enhance the quality of veterans' health care, to significantly increase the resources going to (Veterans Affairs), to modernize VA facilities, to improve service to veterans' families and to trim the backlog in processing disability claims," Cheney said. "We're meeting these objectives, but we'll never be complacent about the progress being made."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060301/ap_on_go_pr_wh/cheney_veterans;_ylt=ApSPB4ifdwdj3EM.ppWB9lkD5gcF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--

LMAO

Bush pays surprise first visit to Afghanistan 9:30am ET

guess the hash stash was gittin low.

Scooter notes ID'd CIA Spy

.....It appears to be the first known document in the hands of prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald that directly contradicts Lewis (Scooter) Libby's claim he learned from reporters in July 2003 that Valerie Plame was a CIA employee.

http://www.nydailynews.com/02-28-2006/news/wn_report/story/395381p-335210c.html

I don't know if any of you saw this article but I hope that this will lead back to Cheney and force him to resign!

Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and George W. Bush were set to face a firing squad in a small Central American country. Bill Clinton was the first
one placed against the wall. Just before the order was given he yelled out, "Earthquake!"
The firing squad fell into a panic and Bill jumped over the wall and escaped in the confusion.

Al Gore was the second one placed against the wall. The squad was reassembled and Al pondered what he had just witnessed. Again before the order was given, Al yelled out, "Tornado!" Again the squad fell apart and Al slipped over the wall.

The last person, George W. Bush, was placed against the wall. He was thinking,
"I see the pattern here; just scream out something about a disaster and hop over the wall." He confidently refused the blindfold as the firing squad was reassembled.
As the rifles were raised in his direction he grinned from ear to ear and yelled, "Fire!"

Senate blocks changes to Patriot Act deal

too funny bb

guess they don't like him in India, neither...

About 100,000 Muslim men, many of them wearing prayer caps, gathered in a public ground in the heart of the Indian capital shouting anti-Bush slogans.

"Go back, Bush," "Bush is a killer," "Bully Bush, buzz off," "Bush, stop the ambush," they shouted as hundreds of policemen in riot gear kept watch.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2006/03/01/india_awaits_bush_all_eyes_on_nuclear_deal/

got to run - i'll be back

bb, no but he is gonna be a big hit in the galapagos islands. the aquatic iguanas can't wait.

Greg, that is because those lizards see him as one of their own.

Posted by gregg on March 1, 2006 at 08:20 AM

This is such great timing. Our democratic gubernatorial candidate has billboards across the state saying, "Idaho is not for sale". It was in reference to the republican candidate (now congressman) attempting to float an idea that we sell off 300,000 acres in Idaho to pay for hurricane recovery efforts.

It is becoming clear that our "leaders" are facing a tremendous budget shortfall and instead of taking back that tax cut that went to the wealthiest, they will sell our public lands and our ports to the highest bidder.

Sick.

Kathy: Bravo! Good luck!

I received an email that has t-shirts that have been created memoralizing the Cheney hunt. My favorite: "Guns don't kill people. Dicks kill people".

AMERICA IS NOT FOR SALE

gee they sure are critical in india today:

Abdul Hussain, a spokesperson for one of the protest organizers, said: "Welcoming a person like him is like welcoming a murderer and he has become a militant and a war monger... he is a war president. So welcoming a person like him does not make any sense or meaning in a country like India. And welcoming him in the country of the Mahatma will desecrate our land."

bb, no but he is gonna be a big hit in the galapagos islands

not so sure about that, gregg. i understand those giant turtles have a special proprietary affinity for all things Darwin and don't particularly care for all this I-D creatonist pidgeon-shit that Bush has been dropping wherever he lands.

bb, yeah but i heard there is a preacher turtle down there that put forth the prophecy that turtles can not have evolved from a species as primitive as man...

For Pam B:

Shays says he intends to vote for Lieberman
February 28, 2006

STAMFORD, Conn. --Republican U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays said Tuesday that he plans to vote this year for Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman and encouraged other GOP officials to endorse the three-term senator.

Would he accept the endorsement of the Republican Party? No, he is seeking the Democratic Party nomination," said Casey Aden-Wansbury, Lieberman's communications director.

Lieberman did accept an endorsement from Republicans while seeking his second term in 1994.
(Why didn't we ALL know about this last line? That Lieberman was supported by the GOP in 1994 but choose to "bless" us with the honor of having him in our party? Infiltration is the honest answer, as he is no more a democrat than Pat Robertson)

Hey {{Burnsey}}

See my link above, with the morning's article on Shays and Lieberman! Trust me, I sent thru a fax of the article to Lieberman, saying "You must be real proud, that you are the only Democratic politician, whom the Republicans feel good enough about to Endorse!!" "What kind of Principles does THAT take"?

Talked to Tim today, and he is a really good guy, he is in the middle of a large project and will be posting a new thread later today, after about 6 pm eastern time.

I think a way that we can help in keeping the "open" thread more accessible for our dial up friends is to check the front page of the blog section and post any comments we may have about a certain topic under that topics thread, if it has one, so as to keep the open thread to subject matter that is not related to any "topic" that has it's own thread. That would make some of the other threads have more posts than 5 and then the open thread would have less than 400 or so.

It makes sense that we do this, as they are creating those threads to get some feedback and opinions. I know Tim isn't just posting them for his health. I'd also like to work with folks at trying to get our blog, the DNC blog in General, more attention and more visits from folks. I kinda think it's a shame that places like KOS and MYDD get so much more traffic than we do, and still mostly have the same types of stories. I'm gonna start putting a permanat link in my signature on my emails, and prompt you all to do the same. I think with more traffic on the site it might prompt more open threads for us as well.

Bravo for Tim, who had big shoes to fill when Jesse left as moderator. I appreciate your patience Tim, I know I sometimes go off on the open threads, but I do come here for the family environment that you and all these fine folks have helped create. Keep up the good work, and I will start trying to spread my posts around, as well as drive up some new trafffic. Elections are so close we need to get people in the seats. This place beats the movies, here ALL the seats are good.

BBL

Posted by PamB on March 1, 2006 at 01:06 PM

I figured you already saw it, I just wanted you to know I was thinking of you...

****NEW THREAD*****

Burnsey,

I agree with you and Tim. It is mind boggling, to go into one of the subject threads to read people's opinions and posts, only to find a totally off-topic comment on it! That is why Kos and the other blogs are so much more organized and thus, visited than the DNC. People are better about sticking to the subjects of the day. And the Open Thread on those blogs, do not have hundreds of posts, all addressing the same subjects.

We DO need to attract more people to the DNC blog, where we can get more unity of goals and purpose. What better place, than Howard Dean's Home court?

By the way, I justt wanted to add that we need to start being a little more careful with how we post articles. I've been guilty of posting full articles here before, but I saw a story rencently that said a lot of those are covered by copyright laws and that we may be getting the blog in trouble when we lift entire stories. It also makes the blog inaccessible for dial up users. Let's stick to posting snippets, and links to the rest of the story so we don't see any posts getting removed due to copyright infringement and also helping keep the blog more accessable.

I have dial up for a few days until my dsl line is repaired and those full articles are killing the connection. I know, for some reason I woke up with the "Mother Hen" complex.

PEACE AND LOVE-

WANT TO KNOW IF THE GOVERNMENT IS SPYING ON YOU???

http://www.foiarequest.org/?tr=y&auid=1451560

Posted by PamB on March 1, 2006 at 01:18 PM

Thanks-

With elections comming up, we need to become a little more disciplined, not one of my best traits, we need to get the traffic here higher. One of the things about MYDD and KOS is that they are not under the same type of constraints as is the DNC. They can drop the Cheney Bomb in any of their leads, without any issue, but this is the DNC and they have to be more wary. I did notice that over the last few months their have been links to this site on those others, as Tim has gotten the jump on them with some of his stories. I sometimes forget that this is the Party blog. Peace, off to the information highway, need to get moving on these internets in order to get my news fix. Will be back later, but the dial up will keep me waiting for those places I will go.

if we do not stop port deal today in the uk then we will have to buy back port management from the uae - wonder how much that will cost the us? maybe that was the plan all along - you know bush helping his 'base'

201 democrats in congress and only 18 signed letter demanding a special prosecutor be assigned to illegal nsa wiretap issue

where are the rest of the 183 dems on this?

GB Gram,

I asked MY Representative, but don't really expect him to answer ! He doesn't like unpleasant subjects, like WHY he is a member of the DLC, and does what they tell him to do!

new open thread posted, just not at the top, a few down on main blog page.

THANKS TIM.

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THERE IS A NEW OPEN THREAD!!!!

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I wrote this poem. Please use it in any way that will help people to understand the wrongness of torture and violations of human rights. Please pass it on to others to use.

A Child’s
Pledged of Allegiance to the Flag

When I Was Just a Small Lad
I Looked up So Proud,
I Saw the Stars and Stripes
And I Recited out Loud!

I Pledge Allegiance
My Young Voice Cried,
To the United State of America
And to the Freedom for Which -
So Many Have Died!

I Pledged Allegiance
To the Republic for Which it Stands,
To the One Nation under God
I Folded My Hands!

As I Recited My Pledge
To the Indivisible Country,
I Whispered a Little Prayer
That Really Seemed -
Very Important to Me!

I Was Pledging to a Country
That Promised Liberty and Justice for All,
Not Just for a Few
No ! Really, Really -
They Meant it for All!

So Everyone Can Be Free
We Go to the Polls and Vote,
Everyone Has a Voice
We Proudly Gloat!

No One Is Supposed to Be Left out
We Should All Have a Say,
But I Find That Is Not Always True
I Just Found That out -
Just the Other Day!

I Found That Some of the Meanings
Of the Pledge Have Changed You See,
They No Longer Seem to Mean
The Same Things -
That they First Meant to Me

I Recently Read That an Iraqi
General Had Died,
Around His Face an American Sleeping -
Bag Had Been Tied!

An American Military Officer
Who Also Recited the Pledge Right Along,
Sat on the Generals Chest
Until All of His Air Was Gone!

I Don’t Think it Was
Was the Right Thing for Him to Do.
And I Find Myself Wondering
If He Thought He Was Doing it -
Doing it for Me and for You!

I Wonder Which Clause of the Pledge
He Thought the Generals Death Would Uphold,
Was it an Act under God
Or Was it Liberty and Justice -
For All to Behold!

I Read That Yet More
Of Our Soldiers Across the Sea,
Were Fighting in Afganastan
They Claimed They Were Fighting -
Fighting for You and for Me!

But I Never Recall
Casting a Vote to Tell,
Those Soldiers That They Could Murder
A Prisoner in a Jail Cell!

They Went into His Cell
To Question Him You See,
And While They Were There
They Beat Him -
Unmercifully!

When They Came Back
Some Time Later That Day,
The Found That the Man Was Dead
They Really Felt -
Like They Had Earned Their Pay!

When Their Commander Was Asked
If These Murderers Would Go to Jail,
The Prisoner Could Have Died of Natural Causes
That Was His Tale!

So All of this Makes Me
Makes Me Wonder Some How,
How Did Our Pledge Change
Why Are We the Way -
The Way We Are Now!

Didn’t Enough of Us Go
Go to the Polls and Vote,
Maybe Too Many of Us Just Sat
Just Sat at Home and Gloat!

Or Did We All Decided
That Our Pledge Should Permanently Change,
The Whole Constitution
We Should Conveniently Rearrange!

If We Are Truthfully a Noble Nation
A Nation under God,
Can We Really Give These Murders
An Approving Nod!

If Our Pledge Does Mean
Mean Anything to Us,
Openly These Murders
Our Country Should Discuss!

If We Don’t Believe in Liberty and Justice for All
As the Pledge Does Say,
Then Lets Start Teaching Our Children
The New Words Today!

Liberty and Justice
the New Words Might Be
God Lets Us Kill
If Public Homage -
They Don’t Pay to Me!

I Write this Anonymous Poem
Anonymously You See,
For I Now Fear That My Government
Might Do the Same Thing -
to Me!

Democrats should take heart. What sounds like a frivilous statement about the most holy of holies, the Bible is not. It's for real and a long time coming. So before you jump to conclusions give it a good close look.

The Democratic party has traditionally led the country when the chips were about as far down as they could go. Wilson, WW1, FRD, WW2 as two quick examples. Now we are on the verge of global disaster brought about by faith in supernatural beings. The war on terror, indeed all those wars like drugs and poverty are being lost by Republicans who have gained their leadership roles by pandering to the evangelicals.

This is for real and will impact future elections. It will not go away. The truth is without variance while the lie meanders about like an old river. The time is now to dam the river of lies known as the Holy Bible. It's a proved hoax and that fact is rapidly becoming known throughout the world.

One must ponder the implications. Our foreign relations with countries like China, Russia, and of course the greater world of the Muslim who also get their God from the Bible. There can never be peace on earth while false Gods are lurking about muddying the minds of the children. So try hard to understand that this is the real thing.

www.hoax-buster.org

it is remarkable to me that our so called leader is so woefully unprepared to speak on behalf of us, let alone run the country...what were we thinking when we allowed the voting fiasco that allowed him to remain in office, I personally think we should have more tests, standards and qualifications met before we allow someone to represent us...as of now it seems as long as they have a lot of money behind them they can run and if the pockets are deep enough, they can be "put" into office...

I want to know where is our 'Ken Starr?' Who is going to step up? On the other hand, I certainly don't want Cheney to be President.