Not to be downer but a poll that has a +- of 4% and has an outcome within 2% is basically saying that they are tied, you really cannot say that there is a plurality without being somewhat dishonest.

The Plurality part was about American agreeing that the port deal is wrong. I'm glad to see people suddenly waking up the reality that for enough money the Republican party would happily sell out our nation. I live downwind of the port of Baltimore, there is no way I'm going to put my faith in Republicans to protect my family.

41 or 43: it does not matter.

Americans are sick of and cynical about both parties.

Pluralities aren't grounds for handsprings; they're grounds for concern.

Rather that touting "our party can beat up your party", Democrats out to be saying in a unified and loud voice:

Bush: you are a liar and here are reasons A through Z why you are a liar.

Bush: you have broken the law and here are examples A through Z that prove you have broken the law.

Bush: you have violated the Constitution, and here are actions A through Z when you have violated the Constitution.

Bush: you should be impeached for high crimes, misdemeanors, and abuses of power, and here are reasons A through Z why you should be impeached.

The list of crimes by Cheney are even more egregious and odious and heinous. There are not enough letters in the alphabet to list those.

The obcession with citing polls is a symptom of the very illness afflicting the Democratic Party: polls always mean more than principle.

That is why Americans only love us to the tune of 43% give or take four points.

Again today, I have been reading all the comments written in the Blog and again today, IAM
IMPRESSED! There are so many postive suggestions that I feel sure will help our Democrats rise to the occassion this fall. I talked to several of our Elected Officials and they claim the postive plans in the form of a suggestions are the more helpful! They said, usually if it's a complaint in the form of a suggestion, it sounds so much like a Republican
that most of the time they just skip over that comment. However, they do read the postive ones.

I have been trying to get the point across that most people don't like negative comments or suggestions.

I don't understand why this port deal is such a bad idea? Why would the UEA want to spend millions of dollars buying ports that they are actually planning to blow up?

just wondering

The problem isn't that we think the UAE's government is interested in blowing up the ports. The problem is one of two things. Given how many of the 9/11 hijackers came through the UAE and used logistics based in the UAE, it's clear that UAE has no idea how to secure any logistics that it runs to prevent terrorist attacks in the best case scenario. The worst case scenario is that there are officials within the UAE who have been complicit with terrorist groups that could then smuggle illicit goods and weapons through those ports for use in other areas within in the United States. The problem isn't that the ports would get blown up. The problem is that the ports could be used to blow up a variety of other targets within the United States.

Have they reduced us to nothing more than
"The United States of the Arab Emerites"? Is it "My Country" or the "Emir's Country"?

So we are now being told by our Republican "betters" that this port deal is a great opportunity. And, it will go through "when" the Emir DECIDES it will happen. NOT when the United States Congress decides what must be done. Who in the hell does this Emir think he is? And what in the hell is he holding over Spunky?

This is the same guy who supported the Taliban, habored the 9/11 terrorists, money launders and finances al Queda, is the transfer point for outlawed nuclear information/equipment from Pakistan to outlawed nations, and shielded Bin Lauden from a missle attack in Afganistan in 1999. Why are the Republicans giving him keys to the Kingdom on the Beltway?

Our pious President must say his prayers each night something like this: MY kingdom come, MY Will will be done, on Earth as it is in Texas (or in that corrupt dictatorship in the Persian Gulf). Bush not only thinks he's above the law but also can hand our nation and its assets over to anyone he chooses.

This deal needs to be shut down NOW not in 45 days.

Once you give in to blackmailers, they just keep on coming back for more and more. This Emir is an expert arm twister and has a track record that would be the envy of any terrorist. Are the Congressional Republicans willing to capitulate to this disfunctional President and his "friend" in the Middle East?

The stage has been set. Let's see how the Red State voters like the way their Republican champions perform for the Emir and his new lackey George W. Bush.

Do you think this is what they had in mind when they voted for national security and strong leadership? The Emir is pulling Bush's leash. Will he bring the Republican Congress to heel as well?

A more interesting question in this poll regarding trust would be:

Republicans in Congress vs.
Democrats in Congress

Congress OVERALL gets lower approval ratings than Bush.
If Dems in Congress beat Bush, that means the Repugs in Congress must be in single digits.

Wish we had those percentages.

Posted by trytryagain on February 24, 2006 at 03:34 PM

Spunky, please quit coming in here looking for answers after you screw up....again.

Posted by freeforall on February 24, 2006 at 03:00 PM

I'll post something positive, when I know that the voters are ready to hear it. Right now they have their eyes only on the Republicans. They will turn to us for suggestions when they finally realize the Republicans launched the Titanic without enough life boats.

Why share our solutions with that sinking Republican ship of state as they scurry around looking for super glue? Let them fix the gapping hole they put in its side themselves.

They have only nine short months left in which to do it, too. The Iraqis aren't going to help them. Nor will the foreign lenders who hold our huge national debt.

Time is on our side. I say we organize and prepare our message for when it will be best listened to by the voters and not before.

Baseball season is all people are talking about now. But a nagging doubt and growing anger have been planted in the last year. It should be in full bloom by mid-summer when the Medicare perscription drug donuthole hits seniors.

Being positive now doesn't make any sense to me. But you be positive if you like. I look forward to your posts.

Dissent is Patriotic!

***waving to freeforall and Jamison***

don't understand why this port deal is such a bad idea? Why would the UEA want to spend millions of dollars buying ports that they are actually planning to blow up?

just wonderingPosted by trytryagain on February 24, 2006 at 03:34 PM

It is obvious you are incapable of thinking outside the circle!

The point isn't that the UAE wants to blow us up. the point is, that terrorists could enlist as employees and like with the 9/11 bombings, be very patient until they have in sight a very clear plan for destruction.

OR terrorists groups could kidnap the family of, a top UAE official or ports security person, and force them to allow bombs to be placed or whatever.

There are dozens of scenarios where using this company is not in our best interest. Maybe it could be only a chance in a 100,000. Do YOU want to take that chance?? Not me!

WTF is wrong with hiring some of our own, Americans who have been forced into menial jobs after Bush sent theirs overseas, and let them have the Job of guarding our Ports??????

We'll continue to build our alliances. I'll never turn over America's national security needs to leaders of other countries, as we continue to build those alliances. And we'll continue to spread freedom. I believe in the transformational power of liberty. I believe that the free Iraq is in this nation's interests. I believe a free Afghanistan is in this nation's interest.

BUSH: That's an odd thing to say, since we've tripled the homeland security budget from $10 billion to $30 billion.

Listen, we'll do everything we can to protect the homeland.

oops! forgot link!

"In Case YOU Missed It" ...

I didn't miss this post...but I cannot see to find a NEW OPEN THREAD!!!!

guess who?

I'll work with allies. I'll work with friends. We'll continue to build strong coalitions. But I will never turn over our national- security decisions to leaders of other countries.

We'll be resolute, we'll be strong, and we'll wage a comprehensive war against the terrorists.

Guess who?

I'll work with allies. I'll work with friends. We'll continue to build strong coalitions. But I will never turn over our national- security decisions to leaders of other countries.

We'll be resolute, we'll be strong, and we'll wage a comprehensive war against the terrorists.

sorry the previous iteration took a long time to post thought it had not gone through.

It's not just a UAE company. It's a UAE OWNED company. A state-owned company is ultimately run by the state, the UAE. This is not just another company. It's a company OWNED and CONTROLLED by the UAE.

Would China or North Korea allow a company OWNED by the US Government take over it's most vulnerable area, ports? NO. "Hell, NO!"

Sure, the US Government does not operate a company as a business enterprise. Do we? Could you imagine the US Government chartering a company?

How anti-free enterprise is that? Could you imagine the anti-big government Republicans doing something like this deal, allowing our government to operate as an international business? But the UAE can do it, and it's fine to deal with them?

I don't care if they are Bush's friends. The UAE sound a lot like the Saudis and the Bin Ladens. It seems like UAE does not want to be RESPONSIBLE, so they set up this "company" like a LLC.

This is NOT a nation/company we want to have ultimate control over our ports, and knowlegdge of our transportation system. NO DEAL, EMIR and BUSH.

If the UAE can operate our ports as a nation-owned company, (and do it well) then we would be better off if our Coast Guard and National Guard ran the entire port system as a nation-owned company. Why not? Can they do it better than us, the US? No. And I'm sure we could inspect more than 5%. I bet we could inspect it all, like Hong Kong.

NO DEAL BUSH AND EMIR!

I have sent the following to my elected officials in DC

Please support legislation that will prohibit all operations at any US port of entry (sea, land or air) to be outsourced to foreign entities regardless of their prior or predicted allegiance to the US.

The Dubai Ports World transaction serves to highlight a pre-911 mindset with respect to focus on the bottom line rather than on the big picture. It is an unacceptable risk to allow a foreign company or government to conduct and control operations at our ports where the vast majority of cargo is still unchecked by any kind of US agent. It further presents a risk to allow such agents access to security details of the threats facing the US as part of their operational briefings.

The Dubai Ports World deal particularly presents a danger because it sets up a tunneling situation where they would be in control of BOTH ends of the shipping process from a vast number of foreign ports where they conduct operations world wide . It would become far too easy for someone to arrange for dangerous cargo to be loaded at a foreign port and then be offloaded here in the US without any inspection or scrutiny.

Should the president veto any such legislation that may come to his desk, please work to achieve a veto over ride to ensure that our security does not fall victim to greed and cronyism.

PEOPLE OVER PROFIT!

The democrats are looking better and better all the time.This particular poll is EXTREMLY important because it dealt with our weakest area with respect to how well the American people think we can handle matters of National Security and if we can do better than the Republicans.So,make no mistake about it.It's a small lead,but it's HUGE when you really think about it.Polls have already shown that the American People have more faith in the Democrats in all issues except National Security.....untill now.So,this is HUGE!I can't wait till the we put the votes where the polls are.Go Democrats! :)

maybe 'trytry' would like to call and discuss his question of why this is such a bad deal, with some Experts!!

"It shouldn't have happened, it never should have happened," Kean said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

The quicker the Bush administration can get out of the deal, the better, he said. "There's no question that two of the 9/11 hijackers came from there and money was laundered through there," Kean said.

Governor Kean knows as much as anyone how risky it is to deal with the United Arab Emirates," said Rep. Peter King (news, bio, voting record), R-N.Y., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and a leading opponent.

"This just proves that no real investigation was ever conducted, and it's unfortunate that he and the other 9/11 commissioners were not contacted before the government approved this."

The former head of the CIA's Osama bin Laden unit joined in the criticism.

"The fact that you are putting a company in place that could already be infiltrated by al-Qaida is a silly thing to do," said Mike Scheuer, who headed the CIA unit until 1999.

"I think the onus still remains with the company and for those who approved it, to justify how this is consistent with our national security concerns," said Rep. Vito Fossella (news, bio, voting record), R-N.Y.

In New Jersey, the agency in charge of area ports sued to try to block Dubai Ports from taking over operations there.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey argued in court papers that Dubai Ports World was violating its lease by not getting consent for its pending acquisition of the current port operator, London-based Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co.

New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine, who is also suing over the sale, urged other governors to join the case.

Governors of Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania have expressed concerns about the takeover; Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has said he trusts his brother the president on such security issues.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060225/ap_on_go_pr_wh/ports_security

BUSH AND THE REPUBLICANS HAVE FAILED

http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=271372&Category=14

With a limit on election spending, senators could do their jobs again. They could go back to working for the country instead of for their campaigns.

Recently the cancer of money has metastasized. The Jack Abramoff scandal has revealed the poisoning of our democracy. The K Street lobbyists have become a cottage industry. A legislator who seeks money will do well to take onto his or her staff someone a lobbyist recommends. The staffer then arranges the industry fund-raisers. And K Street tells you outright that if you don’t have a Republican lobbyist, your legislation is not going anywhere.

The lobbyists don’t bother with the senator; they take the staff to lunch. Legislation is not drafted in the Senate but in the law offices. Staffs are queried to make sure the senator is favorably disposed and once there are enough senators so inclined, the measure moves to the party leadership’s staff. The next thing you know, the measure is a party position and becomes “must” legislation. Sometimes a senator is on the way to the floor to vote on it, asking his staff, “What’s this all about?” and the staff replies, “You’re for this, vote ‘aye,’ or you’re against this, vote ‘nay.’ ”

The money crowd has the money, and representatives and senators need the money. But no one wants to touch the reason for the ethical misconduct. Excise the cancer of money, and most of the misconduct will disappear.

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/02/24/restoring_the_public_trust.php

Sometimes this meant overruling what the majority of House members really wanted. Consider what happened with the bill to provide Medicare prescription drug coverage, as analyzed by Robert Kuttner in The American Prospect. As the measure was coming to a vote, a majority of the full House was sympathetic to allowing cheaper imports from Canada and to giving the government the power to negotiate wholesale drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries. But DeLay and his cronies were working on behalf of the big pharmaceutical companies and would have none of it. So they made sure there would be no amendments on the floor. They held off the final roll call a full three hours – well after midnight – in order to strong-arm members who wanted to vote against the bill.

It was not a pretty sight out there on the floor of the House. At one point DeLay marched over to one reluctant Republican – Representative Nick Smith – who opposed the Medicare bill – and attempted to change his mind. Smith, who was serving his final term in office, later alleged that he was offered a bribe – $100,000 for his son’s campaign to succeed him. When he subsequently retracted his accusation, the House Ethics Committee looked into the charges and countercharges and wound up admonishing both Smith and DeLay, who admitted that he had offered to endorse Smith’s son in exchange for Smith’s support but that no money or bribe were involved. Timothy Noah of Slate.com has mused about what DeLay’s endorsement would nonetheless have meant in later campaign contributions if Smith had gone along. While the report of the ethics committee never did find out the true story, Noah asks: “Who did whisper ‘$100,000’ in Smith’s ear? The report is full of plausible suspects, including DeLay himself, but it lacks any evidence on this crucial finding. You get the feeling the authors would prefer to forget this mystery ever existed.”

There are no victimless crimes in politics. The price of corruption is passed on to you. What came of all these shenanigans was a bill that gave industry what it wanted and gave taxpayers the shaft. The bill covers only a small share of drug expenses. It has a major gap in coverage – the so-called ‘donut hole.’ It explicitly forbids beneficiaries from purchasing private coverage to fill in the gap and explicitly forbids the federal government from bargaining for lower drug prices. More than one consumer organization has estimated that most seniors could end up paying even more for prescription drugs than before the bill passed.

Furthermore, despite these large flaws the cost of the bill is horrendous – between 500 billion and 1 trillion dollars in its first ten years. The chief actuary for Medicare calculated a realistic estimate of what the bill would cost, but he later testified before Congress that he was forbidden from releasing the information by his boss, Thomas Scully, the head of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who was then negotiating for a lucrative job with the health care industry. Sure enough, hardly had the prescription drug bill become law than Scully went to work for the largest private equity investor in health care and at a powerful law firm focusing on health care and regulatory matters

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/13957859.htm

Middle-class quicksand
The costs of necessities are up, and the median U.S. household income has dropped — more than $1,600 in just four years
By DIANE STAFFORD
The Kansas City Star
For the past three years, higher living expenses have wiped out wage gains for the average American worker.

U.S. consumers last year spent what they earned — and more. They dug into savings and shoved the personal savings rate to negative 0.5 percent. Only twice before, in the pit of the Great Depression, has Americans’ savings rate fallen below zero.

... the American people trust the Democratic Party in Congress more than President Bush when it comes EVERYTHING!
and why hasn't Laura taught him how to pronounce NUCLEAR, i wonder if a generation of American children will grow up thinking the word is pronounced n-u-c-u-l-a-r sheesh

--------------------------------
GREEN DAY LYRICS

"American Idiot"

Don't wanna be an American idiot.
Don't want a nation to judge the new media
And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
The subliminal mind f*ck America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the aryan nation.
Everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones you're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue.

Well maybe I'm the f*ggot America.
I'm not a part of a redneck agenda.
Now everybody do the propaganda.
And sing along in the age of paranoia.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the aryan nation.
Everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones you're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue.

Don't wanna be an American idiot.
One nation controlled by the media.
Information age of hysteria.
It's calling out to idiot America.

Welcome to a new kind of tension.
All across the aryan nation.
Everything isn't meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow.
We're not the ones you're meant to follow.
For that's enough to argue.

Can they do it better than us, the US?......

That's an intriguing question considering how poorly the administation handled the aftermath of the hurricanes this past year? The Republicans can't seem to handle anything but bribes.

Questions, questions. There is always questions concerning anything the Republicans are involved in.

Here's a few more:

Would the UAE be able to more easily position al Queda operatives within our borders and provide them with the backup and financing they would need to put a catastrophic nuclear/biologic/chemical attack in motion?

Do we still need that duck tape or not?

Will the Republican Congressional incumbents face this crisis in confidence and make THEIR President take his job seriously?

Does "Fighting them over there so they don't attack us here" have the same ring to it anymore.

Have the Republicans lost the national security issue FOREVER with this outrage?

U.S. consumers last year spent what they earned — and more. They dug into savings and shoved the personal savings rate to negative 0.5 percent. Only twice before, in the pit of the Great Depression, has Americans’ savings rate fallen below zero.

Posted by ezworld on February 25, 2006 at 10:54 AM

ez, we will all be eternally in debt to the Republicans.

The reason this poll shows the people trust Democrats more on National and Homeland Security is because:
Democratic Presidents started all the wars except both Bush's Oil Wars, in our lifetime.

All of the Democratic Wars have been successful, even Vietnam!
We were hesitating to end the Vietnam War but it was safe and the right thing to do?
We have conducted WW1&2 very successful, conducted Korea War as a success, Vietnam, and Bonsia all successes!

The people know we will try everything else in Deplomocy to have a treaty but if none works we hit them and hit them hard.

End them quickly with less causualties. then put in large amount of Career troops to keep the peace. We help with the rebuilding but we allow the Nations to do the bigger part of reconstruction.
We always have other Nations helping us in the war and the rebuilding.
WHY WOULDN'T THE PEOPLE LIKE THE WAY DEMOCRATS KEEP THEM SAFE AND GET OUR TROOPS OUT, QUICKLY?

The Democrats have the admiration of all other Nations. The Nations, the Democrats go to war with, always end up as Democratic Governments.

Know your History and you will agree with Democrats.

National Security is a joke when we've got a Vice President who is a boozo.

Cheney can't even handle a shotgun, so why are we allowing him to be, at any given moment, one heartbeat away from the NUCLEAR BOMB TRIGGER!!!!

If Cheney is an alcoholic, or even just a SLOPPY DRINKER, or even a BITTER AND RESENTFUL DRY DRUNK on days he is not hunting, we need to get him out of there! This shooting of Whittingtin was a "heads up", and Cheney should not have access to WEAPONRY of ANY kind!!!

Get these inebriates and criminals out of Our Government!

The Demjocrats in Congress ratings have risen 7 points at the end of this week. All other Democrats elected have been up there for quite a while. It is all because we are staying in the know and posting our postive comments about how well the Democrats are doing. Our Democratic Officials are not ones for bragging. We have to do that for them! Many of you have been investigating our Democrats and commenting on the plans and progress from their wise and caring statements. Our Elected Thank You, and all Democrats thank you for the energy and hard work. Keep it going.

Should Dubai Ports World Be Allowed to Buy Port Operating Rights?
Yes: 17%
No: 64%

At long last, a plurarity of Americans see right through an adminstration so completely out-of-touch with reality.

Therfore, when democrats look oblique in terms of stopping the deal in congress then the republicans gain a voting day advantage in november? Democrats need focus on this issue, especially focused on the past "ownership" of the u.s. ports shipping protocol in reference to this "now deal." The american voters deserve to know why these ports are currently operated by a foriegn, albeit British, entity. This is the point that will cause confusion of this issue, and when confused voter ignorance sides with current authority, usually.

If this deal is re-examined, and found to have no iniquities which would deem the deal unappropriate to continue, then american public opinion would thrash democrats for their leaderless ability because no matter how much press this gets the americsn public will not accept this agreement. Democrats must make this issue republican, and make it stick republican. This will not be easy when itis known that the current British operator assumed ownership in 1999 under you-know-who's administration.

It seems that we do not negotiate with terrorists, but if we decide against this proposal for our seaports are we then setting ourselves up a terrorist strike? Sooner, or later, we will have to negotiate with terrorists, or states known to have assisted them financially. Maybe, just maybe, we can find a just peace through negotiation, which should have happened 4 1/2 years ago.

In just one(1) week Bush slid back to 34% and Democrats jumped to 50%(In Just A Week)!

We are on a roll folks! Wouldn't it be scrumpous if we jumped over 50% even with a fault factor of 4 points?

Do you have a dream? If we continue to tell everyone we call how well our Democrats have run the Nation in the past, we can climb the mountain and see the other side, we will see our Democrats ruling in all branches of Government except Supreme Court. The Republicans lied and stole elections to load the Courts?