Thank you Josh for posting this.

Thank you DEMOCRATS for helping the 9th Ward.

Thank you Dr. Dean!!

I am a veteran of the US Armed Forces. There was a time that everyone would say that America should support our troops.

As far as I'm concerned...

DEMOCRATS LIKE THE ONES IN THESE PICTURES ARE AMERICA'S REAL TROOPS AND I SUPPORT WHAT YOUR DOING.

KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK GUYS AND MAKE AMERICA PROUD THAT WE HAVE DEMOCRATIC TROOPS, LIKE YOU FOLKS, DOING THE THINGS THAT MAKE AMERICA STRONG.

Now these are real heros. Fantastic job and kudos to Dean and the members of the DNC.

I don't know how many have seen this music video, but it really tells the story while the GOOD folks of New Orleans were left to drown the Bush Administration did nothing.

Video

I spent some time there last month, my uncle, a FEMA employee, showed us the 9th Ward, it was devastating to see in person...I'm proud of your hard work...the permeating smell and the empty feeling i got when i was there, especially close to the levees, it will never be the same.....

hello people! what a sad day that more than six months after katrina there is so much devastation in New Orleans. I just watched BILL MAHER and he had a great skit!! apparently laura bush paid off some "katrina kids" to sing a song for her looser crackhead husband at the Easter egg roll. well, Bill had his own version. funny. sad and crazy world but sometimes you need a good laugh. saw TED KENNEDY on John Stewart's show. Ted is looking da#m good. very trim and fit and so positive. always an inspiration to me. I would come here more often but I can't curse and when I talk politics- I have to curse a lot. I'll stop cursing when that little weazel is IMPEACHED!!! impeachment really isn't enough! lock him up and throw away the key and let him rot in a stinking hell of his own making.
drop him in baghdad I say!!!

I wanted to thank you for coming. I hope you guys have had the opportunity to sample a few of the good things that make our little corner unique. There is no place else like it in the world – I hope they showed you that. If you get a chance, tomorrow is the start of our French Quarter Fest. Good food + good music = great time.

When I first read about your meeting here and your intention to do some clean up work I knew it was just intended to be a photo op. There is not anything wrong with that. It’s what politicians do. I also knew it would wind up being much more and that is what made me feel a little better. Everyone (including the 28 people on your bus) thinks they understand the situation in New Orleans. They have seen so many images and video clips so they think they know what it’s like. As you now know – it don’t even come close touching on the scale of this devastation. Each of those homes that you saw is the remains of someone’s life. When you are talking about 140 square miles worth of damaged homes (just in NO) working on one house really is not much but I know how much it helped that one family. You really did do a good thing. Thank you.

Now there is something else you need to do for us. Almost 8 months later, fewer than 50% of the lawmakers in Washington have visited any of the affected regions. That is shameful. Please ask those that you may come across in the DNC that have not come down here to do so. They need to see this for themselves. TV just does not cut it.

Here's more on the Katrina rebuilding scandal. Much of the cleanup was done by illegal aliens who were brought in by connected contractors. Meanwhile, former residents of New Orleans were warehoused in hotels in Atlanta. American hurricane victims were paid not to work, while foreign citizens were paid to clean up their city. Click the link to read all about it.

Ever shameful MSM

Democrats Try to Use Katrina as G.O.P. Used 9/11

NEW ORLEANS, April 21 —Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, toured a house on Friday that the Hurricane Katrina floods wrecked, picking up debris, lamenting the federal response and leaving little doubt of the powerful symbolism his party sees in the ruined neighborhoods here.

As Mr. Dean's well-covered hurricane-cleanup mission suggested, New Orleans may well become for Democrats in 2006 and 2008 what New York was for Republicans after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, an evocative metaphor rooted in tragedy that can potentially be turned to electoral advantage.

Where Republicans looked to the imagery of a battered but resilient New York to project a tough president standing up to the dangerous world, Democrats are looking to this city as the symbol of an administration that is at once incompetent and heartless.

I guess it was more acceptable when Clinton went
touring" with Bush I and Bush II... making certain that they were not BLAMED for anything.

In the Lower Ninth Ward, Mr. Dean put on a white hazardous-materials suit and, more than a little winded, helped gut a house. He needed barely a nudge from reporters to declare the federal effort here a disgrace that would cost Republicans control of the government.

Just wanted to say please keep posting these reports as you can see there isn't must real reporting in the media just hackery..

Ever shameful MSM

Democrats Try to Use Katrina as G.O.P. Used 9/11

NEW ORLEANS, April 21 —Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, toured a house on Friday that the Hurricane Katrina floods wrecked, picking up debris, lamenting the federal response and leaving little doubt of the powerful symbolism his party sees in the ruined neighborhoods here.

As Mr. Dean's well-covered hurricane-cleanup mission suggested, New Orleans may well become for Democrats in 2006 and 2008 what New York was for Republicans after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, an evocative metaphor rooted in tragedy that can potentially be turned to electoral advantage.

Where Republicans looked to the imagery of a battered but resilient New York to project a tough president standing up to the dangerous world, Democrats are looking to this city as the symbol of an administration that is at once incompetent and heartless.

I guess it was more acceptable when Clinton went
touring" with Bush I and Bush II... making certain that they were not BLAMED for anything.

In the Lower Ninth Ward, Mr. Dean put on a white hazardous-materials suit and, more than a little winded, helped gut a house. He needed barely a nudge from reporters to declare the federal effort here a disgrace that would cost Republicans control of the government.

Just wanted to say please keep posting these reports as you can see there isn't must real reporting in the media just hackery..

Hey Clarence/Rueben,

Get those potatoes peeled.

Even before I read this post, I sent off this letter to Louisiana papers.

Katrina Proved Conservatives Wrong

There are now two main ways of looking at government in the United States. The conservative way is to see people as basically bad and in need of correction by a government set up just for that. The progressive way is to see most people as good and setting up a government to make life even better.
It was the conservative perspective that led the federal government to respond to Katrina and Rita by sending in troops. They expected a need to "contain" the mayhem that would result from local government being disrupted by the flood.
But the people of Louisiana and Alabama and Mississippi proved them wrong. The only mayhem was committed by those who were supposed to help--something we might have expected if we'd remembered that the conservative prejudice is just an excuse for a small number of people taking advantage of everyone else.
And that's the lesson of Katrina that we mustn't forget--not in November and not later.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

click for Boston Globe coverage of DNC

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Dear Governor Dean,

Way to go !!! Going to the gulf region is a super idea. You can concentrate your campaigns there. Getting everyone together, so we can send out a unified message. I know for the most part the candidates have to discuss, campaign, and talk about local matters. I think there is also an old saying, “that all politics are local”, I think that’s how it goes. I do think that all Democrats need to come out with sayings about what we are for, what we want to change in Washington DC. I think Congress should be called, “bush’s bobble heads”, that is all they have done for the last six years. Every single thing King George W. Bush has wanted, the King has gotten. We can see where that has gotten the country. “Bush’s Bobble Head Congress” has also born out a “culture of corruption.” That is a charge that sticks well, I like it!

Point to the “ear marks”, what was it in, 1994, when Democrats lost the majority in one or both houses of Congress? I saw an estimate the other day on C-Span, in 1994, the majority of Congress was Democrats, and they had 4,500 some odd number for “ear marks” that year. It has more than doubled every year the Republicans had control of Congress. The estimate for the 2005 budget was something like 15, 495 “ear marks.” I have no idea how much money that cost us tax payers, but I do know it goes against everything I stood for when I was a Republican.

Ever since george bush was appointed president, I have watched in horror as my old Party was stolen by big business interests. Only tiny bits of that information is starting to come out now. Take my word for it, they (the bush regime) will do Anything to keep the public from finding out what he has been up to behind closed doors. When I say Anything, I mean Anything! These people are attack attack attack, and take no prisoners along the way. If you can not keep up, and give as good as you get, we (all Democrats) are in big big trouble. Hell the whole world will be in trouble if we Democrats do not win back at least one house of Congress. I pray for both houses, because it will take that much to keep his majesty in check.

I do not think anyone should campaign on a platform of impeachment as soon as Democrats can take over. I think this could push away a lot of the middle of the road voters, and we need them. Hell, we need all the votes we can get and then some, including Republicans. Just as I use to be, until bush broke out of his cage in Texas. He has done such a horrible job with the country, I can not imagine what the good folks of Texas saw in the joker. I thought President Clinton disgraced himself, and the office of President of the United States of America. All I can say about bush is, Oh My God!!! He has drove the ship, sort of say, the integrity of the United States of America around the world, the Office of President, and the reputation of a great news caster, and many many others in to the ground. Frankly, I was quite shocked that he won reelection.

I have a VCR tape of him talking to a reporter right after the 9-11 attacks. In this interview he actually says the thing that made him most angry about that day was, not being able to talk continuously to cheney back at the White House from Air Force One. That told me one thing, he, our appointed president did not know what to do, and relied on cheney to tell him everything he should do that day. The whole reason he landed was so he would not be interrupted while talking to cheney from the air plane. On the same tape, the same day in-fact, I saw Condoleezza Rice saying, “I do not think anyone could have imagined people would drive a plane into a building.” To that I also thought, Oh My God!!! She was National Security Advisor at the time, if she could not imagine it, you would think she would hire someone who could. Then we find out much, Much, Much later, that because the bush regime did not want to be embarrassed, they withheld vital information from the 9-11 commission that said they had been warned. Apparently they were warned time after time to get ready to be attacked by Bin-Laden & company. They took no action to stop the terrorist. Just like they have taken no action to stop all the illegal aliens [Mexicans] crossing our southern border like an invading army.

I am not quite sure when the cable news network, Fox News, became a propaganda machine for the bush regime, but boy oh boy have they.... I have never seen anything like it, that is why I was surprised to hear Dr. Dean, was on the worse show of them all, Hannity=Fat Mouth & Colmes. No,,, I am just kidding, there are other shows worse than theirs. Fox became a propaganda machine when the bush millionaire tax breaks started coming in. It is bush economics 101, give all the millionaires there tax money back and they will invest it creating jobs for all the illegal workers he has let flood the market. Of course the more you invest, the more in taxes you get back, so if you are unlucky enough to not have the money to invest, you have to compete for a second job with an illegal Mexican just so you can heat or cool your home, and put gas in the car to get to the second job, you remember, the job Americans won’t do.....

The bush regime loves to see the CEO of Exxon get close to half a Billion dollars for a retirement gift, and halliburton gets paid about the same, $580,000,000.00 for services, Gas, and equipment the Army says it never got. That’s right, they never got, all the services, gas, and equipment halliburton has charged them for. Now, is this a sad day or what, when the Army’s own Inspector General says it never got these items, and then they get an ordered, it does not say whom it’s from, but you know it has to come from the very top, bush. It said to disregard all their policies of challenging the bill, as it were, and pay up. That was the order from bush, “do not argue over the payments,” just pay them if the Army is billed. It does not seem to matter anymore that halliburton is stealing money from the American tax payers, or that our poor boys in uniform, are still not uploaded with everything they would want in battle. It a way, halliburton is killing our own troops, because there is only soo much money to go around.

To fulfill their civic duty, PBS should become a check on the Fox propaganda machine. All because through the years they have been neutral in politics, and because now they know the bush regime has a propaganda network, they should step in for the Democrats, or maybe C-Span would do it. I know, I know, I am dreaming it is a fair world. Oh, to live in my dream world. I do know if we Democrats do not win back one or both houses of Congress, I say the United States deserves what it is going to get.... The Republicans will reap what they have sown, as they, no, As We have been the last Five Plus Years of this regime.

I am sick of the bush regime, or administration, what ever you want to call it. I have intentionally not capitalized the words normally capitalized when talking about bush and the regime. I have no respect for them or the executive branch of Government anymore. As I see it, President Clinton hurt it, president bush killed it, and then some. It really truly scares me history will get the story of bush wrong. I am scared to death none of his secrets will ever come out. They will be lost to history, and we will never know exactly what he knew and when he knew it. That is all I think Democratic candidates should say, that we think there may be grounds for an investigation so we will know what has happened....... Period, nothing more, no censure, or impeachment yet.

I So So Sorry I ran way off at the mouth again, I get to talking about how bad bush is, and I go to pieces forgetting my original thought. I wonder if any of you all out there are like that, getting instantly angry over this regime??? And that is what I want to call them, it sounds bad, and it is what they say when they want to disrespect another nations leaders, if they do not like them that is. It means the same thing as Administration,, but I like using the same words they use on others, see how they like it. Please, forgive any and all type-o’s, I am not as use to the computer generation as I was to hand writing a letter to the DNC.

I know the Democrats seem not to like this, me being one for life now that bush has soured me on his Party. However, I strongly feel if the Democrats do not come out and stand strong for border security now, in other words stopping all the illegal immigrants at the borders, if we do not back this first, and worry about the rest later, we will lose the 06 elections, and whom ever promises border security will win. All you all, what we have to do is just stand behind our border patrol, and lock up that border, if we do not, and just flap around in the wind, all over the place, it will kill any chance, in fact it will kill the very best chance we would have to secure a victory over most republicans. After all it is them that has burned up all the money, and not enforced the laws we have on the books now, what makes anyone think they would if the congress just added more laws, bush will not enforce them, or hasn’t so far. I say again, our best bet is to stand for tight border security now, to stop all the illegals, and worry about the other 13 million later. If we are seen as just pandering to the illegals that marched, it will be the biggest chance ever blown, because guess what, most of them can not vote anyway, so why pander????
Sincerely,

DW McKinney
Mesa, Arizona
Dwolfaz@netzero.com

SORRY, JUST A SMALL SECTION THAT GOT LEFT OUT OF THE FIRST PIECE, HOPE IT MAKES IT IN RIGHT BEHIND MY POST, AGAIN, SORRY!!!

Read any poll, or Democratic webpage Blog, you will discover, I am right on the money, now, are you all going to be right on the money??? Or are you going to blow off this poor stupid guy from Arizona who has nothing better to do than bang out letters to the DNC.... This poor stupid guy has it right, harry reid, Hillory, Kennedy, McCain,and several others have it so dead wrong, if they/YOU do not listen, you will blow it, mark my words!!!

Sincerely,
DW McKinney
Mesa, Arizona
Dwolfaz@netzero.com
CC: Please copy and send to all your family and friends so they can get the message out to the Democrats we have in power now, and the want to be’s, I mean nothing bad by that either.:}

The devastation in New Orleans was caused by a mentality that everything that doesn't contribute to this quarter's corporate bottom line is expendable. People are expendabe, cities are expendable, our greatest democratic ideals are expendable. Corporations and their bought politicians are rushing to devour the wealth the USA has built up over the generations. The citizens of the USA are fast losing their government, their country, their way of life, and their standard of living.

Middle class jobs are being exported overseas through trade deals and tax incentives offered by the US government. Corporations and politicians then have the nerve to say that this helps our economy. It helps the short term corporate bottom line - their economy is not ours and never will be ours.

Cheap foreign labor is being imported to lower the standard of living for US citizens. Again we are told that this helps the economy. It helps the corporate short term bottom line - again their economy not ours and never ours.

Corporations are allowed to form monopolies, practice collusion, and shake off taxes and regulations to increase prices to raise their profit margins. Again we are told this help the economy. It sure doesn't help the economy of 99% to 90% of US citizens.

We no longer invest in our people or our infrastructure. People are now a cheap commodity and unworthy of consideration. Our infrastructure is to be used until it is used up. It is the mentality that third world nations often suffer from. So many leaders describe the third world political and economic policies as policies the US should emulate. Cheap labor rather than investing in US citizen to create skilled and educated labor. Suck the economy and everything dry instead of wisely investing in your communities. We need to consider the consequences of such theories when they are put in practice in the real world with real people.

Our government and politicians were able to adopt such radical philosophies partly due to our political system. There are no real choices in candidates at election time. Just about every candidate is out of touch with the voter. I ran across this website when I was researching presidential primary election reform. I think the DNC ought to adopt this reform plan. The system needs a serious overhall so everyone has an chance to participate in democratic elections.

http://www.AmericanPlan.org

http://www.americanplan.org/

http://pweb.jps.net/~md-r/ps/Primary_2005_ES_2012SampleSchedule.pdf

http://pweb.jps.net/~md-r/ps/Primary_2005_ES_Comparison.pdf

http://fairvote.org/?page=1004&articlemode=showspecific&showarticle=967

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/10/13/213857/72

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/29/AR2005102901078.html

http://www.answers.com/topic/u-s-presidential-primary

http://www.democrats.org/page/s/nominating

To everyone at DNC and Dr. Dean, I have great respect to all of you who are doing great job helping out in New Orleans. It is part of what 'Democracy' is all about helping each other in times of need. It makes our nation and its people stronger and bond for a common cause. It is also incredible that you are able to make those who cannot participate be part of the Spring meeting. Thank you again.

Thank You Democrats for being ,well, Democrats.I can tell by the Troll action that the Republicans are FUMING right now.They can't stand the fact that this type of thing comes so natural for Demcrats but when they do it,it's some sort of publicity stunt.They just can't bring themselves to doing good towards their neighbor without expecting some sort of Media Praise or some cash donation or something.They just don't get it.

America is starting to wake up to the fact that its one thing to call yourself a Christian, it's another to act like one.Republicans are great at talking and not acting.The Democrats might not say much,but they sure get things done now don't they?

In other words,"ACTIONS" speak louder than "WORDS".

That outta be a platform for the Democrats right there.The Democrats are ACTION and the Republicans are WORDS.:D

I hate to say this, but we should not be rebuilding the lower areas of NO. What we should do, is tear it all down and let it become a wetland buffer. It is below sea level folks, and the sea is rising. Hate to break it to you.
The important thing, is that we re compensate these people, and rebuild affordable housing on higher ground. Right now there is a terrible struggle going on. Is NO going to stay "chocolate", or is it going to be taken over as a playhouse for the wealthy? Nagin was right, he never should have appologized. His comments may not have been "politically correct" but not all reality is "politically correct" my friends, and this is about keeping the soul of a city founded on music derived from the struggles of the poor and ethnic diversity. If calling that chocolate bothers anyone, well, tough luck.

The city and people of New Orleans are going to need a lot of help for a long time to recover from the devastation brought by Katrina and decades of abandonment and neglect.

Like many areas in the USA, New Orleans was suffering long before the hurricanes. The war on poverty managed to reduce poverty from 18% down to 10%. Programs to reduce poverty are being attacked and new policies to increase poverty are being adopted. The war on poverty has turned into a war on the poor. Now poverty is rising around the nation due to the effects of Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II. Even Clinton adopted some republican/libertarian economic policies and signed NAFTA which exported many US jobs to foreign countries. These were jobs that US citizens wanted, excelled at, and depended on for their livelihoods.

It is great that the DNC is helping with clean up after the hurricane. However, the Democrat party needs to abandon the Republican/Libertarian policies of a throw away society, throw away cities, and throw away people. We are not expendable, disposable, objects to be used up and then abandoned. We need to put the welfare of the USA first and invest in USA infrastructure and US people.

Howard in his white work suit will never be as funny, as Bush in that little flight suit saying Mission was Accomplished, OR carrying that fake plastic turkey! And there is always the picture on the net of his giving the finger to reporters, the one picking his nose, the one at the wedding where he makes absolutely no sense. And priceless-----the one with his picture next to all the Chimps!

Now THOSE will go down in the History books, under "Worst President of the USA".

New Orleans through Katrina is already changing the face of America.We now have Black Families living in other parts of this nation.It will be easier,in the long run,for the Black Community if we are not packed in huddled masses in certain parts of the United States.It will harder for discrimination to take place.For example,the reason why some legislators can get away with ignoring the prodominatly "Black" cities,towns and neighborhoods is because this nation does not care (in general) about the welfare of so-called minorites.However,if we are deeply intwined into the rest of the population,they will HAVE to help us because they will have to help EVERYONE.I know this for a fact because I grew up in prodominatly white areas in Palm Springs and later San Diego and I never had it as bad as my fellow Black cousins who lived in Los Angeles.Why? They lived in "Black Areas" So,in a way,there is some good that will come out of the displacement of NOLA.Some of those families date all the way back to slavery.Some of those people only know about New Orleans and the racist South.They are used to being treated that way.Now,that they are away from the South,they are starting to realize just how bad they really had it out there and how unfair the system was and THAT'S the real reason why a lot of them won't come back.I am glad that we are helping these people.Make no mistake about that.I just happen to see the light at the end of the tunnel.All Politics aside.It will be better for the Black Community if we infiltrate the rest of the U.S. population as opposed to just staying in the South.I recently saw a census report that showed the majority of Blacks live in the South.......That's disgusting to me.I just don't like that given the whole history and all.Again,I understand that it's great for Democrats because we need to win the South in elections,but to me,it's discouraging.I would like to see more of my fellow Black Americans out of the South and spread accross the Upper Midwest,the East Coast,West Coast and Central Parts of this nation so that they can really enjoy the American Dream.We all know these places are way better than the South and that some of these parts are way less expensive than others.

At the end of the day,I'm all for preserving Black History and Culture in NOLA,but I'm also for change and progress in the Black American Community.It would be harder to ignore a few Black Families when they live in ALL-White neighborhoods than it would be to ignore an entire city full of Black Families.Katrina just taught us that.And if America really wants Blacks to assimilate and if they really did get over there racism....as they so brag,there should be "no problem" selling homes and "no problem" hiring........unless of course they want a fat whopping lawsuit.:D (Thanks Bill Clinton for the Civil Rights)

Ha Ha Ha Ha !

MIX IT UP BABY! DIVERSITY ROCKS!

Thanks Benji for reminding the couch potatoes that kp duty is also waiting for them soon....
There are also some sour grapes over on the counter that need to be peeled. Unfortunately we had to sell off all the tools and potato peelers, pearing knives, etc. so that we could pay the heat bills; so they will have to use their fingernails until we can get employed and bring in some income.
By the way, we are down to only spuds n' grapes and not much else to eat in this kitchen and to get the spuds cooked they'll have to go out and collect some firewood in the woods nearby since the gas's been turned off and there ain't no more affordable electric. Important messages? There's the pencil and some paper and an envelope 'r two. The Pony Express Man comes by once a week. Water? There's the bucket, there's the old well out there in the yard. Light? Make a candle.
Any contributions or rent would be appreciated just to keep Ol' Betsy's house goin', but they just sit there snivelin' on the couch smokin', jonesin', scorin' and binjin', no money for livin' 'spenses and they want us to pay their debt, Oh my, my lawzy sakes, what ever shall the rest of us do?
Time to call the doctor, the sheriff, a locksmith, and a good handy man!!!

Thanks so much for this beautiful site for all who come here to be able to be a part of, those who are elderly, poor and ill, those who have lost loved ones and suffered the loss of life and home. More than money, it takes love, health and happiness to make a home. We must have something to believe in, and trust. Trust comes from awareness and ethics. We already have this foundation, we just need to use it, put it back in motion again, believe in ourselves! Surely we can see through the man made illusions, reifications and definitions of divide and conquer, it is as simple as knowing that we do have a simple common ground of being human on Mother Earth. Yes, times are tough, it isn't easy, but more than ever, let's get honest and less myopic and hypo-critical.
I have a cat, she had a litter, she is tiger striped, one kitten is black with white mittens, another black and white, another gray and white, another grayish red with stripes. All in the same family. Is Ma Nature trying to tell us something that she already knows for a long time? Are not all our hearts beating just the same? Simple. So Simple that it does NOT take a rocket scientist to figure this out.
This Sunday, I thank those who have put their actions to work for fellow living beings like this to be a beacon of hope and love to all, to heal and resurrect dark hearts, and to exercise courage and wisdom step by step, day by day by egalitarian example in divine right conscious action of giving and lovingkindness for their brothers and sisters in New Orleans. I felt the same for those who rose above the depression and gloom to hold the beautiful Marti Gras! I want to shout out to all of you xoxoxo:D "Hey!- Do you realize how many hearts and eyes you are touching by doing this? Thank all of YOU!"
Such spirit is shown by this active work and sharing. Costumes, floats, murals do not just appear out of nowhere!!! It takes an effort by people to make it happen. (Yeah, Yeah, We can make it happen...Chicago album)
I thank God/dess for another miraculous day of living and remember those innocent folks who tragically, painfully and so wrongly lost their lives because of care- less- ness and neglect.
I am thankful that I am not alone in raising my voice like so many writers above who care, who can see beyond skepticism to the importance of educating, providing solutions, working hard, sharing and caring for others truly...for we all behave what we believe to be true and the truth shines through everything like the north star; like the center of your conscience and soul, it is there in the sky already to navigate us into the future.
If someone believes in and loves their country they do not sell it out. If someone understands their duty as mentioned by our founding fathers, to their posterity and cares about their children and their children's children, they will work to leave behind a world as good as they left it, not reply that "We'll All be dead" when asked how they wish to be remembered in future history.
Something is lacking in the heart of that reply, something is not right in the heart or the head or the actions of a person who, in the position of the President of the United States of America, offers that skeptical indifferent snip as a wise answer to such a question in public address on television before the constituents across this country. It may as well have been the old, "Let them eat cake"!!!..
Something is terribly wrong and a test is failed by a leader who speaks so carelessly and heartlessly in a PUBLIC interview moment for the very People of his country who have, in one of their founding documents, instructions laid down by their founders about posterity! This is disrespectful, dissonant and embarrassing. Has this person forgotten his position and place in the moment, gotten swept up into the subjective gestalt of his moment? Has his ego led the way here? Is this the public servant or someone acting on his own selfish feelings? Does not the role demand getting beyond such a level of maturity to see a much bigger and more responsible picture...is not being a president more a giving thing, keeping in mind the needs of many people out there as a representative of their wishes and needs? I always felt that the Clinton/Gore administration kept that attitude and included The People first in all decisions and actions, especially in 93 in CA. earthquake. We cannot forget how fast and efficient FEMA was and how Clinton was there For the People within a day or two with Cisneros and the others in the team.
No, this is not a soap opera about the glorious life of the famous celeb president or a private party he was casually talking at in his private domain, this is a PUBLIC interview of a man chosen by The People in Public duty representing The People.
Yes, it was just a soundbite moment, but a PUBLIC moment in PUBLIC appearance, like taking a slice of outer space as far out as one can get for examination as to what is out there. We can penetrate space and time back to the "dark ages" of our universe with science, surely we can see a "dark-age" contradiction in context of the Presidential role, which is a job; and we can clearly perceive a lack of knowledge, a mismatch - an employee who is not qualified for a job due to a lack of talent, knowledge, training and skills. Surely our statesmen and women can see incompetence and mismanagement, a lack of perspective that is taking our country down a dangerous path, surely we as a population of thinking and working people can see something has gone wrong and our trust is betrayed, our expectations let down, our hopes dashed, our pocketbooks empty, our people punished, our professionals out of work or embarrassed, public writers and journalists, teachers, and free speakers intimidated, that silences are kept, doors are closed, oppportunities are lost, actions are not approved, powers being abused and pushed through without consent or vote, laws changed by a biased majority crushing any checks and balances, that answers do not make sense, that there are accusations, shouts, sneers, interruptions, avoidances, failed policies, resignations...but still we have the Ruebens and Clarences. Do such people just blindly follow and snivel? Are they lacking something - an instinct of self preservation, a mind that is good at analysis and reason, do they have a mind that really is not able to connect the dots even when they become big splotches running into each other? Does it not occur to them that such a thing as the Golden Rule and Karma exists or are they just banking on our kindness and mercy in babysitting them forever?
Yes, I think some folks need to get back to the kitchen. Perhaps they can learn again how to make a potato peeler from scratch...interesting what gets taken for granted....where's the metal?
Didn't they have a blacksmith once? How long will it take them to rebuild their abilities to think for themselves and connect their dots back down to Earth? At some point there will be no buyers for the sellers if the foundation goes rotten and there will be a skepticism of The People back, like the story of the boy who cried wolf.
Well, from what we are seeing in the news, atleast we can keep some of them busy in a learning environment or in a prison cell after their hearings are over...This is a sad time for America and many of us will be glad when it is over and we have won back our rightful seats in Congress and the Executive, I also think, after reading the stats of the People's vote, one of those future seats has been earned and is justly owed to Al Gore already...
Meanwhile we have some folks who need to be re-appointed to appropriate positions on the assembly line, since they have proven that they cannot manage, they can also peel some spuds from the field back in the kitchen too.
Let's put them to work with W2 forms and minimum wages fair and square. Let's bust up the haves and have nots, redistribute resources, re-appropriate jobs and do it right this time like we did before so that we can get back checks and balances, real opportunity and justice for All,

and so that it's WHAT you know and not just WHO you know.

That way the job gets done correctly. Now, there is plenty of training on peeling things and making tools in Betsy's old kitchen and I think experienced leaders like Wesley Clark and a few others know just what to do. It's just that they are waiting for The People to put them to work in their appropriate positions, then we can finally enjoy the rewards of a successful day's work done by real tried and true experts! Dinner anyone?

I can see it now; to be able to say, "Love and Thanks for our Happy Solar Panelled Home and our Good Organic Fresh Home Grown Food, Our fresh air...and Happy Earth Day Sunday to All!" We can make it happen, why??? Because it IS already happening in many parts of this big world, if you don't believe me, just go google!!!

Keep movin', Keep groovin' on a Sunday afternoon (Rascals)!!! ;)

What an honor and a privilege it was to be able to participate as one of the 28 members of this particular DNC clean-up crew this past weekend in New Orleans. The pictures tell the story. As we pulled out the dry-wall it literally crumbled like wet chalk. It was so saturated with water and so covered with black mold that you could rip it out with your hands and it literally fell apart in pieces. We pulled rusty nails from the remaining studs. We loaded debris into wheelbarrows to be dumped onto the huge pile on the front lawn.

What really brought tears to my eyes was when we broke down the walls of a former closet and hauled out the clothes still on hangers. This made it so real. People had worn these clothes. You could imagine them wearing that particular leather jacket, that skirt and blouse now all moldy and rotting. Then as a last reminder of the reality of the total destruction, three satin Christmas ornaments rolled across the floor. A real family had lived here and now everything was gone. A lifetime of memories and living ravaged by a storm.

Many of the houses we passed had markings coded by rescue crews as to whether or not the occupants had been found alive. All the houses not marked for total destruction have to be gutted and boarded up by the deadline voted on by the city council or the property will be taken by the city. That deadline is 29 August. There are thousands of homes that are still on the request list to be gutted.

Organizations like ACORN are doing their part. So far they have done this type of clean up operation for 1,200 homes all with volunteers. Our crew worked for about 21/2 hours. It is about the maximum shift one can work at any one time. The DNC volunteers worked this past weekend a total of over 500 hours. I was very moved to be able to participate as one of the thousands of volunteers who cared enough to be there. A ver special thanks to Governor Dean for including clean-up and working at food bank distribution centers as part of the DNC agenda. It is an experience I shall never forget.

When any group in our country suffers this way -- we all suffer. It is refreshing to see people banding together, without laying blame, but helping to restore the lives of so many precious people. Thanks for raising this cause!

thank you all for lending a hand(s)

in a country as great as America - how can
we let this happen??

when tradegy strikes anywhere in the world
we are the first ones in and we can not even help
our own

imagine if that was New York City nine months later. . . . .

Thanks for lending a hand volunteers!! Here's how we can keep up the good momentum good works create:

Think about all the poverty issues you see posted on these blogs (minus Katrina), near zero! Think about your knowledge of issues and support programs for low income people, probably also near zero. Poverty can be a good issue to help elect Democrats, if your knowledge on the subject is lacking you cannot create supportive arguments. Please post to support a poverty community (Those communities listed under the people links at the top of the page) so the poor community can have a voice here! Also, if you think poverty is a major issue in America, please post in support of poverty being added to the agenda items also at the top of the page.