The Federal Government spends $2,700,000,000,000.00 dollars a year.
Each individual Congressman has 17 Million dollars dripping off of him every single day of the year.
Republicans and Democrats AGREE that there are NO Constitutional limits on what they can spend money on.
I am more worried about what these kooks AGREE on, than what they claim to disagree on.
(claim to, Without Democrats voting for it, there would be no war)
Can anyone say Libertarian?

Libertarianism is Anarchism in disguise. Sounds cool but completely unworkable and will eventually collapse on itself.

What if the Republicans have a plan to steal this election? Read "The Daily Kos" today about the 4-state (including Ohio) strategy they have devised. I hope that whoever reads this post and has the power to do something about it will do it.

How do we set a policy in motion to DEMAND a paper trail of the Republican-backed voter machines?! This is an outrage!

A minor correction. The Idaho Congressional seat in play is not "at-large"but rather the 1st CD. We are a big state--we have two congressmen. Larry Grant, a moderate businessman, has a great chance at this open seat.

Nothing the GOP can do in the next two weeks will be able to overcome the fact that people are tired of the ethically challenged, homophobic, hateful, divisive, and hypocritical way the Republican leadership has conducted itself the last 12 years

This year is going to prove to be a Democratic tidal wave -- let's work like dogs to keep the momentum going until November 7th!

In response to the expected Republican attack ads that depict Osama Bin Laden. The assertions are that the Democrats apparently are responsible for him not being killed prior to 9/11 and if Democrats get control of Congress he will blow us up, blah, blah, blah… ALL Democrats that have those ads used against them need to make an immediate counter ad explaining that in fact Osama IS still a threat and how it was the REPUBLICANS that ignored his very real threat, let him escape from Afghanistan, and how under their watch THE CIA TASK FORCE TO STOP HIM HAS SINCE BEEN DISBANDED!!!! It is imperative to get the word out that if things remain status quo we will NEVER catch him or eliminate his organization's threat to us. The Democrats MUST expose the hypocrisy of the Republican fear machine and show the American people that they continue to undermine efforts to deal with the real threats.

PLEASE STAND UP AND SAVE US ALL

There is a 15 year old named Eva Lowry who is going to spend her sweet sixteen birthday party this Saturday (10/21) at the Alabama state capital protesting the war. (www.peacetakescourage.com) I suggest any Democrat in that region show up and support her efforts. The children ARE the future and this young woman will be able to vote in 2008. She and her peers must be included in the political process if the Democrats have any hope of taking back the Presidency and rescuing our country from the depths that this administration has dragged us down into.

PLEASE STAND UP AND SAVE US ALL

Is there anything that we Democrats can do to stop the Republicans from purging Democratic voters from the Ohio voter registry? My good friend sent me the following which shows how far the Republicans will go to steal the elections:

October 18, 2006

by Rob Kall

Ohio Lawsuit to Reinstate hundreds of thousands of Purged Democratic Voters to be Filed Fri or Monday

By Rob Kall

Ohio voting rights activist and attorney, Bob Fitrakis, says the Ohio elections may have already been won, responding to reports of massive voter purges in Democratic precincts.

Dr. Fitrakis, told OpEdNews, "Essentially, by purging these rolls, the Republicans, by shrinking the electorate, have already won in Ohio. If they can't win, which is what the polls show among registered voters, the way to win is to use their nuclear option-- to target black voters, young voters and the working poor-- by purging them so they can't vote.

Reports indicate that starting as early as shortly after the 2004 presidential elections, but particularly recently, hundreds of thousands of voters-- mostly urban apartment dwellers (likely black) and students-- who are primarily Democratic-- were sent notifications that they would be purged from the eligible voter lists if they did not respond the letter. But, reportedly, the letter was designed to be easily overlooked, perhaps treated as junk mail. Failure to send in a response caused the voter to be removed from the voting roll.

Fitrakis observes, "They aren't challenging voter eligibility in Republican areas. This is coming from the republican party. They're not targeting their own base.

"If it follows the pattern from 2004, they will have purged heavily Democratic areas.THey will challenge high performance democratic precincts."

According to Fitrakis, HAVA, the Help America Vote Act, requires centrally maintained voter records, which would probably have been kept by secretary of state Ken Blackwell. Fitrack theorizes, that the voter records were "probably purged from the secretary of state's office, because HAVA mandates a centrally located database. But the letters would have gone out from the separate county boards of election."

This is part of the challenge. It may be necessary to actually deal with each of the 88 counties.

Fitrakis says, "We're up against 88 county prosecutors. That's what they've been doing for two years. it's been killing us. They say we have to get the records from the county-- you literally have to fax phone or show up to literally demand these records."

OpEdNews asked Bob Fitrakis, "What can be done?" "What can voting integrity activists do?" What can the Democratic party do?

Fitrakis replied, "We're going to try desperately to get to the bottom of this and try on Friday to get an injuction-- Monday, at the latest.

We asked, "Is there any chance that this can be turned around."

"Yes, A federal judge can issue an order to reinstate all the purged voters." says Fitrakis.

What can readers and activists do to help? They can tell the DNC, tell the Ohio state democratic party to either file a suit separately or in cooperation with Fitrakis and the ongoing suit he's had filed since the 2004 election.

Fitrakis says, ""Put pressure on the democrats to bring suit.

"I would urge the DNC-- the party can't let this stand. They could proceed to Federal court and argue that this is a civil rights case-- against blacks and young people. They could file their own suit. They could join our suit. There are a lot of ways they could do it procedurally. They could intervene as an independent party. They could join our lawsuit I would welcome any action by them.

"They have to realize the election might have been decided by these purges. My book, that I wrote with Harvey Wasserman, reported that in 2004, the only reason the race was even close was because of the purging done in 2004 in the Democratic counties.

"When we go, we'll ask for an injunction, amending this to our existing, arguing that this irreparable harm to the civil rights of hundreds of thousands of Ohio voters, that they're being targetted because of their race and age."

According to Fitrakis, the letters were sent out and purges timed, so voters could not get their voting eligibility status reinstated, because the voting registration period just ended. Worse, there was no reason to purge the voters, which is usually reserved for people who have died or moved out of state. They should have been moved to inactive status.

Fitrakis explained, "They were probably purged because they moved. If they were registered to vote, they were eligible to vote simply by going to the board of electioin. They should have been moved to inactive status. There was no reason to purge these people."

We suspect it's probably going on a number of other battleground states. Fitrakis speculated.

There are considerable costs in filing suit and serving papers and subpoenas. If you want to support Fitrakis' courageous efforts, donations can be submitted at
freepress.org then click on the election protection project.

Another way YOU might be able to make a difference is to ask your local daily paper and your legislators to push for investigation of these abuses of democracy.

Contact your favorite national media anchors (Dobbs, Olbermann) talk show hosts-- Hartmann, Rhodes, Shultz, Franken...

A sincere "thank you" to Governor Dean for making this happen! Voters everywhere deserve a real choice when going to the polls; automatic concession in the face of hardship makes no sense. As more Democrats win – and hopefully we get the majority – people will be able to see our vision for ethical leadership. Rock on, Dr. Dean!

First off, to "jadieter": Does the Liberatarian party have a blog or something? Or are they in so sad a state that you must lurk on our page?

With that out of the way, the 50 state strategy is definitely working. Republicans have a money advantage, but it's being cut in because the unlikeliest of races are now competitive and Republican cash is going there, while Democrats hammer away at the races. This is incredible. Onward to a Democratic Congress and checks and balances back in the federal government.

Nationalizing the Congressional elections is the best way to insure Democratic control of the House and Senate. I propose that the DNC run a national ad campaign on major media (i.e., during "Grey's Anatomy" and "Deal or No Deal" along the lines of:

"The upcoming Congressional elections are too important for voters to ignore the pressing national issues that have been mismangaged or ignored by the Republican Party. Do not be swayed by local issues on November 7. For new leadership, new answers, and a better, brighter, fairer America for all, vote Democratic on November 7.
"America's future is too important to allow continued Republican failures. Vote Democratic on November 7."

In Alaska we have one candidate, DIANE BENSON, for the At-Large Seat held for 33 years by the notorious "Bridge to Nowhere" Don Young, Republican chair of the US House Transportation Committee.
Diane has been running a credible campaign on a shoestring against the fat $2 million war chest of Young, whose former Chief of Staff reportedly helped Jack Abramof secure lease terms for a public building in Washington, DC four years ago. Strangely, tribes who had hired Abramoff to seek the advantageous lease terms donated $7000 to Young five weeks after the staffer's letter, (see http://newsminer.com/2006/10/21/2795/#more-2795 Sam Bishop story).

Young refuses to meet Diane Benson in public debate and has the statewide Native organization, Alaska Federation of Natives, afraid to risk the wrath of both Young or the vitriolic former Senate Appropriations Chair, Senator Ted Stevens (the guy with the Hulk necktie who rants when he doesn't get his way). They won't even allow Benson to speak to the body and she is a Tlingit Indian by birth and has the support of the tribes of Southeast Alaska. Partisan politics is that bad in our tiny population of 650,000 residents: metropolitan Dayton, OH or El Paso, TX or Fresno, CA all have more people!
We could use some DNC money for this race. It seems like a no-brainer. Put a few bucks into this At-Large race and maybe pick up one more seat toward a Democratic majority come November 8th morning. Pass the word please!

I'd like to extend my compliments to Howard Dean. Once again he has shown the ability to look ahead and plan effectively. When you can compete in Idaho, you know you're competitive everywhere.

I am tired of waiting for acknowledgement by the media and certain Republican Lite Democrats that our Chairman, Gov. Dean MD was right about the Iraq war when they were knocking each other over trying to stand beside George Bush. I'm convinced some of them would rather see Republicans win/hold seats than have Dean's 50 State Strategy succeed. It's about who controls the Democratic Party going into 2008!

SUGGESTION: THANK HOWARD DEAN BY VOLUNTEERING TO HELP GET-OUT-THE-VOTE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. DON'T DEPEND ON THE POLLS--WORK LIKE WE WERE 20 PTS. BEHIND--CELEBRATE AFTER THE POLLS CLOSE NOV.7TH!

Right On, JGilesTacoma!
Unless we actually get people to the polls or to vote absentee in advance, it doesn't matter who they "prefer". We've got to get our voters to actually vote on or before November 7th. In Alaska, we can start voting at the local election offices starting TODAY. Unfortunately, that is only in places like here in Fairbanks or in Anchorage, Juneau, Kenai, Wasilla, etc. where an office is located.
** Yes, VOLUNTEER for Get-Out-The-Vote!
(and send twenty bucks to DIANE BENSON FOR US CONGRESS to knock out Don "Bridges to Nowhere" Young, House Transportation Chair: see her website=> http://bensonforcongress.com/

I am amazed at the APATHY in BOTH parties. I KNOW it can seem like a hard "row to hoe", but we, as democrats, MUST keep butting against that wall until it comes down, and we can re-align our government BACK to being one OF,BY and FOR the people...and then, we MUST make great PRO-AGGRESSIVE strides to keep our promises to the little people...of whom I am but ONE!

Sometimes I think there's an overemphasis on monetary donations.
Don't confuse being broke with apathy.
Now that gas prices are coming down, the heating season is starting. In Montana it comes early.
A lot of the people I know are on tight budgets. Many working families here are trying to make ends meet with seasonal jobs. Tourist season is over, logging and construction won't last much longer, hunting season has only a limited time, and the ski resorts prefer to hire out of state ski bums who will work for peanuts as long as they get free lift tickets.
You have to do what you can. Put up yard signs, do canvassing, volunteer to give people rides to the polls, and above all VOTE.

BLUE STATE BREAKOUT: Replace US Rep.Don Young (R). 33 years is Enough!

Hi all,

Today I urged attendees at the Governors Debate at Carlson Center, sponsored by the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce,
to demand a Live Public Forum/Debate for the main US Congressional candidates, Don Young (R) and Democrat Diane Benson.
I plan to continue this at various public opportunities, and began holding up a Benson sign with a "Had Enough? Vote Democratic Nov 7" attachment for Rush Hour at the corner of the Steese Expressway and Farmers Loop/Birch Hill Road, near Shield's Rentals.
Please join me! Am trying to be there for at least 45 minutes in the morning (7:30-8:15am) and likewise in the evening (5:00-5:45pm).
Bring your own Diane Benson sign if you can, although I'll have a spare or two.

That sanitized debate format that public radio KAKM in Anchorage is using Wednesday is so dilute that I do not expect much light to come of it. Also don't think it will be telecast in Fairbanks.
Thomas Jefferson would be appalled at how we've treated his beloved Democracy.
But, $2 Million Dollars buys a lot of press, TV, Radio and slick glossy mailers. The best that money can buy.

Thursday, Don't expect the Alaska Native Brotherhood and Sisterhood to rollover and "Play Nice" like the kissy face AFN leadership. Of course they are frightened of the wrath of US Senator Ted Stevens, our porkbarrel baron, who could do the Alaska Native community grave damage if he blocked federal funds to Native organizations, but they should stand up for what is right in a Democracy: the right to be Heard!

I taught at Lathrop High School from 1970 to 1993 and remember when Diane Benson was graduated from Lathrop in 1972.
She was outspoken then and wanted to speak at the graduation ceremony as she was valedictorian or salutorian or something, and also she opposed the Vietnam War.
She is of Tlingit ancestory. They were brave warriors and traders, unafraid to speak out on anything. She comes from that tradition. The school principal didn't want waves and kept her from speaking. Well, he later left under a cloud and she is back and proud.
I think Alaska needs a big change in Washington. 33 years in office and Young's main legacy is the notorious front-page publicity of the "Bridges to Nowhere" on the cover of Parade Magazine and elsewhere? Diane can do better. Alaska needs better.

Cheers,
Don Gray
Fairbanks, AK

Just have to add this about Diane Benson's opponent, *Don Young*, the Chair of the House Transportation Committee and a 33-year incumbent, who first got elected when Nick Begich, Alaska's Democratic congressman in 1972, was killed in a plane crash two weeks before the election, along with visiting Speaker of the House, Hale Boggs, (Lindsay's husband and Cokie Roberts father).
........with your help, Young is GOING DOWN! DIANE's numbers are screaming up for a photo finish November 7th!
(Thanks go to Alaskan Debra DeLong for this tip!)

You gotta' see it to enjoy it: http://radaronline.com/features/2006/10/americas_dumbest_congressmen_a_radar_special_report.php
Don't forget to DONATE TO DIANE BENSON today!: http://bensonforcongress.com/Endorsements
Please Send //cut-and-paste to your friends around the nation. **Don Gray **
Fairbanks, AK
==================
POLITICS ? Or Reality Humor?

AMERICA'S DUMBEST CONGRESSMEN
Radar ranks the 10 biggest fools on the Hill
By Holly Martins

CONFEDERACY OF DUNCES The 109th Congress busy doing nothing
Congress, as any CSPAN viewer can attest, has never been a bastion of intelligence. As far back as two centuries ago, Samuel Johnson was demeaning the nation's legislators as a "circus of rogues and fools." But when it comes to sheer stupidity, the men and women of the 109th have distinguished themselves as a breed apart.
Despite a notoriously compliant president and Republican majorities in both houses, they've spent over 600 days in session without conducting a shred of productive business, which is not to say they've just sat around. As the war in Iraq raged out of control, they futilely postured over an unconstitutional flag-burning amendment that was clearly destined to go up in flames. They rallied around the brain-dead Terry Schiavo after the Senate majority leader, watching her on television, claimed to detect signs of life. And their hijinks culminated this month with l'affaire Mark Foley, which raised the question of just who a guy needs to blow on the Hill to get the attention of the brain-dead House leadership.
But in a notably dumb year, perhaps the dumbest move came from Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, who sponsored a bill seeking $20 million in taxpayer money for a party to celebrate America's victory in Iraq. Not long ago such flagrant obtuseness might have ensured the senator a place on our annual list of America's Dumbest Congressmen. Alas, given this year's stiff competition, he didn't even make runner-up.

...[Skipping ahead to # 2]...

PORKY PIG Rep. Donald Young likes to make you squeal

2. Representative Donald Young (R-AK)
The scene: Fairbanks, Alaska, 1994. Congressman Don Young, already in office for 20 years, is on the stump preaching the virtues of Newt Gingrich's Republican revolution to a group of high school students. Just look at all the wasteful things the federal government does with taxpayers' money, he tells them. The National Endowment for the Arts, for example, funds art involving "people doing offensive things ... things that are absolutely ridiculous." One student asks, "Like what?"

"Buttfucking," replies the great scourge of obscenity and instructor of youth.
Young's performance remains a classic in the annals of congressional idiocy, offering that rare, supremely unselfconscious moment in which one of our nation's legislative solons lets his addled mind graze freely. But the real irony of this legendary gaffe is that the congressman lecturing on government waste was the very same man who, years later, would be responsible for Alaska's fabled "Bridge to Nowhere," a $233 million project constructed entirely of pork. And it's the same man who, when asked about his state's outrageous $941 million transportation bill, boasted "I stuffed it like a turkey," before adding that detractors of the bridge—equal in length to the Golden Gate but connecting to a town with a population of 50—could "kiss my ear."
====
Incredible, eh?

You can't truthfully say the DNC is taking on the
Republicans in all 50 states when there has been no
DNC money in support of Diane Benson, the candidate
running against Don Young up here in Alaska. Alaska,
with a population of around 600,000 has very few
voters and most of the population, though
conservative, registers as non-partisan or undeclared,
so it doesn't take many people to swing an election or
oust an incumbent (ask ex-Senator/Governor Frank
Murkowski who recieved 19% of the vote and was thrown
out in the primaries).
Believe it or don't Don Young is vulnerable. He has
numerous problems, from ties to Bush, Abramoff and
Delay, to local tainted Veco money. He has basically
run unopposed for most of his carrier. Diane Benson is
the first "name" to run against Young in years. Last I heard she was only nine points behind, and this with individule donations totaling in the tens of thousands compared to Don Young's two million dollar, lobbyist packed warchest. Her family has paid the price for the Bush Iraq War (her son lost his legs over there) She
needs and deserves DNC support and cash to get her message out.

You can't truthfully say the DNC is taking on the
Republicans in all 50 states when there has been no
DNC money that I know of in support of Diane Benson, the candidate running against Don Young up here in Alaska.
Alaska, with a population of around 600,000 has very few
voters and most of the population, though
conservative, register as non-partisan or undeclared;
so it doesn't take many people to swing an election or
oust an incumbent (ask ex-Senator/Governor Frank
Murkowski who recieved 19% of the vote and was thrown
out in the primaries).
Believe it or don't Don Young is vulnerable. He has
numerous problems, from ties to Bush, Abramoff and
Delay, to local tainted Veco money. He has basically
run unopposed for most of his carrier. Diane Benson is
the first "name" to run against Young in years. Last I heard she was only nine points behind, and this with individule donations totaling in the tens of thousands compared to Don Young's two million dollar, lobbyist packed warchest. Her family has paid the price for the Bush Iraq War (her son lost his legs to a road-side bomb after being held in Iraq by Bush's Stop-Loss measures). She needs and deserves DNC support and cash to get her message out.

You can't truthfully say the DNC is taking on the
Republicans in all 50 states when there has been no
DNC money that I know of in support of Diane Benson, the candidate running against Don Young up here in Alaska.
Alaska, with a population of around 600,000 has very few
voters and most of the population, though
conservative, register as non-partisan or undeclared;
so it doesn't take many people to swing an election or
oust an incumbent (ask ex-Senator/Governor Frank
Murkowski who recieved 19% of the vote and was thrown
out in the primaries).
Believe it or don't Don Young is vulnerable. He has
numerous problems, from ties to Bush, Abramoff and
Delay, to local tainted Veco money. He has basically
run unopposed for most of his carrier. Diane Benson is
the first "name" to run against Young in years. Last I heard she was only nine points behind, and this with individual donations totaling in the tens of thousands compared to Don Young's two million dollar, lobbyist packed warchest. Her family has paid the price for the Bush Iraq War (her son lost his legs to a road-side bomb after being held in Iraq by Bush's Stop-Loss measures). She needs and deserves DNC support and cash to get her message out.

Didn't mean to send the above in triplicate; my computer kept disconnecting in the middle of posting and I assumed It hadn't sent yet