Would you please tell the candidates that I don't care if they voted for or against the war. I don't care if they were against the war when they were not yet a Senator. I want to know what you plan do about the war if you are elected. I want to know what your vision of the future is. I want to know how smart you are and how well you think. I want to know what you plan to do for the Middle Class as well as the Poor.

I don't want dramatic speeches. I want facts. Please do not spend any time bashing the other candidates. I am not interested. I want to know about you and why you would be a good President for America.

Thank you.

iraq is in deep carnage again today. this shit is too horrible to imagine. the united states of america took a country that was a mess, run by a lunatic and made it geometrically worse. would you ask bush and all the good folks at the big gathering how they plan to fix it and not do it again!

please share this description of our iraqi adventure with the conference participants:

Suicide attack kills at least 45 in Baghdad
Blast rocks predominantly Shiite area; insurgents rampage through Mosul

MSNBC News Services
Updated: 5 minutes ago
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A suicide truck bomber struck a food market in a predominantly Shiite area of Baghdad on Saturday, killing at least 45 people and wounding 95, police and hospital officials said.

The attacker was driving a truck carrying food when he detonated his explosives, destroying stores and stalls that had been set up in the busy outdoor Sadriyah market, police said, giving the casualty toll.

Officials said nearby hospitals were being flooded with victims from the blast.

The blast occurred at 4:40 p.m. as the market was crowded with people buying food for their evening meal, the latest in a series of attacks against commercial targets in the capital as insurgents seek to maximize the number of people killed ahead of a planned U.S.-Iraqi security sweep.

7 car bombs
Earlier, seven car bombs shook the ethnically mixed Iraqi city of Kirkuk and rampaging insurgents forced authorities in Mosul to close bridges and order people off the streets.

The attacks came as the country’s top Shiite cleric renewed an appeal for Iraqis to reject violence and a day after a U.S. intelligence report said elements of the conflict could be called “civil war”.

In the northern city of Kirkuk, seven car bombings, including a suicide attack, killed at least four civilians and wounded 37. Two of the cars detonated outside the offices of the main Kurdish parties in the city.

As fearful residents rushed home and shops shut early in anticipation of more attacks, police imposed a vehicle curfew. A police source said all entrances to Kirkuk were closed to prevent more car bombings.

Further north, another curfew was imposed in Mosul, Iraq’s third largest city, after clashes between insurgents and police erupted in several neighborhoods. A police source said the militants planned to take over the city.

Violence continued despite the curfew.

A car bomb hit an ambulance and killed an injured woman who was being taken to hospital and six mortar bombs struck the offices of the state-funded Iraqiya television channel.

The U.S. military said two more U.S. soldiers had died in the Sunni province of Anbar, an insurgent stronghold. The military reported the killing of three al-Qaida militants in a firefight in Fallujah and a fourth militant north of Baghdad, saying they belonged to foreign fighter networks.

Intelligence report’s warning
After warning that elements of the Iraq conflict had become tantamount to “civil war”, the intelligence report said progress must be made within 12-18 months to avoid a further deterioration.

U.S. President George W. Bush plans to send 21,500 more troops, especially to Baghdad.

The increase — on top of some 130,000 U.S. troops already in Iraq — is widely seen as a final attempt to avert all-out sectarian civil war between the Shiite Muslim majority and Sunnis once dominant under Saddam Hussein.

Click for related content
Intelligence report: Iraq challenge ‘daunting’

The Iraqi government plans to use the extra forces in a new security plan that aims to clear Baghdad of militants and hold territory. Previous such efforts have largely failed.

Iraq’s top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani repeated his calls for calm.

“The Islamic nation is passing through difficult conditions and facing tremendous challenges that threaten its future,” his fatwa, or religious edict, said.

“Everybody knows the necessity for us to stand together and reject the sectarian tension to avoid stirring sectarian differences.”

gregg,

not only am I sick to death of this carnage in Iraq, I am sick to death of the Rhetoric of this administration and those few Republicans with no balls left, who continue to say we are fighting a war on terror over there to keep it from here!
What kind of idiot still believes that this Civil War has anything to do with Terrorism or coming to the US?

The Democrats have to create a message to say No More Funds for this Terrible mistake, and start pulling those troops out ! The Republicans will try and say they do not support the troops, but the Dems just have to say "f*** the Repubs, we care about the Troops and they do not.

morning PamB,

No more war in Iraq. No more war against innocents. No more bush and no more cheney. It's as simple as that.

We need someone who will stand up and scream (if necessary) them down. They must be stopped now.

bush and the repigs are responsible for the 19 deaths in central Florida and must be brought to justice, NOW!!!!!

Thanks to the bush and the repig congress, poor people had no warning of the approaching tornados.

bush cut the National Weather Service

"We don't need no stinkin national weather service". "Screw the people in central Florida".
"I'm the decider, and I needed that $50 Million to give to my rich drinking buddies and a new dress for laura".

"Oh yeah, I needed a new multi-Billion Dollar aircraft carrier that I could name after my buddy ford who pardoned my hero nixon and who loved my idol raygun".

PamB 10:59..Amen!!!!...Later....John Boy......

Posted by gregg on February 3, 2007 at 10:04 AM

gregg,

Bush's address sounded like a campagin speech with all the approprate applause in the right places. What in the heck were the House Dems doing giving this maniac another podium to futher his agenda from?

I don't get all the "polite" hospitality. This man is guilty of smashing the Bill of Rights and making torture a national priority. He spys on us, outsources our jobs, and leaves standed people after disasters to die while he strums a guitar. You do not make nice with a degenerate.

If the Hose Dems think they are fooling Bush into thinking we are on his side, forget it. He's an opportunitst and he is the one that is fooling them.

a new dress for laura".

Posted by Johnedwrd on February 3, 2007 at 11:21 AM

I don't think she wears many dresses. It's pretty obvious who wears the pants in that family.

We wouldn't owe China one dime if we were not in Iraq.

SandyH,

What are we doing allowing that fascist to speak and actually applaud the SOB. It is beginning to look like the Democrats have gone off the deep end and are pandering to the repigs.

The Dems did the same thing in 2004 and lost the presidential election. We need someone with cajones that will stand up and say "We are damned mad and we are not going to take it anymore".

Good morning everyone!

Economically, we're swimming upstream

The government's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported total compensation, or wages plus benefits, grew at 3.1 percent between 2004 and 2005, the slowest increase since 1999. And because inflation grew 3.4 percent in the same time period, real compensation fell by .3 of a percent. The real story -- one that we all know -- is that as health care costs increase, many employers offset those increases by making us pay more of "our share."

The data show an "unprecedented gap between the pace of overall economic progress and the returns to working people," according to a report by Jared Bernstein, an economist with the Economic Policy Institute in Washington. "They also clear up any mystery as to why so many Americans report dissatisfaction with the current economy: The economy may be up, but despite their increased productivity, workers' paychecks are down."

We wouldn't owe China one dime if we were not in Iraq.

Posted by pee-wee on February 3, 2007 at 11:39 AM

pee-wee,

I sure looks that way. However, the Republicans were also giving such big tax breaks to their masters. That is where most of the national debt went to finance.

pee-wee: Unfortunately, we would owe China big even if there wasn't an illegal War in Iraq. The War of Lies only exacerbated a problem that started with giving China a "favored nation" status and encouraging US corporations to go to China and exploit the Chinese workers with the help of the Chinese government. It shifted our balance of trade so that we started shipping them money hand over fist for cheap goods. This imbalance was helped by the Chinese manipulation of the yuan to keep it below the dollar giving the false impression of "cheaper" Chinese goods.
Because of our kissing up to Beijing and this money game they were playing, we kept shipping jobs and money to the Chinese long after we would have if the playing field were level.
We need to correct this problem and start repealing the tax cuts for the rich that Bushiato and the rubber-stamp Republican congress instigated and use the money to pay down our debts.
We do need to end the War of Lies, re-establish our credibility in the world, and stop throwing money down that particular rat-hole, but it is not the only cause of the problem.

Some people are full of excuses.
The fact is that we can do more to end this Iraqi occupation. It is also a fact that certain politicians won't do more to end the Iraqi occupation, because they care more about being a powerless president than being a real leader for change.

Cut off the damn funds, bring the National Guard home, and get Osama Bin Laden- NOW!

Speaking of china and other countries, I don't think the American public understands what the Trade Deficit really means! Our country and corporations are in deep poop!

I was moving in that direction, Butte; but you already beat me to it.

Posted by Kristen on February 3, 2007 at 11:44 AM

Kristen,

This economy is driven by debt. It's not sound...no matter what the "fuzzy math figures" put out by Bush's bean counters and political appointees say.

Most middle class Americans are just one medical emergency away from foreclosure of their home and bankruptcy...and many of them are beginning to face it.

And they don’t like the prospect of retiring with that debt handing over their heads. Nor do they like the kind of future their children and grandchildren will face because of this blatant Republican disregard for fiscal responsibility.

I'm baking our Super Bowl treats...Decadent Cupcakes...the closest I'll ever get to the new Guilded Age GOP wealth.

bbl

If certain politicians truly cared about the American worker, they would introduce bills to withdraw the U.S. from the WTO.

SANDY,

I would love that recipe for those cupcakes.

If you get a minute, can you send it to me?

pamberg2003@yahoo.com

Sandy, I completely agree. We have a 15 day grace period on our mortgage and have been with the same company for 4 years now, never missing a payment or having to pay a late fee and in the last four months the company has begun calling us on the 1st of the month to ask if we will be making a payment within the 15 day grace period. While this frustrates the heck out of me as it seems completely unnecessary I think it speaks more to the fact that many of their customers are finding it harder and harder to make that mortgage payment and these companies are starting to feel the strain.

The American people shouldn't have to wait until 2009 to start recommitting to the "War On Terror" and start withdrawing our troops from the occupation in Iraq. The American people shouldn't have to wait until 2009 to start getting tough with China. For the most part, China isn't responsible- American big businesses are.

Johnedwards:

I want to clarify my posts from earlier this morning (on the past thread) in which I complained about the media's treatment of the Bush Administration and the GOP. Specifically, when I complain about Bush's fiscal policy, I was referring to his spending on the war, his refusal to close loopholes in the tax system that give incentives to U.S. corporations to move operations abroad and ship goods into the U.S, his tax cuts on unearned income that mainly benefit wealthy individuals, etc.

I was not trying to imply that I agreed with Bush's plans to balance the budget through cutting spending on domestic programs... (especially with regard to student loans, welfare to work, medicare, etc..) Clinton was able to balance the budget while simultaneously maintaining funding for domestic programs in place that help individuals climb out of poverty. We should hold Bush to the same standard.

Johnedwards:

In other words, I agree with you completely

this really really ticks me off, that this Ignorant jerk thinks that the American public do not understand that his $260 Million per day ($80 Billion per week) Illegal occupation of Iraq has already meant our kids will be paying the rest of their lives. Just think how nice and secure SS and Medicare would be if we had that money for our own needs, instead of for his and Cheney's Arrogant aggressive PNAC invasion!

"WASHINGTON - President Bush, poised to submit his new budget to Congress next week, warned Saturday that unless programs like Medicare and Social Security are changed, future generations will face tax hikes, government red ink or huge cuts in benefits.

Controlling spending requires the government to address the unsustainable growth of entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, Bush said in his weekly radio address. He said spending for the programs is growing faster than inflation, faster than the U.S. economy and faster than taxpayers' ability to pay for them.

"Unless we act, we will saddle our children and grandchildren with tens of trillions of dollars of unfunded obligations," Bush said. "They will face three bad options: huge tax increases, huge budget deficits or huge and immediate cuts in benefits

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070203/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush

Baghdad market bomb 'kills 121'
A massive truck bomb killed at least 121 people and hurt 373 more when its driver detonated it in a packed Baghdad market on Saturday, police said. "It was a strong blow. A car exploded. I fell on the ground," a young man, his face streaked with blood, told The Associated Press.
Full Story:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/02/03/iraq.main/index.html

The same people who say that they would have never started this occupation actually voted for this occupation when they could have stopped this occupation before it started. The same people who say they will end this occupation when they have the power won't use the power they have now to end this occupation.

Americans don't like hypocrites.

Dems:

Immediately after we won the elections, I entered a post on this website in which I urged everyone to wait until the Iraq Study Group ("ISG") issued its findings before demanding action from the new congress with regard to Iraq. We waited. The ISG had some fairly interesting findings, all of which Bush simply ignored. The media enabled Bush to ignore the ISG's findings and then chose to blame the new democratic majority for not passing a resolution with regard to Iraq.

The media, especially folks like Lou Dobbs and Chris Matthews, then chastized democrats for their inability to pass a resolution through the Senate with regard to Iraq. Last year the GOP threatened to significantly curtail the use of filibuster by the democratic minority. True, the GOP's main focus was the use of the filibuster with regard to judicial nominees. But it is equally true that Bush and his lock-step GOP cronies made sure Democrats were excoriated in the media when they used the filibuster for any reason. The GOP refused to negotiate with the Democrats and the media bashed the democrats for filibustering. The GOP's constant use of the filibuster this year is ironic, given the GOP's behavior just last year. Equally ironic is our media's response.

Today, after the Democrats negotiated with the GOP to obtain a watered down Iraq resolution, the GOP is threatening to filibuster. The proposed resolution merely expresses disapproval of Bush's troop surge. Senator Warner, a Republican, crafted most of the language in the legislation, but because it may embarrass the President, according to the Republican minority leader, all the Republicans have decided to filibuster this resolution. The media isn't doing enough to help pressure the GOP.

I bring all of this up because here we are three months after I urged patience with regard to Iraq and the GOP will not even allow United States Citizens, through their representatives in congress, to express their disapproval with regard ot a troop surge, let alone the entire war.

Given the complete lack of a workable proposal with regard to Iraq, I am now in agreement that the best solution is a phased redeployment of U.S. troops, which should begin immediately.

By the way, the civil war in Iraq is escalating, and we're stuck in the middle of it:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16957259/

Nearly 3,100 U.S. soldier have died in Iraq. Nearly 300 died after I urged patience. Call your GOP Senators and urge them to vote to end debate with regard to the non-binding resolution next week. Urge them to allow the measure to come to a vote. The Democrats are trying, but they can do nothing if the GOP continuously filibusters. We need to write the media and urge members of the media to accurately report the situation. We know they understand the concept of a filibuster. They excoriated the Democrats in years past. Let's urge them to be honest.

PamB,

Had we not began this occupation, we could have funded alternative fuel research and had in place an infrastructure to use that alternative fuel. This would have allowed have improved our national security, our economic well-being, mitigated the impact of global warming and improved our national reputation.

I'm off, have a good day dems

Dirty Tactics That Businesses Use To Stop Labor Unions

Up to 91% of businesses now use at least some of these dirty tactics to prevent labor unions and to keep worker wages and benefits low.

In 2006, the number of U.S. unionized workers fell by 326,000 members. Only 7.4% of private sector workers are now union members and have access to credit unions, retirement benefits, workplace safety, health care benefits, better pay, job security or other workplace benefits of unionized workers.

PROGRESSIVE VALUES

CIVIL WAR

Hello all,
Hope everyone is doing well.

Good afternoon

Posted early morn when I realized we had our cable back.

Devastation is everywhere here. The tornado that went through The Villages and Lady Lake passed about 1/4 of a mile from my home. Didn't realize it until today when an overpass bridge that goes through town was somewhat of a cutoff point where destruction began. Now we know why we heard the wind at a furious pace about 3 am with such a roar. We lost all power because it ripped completely through a utility substation destroying all kinds of lighting/electrical equipment. The tornado was literally passing by our street area. It made a path through Sumter County/The Villages continued on to Lady Lake through Paisley/Lake Mack and on into Deland in Volusia County.

FEMA is here with the Governor promising the world. Of course I have about as much faith in them as I do a bowl of grits and I hate grits. The state is already in a insurance nightmare stemming from 2004. The state insurer that insures those that cannot get property insurance anywhere else now has a waiting list of which I am one of the waiting applicants. When insurers started dropping policies in 2005/2006 (over 300,000) this left us stranded and no one else would write us. Now we're in this quasi state knowing that our former insurers passed us onto the state insurer, but on a waiting list with them. I just hope those that lost property in this disaster are able to get paid what they deserve.

Prayers for those that lost loved ones and those that have lost their homes.

NEW THREAD

MIKE GRAVEL Pointed out all the reasons why I can't in good conscience vote for someone who voted for this war.

You don't send troops tp die because your afraid of being labeled unpatriotic, a cut and runner, etc.

You also don't do it for fear of loosing a election.

I wasn't brought up to sacrifice someone else for my gain.

If the Democrats would not have voted for this war the party would have probably had more seats in both houses this last election because the public would have probably seen we were correct in not voting for this war.

"GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK."

http://ni4d.us/index.htm

**Updated**
Baghdad market bomb 'kills 130'
Nearby hospitals were overflowing with dead and injured. Full Story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6327057.stm

A lorry bomb has exploded in a market place in Baghdad killing at least 130 people.
Watch the video:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/avdb/news/video/76000/nb/76969_16x9_nb.asx

It looks like the top three choices are Chris Dodd, John Edwards, and Hillary Clinton so far. It will be interesting to see how the primary shapes up when the time comes. Right now Hillary still has the lead, however, Senator Chris Dodd and John Edwards on where they stand do give Hillary a run for the money and seem to be more against the Iraq war which is a good thing. The important thing now is for all Democrats to stand together as one and vote to cut off funding from the Iraq war so we can end it. I bet if Democrats did this they could even get some moderate Republicans on board to vote with them. Something has got to be done, too many innocent people have been and still are getting hurt and killed from this Iraq war. Somehow I think Bush and Cheney who say they are people of faith forgot that Jesus said "blessed are the peace makers for they will be called children of God". Starting this Iraq war based on dishonesty and to allow it to continue the way it is with no plan to win the peace to end it now isn't exactly something I think Christ would approve of. Maybe someone should clue Bush and Cheney in on this!!

Wes Clark/Obama, Clark/Edwards, Clark/Webb
One of these combinations would be great!
Hillary has too much baggage.

This is addressed to the Democratic Party. I am an independent voter who has been considering the Democratic Party. Now I read through an editorial by Cal Thomas that you had your invocation to the winter Meeting by Hysham Al Husein, a muslim who has demonstrated against "America" in the streets of Detroit. He cheered others on when they called for the destruction of Jews and Americans. While you at the meeting sat there thinking "how ecumenical of us" he was saying a prayer calling for the doom of America.

This is not a game. They are at war with us in a deep holy jihad. There are no compromises in their religion. They call for death to the infidel - duh! that's us! Please don't tell me that the Democratic party is going to cozy up to Muslims. Right now there are Muslim schools in America, in Detroit, known to Al-Husiany, who preach Death to America to their young boys. They are raising martyrs, they are raising suicide killers and you had their leader give the invocation for your Deocratic convention. This is unbelievably shameful!!!!!!!!!!!

This prayer will be used as propoganda against us internationally to say how dumb Americans are. Al-Husainy, as a clearly defined enemy, was asked to open your convention, and at that meeting was allowed to say a prayer calling for doom to America. If no one called for an interpretation or translation prior to its reading, then shame on you. This prayer will demonstrate just how gullible and stupid we are. This is not the age of "flower children" from the sixties. Get over it! We do not "love" every body. It's a war.

The democratic Party must stop pandering to get votes. Please tell me you have some principals worth voting for. All Through the Bush administration I have thought you were collosal wimps. Too afraid to take on Bush because he controlled the purse strings. It's like you thought, if you were just "nice" enough some his money would rub off on you.

And on the issue of immigration......I live in Arizona and we will not take in the nation of Mexico to feed and cloth and educate and doctor on our state budget while you at the national level refuse to help us. If you vote for amnesty you will loose the entire state.

Now it seemes as though you might be able to stand up on your own two feet for a change. The people are fed up with Bush and Cheney and the war. But you will have to earn our votes by getting some balls on the big issues. Stand up!!!!! TAke a stand and have faith in the American people.

However, if you are now going to pander to Muslims, I cannot register as a Democrat. If you think that getting cozy with a know Amercan enemy is your path to victory, you are very mistaken. I predict that such actions will cost you dearly and could ultimately break down the Democratic party for ever. Please, please, Please do not be that stupid!!!!!!!!! This is not a Disney film.

With all the anti-American rhetoric within the Muslim Population there is a huge absence of any peace loving or even moidfying talk amoung the Muslim religeous leadership. Why is that? It's like saying that the people of Nazi Germany didn't know what was going on. They knew and the idea of the Great Germany was very appealing. The muslim Koran calls for one Muslim World. THEN all will be peace. But untill then you get points in heaven for mudering the infedels. Just in case you don't know. That's us!!!!!!!!!

Wake up! The age of la la land in the U. S. is over. You better know friend from enemy and what they are saying about you right in front of you.