Bush's Legacy = TWO recessions in his Term !
Now that has to be some kind of Record!!

Huge Job Losses Set Off Recession Alarms

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Economy.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

I 'd like to warn DNC not to underestimate J. McCain and its stategists like Karl Rove. My feeling is that there is a plot going on behind the scenes to pump up in the media and fund B. Obama's campaign, so he can prevail over H. Clinton as Democratic nominee. This may make very upset white Democrats and Independents. At the end McCain may get elected president. Seems unlikely? I guess DNC has the means to investigate this scenario.Please be alert.

Hello fellow Democrats.

Yes we can!

Si se puede!

Change we can believe in!

Dean says he is also committed to seating Michigan

By Sam Youngman and Manu Raju
Posted: 04/04/08 04:26 PM [ET]

After meeting with Florida Democratic leaders this week, Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Howard Dean met with Michigan party leaders Friday, saying again he is �committed� to find a way to seat the two states� delegates at this summer�s convention.

In the case of both states, however, Dean said the DNC and the states will need some sort of compromise agreement from Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.), an agreement that looks increasingly unlikely.

Both states were stripped of their delegates by the DNC as punishment for scheduling and holding their primaries ahead of the Feb. 5 date approved by the committee.

Clinton, who won both the states, has pushed hard for the original votes to be counted or for re-votes. Obama�s campaign has repeatedly said it is also committed to seating the states� delegates, but campaign officials say they want to find a fair way to split the delegates between the candidates. Clinton and Obama did not campaign in Florida, and Obama was not on the ballot in Michigan.

Clinton's campaign again called on Obama to come to the table to find a solution.

The Obama campaign said Friday that the only �fair� way to seat the Michigan delegates is to divide them evenly between the two candidates, �especially since originally Senator Clinton herself said the Michigan primary wouldn�t �count for anything.��..

Save MI! Screw FL! FL is nothing but a turd hanging out of the colon of America, GA. FL has voted Democrat once since 1976. The FDC has had its chances, namely 2000 and 2004. They were, and are, an abysmal failure. I'd rather see a concerted effort put into wooing VA, NC, TX, TN, and AR back than FL.

Murtha Rips Fellow Vietnam Vet McCain
by Sam Stein

Sen. John McCain's promise to restore America's standing in the world even while maintaining troop presence in Iraq is based on an essentially faulty premise, says Rep. John Murtha, a retired Marine and Vietnam veteran.

"There is no way that us continuing in Iraq is going to allow the other countries to believe that the United States is more credible," said the Pennsylvania Democrat, one of Congress' fiercest war critics.

In an interview with The Huffington Post, Murtha described current Iraq policy as damaging to U.S. credibility, wasteful in its expenses and lives lost, and in dire need of a an expeditious but realistic conclusion. He warned that it would be difficult to recruit international support -- which McCain pledged to do in his March 26th foreign policy speech -- so long as the U.S. remains bogged down in the war.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/04/murtha-war-backing-mccain_n_94982.html

Posted by Gus on April 5, 2008 at 09:36 AM

Republicans feel good about Obama match-up

By John Whitesides, Political CorrespondentThu Apr 3, 1:43 PM ET

Hillary Clinton may be the Democrat who Republicans love to hate, but some Republican strategists say they have no fear of a match-up with her rival Barack Obama in November's presidential election.

Many Republicans have long believed Clinton, the polarizing New York senator and former first lady with the high negative ratings, would make an easier White House foe by energizing conservatives and alienating independents.

But Republicans say the relentless Democratic nominating battle has given them new hope for November and exposed weaknesses in Obama that will play a central role in any general election campaign against the Illinois senator.

"I believe he has a glass jaw -- and he is going to get hit hard," said Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio.

Obama's voting record in the U.S. Senate -- one magazine ranked him the most liberal senator in 2007 -- and during his years in the Illinois state Senate will get a more thorough examination in a campaign against Republican John McCain than it has so far, he said.

"He portrays himself as a centrist and a moderate, but if you look at his votes it's tough to see anything but a liberal. He is more liberal than Hillary Clinton," Fabrizio said.

The questions raised by Clinton about Obama's lack of experience and suitability as commander in chief will be revitalized, Republicans say, as will the controversy about inflammatory comments by Obama's pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Coupling that with Obama's weakness among blue-collar Democrats and Hispanics, and the possibility of a prolonged nominating fight that turns off Clinton backers and independents, Republicans are gaining confidence about a November race against Obama.

"Originally people thought Hillary would be better to run against only because she generated so much ill will among the Republican base," said Republican consultant Rich Galen.

"But I don't think professional politicians on the Republican side have a rooting interest anymore because it doesn't matter. We can beat either one. We just wish the election was tomorrow," he said.

WHO CAN WIN?

The question of who gives Democrats the best chance in November is central to the battle between Clinton and Obama as they woo superdelegates -- the party insiders and elected officials who are free to back any candidate and are likely to decide the tight race.

The two campaigns have waged a war of words, memos and conference calls with reporters to make their case. The Clinton campaign says she is a known quantity with proven success in big swing states and with key constituencies like women, Catholics and Hispanics.

Clinton was heartened by a Quinnipiac University poll this week that showed her beating McCain in three key swing states -- Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida -- and running better against him than Obama. "The polls are reflecting the arguments we're making," Clinton strategist Mark Penn said.

The Obama campaign says he would rewrite the electoral map, bringing in new voters and drawing independents and some Republicans in a broad coalition that would also help Democrats in other races around the country.

"We are going to put more states in play than Senator Clinton," said Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, adding Obama "would provide the best atmosphere for down ballot candidates."

But the Clinton campaign leaped to highlight recent comments in The New York Times Sunday magazine by Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, who heads the Republican party's efforts to elect House of Representatives members. He said he thought Clinton would be the stronger candidate.

"He's ideologically well to the left of Hillary Clinton, for all his rhetorical gifts, and I also think he's got a national security deficit," Cole said.

"I think she's a plausible commander in chief, and I don't think he is. It may not matter. But those two areas are where we would fight the election, and with McCain, I think we contrast with him very well," he said.

Republicans have been successful at painting Democratic candidates like Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004 as too liberal and out of step with everyday voters. But part of Obama's appeal has been his promise to rise above partisan divisions.

Fabrizio said there were dangers for Republicans in Obama's ability to attract new voters and increase turnout, but his record in Illinois on topics like sex education, crime and spending would be fertile territory for researchers.

"In order to bring out those new voters, you have to maintain the same level of excitement. If Obama gets tarnished, that excitement is going to wane" among those voters, Fabrizio said.

"What more are you going to tell the American people about Hillary Clinton? But most Americans didn't even know Barack Obama eight months ago, and there is so much more for them to know."

(Editing by David Wiessler)

(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at http:blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)

'George W Bush Sewage Plant' Proposed In San Francisco

"Looking to honor the forty-third President of the United States of America, George W. Bush, the recently formed Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco is looking to change the name of the Oceanside Wastewater Treatment Facility. It seems the group would like to rename the SF Zoo adjacent facility to the 'George W Bush Sewage Plant,' SFist reports.

The grassroots movement is "proposing an ordinance initiative for the November 2008 San Francisco ballot" -- check out their web site here

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/02/george-w-bush-sewage-pla_n_94601.html

Posted by Gus on April 5, 2008 at 09:36 AM

Explain to me why Sen. Obama (D-IL) would anger white Democratic voters if he wins the nomination since he has the lead in the popular vote, states won, and pledged delegates? Is it your opinion that some white Democratic voters will be offended by a candidate winning fair and square? Please take time to revise and extend your remarks.

I think not. I have more confidence in our Party than that. And if someone would not vote for Sen. Obama for some other reason than his proposed policies then they were never Democrats, or real Americans for that matter, to begin with.

Posted by Gus on April 5, 2008 at 09:36 AM

My feeling is that there is a plot going on behind the scenes to pump up in the media and fund B. Obama's campaign, so he can prevail over H. Clinton as Democratic nominee.
===================================================

Huh? Conspiracy theories abound everywhere.

Yeah I read that GOP-PERS would rather run against Obama. But, now these weird conspiracy theories that accomplish exactly what?

DNC, under-estimate McCain? That's pretty funny! He's the opponent so clearly he's NOT under-estimated.

Your "concern" has been noted.

HNN Poll: 61% of Historians Rate the Bush Presidency Worst
By Robert S. McElvaine

Mr. McElvaine teaches history at Millsaps College. His latest book, Grand Theft Jesus: The Hijacking of Religion in America, has just been published by Crown.

“As far as history goes and all of these quotes about people trying to guess what the history of the Bush administration is going to be, you know, I take great comfort in knowing that they don’t know what they are talking about, because history takes a long time for us to reach.”— George W. Bush, Fox News Sunday, Feb10, 2008

A Pew Research Center poll released last week found that the share of the American public that approves of President George W. Bush has dropped to a new low of 28 percent.

http://hnn.us/articles/48916.html

================================================

Okay, I knew he had it in him.

Chimpy McFlightSuit Bush

Bob at 09:49 AM

Now you want to turn on Dean? Maybe it's better to think about the Party, and not just your candidate? Disenfranchising voters is not the Democratic way.
If Obama was meant to win, surely he can do it with counting MI, and FL, two major states needed in the GE. What a way with words you have. I suppose I should not be surprised considering your sexist remarks about HC in the past. Borat would like.

The Republican Party and its presumptive nominee Sen. John McCain are heading into a 2008 electoral buzzsaw with their continued support of the Iraq war, Sen. Chuck Hagel said in an interview with The Huffington Post on Thursday.

The country is still very sour on the war, the Nebraska Republican pressed, and support for candidates who want to stay the course is simply not there.

"I am concerned about the [party still holding on to Iraq as an issue]," said Hagel. "If for no other reason than the political factors here are quite obvious. This country has made a decision on Iraq, and as you see now in any poll, even a minimum of 25 percent of the registered Republicans cannot support the president's policy in Iraq. You take that with the independents and Democrats and you have anywhere between 60 and 70 percent who want out. So you can't politically sustain this and any party that uses this as an issue when they are going in the face of where America is, is not going to do very well politically. That is just the facts of life."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/03/hagel-mccain-facing-elect_n_94934.html

John Cusack Talks About His New Film "War, Inc."

Watch an excerpt from the CNBC "power lunch" interview with John Cusack about his new film "War, Inc."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/04/john-cusack-talks-about-h_n_95185.html

Oh sure, now Republicans feel good about a match up with Obama. But all along they felt good about a matchup with Clinton.

I don't take this sort of crap seriously. It's all smoke and mirrors.

The reality is that our nominee is running against a Bush clone - John McCain. I'll concentrate on that instead of GOP political mis-direction and outright lies. I found the GOP analysis to be absolutely amusing. Note that there was not ONE policy issue discussed. That's because the GOP can't discuss policy.

Posted by Big_Yellow_Dog on April 5, 2008 at 10:11 AM

My comments have nothing to do with Chairman Dean as they are my personal opinion and not that of the DNC.

You proceed from a false assumption if you think FL is needed to win a general election. MI is needed. FL is not. One more state, any state, would've made a President Gore. OH would've made a President Kerry. And MI was blue in both elections.

And if it is sexist of me to point out that being married to a POTUS does not make one automatically qualified to be a POTUS, regardless of what is being said from the junior senator from NY's campaign, then I am a sexist. In reality, her candidacy is not based on experience. It's based on nepotism. Quite frankly, I'm tired of nepotism being a determining factor in elections. After all, it was nepotism that got our current President elected. Do we really want to repeat that mistake? I should think not.

They won't feel so good when Obama names Chuck Hagel as VP.

Honestly, I don't see why you are so dismayed by the fact that more populous regions get more representation. CA and RI don't get the same number of Electoral delegates...

Posted by margotb822 on April 2, 2008 at 10:07 PM

I don't think you hear what I'm saying, or you would not be trying to justify the caucuses this way. It does not have to do with the number of people. The problem is that they counted some caucuses more than others, regardless of the number of people attending.

You don't think this is a race issue when Hispanic votes count less than non-Hispanic votes? You admitted that race is a factor, even when the Annapolis law didn't mention race. So you see how in the same way we have a race-related law.

I disagree that this is an issue for the DNC. This was not a DNC law. This was a TX law, and a Federal law requiring equal protection and representation was violated. Once again, would we have a civil rights issue IF we had a law that gave more power to suburbian white votes over urban minorities votes?

Surely, no democrat would have a problem with Hispanic voters going to court to see that the State doesn't favor caucuses based on race, count the caucuses fairly, and don't dis-empower Hispanic voters? I don't think the DNC is the best place to resolve this issue, do you?

(I should answer your questions if I like to have my questions answered, so I will try again soon.)

Posted by PCT546DEM on April 5, 2008 at 10:40 AM

Or if the GOP nominee names Sen. Lieberman (I-CT) has his VPOTUS nominee. Now I wonder which scenario is more likely?

Posted by PCT546DEM on April 5, 2008 at 10:40 AM

Or if the GOP nominee names Sen. Lieberman (I-CT) as his VPOTUS nominee. Now I wonder which scenario is more likely?

Do we really want to repeat that mistake?

Posted by BobVADemHawk-Obama08 April 5, at 10:33 AM

It was not "nepotism" that got us into this mess. It was losing FL. And disenfranchising FL, as you suggest, would contribute to losing FL more than anything. Maybe rigged vote counting and swiftboating are more of a problem? Yes, that was the real issue with 2000 and 2004.

And here's the kicker: Look at the posts yesterday of some posters attacking Hillary with made up lies, like Rush would do. Look at the posters that want to disenfranchise FL and MI for personal gain. This is the Rush/Rove strategy.

The way that I see it, the swiftboating, and not counting all the votes, are in the works. I just can't believe that it's Democrats doing it. That is exactly the Rove tactics some of you are using.

Senator John McCain, "who says he will court the African-American vote this year and campaign in places Republicans often shun," spoke in Memphis on Friday to mark the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

But his speech was met with boos and interruptions from many in the audience, as he apologized for repeatedly opposing the creation of a holiday to celebrate King's legacy.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/04/mccain-booed-heckled-at-m_n_95079.html

=================================================

McCain ... same as Bush!

To the person who posted an article by Fox News commentator, Dick Morris, you have reached an all-time low on this bb. Dick Morris is a Fox News lying sack of bs. Dick Morris is lower than Ann Coulter. And only our lowest trolls post articles by her. This is exactly what I'm talking about when I say that the Democratic swiftboating of HC is in full swing. Rove would be proud.

Posted by Big_Yellow_Dog on April 5, 2008 at 10:46 AM

That is one of the dumbest arguements I've ever heard. Were we supposed to award the Presidency to VP Gore because he won the popular vote as opposed to the electoral college in 2000? Though the country would've been much better off had we done that, we are a nation of law, not men, or women for that matter.

TX election laws are just that, laws. Everyone knew, or should've known, how the TX elections would be run and devised a strategy to maximize results. The fact the junior senator from NY won the popular vote and lost the delegate count in TX is just another example as to why Sen. Obama is the superior candidate and why he would make the superior POTUS. Sen. Obama has run a vastly superior campaign to that of the junior senator from NY and that is why he is enoying majority support from Democrats from the past 44 primaries whether MI and FL are counted or not.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/democratic_delegate_count.html

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/democratic_vote_count.html

I am a Democrat and I am voting for a Democrat on 4NOV08. If you can't or won't say that, why are you here?

Have a good day, Dems.

Posted by BobVADemHawk-Obama08 on April 5, 2008 at 10:50 AM
===================================================

Good one Bob.

Hagel ... highly unlikely to be VP. Lieberman ... highly likely to be McSame's VP. They just "luv" each other.

Posted by Big_Yellow_Dog on April 5, 2008 at 11:03 AM

Now that is one thing we can agree on. There are plenty of issues to argue about without manufacturing non-existent ones. I would much rather we stick to the issues. And it cuts both ways. A person who would vote for Sen. Obama and not his loyal opposition is no better than a person who would vote for the junior senator from NY and not for Sen. Obama, IMHO. Neither is a real Democrat.

A real Democrat will vote for our nominee, either one, because the alternative is a majority ultra-conservative SCOTUS that will strike down practically every law we make to fix President Bush's messes because they won't conform to some arcane, eighteenth or nineteenth century interpretation of the Constitution.

Here's to hoping we can all "kiss and make up" at the convention in Denver in August no matter the primary results. The alternative is a third Bush term.

That is one of the dumbest arguements I've ever heard...

Posted by BobVADemHawk-Obama08 on April 5, 2008 at 11:15 AM

Are you counting the one that you just made about Gore and the EC? That's way off the subject.

Furthermore, to sue you must have damages. Hispanics did not have damages until after the election. Before the election, they could not say, "we will win the popular vote, and they won't count our caucuses fairly, so we will lose." That would be speculation, and they had no damages. After the election, it's a different matter. We have unequal representation, and we have damages.
Where is a fair and aggressive CIVIL RIGHTS DIVISION OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WHEN YOU NEED THEM? I'm sure MLK would not stand for this.

NEW YORK — Retail gas prices surged to a new record above $3.30 a gallon Friday and appear poised to rise further in coming weeks as gasoline supplies tighten.

Oil prices, meanwhile, supported the gas price rally by jumping more than $2 a barrel after a dismal employment report sent the dollar lower.

At the pump, gas prices rose 1.4 cents overnight to a national average of $3.303 a gallon, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. That's the latest in a series of records, and about 60 cents higher than a year ago.

While oil's surge above $100 over the last month has boosted gas prices so far this year, analysts now expect gas prices to continue rising regardless of what direction crude takes. The Energy Department expects prices to peak near $3.50 a gallon later in the spring, but many analysts predict the spike could approach $4.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/04/post_107_n_95155.html

==================================================

McCain's foreign policies are to blame.

McCain ... same as Bush.

Posted by BobVADemHawk-Obama08 on April 5, 2008 at 11:33 AM

I forget the exact numbers I heard yesterday of the BO and HC supporters that won't vote for the other candidate if it's not the ONE they support, but combined I think it was over 50%. After thinking about it, the only way to avoid this is to have a HC and BO ticket. Anything else is not fair to the second place finisher and supporters, and bad for the party. It's the only for party unity.

Lots of "swift-boating" going on. I think it got real bad when Mark Penn rolled out the "kitchen sink" strategy. He threw the sink plus the garbage disposal.What did it buy him? Not much.

Now, it's been revealed that Mark Penn is advocating for the Columbia Free Trade bill while Clinton opposed the bill. This is just unreal.

Mark Penn must go now!

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/04/04/obama-refutes-colombian-president/?mod=WSJBlog

Posted by Big_Yellow_Dog on April 5, 2008 at 11:42 AM
==================================================

funny how you listed Obama second ...

We'll see yellow dog, we'll see.

Market Tumbles on News That Bush Is Still President
by Andy Borowitz

President George W. Bush used a Rose Garden appearance today to reassure investors that he was at the helm of the U.S. economy, causing stock markets to plummet around the world.

"You don't have to worry about this economy, because I am in charge of it," said Mr. Bush, touching off what some observers were calling a global financial panic.

Mr. Bush began his remarks about the economy at 10:30 a.m. EST, and by 10:31 markets around the world had already gone into a perilous free-fall.

According to Wall Street insiders, the markets were responding to the news that Mr. Bush was still president.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-borowitz/market-tumbles-on-news-th_b_94866.html

==================================================

Chimpy McFlightSuit Bush still has the stick. Everyone head to the fortified bunkers.

Posted by goodfoe on April 5, 2008 at 03:49 AM

Is there anything the Republicans won't do to destroy this country? Now they want to set up a national bank for infrastructure projects?

The GOP would privatize the whole process and let rich people buy shares. And if it's mismanaged or the money is speculated on bad investments (if?)...the taxpayer backs the entire amount for the investors?

We end up with badly consturcted highways/airports/bridges/ports, owned by private investors (mostly foreign), and if they whole deal caves in we pay for it all?

I can't believe how corrupt and greedy these multinational bastards are. They aren't Americans; they're globalization crooks and swindlers.

I want to hear what each one of the remaining three candidates stand on this disgusting, insulting, and down right offessive proposal.

Here we are in a scond Bush recession caused by welfare for the wealthy and an unnecesary war...on the back of another savings & loan scandal...and the Republicans want American taxpayers to buy into another pyramid scheme?

Whichever Democrat gets on top of this new issue and exploits it first and thoroughly deserves the nomination.

Lord, save us for the family values Republicans and their traveling snake oil salvation show.

Has there ever been less loyal and patriotic Americans? Have there ever been such blatant hucksters? Has the MSM ever been so asleep at the wheel?

Posted by Big_Yellow_Dog on April 5, 2008 at 11:34 AM

Are you counting the one that you just made about Gore and the EC? That's way off the subject...

Is it really? VP Gore won the popular vote and lost the electoral college in 2000 thus losing the presidency to the worst president since Hoover. The junior senator from NY won the popular vote in TX but came out with less delegates because she lost the caucus. I think that correlation is fairly clear.

...After the election, it's a different matter. We have unequal representation...

I didn't hear of single story that claimed Hispanics were not allowed to participate in the caucuses. There is no "unequal representation". Operation Chaos had a lot easier time hiding behind a voting booth curtain than in the light of day of a caucus.

Cindy McCain's Fortune Provides Senator With Private Jets, Vacation Homes

On a spring day at a speedway in the South, John McCain posed with his wife, Cindy, and racing star Dale Earnhardt Jr., highlighting the couple's political and business interests in a single snapshot.

McCain served as honorary starter of the NASCAR race that weekend in Charlotte, N.C. Earnhardt drove the Budweiser car, painted military camouflage, rather than its trademark red, to honor the troops.

Budweiser, then NASCAR's official beer, is brewed by Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., whose products have made Cindy McCain and her family a fortune.

The brewer sold toy replicas of its race car to aid the Special Operations Warrior Foundation and publicized its support for the group, on whose board John McCain served and whose chairman later endorsed him. The speedway appearance helped McCain court NASCAR voters, and his campaign circulated video of the event over the Internet.

The McCains' marriage has mixed business and politics from the beginning, according to an expansive review by The Associated Press of thousands of pages of campaign, personal finance, real estate and property records nationwide. The paperwork chronicles the McCains' ascent from Arizona newlyweds to political power couple on the national stage.

As heiress to her father's stake in Hensley & Co. of Phoenix, Cindy McCain is an executive whose worth may exceed $100 million. Her beer earnings have afforded the GOP presidential nominee a wealthy lifestyle with a private jet and vacation homes at his disposal, and her connections helped him launch his political career -- even if the millions remain in her name alone. Yet the arm's-length distance between McCain and his wife's assets also has helped shield him from conflict-of-interest problems.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/03/cindy-mccains-fortune-pro_n_94833.html

=================================================

Being the Beer Queen, she must be able to get pretzels cheap. I hear Chimpy McFlightSuit Bush needs some pretzels.

McCain ... same as Bush.

Has there ever been less loyal and patriotic Americans? Have there ever been such blatant hucksters? Has the MSM ever been so asleep at the wheel?

Posted by SandyH on April 5, 2008 at 11:56 AM
=====================================================
Sandy,

They are as bad as the Republicans of the 1920's. Herbert Hoover lives again!

The MSM are tools of this corruption.

Posted by Big_Yellow_Dog on April 5, 2008 at 11:42 AM

Again, we agree. And that number keeps creeping up the longer this primary fight goes. I have no problem with a Obama\Clinton or Clinton\Obama ticket. However, it is ultimately up to the winning candidate and the convention delegates to choose our VPOTUS nominee.

I am a Democrat and I am voting for a Democrat on 4NOV08.

Joe Biden: The Surge Is A Failure

WASHINGTON — A leading Democrat on Saturday declared last year's troop buildup in Iraq a failure. Sen. Joe Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the military push didn't succeed because U.S. troops remain committed there in large numbers and political reconciliation has not been achieved. "The purpose of the surge was to bring violence in Iraq down so that its leaders could come together politically," said Biden, D-Del., in this week's Democratic radio address. "Violence has come down, but the Iraqis have not come together." He later added, "There is little evidence the Iraqis will settle their differences peacefully any time soon." Biden offered an early rebuttal to next week's testimony by Gen. David Petraeus, the top military commander in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador there. Petraeus and Crocker are expected to say the recent buildup in troops has succeeded in improving security. But they also likely will say that a period of assessment is needed this summer before officials can decide whether troop withdrawals can continue. Democrats have called this approach unacceptable and said they would pursue an alternative policy through legislation. They said their focus will be on restoring the strength of the Army and Marines and refocusing the nation's resources on fighting terrorists in Afghanistan. "I believe the president has no strategy for success in Iraq," Biden said. "His plan is to muddle through, and hand the problem off to his successor." Republicans say they are satisfied with the recent drop in violence and that more time is needed to improve the situation there.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/05/joe-biden-the-surge-is-a_n_95221.html

==============================================

Damn right Senator Biden!

The surge has failed.
Bush has failed.
McCain has failed.

Posted by SandyH on April 5, 2008 at 11:56 AM

...Has the MSM ever been so asleep at the wheel?

Ever since the Fairness Doctrine was eliminated, it's been all downhill. Also, accounting for the partiality of some MSM broadcasts is "the business of news" (a la FNS). When the production of news became a business instead of a public service (a la PBS) we all suffered and the sheeple became that much more dumb. Conservatism flourishes in an ignorant society.

I think that correlation is fairly clear.

Posted by BobVADemHawk-Obama08 at 11:56 AM

The problem is that they counted the Hispanic caucuses less than American American caucuses. They did it to cheat the Hispanics, and you know it.
They can make any law they want, but that doesn't make it right. YOU CAN'T COUNT ONE RACE LESS THAN ANOTHER RACE LIKE THEY DID. It was unfair.

Posted by rjsnj on April 5, 2008 at 12:05 PM

Sen. Biden (D-DE), having lost his Presidential bid, would still make a fine Secretary of State, Director of Homeland Security, or Secretary of Defense, IMHO. I hope whomever our nominee is would agree.

Posted by Big_Yellow_Dog on April 5, 2008 at 12:20 PM

That may require a willing suspension of disbelief, to borrow a phrase from the junior senator from NY.

If it was a districting issue, there was plenty of time to bring that up before the TX primary. If Hispanics, or anyone for that matter, were being turned away at the caucuses for illegitimate reasons, I've haven't seen any credible accounts of such. If Hispanics feel the need to use the judiciary for recourse for a perceived injustice, that is what it is there for. Again, we are a nation of law, not men.

BBL my fellow Democrats.

Posted by rjsnj on April 5, 2008 at 12:02 PM

rj,

I'm so pissed by this latest Rudman Infrastructure Bank proposal.

The American taxpayers are supposed to take all the risk, own none of the assets, and be responsible for all the liability?

If this is such a great idea, why didn't somebody try it in the last 4,000 years; or did they, and were burned at the stake or thrown into a volcano?

The GOP wants to get rid of our Constitutional form of government entirely and run the country like some of investment club with the working man backing all the speculation...mainly by foreigners.

I'm sick of these Banana Republicans. I want our party to call them out.

It's time this fight came out into plain view and voters had a chance to see what is going on. There is a group of globalization anarchists who don't care about the survial of the Amerian way of life who are pushing this thing.

The GOP is the tool they are using to run the scam and there are some Democrats who are in on it, too.

The founding fathers might be dead, but that's no reason not to keep is The Dream alive. Are we just too lazy or are we just content to watch our children become serfs? The Republicans have taken one of the best ideas that the world ever came up and are trying to destroy it for short-term personal game.

Why are there Democratic leaders who are willing to go along with it? Why aren't we targeting them for extinction?

Conservatism flourishes in an ignorant society.

Posted by BobVADemHawk-Obama08 on April 5, 2008 at 12:12 PM

evangelical religious fools also flourish in an ignorant society.

Posted by Big_Yellow_Dog on April 5, 2008 at 11:03 AM
Losing Florida may have contributed to the mess, but ignoring the West and Midwestern "small" states allowed Florida to be that important.
If the Democrats had bothered to treat the vast midsection of our country as though the people and the issues that are important to us were important to the rest of the country, neither of those two eastern states, Florida, and Ohio would have mattered. No matter how much the Republicans messed with their voting.
NO, Ohio is not Midwestern, it is Eastern Rustbelt with it's own set of problems. It hasn't been Midwestern in composition for about 100 years.
But the Democrat Losership Committee with its east coast attitudes prevailed, and that allowed the Republicans to screw the voters of those states, the Democratic party, and the the rest of us.
The real saving grace about this drawn-out primary, is that the candidates are now forced to go into the "hinterlands" and deal with the issues that are important to the rest of us, and should be important to anyone who buys groceries.
Witness the fact that because of our June 3 Primary, we are getting Clinton and Obama to come out and talk to Montanans. Something like that hasn't happened for decades.
Iowa doesn't count, as much as it would like to, because candidates usually go to Iowa, mouth whatever the speech writers put before them, shake a few hands, eat some good Iowa beef, and then forget about the rural areas until some lobbyist from BigAgraBusiness comes in with campaign contributions and a new scheme to drive more family farmers off the land.
Obama, at least is from a split state, half urban and half rural, and which is, in effect, a microcosm of this country.
He should understand our problems better than Hillary, who has no clue, being an eastern urbanite, in spite of having resided in Arkansas long enough for her husband to have been its governor. She's got as much feeling for the problems of rural and small town people as those other Arkansans, the Waltons, do.
As long as the Democratic party doesn't listen to the DLC and start blowing off us "small" staters again, this election should be Democratic hands down.

The real saving grace about this drawn-out primary, is that the candidates are now forced to go into the "hinterlands" and deal with the issues that are important to the rest of us, and should be important to anyone who buys groceries.
Witness the fact that because of our June 3 Primary, we are getting Clinton and Obama to come out and talk to Montanans. Something like that hasn't happened for decades.

Butte,

I'm in complete agreement. Last sections of this nation have been ignored and their problems trivalized. This Centralist strategy that uses targeted marketing to niche voters is for selling soap not investing in people and the health of this nation.

When the Dynamic Duo come calling, ask each of them where they stand on the Banana Republicans idea for an Infrastruture Bank.

"I believe the president has no strategy for success in Iraq," Biden said. "His plan is to muddle through, and hand the problem off to his successor."

Brazen it out is more like it.

Has anyone recently questioned why we are still in South Korea? The Republicans (McCain in particular) keep on making a comparison between Iraq and Korea.

I get the impression the South Koreans would like us to get out of their way. For the past decade they (and Japan) have been making gestures to the North Koreans and our foreign policy knocks them down every time.

Why are we still in South Korea? Why can't the South Koreans reconcile with the North?

It's pretty obvious that we are the problem. Going on sixty years we are the problem. No wonder McCain talks about 100 years for the Iraqi occupation.

We are the problem in Iraq, too. Are we going to be the problem in Iran, too?

bbl.

GORE/OBAMA 2008
CLICK ON MY NAME
hey, stranger things have happened.
Gore has always been my first choice.

Well, at least someone has some guts / smarts. Maybe Hillary should follow suit and get rid of this cretin.

Colombian Government Fires Mark Penn

To the person who posted an article by Fox News commentator, Dick Morris, you have reached an all-time low on this bb. Dick Morris is a Fox News lying sack of bs. Dick Morris is lower than Ann Coulter. And only our lowest trolls post articles by her. This is exactly what I'm talking about when I say that the Democratic swiftboating of HC is in full swing. Rove would be proud.

Posted by Big_Yellow_Dog on April 5, 2008 at 11:12 AM

To BYD,
That was my post. I know who Dick Morris is, where he came from and what his objectives are. At the start of my post I wrote, "Mnnnnnnnnnnnnnn, Dick Morris is supporting Obama?" I thought his article was informative because it shows just the tip of the iceberg of what Hillary will be subjected to if she is the Democratic nominee. It will be "Laundry Gate" all over again.

Hillary and her campaign had a choice to make after Super Tuesday, run on her position on the issues or go to the "Throw the kitchen sink at Obams" strategy. Sadly, she chose the second option which may be hurting not only Obama, but also the Democratic Party. It appears that the Clinton campaign attitude is that if Hillary can't get the nomination, she will so damage Obama so as to guarantee his defeat against McCain, in which case, she could then run against McCain in four more years. I don't think it is working. To me, Obama appears to be weathering it all rather well and carrying on. And this is what the Democratic Party primary is all about, a test of the candidates. If Hillary gets the nomination, I will vote for her. But I think the majority of Obama supporters may not. They may be too turned off by the way she has run her campaign. Do the math, with out the Obama supporters supporting her in large numbers, she can not win. "If you live by the sword, you may well die by the sword."

Posted by SandyH on April 5, 2008 at 01:27 PM
Why are we still in South Korea?
South Koreans are divided on the issue themselves.
But the crux of the matter is that most South Koreans, like many of their neighbors do not trust the Chinese.
While some of the younger Koreans would like the US to pull out, many of the older ones, with memories of the Korean conflict, and the heavy Chinese involvement, what China did in its invasion of Tibet, and the continuing consequences Tibet's illegal occupation, as well as the current Chinese sponsored "insurgency" in Nepal, are wanting US forces to stay.
The current growth of Chinese power and wealth coupled with their increase in military spending, particularly in warships(remember, Korea is a peninsula) has caused even some of the critics of US forces to change their minds.
US forces are in Korea at the behest of the Korean government, they act as a deterrent because they would back up the Korean army in case they are invaded by NK's "Dear Leader" and his Chinese allies from the North.
They have nothing to do with Korea's government, and historically, we came in twice and helped rebuild the country after first Japan, and then North Korea and the Chinese invaded it. We did not destroy Korea's government at any time. The Japanese did, and the NK and the Chinese tried to.
We came to their rescue.
You cannot draw any kind of parallel between our helping South Korea against superior enemies, and our illegal unilateral invasion of Iraq on phony pretexts. A more apt parallel with Iraq would be Hitler's invasion of Poland.

Fair is fair. I just heard part of a speech given by Hillary in North Carolina. I did not hear her mention Obama once. She gave a very good, upbeat talk, energized the crowd and then took questions. In the part that I saw, she did an excellent job.

I'm going to get some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz's....later....

Posted by Butte on April 5, 2008 at 03:13 PM

We should've been out of Korea after the Cold War ended. Kim Jong Il is crazy, but not stupid. If he is told that if he crosses the 38th Parallel into the DMZ that we'll show up with a Carrier Battle Group, or two, and carpet bomb his short arse back to the stone age, he'll pay attention. Think of how much money has been spent maintaining a 30K soldier force over the past five and a half decades.

Furthermore, those soldiers in Korea are nothing more than cannon fodder. N. Korea has so many conventional artillery pieces, and nuclear for that matter, that with a few salvos, they could decimate our forces in S. Korea. And what would happen next, you ask? We'd show up with a couple of CBG and bomb his short arse back to the stone age. Six of one, a half dozen of another...

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Bush administration plans to announce next week that U.S. soldiers' combat tours will be reduced from 15 months to 12 months in Iraq and Afghanistan beginning later this summer.

The decision, which still requires final, formal approval, comes as Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, prepares to deliver a progress report to Congress next week on the improved security situation there. He is also expected to make recommendations for future troop levels.

A senior administration official said Friday that plans are to deploy soldiers for 12 months, then give them 12 months rest time at home. Exactly which units would be affected is not yet clear. The official spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23961982/

And yet, when my home senator, Sen. Webb (D-VA) attempted to get this plan through the Senate, the GOP filibustered. Once again, we were correct all along.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. State Department has agreed to renew Blackwater USA's license to protect diplomats in Baghdad for one year while the FBI investigates a 2007 incident in which the company's guards are accused of killing 17 Iraqis.

Assistant Secretary of State Gregory Starr told reporters Friday that because the shooting of Baghdad civilians is still under investigation, there is no reason not to renew the contract when it comes due in May. Blackwater has a five-year deal to provide personal protection for diplomats, which is reauthorized each year.

Iraqis were outraged over a Sept. 16 shooting in which 17 civilians were killed in a Baghdad square. Blackwater said its guards were protecting diplomats under attack before they opened fire, but Iraqi investigators concluded the shooting was unprovoked...

Asked whether the Blackwater Baghdad deal could be scrapped if the FBI investigation found wrongdoing, Starr said: "We can terminate contracts at the convenience of the government if we have to."

"I am not going to prejudge what the FBI is going to find in their investigation. I think really, it is complex. I think that the U.S. government needs protective services," he said...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23961119/

Uh, Mr. Assistant Secretary, the U.S. Government does have protection. It's called the United States Armed Forces! Of course, you and your ilk have them tied up in the quagmire of Iraq.

Mercs are not the solution. The draft is not the solution though it is not a bad idea, IMHO. Keeping us out of unecessary wars is. Although if we reinstated the draft I have a suspicion that we would not get ourselves into quagmires because everyone would have someone at stake.

NEW YORK (AP) - Retail gas prices surged to a new record above $3.30 a gallon Friday and appear poised to rise further in coming weeks as gasoline supplies tighten.

Oil prices, meanwhile, supported the gas price rally by jumping more than $2 a barrel after a dismal employment report sent the dollar lower.

At the pump, gas prices rose 1.4 cents overnight to a national average of $3.303 a gallon, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. That�s the latest in a series of records, and about 60 cents higher than a year ago..

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12400801/

Want to see oil prices drop 50% in less than six months? Pass legislation that starts an Apollo-type project into the U.S. becoming energy independent by 1JAN20.

If memory serves, about 55% - 65% of our oil is foreign. Most of the countries we purchase oil from do not have our best interests in mind. If you disagree with that statement, name three of the OPEC nations that we are friendly with. I respectfully remind all who read this that 15 of the 19 11SEP01 hijackers were Saudi, not Iranian, not Syrian, not Russian, nor Venezuelan, but Saudi. It is a matter of national security that this nation achieves energy independence as soon as possible.

And yet, when my home senator, Sen. Webb (D-VA) attempted to get this plan through the Senate, the GOP filibustered. Once again, we were correct all along.
Posted by BobVADemHawk-Obama08 on April 5, 2008 at 03:56 PM

afternoon, Bob

Obstruction has been the name of the game these Republicans have been playing, in an attempt to say that Democrats did not get anything done! They also fought our bills, just because they are so filled with anger and meanness. I will be be so happy come November, if of those 21 Repug Senate seats, we can take take half of them, and then tell them all to go to hell !

Afternoon all good Dems,

Blackwater acts just like Hitler's Brownshirts.

They consisted of an uncontrolled mob that went around beating up anyone they wished and humiliating Jews.

They were under no obligation to anyone but Hitler. They could kill with impunity.

The Night of the Long Knives they torched almost every Synagog in Germany because Hitler was pissed at the Jews.

We should not be using mercenaries under any circumstances.

Have a nice weekend fellow Democrats. Keep the Faith and keep the faith. The populist revolution has begun!

Yes we can!

Si se puede!

Change we can believe in!

Freaken dope should never have taken the troops that were first there out, to send to his illegal invasion! Where he is going to get these troops from, God only knows, because the Military Generals are saying the troops are spread too thin already!

Bush Pledges to Send More Troops to Afghanistan

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040508A.shtml

Posted by BobVADemHawk-Obama08 on April 5, 2008 at 03:44 PM
Carpetbomb them back to the Stone Age?
Actually, thanks to the Kims, the North Koreans are pretty much there already.
Kim Jong Il, whether he wants to admit it or not is not the major player in this game set, and carpet bombing NK would be pretty stupid on our part. It would NOT solve the problem, because "Dear Leader" is a pawn.
China would just love us to do something stupid like that. It would give them all sorts of excuses to take the Korean peninsula, move into Taiwan, finish off Nepal, and rattle rockets at the Japanese, and the rest of the Pacific Rim.
China once considered itself the center of the Universe, and behind the Communist facade, is the desire to restore it's "rightful" place as the center of the Universe again.
Hmmm, you have a oligarchial country which wants to be the center of the world, is building up its financial and military clout, is buying out its nearest rival, and has made "historical" claims on domination of its neighbors, the Korean peninsula included.
AND WE ARE KISSING ITS BUTT!!!!
Not only that, but our own government, through it's short sighted egotistical actions has single handedly done more to destroy our military than any enemy has done since the British burned the White House in 1814!
Here's another parallel to history, the current upcoming Olympic Games. There are a lot of overtones of the 1936 Games in this. Complete with the supression of certain ethinic groups, and the Chinese choosing to route the torch very symbolically along the Himalayas.
Everybody, put down your tainted Chinese goods and back away slowly from those trade agreements.

Bob,

How do we get congress off their dead asses and do it. It is imperative that we start the Apollo Program as soon as possible. We must be energy independent ASAP.

This is the first "recession" I have been through in my 72 years where we also have rampant inflation.

Thank you President Asshole for the Great Republican Depression of 2009. Then these assholes will blame it all on the Democrats and a majority of the public will just be stupid enough to believe the Assholes.

bush and cheney should have been impeached in 2006. Not it is too late. We should impeach half of the Senate too.

Posted by Johne on April 5, 2008 at 04:30 PM
No, we shouldn't. Many of these mercenaries put dollars ahead of honor, and like a lot of rent a cops, are in it for the power trip. They get their thrills pushing people around.
What I want to know, is when is congress going to start digging into these no-bid contracts, and also the alleged ties between Blackwater and the Christian right-wing extremists in this country. You know, the Fundamentalists who are trying to indoctrinate our military and make them "government salaried missionaries", who have infiltrated the Air Force Academy and some basic training units?
This whole thing is starting to sound like a B-grade movie, and it's reality is scary!

Good Afternoon everyone!

Obama's Headquarters opened this morning with a packed house and Tim Roemer doing the honors! It was terrific! I met a lot of people, several from Obama's team here in Indiana. Of course, everyone was talking about a possible Obama visit. We have a hugh gym that we could probably fill for the man. But you know, it's Indiana and it's a small Republican town...I don't think he'd come here but we can hope!

So, Indiana is off to the races. Ethel Kennedy was in South Bend to announce her support of Obama. Things are just starting to pick up. I'm sure in a few weeks all hell will break lose. Our primary is May 6th.

Going to pour myself an Absolute on the Rocks before we burn a steak - have a great evening...

Keep on Rockn'

Butte,

I think it is time to shut down the Air Force Academy and West Point and Annapolis if this shit keeps up.

We also need to "lean" on the fundamentalists in this country. A good place to start would be lifting their tax exemptions. They are screwing us every way we turn.

It is time to stop these people in their tracks. Look what happened in the Muslim countries where the fundamentalists have taken over.

Butte,

I think it is time to shut down the Air Force Academy and West Point and Annapolis if this shit keeps up.

We also need to "lean" on the fundamentalists in this country. A good place to start would be lifting their tax exemptions. They are screwing us every way we turn.

It is time to stop these people in their tracks. Look what happened in the Muslim countries where the fundamentalists have taken over.

LIAR LIAR PANT SUITS ON FIRE. Hillary is lying AGAIN on the campaign trail. This time it is the story of the woman who allgedly was pregnant and turned away from the hospital becuase she was uninsured and was told she had to pay them $100 which she couldn't, and she and her baby eventually died. This is a section from a yahoo News article.

Also Saturday, Clinton campaign officials acknowledged that an anecdote Clinton has made a staple of her stump speech in recent weeks may not have been true and wasn't thoroughly checked for accuracy before she began repeating it on the campaign trail.

Since competing in Ohio's March 4 primary, Clinton has shared the story of an Ohio woman who worked in a pizza parlor and died after giving birth to a stillborn child. The woman was uninsured, Clinton said, and twice denied medical care at a local hospital because she couldn't pay a $100 fee.

Clinton said she learned of the story from a deputy sheriff whose home she visited while campaigning in Ohio. She told the story as recently as late Friday, at a rally in Grand Forks, N.D.

Officials with O'Bleness Memorial Hospital in Athens, Ohio, have disputed the story, saying the woman, Trina Bachtel, was insured and did receive care through an obstetric practice affiliated with the hospital, The New York Times reported Saturday.

Hospital officials did not immediately return phone calls Saturday from The Associated Press.

Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee acknowledged that the campaign had tried but hadn't been able to "fully vet" the story before she began repeating it on the campaign trail.

"She tells the story as it was told to her by the deputy sheriff. She had no reason to doubt his word," Elleithee said. "If the hospital claims it didn't happen that way, we certainly respect that and she won't repeat the story. She never mentions the hospital by name and isn't trying to cast blame."
By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer
37 minutes ago

OK Hillary supporters how will you explain this one away? This woman is showing herself to be a compulsive liar ,and I don't know how you can believe a SINGLE WORD she says anymore.

The latest on the Brazilian Caper.

10 things you should know about John McCain (but probably don't):

1. John McCain voted against establishing a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now he says his position has "evolved," yet he's continued to oppose key civil rights laws.1

2. According to Bloomberg News, McCain is more hawkish than Bush on Iraq, Russia and China. Conservative columnist Pat Buchanan says McCain "will make Cheney look like Gandhi."2

3. His reputation is built on his opposition to torture, but McCain voted against a bill to ban waterboarding, and then applauded President Bush for vetoing that ban.3

4. McCain opposes a woman's right to choose. He said, "I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned."4

5. The Children's Defense Fund rated McCain as the worst senator in Congress for children. He voted against the children's health care bill last year, then defended Bush's veto of the bill.5

6. He's one of the richest people in a Senate filled with millionaires. The Associated Press reports he and his wife own at least eight homes! Yet McCain says the solution to the housing crisis is for people facing foreclosure to get a "second job" and skip their vacations.6

7. Many of McCain's fellow Republican senators say he's too reckless to be commander in chief. One Republican senator said: "The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He's erratic. He's hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."7

8. McCain talks a lot about taking on special interests, but his campaign manager and top advisers are actually lobbyists. The government watchdog group Public Citizen says McCain has 59 lobbyists raising money for his campaign, more than any of the other presidential candidates.8

9. McCain has sought closer ties to the extreme religious right in recent years. The pastor McCain calls his "spiritual guide," Rod Parsley, believes America's founding mission is to destroy Islam, which he calls a "false religion." McCain sought the political support of right-wing preacher John Hagee, who believes Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for gay rights and called the Catholic Church "the Antichrist" and a "false cult."9

10. He positions himself as pro-environment, but he scored a 0—yes, zero—from the League of Conservation Voters last year.10

John McCain is not who the Washington press corps make him out to be. Please help get the word out—forward this email to your personal network.

Posted by justaguy on April 5, 2008 at 05:11 PM

yep.
I hope she keeps telling lies and getting caught.
OBAMA YES WE CAN!!

Posted by Big_Yellow_Dog on April 5, 2008 at 10:46 AM

Ok, I really can't talk about this any more. I've already given you my arguments and I've told you why I disagree with you. We're going around in circles here. If this is Clinton's best idea for suing TX, I can't support it.

Hey Butte!
I just read that Obama is in your neck of the woods....Butte, Montana (for the Mansfield-Metcalf dinner....whatever that is). Are you being bombarded with ads and volunteers?

I feel sorry for Delawareans these days; They had their primary in Feb but because they are in the Phila TV market and have no real stations of their own, they are having to suffer through the daily assault of ads aimed at PA voters! Poor saps. That was one advantage of "being punished in FL for moving the date;" there were no ads at all! Nothing, nada, never saw one political anything prior to the primary.

Did anybody here go to college? Recession equals two CONSECUTIVE quarters of negative job growth. But don't let facts get in the way of politics.

Did anybody here go to college? Recession equals two CONSECUTIVE quarters of negative job growth. But don't let facts get in the way of politics.

Posted by PamB on April 5, 2008 at 07:34 PM
Another thing I heard being bandied about by media recently is that the Dem candidates will "risk being labeled viscious or unfair" is they attack McCain's military bent. They said it will be seen as an attack on his service and *cough cough* heroism. Why CAN'T they point out his propensity for war-mongering without being criticized given that most of the country is opposed to this war?

So now that we know Hillary and bill made 109 million since 2000, I guess we can assume that they liked that time period? While they complain that thousands have lost jobs, yada yada yada, they did OK. Hmmmmmmmm

Well, the "cough cough" is exactly what will get him elected. Newsflash there fellow American from Florida. He spent 5 years as a POW and never flinched. That pretty much makes him a hero. Same goes for Max Cleland, Dan Inouhe, Bush 31, Bob Dole, and Bob Kerry. Party doesn't matter when you serve.

Thanks for reminding us why people are tired of political parties.

Has anyone here heard any mention by any of the candidates about their views on Supreme Court candidate possibilities? or at least thei view on the role of the Justices? Two of them are barely hanging on by a thread and will surely retire once the election is complete. Their proposed replacements have the potential to "stack" the deck for decades to come....

Posted by ivoteindependent on April 5, 2008 at 10:16 PM

well depending upon whom you believe, he also sold out and left behind his fellow POW's to save himself and apparently has been pretty cagey about addressing it.

Posted by justaguy on April 5, 2008 at 05:11 PM
Posted by Sadie on April 5, 2008 at 08:14 PM

She didn't lie. She related a story that a Sheriff told her. You people are swiftboating Hillary. Is this "politics of hope" we hear about? You stoop so low as to believe a hospital caught neglecting a person over the Sheriff. Some ethics there.

At one time, I figured that Democrats had higher standards, and higher ethics. But thanks to people like you, and the other rabid Obama supporters, I admit I was wrong. Democrats can be just as unfair, mean spirited, and manipulative as Republicans. Way to go, people. You make me ashamed to be a Democrat.

Thanks to SOME of the Obama supporters here, the "politics of hope" has taken a detour over the POTHOLES of NOPE. Was it just rhetoric all along? Are you running out of good things to say about Obama, and getting desperate? Sure looks like it.

I believe the Sheriff, not the hospital. Hillary was telling the truth, according to the law enforcement official. Way to run with a lie, Obama people. Rush would be proud.

Posted by Butte on April 5, 2008 at 01:03 PM

Look how sloppy your post is. Kindly try to do better next time. It's hard to read. I did gather that you think that Ohio is not the Midwest. I don't want to debate silly things. And your attack on Hillary is absurd. She is from Illinois, she lived in AK for over a decade and a half, and NY is very split too. You are out-to-lunch. Buh-bye.

Posted by margotb822 on April 5, 2008 at 08:23 PM

I never said Hillary should sue. I said that Hispanic advocates, or a coalition, should sue. I hope I made my point that the caucus was unfair because it counted Hispanics people less. Hillary won the popular vote of Texas. Most Texans picked Hillary for President. Obama won the WEIGHTED caucus that devalued the Hispanic and rural white voters. I would rather win the popular, over the party system race-based game, any day. VIVA HILLARY! :P

I would rather win the popular, over the party system race-based game, any day. VIVA HILLARY! :P

Posted by Big_Yellow_Dog on April 5, 2008 at 11:36 PM

I'm sure Gore felt that way too...unfortunately, it didn't win him the WH.
And just what do you mean by "devalued the Hispanic and rural white voters?" Do they only count their votes by half or something? Or as not "real vootes?" I know folks in Texas and they don't see their system the way you do at all.

Do they only count their votes by half or something?

Posted by FloridaDemToo on April 6, 2008 at 12:31 AM

For the caucus, yes. Get it now? It had nothing to do with the number of people caucusing. The EC argument was way off the mark.

Posted by FrostyMacCowpies on April 6, 2008 at 02:58 AM

And the UN is a source of truth because......?
I wouldn't trust them if they told me red was red.
Besides, recent activity in the polar regions proves otherwise. One had only to see with their own eyes that recent fracturing of the largest ice shelf in the Arctic to know better.

Dear MoveOn member,

For all the coverage this week of Senator John McCain's background, there are some important things you won't learn about him from the TV networks. His carefully crafted positive image relies on people not knowing this stuff—and you might be surprised by some of it.

Please check out the list below, and then forward it to your friends, family, and coworkers. We can't rely on the media to tell folks about the real John McCain—but if we all pass this along, we can reach as many people as CNN Headline News does on a good night.

Click here to tell us how many people you can pass it on to—and to see our progress nationally:

http://pol.moveon.org/mccain10/?id=12407-6923278-7KFjB5&t=231
10 things you should know about John McCain (but probably don't):

1. John McCain voted against establishing a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Now he says his position has "evolved," yet he's continued to oppose key civil rights laws.1

2. According to Bloomberg News, McCain is more hawkish than Bush on Iraq, Russia and China. Conservative columnist Pat Buchanan says McCain "will make Cheney look like Gandhi."2
3. His reputation is built on his opposition to torture, but McCain voted against a bill to ban waterboarding, and then applauded President Bush for vetoing that ban.3

4. McCain opposes a woman's right to choose. He said, "I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned."4

5. The Children's Defense Fund rated McCain as the worst senator in Congress for children. He voted against the children's health care bill last year, then defended Bush's veto of the bill.5

6. He's one of the richest people in a Senate filled with millionaires. The Associated Press reports he and his wife own at least eight homes! Yet McCain says the solution to the housing crisis is for people facing foreclosure to get a "second job" and skip their vacations.6

7. Many of McCain's fellow Republican senators say he's too reckless to be commander in chief. One Republican senator said: "The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine. He's erratic. He's hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."7

8. McCain talks a lot about taking on special interests, but his campaign manager and top advisers are actually lobbyists. The government watchdog group Public Citizen says McCain has 59 lobbyists raising money for his campaign, more than any of the other presidential candidates.8

9. McCain has sought closer ties to the extreme religious right in recent years. The pastor McCain calls his "spiritual guide," Rod Parsley, believes America's founding mission is to destroy Islam, which he calls a "false religion." McCain sought the political support of right-wing preacher John Hagee, who believes Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for gay rights and called the Catholic Church "the Antichrist" and a "false cult."9

10. He positions himself as pro-environment, but he scored a 0—yes, zero—from the League of Conservation Voters last year.10
John McCain is not who the Washington press corps make him out to be. Please help get the word out—forward this email to your personal network. And if you want us to keep you posted on MoveOn's work to get the truth out about John McCain, sign up here:

http://pol.moveon.org/mccaintruth/?id=12407-6923278-7KFjB5&t=232

Thank you for all you do.

–Eli, Justin, Noah, Laura, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Saturday, April 5th, 2008

Sources:
1. "The Complicated History of John McCain and MLK Day," ABC News, April 3, 2008
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/04/the-complicated.html

"McCain Facts," ColorOfChange.org, April 4, 2008
http://colorofchange.org/mccain_facts/

2. "McCain More Hawkish Than Bush on Russia, China, Iraq," Bloomberg News, March 12, 2008
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aF28rSCtk0ZM&refer=us

"Buchanan: John McCain 'Will Make Cheney Look Like Gandhi,'" ThinkProgress, February 6, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/06/buchanan-gandhi-mccain/

3. "McCain Sides With Bush On Torture Again, Supports Veto Of Anti-Waterboarding Bill," ThinkProgress, February 20, 2008
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/20/mccain-torture-veto/

4. "McCain says Roe v. Wade should be overturned," MSNBC, February 18, 2007
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17222147/

5. "2007 Children's Defense Fund Action Council® Nonpartisan Congressional Scorecard," February 2008
http://www.childrensdefense.org/site/PageServer?pagename=act_learn_scorecard2007

"McCain: Bush right to veto kids health insurance expansion," CNN, October 3, 2007

Happy Slacker Sunday, johnboy!

Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.

- Psalm 30:5

good morning goodfoe. cloudy and fifty here today. we'll take it with a smile.

frank rich has some stuff to say about last weeks little dust up in iraq:

"That’s why it’s no surprise that so few stopped to absorb the disastrous six-day battle of Basra that ended last week — a mini-Tet that belied the “success” of the surge."

Weather is great here in SE OH. Mostly sunny with high's in the 60's forecasted for all this week.

I'm cleaning the gutters and raking the yard right after breakfast!

Life is good and getting better all the time!

I know it's an "old" article, but with a busy schedule, I can only read/post few and far between.

Iowa Adopts Statewide Paper Ballot System for November 2008