Michael: As always, thank you for the great job that you do!

Hopefully the endorsement of John Edwards for Senator Obama shows that the Democratic Party can actually represent all and not only White Americans. Hillary Clinton at this point is a divisive individual that intentionally or unintentionally brings out racism. THis is not the United States of America that we need. Thank you Mr. Edwards for returning the hope to all of us. Gracias, parece que todavia podemos confiar en el partido. Si Obama gana podemos decir Si se puede. Si gana Hillary es hora de darle el voto castigo al racismo escondido.

Republican fear election juggernaut

By Edward Luce and Andrew Ward in Washington

Published: May 14 2008 18:49 | Last updated: May 14 2008 18:49

Hillary Clinton’s supporters on Tuesday proclaimed her crushing victory in West Virginia as evidence of Barack Obama’s continuing weakness among blue collar workers. But the simultaneous Democratic victory in a Mississippi congressional race suggested there may be little the Republicans can do to stop 2008 from being a washout.

Fuelled by a strong African-American turnout, the Democratic win in Mississippi on Tuesday delivered the third consecutive Republican congressional defeat in otherwise safe districts following a recent loss in Louisiana and in the Illinois district of Dennis Hastert, the former Republican speaker.

In both Louisiana and Mississippi, Republican attempts to link the Democratic candidate to Mr Obama failed. Polls suggest the Democrats could increase their Senate lead from a 51-49 split to a safer 55-45 majority and add to their majority in the House of Representatives by 10 to 15 seats in the elections in November.

“Since 1980 I have not seen a terrain so tilted against one party as it is against the Republicans in 2008,” says Norman Ornstein, a political analyst at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. “To be sure, Barack Obama may face a close race against John McCain, but there is no evidence his candidacy would harm Democratic congressional prospects.”

---------------

Fear is what they're good at. Now where will their hate be exposed? Culture of corruption is the swamp they are sunk in. And it's sinking in.

Evening all good Dems,

That ahole hannity was on a tirade today. He has lost it.

"He said that republicans have to get tough and TELL the people that they are going to leave guantanamo open, they are going to keep taxes low, we are not going to give the socialist liberals government health care, we are staying in Iraq, we are going to drill everywhere in the U.S., we are going to stop making ethanol, and we are not going t worry about the environment."

"If the libs don't like it they can go to hell. We are going to bring back raygun's principals to bring the country back on track."

hannity is such a loser and has apparently gone out of his mind if he even has one.

I almost smashed my radio.

Also today the shills from the ahole bush administration said that inflation was only 0.2% taking out food and energy. What a fucking laugh. These lying bastards need to be impeached.

Inflation on food is the highest in 18 years or since 1990. Gasoline is up 5% this but they "adjusted" for "seasonal increases" so gasoline costs went down. What a fucking laugh.

These people are fucking liars and need to be stommped on.

What, torture them again cause you want new evidence? (Like we can believe their "less coercive")

Bush Junior on branding fraternity pledges with red-hot coat hangers defended it as no worse that cigarette burns? (WTF?)

And he admits to signing off on the harsh interrogation techniques that had to be done on grey territory with black legal advise? Recruitment of terrorists and moral support for torturing dictators? You bet you life, or he did.

And where is McCain's voice of authority on denouncing US torture? To be silent and look the other way is worse than a crime, for him. He must be senile, or in cognitive-dissonance mental survival mode to stand silent next to the Torturor Presidente, and keep that grin on his face.

They have wrecked the 911 investigation by obtaining evidence by illegal means. Just part of the whitewash, and what, coverup?
-----------

Guantánamo detainees charged

By Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington

***********
The Pentagon dropped charges, however, against Mohammed al-Qahtani, a Saudi national who was accused of being the “20th hijacker”. Mr Qahtani, who was denied entry to the US before the attacks, was allegedly tortured after capture.

Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Broyles, the military lawyer assigned to represent Mr Qahtani, said the only rationale for dropping the charges was that the Pentagon’s convening authority for the military commissions had made an “honest assessment” of the evidence, which he said had been “entirely based on torture”.

The government sent special teams to interrogate the “high-value” detainees at Guantánamo with the aim of re-obtaining evidence by less coercive techniques.

What an exciting speech by Edwards for Obama. It was so moving.

I thought about the win in MS last night, and how the GOP had run ads linking the winner, Democrat Travis Childers, to Obama..

The ads failed, Childers won. Do you remember when Paul Begala talked about how useless it was for Howard Dean to hire staffers in places like Utah and MS? He needs to apologize.

Begala had it wrong about the 50 state plan and about those "nose-pickers" in MS

Watch it, Paul. Governor Dean was right.

This will teach these neocons. They are all going to hell just as I predicted. These new mortal sins fit the neocons perfectly. The evangelicals will take it in the shorts too because they don't give a damn about the poor.

The new deadly sins include polluting, genetic engineering, being obscenely rich, drug dealing, abortion, pedophilia and causing social injustice.

The church holds mortal sins to be “grave violations of the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes,” including murder, contraception, abortion, perjury, adultery and lust.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into Hell.”

Vatican Adds Seven New Deadly Sins

It looks as if the neocons are also guilty of some of the original 7 mortal sins, i.e. murder (9/11), perjury, adultery and lust.

Woo-Hoo! Edwards endorsed Obama!

Sing to the Lord;
praise the Lord!
For he has delivered the life of the needy
from the hands of evildoers.
- Jeremiah 20:13-13

Good afternoon, all.

Wow, were you watching Hardball?

Pat Buchanan was on MSNBC trying to Swiftboat Edwards. Swiftboat Hillary. Swiftboat Obama. He and the RNC are so desperate to slow down what is going to be...One America.

It started out silly with him trying to rally the "The Great Democratic Sisterhood". Matthews said that Buchanan was acting like an elderly male cheerleader for the DLC. Then it went downhill fast.

Matthews said Buchanan was using a strawman argument about race and that he was fudging on the facts to raise false alarms. Pat was sounding so bigoted and desperate to brand Obama as an elitist that Tweety actually got aggravated with him and set him down.

I never thought I'd see this day on 24/7. Even Andrea Mitchell was looking sheepish at this Buchanan's obvious racist ploy.

Buchanan's dreams are so obviously dashed. The Reagan Revolution is dying a slow and excruciating death and he's just plain lost it. Keeping Hillary in the race is his last hope to hold back the flood and stop the Democratic tide that will overtake the GOP in November.

He is actually trying to set Hillary up as The Great White Hope.

Hillary is not their girl. She's OUR main woman. And she's at the heart of what we are trying to do for this country...not what the Republicans want to stop us from doing.

How dare the Republicans try to use her as a pawn. How dare they think we'd be stupid enough to fall for it.

We will be One America. There is no way they can stop it. The days of racism as a political strategy are going with it.

gregg,
If you're still around. I am Pro-Chavez, also

Oh, give it up Michelle aka harpo aka MN Thomass!

I was pulling you troll's chain that day, along with gregg ! Bet you don't even read The Onion, because you don't understand it is all farce.

WHAT AN ASS YOU REALLY ARE. You are merely laughed at here ! Too bad your little game got pulled on you today, huh???? Now pull your dress back down and go away ! IDIOT!

Night Fine Dems. Just came to log out and couldn't let a lie lay there. Ignore. The Moderators will flush him soon enough.

blog ya tomorrow.............

big yellow dog,

I have programmed the TSX units, conducted the L & A on both DREs & optical scanners, and counted many ballots by hand (ahhh, the punch card days!) I've also counted VVPAT & optical scan ballots by hand. Either I'm damn good or I was just lucky, but the results were always spot on.

I'm entitled to my opinion as you are to yours. I'm not one that argues or debates, so I'm leaving it at that.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Speaking of elections, it looks like here in OH we will have a special election the same day as our Nov. General due to the resignation of the OH Attorney General.

Double the scrutiny!!!

OLBERMANN "SPECIAL COMMENT" COMING UP SOON!!

As I sit and read the international news, I am devestated. The International Red Cross estimates that 128,000 are dead in Myanmar, Burma and 20,000 in central China. In China, they can't get enough tools, so people are digging with their bare hands, literally wearing their fingers down to nothing but bone, in efforts to rescue trapped relatives and friends.
As bad as our political landscape gets and as horrible this administration's response to Katrina, I can't begin to imagine how horrible life is for those in Myanmar and China.

Thom Hartman had someone on today reporting that the reason the military dictators of Myanmar don't want to let aid workers from the UN into the country is that they may have committed genocide on a massive scale.

Maybe the cyclone is God's punishment.

Reading about the military junta in Myanmar and the Chinese government blocking aid to their own citizens, it so makes me wish that we (the U.S.A.) had some International credibility so that we could use it to pressure these two groups! I hate this Administration, not just for what they have done to this country but for what they have done to the world!

Esme!!

Yesssss, My first choice for POTUS has just endorsed my second choice for POTUS. However, if Hillary is able to pull the nomination outta her hat I'll support her, but it's lookin' pretty good for O8ama. wooo-Hooo, indeed, baby; wooo-hooo, indeed!

Whatever happened to the Peace Corps? It seems to have faded away. The Peace Corps did a lot of good by building water systems, teaching people how to grow their own food and a lot more.

bush probably cancelled their funding and gave the money to a private contractor or the faith-based groups.

Posted by Johne on May 14, 2008 at 08:03 PM

Johne,

Isn't it interesting that all the regular mortal sins with the exception of murder are sex related? Me thinks some celebrate monks have a self-imposed hang up. And even more interesting is that homosexuality is not in the top ten.

Glad to see that the Rev. Hagee's Great Vatican Whore is targeting his great Republican whores. The Bush crime family has spurred the need to update the list of the most deadly sins after all these centuries?

Even the Da Medicis were not that decadent and depraved. Nor the Marquis De Sade? Larry Craig must have been the last straw.

Maybe the cyclone is God's punishment.

Posted by Johne on May 14, 2008 at 08:33 PM

How can you punish despicable people that practice genocide? God will have his about that when their day comes. However, maybe this is God's way of exposing wretched conditions of the citizens of both countries.

However, I do not want to make the comparison to our own handling of the Katrina disaster because I choose to keep our governments feet in the fire for that, and drawing a parallel may ease off our own government's sin of it's citizens.

I thought the Catholic Church was insanely rich. I've got nothing against catholics, one of the best women I know, who helped raise me is catholic. But how can a human, in this age, add to the bible. Am I missing something

I just love it when the republicans are angry. Harpo - get used to it. Oh thats right, you anger on the sleeve wearing fools are really just mad at your own pathetic lives. It's psycology 101, people can see right through your classic case of displaced anger. You had it all, the executive branch, congress, judges and you were still angry. As I've said before - you don't know the still anger of a democrat who has to pay for your shit.

Olbermann rocks!

wow, well I had to be gone and out of touch all afternoon, and could feel the energy in the air---now I know why---
I will now be walking around on my great pink cloud (that has been missing in action for some time), John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama.

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Barack has definately become my guy, but Edwards was "my first" LOL
ya never forget your first

and he is back in action, and competing WITH my new guy.

What more could an old gal want?

(and how smart was it for Elizabeth to support Hillary's health plan-----I knew when she did it, that it was going to be in the best interest of UNITY when John endorsed Barack)
What a grateful party we are tonight----
and winning all those congressional seat too.

Can ya tell, I am giddy tonight?

Here is a great big celebratory Dean Scream
YYYYEEEEEEEEHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Now, let's see what we can do for Hillary and Co, and I totally trust the players on this ----
it's a win win all the way around
and WE the People are looking at decades of great leadership.

Keep looking here or look at 10:50 EST when Olbermann's special comment "Of War and Golf" which ends by telling bush to "Go to Hell!" comes up.

When you see this, if you're old enough, do you remember this?

Has hope come again? I never would have thought I'd like to see an Obama/Edwards ticket but when I see them, I see 1992.

Johne
UNICEF got it
Jenna needed to use it for cover to go to Paraguay and claim she is helping the people

Not only that, but with UNICEF getting it, (we the people are paying for it)
Never pay for anything that can be charged off to the taxpayers.

BTW I am a big Chavez supporter
He provided heating oil to our elders who were freezing to death in their homes up north this winter.

(kinda the opposite of pretending to help the poor in another country for a photo op and to hide that they are stealing resources)

highserenity,

I feel the same way about Chavez. I do worry about the cost of heating oil next winter. I should worry too because I am stuck with propane and pay through the nose the same as heating oil.

We were in Venezuela about thirty years ago and the people in Caracas lived like slobs in cardboard and corrugated metal shacks covering the hills around the city. The rich had beautiful villas.

We sailed out of Puerto Rico and it was almost as bad and I assume things haven't changed for them.

These people deserve better.

We should start a crash program to grow sugar cane and produce ethanol in Puerto Rico. This would create jobs and promote a better life.

The neocons instead are using corn and blaming the increase in the cost of corn on the Dems. They are just lining the pockets of rich farmers in the midwest.

We can grow sugar cane in the southeast and Hawaii. When are we going to press the issue and get a program started. Private enterprise will not do it.

Some of our greatest achievements were started by the federal government. The Transcontinental Railroad, our great dams such as Grand Coulee, Hoover, Shasta, the Tennessee Valley dams, the Delta-Mendota Canal in California and many other huge projects were built by the federal government and created jobs in the process. The neocons plan is to take down America so they can suck up all the wealth for themselves and their buddies.

Posted by Veneita on May 14, 2008 at 09:25 PM
______________________________________________
thanks for those pics, you are a gem

oh yea,and for KO too---I missed him tonight, and oh what a night to miss him---that was chilling.

Posted by Johne on May 14, 2008 at 10:09 PM
____________________________________-

I have a transcript somewhere, I will look, that when Bill Clinton was campaigning in Puerto Rico about a month ago for Hillary, he was prom,ising them to use his foundation to do just that for them.

read The Onion, because you don't understand it is all farce.

Pam - it's my favorite and I get a real gut burner laugh with each issue! Although I haven't read it for about 3 months - I would like to restart - they are very funny!

I have programmed the TSX units... but the results were always spot on... I'm not one that argues or debates, so I'm leaving it at that.

Posted by Esmeralda on May 14, 2008 at 08:11 PM

Well, you dug up one of my posts from several days ago to start a debate. Darn, I was hoping for a debate without name calling and playing the race card. I was hoping for a discussion (or debate if you would like to call it that), on issues surrounding THE INTEGRITY of the US or OH vote.
After all, you did call me out.

Anyways... in your post, you defended "your peers." I was a bit baffled because we both know that election officials have broken the law, or used very questionable ethics, in OH. Here's Lou Dobbs talking about election fraud, and officials serving time for fraud:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=cy1IlAXeV30

NOW you say that YOU are "spot on." That's fine. Super! Only I never questioned YOUR integrity. I ONLY spoke about the OVERALL INTEGRITY of the vote. So let's get that clear; I NEVER questioned your integrity. Many people think that it would only take "a few bad apples" to hack the vote... BY SEVERAL WAYS PROVEN. (Remember when Gov. Dean was a guest on cable tv, and a woman showed how easy it was to hack the vote?)

If you don't want to get into how the certification by an "independent" source is a joke, fine.

If you don't want to talk about Ohio's dismal elections under Republican leadership, fine.

If you don't want to explain how minorities were disenfranchised by "election officials" by giving Republican precincts more machines, and and making Democratic precincts wait 7-9 hours in the cold rain with too few machines, fine.

If you don't want to go over the 20+ "security flaws" in approved voting machines, fine.
I don't blame you. It's not like these PROVEN election "irregularities" are the reason troops are getting seriously maimed and killed in Iraq, and America is in the fix it is.

However, I'm a bit surprised that you have more of a problem with a voter integrity activist, rather than a convicted crook being appointed to the ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION. And if that wasn't enough... I was amazed that you would claim that most fraud takes place at the polls BY VOTERS!

I'm surprised because the Republican hacks on EAC make that same charge, yet they have NO PROOF of VOTER FRAUD. Retail fraud is a voter voting TWICE in an election. Wholesale fraud is a machine programmed to "flip votes," or count backwards, or several other malicious acts that cost MANY THOUSANDS of votes. So I'm very surprised that you would dismiss the wholesale fraud, and point to retail fraud, because this is what the Repugs do.

But like you said... "I'm entitled to my opinion as you are to yours." After watching this youtube/CNN link here, others will have an opinion too. And if you and others would like to take a look at the massive wholesale fraud going on, do a search for vote + fraud.

Have a blessed day.

I wish CNN would fire John King, the smerk on his face when he thinks the repukes can frieghten the masses, again, is scary. He is good with the county counts on the election map, but anyone could do that.

I've got a good comeback for barack for bush implying he'd be soft on terrorists. Ole GW wanted to sell our ports to the United Arab Emeriates.

Hey frosty why don't you just grow some plants? I hope you gnash your teeth for the next 8 years while the dems take on the task of fixing every single agency the repukes have destroyed. The fda, cpsc, dot, fema just to name a few. Can't wait to see who obama picks for the supreme court! hahahahahahahaha

As an Obama supporter, I became very concerned when I received this email in one of my email accounts this morning. Initially, I deleted it. The more I thought about it, the more it bothered me, so I retrieved it. I am posting it here for discussion and hoping someone with more knowledge than I will be able to explain it.

Generally speaking, I am very critical of foreign aid when we have so much need for our own people and infrastructure here in this country.

I am also critical of the United Nations both as a world police agency and as a world distributer of relief and charity. History has shown the UN to be highly constructible such as the oil for food program in Iraq.

Thirdly, I am opposed to surrendering our soverningty to the United Nations. If we are going to allocated American tax payer dollars for relief, if that is the will of the American people, we should do it ourselves directly to those effected, not through the United Nations.

I have very seious doubts that the American people would directly vote for this legislation if they understood it, with all the need we have at home.

I have preached for a long time "American Taxpayer Dollars for Americans first!"

The amount of money involved in this transfere of American wealth to the United Nations is beyond belief.

If anyone can put a positive spin om this, I would appreciate hearing it.

--------------------------------------------------

"The United States Senate may vote any day on the stealth imposition of what could amount to an $845 BILLION United Nations style global tax on American citizens?

It's called the Global Poverty Act (S.2433), and it is being sponsored by none other than Senator Barack Obama.

According to some conservative sources, this disastrous legislation could eventually force U.S. taxpayers to fork over as much as 0.7 percent of the nation's Gross Domestic Product -- or $845,000,000,000.00 -- on welfare to third-world countries.

Here's what Phyllis Schlafly, conservative activist and founder of Eagle Forum, recently wrote:

"Obama's costly, dangerous and altogether bad bill (S. 2433), which could come up in the Senate any day, is called the Global Poverty Act. It would commit U.S. taxpayers to spend 0.7 percent of our Gross Domestic Product on foreign handouts..." [Emphasis Mine]

Time is of the essence because Senator Joe Biden, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee just issued a report on the Global Poverty Act and it was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar on Thursday the 24th.

That means that time is of the essence as this potentially massive surrender of your hard-earned tax dollars to the third world may be close to a vote.

That's why we must act today... BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!"

Use the hyperlink below to send your urgent and personalized Blast Fax messages to President George W. Bush and each Member of the Republican Leadership of the United States Senate.

Let them know in no uncertain terms that you are watching and you will not tolerate massive United Nations style giveaways that are passed in the dark of night -- or in broad daylight for that matter. Tell them that putting us on the road to give billions to petty tyrants and dictators is NOT a solution to poverty.

This bill can come up for a vote at any time. Demand that our conservative legislators do whatever it takes -- a filibuster if necessary -- to stop this bill dead in its tracks.

Click Here

AOL Members Use This Hyperlink

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

This is an example of the type of attack the Republicans will and are launching on Obama. But before I can respond to it, I have to understand what is going on here. There is NO WAY I could support such legislation!

Morning JohnBoy,

I don't see where the bill says anything about giving money to the UN or anyone else. It is also a bipartisan bill.

This looks like a KKKarl rovian lie being passed around by losers like hannity, limpballs, and savage.

Global Poverty Act of 2007

Morning newjunkie,

Thousands of containers come into the port of Long Beach every day. Are any of them checked. chimps answer is that it would be too expensive. I see hundreds of these containers go by my house every day being transported between LA and Chicago.

Half of them are probably full of CIA Opium from Afghanistan. The others are full of poisonous products from China.

This is security.

This is chimp's idea of national security? He and his cronies in Utah want to take in all the world's nuclear waste. Are they making bombs with it? This certainly isn't my idea of national security.

"Critics say a plan to import up to 20,000 tons of low-level waste from Italy, the biggest import ever, could lead to even larger flows.

The federal government is weighing a Utah company's request to import large amounts of low-level radioactive waste from Italy - a step critics say could lead the United States to become a nuclear garbage dump for the world.

If approved, the company would ship up to 20,000 tons of metal piping, sludge, wood, contaminated clothing, and other mildly radioactive material from Italian nuclear-power plants to Tennessee, process most of it, then dispose of the remainder in Utah. It would be by far America's largest import of nuclear waste."

Will US Become World's Nuclear-Waste Dump?

Posted by Johne on May 15, 2008 at 07:40 AM

Thanks for the information Johne. I scanned the Senate vesion of the bill and don't see the 7/10 of 1% contribution to the United Nations either. Later, when I have time, I will try to read through the amendments.

If this is just so much swift boating of Obama by the Republicans, it shows the lengths they will go to to upset and energize their base. Thx again for your response.

newsjunkie,

It will take years to rebuild all the federal agencies the chimp has destroyed. He is destroying them so he can award no-bid contracts to his drinking buddies.

All the federal agencies he has destroyed have the distinct purpose of levelling out the playing field between the states and keeping rich people from taking advantage of the poor like in the current housing crisis.

Departments that should be eliminated are homeland security and the CIA. They are devious and are operating like the KGB and the Gestapo combined.

Anyone know why the OpenSecrets.org URL no longer works? Weird, I was just looking at it yesterday morning, and now none of my links work.

Also, anyone know what happens with Edward's delegates now that he's supporting Obama? Since he had suspended his campaign, and not officially dropped out, doesn't that mean he still has his block of 60-some-odd delegates? I'm guessing that by supporting Obama, he's officially dropping out of the race now, so those delegates are now available? Maybe, I dunno. Just asking.

JohnBoy,

Well, off to work. We had a short rain yesterday and more expected today. It is surely welcome.

My contractor will finish extending a sewer today and hopefully the electrician will be in soon to finish the street lights. Then I can rest until the next projects.

Posted by Johne on May 15, 2008 at 08:10 AM

Have a great day John, again thx for your help. I'll research it a little more when I have more time and get back to you....

Posted by MIKaren on May 15, 2008 at 08:08 AM

I heard on CBS this morning that Edwards had 19 delegates and that they are now free to support whoever they wish to support. It was thought that they might all now go to Obama because of Edwards strong endorsement. His "One America" campaign more closely lines up with Obama.

Posted by Johne on May 15, 2008 at 07:40 AM

Appears that 9 posts after this last one by Johne are missing. What happened here? Did the NSA wipe them out?

Oops! Now they are back????

I see hundreds of these containers go by my house every day being transported between LA and Chicago.
Posted by Johne

Johne Boy, you live at 156 TRUENO LOOP BELEN, NM, essentially a dirt road in the middle of friggin' nowhere. Your grimy little road leads off into the desert. So, tell us please, why would 100s of trucks loaded down with huge containers of CIA opium and Chinese good go by your house on a daily basis?

Perhaps you are having hallucinations?

Did the NSA wipe them out?
Posted by goodfoe

Yeah Goodfool, the NSA and CIA removed them. Now they're coming for your ass.

Johnny Best lives a miserable life out in the isolation of his desert community. He awakens every morning and cannot wait to get on his little computer to post his vileness and meaningless tripe.

Makes you wonder what he did to himself in his youth that now leaves him living such a miserable life.

Morning {John Boy} and Dems,

For anyone who still doubts that there will be a Democratic landslide this Fall, read this. The Revolution has arrived! Watch and see as these Repug Lock Step boot lickers, start to vote for Democratic bills and issues! Maybe we can get something passed after all!

Republican Election Losses Stir Fall Fears

WASHINGTON — The Republican defeat in a special Congressional contest in Mississippi sent waves of apprehension across an already troubled party Wednesday, with some senior Republicans urging Congressional candidates to distance themselves from President Bush to head off what could be heavy losses in the fall.

The victory by Travis Childers, a conservative Democrat elected in a once-steadfast Republican district on Tuesday, was the third defeat of a Republican in a special Congressional race this year. In addition to foreshadowing more losses for the party in November, the outcome appeared to call into question the belief that Senator Barack Obama of Illinois could be a heavy liability for his party’s down-ticket candidates in conservative regions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/us/politics/15repubs.html?ei=5087&em=&en=5cb3725262e6dd07&ex=1210996800&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1210856893-WmWSwpVf3dHnzqWY6LMKKQ

I can't get in the morning thread but I'm here to post this.

This is from a rumsfeld speech in 2006

There was a strange innocence about the world. Someone recently recalled one U.S. senator's reaction in September of 1939 upon hearing that Hitler had invaded Poland to start World War II. He exclaimed:

“Lord, if only I had talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided!”

bush's speech today

Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: "Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided." We have an obligation to call this what it is – the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.

What neither tells you is that the senator was a republican! His name is William Edgar Borah.

Here's some stuff on him
page in "On American character"

why doesn't the new thread work?

Bad news for Pammy, a definite lose of her voting base. Now she'll have to work extra hard at haunting the hallways of nursing home forcing that limp shaky hands of the near-dead to vote for her candidates:

Dead voters remain on rolls By PETE SKIBA Norwich Bulletin Posted Apr 22, 2008 @ 12:45 AM

Norwich, Conn. —
Cities across the state carry 8,500 deceased people on their voting rolls, according to an investigation conducted by a University of Connecticut journalism class.
Locally, Norwich tops the rolls with 176 dead voters registered, said Susan Bysiewicz, secretary of the state.

“There is no evidence of voter fraud,” Bysiewicz said. “There appears to be a broad violation of state voting laws. The problem is there is no communication between the city clerks and the voter registrars.”

After learning of UConn’s findings, Bysiewicz contacted the State Elections Enforcement Commission for an investigation.

She also issued an order to city and town clerks to immediately supply voter registrars with death notices dating back to the last notice issued, a press release stated.

“We have always given the list to the registrar on a monthly basis, every single month,” City Clerk Dee Ann Brennan said. “Only if they pass away in Norwich or give a Norwich address are we notified by a funeral director. If we don’t get the notice, then there is a problem.”

It is possible a Norwich-registered voter could die in Florida, be buried in Florida and no notice would be given to the city clerk, she said.

Gerald Kortfelt, the Republican voter registrar for the city, said if the city clerk does not tell him about the deceased, he has no other way of updating the rolls.

Nancy DePietro, the Democratic registrar, couldn’t be reached for comment Monday.
“How are we supposed to know? Unless someone tells us, we don’t know,” Kortfelt said. “There are 18,000 voters. Be realistic. I can’t call them all. We have to have proof, like an obituary. I’ve done this for 18 years and a canvass will not turn up dead people.”

A canvass typically involves postcards going to voters to ask about address changes or other changes to their voter registration status. If the card goes to an address and is not returned, no assumptions are made, Kortfelt said.

Clerical errors have produced dead voters casting a vote, said Marcel Dufresne, an associate professor whose students in his advanced journalism class conducted the investigation.

The name of a son and his deceased father might be the same and the wrong name gets checked, Dufresne said.

Conducting the investigation was very labor intensive, Dufresne said. It involved computer-based reporting that matched death records with voting records. Students also conducted interviews at voter registration offices.

“The investigation was not about fraud,” Dufresne said. “It was about a lot of flaws in the system in town halls and at the state level. It is an inaccurate system.”

Bad news for Pammy, a definite lose of her voting base. Now she'll have to work extra hard at haunting the hallways of nursing home forcing that limp shaky hands of the near-dead to vote for her candidates:

Dead voters remain on rolls By PETE SKIBA Norwich Bulletin Posted Apr 22, 2008 @ 12:45 AM

Norwich, Conn. —
Cities across the state carry 8,500 deceased people on their voting rolls, according to an investigation conducted by a University of Connecticut journalism class.
Locally, Norwich tops the rolls with 176 dead voters registered, said Susan Bysiewicz, secretary of the state.

“There is no evidence of voter fraud,” Bysiewicz said. “There appears to be a broad violation of state voting laws. The problem is there is no communication between the city clerks and the voter registrars.”

After learning of UConn’s findings, Bysiewicz contacted the State Elections Enforcement Commission for an investigation.

She also issued an order to city and town clerks to immediately supply voter registrars with death notices dating back to the last notice issued, a press release stated.

“We have always given the list to the registrar on a monthly basis, every single month,” City Clerk Dee Ann Brennan said. “Only if they pass away in Norwich or give a Norwich address are we notified by a funeral director. If we don’t get the notice, then there is a problem.”

It is possible a Norwich-registered voter could die in Florida, be buried in Florida and no notice would be given to the city clerk, she said.

Gerald Kortfelt, the Republican voter registrar for the city, said if the city clerk does not tell him about the deceased, he has no other way of updating the rolls.

Nancy DePietro, the Democratic registrar, couldn’t be reached for comment Monday.
“How are we supposed to know? Unless someone tells us, we don’t know,” Kortfelt said. “There are 18,000 voters. Be realistic. I can’t call them all. We have to have proof, like an obituary. I’ve done this for 18 years and a canvass will not turn up dead people.”

A canvass typically involves postcards going to voters to ask about address changes or other changes to their voter registration status. If the card goes to an address and is not returned, no assumptions are made, Kortfelt said.

Clerical errors have produced dead voters casting a vote, said Marcel Dufresne, an associate professor whose students in his advanced journalism class conducted the investigation.

The name of a son and his deceased father might be the same and the wrong name gets checked, Dufresne said.

Conducting the investigation was very labor intensive, Dufresne said. It involved computer-based reporting that matched death records with voting records. Students also conducted interviews at voter registration offices.

“The investigation was not about fraud,” Dufresne said. “It was about a lot of flaws in the system in town halls and at the state level. It is an inaccurate system.”

Hey Pammmmmelaaaaa Darlink... here's another entry for you wall of shame.

HONK HONK HONK YOU STUPID OLD WITHERED RAG!!!!

Scandal-plagued Ohio attorney general resigns

By JULIE CARR SMYTH – 12 hours ago

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio's attorney general resigned Wednesday under threat of impeachment because of a sexual harassment investigation in his office and his extramarital affair.

Attorney General Marc Dann, a Democrat elected in 2006 on an anti-corruption platform, said at a news conference that he had to resign to preserve the ability of the office to carry out the priorities he established.

"It is now clear to me that the only way to protect these priorities for the office of attorney general and for the people of Ohio is to remove myself from the situation," said Dann, 46, in Gov. Ted Strickland's ceremonial Statehouse room.

He admitted May 2 to an extramarital affair with an employee that he said contributed to an atmosphere leading to sexual harassment claims against a top aide.

Three aides were forced out in the harassment investigation, which showed managers encouraged a casual work environment with frequent profanity and inappropriate interactions with subordinates.

Dann had resisted resigning, despite demands by Strickland and others within his party, a growing number of investigations into conduct at his office, and the filing Tuesday of articles of impeachment against him.

Strickland, who led the call for Dann to resign or be impeached, said he would begin reviewing possible successors immediately. Under law, First Assistant Attorney General Tom Winters will assume the responsibilities of attorney general until Strickland names a permanent replacement. Voters would need to confirm Strickland's pick on election day, Nov. 4.

An investigation of the attorney general's office under Dann by state watchdog Tom Charles will continue, the governor said. Charles' deputies removed a cart load of computers and files from the office Wednesday.

Politicians of both parties — including House Democratic Leader Joyce Beatty — said Dann did the right thing by resigning.

"We promised the people of Ohio to end a culture of corruption that existed in the past, and we are fulfilling that promise by cleaning our own house," Beatty said.

Strickland and Dann were among many Ohio Democrats swept into office after an investment scandal that involved a GOP donor and went as high as former Gov. Bob Taft, a Republican.

Hey Pammmmmelaaaaa Darlink... here's YET another entry for you wall of shame.

HONK HONK HONK YOU STUPID OLD WITHERED RAG!!!!

Gay ex-governor: I'm too poor to pay alimony

ELIZABETH, New Jersey (AP) -- The nation's first openly gay governor tried to convince the judge in his divorce case Wednesday that he's too poor to pay alimony, saying he's been financially crippled by his resignation and marital troubles.

Former New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey said he has limited income and few assets, and is all but unemployable these days.

"I got my furnishings at a Huffman Koos going-out-of-business sale," McGreevey said when asked to describe his belongings.

He and his wife, Dina Matos McGreevey, have been separated since he left office in November 2004, three months after he said he had an affair with a male staffer and planned to resign. The staffer denies he had an affair with McGreevey and accused him of sexual harassment.

The couple have agreed on custody of their only child, 6-year-old Jacqueline, but are fighting over alimony, child support, and how to divide their assets and liabilities.

Matos McGreevey is asking the court to award her alimony and additional money based on the contention that McGreevey committed marriage fraud. She says she was duped into marriage by a gay man who needed the cover of a wife to advance his political career.

McGreevey counters that his wife, whom he married in 2000, should have known he was gay and that for most of their marriage, she made more money than him.

He spent hours on the stand Wednesday detailing his jobs and sources of income

Hey Mikey! Not sure what you're doing with this official Open Thread of the Official DNC blog but it's working great!!!

Keep up the good work my man!

new thread

Yeah Goodfool, the NSA and CIA removed them. Now they're coming for your ass.

Posted by Harpo_has_decided_that_you_are_all_idiots on May 15, 2008 at 08:58 AM

At least I have some ass for them to come and try to get. The operative word there is "try"