Health Care, The Congress, and The Voters

Original artwork "Bluenote" by Fabricerehel, Adopt A Blue Dog gallery. Visit and adopt!

I've been away from the Wildwood for awhile and I'm just appalled at the state of affairs I find my government in. What in the hell is going on here!?!?! We just ended 8 long years of the most destructive period of our American history, except perhaps the Civil War times. Okay, maybe the second most destructive. I could make the case it surpasses the Civil War era in that it sought more a global destruction rather than confined to our borders. Regardless, destruction reigned supreme for those EIGHT very long years. We changed that. I THOUGHT we, as a country, made the sane choice to STOP that destruction? What happened?

I'm not naive enough to actually think just electing President Obama could stop the wars on a dime, nor stop the racists on a dime, nor the theocrazies, nor the world wide disdain for the "American culture", nor the shooter, nor the crazytalkers, but certainly I thought we could stop the Health Scare Industry! I don't think that's too much to expect!

So that's my expectation. I expect the Congress of the United States of America to enact single payer public optional Health Care reform! Overwhelmingly, the voters, you and me, voted FOR that to become the law of the land. We voted for Obama and his plan. Granted his plan wasn't single payer, but it was a strong robust public plan option. I have no idea what in hell Congress is doing with this simple mandate they were given by us, the voters. We. The. People. Want. Obama's. Public. Option. Period.

Have you ever seen a more unethical group of pandering pantie wastes? Aside from the movie's "I am Spartacus" bit, I can't conceive of what they are trying to accomplish here. The keystone cops could come up with a better plan than this Congress! I'd sooner watch an entire day of Abbott and Costello movies followed by another day of Marx Brothers, followed by another day Three Stooges than watch even one more minute of this and that Congressional buffoonery surrounding the "Health Care Reform Debate". OMG. I have never been more ashamed of my government than these last weeks on this topic. I submit that none of them, not ONE, of them have the interest of even one voter in their sights.

My party is selling us all down the river. The Insurance companies are going to reap even larger benefits from the current plans being discussed. They cannot call anything a Public Plan that involves the private insurance companies and is not a national plan that is an option for every single person in the country based on a sliding fee scale premium that includes medication, vision, dental, physical therapies (including a combined nutrition/pt plan), inpatient habitual rehabilitation programs, and mental health parity. It must be paid by outcomes based on consultation between the DOCTOR and the PATIENT only. The doctors need a new mind set of just who the hell they are invested in.... that would be the success of the patient. The would involve the doctors and all health "care" professionals dropping the blame the patient attitude period and getting about being actually supportive in some genuine way. Drop all this parental control freakishness that is so prevalent in the "Health Scare Industry". If you want to get paid, you need to invest in the positive outcome of the patient. If the "Health Scare Marketeers" want a piece of the pie they need to promote some kind of damn kindness and normal human interaction and be able to discern the difference between communications with children and communications with adults, responsible adults who have a medical need, not a parent. gah.

So that's the plan they should be working on. NOT this snake-oil salesman bullshit they're determined to hock from their soap box to a crowd of hopeful people seeking some relief from whatever ailes them. It is just shameful what they are doing in Congress. These are the adults, the ethical and caring, public servants we have sent to represent us in our government? Ew. I have to take a shower each time I'm exposed to the filthy money-grubbing wheelers and dealers masquerading as statesmen. Ew ew ew.

I guess we need to do better!!! They've fiddle farted around enough to string this out until past the recess. Okay. Fine. Let's give them a real good Homecoming and summer recess they'll not soon forget! Let's greet them and "pamper" them with our company every minute of their unforgettable summer vacation! Yes, let's just do that. And for those districts who have particularly egregious egomaniacs, I'm looking at you Montana, let's all show our "support" for those areas in particular. Perhaps, some letter, perhaps a little vaaaaakay of our own to pay them a visit.

Let's all make this the hottest summer recess on record for our "hard working statesmen"!!!


(hazmat gear may be required. Make sure to shower regularly within 15 minutes of contact of these creatures. You certainly don't want to find yourself in the emergency room from the Congressional statesmen toxic exposure experience. blech.)

Dick Cheney's Torture Tour... The Movie!

I think John King at CNN might have inclued this in his roundup.... but I just made it so maybe next week ;-)

Take A Moment: Earth Day

This is from 2000. Long time favortie of mine :-)

Republicans, CNN Insanity and the NRA Kills Three Cops

CNN's Lou Dobbs fuels the crazy with this report. Now, come the hell on here. How many guns does a person need? What are they afraid of? Honestly!!!! How the fuck many guns does a person neeeeeeeed!?!?!?!?

CNN reports this was caused by a urinating dog. Um, NO, CNN.... This was caused by the fear mongering your own channel put out there! The crazy talking NRA, Lou Dobbs, Michelle Brachman types CAUSED this shooting! Now is the time to hold people responsible for their words, for their marketing campaigns to keep people in fear and to keep buying guns, to keep stockpiling assault rifles and ammunition. No, this is NOT what Second Amendment protects at all. Who is to protect the normal citizens from this crazy faction? Who?

I am sick to death of the idiots who feel the need to have so much fire power! Why? Who the hell are you going to hunt with an AK47? NO person should be in possession of an AK 47!!! These are guns for killing PEOPLE!! Nothing to do with hunting at all.

Make NO mistake here. I heard this crap on Fox news last night as well. No one has ever wanted to take away people's hunting rifle and/or a hand gun. However, people arming themselves to the teeth are NOT what the Second Amendment had in mind AT ALL! Not at all!! Let's remember when this was written. In fact, those of you clinging to your guns in fear need some serious fucking help! I mean is your penis going to fall off if you don't have a gun or something? I really just don't understand the mentality of that level of fear. Just crazy propaganda put out by the NRA and Republicans have whipped it into a frenzy for years every time they need to get some votes from their fear based base. Are you people so freaking stupid to not know it's NOT real? It's just manipulation.... political manipulation. REPUBLICAN RIGHT WING political manipulation? Get ahold of yourselves! Now you've got 23 year old men so afraid that they would open fire over a dog pissing on a carpet? And that mother!!! How fucking dare you call the cops to remove your son from your home KNOWING he has a damn survivalist arsenal!?!?!?! Arrest that woman!!! No one should be stockpiling weapons like that. NO sane person would!!! You, the NRA, Lou Dobbs, Fox news, Michelle Brachman and everyone like them place our entire society at risk with this craziness!! They are the new domestic terrorists. They are THE most viable threat to this society, to this country.

You are entitled to have a damn musket or black powder rifle but that's about it man. Deal with it. This has crossed a serious line here to the point that waving around the Second Amendment is no longer valid. This must change. These people are truly crazy.

And if you need further proof of the crazy amongst us take a look at the youtube channel that posted the above tube. Now that's scary!

I LOVE When A Plan Comes Together

I'm speaking, of course, of the amazing spectacular meltdown of the GOP! I watch in shear delight at their incredible continued alternate universe act. I mean, come on! I think we need Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones to get right on over to that CPAC convention and start rounding them up!

So much time since my last post and so much has happened. President Barack Obama. Love saying that. What a major relief!!! And now to watch him enacting all the items he covered in his campaign...... and all the items I voted FOR.

I am pleased.

Things not so good here in the Wildwood though. Job loss, job search, close to home loss, and mind loss not far behind! :-) No matter, I press onward!! Starting a new career at 54 as a Usability Analyst is no easy feat. Just a wee bit weary from the years and years of Republicanism that has juuuuuust about destroyed our country and most certainly put women years behind. I know all this is changing and all the Reagan "conservative" nonsense is falling away daily. We will all come though this and be sure to never ever be so stupid as a country to put all our eggs in one basket again. Going to be tough but well worth fighting for. I'm a Fighting Liberal.

Here's a new song to learn for the new month of March :-)



I HOPE!!!

Obama Inaguration - When the Ship Comes In

You know this is my favorite song and has been throughout the election. Here's a bluegrass version of the Dylan song he and Joan sang on the mall back in 1963 when Martin Luther King inspired us with his beautiful spirit and words. The Hillmen recorded this in 1963 however it was not released until 1968, after Chris Hillman became more will known as a member of the Byrds.

This song, for me, is every bit as relevant today. We've got just over a week to go until President Barack Obama is sworn in. Just over a week until "the ship comes in" as it were. ;-)

On beating dead asshat horses...

For some time now, as Obama continues to lard his administration with mostly Clinton retreads (a piece of less-than-brilliant decisionmaking which is causing him problems, as I type...) I have been concerned that the euphoria of his/our win needed badly to be tempered with a reality-check or twenty.

IMHO, he is further up shitcreek than any president since Lincoln. And the boat is springing leaks daily. Richardson is gone. Emanuel is by no means out of the woods, and the cynical political charade which Blago has (so far) successfully ginned up, has gotten a lot of support from stupid democrats and intelligent republicans, who seem to think that Harry Reid and his "racist" friends keeping Burris in the Senate Rules Committee cloakroom long enough for the Illinois legislature to move on Blago will somehow cause the American government to collapse, and all of our genitals to fall off. (Okay; the repubs don't really believe that; they, to be blunt about it, give fuckall about Reid's "civil rights". They just want him sitting in the Senate when the roof falls in on Blago.)

This last one, looks like it has a short shelf life, since the price for playing "Let's seat Burris because it's LEGAL!" poker is going to go through the roof as soon as the Illinois legislature gets rolling on Blago. But these are not the worst of Obama's worries.

I think Iraq is going back on the front burner, big-time. And some very tough decisions will have to be made about whether or not to send troops back into the cities to try to stop the RE-surge following bush's successful effort to put a temporary lid on what used to be Iraq, long enough to let he and the rest of the failed petro-posse get out of town.

Given recent events in Gaza, we don't need to talk about the great progress in the rest of the mid-east which Obama is inheriting from Bush, right?

And then, there's the economy...

The point is, Obama is going to have to hit the ground running, or he's going to get swamped with all of this. And while we aren't sitting in on the transition team meetings, we bloggers DO matter.

And there is waaay too much bandwidth being wasted on bashing the likes of Ann Coulter and Sarah Palin, etc., while these other things are eating us like Melanomas. Palin is gone. No threat to us in the immediate future. And I suspect, not in 2012 either. The country didn't just reject John McCain, we rejected Palin's mindless cheerleaderism, especially since it was commingled with a Neanderthal social consciousness.
Coulter is just...bag-lady-squatting-in-her-own-pee crazy. Anymore, I don't like looking at pictures of her, and I don't like reading about her, even when it's criticism.

There are progressive blogs devoting more time to recipes than to the fact that things have gotten so crazy that some democrats are calling for Reid to resign because he wants to keep a political hack like Burris, who was chosen by a governor who is probably going to be impeached next week, out of the U.S. Senate. It's insane.
I've dumped on Reid many a time for his comfort zone with Bush's bloody idiocy, but this time he's doing good work, by keeping Burris from being seated. (other than provisionally; which is probably what will happen)

We need to be talking about this. We need to be arguing about this. But other than Kos, Huffpo, Driftglass, and a few other blogs, there is not much being debated. (FDL has a thread on it now and then, but Hamsher's leading the Chicken Littles about how dire will be the results if Reid&Co. do manage to keep Blago's chosen hack out of the Senate.)

Folks, it's time to put down the Chardonnet and start to get dirty. Blog KoffeeKlatches Gloating and beating up on the assholes who've contributed so much to the sitch we're in, may be fun, but we need to be talking about the day-to-day realities of a new president coming in who has a TON of problems to solve. Those people I've named, are, generally speaking, in bad cess with American voters. We need to give them a slap now and then, en passant, but trust me, we have a brand new set of problems to deal with, and none of them are named Limbaugh or Malkin.

Leave off the recipes for pork loin, and let's find a recipe for getting Obama through the first six months without his administration imploding in our faces.

Take A Moment: The Circle Game

Just Stop It

James Joseph Cialella... who has to take his gun to a movie theater because he lacks the skills to communicate in civilized manner.

So a guy goes to a movie on Christmas ..... with a gun in his waistband..... and shoots someone.... in "self defense". No kidding. Look at this.

PHILADELPHIA — An Iraq veteran charged in a Christmas night shooting over noisy moviegoers fired in self-defense, his lawyer said.

James Joseph Cialella, 29, of Philadelphia, is charged with firing a shot that broke the arm of Woffard Lomax Jr. inside a movie theater during a screening of the film "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

A judge on Wednesday ordered Cialella held for trial on aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and related charges. The judge tossed out an attempted murder charge over a prosecutor's objections.

Lomax, 31, told the judge he was at the movie with his girlfriend and her three teenagers, enjoying the film and laughing, when a man in front of him _ not Cialella _ told him to quiet down.

"We can't laugh?" Lomax recalled asking.

A second man threw popcorn at the family, and a brawl ensued. Lomax said he was fighting with the first man when the second man pulled out a gun and fired, striking him in the left arm.

A defense lawyer argued that Cialella was being choked and punched as he tried to break up the fight and fired in self-defense.

"He's a marksman," lawyer Greg Pagano said. "If he wanted to shoot to kill, he would have."

Cialella spent five months in Iraq with the Army before being honorably discharged in September, Pagano said.

Municipal Court Judge Craig M. Washington lowered Cialella's bond from $350,000 to $50,000, but ordered him to remain under house arrest if he is released. It was not immediately clear Thursday whether he had posted bail.

Lomax did not elaborate on his testimony after the hearing.

Police have said Cialella brought a .38-caliber handgun in his waistband to the South Philadelphia megaplex.

I think arriving at a movie theater WITH A GUN IN YOUR WAISTBAND is defenseless!! But see how they take this absurd premise and make it "self defense". I mean under normal circumstances, the offended movie goer would report these people to management and management, back in the olden days anyway, would remove the loud noisy people and the popcorn throwers from the theater. Now, we got people actually justifying SHOOTING people in a place where people go to enjoy themselves and where, generally speaking, guns should NOT BE!

Now, I know the guy is an Iraq vet and all, but there's no excuse for bringing a gun to movie. None. No. NONE. And this is the reason so many were against the war, any war. This mindset that we just shoot people who irritate us is what bush has brought to our country. And look for more of this in 2009 as the troops return from Iraq.

This man's bail should not have been reduced and, in fact, he should have the book thrown at him for a) carrying the gun into a movie theatre and b)shooting someone in a movie theater UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. Gah.

Throw the book at this guy and get him some psychiatric help!

Happy New Year!

Out in Flagstaff, AZ they don't drop a ball, they drop a giant pine cone! And, just to be sure everyone can participate, they drop it at 10PM local time to coincide with the big New York doings and again at midnight for those who can brave the cold.

Here's the earlier drop from last night and some nice fireworks too!



And here's the midnight drop...



So, there you have it... Happy New Year to all!!

Aren't you glad 2008 is over and we're finally moving on to 2009. Man, that was a long old year, eh? So many twists and turns. Not that we're done twisting and turning at all, but at least we have a couple new players in that department. Let's all hope we'll see some changes coming up January 21, 2009.

Discussions around here tend to agree that these next 20 days will be the most dangerous of our lives. Nothing will surprise me. Given the turmoil that's erupted in the last week, I mean NOTHING will surprise me. Will the piss fighting over some words in a book ever end? I've certainly had it with all those involved... HAD IT!

In other news, our bud Jon Swift has gathered quite a collection of bloggers' favorite posts of 2008. Quite an impressive array of must reads! Go visit and give him some love for taking on this daunting task :-)

One of our favorites new blogs last year was The Fighting Liberals. Good stuff there!

I'm kind of taking a break from the news these days ..... until the 21st anyway. Right now I have questions about what in the world is Fitzgerald doing going after Blago. Not so much the why, but the WHY NOW question. Why now? And why hasn't he indicted him yet? And, does he even have enough to indict him? I'm not all on board the "Fitz is on our side" band wagon at all. Time will tell.....

Also, I think all the talk of President Clinton being considered to replace Hillary in the Senate rather validates Tanbark's post below. I mean I always suspected FDL to be in the Hillary pocket but Jane's going after Caroline was just outrageous. And why did she do that? Because fdl is a Hillary blog and that pretty much confirms it. My long suspicions have been confirmed. See photo downstream.... gah.

So Happy New Year mah hunnies!!!! Hope to be posting more this year ;-)

Take A Moment - Christmas In Washington

Jane Hamsher's myopia...

FDL has done some good work for the progressive side, and is still doing it. Kudos for that.

But the problem I have is that some of the bloggers (and sexist pig/misogyinist that I am, they're usually women...:o)) turn into an Einsatzgruppe, when it comes to people criticizing Hillary.

In the debate about why Obama should or should not, have put her up as Secretary of State, posting the youtube clips of Clinton diligently attempting to triangulate her way to the nomination, as well as reminding people of the simple fact that she and Joe Lieberman share the same "Property of AIPAC!" tatt on their asses, will get you banned instanter, at places like FDL and Hullabaloo...which I am. :o)

Today, December 7th, Hamsher has a thread up at FDL, titled:

"Caroline Kennedy? Thanks, but no thanks."

Kennedy may or may not be worthy of being appointed to the NY Senate seat being vacated by Clinton. As Jane points out, she's never run for elective office in her life. But she seems like a bright, articulate woman, and certainly, the name recognition of being John Kennedy's daughter, wouldn't hurt her. I don't know her position on many of the issues, but she DID come out for Obama, in the primaries. Whether or not that played a part in Hamsher's knock on her, I don't know.

What I do know, is that Jane, in her screed against Kennedy, wrote THIS paragraph:

"Her leadership could have been really helpful when the rest of us were getting the stuffing beaten out of us by a very well-financed rightwing for the past 8 years. But when things were tough, she was nowhere to be found."

It was instructive that Hamsher, always ready to do rehab on the Clinton's or to second the motion of someone else doing it, had not a clue to the brutal irony of herself speaking those words about Caroline Kennedy, while, more often than not, for at least the duration of Clinton's run for the presidency, she and most of her staff were blatantly ignoring the fact that Hillary never risked a micron of political capital on behalf of progressives. Instead, Clinton was brazen (and politically stupid) enough to regularly demonstrate the moral gangrene that infected she and her campaign staff for both the primaries and the general election.

I say again: It was the progressives who ruined Hillary Clinton's chances to become the democratic nominee; NOT the conservatives. When she climbed on board bush's war wagon (and later, in the primaries, scorned Obama for the great speech he made 8 days before SHE voted to authorize the invasion of Iraq) and then proceeded to throw the progressive wing of the party under the bus, it was the beginning of the end of her candidacy. We had emdured a decade or more of Karl Rove's "Campaign Playbook for Sleazes"; watching Clinton put it to use was not something we were going to tolerate.

Speaking for myself, as someone who voted for her husband twice and who was delighted when she won that NY Senate seat, it was a joy to watch progressive groups like MoveOn.Org, and The National Organization for Women, help with the payback, with their prodigious and critical help in tearing up the tracks ahead of the Coronation Express. :o)

I've never been prouder of the progressive wing of the democratic party. :o)

And, Jane, if you're reading this, since you have been...on-board...with Obama's first major mistake, of re-inflating the Clinton legacy, you really need to be careful when you talk about Caroline Kennedy's lack of "leadership", as well as how, "when things were tough, she was nowhere to be found."

YouTube Clips of Hillary's "leadership" and political "courage", as she was exchanging ass-rubs with the people most responsible for the situation we're in, are all over the internet. That you seem unaware of the irony of the words of criticism you levelled at Caroline Kennedy, is a little scary, in their dishonesty.

Can you not do better?

Clinton's arrogance...

Obama's problems with her have already begun. If you think, as I do, that Hillary Clinton has no business being within a country mile of Barack Obama's foreign policy, then you might want to take your blood-pressure meds: this aint pretty.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/hillary-plays-hardball-1031238.html

As the price for her so graciously agreeing to "accept" the State Department of the United States Government, she's demanding that Obama purge his loyal staffers who, during the campaign, so effectively pointed out Hillary's lack of real foreign-policy expertise.

She's also insisting that SHE will pick the Department personnel, and that none of her decisions will be filtered through, or influenced by, Obama's foreign-policy people.

The fact that she has already presented these demands to Obama and he still seems to be going forward with her nomination, while giving the State Department to Joe Lieberman's AIPAC-sister is insane.

I don't know if Obama's afraid of her, or what. But she has practically no ability to hurt him from her Senate seat. This Senator ran a despicable trainwreck of a campaign against him. She's not the majority whip. She's not the chair of a powerful committee. What's she going to do if Obama comes to his senses and drops her?

Restate her oft-repeated claim that John McCain would be a better Commander-in-Chief than Obama?

Indulge in some more republican saber-rattling against Iran?

Co-sponsor another amendment to make flagburning a federal crime?

Let Rupert Murdoch hold more fundraisers for her?

Support Joe Lieberman when he runs for the Senate again?

With the democratic nomination all but in hand, she was politically stupid enough to continue her unholy alliance with George Bush and his mayhem opera in Iraq, until it became obvious that it was ruining her politically, when she finally ate her vote to enable the "liberation" of Iraq.

David Bromwich nails it:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-bromwich/reconciliation-without-tr_b_144864.html

For a lot of good progressives who sent Obama money and who worked their tails off for him, the honeymoon is close to being over, and I guarantee you, for Hillary Clinton, it never started.
She will make huge problems for him, as if he doesn't have enough to deal with already, in the salvage operation for the bushCo lunacy which Clinton aided and abetted.

Deconstructing Hillary...

Giving these little reality checks on the Clinton rehab project is getting tiresome, but here goes:

Successful? She lost a primary contest for the democratic nomination that, when she started, was practically in her pocket.

In that 2002 vote, there were 21 democratic senators who, in the midst of an agitprop campaign worthy of Joseph Goebbels, UNLIKE Hillary Clinton, voted against authorizing the invasion which is at the root of most of the problems which are bedeviling us now, and which has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people who had nothing to do with attacking us and who were no threat to us. It has also cost us $600 billion...and counting, with, realistically, no end in sight. She helped George Bush drag us into a bloody cesspool of pseudo-patriotism and testosterone-driven foreign policy decisions, and she was part and parcel of the worst elements of the american political scene.

She ran a campaign that, for scurrilous bullshit, was straight out of Karl Rove's playbook.



If you'll watch the whole thing, you'll see that her flacking for McCain to try to raise her flagging campaign, was used BY McCain against Obama. And, worst of all, she was scorning Obama for this GREAT speech he made in Chicago, 8 days before Clinton climbed on the bush war-wagon. If you haven't read it, you should. As you do, keep in mind that at the time, most of the rest of the country, just like Hillary, was drinking the patrio-koolaid like it was their mother's milk.

The simple fact is, in her primary campaign, Hillary Clinton never risked one atom of political capital on behalf of those of us who were against the war. She never took a single stand that went against the prevailing winds of the bush administration's kneejerk nonsense that was permeating the political landscape at the time.She co-sponsored, with one of the worst conservatives in the Senate, the amendment to make flag-burning a federal crime.She voted for the measure which would have declared the Iranian Republican Guards to be a "terrist" organization, which was nothing but the same kind of bullshit that bush used to gin up clusterfuck #1, as he was striving to find the political support to go after Iran. Here's the piece about her sucking up to Rupert Murdoch


With the calls for her to withdraw from the race so that Obama could begin gearing up for the general election, growing, she found a new low to stoop to, when she openly speculated about the possibility of political assassination as a reason for staying in. Given the degree of hatred that was, and is, directed against Obama (If I hear another word about Hillary's "persecution" I'll have to buy MYSELF a new keyboard.) it was unconscionable for her to say that.

Here's Bill, in the middle of the general election, 6 weeks before the vote, as McCain was enjoying a lead, speaking of his admiration for McCain and calling him a "great man":



He also exculpates Palin for her fundamentalist shit, by saying that she wouldn't REALLY inflict it on us.

Does anyone here think that Hillary wasn't aware of this effort to slip one into Obama's ribs and enhance Hillary's chances to run in 2012? I am tired unto nausea, of hearing about Hillary's "political savvy".With the war hanging around bush and the repubs necks like a bloody albatross, she threw her natural constituents, and a lot of her best support, squarely under the bus, while she went haring off after rightwing votes that simply did not exist for her in anything like the numbers which she lost by moving to the right.

It was, I am proud to say, the progressive community which derailed her coronation express, NOT the conservatives. She got absolutely hammered on every straw-vote that was taken in the progressive community. It was fine work, and I'm also proud to have been a small voice to help make it happen.

Other people, outraged by Clinton's tactics and positions, were saying THIS in the primary campaign. It bears repeating:

If she were a male Senator named "Smith" running a primary election, the women bloggers flacking for her would be asking for donations to help defeat her.

But because she's Hillary, they largely ignored her wretched tactics in the primary, or at best, issued lame apologies for them, while continuing to support her.

We have gone down the line with her supporters.The democratic party, led by the progressives, rejected her republican-lite bullshit and her support of the war, until late in the campaign, when her futzing around with bailing on her vote was killing her politically, and she finally had to eat it, straight up.I also think we helped keep her off the second spot on the ticket. I'll do all I can to try to remind people that for Obama to pick her for State would be a major brainfart. She has the blood of this war dripping off her hands, and she was too diligent in supporting it and too ready to pronounce Obama as an unfit commander-in-chief, for him to even consider putting her in his administration.

That some people are speculating about what might happen if, down the road, Obama has to can her, is a VERY relevant question. She (and Bill) are arrogant and condescending, and when it comes to chasing power, totally unscrupulous.The notion that she could serve as a lightning rod is laughable. With every press conference she held; every public statement she made; she would be leaching power and influence from Obama.

Digby talks about her drawing hatred from the right. I'm not worried about that; what worries me is the mindless, emotional, attachment to her from supposedly progressive democrats who, just like the supporters of bush and HIS policies, are utterly detached from the reality of Clinton's positions and tactics, as well as her abysmal political decision-making that was so prominently displayed in the primary race. People talk about Obama not wanting to waste political capital by pushing for Lieberman's punishment, or by making appointments that are too "librul". Picking Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State will cost him a BUNDLE, before he ever takes office.

Obama Puppies!!!!

CNN has a fun iReport to help the Obama family select their long promised puppy. I'm sure they'll know their puppy when they see it. Sometimes puppies just come to you without even having to go looking for them! Which is what happened to me on Monday.

I almost ran over my puppy as she had escaped her previous humans and was frolicking in traffic when I spotted her. I circled back as she was headed out to the big 6 lane road and a lady pushing her two kids in a stroller helped me capture her. Turned out she knew where the puppy lived and I taxied her right home. The lovely older couple had been searching for her but she was long gone. They'd taken her from their son when he was no longer able to have her at his residence and I was quite surprised when Mr. Lost Puppy Owner asked me if I wanted her! SURE!! She was the right size and I'd been wanting a puppy but not a baby puppy really. This one was 8 months old he told me and I thought, "Good so she's all through her teething stage and probably house broken too"! She'd been well behaved in the car ride as well.

I picked her up the next day.... Election Day!!! So the Obama girls aren't the only ones getting a puppy on Election Day. Officially I named her Pearly Blue.... from a bluegrass song, but I call her Pearl mostly.

So far she's taken over my bed and been on her first shopping spree at PetCo. New bowls, food, treats, toys, leather collar with little flowers and a lovely sage green and brown quilted coat. Yes, that's right... the puppy got a coat! I could not believe I was buying a coat for my dog. She doesn't have much a coat really and it IS 28 degrees outside ..... and she was shivering out there! She needed the coat, okay. *blush*

Here's the old Flatt and Scruggs song "Down The Road" (about Pearly Blue!) done by the River City Dream Band at Portland's River City Fest in 2006. Fantastic lineup!



So far, Pearly Blue is just such a swearheart! Glad she found me ;-)

Welcome To The Light

There's alot of footage to choose from out there but this one from CNN's Showbiz Tonight struck me because it says so much. Whoopi putting down her suitcase and Sherry's tears. Elisabeth's moment of recognizing the reality around her.... all around her. I still can't stand Elisabeth but hey, we're moving on here and she's welcome to come along.

And, the announcer's pointing out that for many Americans this moment was tarnished. Millions of Gay and Lesbian Americans still cannot put down their suitcase.... and that's not right. Not right at all. I think this will not stand and they will be allowed the civil unions and adoption rights they deserve. For now it is sad that so many Americans feel threatened and fearful of nothing more than love.

That's sad.

This will not stand.

Welcome to the light.

Yes We Did! President Barack Obama!

I met up with a good friend here in the Wildwood and we shared some beers and tears last night. It was magical and such a relief. Too many levels to count. Too many thoughts to express. Sweet relief. Bursting with pride for our country, for our people, for our world. Humanity scores one, a big one.

This IS our moment!




After the speech...



After the party...



Well, you get the idea. One for the ages!!

Tanbark is over the moon. His computer is down but we talked and he sends his love to all who made this happen. We both do. One love!

We can do anything!!!

Yes We Can - Stop the Stupid!!

Well, here we are..... 8 long and arduous years since Americans lost their freaking minds. What have we learned?

Hopefully, we learned that when stupid people take over our country we all become stupider. Suddenly, stupid premises become topics for discussion and, just as suddenly, we find ourselves discussing the stupid premise as if it were legitimate.

We must stop that.

Go Vote for Obama and stop the stupid!

Yes We Can!!!!!!!!!!

Take A Moment: Should I Fall Behind

McCain Leads Congressional Republicans in the Hokey Pokey

CNN reports this deal isn't looking so good. (Driftglass' "Modest Proposal" looks better!)

Here's some footage of McCain's leadership with Republicans in Congress the other day. He's the "glue" yanno. It was quite a show they put on pretending the Paulson/Bush plan was not a Republican plan. Here's how that went down:



Huzzzzzah!!! Great job Mccain!!!

Okay, let's just take a moment while we watch this REPUBLICAN lead govenment attempt to do a smash and grab on the American taxpayer. Lester and Earl dropped by for a little sing along for the rest of us....



;-)

UPDATE:
Driftglass has "A Modest Proposal" that's better than any I've seen. Read it and pass it along.

Caturday Roundup: Renouncing and Rejecting the Republicans' Road to Nowhere

Photo shamelessly stolen from Driftglass *blush*


So, here we are. On our Republican Road to Nowhere. We must change this. Now. RIGHT NOW!!! I know it is Sunday and not Caturday at all, but I couldn't make Cat and Sunday work together without sounding..... well, without sounding bad. Caturday Roundup on Sunday; go with it. Our photo comes from a new blog from some of our favorite bloggers Hubris Sonic and The Littlest Gator: "Fighting Liberals". I'm proud to be a Fighting Liberal and glad to see them stepping out. "They want to win, at any price. So, you have a choice: be a fighting liberal or sit quietly. I know what I am, what are you?" -S.G.

CNN reports Alaska's Road to Nowhere is now open for business! Literally!

... This week, the state completed a $25 million gravel road that was intended to lead up to the bridge linking the city of Ketchikan to its airport on a neighboring island.

The bridge project became the symbol of federal largess, and Congress eventually dropped the earmark for the bridge.

Speaking of "federal largess", CNN also reports "Paulson urges a 'clean and quick' Ok" for Congress to sign on to the Republicans Economic Blank Check 'Road to Nowhere'.

How stupid do they think we are? NO!!! Hell NO!!!

Tanbark found this tube of Rep. Nancy Kaptur (D-Ohio), "They Want Mama to Make It All Better". She NAILS this highway robbery that is being attempted here. Watch and pass it along.



Obama addresses this in North Carolina today as well... "NO Blank Check!" from huffpo.



After all this news of the day and the CLEAR choice that we cannot afford to take our beloved country any further down this "Republican Road to Nowhere", I am going to join TLG and TT over at the "Fighting Liberals" and begin phone banking. I have donated money, but now this rises to the level that we must do more. No, I don't have time for this, BUT I'm going to MAKE the time because THIS is too important to NOT make the time. Please join us all in making sure we put an end to this complete FAILURE of the Republican ideology. We MUST do it!

Go to BarackObama.com login or create an account. Go to "Action" and sign up for the "Neighbor to Neighbor" program for phone banking from you own home. There is a tutorial and you can begin immediately. Or sign up for anything else you feel you can do for this effort. This is how we get off of the Republican Road to Nowhere!


Talking Heads - "Road to Nowhere"

It's NOT alright!

Take A Moment: Obama

Lipstick On a Pig - Eight IS Enough!!!

Dear CNN,

You have participated in the most outrageous promotion of absurdity for these EIGHT long years and I'm here to say ENOUGH!! I say that to all your cohorts in the msm as well. You have a responsibility to the public to report the TRUTH, not promote the absolute outright LIES being told by Republican politicians. I didn't see any reporting going on at the Republican convention that was the least bit critical of the outlandish words coming out of the mouths of every speaker. You have a responsibility to journalistic integrity and you have failed miserably. You are one of the main participants of applying the lipstick to all the little pig stores the Republicans have sown for EIGHT YEARS. Guess what CNN, it's STILL a PIG!!!

Just DO your job, IF you can remember how to do journalism, and if you can't let people who know how to do real journalism do it. Just STOP repeating the absurd, and yes even insane, crap the Republicans are spawning, and START calling a pig what it is..... a pig.

Enough!!

XOXO
Myrtle June

Here's what I mean...

Obama accuses Republicans of 'swift boat politics'

(CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama on Wednesday accused Sen. John McCain's campaign of engaging in "lies" and "swift boat politics" in regard to his comment about "lipstick on a pig."

Sen. Barack Obama dismisses GOP criticism about his reference to "lipstick on a pig."

"Spare me the phony outrage. Spare me the phony talk about change," Obama said at the start of an education event in Norfolk, Virginia.
"We have real problems in this country right now. The American people are looking to us for answers, not distractions, not diversions, not manipulations. They want real answers to the real problems we are facing.

"I don't care what they say about me. But I love this country too much to let them take over another election with lies and phony outrage and swift boat politics. Enough is enough," he said, referring to how Swift Boat Veterans for Truth launched attacks against Sen. John Kerry in the 2004 presidential race.

CNN's headline applies the lipstick to the pig the McBush campaign keeps spawning, that this is a petty quarrel, instead of telling the truth. The headline should read:

"The McCain Campaign Continues the "Absurdity Express" Media Swiftboating"

This is the same tactic that gave us the Iraq War, that let those people drown in Kartrina's aftermath, and that, to this day allow the absolute absurdity of Sarah Palin's VP nomination go completely unchecked. Eight years of this absurd practice of putting lipstick on every single pig lie the Bush administration has spawned. Eight years and two elections and the MSM continues to FAIL miserably!!!

Sarah Palin DID in fact fire the Wasilla librarian, then was forced to hire her back but engaged in workplace bullying for two years until the librarian had no other choice but to leave. This is factually proven in this story from ABC. And, ABC is no paragon of journalistic integrity either, but on this one they witnesses to speak on camera confirming that Sarah Palin's church wanted to ban books and she inquired about it prior to running for Mayor. Then, she ran for Mayor and won and inquired publicly of the librarian about book banning. The librarian would not allow it so Palin fired her. The outcry from the town got the librarian her job back, but working for Palin proved to be too much so she sought other, more sane employment. She still cannot speak about that time in her life. Where's the story on that CNN? "Palin Fires Librarian in Book Banning Case"... Where's that headline? OR "Sarah Palin Ran for Mayor to Foward Her Religious Beliefs"..... where's that headline? This is the TRUTH CNN. Can you remember what that's like to report that after EIGHT YEARS of putting lipstick on the Bush pig stories he's spawned? (h/t to tlg at gnb)

And CNN continues to try to smear the lipstick on this pig of a story here by repeating the absurd remarks by the McBush camp that Obama was calling Palin a pig. Clearly, they do not understand the term "Lipstick on a Pig". Oh, but wasn't is ever so cute and funny when Sarah Palin compared herself to a pit bull separated only by "lipstick". That's of course before she went into hiding or holding hand with John Mccain at every campaign stop. Please. The absurdity of this statement, this INVENTED story, by the McCain camp is what makes this story a pig. It makes it a swiftboat and Barack Obama is correct in identifying it as such.

Additionally, this entire Republican mockery of the seriousness of this election by nominating Sarah Palin as VP should be enough to tell everyone who cares about our future these people are not serious. They're absurd. The MSM enables the mockery of this party by continuing to give credibility to the absurd as as they've done for EIGHT long and arduous years.

Enough!

The PIG in question here is the last EIGHT YEARS and how McCain/Palin are trying to talk about anything on earth other than the FUTURE of our country and our citizens. Why? Because they got nothing!!! Nothing but this absurd mockery!



It's time to end this absurd mockery of our American Democracy.

Oh Oh.... Lies Even Lipstick Can't Cover

CNN finally seems to be actually reporting the Bridge to Nowhere Lie that Sarah Palin keeps right on telling. It's about time the msm finally started reporting the news instead of the repeated lies Sarah Palin and John McBush keep on rolling out day after day. The msm OWES this country for the last 8 years of lies they did nothing about. CNN has the lates on this big as lie here.

More cotton candy?

UPDATE: So much for Palin's "Lipstick on a Pit Bull" reference. She called herself a dog now they want attempt another twist and morph her into a pig. They want to take exception to naming the last eight years and their entire candidacy/mockery a pig.... with lots of lipstick. The absurdity continues.... here

North To Alaska! McCain Sends Vetting Team..... or is it a clean up crew?

There have been reports that the McCain team is now sending a team of ..... a team of... well he's sending about a dozen people up to Wasilla, AK to do what ever data mining they need to do. Perhaps its related to the Troopergate abuse of power investigation going on currently. Or perhaps its to get the full scoop on just who is the mother of Trig Palin. Or perhaps it's to find out just why Bristol Palin was pulled out of school for so long and where she was all that time last year. Maybe it's to finally do some real checking on Sarah Palin's hospital pals and what she's been up to in the last years. Nawwwwwww. I'm sure it's all about the Troopergate abuse of power business.

One thing is for certain, McCain decided he would pick his running mate with built in 'gates so there'd be no nasty surprises down the road. ;-)

Tanbark found this great Alaska blog who has lots of first hand information on the arrival of the McCain crew.

McHugh Pierre tells retired U.S. Army Officer that McCain Campaign is on its way to Alaska

Barbara Bachmeier walked into the Republican Party offices Friday looking for someone else but she found McHugh Pierre. He's on leave from the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and hand-picked by Sarah Palin to act as the Alaska Republican Party spokesperson in place of Republican Chair, Randy Reudrich.

Bachmeier walked in just as Pierre hung up the phone. She described his look as "the cat that just swallowed the canary."

Pierre: "I just got off the phone with the McCain people. They are coming in tomorrow to do their investigations."

Read the rest over at Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis. The Blue Oasis gang went to the convention in Denver too, so be sure to read farther down stream there for their wonderful coverage.

Only, in comments on an earlier thread, McHugh Pierre posted that it was the Obama camp coming to snoop around! What a liar!!

Josh Marshall over at TPM has a very sensible post up about it too.

Those pesky Republicans...

ENOUGH!

Gustav Gives GOP Cover for Palin Pick ... or is that the other way around?

While the GOP uses Gustav as a reason to "scale back" their convention and as a cover for the major cronyism that is the hallmark of their last eight years, McCain selects Sara Palin as his VP.

So many questions on this one. Did they pick Palin as a bright shiny object to distract from the Convention? The wars? The third anniversary of Katrina?

Its all so convoluted it make my head hurt to figure it out.

One thing is certain. WE. WILL. NOT. FORGET. KATRINA!

Kudos to the bloggers who gave this story those ugly little legs and got it into the MSM. They're reporting on it now, even dismissing the rumor portion of the program. Just the same its got legs. There's something MORE to the Palin story regarding her 5th child. I don't know what, but it goes to integrity. I think she lacks it. I feel sorry for the littlest Palin and for Bristol Palin. I don't feel sorry one bit for Sarah Palin. I'm appalled she would use the words "respect" and "privacy" in the same sentence regarding ANY reproductive decisions her family made because she has ZERO respect for the privacy of every other woman in this country with her anti-Choice policy positions. Over turning Roe v. Wade is an ANTI-CHOICE act and she disrespects women in that position. She stressed HER daughter made the CHOICE to keep the baby. It is only because of Roe v. Wade that Bristol Palin was able to even have a CHOICE and that Sarah Palin was able to speak those words at all. Being that Bristol is a minor child, she legally cannot make that CHOICE anyway. So Sarah Palin saying the word CHOICE was a joke. One thing this situation does is make CLEAR how opposite Sarah Palin's policy positions and agenda are from Hillary Clinton's. THAT'S the point the media needs to hammer her with.

The GOP Convention was going to be the worst so they took all decided they'd better show up for Gustav and not lolly gag around like they did for Katrina. Good choice, but oh so very obvious.

Just so you know .... GOP..... bushco/mccainco.... WE WILL NEVER FORGET what you did there in 2005. There's nothing you can do make up for it.... EVER!

"ENOUGH!!!"

Take a Moment: Better Things To Do Than Watch the Swiftboats

Tanbark likes ..... okay, he's wild for this!


Geraldine & Ezequiel_La mariposa

I was on a 'tubing run of my own when Geraldine arrived in my inbox. I was investigating the Collings OM small body guitar. I like it fine, but I'd like it better with mahogany/spruce wood rather than rosewood. I also don't think I'd care for the wide fingerboard. Still though, this guy rocks it. Compare with the D16H mahogany and the maple Taylor. Which do you prefer?


"Under The Double Eagle" side by side guitar comparison.

We used to call this song the "Sheep Hearder Stomp" when we'd go to barn dances back in the olden days. I lived in a small town in my youth and it was a real barn with a wooden floors and hay scattered about. The band would shout "Stomp" and the "dancers" would gather together 4 abreast, arms around your partners and proceed to do the Sheephearder's Stomp. Okay, it was basically flanks of people rushing forward a few steps then back a few, stomping and swinging around. You didn't want to be on the end because there were some collisons going on and you could become airborne on the swing around move. It was a mosh pit really. They tore down the barn and put up an indoor tennis court not long after I left that town. I digress *blush*

On another stop, I ran across this rather sweet song. Letha Allen on her little Gibson L1 which is a sweet guitar. Short scale, small body, mahogany/spruce. I had a 1969 B15, which was the lower end of the L series, and it was sweet but needed some fretboard work so I traded it for a J45. I love it too! Here she sings a very sweet song written by her mother, Margie Allen.


"The Banks of the River"


So the MSM has got their swift boats all in the water running the same game of distraction as they did for the last two Presidential elections. Pretty tiresome really. Sad. So let's just take a moment a pace ourselves here. We're going to need our energy to get out there and register voters and gotv when that time comes. I hope our votes will count this time. I just don't think this country can survive another 4 years of bushco/neocons. I would have hoped everyone had learned how they do this election dance. The Universe Herself knows we've seen it twice now.

In the meantime, let's love. That Crazy Love... (on a homemade Cigar Box guitar)



Peace and Love and Perseverance. This IS the best day ever after all. So there's that. :-)

John McCain is a DAMN LIAR!!! MSNBC in Full Smear Mode!!!

An OUTRIGHT LIE that McCain knows of no policy preventing candidates from visiting troops. CNN reported this in April when John McCain crossed the line for his "Service to America" Tour. He's FULLY aware!! LIAR! MSNBC spent the entire day running mccain's commercial, banging Obama for NOT crossing the line, and giving legs to this smear story. They should be ashamed. Starting with Joe Scarboro, Pat Buchanan, and good cop/bad cop routine participant Mika B..... they should all be fired. Mike Barnacle on Hardball actually laughed in Mark Green's face, along with Pat Buchanan in their "Oh goody we get to drive the news cycle" fit of Good 'ol Boy verbal masterbation. They played the McCain commercial over and over, laughed about their very obvious talking point of the day, morning to night, and are QUITE pleased at the fun they're having at the American voters' expense. I don't know who the hell is responsible for making this their talking point of the day..... but fire them too!

Here's the CNN April report:

April 3, 2008 -- Updated 1738 GMT (0138 HKT)

Pentagon walks fine line in 2008 campaign

Story Highlights
Military official: McCain's stops at Navy bases prompted Pentagon discussions
The stops were part of McCain's "Service to America" tour
Pentagon recently updated a directive on restrictions on military campaigning
Candidates have long been barred from campaigning at military installations

From Barbara Starr
CNN Pentagon Correspondent

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Stops by Sen. John McCain at U.S. Navy bases this week prompted internal Navy and Pentagon discussions, according to a military official with direct knowledge of the discussions.

The official said the discussions regarding the McCain appearances, including Wednesday's speech and private meetings at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where his son is midshipman, "were not contentious" and there is no allegation of any wrongdoing.

The staff discussions came as the Pentagon recently updated a military directive spelling out restrictions on the U.S. military during political campaigning.

Candidates for office have long been prohibited from engaging in political activities at U.S. military installations or using U.S. military personnel in their political appearances. Presidential campaign staffs generally are very familiar with these military rules.

The stops were part of McCain's "Service to America" tour, which kicked off on Monday and were approved by the Pentagon office of general counsel

With Department of Defense rules prohibiting political campaigning on military bases, it was determined that in some cases McCain could visit the installations as a senator but could not engage in any political activity or have news media present.

McCain campaign officials said Thursday they intentionally did not campaign on military property.

"We follow the rules," said senior McCain adviser Steve Schmidt.

Because all three presidential candidates are sitting senators, DoD officials have privately noted for some weeks that the whole matter of drawing the line between Senate business and campaigning is sensitive.

A U.S. Army official told CNN there are no pending requests from any of the campaigns to visit Army bases at this time. He noted that Sen. Barack Obama recently visited Fayetteville, North Carolina, but did not go to Fort Bragg; and Sen. Hillary Clinton visited Killeen, Texas, but did not go to Fort Hood.

For his Wednesday visit to the U.S. Naval Academy -- of which he is a graduate -- McCain was allowed to make a political appearance at the academy's football stadium because it is privately owned property and is not owned or run by the U.S. military.

Earlier in the day, when McCain had breakfast with midshipmen on academy grounds, it was closed to the press and considered a private event. Watch McCain speak at the Naval Academy »

The military spokesman points out that any U.S. senator could also request to visit the academy or any military installation.

But the Navy declined a McCain campaign request to speak at the Naval Aviation Museum at the naval base in Pensacola, Florida, because it is a military owned installation and is located on the base, the official said.

This is exactly how they gave the swiftboaters legs. John McCain is the most laughable candidate and they are driving the news. This isn't news. Its just pure bullshit!!!

They really cannot say much about FOX anymore. They fuel these outright lies and should be removed from public airwaves. Yes, its a country of free speech BUT there is a responsibility that goes with that. Massive FAIL at MSNBC.

They're shooting Liberals now. MSNBC can now join FOX and rush for promoting this atmosphere of hate and dishonesty.

Tea Time In The Wildwood: Lou Dobbs' Red Herring Stew

He's had some work done by Myrtle June

We haven't had a good Tea Time for awhile so pull up a stump, a rocker or grab your favorite blanket, the meadow is beautiful this summer. We've got fresh Raspberry Sun Tea special brew today from those wonderful raspberries down the lane. I'm going with the Oat Straw-Chamomile combo as Lou Dobbs makes my blood pressure rise. Later, we'll break out the Dandelion Wine we corked up early last month. Other tea additives are in the kitchen cabinet, just behind the tomato juice, pickled asparagus and Tabasco sauce. Help yourself.

Tanbark and I have been working on his computer for a few days since it wouldn't allow him to go to any blogspot site, or windows update, or gnb. Plus, he was bombarded with ads suddenly. What an aggravating situation that was! Then, come to find out, it was his ISP or other intertube routing fuckery. It cleared up earlier today, but this routing nonsense may have caused a need to step away and pick at his instruments a bit. Just before this bit of fun, Tanbark received an email from a dear relative of his regarding Lou Dobbs.

The email contained a "2 minute video every American should see". I didn't see it, but it was sent to several other of his family members and friends of his relative's. Apparently Tanbark watched it, then stepped out and replied... to everyone on the list. He expressed concern that he may be in the market for a new family. Here's his reply:

Dear Cousin, and everyone; thanks for the send.

Except, I'm not all that worried about illegal immigrants. That's a problem that can be dealt with. And the best way to deal with it, is for America to stop propping up right-wing governments who keep their own poor and working-class people in a such a state of poverty and abuse, that they are willing to leave their home country and take the risk of coming to the U.S. any way they can.

NOW, if we want to talk about a threat to the "working class Americans" about whom Lou Dobbs has been weeping crocodile tears for these many moons, I would suggest that he (and John Boehner, who, himself, is a piece of shit, so maybe that's why he can recognize it in the immigration bill...)consider that we are nearly 6 years into the worst foreign-policy screwup in our history.

I am, of course, talking about the clusterf**k in Iraq. 4100 of our troops are dead. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, none of whom had jackshit to do with attacking us, until george bush invaded their country based on a pack of lies and patrio-kooliad like haven't been seen since Vietnam.

Someone needs to remind Lou and congressman shit-for-brains, that bush's vanity war is costing us $3 billion dollars a week, with no end in sight.

Two weeks ago, the deputy P.M. of Israel held a presser and announced that "an attack on Iran is unavoidable".

Within 24 hours, oil spiked $11 a barrel. Every time bush pulls out his little toy saber and rattles it, the PPB goes up a buck or two.

I can't speak for everyone whom I'm sending this reply to, but I happen to feel that $4 a gallon gas, unprecedented home foreclosures, skyrocketing unemployment, and TWO wars which are eating us alive, economically speaking, are one HELL of a bigger threat to us than every Mexican who pole-vaulted into the united states.

Lou Dobbs' pimping of illegal immigrants as a terrible threat to us, at the same time that 20-30 of our troops are dying each month, and our economy is tanking, is nothing but republican horseshit. It's a giant red-herring for the fact that george bush and the GOP have taken a humongous shit in the american bed, and they haven't got a clue as to how to UN-shit it.

All they're trying to do is hang on long enough to dump the flaming misery in the democrats laps, at which NANOSECOND, they will spin 180 degrees and begin shrieking "THEY did it to us!"

The "illegal immigrant" rants from Dobb's and republicans like Boehner are nothing but Hitler-lite hate-transferal techniques that were used on the Jews, when Germany was imploding in the 1920's. He was successful in scapegoating them, and he rode that hatred to his election as Chancellor, in 1933, I think it was.

Barack Obama is in process of welding george bush and the war in Iraq, to John McCain's ass like he was putting a trailer hitch on a pick-up truck. :o)

For all of his faults, and his senility, and despite being put up as a sacrificial goat by the goopers, I hope McCain won't stoop to this kind of tactic.

But this one is for all the chips. If Obama wins, there is a chance that we can pull back from the precipice of the corporate 4th Reich that bush and the neocons have dragged us to.

If McCain wins, the Supreme Court will be the "Alpine Redoubt" for the rightwing asshats, just as it was when they made bush the president in 2000.

BTW, all of you; if george bush IS insane enough to pull the trigger on Iran, oil will spike over $200, and keep spiking. And there will be some rather significant changes in the quality of life for us all.

Cousin! If you haven't put in a "mission accomplished" garden, then, trust me, it's time to get on it.

Good luck to us all, we're going to need it, and NOT because of illegal immigrants.

And then something very cool happened. He got some nice replies!

From his cousin, the sender of the original email:

Hey, Tanbark. Thanks for helping me see the broad picture. I knew all of that, but guess I was waylaid by the outrageous sounding sound bite. How well you say things! Thanks again for the insight. I agree with all. Have a great weekend.

Another relative:

Tanbark, I agree with you. I can't see why so many people are upset with the illegal immigrants when we are so dependent on them! And to spend all that money to build a fence on the border just sounds insane to me!

I really think there are a lot of lies being passed around about how much they're "costing" us. I've kept my mouth shut and just listened so far, but I have to agree with you.

More!

... But we are together on all your rant. I have been unable to believe we ( as a nation) could have re-elected this crowd of criminals. The first time was bad enough, but to ask for more was beyond my belief. So all we can do is live with it for a few more months. I'm just sorry the spineless congress won't impeach. If ever there was a case this is it.

... Let me know when you're going to be nearby, as I'd like to meet you. And keep the faith; our country will survive this mess.

Another!

Tanbark, I was so glad to hear from you and your take on gb and Iraq. Couldn't agree with you more. Please keep me posted on your thoughts about the upcoming election.

Well, they asked....

I hope no one minds a little joint reply. I got a bit exercised there, going off on Lou and his great immigration red herring. Been hearing it for a while now, from the warpimps who are so desperate to shift attention from bush's policies, expecially, in Iraq, to the great brown-skin threat to the south.

I re-read it after I sent it, and I was thinking:

"Whoa! I may need a new family! No nice Turkeyday get-together for you, Tanbark....:o)"

I was relieved that no one was too offended by my rant.

Thanks to each of you, for taking the trouble to let me know your feelings. And for your support.

... I'll be glad to include you on my rant list. It's not that long, but, as you have figured out by now, I don't pull any punches. Same old:

If you aint pissed off, you aint paying attention. :o)

I got four grandkids, and another'n on the way. I don't want them to inherit the kind of "1984" world that bush and his petro-idiots are so diligently trying to create.

... of the election, I'm pretty much of the so-far, so-good, school of thought.

I was a strong supporter of John Edwards. Loved his populism, and the fact that he has spoken out for poor and working class people so consistently. If the kneejerk conservatives think that Edwards has terrible baggage with him because he's a trial lawyer who IS the american success story, and who came from modest means, and then made his money by suing these corporations for product liability, and for personal injuries to people, they need to think again. Hard for me to come up with something better to have on his resume'. :o)

But, he didn't make it. His hard luck to be running in a year with Hillary and Obama. And he dropped out, which was prolly the right thing to do, since his campaign had not really caught on.

I'd been an admirer of Hillary's for a long time, and then watched as she and her "braintrust" were cynical and politically stupid enough to suck up to the very people who were savaging she and her family for all those years. When, in 2006, she lent her presence and her office to FauxNews by attending their 10th anniversay birthday bash in N.Y., what did she say when she ran into Bill O'Reilly:

"Hi. Bill. Good to see you. Thanks a ton for using all manner of bullshit to flay the hide off me, Bill, Chelsea, and Socks...not to mention the democratic party, for the past decade."

No. I won't go into all of the reasons why I think we dodged a giant bullet when Obama (with belated help from the DLC) finally ran her out, but Barack Obama is so much more electable than is she, that it's no contest. The republicans don't like him, but they purely hate the Clintons. And so do the independents, from whom I think Obama can peel off a fair number of votes.

I also do not want to see her as the veep selection. If Obama, himself, is brick-dumb enough to pick her, then the twin issues of Iraq and the economy (really, just one, since our economic troubles derive from the loon-crusade) would be reduced to back-burner issues, as Fox, and the republicans, with help from a lot of the MSM (mainstream media) would ecstatically make the election about "Billary", 24-7. There would be so many clips of Bubba and Monica on the tube, that we'd think we'd gone through a time-warp. I voted for him, twice. And I was delighted when she won the Senate seat in New York. But their time is over.

As has been said on some of the blogs:

"Bush-Clinton...Bush-Clinton...the White House is not a damn Myrtle Beach time-share."

There is one clip of her on YouTube, where she practically lost her mind (I supposed from seeing the coronation express laying in the ravine like the Wreck of the Old 97" and praised John McCain as good "commander-in-chief" material, while scorning Obama in the next sentence.

Politically savvy, my arse. It was one more horrible mis-step, in a spastic dance of them.

If Obama were to pick her, can you imagine the fun the republicans would have with THAT clip, along about mid-October?

Edwards seemed to take himself out of the running for the second spot, and then sorta-kinda put himself back in. It would be a formidable ticket, but I feel like he would be wasted as the veep. It's a political closet; a backwater; and John likes to mix it up. I would prefer him as A.G.

"Gentlemen! Start your subpoenas!" :o)

I also think that he could have the statehouse in Raleigh, for the asking, and deliciously, Liddy Dole's Senate seat, but I think she's not up for re-election until 2010; is that right?

But I like the man. Saw him speak 3 times, once in a very intimate setting at the little Union Hall for the steelworkers in Georgetown. The atmosphere was electric. He lit the place up. Spoke straight-out. Said that his first day in office, he would close Gitmo. That took some courage, in red-state S.C., but the applause was LOUD, when eh said it. He also, for the umpteenth time, apologized profoundly for his vote to authorize in 2002. This was 10 months ago. It took Hillary 20 debates into the campaign, to unequivocally eat HER vote, and she only did it when she was seeing the poll-writing on the wall.

Anyway, back to Obama. He's brainfarted a few times, most notably on FISA, with it's protection for the damn telcoms who helped bush pull his warrantless tracking of our phone calls, etc. That was disappointing, and he needs to remember that every time we "reach out" to the republicans and the conservatives, we draw back a bleeding stump. The best thing he can do is put distance between himself and McBush. The voters will love it.

The enthusiasm he's generated has been because people perceive him as a different breed of political cat. If he tries to move to the right, it's going to cost him, big time. I hope he and his people understand that. I think they got the message when he got hammered for his "yes" vote on FISA, by some of the same blogs, notably, DailyKos, who had worked and fundraised, their butts off for him.

He doesn't need to be in full-on rant mode yet, about all of the lies and B.S. that were used to drag us into the Mesopotamian La Brea pit. There is such a thing as issue-fatigue for the voters, no matter how true the accusations are. Don't use all the ammo early.

To put it another way, the "stability" in Iraq stems from two things, bush has crammed 150,000 troops into the country, and he's paying the Sunni insurgents, and a smaller number of Shia militia groups, a million dollars a day to lay off of our troops. It's like given protection money to Tony Soprano; what happens when you stop paying? And those people aren't dumb. They KNOW they have bush and the GOP's 'nads in a vise. If they start raising hell before the election, it's going to be a deadly reminder of just how UN-winnable bush's mayhem opera really is.

And why wouldn't they raise hell? I would. Saddam was an ageing tyrant, but if you kept your mouth shut, you could survive, and it was a matter of time until one of his own people dropped a grenade in his lap.

Bush has turned the country into a charnel house Baghdad is a rat's nest of checkpoints, ethnically cleansed neighborhoods, and miles of concrete blast barriers.

The Kurds don't give a fig about "greater Iraq". They're biding their time and consolidating their hold on Kirkuk and those lucrataive fields that make up 15% of Iraq's reserves.

The Shiites down south control the other 85%, and if our military isn't there to make them funnel it to the "central Government" in Baghdad, I think they will shut off the faucet, instanter.

Shorter me: Iraq is being held together by our military and by that $3 bil a week. That's all. When that ceases; it's going to be Katie-bar-the-door, and the nearly 2/3rds Shiite majority, will be exchanging glute-rubs with their bros in Teheran, making Iran the big winner in bush's war.

Obama can't say this, but there's not going to BE a good outcome for us there. You don't get elected speaking that kind of truth; all he can do is point out McCain's unstinting support for it, and make plans to try to salvage something.

The alternative is years more of casualties and the huge drain on our money and our international standing.

Enough. I think Rome is falling. Never seen so many angry people. It's important that we make sure their anger is directed at the people who are responsible for what's going on. I believe that as we head into the general election, Obama is just the guy to do that.

We'll see...gonna be a hell of a 3 and a half months.

Love to all.

More tea? I just love the way Tanbark nails it! What a great family he has there.

People are talking amongst themselves and the good people of this country are all too often waylaid by the red herring and righty rhetoric coming at us fast and furious like. But, when one person speaks the truth, then it somehow prompts others to also begin to be more critical of what they're hearing, the source of the "news", and to add some context to what they're seeing. Ultimately, they speak out as well.

I have a friend in another city who receive a package of pro mccain literture from her elderly father in another state. She was livid and at a loss of what to say to him. She despises bushco and what they've done.

We'd been on the phone election night 1999 and the ups and downs of the flickering Florida blue/red status was just mindbending. We were on the phone still when the bush crime family was eating at ma and pa's and Florida was blue and the reporter asked george w. what he thought of that. He replied, "Jeb was supposed to take care of that". In unison, I'm sure you heard it, we instantly let out a big "Whhhhhhaaaaaat? Did he really say thaaaat!". Then Florida turned red and that was that pretty much that. I digress. I do that. *blush*

So after some time of trying to figure out how to tell her father of her appalled state at his "gift box", she chose a simple truth. In her package back to him she inserted a lovely Obama sticker, a campaign pamphlet, and simple "Thank You, but I've decided. Love...". And who knows, she may well have changed his mind. Regardless, it was a simple truth that required no long debate or explanation. It just is what it is. Obama. Our only hope.

This is how we change our country. Acknowledge where the other person is at. State where you're at. A simple statement of why can help.

As for Lou Dobb's. His a hateful puppet of the right and all his insane hateful speaking is designed for one thing. Red Herring Stew!!!!

Dandelion wine all around :-)



Who's Gonna Build You Wall - Tom Russell