I sure am surprised that the Republican lackey "news" service, CNN, had the intestinal fortitude to show this.

I wonder if it will be shown all over the country on the Nightly News.

Wow...democrats finally stand together and even get vocal! Thank God. Its about time our party got some balls.

I think the Pukes know their gone in the next round of voting,
we will be seeing a lot more of this before 11/06

I hope they don't think chanting "shame" is their courageous act for this year.

Yep, just keep voting over and over again until you get it right... That's the Amerikkka the GOP has given us.

Hey, can we do that with presidential elections, too? Oh wait, I forgot, GOP victory there is now perpetually assured.

What I'll never understand about the GOP and it's ardent lack of concern for the environment is, simply, they live here too!!! WTF?? Their children are going to have to live on this planet, it's not like the GOP have their own little death star that they can slink back to at the end of the day, they're stuck here on the polluted earth with the rest of us!

What then, is the constant impetus to crap where they sleep? All the money in the world won't buy you clean air and water when all the clean air and water is gone!

Thanks to Bernie Sanders and all who spoke out against the THUGS. THIS IS NOT what Democracy looks like. Get in the streets...

Today, I am very sad! In the U.S. House today, I watched an ignorant display of terrorism. My stomach turned when I saw the house speaker holding open the vote, in order not to have the energy bill passed; that made good common sense (accountable for the Oil companies). We are living in a time of hate, and greed. People, it is not about a “Republicans” or “Democrats” it is about our country, and if we do not stand up as one, we are domed. The people (Republicans, and alike) who are living in the Pits of Hell will be condemned back to hell. Our God is not pleased with this Bush administration. Be patient, and watch them all fall. For comment # 2 the democrats have been standing together for the last five years, they just cannot get anything done, because of the stonewalling, and greed. Fear not, God is watching! Sit back and watch the magic...

Desperate measures from a desperate party. How sad.

With an attitude like this from the Republicans, the Dems may come sweeping back into power next year.

Arry #4

At least it's a start and hopefully they will get more balls and start standing up for this country!

Thanks to the Republicans who voted against the bill and shame on those who had voted against but changed their votes. (Guess they wanted to get home to dinner!)

#6 Fenria - I think it has something to do with their concept of "manliness". Remember how Cheney snickered and sneered about conservation when trying to sell his energy policy? It has gotten to such a point that they think democracy itself is unmanly. (We all know the origins of excessive obsession with manliness, right?) And peace...give me a break. "We make reality, you just observe..." chest-thumping.

Helen Caldecott is quite eloquent and convincing about the phallic obsession behind nuclear missiles.

Is it possible we live in such an absurd world?

I'm disappointed CNN said only reason Dems voted no was environmental concerns. I thought they had issues with rewarding big oil companies for (a) closing approx. 30 refineries in the last 30 years as they drove the independents out of the market, (b) shipping gas to overseas markets, thus making it more expensive domestically, (c) destroying wetland buffers around New Orleans.

Not to mention, of course, Strutting George.

I confess I stole this quote from the Daily Reckoning, but I'd like to offer it to the Republicans:

There are no magic levers...no miracle knobs. Instead, there is only a footnote in the Policymakers' Manual: "Warning, despite your conceits and delusions, you usually get what you've got coming."

NOW WAKE UP AND SMELL THE FASCISM

Funny, I didn't see any story about this on the news this evening.

Was it there and I just missed it?

Well, that was a little intense. I may have to start watching C-SPAN now.

And when is the 2nd American Civil War starting???

Fenria:

As long as the crapping doesn't happen in their own housing developments, but instead in the poor section of town, they treat it as though it isn't happening at all.

Shortsighted and stupid, but that's what I think happens. "If I can't see it, it must not be that bad."

Hey Delay, resign right now before you're sent out packing on your @$$...

He should have no place in Congress at all. Force him to resign NOW!

Doug

Dear David (BB no-so-secret-weapon) Edwards,

I haven't been able to post much recently, but I'm still reading BB, of course.

I wanted to give you a big THANKS for this, and for all of your other video and blogging contributions to BB, ever since when.

You are one of the mainstays of this great place.

Thanks, VG

It's nice, I suppose, that CNN reported this, but notice that no one on CNN explained the abuse of power involved in keeping the vote open beyond the stated time. They just passed it off as "Republican muscle" and "Democratic minority" and "demonstration."

Anyone who did not know about the travesty of the extended voting would just assume that:

1) The Republicans are powerful
2) The Democrats are sore losers

As I keep saying over and over again, as long as Republican cronies control most television and radio, we Democrats might as well forget about democracy in this country. For all practical purposes, it does not exist.

CNN did a lousy job explaining this news. They failed to get the point across that the bill was rejected by 212 to 210 until the Repubs held voting open for an additional 45 minutes.

They also failed to explain all of the reasons why the Dems were against the bill. This was lousy reporting on CNN's part.

Bulldog Manifesto is right - I was so frustrated watching the article because they didn't ONCE mention that the voting was supposed to only be open for five minutes. They glossed over it this fact, making the Democrats look like nothing more than sore losers.

SHAME SHAME SHAME on the ball-less news media.

So very, very frustrating.

The vote on the medicare bill was extended for three hours. I watched the numbers (yeas and nays in wonder). I screamed at the tv, called congress in the wee morning..I am on the left coast so was up watching in the middle of the night when 'they' think everyone is sleeping. Finished my rantings by writing my members of congress and telling them what I thought. Guess what I got back from one member, a dem. A form letter about my concern about the War in Iraq..duh. I also cancelled my membership in AARP, who incidently supported the bill 100%. Who runs aarp, a former head of a pharmaceutical company. I wrote to him too and gave him my two cents. I wrote 'personal' on the envelope, hoping his staff wouldn't open it. I think Washington D.C. is on another planet, probably Mars, the planet of War. I have yet to see a vote passed in the allotted time. I wonder how big the 'cloak room' is. That bill was close too, one vote. God Save America. M4

P.S. I think the 'civil war' has already begun. Prepare to meet your neighbors. All the thugs need now is to get the guns and they will and the joke will be on the NRA.

Well, the Republicans took away Americans vote with DIEBOLD, now they are taking away the Senate's vote. Time for a revolution! They are out of control. Andrew Jackson predicted it.

By the way, the Iran stories are starting up in the news again, with CNN & all giving a forum to it. Are we going to sit back and take this?

Does anyone notice that the GOP only mentions cutting medicare/medicaid/American's social programs to pay for Katrina, but nothing of cutting foreign aid or their pay raises?

Since we have a deficit, aren't we "borrowing" to give money for foreign aid??? Is our government insane???

That smells illegal. Attorneys out there, what do you think?

Did the CNN report represent it correctly? Am I not getting it? Isn't this about us spending our money to build refineries instead of the oil companies doing it? Isn't this about lowering their environmental standards so oil companies can make more money? Isn't this about being able to put refineries where the public doesn't want them? (And didn't we just give the oil companies money to explore for oil - those poor, poor oil companies really need to be subsidized, you know.)

CNN makes it sound like the only thing the Democrats were voting about was the environment.....Do I have this wrong or is this just more of the "liberal" media spin --- that has NEVER existed?

OT but another sign of the times, that are a changing IMHO

After being targeted by the Bush neo-cons, the IAEA and Director Mohammed ElBaradei receive Nobel Peace Prize.

Can anyone get a list of who voted "yes" and especially who switched from "no" to "yes"? The American electorate should remember them all and get on their case like they have never experienced before....

Get involved in your community. Organize against these criminals who are stealing our country.

There are many people who believe we need to re-claim our political system for the purpose it was intended. They are in are neighborhoods, in our work place and they are waiting for someone to help them organize against this assault on our nation and our planet.

Be the one.

Be the person who starts the meetings of the small group of concerned citizens. Be the individual who will not concede that the neo-cons have impenetrable power. Be the guy(gal) who everyone is going to call and say "Where are we going to meet this week? " Be the person who is enthusiastic about the mid-term elections and all its implications.

Be the one!

I am SO disgusted and enraged by this - obviously government OF the people FOR the people and BY the people no longer exists. What will it take for the PEOPLE to pull their thumbs out of their butts and realize that these mother-f-ing politicians are OUR EMPLOYEES. WE hired them and we should be FIRING the ones that don't represent our best interests. The shame in all of this is that 37% of the country still thinks (and that's a generous assumption) that Dumbya is doing a good job "leading". This government is a travesty and the SHAME is that we collectively haven't pulled together to get the ignoramuses out of office. WAKE UP AMERICA! Maybe now that everyone's pocketbook is going to take a hit, maybe just maybe it will be the wake up call that it takes to get the American people to actively get these assholes out. But then again, stupid is as stupid does... It's just wrong that the rest of us get taken down.

Does anyone realize how the Republicans are giving corporate welfare by the billions to these oil companies, but Bush & the GOP are saying we must "make tought decisions" by budget cutting medicare/medicaid/social programs? Where's the cuts to corporate taxpayer welfare to these big oil companies, and how come CNN doesn't point this out, whenever the GOP & Bush say "we must make tough decisions". Who is "WE"? The poor & middle class, not the oil companies and foreign aid!!!

Why doesn't the news media point this out when they parade Bush on TV, patriotically saying "we must all sacrifice, and make tough decisions"???

Wait until elderly & poor people die this winter when they have no money to heat their homes. The cuts for this aid must've been used to subsidize the oil companies in this energy bill. When the elderly start freezing to death this winter, it will be another GOP black mark on America, like the Hurricane Katrina response. And don't say it's not the GOP, the president picks his cabinet and all his cronies who run programs like FEMA. It's the Republicans fault. We didn't vote for the cronies Bush fills his cabinet and agencies with, remember that.

That's why the presidential election is the most important election to hack with DIEBOLD, because it's not just getting Bush, it's all the people he picks for all his posts too.

Way back when, when George the Monkey King stood under a banner that read, "Mission Accomplished", the mission he was referring to was the hijcking of American democracy. Now the inmates are running the asylum. Mission Accomplished!

# 29 - Don't forget the insurance we will be funding to protect the oil companies from lawsuits. (Possibly our own lawsuits.)

To #8 and the rest of the religiously afflicted please stop subjecting those of us who reject your pious bullshit, the president who talks to god, asshole Pat Robertson, James Dobson and Jesus freak Harriet "I'm so incompetent"Miers, please just keep it to yourself! You rant how god will mete out justice, why doesn't he strike Bush dead and fix the friggin problem? Between Allah and Jesus H. Christ I don't think humanity can take much more. With all of you running around with your Tim LaHaye books waiting to be beamed up to heaven while the rest of us suffer, born again butt boy is doing everything he can to bring on Armeggedon. Run to your bible and find a verse to justify the madness all because you are afraid of dying and want eternal life in the clouds. Sorry man, been there done that and all I found were liars, cheats and thieves. Just like the current occupants in the White House. Tom Delay, born again christian, indicted criminal. Bill Frist, born agan christian, liar, crook ,criminal. You all make me sick. Go live on an island together and wait for the e ticket to heaven....

TWO IMPORTANT EVENTS TO COVER IMMEDIATELY....

Stop Tom Feeney and his bullshit Voting bill, which will STAMP OUT everyone's voting rights!!!!!!!!!

Call on Feeney to be dragged in front of a Jury:
AskDOJ@usdoj.gov

Force Tom Delay & his cronies to resign, and be pressured to resign permanently
Tom Delay Resign and Take Blunt!!!!!!!

Everyone NAIL these two action items nonstop with floods of letters and signatures!!!!!!!! PROTEST and riot, lets kick em' out permanently from our HOUSE!!!!!!!!

Doug Eldritch

It's time to vote for independants. Screw the Dems & Reps. The enemy is within and is the most dangerous enemy of all.
Sound the alarm. We the people will not take this shit anymore. The smell of revolution is in the air, the enemy within has divided us and wants to conquer us all.
We the people must voice our anger now before it is too late! United we stand, Divided we fall! Let those in power see that we don't need a bullhorn for them to hear our outrage at the treason and corruption!

#32 Sam, I agree with your post that we need to get involved but once again I find I run into the black/white issue. How do you organize without being labeled and having all the issues brought up being ones you agree on..(does this sense.) That is a reason I have never joined a 'group'. I do not want to be a part of a group that I do not heartily agree with. Sept. 24 was a great example of this, so many different causes being espoused which many in the March did not agree with. Thus, media coverage was not focused on the real reason that Sheehan and other groups were about.

On one of the other sites I visited a poster commented that the US with break down into various groups with various agendas. I believe this will happen. A giant fracture and then gradual coming together for a common purpose. So what would be the base line for a new group. Hatred of the Neocons, yes, but how many people even know what a Neocon is. We are dealing with a large poplution that is uninformed and really don't have time to get involved. We are also dealing with a lot of people that just don't care. They don't want to be woken from their long slumber. We are dealing with repubs and dems that don't think the NWO is going to affect them, somehow they will be spared when the knock of the door comes.

I think you are right as to getting groups together, I agree that you start small, with trusted people you know and feel as passionately about what is happening...that see the big picture. All groups are infiltrated by the enemy so it is important that you know the backround of the people coming to your meetings. We have to be like bushco (heaven forbid) invitation only. I don't have a large circle of friends that have my passion. I am just lucky to have been blessed to find Blogs. I could start a group, but who would I invite...I don't have a clue.

Brian said..."comment # 2 the democrats have been standing together for the last five years, they just cannot get anything done, because of the stonewalling, and greed. Fear not, God is watching! Sit back and watch the magic..."

Brian...I agree with you somewhat. I traveled all the way from California to take part in the massive anti-war march in DC. I then lobbied at the offices of Senators Boxer and Feinstein the following Monday. I sat next to Phil Donahue, 3 veterans of the war (one a paraplegic from an IED), ER Physicians, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Progressive Democrats of America, a union rep representing 400k members, etc. Boxer's meeting was great.

Feinstein, although in the office, could not be bothered to meet with the 50+ of us crammed into her conference room - methinks she couldn't face the soldiers. Every one of us was disgusted and some were outwardly furious. Feinstein's position is that she wants to wait and see what happens in December and then again at the beginning of the year before she makes any decisions about a timetable for withdrawal.

After over an hour of respectful but passionate speeches and discussions, one of the soldiers said "Mr. Harris (I believe that is correct), we are the majority in california. We are telling the senator that she was elected and is paid to represent us, not to play political games and be "safe." Other constituent representatives told her aide "please let the Senator know that unless we see her represent the will of the people she represents, we will withdraw support of her in next year's election and will support an alternative candidate." Trust me, these peoples' representatives were dead serious! The aide encouraged us to keep emailing, phoning and faxing so that Senator Feinstein would know where we stood in the near future.

I got the last word and said "please tell Senator Feinstein that hundreds of thousands of people marched in our nations' capitol, in the streets of DC to tell them we have had enough and to bring our soldiers home. She's heard all she's needed to."

Earlier I had said "as a mom who's son served 2x in Iraq, I want this administration investigated for crimes against the American people and our soldiers, and I want them held accountable."

Our democratic leaders are afraid to take a hard stance against this war. Almost all of them are playing it politically safe. Until our leaders stand together as one (and I mean ONE, with no dissenters) then our party will continue to be castrated. All I can ask of everyone is to bombard your senators and representatives with daily emails and phone calls. They are so removed from reality, so immersed in their political dealings and worried about their political careers (except for Conryn, Boxer, Barbara Lee, Woolsey to name a few) that they are waiting until we do all the work for them. I find it cowardly and despicable.

I'm ready to march again, are you? I'm ready for a revolution to save this country. Are you?

Oil companies - the vast majority of whose campaign contributions go to the Repugs - own our government and have clearly demonstrated that they are beyond ethical or rational standards, and are literally making it impossible for democracy to survive.

Here's an idea - nationalize the oil companies, and channel their profits into regional sustainable energy sources and conservation until we have built a society that had adjusted to the realities of the 21st century and is no longer killing itself.

Impossible? Seems like it, but it's the only solution I see. How can it happen? Well, there will have to be some major disruption of our society. Massive boycotts, massive refusal to pay taxes, the "opposition" party refusing to participate in the legislative process - even to the point of walkouts and so on - and serving as a moral example.

People are still thinking in terms of dealing with the unAmerican fascists, but it can't be done.

Doug is right that we have to work on Delay, Frist, Feeney, etc. It is crucial. But we can't take chances of this going on anymore. We are losing everything of value very quickly, and the further we let it go on, the more difficult it will be to retrieve. We have to take a strong offensive and think in terms we are not used to.

Like everything else these reptiles do it was done under the cover of darkness - and as late in the Friday night news cycle as possible.

#43 Arry I think there is some kind of national boycott planned for Nov. 2. Something to do with no driving, working? I am not sure the details but wouldn't it be a wonderful message to send. I just don't think this kind of thing gets out to people tho, and too many are scared to loose their jobs, not get their kids to sports, and whatever. It has to be massive to make a point. I am in the position to do this kind of thing. I quit shopping a long time ago. I gave up Christmas in 2000 after the phony election. Have not shopped. Give money to family instead. I will no longer send my money to the dems either. They don't work for me, and only pay attention to me at election time. I would rather support people like Brad that bring the news that I want to know....Congress is a waste of my time. I have tried emailing them, calling them. (BTW...on a local issue I was having concerning my county, (in which I was born and raised) one of the secretaries I was complaining to told me if I didn't like what was happening in my county to MOVE. Now that was real PR for her boss (an import from Montana-a republican) She and I had some words and 20 minutes later this councilman was standing on my doorstep. I let him know exactly what I thought of his secretary and her PR skills.

This whole machine is so well oiled where does one begin. Maybe if we ever get this country back we can implement some new ideas...it will be a long hard battle. M4

The key is to get government out of the the hands of the corporations & their lobbyists, but how do you do that effectively? It's all about the money they give to politicians. Take away the money factor and the corporations become far less powerful.

We are in the second Robber Baron age.

Any ideas on how to solve this?

Needless to say, we must also get control of elections again. You can't win the 2006 election or any following elections if the vote is rigged.

Both seem like an impossible task as long as the Republicans are in charge of everything including the media. Own the media and everything else follows. Why do you suppose they voted in December (2003?) to allow big media to buy up everything they wanted?

Floridiot #3- you make the assumption that the true will of the people will be accurately represented in the next election. Unfortunately, I see little to make me optimistic that that will be the case. I hope I'm wrong!

ladyfrancesca #42- In regards to Feinstein, she is an atrophied and useless politician and I have little hope for her redemption. Back when "6 or 7" of us were aggitating, sending e-mails to the Carter/Faker Commission, to our Congressman, Senators and the like about election reform, I got a form e-mail back from Feinstein's office that I wish I had saved and could reproduce here. It basically assured me that she was "commited to election reform" which to her meant sponsoring various bandaid measures that would really only further entrench HAVA and the roll of voting machines and voting machine companies in our corrupted voting process. I have given up on her and cannot imagine ever voting for her again.

I wonder, is there any way that constituents could take their Congressional representative to court over their violation of congressional rules with regard to the extension of voting time?

If we could extend the net beyond the administration, Abramoff & friends to include the criminals in Congress, then who knows how quickly this thing could be turned around.

Hey, the Republicans say they hate trial lawyers, so it only makes sense to put them in a position where they'd have to hire 'em.

MarkH: We'd have to make sure we had a real set of prosecutors in place and went after both the corrupt democrats and republicans, as that's the only way they'd stop!

And it sure could hit the fan.....Think REVOLUTION at that point, recall of Congress, a full-fledged recall.....But if the Senate wakes up which they're starting to, maybe just maybe, we won't have to do it ourselves.......

TIME TO GET RID OF DIEBOLD AND MOVE ON WITHOUT DELAY!

Doug

MarkH #48-

Unfortunately, you are confusing Congressional RULES, (which Democrats have also occasionally broken when they were in power) with LAWS (which Repugs are obviously also willing to break). These GOP bullies can apparently violate the RULES of democracy with impunity. What we need to try to do, as frequently as possible, is find a way to make them pay when they break LAWS (unfortunately, also easier said than done).

REPUBLICAN SLOGAN:

"If you can't beat 'em, CHEAT 'EM!!!"

America just looked at a snapshot of the upcoming 2006 election. Even if you lose in the vote count, you win.

Nice. Welcome to the Ukraine, folks.

Lets destroy and lay waste to those damn voting machines and all the treason and chuck Diebold & ES&S straight into the river......

Bring them down: Bring them down swinging!

Doug

Gore states that when news went from print to television, the news became one-way, with participation of the average American unavailable, and news in control of a few wealthy, who say what the supposed important news is, not the American people. For example, there was no debate on TV about whether the Iraq War was a good idea. There was just the Bush administration on TV, claiming there was WMD's, and the TV news cheerleaded this, and put on over 90% pro-war news stories and interviewers, even though the country was split (according to the media-monitoring group "FAIR"). Therefore, TV can squelch debate and dissenting opinions, and make it appear that most Americans agree with one point of view, even though it isn't true. Gore is starting Current TV, which is viewer-participation news, where the average American can be heard on TV.

Al Gore

For those of you who haven't heard of the Bush-Nazi ties, please take 10 minutes to listen to this interview of John Buchanan (link below). He's been an investigative reporter and journalist for 35 years. He's written for more than 100 newspapers and magazines nationally and internationally. Recently, he was the 1st journalist in U.S. history to access thousands of pages of historical documents contained within the U.S. National Archives and the Library of Congress, regarding Bush's grandfather, Prescott Bush, and his great-grandfather also. Google on Prescott Bush for more info. Please take time to listen, it splains the motivation, if you will, for almost everything. Don't understand why this isn't on the front page of every newspaper. When is the mainstream journalism going to help save our country? I have no respect for them, I quit watching. Sorta put them on the shelf with the National Enquirer, for amusement only. Wish we could impeach them, their guilt is extreme, to me.

My son is about to head back to Iraq for his second full year of hell there. Stop loss has forced him to endure another full extra year. Some of our military are on their 3rd and 4th trips to there, or Afghanistan. They work them 12 hours on and 12 hours off, for weeks and weeks on end, without a single day off. They put them in Baghdad, Ramadi and Fallujah, with unarmored humvees and inadequate life vests. Extremely poor planning. Extremely low morale. As we see daily, they are picked off one-by-one, or in small groups. I've read reports, mostly more recently, where the troops have almost given up over there. Please help mothers like me who have given birth to and nurtured their children for 20 years, teaching them right from wrong and good from evil, just to now have our hearts ripped out, watching them march off for the wrong cause. Some of us don't get to see our prescious children again - all of us never to see the children we're saying good-bye to, emotionally the same again. Please help get the word out. Please help save our children. This is all so wrong.

www.zippyvideos.com/99229271839185.html

Please take the 10 minutes to watch and listen.

Those who want to get involved in saving our country can start showing up at local Demo - Green or even Repub meetings. Help to make the unilightened aware and aware of the need for direct action by the people. Try not to let many remain disinformed by criminal psychopaths that have stolen our government and are trying to steal everything.

**************************************

I believe you have a clear grasp of the facts of today's government.

The voters in Oregon had made it legal that a terminally ill patient in pain could seek the aid of a physician to end it. John Ashcroft did not agree and sought to impose his religious views over the will of the people. The will of the voters was upheld in all courts but the AG's office continued to appeal. If I am hearing it correctly that case is now before the Robert's Supreme Court and he is suggesting that his religious beliefs should trump the will of the voters. That's the way it works in Iran. The theocrats can overrule the voters.

The cons are now trying a hard sell on another plan they have for us (the tax payers); we will get to buy some new oil refineries for the oil companies. This will be a gift from us to them. They didn't have enough votes in the House to pull it off so the "former" leader, Tom Delay, held the vote open for an extra 40 minuets, or so, while he did his arm twisting. The voting would close only when he had persuaded enough to change their votes and have the measure pass.

I haven't been hearing a great deal from those so committed to defending everything about this Administration. Your's is not always a simple task.

The Blackwater guards are very well equipped and very well paid. They are permitted to torture or even murder with impunity. Who is paying their saleries? We are. Why this large contingent of military type guards? The cons do believe that at some point the people will rise up against a crimininal government that is trying to screw them out of everything. The Blackwarter Guards will be in place as their private security guards. We will be paying for mercinaries in place to protect them, the cons, from us. :angry:

SHAME, SHAME, SHAME....This is the democracy they are exporting at our expense....URGENT NEWS TIP:

http://www.infowars.com/...ng_keystroke_loggers.htm

..."Computer manufacturers appear to be cooperating with the Department of Homeland Security to make every person who buys a new computer subject to immediate, unrestricted government recording of everything they do on those computers! EVERYTHING! ...."

Keylog hardware is installed in new computers and all info being sent to Homeland Security..........article needs copied and posted everywhere.

re: Comment #54 -
Josef Stalin said it best: "Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything."

#57 ACC I have done much reading about Prescott Bush and his Nazi dealings. I have not read about how that leads to this though. I have trouble getting live streaming so perhaps I can locate some 'reading' material.

Regarding your son, the point you made about not seeing these children 'emotionally the same' is one of my biggest issues with this war. All war leaves those coming home with tremendous scars. I saw it with my Father (WW11) and brother (Viet Nam). I know the military breaks these kids down to bare bones and rebuilds them to be killers. I don't think the methods used prior to 1990 were probably as bad as they are now. Any soldier that can come home and live a 'normal' life after being brainwashed and subjected to the horrors of war deserves a medal. These kids need lots of help which they don't get when they get out. Delayed Stress Syndrome is a killer unto itself. God forgive us. M4

# 42 I was at the protest in Los Angeles also. I had a freaking ball. I do fax them almost every other day to Reid, Feinstein, Conyers, and to My girls Nancy Pelosi, and Maxine Waters, gotta love those two powerful women. Yes, I am ready for a revolution…Let go! Fax, call let them hear us. The United States Constitution says “We The People”, not “Bush family and friends”. If I fear not my God, I shalt not fear this administration. God is watching!

#45 - Merifour said, This whole machine is so well oiled where does one begin.

Nicely put double meaning.

#60 Thanks for the heads up. We live in a police state. 'On Star' and black boxes in cars, reporting on ones' every move 24/7. Cable companies monitering what we watch. Cameras on every street corner (good thing about that is we got to see the March on the 24th..the enemy didn't think about that one). Big Brother is so watching us. I know, this is old news, blah blah blah. One more thing...my husband's cell phone started acting up one day so he called his company. He was told his phone "couldn't find him". They walked him through the 'location' process, now he won't get lost again, isn't that wonderful! M4 aka: Alice N. Wunderland

#64 Arry..LOL, I didn't even know I did it! Duh. (Wondering to myself..am I channeling?)

I watched the whole sad mess unfolding today. Was very proud of the Dems for standing up for what is right, trying to get the vote closed when it was clear that 12 reps were not voting (and it was 210-212 against), and for chanting "Shame, shame, shame" after two were forced to change their votes to Yea. Pelosi called it all a "culture of corruption".

Just a few things:

~It was pointed out on CSPAN that the time alloted for a vote (ie 5 minutes, 15 minutes) is the MINIMUM amount of time, there is no maximum. So, unfortunately, the reTHUGS can keep a vote open for as long as they please. (i.e. Until they get the desired result and then gavel the vote closed.)

~Don't blame the R's who changed their votes under intense pressure, blame the corrupt ones at the top: Hastert, DeLay, Blunt who were twisting their arms.

~In a press conference later, Steny Hoyer (Dem whip) said there was one Repub Rep on the floor who DID NOT VOTE AT ALL. This rep. wanted to vote "No", but was pressured to vote yes, to which he refused (to his credit). So he was told not to vote at all. Hoyer also said the Repub that sponsored the bill urged a no vote.

I wish some of these Repubs would get disgusted and either change parties or go Independent. They are not being allowed to vote in their constituents best interests.

~GWB is at 37% approval and sinking... and taking the reTHUGS with him. ::blub, blub, blub::

I recorded most of this and will try to transcribe and post the best parts. Not til Sunday, sorry.

Correction to the above: sponsor of the bill was Barton of Tex-ass. Of course he supported it.

I believe Boehlert was the Repub who opposed the bill and had some sort of write up of why he was opposing that he distributed. Will get details later...

Apologies for the mistake, I'm up too late!

Come to think of it, Dear Leader has been looking well oiled lately, too.

BOO HOO...Oh poor little Tommy Delay. He's now sniveling & crying, protesting that his indictment be voided on the grounds that D.A. Ronnie Earle had acted just like little Tommy boy does each day in congress to get votes.

The little piss ant iaccuses Ronnie Earle of brow beating and coercing grand jurors into filing charges against poor little Tommy...sniff, whimper.

Sounds just like the playground bully who laughs as he picks on and then steals a smaller kids sand shovel and who then runs home bawling to mommy because a bigger kid made Tommy boy give up his little toy hammer. What comes around goes around and by God the right have a shit load coming back at em.

By the way how do Americans feel about giving their hard earned money away to support the "Leave no oil company behind program"
I'm getting a bit tired myself being robbed by the Government who supports corporate welfare and corporate greed...
I've a great idea to raise more money for the Goverments pleasure. Raise the price of water usage by big Corporations....um, oops I shouldn't of said that because that is what they will probably do to we the people ....and the sheople

:crazy: Man, is this the pits or what?!? We have been watching our entire democracy go down the drain - when will it change? I do not think we will be able to make it until 2008. It needs to change before then. Is there no way the democratic senators can have Bush and his cronies ousted? We have heard a lot of commentary on Bush being impeached, but I have heard of no Senators acting on the people's behalf by actually coming out to ask for this. I have been writing my own, asking for that very thing. But, I get little to no response from my lawmakers...

Yeah, well... the problem is, it's hard to combat all this neo-con bull when all you've got to fight for you is a bunch of steers.

John Kerry:
"Hey, looka me. I'm a real sportsman-type he-man; I shoot geese! But aside from that, well... my agenda's whatever the polls say middle-America wants at any given moment."

Hillary:
"You know, Newt "the lizard" Gingrich isn't so bad once you get to know him. And we have too much commitment in Iraq to leave now."

Are there no street-fighters left? C'mon, Conyers! Now's the time!

answer to K-ols comment #46
Take the money out of politics:

A national TV and Radio channel (the airwaves are owned by the people, so they tell me) to cover the whole country - for politics only!
Every candidate gets frequent time slots alotted to express their views - no charge
Who is interested can get informed.

Political ads in any media are outlawed - who watches commercial TV, listenes to commercial radio or reads the paper will not get brainwashed by corporate money.

The bad news? The corporate polititians in power will go for it - too democratic, too fair to the challengers, too dangerous for incumbants.

Can dreams come true?
Immerda 161

Did anyone catch the "Tom Delay is innocent" commercial on Fox Thursday?? I thought it was a political campaign commercial at first...could not believe my ears...someones scared...

Check out my comment & link about how Al Gore nails what's wrong with our democracy: TV

When media changed from print to TV, the average American now has no say in American discourse. Only those who run TV have it, and they are the wealthy few corporate owners of TV.

Check out how Tom DeLay can run a TV ad saying he's innocent, but we have to write on the internet blogs, or letters to the editor.

There's no vehicle for the average American, like us, to go on TV and say Tom DeLay should step down. We are shut out of TV, only the rich can run ads like the Tom DeLay is innocent ad.

Maybe we should get rid of cable TV, I did. I took the first step. Fuck TV, and fuck cable TV.

Check out my comment & link about how Al Gore nails what's wrong with our democracy: TV

When media changed from print to TV, the average American now has no say in American discourse. Only those who run TV have it, and they are the wealthy few corporate owners of TV.

Check out how Tom DeLay can run a TV ad saying he's innocent, but we have to write on the internet blogs, or letters to the editor.

There's no vehicle for the average American, like us, to go on TV and say Tom DeLay should step down. We are shut out of TV, only the rich can run ads like the Tom DeLay is innocent ad.

Maybe we should get rid of cable TV, I did. I took the first step. Fuck TV, and fuck cable TV.

Check out my comment & link about how Al Gore nails what's wrong with our democracy: TV

When media changed from print to TV, the average American now has no say in American discourse. Only those who run TV have it, and they are the wealthy few corporate owners of TV.

Check out how Tom DeLay can run a TV ad saying he's innocent, but we have to write on the internet blogs, or letters to the editor.

There's no vehicle for the average American, like us, to go on TV and say Tom DeLay should step down. We are shut out of TV, only the rich can run ads like the Tom DeLay is innocent ad.

Maybe we should get rid of cable TV, I did. I took the first step. Fuck TV, and fuck cable TV.

I am ashamed to be an American with the President of the United States we have. How in the name of God do we allow this corruption,cronyism, and trashing of our Constitution to go on? J. in Ohio

Hi all, I am mother of four adult children and 7 grands .I want to say yes!shame, shame on whats happening in this country right now.I watched it live on cspan .The republicans ramrodded the energy bill thru and arrogantly ignored protests from the floor , i was just outraged but not really surprised cause these people are out to get what they want at any cost.Believe me they are digging their own graves by all they've done in the last several years .Bush and war party lied their way into this bloody , hidious war.I believe the election was manipulted to bring the empty war head bush back to power.However , a mighty movement is forming and their days are numbered ,and nothing will stop us till justice is served , tecumsehwomn

M4 - I guess I felt it tied to the depth of the administration's corruption, or maybe the drive behind it. To me, this whole majority ruling in every government domain, loss of rights, strong-arming all the wrong legislation through, not caring about common citizens, saying "fuck you" (as Cheney literally did on the house floor) to anyone questioning anything, etc. etc. is scary as hell!

Since unfortunately, I never knew about the Bush-Nazi connection until a couple weeks ago, I just thought maybe some other people out there might not know what's behind the leader of our administration.

Yes, my son has PTSD and has withdrawn from everyone to some degree. He was right in Ramadi and Fallujah the whole time. Luckily, my daughter-in-law says he's doing okay at home with her and my grandchildren, but outside his front door is another story. He, like most who have served over there, came close to death many times. From being directly behind a humvee hit with an RPG (he had been in the vehicle hit, until switching a mile back with the gunner on his), to leaving the chow hall 20 minutes before incoming mortars killed 6 others, they go through hell emotionally.

Nobody, and I stress NOBODY, spoke to my son personally, or even in a group, before coming home the first time after a full year there. I was there in the hangar when he came home and they released the unit back to their families that way. I asked him specifically that question. They slept the whole time in Kuwait, before boarding the plane home. That's not right and shows more lies this administration and MSN feeds the public.

I live in UKRAINE and for the first time I witnessed at this site (thank you!) from the ever so weak, ever so complacent Democratic party the spirit that was so pervasive during Orange Revolution, when Ukrainians in the harsh cold of the streets of Kyiv and Lviv screamed that they wanted a change! Do the people of the US want jet fuel in their milk that they drink or mercury in the fish that they eat? I think not. Do Americans really want corporations to dominate politics? I think not. Do the representatives of the people really represent the best interests of the people? I certainly hope so.

I am a registered democrat voter in California and I never seen this craziness in the US capitol between the democrats and the republicans. I am proud of my representive from California Nancy Pelosi that she did not vote for this right wing republican proposial energy bill. And I am proud of Nancy and the other democrats of protesting this energy bill that the republicans propose in the House of Representives.

Nancy was right shame on those republicans who are trying to destroy this country.

#79 ACC, Regarding PTSD, I was told by a friend, who recently got out of the Navy, that everyone who is discharged should have that noted. I don't know how it is done, but my friend made sure it was on the record. My friend also said the Navy has a program that families and the service personnel each attend before they are reunited, after deployment, to deal with their emotions, etc. I thought this was a good thing, then read your post and then read Cindy Sheehan's post yesterday. Reading the comments to Cindy, a mother was worried about her son. When he requested PTSD, his superior officer made him stand in front of a mirror, with many watching, saying 'I'm a loser, I'm a loser'. They denied him the PTSD notice. He has tried to commit suicide three times. I don't know if this is making any sense, but I am sure you understand what I am talking about. I am not saying this to add to your anquish, because you have seen it with your son. We have failed our children. I am beginning to have a loss of words.

I have been reading and hearing bits and pieces of the House vote and the dems vocal outrage for a few days. I have not been able to see it or hear it until this AM when AirAmerica played it. I am always amazed when I watch the British, how they yell at each other, and Blair. Our Congress is ever so polite, calling each other, 'friend', 'colleague', etc, 'from the other side of the aisle'. Perhaps our Congress should make a habit out of this...maybe more people would tune into C-Span and see how this Country is being run by the republicons. The public loves spectacles but watching the current way the House and Senate operate is like watching paint dry. Only the very passionate people that care about our Nation will watch a vote that goes on for over 20 minutes. We need to see some real trash talk. We need to have people rushing home from work to turn on the Span. We need to see the crooks and liars for what they are..exposing one another in front of us and the world. To hell with the rules and niceties. They need to speak out of turn, maybe a fist fight or two. Lets get this show on the road Congress!

Looks like the politicians are finally starting to hear the people. Not that it makes any difference to the people who have control over this countrys energy.

Fenria, #6. The reason the Repubabubs don't care about the state of the environment is that each one of them expects to be "taken up" upon the return of a man who has been dead for 2000 years. Since they all expect to be gone soon, they are comfortable leaving the rest of us sinners in garbage and toxic soup. This is probably what we deserve for allowing a death cult to take over the country.

I have separately indicated much personal respect for Thom Hartman. He is much of the ilk of Brad and Mark Levine and we learn much from tuning in to them. They are very knowledgeable, penetrating, analytical and intelligent. They look at, and see clearly, overwhelming evidence associated with 9-11. They say, in effect -I don't want to go there, however. More accurately I believe they are saying, it is not necessary to go there. We are dealing with the worst presidential administration ever even if they played no part in that dread-full day. So, virtually all of the most intelligent and progressive voices choose to take the lesser route. They can make their case without needing to risk being labeled as conspiracy theorists.

So what is the problem. What harm does it do if they look at books full of overwhelming evidence but still refuse to connect the dots that should be inescapable to them? There is, I believe, a very real problem. Because Thom Hartmann refuses to see these facts he is able to speak of the Bush ideology, of their convictions, of their beliefs. They are not psychopathic criminals willing to cause the deaths of many to further their self-serving agendas. When FEMA stalls efforts to rescue many hundreds of starving and drowning poor Black Democrats they will see that as gross incompetence; bungling on some grand scale. Only psychopaths that have demonstrated their disregard for life on a grand scale (such as causing 9-11) would be capable of willfully allowing so many in dire straits to die while they withheld all aid. If one accepted the irrefutable evidence associated with 9-11 then they would look at subsequent conduct in a different light.

Thom Hartmann has been talking about how two senators, Pat Leahy and Tom Dashel were the two senators that could, and likely would overturn the Patriot Act. He does not like to ccontemplate conspiracy theories but he is recalling that prior to the matter of the Patriot Act coming again before the Senate, two senators received packets in the male containing Anthrax, and those two senators were Pat Lehey and Tom Dashel. He does not want to see this as some willful deed from the Neo-Cons in power in the White House. I believe that is because he does not wish to be labeled as a conspiracy theorist. I believe that is again because of the failure to address prior realities involving these same "Cons".

I do believe that Thom and Mark and Brad and others, are quite convinced that they lied us into wars for their own greedy self interests. I ask, is that not a deed consistent with those having no regard for lives they deem expendable to their own ends.

I do believe that if some of our spokesmen, our voices on the air, were willing to connect the dots and expose the truth at the level that it is at, then much of America would be pushing for prosecuting these criminals for what they are.

Our government has been stolen by hard core psychopaths. That is a sad reality that needs to be faced head on. Remember these are the same folks who exposed an undercover agent to punish her outspoken spouse, and so very much more. I fear we will find a very consistent pattern of unconcionable criminality.

CNN did not get it correct. This is about the Republicans giving away money to the oil companies again who are making huge, windfall profits. If they do not get their refineries built because of lawsuits over the environmental impact, we, the taxpayers make up for the overruns on their expenses. That and the environment were the issues, but the Dems were sickened by giving more of our money to the greedy oil companies again.

#85 Margaret LOL. That is funny. I think you are onto something, except they forgot.....they can't take their piles of money with them or do they know something we don't

I agree, we certainly weren't minding the store were we.

testing, trying to comment, getting 404 error message

#86 Hacked909 I was going to respond last night and my messages weren't being posted (#89). I see they are here now so guess I will post and see what happens. (Same thing happened just now on a different thread I was posting on).

I wanted to comment that I agree with you regarding the reluctance of some to talk about issues for fear of being labeled a Conspiracy Theorist. I really think it is time they get over it and start to see that the term is a label only..one successfully used to silence people. There is so much information available today that so many smart, educated people will not discuss because of their fear. I say it is high time the LIE-label-tool is exposed.

I introduced myself on Bradblog by saying I was one, to me this means I am very open minded and willing to go where a few have gone before. I do recognize that much info is so out there that I can't even grab on to it, but how will I know this unless I do some research and come up with my own conclusions. I refuse to throw out the baby with the bathwater.

I think more and more people are 'coming out of the closet' though and that gives me hope. Just the mere fact that the L word, (liar..bush) was finally used was quite telling to me.

I too, hear many voices on the radio, skirting the issues, I want to hear some real talk, some real passion regarding the criminal acts this regime has committed, whether they fall in the category 'labeled' conspiracy, is of no consequence to me. M4 (watching the meltdown of America because of the fear of a label)

There is no democracy - here or anywhere else.
The ruling power takes money from the company that makes the voting machines that say the ruling party won again. Then the media controlled by the ruling elite report on the victory. How can anyone look at the last two elections and still think our "democracy" exists. There is no House of Representatives! There is no President! These are symbols now, the old cogs of the new machine. There has been a coup d etat in this country and I fled - I live overseas now, because hey, it's a matter of time before they start locking people like us up in Guantanamo.

#91 You are right, those in the know during Hitler, got out while they could. You are very smart. The only good thing about this coup is the fact that people all over the world have a birds eye view because of the internet. The world is watching as we struggle to retain what is left of a once great country. We are making history much to our dismay. I rather imagine alot of those seeing this unfold are applauding, as USA Corporations have done do much damage to the planet. I am so sorry.

It seems that this article is misleading. I'm surprized. I like this place. According to the rules of the House, MINIMUM time for voting is as little as 5 minutes. 15 minutes for eletronic voting and the Speaker can reduce that time to 5 minutes. Still, there doesn't seem to be a MAXIMUM time for voting. I agree that the vote was kept open for arm twisting but it is within the rules of the House.