Don't forget Biden and his "I'll vote no once" bullshit.

I've included him on my list.

Brad, I have already posted a similar version of this comment at FireDogLake.

As Jane implies, let's not lose our steam. I submit to you the next marathon cause celebre for the progressive "blogosphere."

Could you please publish a complete list of all senate democratic primary challengers nationwide in 2006 (and, for 2008, let's start encouraging democratic challengers, if they don't already exist). Of course, the list will highlight those who will be challenging the "Alito democrats." If no challenger exists in certain districts, then we need to encourage individuals (even from your own readership) to become challengers. Once this list is published, then you and as many progressive blogs as possible should support these challengers 100 percent. You should spread their names far and wide. Never stop promoting their candidacies.

Even if the voting machines are rigged (which I believe they are), that doesn't mean we cannot defeat the "Alito democrats" in the primaries, thus ensuring that they will never get to screw us again.

I am going to spread this idea around the internet as best I can.

P.S. I heard you on the Young Turks radio marathon both Saturday night and Sunday night. You and Jane have excellent speaking voices (which should go without saying in your case). That fact, in addition to your already famous quick wit, should get you both some valuable exposure. Is there anyone that the two of you could challenge? I think you would make excellent candidates.

You really have to wonder whether the Dems are in opposition or are instead part of the cabal.

I know that a lot of fellow Coloradans will not forget Ken Salazar's vote. Personally, I'd rather have a RINO than a DINO as my representative.

myxzptlk

myxzptlk, here's what I think:

Democracy - WWF Style

Many registered democrats (as well as many independents, probably) have been utterly baffled as to why democratic politicians seem to be consistently willing to play the role of the losers in recent years. They almost always surrender without a fight, or else they pretend to be beaten in a fair fight. Why?

It's highly likely that they are simply nothing more than cowards.

But what if they aren't cowards? What else could it be?
Here's my theory...

For some inexplicable reason, my link to "Democracy - WWF Style" is not working. In fact, it isn't even working via the original link on my home page. In the meantime, just click my name above to go there, if you are interested in doing so. I don't know what is wrong, but, for once, it's not my fault.

#2 If I could I would vote Brad Freidman! Can't say the same for Jane because I've never heard her but I'm sure she is as intelligently blessed. Living up here in Canada Eh! You know, don't get the same stations in our igloos.

YAY Dems! The opposition party!

I wonder if Howard Dean could be inspired to lead a large faction to switch to the Green party, somewhere he might actually have a chance to organize his party toward effectiveness.

Hey, Bub, #4, I hit "here's my theory", and there was no page there...

agent 99: I love it! Dean, Nader, Kucinich, and a couple others should join the Green Party, and the real conservative Republicans should join the Libertarian party, like Ron Paul. I think the GOP and the Dems, most of them, stink. John Conyers should join the Green Party, too.

I think most Bradbloggers have known for some time that we don't have a real two-party system in America in the year 2006.

I know, Big Dan. That's why I wrote Comment #10. I imagine you've seen it by now. Sorry. I wish we had the ability to delete our own comments from these pages, as is possible on other message boards.

Man, when the dominoes start falling in the wrong direction, I cannot stop them. I mean Comment #5. Sorry again! I think I need to start drinking, so I will be a little more clear headed.

I have a question for you who know law a little better than I. This is purely hypothetical and given the way things are shaping up not so likely but let's say that finally bush is impeached and is brought down for war crimes, katrina, 9/11... ( Well really just take your pick from the unending list) and he is put away for it. Is there legal grounds to pull Alito and Roberts off the bench as it was obviously part of a broader plan to keep bushco in power?

Most Americans Dumber Than Bush

More On How the Neo-cons Use Stupid Americans For Their Wars

On a positive note, 45% of AOL voters gave GWB an "F" for his performance as POTUS. Let's build on that and keep pushing for machines that KR cannot manipulate. The cause is just.

I gave up on both parties when Perot came on the scene with his charts and graphs. I just started voting against everyone in office, my own form of 'term limits'. I thought for several years we needed a third party, but the idea never took hold. Guess it will take a revolution to wake up people. What form this will take, I can only imagine, but since we are a dying Republic, guess whatever form it takes is better than no form. I guess what is hurting us the most is the U.S. is so big. We can't get a United front. My idea has been for a breakdown of the Republic. A major succession of the States. Like the USSR, kinda, sorta, where we all become independent of this government. The States were/are supposed to be sovereign. I have been looking through all the letters I have gotten from cantwell...not an address..phone number on them...just a thanks for your imput and don't hesitate to call....ya, you betcha. I thought the dems were our only hope in bringing back some sanity to this insane corruption....but as RLM says, we all, least most of us here, have known both parties are corrupt. They stopped caring about the people decades ago, most made of the same cloth. I will go back to voting independent and let the chips fall where they may. Furthermore, my vote doesn't count anyway, but at least I can say, I voted! M4

The "Empty Scrotum Society " is adjourned.

Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dorgan(D-ND)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)

Jeff #14 -

Yes, Justices have been impeached in the past.

The only good thing to come out of the Alito nomination is that any Democrat opposing a Republican Senator that voted for Alito, has a powerful election talk piece against that Senator in 2006, 2008 or 2010.
Also, any Democrat that voted for Alito and/or for cloture, should expect to have a challenger in their primary in 2008 or 2010--whenever they come up for re-election. We won't forget their betrayal. Any announed challenger to a Senator up for re-election in 2006 that voted for cloture should also expect a lot of help from the powerful liberal/progresive group that tried to get a filibuster of Alito (i.e. Joe Lieberman should be a prime target).

We will remember the traitorous 17 who didn't have the courage or the intelligence to stand-up for America and the Constitution.

Screw these traitors! Write or call the DNC. Demand that not a penny is spent to support these spineless cowards. The goal of these traitors was to get themselves reelected, this must not happen!

#19 Thanks for the answer. At least that gives me SOME hope.

#14 Jeff-- If a Supreme Court justice is determined to be obstructing the Constitution and not - as in their oaths of office - ..."faithfully and impartially discharging and performing all the duties incumbent as a Supreme Court justice under the Constitution and laws of the United States" and "and doing equal right to the poor and to the rich"(that's a laugh), there are grounds for impeachment. Depends on how seriously our nation takes the Constitution. (That's the big question.)

Other than criminal, I don't think there are other grounds for impeachment.

#19 Thanks for the answer. At least that gives me SOME hope.

We do have a third party. It's called the neo-Cons.

Senator Nelson, who is second only to Lieberman in his DINO ways, is running against Katherine Harris, she who fix'd the 2000 sElection. So we have 2 choices here in the banana republic- Bad and Worse. The DNC needs to get on it and find a replacement for Nelson, the same as they're doing for CT. If anyone sees Howard Dean, please tell him to not forget Florida.

Here's a thought. Where's Paul, Ricky, Mediumright, etc. You'd think they would be the first here gloating like a bunch valley girls with new purses.

#15.....thanks for bringing back to reality.....I went off in Wonderland for a bit!. Do we deserve what get or what. lol. M4

What traitors to America and Democracy !

They are as cowardly as Bush Republicans and their fascist loving sheep !

Either we need a new party or we need Democrats with brain and balls !

Do not elect these weaklings -

This is disgusting and disheartening. The more these things continue to happen, the more I agree with The Vidal quote:

“It makes no difference who you vote for - the two parties are really one party representing four percent of the people”.

It may take a long time, but eventually, there will probably be a grass-roots uprising to take the country back from the Corporatists (but, ooohh, do they ever have it now! As Mayer Rothschild said in the 18th century: "Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes her laws"). Power corrupts, and that is EXACTLY what it's doing, and you and I are on the receiving end of the grestest cluster-fuck of all time.

The Ukraine took to the streets when their election was solen from them. Americans are hypnotized by color TV, or something.

Where will this all lead? It's anybody's guess. I'm reminded, once again, of what JFK said: "Those who make peaceful revolutions impossible will make violent revolution inevitable".

As much as i am in total agreement of the statement "most Americans Dumber than Bush" i really think it is because Amerikans think if it ain't affecting their little world it isn't happening and the people have becomed conditioned to accept the Bushit news on TV, radio, and the papers. Next time your at grocery store checkout, take notice of the magazines shining of the lives of movie stars instead of reminding you this country is at war. 1/2 a torso dead and maimed bodies. This is gonna come to roost like an open switchblade on the scalp of "the US people." HOWEVER, there are citizens who do "get it" so when our so called Fcking Robot bastard Senators give Alito the thumbs up based on his legal record and bullshit answers to the questions the Senate committee asked him, you better take names and mark this day as an important day in modern Amerikan history. Revolution will now be necessary because the system has officially been broken with no sign of repair. Tap this:(To the Bushit administration including the names listed above) the meek shall inherit the earth when you fckers are done with it..ha ha ha. ha ha ha ha. There is no climate change from Global Warming it's just getting uh warmer. We'll see assholes. Even these slower challenged individuals will feel your light some day. Corrupt Lying Right Wing Fascist Murderers have won today but U can't stop Ying Yang no matter how U count your votes. If U can't see my middle finger it is because U never will. Yet it is pointed right at U 24/7. Yeh 24/7 just like the most protected building in Amerika was on 9/11..the Pentagon.

"The Empty Scrotum Society"...heh-heh!

Corrected version:
As much as i am in total agreement of the statement "most Americans Dumber than Bush" i really think it is because Amerikans think if it ain't affecting their little world it isn't happening and the people have becomed conditioned to accept the Bushit news on TV, radio, and the papers. Next time you're at a grocery store checkout, take notice of the magazines shining the lives of movie stars instead of reminding you this country is at war. 1/2 a torso - dead and maimed bodies. The truth about how much the world hates us now. This is gonna come to roost like an open switchblade on the scalp of "the US people." HOWEVER, there are citizens who do "get it" so when our so called Fcking Robot bastard Senators give Alito the thumbs up based on his legal record and bullshit answers to the questions the Senate committee asked him, you better take names and mark this day as an important day in modern Amerikan history. Revolution will now be necessary because the system has officially been broken with no sign of repair. Tap thisTo the Bushit administration including the names listed above) the meek shall inherit the earth when you fckers are done with it..ha ha ha. ha ha ha ha. There is no climate change from Global Warming it's just getting uh warmer. We'll see assholes. Even these slower challenged individuals will feel your light some day. Corrupt Lying Right Wing Fascist Murderers have won today but U can't stop Ying Yang no matter how U count your votes. If U can't see my middle finger it is because U never will. Yet it is pointed right at U 24/7. Yeh 24/7 just like the most protected building in America was PROTECTED on 9/11..the Pentagon.

While all this is going on, we have Ann Coulter believing she's making a joke by suggesting Justice John Paul Stevens should be poisoned to get rid of him.

This is a truly Ugly American.

...aka, Skull and Bones.

{Comment deleted for repeated, flagrant and extended inability to show common courtesy or follow the general rules of posting here, including commenting under different names.}

{Comment deleted for repeated, flagrant and extended inability to show common courtesy or follow the general rules of posting here, including commenting under different names.}

Maybellene - Chuck Berry 1955

Maybellene, why can't you be true?

Oh maybellene, why can't you be true?

You've started back doing the things you used to do.

Worst. Filibuster. Ever.

comment #36, signed Eric Cartman

Maybelline: In case you haven't noticed, the Dems are doing a bang-up job of losing votes already.

If there were *any* evidence that the Democratic party took *any* of its positions from those on the left, and because of that, lost votes, you might have a point.

But the facts are otherwise. The Democratic party has, in fact, moved far to the right, and at the same time, Republicans have tarred Democrats as more leftward-leaning than ever.

This transparent strategy seems to have convinced some Democrats that they need to move even further to the right. And that includes voting to confirm extreme corporatists like Alito to a lifetime SC appointment.

The answer isn't to play into Republican hands by moving further right and supporting their lunatic "policies". The only answer is to clean house and install representatives who will stand up for what polls show are the centrist policies of the majority of Americans.

#36
Maybe by the time abortion is illegal again US, woman will be able to choose to terminate their unwanted pregnancy (because no birth control what so ever was used when they had sex) by painlessly sticking a maybelline eye liner stick in their hole instead of a backstreet abortion coat hanger by a local witch doctor so they don't have to die or be maimed for life. AND why don't you go to Iraq and see if U can find some PRO US DEMOCRACY LOVING IRAQIS TO HANG OUT WITH U CUMQUAT. Bin Laden is waiting for U mutherfucker.

Another sad,sad day for this country.

I think maybe someone already posted a link to this, from CounterPunch. If so, apologies, but it's worth reading, horrifying as it is.
http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts01292006.html

Blind Ignorance

By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS

"...Americans need desperately to understand that 95 percent of all Muslim terrorists in the world were created in the past three years by Bush's invasion of Iraq.

Americans need desperately to comprehend that if Bush attacks Iran and Syria, as he intends, terrorism will explode, and American civil liberties will disappear into a thirty year war that will bankrupt the United States.

The total lack of rationality and competence in the White House and the inability of half of the US population to acquire and understand information are far larger threats to Americans than terrorism.

America has become a rogue nation, flying blind, guided only by ignorance and hubris. A terrible catastrophe awaits."

Congrats to the 20 (& Biden, too) for enabling this bunch.

Oh, and 'maybelline', use spellcheck, for God's sake. You're embarrassing yourself.

On May 21, 1955, the song, "Maybellene," was recorded with Willie Dixon on bass; immediately, Chess gave a copy of the record to the influential disc jockey Alan Freed, who aired the single for two hours straight one night on his show on WINS in New York. The song went on to sell over a million copies, reaching #1 on Billboard's R & B chart and #5 on the Hot 100.

why didnt they vote against him>? i still don't get it...fucking douche bags

how sweet it is...what a bunch of dumb asses... the democrats that voted for alito are all from RED states...Hello...if they want to remain in power they had to vote for allito. maybe you would rather have a republican replace them...liberalism is truly a mental disorder! ask yourselves when wws the last time a left wing socialist won the presidency?...hmmmm? get your minds off butt fucking, gay marriage, racial quotas and rights for felons and you might when an election...

when an election? For reals?

Maybelline - You've got the wrong blog, honey.

You either haven't read anything here, in which case you are showing your ignorance and lack of manners by coming in here being nasty, or...

..you are a troll.

I'd put my money on the latter.

Now SHOO!

Oh, and btw, typing all in caps is considered rude, please don't do that again. It shows immaturity and lack of consideration for others.

Brush up on your netiquette before you come back.

Now run along little one.

Come back when you have a clue.

Or, as my grandpa would have said, "Don't let the screen door hit ya where the good Lord split ya!"

Oh & speaking of losing our rights & liberties, there's this from a 2004 piece on Chuck Herrin's site, quoting an ACLU brief against the DSEA:

"...Congress has not exempted any person from habeas corpus – a protection guaranteed by the Constitution – since the Civil War..."

So while I'm in rant-mode here...
I have to say it just pisses me off that our "elected" "leaders" are all so cautiously tiptoeing around on eggshells while ignoring plain, ordinary common sense.
I hear alot of talk these days about 'there needs to be an investigation...or a special counsel...or a committee'..
...to investigate, scrutinize, examine, talk to death...this "allegation" that the president "may have" broken the law.

I've also heard alot about & could now probably recite verbatim the details of the FISA law that bush ignored, as could alot of you, I'm sure.

What I want to know is what is there to investigate?
There's a law. He broke it.

It also pisses me off that there is serious talk about possibly amending the law "to cover" what bush has done.

That's just great. I really like that one alot because it's so convenient. No messy, costly, time-consuming investigation. Just change the pesky law & presto! he didn't break it.
Why don't we just eliminate ALL the laws? Wouldn't that be easier?
And the "justice system"? Who needs it?! It's a big pain in the ass anyway.

We should all just write to george & tell him that.

Dear mr. president,
How are ya, buddy? I'm sorry the stupid laws got in the way of your fighting terrorism & taking over the world . Just do away with them. Do one of those presidential decrees you like so much. You can do it: you're the president!
Your friend,
Joan

Gee, I feel so much safer now.

{ed note: Spam comment deleted.}

Happy-conned #45:
What i like most about your comment is U manage to hit on almost all the ear marks of the ignorant whitey from a red state mentality. All Americans can give thanks for the Butt fcking fiddle players reaching out to great thinkers of our time like U.

Here comes the dictatorship and facism....under Alito's approval. There goes our right to privacy and civil liberties. And remember as George W said the Constitution is nothing but a God Damn piece of paper.

Yes, lets get some new Democrats to replace the wimpy ones that did not support filibuster.

John

...when wws the last time a left wing socialist won the presidency?

err, since our Nazi is doing so well, right dkhead?

And, HappyConservative! How nice of you to take time out of your busy evening to come visit Bradblog!

Now, sweety, pardon me for saying so, but you REALLY need to work on your English skills before you try to communicate with people at this level.

Would you like me to tutor you?

Maybelline - that offer goes for you too sweety.

I have books starting at preschool level and going as high as you want to go. I can test you to find out what you need (though some of what you are lacking is quite evident in your posts.)

PLEASE get some help!

A mind is a terrible thing to waste!

Oh Maybelline, Why can't you be true?

And why can't you count? More Democrats voted for us than voted for you, including all of the 2008 presidential hopefuls.

So I'm afraid maybe you'll need to leave my party? We're takin' over. You'll feel much better with the Rethuglicans, anyway. Why you sound just like one already. DuWa

I tell ya, it was "Roe" everybody was worried about, but even that important right pales in comparison to what Scalito is going to let them get away with. "unitarian Executive" is a polite way of saying "Hitler". We have, officially now, 19 democratic TRAITORS. They need their own book out, something the complete opposite of "Profiles in Courage".

Hello - associate justice S. alito - corporatism -
and fascism --- Bye-Bye freedom and justice for all !! To the delight of "The Robber Barons",..........
the age of darkness has again begun.

Hello - associate justice S. alito - corporatism -
and fascism --- Bye-Bye freedom and justice for all !! To the delight of "The Robber Barons",..........
the age of darkness has again.... begun.

The Names of the Democrat "Traitors 19" or as I call them "The Empty Scrotum Society" Will live on in infamy. Believe You Me.

Remember, Who They Are & how they Vote Tomorrow Means Nothing! . . . . . There is NO EXCUSE!

Thank You Senator Edward M. Kennedy.

And happyconservative,

The Rethuglicans could not win an honest election.
We know that, King George and his goons know that too.

Some of you scream and throw insults to avoid a rational discussion; you know you would always lose. Social Darwinism is not real poplular outside the country club, you know? I just can't imagine why. Most of you, though, are much too stupid to know what a rational discussion is.

The lizard brained trolls are fun tonight, huh?

I think my local PBS station must have known what was going to happen today. They had programmed, and I watched it while ago... a documentary about the Nuremberg Trials. I kept imagining Doofus, Chain-ey, Rove, etc...
I wonder which one got to share a cell with Jeff Gannon. Ha!

Did y'all hear this song on the "Turks" show last night while Brad was host?

I'm Taking My Country Back

Top Five Reasons America is in Deep Trouble

1. In spite of prior warning of the 9/11 attacks, Bush stared blankly off in space as the attacks took place and did nothing. After it was all over, he awoke from his stupor and demanded an end to constitutional government due to 9/11! Both Democrats and Republicans went along with the police state!

2. Bush says Sadam had WMD's, Bush lied, and we are bogged down in a senseless war because both Democrats and Republicans overlooked the lies and went along with the naked aggression in Iraq!

3. Liberals cling to the idea that present day Democrats are Liberals.

4. Conservatives cling to the idea that present day Republicans are Conservatives.

5. Regardless of how many times both parties prove by their actions, that they are really a single totalitarian, and fascist party, both liberals and conservatives still foolishly cling to their respective delusions.

Besides picking on the pathetic trolls:

Blue state traitors must be targeted. There is no excuse.

That's Akaka (HI), Bingaman (NM), Cantwell (WA), Carper (DE), Inouye (HI), Kohl (WI), Lieberman (CT).

Who, besides Lieberman, is running for re(s)election?

Votors in red states have no idea who Alito is. The Democrats, including Kerry and Kennedy, had Months to do the PR in red states with Democratic Senators. Given that they did not, red state Democrats had little choice but to vote the way they did. They can't vote against Jesus, after all.

Maria Cantwell's (Washington State Senator who voted against the fillibuster) challenger in the primary is Mark Wilson. Here is his website. http://votemark.org/

Monti Cristo is exactly right.

We have to spend most of our time thinking about how to work outside of the system. It is hopelessly rigged against us.

Our Holy Leader, King George said it best: "The constitution is nothing but a goddamned piece of paper".

I think a couple hundred thousand credit cards dumped into Boston harbor would get the attention of the capitalist ruling class real fast. The only thing they care about is money. They get their money from our labor and our willingness to buy "their" products.

Thanks raincity calling. He is now on my list.

Wouldn't it be great if we could lump all current republicans and democrats into the Corporate Party and start completely new conservative and liberal parties. They fight for nothing but their big business interests, it's time to put people back in politics!

.... or something.

...lump all current republicans and democrats into the Corporate Party

Ha! No kidding!@#$

Yes, we need a peoples party badly. I no longer think it is possible without revolution revolution, non-violent revolution and a new constitution. The system is rigged, in about ten different ways.

Maybe the Rethugs are really doing us a favor by throwing away the rule of law. Who knows? Our King is George III again, you know, just like in 1776. Think somebody is trying to tell us something?

I will be voting Kevin Zeese for Senate to replace Paul Sarbanes.

PS - Sorry I did not mean to make the whole message above, a link.

Well, maybe someone will read it and click on it.

One can hope.

FYI: I sent my mother and sister your link. Both live in Bethesda and will vote independent.

Good Luck!

Thank You Chuck,
Have them keep their eyes open for speaking engagements on his site.

My father went down to DC and he was very impressed. My dad does NOT impress easily, is very intelligent and a free thinker.

Thank you chuck, I hope more people in MD read this and go to Mr. Zeese's site. He will be worth their vote.

I heard on my local news tonight that Maria Cantwell will vote against Alito. Which one is it?

Any Republican or Democrat who votes for Alito has sold their soul to the devil. Greed and power is their god, but folks just remember, every empire has fallen.

click here

Sign the Call to Drive Out the Bush Regime

Your government, on the basis of outrageous lies, is waging a murderous and utterly illegitimate war in Iraq, with other countries in their sights.

Your government is openly torturing people, and justifying it.

Your government puts people in jail on the merest suspicion, refusing them lawyers, and either holding them indefinitely or deporting them in the dead of night.

Your government is moving each day closer to a theocracy, where a narrow and hateful brand of Christian fundamentalism will rule.

Your government suppresses the science that doesn't fit its religious, political and economic agenda, forcing present and future generations to pay a terrible price.

Your government is moving to deny women here, and all over the world, the right to birth control and abortion.

Your government enforces a culture of greed, bigotry, intolerance and ignorance.

People look at all this and think of Hitler — and they are right to do so. The Bush regime is setting out to radically remake society very quickly, in a fascist way, and for generations to come. We must act now; the future is in the balance.
========
there's more at the link

You just know they all got something out of it. And just think, they can go to bed each night with the knowledge they let the people they are supposed to be representing DOWNNNN! But what gives me hope is the change I've seen from the time I started reading this blog to now. I feel the concern and indignation of We the People. We are being educated and we are given hope through our leaders, like Brad. I check on to this blog almost every day. Bradblog, KOS, and Rawstory, that's my news, and C-Span too. Let's give something back. I'm going to try and send some $$ soon. Thanks, once again, to Brad Friedman and all those who courageously carry the torch of freedom.

I forgot now which organization sent me this earlier. Better get a look at it b4 it's gone.

Bill of Rights

This surprised me, coming from a repuglicon.

Lawmaker Condemns NASA Over Scientist's Accusations of Censorship

By ANDREW C. REVKIN
Published: January 31, 2006
The chairman of the House Science Committee sharply criticized NASA yesterday after the agency's top climate scientist and several public affairs officers complained of political pressure intended to prevent public discussions of global warming.

"Good science cannot long persist in an atmosphere of intimidation," the chairman, Representative Sherwood Boehlert, Republican of New York, said in a letter to NASA's administrator, Michael D. Griffin.

"Political figures ought to be reviewing their public statements to make sure they are consistent with the best available science," Mr. Boehlert said. "Scientists should not be reviewing their statements to make sure they are consistent with the current political orthodoxy."

The New York Times first reported the complaints on Saturday.

The climate scientist, James E. Hansen, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in Manhattan, and several other National Aeronautics and Space Administration employees said Bush administration appointees at headquarters had demanded to review his lectures and publications in advance. Moreover, senior agency officials were to have had the right to stand in for him in interviews with reporters.

Drew #74
It doesn't matter if Cantwell votes against him or not. She voted for cloture and they don't have the votes to filibuster. At this point her no vote is meaningless. As per Raincity Calling - I told all of my progressive friends/activists here in WA that Cantwell is done. I have met and conversed with Mark Wilson a number of times and he is the real deal. www.votemark.org : This is how we tell the miserable "Empty Scrotes" that their services are no longer required. Please..other states...find your progressive challengers and get them to run!!!

I am glad Patty Murray has a pair.

The main difference between most people on this blog and the few trolls who rant here is that most of us realize we're getting screwed by this self-serving government, while these apologists have no clue. It equates to having joined Nero with a second fiddle while Rome burned.

Benjamin Franklin's words ring in my ears when reading such moronic posts as #35, #36, & #45: "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety".

They're just like sheep being led to slaughter.

Yeah, lets go ahead and split the ticket again

Divide and conquer, fall right into the pukes game plan

The Dems have a much bigger tent than the pukes do
so lets show a little compassion for the DINO's until they and some of the public get their heads out of their asses, otherwise the pukes win, yet again
A lot of this country has been brain-washed to believe that the political center is somewhere around Germany 1934, thanks to the corporate media, so ease up on them a little

I'm afraid its going to take another Depression to wake everybody up
If we're not already on the way down now
History reapeated
another here

Well said, Floridiot. I was thinking yesterday about the right wing crowing re. Alito. I think that they see this as the crowning moment of their "movement". Their intellectual dishonesty is amazing. Eg. applauding while he lies and evades in the hearings, all the while knowing full well what he will do in the Court. And Roe v. Wade is going to be just the appetizer.

Now that they have the courts solidly in hand, the coup is complete. I'm sure that Fitz and every other prosecutor now understands that it does not matter in the end how well you do your homework, how effective your case is. Election issues? They all have to go through the courts, ultimately.

The Dems have undone us. They have surrendered ground in every confrontation, they have failed to frame debates effectively, they have swung with nerf bats when the Pubs were on thier heels. How can they lose on an issue like the illegal wiretapping?

Small wonder, though. They get their money from the same folks the Pubs get their money from.

This was a moment when they needed to take a stand and do it effectively. They needed to get their message across to the American people like their lives depended on it, because our lives do.
We now know that they can't and won't.

Well, I'll continue to support the Dems, but I'm also taking the third parties more seriously and I would be happy to see a new third party replace the Dems, if it could pull on real grass roots support and could find a way to unite those on both left and right who feel that Big Money and Big Power have formed an unholy union presided at by both current main parties.

To paraphrase Phil Ochs, I fear the consequences of continuing to oppose the Imperium. But I fear the consequences of not opposing much more.

We had so many chances to take the off ramp as a country. But we didn't do it. So now we are on the same highway as Germany. Our successes at war have dazzled the world and have made us think we are unbeatable. But the rest of the world sees how dangerous we are. They see that we must overextend militarily to have enough oil. They see that our blitzkrieg tactics are nearly unbeatable, but our staying power is not. They see that the appearance of unanimity in the political system masks the deeper truth of a society that lacks cohesion and shared purpose.

Today is a sad day. Alito will be approved. The State of the Union message will undoubtedly pull the blinders over America's eyes again. The Dems will provide a tepid response. The right wing will glory in its triumph. Many will tell themselves and their friends that the flag has never waved higher.
It is morning in America. However you spell it.

Nonetheless, gotta keep working to build up those grassroots and win elections.

No doubt the system works, otherwise why would Wellstone keep getting elected over and over again ?

And yes, Grassroots activism does work too, it helps to keep the parties grounded and closer to the true center

I think the revulsion folks feel for the Dems is healthy and the talk of building a 3rd Party is timely. But it also means that the Liberal vote would be fractured (weak as it is already within the corridors of power), and so a healthy competition between the Dems and a Third Party would hobble resistance to Bush, et al, for several years to come. Rove would be in his element. He prays for things like this. Now, at the end of 10 years of troubled Liberal infighting, we would be a stronger, healthier party---but that assumes there would be a Free American Society at that time. This is what makes the Dem quandry so awful. I would prefer to vote the Alito Democrats and wafflers out and get some better players in. I think that is what Howard Dean wants to do by going to the Grassroots. What do ya'll think?

GET A CLUE, SHEEP! KERRY DIDN'T WANT FILIBUSTER TO WORK ANYWAY! ALL FOR SHOW! JUST SO HE COULD SAY IN '08 THAT HE AND HILLARY TRIED! GUTLESS LEADERSHIP IN SENATE DIDN'T WANT TO FILIBUSTER HIM ANYWAY OR THEY WOULD HAVE STARTED TRYING TO GET MORE SENATORS TO FILIBUSTER SOONER! GET A FUCKING CLUE, SHEEP! EVEN THOSE WHO TRIED TO FILIBUSTER WERE NOT SERIOUSLY TRIED TO STOP HIM! HOW MANY TIMES ARE WE GONNA LET THE FUCKING WORTHLESS CORPORATE WHORE DLC DEMOCRATS DESTROY NOT ONLY OUR PARTY BUT AMERICA AND WORLD TOO ALONG WITH ASSHOLE R'S TOO!??? HOW MANY MORE TIMES, SHEEP? We DESPERATELY NEED A REVOLUTION IN OUR COUNTRY! AND NOW! THE WHOLE GODDAMN SYSTEM IS CORRUPT AS HELL! 80% OF ALL POLITICIANS ONLY LISTEN TO AND SUPPORT TOP 5% WHILE SCREWING OVER THE REST OF US! WHEN ARE YOU STUPID SHEEP GONNA GET A CLUE? WHEN? THE GUTLESS, CORPORATE WHORE D'S INCLUDING REID AND KERRY AND CLINTON DIDN'T WANT TO SERIOUSLY FILIBUSTER HIM ANYWAY! IF THEY WERE SERIOUS ABOUT STOPPING ALITO, WHY DIDN'T ASSHOLE, GUTLES BASTARD HARRY REID DEMAND ALL D'S SUPPPORT FILIBUSTER OR BE REMOVED FROM COMMITTEE'S? WHY NOT? THEY SERIOUSLY DIDN'T WANT TO FILIBUSTER ASSHOLE! TOO GODDAMN MANY DLC BASTARDS WHO ARE FUCKING REPUBLICAN LITES WHO NOT ONLY ARE DESTROYING DEMOCRATIC PARTY BUT ALONG WITH R'S LITERALLY DESTROYING NOT ONLY MIDDLE CLASS BUT AMERICA AND WORLD FOR CORPORATE FUCKING CAMPAIGN MONEY AND PUT THEIR FUCKING RE-ELECTIONS ABOVE OUR NATION AND IT'S SO CALLED DEMOCRACY OF WE WE DON'T HAVE THANKS TO THOSE CORPORATE WHORES! GET A CLUE, SHEEP! WE NEED TO RUN THE FUCKING DLC DEMOCRATS OUT OF PARTY AND FAST BEFORE THEY CONTINUALLY HELP R'S SCREW OVER US! WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE BASTARDS, WHO NEEDS REPUBICAN'S? GET A CLUE, SHEEP! FILIUBUST3ER WAS A SHAM FROM BEGINNING AND NOT MEANT TO WORK! ONLY MEANT TO PASSIFY US LEFTIES, ONLY! WELL, FUCK THEM! ALL OF THEM! REVOLT AND NOW! URGE GOOD PEOPLE TO RUN AGAINST MAJORITY OF ALL OF THESE D'S AND NOW! OR SUPPORT GREENS, EITHER ONE! JOIN PD OF AMERICA! ONLY GOOD D'S! REST SUCK! DOWN WITH DLC ASSHOLE REPUBLICAN LITES! KICK THE NO GOOD CORPORATE WHORE BASTARDS OUT OF DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND NOW! REVOLT AND RAISE HELL! AND DON'T, I REPEAT DON'T SUPPORT KERRY OR CLINTON EITHER! THEY KNEW FILIBUSTER WOULDN'T WORK THAT IS WHY THEY SUPPORTED IT SOO LATE! GET A CLUE, SHEEP! NOT ONLY ARE YOU BEING HAD BY R'S BUT BY FUCKING D'S AS WELL! REVOLT AND NOW! RUN DLC DEMOCRATS OUT OF PARTY AND SAVE AMERICA! OUR SYSTEM IS TOO FUCKING CORRUPT! CORPORATE WHORES ONLY CARE ABOUT THEMSELVES AND WINNING ELECTIONS NOT OUR NATION, AND THIS IS ANOTHER FUCKING EXAMPLE OF IT! Don't support fucking Diane Fienstein either NOR CLINTON NOR FUCKING KERRY EITHER! WHY DID HE SUPPORT A FILIBUSTER SOO LATE? HE DIDN'T WANT IT TO WORK IS WHY! GET A FUCKING CLUE, PEOPLE! WE NEED A REVOLUTION SOOO DAMN BADLY IN THIS COUNTRY! DO YOU THINK OUR FOREFATHERS WOULD PUT UP WITH THIS BULLSHIT? NOT! REVOLT AND NOW! THEN THE FUCKING GUTLESS, WHIMPY D'S PUT UP A REPUBLICAN LITE TO COUNTER BUSH'S SPEECH TONIGHT! FUCK THEM! THE FUCKING GUTLESS BASTARDS! THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WOULD BE A HELLVA A PLACE TO START AN OPPOSITION PARTY! GET A CLUE, SHEEP! ONLY REASON HILLARY IS BITCHING SOOO MUCH NOW ABOUT BUSH IS SHE NEEDS LIBS AND PROGRESSIVES SUPPORT IN SENATE RACE, THEN AFTER SHE USES US, SHE IS GO BACK TO VOTING WITH BASTARD BUSH! WATCH AND SEE IF GUTLESS D'S, INCLUDING HER AND KERRY DON'T TRY TO BE MORE PROGRESSIVE CLOSER ELECTIONS ROLL AROUND, WHILE PAST 5 YEARS THEY HAVE WHORED THEMSELVES OUT TO CORPORATE AMERICA, WHILE VOTING AGAINST US PROGRESSIVES AND PARTY BASE AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO UNLESS WE RUN AND ELECT TRUE DEMOCRATS! AND VOTE THEM OUT OF CONGRESS PERIOD! THE THING THAT REALLY PISSES ME OFF IS THESE BASTARDS CAN VOTE WRONG AND NO, NO CONQUENCES OTHER THEN BEING VOTED OUT OF OFFICE! WHY NOT STRIP THEM OF BENEFITS, I.E. HEALTH CARE AND RETIREMENT WHEN THEY VOTE WRONG!???

Beating Dems isnt hard to do. Stop acting like its a surprise. We beat Dems because of people like YOU. Your type is a far left minority with a big megaphone. When America hears you speak , they vote Republican.

The will of America has been realized, time to start your next failed effort.

Vote the minority dems out (19 of them) and replace them with republicans, so then the republicans will have 55 + 19 = 74.

The dems will then have 44 - 19 = 25. The dems will have as much power as they do now, and the republicans will still be the majority party.

Then do it again and again until the dems have 0. They will have the same power, and so will the majority republican party.

Then continue not to blame the republicans.

This message has been brought to you by the neoCon RNC. Thanks for your support.

{Comment deleted for repeated, flagrant and extended inability to show common courtesy or follow the general rules of posting here, including commenting under different names.}

{Comment deleted for repeated, flagrant and extended inability to show common courtesy or follow the general rules of posting here, including commenting under different names.}

The dumbest most hated president in history got yet another brilliant conservative through to the SCOTUS.

How many more times are Ricky and I going to be right?

And everything about Alito being a racist, etc., by the Dems and the kooks was a lie!

I like what Ricky said - "Time to start your next failed effort."

Good luck kooks!

PS. Sue, I am sure you would make a wonderful wife!

Absolutley GTash,

When Howard was in the running, we have seen what the corporate media could do to squash a populist candidate

THE SCREAM

Thats what we're up against, the media is feining neutral
but in reality is Fascist to their masters

No populist will ever be elected with these creeps at the helm

Sue. I pretty much agree with you, but stop yelling at me please. Now that ALito is a certainty, I do believe its just a matter of time before HIS lies to bonehead senators like Kent Conrad and Tim Johnson will become apparent. I DO NOT buy this stuff about sticking with the Dems becasue they are better than the Repugs. They are NOT better than the Repugs if they don't combat actively, daily, hourly, the shit that this presidency is trying to pull - if they truly were an opposition party then they would oppose. Sue is right, they bend US over and grease us up.

As I have said before, i am willing to throw my energies behind a candidate whom I belive will truly represent the issues and values that I believe most of us here care about. I'm sorry, but Maria Cantwell does not do that. She's a smart lady, I'm sure she's a nice person - I've met her a couple of times - but for me, she's an ineffective senator. At what point do we send the message that the Republican direction is far too dangerous, and if YOU'RE not going to do anything about it, then we'll find someone who will? There are other Wellstones out there but they don't get a chance because we're so goddamned afraid of the Republicans (with reason) that we say "any D is better than an R". It's choosing the lesser of two evils, and I've just had enough of choosing evil, period.

Sue,
It crossed my mind that Kerry was conducting a sham campaign. I had a clue. And I like your use of caps in the text. I actually can read it better. And I hope we (voters) do vote out the Alito Democrats and the shams and scams. I never really appreciated the "vote the bums out" philosophy until now. I think all incumbents should be removed. No exceptions. I also think I will register Independent in my new hometown.

Dredd's comment #90 is funny, even if I don't agree with it's direction.

Paul shows his true (R) colors:

Sue, how dare you express your opinion forcefully. How dare you have an opinion. Don't you know your purpose on God's planet here is to make only 3 things : my dinner, my children, my dick hard. Beyond that, I don't want to hear a word out of you. And you'd better get your absentee ballot so I can make sure you are voting the way I want you to. Am I right, guys? Come on, men, let's hear it, back me up. Sue, I'm just saying this for your own best interest - if you are not good wife material (you know, GOOD wife material, walk five paces behind me, head down, only speak when spoken to, etc) then you are worth nothing.

Right guys? We gotta stick together on this or these fucking feminists will take over and turn our children into liberal pussies. Back me up here.

A wise sage once said that the essence of foolhardiness is to continue the same unsuccessful strategy while expecting a different outcome.

Ricky is half-right, for once. The solution to progressive reform isn't the Democratic party, and probably never was. But he's wrong that it's "people like (us)." It's "people like Democrats," who are helpless within our political framework.

We don't have a parliamentary system, like Britain and Canada. If we did, Bush would have to appear before Congress and go one-on-one with our elected representatives. He'd be dead meat, of course...because he can't think on his feet, because he wouldn't be allowed to take Karl Rove along with him, and because he wouldn't get away with being miked up.

Dealing directly with Bush, a given Democrat might have a chance. But with communications between Congress and the White House filtered through the Republican leadership on Capitol Hill and claims of "executive privilege" from Bush on requested documents, Democrats are powerless.

It's not a coincidence that a parliamentary system works better, and that third parties in Britain and Canada often make the difference. Both Blair and the new guy in Canada were elected by pluralities, not majorities. They're prime ministers, but without the power of a U.S. president. Third parties thus hold the balance of power.

Now look at the 2004 election. Who challenged the outcome in Ohio? The Democrats? No! The Green and Libertarian parties! Consider how much good has come from that challenge: Diebold has been disgraced and its C.E.O. ousted, Jeb Bush was forced to concede real problems exist in Florida after the Leon County test, a G.A.O. report has eliminated the "conspiracy theorist" slander once and for all, and an attractive Californian, Debra Bowen, has based her campaing for Secretary of State on the clean election issue.

Sorry for the long post, but this is important. How many times has a third party made an important difference at election time? A whole lot of time, folks. Here's a summary from the history books:

1824: (National Republican) John Quincy Adams elected by House of Representatives after (Whig) Henry Clay cuts a deal to frustrate (Democrat) Andrew Jackson, who was the real winner.

1848: (Whig) Zachary Taylor elected after (Free Soil) candidate Martin Van Buren pulls votes away from (Democrat) Lewis Cass in battleground states.

1856: (Democrat) James Buchanan elected after (Know-Nothing) Millard Fillmore pulls anti-Democrat votes away from (Republican) John C. Fremont.

1860: (Republican) Abraham Lincoln elected after (Dixiecrat) John Breckinridge and (Constitution Party) John Bell pull votes from (Democrat) Stephen A. Douglas.

1912: (Democrat) Woodrow Wilson elected after (Bull Moose) Theodore Roosevelt takes votes from (Republican) William H. Taft, who wins one state.

1924: (Republican) Calvin Coolidge elected after (Progressive) Robert M. LaFollette splits liberal votes with (Democrat) John W. Davis.

1968: (Republican) Richard Nixon wins after break in Democratic party (Eugene McCarthy runs as Independent), takes votes from Hubert Humphrey.

1992: (Democrat) Bubba Clinton elected after (Independent) Ross Perot takes votes from incumbent (Republican) George H.W. Bush.

2000: (Dumbkopf) George W. Bush "elected" after (Independent) Ralph Nader takes votes from him and (Democrat) Al Gore both...then Bush's friends flip enough votes to make up the difference.

That nine presidential elections where a third party made a big difference. In 1948 Dixiecrats would have given the election to Dewey if he hadn't been so over-confident. The point is...progressives are not going to get anywhere through the two-party system, because Democrats have to act like Republicans to stay in power. That's a one-party system in the guise of a two-party system.

And two-party systems suck, anyway.

Dredd, RLM, I'm in agreement with both of you

Split the ticket, lose the election

OT - What's the news on the sign truck from VR?

VR site not updated - Did it roll?

I can hear the Democrats now. "Oh, no, we can't have a third-party candidate. That would just help the Republicans."

Of course that's self-serving. And with apologies to George and Ira Gershwin, "it ain't necessarily so."
The 2006 and 2008 elections (disregarding election fraud for the moment) will be run on issues where Republicans disgusted with Bush (there are more than one might think) can vent their frustrations without voting for a Democrat, which many Republicans refuse to do. They are as follows:

CIVIL LIBERTIES: Conservatives like Bob Barr, Ron Paul, and even Pat Buchanan have taken Bush to task over N.S.A. spying and other obscenities. This isn't just a liberal issue, it's a LIBERATARIAN one...and many Republicans are libertarian-minded.

FEDERAL BUDGET AND TRADE DEFICITS: New Fed Chairman Bernanke is a mainstream conservative who doesn't like deficits. If the dollar and stock market crater between now and Election Day, expect to see Wall Street conservatives blame Bush, who takes their votes for granted.

IRAQ/IRAN/NUCLEAR WEAPONS: As the troops leave Iraq (that's going to happen no matter what),
the focus will shift to Iran. Should we have been dealing with Iran instead, all along? To what extent has our obsession with Saddam Hussein allowed Iran to build up a nuclear arsenal? Republicans want to know as badly as we do.

IMMIGRATION: Politics make strange bedfellows! Historically it's been the Democrats who want to help the disadvantaged ("huddled masses, longing to be free"). Except people are pouring in through weak borders, and Bush is enabling it. That's got a lot of his "friends" pretty upset. As soldiers come home, they'll be competing for jobs with illegal immigrants in red states. Could be fun to watch.

ETHICS: The media are frantically trying to make this into a bi-partisan issue. Historically, it is. But where Abramoff is concerned, it's Republican all the way. Despite appearances, most Republicans in Washington and in corporate boardrooms are honest, upstanding people...they're embarrassed by Lay and DeLay, by Noe and Ney, and they might say "hey hey" if a third-party candidate came along who spoke to ethics without being a Democrat.

The opportunity is there for a third-party candidate.
The big problem is money. Fund-raising is so intertwined with lobbyists and the Washington power structure (Republicans and Democrats, but nobody else) that it would probably have to be a super-rich guy or someone financed by a George Soros. Clear that hurdle, and the John Kerrys and Hillary Clintons of this world will have something more to worry about than one another.

I think it is fair to say that those on the list deserve oblivion. No room in the tent. Make it happen.

Yea, Sue
How could any of this possibly lead any democrat to be pissed off. I think this is all just SILLY! JK

But seriously, I am tired of this apiesment bullshit. I've just about given up on this party. The rats are fleeing the ship and they just sit there in blissful ignorance.

I think I agree with the others that say we should scrap this party. If Howard Dean, or someone like him, wanted to quit and start a new party, I would follow him.

I am serious about leaving these idiots and their botched system in the dust. What does everyone think of that idea?

I feel that voting for Democrats will only enable them to maintain the status quo.

Regarding the Alito confirmation, I'm sure all the senators got a ton of petitions and calls from all of us. What good did it do?

OT...I just heard someone on tv saying you can now have your tax refund returned to you somehow in the form of a GIFTCARD. Well duh...who gets a return anymore and for those that do choose this method (the 50% ingnorant Americans) will get to GO SHOPPING. How fun

We need to quit buying things, just food, clothes, necessities. I like the idea put forth by #65, a boston tea party with credit cards. M4 (who is looking for her veil)

Tangent here - just curious:

How many people besides me tend to skip posts that are in all caps, most if not all of the time?

SUE!! STOP YELLING!! AND STOP CALLING US SHEEP!! IT'S FUCKING PISSING ME OFF!! Jesus.

#97 Rembember the clintons, always all over the screen holding hands, stand by your man, clinton crying. Fast forward to bush-laura, no hand holding, she walks behind him, not beside him, tho he does push her out of the plane first, probably to be a human shield, then she quickly takes her place behind him once more. This is our world now, he loves his brush in crawford more than he loves his wife. Your post is right on. M4

Kestrel: Yes. Exactly. Which is why: above. Rude. Annoying. Not helpful.

sorry, guys, I am not feeling very polite right now.

My 2 cents on the cap thing..when I first got online I had to learn computer language. The first thing I learned was that to type in caps was considered screaming. I use caps for emphasis since I don't know how to underline. I wonder if Sue is doing this on purpose, I think she is but her posts are hard for me to read too. I do try though. M4

I just realized that the death of Martin Luther King's widow and the confirmation of Alito in the same day has a sort of sad, symbolic meaning.

Kind of, sort of, maybe?
A sad day in a few ways.

Yes, a third party movement is the answer. I'm calling it the Humanitarian Party (who wants to be Green?!). It will require setting up a separate structure for fundraising, no large donations of any kind, no corporate donations. I suggest $20 annual membership per person --- no more, no less. Totally grassroots. Everyone in the party has an EQUAL stake as an EQUAL shareholder. No rich guy behind it. Will have to disavow the TV attack ads. That's what eats up all the money. Stand should be, "does not participate in this deceitful and wasteful form of campaigning. Come to our web site to learn about the Humanitarian Party, meet our candidates, and see where we stand on the issues...."

Will also have to be..... I'm sorry to say it on this blog, but it is absolutely essential... a successful third party in this country will absolutely have to be PRO-LIFE from conception to grave. That does not mean putting a gun to women's heads to get them to have their babies. It does mean embracing the mystery in life and saying that every life matters and we're going to do everything we can, other than threatening women and their doctors, to help people embrace the mystery and accept and nurture new life, even unplanned.

What pro-life in this sense also means, however, is 1) universal health care 2) war ONLY when we are being attacked, and only against the country that has attacked us 3) fair trade 4) energy independence 5) drastic changes in our transportation system to slow down global climate change 6) measures to put an end to the slaughter of innocent adults and children on our roads (the number one cause of death from age 3 to 33) 7) sensible gun control an end to capital punishment 9) measures to lift people out of poverty 10) a complete end to the practice of allowing corporations to decide public policy (should be fixed by the new fundraising structure.)

All of this, of course, will hinge on having free and verifiable elections.

We better get started now, though, and stop waiting for the Democrats to fix everything. There will always be a place in this country for a party that stands for absolutely NOTHING. And there will always be a place for fascists. There needs to be a place for the rest of us.

Sincerely,
Lisa Lewis
Author of "It's No Accident: The Real Story Behind Senseless Death and Injury on Our Roads."

I just wrote the following to Bill Nelson:

Senator Nelson:

It looks as if the neoconservatives are right when they accuse Democrats of being spineless and lacking in moral conviction. By voting in such a way as to ensure Alito’s confirmation you have done immeasurable damage to the U.S. Constitution and to all the constituencies you claim to support. This was an incredible betrayal.

In just a moment I am going to go outside and peel off the Bill Nelson bumper sticker from my car. And I will also cease contributing to your campaign. No big deal, of course. I’m just one man, and one very small donor.

Nevertheless, I’m the kind of person who cares passionately for the values the Democratic Party has always represented. To lose my individual support is nothing. But to lose the support of loyal and caring Democrats in large numbers will matter.

Look at it this way: If Bill Nelson will vote exactly the same way Katherine Harris would vote, why should anyone bother going to the polls in the coming election? This was truly shameful, truly disillusioning.

sue needs to go back to seattle and toss a few more garbage cans through the windows of starbucks. I think the laces on her combat boots are too tight. she is a great example of extreme liberalism being a true mental disorder. we conservatives love freaks like her. with her types representing the left we will never lose the whitehouse. think maybe she got a nipple ring hung on one of those garbage cans!

Time to cut the Democrats loose --- there is no Democratic party any more --- time to contact Howard Dean and tell him to abandon the half-sunk D. ship, going down fast, unsalvagable, and get on board a new one --- the people and the country are more important than the Democratic party --- time to choose, Howard --- people will follow a good leader, IF one will just show up and stand tough and unyielding --- all delays in standing up for the American people will just allow things to get far worse, and repairing the damage done by the Bushites gets more and more difficult every day.

Called Bill Nelson FL and told him to save his energy and not run for reelection. As much as I dislike the crooked retard Katherine Haris at least she is up front with her agenda to fleece the public instead of stabbing the people that elected them like the traitor Bill Nelson.

We absolutely need a 3rd party imo. I am sure RLM can give us some info about how this idea unraveled. Seems everyone got on the bandwagon with their new 'third' party and we had several vying to be just that over the years. Thus we were all driven in different directions and the idea itself became ineffective. I, too, think many 'r's would vote for a viable third party. I am just fed up with both and will not vote democrat again. I was fooled once and will not be fooled again. I really thought they would try to 'save' us so I supported them...what a fool was I. I knew deep down, there was no difference. This last 5 years has been a 'show' for us, I believe the dems have been in on it and laughing at us in the cloak room. We have been played like a fiddle. Kerry was a shill, Dean should have been the candidate but he was too dangerous. Enough for me. They can enjoy the fruits of their labor, for that is how we shall know them. Today the vote comes in and all the 'd's can say they voted against him...well, too late. They are in on this endgame and less we acknowledge it, we will continue to live in Wonderland. M4

Sue, #88, 91, 92

Were women's right's groups very active or were they not covered by the msm?

Post Mortun Note: Fuck the Empty Scrote Dems that instead of fillibusted . . . . Ballbusted US , Remember them...

And a Speciel FUCK YOU to j lieberman the sanctimonious hypocrite.

Bill Nelson FL contact information : Phone: 202-224-5274
Fax: 202-228-2183

The only problem with this is now the phone answer and immediately goes to a dial tone.
Senator we in your district are smart enough to know the one answering your phone is hitting the answer and then the disconnect immediately, you need to hire smarter staff when you get your new office in the republican wing.

Merifour -

Boy, do I ever agree with you!! Stop consuming just for the sake of consumption!!! It's difficult enough to afford the necessities, and getting harder every day. Live cash-and-carry - no borrowing if you can help it. And the mass drowning of credit cards is a fine idea.

I am so P----D OFF at Sen. Maria Cantwell now... she is SUCH a jerk for allowing this Samuel "Satan-in-the-Flesh" Alito person to be placed on the Supreme Court... she could have EASILY voted for filibuster.

Sad to say, she is MY junior Senator.

I have always liked Sen. Patty Murray better... Murray is a protege of Sen. Clinton and she voted for filibuster.

But, then again, what else would I have expected from the same woman who voted FOR an illegal invasion of a nonthreatening sovereign nation.

She rarely votes in my interest. Yet, she has the unmitigated GALL to proclaim that she is acting in the state's best interest.

And now, ladies and gentlement, I present to you.... the NEW AND IMPROVED Third Reich!

How Jesus weeps at this injustice!

Sorry for the typo... I type really fast when I am acrimonious!

{ed note: Comment deleted for repeated and flagrant violations of the few rules we have here for posting in comments.}

Sue, you need to get a clue. Not all of us are democrats and most certainly most of the people here are not sheep.

I stopped reading about the 2nd sentence you yelled at everyone, most of whom agree with you.

IF you F'ING want to cuss people out and scream at sheep find another message board. Head over to Democratic Underground and scream at some of the Dems there.

If YOU are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem. NOT only that, but YOU don't look good and just providing AMMO to shoot down those in dissent.

You offer NO solutions. However, it seems you could be Ricky or Paul in disguise.

Paul, you are truly a rotten brown shirt who hates your country and it's people. Have you enlisted yet? Or are you too old? Please do us all a favor.

First.. all CAPS is ignorant.. figure out how to behave in the community you want to be in or stay home.

Second, there IS NO DEM PARTY.. get that through your heads. The Dems take money from corps too.. Those corps are just trying to cover their asses..

Third, our government is no longer functioning. We have people FREEZING TO DEATH, while oil companies make ALL TIME RECORD PROFITS FOR ANY CORPERATION IN HISTORY.. hello? anyone seeing a PROBLEM HERE? And, your man Bush.. isn't his family BIG IN OIL? hmm.. billions and billions in profits, asking TAX PAYERS to build them new factories, all while people DIE so they can make BIGGER PROFITS.

I really don't know how much more blatantly it can be stated.. Anyone that supports corperations in this day and age supports KILLING HUMANS FOR PROFIT.. That's what corps do these days, and are protected by YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.. Republicans, of course, are worse than Dems.. but Dems over the past 20 years have become complicate.

All this bullshit about "a third party will ruin everything!" is just that, bullshit. This country doesn't have 2 proper parties.. how is breaking out the vote for people tired of corrupt (and useless) Dems with no spine, and combining that with votes of people tired of corruption and scandal and LIES from Repugs.. how is that bad?

The single biggest failing in this country is that no one thinks anymore.. no one takes personal responsibility any more.. we all want someone else to fix it, and we all want to have our "stuff" while they do.. That paradigm is broke and is killing this country. Stop spending, stop consuming, start thinking, start caring.. Course, I'm preaching to the choir here.. only the self-loathing narssicicsts like Paul, Ricky, and their ilk that troll here are lost.. and those are the kinds that can never be saved, will never care about anyone but themselves and getting their fill of hedons at the expense of other human beings..

Our country is being stolen from us and no one cares. They have their disposable lifestyles and that's good enough for them. It won't be until we turn into a 3rd world society that most people will wake up. By then, it will be too late.. our country will be dead as the greatest in the world (if it ever was, with all the corruption and lies and scandals and shitting on billions for gain) and we'll be looking to slink off to some other country that actually has jobs..

All the fears and concerens of our Founding Fathers finally have been realized in that this country has been officially hijacked, and it's population too ignorant to see it or care.

Strict OrigiConstructiTutionalist Paul said:

Our Founding Fathers would be proud today that we have a new strict constitutionalist joining the SCOTUS.

Go buy a few slaves, I'm sure the founding fathers would be so proud of you! I hear its a buyers market thanks to the invisible hand of the marketplace.

Then go lead a prayer for Our Leader, the President, for starting an undeclared preemptive war with Iraq! This surely is what the Founding Fathers intended when they wrote Article 2 Section 8!

Just watch out! The Government might be spying on you, just as our Founding Fathers intended when they wrote the fourth amendment!

#112
Lisa, and others calling for a new third party, I agree.
I, too, feel duped & betrayed by the majority of democrats in leadership positions, with the exception of Dean, the Congressional Black Caucus, & a few others.

Lisa: I disagree with you only on your pro-life stance, if you are saying, as it seems you are, that a third party should fly the "pro-life" banner with the unfortunate connotations with which it is currently saddled: stringently anti-abortion; promoting useless abstinence-only programs, etcetera.

As Bill Clinton & others have said: abortion should be safe, legal & rare. THAT is a sane pro-life policy: one that includes a legitimate concern for the lives of women & acknowledges both the dangers of the "back alley" abortion and the reality that a wealthy woman will always have access to abortion while a poor one will not.

You wrote
"...a successful third party in this country will absolutely have to be PRO-LIFE from conception to grave..."
To me this implies that you believe a majority of citizens are "pro-life" as opposed to "pro-choice". I don't think this is the case. I'm sure somebody has the numbers?...
I do agree, though, that a saner concept of being pro-life does contain in it the other issues you spoke of...
Well, we interrupt this program...because I just now got a phone call from the Dean people asking for a donation & boy, did I give that poor girl an earful (politely!).
I told her I was on the Bradblog right now where alot of people are talking about how Dean needs to start a new third party; that after what just went down with Alito it's clear that we can't depend on the democratic "leadership", they're worthless.
I said that I still had some shreds of hope resting in Dean & a few others; and on & on.
I begged her to try & actually get that message to Dean (about a third party). I said I'd read that the filibuster failed because the dems did not get their "message" to the people, but the opposite is true: THE PEOPLE KNOW. They've GOT the message!! WE can't get it through to THEM.

Savanster--great post. You're absolutely right.

But please don't be offended, I just have to tell you (sorry..I used to be a teacher): you're mis-spelling 'corporation'. And also 'complicit'. Forgive my pickiness!!
I just hate to see your great posts spoiled, is all.

Oh, and re that girl from the Dean people:
I also ranted about how it was Dean who sat down with Bev Harris & SAW how easy it was to hack the vote & leave no trace, so we know we HAVE no voting system, a documented-to-death FACT that STILL no one in a leadership position is willing to look at! I told her my head explodes when people say (as she did) that we have to take back the House in '06, that that is a FANTASY & a SHAM because...well...you know the rest.

Joan, #128

I told her I was on the Bradblog right now where alot of people are talking about how Dean needs to start a new third party

Let's not forget the role Howard Dean and his people played in disenfranchising Ralph Nader from many state ballots in '04. If there's anyone capable of starting a third party, it ain't him.

The final vote was:

4 democrats for Alito [40 against]
0 independents for Alito [1 against]

54 republicans for Alito [1 against]

The republicans nominated him and 54 voted for him, while democrats did not nominate him, and 40 voted against him.

Why blame the democrats?? Stockholm Syndrome??

The saddest thing of all is that there are people posting here (not to mention millions around the country) who have convinced themselves that this administration represents their better interests, when nothing could be further from fact.

Seeing this administration for the law-breaking Corporatist syndicate it is, does not make one a liberal. They're fooling you into believing this is a conservative/liberal debate, while they're stealing you blind!

Anyone who's worth less than several millions dollars has no business (or common sense, either) supporting this Corporatist administration.

Wake up! They're giving you the high-sign with their rhetorical lying right hand, while their left hand is shoved right down into your wallet pocket!

This is what a neocon is. This is what a neocon does.

I am writing in hopes that I will be able from an addiction to politics that started prior to the 2004 presidential election. I was so wrapped up in the whole campaign. I wanted to remove Bush from office. I was tired of what was happening to this country. I absorbed myself in trying to learn as much as I could about the canidates. I keep abreast of the daily going ons with both canidates. I became so involved that my personal and professional life was secondary. I read all the blogs all the articles about the candidates and was hopeful that Kerry would win. I purchased and read books about the corruption of this administration and was hoping for a fresh start for this country. It appeared that my dream was achieveable. Kerry's number were good and he was a sure winner. I continued to read the blogs and attend rallies and talk to people about who they were voting for and why they needed to vote for Kerry. Well the election came and went and so did my dreams for a better world. But I was so hooked that I could not stop wanting to learn more about the government and I continued to purchase books, attend political meetings and protests hoping to make a difference. I became evolved in every scandal as it surfaced in hopes that this might be the one to open people's eyes. Electiongate, Gannongate, Downingstreet memo, Plamegate, Spygate, Coingate, Abramoffgate - one after the other to no resolution. As soon as one got started another appeared to take you away from the next - a new distraction. The people were not waking up. It was like they were in a perpetual state of semiconsciousness lulled there by Fox News and Conservative Radio. I screamed louder, put anti-war, anti-bush bumper stickers all over my car. I flew a peace flag. Still no one woke up. I became more frustrated and angry. Why didn't anyone see what was happening to our country? Now the people were going to push for a sumpreme court justice who wanted to strip us of constitutional rights. They didn't care if they were spied on they didn't care if the president could imprison them for no reason. They didn't care that people were being killed in an illegal war. They didn't care that prisoners were being detained and tortured and killed for no reason. The only thing I could figure was that maybe I was living in the "Twilight Zone". What was reality and what wasn't? What finally opened my eyes to the truth and helped me to realize that I was indeed addicted to this whole game they had us playing was this past weekend. I stayed up so many hours absorved in "The New Turks" filibuster-a-thon to get to keep Alito from getting confirmed. I called senator after senator, I e-mailed senator, after senator. Phone lines, fax lines were busy an indication that others had hoped the same thing I did. It looked like the chances of him being confirmed were slim - if our senators listened to their constituents. Well I was disappointed again. I finally realized that I was pulled into this game that the government created to distract us from what was really happening and I could never win. I realized I too was like the soap opera junkies living in a world that didn't exist. I wasn't going to be the new Paul Revere and wake the people up. They either came to the conclusion I did earlier or they just didn't want to wake up because they were afraid or they were too blind and needed their rose-colored glasses. Maybe the ones that were sleeping were better off. They smiled (even in my darkest moments), they went on vacations, they talked with friends. In the meantime was I trying to fight an uphill battle like the morphological character - Symphsis. I was trying to carry this heavy message only to have it come tumbling down and having to start all over. I realized they (those that are in power) had created this whole charade to keep those of us they couldn't keep in a semi-conscious state from becoming a real problem. They had to find a way to keep all of us idealest from finding out the real truth. They would create all these scandals or these distractions, build up our hopes of winning and then destory our idealogical goals. Everytime they did this they would eliminate some opponents and gain more traction. More and more of us idealist would give up. Some of us realized it earlier than others, some later. I realize that this has been going on for many years now. It's just that some of the opponents were getting smarter and they had to try harder to beat us or lull us to sleep. I realize that there are not 2 parties in our government. There is only one. It's run like a major theatrical production. The real people in power are the corporations. That's why corporations were given by law the same rights as individuals. They look for the best actors and actresses to play the parts of their carefully orchestrated play. They pay these "actors" quite well and they use the "people's" money. The major theater is Washington. They have many stages there and they have traveling stages around the country and the world. These actors play the part they want them to play. If they don't, they are "eliminated" one way or the other. If they play their parts well, they are rewarded handsomely. They get financial rewards and they get to "feel" in power. This time the corporations have gotten bolder in showing how really powerful they are becoming. First, they own the machines that we vote with. Now all they have to do is say the person they want in power was the winner and they don't have to prove otherwise because there is no paper trail; or since they own the machines, they change the results in their favor and no one can do anything about it. If they do they will be humiliated and silenced and made to look like idiots by the corporate-owned media. This time and last time they showed how powerful they are that they choose for their leader a "functioning" idiot for the commander and chief role. The exit polls showed Kerry as winner. All the commom wisdom from the past, all logic, proved first Gore and then Kerry as the winner, but the corporate-owned machines showed otherwise. This past election didn't matter though because Kerry had a lead role. He was one of their high paid actors and he won the part of the loser. I really think they should have picked someone with a little more acting ability. Someone who would have fought a little harder to prove he won, but that only goes to show you how "in your face" they are, and they don't really care if you know. They are in control of your T.V. set not you. Another example of how "sloppy" they are getting or showing us how they really don't care what we know or think occured this weekend. As I was logging on to tell my senator to filibuster Alito, an article from Reuters came up entitled: "Is There a New Member of the Bush Family?" Well the article goes on to say how close Bush, Sr., and Bill Clinton have become. They asked Bush, Jr., what he thought about this and he said: "Yes, he and my new brother." Bush goes on to say that he thinks Hilliary would be a "formidable" candidate for president. How quaint! Bush's "new" sister-in-law will take his place. He said it follows the line of succession: "Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton. Now if that's not right in front of you I don't know what is. The article also wanted to get the general public's "feelings" on the closeness of Clinton and Bush by taking a poll that asked: "What do you think of the friendship between former Presidents Bush and Clinton? Well, at least now you know who will be playing the role of the next president. So now I realixe they only want us to think that we are in"control" of our T.V. sets. We may be in control of the remote but not what is on the screen. So yesterday I decided to go "cold turkey" and I am hoping that there are others out there who can help me with the 12 step program. I know it will be hard - I've already read one political blog today but that's not nearly as much as I have in previous days. I know I will probably "fall off the wagon" a few more times, but I am determined to "brush my self off and start all over again" at least this will be a little more productive. I'm taking Air America off my preset on my XM radio and only listening to elevator or classic music. I am taking the stickers off my car but not the flag. No matter what I still believe in peace. I feel sorry for all those who will have to suffer so that the corporations will accomplish whatever "plan" they have been working on all this time. I hope that I'm am gone by the time it reaches its peak. The only fear I have is that my children will have to suffer. I wish I would have known about this a long time ago. The only thing I can do is hope they realize what I have and that they do not get caught up in the game or they don't fall in to semi-consciousness like the majority of people have. I also told them not to have any children so they will not suffer. I am giving them each a copy of 1984 and hope they see the similarties and let them draw their own conclusions. In closing I now know one truth: "democracy is an illusion". I hope that will set me free.
posted by from oz at 7:18 AM

1

{Comment deleted for repeated and flagrant inability to follow the few rules we have here for posting at BRAD BLOG}

Paul!

Wake up and smell the coffee it's burning. There is no difference between Republicans and Democrats.
GOP + Democrats = Corporative Government. Do the math.

Paul!

Wake up and smell the coffee it's burning. There is no difference between Republicans and Democrats.
GOP + Democrats = Corporate Government. Do the math.

Savantster at #126 - Terrific, right-on post. Just a comment about Paul, Ricky, and their ilk that troll here are lost.. and those are the kinds that can never be saved, will never care about anyone but themselves and getting their fill of hedons at the expense of other human beings..

Probably true, but I think part of the problem is an inability to draw lines of cause and consequence. (It's part of the "personal responsibility" thing.) Go down to the mall or Wal-Mart and buy a bunch of stuff, fill up your SUV --- that's it, not stopping to think or find out how the stuff got there or what the are consequences to the world. The stuff is just there, just like when you were a child, everything provided for you. It is beneficial for corporations to keep consumers in a childlike state.

{Comment deleted for repeated and flagrant inability to follow the few rules we have here for posting at BRAD BLOG}

The previous post is record-setting bullshit.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/013106Y.shtml

Thank you, Will Pitt.

PAUL

I HAVE STUDIED THE BIBLE MANY TIMES. BELONG TO A BIBLE STUDY GROUP ACTUALLY. THE POLLS YOU LOOKED AT WERE NOT THE SAME ONES I LOOKED AT AND THE FACT THE DIEBOLD OWNS THE VOTING MACHINES AND FLIPPED THE VOTES IN OHIO FOR BUSH. THE CORPORATIONS ARE IN CONTROL AND THEY CHOOSE OUR LEADERS.
John 8:31b-32 "If you dwell within the revelation I have brought, you are indeed my disciples; you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free."

Paul, #138

> Now the people were going to push for a supreme court justice who wanted to strip us of constitutional rights

That is a flat out lie!

You're flat out stupid.

Alito was pushed through by the Federalist Society through the Creative Response Concepts, the same firm that backed the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Now successful in stacking the courts with federalist society fascists, they will begin systematically stripping American citizens of the rights granted to them through years of precedent, concensus, and restraint. The rights of individuals will be further restricted as rights for corporations (who are, by law, no different than a human being with the same rights plus more) are expanded. The legislative branch of government will be less relevant, as the federalist society believes in a unitary executive that wields more power over any other branch (just like your heroes: Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Stalin, Castro, and Chavez!).

But hey, I guess since you'll never be forced to have a gay marriage or abortion it makes it all worth it.

How does the "Living Constitution Party" sound? Here's one renegade's suggestions for its platform.

1) A full, independent investigation of the 2000, 2002, and 2004 elections. Blanket amnesty for anyone who confesses to flipping votes or otherwise deliberately corrupting the process. Elimination of all electronic voting through denial of federal aid to states that insist on using it.

2) Full examination of criteria for impeachment of Bush and Cheney, with primary focus on illegal spying by the N.S.A.

3) Reopening of the 9/11 investigation, including Able Danger allegations.

4) Full cooperation with the World Court regarding possible war crimes trials vis a vis Iraq, including the war itself, war profiteering, and torture.

5) Surtax on profits of international oil companies who have profited from Iraq, all revenue raised going to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure.

6) Full vetting of negotiations between Cheney and oil company executives in 2001.

7) Tough anti-lobbying legislation, possibly an absolute ban on all lobbying.

8) Immediate enforcement of antitrust laws; all future mergers of media organizations prohibited.

9) Ethics czar with cabinet rank but who does not report to the president should be appointed.

10) Abortion legal, but not abortion on demand. Strict guidelines to make it very rare. All interested parties (including husband, grandparents, siblings, family doctor) may be involved in decision to abort.

11) Recognition of global warming as dangerous.

12) Immigration laws must either be enforced strictly, or repealed.

13) Reopening of Middle Eastern peace negotiations based on Dayton accords (Palestinian state, guarantee of Israel's right to exist).

14) The word "marriage" should be removed from the question of civil unions. Gays and lesbians may unite in permanent relationships; the word
"marriage," a sacramental term, has no place in the discussion.

Howard Dean absolutely cannot be the leader of a third-party movement. The idea is to get away from partisan politics, and he's the Democratic National Committee leader. If Russ Feingold would run, he'd be my first choice. Other possibilities would include Warren Rudman (a bit too old, maybe), Ron Paul, and Paul Hackett.

WHAT BIG CORPORATION IS LINING YOUR POCKET? YOU JUST PROVED MY POINT. WHEN THE CORPORATIONS GET IN TROUBLE THEY HAVE A SCAPEGOAT TO TAKE THE RAP. THE USE A "REAL" PERSON. SOMEONE THE PUBLIC CAN IDENTIFY WITH SO THEY CAN TAKE THEIR ANGER OUT ON THAT ONE PERSON INSTEAD OF THE ENTIRE CORPORATION. ARE YOU SURE YOUR NOT WORKING FOR EXXON? MAYBE WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR NEXT OIL SPILL YOU CAN BE THEIR SCAPEGOAT. I HEAR THEY PAY WELL FOR SCAPEGOATS.

PAUL - THE LAST MESSAGE I WROTE WAS FOR YOU. WHAT BIG CORPORATION IS LINING YOUR POCKET? YOU JUST PROVED MY POINT. WHEN THE CORPORATIONS GET IN TROUBLE THEY HAVE A SCAPEGOAT TO TAKE THE RAP. THE USE A "REAL" PERSON. SOMEONE THE PUBLIC CAN IDENTIFY WITH SO THEY CAN TAKE THEIR ANGER OUT ON THAT ONE PERSON INSTEAD OF THE ENTIRE CORPORATION. ARE YOU SURE YOUR NOT WORKING FOR EXXON? MAYBE WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR NEXT OIL SPILL YOU CAN BE THEIR SCAPEGOAT. I HEAR THEY PAY WELL FOR SCAPEGOATS.

ROBERT YOUR IDEAS ARE TERRIFIC.
IF ONLY THEY COULD BE COME REALITY.

Mary Mary, quite contrary...

please see post #118.

Love it, Savanster! Great post. I can't spell complicit either.

BVAC
Sorry, my anger was rising and I was just "capitalizing" on it like Paul.

Mary

HypocriticalConservative #115 said:

sue needs to go back to seattle and toss a few more garbage cans through the windows of starbucks. I think the laces on her combat boots are too tight. she is a great example of extreme liberalism being a true mental disorder. we conservatives love freaks like her.

Exactly. Which is why you guys, too cowardly to post under your own names, make up phony ones to spam blogs like this with, and claim to be Democrats, Progressives or Liberals.

"Sue" and "Maybeline" are both our old troll friend "Atty Jimmo".

Afraid, like yourself, to counter actual ideas and facts with actual ideas and facts, instead of disinformation and propoganda.

Speaking of which...HypocriticalConservative...I guess you were never able to counter the FACTS you were given in this thread. Little suprise.
with her types representing the left we will never lose the whitehouse. think maybe she got a nipple ring hung on one of those garbage cans!

As a rule durring a republican administration, I schedule my annual colonoscopy the day AFTER the state of the union.

So the day on the Day of LIES I can purge all the SHIT out my system.

I wouldn't watch or listen to This Fucking Asshole (bush) If U paid Me.

Thanks, I stand corrected on Dean being the one to launch a third party. Whomever..I like your ideas, Robert.
And thanks for switching to lower case, Mary!! Sorry for yelling at you.

Ooh. Blue! Are ya going with blue now, Brad?

I just received this in an email from John Kerry:

"We made sure the nation knew the truth about the Alito nomination. We made sure America heard how a right wing ideological coup sandbagged Harriet Miers' nomination and replaced her with Judge Alito. No one will be able to say, in five to ten years, that he or she is surprised by the decisions Judge Alito makes from the bench. People who believe in privacy rights, who fight for the rights of the most disadvantaged, who believe in balancing the power between the President and Congress had to take a stand."

What a crock - "...sure let the nation know..."

The ONLY damn place I saw anything about this was here, Raw stroy and other progressive blogs. In general - due to the MSM's kiss-up to rebubs - the public was NOT informed!!!!!!

I will not watch the State of the Union tonight either. It will be just more of the same right wing corporate propoganda spun by the corporate media. I wonder if tonight they will see the strings running from Cheney's hands over to Bush or if someone will turn back the curtain so we canl see the real wizard whispering the speech in Bushshit's ear. I had my dose of fiction this morning. I can take another one.

bush crime = 31,300,000 Google Hits. & The gang of 19 Empty Scrote dems, rolled over like cheap Whores!

Brad #149

So "Screaming Sue" is just a troll! And in the past I actualy tried to calm her! LOL

Brad, #149

Is the first post by Sue a different person? Because her email address can be tracked to several pro-left blogs. Seems like the trolls are resorting to the tactic of impersonation, one of the easiest to root out. Sue and Maybelline can be traced to Auburn, Maine, whereas Atty Jimmo was traced to Pittsburg, Texas - are they now spoofing IPs or what? Is "Atty Jimmo" now a code word for generic bradblog troll, or did he relocate?

Some thoughts on how I connect the dots. It has to do with a most ambitious
plan for a new world order. It was a small clique of criminals of the worst
order. They called themselves PNAC. They wanted to grab the wealth of the
world for themselves and they were not the types to be bothered by the many
they would be harming, or killing for that matter.

The plan would involve stealing elections. It would involve bringing the
mainstream media under their control. They would need to to use religion as
an opiate of the masses and to market specific fears to the many. They
would retain any number of fast talking wackos to spread their spin.

From the onset the plans involved systematic invasions in the middle east.
They would need to offer any number of reasons for such actions but the
driver was in the simple fact they were greedy oil tycoons and that's where
the oil is. They also reached the conclusion early that they would need a
new Pearl Harbor to get public support for their planned invasions. For the
PNAC folks that kind of thing could be arraigned.

It's a horrific picture as I connect the dots. It involve psychopaths
conspiring to accomplish their outrageous goals on such a grand scale. All
of the rights, freedoms and benefits put in place over many years that made
this country a great place to live would be dismantled. Patriot Act goons
would be assigned to any they deemed troublesome.. The key to it all
involved gaining control of the election apparatus and bring an end to any
seblance of free and honest elections. If they can steal the Congress and
the White House then the final step would involve appointing a Supreme court
that would never hold them accountable for anything.

Yes it is quite a scheme that confronts our country. Most will not be able
go there and so they have been succeeding. Those of us who have been able
to connect all these facts have a real burden to help make the many aware as
best we are able.

Over 50 % of americans are Women 150,000,000 Min. with the right to vote ??? alito ???

Comments seem to have exceeded the "band width"...?

Joan #128.. no offense at all! I thought complicit looked wrong when I typed it, but didn't bother to go spell check it.. and corporation.. we'll, I suppose if I'd ever bothered to read the whole word I'd know how to spell it (now I do).. Dyslexia and Dysgraphia cause me to guess on some words, even if I've seen their general patteren a million times.. I shall add that (corporation) to my list of "deliberate spelling" words I have to think about when I write them

And, as was pointed out.. only 4 Dems voted for Alito.. I think THOSE dems are the ones that need to be assured of being ousted from office, no question.. the others.. well, voting for an up/down vote was spinelss (in my book).. but it's not as bad as actually voting FOR Alito.. but, Dredd.. look at it like this.. The Dems that COULD have at least TRIED.. did nothing.. and did it under the guise of "oh poor us, it won't matter anyway".. it all starts with one person taking a step forward, not 100 people all moping about "it won't matter".. Lead by example.. our "leaders" aren't doing that, therefore the need to be replaced with leaders that will LEAD.. being innecfectual is a totally different matter.

Well here's an idea:

"... If impeachment does not become possible, let me broach with you the idea that a grand jury, federal or state, should indict Bush and Cheney for their manifold official crimes. Are we, as we are so often piously assured, "a nation of laws and not of men," or is the President above the law if his party controls the House and can block impeaching him?

The Constitution is silent on whether a seated President and Vice President can be indicted, while in office, for crimes committed while they have held those offices. Constitutional lawyers are congenitally prone to announcing that this cannot be done because it would disrupt the ongoing business of the government. But it is time to do it, if necessary absent impeachment, for exactly that reason - to disrupt the continuation of THIS government..."

From..
Impeach or Indict Bush and Cheney
By Ronnie Dugger
The Texas Observer

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/012806Z.shtml

COMMENT #134
Paul
If what you say is true about Kennedy, then sure, that's wrong. That's the difference between you and I. I can actually admit when a Dem does something wrong. You ever owned up to anything your side has done? Doubt it.

And the democrats you mentioned, I believe those were the Southern Dixicrats that switched to the Republican side after the Civil Rights legislation was passed.
So sorry.
Maybe rascist Democrats turn into Republicans?? Fine by me! Good riddens I say!

"Filibusters were particularly useful to Southern senators who sought to block civil rights legislation, including anti-lynching legislation, until cloture was invoked after a fifty-seven day filibuster against the Civil Right Act of 1964."
www.senate.gov /artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Filibuster_Cloture.htm

COMMENT #143

Mr Mills
I totally agree with you on about everything.

However, I think that Howard Dean would be great because he doesn't seem to be part of the entrenched party, (even though he is the head of the DNC).

He was against invading Iraq.

During the 2000 election, I think that he was thwarted by his own party because his anti-war message didn't line up with the entrenched Democrats. They derailed a huge grassroots campaign.

Even after he became head of the DNC, the cowardly entrenched Democrats would criticize him openly for some of his statements. As far as I can tell, they don't like him.
And that makes me think that he's doing something right.
Thanks
Neil

Sad day. I totally agree with the concept they are ALL working for dirty/illegal/corporate/foreign/corrupt dollars. They can all kiss my ass, excuse me.

Who is going to be this country's knight in shining armor? Someone has to come save us, right? There is hope, right? Are we at checkmate? Sad day.

Shouldn't 96% be able to take on 4%??? We need to organize.

Anybody else going to suffer with me to watch the sad state of our union address and listen to the bullshit and lies?

It's gonna hurt and make me angrier, but I have to do it. Grrrrrrr.

I wish right now to be living in West Virginia so I could help elect Bob Kincaid to Byrd's senate seat.

There should be an all-out push to oppose every dem who voted for cloture in the next primary that applies to them, not just the ones who voted for Alito's confirmation.

And, we REALLY do have to either make Howard Dean the emperor of the party, or get a new party for him to run.

Bob Bilse, thank you for this quote:

I'm reminded, once again, of what JFK said: "Those who make peaceful revolutions impossible will make violent revolution inevitable".

That's what I was thinking this vote for or against a filibuster amounted to: our last "peaceful" or "normal channels" opportunity to put a brake on the runaway Executive Branch of our government. Taking to the streets is up next...

In order to be successful from here on out, we must have a firm grasp of the FACTS. So here are a few to help clarify some comments above:

1. The DNC is NOT the primary Democratic Party source of funds for the campaigns of federal Senate or House candidates. The Senate campaigns are funded by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee [DSCC] headed by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, and the House campaigns are funded by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committe [DCCC] headed by Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois. These two campaign committees raise millions of dollars, using basically the same methods as the DNC, but operating pretty much independently of one another.

2. What is much more insidious is the methods by which candidates are "selected" to run for office by the DSCC and DCCC with their promises to contribute to, or withhold from, candidates the vital funding under their control (thanks to donations from citizens like you and corporate fundraisers). Rahm Emanuel has already developed quite the reputation for digging up ex-Republicans, and millionaires, to run as Democrats for the House, against REAL Democrats already declared and running (in Florida, Illinois, and elsewhere). Emanuel appears to have the blessing of Leader Nancy Pelosi in these efforts. And, obviously, these Congressional Campaign Committees are not about to fund anyone who dares challenge an INCUMBENT... Thus our 90%+/- incumbent re-election statistics..

3. Howard Dean knows all this. When he was deciding on whether or not to run for DNC Chair, that was the choice he was contemplating: Try to reform from WITHIN, or from OUTSIDE the "Members Only" (need apply to run for public office) Two Party System in this country.

4. It is not only about the money candidates need for their corporate television ad campaigns [those ridiculously-expensive tv ad buys are a travesty of their own]. It is also about ACCESS TO THE BALLOT. The ability just to get your name on a statewide ballot is different, and rigged and controlled by the Two Party System, in every state. In this regard, it is similar to the decisions on voting systems and recount rules, which vary state by state. But this also means that state-level action could open up the ballot to truly viable Third Party candidates, one by one, if state legislatures could be worked on. [I believe these rules are a legacy of the attempt to block African-American voters after the Civil War, and have been in place since the late 1800s. Which means they are most exclusionary (no open primaries, for example) in places that are or were most openly racist: Southern states, for example. But I'm no expert on this.] We've opened up closed Country Clubs to women and African-Americans, but we continue to put up with closed ballot access, limited to those willing to become "Members" of the two corrupt major Parties, and therefore willing to not "rock the boat" and to avoid challenging incumbents.

5. Small wonder, then, that we have a "Nero 19" inside the Democratic Party, who won't deign to associate with fellow members of that 'nasty group of liberals' - and feel no loyalty to the Party as a whole at all. They are in fact there under false pretenses, because of the artificial Two Party System.

I have long thought that the people need to try to endrun this system, but the courage of Kerry and Kennedy has me thinking of another possibility. And that is to try to make an omelet...

I want to recognize the courage and principles of those 20-26 members of the Democratic Party who are true Democrats. And this filibuster vote was a necessary first step to doing that, as it separated the wheat from the chaff. BUT it can't stop here. Some eggs must be broken... And that means the "good guys" calling out the bad guys in the Party publicly, in order to help clean house, if only to protect their OWN good names. IF they are unable to do that, or allow someone like Howard Dean to do that, we're left at the starting gate. Dean is trying to do it privately, but I don't think that that will be sufficient, because the public at large is not focused on the real causes of the problems in the Democratic Party yet. And we've got anonymous sources from the DSCC and the DCCC grousing publicly to Roll Call about the lousy job Dean is doing with DNC money (meaning THEY want it - HE doesn't get to decide where it should be spent, and thereby have the power that goes along with that). The "establishment" Dems (and I now count Harry Reid in that group) are doing their damnedest to utilize Dean's talents for their own purposes, while simultaneously trying to marginalize the threat to their power and exclusive membership rules that Dean and his grassroots supporters represent.

So at the moment, I am of two minds on the path that may be best. Perhaps both simultaneously is preferable (because an open ballot must be the final goal either way). But I hope those in a position of power with a public profile are weighing these options seriously --- because this is the time to choose SOME new approach and thereby harness the passionate energy of the awakened American people on a focused campaign to take back our own government.

[P.S. That was my comment above trying to close the italics --- someone beat me to it, and also made my comment about the formatting moot - the comments are back in normal order again.]

For NeilDeal: Dean has never talked about crooked elections. For me (I'm just one guy), the first and most important issue a third-party candidate must address is this.

Premise: If elections can be stolen with impunity, nothing else matters. And Democrats, for whatever reason, have shown themselves unable to deal with the problem (exceptions---Boxer and Conyers).

So Dean would have to resign his DNC position, renounce everything, and come out for the position that the last two presidential elections were stolen, thus Bush was never a legitimate president. Thus, everything he's done as president is fraudulent. If Dean were to start from that position, the other platform initiatives follow in lockstep.

I doubt Dean would do this, but I could be wrong. My sense is that he would have done it by now if he intended to. All other prominent Democrats have the same handicap, not that any of them (except maybe Gore) are real presidential material.

Think it's time to quit paying taxes because of the NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION thingey?

Shouldn't that be a "Brute 19"? As in "Et tu, Brute?"

I don't think the majority of the Democrats who DID vote against cloture tried for five minutes to get the support of these 19, or any sensible, or as close as they get to it, Republican either. I think only Teddy Kennedy and Barbara Boxer were in it with their hearts, doing it for us... and even THAT can be construed as these two being so safe in their seats as to risk nothing to fight for us.

Brad made sure we had an insider's comments about WHY the Democrats were being so wussy. Bob Kincaid made it abundantly clear how much of a traitor Byrd is, and Obama is "dead to me". MoveOn raised over three quarters of a million dollars for Byrd in response to a letter from Obama pleading for help keeping Byrd's seat. The party is using Obama's wild popularity from that stunning speech to get mega-money for politicians who will sell us out every time, and Obama is participating gladly. CLEARLY, the party is 100% against actual representation, and only a few in it will keep the faith with the People.

We either support Dean in getting control of the Democratic legislators, or we support him in putting together a new party. Any Democrats who want to do the right thing would follow him. It would have been optimal for him to have herded these cats into effectiveness. It doesn't look as if they will be herded. He STILL has enough juice to make a new party instantly mainstream (or turn an existing one instantly mainstream).

# 143 --- Robert --- Wonderful.

Personally, I would add a campaign contribution item - something similar to what exists in Arizona and Maine (and Connecticut?) and is currently being proposed in California.

I love # 8 and would add some kind of "revolving door" provision so that regulatory agencies would be regulatory agencies, not appendages of the corporate monolith.

The two ravenous gorillas in the room are Peak Oil and global warming. I think we should face them squarely and begin the process of dealing with them ending in energy sustainability. In some way...not sure how in a platform, but all our work means nothing if we don't give these two subjects high priority. Surveys show that the public is very interested in doing something about them (although not highly informed on Peak Oil.)

#169 Now your talking. They can't mispend trillions if they don't have them.

For Arry: I think the problem with the Green party is simply the name. They do a great job, but their name implies "environment only." A third-party candidate can't run on one issue, no matter what.

It's true the Green party led the fight for a recount in Ohio. But the name still suggests tree-huggers and defenders of swampland. Otherwise, I'd agree with you. A Democrat like Howard Dean who agreed to "take the pledge" and switch to a third party might be viable, but I'd prefer someone who already has independent credentials. Admittedly, there isn't a long list.

Arry: I bet we could get Gore and Edwards and Kucinich and Clark and Sharpton and Conyers, and maybe even Murtha.... We could get anyone out there who is more interested in our country than their position in it. And,

Molly and Jeff: it would be a great forum for a twenty-first century tea party.

Sue's a TROLL?? Wow, who'd a'thunk it?

(See my comment #47 above *s*)

And I guess this means Maybelline won't be hiring me as a tutor either.

*melodramatic sigh* Pity.

Hey y'all, I love the third party idea, but I'd be curious to find out if Murtha would consider running on ANY ticket. I admit I don't know much about him, but I like what I've seen.

And while I'm running flags up the pole here, what do y'all think of John Edwards?

Decent, honest, all-American good man. Gore/Edwards 2008.

Murtha is too old. The presidency would deck his ass. Maybe Gores SoD? I'd love that.

I'm hoping Gore takes another crack at it. In today's climate he would be a definite winner (in a fair election).

Wouldn't a third party be a shot in the foot?? I have long given up on the dnc, but I just want to get the sob's out - reps and dems!!!

Yes Bradbloggers, this one hurt. There were enough votes for the filibuster but not enough guts. Many of you have criticized Kerry, Clinton, Biden, etc. but the truth is that THEY LISTENED TO US! We asked them to filibuster against all odds and they did. We have learned that we really only have 25 votes in the Senate. That is the basis of your third party. Call it what you want. I think those 25 are the Senators who deserve our support.

Ricky, Paul, Jimmo,

By enabling this criminal administration, you have blood on your hands. You have the integrity of a cockroach.

The WORKING CLASS PARTY needs to be created today.

All you need is some old school AMERICAN values and a few charismatic candidates who speak the truth.

We can do no worse than produce something better than the corrupt Fascist Republidems (1 party not 2)running this country into the ground.

These fckers have to feel the fear and anger they imposed on us with their Rhiestag fire known as 9/11. Every human right stripped away must be returned and the cancer that has been imposed on our constitution must be burned off. You bastards think you own and control the American spirit however it still breathes free at Bradblog. We can put our minds together to take back our country PEOPLE. Our Founding Fathers have enabled us to remove a government of corruption simply through active involvement. We will coral these corrupt lying murdererous bastards and put them into jail. Nothing worth doing was ever won without a fight. For example, I believe if we got the Green Party to change their name to the Working Class Party it would have instant recongnition, a broader appeal, and we wouldn't have to start from scratch.
COME ON PEOPLE YOU CAN DO IT!!! WE, free thinking American people cannot let these greedy losers have our government that was created for US.

#173 - Robert --- I agree with you. I am a proud and active member of the Green Party. I'm sure you know that the Greens advocate corporate accountability, instant runoff voting, election reform and much else beyond strictly environmental issues.

Nevertheless, we are in a serious political situation and, in times like these, political groupings and parties tend to be fluid - and that's good. My hope is that the fires the Greens have kept burning will prove to be valuable in whatever comes about.

The WORKING CLASS PARTY needs to be created today.

All you need is some old school AMERICAN values and a few charismatic candidates who speak the truth.

We can do no worse than produce something better than the corrupt Fascist Republidems (1 party not 2)running this country into the ground.

These fckers have to feel the fear and anger they imposed on us with their Rhiestag fire known as 9/11. Every human right stripped away must be returned and the cancer that has been imposed on our constitution must be burned off. You bastards think you own and control the American spirit however it still breathes free at Bradblog. We can put our minds together to take back our country PEOPLE. Our Founding Fathers have enabled us to remove a government of corruption simply through active involvement. We will coral these corrupt lying murdererous bastards and put them into jail. Nothing worth doing was ever won without a fight. For example, I believe if we got the Green Party to change their name to the Working Class Party it would have instant recongnition, a broader appeal, and we wouldn't have to start from scratch.
COME ON PEOPLE WE CAN DO IT!!! Free thinking American people cannot allow these greedy losers to successfully HIJACK our government of checks and balances that was created for US and future generations.

There's so many ways to look at things. There's a tried and true philosophy, that people have to be miserable to enact a change from their government. If Roe vs. Wade is overturned, you're going to see misery. And then lots of change. The millions of elder medicare recipients who are without medicine are miserable. The poor and elderly who can't pay for heat are miserable.

What exactly are people backing the Republicans for? You rightwingers, please list Bush's and the Republicans accomplishments. I mean the good ones. Not the dismantling of the constitution. That is an accomplishment, but I mean the ones that were good for the people. Not the select 1% rich, I mean the other 99%.

People did not vote Bush in for president. Just talk to as many people as you can, and ask them. It's all the electronic voting machines. And people who are in power, were not wanted to be in power by the masses, Therefore, massive misery and soon to be lots of change. It just cannot stand. It's impossible.

What's happening is a huge bubble is getting bigger and bigger. It should've burst, but the bigger it gets, the louder it's going to burst. The longer it takes, the worse it will be for the Republicans, and the Dems who are beholden to the few, and not the majority. It just cannot stand.

The WORKING CLASS PARTY needs to be created today.

All you need is some old school AMERICAN values and a few charismatic candidates who speak the truth.

We can do no worse than produce something better than the corrupt Fascist Republidems (1 party not 2)running this country into the ground.

These fckers have to feel the fear and anger they imposed on us with their Rhiestag fire known as 9/11. Every human right stripped away must be returned and the cancer that has been imposed on our constitution must be burned off. You bastards think you own and control the American spirit however it still breathes free at Bradblog. We can put our minds together to take back our country PEOPLE. Our Founding Fathers have enabled us to remove a government of corruption simply through active involvement. We will coral these corrupt lying murdererous bastards and put them into jail. Nothing worth doing was ever won without a fight. For example, I believe if we got the Green Party to change their name to the Working Class Party it would have instant recongnition, a broader appeal, and we wouldn't have to start from scratch.
COME ON PEOPLE WE CAN DO IT!!! Free thinking American people cannot allow these greedy losers to successfully HIJACK our government of checks and balances that was created for US and future generations.

The Workers Party of America

Even better.
Working to make America a world leader as opposed to world loser.

Grizz. Keep it Simple, Meaningful and Short

The "Workers"

# 174 --- Agent99 --- Agreed, but it will take a lot of work for all of those people and Democrats nationwide to begin thinking in such "radical" terms (in respect to party structure).

I've been saying for a year or so that the PDA should pull out the stops and issue a full-fledged challenge to the corporate Dems on all levels. Chances have to be taken. (It is simply corporate PR that progressive values are out of the mainstream. They aren't. That PR has to be challenged.)

My prediction --- Gore will take the progressive/environmental mantle and talk about issues that have assiduously been avoided by the elite corporate party. Whether or not he can do this successfully as an former DLC member and having assented in a very corporatist administration remains to be seen. The man really does seem to get it now in a comprehensive and very intelligent way. If he can convince me that he understands the role of corporate consolidation in the degradation of democracy, it will be tough for me not to vote for him. It will take a lot of convincing, though. Only time will tell.

But...Robert has a point, too. If we are to distill a movement out of diverse (even *seemingly* diverse) viewpoints, it is important not to shut off sympathetic exploration by those who may turn away (illogically, perhaps) from an old enemy or someone with too many suspicious connections.

(Anyway, there is no getting around it. We must have a 2006 strategy. Full-bore on election reform and, sadly, a plan in case of failure for it to come about in time to prevent widespread fraud. We can't just watch it happen.)

"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both."...Dwight D. Eisenhower

As I remembered this quote, I realized that it applies to the apologist trolls that post here, as well as to the hypnotised masses who support this administration because of their privileges. Giving up your basic constitutional rights because you have your house, car, and DVD players is idiocy.

A quote from a great American:

"The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the constitution so the second will not become the legalized version of the first." ...Thomas Jefferson

well, that's 4 more end bolds.. not sure if it carries or not, probably not.. not sure other posters can actually fix it.. *shrug*

The nice thing about the name "Workers" is that if you're not one then your a lazy trustfunder or anti worker.

"Workers" are also anyone who strugles to survive living in any way! * Genuine * Fuctional * translatable * Honorable *

P.S. The name "workers" is not at all "Pretentious"

Thank God the democrats are pathetic. Once ginsburg and breyer are gone (how many votes did they get anyway? oh yes, about 90 each BECAUSE THE REPUBLICANS REALIZE PART OF THE DEAL WITH WINNING AN ELECTION IS GETTING YOUR OWN JUDGES) the court will not hopefully eb full of pro-abortionists and land grabbers and terrorist sympathizers.

Sure is dark down here in the Basement.

Brad: I sincerely hope that you will keep this list of undependable Demcratic Senators on your website through the next two elections. It's hard to believe these Senators expect to receive our donations and time support when they cannot be relied on to support fellow Democrats in a pinch.

Being 'squishy' about Democratic values is not the way to get relected.

I hope we will all seek alternative candidates in the coming primaries that will promise in writing to uphold core Democratic values and yes even filibbuster if needed.

These Senators seem to care more about the Republican votes than they do about the Democratic votes and support that started them on their way to the Senate.

Without some payback, they all will just sell us out again and again.

Very interested theme, with attention I will read following registration fees.

Very interested theme, with attention I will read following registration fees.