Proud to be a Democrat who wants to tar and feather these profoundly antidemocratic Democrats and drive them out of Washington.

These hypocrites are supposed to reform the political system for us? Truely sleazy. If there is any justice in this world, this should be their Howard Dean "yaaargh!" moment. It would certainly be more deserved.

to me, that means the corporate toadies really are afraid of havimg Obama,
Clinton or Edwards on the ticket.

Remember; "Divide and Conquer"

and this is Faux Gnus Reporting (or any one of the corporate oil ministry media for that matter).

Yeah I know they're on the take too, but the money the Dem candidates have to raise to get on the air and have it spun their way vs what the Republicans get 24/7, they have to do a little ass kissin don't you think ? It's a constant uphill battle for the Dems no matter who wins the primary.
It's a battle of total Fascism v Fascism Lite these daze because the Pukes have moved this country so far to the right since the '80s.
One last thing, we're probably going to end up 'Tea Partying' those hack boxes eventually, or the cost of maintenance will get them out.

The only 2 good candidates are Gravel and Kucinich...wake up, please!

Yeah Dan, I'll vote for one of them in the primary, but it's over after that and you have to choose one of the 'Top tier candidates' that get the most air time.
That's the reality of it

Speaking of interesting votes. Senator Webb brought a support the troops amendment to the floor.

He proposed that troops be allowed to stay home, after deployment to Iraq and/or Afghanistan, for an equal amount of time to how long they were deployed.

For instance, if a soldier was deployed to Iraq for a year, by law he must be allowed to stay home for one year before going back. Rest and recovery.

The republicans filibustered (their 43rd filibuster this session) and so the Webb amendment failed like this:

YEAs (give the troops some home time after Iraq-time) --- 56
Akaka (D-HI), Baucus (D-MT), Bayh (D-IN), Biden (D-DE), Bingaman (D-NM), Boxer (D-CA), Brown (D-OH), Byrd (D-WV), Cantwell (D-WA), Cardin (D-MD), Carper (D-DE), Casey (D-PA), Clinton (D-NY), Coleman (R-MN), Collins (R-ME), Conrad (D-ND), Dodd (D-CT), Dorgan (D-ND), Durbin (D-IL), Feingold (D-WI), Feinstein (D-CA), Hagel (R-NE), Harkin (D-IA), Inouye (D-HI), Kennedy (D-MA), Kerry (D-MA), Klobuchar (D-MN), Kohl (D-WI), Landrieu (D-LA), Lautenberg (D-NJ), Leahy (D-VT), Levin (D-MI), Lincoln (D-AR), McCaskill (D-MO), Menendez (D-NJ), Mikulski (D-MD), Murray (D-WA), Nelson (D-FL), Nelson (D-NE), Obama (D-IL), Pryor (D-AR), Reed (D-RI), Reid (D-NV), Rockefeller (D-WV), Salazar (D-CO), Sanders (I-VT), Schumer (D-NY), Smith (R-OR), Snowe (R-ME), Stabenow (D-MI), Sununu (R-NH), Tester (D-MT), Warner (R-VA), Webb (D-VA), Whitehouse (D-RI), Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs (no home rest for the troops) ---41
Alexander (R-TN), Allard (R-CO), Barrasso (R-WY), Bennett (R-UT), Bond (R-MO), Bunning (R-KY), Burr (R-NC), Chambliss (R-GA), Coburn (R-OK), Cochran (R-MS), Corker (R-TN), Cornyn (R-TX), Craig (R-ID), Crapo (R-ID), DeMint (R-SC), Dole (R-NC), Domenici (R-NM), Ensign (R-NV), Enzi (R-WY), Graham (R-SC), Grassley (R-IA), Gregg (R-NH), Hatch (R-UT), Hutchison (R-TX), Inhofe (R-OK), Isakson (R-GA), Kyl (R-AZ), Lieberman (ID-CT), Lott (R-MS), Lugar (R-IN), Martinez (R-FL), McCain (R-AZ), McConnell (R-KY), Murkowski (R-AK), Roberts (R-KS), Sessions (R-AL), Shelby (R-AL), Specter (R-PA), Stevens (R-AK), Thune (R-SD), Voinovich (R-OH)

Not Voting - 3
Brownback (R-KS), Johnson (D-SD), Vitter (R-LA)

Note that all democrats who were able to vote voted for supporting the troops in this way, while most republicans did not.

Forty nine dems voted YEA, 0 dems voted NAY. That is how support for the troops falls out.

...going back in history, I've been reading, the system has been worked this way since day one. Link

So what's a mother to do?

Big Dan #3,

Please, please, don't trivialize Ron Paul. he and Mike Gravel have very very much in common.

Hey Dan #6, I gotta nuther good story for you to read from the pages of history, although anyone (Dredd) is very welcome to read it

The Martyr and the Masons

To even mention whether somebody has "the mental capacity" to be President after this administration is just silly.

With Reagan and Bush II we have proven that the President of the United States can be an IDIOT and still hold on to the job.

I'm not a big fan of Barack "We don't want to Impeach" Obama, but he's no intellectual slouch (there ARE no Oxy Morons).

Hear hear, it'd be nice to see the field narrowed down to just the legitimate candidates:
Gravel & Kucinich

Don't believe the polls - they're all a crock!

You know, I have been wavering between Kucinich and Edwards for some time, not sure where to throw my lot. I really dig Gravel too, and am much impressed every time I see him speak. But this..... Even if Fox is gleefully exposing it for their own ends, that doesn't make it any less true or a problem. I was pissed when the RNC announced plans to side line the only real Republican at thier debates (Ron Paul) and I am pissed when the DNC tries it on their guys. The country NEEDS these other voices, not everyone is a dang middle of the road-er. And to say the other candidates aren't serious, that's just rude. They all care very much about what they do and the messege they are trying to impart.

This is one to make me rethink my choice. And its much more important than a damn hair cut!

#2-I like tea and I like parties...'08?????? Who's with me? We can have "official" Bradblog Louisville Sluggers. Action is needed...baseball bat meet DRE. It's like Whack-a-mole for adults that think.

ps-someone should make a cartoon out of that

It's a rare moment when Fox provides us with real journalism.

I hope that those of you who insist on seeing every issue through partisan-colored-glasses will take note of this. The sooner everyone realizes that R and D are simply two flavors of the same product, the sooner the American people can get back together to reclaim our government.

It is for reasons like this that I advise against incorporating partisan rhetoric into your writing or even your rationale. There are some good folks in each party, they are a minority in each party, and that's about the truth of it. The rest, D or R, have every incentive to oppose any effort to reform voting or elections.

If nothing else, I hope this encourages more of us to register Independent. =)

Dan: I DO like Ron Paul, I've posted that many times here. I meant, the 2 best DEMOCRATS are Kucinich and Gravel.

The 3 best CANDIDATES are Gravel, Kucinich, and Paul.

Notice all THREE of them are being driven out of the debates. hmmmmmmmmmmmm...........

But I DO like liberals better than conservatives, and BOTH better than the corporatives.

Corporatives = all Dem & GOP candidates - Gravel/Kucinich/Paul.

http://www.gravel2008.us/

In 1971, he waged a successful one-man filibuster for five months that forced the Nixon administration to cut a deal, effectively ending the draft in the United States. He is most prominently known for his release of the Pentagon Papers, the secret official study that revealed the lies and manipulations of successive U.S. administrations that misled the country into the Vietnam War.

Gravel ended the DRAFT! And introduced the Pentagon Papers into the congressional record!

"Gravel's campaign is based primarily on his ardent support for direct democracy (The National Initiative), but also emphasizes his support for a national sales tax and abolition of the IRS, immediate withdrawal from the war in Iraq, and a single-payer national health care system, and term limits during his campaign."

Ummmmm....is there ANYTHING YOU DON'T LIKE, about Mike Gravel?

There's a lot I don't like about Mike Gravel. He USED TO BE A HERO. And his ardent support for a national sales tax, if successful, would hurt the little guy at least as much as income tax, and the fat cats a lot LESS. His direct democracy shtick is really a fancy way of saying "majority rules" and the weirdos can just eat it. He's senile, and you could be using your lightning fingers in support of someone who would really turn this all around instead of someone who just wants air time for his harebrained ideas.

Bob, I would lay off the Pukes if they only would quit trying to destroy Social Security, Medicare...oh hell, anything they lay their hands on that is good for America, and if they would just quit trying to suck my wang for a minute...:)

This doesn't surprise me at all. The media-declared "front-runners" leave me cold.

Full disclosure: Waiting for Clark --- who hasn't said he WON'T run.

Very interesting- thanks for the video. They are an interesting group of candidates.

Let's hope the winner can enact real change!

I said to Bill the day Hillary arrived in LR, that it was a little odd for her to arrive with an entourage of FBI guys. Being just an "old friend from college, and all." And I wasn't the only one embarrassed as Bill went about rubbing his hands all over the other single women at that particular party. Now, this went on for about two weeks. Finally, I said to the both of them, just before they announced the engagement; "You two aren't in love!"

The point is, Hillary is a 'made man,' -just like Giuliani. And it's now ever so clear that J Edwards call to attend Bilderberg, and their behavior here proves that he is aligned, -sElected- if you will, to be her running mate, and thus the 'balancing' act of their predeterminated 'winning' ticket.

No we don't want 8 more years of either Bush, or Clinton! And, if these jokers all continue with this 2-party charade, we ought to instigate absolute term limits on every seat of government.

All I see is the future president and her running mate. There was some chemistry there; and cut the baloney about antidemocratic. These campaigns should solidify into a more defined, concise, coherent and eventually SMALLER practical and viable group.
Clinton/Edwards, bye George I think she's got it!

Unfortunately it took segregationist Governor Wallace to reveal the truth that "there's not a dime's worth of difference between" Republicans and Democrats. The Democrats willingly went along with the War in Iraq, suspension of Habeas Corpus, detaining protesters, banning books like "America Deceived' from Amazon, stealing private lands (Kelo decision), warrant-less wiretapping and refusing to investigate 9/11 properly. They are both guilty of treason. Support Dr. Ron Paul and end this madness.
Last link (before Stark County District Library bends to gov't Will and drops the title):
America Deceived (book)

I agree that the debates should be made "smaller" and "more serious". They should include those who have demonstrated a knowledge of and commitment toward the Constitution. Those who voted for the USA"PATRIOT" Act have shown their lack of seriousness in our system of government. (Those who voted for renewal in 2006 should be the first to go.) Voting to provide funds for an illegal, criminal war shows a lack of regard toward the legal system and citizens of the United States.

Receiving huge corporate donations from those institutions embodying the national transformation to fascism, not calling them "bribes", and play-acting as if they are irrelevant to subsequent behavior are clear indications of frivolity and fakery in regard to our system of government and to the true citizens of the United States. Get the hook.

Yes, using "seriousness" as a criterium is not a bad idea.

As said before there is no real difference between the Dems and Reps. For the most part they want the same things. They both now want to police the world and serve their corporative masters. Dems are against the Iraq war because its not popular but they are in favor of putting our troops in the middle of other civil wars like the one in the Sudan.

I think that Gravel should be Paul's running mate.

99 at #21 --- Who is the one who will "turn this all around"? Gravel will probably not be elected, but he is worth supporting anyway, IMO. I had my doubts about Gravel's National Initiative as well, but I'm coming around to it. I don't think it's "hairbrained" at all. Mr. Gravel has been working on it for years.

It's not such a big deal, really. Initiatives are commonplace in a number of states; this would make the process national. Some fine things have happened as a result of the process in states - campaign finance reform in some states, for example, something that wouldn't have happened simply through the legislative process.

Where I live, in California, the initiative process has been largely vitiated through corporate involvement, but Gravel's National Initiative only allows the involvement of "natural persons" - a big difference.

Our nation is practically ruined. Mike Gravel's consistent and creative advocacy of American citizens (as opposed to corporate America) should be honored, not denigrated. He is incessantly trying to find a way out of the mess, just as he was when he was a senator.

In the heat of the moment, it's easy to denigrate, but please, please don't dismiss someone a "senile" because he is 77 years old and has views you don't agree with or that seem extraordinary. The CMSM takes care of that.

Oh, for more National Initiative info --- here

BTW, it would take a constitutional amendment to begin the National Initiative process, so who is to say how likely it is that we would ever see it? Can't come around to supporting it? Support Mike for his blunt honesty, his honoring of U.S. citizenship, or decades-long opposition to the military-industrial complex.

Arry, dear, the country, the world is in real trouble. Beside the fact that Gravel is just trying to get air for this pet project of his in a time when there are global emergencies to address, he's clearly succeeding in taking some otherwise decent minds off actually solving the problems. He hasn't got an ice cube's chance in hell, and all stumping for him does is SELF-ILLUSTRATE. That's my nice answer, because I like you.

99 --- You're an old pal and I like you, too. That's why I am not my usual grumpy, obnoxious old self.

My point is that Mike Gravel is one of the few people who actually has ideas to undermine the corporatism that is behind the "real trouble" in the world. At least something to talk about and discuss. The fact that he doesn't "have a ice cube's chance" isn't his fault, it's ours and it's the whole corporate system he opposes. Is the solution to perpetuate the system? Not in my view. IMO, it is absolutely imperative that voices like his be heard.

If stumping for him is self-illustration, so be it. His supporters are citizens and have every right and responsibility to "illustrate" their views. It's not what the corporate establishment would like, but it's America. I don't see how expanding the discourse inhibits the search for solution - it enhances it.

#12, I was thinkin if everyone carried one of those spring loaded emergency glass poppers in their pocket...

...in case your car went off the road into a canal of course.

Arry

Self-illustration replaces effective action. Hand-wringing, spending time needed to be sitting on Nancy Pelosi's head to set the damn table stroking Gravel's ideas, even if they were good ones and I don't think they are, are not getting anything DONE. Right off the top of my head I can think of a couple people to line up behind who can be hugely more EFFECTIVE in the global emergencies we are facing RIGHT NOW than Gravel could dream of being.

Humans, including bloggers, have to get hip to the fact that TALK doesn't get stuff done. We have GLARING emergencies of apocalyptic proportions tapdancing on all our foreheads right now, and Gravel is flat out wasting our time, wasting precious time.

I'D RATHER DIE THAN AGREE WITH CLINTON, OBAMA AND EDWARDS, BECAUSE THEY ARE WASTING OUR TIME EVEN MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN GRAVEL, BUT IT'S REALLY TIME TO GET DEADLY SERIOUS ABOUT WHO WILL BE OUR NEXT PRESIDENT.

It's even more important to hound Pelosi night and day. It's even more important to be spreading the word about global warming to every corner of the globe.

* gets accused of torturing people. * decides to SAY he doesn't torture, to self-illustrate instead of adjust ACTUALITY. It's really the same to respond to the reminder of wasting time by SAYING that talking about the ideas and issues while wasting time isn't still essentially wasting time. We're all turning into masters of virtuous-looking time wasting!

I'M SICK OF IT. RISE UP! DO IT!

99 - I get you. I just have a little different idea on how things get done. There are certain things that have to said, things Gravel is saying. (I'm not talking about his National Initiative idea.) He is keeping the debates from becoming slick marketing photo-ops for slick corporate candidates. I think it is an important, useful thing to do, and when said candidates try to close the debates to themselves, they are moving the possibility of solving urgent problems a step backwards.

I don't think Gravel is a savior (although his people-oriented anti-corporatism would be far superior to the same old bought government), but he's in there fighting the lies, and I'll continue to cheer him on and support him as long as he is doing it. I don't consider what he is doing or my vocal support of him to be wasting time.

But I understand your point and the danger of wasting time is real.

Well, good, Arry. Since action is definitely an EMERGENCY, I think it's really best to concentrate on the things that will SOLVE the crises. We all know of the perfidy behind this GWOT shit, and droning on about that just lets it continue. You can't watch last Friday's Bill Moyers' Journal about impeachment on your slow connection, but it was electrifying! Nancy Pelosi is wrong, insisting on ignoring the Constitution for lowly political reasons, and the entire future of America could hinge on impeachment. Nobody should be doing anything but screaming that to the rafters and to her... not even Republicans. The warring has to stop NOW, and it won't with these traitors in office... and it won't if we allow the Democrats' plan for '08 proceed either. Gravel may be injecting some needed anti-slickness into the "debates", but the "debates" are a fucking waste of time themselves. NOTHING positive or effective of good things is contained therein. WE HAVE TO GO CRAZY ON THEM! We have to stop taking no for an answer, immediately.

The planet is winding up to kill our obnoxious asses for good; we are killing and torturing hundreds of thousands of people; we are pissing away everything in the Constitution; setting precedent after precedent that spell DOOM for not just Americans, but for the planet.

I'm not being alarmist. I'm stating facts. Doing a reality check. If people don't like Al Gore or Bobby Kennedy leading us out of this trainwreck, then move your asses finding other statesmen who can

GET. IT. DONE.

Yeah, the "debates" are pretty useless, I agree. It is stretching it to even call them debates. Nevertheless, they are part of the anointment ritual. I say, disrupt the anointment because an anointment, as usual, will serve to deflect useful action which, as you say, is urgent.

I'm all for going crazy. (It's not a big step for me.) I will be happy to go crazy with millions of other people. We need to break though. I couldn't agree with you more.

(BTW, I can watch the Bill Moyer Journal if I download it for most of the night. This connection is crap.)

Well can't you get down to Nevada City and start agitating for impeachment there? There's probably even a faster internet connection down there you could use to watch the Moyers' thing. McGee's used to be a great place for political agitation! The people at the Historical Society Museum there used to be darn hip too. Certainly there are phone lines you can burn up to get Pelosi to set the table OR TO HELP GET HER FIRED AS SPEAKER!

I bet you missed Bobby Kennedy's speech at Live Earth! Jesus! Sweet Jesus! It was beautiful! I've been out swinging from people's earlobes about that ever since, and I'm adding the pressure on Pelosi into it.

Most of the people around us are ignorant of so much of this stuff, or completely confused about it. The media is flat out helping to bring down America. Just go to town and tell everyone you meet to call Pelosi's office and DEMAND impeachment, and not to stop. Even start demanding her replacement as Speaker for her unconstitutional (in)action on this matter.

99 --- I do feel a charge in the air recently. Maybe it was Bobby Kennedy's speech.

I helped write an impeachment resolution in Nevada City and have been agitating for impeachment for over a year. I have been cooling my heels for awhile (if you can call it that) because caring for an invalid relative has devolved onto me and it is taking huge amounts of my time.

But I have to figure out a way to get into it again because lack of action is killing me.

McGee's, yes. Cooper's, maybe. (You may know it as Framystanyls (sp?) depending on when you were there.)

Cafe Mekka --- How could I forget? That's where most of the planning and agitation originates these days.

I can't tell you how much trouble I caused in all those places! And, I can't remember how you spell it either... so it's a mercy to hear it's now "Cooper's"!

You MUST cut out time for the stuff that gives you energy and hope, however you are able, even if you need to ask a neighbor to stand in for a few. I have all kinds of experience with taking care of invalids, and even when the world situation is not so dire, one turns into the equivalent of an invalid oneself if some way is not found to connect meaningfully with the rest of the world, to maintain a sense of vitality, a sense of worth within one's larger community.

And the last thing most invalids want is to be that much of a weight on their caregivers. Definitely work on that one, Arry. I don't know the situation, but most of the hospice organizations have ways to give primary caregivers the needed breaks. Maybe you could call the one in your area for some helpful hints.

99 --- The people at the Historical Society Museum there used to be darn hip too.

Hey, I used to work there (a couple of years). Maybe I know you! I may not have been smart, but I sure was hip.

Lived there from '82 to '87 and the last time I went by the Historical Society was in the fall of '91, when one guy told me about the discovery of redwood roots in well drilling in the Central Valley... something I hadn't known that ended up being crucial for an article I was writing. My memories of most of the people there are really fuzzy. Can't remember names, and barely can see faces anymore. Only vividly remember some of the vivid "trouble" I got into there. Men. Cads.

I worked there a couple of years before before you were there. Might have seen me at Framystanyls or McGee's later, though. God, I hope I wasn't one of those cads!

Thanks for the advice. I really do have to get things resolved because it is clearly affecting my own health, and I need to get my hands onto some good solid work.

Or maybe I hope that I was one of those cads. I'm so confused...

Signing off.