THIS IS NOT ->Delawareliberal

Let me be the first to say, "I'm For Feingold"

Check back here for more info on Feingold "Meet Up's" and other campaign related info.


Why Russ ?

Russfeingold.org

While conservatives are all about hate, and tearing down people - we liberals celebrate the good in people. In that spirit (and in a shameless attempt to get more than three comments on a thread) I am taking nominations for the first annual, "The 50 People who make Delaware Great" list.

The floor is now open for nominations.

I'll start.


I nominate Senator Karen E. Peterson. Her commitment to her constituents and to the notion of open, democratic government sets her apart from other Delaware legislators on both sides of the isle.

This year I am going to give thanks for living a country that was once tolerant of our private religious experience, even when it was different from the majority experience.

I'm going to give thanks for the fact that when Democrats return to power we can return to a country that does not malign or molest people for being (gasp!) Unitarians.

Republicans Who Hate Unitarians

"I was in New York City the other day and my taxi cab driver bypassed a long line of cars exiting the freeway to cut in at the last second. As usual, I enjoyed being an innocent bystander/beneficiary to this little crime. But what happened next was even more gratifying to the economist in me. A police officer was standing in the middle of the road, waving every car that cut in line over to the shoulder, where a second officer was handing out tickets like an assembly line. By my rough estimate, these two officers were giving out 30 tickets an hour at $115 a pop."

freakanomics

Bush Planned to Bomb Qatar .


This story confirms alot about Bush (that he has no real plans to win the war on terror, that he is impulsive and other world leaders regard him as a dangerous nut case) which is well known.

Although it is based on a "smoking gun" memo, we'll have to wait and see if it is reported to us in the stupid, lazy American "The Memo says "X" but on the other hand Bush says "Y" " style.

- The Democrats, check
- The Iraqi's, yes
- 67 US Cities, Yep
- The Austrailians, Goodness Yes!
- The Pentagon, Roger that
- The Cheney neo-con Cabal, ....








It's only Republicans who want to keep us there indefinitely.

Glenn Greenwald has nailed it.

The new rationale they (the pro-war zealots) have now embraced for insisting that the U.S. is in Iraq and cannot leave Iraq for a long, long time is as shameless as it is ironic. The NEW justification for prolonging our occupation of Iraq indefinitely goes like this:

"Back in 2002, we mocked and ridiculed anti-war critics who warned that our invasion of Iraq would spawn chaos and anarchy in that country, would allow Al Qaeda to operate freely, would trigger dangerous regional instability among Iraq's neighbors, and would unleash vicious sectarian tensions and lead to endless, violent civil wars.

As it turns out, the war critics were right about this and we were wrong. Even though we were snidely dismissive of these concerns before the war, this is exactly what our invasion has spawned. Just as they predicted - and just as we vehemently denied would occur - Iraq is a mess, a dangerous and unpredictable disaster.

For these reasons, we cannot leave Iraq any time soon and, instead, have to re-double our occupation and resign ourselves to being in Iraq for a long, long time.

Well I have to admit that I am charmed by Pittsburgh. I'm in town on business and I'm thinking it would be a nice place to bring the wife and kids sometime.

It is sadly predicable, but the new Republican rally cry is, "FDR lied too". It is predicable because the party of moral absolutes is absolutely addicted to filtering every Republican misdeed through real or imagined Democratic misdeeds.

The prophet of this new saying is Jonah Goldberg. Get used to "FDR lied too" because if past actions are any window into the future, the Republicans will be filling the airwaves with this nonsense.

From Think Progress:

In a dramatic rebuke of conservative leadership, the House has defeated the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education spending bill for Fiscal Year 2006. This year’s bill, which contains one-third of all domestic spending, calls for deep cuts in critical government programs.

Revolt!

Nobody likes backroom deals, especially when they are very public and more like front room deals. Beau, smartly, decides to start his political career on the right foot.

Celia Knows Beau

The Delaware conservative blogosphere is dominated by fiscal conservatives, while the national party is dominated by "Christians" who don't see much merit in balanced budgets or in restricting the power of government to make choices for you. This kos diary about the civil war brewing within the Republican party is the best analysis I've read.

"Social conservatives are a loud and organized minority, but a minority to be sure. And their liberty-restricting, regressive agenda is plainly anathema to the majority of Americans, and even the majority of Republicans, who enjoy their individual liberties and freedoms as much as anyone else and do not want the Federal Government annexed by a crusading crowd which wants to use and radically expand Federal power in order to dictate how Americans live and die."


It is worth the 10 minutes

While I must seem obsessed with getting lying low life Republicans out of office, I do watch TV. For the record, these are my favorites:

10. West Wing (of course)
9. Groundhog Day (which is a movie, but is played enough to qualify as a TV show)
8. The Colbert Report
7. The Apprentice (the real one) & Survivor (tie)
6. Myth Busters
5. The Simpsons
4. The Daily Show
3. The Office
2. My Name is Earl
1. Arrested Development

If you don't think that Delaware is a Blue State, check out this new Survey USA poll

Seven out of ten Delawareans say "Cheney Sucks!"


Wow. Only 5 States dislike Cheney more than we do. I've always said that Delaware Republicans are slighlty smarter than republicans in general. This is more proof.

Hey Mike, Just how moderate are you?

...of course he had a lot of help from the likes of George Bush. But my question is, why does Castle get a pass?


USA TODAY: Republicans Kill The Economy*

"As Congress and the White House struggle to trim up to $50 billion from the federal budget over five years -- just 3% of the $1.6 trillion in deficits projected for that period -- budget experts say the nation soon could face its worst fiscal crisis since at least 1983, when Social Security bordered on bankruptcy.

Without major spending cuts, tax increases or both, the national debt will grow more than $3 trillion through 2010, to $11.2 trillion -- nearly $38,000 for every man, woman and child. The interest alone would cost $561 billion in 2010, the same as the Pentagon."


Sure Castle votes for liberal stuff like killing baby stem cells in the name of science, and he may veer away from the Republican wingnut caucus when the outcome is not in doubt, but when the chips are down, he votes with the Republican leadership on all of the major issues.


* Not the USA Today's Actual Headline

It is not surprising that the folks who did not have a plan for the occupation of Iraq, have resorted to this:

"Mr. Warner said he decided to take the Democratic proposal and edit it to his satisfaction in an effort to find common ground between the parties on the issue."

The good news is that the Republicans are finally starting to come around on Iraq. Being President Bush, or his zombie apologists must not be much fun right now.

http://nitpicker.blogspot.com/2005/11/remember-call-for-democratic-plan.html

This kind of inside baseball story is Celia's bread and butter.


STATE REP. TINA FALLON APPEARS READY TO RETIRE

Reid Outlines Way Forward in Iraq, Previews Democrats Iraq Amendment
Monday, November 14, 2005

Washington, D.C. - Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid delivered the following remarks at a press conference today with Assistant Democratic Leader Dick Durbin and Senator Carl Levin.

"Our troops deserve a strategy in Iraq that is worthy of their sacrifice. That is why, for three years, Democrats have pushed the White House to lay out a plan for success.

"Unfortunately, the President has rejected our call, and instead, insisted America needs to "stay the course." With more than 2,050 Americans killed... more than $250 billion spent... and no end in sight after three years of war -- "staying the course" is no longer an option.

"Together, we can do better. Democrats have developed a very clear path forward. There are three areas we believe need to be addressed:

    * First, 2006 should be a significant year of transition to full Iraqi sovereignty, with Iraqis taking more and more responsibility for their own security. It's time to take the training wheels off the Iraqi government. Iraqis must begin to run their own country. In 2006, the US and our allies must do everything we can to make that possible.

    * Second, the Administration must advise the Iraqi people that U.S. military forces will not stay indefinitely in Iraq, and that it is their responsibility to achieve the broad-based and sustainable political environment essential for defeating the insurgency.

    * Third, the President needs to submit - on a quarterly basis - a plan for success to Congress and the American people. This plan must specify the challenges and progress being made in Iraq, timetables for achieving our goals and estimated dates for redeployment from Iraq as these goals are met.

"Apparently, Republicans have agreed this is the approach we need to take, as they have essentially accepted our amendment.

"It cannot be understated that by accepting our amendment, both the Republican leader and the chairman of the Armed Services committee agree that the administration needs to come forward and explain to Congress and the American people its strategy for success and completing the mission.

"It's not easy for the President to admit mistakes. It's a lot easier for him to lash out at those who question his policies, but political attacks are not going to get the job done. Our troops have done their job. It's time for the President and this Republican-controlled Congress to do theirs."

###

UNITED STATES POLICY ON IRAQ ACT

Getting Answers to the American People on the War in Iraq

For too long, the Bush administration has failed to lay out a clear strategy for success in Iraq to the American people. Their rosy statements about the progress of the war are not matched by the conditions on the ground. In their few appearances before the Congress, the Secretaries of Defense and State have failed to answer the most basic questions about our progress in the war or provide even the simplest benchmarks by which the American people could measure our progress. Democrats are offering an amendment to the Defense Authorization Bill that holds the Administration accountable for its actions and requires it to present a real plan for success.

DEMOCRATS OFFER THE FOLLOWING ASSESMENT ABOUT THE WAR:

Our troops and their families deserve the respect and gratitude of the American people for their service and sacrifice. The Administration has said that as the Iraqis stand up, we can stand down. Democrats believe we should see a significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty in 2006 so that our troops can begin coming home. We also believe the Iraqi people must understand that the U.S. military will not stay in Iraq indefinitely; they must achieve the political stability necessary to defeat the insurgency.

THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION MUST PROVIDE A PLAN:

It is essential that the Bush administration submit an unclassified strategy for success in Iraq to the Congress and the American people specifying how and when our troops can begin coming home.

An Assessment of the Bush Administration's Actions to Achieve Progress in Iraq.

The Bush administration must provide information on its efforts to convince Iraq's communities to make the necessary compromises for a political settlement; efforts to engage the international community to help stabilize Iraq; efforts to strengthen the capacity of Iraq's government ministries; efforts to accelerate the delivery of basic services; and efforts to train Iraqi security forces so those forces can protect Iraq on their own.

An Assessment of the Compromises Made by the Iraqi People to Achieve the Broad-Based and Sustainable Political Settlement.

An Unclassified Report to Congress and the American People.
The Bush administration has classified most significant information about their Iraq war plans and kept that information from the Congress. The President should submit to the Congress and the American people an unclassified plan for success in Iraq. We deserve to know the conditions we seek to establish, the challenges we face in achieving these conditions, and the progress we are making. This report should also include:

    * The number of Iraqi battalions that must be able to operate independently or take the lead in counterinsurgency operations

    * The number of Iraqi special police units that must be able to operate independently or take the lead in policing

    * The number of regular police that must be trained and equipped

    * The ability of Iraq's Federal ministries and provincial and local governments to independently sustain, direct and coordinate Iraq's security forces

The Benchmarks for Success.
The Bush administration must also provide benchmarks by which their success can be measured. This includes the criteria by which to measure the progress being made and a schedule for meeting these conditions.

A Plan for Bringing Our Troops Home.
As it lays out a clear strategy with benchmarks, the Bush administration must also provide a campaign plan with estimated dates for the phased redeployment of our troops from Iraq as each condition is met, with the understanding that unexpected contingencies may arise.

The Sunday news shows made it abundantly clear that the Republicans have no interest in cleaning up the mess they have made. Instead it is going to be 9/11, 9/11, 9/11 and don't forget...9/11.

The problem with that strategy is that the more they say "9/11" the more the Republican majority in Congress and the Republican President look useless, ineffectual and in over their heads with regard to dealing with both Iraq and 9/11.

Rather than jingoistic and impotent drum beating, Americans want and deserve true moral leadership based on clear principles when it comes to Iraq and the wider "war on terror."

Jeff Feldman has pointed out that The President is basically saying, "America is better when our soldiers are in Iraq". The President gives no good reason for his assertion, it is simply the truth as he sees it. He leaves the details of his chaotic policies to low level flunkies to try and explain, and to the armed forces to try and implement.

The Democrats can show moral leadership by pushing for honesty and clarity. Democrats, like John Edwards, who have faced the truth about how we were misled into Iraq, now need to take the next step. They need to be honest about the fact that withdrawal from Iraq will be complicated, but America is not an Imperial power, and will better without soldiers in Iraq. Leadership is not about tricking people into waiving the flag, it is about creating a clear moral focus around a fundamental truth.

According to Feldman, Here is how that might sound:
"We will find a way to bringing our soldiers home, and we will continue to lead that effort as long as it takes to achieve this goal."

I don't have a problem with well paid University Presidents .

But reading this CNN/Money article, I was struck by how much MORE Delaware pays than everyone as a percentage of operating expenses.

"The best compensated public university leaders are: Mary Sue Coleman of the University of Michigan system ($724,604); David P. Roselle of the University of Delaware ($720,522); Mark G. Yudof of the University of Texas system ($693,677)"


Notice that in the top three, Roselle is the only President who does not preside over a large state university "system".

Documented liar, Ken Mehlman dutifully delivered Mr. Roves new talking points on Meet the Press, but I thought that this was telling.

MR. MEHLMAN:  ... And the president's absolutely right:  If we had waited until he had weapons of mass destruction, we'd be much less safe than if we got rid of him when we did.


WHAT? Was this a slip or did he intend to admit that they knew Saddam was no threat at the time of the invasion?

I like MyDD.com

"...Truly amazing numbers:

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Nov. 10-11, 2005. N=884 registered voters nationwide. MoE ± 4.

"To begin, suppose the elections for U.S. CONGRESS were being held TODAY. Would you vote for the Republican Party's candidate or the Democratic Party's candidate for Congress in your district?" If other/unsure: "As of TODAY, do you LEAN more toward the Republican or the Democrat?"

Republican (36)
Democratic (53)
Other/Unsure (11)

The lead probably isn't quite this high, but it is clearly enormous (NBC shows an 11 point Dem lead). Bush's sustained period of incredibly low poll numbers provides a realignment opportunity for Democrats. If Dems won the popular vote for Congress by 17 points, they would take about 275 seats in the House (or more). This also reveals how much of a lie the "voters moving away from Republicans, but not toward Dems" talking point is. This is the largest lead held by one party over another in the generic ballot in a decade. If that isn't voters moving toward Democrats, nothing is. The Republican coalition is in utter peril.
-----------------------------------------------------------

Does this translate into bad news for Castle? Maybe. If the Dems field a remotely credible candidate, I'd say yes. Even my father, who is a typical DelDem ticket splitter when it comes to Castle, is ready to vote the Democratic ticket.

While the rest of the GOP world is moping around or angrily lashing out at 55% of Americans, the Delaware GOP thinks everything is SWEET ! This is from an actual Delaware GOP email that they sent out today.

"Positive News you don't normally hear from Iraq"

"Over 1,800 Projects Are Finished. Schools, Roads, Health Facilities, We Have An Inspection Of A Maternity Hospital, Police Station, A Number Of Electrical Substations In Iraq.

A New Road Has Opened In Eastern Baghdad And Is Expected To Improve The Economy And Benefit Over 60,000 Iraqis.

Iraq Is Planning On A Tourist Boom - With A 23-Story Luxury Hotel In The Heart Of Baghdad And A Theme Park Of Saddam Hussein's Palaces As Centerpieces."

--------------------------------------------------
For the record the war has cost $218 billion so far, so the 1,800 "completed" projects cost about $121 million EACH. I hope the Iraqi's appreciate how lucky they are.

Bush is onto a new marketing scheme to help prop up his sagging poll numbers. He is getting tough.

Tough on Osama ? ...No

Tough on the security risks within his administration ? ...No

The President is talking tough to the Americans who know that he lied to get us into Iraq.

``It is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the history of how the war began,'' Bush said in a Veterans Day speech today to military families at Tobyhanna Army Depot near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

This is a part of what the Washington post calls, "a new effort to cast his critics as hypocrites".

As power slips away from the Republican wingnut caucus, you would expect moderates (or at least faux moderates) to emerge as a force in Congress. Well if you are waiting for Delaware's Congressman to rally the dispirited Republican troops you are waiting in vain. Here is "Delaware's Best" as quoted in today's Boston Globe.

''The leadership is a little fragmented at this point, and they're dealing with both ends of the rainbow," said Representative Michael Castle, a moderate Republican from Delaware.

Huh...?


Maybe he should stick to commenting on coinage. This is from the San Barnardino County Sun.

"On this date in 1997, The Sun reported that the Senate approved legislation for a gold-colored dollar coin and for quarters honoring the 50 states. A key subcommittee chairman said he expected House approval of the bill.

"This will be the largest change in coinage we've seen in a long time," said Rep. Michael Castle, R-Del., chairman of the House Banking monetary subcommittee. "You're going to have a new look for the quarter and a very different look for the dollar coin. These are very significant changes. "

According to the Washington Post's "The Fix"

"Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) seems to have made up his mind to enter the 2008 presidential race, based on reading between the lines of a letter he sent to a potential donor last month and obtained by The Fix from the camp of a potential presidential rival.

Biden appears to be ready to take another shot at the White House. "I'm running," Biden writes. "You know better than most fundraising is a never-ending story." A Biden spokesman chose not to comment on the letter."

____________________________________

I don't know who he thinks is going to vote for him in a Democratic primary. He was in a unique position to call bullshit* on Bush's preemptive war and he did not do it. Then he sucks up to MBNA with that terrible bankruptcy bill...

What possible constituency does he think he has in the base of the Democratic party? I'll bet his staff is not drinking the kool aid this time.

People ask, "Jason, why do you hate Bush so much?" I get weary replying, "I Don't hate Bush, I hate the way he is driving the country off of a cliff, and the fact that he is a corrupt liar." But I have to keep saying it because everyday I have to read something like this: http://www.wonkette.com/

"The White House has tampered with the transcript of the Oct. 31 press briefing conducted by l'il Scott McClellan. David Gregory of MSNBC argued to McClellan that notwithstanding McClellan's assurances two years ago that Rove and Libby had not been involved in the leak, both Rove and Libby have admitted to taking part in conversations with journalists regarding Valerie Plame. In response, Scottie said "That's accurate." But the official White House transcript of the briefing available at whitehouse.gov has Scottie saying "I don't think that's accurate." "

UPDATE

"What's the next best thing to simply hiring ethical people [in the White House]?  Explain to the crooks and liars you hired instead how ethical people would act."
---Randi Rhodes

Because the Republicans value loyalty to the party above loyalty to the country, I have often argued that Republicans can not be trusted to protect America. Washington Post staff writer Jonathan Weisman gives us more evidence, that Treason is a Republican family value.

Senator Seeks to Defer Probe of CIA Prison Leak

The chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence told Senate leaders yesterday that Congress should hold off on a probe of the disclosure of classified information on secret prisons to The Washington Post until the Justice Department completes its own inquiry.

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said he will "respectfully" request that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) back off a strongly worded request that a bicameral investigation into the disclosure be convened immediately. Frist spokeswoman Amy Call said the majority leader had not decided how to respond. "He always takes what his chairmen say into consideration," she said.

Frist and House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) surprised both Roberts and House intelligence committee Chairman Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.) with a joint letter demanding a House-Senate inquiry after the Nov. 2 publication of a Post article detailing a web of secret prisons in Eastern Europe and elsewhere, maintained by the CIA to detain suspected terrorists.

The CIA general counsel's office also has notified the Justice Department that a release of classified information took place in connection with The Post's report. After the CIA details what it sees as the damage done by the article, Justice prosecutors will determine whether a criminal investigation is warranted.

Asked how long that could take, Roberts joked, "Decades," indicating he is in no rush to convene his own inquiry. Hoekstra said he has not decided how to proceed.

After months of partisan charges over the White House release of CIA operative Valerie Plame's name and false information on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, disclosure of classified information has become an issue among Republicans.

Hoekstra said some Republican lawmakers were livid when a top administration intelligence officer inadvertently released the annual budget for U.S. intelligence operations, a figure that is classified and closely held by lawmakers who draft the budget.

At an intelligence conference last week in San Antonio, Mary Margaret Graham, deputy director of national intelligence, said the annual intelligence budget is $44 billion, a slip witnessed and recounted by a U.S. News & World Report writer.

Keeping the figure secret was a contentious issue as Congress retooled the intelligence structure after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, said Hoekstra, who battled to maintain the budget figure's classification.

With the general butt kicking that the Dems laid on the Repubs yesterday, the DE-wingnuts will only comment on the Dover, PA school board race in which a community repudiated "creationism" as science in no uncertain terms. The spin seems to be summed up by a poster at Delawarewatch who asks, "Why are liberals so afraid of God?"

I think, seeing the results of Republican governance, the better question would be "Why does God hate Republicans?" He seems to be forsaking them in a biblical way. I have my own theory. I think that lying, corruption, heartlessness and greed are not things that God goes for in his followers. They happen to also be the things that characterizes the current GOP.

Now the question for Republicans has to be, "How do we get God back on our side?" Given the brain trust that runs the GOP right now, I suspect the answer will be, "Attack someone less Godly than us."

Here is a quick recap via kos:

- Wingnut school board members on the Dover PA school board were swept out en masse by the city's voters. Eight sane Dems win.

- In Tucson Arizona, Dems took out two Republicans and reverted the city council to Democratic control.

- In Washington State, a measure closely watched by anti-tax zealots to repeal Washington's fuel tax was defeated.

- In Maine, an anti-gay ballot initiative actually failed. That's something you don't see every day.

- In Texas an anti-gay marriage amendment passed easily (even though it may hilariously invalidate every marriage).

- In New Jersey Democrats gained seats in the state legislatures and kept the Governors office.

- In Virginia Democrats gained seats in the state legislatures and kept the Governors office. Bush actually lent some of that famous "political capital" to Virginia's Kilgore, for all the good (and probable harm) it did.

What does this mean for local Republicans like the "unbeatable" Michael Castle ? I think Josh Marshall sums it up.

"...a lot of Republicans will look at what happened tonight and see that something has changed. President Bush was a liability, even for a Republican in a tomato red state like Virginia. They won't say it. But watch what they do. Actions speak louder than words."

1) If the Diebold machine in the Wawa can give me a receipt, why does this still happen?
2) If Judy Stokes does not want to blame the problem on dumb Democrats who can't work the machines, why does she blame the problems on dumb Democrats who can't work the machines?

"Election day voting is going on across the Old Dominion, but everything has not gone smoothly in Roanoke County.

News 7 has received calls from several voters in at least four different precincts who say their votes for Tim Kaine were not recorded or took several attempts to go through. They contend the electronic touch screens repeatedly indicated they were voting for Republican candidate Jerry Kilgore instead of registering their intended vote for his Democratic opponent Tim Kaine.

Roanoke Co. Registrar Judy Stokes says she doesn't want to say the problem is operator error on the part of the voters, but she points out the touch screens are sensitive. She says anyone who is having difficulty voting should ask one of the poll workers for assistance.

State election officials have been told of the problem. They believe if there is a problem, it could have been caused by the way the machines were stored. The Kaine compaign is reportedly watching the situation in Roanoke County."

With the news that we have used chemical weapons in Iraq, curiosity got the better of me and I went to Michael Castle's site to see what he was saying about President Bush and the Iraq debacle he engineered. Imagine my surprise to find this wishy washy, word parsing from our faux moderate member of congress:

"Congressman Castle supported the Congressional Resolution to disarm Saddam Hussein and recently visited Iraq to get a first hand account on how reconstruction efforts are moving forward and to assess troop morale. Castle participated in a bipartisan delegation visit to Iraq and Kuwait and met with military officials, civilian administrators, and troops (including units from Delaware) to discuss the ongoing efforts in Iraq and determine how to proceed with the reconstruction and integration of a free a democratic Iraq."


Granted, this is some old boilerplate but PLEASE…"Congressman Castle supported the Congressional Resolution.." The first order of business is to distance yourself from your party's unpopular leader. Then make it clear that you did not vote for this debacle, you only voted to DISARM Saddam Hussein. That will give him a great deal of wiggle room if (when) a Democrat makes him work for his job.