THIS IS NOT ->Delawareliberal
CHECK US OUT AT: http://delawareliberal.wordpress.com/Monday, December 26, 2005
See You In 2006
Some dope in that moster thread at Al's blog said that I think I'm smarter than everyone. I don't think I'm smarter than many people. The only people who I honestly think I am smarter than are people who think George Bush is doing a good job as president.
I'm certainly not smarter than Dana who can absolutely eviscerate GOP talking points with his well considered and researched posts at Delawarewatch. I'm also not smarter than Tommywonk who, unlike me, is not constantly trying to throw knockout punches. He is building his case for Democratic government one post at a time. DemVictory2006 is also smarter than me and you will get a sense of that as DemVictory2006 takes over here at Delawareliberal HQ for a while.
Have fun DemVictory2006, I hope you like it.
I'm certainly not smarter than Dana who can absolutely eviscerate GOP talking points with his well considered and researched posts at Delawarewatch. I'm also not smarter than Tommywonk who, unlike me, is not constantly trying to throw knockout punches. He is building his case for Democratic government one post at a time. DemVictory2006 is also smarter than me and you will get a sense of that as DemVictory2006 takes over here at Delawareliberal HQ for a while.
Have fun DemVictory2006, I hope you like it.
Tommywonk on WDEL
I hope everyone was well treated by Santa. I'm spending the afternoon cleaning up and listening to a Delaware blogger who I have a lot of respect for, Tom Noyes, who is filling in on the Rick Jensen show on WDEL, from 1 to 3.
He is going to be talking about "The war on Christmas: Who won?" and who got coal in his or her stocking this year.
WDEL is 1150 AM on your dial and at http://www.wdel.com/index.php on the web, and the call in number is call in at 302 478 9335.
Here are the Delawareliebral talking points if you want a heads-up.
- "The war on Christmas", like "gay marriage" and "Terry (sp?) Schivo" are nothing more than fundraising tools for the array of right-wing non-profits that require everyone to be outraged all of the time.
- They need the outrage to raise money to cover thier HUGE operating budgets, but it is a racket that is fully supported by the RNC.
- The RNC needs the outrage becuase it keeps people from being outraged by the criminal corrput government that is working in the interest of a small group of plutocrats, rather than working in the interest of the people.
Friday, December 23, 2005
Two Apologies
Al's blog does not exactly bring out the best in me. Since Al is a legit MSM journalist it seems to attract the real dregs of the Delawareblogosphere and I find it difficult to let the ignorance and stupidity go uncommented upon if not unpunished. This is an introduction to my main point which is - I owe Michael Castle and apology. If you read the thread you will see that I got carried away and called Castle a "dress wearing b*tch for George Bush and the radical right wing". While I think there is a great deal of truth in that as a metaphor, it is completely uncalled for language. Moreover I was informed that it can possibly be viewed as a swipe at Castle's sexual orientation. All I know about Castle in that regard is that he is married, so it never occurred to me any mention of a dress could be construed as having some sort of subtext.
Make no mistake, I want Castle to loose the election because he is a cog in a republican machine that is wrecking this country, but I don't want to use republican style smear tactics to see him beat. When all is said and done, he probably thinks he is acting in the best interest of the country, and I have the highest respect for people who take on the burden of public office.
So, while unintended, I apologize to Al for for my lapse in judgment, and I offer Michael Castle and his family a sincere apology for my lapse in decency.
Transit strike ends in New York
The deal allowed both sides to save face: Union leaders flexed their political muscle and vowed to win a fair contract; state negotiators won an end to the strike and gave up nothing at the bargaining table. - LA Times
That is the basic MSM take on the strike. My take on it is that the workers had approached the negotiations with a sense of resolve not to take concessions. After being told to expect an operating deficit, in 2005 the MTA ran a $1 billion surplus and they seem to have decided to spend the surplus by giving holiday riders discounts. Which is great because it supports the tourist industry and grows the economic pie, and I get all of those “macroeconomic” arguments.
But from a "microeconomic" level (from the workers point of view) in contract after contract they had given concessions, why should they continue to do so in an environment of surpluses? You have to see their point, right? I mean it is great to be customer friendly, but at some point you have to be worker friendly.
So this pension thing came in as an 11th hour consession, and became a kind of flashpoint. You don't get this "backstory" anaylisis from the MSM, but click here for a Democracy Now! debate that gets into some of this. WARNING: If you click on "Democracy Now" you may have a file opened on you at the CIA and the NSA.
Joyeux Noël & Merry Christmas
For me, today is the first day of the Christmas holiday. We kicked it off last night with a trip to Longwood Gardens and it was amazing. We had a great time and I highly recommend going. Especially if you have children, because there is nothing like experiencing something like that through the eyes of a 5 year old. In fact I think the best review of the whole experience came from my 5 year old who, when I explained that a Pierre Dupont lived there and loved growing things, said "He (Dupont) was like Willie Wonka, but with flowers." Indeed he was.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Everyday is Labor Day
"In the NY City transit strike, the only issue on the table is the pension plan which many people have heard about. The reason it is an issue is not because the workers (in the words of NYC's billionaire mayor) are greedy. No. It's because instead of being greedy and doing what has become standard practice in this country, they are sticking up for younger workers who haven't even been hired yet.See, the workers could have averted all this if all they did was say sure, you can cut pensions for the new hires. But they didn't. Instead they went on strike. Imagine that. - Pete From Virginia
Ferry planned for Eastern Shore in 2007
Someone please let me know what I can do to help make this happen.
BALTIMORE -- Hydrofoils with unique winglike hulls could soon be gliding passengers from Baltimore to the Eastern Shore.
The ferry, based on a design developed jointly by the University of Maryland and Baltimore-based Maritime Applied Physics, would make the 18-mile crossing to Rock Hall in about half an hour, compared with two hours for the 80-mile land route, said Mark Rice, the company's president.
Would that be awesome or what?
BALTIMORE -- Hydrofoils with unique winglike hulls could soon be gliding passengers from Baltimore to the Eastern Shore.
The ferry, based on a design developed jointly by the University of Maryland and Baltimore-based Maritime Applied Physics, would make the 18-mile crossing to Rock Hall in about half an hour, compared with two hours for the 80-mile land route, said Mark Rice, the company's president.
Would that be awesome or what?
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Conservatives and Big Brother
As I have noted perviously, most of the Delaware wingnutosphere considers itself "libertarian" . In a recent post Michael Berube allows a reader to explain the current state of libertarianism in America. .........................
Over the weekend, Mark Earnest, a local conservative-libertarian blogger, wrote to me to say that even though he still considered me a Communist liberal leftist (to which I replied, I really resent being called a liberal), he wanted me to know that he could no longer recognize his compatriots on the right as “conservatives.” His post reads, in part:
I almost feel I don’t know these people anymore. It seems now they feel government cannot have nearly enough power. Secret courts, secret warrants, secret prisons, suspect torture, massive data gathering on all aspects of US citizens including medical records, library records, and financial records are all wonderful things. . . .
I truly and honestly do not understand. People who once proudly quoted Franklin’s “Those who give up essential liberty for a little safety deserve neither” now cheerlead the executive branch on in removing any judicial oversight, congressional oversight, and in fact ANY oversight (as most of these laws are secret) from the land. Far from the transparent government the founders imagined, we are now entering a system where laws are kept secret, prosecutions are kept secret, and national security is a password to removing any and all liberty that stands in the way of anything government wishes to do.
That’s just about right, Mark, except for one thing: when they’re not cheerleading for the executive branch, they’re calling the rest of us “traitors,” and demanding that the New York Times be prosecuted for reporting that the Cheney Administration has been spying on American citizens by executive fiat since 2002.
GOP Christmas Gifts
I get spam from the GOP. The most recent email included the GOP's favorite gift ideas. So, I click on it and see this book:
The Bush Family Cookbook : Favorite Recipes and Stories from One of America's Great Families (Lisa Drew Books (Hardcover) by Ariel De Guzman List Price: $30.00
The payoff was the awesome review from an unhappy customer:
This is just disgusting. Everything comes out of a can or an envelope, onion soup mix, canned cream of mushroom soup. This is the ultimate clueless-white-people food from the ultimate Clueless White People. There's not a hint of spice or flavor anywhere to be found, everything is drowned in glops of cream, and the combinations are repulsive. These recipes were bad enough when they first appeared on jar labels in the 50s; today there's just no excuse. No wonder they're such a creepy family, if they eat garbage like this.
Dover PA
I don't have much hope that, having had their asses handed to them, William Buckingham, Alan Bonsell and other IDers in Dover PA will slink quietly away into history. I think they will continue their un-American jihad to make everyone pray to Jesus. Here is a great editorial from a York Country paper via Eschaton.
They lied.
William Buckingham and Alan Bonsell wanted to bring God into high school biology class, and in the process, they lied.
They lied about their motives. They lied about their actions. They lied about what they did or didn't say at public meetings.
They even lied when they claimed newspaper reporters lied in stories about Dover school board meetings.
In his ruling on the Dover case, U.S. Judge John E. Jones III said it was "ironic" that individuals who "proudly touted their religious convictions in public" would "lie" under oath.
Yes, ironic -- at the very least. But also sinful according to the 9th Commandment.
And perhaps also criminal. We can only hope that the appropriate authorities are investigating possible perjury charges in this case. There should be some consequences for what Mr. Bonsell and Mr. Buckingham have done in depositions and on the witness stand by otherwise misrepresenting the facts.
Not to mention what they've done to their community.
They've cost Dover its reputation. The district, even after sensibly voting out the entire school board, again has been made a national laughingstock -- last week "The Daily Show" aired yet another embarrassing and insulting piece on Dover.
They have potentially cost Dover taxpayers perhaps a million or more in legal fees. The judge has indicated the plaintiffs are entitled to such fees.
The unintelligent designers of this fiasco should not walk away unscathed. They've damaged and divided this community, and there should be repercussions -- a perjury investigation -- beyond a lost election.
The ruling suggests board members who approved the ID policy were shockingly ill-informed and lackadaisical about what they were getting the district into. They allowed themselves, taxpayers and students to be made grunts on the front lines of the national culture wars without bothering to learn what they were fighting for.
Turns out it was a lie….
In short, Judge Jones got it exactly right, eviscerating the pathetic case put forth by the defense. The district's policy was religiously motivated and espoused religion, thus violating the constitutional separation of church and state.
No lie.
US Senate Gives Castle One More Opportunity to Be a Fraud
Well Cheney cast the tie breaking vote in the Senate on a monstrosity called H.R. 2863/S. 1932 which cuts a variety of programs by about $41 billion over five years so billionaires can enjoy bigger tax cuts.
"It contains provisions affecting millions of Americans, including changes in Medicaid, Medicare, student loans, child support enforcement, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, the foster care program, and others."
Here is the good news.
"In maneuvering in advance of the final vote, Democrats succeeded in forcing minor changes. (The changes require) the House to vote on the bill before it can be sent to President Bush for his signature. Passage is all but certain, but the timing remains in question, since most House members have returned home for the holidays."
So Castle needs to make a choice. He can either be the moderate he claims to be and vote against this monstrsity that was rammed through the house by the corrupt republican leadership. Or, he can bend over and take another one in the rear from his RNC masters.
Here is my prediction. If the vote is close (within one or two votes) Castle will caste his vote to support his republican masters. If the vote is not close, he will have a change of heart and pretend to be a moderate. Or, I guess, he can just say "I had to catch a train." and duck the vote. Afterall, he might have some commemorative coins to deal with.
How To Run Against Fake Moderates
I posted the interview below, but then the illegal wiretaps story started to break so I knocked it down the list. In the meantime, I've been over at Al's WNJ blog commenting about how Castle is a fake moderate. I think he is a fraud based on his narrow margin votes. However, I believe that you can also make the case that he is a fake moderate based on one vote in particular. That was the vote to elect Tom Delay as the leader of the House majority. This Jonathan Singer interview of former Rhode Island Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse speaks to that issue.
Jonathan Singer: Many political pundits would say that Lincoln Chafee, just like his father, works with Democrats nearly as often as he does with his own party. Even in a state as blue as Rhode Island, how do you run against someone trying to position himself as an independent?
Sheldon Whitehouse:
Just substitute the word "Congress" for the word "Senate" and this is 100% true for Michael Castle. In my opinion Castle's vote for Tom Delay is the most damming vote of his political career.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Constitution, Schmonstitution
In the wake of the exposure of the criminal activity of the Bush administration, some right-wing nut jobs have chosen this talking point to hold onto like some kind of deck chair bobbing in the flotsam of a sunken ship. "What we do know is that we have not suffered another attack on the Homeland since 9/11. That is a miraculous fact. And President Bush should be applauded for protecting the country rather than excoriated, to say nothing of impeachment which is on the lips of some Democrats."
This is idiotic on two levels:
1) This is who they were spying on: "Pentagon officials have been spying on what they call "suspicious" meetings by civilian groups, including student groups opposed to the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual military personnel." Special note for the clueless: This is an example of Bush's upsidedown priorities.
and
2) We all know that if the Bush Administration had "foiled" any terror plot they would have blown every covert op protocol to announce it on Fox News. They would have. We know this because they have blown the cover of field agents for less political mileage.
Yesterday I was against impeachment, despite what you may have imagined. Today, I'm not so sure.
Mike "Pocket Change" Castle Strikes Again
All Delawareans know the most important function of government is the minting of commemorative coins. It is so important that Mike Castle has devoted his career to the minting of commemorative coins.
Most people intuitively know that minting commemorative coins is the most important function of government, but they don't know why. The reason that the minting of commemorative coins is so important is that the commemorative coins help remind us to be thankful for the pocket change that trickles down to the middle class under republican economic policies.
When we see commemorative coins we are thankful that tax cuts are helping grown Paris Hilton's checking account in Grand Cayman, and thankful that when our jobs are sent to Mexico and China we can go to children’s state quarter collections to get a gallon of milk.
NOTE: If you click through the link above to the WNJ story please be aware of a correction to the photo caption that the editors assure me will be printed tomorrow.
The caption currently reads: Ben Franklin, portrayed by Ralph Archbold, chats with U.S. Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., at the U.S. mint in Philadelphia on Monday.
The corrected caption will read: Ben Franklin, portrayed by Ralph Archbold, chats with a moderate republican member of congress, portrayed by Mike Castle, at the U.S. mint in Philadelphia on Monday.
Monday, December 19, 2005
The DNC's 50 State Strategy Comes To Delaware - OR - How We Are Going to Crush Republicans at the Polls in 2006
When I read that the Delaware Democratic Party was going to hire three new staff people on a full-time basis and give them benefits, I knew something was up. I mean, where did DelDems get the money to fund these SWEET Republican crushing jobs?
Communications Director - responsible for executing a pro-active message and earned media plan. Coordinating with the State Party Chair and Executive Director, the Communications Director will handle all press inquiries. This position reports to the State Chair and Executive Director.
and
2 Regional Organizers - responsible for building coalitions and coordinating efforts with party leadership, community leaders, elected officials and activists.
Well, it turns out that something is up. These three new hires are part of Howard Dean's fifty state strategy. The DNC is hooking up the DelDems with the money. To give you an idea of the impact, the Democrats had two full-timers last time around. So we are talking about a 150% increase in staff for the 2006 election.
This is huge. If this is happening in Delaware, just think of the cascading impact across the country. The Republicans are going to have to spend money they did not want to spend, they are going to defend seats they thought were safe (like Congressman Pocket Change Castle's), and they are going to loose toss-up races in 2006. (Assuming the dictatorship of George Bush does not suspend the elections for "National Security" reasons.)
Communications Director - responsible for executing a pro-active message and earned media plan. Coordinating with the State Party Chair and Executive Director, the Communications Director will handle all press inquiries. This position reports to the State Chair and Executive Director.
and
2 Regional Organizers - responsible for building coalitions and coordinating efforts with party leadership, community leaders, elected officials and activists.
Well, it turns out that something is up. These three new hires are part of Howard Dean's fifty state strategy. The DNC is hooking up the DelDems with the money. To give you an idea of the impact, the Democrats had two full-timers last time around. So we are talking about a 150% increase in staff for the 2006 election.
This is huge. If this is happening in Delaware, just think of the cascading impact across the country. The Republicans are going to have to spend money they did not want to spend, they are going to defend seats they thought were safe (like Congressman Pocket Change Castle's), and they are going to loose toss-up races in 2006. (Assuming the dictatorship of George Bush does not suspend the elections for "National Security" reasons.)
Here is a sentence I never thought I would write...
I wish we had more Republicans like Bob Barr. Here Barr goes head to head with disctatorship loving zombie Dana Rohrabacher on CNN
BLITZER: Congressman Barr, what's wrong with what the president has decided to do?
BOB BARR, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: What's wrong with it is several-fold. One, it's bad policy for our government to be spying on American citizens through the National Security Agency. Secondly, it's bad to be spying on Americans without court oversight. And thirdly, it's bad to be spying on Americans apparently in violation of federal laws against doing it without court order. So it's bad all around, and we need to get to the bottom of this.
BLITZER: Do you agree, Congressman Rohrabacher -- I suspect you don't.
REP. DANA ROHRABACHER, (R) CALIFORNIA: Blah, Blah Blah. [I'm cutting out the BS RNC talking points about 9/11 in the interest of space and keeping my sanity].
BLITZER: Congressman Barr, what do you say?
BARR: Well, the fact of the matter is that the Constitution is the Constitution, and I took an oath to abide by it. My good friend, my former colleague, Dana Rohrabacher, did and the president did. And I don't really care very much whether or not it can be justified based on some hypothetical. The fact of the matter is that, if you have any government official who deliberately orders that federal law be violated despite the best of motives, that certainly ought to be of concern to us.
I read this and two things happen. This first thing is the liberal in me remebers that, although we disagree on many things, some of the guys on the other side have the country's best interest at heart. The other thing is that the cunning political strategist in me thinks that Rohrabacher's seat just came into play. His district is wacko Republican, but I don't think there are going to be cool with the idea of a Bush dictatorship.
BLITZER: Congressman Barr, what's wrong with what the president has decided to do?
BOB BARR, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: What's wrong with it is several-fold. One, it's bad policy for our government to be spying on American citizens through the National Security Agency. Secondly, it's bad to be spying on Americans without court oversight. And thirdly, it's bad to be spying on Americans apparently in violation of federal laws against doing it without court order. So it's bad all around, and we need to get to the bottom of this.
BLITZER: Do you agree, Congressman Rohrabacher -- I suspect you don't.
REP. DANA ROHRABACHER, (R) CALIFORNIA: Blah, Blah Blah. [I'm cutting out the BS RNC talking points about 9/11 in the interest of space and keeping my sanity].
BLITZER: Congressman Barr, what do you say?
BARR: Well, the fact of the matter is that the Constitution is the Constitution, and I took an oath to abide by it. My good friend, my former colleague, Dana Rohrabacher, did and the president did. And I don't really care very much whether or not it can be justified based on some hypothetical. The fact of the matter is that, if you have any government official who deliberately orders that federal law be violated despite the best of motives, that certainly ought to be of concern to us.
I read this and two things happen. This first thing is the liberal in me remebers that, although we disagree on many things, some of the guys on the other side have the country's best interest at heart. The other thing is that the cunning political strategist in me thinks that Rohrabacher's seat just came into play. His district is wacko Republican, but I don't think there are going to be cool with the idea of a Bush dictatorship.
Democracy In America 1776-2005
It seems that it does not matter if I trust George Bush or not. According to Alberto Gonzales, Congress voted to give him king-like powers and to suspend the Constitution when they voted for the war and granted Bush the power to use "all necessary and appropriate force" to combat terrorism.
I know that I am going to be accused of hyperbole, but if this flimsy argument stands the test of public opinion, and Congress does not act, it means the President is above the law. It means that America is no longer a Democracy.
I know that I am going to be accused of hyperbole, but if this flimsy argument stands the test of public opinion, and Congress does not act, it means the President is above the law. It means that America is no longer a Democracy.
Robotic Reading of Teleprompters In Prime Time
It was tough but I watched Bush on TV tonight. I guess he is trying to knock this FISA court stuff off the front pages with the following poorly delivered nonsense:
"Iraq had elections. Remember 9/11. That was terrible. 3,000 people died. American people. We attacked Iraq but did not find WMD's. We got rid of Saddam though. So that is something. Also, they had elections. Remember 9/11? That was terrible. We made mistakes about how difficult this would be, but trust me. I will do a better job from here on out. I see wounded people. These colors don't run. Did I mention, trust me? People who do not trust me are defeatist. "
Guess what - I still don't trust him.
Did anyone catch Biden on MSNBC ?
"Iraq had elections. Remember 9/11. That was terrible. 3,000 people died. American people. We attacked Iraq but did not find WMD's. We got rid of Saddam though. So that is something. Also, they had elections. Remember 9/11? That was terrible. We made mistakes about how difficult this would be, but trust me. I will do a better job from here on out. I see wounded people. These colors don't run. Did I mention, trust me? People who do not trust me are defeatist. "
Guess what - I still don't trust him.
Did anyone catch Biden on MSNBC ?
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Just when I thought that I could not be surprised...
I have to admit that I'm surprised.
I'm surprised that the Delaware wingnuts are just fine with George Bush putting himself above the law. I thought that for all of our differences, we were all Americans first. Well, so much for that.
Hube says that Congressional leaders were "briefed" about the crime - so it was not a crime at all. Then in comments at Down with Absolutes he follows the party line that Bush's lawyer gave him a note. The note said that Bush does not have to worry about our silly laws provided he is going after terrorists. Oh boy, I feel better !
Trinity thinks that this is part of a media conspiracy and that breaking the law is actually "within the law" if you are the President of the United States. And even Goper who I thought showed some glimmers of intelligence thinks that this is no big deal.
Well call me old fashioned but don't happen to think that Bush's note from his lawyer supercedes the constitution. I wonder if the US Senate does? I guess we will see in the fullness of time.
I'm surprised that the Delaware wingnuts are just fine with George Bush putting himself above the law. I thought that for all of our differences, we were all Americans first. Well, so much for that.
Hube says that Congressional leaders were "briefed" about the crime - so it was not a crime at all. Then in comments at Down with Absolutes he follows the party line that Bush's lawyer gave him a note. The note said that Bush does not have to worry about our silly laws provided he is going after terrorists. Oh boy, I feel better !
Trinity thinks that this is part of a media conspiracy and that breaking the law is actually "within the law" if you are the President of the United States. And even Goper who I thought showed some glimmers of intelligence thinks that this is no big deal.
Well call me old fashioned but don't happen to think that Bush's note from his lawyer supercedes the constitution. I wonder if the US Senate does? I guess we will see in the fullness of time.
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Subjects or Citizens ?
Under the pretext of keeping Americans safe, George Bush acknowledged authorizing warrantless eavesdropping on U.S. citizens more than a dozen times - and he vowed to continue to do so. This is a crime. An "against the law" crime. Not a metaphorical crime. Bush is a criminal.
It makes wingnuts feel safe and sound to find out that the President is moving the country toward some kind of RNC run totalitarian state and away from the principles of the founding fathers. Democrats, on the other hand are shocked. Here is Russ Feingold earlier on CNN:
"We have a president, not a king, and that's the way he's talking," Feingold said in an interview with CNN. "What he's doing, I believe, is illegal. And it's really quite a shocking moment in the history of our country."
It makes wingnuts feel safe and sound to find out that the President is moving the country toward some kind of RNC run totalitarian state and away from the principles of the founding fathers. Democrats, on the other hand are shocked. Here is Russ Feingold earlier on CNN:
"We have a president, not a king, and that's the way he's talking," Feingold said in an interview with CNN. "What he's doing, I believe, is illegal. And it's really quite a shocking moment in the history of our country."
Friday, December 16, 2005
Carper to Choose Sides
Tom Carper faces a key vote today as Senate Republicans seek votes to foil filibuster on the Patriot Act.
Dec. 16 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Senate Republican leaders are struggling to fend off a filibuster of legislation renewing the USA Patriot Act that would expand the Federal Bureau of Investigation's power to fight terrorism.
A bipartisan group of opponents of the measure said key provisions would sacrifice civil liberties by granting unrestricted power to the FBI to request personal and business records. The Senate today will vote on a so-called cloture motion to end the filibuster, the unlimited debate that can kill legislation and requires 60 votes to overcome.
Delaware Democrats must hold Carper accountable if he continues to act like a "Red State" Democrat. It is that simple.
__________________________________
UPDATE: MyDD reports that the cloture vote on the Patriot Act failed 52-47. Big win for Feingold. And America.
VIA Yahoo News: The Patriot Act's critics got a boost from a New York Times report saying Bush authorized the National Security Agency to monitor the international phone calls and international e-mails of hundreds — perhaps thousands — of people inside the United States. Previously, the NSA typically limited its domestic surveillance to foreign embassies and missions and obtained court orders for such investigations.
Dec. 16 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Senate Republican leaders are struggling to fend off a filibuster of legislation renewing the USA Patriot Act that would expand the Federal Bureau of Investigation's power to fight terrorism.
A bipartisan group of opponents of the measure said key provisions would sacrifice civil liberties by granting unrestricted power to the FBI to request personal and business records. The Senate today will vote on a so-called cloture motion to end the filibuster, the unlimited debate that can kill legislation and requires 60 votes to overcome.
Delaware Democrats must hold Carper accountable if he continues to act like a "Red State" Democrat. It is that simple.
__________________________________
UPDATE: MyDD reports that the cloture vote on the Patriot Act failed 52-47. Big win for Feingold. And America.
VIA Yahoo News: The Patriot Act's critics got a boost from a New York Times report saying Bush authorized the National Security Agency to monitor the international phone calls and international e-mails of hundreds — perhaps thousands — of people inside the United States. Previously, the NSA typically limited its domestic surveillance to foreign embassies and missions and obtained court orders for such investigations.
Michael "Pocket Change" Castle Wants to Put Bush's Stupid Face On A Coin
It must be an election year. Forbes has the story of our famous quartermaster's new project.
Is it a new plan for affordable health care? Nope.
Is it some way out of this Iraq fiasco? Nah.
Is it a fair approach to fixing our economy ? No.
It is.......(wait for it)..
...$1.00 coins with the faces of Presidents on them. Hurray !
It's, you know, for the kids.
Is it a new plan for affordable health care? Nope.
Is it some way out of this Iraq fiasco? Nah.
Is it a fair approach to fixing our economy ? No.
It is.......(wait for it)..
...$1.00 coins with the faces of Presidents on them. Hurray !
It's, you know, for the kids.
Castle Feels the Heat From Delawareliberal, Praises Democratic Unity
Al says that Castle is "stung" by being called out for his phoney moderation. I'd say he is reeling. Otherwise, how could you explain this Castle quote in which he praises the unity of the Democratic caucus.
In the House, Democrats were hoping to stand fast against immigration legislation scheduled for a floor vote Thursday. The degree of opposition to the bill depended on what amendments Republicans would allow to the legislation.
"It's the first time I can recall in years that they've been so united," Rep. Michael Castle, R-Del., a leader of moderate House Republicans, said of the Democrats. He credited their unity with giving leverage to moderate Republicans.
What the...? Could it be that Castle knows how "Blue" Delaware is now, and he is simply facing a politcal reality ?
In the House, Democrats were hoping to stand fast against immigration legislation scheduled for a floor vote Thursday. The degree of opposition to the bill depended on what amendments Republicans would allow to the legislation.
"It's the first time I can recall in years that they've been so united," Rep. Michael Castle, R-Del., a leader of moderate House Republicans, said of the Democrats. He credited their unity with giving leverage to moderate Republicans.
What the...? Could it be that Castle knows how "Blue" Delaware is now, and he is simply facing a politcal reality ?
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Castle Votes With Radical Right-Wing Again
As I mentioned befor, Castle always votes with the radical right-wing when the chips are down. True to form he cast the deciding vote on a “deficit reduction” bill that, as Al Macitti put it "made the budget safe for tax cuts".
I don't know how the link to my own posts, so I'll cut and paste my prophetic words here:
Seriously, how “moderate” is Mike?
The Washington Post has this handy tool for finding out.
Click on this database and you will find that in the “narrow margin” votes, where having a “moderate” Congressman break with the radical right-wing of his party would have made a difference, Michael Castle voted WITH the radical right-wing 4 out of 5 times this year. So, when the chips were down, Castle was a faithful rubber stamp for the Bush agenda. He knows who he works for.
In votes with larger margins, when the outcome is not in doubt, Castle does tend to throw an occasional crumb to the moderates. Naturally those meaningless votes against the Bush regime make gullible Democrats happy and drive the Delaware wingnuts berserk. Some of those wingnuts go so far as to call Castle a RINO (Republican in name only) thereby feeding the myth that he is moderate. However, the record actually shows that he is a category unto himself, a MINO. Moderate in name only.
I don't know how the link to my own posts, so I'll cut and paste my prophetic words here:
Seriously, how “moderate” is Mike?
The Washington Post has this handy tool for finding out.
Click on this database and you will find that in the “narrow margin” votes, where having a “moderate” Congressman break with the radical right-wing of his party would have made a difference, Michael Castle voted WITH the radical right-wing 4 out of 5 times this year. So, when the chips were down, Castle was a faithful rubber stamp for the Bush agenda. He knows who he works for.
In votes with larger margins, when the outcome is not in doubt, Castle does tend to throw an occasional crumb to the moderates. Naturally those meaningless votes against the Bush regime make gullible Democrats happy and drive the Delaware wingnuts berserk. Some of those wingnuts go so far as to call Castle a RINO (Republican in name only) thereby feeding the myth that he is moderate. However, the record actually shows that he is a category unto himself, a MINO. Moderate in name only.
Drinking Liberally
I'm thinking that Delaware could use a Drinking Liberally chapter. If you are not familiar with the concept click on the link and let me know what you think.
"Promoting democracy one pint at a time"
"Promoting democracy one pint at a time"
On Rooting For Bush
With another round of Iraqi elections in the news, the Bush PR machine is going full-tilt. I was thinking about Bush when I read this, and I was surprised by how much Woody Allen's take on George Bush agrees with mine.
"I didn't start out with any hostility; I started out rooting for him. I was rooting for him, certainly, after 9/11, and when I was in Europe a few days after Sept. 11 and I was saying, `Well, I hope he'll do a good job, I'm optimistic, I think he will.' He certainly got off to a good start and showed sympathy and enthusiasm and said all the right things. But he didn't. He let the country down brutally.
Republican apologists for Bush don't understand that Liberals were rooting for Bush. We all wanted to see America come together and get to work on hunting down terrorists. Then Bush just went off on a crazy neo-con jihad to set up permanent bases in Iraq. He let the country down brutally. Everything since the illegal invasion of Iraq has been just so much PR.
"I didn't start out with any hostility; I started out rooting for him. I was rooting for him, certainly, after 9/11, and when I was in Europe a few days after Sept. 11 and I was saying, `Well, I hope he'll do a good job, I'm optimistic, I think he will.' He certainly got off to a good start and showed sympathy and enthusiasm and said all the right things. But he didn't. He let the country down brutally.
Republican apologists for Bush don't understand that Liberals were rooting for Bush. We all wanted to see America come together and get to work on hunting down terrorists. Then Bush just went off on a crazy neo-con jihad to set up permanent bases in Iraq. He let the country down brutally. Everything since the illegal invasion of Iraq has been just so much PR.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Oxymoron of the Year: Republican Libertarians
Many Delaware wingnuts fancy themselves libertarians. These pretend patriots should check out this MyDD interview with Michael Schiavo.
Matt Stoller: Michael, a lot of us were horrified watching the intrusion of the government into the private life of your family. At what point in your 15 year journey did politicians begin to see political advantage in intervening in your family's private and painful lives?
Michael Schiavo: The political circus officially began in 2003 when Governor Bush got together with some legislators and decided their political needs should overrule my private family decisions and the decisions of Florida courts.
...There are many good Republicans - where I work, in my family and all over the place. And many of them were sickened by what they saw their party doing to the rights of individuals and families. But the people leading the Republican party in Washington D.C. and in Florida today aren't like the Republicans I know.
The leaders of that Republican party are, in my opinion, out of touch, mean spirited and very selfish. To do what they did just so they can win re-election is the lowest kind of politics. And it cost them the support of at least this Republican.
My message to moderate Republicans is: Pay attention. Learn what these people are doing in your name and with your votes.
Schiavo was a lifelong republican before his family got caught in the gears of the Republican public relations/re-election apparatus.
Matt Stoller: Michael, a lot of us were horrified watching the intrusion of the government into the private life of your family. At what point in your 15 year journey did politicians begin to see political advantage in intervening in your family's private and painful lives?
Michael Schiavo: The political circus officially began in 2003 when Governor Bush got together with some legislators and decided their political needs should overrule my private family decisions and the decisions of Florida courts.
...There are many good Republicans - where I work, in my family and all over the place. And many of them were sickened by what they saw their party doing to the rights of individuals and families. But the people leading the Republican party in Washington D.C. and in Florida today aren't like the Republicans I know.
The leaders of that Republican party are, in my opinion, out of touch, mean spirited and very selfish. To do what they did just so they can win re-election is the lowest kind of politics. And it cost them the support of at least this Republican.
My message to moderate Republicans is: Pay attention. Learn what these people are doing in your name and with your votes.
Schiavo was a lifelong republican before his family got caught in the gears of the Republican public relations/re-election apparatus.
Republican's Love/Hate Relationship With Illegal Immigration
If you are a Republican you HATE illegal immigration. That is - unless you are an "addicted to cheap labor" Republican who LOVES illegal immigration. This story in the Cantonrep.com digs into the schism that is threatening to blow the party of racism apart.
WASHINGTON--The House Republican leadership and the nation's business lobby, usually close allies, are battling each other over the issue of immigration.
WASHINGTON--The House Republican leadership and the nation's business lobby, usually close allies, are battling each other over the issue of immigration.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Are Republicans Racists?
Was I just waxing poetical when I said that the Republican Party had a "racists wing"? I was. It is my blog and I can wax poetical if I so desire. But, does that mean that Republicans are not the party of racism? Let's have a look at the record via Daily kos.
- Nixon’s "Southern Strategy"
- Barry Goldwater's opposition to the Civil Rights Act
- 1960's and 70's migration of Racist Dixiecrats to shelter in the Republican Party
- David Duke's near-win in his 1990 Louisiana campaign for governor
- Infamous race-baiting ad campaigns - Jesse Helms "White Hands" ads and the 1988 "Willie Horton" ads used against Michael Dukakis being the most notorious examples.
- Then Republican Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott's racist comment at Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party in 2002
- Excessive immigrant-bashing for political gain, such as California's much-ballyhooed Proposition 187
- Continual race-baiting over the Confederate flag, the most recent, successful example being Georgia in 2002
- Republicans running Haley Barbour in the 2003 Mississippi gubernatorial election
Now, set the timer. First mention of Robert Byrd in the comments will be in 10, 9, 8, 7....
- Nixon’s "Southern Strategy"
- Barry Goldwater's opposition to the Civil Rights Act
- 1960's and 70's migration of Racist Dixiecrats to shelter in the Republican Party
- David Duke's near-win in his 1990 Louisiana campaign for governor
- Infamous race-baiting ad campaigns - Jesse Helms "White Hands" ads and the 1988 "Willie Horton" ads used against Michael Dukakis being the most notorious examples.
- Then Republican Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott's racist comment at Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party in 2002
- Excessive immigrant-bashing for political gain, such as California's much-ballyhooed Proposition 187
- Continual race-baiting over the Confederate flag, the most recent, successful example being Georgia in 2002
- Republicans running Haley Barbour in the 2003 Mississippi gubernatorial election
Now, set the timer. First mention of Robert Byrd in the comments will be in 10, 9, 8, 7....
The DeLay Effect = Good News for Dennis Spivack
You know your party is in trouble when anklebitingpundits.com runs a story like this:
"(Republicans) have received recent internal polling data that shows "a Tom DeLay effect" that appears to give "any Democrat" on the ballot question an average of 10 percentage points against the incumbent. (snip) These data swim against the conventional wisdom among Republican strategists in Washington, which heretofore had held that the DeLay problems were little more than "inside baseball" and would have little impact out there in the hinterlands.
And what's the number one reason why Independents who were polled react negatively to Tom DeLay? "The culture of corruption"
"(Republicans) have received recent internal polling data that shows "a Tom DeLay effect" that appears to give "any Democrat" on the ballot question an average of 10 percentage points against the incumbent. (snip) These data swim against the conventional wisdom among Republican strategists in Washington, which heretofore had held that the DeLay problems were little more than "inside baseball" and would have little impact out there in the hinterlands.
And what's the number one reason why Independents who were polled react negatively to Tom DeLay? "The culture of corruption"
McCain, McCain, McCain...
For now I will take MarkeLevinFan at his word that he does not want to have John McCain decapitated by terrorists. Nevertheless, JTTR has a post up about how much he dislikes McCain, and it seems that wingnuts just HATE Senator John McCain.
But seriously, who do the Republicans have other than McCain?
Dr. Frist? Please. Someone pull the plug.
Newt ? I suppose if you are into serial adultery - he is your man.
Condi ? I don't think the pro-sexism/pro-racism wing of the Republican party would go for it.
Looks like you guys are stuck with a guy who actually has integrity. I know this is going to cause some culture shock for wingnuts, but you will get over it.
But seriously, who do the Republicans have other than McCain?
Dr. Frist? Please. Someone pull the plug.
Newt ? I suppose if you are into serial adultery - he is your man.
Condi ? I don't think the pro-sexism/pro-racism wing of the Republican party would go for it.
Looks like you guys are stuck with a guy who actually has integrity. I know this is going to cause some culture shock for wingnuts, but you will get over it.
Wingnut WNJ letter writer slips up and tells the truth
I use the term "Bush regime" to denote a nearly fascist system of social control which extends from the RNC into the courts, and the media. Is that what Bob Gentile also meant to suggest in his letter to the WNJ?
"Why, pray tell, do most liberal papers like yours slash away at our president? Front page!...why didn't the report that our economy is flourishing under the Bush regime make front page news?"
hmmm... I guess Bob welcomes our Republican overlords.
"Why, pray tell, do most liberal papers like yours slash away at our president? Front page!...why didn't the report that our economy is flourishing under the Bush regime make front page news?"
hmmm... I guess Bob welcomes our Republican overlords.
I.O.K.I.Y.A.R* POST CREATES WINGNUT FRENZY
Of all this things I've written about how corrupt, criminal, sleazy, and unethical Republicans are, this was the post that drove the wingnuts over the edge.
"To be a modern day Republican you need to be flexible. You need to know what words will resonate in the poetry slam of public opinion, and you can’t let outdated notions of morality and ethical behavior get in the way of advancing the Republican cause.
Matt Stoller at MyDD has the story of a Montana Republican office seeker who believes in the sanctity of marriage when it means not letting gays get married. When it means not being married to two women at the same time...sanctity, schmanktity.
"...Fulwiler was still married to his first wife (in California) when he married his second wife in Montana. Montana's law on regular old non-gay marriage is pretty clear: "If a person has been previously married and the dissolution granted, a certified copy of the decree must be presented at the time of application for a marriage license."
* It is okay if you are Republican"
...................................................................
Go figure (?)
"To be a modern day Republican you need to be flexible. You need to know what words will resonate in the poetry slam of public opinion, and you can’t let outdated notions of morality and ethical behavior get in the way of advancing the Republican cause.
Matt Stoller at MyDD has the story of a Montana Republican office seeker who believes in the sanctity of marriage when it means not letting gays get married. When it means not being married to two women at the same time...sanctity, schmanktity.
"...Fulwiler was still married to his first wife (in California) when he married his second wife in Montana. Montana's law on regular old non-gay marriage is pretty clear: "If a person has been previously married and the dissolution granted, a certified copy of the decree must be presented at the time of application for a marriage license."
* It is okay if you are Republican"
...................................................................
Go figure (?)
Monday, December 12, 2005
War on Christmas
From CNN Via Atrios:
Air America Radio's Sam Seder turns his attention to "the war on Christmas"
SEDER: Listen, as far as the war on Christmas goes, I feel like we should be waging a war on Christmas. I mean, I believe that Christmas, it's almost proven that Christmas has nuclear weapons, can be an imminent threat to this country, that they have operative ties with terrorists and I believe that we should sacrifice thousands of American lives in pursuit of this war on Christmas. And hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money.
PHILLIPS: Is it a war on Christmas, a war Christians, a war on over-political correctness or just a lot of people with way too much time on their hands?
SEDER: I would say probably, if I was to be serious about it, too much time on their hands, but I'd like to get back to the operational ties between Santa Claus and al Qaeda.
PHILLIPS: I don't think that exists. Bob? Help me out here.
SEDER: We have intelligence...
PHILLIPS: You have intel. Where exactly does your intel come from?
SEDER: Well, we have tortured an elf and it's actually how we got the same information from Al Libbi. It's exactly the same way the Bush administration got this info about the operational ties between al Qaeda and Saddam.
..................................................................
I'm going to add Air America to the blog roll. Sam should do the Democratic response to the State of the Union Speech.
Air America Radio's Sam Seder turns his attention to "the war on Christmas"
SEDER: Listen, as far as the war on Christmas goes, I feel like we should be waging a war on Christmas. I mean, I believe that Christmas, it's almost proven that Christmas has nuclear weapons, can be an imminent threat to this country, that they have operative ties with terrorists and I believe that we should sacrifice thousands of American lives in pursuit of this war on Christmas. And hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money.
PHILLIPS: Is it a war on Christmas, a war Christians, a war on over-political correctness or just a lot of people with way too much time on their hands?
SEDER: I would say probably, if I was to be serious about it, too much time on their hands, but I'd like to get back to the operational ties between Santa Claus and al Qaeda.
PHILLIPS: I don't think that exists. Bob? Help me out here.
SEDER: We have intelligence...
PHILLIPS: You have intel. Where exactly does your intel come from?
SEDER: Well, we have tortured an elf and it's actually how we got the same information from Al Libbi. It's exactly the same way the Bush administration got this info about the operational ties between al Qaeda and Saddam.
..................................................................
I'm going to add Air America to the blog roll. Sam should do the Democratic response to the State of the Union Speech.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Castle Pulls a John Kerry
If you search for "Michael Castle" in google news today, you will see this:
"Michael Castle of Delaware, said he voted for the bill only after he was assured that the measure's impact on the poor would be softened in conference. " It sounds like he vote FOR it, befor he voted AGAINST it.
If this sounds familiar, it is becuase Mike likes to pretend to be a moderate, THEN vote with the radical right-wing of the Republican party. And, when you are "assured" something by the radical right-wing of the Republican party, you know you can take that to the bank, becuase they are honorable men.
"Michael Castle of Delaware, said he voted for the bill only after he was assured that the measure's impact on the poor would be softened in conference. " It sounds like he vote FOR it, befor he voted AGAINST it.
If this sounds familiar, it is becuase Mike likes to pretend to be a moderate, THEN vote with the radical right-wing of the Republican party. And, when you are "assured" something by the radical right-wing of the Republican party, you know you can take that to the bank, becuase they are honorable men.
The Delaware Wingnutosphere: We are a sick, violence obssesed freakshow
I have been doing my research into the morally bankrupt world of the Delaware Wingnutosphere and one of the first things I've noticed is how violent and creepy they are. Take this example from marklevinfan.com
"Mark Levin Fan" posts about committing some cartoon-y violence against John Kerry, so a wingnut poster takes the cue and rushes in upping the ante.
"...don’t forget your Holiday Card to McCain! Telling him, at this most special, joyous time of the year, you hope him, his families & friends all move to Syria and get abducted-tortured until there is nothing left of them and then beheaded on live Al Qaeda TV."
These people are clearly sick. I'm going to get some kind of computer equivalent to a Biohazard suit to keep pushing forward with my research.
"Mark Levin Fan" posts about committing some cartoon-y violence against John Kerry, so a wingnut poster takes the cue and rushes in upping the ante.
"...don’t forget your Holiday Card to McCain! Telling him, at this most special, joyous time of the year, you hope him, his families & friends all move to Syria and get abducted-tortured until there is nothing left of them and then beheaded on live Al Qaeda TV."
These people are clearly sick. I'm going to get some kind of computer equivalent to a Biohazard suit to keep pushing forward with my research.
Friday, December 09, 2005
Seriously, how “moderate” is Mike?
The Washington Post has this handy tool for finding out.
Click on this database and you will find that in the “narrow margin” votes, where having a “moderate” Congressman break with the radical right-wing of his party would have made a difference, Michael Castle voted WITH the radical right-wing 4 out of 5 times this year. So, when the chips were down, Castle was a faithful rubber stamp for the Bush agenda. He knows who he works for.
In votes with larger margins, when the outcome is not in doubt, Castle does tend to throw an occasional crumb to the moderates. Naturally those meaningless votes against the Bush regime make gullible Democrats happy and drive the Delaware wingnuts berserk. Some of those wingnuts go so far as to call Castle a RINO (Republican in name only) thereby feeding the myth that he is moderate. However, the record actually shows that he is a category unto himself, a MINO. Moderate in name only.
.......................................................
UPDATE: NY TIMES: "Voting 234 to 197, almost purely along party lines, the House approved $56 billion in tax cuts over five years, one day after it passed other tax cuts totaling $39 billion over five years. The biggest provision would extend President Bush's 2001 tax cut for stock dividends and capital gains for two years at a cost of $20 billion."
HOW MODERATE IS THAT ?
Click on this database and you will find that in the “narrow margin” votes, where having a “moderate” Congressman break with the radical right-wing of his party would have made a difference, Michael Castle voted WITH the radical right-wing 4 out of 5 times this year. So, when the chips were down, Castle was a faithful rubber stamp for the Bush agenda. He knows who he works for.
In votes with larger margins, when the outcome is not in doubt, Castle does tend to throw an occasional crumb to the moderates. Naturally those meaningless votes against the Bush regime make gullible Democrats happy and drive the Delaware wingnuts berserk. Some of those wingnuts go so far as to call Castle a RINO (Republican in name only) thereby feeding the myth that he is moderate. However, the record actually shows that he is a category unto himself, a MINO. Moderate in name only.
.......................................................
UPDATE: NY TIMES: "Voting 234 to 197, almost purely along party lines, the House approved $56 billion in tax cuts over five years, one day after it passed other tax cuts totaling $39 billion over five years. The biggest provision would extend President Bush's 2001 tax cut for stock dividends and capital gains for two years at a cost of $20 billion."
HOW MODERATE IS THAT ?
Ho Hum. Another day, another account of Republican Corruption.
This time it is Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH).
"Ney returned to the same casino on a personal trip later in 2003 and reported on his financial disclosure form that he won $34,000. Walsh has said Ney parlayed a $100 bet into the large winning on two hands of a three-card game of chance."
That's the trick Rick used in Casablanca to help the young Bulgarian woman get an exit visa for herself and her husband without having to sleep with Louie. Of course, Ney and his cronies cleverly disguised the scheme by changing it from roulette (a couple of bets on good ol' 22) to a card game.
I'm no fan of bribery, but if Ney is going to put his hand out, his homage to Bogie at least shows that he's a crook with an appreciation for a great movie."
Via Talkingpointsmemo.com
Now, how many of Michael Castle's buddies does that make? I have lost count.
"Ney returned to the same casino on a personal trip later in 2003 and reported on his financial disclosure form that he won $34,000. Walsh has said Ney parlayed a $100 bet into the large winning on two hands of a three-card game of chance."
That's the trick Rick used in Casablanca to help the young Bulgarian woman get an exit visa for herself and her husband without having to sleep with Louie. Of course, Ney and his cronies cleverly disguised the scheme by changing it from roulette (a couple of bets on good ol' 22) to a card game.
I'm no fan of bribery, but if Ney is going to put his hand out, his homage to Bogie at least shows that he's a crook with an appreciation for a great movie."
Via Talkingpointsmemo.com
Now, how many of Michael Castle's buddies does that make? I have lost count.
Matt Denn Makes USA Today (Yesterday)
I don't know how I missed this....
States saddled with delays for Medicare drug sign-up
By Richard Wolf, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Staffing shortages are hampering the start of Medicare's prescription-drug program in many states, forcing seniors and those with disabilities to wait weeks for counseling. (snip)
"It's a numbers problem," says Matt Denn, Delaware's insurance commissioner. "We can't win unless something changes." Frustrations boiled over last week at a meeting in Newark, Del., when Denn told U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt that "there are some real significant problems." The state has four staff members to advise 120,000 seniors, Denn says. Each day they handle about 40 calls, but about 60 go unanswered.
--------------------
In the bizzaro-world of GOP style government, I guess this calls for another round of tax cuts.
States saddled with delays for Medicare drug sign-up
By Richard Wolf, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Staffing shortages are hampering the start of Medicare's prescription-drug program in many states, forcing seniors and those with disabilities to wait weeks for counseling. (snip)
"It's a numbers problem," says Matt Denn, Delaware's insurance commissioner. "We can't win unless something changes." Frustrations boiled over last week at a meeting in Newark, Del., when Denn told U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt that "there are some real significant problems." The state has four staff members to advise 120,000 seniors, Denn says. Each day they handle about 40 calls, but about 60 go unanswered.
--------------------
In the bizzaro-world of GOP style government, I guess this calls for another round of tax cuts.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Give 'em Hell Nancy !
Nancy Pelosi introduced a resolution to denounce the culture of corruption in the House, specifically all the times the Republicans broke the rules and held votes open in order to twist arms and bribe members into voting with the White House.
I wonder if Michael Castle will turn out to be pro-corruption ?
I wonder if Michael Castle will turn out to be pro-corruption ?
GOP Meltdown
Dennis Spivack is running against Michael Castle, but he is also running against a GOP that is complete disarray.
This kind of thing will help all Dems this year.
The Washington Post reports that, at yesterday’s speech for the Council on Foreign Relations, President Bush had trouble filling the room: "Only a few hundred members showed up for the hastily organized event at a Washington hotel and empty chairs were removed from the back of the ballroom before Bush arrived."
Ha !
This kind of thing will help all Dems this year.
The Washington Post reports that, at yesterday’s speech for the Council on Foreign Relations, President Bush had trouble filling the room: "Only a few hundred members showed up for the hastily organized event at a Washington hotel and empty chairs were removed from the back of the ballroom before Bush arrived."
Ha !
BREAKING: DENNIS SPIVACK WILL BEAT MICHAEL CASTLE!
I went to the PDD meeting last night thinking that Castle (a cog in a corrupt Republican political machine) is beatable. I left knowing that Dennis Spivack is the man who is going to beat him.
Two minutes into his introduction I knew that Dennis Spivack had the guts, the brains, and the heart to take the fight to Castle. Here are some of the other things I learned:
- Dennis Spivack has a compelling personal story and is running for Congress for all the right reasons,
- Dennis Spivack has a significant amount of “earnest” money to get his campaign going, but he is realistic about how much money it is going to take to unseat an incumbent, and
- Dennis Spivack will expose Castle for what he is, not a moderate, but a conservative who believes in nothing other than getting reelected.
I was glad to hear someone speak who knows that Castle has been able to hide behind his identity as an alleged moderate, by occasionally throwing some crumbs to various liberal constituencies, and I am ready to go to work for him. While it turns out that I don’t agree with Dennis on everything, I am absolutely convinced that Dennis Spivack Democratic “David” who is going to take down the Republican “Goliath” Michael Castle.
Two minutes into his introduction I knew that Dennis Spivack had the guts, the brains, and the heart to take the fight to Castle. Here are some of the other things I learned:
- Dennis Spivack has a compelling personal story and is running for Congress for all the right reasons,
- Dennis Spivack has a significant amount of “earnest” money to get his campaign going, but he is realistic about how much money it is going to take to unseat an incumbent, and
- Dennis Spivack will expose Castle for what he is, not a moderate, but a conservative who believes in nothing other than getting reelected.
I was glad to hear someone speak who knows that Castle has been able to hide behind his identity as an alleged moderate, by occasionally throwing some crumbs to various liberal constituencies, and I am ready to go to work for him. While it turns out that I don’t agree with Dennis on everything, I am absolutely convinced that Dennis Spivack Democratic “David” who is going to take down the Republican “Goliath” Michael Castle.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
I Love This: Democrats Acting Like Democrats and Republicans Acting Like Republicans
This makes me happy. Heath Schuler is running for Congress in North Carolina's 11th district. Not only was he the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, but check out the quote. He is a real Democrat.
"(Heath) Shuler said Taylor’s actions on the Central American Free Trade Agreement offered a “perfect example” of how Taylor is out of touch with the region, which has suffered dramatic job losses. “When it really came down to supporting people in this district, he chose not to,” he said.
Taylor told the Asheville Citizen-Times in July that an electronic glitch kept his vote from registering. The measure passed the U.S. House by two votes."
Awesome! He offers CAFTA as a perfect example of how the Republicans are sticking it to the voters, AND the Republican incumbents lame response is to lie about his vote and say, "an electronic glitch kept his vote from registering."
........................................................................................................
UPDATE: Considering the fact that he is up against an incumbent, Schuler is crushing his lying GOP foe in the money race.
http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Campaign/120805_taylor.html
"(Heath) Shuler said Taylor’s actions on the Central American Free Trade Agreement offered a “perfect example” of how Taylor is out of touch with the region, which has suffered dramatic job losses. “When it really came down to supporting people in this district, he chose not to,” he said.
Taylor told the Asheville Citizen-Times in July that an electronic glitch kept his vote from registering. The measure passed the U.S. House by two votes."
Awesome! He offers CAFTA as a perfect example of how the Republicans are sticking it to the voters, AND the Republican incumbents lame response is to lie about his vote and say, "an electronic glitch kept his vote from registering."
........................................................................................................
UPDATE: Considering the fact that he is up against an incumbent, Schuler is crushing his lying GOP foe in the money race.
http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Campaign/120805_taylor.html
December 7th
What Tom said.
UPDATE: Given Tom's post I think that we call all agree that the republicans are the The National Incompetence Party.
"They can't run a war. They can't run an economy. They can't reinforce the levees when the hurricanes are coming. They can't reconstruct an American city. They can't reconstruct a foreign country they bombed to bits. They can't negotiate an international coalition. They can't create jobs. They can't balance a budget. They can't even avoid being indicted."
UPDATE: Given Tom's post I think that we call all agree that the republicans are the The National Incompetence Party.
"They can't run a war. They can't run an economy. They can't reinforce the levees when the hurricanes are coming. They can't reconstruct an American city. They can't reconstruct a foreign country they bombed to bits. They can't negotiate an international coalition. They can't create jobs. They can't balance a budget. They can't even avoid being indicted."
Leadership Questions For Castle
It seems Delay is going down for the count, so here is my email to Mike.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Congressman Castle,
Bloomberg.com is reporting that, in light of Tom Delay’s upcoming trial on money laundering charges, some members of the Republican caucus are pushing for an new leadership early next year. Do you support new leadership elections?
Although the leadership election will be held by secret ballot, as an “at large” member of congress charged with representing all Delawareans in Congress, would you be willing to go on the record with your choice for leader of the in order to give your constituents insight into your core political philosophy?
Finally, do you think that money laundering and influence peddling are limited to a few bad apples within the Republican caucus, or do you think ethics are are problem for Republicans in general?
Thank you for your response to these questions.
Sincerely,
Jason
Delawareliberal.blogspot.com
-----------------------------------------------------------
Congressman Castle,
Bloomberg.com is reporting that, in light of Tom Delay’s upcoming trial on money laundering charges, some members of the Republican caucus are pushing for an new leadership early next year. Do you support new leadership elections?
Although the leadership election will be held by secret ballot, as an “at large” member of congress charged with representing all Delawareans in Congress, would you be willing to go on the record with your choice for leader of the in order to give your constituents insight into your core political philosophy?
Finally, do you think that money laundering and influence peddling are limited to a few bad apples within the Republican caucus, or do you think ethics are are problem for Republicans in general?
Thank you for your response to these questions.
Sincerely,
Jason
Delawareliberal.blogspot.com
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
New Blog on the Right (side of this page)
Stay tuned for my one sentence reivew of every blog in the Delaware-wingnutosphere. While I'm doing the research I'll be adding to my list of daily reads.
When Sportswriters Attack
I picked this up from a Kos diary. Even the sportwriters are ripping this terrible Republican Congress.
"To all U.S. government officials:
Once you figure out how to make the voting process for elected officials flawless and above any suspicion, and
once you figure out how to get our brave troops home from Iraq, while also being sure the country won't instantly collapse,and
once you figure out why, as the Los Angeles Times has been reporting, the U.S. Defense Department is paying the Iraqi press to run false stories in order to reference them in an attempt to show the war is going well, and
once you make sure that we're all safe from terrorists and their dirty bombs, suicide bombers, threats to our mass transit system, biological weapons, kamikaze pilots, and any other diabolical schemes they can come up with, and
once you figure out how to erase the federal deficit, figure out how to help all of those who can't get health insurance, figure out how to help those who can't afford the overpriced, life-saving drugs they need, figure out how Ben Stiller is still getting movie deals, figure out how we're going to rebuild/relocate New Orleans in a timely, efficient manner, and
once you figure how I'll get a dime of all the Social Security money my generation is whizzing away, THEN, and only then, can you watch a BCS game. You have no business investigating something as trivial as whether or not the BCS works."
Pete Fiutak writes a weekly column called the Calvalcade of Whimsy for collegefootballnews.com
"To all U.S. government officials:
Once you figure out how to make the voting process for elected officials flawless and above any suspicion, and
once you figure out how to get our brave troops home from Iraq, while also being sure the country won't instantly collapse,and
once you figure out why, as the Los Angeles Times has been reporting, the U.S. Defense Department is paying the Iraqi press to run false stories in order to reference them in an attempt to show the war is going well, and
once you make sure that we're all safe from terrorists and their dirty bombs, suicide bombers, threats to our mass transit system, biological weapons, kamikaze pilots, and any other diabolical schemes they can come up with, and
once you figure out how to erase the federal deficit, figure out how to help all of those who can't get health insurance, figure out how to help those who can't afford the overpriced, life-saving drugs they need, figure out how Ben Stiller is still getting movie deals, figure out how we're going to rebuild/relocate New Orleans in a timely, efficient manner, and
once you figure how I'll get a dime of all the Social Security money my generation is whizzing away, THEN, and only then, can you watch a BCS game. You have no business investigating something as trivial as whether or not the BCS works."
Pete Fiutak writes a weekly column called the Calvalcade of Whimsy for collegefootballnews.com
More Economics for Dummies - Or - "If this is a recovery, why do I feel so sick?"
Although President Bush and his legions of brain dead zombies think things are just peachy, most people are uneasy. This Slate article helps quantify where some of that unease is comming from.
The answer is an expected rise in U.S. business failures.
The answer is an expected rise in U.S. business failures.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Iraqi VP to Bush: Stop Lying
Why do I call George Bush a "liar" ? And why do I call people who think Bush is not a liar "zombie apologists"? Well, it is because when even our Iraqi puppet government points out that he is not telling the truth, I conclude that he is not telling the truth.
"(Iraqi Vice President) Ghazi disputed contentions by U.S. officials, including President Bush, that the training of security forces was gathering speed, resulting in more professional troops.
Bush has said the United States will not pull out of Iraq until Iraq's own forces can maintain security. In a speech last week, he said Iraqi forces are becoming increasingly capable of securing the country."
I can't wait for him to repeat the lie that Iraqi forces are becoming increasingly capable of securing the country about three dozen times in the State of the Union speech.
"(Iraqi Vice President) Ghazi disputed contentions by U.S. officials, including President Bush, that the training of security forces was gathering speed, resulting in more professional troops.
Bush has said the United States will not pull out of Iraq until Iraq's own forces can maintain security. In a speech last week, he said Iraqi forces are becoming increasingly capable of securing the country."
I can't wait for him to repeat the lie that Iraqi forces are becoming increasingly capable of securing the country about three dozen times in the State of the Union speech.
Gullible Wing-Nuts (heart) BS
A certain wing-nut blog in the Delawareblogosphere that shall remain nameless and unlinked to, persistently posts wing-nut urban legends like this one:
"My mother is a kindergarten teacher. Her class is drawn from a comparatively lower-income neighborhood. After Thanksgiving, she put out the Christmas books (i.e., Night Before Christmas, plus various other "Happy Holidays"-type stuff for diversity's sake). Yesterday, child comes up to her. "Teacher, there's a bad word in the new books." Puzzled, Mom goes to check them out. The bad word he points to? It's Santa Claus, saying "Ho, ho, ho."
They think this is real. No serioiusly, they do. Wing-nut urban legends like this always kick start rounds of Republican faux weeping for the state of humanity. Their unquenchable thirst for BS probably explains why they believe in other fantasies like; "They will greet us as liberators", "the economy is improving", "Mission Accomplished" and "We don't torture."
As far as that last one is concerned, that is true. We don't torture. My wife's-cousin's-uncle works in the State Department and he heard it from a buddy.
"My mother is a kindergarten teacher. Her class is drawn from a comparatively lower-income neighborhood. After Thanksgiving, she put out the Christmas books (i.e., Night Before Christmas, plus various other "Happy Holidays"-type stuff for diversity's sake). Yesterday, child comes up to her. "Teacher, there's a bad word in the new books." Puzzled, Mom goes to check them out. The bad word he points to? It's Santa Claus, saying "Ho, ho, ho."
They think this is real. No serioiusly, they do. Wing-nut urban legends like this always kick start rounds of Republican faux weeping for the state of humanity. Their unquenchable thirst for BS probably explains why they believe in other fantasies like; "They will greet us as liberators", "the economy is improving", "Mission Accomplished" and "We don't torture."
As far as that last one is concerned, that is true. We don't torture. My wife's-cousin's-uncle works in the State Department and he heard it from a buddy.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
I guess the President wants to be able to blame the Iraq fiasco on the Democrats.
SCHIEFFER: ...let me just ask you one more question about Joe Lieberman...
Sen. KERRY: Sure.
SCHIEFFER: ...because there's a lot of talk. Last night--over this weekend, I had four different people tell me that the White House is thinking if the secretary of Defense goes over the next year--and a lot of people think that he will, that the president is thinking of nominating Joe Lieberman to be secretary of Defense. If he did that, would you support Lieberman?
___________________________
Joe Lieberman ?!! Duncan Black says, “...Holy Joe's already gone through his bit of ritual hazing, demonstrating his willingness to put his name on a pack of lies in service to the Bush administration.”
Sen. KERRY: Sure.
SCHIEFFER: ...because there's a lot of talk. Last night--over this weekend, I had four different people tell me that the White House is thinking if the secretary of Defense goes over the next year--and a lot of people think that he will, that the president is thinking of nominating Joe Lieberman to be secretary of Defense. If he did that, would you support Lieberman?
___________________________
Joe Lieberman ?!! Duncan Black says, “...Holy Joe's already gone through his bit of ritual hazing, demonstrating his willingness to put his name on a pack of lies in service to the Bush administration.”
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Some Facts About The Economy
The booming economy created by the Clinton administration was the product of getting the deficit down, and running budget surpluses. Clinton did it by created some short-term pain for the rich by raising taxes (and some pain for liberals by cutting services). I have to admit, I winced when he said, "The era of big government is over."
I soon got over it, becuase the payoff was huge. My take home pay went up and the country saw more investment, more rapid productivity growth, higher job growth, lower interest rates and rising real wages and income. By the time Clinton left office everyone had warmed up to the merits of balanced budgets, and low interest rates that went hand in hand with fiscal responsibility.
Then George Bush came. Not content to be the care-taker President he was elected to be, Bush decided to trash the Clinton system of fiscal reponsibility in favor of wreckless tax cuts and out of controll spending. Now we have Republicans crowing about the current "recovery". That is like a drunk taking pride in "recovering" from his hangover. One period of slightly improved economic numbers and it seems to mean that "tax cuts work" and that deficits don't matter. With nothing else to talk about, I expect Bush to make many more speeches about how great the economy is. If the DOW manages to crack 11,000 he will probably declare "Mission Accomplished" in a prime time speech.
But I don't expect a return to the Clintonesque salad years. Because deficits DO matter and interest rates respond to fiscal responsibility, not speeches.
I soon got over it, becuase the payoff was huge. My take home pay went up and the country saw more investment, more rapid productivity growth, higher job growth, lower interest rates and rising real wages and income. By the time Clinton left office everyone had warmed up to the merits of balanced budgets, and low interest rates that went hand in hand with fiscal responsibility.
Then George Bush came. Not content to be the care-taker President he was elected to be, Bush decided to trash the Clinton system of fiscal reponsibility in favor of wreckless tax cuts and out of controll spending. Now we have Republicans crowing about the current "recovery". That is like a drunk taking pride in "recovering" from his hangover. One period of slightly improved economic numbers and it seems to mean that "tax cuts work" and that deficits don't matter. With nothing else to talk about, I expect Bush to make many more speeches about how great the economy is. If the DOW manages to crack 11,000 he will probably declare "Mission Accomplished" in a prime time speech.
But I don't expect a return to the Clintonesque salad years. Because deficits DO matter and interest rates respond to fiscal responsibility, not speeches.
Breaking: Castle Gets Challeneger - Democrats Get Another Chance to VOTE AGAINST BUSH
I just got this email from Progressive Democrats for Delaware
"This coming Wednesday you have an opportunity to meet a man who I think will be the next Delaware Representative to the U.S. House. His name is Dennis Spivack and he is impressive. We've been moaning and groaning about somebody who can take on Mike Castle. We've got somebody! You are going to like him! So don't miss this meeting - it could be the most important meeting we've had all year.
And, June Eisley will share her story about being arrested in front of the White House with Cindy Sheehan. You don't have to hear about this through the filter of the main-stream-media, you can learn from somebody who was actually there! June was part of this historic event.
See you at 7:00PM on Wednesday, Dec. 7th at DelDem Headquarters, 19 E. Commons Blvd., New Castle (see www.deldems.org for directions)."
If Rebecca thinks Dennis Spivak is good, Castle just got a big problem.
"This coming Wednesday you have an opportunity to meet a man who I think will be the next Delaware Representative to the U.S. House. His name is Dennis Spivack and he is impressive. We've been moaning and groaning about somebody who can take on Mike Castle. We've got somebody! You are going to like him! So don't miss this meeting - it could be the most important meeting we've had all year.
And, June Eisley will share her story about being arrested in front of the White House with Cindy Sheehan. You don't have to hear about this through the filter of the main-stream-media, you can learn from somebody who was actually there! June was part of this historic event.
See you at 7:00PM on Wednesday, Dec. 7th at DelDem Headquarters, 19 E. Commons Blvd., New Castle (see www.deldems.org for directions)."
If Rebecca thinks Dennis Spivak is good, Castle just got a big problem.
The truth about "REAL Conservatives"
In the comments below an anonymous Republican connected tax cuts to "today's overwhelmingly positive job numbers." I'll leave the validity of the statement that the job numbers report were "overwhelmingly positive" aside for now, because I have a bigger question.
What I want to know is - what ever happened to the real conservatives? I mean, imagine the reaction of REAL conservatives if a Democratic President invaded a country because he said it posed a threat, but we later found out that the real reason for the invasion was to "spread democracy." I thought real conservatives were against nation building?
Imagine the reaction of REAL conservatives if a Democratic President said, "Deficits don't matter." and adopted a policy of growing the federal government at a pace not seen since LBJ?
What happened to the folks who would have once objected if the federal government decided to ignore it's international obligations and treaties? What ever happened to the ideological conservatives?
I have a theory, and it goes back to the mythological connection between tax cuts and alleged "positive job numbers". My theory is that conservatives were never really opposed to an expansive foreign policy on ideological grounds, they opposed it because it would have raised taxes. Furthermore, they were never for "smaller government" because of some libertarian/conservative notion of personal freedom, they simply wanted to pay less taxes.
The Bush regime has pulled away the curtain and exposed the conservative movement for what it is. Not an ideology, but simple greed. It is simple greed that motivates conservatives. Not some higher calling to "limit government". It is simple greed that informs every issue. Deficits: No problem provided you don't raise taxes. Nation Building: Great, provided you don't raise taxes. On and on. A few years back conservatives wanted to do away with the Department of Education. "What business does the federal government have in education anyway?" they asked. Now, with Bush building a huge federal NCLB bureaucracy within the bureaucracy that is the Department of Education, they say "bring it on - but don't raise taxes."
Well, they may have the whip hand today, but outgoing federal reserve chairman Greenspan's comments do not bode well for the "greed is good" crowd. Addressing European banks, Greenspan was not wishy washy about the fact that our Federal credit card has a limit, and we are going to start making payments whether we like it or not. The question is, are we going to pay in dollars or human misery? I suspect if you ask conservatives which payment method they would prefer they would have a ready answer.
What I want to know is - what ever happened to the real conservatives? I mean, imagine the reaction of REAL conservatives if a Democratic President invaded a country because he said it posed a threat, but we later found out that the real reason for the invasion was to "spread democracy." I thought real conservatives were against nation building?
Imagine the reaction of REAL conservatives if a Democratic President said, "Deficits don't matter." and adopted a policy of growing the federal government at a pace not seen since LBJ?
What happened to the folks who would have once objected if the federal government decided to ignore it's international obligations and treaties? What ever happened to the ideological conservatives?
I have a theory, and it goes back to the mythological connection between tax cuts and alleged "positive job numbers". My theory is that conservatives were never really opposed to an expansive foreign policy on ideological grounds, they opposed it because it would have raised taxes. Furthermore, they were never for "smaller government" because of some libertarian/conservative notion of personal freedom, they simply wanted to pay less taxes.
The Bush regime has pulled away the curtain and exposed the conservative movement for what it is. Not an ideology, but simple greed. It is simple greed that motivates conservatives. Not some higher calling to "limit government". It is simple greed that informs every issue. Deficits: No problem provided you don't raise taxes. Nation Building: Great, provided you don't raise taxes. On and on. A few years back conservatives wanted to do away with the Department of Education. "What business does the federal government have in education anyway?" they asked. Now, with Bush building a huge federal NCLB bureaucracy within the bureaucracy that is the Department of Education, they say "bring it on - but don't raise taxes."
Well, they may have the whip hand today, but outgoing federal reserve chairman Greenspan's comments do not bode well for the "greed is good" crowd. Addressing European banks, Greenspan was not wishy washy about the fact that our Federal credit card has a limit, and we are going to start making payments whether we like it or not. The question is, are we going to pay in dollars or human misery? I suspect if you ask conservatives which payment method they would prefer they would have a ready answer.
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