So is Obama

McCain will always be a loser

Hillary Clinton better think twice about crowing very loudly when she wins WV -- perhaps the most racist state in the union. Of course nothing has stopped her in the past from playing the race card. But this would be different in that it wold look like she is supporting racism.

Hawaii superdelegate Dolly Strazar endorses Obama.

152 to go to win the nomination!

The front page keeps asking me to log on and when I do it then tells me I'm already logged on.  I had to log on again and enter the blog from mydfa profile page and still the new blog posts were not on the front page.  The front page is showing last night's post as first. I had to do a blog search to get here.  Very weird.

for at least being here to respond. I find when I log on there is no tool bar but once I post , it appears.
thanks again for your hard work.

As if John McCain didn't have enough trouble what with two of his aides resigning from his campaign after it was discovered they did lobbying work for the military dictatorship in Myanmar and a new Gallup poll showing that Sen. McCain's support for President Bush is hurting him with voters.  Now, he has to contend with former Republican Representative Bob Barr announcing his decision to run for the presidency on the Libertarian ticket.  From USA Today:

Former Republican representative Bob Barr has announced that he's running for president as a Libertarian.

His candidacy would be a wild card in the White House race that many believe would hurt Republican Sen. John McCain.

Bob Barr has been a consistent champion of individual rights.  We'll have to see whose pocket he's in but his stepping up to the plate should not surprise.  John McCain is unacceptable on so many grounds.

for months I couldn't order the training video I wanted cause the order site would not respond.
Now I can fill out the form and put in my ccard and it says it can't take any of mine.
could you check it??

http://thepage.time.com/obama-release-on-sen-akakas-endorsement/

Obama Release on Sen. Akaka’s EndorsementU.S. Senator Daniel Akaka Endorses Barack Obama

The Senator from Hawaii Cites Obama’s Ability to Unite Americans Around Common Interests

CHICAGO, IL – Today, U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka from Hawaii endorsed Barack Obama for President. Akaka is the 280th superdelegate to endorse Obama, who is now 151 delegates away from securing the Democratic nomination.

...

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/05/12/2008-05-12_obama_heading_to_michigan_and_florida_.html

Obama heading to Michigan and Florida

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Monday, May 12th 2008, 12:10 PM

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Barack Obama's surging presidential campaign announced Monday that he will visit politically neglected Florida and Michigan, as he focuses on a general election strategy with his primary race winding down.

It will be Obama's first time in either state since signing a pledge nine months ago not to campaign in the two states that violated national party rules with early primaries. Obama will have to build relationships in the two critical general election battlegrounds if he wins the Democratic nomination.

...

http://www.newwest.net/city/article/idaho_superdelegates_united_for_obama/C108/L108/

Idaho Superdelegates United for Obama

By Jill Kuraitis, 5-12-08

Idaho State Democratic Chair Keith Roark, who is a superdelegate to the Democratic convention, announced today he will vote for Senator Barack Obama.

...

for being here and for all your hard work.

Kudos to another one of our heroic Dean-inspired members, Teri Mills ~ from the National Nurse newsletter...

National Nurse Movement Continues Going Forward
Check out page 20 in the Oklahoma City's Nursing Times, http://http://www.okcnursingtimes.com/newsletter/pdfs/277066_7075728.pdf Thanks to staff writer Mike Lee for an excellent and accurately written story on the ongoing efforts to establish an Office of the National Nurse.

Lee interviewed Mary Margaret O'Gara RN, BSN, CDE who states she and many others are wondering why we don't have a National Nurse position at the federal level. She agrees with other supporters of the Office of the National Nurse initiative, that we have a sick care system, instead of a health care system, and believes that a National Nurse would provide the necessary leadership for prevention.

~ ~ ~

National Association of Neonatal Nurses Endorses Office of the National Nurse Initiative

~ ~ ~

Vermont State Legislature Unanimously Passes Resolution JRH052

Joining Massachusetts and New York, the Vermont State Legislature passed Joint Resolution 52 on a voice vote thanks to Representative Kathleen Keenan, Representative Bill Frank and their 25 additional original sponsors!  The NNNO wishes to thank the Vermont State Legislature and recognize their intent is that we work for consensus in achieving our common goal of having a nationally recognized nurse leader for prevention.

~ ~ ~

Press Release-National Nurses Week – May 6-12th, 2008

Portland, Oregon – As National Nurses Week approaches (an annual observance intended to honor Florence Nightingale and celebrate the contributions of our nation’s 2.9 million nurses), Oregon nurse educators Teri Mills MS, RN, ANP, CNE and Alisa Schneider MSN, RN continue to be amazed at the growing support for their grassroots effort to establish an Office of the National Nurse. The Massachusetts General Court, New York State Assembly, and the Vermont State Legislature all recently passed unanimous resolutions introduced by nurse state legislators urging Congress to enact legislation for a National Nurse.  Dozens of national and state nursing organizations have also signed on their support.

“Nurses see daily that healthcare is in crisis with soaring costs and rising epidemics of preventable diseases. Nurses find it unacceptable that the United States ranks 19th in preventable deaths, with seven out of ten Americans dying each year from a preventable chronic condition. We are calling for change led by leadership provided through an Office of the National Nurse to strengthen efforts for a nationwide shift toward prevention that will improve health outcomes,” states Mills.  The National Nurse would play a vital role by complementing the work of the Surgeon General to promote health awareness, increase health literacy and reduce health disparities.

“Delivering prevention messages through social marketing and mass media combined with locally designed interventions worked well when C. Everett Koop was Surgeon General.  We need to bring that model back especially during a time when Americans are facing preventable conditions of epidemic proportions,” claims Schneider.

Schneider adds, “Another important component of the Office of the National Nurse initiative is to enhance visibility and public recognition of nursing.” Over the next five years, 45% of the nation’s public health nursing workforce is expected to retire. The Association of Schools of Public Health recently announced the country needs an additional 250,000 public health workers by 2020 to avert a public health crisis.   “A highly visible National Nurse will increase the public’s understanding of the important role nurses play in health care and encourage youth to explore careers in nursing and healthcare.”

“We’ve come a long way since the initial bill to establish the Office of the National Nurse, HR 4903, was introduced by Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-23 who is a nurse herself) and supported by 42 legislators. "Although HR 4903 did not pass that first year," Mills says,  “We hear every day how remarkable it is that nurses alone (without the assistance of professional lobbyists and virtually no budget) have been able to continue to inspire so many others to join this effort, and plans to reintroduce legislation remain underway."

~ ~ ~

For more information on the current proposal, be sure to visit our current website, http://nationalnurse.org

http://www.counterpunch.org/leupp05122008.html

May 9. I read tonight a brief article by Philip Giraldi posted on the American Conservative website: “War with Iran Might Be Closer than You Think.”

“There is considerable speculation,” writes the former CIA officer, “and buzz in Washington today suggesting that the National Security Council has agreed in principle to proceed with plans to attack an Iranian al-Qods [Revolutionary Guards]-run camp that is believed to be training Iraqi militants.  The camp that will be targeted is one of several located near Tehran.”

They will do what they do with the solid backing of Congress, the presidential candidates, and the mainstream press which if history is our guide will for a time shape shockingly malleable public opinion. Yes, I fear that we (most of us) will be fooled again.

John McCain, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton (all of whom agree that an attack on Iran is “on the table”) will publicly approve. The media will call upon the same “military analysts”/military industry consultants who have been disseminating Pentagon propaganda for pay since 2002 to explain why the attack is justified and necessary. The main talking-point has been decided: “Iran is killing American soldiers in Iraq.” Public opinion polls will show the public divided, but a majority in support of the action because, regardless of their feelings about the war in Iraq, they want to “support our troops” and after all, Iran was asking for it by interfering in Iraq and attacking us.

The Congress, the Justice Department, academia, and the press are all complicit in imperialist war and attacks on the Constitution. Does this mean the system isn’t working, or that it’s working all too well?

Voting for “antiwar” Democrats two years ago didn’t end the war. Even millions in the streets, peacefully demonstrating as the system encourages, didn’t prevent the assault on Iraq over five years ago. Now there’s no feasible political recourse to stop an attack on Iran. And little time to mobilize mass demonstrations against it. It will come as a thief in the night, presented to the American people as a fait accompli. As the Bush-Cheney cowboys ride off into the sunset, smirkin’ and grinnin’ and slapping each other’s backs, the people will start to pay.

IT'S THE WMD LIES ALL OVER AGAIN. DEMOCRATS AND THE PRESS ARE ALREADY ON BOARD.

HOPE EVERYONE ENJOYS THE $6-7 GAS--IF/WHEN AVAILABLE.

This is the "political pragmatism" with which Tom and Joan are so enamored.

West Virginia

By Joan In Florida on May 12, 2008 1:10 PM

Hi all. checking in once again. Great picture of you, Thankful!

Looks like I have to go fix my info stuff again.  should be Mz Little's picture up there.

Hi Mz Little long time no see.  I'm just stopping by to say HI my mind is everywhere but politics.  Except to say one thing -- I'm developing a pet peeve -- people (Chris Wallace is guilty) who say "Uhbama" rather than "Obama".

Well, Chris Wallace is an idiot anyway.

I'd like to see the studies on birds being sucked into wind power.  from what I've seen of them, they spin fairly slowly and I don't see how they could actually create a vortex to suck anything in.  but that's just my observation.

ANYTHING is better than nuke power that stands to kill far more birds than windmills

Wind farms pose little treat to birds. guy wires to tall towers claim quite a few when they migrate but wind turbines sit on bases without wires for the most part.

If you are 20M in debt, mathematically cannot catch up to your opponent, why do you continue to campaign and get further in debt?

Dems havn't carried that state in awhile. Even with overwhelming dems support for both Al Gore and Kerry.

Reality is, that if Hill wins the nomination some states will be easier to take, some states will be harder to take. If Obama wins, then some states will be easier to take then with Hill, some states will be harder.

This website lays it out.

http://electioninspection.wordpress.com/

For example, if Hill were to some how get the nomination, WV would become a toss up state. On the other hand it would also be possible for her to lose Washington State. She would not do will in Colorado, Obama would move that state into play, Obama will lose Florida.

When the numbers are laid out, Obama has a 50/50 chance of winning in November, Hillary has about a 30% chance.

We are looking at a change in the party dynamics but the old party of Bill Clinton and the DLC is hanging on. That being said, I'm under no delusion that Obama will be anything more then politics as usual, his team simply understands the nature of todays political sceen much better. I am impressed by his teams ability to run down multiple tracks, and to respond quickly to an assult and blunt the attack. Obama is no Howard Dean IMO though.

It's my sense that exclusionary behavior is mainly aimed at keeping the "included" in line. That is, its intended to counter the naturally gregarious behavior of the human young and keep them close to home, where their talents and labors are easy to exploit in exchange for the promise of certain benefits, which will be lost if the young wander off and don't heed the directives of their elders. Of course, if there are few benefits on offer, then the incentive to stay close to the clan is less. Which might well account for "mixing" to be more common among those on the lower rungs of the economic ladder. Although the pressure to exploit the labor of the young might be stronger at that level, punitive and even abusive behavior can only go so far until the young revolt and take off for sunnier climes.
When I was still watching TV on cable, it wasn't uncommon for some of those social relationship shows to feature mixed-race couples whose parents had either disowned them, or not and one couldn't but help be reminded of the Capulets and the Montagues.

The gestapo went house to house in Postville today and sent bus loads of undocumented workers at the Country's largest kosher plant in Postville to a detention center in Waterloo, today. biggest in Iowa since the Swift Plant raid in 06

read the book Postville for a background if interested

no sign yet of smoke from the crematorium so they must have other plans, but hundreds of small children held at the day cares are in limbo

you think food is high now wait til they shut down all the plants with ICE

idiots

McCain is out there promoting wind energy.  In 2005 he had a chance to pass legislation that would have given wind power large financial incentives, but he voted against it.

What a putz.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/12/mccain-touts-green-polici_n_101277.html

Praying for the people in Myramar and China.

Florida has come a long way from past decades.

Florida is definitely multi-cultural in every sense of the word, probably more so than any other state. You name the race, ethnic background, place of birth, etc. -- we have them all here but it is not an issue in most of Florida as it was in the 60's or even the 90's.

If WV were to join the current century, they might have similar success.

http://democracyforamerica.com/blog_posts/25257-another-memoir#1196019

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/blog_posts/25257-another-memoir#comments