Dean and the 50-state strategy are first

The true progressive presidential candidates, Gravel and Kucinich, share first

THE "PETRAEUS" REPORT

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2007/08/16/BL2007081601003.html

The "Petraeus Report" -- the supposedly trustworthy mid-September reckoning of military and political progress in Iraq by Army Gen. David H. Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker -- is instead looking more like a White House con job in the making.

The Bush administration has been trying for months to restore its credibility on Iraq (as well as stall for time) by focusing on Petraeus -- President Bush's "main man" in Iraq -- and his report to Congress. But now it turns out it that White House aides will actually write the "Petraeus Report," not the general himself.

And although Petraeus has a long history of literally and figuratively playing the good soldier for Bush, it appears that the president still doesn't trust him enough to stay on message under the congressional klieg lights.

Polling data show that the majority of Americans favor the initiation of impeachment proceedings against George Bush, Dick Cheney, and other high administration officials, and no segment of the nation is more lopsidedly pro-impeachment than black America.  But the only man who can pull the trigger and initiate impeachment proceedings is Detroit's 40 year congressman and dean of the Congressional Black Caucus, John Conyers.  But so far, he won't.  Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., president of the Hip Hop Caucus, a former Conyers protege, wants the Congressman to rejoin his constituents on the vital issue of impeachment before another Katrina happens, or before the Bush administration launches another illegal war. 

http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php?

Listen to your base Democrats!

Would it be too much to ask in which state Montgomery county is located?  I'm deducing that perhaps since Philladelphia is mentioned, it's in Pennsylvania.  But, it could be New Jersey, or Maryland or Tennessee or Texas or Alabama.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nati...

Gotta get those drugs distributed better and take ALL the jobs away from American truckers. (I wonder if I've been watching too much Lou Dobbs).

Aug. 17, 2007, 9:00PM
Mexican trucks may get full access to U.S. highways

By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN
Associated Press

Good Luck Pennsylvania!!!
...sorry, all my family is on the Western side of PA...you know, good 'ol strong Blue Steel country. :)

184.

Tom, the Michigan Poll results were:


Gore 36 percent

Clinton 32 percent

Obama 16 percent

Edwards 8 percent


http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...

Montgomery County PA is one of those counties that doesn't have much in common with the Red States and so should be ripe for the picking now that the GOP is the party of declining home values, and uncertain retirements.

our geneological quest on the way to Deanfest I led our family to spend a day in Montgomery County and I had the best Deli sandwich of my life there, so I'm partial to seeing that county turn blue

but when you have it that good I don't know that the classic Democratic message of change is appropriate

competence might be the ticket

Alachua Contact info....email them, they must intervene on the abuse and their abuse of their position to SERVE the people.

Mayor Gib Coerper
Seat 3; term expires in April 2008

gcoerper@cityofalachua.com
P.O. Box 807
Alachua, FL 32616-0807

Home: 462-2265

and

Vice-Mayor Bonnie Burgess
Seat 2; term expires in April 2010


bburgess@cityofalachua.com


I have also called the Governor, but of course they try to tell you to contact the Mayor. But he is ultimately responsible, as much as they want to brush it off. He should be "filled" in on the situation to intervene, as well, regardless that they don't want to.

Contact the Governor or Lt. Governor By Mail or Telephone
Telephone:
Citizen Services Hotline: (850) 488-4441
Executive Office of the Governor Switchboard: (850) 488-7146 [Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time]
Fax: (850) 487-0801
For individuals with hearing loss or speech disability:
1-850-922-7795 (TTY)
OR
711 (Florida Telecommunication Relay)
Mailing Address

Office of Governor Charlie Crist
State of Florida
PL-05 The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Delivery Address

Office of Governor Charlie Crist
State of Florida
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001

EMAIL
http://www.flgov.com/contact_form

tracking polls in Iowa show Clinton and Obama both losing ground during the "spat" a la Dean and Gephardt so right now would be a good time for Gore to jump in here too

I don't see him doing it while Edwards leads though.

Michigan jumping to the 15th of January destroys the party rules, everything else is just calendar, so is a direct attack on Howard

Hi blog!

We're up and eating breakfast finally. Quintus, mataliandy and Reed just got here and Thankful just got up. My mom, me, and Subway got up early (although I see he was blogging at 3am on HEP!)

doesn't my idea of a six-eight week absentee ballot only, 50 state simultaneous voting for the allocation of delegates to the National Convention, look better every day

sure it does

I was surprised the other day when even Hillary wanted the moving up of the calendar to end, because in my way of thinking candidates with money get the edge.

they also face voter fatigue though and no one wants to see negative ads the week before Christmas

Thank you for posting this info, Linda*SF*NM.

This guy expresses to a T how I feel about Charlie G:

http://www.highspringsherald.com/article...

Charlie Grapski could have been an Alachua City Commissioner or even a state representative. He’s certainly got the smarts for either job and he probably can out-hustle most opponents.

But Grapski’s weakness is the way he approaches problems.

He yells. He gets in your face. He loses his temper. Even if you think he’s right, you really don’t want to be around him because of the way he acts.

Grapski once boasted about how he went to Alachua City Hall -- when it was in the mobile homes -- and demanded public records. He even has video of it. Grapski may very well have been right in his demands but the way Grapski was asking for and demanding the records was not what a civil person does.

To be truthful, if a person came to this newspaper and acted that way, we would have called the police.

Article continues...

donna try to get Charlie to eat if you make contact

13. Jessica please tell Subway I gave a Euro to every street musician I enjoyed in Milan and thought of him when I did it. One young guy sang Italian songs and accompanying himself on the accordian. I stood across the street till he finished this great song, then clapped loudly and yelled Bravo. I think I embarrassed the h*ll out of him.

Dear Mayor Gib Coerper and Vice-Mayor Bonnie Burgess
...(copying by webform after my initial call to Governor Crist)

Your immediate intervention on the abuse of power and physical abuse of a citizen/activist, Charles Grapski, by your city officials is required immediately. Please release him from jail, give him the medical attention he deserves and needs and drop all charges immediately.

Charles Grapski is being held in jail, shackled, not receiving medical attention he needs, and is the recipient of abuse and mistreatment. All on most likely a planned entrapment, according to the details we have, and with trumped up charges. Allegations made-it seems by their own doing.

Mr. Grapski is a great and model citizen, but apparently not for those who wish to conduct themselves criminally. Mr. Grapski is the recipient of Alachua City Manager Clovis Watson Jr.'s wrath, for breaking open the voting fraud and his improper pension he is receiving (as Governor Crist even wrote as Attorney General, wrote in a document on dual office holding that law enforcement officers cannot also hold another office in a municipality) you cannot have dual salary, now saving the citizens $1000,000.00 already. If you don't stop Mr. Watson's over abuse of power, denying rights, physical harassment and abuse of a citizen, something even worse may happen. Please free and drop all charges and give medical attention to Charlie Grapski now. I ask you to act immediately.

Here are some articles for your reference.
http://www.highspringsherald.com/article...

and

"In the High Springs Herald...
Having not eaten since Sunday night, Alachua political activist Charlie Grapski sat in a jail cell interview room Thursday and made allegations of mistreatment by police and of inadequate medical treatment or no treatment at all inside the county jail.

With multiple black bruises on his arms, a 2-inch cut on his face and sleepy, red eyes, Grapski sat in a locked room at the Alachua County jail and spoke with High Springs Herald Editor Ronald Dupont Jr., who sat on the other side of a steel grate.

At least four times during the interview, Grapski stopped talking, stared partway at the ceiling and lost track of time until Dupont called his name."

http://www.highspringsherald.com/article...


I look forward to your actions and reply.

Sincerely,

Linda

(I am a proud member of Charles Grapski's country-wide network)
and

"In the High Springs Herald...
Having not eaten since Sunday night, Alachua political activist Charlie Grapski sat in a jail cell interview room Thursday and made allegations of mistreatment by police and of inadequate medical treatment or no treatment at all inside the county jail.

With multiple black bruises on his arms, a 2-inch cut on his face and sleepy, red eyes, Grapski sat in a locked room at the Alachua County jail and spoke with High Springs Herald Editor Ronald Dupont Jr., who sat on the other side of a steel grate.

At least four times during the interview, Grapski stopped talking, stared partway at the ceiling and lost track of time until Dupont called his name."

http://www.highspringsherald.com/article...


I look forward to your actions and reply.

Sincerely,

Linda Perrone
Santa Fe, NM
(I am a proud member of Charles Grapski's country-wide network)

oops, sorry, my uncorrect one got attached there.

Just ignore the 2nd repeat)

Our RIGHTS!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=...

Charlie is being smart being highly visible after costing the center of the corruption big bucks. Whatever it takes to get the media involved.

that article refers to the guy that Charlie thinks is in on it, in a positive light ,so I would take that writer with a grain of salt, Annilow

Remember when Alachua City Hall burned down.  Really strange.   Here is a write up about it.

Alachua City Hall catches fire, records burn.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/730

Here is a post that pulls together some of the Grapski stuff...even the cartoon Jake Fuller did about him  which was not bad at all.  More insulting to Clovis Watson.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/714

Also this one.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/432

Sort of pulls stuff together.

Phil, yes, I copied in for the city to see, Olberman, nighline, cnn, etc.

22. Okay Phil -- I know protestors are not always (often?) polite and welcome. Look at Cindy Sheehan. I don't mean to put words in the mouth of another of our southern posters (while I proceed to do so lol) but reading between the lines in his posts last night I sensed something of what I've been feeling which is a healthy respect for the folks in charge around here. When I first moved here I proudly displayed my Dean and Kerry signs in the yard and not long after my house got egged. It was Halloween, but all the same. I keep a low profile. On the other hand, I still say that editorial says it all. I've lived all over the country and I think civil, calm, polite usually wins the day, certainly so down here.

OH and hubby just reminded me. Anyone down in Florida, Michael Canney-is it? (for Charles Grapski)

If you all can make a video and upload it to current tv, we can all vote and make sure it gets played on air!

http://www.current.tv/

Annilow

Did Dean scream, or did a directional mike made it seem so?

off for the day

yeah, me too, so much to do.

BE WELL ALL.


{{{CHARLES GRAPSKI}}}

sending strength and wishes.

From HEP

I received this via email from Charlie's friend Taryn:



There's lots more to report, but the Herald at least covers current events here in a relatively balanced way. Charlie Grapski didn't assault any cops - this arrest was payback for investigating corruption and exposing Watson's pension scam. Charlie is facing six felonies this time, and a $60,000 bond...

If you want to help out:
Call the jail and ask that Charlie Grapski receive proper medical attention.

Call Governor Crist and ask that he appoint a special prosecutor to look into public corruption in Alachua..

Send a donation of any size to Grapski Defense, PO Box 190, Alachua FL 32616.
listener 08.18.07 - 12:21 pm


OK, really gone now

I received this via email from Charlie's friend Taryn:


There's lots more to report, but the Herald at least covers current events here in a relatively balanced way. Charlie Grapski didn't assault any cops - this arrest was payback for investigating corruption and exposing Watson's pension scam. Charlie is facing six felonies this time, and a $60,000 bond...

If you want to help out:
Call the jail and ask that Charlie Grapski receive proper medical attention.

Call Governor Crist and ask that he appoint a special prosecutor to look into public corruption in Alachua..

Send a donation of any size to Grapski Defense, PO Box 190, Alachua FL 32616.

~~~~~

Well, I sent Editor Dupont's article about what happened to Charlie
to National Nurse Teri.
She read it through and said she does think it sounds like a head injury.

~~~~~ 

Anyone got a phone number for the jail?

I'm guessing they won't care a wit what we ask for.
It might have to come from an authority.
What's the best way to press that?
I agree the Mayor is not going to be much help.
And the Governor's office would rather not deal with it,
but Governor Crist is actually a decent person, as I understand it.

{ { { {  ♥ Linda*in*SFNM! ♥  } } } }

Thank-you so much for all you are doing for Charlie!!!! 

LOL!  Same page, Linda!  Great minds and all that!!   :-D

So, where's the CHARLIE BAT, HQ????

27. lol - just a silent Dean for America sign

annilow--the people in charge are supposed to be the American people.  The agents of government work for us.

Perhaps, if I hadn't personally been slammed upside a cruiser and handcuffed before being shoved inside because I  dared to challenge the legality of a police officer's behavior, I might give law enforcement the benefit of the doubt.  If I hadn't been threatened with arrest not too long ago because an officer didn't like my attitude (I questioned his assertion that I hadn't used my right turn signal), I might be more inclined to give law enforcement the benefit of the doubt.

Never mind that EVERYONE is considered innocent until PROVEN guilty in a court of law and that presumption is not just a rhetorical device to prompt an argument. 

Break from the boxes ...

My husband has sent this story off to the kids in an attempt to convince them that we spent the day this way. LOL

Had it not been for the boxes, possibly so, and it would have been for a good cause.

Can you imagine the reception in the good old USA if this had happened there?

=====================
600 strip naked on glacier in global warming protest
Chilling message from wear-nothing activists to do-nothing politicians
18 August 2007

Switzerland — An emergency provokes extreme responses: human beings in danger will abandon social niceties, etiquette, and the norms of acceptable behaviour to raise an alarm any way they can when lives are in danger. Today, six hundred people shed their clothes on a glacier in the Swiss Alps to bodily cry out for help against a planetary emergency: global warming.

[...]
[Note: I LOVE this warning but it isn't story that has it.]

Parental warning: the story below contains nudity

[...]
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/...

Impeach VP Cheney......

Two more signers to HRes 333 !!!

*******Rep. Steve Cohen
*******Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

That makes 19

Rep. Jerrold Nadler is the chr. of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties where the bill sits.
Rep. John Conyers is the chr. of the Judiciary Comm.
Neither has scheduled.
Without favorable action on Pelosi's part this bill will remain in comm., NEVER to receive a vote.

We know what to do. a huge thank you for the two new signers. Then Nadler, Conyers and Pelosi need to hear from us with an appropriate reply.
Capitol switch board...1-877-331-1223


Let them hear from "OUR STREET" !!!!!!!!!!!

35.

Monica Smith
Sat, 08/18/07
12:42 pm

There's a way to disagree without affronting people. Maybe you have to be born down here. At any rate I'm afraid we must agree to disagree. And quite frankly I don't disagree with cops out in the field ever. Get the ticket. Tell the judge. Get a lawyer maybe. But argue with a cop. Not me.

36. Cool -- no pun intended.

35.

Monica Smith
Sat, 08/18/07
12:42 pm

Reply to this
annilow--the people in charge are supposed to be the American people. The agents of government work for us.

Tell that to Bush, Cheney and your Democrats in Congress.

Indeed, every chance I get.  It's what I do from morning to night.

Tell that to Bush, Cheney and your Democrats in Congress.

Hi everyone,

If you want to deposit money into Charlie's jail inmate account so he can buy items that he'll need while in jail here is the info:

Call 1-888-277-2535 They are going to need a few items of info, and you'll need a debit or credit card

Charlie's booking # is DOJ02MNI064169 (some of those are zeroes)

Facility Code is GNV

Pay location code is 5500 (those are zeros)

The max you can give is $100 and there is a small fee of $5.

They will ask you for your personal info, includiung card billing address, phone number, last four digits of your Social, your birthdate, etc.

Nice people - I asked where they are located and they are in Chicago! (natch)

The mayor and vice mayor of Alachua are his ENEMIES by the way

I agree that there are probably better ways to challenge the powers that be. But even if a citizen doesn't go about these things in the most polished way, I think that citizen has the right not to be brutalized by government officials and denied medical care.  I'm funny that way...

Here it comes -- the United States of Meximericanada. Gotta fatten the pockets of the Bushes and Cheneys and prolly the Clintons too. I must say in EU it is nice at border crossings (there really aren't any) and in not having to exchange $ all the time. One advantage of Meximericanada might be -- if we ever get used to it -- not in my lifetime -- is that we can get cheap dentistry, nursing homes, etc down there. Just gotta learn to work the system that's dealt ya I guess. Would have been nice if the 'public servants' had consulted us, that's all.

=========================================

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070818/ap_o...

Bush to tighten ties with Mexico, Canada
By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 18 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Never fond of interrupting his Texas vacation, President Bush is doing it this year to bolster ties with the leaders of Canada and Mexico, two friendly neighbors and vital partners.
snip to
Underlying those points are technical but important matters, such as aligning border-crossing procedures and commercial standards.

44.

Renee in Ohio
Sat, 08/18/07
2:13 pm

Me too -- that's why the Padilla case is so upsetting.

43.

Denise
Sat, 08/18/07
2:12 pm

Hey Denise -- I don't know what you are referring too exactly here --- the article I linked at 16. was an editorial from the High Springs newspaper. Not that that makes it unbiased of course -- it's just that it wasn't the City Gov't.

Sheriff Sadie Darnell
367-4019 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday

This person is most likely to help him. She is the person he was asking for when he was being brutalized.

Area code is 352 for Sheriff Darnell

A great quote I just heard from Kevin Costner in the Postman.

"Wouldn't it be great if wars could be fought by the @ssholes who started them"

Good morning.  This just came in the mail.  It's a Billy Joel song with subliminal messages and fantastic video.

http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/%7Eyeli23/Flash/Fire.html 

Annilow - Bonnie Burgess and Mayor Gib Coerper are part of the corrupt individuals in the city of Alachua that put Charlie in this position. Coerper is the new mayor, taking the place of Jean Calderwood in the past election there.

Jean is now one of the city commissioners.

He has no friends on that commission. None.

When I was at DemFest Charlie filled me and others in on the whole spiderweb of corrupt individuals involved in all of this.

Gib, Bonnie (who he was going to run against when he was a candidate), Jean, Hugh, and Clovis Watson are all together in this.

That was my point.

I've seen a lot crazy crap on this blog over time, but siding with corrupt public officials against a real "reformer with results" takes the cake. 

Here is a link to the Alachua City Commission. No one on this list is a friend of Charlie's or will lift a finger to help him. If you've been following what has been happening to him closely, you'd understand.

I agree that trying to be reasonable and polite is the best way to go, but my opinion is that won't work with this group of thugs.

http://www.cityofalachua.com/index.asp?T...{E61193EA-58FE-440E-B85B-C3BDC8A870CE}

tracking polls in Iowa show Clinton and Obama both losing ground during the "spat" a la Dean and Gephardt so right now would be a good time for Gore to jump in here too

Gore needs to keep letting the others bludgeon each other through the fall. Patience will be rewarded. And he doesn't even need to participate in Iowa -- which is bogus anyway -- but wait for the true and unmanipulatable election in NH.

53

You got that right Sitka

These people are not REASONABLE people. I'd leave them alone and try to do what is best for Charlie at the moment, which is to donate money to him while in jail, if one can afford it or wants to, and to try to get him bailed out.

I'm happy to donate to his bail fund if there was a way we could collect that money in one central place and get it down to his friend M. Canney so he can physically get Charlie processed out of the jail.

Just got a response to my e-mail from Charles Little, Charlie's lawyer friend:

"Thank you for your encouragement. Publicizing these episodes widely
may be a big help. With the notable exception of the High Springs Herald
and less so TV channel 20, local media have either been against
Charlie or virtually noncommital. The Gainesville Sun (a NYT paper) is the
most influential media outlet here. Although its reporters have not
been unfriendly when episodes occur, the newspaper has steadfastly refused
to invest resources in investigating the numerous charges of
illegality and corruption that Charlie has attempted to bring to the public and
do something about.
Charlie has no money. Hence, any financial contribution to his
bail and defense would help. By copy of this I am putting you in touch
with Michael Canney, who is a close colleague of Charlie. Michael is
trying to organize an effort to finance a defense. Thanks again for writing."

listener posted the Grapski Defense info above:   Grapski Defense, PO Box 190, Alachua FL 32616.

Thanks donna!

Oops, Charles Little s/b Joseph Little. 

Is it a good idear to post Charlie's plight on other blogs?  Little seems to think we should make noise about this.  I don't want to do him more harm than good with the Alachua Kabal.