Today's inspirational message: Dean is first.

Howard Dean inspires me EVERY day!  he is, indeed, FIRST. 

Paul Hacket, thanks for staying in the fight for democracy!

Phil, RE: and those in Congress since that have funded it with their votes?

-- response is on the last thread.  ;)

Another excellent first by Tom.  Howard Dean is indeed inspiring.

I say let the media play the Rev Wright tape over and over.  People will discuss and digest.  When the general election comes and the repugs use it, it will be ineffective.

I stated on the previous thread, I see nothing wrong with what Rev Wright said.  He may be a little over exuberant, but he did not lie.  My husband who is a very calm person, turned and asked me is that what the big deal is about?

http://tomwyka.com/redesign/video.html

when Tom posted his link it didn't stick, this should work

Jo

I think the fact that Democrats controlled Congress hadn't set in yet last January, but had they forced Bush to veto and veto and veto and veto their attempts to draw down the troops this election would be an up or down vote on continuing the war

the people would have a clear choice when they voted

with either Clinton or Obama, so now there wouldn't be the temptation for one or the other to leave some troops to get an advantage with this or that primary voter group

'Obama chooses reconciliation over rancor'

Candidate (Clinton) traveling to Michigan to plead for new Democratic primary...

"The Michigan Legislature, which would vote on approving a new election, is deeply torn on it because of cost, legal questions and logistical difficulties.

Michigan legislators themselves have indicated there isn’t enough legislative support for a revote, and Senator Clinton’s own Michigan co-chair said that a revote ‘wouldn’t make much difference"

What this article failed to point out is the Michigan Legislature is Republican-controlled and they aren't going to approve a re-do.

Paul Hackett is an American hero.

Here's editorials from around the country about another American hero:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/3...

will biden hold hearings on winter soldier?

Don't hold your breath!

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_linda_mi_080319_corporate_media_igno.htm

The Winter Soldier tribunal in 1971 led to an invitation to the veterans to testify before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in 1973, then chaired by Senator J. William Fulbright. The testimony before the Fulbright Committee was so powerful that it helped to expedite the end of the Vietnam War. A similar invitation to testify before the current Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, chaired by Joe Biden, should be extended to today's Winter Soldiers. Should that happen, as it should, C-SPAN would hopefully televise the event, which would increase the audience significantly. Conservatives, centrists and progressives are all devoted viewers of C-SPAN. One can only hope Senator Biden exercises his patriotism and "support for the troops" to extend them this invitation.

What say you, Senator Biden and the members of your committee? Will you invite the Winter Soldiers to be heard?

10:40am

I actually think Obama would win Michigan. Hillary should be careful what she wishes for.

Here's some rumor about the pending Edwards endorsement. Apparently he's to be on Leno tomorrow night. After what Leno said about Obama's speech last night, endorsing HRC might be an uncomfortable moment for Johnnie Breck:

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/arch...

Bush's War still supported by Dems

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/80121/

If i didn't know better i'd think that Phil was making excuses for the complicity of Congress - even since the 2006 election.

... maybe i'm still asleep, still having that 5 year nightmare.


yeah... Biden will get right on pointing out the warcrimes he authorized.

If events from yesterday weren't astonishing and revelatory enough, I've got more blockbuster news:  At myDD, there's a diary so heartfelt and personal that I'm going to promote it and quote some of it here.  As an aside, I am well acquainted as a local with almost all of the geographic, historical, and news item descriptions contained in the diary, and find the entire piece, by a poster named grassrootsorganizer, disarmingly honest and direct.  It's among the recommended diaries there right now.

"I am a white woman, in my fifties, a 'Clintonista' perhaps not all that different in some respects from Obama's grandmother.  Until yesterday I would not have voted for Obama for a number of reasons, the Wright flap just the latest.  But something moved in me yesterday.  Obama is changing my mind and opening my eyes.

"Few people outside of Michigan realize it is the most racially segregated state in the country; if you are black in Michigan there is a 99% chance you live south of Eight Mile, in Detroit proper or in one of her inner 'black' suburbs, or within the  confines of Saginaw, Flint, Benton Harbor or another economically ravaged industrial city in the south.  If you are white you almost certainly live anyplace but.  You may live in a rural area or a small town, a northern city or most likely in one of the white suburbs that range in affluence and ring each black crumbled urban core.  If you are black you no doubt live somewhere with few jobs, poor schools, abandoned buildings, overgrown parks, few places to shop and a decimated infrastructure.  The shuttered factories are in your neighborhood; the 'high-tech' opportunities are in places you cannot reach on public transportation.  Integration never happened in Michigan, save for precious few neighborhoods in a college town or two, and racial tensions are palable whereever integration exists without affluence.

" . . . .

"And then I saw it.  Obama opened my eyes, not for the first time certainly,  but to a much deeper place.   I recognized the black people around me, getting in and out of their cars, struggling with carts of lumber, dodging the rain, hurried, relaxed, casual, over-burdened, families and handymen,  as at once no different from me and yet so profoundly unlike me in how they are ghettoized and marginalized.  Compared to my local Home Depot the vehicles were older and less impressive, the carts were not as full, the voices were louder and perhaps more urgent.  Being black in Detroit is to always be walking upstream.

"It hit me as I sat there that in this neighborhood in particular few of these folks had jobs outside of the service sector, money had to be tighter, opportunities had to be fewer.  And of course yes the aspirations were the same -- to do the best for the children, to care well for the loved ones, to create a safe and pleasant home, to earn and watch money and have some time left at the end of the day to relax -- but against a torrent of obstacles moving against you.

"Yesterday Obama the man spoke about the obvious and the unspeakable,  and Obama the phenomenon moved something in me and perhaps in many others black and white.  Here in Detroit, in my limited observation, the tension seemed ratcheted down more than a little.  The smiles across the racial divide seemed a more genuine, the struggles just a little more shared.  With one foot planted on either side of the division, refusing to deny either, Obama asks us all to honor our old uncles and intolerant fathers while opening our eyes to each other."

More at this link.

IS IRAN NEXT?

http://www.counterpunch.org/cohn03182008.html

The White House has been spewing pugilistic rhetoric toward Iran. In spite of the unanimous conclusion of the 16 U.S. intelligence agencies that Iran is not developing nukes, Bush immediately declared, "I have said Iran is dangerous, and the NIE estimate doesn't do anything to change my opinion about the danger Iran poses to the world--quite the contrary."

News reports on Monday announced that Dick Cheney is on a surprise weeklong visit to Iraq, Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Turkey. High on Cheney's agenda is the topic of U.S. policy toward Iran.

Connect the dots. They paint a very frightening picture.

DON'T EXPECT ANY SIGNIFICANT OPPOSITION FROM CONGRESSIONAL DEMS OR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

11:05AM

If Biden refuses to hold hearings on Winter Soldier, like his illustrious predecessor William Fulbright did over 35 years ago, he'll prove conclusively that he's all mouth and no action.

McCain has been brainwashed by Cheney's D1ck, apparently...


http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail...

A McCain Gaffe in Jordan
By Cameron W. Barr and Michael D. Shear
AMMAN, Jordan -- Sen. John McCain, traveling in the Middle East to promote his foreign policy expertise, misidentified in remarks Tuesday which broad category of Iraqi extremists are allegedly receiving support from Iran.

He said several times that Iran, a predominately Shiite country, was supplying the mostly Sunni militant group, al-Qaeda. In fact, officials have said they believe Iran is helping Shiite extremists in Iraq.

...

Pressed to elaborate, McCain said it was "common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that's well known. And it's unfortunate." A few moments later, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, standing just behind McCain, stepped forward and whispered in the presidential candidate's ear. McCain then said: "I'm sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al-Qaeda."

11:16 AM EST

Tom -

I just heard from a friend of mine (a longtime supporter of Obama) today who said that his closest friend (who lives in Indiana) had a change of heart.

That friend of his, who's been a Edwards supporter but was lukewarm about H Clinton and didn't feel he knew enough about Obama to decide one way or another, decided yesterday to go with Obama, after he heard the A More Perfect Union speech.

Tom Bearse - thanks for linking the diary from my dd. It's the best thing I've read over there in a long time. Wow, just wow.

---------
People are free to endorse whomever they wish but if Edwards does choose Hillary - that would be more than disappointing. IMO, that would expose him for who he really is. I know that sounds harsh but after the way she has run her campaign and the lack of transparency she exhibits - it would in fact, disgust me.

John,

Thank you for all your stalwart posts.  They are much appreciated.

McCain then said: "I'm sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al-Qaeda."

There's no evidence of that either--so why aren't our courageous Democrats blasting him?

11:21 AM EST

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7304300.stm

The war has been far more costly than planned because it has gone on so long.

That has led to growing spending on procurement, to replace ammunition and vehicles, as well as higher costs for the large numbers of troops on the ground.

In fact, the yearly cost has doubled since the 2003 appropriation of $74bn - which the Bush administration expected to be the total cost of the war.

'Necessary costs'

According to President George W Bush, speaking at the Pentagon on 19 March, it has been a cost worth paying.

...

soooo, BFA is unaware of the what is happening in D.C. today??

Opponents of Iraq War Plan Series of Protests

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...

By Michael E. Ruane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 18, 2008; Page B04

Antiwar protesters said yesterday that they plan a series of demonstrations starting this evening and lasting through tomorrow that could disrupt traffic, hamper commuters and block access to some buildings in downtown Washington.


"We believe it will be an unprecedented day of action," said Lisa Fithian of the 5 Years Too Many coalition. "There will be people coming from almost 40 states to bring their message to those . . . that are promoting . . . and profiting from war.

soooo, BFA is unaware of the what is happening in D.C. today??

Some of us are, and are supportive.

Trust me John, i didn't condone the d!ck whispering in McInsane ear, nor the puppet's mouthing his words. lol

John wrote "If Biden refuses to hold hearings on Winter Soldier, like his illustrious predecessor William Fulbright did over 35 years ago, he'll prove conclusively that he's all mouth and no action."

You don't think he's managed to prove this before now?  

o.k. i'll do the honor

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/7...

Tens of thousands of protesters across the world have taken part in a day of protests demanding the withdrawal of US and British troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

...

'War crimes'

Caroline Lucas, the Green Party's member of the European Parliament, called for Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, and Gordon Brown to be prosecuted for war crimes.

"They need to know you cannot bomb your way to peace," she said.

HELP BEAT McCain!

---

http://www.sierrastar.com/news/story/144...

Radanovich votes no on tax act

Congressman George Radanovich (R-Mariposa) released the following statement recently after voting against H.R. 5341, the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act.

"For the fourth time this Congress, the Democrat majority has insisted on bringing to the floor an energy tax bill that gives billions of dollars of tax breaks, credits and incentives to renewable energy but forces domestic oil and gas energy producers to pay for those incentives with a $16 to $21 billion tax increase.

"Let's be clear: We should be encouraging the production of renewable energy. We should be encouraging the production of all domestic energy. However, let's also be clear that the American public should not suffer an increase in energy costs due to politically motivated legislation that reduces domestic energy production.

"Not only does this bill increase taxes on American energy companies, it creates a tax advantage for anti-American dictator Hugo Chavez's gas and oil company, CITGO.

"Listening to the majority in this Congress, it is strikingly obvious that they are determined to vilify the oil and gas industry for merely being successful -- making profits. Perhaps they are making profits because quite simply there is a very large demand for their product and the renewable energy available in this country is a drop in the bucket compared to what we need.

"Yet, the majority in the House of Representatives would have you believe the renewable energy incentives contained in this legislation are the silver bullets to America's dependence on oil. That is not only false, but disingenuous to the American people who will undoubtedly see a significant increase in gas prices as a result of this bill. Prices have already increased by nearly 40 percent since the Democrats took control of Congress.

"The bottom line is that we should never discourage any domestic energy production, especially for political gain."

---

My ultra-right wing Congressman George Radanovich 19th CD-CA and long time buddy of Richard Pombo has NO Democratic opponent in the next election. He has returned to business as usual. He and his wife are huge NRCC fundraisers and you can count on them both being out there raising money hand over fist to help beat Jerry McNerney in the next election.

With NO Democratic opponent Radanovich and Buddies can now freely continue to uphold the ultra-ringers' corporate status quo in DC.

Please help Jerry's re-election.

Progressives and Democrats for Jerry McNerney re-election.

Batter swing: http://jerrymcnerney.org/

Note: In 2006, Congressman McNerney made congressional history when he became the only candidate in California to beat an incumbent and the only candidate in the United States to defeat a sitting House committee chairman. He is now serving his first term in the House of Representatives.

Ranked as the #2 incumbent race in the nation and the #2 target for removal by the NRCC, shadowy Republican-controlled groups have already begun flooding the airwaves in his district with misleading and false attack ads. His race is expected to be one of the most competitive congressional races for 2008.

Take a swing, please contribute NOW to Jerry's re-election.

Here: http://jerrymcnerney.org/

I have requested over and over again for well over 2 years to get the DNC to place the Sierra Star on it's media list. The media outreach folks at the DNC just don't seem to get the picture about the rural high Sierras in California and our ultra right-wingers in the gerrymandered districts.

Please contact the DNC ask them to place the Sierra Star on their media list and at the DNC partybuilder.

HERE: http://www.democrats.org/page/s/contact

The Sierra Star
49165 Crane Valley Rd [426] | PO Box 305 |
Oakhurst, CA 93644-8621
Phone (559) 683-4464 | Fax (559) 683-8102
www.sierrastar.com
Member:
California Newspaper Publishers Association
National Newspaper Association

btw, My Congressman's DC nickname is Yosemite Sam. He would like to see Yosemite and every other National park sold off to the highest corporate bidder. These days that would be China. How else are the Republicans going to pay off the National Debit they created but to sell off these great National treasures and our public lands piece by piece.

http://www.house.gov/radanovich/Biograph...

Radanovich's Congressional Committees:

Energy and Commerce

Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection
Subcommittee on the Environment and Hazardous Materials
Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet

Radanovich's Leadership Positions:

Co-Chair of the Water Caucus
Co-Chair of the Congressional Wine Caucus
Co-Chair of the Congressional Croatian Caucus
Former Chairman of Water and Power Subcommittee
Member of NEPA (National Environment Policy Act) Task Force
Member of HEAT (House Energy Action Team)

11:40 AM EST

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/politics/story/308803.html

Posted on Wed, Mar. 19, 2008

Barack Obama says the Iraq war has left the United States less safe yet has emboldened al-Qaida, the Taliban, Iran and North Korea.

In a speech not far from North Carolina's Fort Bragg military base, the Democratic presidential hopeful told military families and local officials the war must end.

Obama criticized both Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee. Obama says they talk tough on national security yet make decisions that leave the country less secure.

...

Jeff Taylor, on Iraq's impact

http://www.counterpunch.org/taylor03192008.html

Despite its generally negative impact--in many important ways to many people--I do not think the Iraq War will dramatically change U.S. foreign policy in the future and will not be seen as a turning point in any major sense. The next administration, even under Obama or Clinton leadership, is likely to continue business-as-usual around the world, including overseas military intervention having nothing to do with U.S. national security. This has been the bipartisan elite consensus for a century and is unlikely to change any time soon.

For those of you who were expecting change.....

11:41 am

My peeps, from days long ago...

The People's Coalition of Santa Barbara, Cali

http://www.swt.org/temp/humanpeace/

If i didn't know better i'd think that Phil was making excuses for the complicity of Congress - even since the 2006 election.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

re read what I posted

I'm sick of pretending that Obama has done everything he could to end the war, and the people were plenty clear enough with their votes.

Kyl Lieberman puts Clinton in an even worse class

4.

Karen
Wed, 03/19/08


Unfortunately, the top brass of the DLC had to really learn the hard way not to continue their disastrous insider polices of making deals with the Republicans in regards to Democratic primary elections. The era of the DLC's "Culture of Losing" mentality is over. The 50 State Strategy is in full swing.

Phil wrote "I'm sick of pretending that Obama has done everything he could to end the war, and the people were plenty clear enough with their votes."

Jo gave a very cogent and thoughtful response to this sentiment, which you're repeating without any rejoinder. 

Why Edwards won't endorse Hillary.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/3...

I think this diary is more of a pre-emptive strike if you will. In other words, read this John before you dare go there.

12:07 PM EST

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/gGBFrl#comment-gPz22

...

The World Beyond Iraq

Senator Barack Obama
March 19, 2008

Just before America's entry into World War I, President Woodrow Wilson addressed Congress: "It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war," he said. "...But the right is more precious than peace." Wilson's words captured two awesome responsibilities that test any Commander-in-Chief – to never hesitate to defend America, but to never go to war unless you must. War is sometimes necessary, but it has grave consequences, and the judgment to go to war can never be undone.

...

The situation is grave- New Poll from Reuters/Zogby today:

McCain leads 46 percent to 40 percent in a hypothetical matchup against Obama in the November presidential election, according to the poll.

That is a sharp turnaround from the Reuters/Zogby poll from last month, which showed in a head-to-head matchup that Obama would beat McCain 47 percent to 40 percent.

"The last couple of weeks have taken a toll on Obama and in a general election match-up, on both Democrats," said pollster John Zogby.

Matched up against Clinton, McCain leads 48 percent to 40 percent, narrower than his 50 to 38 percent advantage over her in February.

"It's not surprising to me that McCain's on top because there is disarray and confusion on the Democratic side," Zogby said

LOL, only the dems could take a can't lose election and because of the vanity of the Clintons, throw it all away.  Chicken's coming home to roost???

11.

mary vb
Wed, 03/19/08

Here, Here!

---

Rinse and repeat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcuT2kb_P...

Matt wrote "only the dems could take a can't lose election and because of the vanity of the Clintons, throw it all away.  Chicken's coming home to roost???"

What election is it exactly you believe the Democrats have lost?

Obama hit the nail on the head that rage exists in the Black community.  I learned that over the last ten years, spending a week a year in 99% black rural Jamaica.  Returning to the states reveals a hard edge and suspicion that is lacking between the races down on the island.  It is sad to realize that when you return, but it is true.  It could be so much more harmonious and uplifting here but it is not. 

There's a new thread.

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz

What a hillaroid. What a disappointment. 

Unfortunately, the top brass of the DLC had to really learn the hard way not to continue their disastrous insider polices of making deals with the Republicans in regards to Democratic primary elections. The era of the DLC's "Culture of Losing" mentality is over.

What makes you think they've changed? I've seen nothing in their political or legislative actions to indicate it. The Senate recently gave the the telecoms their immunity -- that was DLC all the way.

The 50 State Strategy is in full swing.

In fact, the Clinton campaign (as DLC as it gets) is still playing the cherry-picking game with regard to the fall election.