Bev,

 Nice post!  Maddie and I had fun joining you and Fred!  Reminds me of going to Schiff's old office and packing the room regarding the Patriot Act. 

Now that would make for an interesting action soon - getting 8-10 of us in with Congressman Schiff's legislative aide to discuss Telecom Immunity (if that will be relevant by the time we do it).

Thanks for posting this.

 Regards,

 Patrick

Times change, folks.]

There is an apparent movement separate from core DFA1.0.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Bev,

 Nice post!

~~~~~~~

See my point?

Some won't / some will.

The miraculous and the mundane are always there

~Salman Rushdie

My GG-Uncle Philander Garrison Wooster resided on Raymond AVe.

Hailed from So. Hancock, ME, BTW--not Beantown.

http://tinyurl.com/2suetw

Oh seashell, your political acumen is sorely lacking. Some of the things you say are really better off left unblogged. NO ONE will say who they want for VP, let alone their Cabinet, without having the nomination in hand first.

Your rhetoric is not flattering you at all.

________________________________________________________________________

Online polls mean nothing to those whose candidate is losing. If they can be freeped, and if Hillary has so much support, why aren't they freeped for her benefit?

Oh I know - she and her supporters are above that. And she never hems and "hod", whatever that means. She just acts like the spoiled child that she is - and it's not doing her any good, quite obviously.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

You know Denise, this was not directed to me at all, but when I read it I was really incensed. You sound so self-righteous...As if you have all the answers & You have picked the only candidate that is possible..People have the right to decide who they do or do not want. Your answers are very very personal toward the person who has a different opinion than yours. You really try to ridicule. It's not becoming at all. Obama is a great candidate. He's not who I prefer. And I believe you can support who ever you want. That's your right.

Do you think the state Constitution should be amended to define marriage as being between one man and one woman?

It's located on www.azcentral.com - scroll down to the lower left corner of the page.

51.22 - Yes

48.78 - No

4,291 votes

jao my comments have nothing to do with whom I support.

You can be incensed, as is your right. I am incensed by two so called Dean supporters who constantly come here to ridicule not only a candidate but their supporters. If you've missed that over the past few months, I'm sorry.

Pointing out that someone's political acumen is lacking is not personal. It's an observations of one's lack of understanding of political processes in general. We are here primarily to discuss just that.

Tell me, do you think that announcing one's VP and Cabinet choices before getting the actual party nomination is something that typically has happened in the history of our country? Please, educate me if it has - I'd really like to know.

If my tolerance for others does not meet your standards I'd say that's something you'll just have to live with :)

My opinion of them has nothing to do with whom they support. Sometimes the rhetoric is just unnerving to say the least, and mostly attention getting, IMO.

Thanks for your input.

For educational purposes - the Cabinet is chosen by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

How can a candidate accomplish such a feat? He or she has to first be elected.

Denise is correct~

seashell has whined for weeks & months on end since Edwards bumped out/was attempting to rack up delegates, etc.

However, being online implies that the onus of research falls upon the *end user* (he was broke--in the hole, as a matter of fact), vs. "reacting."

http://tinyurl.com/2wqx74

Any blogger who's been online for four yrs. plus should be 100% self-sufficient, re: vetting candidates (e.g., comprehending the political process, & how it works).

I'm patient w/a 6 mos. newbie, but beyond that--enroll in beginner internet research classes.

singular: class

The same is true of a twerp today on a listserve, who got all bent out of shape when I posted the NY Feminists for Obama! link.

Had the audacity to label it as 'offensive'.

He's lucky I was relatively civil...just attention-seeking behavior.

One of these control-freak (pretends to be a 60s peacenik) types.

Then, he bitched because I posted a tinyurl (he clogs inboxes with entire articles/violates copyright; & reply "me too" crap--sans editing).

I let him *have it*...haven't heard a peep.

http://tinyurl.com/3957ql

I've been using Tinyurl since it was trademarked in 2002; and have no intention of stopping.

Idiot.

Hey mainefem,

Thanks for "getting" me. Funny how the first time I've ever been addressed by jao on this blog in four years was to chastise me like I'm some kind of child. No matter, I find value in all input and try to learn from it.

My patience factor must have been borderline low tonight, but I know that you, especially, understand that tolerance is not always easy to come by when the same crap is thrown here day after day.

If jao was really paying attention he/she would understand. It's NOT about whom one does or does not support. Seashell and Linda know full well what reactions they are trying to evoke here. I fell into the trap tonight, silly me.

My state assembly person, Gene Mullin, has to step down due to term limits in place.

The candidate SMCDFA is supporting is Richard Holober, who just won the SEIU's endorsement yesterday. He is up against two very seasoned local politicians but this line from the linked article caught my eye:

Among all of the candidates, Holober now looks to be in a position of strength that, like Barack Obama, if it continues could derail even what was a presumptive candidate.

http://peninsulapolitics.blogspot.com/20...

Richard's campaign is based on mousepads and shoeleather, and it's working really well for him. At our DFA Link Up next week, all three candidates will be speaking to our group.

jao, I fully understand that the VP and cabinet is not chosen during the nomination.  I think the VP short list should be made public, but it won't be.

We need major overhauling in the political system.

I won't resort to personal attacks and snide remarks, but I'm sure some of you are very happy I'm not here much anymore.  You didn't chase me away.  I just have more interesting and better things to do with my time. 

Bye for now.  

Actually, I'll post some articles for ya'll to scroll.  :-)

**************************** 

Dems face a decision-- do the right, courageous thing, and have an opportunity for incredible new levels of long term power in congress, or reach for new lows of spineless cowardice and settle for holding on to or slightly increasing their power, for a short time, in the congress.  

I gave a talk at a local Democratic precinct last night. I started my talk asking a question.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_rob_kall_080227_impeachment_3b_a_chall.htm 

Seashell if you "fully understand" that the VP and Cabinet are not chosen during the nomination process, then what does your post #41 two threads back mean when you wrote this:

I think BO should announce his proposed cabinet and VP now. Hillary too. Voters like me who have no horse in this race deserve to know...so that maybe we can jump on one.

To me, this does not sound like the musings of someone that "gets" the process.

Sen. Byrd in Hospital After Suffering a Fall Robert Byrd, the oldest member of the U.S. Senate and a fierce opponent of the Iraq war, was being treated in a hospital on Tuesday after falling in his home late on Monday, a spokesman for the senator said.As chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Byrd has been one of several leading Democrats in Congress trying to bring the Iraq war to an end by tying troop withdrawals to war funds.

Clarifying political processes is not a personal attack, seashell. It's an observation of an incorrect assumption.

Now if you were just wishing and hoping it could be that way, that was not conveyed well in your post.

What lies deepest within us is a state of love and soul consciousness ( The Unified Field  ) which extends beyond time and space and reveals itself in its universal urge to unite. It gently holds us, as if in two giant hands, and asks only that we play our part in a universal loving plan . It also exists beyond lifetimes whereas those who we love deeply become part of us forever : Allen L Roland

The basic underlying and uniting force of the universe is a psychic energy field of universal love, within which gravitational and electromagnetic fields, the strong and weak forces in the atom, and all other forces of nature, including time and space, are merely conditions of state.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/life_a_teilhard_080227_healing_yourself_by_.htm 

Within this psychic energy field of love, paranormal events such as clairvoyance, telepathy, precognition and near-death experiences are also conditions of state.

The principle property of this field of love and soul consciousness is its propensity to unite, complete and fulfill all living beings within a constantly evolving loving plan. This field of love is the absolute constant of the universe in that within it, time and space do not exist.

Good morning, BFA ... I'm late getting on and must leave shortly, so I won't be here long. I've found that I make better time on the tail end of morning rush hour. It's either that or get up and drive at the crack of dawn ... and if I'm up that early, I'd rather do something more interesting.

The really nice thing is that soon I can just take the train and begin sparing the environment (and my nerves). I'm waiting for my official *senior citizen* card to arrive so that I can get the mass transit discount.

************
This article is from a few days back, but especially considering the latest USD:EUR ratio, should give us all serious cause for thought. It's very well done and is worth a looksee.

===========
February 23, 2008
The three trillion dollar war
The cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts have grown to staggering proportions
Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Bilmes

The Bush Administration was wrong about the benefits of the war and it was wrong about the costs of the war. The president and his advisers expected a quick, inexpensive conflict. Instead, we have a war that is costing more than anyone could have imagined.

The cost of direct US military operations - not even including long-term costs such as taking care of wounded veterans - already exceeds the cost of the 12-year war in Vietnam and is more than double the cost of the Korean War.

And, even in the best case scenario, these costs are projected to be almost ten times the cost of the first Gulf War, almost a third more than the cost of the Vietnam War, and twice that of the First World War. The only war in our history which cost more was the Second World War, when 16.3 million U.S. troops fought in a campaign lasting four years, at a total cost (in 2007 dollars, after adjusting for inflation) of about $5 trillion (that's $5 million million, or £2.5 million million).

[...]
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment...

Denise, it was musing, wishing, hoping.  I didn't convey that well.

That's cool seashell. Thanks for clarifying.

My post upthread should have fallen AFTER most of sea's.

O ye blog gods, please!

***********
Many facts about the current Euro-geopolitical situation that need to be faced are well-stated here.

===========
Russia has run rings round the west. A united Europe must stand up to it
The Kremlin runs a so-called democracy that is in fact authoritarian. At the same time it intimidates its neighbours
Timothy Garton Ash
The Guardian, Thursday February 28 2008

This presidential election is such a cliffhanger. Will it be the rising star Dmitry "Obamovich" Medvedev? Or the veteran Gennady "McCainovich" Zyuganov? Aren't we on the edge of our seats, nervously checking the latest opinion polls ahead of Sunday's vote?

Well, no. So little so, in fact, that even Hillary Clinton temporarily mislaid the name of the leading candidate in the other presidential election. Asked "Who will it be? Do you know his name?" in Tuesday's television debate with Barack Obama, she replied: "Er, Med, er, Medvedeva ... whatever ..." Imagine such an exchange 20 years ago, when there was still a Soviet Union: "Er, Gorb, er, Gorbacheva ... whatever ..."

[...]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/...

http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=6288I

begin quote:

"I think the interviewers and so forth that we've seen have pulled their punches pretty bad. Kangaroo could take em out. Questions are fluffy, and too cheesy. If this is a serious interview, here's some stuff I put together under a response on Op-ed under an article concerning impeachment of the current president:

I got some 'candidate' questions, here, since we're talking about reform and impeachment and stuff...

Candidate: Are you now, or have you ever been, a real estate agent?  

Candidate: Have you ever been in the military? If so, did you serve honorably? When did you serve, etc.  

Candidate: Got any money? If so, how much? Where'd you get it?

Candidate: What do you think of the Iraq war? Be brief, but to-the-point.

Candidate: How thorough is your understanding of the Constitution? Do you think this country is following the constitution, or only paying lip service?

Candidate: Do you believe that there is an integrity problem in our system of government? Do you intend to pay attention to that sort of thing?

Candidate: In 2007, a woman working for the property tax office in Washington, D.C. was found to be taking money out of the property tax system.  She was believed to be working with an officer of the Internal Revenue Service. If you are elected, do you intend to oversee tax system reform that will help prevent future occurrences?

Candidate:  Do you feel that the current president did a good job?

Candidate: If you commit a high crime or misdemeanor while in office, will you fight efforts to remove you or otherwise attempt to manipulate the legal system to your advantage or for other purposes? In other words, if elected, will it be your intention to actually do what it says in the Oath?

Candidate: What is your view on proper administration of the immigration system?

Candidate: Under the Bush administration, war profiteering has been discovered. What actions would you support or direct against those parties found to be conducting less-than-honest business with our government?

Candidate: Describe your understanding of the word 'equality'.

Candidate: What is your opinion of the European Union?

Candidate: What is your current assessment of the state of OUR Union?

Candidate: Given that the United States has a long history of problems along the US/Mexico border, and you are the commander-in-chief of our armed forces if elected, how will you utilize this resource to prevent future border problems?

Candidate: What is your understanding of the events of WWII?

Candidate: Will you keep your campaign promises, or are you saying things that you believe will get you elected?

Candidate: Can you build an ethanol still, or would you be willing to learn?

Candidate: Describe your understanding of the term, 'conservation'.

Candidate: How do you feel that NASA has progressed over the years in terms of achieving their stated goals?

Candidate: Other nations are also having troubles, what would you suggest in order to render enlightened assistance to them?

Candidate: Speak to the phrase, 'military-industrial complex'.

Candidate: Who was your favorite general?

Candidate: What is the capitol of Montpelier?

Candidate: Many states seem to be having problems balancing their budgets. What advice or instructions would you give them if elected?

Candidate: Religion is an issue of our times, specifically the manipulation of religious bodies or institutions or their adherents and congregation for profit and political purposes. The constitution says 'congress shall make no law', but that leaves a rather large blind spot. What would you do in order to help religious institutions remain unaffected by influences that might seek to exploit worshipers of all faiths in the United States?

(many more good questions) 

Argh ... moved upthread yet again!

***********
Totally non-political, but fun to read ... for those who remember Burt at his peak.

=============
Burt Lancaster: The last real action hero
Larger than life, both on and off the screen, Burt Lancaster richly deserves a new retrospective billing him as one of the greats, says Geoffrey Macnab
Monday, 25 February 2008

A 69-year-old Hollywood legend has just finished making his first film in Scotland. At the end of the production, the cast and crew group together to buy the star a special gift for the end-of-shoot party – a full Highland outfit, kilt, sporran et al. The star immediately strips to his underpants, in full view of his fellow guests, in order to haul his tartans on. "It was quite an amazing thing to see," the Scottish producer Iain Smith recalls.

The film is Bill Forsyth's Local Hero (1983) and the star is Burt Lancaster. As a kid growing up in Glasgow, Smith had seen Lancaster appear in one of his favourite films: The Crimson Pirate, in which Lancaster played a roistering but very nimble Jack Sparrow type.

[...]
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entert...

I have a sneaking suspicion that 'Cain is NOT Juan Cole's preferred candidate.

And this is the last for now. It would be nice if just one would fall where it should.

===============
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Obama Scores against McCain

[...]
Obama is correct that there was no al-Qaeda in Iraq before Bush overthrew the Iraqi government. I haven't been able to get anyone interested in it, but there is proof positive that the Baath authorities were very scared of al-Qaeda and that when Abu Musab al-Zarqawi showed up in Iraq, they put out an APB on him and branded him dangerous. (Dick Cheney told fairy tales about how Zarqawi was put up in fancy hotels by a solicitous Saddam.)

So to sum up, McCain shot from the hip. He grossly mischaracterized Obama's stance. He hadn't bothered to get the exact quote. Then he made wild and implausible statements about "al-Qaeda" in Iraq, alleging that they are capable of taking over the country.

[...]
http://www.juancole.com/2008/02/obama-sc...

ENERGY: Investors Warned Against Coal-Fired Power PlantsProspects for coal-fired power plants have dimmed amid soaring construction costs, regulatory uncertainty and concern about global warming, say energy economists.

MIDEAST: Many Die With Targeted Leader
By Mohammed Omer

GAZA CITY, Feb 16 (IPS) - Human remains mix with debris following the latest Israeli assault Friday on Bureij Camp in Gaza Strip. Early reports listed nine dead and more than 50 injured.

A targeted leader was killed, but many others were killed too.

"It's very hard for us to rescue, or even locate bodies beneath the building," said a medical relief worker from the local Bureij hospital.

Israel has not confirmed responsibility for the missile attack by F-16 aircraft.

"This is a barbaric crime," said Dr. Hassan Khalaf, head of the local al-Shifa hospital. "They bombed residential areas where people were sleeping in their houses."

The attack apparently targeted the house of a top leader of the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad party. The leader, Ayman al-Fayed, 42, was reported killed, along with two of his children and his wife. Other victims were from the Bureij camp.

Palestinian sources said seven houses were destroyed, and about 100 others damaged. According to hospital sources, many of the casualties were children under the age of 12, and included a baby only a few months old.

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41226 

Goodnite, Folks.  Sweet dreams.

Good morning, everybody

Going after individuals with missiles and bombs is merely a sign that the hardware has taken over the project--like picking a flower with a chain saw.  Or you could say "a failure of proportionality."

I think we are going to have to indict the use of air power as the current conflicts wind down.  Won't happen with McCain in the White House.  He's a flyboy.  

When did we stop referring to the "jet set" as a pejorative?  When everybody was able to afford a ticket? 

War on drugs --

Maybe the 'war on drugs' is really about the criminal element in the government (our government) who don't want their 'product' (from Afghanistan, for example) to have competition from Colombia. Just a thought.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2...

Sorry if this is a (tragic) repost:


Karzai only controls 1/3 of Afghanistan

By PAMELA HESS, Associated Press Writer
Thu Feb 28, 2:23 AM ET
WASHINGTON - More than six years after the U.S. invaded to establish a stable central regime in Afghanistan, the Kabul government under President Hamid Karzai controls just 30 percent of the country, the top U.S. intelligence official said Wednesday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080228/ap_o...

Obama fights false links to Islam
By JIM KUHNHENN, Associated Press Writer
Thu Feb 28, 2:22 AM ET

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080228/ap_o...

"If anyone is still puzzled about the facts, in fact I have never been a Muslim," he told the Jewish leaders in Cleveland, according to a transcript of the private session.

Denise

seashell is right that once a nomination looks apparent the courtship of the VP shortlist begins and for her with a primary the end of May might get her wish, no many conventions get to pick the VP; last visit I had with John Kerry was the 4th of July in 2004 when he was close to picking Tom Vilsack as his VP (I was the Presidential Elector)

Oregon might just be so late that they will matter as I have tried to explain, if the margin gets so large for Obama and Michigan and Florida are of no consequence in the final talley they will get seated and my pojections show Oregon to be the state that could do that.

and if Clinton through a major Obama mis-step, or a series of great events,pulls off the miracle and wins three out of four on Tuesday Oregon will be the decider

the grave dancing on the supporters of Clinton is a tad premature(just a tad)

11.

Imn2Paine
Wed, 02/27/08

Thanks for the link to the youtube of 'Calling You' last night -- also for the great candid shots of Obama.

Off to get dressed for work -- have a great day Phil & Monica.

7:30 AM EST

New Yorkers (who love Bloomberg) get their wish:

http://wcbstv.com/local/michael.bloomberg.new.2.664630.html

Feb 28, 2008 7:03 am US/Eastern

...

seashell  #28: Many Die With Targeted Leader

A tragedy if accurate, but let's not post this in a vaccum.

seashell:

The words of Hamas' Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar:

"I dream of hanging a huge map of the world on the wall at my Gaza home which does not show Israel on it...there is no place for the state of Israel on this land."
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-04/02/content_4373348.htm


"Even if the US gave us all its money in return for recognizing Israel and giving up one inch of Palestine, we would never do so even if this costs us our lives."
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1139395679160&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

 

7:46 AM EST

yeah, the repubs are happy about progress in Iraq and now want to talk about it but Iraq --

-- who's paying for it ?:

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23289155-5006003,00.html?from=public_rss

By Peter Wilson in London

February 28, 2008 12:00am

THE Iraq war has cost the US 50-60 times more than the Bush administration predicted and was a central cause of the sub-prime banking crisis threatening the world economy, according to Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz.

The former World Bank vice-president yesterday said the war had, so far, cost the US something like $US3trillion ($3.3 trillion) compared with the $US50-$US60bn predicted in 2003.

...

The spending on Iraq was a hidden cause of the current credit crunch because the US central bank responded to the massive financial drain of the war by flooding the American economy with cheap credit.

"The regulators were looking the other way and money was being lent to anybody this side of a life-support system," he said.

That led to a housing bubble and a consumption boom, and the fallout was plunging the US economy into recession and saddling the next US president with the biggest budget deficit in history, he said.

...

I really doubt whether the people who are spreading the Muslim meme about Obama care whether or not he ever was or is or will be one.  "muslim" is the new "commie" or "pink" or "faggot" or "thespian" or .........

Accusing someone of being something that they're not and holding it against them works for the simple reason that there's no way to disprove it.  In other words, it's a strategy to make someone feel impotent.  That's the point.  It's a power play.

By couching his response in terms of "if facts matter" Obama demonstrates that he knows that facts are not the issue.  Presumably, he also knows that false accusations are as numerous and true and perhaps more effective for the power hungry.  Good people are often at a disadvantage because they don't expect to be attacked for nothing, much less for doing good.

Evil needs to either destroy the good or corrupt it. 

Almost certainly organic drugs are perceived as competing with artificial drugs and their designation as "illegal" represents an effort to protect the monopoly of the "legals."  The relationship between regulation and health and safety considerations is often thin. 

I actually prefer the conservative emphasis on regulating commerce, rather than individual consumption.  Which is also why I would prefer to see office holders and candidates regulated, rather than what individual citizens do with their money.

What people inhale, ingest, inject or excrete should be none of the government's business. 

 Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

was the voice John Edwards was listening to for economic advice, and I found that so sound that I hope Obama "steals" that part of the Edwards campaign. 

Bob NJ

that was an excellent blog rebuttal

that kind of give and take is why this is my internet home page

Superdelegates use power for good, not evil By Edward Espinoza: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/020...

...For the record: I will participate in the nomination process and will fully support the eventual nominee. But it is not my desire to be the sole decider in this process, nor do I think that I will be.
Let’s start with a few facts to dispel some popular misconceptions:No presidential candidate currently holds a majority of the 796 superdelegates.

Fewer than 10 percent of the superdelegates are appointed. There are elected officials in the group, but the majority of supers are Democratic activists elected by state Democratic parties.

Most superdelegates are average people with everyday jobs, such as teachers, salespeople, IT professionals and retirees.

We attend DNC meetings twice a year, paying our own hotel and airfare costs (further demonstrating that we do not posses the superhuman ability of flight).

My life is the antithesis of a Washington insider: I earn less than six figures, I went to a state university, I rent. I was elected by the California Democratic Party to represent the voters of my state. I started as a political activist, later serving as president of the California Young Democrats and eventually moving on to work in political campaigns.

But we are now a popular topic on cable TV, in coffee shops and on blogs. Even we DNC members regularly talk about our role and how we should be involved.

Admittedly, life is more interesting these days: We have personal phone calls from former President Bill Clinton, former senators calling on behalf of Barack Obama and sit-downs with the candidates. It is flattering and quite a contrast to the normal routine work of writing campaign plans and party resolutions, conducting constituency outreach and working on the Democratic presidential nominating calendar (I was an active advocate in a two-year effort to move Nevada up in the process).

But while these phone calls and meetings are nice, they are not what ultimately will sway us. We are keenly aware of the responsibility we carry, and we take this role seriously. We listen to voters and are mindful that both majority and dissenting views deserve a voice in the Democratic Party.

We are not unified behind any campaign, and it is highly unlikely that we will fall in lock step behind any one candidate to make a difference in the race.

It is more likely that, if the race remains close, we could cast our votes for a candidate who may otherwise have a narrow delegate lead, in order to create a more decisive nomination. Such a move won’t change the outcome of the race, but it can serve to unify the party and change the momentum and perception of the nominee coming out of the convention.

Or we could be the players on the floor of a brokered convention, helping the states steer through convention rules while avoiding the kind of intramural fights that can rip a party apart, similar to those at the 1968 convention.

No one can say exactly how our roles will play out, but I am firmly convinced that our role will not, and should not, be one that ultimately picks our nominee.

Only a candidate with the support of a unified party can carry Democrats to victory in the fall. And as a superdelegate, I prefer that our role remains part of a cumulative process in which the eventual nominee garners strength from all aspects of the party.

That is to say, in the larger scheme of things, our place is to build unity, discourage any major bloodletting and help the nomination process in a role that is fair, inclusive and, above all, transparent.

Wait — is transparency considered a super mutant power?

Edward Espinoza, a public relations and political strategist from Los Angeles, most recently served as a field director for presidential candidate Bill Richardson. He is currently an uncommitted superdelegate serving in his fourth year on the DNC.

Oh boy, a new thread.

Phil the issue I had was with the CABINET, not the VP choice so much.

I get why it would be "nice to know" and she and I cleared it up between ourselves, thanks.

" Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

was the voice John Edwards was listening to for economic advice, and I found that so sound that I hope Obama "steals" that part of the Edwards campaign. "

________________________________________

He's full set in his Economic advisors. His are Conservative as has been reported, including on Democracy Now...(if you don't want to include those others who are more left leaning, because they favor Hillary).

"In the area of economics, Obama’s handlers and advisers are a group of right wing
thinkers. The first is Austan Goolsbee, a 1991 member of Skull and Bones at Yale.
Goolsbee is a member of the monetarist Chicago school founded by Milton Friedman, he
is a free trade ideologue. Another Obama advisor in economics is Jeffrey Liebman of
Harvard, who has proposed the partial privatization of the Social Security system, in
addition to the increasing the regressive payroll tax, while lowering and delaying Social
Security benefits. This is not materially different from the proposals of George Bush in
2005. Then we have David Cutler, who thinks that high health care costs are a stimulus
to the overall economy. He has proposed more financial incentives in the healthcare
field, meaning that he wants to transfer more and more money into the hands of the
insurance companies and pharmaceutical firms. Is this politics of hope?”
No. I never thought I’d see the day when I hoped Hilary Clinton would"
http://mybluecountry.googlepages.com/The...

I happen to think Oregon will play a pivotal roll this year and welcome the input from someone from Oregon who is undecided because the attitudes of the Obama faithful are well known here, so I wish you would stop with the putdowns Denise less you deprive me here in Iowa an insight into Oregonian thinking of an especially rare demographic. nothing posted on the blog is only between two people

Phil,

Why not send a DFA link to other DFA members in Oregon to find out the info you are seeking? Encourage them to post here - or post what you may hear back from them. That's what I would do if that is your goal.

I think I fully understand where seashell is coming from in her neck o' the woods.

If you see my posts as putdowns, I'll tell you the same I told jao. You're wrong but thanks for your input.

Denise

what you get from seashell's posting is a look at a stream of consciousness that gives an insight into the realm where people actually go when in the voting booth, a mix of indecision and emotion, that decides every close election, and provides mysteries for pollsters

I'm a graduate student (post doc) of politics and get few opportunities like tha one seashell gives us with her willing