Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Walls of a defacto prison, not soliders keep the Baghdad "peace"
part 1
part 2
part 3
Our lack of planning, our lack of understanding, our arrogance has created more who hate us. What will the future bring?
Monday, February 04, 2008
Well at least SOMEONE is paying attention
BOSTON - It's part of Mitt Romney's core narrative: Massachusetts, in the throes of a fiscal freefall, fell back on his CEO skills and turnaround wizardry to spark — in his words — "a dramatic reversal of state fortunes and a period of sustained economic expansion."
It's a rosy opinion of Massachusetts' economy that few in the state share. Instead, observers say, the state's recovery from a disastrous 2001 recession has been tepid at best, and Romney gives himself more credit than deserved on job creation and balancing the state budget.
Romney says that by the time he left office, the unemployment rate in Massachusetts was lower and the state had recovered nearly 80,000 jobs from the low point of the recession.
A fuller look reveals a state still struggling to recoup the jobs washed away in the recession, while much of the rest of the country has already sailed past pre-recession highs. . .
. . . Massachusetts is one of just six states that hasn't added back all the jobs lost during the recession.
"Our losses were steeper, and our gains have been slower and as an end result we are still nearly 100,000 jobs down," said Dana Ansel, research director for the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth, a nonpartisan think tank.
The state's unemployment numbers also showed little movement during Romney's tenure.
Romney and the Republican's don't want this widely reported but Romney's predecessor was a Republican as was the governor before her. And even the governor before that one was a Republican. While it is easy to assume Romney inherited an office mismanaged under the Democrats to support his claims. especially since this is Massachusetts, and Romney doesn't want to correct that assumption, it is simply not the truth.
Observers say Romney can claim some legitimate fiscal successes — vetoing spending increases, fighting against tax increases, and helping lure some businesses to Massachusetts, including a new facility being built by Bristol-Myers Squibb.
Yes he vetoed spending increases for one of the Commonwealth's most important industries, education. This veto meant that teachere in the states Universities and Colleges went without pay increases to keep up with the cost of living AND those institutions went without needed improvements. This caused Massachusetts to fail from 3rd in education to 5th and while that might not seem like a huge drop, where would you rather go to school?
The fact is the slow recovery can be partially laid at the cutting of the educational budget. When many businesses in towns/cities in MA rely on the "industry" of higher education, not funding it ripples through their economies and the state's as a whole.
Romney's economic claims challenged
Friday, November 23, 2007
It's offical; Dominionists for Huckabee
Mike Huckabee, the Republican presidential candidate and former Southern Baptist minister, is getting help from Tim LaHaye, the Christian conservative organizer and co-author of the apocalyptic “Left Behind” novels.
“America and our Judeo-Christian heritage are under attack by a force that is more destructive than any America has faced” since Hitler, Dr. LaHaye and his wife, Beverly, wrote in letters sent to lists of conservative Christians in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. “Defeating the radical jihadists will require renewed resolve and spiritual rearmament by the evangelical pastors in America.”[..]
C&L
He said this a week or two ago (crusade picture photoshop mine):

Since he bascially, and stupidly, arrogantly, recklessly (and I could add many more disparaging adverbs) declared our "war on terrorism" to be a crusade I went all the way in the photoshopping because you know this is the way Mikey sees it.

I don't support the way we've dealt with terrorism, vis a vis "our ever expanding war" that took our eye off Afghanistan. We are making the world, especially the middle east a fully chaotic and disabled quagmire.
People don't like chaos, they, especially families, like stability, timeliness and no surprise futures. That's why a great deal of energy and time is spent in these areas maintaining the status quo, even in families. We threatened more destabilization through war and they will naturally flock to those who promise to uphold stability and their family and very conservative values, Al-Qeada, et. al. Which means we are xreatring and will continue to create more terrorist and be Bin Laden's largest recruitment tool.
It's human nature, we do it here. We see the world become more chaotic, less predictable, less secure and church attendance, especially conservative church attendance climbs. We flock to leaders who spout tough messures, "law and order," and cowboy diplomacy.
If being a Dominionist isn't enough for you to disqualify Mike Huckbee as president, maybe he reckless nature should be.
Quote on photoshop graphic: C&L
See also:
Dominionism: Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.
Five Things Mike Huckabee Doesn't Want You to Know About Him
Dr. Bruce Prescott (Mainstream Baptist) - or as I like to say "voice from the inside" - A Reconstructionist Takeover Video, All "Recontructionist" Posts (including those on Huckabee)
Religious Tolerance; Dominionism
Theocracy Watch - Dominionism and Dominion Theology
DailyKos - Dominionist, Dominionism
From me: Representative Republic or Dominion, My Dream, My Nightmare
Wikipeadia - Christian Right, Dominionism, Mike Huckabee
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
1 million cases of chlamydia were reported in the United States last year
ATLANTA - More than 1 million cases of chlamydia were reported in the
United States last year — the most ever reported for a sexually transmitted
disease, federal health officials said Tuesday.
"A new U.S. record,"
said Dr. John M. Douglas Jr. of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
More bad news: Gonorrhea rates are jumping again after hitting a record
low, and an increasing number of cases are caused by a "superbug" version
resistant to common antibiotics, federal officials said Tuesday.
Syphilis is rising, too. The rate of congenital syphilis — which can
deform or kill babies — rose for the first time in 15 years - By MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer
Yah think maybe it's time to end the "Abstinence Only Education" farce and the war on science and health and actually teach people about safe sex and condoms?
Monday, October 01, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Fund US Infrastructure Not the Iraq War

Sunday, July 15, 2007
Listen to those who've served, for a change!
Democrats.org has a post called "Veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan Wars Urges President Bush and Senate Republicans to Change Mission in Iraq".
The audio stream of the address and the text can be found at the link above. The address (Democratic Response) was given by Brandon Friedman, a former infantry officer in the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division and veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was the Democratic radio address this week, and is a must read or must listen to .
You can also listen to the response here:
What is so sad is that it he and other veterans, who oppose this war, will be dismissed or told that they hate America. Just as these veterans at VoteVets.org have and the veterans at the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Any vet who opposes this war, whether they be WWII, Korean War, Vietnam, Gulf War I. or our current two wars hears this A charge made by persons who have never served no less.
This exchange between Cindy Sheehan, Chris Vucovich and Vietnam Veterans is very painful to watch. Mr. Vucovich, a man who has never seen the horrors of war with his own eyes, smelled it, or cleaned the remnants of his buddies off of him, launches and lashes out at those who have.
More:
Confrontation in Alabama with a 'True Chickenhawk' - DailyKOS and
here.
Y'all is Yella - OYE
Now It's President Bush's Turn: Urge Chris Vucovich to Be A Man! Enlist! - OYE
Cost of Iraq Occupation: $442B and counting; Cost of Shaming Clueless Chickenhawk: Priceless - C&L
Don’t Count Your Chickenhawks Before They Hatch" - Scrutiny Holligans
Updated 'Confrontation w/Chickhawk' - Never in Our Names
Friday, July 13, 2007
Just Reading Makes You Better Prepared
Since they (the president and his administration/staff) did not read the report/intelligence given to them in the months before September 11, 2001, just reading an intelligence report about Al-Qeada would make them better prepared this summer than they were that summer 6 years ago.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
ENOUGH!
I like Elaine Bossler, but Cenk was/is my voice today.
I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's sentence was commuted to no jail time yesterday. We know that in the last few days of his presidency, Bush will pardon him. The robber barons, and their privileged aristocracy rules. The two tiered justice system, laid open for Paris Hilton, is now not only open but laid bare.
During this morning while listening I have perused DailyKOS, Crooks and Liars, Americablog and Pandagon. And I have been writing letters, lots of letters, in frustration and anger.
The Republicans may dance over this but they only expose how hypocritical they are.
During the Clinton impeachment they trumpeted how the rule of law was important. They said, along with their mouthpieces, Rush Limbaugh, et al. that Clinton lied under oath and that that in itself is important. They poo-ed poo-ed and brought in lawyers to rebut Democratic operatives who said that it was no big thing.
So now that it’s a Republican in trouble, who lied under oath, they have switch to “it’s no big deal.”
At the very least even with all that is going on, stop being hypocritical over this ONE thing.
HE LIED UNDER OATH. He should bare the consequences of that. And don’t whine about the sentence being excessive, it’s was within the sentencing guidelines. Guidelines Republicans used to trumpet as being the equalizer between rich and poor, powerful and downtrodden. Guidelines meant that all would be sentenced equally and removed discretion from judges. And on appeal Republican judges up held Libby's sentence.
Ordinary Americans, Republicans and Democrats, who lie under oath are sentenced under the same guidelines.
Don’t point to me that Clinton did pardon and commuted sentences. I didn’t support Clinton during that time. It's not an equal anology or comparision because people had already served time before the pardon, including Susan McDougal.
Those who make that argument are making a child’s argument and showing intellectual dishonesty and contempt for the American public.
It’s time to impeach. If Pelosi doesn’t see that then she needs to be removed. Beyond making flowery speeches telling the public how much this displeases the members of the House and the Senate, we need to implore them to do something tangible and meaningful. It doesn’t matter if Democrats think they can or can’t get it through, the fact of the matter is that they did something, and they tried.
On Sunday at 12 noon PDT Cenk is going to the Federal Building in L.A. and hold up a sign saying “ENOUGH!” He suggested we all do it, around the country at the city halls or federal buildings where we live. So on Sunday I will make an effort to get to the Federal Building in Boston with my sign “ENOUGH!” – and if I can’t get there, maybe the city hall here will be sufficient.
Update 2:05pm:
White House: Bush won't rule out pardoning Libby entirely
Libby Pardon Possible?
Friday, June 22, 2007
The shame of our unneccesaary illegal war. You need to know why.
If any American ever asks why teh middle east is the way it is and why do *they* hate us (why does the world hate us), point them to this movie.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Get out the drapes John, there are nude people available for FREE viewing!
My parents and my sister flew out from Colorado for my eldest son's graduation and we did some "touristy" things. My parents have traveled through Europe and parts of the old Soviet Union extensively (before and after the fall of the Soviet Union). They cried over the destruction of the beautiful city of Sarajevo and have not been back since reconstruction. So it was hard for me to understand the desire and request to visit the mansions of Newport, RI. But we went and were able to only visit "The Breakers," due to our dawdling and drives through this beautiful and luch green area. (the scale of which is not seen in Denver and most of Colorado).
My mother is retired, and was once director of a public library. Among all the places we visited as when I was a child and their trips outside the country one of the places on the itinerary has always been libraries. But some how though in the decade plus that my family (husband and kids) has lived here we always missed taking my Mom to the first public library in the U.S. The library is in Franklin, MA, so this time we visited.
Franklin, MA was named after Benjamin Franklin, March 2, 1778. The library building itself was built in 1904, but the collection and it's establishment as a free public lending institution began in 1790.
As we were heading up the steps to visit this very beautiful library I overheard my father say, with great distain, that Republicans would like to privatize public libraries and charge for the "privilege" of accessing knowledge. Once we entered the library and walked into the reading gallery we gazed at the walls that were covered with murals with women, mostly only clothed from the waste down. And I couldn't help myself but to remark that this would shock Senator James Inhofe. He was a constant punch line throughout their visit, especially when we discussed energy, global warming and the want of a wind farm off of Nantucket.
From the pamphlet from the Franklin Library Preservation Committee:
The pamphlet also states:
According to local folklore, flowing robes were added by Juglaris to some of the subjects on the murals. The nudity offended some of Franklin's residents.
I don't believe I saw any completely nude paintings. I wonder if there were any before, but there are plenty of nudes from the waist up. I guess we will never see John Ashcroft in this library, even to visit the first public lending library in the U.S.A.
Oh, I forgot, it's free, operated by the government (albeit it local, but taxes still go toward it) and for the public good, so you wouldn't see any republikkkans there anyway.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Paris Hilton Fallout = Boycott
The Hilton Hotels are:
Doubletree
Homewood Suites
Conrad Hotels
Embassy Suites
Hilton Garden Inn
Hampton Inn
Hitlon Hotels
Remember when Bush addressed the top 5% as his constituents. Well, these are them. Maybe, just maybe, Paris Hilton and her early release for imminent mental breakdown (and how many middle class and lower class people got "house arrest" for it (she can't go out for parties, but they can come to her, and her bed will still be made and room will still be picked up by her made. etc. real tough sentence, huh!) Maybe. just maybe this will finally spur the American majority to action in calling for and forcing fairness, and an end to policies/tax breaks etc. that benefit the upper 1-5%.
These policies that force the window wider and wider between rich and poor. Policies that are making more and more Americans poor. These polices of the Bush administration and the 6 years of total Republican rule have moved us back into the Robber Barron economies and social structure of yester year. And isn't it interesting of a party that "triumphs" small business are more than happy to destroy small businesses with big box stores, multinationals, big businesses.
I'm not a fan of Bill Clinton, but at least we had more people entering the upper class and more people leaving the lower class under his watch than we have had with Bushco.
So, if Paris' troubles and basically a release from her already light sentence help spur a sort of "proletariat" revolt from the Robber Barron Republicans, Administration and Party to a fair and just system ...
. . . Then I say "YES! Boycott!"
For more information read the comments on ANY TMZ.com posting about Miss Hilton's release.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
A dose of guilt with your "free" Marine Windbreaker
Doesn't the priviledged, upper class think that our way of life is worth protecting, that they need to do their part, or want to make a difference? They that benefit the most from this way of life.
The cards are presented in order (there is a number on the bottom right of the back of each card. To see the larger version, click on it. The band that held the cards has the directions.
Inside Paperboard Cover

Band

Card 1

Card 2

Card 3

Card 4

Card 5

Card 6

Card 7

Card 8

Card 9

Card 10

Cards 11 and 12 do not have a number on them so it is impossible to tell which order they belong in. Attached to each card is a perforated Business Reply card asking for name, address, phone number, cell number, date of birth, email address (you can check a box for them not to send you anything via email), name of school, last grade completed, and the size for your free windbreaker (offer expiring 7/31/2007).
Interestingly enough on this post card (which anyone can read as it is being handled) is a "Privacy Act Statement." All the information provided will be used for recruiting purposes only.
Card 11

Card 12

Look for more as we go into Bush's second surge to get us to 200,000 troops in Iraq and a plan for us to be there 5 to 10 more years. It is beginning to look enough like Viet Nam yet to you? Or do we need to get to 200 dead American service persons a day? We are now at 5 a day.
Update:Cheap skate Marine corps chose to let our Marines die from IEDs rather than give them the equipment they needed
Friday, May 04, 2007
President Bush, Fight Like You Mean It!
That's the message I would take back to the president after his veto of war funds.
Those of us who have been paying attention, know that at no time during the Iraq war have we had the number of troops in theater needed to win the war.
Those of us who have been paying attention, know that recruitment is down and that the military revised downward the yearly goal numbers for new recruits.
We also know that not only has the military resorted to "stop lossing," extended tours and many deployments of the same soldiers (decreasing the time at home between deployments that the military says a soldier needs to be able to fight), we are also recruiting those into the military who before we would have turned away (neo-nazis, militia, KKK, etc.) and keeping those on active duty that should be released (due to issues such as mental problems caused by this war).
Those of us who have been paying attention, know that at we sent troops to both Afghanistan and Iraq without the proper equipment and armor.
Those of us who have been paying attention, know that at we are sending new troops into Iraq without their full and necessary training.
Those of us who have been paying attention, know that we as a country, have never been placed on a war footing and as a result all the ordinance and equipment being used and used up in Iraq is not being replaced. We are weaker today than we were 9-11-2001.
The President and the White House are using the talking point that if Democrats really don’t like this war and thinks we shouldn’t be fighting it then we/they should just defund the war.
Democrats are smarter than to bite. They know that those who only watch Fox News, listen to only Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, etc. or who don’t really pay attention but lean to the right will believe that the Democrats are for leaving troops stranded and without bullets in Iraq. While those who are left of center, left leaning, progressive, liberal, etc. know that nothing is further from the truth, we know that Republicans are not above those despicable, untruthful and divisive tactics and talking points to stay in power.
So what should the answer be?
I believe the 30 second sound bite from Demcrats should be “If you believe the Iraq war is necessary then, President Bush, Fight Like You Mean It!”
But what does that mean?
- Give the troops the full rest they deserve before deploying them again.
- Give the new recruits the FULL training they need and deserve.
- End stop loss.
- Reinstate the draft.
Yes the draft.
How could I, who have never supported the war in Iraq, want the draft? Actually I don’t, but I do know 3 things.
- Our troops are exhausted and our volunteer army doesn’t have enough recruits to replace those who need a rest.
- By in large Americans have not been asked to be part of this war. As a result the war, it’s reasons and casualties happen to “someone else.” A draft will finally bring the realties home, once the majority of America has a loved one who will be put in harms way, they will pay attention.
- Given number 2, the more attention paid the more chance it will bring an end to the war that much faster.
It’s sad, but it’s true. and the Bush administration knows it. That’s why this administration would rather abuse our service men and women and run them to pure exhaustion (and then refuse to deal with the life time physical and mental health issues that have and will happen because of this policy), then to fully fight this war. Instead of all Americans "in" this war and putting us on a war footing we've been told to “go shopping.”
It could be argued that I can be in favor of the draft because I know my 22 year old daughter, and 20 year old son will be somewhere around 4F in the call-up: My daughter due to a birth defect and my son due to an accident when he was 17 (but already an Army recruiter was ready to overlook the lifelong injury and get him into the uniform, so I'm not so sure about that). But you know what, I have two more sons (teen and pre-teen), and if this war lasts as long as Viet Nam (which I am afraid it will) they will be drafted.
The challenge issued in “President Bush, fight like you mean it!,” illustrates that Bush (Mr. Codpiece and Flight Suit) and his administration has NEVER fought this war to win.
They’ve gotten away with it because the majority of the American people aren’t really paying attention.
Americans need to, we must, and if the draft is the way to get it done, well it's what needs to be done. But more than that, if the Republicans REALLY support the troops than they must stop abusing them and reinstate the draft so that those who are fighting can rest, and those that are going to fight, have the time to be fully trained. The Bush administration and the Republicans will finally cease treating these Americans like facial tissue; something to be used (abused) and then thrown away - they will actually support the troops, by getting more men and women (maybe even finally their own children) serving.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Conservatives hate the FREE market of ideas
Conservatives love to say that they are in the market place of ideas. But how can it be a market or a free market, if there is no choice? They say progressive radio is doesn't sell, but even streaming on the web (DC station because we lost our station in Boston) I've noticed a whole bunch of commercials; a whole range of local commercials we never heard in Boston . "Beecause we know progressives in Boston and our "metro area," don't eat, don't go grocery or car shopping, don't go to shows( like monster truck rallies), don't shop for prom wear or any clothes for that matter, don't take our family to fun places. . . etc.
In reality conservatives don't like a real open/free market, because if they did they would be meeting the talk radio needs of half the nation. They don't want to have a real competition - and they need to be challenged every time they spout the marketplace of ideas and

I'm fired up, I am tired of watching progressive radio stations fall. If it is truly an ownership issue and radio stations are expensive to buy we need to have progressives donating to the cause of buying station and progressives with deep pockets helping to buy stations.
Progressive talk was a large part of the reason for the 2006 Democratic talk over of the house and senate. And conservative power brokers know it. The loss of more and more progressive stations also confirms this - without progressive talk we may loose the gains we have gotten and 2008.
In Boston we can't hear Kennedy's wonderful speeches on the Senate floor, Ohio can't hear Sherrod Brown. If the average joe can't hear our message, if the Republican's get to define who and what we are on their unchallenged talk radio stations, how do we truly compete? How do we get our message out? How do we keep our gains and get more?
This liberal media bias is a specious argument. Back in the day when it was only newspapers many large communities had two newspapers, one newspaper was known to be conservative and one was liberal. Everyone accepted that. If you wanted both sides, you read both newspapers. Now many places have lost one of their newspapers, once liberal newspapers like the LA Times are owned and controlled by conservatives and their bias is there.
We don't have radio balance. Some how we've allowed the conservatives to make a liberal bias in the media a bad thing instead of what it was when we had choice in media (two newspapers, etc.) a normal accepted thing BECAUSE both the conservative and liberal bias were represented in the choice of newspaper/media.
And if progressive radio can't sell, why are three (3) progressive talkers (Ed Schultz, Stephanie Miller, and Randi Rhodes) listed in the top 15 in Talkers magazine. That's even more impressive when you realize that they are on less radio stations than the other 12 are.
Examples of what was two newspaper ideology representation:
Denver Post (used to be considered Liberal) and the Rocky Mountain News (conservative)
Boston Globe (liberal) and the Boston Herald (conservative)
NY Times (liberal) and the NY Post (conservative)
etc.
(Donate to Non-Stop Radio where ever you are to keep us on in every city in the nation)
Monday, March 19, 2007
Would you be for a federal tax increase?
Or is this kind of tax increease, for your safety, your children's safety and the safety of the nation still too much for you to pay?
Is public safety and security a function of the local, state and federal government or not?
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
We need to label her for what she is
Well, gee, it's been along time since I posted. Sorry, life just got in the way, along with about a week spent in the hospital. Nothing serious and I'm alright now.
There seems to be, and rightly so, growing furor over Ann Coulter's comments when she spoke to the CPAC convention over the weekend. AmericaBlog and Crooks and Liars, DailyKos etc. are regularly posting updates. I don't have the time and the stomach to read the major right wing blogs. But I have heard that many of them are not happy with her either.
Today Crooks and Liars posted Countdown's interview with Rachel Maddow about Coulter's comments. It's so nice to hear Rachel again. Since we lost our progressive talk radio in Boston and I'm behind the wheel during Rachel's show, I don't get to hear her much any more.
Rachel is so good on on pointe with analysis, I wish she were commenting more on tv.
Today on Stephanie Miller's radio show her guest host (because she's on vacation), Elaine Bosler, suggested that we on the left start prefacing anything we say about Coulter with the words "Republican Spokesperson." Combined that sentiment with Rachel's analysis and there is a great reason for doing this. Coulter, according to Maddow, is a Replubican/Conservatve rock star. She is one of their best selling authors, no matter how horrible and outrageous we find her comments through the years, they constantly give her a platform (even when they give lip service to how horrible what she said was), they like to hear from her, ergo she must be speaking for them, so let them "wear" her.
I hope that progressive blogs do adopt referring to Coulter as "Republican Spokesman (person) Ann Coulter."
On another note:
Please sign our petition to get progressive talk radio back in Boston.
Thanks!