pmag88

Recent comments by this user

Jon Stewart Measures Candidates' Success Wooing Hispanics With Dobbs-O-Meter: "The Angrier Lou Dobbs Gets, The Better You're Doing"

Lou Dobbs says he doesn"t advocate mass deportation, yet anytime anyone suggests anything that would accommodate those already here; he labels it amnesty and shoots it down. I have friends who are right wing living in cities like Vegas and even they are ok with an arrangement like the one Obama and others have suggested. So, Lou, if you aren"t for mass deportation, exactly what are you for? posted 07/19/2008 at 11:31:23

truly funny stuff! posted 07/19/2008 at 10:38:15

New Texas Wind Power Project Is Massive

Avian damage is negligable.

http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/ads?client=ca-discovery-

http://digg.com/environment/Cats_More_Lethal_to_Birds_Than_Wind_Turbines posted 07/18/2008 at 07:50:50

McCain Aide: Obama Is Stubborn Like Bush

McCain recently said that Baracks willingness to go after terrorists in Pakistan was a reckless and provocative strategy that would piss off a key ally in our war on terror. He said this knowing full well that Barack said 'only if we have actionable intelligence that we are very sure of'.

Meantime, during the exact same speech, McCain said he would provide money, weapons, intelligence and other assistance to create militia in Pakistan similar to those we are now employing in Iraq. Correct me if I"m wrong, but isn't it a bit presumptuous of McCane to say this without having a commitment from any leader in Pakistan? And isn't this probably a recipe for creating yet another civil war type situation in a state that has nuclear weapons and a fragile government to boot ?

McCain speaks about these nations as if they are all one and the same. Obviously he, and not Barack, is the guy with a 'one size fits all' mentality.

McCain. 'I know how to win wars'. 'By starting and expanding them'. Bomb-bomb-bomb, bomb-bomb Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afganistan, Syria, Lebenon and whomever else we can drag into this fiasco. All at the expense of the American taxpayer. posted 07/16/2008 at 20:14:23

Jon Stewart Takes On Media, Obama For Overreacting To New Yorker Cover: "It's Just A F***ing Cartoon!"

I think had the magazine been called 'Modern Confederate' it would have been expected and not controversial in any way. The fact that a magazine with their reputation let this slide is a red flag to me, and I'm sure others as well. But, I freely admit that I don"t trust the media In general and that includes the left as well as the right.

I hope that Jon and yourself and the rest of the folks that agree with you are right, and that my suspicions are just a bit of paranoia. posted 07/16/2008 at 19:19:58

I"ve watched the Daily show through a few presidential elections and while I'm cool with lampooning representatives of either party, the so-called 'intent' of the cover immediately struck me the wrong way. Perhaps the fact that there is no contrasting imagery that even remotely indicates, let alone, defines the intent, makes it just a bit too ambiguous.

White, middle aged, and proud of the fact that I grew up in a nation so heavily influenced by black culture, maybe I'm being just a bit too sensitive. Or, maybe not. I guess as the election progresses, if we see more of the same, we"ll have an answer. The one thing that IS for sure, people are paying closer attention this time. posted 07/16/2008 at 17:55:56

Obama Spokeswoman Hits Back At McCain's New Afghanistan Argument

McCain, like Bush, openly espouses abdicating the judgement and authority of the "commander in chief" to the so-called 'boots on the ground'. Historically, while presidents always depended on information from high ranking military personal, they generally didn't base decisions solely on the opinions of those whom they agree with, or more to the point, were appointed to agree with them.

I applaud any and all leaders who realize that while military and other forms of intelligence are important in making decisions, they should never be the final arbitrators (or usurpers) of the other branches of government. Nor should any responsible or credible leaders hide behind them or use them as cover for bad policy.

The points Barack made in this speech are exactly what we needed to hear at exactly the right time. He's the guy for this job and there is no doubt about that. posted 07/15/2008 at 18:00:20

McCains already said that world war 3 would justify bringing back the draft. Like Bush, he's filled with a burning desire to impose a legacy of world domination through military power. Like Bush, he wants to push the American people into borrowing against their children's future to continue a policy and a series of wars we don't agree with. Like Bush, he doesn"t have, and isn"t going to inspire, the support of other nations in dealing with terrorism, because, like Bush, he is opposed to anything that isn't a unilateral, military only approach. Face it. Just like Pat Buchanan said. McCain is GW Bush on steroids. posted 07/15/2008 at 17:34:16

Bush lifts oil drilling ban, wants Congress to act

Yeah. This is just a cheesy political ploy to try and help McCain get elected. Now watch the media play along and assist in getting this footbal in the air. posted 07/14/2008 at 12:11:33

David Remnick On That New Yorker Cover: It's Satire, Meant To Target "Distortions And Misconceptions And Prejudices" About Obama

McCain wearing crown of thorns made of cigarettes tipped with nuclear warheads.. sweeeeet ! posted 07/14/2008 at 17:15:46

Schwarzenegger: I'd Be Obama's Energy Czar (VIDEO)

California is perfect for solar and wind and already has a head start with the huge windfarms in the San Bernadino mountains.

It only makes sense to push for more. I hope we can get HUGE tax incentives for anyone and everyone investing in alternative energy, be they democrats or republicans. posted 07/13/2008 at 14:44:37

Bush Supports Israeli Plan For Strike On Iran: Report

I listened to John Kerry discussing Iran on Air America the other day. He was parsing when it came to how the existing Intel is being "interpreted". Basically he said that depending on who is interpreting the intel, it isn"t necessarily going to deter Bushco from pulling the trigger yet again. He did make the case that the war in Iraq was a mistake, but other than stating how it would be dangerous, unwise and very difficult to enter into yet another war, the conversation didn"t inspire much hope.

Any additional war will only be a total loser for all sides. We saw what a dismal failure and fiasco Israel"s attack on Lebanon turned out to be, and both Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terror in general are nothing but a gigantic waste of resources. It"s time for a different approach. posted 07/13/2008 at 17:35:32

A Joke About Menopause at a Barack Fundraiser? That'll Go Over Big With The Hillraisers

As far as walking on eggshells in a political campaign, a little caution is smart, but coming across as stolid and stiff for fear of making a mistake ain"t gonna" work for a democrat. posted 07/12/2008 at 16:58:48

Sticking A Wrench In The Gearbox

I was initially a Hillary supporter and gave 100.00 to her campaign. I then switched and donated to Obama and will continue to do so into the future.

After their recent fundraiser I contributed 25.00 to Obama, 25.00 to the dnc and 25.00 towards retiring Hillarys debt. For those of you who still harbor bad feelings and couldn"t possibly bring yourself to send Hillary a dime, think about it this way. You are also retiring the controversy, which, as you must have noticed, the media use at every opportunity to drive wedges which hurt Obama. Put your pride aside and think strategically. posted 07/14/2008 at 08:22:44

McCain Campaign Had Protestor Holding "Bush=McCain" Sign Removed From Event

Hmmm. I"ve had the pleasure of meeting more than my fair share of exhibitionists and people who wouldn't grow up. In my opinion, when it comes to having fun and doing it on the dark side, the self-proclaimed conservatives win hands down. Perhaps it's the the thrill they get from hiding. Hiding being a childish and sometimes fun thing to do. posted 07/11/2008 at 21:53:16

McCain = Police State

The poisen you choose is the poisen you use. Snakbit posted 07/11/2008 at 20:41:18

It's The Iraqonomy Stupid

For the media to continually try and separate the economy from all the underlying issues that actually make up the economy; particularly the war in Iraq, looks really bad to anyone paying attention.

Barack has already tied the war in Iraq to the economy, while McCain does just the opposite. Listening to McCain, if it takes a hundred years and we win, we'll all be rich, our debt will disappear and things will be better than ever. But, if we call it a win now, get out and let the Iraqi's have their country back, we'll never recoup the trillions we"ve already "invested". posted 07/11/2008 at 21:31:39

McCain's Problem: Not Age, but Condition

Along with the obvious toll the campaign has taken on John, there is also the fact that he is unable to reconcile his maverick image with whatever it is he's trying to project at this point. He's compromised so much that his brand has become essentially meaningless. Sort of like when a Chinese company buys a brand like Maytag. It"s may still be the same brand name, but many people can't or wont see it as the same product. posted 07/13/2008 at 12:07:58

Karoshi: Overworked Hybrid Engineer Dies

The Camry Hybrid has been on the market and selling well for a few years now. Check out reviews on epinions.com

Perhaps he was working on a plug in version. posted 07/16/2008 at 00:16:07

Jesse Jackson Disparages Barack Obama: Caught On Tape (VIDEO)

Jessie Jackson is obviously a flawed human being, but history is full of flawed people who have good intentions and have done good work. The 'controversy' is meaningless tripe and the only reason anyone would keep it alive is to try and create division.

The rainbow coalition will continue to grow, and what Barack Obama is reaffirming in ALL his speeches to ALL of us, is that WE must be involved in changing the future by changing ourselves. posted 07/16/2008 at 18:56:12

John McCain Thinks Social Security Is A "Disgrace"

All pension plans, 401k ,403b and investments in general, have always required that those currently in the workplace, pay, at least in part, for those who've already paid and are now cashing out to retire. Likewise, paying for the national defense, infrastructure, education, and everything else that is part of operating a modern industrial society, is as much a matter of public trust as anything else.

McCain is either maliciously trying to deceive in order to drive a wedge between younger and older voters, or he has absolutely no understanding of economics and governance. Either way, he's obviously not up to snuff, and at 72 years old, to expect him to get up to speed in time to handle the job is pure fantasy. John McCain is NOT the man for this job. Especially not at this critical juncture in history. posted 07/09/2008 at 19:54:23

The Land of Everybody

What do you call someone who speaks three languages? Tri-lingual. Two languages? Bi-Lingual. One language? American. That's the joke and that's the issue. It isn't about accommodating those who can't speak our language, hell, pretty much everyone speaks English. It"s about being more culturally diverse and competitive in the future. Obana said we should teach a second language, not specifically Spanish. At this point Mandarin looks like it might be a better bet.

I agree people should come here legally. I strongly disagree with many of my liberal friends who can't seem to wrap their heads around the fact that hundreds of millions of people would come here, virtually overnight, if we had an open borders policy. It's pure fantasy. posted 07/10/2008 at 17:30:06

In virtually every western state the majority of the people have voted time and again to control the borders and grant some kind of conditional amnesty and a right to earn citizenship for those already here. Yet the minority on the right who wish to exploit, and the minority on the left who fancy themselves the champions of human rights, have muddled up the works at every turn. The fence is a testament to their inability to be honest and come to consensus around a fairly straightforward issue. This hideous scar between our nations is their fault. posted 07/10/2008 at 17:00:42

Gulf Action-Reaction Cycle Could Spin to War

Among the other things McCain said in response to Irans missile launch, was that diplomatic relations between all nations and Iran should be stopped immediately. This is the exact strategy the Bush administration used to push us into Iraq. posted 07/09/2008 at 15:57:26

White House Cover Up of Global Warming Dangers Must End Now

Floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes and drought. Hey, no big deal. Just a little bad luck, and as long as we hang in there and keep doing exactly the same things, it's bound to get better. Just a matter of time. posted 07/09/2008 at 20:36:34

McCain Freezing Out Press On Campaign Trail

McCain may believe he's doing the right thing, but if you distil the message and methods down to their core elements, what he's promising is more war, a wrecked economy, and very possibly a virtual police state. Obviously snakbit and floundering, the press isn't doing him or us or themselves any favors by providing McCain so much cover. posted 07/09/2008 at 15:33:28

Firefighters Battle More Than 300 Wildfires In California

Sure fire is part of the ecosystem and controlled burns have historically been used to minimize the potential for huge and destructive fires, but when the drought is this deep, the terrain is this inaccessible and the population in these areas has increased to the current levels, it all adds up to the potential for catastrophe.

All of the southwestern states have been experiencing larger and more destructive fires over the past ten years so obviously it"s time to increase the resources and make plans to deploy them before the fires reach catastrophic proportions. A dollar or two in tax increases to purchase needed resources is a pittance compared to losing our national forests and other wilderness areas. fi all the people living in these states would pitch in and share the resources we could do a lot better job of dealing with what is obviously going to be a long term situation. posted 07/06/2008 at 09:16:20

My Position On FISA

We (Americans) seem to have become increasingly docile in recent years. Consider (by comparison) the response of the South Koreans who took to the streets to raise holy hell over imported beef from America. Consider how, in recent years, more journalists in Mexico have died writing about collusion and corruption than any other nation besides Iraq. Consider that even in countries where death is certain people are still rising up to fight for basic human rights.

Personally, I take it for granted that my phone is tapped and my car is bugged, and as a result I never miss an opportunity to say exactly how I feel about Buscho and what has happened to my nation as a result of his administration. I"ll say stuff like, we should pursue those who"ve done us wrong just like the Jews pursued the Nazi"s, and if it takes 50 years to get compensation, so be it. I don't fear them listening, rather I pray there are tens of millions like me and that we are ALL being listened to.

Having said that. I don"t think the pursuit of justice needs to become an obsession that impedes our ability to seek a new government and get to work on our immediate goals. At this juncture, it would be stupid to take the bait and let a bunghole like Bushco cost us the upcoming elections. We have battles to fight and wars to win but the order is critical. posted 07/05/2008 at 16:40:45

McCain Camp Shakeup: Rove Acolyte Takes Charge

It was a house of cards and John was already holding a bad hand. He's snakebit for sure now. posted 07/02/2008 at 16:46:22

Bush On Energy Crisis: "It Took Us A While To Get Into This Energy Situation We're In, It's Gonna Take Us A While To Get Out Of It" (VIDEO)

I work with people whose income range is from 30k to 200k or more. Recently I've been noticing that even the lower income earners are trading in their gas guzzlers for vehicles that might not be much newer, but get a lot more mpg. There is also talk about hypermiling, which I myself have now learned to do (safely) to increase mileage by up to 20% or more.

If the republicans cared about small business as much as they do about big oil and defense contractors, they would have been pushing for tax credits for truckers and other small business people who are crushed by these rising costs. Likewise, since McCain is all about making the point that these costs are hurting the lowest income earners, he should be offering tax credits for them to trade in their older gas guzzlers and purchase more fuel efficient cars.

I don"t hate republicans, but I truly do believe that most of them really don"t like the idea of a strong working class/middle class population who have a say in our future. posted 07/02/2008 at 17:42:04

Obama Vows To Expand Bush's Faith-Based Programs

It seems to me that a lot of us pushed for Barack based not just on the words that he said, but the feelings his words elicited. Obviously we all knew that he was a practicing Christian and had done a lot of work through the Church in the past. To me, nothing that he"s doing now seems incongruous with what we already know about him. posted 07/03/2008 at 00:30:57

So Crazy, it Might Work: A Grand Nuclear Bargain between Israel and Iran

The counterpunch article is interesting, but in light of the danger to the region, one would think that the president of Iran and other Muslim leaders would do more to clarify any misleading translation of his words. Resistance in the U.S media is obvious, but there has to be a way to quell the fear if indeed, there is nothing to fear.

As far as a solution to disputes between Palestine and Israel, I have a crazy suggestion of my own. Because part of the issue is related to the resources necessary to create a viable Palestinian state (water and quality land, etc) maybe the U.S could stop immigration from other countries for a few years and offer to allow immigration of Jews and Palestinians who want to leave the region and come here for a fresh start. If we allowed a million or more people a year to come in for a couple years and helped them get on their feet, it might do a lot to alleviate the issue of limited resources in the region. Obviously this doesn't address the feelings of loss or the issues of what is right or wrong, but there is a such thing as starting over and many people who have lost everything have started over and done well, so at least we know that it's possible. posted 06/30/2008 at 11:00:38

Big Sur Wildfire Ruining Tourism, Bush Declares State Of Emergency

Last year they waited until the smoke was too thick to target the fires with planes. They did the same thing again this year. Seems hard to believe the made the same mistake two years in a row.
Also, last year the media was all over the fires in Cali for weeks. This year, almost nothing from the media on these fires. posted 06/29/2008 at 08:24:42

Obama Undercuts His Brand

I don't think revenge is the proper description, but the choices that were made and the things that were done will bring a logical response. We can see that much unfolding right before our very eyes. posted 06/28/2008 at 15:57:38

Calif. firefighters dig in to protect Big Sur

There have been fires in Cali for five years running, yet the government waits until the smoke is so thick that they can't put planes in the air to target the fires. They did the same thing last year.

Considering the terrain, using people on the ground to put these fires out is a bit like trying to clean a 747 with a cotton swab.

It's an outrage that we can spend billions per week in Iraq and we can't have a few large planes on standby to deal with what we already know is going to happen, year after year. posted 06/28/2008 at 13:05:19

John McCain Doesn't Know the Price of Gas/Can't Remember the Last Time He Bought Any

There isn't enough diversity in government period. Too many politicians have exactly the same background and in my opinion that limits their (collective) ability to come up with solutions that address our needs as a nation. We need more doctors, engineers, artists, scientists and people from other walks of life, elected to high office.

When it comes to McCain vs Obama. McCain was straight out of HS into the military and direct from there into office. Also, he married into money long before he ever had to worry about it. Both Barack and Michelle Obama were still paying school loans into their early 40's, and that's a lot closer to the experience most American's have. posted 06/28/2008 at 16:34:33

Joe Lieberman Responds To 'Lieberman Must Go' Campaign

Joe Lieberman is not all that much different than other politicians with divided loyalties.
His concern that we must do what is (in his opinion) in Israel's best interest, in my opinion has skewed his judgement. Yet Lieberman is not unique in this regard.

Consider our overal policy and relationship with the Cuban community in Florida. For example, If a Cuban citizen tries to make it to America and drowns in the process, too bad. If he makes it to shore we"ll be happy to fish him out of the water and send him back. But if he makes it to shore alive, great! This is obviously an insane policy, yet everyone endorses it, and I hate to say this, but it has as much to do with the swing vote in a key electoral state it does anything else. Similarly, the arguments put forth over how to deal with millions of Mexicans coming here illegally have politicians dancing all around the issue. Build a fence, don"t build a fence. Maybe a partial fence. I"m not for sanctuary city, but I"m not for enforcement. I want comprehensive reform but not amnesty. Bottom line. We need to come together with some tangible policies that do more than temporarily appease one group of people at the expense of another.Otherwise we"re going to disintegrate into a very weak and divided society, and that"s not going to benefit anyone. posted 06/28/2008 at 11:08:13

Oil Climbs Above $142 On Sliding Dollar

"we have enough oil and gas to power 60 million cars and 160 million homes for the next 60 years." hey, 666 - the number of the beast.

and yes, it seems like they are running these adds about twice as often as they were just a few months ago. posted 06/27/2008 at 09:21:27

Bush v. Gore Meets the Second Amendment

I've always felt that the underlying reason for the 2nd amendment was exactly as you describe. The right to protect ourselves against enemies foriegn and domestic, regardless if they be part of a tyranical government or something else. But where does one go to join up and be part of a regulated militia, and who gets to determine what rights that militia has, so forth? Most of us don't have a clue. posted 06/27/2008 at 10:35:22

Supreme Court Upholds Right To Own Guns For Self-Defense

I remember doing a web search a few years ago trying to find out in what years the greatest number of homicides per capita had occurred. As I recall, the worst years were 1910 (when the per capita murder rate seemed directly correlated to the number of people walking around wearing iron) 1979 (when a lot of suicide/homicides, supposedly related to Vietnam Vets and others finding out that their jobs were being outsourced and the bulk of the steel industry in the US was shutting down, occurred) and 1991 (when drug related gang violence seems to have reached a peak) In regards to the suicide/homicides occurring in 1979, these seem to have been a regional epidemic that started around 1979 and continued into the mid 1980s, and as II recall the local news media in these steel producing regions made mention of it, but it didn"t get much national attention.

I haven"t been able to dig up this information again but I"m sure that with the Meth epidemic, a bad economy and a crackdown on hardcore drug dealers (here and south of the border) we are probably going to see an increase in violence yet again.

As to whether a well armed populace will be any help to themselves or the police in regards to protecting against it, or tamping it down, I have a feeling we"re about to find out. posted 06/27/2008 at 14:14:35

The Surge Is Working? Not If You Read the Latest GAO Report

John McCain continues to state that we could"ve won in Vietnam if we were just willing to stick it out. Well, perhaps if we were willing to take on China and the Soviet Union or deploy nuclear weapons that might have been true, but barring that I don"t think a lot of people would agree. So, in retrospect, what was the result of our supposedly losing that war? After we left, Vietnam is now a communist nation who we have a good relationship with, and all things considered they seem to be doing pretty well.

As for the strategy moving forward in Iraq; by your logic, if things get worse we must stay. If things get better we must stay. If things stay the same we must stay. Basically, the only way we win is to continue to stay at a cost of x billions per month until YOU and those of like mind decide what constitutes victory. You get to make it up as you go along and we get to foot the bill. I think the American people and Iraqi people both deserve a different approach. posted 06/25/2008 at 09:25:41

Twenty Years Later: Tipping Points Near on Global Warming

I've always been suspicious of the mad push for globalization at any cost. Where and when it makes sense, great, but when it makes no sense and it's all about exploitation and greed, it's time to re-evaluate. Time for new trade policies.

In a consumer society, we decide what value to assign to things. If we undervalue resources that can't be replaced and are critical to not only our quality of life, but to life itself, we will suffer the consequences. It's as simple as that.

Think globally and act locally makes the most sense. Time to move away from a throw away junk society towards one where we build and export good things that last. posted 06/24/2008 at 11:57:10

Is Obama Selling Out on FISA bill?

Obviously the big fear is how the information gathered could be misused.
It just isn't right that people and organizations get to know everything about us while refusing to let us while hiding behind national security or executive priviledge. We"ve already seen the results of this with Enron and related scandals which quite possibly originated at closed door energy meetings between Bushco and big energy. There must be limits placed on the collusion between government and big industry or really bad things are going to happen. posted 06/23/2008 at 16:13:22

David Vitter Has a New Fetish

All this proves is how fickle, fragile, and unsuitable the current market driven system is, in regards to serving our economy. If we want to be free of the types of scandalous manipulations that have taken us to the place we are now, significant investment away from oil and other fossil fuels and greater investment towards diversification are the best way to go.

There is a massive amount of infrastructure and property in our country that needs to be rebuilt and upgraded. Bringing back some manufacturing using American made steel and high strength composites (coal for steel and oil for composites) combined with actual work required to rebuild and upgrade, will yield plenty of jobs and profits for everyone including the oil and coal companies. posted 06/22/2008 at 13:13:43

I live close enough to California to make my once in a lifetime drive possible. Drove a Kia Spectra 5 which has a partial zero emission engine and got between 29 and 41 mpg depending on traffic and terrain. Didn't eat too much and stayed with relatives and cheap hotels. Took a lot of pictures.

Brazil and Mexico. I hope to make it down to the Sea of Cortez in several years. By then I hope to be riding in a vehicle that either uses no oil at all, or gets 70+ mpg. If not maybe I'll ride a train or bus or something.

As to Brazil and Mexico choosing to drill offshore, I guess it depends on where and how they are drilling. What we're debating here are basically two states. Californial and Florida. Both of them are unique and not only are the people who live there unlikley to opt for offshore drilling, but the people who visit there probably arent going to go for it either. There will be debate and once the facts are in I just don't think it's going to happen. I hope not. posted 06/22/2008 at 12:42:34

Just got back from a long drive through California and Gov. Schwarzenegger is right.
The California coastline is a priceless, international treasure, and we should protect it at all costs.
The fact that there have recently been significant oil spills in both the Santa Barbara and San Francisco areas, and that the Salmon fishery along the entire west coast has collapsed, also reinforces the fact that we need more and not less protection for these fragile coastal areas.

On a more positive note, coming back through the Coachella Valley at night was a revelation, illustrating just how much power can be generated by wind. It is absolutely amazing how much industry in this region is deriving power from wind and hopefully someone in the media will do a story on this. People deserve to know that alternative energy is not only viable, but is already being used in a big way.

http://www.palmsprings.com/services/wind.html

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/related/77596 posted 06/20/2008 at 18:44:32

Hillary Clinton Drops a "Stink Bomb" Into Her Concession Speech

I've always taken issue with the notion that the Democrats lost X amount of the last presidential and congressional elections.

John and Robert Kennedy were both physically assassinated

LBJ resigned due to the Vietnam War

Carter was politically assassinated

GW Bush didn't win either election.

Add this all up and it's clear the republicans haven't won much without using misfortune and trickery for quite a long time.

Their leadership has been all about wrenching power and stacking the deck in their favor by any means necessary. The culmination of their efforts is now being felt by the vast majority of Americans and there is no way to hide from the reality that their ideas have left us all in a very bad place. posted 06/09/2008 at 07:28:00

Al-Sadr Pulls Fighters Off Streets

It's amazing that this information is so readily available yet still we argue that this war isn't about oil. Our entire middle east policy has ALWAYS been about oil. posted 03/31/2008 at 09:46:32

How Would Watergate Be Reported Today?

In fairness to the press, we should take into consideration the sheer magnitude of information warranting investigation which the Bush administration has generated.
It could be argued that the Bush administration have employed a 'blitzkrieg' approach to jamming the media and the investigative bodies which might normally have done a better job representing the people"s interests. Also take into consideration that directly after 9/11, people in the press and some in the Democratic Party were "anthraxed", ostensibly to stifle deeper investigations into the failings leading up to 9/11 and to stifle dissent against the legislation which followed.
That said, I feel there is more than enough evidence to warrant the current criticism of the press this article alludes to.

The best and only solution is to elect a good president and congress and set about creating the right balance of regulation needed to restore oversight and accountability. If not, America is doomed. posted 03/29/2008 at 11:02:33

Excerpt from Free Ride: John McCain and the Media

Wasn't Abrams running a segment called 'Teflon John' for the very reason this article exists? Has it already disappeared from his program? Say it ain't so? posted 03/28/2008 at 16:40:47

The vilification of McCain by the conservative 'base" had more to do with his part in exposing Abramoff than his stance on taxes, global warming, etc. No doubt he"ll be playing up his image as a reformer in but I think his stance on the war and the economy will override whatever credit he gets for occasionally going against party lines to do the right thing. posted 03/28/2008 at 11:30:08

Obama & Co. Stop Taking the Bait

Currently, every politician has to play some form of the game to get elected and even then, depending on the circumstances; compromise is the order of the day. We all know this so why pretend they can somehow magically rise above it? Especially if they haven"t even been elected yet? This kind of "blind faith" doesn"t serve the interest of our party or anyone who believes in reality for that matter. So, there is no point in demonizing the Clintons or Obama or other politicians who"ve done good work under the circumstances they were, and are, faced with? We all know that trade agreements must be modified. We all know that health care needs reformed. We all know that Iraq is bleeding us dry. And we all know that none of these issues will be resolved without a democratic administration and a SOLID majority in the house and senate. So, are we going to keep bashing each other over meaningless tripe, or are we going to decide what we want and then do the work necessary to get it?

Not to say we shouldn"t point out flaws, but from the time this became a two person race a lot has been blown out of proportion.

Hillary has flatly stated that she will do everything possible to insure that her supporters vote for Barack and I can"t imagine he wouldn"t do the same. We're going to be fine. posted 03/30/2008 at 14:46:15

Those Hidden Costs

I view the issue as more of an ideological struggle rather than one of race.

The rest of the industrialized, civilized world, -including our neighbors to the north and south- have already incorporated some elements of socialism based on the needs of their people. We also incorporate socialism we just refuse to use the term. In addition to socialism we fund a large and expensive welfare state favoring business owners -large and small- via tax subsidies. Even so-called small business owners, including family owned businesses with maybe one or two family employees, pay far less in tax than do the majority or working class/middle class Americans. This is unjust and unfair and it is destroying our nation.

The class system in America is where we are failing. It is the issue we need to unite around and regardless of race or religion you should be supporting the kinds of changes necessary to create a more equitable and just society.

Despite some of the pastors more controversial statements, I feel his views on social justice are in line with where we are going as a nation. posted 03/30/2008 at 09:03:59

Prison Calls It Food, Inmates Disagree

I wonder. Does the same company who makes the similarly named and equally horrible tasting diet food have anything to do with this product? posted 03/23/2008 at 19:47:02

China Blasts Dalai Lama, Pelosi on Tibet

It's coming up on election time. Gotta do something and look good doing it. posted 03/24/2008 at 15:29:34

Deep Pangs of Irony: Courting Water to Conquer War

Most of the waterways the US are cleaner than they used to be, but residual pollution and mercury from coal fired power plants continue to limit our consumption of fish to a few ounces per month. Currently fish stocks in the oceans are plummeting from over fishing and pollution and even ocean fish have high levels of mercury.

A study done in the Florida Everglades proved that we could significantly reduce the mercury levels in fish by reducing emissions from waste incinerators and coal fired power plants. http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/news/2003/nov/1106.htm

There is no valid reason to sacrifice clean water and air in order to maintain our so-called
"way of life". We can wean ourselves away from a "throw away junk" society and move towards an investment based society that pays dividends into the future. We can build products that last and increase in value into the future.
posted 03/24/2008 at 07:51:45

Is a Sad History Repeating Itself?

So Clinton broke the story about Obama and his church?

Race wasn"t an issue in the campaign until then, so the whole premise of this article exists only to pass blame to Clinton.

Further, I would point out that the right wing is going to use the socialist leanings of the church a lot more than race to smear Obama. And as I"ve said before, the fact that the media is not touching this now only guarantees that it will be a much bigger issue later.

What happens if in the fall if the media stalk Obama and wait for every bad moment and slip of the tongue, and these become the majority of the clips they run? We need unity now, not division. Stop creating false hatred where none exists.
posted 03/24/2008 at 09:01:43

James Carville on Gov. Richardson's Endorsement of Barack Obama

Clinton is Pilate and Barack is Jesus or vice versa. and we are the angry mob. posted 03/22/2008 at 16:07:04

Why Am I So Afraid

I hadn't heard that Hillary was actually questioning Baracks Christianity or that she was attacking his preacher. If you can show some evidence of this I would really like to know about it. posted 03/22/2008 at 11:40:38

I listen to a lot of left wing radio. Recently, one of my favorite hosts said that our mission after this election should be to drum the moderate and centrist democrats out of the party. I read read some posts here that at least suggest the same mindset. I don"t think that mindset will help the Democratic Party win elections. I understand that we want to move away from a government driven by lobbyists and big moneyed interests, but if we intend to win we need the party to be whole. posted 03/22/2008 at 11:13:39

How Will Hillary's Bosnia "Whopper" Play in the Media?

The Washington Post is a right wing newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch. At least some of the assertions made in this post are patently false and have been debunked by the press.

The only way to understand that hate is to equate it with the source. Which in my mind is blatantly right wing. posted 03/22/2008 at 12:06:59

Reactions to a Tough Decision

I listen to Air America often and recently one their hosts said that our mission after this election should be to drum all of the moderate and centrist democrats out of the party.
I read a lot of posts here that suggest the same mindset. I don"t think posters here are doing the Democratic Party any favors by making the point that moderates and centrists aren"t welcome. I understand that we want to move away from a government driven by lobbyists and big moneyed interests, but if we intend to win we need the party to be whole and even Barack has said he'd like to pick up some moderate republicans.

I"d also like to point out that there is almost no difference in the voting records or rhetoric of Barack, Hillary and many other democrats in the house and senate. To pretend that he is somehow a paradigm shift is to ignore his own campaign rhetoric and stated goals. A great politician he is. A change in direction he has promised. But a radical and abrupt change was never part of the deal.
posted 03/22/2008 at 09:09:53

I found this article comparing Hillary vs Obama concise and interesting. Doesn't mean I necessarily subscribe to the viewpoint expressed, although I do feel it points to concerns that many people have expressed.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/opinion/2005-7196.html posted 03/22/2008 at 07:41:34

McCain Spiritual Guide Accused Gov't Of Enabling 'Black Genocide'

The drug epidemic is genocide on all of us. I have a friend who's a nurse. She tells me that about 60% of the people who come in with injuries test positive for meth and or coke. People ranging in age from teenagers to folks in their sixtees.

I would also like to point out since the 80's, when the aids epidemic was recognized as an impending disaster for Africa, the republicans blocked all forms of aid that included family planning. Now, decades later, they finally concede that family planning is far more effective than abstinence only in preventing unwanted pregnancy and the spread of disease.

Of course at this point they want to spend billions of our tax dollars enriching the drug companies to treat those infected, and of course they expect to look like heroes for doing so.
posted 03/21/2008 at 14:08:30

Bin Laden Urges Jihad for Palestinians

"The nearest field of jihad today to support our people in Palestine is the Iraqi field," he said.

Has anyone noticed that about the time it looks like we're moving towards getting out of Iraq and changing our middle east policy, this guy pops up with something that makes it seem like we need to stay right where we are, doing exactly what we're doing.

Either Bin Ladens working for Bushco or his plan is to keep draining our economy to the point where they can call that a win. Either way it doesn't matter. Our presence in Iraq is just a magnet for them and the smaller our forces there are, the less the magnetic pull. Bin Laden can call whatever he wants a win but he's living on borrowed time in a fools paradise.

The people in Iraq hate 'the base' with a passion, so all we need to do is help the existing forces there if and when they need it. Redeployment and supply on demand. All the stuff the Dems have been talking about for several years now.

posted 03/21/2008 at 07:46:16

War and Remembrance

This is a quote from a speech in the late 80's where GHW Bush is trying to justify or Central American policy. "international terrorism will take the place of human rights"

All this proves is that they were looking for another cold war boogieman to justify what we're seeing today.. It just illustrates the fact that Reagans middle east policy - a continuation or previous failed policies - has had the intended effect

posted 03/21/2008 at 09:22:55

Yeah, but from the time he was in the Senate he has supported the dumb war just like everyone else and for the same reason. They've been intimidated into continuing the funding because of blackmail. We pull the funding, they leave our troups twisting in the wind. The casualty rate goes up, the Dems get blamed and the media piles on we lose the presidency, the house, the senate, and the high courts for decades to come.

This is about way more than this nomination and to take it down to that level doesn't help anyone but those who've perpetrated this disaster on America.

posted 03/21/2008 at 08:42:36

They used to use the term "strategic national interests" but of course that no longer works. posted 03/21/2008 at 08:34:31

Because of 9//11, most of the pre-conditions that might normally have existed went right out the window.

It"s really unfair to say that any and all democrats and republicans who voted to authorize the war were guilty of negligence, although I would say it is fair to point out they were guilty of being intimidated or hoodwinked. .

This whole war was premised on fear, bad intelligence, and media hype. The proof of this is obvious in the fact that for a very long time AFTER the war started, a substantial portion of the American public still believed that Iraq had something to do with 9/11

For someone faced with the public opinion, the intelligence reports and the fear of another impending attack, it was probably a very intimidating thing to consider not voting for the option to go to war.

Finally, Barack wasn"t in the Senate at the time, so there"s no way to be sure how he would have voted. Considering he missed the vote on the Kyl " Lieberman amendment, I think it"s only fair to point out that he may have succumbed to the same pressures as others and voted to authorize the right to use force.
posted 03/20/2008 at 19:02:20