Boehner and Pryce

Republicans John Boehner and Deborah Pryce are trying to undo the mess the Republicans have gotten us into by spinning their record. Boehner and Pryce have even tried to conjure up images of the famous Ohio State Coach, Woody Hayes. However, Woody would never recognize his Republican Party today. As former NBA star, Charles Barkley said, "I was a Republican - until they lost their minds."

Boehner, Pryce, DeLay, Ney, Cunningham, and the rest of the GOP have lost their minds. How can they continue to support a war in Iraq where our young men and women are being slaughtered because there was no plan for war or peace? How can they continue to support this administration's inept strategies for trying to bring peace in the Middle East? While the Middle East burns, Condi Rice plays piano? Was this a modern version of Nero? This country is a mess: war, immigration stalemate, loss of manufacturing jobs, loss of America's reputation, FEMA failures, diplomacy failures, no job growth, no funding for No Child Left Behind, a Medicare Prescription Plan that still is a mess, Republican corruption, the outing of a CIA agent, cozy relationships with lobbyists, an out of control rising gas price fiasco, the largest national debt in history, a lack of leadership in science and global warming, the Abramoff scandal, a minimum wage bill tied to tax cuts for the wealthy, etc., etc.

Why would anyone re-elect these Republican clowns?

Goodlatte For Slaughtering Horses

Republican Rep. Bob Goodlatte (VA-6th) is against a bill in the House of Representatives called the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. Goodlatte against a bill that would stop the killing of horses for meat. The Niagara Falls Reporter has the full story. Here are some excerpts:

...Three Belgian-owned horse-killing plants -- two in Texas and one in Illinois -- slaughter about 95,000 American horses a year, mostly for export to Japan and several European countries, where the flesh is considered a delicacy and goes at retail for about $15 to $23 a pound...

...The House version of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act progressed nicely through the House Energy and Commerce Committee last week, but then was hijacked by the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Virginia Republican Bob Goodlatte -- who is vigorously opposed to the slaughter ban.

Goodlatte's panel reported the bill out to the House floor -- a seeming victory for its backers -- but did what congressional committees often do when they want to confuse the public. The panel loaded up the proposal with "poison pill" amendments, killer changes in obtuse language that make a hash of the original intent and usually doom the legislation to defeat or terminal delays....

If you care about horses, write/call Rep. Goodlatte with your opinion. Ask him why he is for killing horses for meat.

Republicans in Trouble in the House

Chris Bowers over at MyDD writes about a new survey posted at NPR that clearly shows the GOP is in deep oatmeal with the voters:
NPR:
With Election Day just a little more than three months away, the Morning Edition polling team was asked to take the pulse of likely voters in the most competitive districts across the country.

Democrat Stan Greenberg and Republican Glenn Bolger found that, while republicans do a little bit better with these voters than they do in a nationwide sample, the numbers still point to trouble for the party in power....

Full Results: NPR Poll of Voters in 50 Most Competitive House Districts
Get state-by-state analysis and projections for this year's House, Senate and gubernatorial races in this interactive map.

It is no wonder the Republicans won't talk about their polls in their districts.

Broken Promises to Our Troops

Remember when this administration told our troops that they'd be coming home soon? Unfortunately, this administration has broken those promises. The LA Times has this:

President Bush's decision to increase the number of U.S. troops in violence-plagued Baghdad, Iraq, has forced commanders to extend the tours of 3,500 soldiers and appears to eliminate prospects for significant withdrawals of U.S. forces this year.

Just a month ago, the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, Gen. George S. Casey, came to Washington and presented a scenario to Bush in which the number of combat brigades in Iraq could be reduced from 14 to 12 by September. Another two brigades would have been removed by the end of the year. A typical brigade includes 3,500 soldiers.

Now, even Defense Department officials who talked of reductions are discounting the prospects of near-term cuts....

Family members and friends must be disappointed that their loved ones in the military won't be coming home soon.

MSNBC is quoting a Washington Post article about how the troops are very frustrated:
Army Staff Sgt. Jose Sixtos considered the simple question about morale for more than an hour. But not until his convoy of armored Humvees had finally rumbled back into the Baghdad military base, and the soldiers emptied the ammunition from their machine guns, and passed off the bomb-detecting robot to another patrol, did he turn around in his seat and give his answer.

"Think of what you hate most about your job. Then think of doing what you hate most for five straight hours, every single day, sometimes twice a day, in 120-degree heat," he said. "Then ask how morale is."

Frustrated? "You have no idea," he said.....

We need to support our troops and we need to bring them home now.

Say It Isn't So!

Raw Story is reporting that the Bush administration is thinking about sending U.S. troops to Lebanon. Raw Story notes info from Harper's Magazine. Here is an excerpt:

There's much discussion of putting a multinational, NATO-led force in southern Lebanon as part of a ceasefire agreement in the Israel–Lebanon conflict, but Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, according to a story in the Washington Post, has said that she does “not think that it is anticipated that U.S. ground forces . . . are expected for that force.” However, a well-connected former CIA officer has told me that the Bush Administration is in fact considering exactly such a deployment.

The officer, who had broad experience in the Middle East while at the CIA, noted that NATO and European countries, including England, have made clear that they are either unwilling or extremely reluctant to participate in an international force. Given other nations' lack of commitment, any “robust” force—between 10,000 and 30,000 troops, according to estimates being discussed in the media—would by definition require major U.S. participation. According to the former official, Israel and the United States are currently discussing a large American role in exactly such a “multinational” deployment, and some top administration officials, along with senior civilians at the Pentagon, are receptive to the idea.

The uniformed military, however, is ardently opposed to sending American soldiers to the region, according to my source....

Are they out of their minds? Read the rest of the article.

You need to know

Found at Buckeye State Blog:
Deborah Pryce has now voted AGAINST the minimum wage SEVEN times
in the last month including again yesterday when she voted to dismiss a move by Rep. George Miller to increase the min wage by $2.10 from $5.15 to $7.25/hour over a two year period. [H.R. 2389, H.R. 2429, Vote # 382, 7/19/06]

Have you seen this picture of Pryce, her pal President Bush, and the rest of the Republicans having a good old time when they sign the tax cuts for the rich? You haven't?

The documentary about The Lima Company had a screening. Among the the crowd was Pryce (Akron Beacon Journal):
...Rep. Deborah Pryce, a loyal member of the GOP leadership that endorsed the war, is embroiled in a tough race against an anti-war Democrat....
...Pryce's opponent back in central Ohio, Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy, said the Republican administration has not allowed Americans to see the true nature of the war....

I guess the conclusion for this would be that if you like war, like to pay for war without questioning policies, and like to remain stupid about the human costs for the war, you'd vote for Pryce. However, if you want to end the war built on a lie (no WMD's), end the cover up about the deaths, destruction, and costs, you'll vote for Kilroy.

Why does Deborah Pryce support the blocking of pictures of our flag-draped caskets returning from Iraq? What doesn't she want you to know? Just asking.

Ohio's Unemployment Rate for June '06

The Ohio Dept. of Jobs and Family Services has just released the unemployment rates for June '06. Here are some of the important points:

Ohio's unemployment rate was 5.1 percent in June, down from 5.3 percent in May, according to data released this morning by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Ohio's nonfarm wage and salary employment decreased 5,600 over the month, from 5,464,800 in May to 5,459,200 in June.

"Labor market data for June were mixed," said ODJFS Director Barbara Riley. "Although Ohio's unemployment rate declined in June, overall employment declined as well."

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in June was 302,000, down from 312,000 in May. The number of unemployed has decreased by 50,000 in the past 12 months from 352,000. The June unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 6.0 percent in June 2005.

The U.S. unemployment rate for June was 4.6 percent, unchanged from May...

...Seven counties had unemployment rates at or above 7.0 percent during June. The counties with the highest rates, other than Monroe (9.8), were: Pike, 8.1; Meigs, 7.6; Jackson, 7.5; Scioto, 7.4; Morgan, 7.2; and Vinton, 7.0 percent...

There are many people not included in this. I think that the ODJFS must have memorized the book How to Lie with Statistics. It doesn't take a genius to realize that the Republicans have not created any new jobs in Ohio, college grads are still searching for jobs, and many people are underemployed.

Another Dumb Statement!

Found at Americablog and they found it at Senate Majority:

In Saturday’s Tulsa World, Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), the Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, reiterated his stated belief that global warming is “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people” by comparing it to the lies told by the Nazis during the Holocaust.

If I were from Oklahoma, I would be very embarrassed to have a complete idiot like Inhofe as a Senator. Obviously, the guy doesn't believe in science. According to Project Vote Smart, Inhofe has a B.A. from the University of Tulsa. Do you think he took any science courses at the University of Tulsa?

Global Warming is an established scientific fact. It is not my fault that some people aren't smart enough to understand it.

Here is more from the interview at Tulsa World:
...Inhofe insists that the number of polar bears is not dropping and that some of the glaciers in the national park are actually getting bigger.

As for the Kilimanjaro glacier, which reportedly is disappearing, Inhofe said the loss can be blamed on the cutting of trees, which once held the moisture.

"One by one, you can refute everything they are saying," Inhofe said.

He includes in that claim the warnings by some that the planet is closing in on a tipping point or a point of no return when it comes to climate change.

Inhofe recalls the warnings a few decades ago that another ice age was coming.

He dismisses even the suggestions that Americans could help by giving up big cars or using more energy-efficient light bulbs.

"It is not going to make any difference," the senator said.

"But if it makes them feel good, they can do it."

Lucky for the people in Oklahoma Inhofe is up for re-election. I hope that they pick someone smarter than Inhofe.

Beware of the Republicans!

Here they go again! The Republicans are pushing their "family values" agenda in Ohio. This is their idiot agenda. The Republicans can't talked about ethics because they have none. The Republicans can't talk about honesty because they don't know the meaning of the word. The Republicans can't promise jobs because they scare employers away. Now the Republicans are going to say they are pro-family. Everyone is pro-family. Every person wants good things for families. However, not all Republicans are as moral as they want you to believe. Many Republican leaders have been married three times (Guiliani, Gingrich) or have had several extra-marital affairs (you'll have to do your own research!) or love the Confederate flag (George Allen). We cannot let the Republicans talk about family values when their own party has destroyed lives by promoting a war, taking away health care, and taking away programs for the elderly and children.

Don't let the Republicans control the topic of conversation. If someone says they are for family values ask them if Republican political corruption is a family value.

If you are looking for some interesting bumper stickers, look no further than the parking lot of the Whole Foods store located in Northwest Columbus (Sawmill and Rt. 161). On most days, the left-leaning bumper stickers out number those Bush/Cheney signs by about 5 to 1. It does provide some interesting reading in the parking lot.

Pro-life? Give me a break!

*Interesting commentary from Ann Fisher today on the meaning of freedom of speech. Here are some excerpts:

The Dixie Chicks have picked up at least one new fan since singer Natalie Maines knocked President Bush at their London concert in March 2003.

Her comment drew death threats, and some radio stations, including WCOL in Columbus, have boycotted their music since. Public displays of anger by former fans were recorded and replayed around the world for days.

The aftermath, more than the original comment, attracted the attention of Columbus resident Steve Vargo, who believes that his own anti-war message is endangered when a superstar such as Maines is threatened.

He’s right. War fought for whatever reason on behalf of our nation never should embolden its supporters to squelch the opposition...

***With over 70% of Americans supporting government funding of stem cell research, why does this administration continue to oppose it? Why is this administration against medical research? Some people say that this Republican administration is pro-life. Really? Was Bush pro-life when he allowed hundreds of people to be executed in Texas while he was governor? Was Bush pro-life when he decided to invade Iraq, a sovereign nation that had no WMD's? Was Bush pro-life when he made our young men and women go to war without the proper equipment? Was Bush pro-life when he continued to wage war and tens of thousands of civilians are killed in an unnecessary war? Was Bush pro-life when he waited days to send help to the Katrina-ravaged Gulf Coast?

If you saw the press conference in the White House where Bush used his first veto on the stem cell bill, you will recall that the 'snowflake' babies were all white. Are only white babies 'snowflake' babies? Does this administration think that saving only white babies is the meaning of pro-life?

Saving millions of lives through stem cell research is pro-life. Finding cures for diseases through stem cell research is pro-life. These right wing religious nuts have even hijacked our medical science research.

DeWine Alters Ad

Republican Sen. DeWine has had to change a campaign ad because it misrepresented actual facts. Here the story from the McAlester News:

Sen. Mike DeWine is changing the images of the burning World Trade Center towers in a campaign ad, but not for the reasons Democrats objected to it.

DeWine, R-Ohio, released a statewide television ad last week accusing his opponent, Democratic Rep. Sherrod Brown, of being soft on national security. Democrats criticized DeWine for using images of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the 19 men accused of hijacking the planes in those attacks.

The senator was notified Wednesday by a reporter at U.S. News & World Report that the image of the burning Twin Towers could not have depicted the actual event because the smoke was blowing the wrong way. He immediately ordered the image replaced with a photograph of the moment, his campaign said....

Here is the real story about DeWine: Here.

Middle East Woes

President Bush will attend another fundraiser August 2nd in Ohio. This time it will be for Republican candidate, Kenneth Blackwell. I find it amazing that the Republicans are still able to get campaign money from Ohioans. Hasn't the Republican Party done enough to ruin this state and now they want money?

What a mess the adminstration has created in the Middle East! Why hasn't Sec. of State Rice done anything to calm issues with Israel, Lebanon, and Syria? Why the heck is she waiting? Why is it the British have already removed their citizens from Lebanon, but the U.S. is moving so slowly? Why did the Bush administration originally plan to charge American citizens for evacuation and then change its mind?

Ney Having More Problems

Ethically challenged Republican Rep. Bob Ney is having loads of problems. Besides losing many of his staff members, and his involvement in an ongoing investigation because of his ties to to Jack Abramoff, now Ney is falling behind in the raising of campaign money. According to WCPO, Ney's Democratic rival, Zack Space, has raised more money. It may just be an indication of the public's lack of interest in supporting Ney.

There is another story from WCPO about Ney's problems with legal costs. According to the story----Rep. Bob Ney's lawyer says he isn't worried that it's been more than six months since the embattled Ohio Republican paid a legal bill, even as a federal probe of influence-peddling in Congress closes in....

Olentangy School District

A parent complaint in the Olentangy School District (Ohio) has resulted in the pulling of a reading list for some high school students. Here is an excerpt from the story in the Dispatch:
...Olentangy Superintendent Scott Davis rejected two of four books recommended to students entering Liberty’s 10 th-grade college-prep English class. Reading any of them is voluntary....

....The Sebold novel, published in 2002, opens with a rape-and-murder scene and is narrated by the 14-yearold victim from her perch in heaven. The Haddon book, which came out in 2003, is a murder mystery narrated by an autistic 15-year-old boy, prone to expressing himself with profanities.

"If you go to Amazon.com and enter the F-word in the search there (for the Haddon book), you will come up with 12 pages (with) the F-word (on it) and 13 more pages if you add -ing to it," said Barbara Reierson, whose son will be entering Liberty’s 10 th grade this fall. When the school’s principal did not honor her request to remove the book, Reierson said, she took her case to Davis.

"There are 14 pages with derogatory references to Jesus, eight pages with the S-word, and 16 pages of (profanities related to) God," Reierson said. "But I only found one d-a-m-n and thought, ‘Well, I got off easy there.’ "

Reierson tried to enlist the aid of Kris Proper, whose daughter also will be entering the 10 th grade at Liberty this fall. Proper said Reierson urged her to check the Haddon book’s profane content using the Amazon.com search engine and to protest its selection for the reading list.

"Instead, I went and bought the book," she said. "I thought it was very compelling. To see things from the perspective of someone who is disabled was great."...

The parent who made the original fuss did not read the book. She had no idea about the storyline, only that the book had "bad words." From my perspective as a former teacher, the parent does have the right to ask for an exemption for her son/daughter to read an alternative book. However, how can the parent judge a book when she has not read the book????

Several years ago, before I retired, my teaching assignment was changed from one grade level to another. I had to spend a summer reading about 50 books. I read each book, created vocabulary lists, outlined each chapter, made review sheets for each chapter, produced creative writing activities for each book, and composed tests for each book. It was a busy summer. Then, in the class room, materials had to be adapted for individual student learning styles.

It appears that the parent in the Olentangy district does not understand the process used in choosing books and working with them in the classroom. Some of these parents haven't spent a lot of time recently inside a high school classroom. I'd suggest that before parents start complaining that they spend two full days observing a high school literature class. The personal attacks on the teachers must stop!


I'd suggest that those parents who are so concerned about the contents of the high school reading lists start reading the books instead of just criticizing. In this way, parents can speak out of knowledge instead of ignorance.

Pig Jokes Won't Fly

While a new conflict rages in the Middle East, President Bush makes pig jokes.
While Americans die in Iraq, Bush makes pig jokes at a boar roast.
While more Americans have filed for unemployment benefits, Bush makes pig jokes.
While the North Koreans continue to terrorize their neighbors with their new found nuclear power, Bush makes pig jokes.
While terrorists blow up a train in India, Bush makes pig jokes.
While Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa talks about electrifying border fences, Bush makes pig jokes.
While Iran boasts of their nuclear arsenal, Bush makes pig jokes.

Is this the way Americans want their President to act while the rest of the world burns?

New Ad: America Needs a New Direction

Remember when Bush used soldiers as props for his political campaign? Remember when the GOP and Bush used the words 9/11, 9/11, 9/11 in their political ads? Now the Republicans are accusing the Democrats of misusing similar images.

Keith Olbermann spoke about the new ad on Countdown. The ad sponsored by the DCCC.org makes a valid statement: America Needs a New Direction! See the video here (click PLAY).

Haven't traded in that SUV yet?

When I drive through Ohio I am amazed that people are still driving around those SUVs. Why? Do you like paying premium gas prices? Do you like driving vehicles that could be classified as a weapon of mass destruction? Do you think that non-SUV drivers have sympathy for you? (we don't)
Dispatch:

Oil prices hit a new intraday high near $76 a barrel Thursday in a market agitated by escalating violence in the Middle East and news of explosions on Nigerian pipelines....

...Light, sweet crude for August delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange shot up 94 cents to $75.89 a barrel, surpassing the previous intraday high of $75.78 set last Friday. By midday in Europe, the price eased back to $75.82, up 87 cents.

Front-month August Brent on London's ICE Futures exchange also hit a high, climbing $1.18 to $75.57 a barrel, above its previous $75.09 per barrel high set Friday.

"With little prospect of any good news on Nigeria, Iran and global demand any time soon, the risks remain on the upside and the prospect of a move to, and through, $80 per barrel must be very real, very soon," said Paul J. Harris, head of energy and emissions at Bank of Ireland Global Markets in Dublin, Ireland...

Trade in that SUV before it is worth only a nickel.

Ohio Campaign Notes

Swing State Project has the results of two different polls for the Ney vs Space (OH-18) match up. Although the polls have different numbers, it is interesting to see how the electorate is responding to the scandal-plagued Ney's continuing troubles.
*
Why the heck is Rudy Giuliani running around Ohio campaigning for Republicans? There are some people who view Giuliani as some sort of moral leader. However, I am not one of them. Giuliani who has been married three times, divorced twice, and had a very visible extra-marital affair, is not someone I'd look to for moral leadership or any leadership for that matter.
*
In an effort to beef up their military recruiting, the government has been allowing members of hate groups to our armed services. From the New York Daily News:
...But the Army also is being accused of overlooking gang and hate-group affiliations. Last week, the Southern Poverty Law Center, an Alabama-based civil rights organization, issued a startling report, "A Few Bad Men," describing how neo-Nazis and white supremacists have infiltrated the military.

"Recruiters are knowingly allowing neo-Nazis and white supremacists to join the armed forces," says Scott Barfield, a Department of Defense investigator. "It's not epidemic, but there's plenty of evidence - we're talking numbers well into the thousands," he says.

Barfield found and reported 320 cases of white-power extremists in the past year alone - but only two were actually removed from service. The report cites the case of Matt Buschbacher, who posed in front of a flaming swastika giving a Nazi salute at a KKK rally in 2000 - then became a Navy SEAL in 2001, served in Iraq and received an honorable discharge...

*Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce wants you to know about the GOP accomplishments. CNN has this:
"If we don't let our constituents know about our accomplishments, no one will," House Republican Conference Chairman Deborah Pryce (Ohio) writes in a letter accompanying the House GOP's recess packet. "The Democrats are not going to be out there this recess touting our accomplishments for us."

Here is a list of Pryce and her GOP's successes:
*
*
*

Did you see them all? You didn't see them? Do you know why? There are no accomplishments! However, here are the Republican failures: supporting an unending war, no oversight, no ethics, rewarding oil companies, failure to raise the minimum wage, corruption, promoting a confusing Medicare Part D program, granting higher tax cuts to the wealthy, etc. To Pryce and the Republicans I say---Thanks for nothing!

The Good, The Bad, and The Really Bad Stuff

THE GOOD:
Ohio's Paul Hackett has endorsed Democrat Sherrod Brown for U.S. Senate.

THE BAD:
Another aide to Republican Rep. Bob Ney has been subpoenaed. The Dispatch has the story. It seems that the feds are getting closer and closer to Ney. When will they get to Ney?

THE REALLY BAD:
(Dispatch)- ...Four audits of the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services failed to reveal problems that escalated into about $1 billion in possible misspending.

Two reviews were part of standard state audits conducted by Auditor Betty D. Montgomery covering 2002 and 2003. Two others were performed by independent accountants at the request of the agency serving Hamilton County’s poor and jobless for the same two years.

The first hint of misspending came in late 2004 in a financial review conducted by Montgomery at the request of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, which administers the programs.

It was the first such review conducted on Hamilton County since 1993.

The questioned $1 billion now comes from a separate audit by the state Job and Family Services department of spending from 2002 through 2004....

Which party has been in power all this time? Ohio Republicans
Which party failed to find the fraud? Ohio Republicans
How did they 'audit' the agency? Looks like Montgomery has gotten a little sloppy. If this happened in Hamilton County, doesn't make you wonder what other stuff the Republicans are hiding.

News Notes

****Wendy's unveils the Brutus Buckeye Burger!!!! From the Post: ....Wendy's International Inc. is planning to debut a sandwich next month named after the Ohio State University mascot. The burger - to be available at 125 central Ohio restaurants - will feature a quarter pound of beef, sweet relish, mustard relish, tomatoes, bacon, lettuce, onion and American cheese on a roll.

Wendy's, the nation's No. 3 burger chain, plans to add the Brutus Buckeye Burger to the menu Aug. 28 and offer it through the football season. The company also plans to offer a Fix n' Mix Frosty with mini Buckeye peanut butter and chocolate candies....

>>I am not a big soccer fan. However, I found myself watching the World Cup the last few weeks. I thought that yesterday's victory by Italy over France was a very exciting game, even if I didn't understand the meanings of penalty kicks, off sides, and red cards.

Here is what the Italian newspapers are publishing today about Italy's victory:
http://lanazione.quotidiano.net/ http://www.repubblica.it/ http://www.nuovavenezia.quotidianiespresso.it/giornalilocali/index.jsp?s=nuovavenezia&l=primapagina

>>Ohio Republican Sen. DeWine is another lapdog for the Bush administration. Now DeWine is planning to introduce legislation that was written by a federal agency. Does anyone else see something wrong with this???? Can't DeWine write anything on his own? What about the separation of powers?

>>The match up between Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy and Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce is really heating up. The One America Committee Blog has some interesting insights into the race. Here is an example:

On May 2, 2006 Deborah Pryce read a "One Minute Message" about Energy on the floor of the House.

Mostly, a tirade of Karl Rove's talking poiints against Democrats, she throws out such statements as:

"Democrats just say no . . . but when it comes to offering solutions, a way out of this, they're noticeably silent"

"Democrats want a campaign issue, Republicans want a solutions"
(My take-- what are the republican solutions--take more money from big oil?????)

Mary Jo Kilroy also had an announcement to make regarding Energy on May 2, 2006

Kilroy and Franklin County Commission Pioneer Alternative Fuel Usage For County Fleet

Mary Jo Kilroy and the Franklin County Commission gave the final "go ahead" to the building of an E-85 ethanol refueling station at the county-owned garage. By tanking up its "flex-fuel" cars with E-85, Franklin County will immediately decrease amount of petroleum-based fuel it uses and reduce the amount of green house gases emitted by its fleet of over 400 vehicles by 30 percent.

"I believe government should lead by example. This is the cutting edge in the battle for energy independence, not Washington. This program embodies new priorities," Kilroy said....

>>AlterNet has a good article worth reading: Why Do Republicans Hate America's Veterans?
Here is a highlight---

In his quiet moments, Rep. John Murtha must sometimes catch himself thinking about how much easier his life would be if he had just kept his damn mouth shut and gone along to get along on the Iraq war. The Democrat, who has represented Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District for 32 years, began angering the Republican party in late 2005 when, having seen enough of the Bush administration's incompetence, he became the most vocal critic of the White House's failed and dishonest Iraq policies.

"The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It's a flawed policy wrapped in illusion," said Murtha, in November 2005, in calling for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. "The American public is way ahead of the members of Congress. The United States and coalition troops have done all they can in Iraq. But it's time for a change in direction. Our military is suffering. The future of our country is at risk. We cannot continue on the present course. It is evident that continued military action in Iraq is not in the best interest of the United States of America, the Iraqi people or the Persian Gulf regime."

While our young men and women fight in Iraq, the GOP attacks our vets, denies them medical coverage, and keeps sending them on multiple tours of duty.

Republicans: Out of Touch

Republicans just don't get it. They cannot understand that by pushing to raise the minimum wage, Democrats are out to help a lot of people. Republicans, on the other hand, support giving tax breaks to the few and the wealthy. Which party is more in tune with regular people?

On a recent vist to Ohio, former Senator John Edwards explained it best (San Luis Obispo Tribune):
"This cause will not end when we are victorious raising the minimum wage here in the state of Ohio," he said. "It will continue next year and the next year and the next year until we are living in a United States of America where every single American is treated the same way."

Of course, the Republicans just can't see it. Here is another excerpt from that same source:

John McClelland, a spokesman for the Ohio Republican Party, said Democrats have "misaligned their priorities" by focusing on the minimum wage issue.

"If Democrats are looking at the minimum wage as a way to improve Ohio's economic woes, they're sadly mistaken," McClelland said. "They should be looking at ways to create jobs in the state."

Hello, Mr. McClelland! Your Republican Party has been in control of Ohio's government for a l-o-o-o-o-n-n-g time. Why can't the Republicans bring jobs to Ohio? The Republicans control every phase of the state government in Ohio and the only thing the Ohio GOP can do is lie, cheat, and steal from the public. The Republican Party of Ohio is a large group of old guys with no sense of morality, dignity, or fair play. Okay. I've said it. So there. If the Republicans cared so much about the working people of Ohio they'd find a way to help all Ohioans instead of just contributors to their Republican political campaigns.

The War Continues

The Dispatch has an article about the war in Iraq. It seems as though nothing is being done to end the war. Stories in recent weeks have hinted that the President has lost interest in the war and in finding Osama bin Laden. The only thing I've noticed is that our service members who are being killed in Iraq are so young. Here is an excerpt from that Dispatch article:

As of Thursday, July 6, 2006, at least 2,542 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,009 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers....

...Since the start of U.S. military operations in Iraq, 18,786 U.S. service members have been wounded, according to a Defense Department tally....

It is clear that this war will continue until the American people demand that it end. What have you done to try to end the war and bring back our sons and daughters? Have you written or called your Senator's or Representative's office? Have you written a letter to the editor of your local paper? Read or write or call. Everyone can do something to bring our kids home. Just do something.

Taft Hopes You'll Forget the GOP Failures

Ohio Gov. Bob Taft and the Republicans hope that Ohioans will forget that they've screwed up. Taft and the Republicans want you to forget that

*they've chased away new jobs.
*they've been involved in the largest political scandals of this state's history ("Coingate").
*they've traded political money for state contracts.
*they've still not come up with a fair school funding program.
*they've allowed votes to go uncounted.
*they've let Blackwell play with people's right to vote.
*they've lost millions of dollars in the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.
*they've been total failures.

Instead, Taft and the GOP want to give you a tax cut so that you'll support their corrupt political party. Taft and the GOP thinks we will forget how they mismanaged our tax money.

We will not forget and we blame Taft and the Republicans.

Poll Numbers

Raw Story is reporting the latest poll numbers on Bush's job approval. The poll was done by Time Magazine. According to the report, Bush's approval rating has gone down to 35%. The Time Magazine article has some other information that must be especially upsetting to Karl Rove. Here are some of the noteworthy findings from the Time article:

...Only 33% of Americans in the survey said they approved of Bush's handling of the situation in Iraq, vs. 35% in March, and 47% in March 2005. His management of the U.S. economy lost supporters, too, as 36% approved, compared with 39% three months earlier. Bush's handling of the war on terror saw a slight gain in support, from 44% to 45%....

...Americans have grown more critical of the job Congress is doing, compared with three months ago. Only 31% approved, down sharply from 39% in March. Asked whether they would be more likely to vote for the Republican or Democratic candidate in the district where they live if the election were held today, 47% said Democrat and 35% said Republican, a two-point improvement for Democrats....

Americans want their elected officials to work on immigration, job creation, ending the Iraq War, and solving the energy crisis. However, the Republicans are only concerned about taking on other issues. Why are the Republicans so disconnected from the American people?????