Thursday, August 31, 2006

I'm Not Morally or Intellectually Confused

This morning on the Stephanie Miller Show, I heard that Faux News' ratings are down 28% (I guess people are getting tired of the right wing talking points) and MSNBC's Keith Olbermann ratings are up 55%. Wow!!!!

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that anyone who opposes the war is morally or intellectually confused. I'm not morally or intellectually confused and I'm against the war.

Keith Olbermann had some choice words last night. It was awesome----

The man who sees absolutes, where all other men see nuances and shades of meaning, is either a prophet, or a quack.

Donald H. Rumsfeld is not a prophet.

Mr. Rumsfeld’s remarkable speech to the American Legion yesterday demands the deep analysis—and the sober contemplation—of every American.

For it did not merely serve to impugn the morality or intelligence -- indeed, the loyalty -- of the majority of Americans who oppose the transient occupants of the highest offices in the land. Worse, still, it credits those same transient occupants -- our employees -- with a total omniscience; a total omniscience which neither common sense, nor this administration’s track record at home or abroad, suggests they deserve.

Dissent and disagreement with government is the life’s blood of human freedom; and not merely because it is the first roadblock against the kind of tyranny the men Mr. Rumsfeld likes to think of as “his” troops still fight, this very evening, in Iraq.

It is also essential. Because just every once in awhile it is right and the power to which it speaks, is wrong.

In a small irony, however, Mr. Rumsfeld’s speechwriter was adroit in invoking the memory of the appeasement of the Nazis. For in their time, there was another government faced with true peril—with a growing evil—powerful and remorseless.

That government, like Mr. Rumsfeld’s, had a monopoly on all the facts. It, too, had the “secret information.” It alone had the true picture of the threat. It too dismissed and insulted its critics in terms like Mr. Rumsfeld’s -- questioning their intellect and their morality.

That government was England’s, in the 1930’s.

It knew Hitler posed no true threat to Europe, let alone England.

It knew Germany was not re-arming, in violation of all treaties and accords.

It knew that the hard evidence it received, which contradicted its own policies, its own conclusions — its own omniscience -- needed to be dismissed.

The English government of Neville Chamberlain already knew the truth.

Most relevant of all — it “knew” that its staunchest critics needed to be marginalized and isolated. In fact, it portrayed the foremost of them as a blood-thirsty war-monger who was, if not truly senile, at best morally or intellectually confused.

That critic’s name was Winston Churchill.

Sadly, we have no Winston Churchills evident among us this evening. We have only Donald Rumsfelds, demonizing disagreement, the way Neville Chamberlain demonized Winston Churchill.

History — and 163 million pounds of Luftwaffe bombs over England — have taught us that all Mr. Chamberlain had was his certainty — and his own confusion. A confusion that suggested that the office can not only make the man, but that the office can also make the facts.

Thus, did Mr. Rumsfeld make an apt historical analogy.

Excepting the fact, that he has the battery plugged in backwards.

His government, absolute -- and exclusive -- in its knowledge, is not the modern version of the one which stood up to the Nazis.

It is the modern version of the government of Neville Chamberlain.

But back to today’s Omniscient ones.

That, about which Mr. Rumsfeld is confused is simply this: This is a Democracy. Still. Sometimes just barely.

And, as such, all voices count -- not just his.

Had he or his president perhaps proven any of their prior claims of omniscience — about Osama Bin Laden’s plans five years ago, about Saddam Hussein’s weapons four years ago, about Hurricane Katrina’s impact one year ago — we all might be able to swallow hard, and accept their “omniscience” as a bearable, even useful recipe, of fact, plus ego.

But, to date, this government has proved little besides its own arrogance, and its own hubris.

Mr. Rumsfeld is also personally confused, morally or intellectually, about his own standing in this matter. From Iraq to Katrina, to the entire “Fog of Fear” which continues to envelop this nation, he, Mr. Bush, Mr. Cheney, and their cronies have — inadvertently or intentionally — profited and benefited, both personally, and politically.

And yet he can stand up, in public, and question the morality and the intellect of those of us who dare ask just for the receipt for the Emporer’s New Clothes?

In what country was Mr. Rumsfeld raised? As a child, of whose heroism did he read? On what side of the battle for freedom did he dream one day to fight? With what country has he confused the United States of America?

The confusion we -- as its citizens— must now address, is stark and forbidding.

But variations of it have faced our forefathers, when men like Nixon and McCarthy and Curtis LeMay have darkened our skies and obscured our flag. Note -- with hope in your heart — that those earlier Americans always found their way to the light, and we can, too.

The confusion is about whether this Secretary of Defense, and this administration, are in fact now accomplishing what they claim the terrorists seek: The destruction of our freedoms, the very ones for which the same veterans Mr. Rumsfeld addressed yesterday in Salt Lake City, so valiantly fought.

And about Mr. Rumsfeld’s other main assertion, that this country faces a “new type of fascism.”

As he was correct to remind us how a government that knew everything could get everything wrong, so too was he right when he said that -- though probably not in the way he thought he meant it.

This country faces a new type of fascism - indeed.

Although I presumptuously use his sign-off each night, in feeble tribute, I have utterly no claim to the words of the exemplary journalist Edward R. Murrow.

But never in the trial of a thousand years of writing could I come close to matching how he phrased a warning to an earlier generation of us, at a time when other politicians thought they (and they alone) knew everything, and branded those who disagreed: “confused” or “immoral.”

Thus, forgive me, for reading Murrow, in full:

“We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty,” he said, in 1954. “We must remember always that accusation is not proof, and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law.

“We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were for the moment unpopular.”

And so good night, and good luck.

Yeah! Thank you, Keith!!!!

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Destroying the Evidence

GETTING RID OF THE EVIDENCE (from Raw Story):
Ohio officials will soon begin destroying the paper ballots from the 2004 presidential election despite objections from voter rights groups.

"Soon after the 2004 presidential election, questions emerged about how votes were tallied in Ohio, a battleground state that delivered the presidency to George W. Bush," Ian Urbina writes in a story slated for the New York Times.

"Now, following a routine procedure, state officials are preparing to destroy the paper ballots from the election," writes Urbina.

"Critics say the ballots should be preserved for more study," the article continues.

In related news, an email written by 2004 Democratic Presidential nominee Senator John Kerry was sent out to 100,000 Democratic donors on Tuesday urging them to support Congressman Ted Strickland in his race for governor of Ohio against GOP Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who oversaw the deciding vote two years ago, the Associated Press reported.

"He used the power of his state office to try to intimidate Ohioans and suppress the Democratic vote," wrote Kerry in the email.

Although the A.P. is reporting that Kerry is only "alleging election improprieties" as he mulls running for president again, the senator has spoken out a number of times since November of 2004, as noted in a Democratic Underground thread.

"Thousands of people were suppressed in their efforts to vote," said Kerry at a Martin Luther King Jr. memorial breakfast in Boston in January of 2005 as reported in the Boston Globe last year. "Voting machines were distributed in uneven ways."

In August, the Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism, a 501(c)3 organization that has examined election irregularities in Ohio, started a website called Save the Ballots!

"The ballots are the smoking gun to explain what happened in Ohio in 2004," according to the website.

"They were not made public until earlier this year, and after September 2, 2006, election officials across Ohio are legally allowed to destroy them," the site continues. "We have been told by election officials in the most problem-plagued counties they can't wait until Sept. 3rd, because then people asking questions will go home."

-------------------------------
CSNY
Last night we attended the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young concert at Germain. It was a night filled with music and protest. Here some excerpts from the Dispatch review of the concert:

A bitter irony marked the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young concert last night in the Germain Amphitheater. The packed house has the war in Iraq to thank for the considerable passion displayed by the four stars and, likely, the tour's existence.

For decades the quartet's reunions have hinged on the willingness of Neil Young, by far the most active and the only one who has managed to attract younger listeners while holding on to his core audience. The singer-songwriter's new solo album Living With War not only provided the core of the material during the three-hour concert last night, but the inspiration for the tour, named "Freedom of Speech '06."

Especially during the impassioned first set, though, the six songs from Young's album -- and, of course, the state of the world -- served to inspire a unity among the four sometimes uneasy partners that made for a sometimes spiritual performance....

.....Soon, though, the group climbed back onto the soapbox, beginning with Stills' all-too-relevant Find the Cost of Freedom coupled with a video featuring the faces of more than 2600 Americans who have died in Iraq, and continuing with a recording of Jimi Hendrix's Woodstock performance of the national anthem.

Let's Impeach the President, from Young's new album not only was accompanied by a teleprompter and sing-along, but drew one of the evening's only counter-protests, from a listener down front. Finishing the set with Chicago, For What It's Worth, the requisite Ohio and Rocking in the Free World made the group's inspirations plain once again.



Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Katrina
























As we recall the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina hitting the Gulf Coast, certain images will forever be engraved in my memory. The lack of response by the Bush administration was disgraceful. Over 2,000 died as a result of the hurricane and inept recovery handled by the government. Today, New Orleans, once a jewel on the Gulf Coast, has seen little if any improvements.

Monday, August 28, 2006

Poll: Good News for Brown & Strickland

A new Rasmussen poll has this:
Once again, the challenger in Ohio's highly competitive race for U.S. Senate has edged out the GOP incumbent in the Rasmussen Reports election poll. Democrat Sherrod Brown now leads Republican Senator Mike DeWine 45% to 42%....

Could it be that Ohioans have grown weary of DeWine and his record? It might be that his folksy, plaid-shirt ad is just not convincing any voters to support him. Plaid shirts can't change Ohioans who are sick of the Republican-led, do-nothing House and Senate.

And....
According to another new poll by Rasmussen, Ted Strickland's poll numbers are going up while Kenneth Blackwell's are going down. Here is part of the report:

Now, in our latest election poll of Ohio's gubernatorial race, Congressman Strickland leads his opponent by an intimidating 57% to 32% ....

...We conducted the new survey August 22, several days after the Strickland campaign began airing positive TV ads about the Democrat. The health of the steel industry has been one issue this electoral season, and Strickland's ad touts his help in securing a loan for an ailing steel company.

Blackwell is not well established even with GOP voters, only 59% of whom now support him. He is perceived as conservative by 51% of all voters.

By contrast, Strickland appeals to 88% of Democrats, and 55% of unaffiliated voters. A plurality of all voters (44%) see him as moderate.

Strickland is viewed favorably by 59%, Blackwell by 40%.

Blackwell is viewed unfavorably by 55%. More ominously, 35% view him "very" unfavorably, a four-point increase since last month....

None of this matters because 1. election day is 73 days away, and 2. Blackwell and the corrupt Republicans will be counting the votes when polls close.





Saturday, August 26, 2006

The True Cost of the War for Ohioans

In an article from the Cincinnati Post, we have this about the true cost of the war:

...If you live in Cincinnati, the answer is $298 million, according to a new report by the National Priorities Project. Ohioans in general will pay $11.2 billion, while the war will cost Kentuckians $2.4 billion.

The Northampton, Mass.-based group, which describes itself as a non-partisan organization that gives citizens the resources to shape federal budget priorities, calculated the cost of the war for each state, as well as various cities and counties across the country...

...If the $11.2 billion that Ohioans are spending on the war were put to use elsewhere, it would buy health care for 1,521,022 people and provide 194,559 teachers, 1,257 new elementary schools and 102,392 affordable housing units, to name just a few, the organization said...

...The cost for all Americans: $318 billion...

Also, in the same article, the results of research by HillMonitor are posted. HillMonitor analyzes the voting records of members of Congress. Here are some of their findings as stated in the same Cincinnati Post article:

...Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning is one of the most reliable members of Congress when it comes to supporting the positions of President Bush and the White House, according to a new analysis of voting records...

...Other senators from Kentucky and Ohio also supported Bush. Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell voted with the president 93.24 percent of the time; Ohio Sen. Mike DeWine, 91.89 percent; and Ohio Sen. George Voinovich, 90.54 percent. All three are Republicans.

On the House side, former Ohio Congressman Rob Portman and House Speaker Dennis Hastert tied for the top spot, with each voting with the president 100 percent of the time.

Portman's loyalty is no big surprise. The Terrace Park Republican's ties to the Bush family go all the way back to the president's father, George H.W. Bush, for whom Portman worked. Portman left Congress more than a year ago to work for the current administration and now serves as the White House budget director.

Other House members from Ohio and Kentucky also scored high in terms of presidential support.

Portman's successor, Rep. Jean Schmidt of Miami Township, voted with the president 95.74 percent of the time; Rep. Geoff Davis of Hebron, Ky., 94.12 percent; House Majority Leader John Boehner, 92.86 percent; and Rep. Steve Chabot of Cincinnati, 91.86 percent. All four are Republicans.

Overall, the Senate voted with Bush just 75.26 percent of the time, the lowest of his presidency. Senate Republicans backed the president 92.57 percent of the time, while Senate Democrats sided with him just 54.56 percent.

House Republicans backed the president's agenda 88.5 percent of the time, while Democrats sided with him 40.99 percent. Overall, the House voted with the president 66.45 percent of the time.

So who voted with the president the least? Former Sen. Jon Corzine, who is now the governor of New Jersey, sided with Bush just 31.3 percent of the time while in Congress. California Congressman Pete Stark sided with Bush just 21.43 percent.

Both, obviously, are Democrats.

This is a very good argument to vote for Democrats.

GOP: Give Us Money, We'll Write Laws to Protect You

Is there anything that the Republicans do that surprises you? Here is another example of how the GOP is seriously involved in pay-to-play. Here is an excerpt from the Times Frankfort:

The pharmaceutical industry quietly footed the bill for at least part of a recent multimillion-dollar ad campaign praising lawmakers who support the new Medicare prescription drug benefit, according to political officials.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce claims credit for the ads, although a spokesman refused repeatedly to say whether it had received any funds from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

Several campaign strategists not involved in the ad campaign said no legal issues were raised by the pharmaceutical industry's involvement.

Democrats seized on the disclosure, though, to renew their charge that the program amounts to a Republican-engineered windfall for drug companies.

"There's a civics lesson here from the drug companies. They write checks to protect their GOP friends, and then they write the laws to benefit themselves, all the while doctors are writing prescriptions middle-class Americans can't afford," said Bill Burton, spokesman for the House Democratic campaign organization.....

Amazing! Did the Republicans and the drug companies think we'd never find out about their arrangement? It makes you wonder what other industries besides pharmaceuticals and oil companies have these cozy relationships with the Republicans.

Friday, August 25, 2006

I'll Make This Simple

If you live in Ohio, you've seen Republican Sen. Mike DeWine's latest political ad. Did he mention he is a Republican or did that sort of get covered up? If you are confused by this ad, allow me to make the truth clear and simple:

1. Mike DeWine is a Republican.
2. Mike DeWine supports the policies of the Bush administration.
3. Mike DeWine likes being part of the Republican gang in Washington.
4. Mike DeWine has done nothing to bring jobs to Ohio. The current unemployment rate in Ohio is 5.8%.
5. If you like the Iraq war, support the continuation of the war, want to continue to spent $1 billion/per month in Iraq, vote for Mike DeWine.

However, if you think it is time to change the course of this nation and spend some money at home for our people, vote for Sherrod Brown.

Vote Democratic

With the Republicans in control of the U.S. House and Senate, they rubber stamp everything the Bush administration wants to do. There is no oversight. There are no Republicans speaking up in opposition to the administration and Karl Rove. Why does it matter?

The Republicans have provided no accountability. The administration tells them to jump and they ask how high. They don't ask why they should jump, the costs of jumping, other alternatives to jumping, or how they should jump. The President says jump and they comply.

At this time, the Democrats have no power to stop the Republicans. With more Democrats elected to office, this country may begin to have real debates again instead of just Republicans following their marching orders.

This just in from RAW STORY:

BBC News describes as a "public relations disaster" a newly announced investigation by the US military into the deaths of Army soldiers, including that of Cpl. Pat Tillman, in video obtained by RAW STORY.

BBC Washington correspondent James Westhead, in referring to Tillman's case, describes "evidence of a whitewash and a cover-up."

"This is very damaging for the Army," Westhead reports. "[It's] trying to appear as transparent as possible."

Check out the video here,'

One hundred and sixteen (116) Ohioans have died in the war in Iraq. How can we stop this war? Visit http://icasualties.org/oif/Statecity.aspx to see that names, hometowns, states, and other information on the U.S fatalities. Is there someone from your hometown on the list?

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Lieberman is a Republican

I cannot believe how the Republicans are falling all over Joe Lieberman. Lieberman did not win the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Connecticut. However, Lieberman has refused to bow out of the general election. He calls himself a Democrat. Despite what Lieberman calls himself, it is easy to see that Lieberman has joined the Republicans.

If Karl Rove offers you support, you are a Republican.
If you plan to campaign with/for Republican candidates, you are a Republican.
If you fully support the war in Iraq and the policies of this administration, you are a Republican.
How can you forget the kiss? Video from Wonkette.

Face it. Lieberman is a Republican and the good people of Connecticut need to abandon him. Lieberman has abandoned them.

By voting for Democrat Ned Lamont, Connecticut voters can help get a Democratic majority in the Senate. Ned Lamont needs your support.

Losing Members

The Christian Coalition of America is losing affiliates. Here are excerpts from a story from The Olympian:

Three disgruntled state affiliates have severed ties with the Christian Coalition of America, one of the nation's most powerful conservative groups during the 1990s but now buffeted by complaints over finances, leadership and its plans to veer into nontraditional policy areas.....

....The coalition, which claims more than 2 million members, was founded in 1989 by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson and became politically powerful under Executive Director Ralph Reed before he left in 1997. Robertson, who turned over the presidency to Combs in 2002, has been criticized for provocative public statements, while Reed lost an election in Georgia last month after being linked to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff....

No one likes hypocrites.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Paul Hackett on Hardball

If you haven't seen Paul Hackett make mincemeat of Republican talking points and a GOP candidate, you must visit Crooks and Liars to see the video of Hackett on Hardball.

Hackett has a new website called We Unite Ohio(http://www.weunite.org)

This morning, Paul Hackett called into the Stephanie Miller radio show (heard in Columbus on 1230 AM from 9am-Noon, M-F). Also, there is a lovely article about Stephanie Miller at The Progressive.

*****Have you seen the You Tube video of the Ohio Republicans? Check it out HERE.
There is another video here on Deborah Pryce.


Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Tom "Coingate" Noe Case Moves Forward

Tom Noe's trial will begin October 10th. This is good news for Ohio Democrats because the trial will serve as a reminder to voters of the scandals and corruption that the Republican Party has used as their method of winning elections and governing.

Here are excerpts from the Akron Beacon Journal:

Prosecutors can use evidence seized in a raid of a rare coin business owned by a major Republican donor at the center of the state's investment scandal, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Common Pleas Judge Thomas Osowik consolidated eight theft charges against coin dealer Tom Noe into one, but he let stand another theft charge that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and refused to dismiss other counts.

Prosecutors called the rulings a victory....

...Noe has pleaded not guilty to theft, forgery, money laundering and racketeering charges related to a $50 million dollar investment in rare coins he managed for the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. Prosecutors have accused him of stealing at least $1 million....

...Noe's trial is to begin Oct. 10, just four weeks before the November elections.

The scandal has led to ethics charges against Republican Gov. Bob Taft, who pleaded no contest and was fined for failing to report gifts such as golf outings. It also has led to the ouster of the bureau's administrator, the firing of its chief investment officer and an overhaul of the fund's investment operations....

Bush: Not Leaving Iraq

Yesterday, President Bush said that our military will not leave Iraq while he is president. This means that the earliest troops will leave Iraq is 2009, and that is only if the newly elected president plans to withdraw the troops immediately. What does this mean?

The U.S. will remain in Iraq for at least another 30 months.
The U.S. could possibly lose another one thousand of our military.
Thousands more of our military will be wounded in the next 30 months.
One billion dollars per month is being spent in Iraq. Therefore, at least another $30 billion will be spent in Iraq.
More and more of our service members will continue to have repeated tours of Iraq.

If the Republicans continue to control the House of Representatives and the Senate, this administration will continue to do whatever they want in Iraq and the world. Our only solution to this fiasco is to elect Democrats to the House and the Senate.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Word Association Game

Sometimes we associate people with certain words. For example, if I said Tiger Woods, you'd think of golf. The following is my list of people/events/places and the words I associate with them. Your thoughts might be different.

Nixon = Watergate
Sen. George Allen = macaca
Rick Santorum = man on dog
Bob Ney = sushi
Rumsfeld = inept
Karl Rove = dirty politics
Bush = miserable failure
Cheney = fear factor
Congressman Don Young = bridge to nowhere
Gov. Bob Taft = ethically challenged
Diebold = Republican voting machine
Kenneth Blackwell = vote fixer
Bill O'Reilly = falafel
Iraq = civil war
Future = national debt
Ohio Republicans = corruption

Protest Spoils Rove's Fundraiser

Found at Raw Story---

Karl Rove and his Republican supporters had their party crashed by Cindy Sheehan and other protesters in Austin, Texas. It seems as though Mrs. Sheehan and the war protesters are getting more organized. Good. Rove and the rest of his pals look like thoughtless scumbags----but that is only my opinion.

Here are some excerpts as reported by Raw Story and KRISTV.com:

Chanting "Try Rove for treason," Cindy Sheehan and more than 50 other war protesters ambushed a reception before President Bush's top adviser Karl Rove spoke at a fundraiser at a hotel Saturday.

One woman was arrested during a scuffle with police after Sheehan and the anti-war demonstrators rushed toward the closed doors and kept chanting loudly after the guests went into the dinner....

....
"I want him arrested. He planned the war that killed my son," Sheehan, referring to Rove, told the officers guarding the door. Sheehan's oldest son Casey was killed in Iraq in 2004.Police then ordered the group to leave, but some protesters had paid for rooms for the night. Those protesters went upstairs, including Sheehan.One protester was able to slip inside the ballroom during the dinner but was escorted out after shouting about men and women dying, the Austin American-Statesman reported in its Sunday editions."Pat, did you get her check before she left?" Rove quipped to the GOP group's executive director, Pat Robbins, as the crowd of 300 laughed, the newspaper reported.

....Earlier, wearing shorts and T-shirts while guests of the lobby reception walked past in sequined dresses and expensive suits, anti-war demonstrators carried American flags and signs, including one that read "Check your conscience." A few protesters unfurled a large banner from a sixth-floor hotel balcony that read "Rove v. Truth: No Contest. Pink slip Rove.

"Those at the reception sipped their drinks and largely ignored the protesters before they started chanting. One man looked at the group and said, "Go Bush!"

Earlier Saturday, the group of more than 70 gathered at the hotel entrance, carrying a large banner that read, "Rove: Guilty of crimes against humanity." Former U.S. Diplomat Ann Wright, who resigned in 2003 in protest over the war, yelled through a bullhorn, "Karl Rove, you are a criminal!"

After about 30 minutes, Austin police made them move onto grass at the edge of the property about a block away. Dozens remained later Saturday, holding signs as cars drove by, honking their horns...

I am sure that Rove and the rest of the Republicans will be meeting more protesters in the future.


Friday, August 18, 2006

Republicans Losing Support of Security Moms

In an article in today's Washington Post, it appears that Republcian Rep. Deborah Pryce and Republicans are losing the support of the "security moms." Here are some excerpts from the Post article:

Married women with children, the "security moms" whose concerns about terrorism made them an essential part of Republican victories in 2002 and 2004, are taking flight from GOP politicians this year in ways that appear likely to provide a major boost for Democrats in the midterm elections, according to polls and interviews.

This critical group of swing voters -- who are an especially significant factor in many of the most competitive suburban districts on which control of Congress will hinge -- is more inclined to vote Democratic than at any point since Sept. 11, 2001, according to data compiled for The Washington Post by the Pew Research Center.....

....she is "pretty frustrated with politics driving decisions" in Washington. That is why she said she is strongly considering abandoning her support of Republicans to vote for the Democrats challenging Rep. Deborah Pryce and Sen. Mike DeWine on Nov. 7. Polls show that both Republican incumbents from Ohio are acutely vulnerable...

Amazing. Even though the Republicans think they can continue to try to scare the living daylights out of us, people can see what is behind their scare tactics--- poor policy and no plans for leadership. This administration and the Republican Party react to events because they do not seem to have a structured plan or strategy for dealing with foreign countries or incidents. Our resources, military, money, and attention have all been wasted in Iraq while our country and its infrastructure and people suffer. It is time to get this country back on the right track.

Do you want to see a great video? Here

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

GOP Way Behind in Ohio?

I usually don't agree with most things said by David Broder. However, his column today made me take notice--- Washington Post:

When the Columbus Dispatch's respected poll recently reported that Republican Secretary of State Ken Blackwell was trailing Democratic Rep. Ted Strickland by 20 points in the race for governor of Ohio, there was dismay but no shock among his fellow Republicans. Those I interviewed during a recent visit here said they had seen it coming for a long time.

But it is a political earthquake...

...And yet, when the Dispatch poll came out, the best that Blackwell could say was that his own internal surveys showed him trailing by only 11 points -- as if that were a consolation...

....I had dinner one night with a group of Ohio Republicans, all with many years of experience in state politics and none directly engaged in this year's gubernatorial race. One of them said, "I'm afraid this could be another 1982," a year when recession pushed unemployment to 15 percent and cost the Republicans the governorship. Another said, "I'd settle right now for another 1982. I'm afraid it will be another 1974," the year of the Watergate election, when Democrats swept everything in sight....

Despite what Broder thinks, Ohio voters still have to deal with the Diebold voting machines. From The Plain Dealer

Nearly 10 percent of Cuyahoga County's official ballots in the May 2 primary were "destroyed, blank, illegible, missing, taped together or otherwise compromised," according to experts who studied the county's new electronic voting system....

NY Republican John Spencer's Family Values

One of Senator Hillary Clinton's (NY-D) Republican challengers is throwing mud. However, John Spencer, former mayor of Yonkers should be careful. In a recent ad, Spencer attacked Sen. Clinton. However, Spencer has some skeletons in his "family values" closet. The information, although well-known by the people of Yonkers and residents of New York, came out again when Spencer debated another Republican, Kathleen McFarland. Here is part of what McFarland said in this excerpt from the Journal News:

...McFarland countered that Spencer's personal relationship as mayor with staff member Kathy Spring — which she labeled an "affair with (his) secretary" — was fair game.

"You were living with her, you doubled your own personal income" as her salary increased from $52,000 to $138,000 on his watch, she said of Spring, now married to the candidate and known as Kathy Spencer....

Here is what the New York Times had to say about the debate:

...Kathleen Troia McFarland, a former official in the Reagan-era Pentagon, repeatedly hammered John Spencer, a former mayor of Yonkers, for having an extramarital affair with a city employee while he was mayor, having relatives on the city payroll, and raising property taxes. Mr. Spencer fought back, accusing her of distorting his record with “lies and innuendos and half-truths” while ignoring her early pledge to run a positive campaign...





Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Is George Allen a Racist?

Senator George Allen of Virginia is a big fan of the confederate flag. In my opinion, this indicates a man who longs for the days of oppression and slavery. However, now we have more evidence of George Allen's leanings:
Washington Post

...At a campaign rally in southwest Virginia on Friday, Allen repeatedly called a volunteer for Democrat James Webb "macaca." During the speech in Breaks, near the Kentucky border, Allen began by saying that he was "going to run this campaign on positive, constructive ideas" and then pointed at S.R. Sidarth in the crowd.

"This fellow here, over here with the yellow shirt, macaca, or whatever his name is. He's with my opponent. He's following us around everywhere. And it's just great," Allen said, as his supporters began to laugh. After saying that Webb was raising money in California with a "bunch of Hollywood movie moguls," Allen said, "Let's give a welcome to macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia." Allen then began talking about the "war on terror."

Depending on how it is spelled, the word macaca could mean either a monkey that inhabits the Eastern Hemisphere or a town in South Africa. In some European cultures, macaca is also considered a racial slur against African immigrants, according to several Web sites that track ethnic slurs.

"The kid has a name," Webb communications director Kristian Denny Todd said of Sidarth, a Virginia native who was born in Fairfax County. "This is trying to demean him, to minimize him as a person."

...the apology, which came hours after Allen's campaign manager dismissed the issue with an expletive and insisted the senator has "nothing to apologize for," did little to mollify Webb's campaign or Sidarth, who said he suspects Allen singled him out because his was the only nonwhite face among about 100 Republican supporters.

"I think he was doing it because he could, and I was the only person of color there, and it was useful for him in inciting his audience," said Sidarth, who videotaped the event for the Webb campaign. "I was annoyed he would use my race in a political context."

Told of Allen's apology, Todd added, "I hope Allen realizes that Virginians come in all colors."

...Before he ran for governor in 1993, Allen was criticized for keeping a Confederate flag in a cabin near his Charlottesville home, part of a collection of flags, he has said. He stirred controversy as governor by issuing a proclamation noting the South's celebration of Confederate History Month without mentioning slavery.

This year, the New Republic magazine published a photo of Allen wearing a Confederate flag on his lapel during high school....

George Allen's campaign staff can dismiss his comments and his support of the confederate flag. It is not hard for intelligent people to figure out what type of man George Allen really is---- a racist.


Monday, August 14, 2006

Ohio Republicans Are Still Trying to Cover Up

The entire Ohio Republican Party should be ashamed of themselves. Instead of talking about their failures, they are trying to attack Democrats. The Republicans have been in charge of Ohio for years and they have done a wonderful job of bringing scandals and corruption to a new level. They are experts at robbing the public, lining their pockets, and then covering it up.

When the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation had their losses of millions and millions of dollars, the Republicans in control wanted to hide their incompetency from the public. Here is an excerpt from the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette:

The former head of the state's insurance fund for injured workers urged subordinates to be discrete about the fund's $215 million investment loss in the days leading up to the 2004 election, a newspaper reported Sunday.

In an Oct. 27, 2004, e-mail message to the Bureau of Workers' Compensation's chief legal counsel and ethics officer, John Annarino, agency director Jim Conrad noted his worry that news would spread about the loss in a hedge-fund investment with Pittsburgh-based MDL Capital Management.....

...Terrence Gasper, the bureau's former chief financial officer, pleaded guilty in June to state and federal charges of accepting gifts in exchange for state investment business. He is cooperating with investigators.

Don't you think that the Republicans need a new campaign slogan? How about---

The Ohio GOP: Corrupt, Unethical, and Useless

or

Ohio Republicans: Robbing the Public and Covering It Up
or

The Ohio GOP: Still Incompetent

The best bumper sticker I saw this weekend--- TAFT: Ohio's 4 letter word

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Iraq is a Failed Policy

No matter what this administration and the GOP says, Iraq is a failed policy. They've wasted lives and money. While Bush tried to pay back Saddam Hussein for attempting to kill his father, troops and support were diverted from Afghanistan. Despite the fact the Bush said he wanted Osama bin Ladin 'dead or alive,' Osama is still alive and kicking. Bush has failed. Rumsfeld has failed. The Republican controlled House and Senate has failed. FEMA failed because of the political appointees were inept. (I read somewhere that Sec. of State Rice called the Prime Minister of Israel and offered help. She said the U.S. had experience with catastrophes because the government had done so well with Katrina. Yeah. Right.) No Child Left Behind failed because it was not funded. A CIA agent was outed by someone in the White House. Our security was compromised.

Now the Republicans are back to the blame game. They say everything is not their fault. They blame Lamont, Kerry, the Clintons, Murtha, and anyone who opposes them. The Republicans are like spoiled children who cannot take responsibility for their own actions. In the coming campaigns they plan to tell us that they have protected us. If they've done such a good job, why is Osama still out there? If the war in Iraq is such a success, why are we still there? Why have so many of our military members been killed?

Americans are tired of Iraq, the lies, the scare tactics, and the do nothing Republican Congress. It is time to vote the Repugs out!

>>>If you won't take my word, read what a commentary by Marilou Johanek in the Toledo Blade. Here are some excerpts:

TWO former top House leaders forced by indictment or likely indictment to relinquish power and position stand as stark testament to what can go wrong with entrenched one-party rule. The longer one political party controls power the easier it is for the privileged to become cocky and assume a false sense of entitlement and impunity.

Take Congressman Bob Ney of Ohio and ex-Majority Leader Tom Delay of Texas - please. They obviously liked the power that came with money and the money that came with power. They danced the seductive political dance that has beguiled "safe" incumbents for years....

...the fear-factor is played out in places like Ohio, where even lifelong Republicans aren't buying what they did in 2004....

....
Meanwhile war has exploded with a vengeance in southern Lebanon, Iran is a defiant nuclear threat, North Korea is launching missiles, and Afghanistan is teetering toward chaos.
In manufacturing Ohio, the state that gave George Bush a second term, the gloomy outlook abroad only exacerbates the dismal outlook at home with high gasoline prices on top of a lagging economy, plant closings, and a struggling education system.
The one-party rule that gave us six years of corrupt congressional leadership, misplaced domestic priorities, and disastrous foreign policies has done enough damage. The country needs some relief. It needs change.

Exactly.

Voting Is Essential

We have a huge responsibility in November----WE MUST VOTE IN RECORD NUMBERS.

We know that Kenneth Blackwell will be counting the votes.
We will still vote for Democrats.
We know that there will be 'computer glitches.'
We will still vote for Democrats.

We know that they will try to question our right to vote.
We will bring our picture ID and vote for Democrats.
We know that the Ohio GOP will do their part to discourage voters.
We will still vote for Democrats.


Ohio cannot continue to lose jobs, new businesses, our tax base, and young people. I firmly believe that the good people of Ohio are sick and tired of the Republican corruption in fundraising, voter fraud, pay-to-play contracts, ethics violations, the Ohio BWC loss of millions of dollars, associations with corrupt lobbyists, one party rule, etc., etc. We need some fresh air in Ohio and that will come with new people in our state government---- Democrats.

Update:

Found at Dependable Renegade:

(One blogger noticed that those Republicans altered that photo of Dr. Dean to make him have a Hitler type moustache. Tsk. Tsk.)
The image “http://static.flickr.com/83/211692901_e27cd42ca3.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.
See Dependable Renegade for the story about the picture.

Have you seen this at the Huffington Post---How to Hack into a Diebold Voting Machine (video)?
Is this the way the Republicans did it in Ohio??????

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Pollution Concerns in Ohio

Ohio Citizen Action is trying to get Eramet Marietta, Inc. to clean up their act. Because of concerns about the dumping of manganese and chromium, a study by the University of Cincinnati will look at how Eramet's pollution is hurting the people and environment of Marietta.

Ohio Republicans Have Failed To Do Their Jobs

The next time some Ohio Republican starts listing their successes in Ohio ask him/her what he/she has done for education. In an guest column by Karen Adams in the Community Press, the truth about the Ohio GOP's failure to fund education is laid out:

Yesterday's divisive school levy vote in Madeira, like those in a number of other Greater Cincinnati communities in recent years, could have been avoided if the Ohio General Assembly had only done its job.

The Madeira vote pitted the interests of homeowners, their children and worried property owners against each other. Voters faced a choice of cutbacks to a superb school system or painful increases in property taxes, which unfairly bear the burden of school funding in our state. The second ballot had to be scheduled after the proposed 9.4-mill levy was voted down in May by a mere 19 votes.

Such levies frequently appear on local ballots as school boards struggle to maintain excellence in the face of declining support from state and national governments. The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled repeatedly that the way education is funded in Ohio is unconstitutional. The Republican majority that dominates the state's General Assembly has ignored four court orders to fund educational in a more equitable manner.

Rather than resolve the issue, the General Assembly passed a budget bill -- supported by my opponent and other Republican lawmakers -- that cut school funding by another $400 million while reducing taxes on the state's wealthiest residents. That action places a heavier burden on local taxpayers and school districts, which have to shoulder ever more of the cost of public education. State legislators are ignoring both court rulings and the needs of our children, who are left as pawns in levy battles even though education pays proven dividends; a police chief once told me that we can either pay it up front through education or pay even more in the end by building more prisons....

The Ohio Republicans have failed our children.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Petition Confusion

Last night, NBC Nightly News had a story about how there are competing petitions headed for voting. Two organizations, Smoke Free Ohio and Smoke Less Ohio, are approaching citizens for signatures. However, you need to know that Smoke Free Ohio is sponsored by citizens and that

Smoke Less Ohio is sponsored by the tobacco companies.

Smoke Less is trying to still allow smoking in public areas. Before you sign anything, read the petition.

Monday, August 07, 2006

Bob Ney Out

Jack Abramoff's best pal, Republican Rep. Bob Ney (OH-18), has announced he will NOT seek re-election. The San Francisco Chronicle ------

U.S. Rep. Bob Ney, under scrutiny in a corruption scandal involving convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, announced Monday that he was abandoning his re-election campaign.

The Republican had insisted he would not resign, even if indicted over his dealings with Abramoff. In his first primary test in a decade, Ney won 68 percent of the vote May 2 against a little-known opponent.

But in a statement released by his campaign Monday morning, Ney said he had decided to withdraw from his race for a seventh term.

"Ultimately this decision came down to my family. I must think of them first, and I can no longer put them through this ordeal," said Ney, who has not been charged and has denied wrongdoing.....

Another corrupt Republican bites the dust. Who will be next? Since so many Republicans had their hands greased by Abramoff and other lobbyists, it is just a matter of time before another one 'bites the dust.'

Friday, August 04, 2006

Those Important Stem Cells in Politics

I read a recent poll that said that 75% of Americans are for stem cell research. Apparently, most Americans understand that doing scientific research on stem cells increases the possibility of finding treatments and cures for diseases. Unfortunately, some politicians are against it.

Newsweek profiles the difficulty that Republican Sen. Jim Talent is having in Missouri because of his opposition to stem cell research. Here is an excerpt from Newsweek:

...one opponent doesn't want the spotlight: Jim Talent, the Missouri Republican whose opposition to embryonic stem-cell research could cost him his Senate seat. Talent's Democratic challenger, State Auditor Claire McCaskill, takes every opportunity to talk up stem cells on the stump. Noting strong support for the research in Missouri (even among some suburban and rural voters who typically oppose abortion), she's traveled the state highlighting Talent's opposition. She's also positioned herself as a national spokesperson, promoting the proposed Senate bill in a nationwide radio address. The national Democratic Party has picked Missouri as a test run for a new strategy that uses stem cells as a wedge issue to divide the social right.

If Talent is avoiding the issue, perhaps the people of Missouri should demand that he talk about it. In future televised debates, the topic of stem cell research should be included.

Ohio Republican Sen. Mike DeWine also voted against funding for stem cell research. We need to ask him why he is against cures and treatments for sick and disabled people.

Our country has always been a leader in scientific research. However, because of people like Talent, DeWine, and Voinovich, scientific breakthroughs will be left to other countries. Why do these Republicans want us to take a back seat on medical research?

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Get Out of Iraq Now

Americans want the U.S. out of Iraq now. Editor and Publisher is reporting on the latest Gallup Poll which says that 55% of Americans want us out of Iraq in the next 12 months. Here is an excerpt from Editor and Publisher:

A new Gallup poll released today revealed another upward bump in the number of Amercians who now want a complete U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq in the next 12 months.

That number now stands at 55%, with 19% supporting immediate withdrawal and another 36% wanting it done by August 2007.

"While the percentage of Americans who favor a withdrawal of all U.S. troops either now or within a year is not a supermajority, it is a majority, suggesting that the Democratic leadership is speaking to an issue that resonates with many Americans," Frank Newport, director of the Gallup Poll, writes today....

It appears that Americans have had it with the war. How long will it be before the Republicans catch up with the American people?

Blackwell Welcomes President Bush

Republican candidate for governor, Kenneth Blackwell, welcomed President Bush yesterday. Blackwell, an extreme religious right candidate, was happy to bring Bush into Ohio. The Akron Beacon Journal has the story.

When will Blackwell release his tax returns? We are waiting!

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Talking Points

1. The Ohio State Football Buckeyes are attracting a lot of attention for the coming season. The Columbus Dispatch has a story about the team HERE.

2. Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted, Republican, said he would have considered raising the minimum wage but no one asked. Really? No one asked?

I've heard that Husted, has demanded that all projects designated for his district get fast approval. His demands are being met. Some state government officials are tripping over themselves to cater to Husted's every desire. Is this another example of Ohio's culture of corruption?

3. Republican Rep. Bob Ney, sushi-holic best pal of Jack Abramoff, has not put any additional money toward his defense fund. Does he think he is off the hook? The Dispatch has a story.

4. The Chamber of Commerce ad that supports pro-business Republicans has had to alter the ads are not totally true. HERE

5. Democratic candidate for Ohio governor, Ted Strickland, has released his tax returns to the public and the press. Republican Blackwell has refused reporters' demands for his returns. Does he have something to hide??????

6. Confirmed U.S. Deaths in Iraq: 2577.


Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Ohio's voting machines

The results of the last two presidential elections have made many people question how votes are counted in Ohio. Was there tampering after the voting or deliberate computer fixing to miscount the votes? We may never know. However, some new developments have shed some light on the Diebold voting machine. Raw Story:

The Open Voting Foundation, a California-based nonprofit organization that works to promote the adoption of "open source" technology to the nation's voting machines, has announced it has found what it calls the "worst ever security flow found in Diebold RS voting machines."

The Foundation claims to have discovered a switch inside of the machine which, when flipped, can have the machine operate in "a completely different manner compared to the tested and certified version."

"Diebold has made the testing and certification process practically irrelevant," said the Foundation's President Alan Descert, in a statement obtained by RAW STORY. "If you have access to these machines and you want to rig an election, anything is possible with the Diebold TS -- and it could be done without leaving a trace. All you need is a screwdriver," he continued.....

Is this why Bernadette Noe helped count the votes and why observers were removed when votes were counted in the last presidential election? Just asking.