The "Ick" Factor and the Audio Tape

WCCO has the audio tape of the arrest of Republican Senator Larry Craig. You can listen HERE.
MSNBC has been playing the tape over and over again so you can get it burned into your brain.

Since I am not a man, I don't know anything about "wide stances" and "foot tapping." (Does that stuff go on in restrooms????!!!!!! Oh, my.) Apparently, Mr. Craig, according to the tape, often uses that bathroom when he travels through that airport. If Sen. Craig said he did nothing wrong, why did he plead guilty?????


Breaking News -- Fred Thompson will declare his candidacy for President of the United States on September 6th. My reaction is a big yawn. Mr. Thompson is about as exciting as staring at linoleum.

The Good, The Bad, and The Silly

>>> Strickland's Energy Proposal is a Good Thing
Toledo Blade:
Ohio utilities must find at least 25 percent of their power from renewable and advanced technology sources by 2025 under a much-anticipated proposal outlined yesterday by Gov. Ted Strickland. The Democratic governor promised "predictable'' and "stable'' electricity prices in the future but stopped short of guaranteeing that consumers' bills won't climb.....
...... Under the governor's proposal, the electricity portfolios of utilities like Toledo Edison's parent FirstEnergy Corp. would have to be one-quarter advanced-energy technology by 2025....

Governor Strickland's energy proposal will cause many good discussions about how Ohio can move forward in the changing landscape of alternative energy. It is great to see that Strickland is planning for the future. His forward-thinking encourage corporations to re-think how they use the state's natural resources.

>>>> The Bad: Republican Sen. Larry Craig's Behavior
Idaho Senator Larry Craig was arrested for breaking the law. Don't you wonder how many times Craig has participated in this sexual solicitation before he got caught? Have there been other airport bathrooms where he as acted in a similar manner? Has he ever been arrested before for this sexual solicitation? Is this the way that a "Family Values Republican" is required to act?

The Republicans just want Larry Craig to resign and retreat to a cave. They don't want the national media to talk about this anymore. Do you think that the Republicans knew about Craig's compulsion to solicit random sex but they did nothing about it just like they did nothing about Republican pervert Mark Foley?

>>> Silly, Silly Man
Republican State Senator Randy "Mr. Cedar Point" Gardner has a bill that would mandate that schools must start after Labor Day every year. Is Gardner just trying to appease one of the largest employers (Cedar Point) in his district? Has Gardner taken on the role as a public relations person for Cedar Point? According to the Plain Dealer, school districts around the state are not happy with Gardner's bill. After all, shouldn't school districts decide school start and finish dates?

If Mr. Gardner wants to do something, he should get his do-nothing Republicans in the Ohio Senate together and pass an equitable school funding bill. Why do these Ohio Republicans continue to waste so much time and money?

Winners and Losers

+ WINNERS
+ Tim Johnson
Senator Tim Johnson (SD-D) made his first public appearance yesterday to an adoring crowd (KTIV).

+ Korean Hostages
The remaining Korean hostages that are being held by the Taliban are being released.

+ Mary Jo Kilroy
Democratic candidate for the 15th congressional seat, Mary Jo Kilroy, is getting a lot of attention with the retirement of Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce.

- LOSERS
- Larry Craig:
Yesterday during a press conference, Republican Sen. Larry Craig denied he did anything wrong while in an airport in Minneapolis. According to the Boston Globe, Republican Senators have asked for an ethics investigation in the U.S. Senate.

- Ohio Republican Party:
The Ohio GOP is having difficulty recruiting a candidate to run for the open seat in OH-15. After a few well-known GOPers have turned down offers, who will be their choice for a candidate? Have Republicans abandoned their party?

- Alberto Gonzales:
In the end, only President George Bush was in his corner.

- Michael Vick
Football star, Michael Vick, finally made it to court on his dog-fighting allegations. It is still hard to understand how anyone could participate in this type of cruel activity.

Hypocrisy

This morning on the Today Show, Joe Scarborough, former Republican Congressman, said the the Republican Party was guilty of 'hypocrisy.' He mentioned the behavior of former Republican Rep. Mark Foley, current Republican Sen. Vitter, and now Republican Sen. Larry Craig.

How can these Republicans say they support "family values" and yet behave like this? Should we trust our children around these "family values" Republicans? Does it seem that the more these Republicans talk about "family values" that the more they stray from them?

>> President Bush's speech about the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez was funny. The speech writer had the word "mud" on the next page and the long pause was incredible.....

"his name pulled through the ...................... mud."

Apparently, Mr. Bush just reads whatever he is told.

*** More on Republican Sen. Larry Craig from the Idaho Statesman:
U.S. Sen. Larry Craig was forced into the Senate minority by voters, defeated on immigration by colleagues and put on probation for his conduct in an airport restroom. Now analysts predict he'll skip running for a fourth term in 2008.

The 62-year-old Republican was arrested June 11 by a plainclothes officer investigating complaints of lewd conduct in a men's restroom at the Minneapolis airport. On Aug. 8, Craig pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct, which includes "offensive, obscene, abusive, boisterous or noisy conduct."

Craig said Monday he shouldn't have pleaded guilty; others say he shouldn't have waited to react until the incident surfaced Monday in the Washington, D.C.-based newspaper Roll Call......

Here is more from The Fix in The Washington Post:

The allegations swirling around Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) have the potential to endanger what should be a safe seat and further complicates Republicans' attempts to limit their losses in 2008.

Craig was regularly mentioned as a retirement possibility before this story came to light (it was broken by Fix alma mater Roll Call). This story seems likely to up the ante on retirement although Democrats cautioned Monday that Craig is notoriously stubborn and might just try and see this thing through....

...No matter what happens with Craig, he has made this race a headache for Republicans. Whether it's a migraine or not depends to be seen.

Although, Idaho appears to be a solid red Republican state, strange things happen in politics.

Still Not Ready Freddy

Has Fred Thompson waited too long to throw his hat into the ring? It appears some people are tired of wating. Kentucky.com:
.......Thompson's testing-the-waters bit is about to come to an end, with supporters expect an announcement early next month. Some in the Midwest said he's waited too long.

"You can't wait to get a mandate from the people," said Elizabeth Morris, a community publisher and councilwoman in Indiana's Dearborn County. "Either a person has a fire in the belly or they don't."

Said her husband, Gary, an investment banker: "He's already shown that inability to act quickly and decisively. That's the way it comes off."

Joan Wright, 79, wondered whether Thompson is lazy or egotistical......

No one likes to be kept waiting.

And.....

Some Thompson supporters are hoping to bring back Fred's old red pick up truck to the campaign trail.
(I can't understand why they think Americans want to see an old guy on the back of an old truck.)
Washington Post:

Fred Thompson's old pickup truck sits behind his mother's house in a Nashville suburb, more than a dozen years after it was credited with helping him win his first bid for public office.....

.....Thompson so far has not appeared eager to climb back in. At his first public event in Nashville after forming a "testing the waters" committee in June, he shook off an attempt by supporters to have him address the crowd from the back of a brand new red pickup truck they had brought to the event.

It appears that some desperate Republicans are waiting for a savior to rescue them. It may not happen.

Iraq

Former Senator Max Cleland offered his opinion about President Bush's latest speech on Iraq.
Bloomberg:

Former Democratic U.S. Senator Max Cleland, a disabled Vietnam veteran, said President George W. Bush made a faulty analogy when he cited that war to bolster his case for continuing U.S. military operations in Iraq.

``One of the lessons to be learned from Vietnam is that the commitment of American military strength alone cannot solve another country's political weakness,'' Cleland said today in the Democratic Party's weekly radio address. ``This should be a somber warning to us all to responsibly end the war in Iraq and the additional loss of precious American lives.''

and....

``I've seen this movie before. I know how it ends,'' Cleland, who lost both legs and his right arm in a grenade explosion in 1968, said. ``I know all the PR in the world didn't change the truth on the ground in Vietnam and won't change the truth on the ground today in Iraq.''

Cleland has it right. Bush, on the other hand, still doesn't get it.

More on Iraq......
Republican Sen. George Voinovich (Ohio) just returned from his first trip to Iraq. (Yes, I said first!!!!!!!!) However, Voinovich has not uttered a word. Why?
Chillicothe Gazette:

....Voinovich left Saturday evening, but his time in Iraq was limited to just Tuesday. During that time, the senators met with Army Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, visited with soldiers and traveled to a combat outpost to meet with Sunni and Shiite leaders.

Voinovich has declined to talk to the media about his trip until next week, spokesman Chris Paulitz said.

"He's going to spend some time and develop some thoughts on this," Paulitz said......

Voinovich spent one day in Iraq. I'd like to know exactly how many hours he was there. Is the reason we haven't heard from Voinovich because he hasn't been told what to say by Karl Rove and the rest of his puppet masters? Voinovich hasn't had an opinion of his own for years. As soon as he is told exactly what to say, he will speak.

Midge and Other Dogs

I just can't pass up a story about a dog. I saw this on the Today Show and I had to share it.
MSNBC:
Though she’s only a 6-pound Chihuahua-rat terrier mix who looks like she belongs in Paris Hilton’s purse, Midge has the will, skill and nose of a 100-pound German shepherd.

The newest recruit for the Geauga County Sheriff Department’s K-9 unit could very well be the nation’s smallest drug-sniffing pooch....

Here is a picture of Midge, on the right, and her pal, Brutus, who is also a drug-sniffing dog: (pic origin: AP)

Whenever I see puppies, I immediately think of this front page from the NY Post:
(re-posted at Hotline blog)



In recent weeks, there have been stories about the alleged dog-fighting activities of professional football player, Michael Vick. I only had to hear the details once. Now, when a newscaster feels the need to provide the gory specifics, I change the channel.

Judi Giuliani and Michael Vick are not on my list of nominees for any award. I don't think I could stand to be in the same room with either of them. I cannot understand animal abuse. If I had been Judi Nathanson Giuliani, and my job required that I demonstrate a gruesome procedure on a dog, I would have quit on the spot. Michael Vick and his friends might think that dog-fighting is some sort of sport, but I think it is cruel and disgusting.


Rudy Giuliani cavorted around New York with his then mistress, Judi, while he was still married to his second wife. How can a man who cheats on his wife, disrespects his wife in public, and abandons his children assume that voters will believe that he is an honest and trustworthy person? A person's previous behavior can generally predict their future behavior.

Rudy, Judi, and Michael are not people I like or trust. There is no way I'd ever vote for Giuliani.

I've got news!!!

>>> I guess we missed the Upper Arlington Progressive Action's Taste of UA booth! I feel so bad. It sounds like they had quite a selection of food. Here is part of the menu as posted at UAPA:

• Desserts: Missing Yellowcake, Alberto Gonzales fudge, Dick Cheney Energy Policy Bars (we won't show you the ingredients), Impeach cobbler, Policy upside-down cake, Zero-emission no-bake cookies
• Entrees: Congressional Pork chops, Baloney a la Bush, King George salmon, Meatless sausages called "fake links to 9/11"
• Appetizers: "Left" wings, with your choice of sauces, served next to "Right" wings with no choice of sauces

It sounds so yummy! I've got to get a recipe for the Impeach Cobbler!

>>> I am currently reading ....and His Lovely Wife, by Connie Schultz. The book is written by Connie Schultz, a Pulitzer Prize winner. Schultz writes about her experiences on the campaign trail with her husband, Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH-Dem). It is a great book for political junkies.

>> It appears that Republican Rep. Rick Renzi got a big push out the door by some fellow GOPers.
Real Clear Politics:

When Congressman Rick Renzi, the Arizona Republican beset by ethics troubles, announced his retirement yesterday, he could very likely have saved the Republicans a House seat next year. The move makes the seat a toss-up. Any race against the embattled Renzi would have given Democrats the edge.

Under pressure from House Minority Leader John Boehner and NRCC chairman Tom Cole, Renzi's decision to step down means Republicans, more than a year out from the election, will be able to recruit a candidate faster than they were able to in Tom DeLay's Texas district or Bob Ney's seat in Ohio....

You wonder if these moves will be enough to stop the Blue Wave that may sweep the country in 2008.

Another Republican to Retire

AZcentral: Succumbing to political and legal pressure stemming from a federal corruption investigation, Rep. Rick Renzi said Thursday that he will not seek re-election next fall.

"I will not be seeking re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008," Renzi, R-Ariz., said in a written statement.....

Are you keeping track of the Republican retirements? Here is the list as of 7:44PM, 8/23/2007:

Ray LaHood

Dennis Hastert

Deborah Pryce

Chip Pickering

Rick Renzi

It is still early in the political season and more names could be added later.

And.......
According to KTUU, an Alaskan state senator has called on Sen. Ted Stevens to resign. Stevens, of course, said he would not resign.

Pro-War Propaganda

Over 3,700 Americans have died in Iraq. However, George Bush's supporter now have a campaign (Freedom's Watch) going to promote the war and stay in Iraq f-o-r-e-v-e-r. I call this propaganda, but you may have another name for it. Think Progress has more info about the controversial, right-wing group:

On MSNBC’s Hardball tonight, former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, who is leading a White House front group to defend Bush’s escalation, was unable to name the wounded Iraq veteran featured in his organization’s pro-war ad. “I don’t have his name in front of me,” said Fleischer when asked by host Mike Barnicle if he knew the soldier’s name.

Later in the program, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America executive director Paul Rieckhoff ripped into Fleischer’s offensive ignorance. “What bothered me the most is that Ari Fleischer didn’t even know the guy’s name.” said Rieckhoff. “He’s willing to run a multi-million dollar campaign, utilizing the personal story of a soldier, and he couldn’t tell you on national TV what that soldier’s name is.”

Rieckhoff described it as part of “a problematic trend” that Freedom’s Watch is using the soldier’s “personal story” as “a backdrop for political rhetoric”:

People on both sides of the aisle, but especially the president and this administration, have continued to use troops as a political prop. As a backdrop for political rhetoric. It’s why the president gave such an impassionate speech today in front of the VFW. It’s why this ad carries so much weight on a visceral level. And it really bothers me because our troops are not political props and they’re not chew toys.....

Same Old Routine

President Bush is paving the way for the Iraq report which is due to be released in September. The report, which originally was slated to be written by General Petraeus, is now supposedly being penned by Bush speechwriters, GOP kool-aid drinkers, and White House interns, and other like-minded hypnotized neo-con Bush supporters.

USA Today:
President Bush, laying the groundwork for next month's critical debate in Washington over the Iraq war, said Wednesday that his surge policy was "gaining momentum" and called for American perseverance and patience.

In a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Bush drew parallels to U.S. experience in Asia, saying steadfastness against critics of U.S. policy in Japan and Korea in the post-war years led to blossoming democracies and thriving economies in both countries.

"The advance of freedom in these lands should give us confidence that the hard work we are doing in the Middle East can have the same results we have seen in Asia — if we show the same perseverance and sense of purpose," he said......

"....perseverance and sense of purpose....." These are just different words to describe Bush's "stay the course" mantra he used in previous speeches.

How many more Americans have to die for Bush's no-win policies in Iraq? How many more tours of duty should our soldiers and Marines expect to have in Iraq? 5? 6? 7? How many children will only have a picture of their parent to remind them of a military Mom or Dad? When will Bush realize that peace in Iraq may involve diplomacy instead of our bullets? How much more money will Bush pour into Iraq while our bridges fall?

Every American needs to stand up and say that we've heard this all before and we are still not going to support his war. It is time to support our troops and their families and bring them home alive.

No Second Chances

I own two dogs. When I heard the accusations about animal abuse involving Michael Vick, I was just plain sick. I won't go into detail about Vick's alleged torture of animals. It is not like he did these alleged things once and then got caught. He, allegedly, was involved in these vicious, horrible animal cruelty activities repeatedly and over a long period of time. I'm not sure of what team Vick plays for and I don't care. Vick is a representative of his team and even a spokesman for some products. If Vick pleads guilty to these charges, and there is every indication he will, he should not be hired by anyone for anything.

Hopefully, Vick has saved some money and will be able to use that for his future. Sometimes people get second chances. However, when a person's behavior involves cruelty towards animals, as allegedly in Vick's case, there are no second chances.

Not What They Seem

Are you puzzled by those Republicans and their rhetoric? Let me explain it all.

* Fred Thompson reportedly wore Gucci loafers to the Iowa State Fair. I'm not sure if the Gucci loafers were the inexpensive ones, only $425, or the more expensive ones at $1400. Here is my explanation:
1. Fred Thompson hasn't been to many state fairs.
2. Fred Thompson will not impress regular Joes and Janes with Gucci shoes.
3. Fred Thompson cannot talk about conservative values wearing Gucci shoes.

* Republicans think they are the experts in "family values." How can Republicans be 'experts' in family values if they don't value their own families?
1. Republicans do not subscribe to the following advice--- 'The best gift a father can give his children is to love their mother.' Rudy Giuliani's public adulterous affair with Judi (alleged "puppy killer") Nathan has broken his bonds with his own children. The Giuliani children, allegedly, do not want to speak to their father.

2. Multiple divorces can show that a person...
a. does not believe in being faithful.
b. does not understand that the most important ingredient in a marriage is trust.
c. is a cheater.

* Republicans do not believe in families. If they did, they would support the adoption of children by gay couples. A loving family is a family.

* Republicans do not support a woman's right to choose. How dare these old Republican white men push their beliefs on women! Why do they think they have the right to tell women what to do with their bodies? They don't know what it is like to be a woman. (Rudy Giuliani has tried to dress as a woman here and here.)

* These Republican presidential candidates all believe in continuing Bush's war in Iraq. Our country cannot allow this war to take any additional American lives and money. It is time to put an end to the war, bring our military home, and put our money to work in fixing schools, bridges, and roads.

Disasters

* Bush's war in Iraq continues. Our military is exhausted and stretched beyond its limits. American citizens are skeptical about anything told to us by this administration. Because the White House does not want the truth about Iraq to be released to the American public, an upcoming report by Gen. Petraeus will be ghost-written by Bush speech writers, right wing Republicans, and White House interns. When the Petraeus Report is finally released, it should be placed in the "fiction" section of bookstores and libraries.

While the American death toll increases, (3706 Americans: ICasualties) President Bush hopes to dump the Iraq disaster into the lap of the next President of the United States. When that happens, the Republicans will blame the entire Iraq disaster on the next administration. How convenient!

The British also think it is time to leave Iraq. The Independent:
Sir Menzies Campbell has backed calls by military chiefs for British forces to pull out of Iraq because they can "achieve nothing" by staying.....
....."What is being achieved by the continuing British presence in Iraq?" Sir Menzies asked in the letter to the Prime Minister. "There is now a clear recognition that the objectives of their mission cannot be achieved."

The pressure on Mr Brown increased yesterday with the disclosure in The Independent on Sunday that senior military commanders have told the Government that Britain can achieve "nothing more" in Basra, the British sector in southern Iraq which has seen a sharp rise in insurgent attacks over the past year.....

*** The mining tragedy in Utah is a disaster for the victims' families. Their expectations for a rescue were unfairly raised by a media-seeking mine owner and a head of mine safety who is unqualified for his position. Will the families and the public ever find out the truth? Will the mine owner receive blame for his methods of operating his mines? The appointment of Stickler by the President during a congressional recess was done because Stickler was considered another "heck of a job, Brownie" appointment.

**** Is the Republican party preparing for a major disaster in the 2008 election? Is that why Rove, Pryce, Hastert, Snow, Pickering and others are heading into retirement? Here is a snippet from Independent.ie:

....The growing exodus has intensified Republican fears that as the Bush presidency ends mired in Iraq, the party faces further losses in the House and Senate next year, a Democrat victory in the presidential race and an era of internecine bloodletting.

Although a Democrat White House victory is far from assured, by every measure, the Republican Party is in trouble.

Recent polls show that compared with 2002, when America was split evenly over party identification, now only 35pc call themselves Republican -- whereas 50pc say that they are Democrat.....

> Why has the Bush administration and the supporting Republican cast provided us with so many disasters like Iraq, Katrina, the cleanup of NYC's Ground Zero site, the failure to locate Osama, the unfunded No Child Left Behind, etc., etc.? Can their right wing, neo-con agenda be diagnosed as a complete failure? I think so.

Who will write the Petraeus report?

It appears that the highly anticipated September Iraq report by General Petreaus is already tainted. The Bush administration kept saying that the results of "the surge" (escalation) would be provided by General Petreaus. Now it appears that the report may not even be written by or with the assistance of Petreaus.

From what I've read, some Bush speech writers and political appointees will write the actual report. I guess we can prepare for more lies from this administration.

Americans also don't have much credibility in the 'Petreaus Report' according to a recent poll.
From The Moderate Voice:

A majority of Americans don’t trust the upcoming report by the Army’s top commander in Iraq on the progress of the war and even if they did, it wouldn’t change their mind, according to a new poll.

President Bush frequently has asked Congress — and the American people — to withhold judgment on his so-called troop surge in Iraq until Gen. David Petraeus, the commander in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, issue their progress report in September.

But according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Thursday, 53 percent of people polled said they suspect that the military assessment of the situation will try to make it sound better than it actually is. Forty-three percent said they do trust the report......

There are several facts we know for sure about Iraq:

3,704 Americans have died in Iraq (ICasualties) and over 30,000 have been wounded.

There were 99 Army suicides last year. (Forbes)

The cost of Bush's Iraq war is well over $452 TRILLION. (National Priorities Project)

Isn't time that Americans demanded that our troops be brought home immediately?

UPDATE ON GIULIANI'S TIME AT GROUND ZERO:

The New York Times has a graphic that shows exactly how much time Rudy Giuliani spent at Ground Zero following the 9/11 attacks. From September 17-December 16, 2001, Rudy spent 29 hours there. As noted in the New York Times, "....far less time than that of the recovery workers , who often worked consecutive 12-hour days." (To see the graphic, click on the New York Times link.)

Notes on Rudy

New York Magazine's Daily Intelligencer has something about Rudy Giuliani that merits mentioning:
The title ---- Rudy Giuliani, Nasty Man- Even to His Kids

1. Rudy brought Caroline (his daughter) to City Hall on Take Your Daughters to Work Day in 1994 and 1995, his first two years as mayor, but never again — because by 1996 "the relationship between Giuliani and his twentysomething press secretary had so poisoned the marriage that all such family events were impossible."
2. The Giulianis went on a family vacation after he was elected in 1993 — and then never did again.
3. On Father's Day 1995, Giuliani told reporters he was going to play baseball with his son — and instead went to a basement suite at City Hall with his "ever-present" press secretary.
4. Neither his wife nor his kids went to Rudy's victory party when he was reelected in 1997.
5. The kids aren't listed in Giuliani's bio on his Web page.
6. He skipped his son's high-school graduation.
7. He went to Caroline's but left without speaking to her. "I am celebrating with my mom, my stepfather, my brother, and our other family members," she said then.

Rudy does not sound like a warm fuzzy kind of father.

And.........

Here is another tidbit about Rudy Giuliani from Paul Krugman as published in The Post-Bulletin:

...Rudy Giuliani has been getting some long-overdue criticism for his missteps both before and after Sept. 11. For example, The Village Voice reports that he insisted that the city's emergency command center -- which included a personal suite with its own elevator that he visited "often, even on weekends, bringing his girlfriend Judi Nathan there long before the relationship surfaced" -- be within walking distance of City Hall. This led to the disastrous decision to locate the center in the World Trade Center, an obvious potential terrorist target.

Giuliani also is being attacked for his failure to take adequate precautions to protect those who worked on the cleanup at ground zero from the hazards at the site. Many workers have since been sickened by the dust and toxic materials....

......All of which leaves us with a political question. Most voters are thoroughly fed up with the current narcissist in chief. Are they really ready to elect another?

Interesting points. Are Americans prepared to have another egotistical, self-absorbed person in the White House?

Clinton's New Ad

Senator Hillary Clinton's new ad is amazing. (LINK) I think she is positively correct in saying that so many of us are invisible to this administration.
As was mentioned in the ad, our military is invisible to the current Republican administration. The sacrifices of our soldiers and Marines and their families has been ignored. Saying you support the troops ends up being rhetoric if one's actions do nothing but prolong their tours of duty and endanger their lives.

Here is an update from ICasualties:

U.S. Deaths Confirmed By The DoD:	3687
Reported U.S. Deaths Pending DoD Confirmation:	12
Total	3699

Dems Gaining Strength?

People have been turned off by the Republican presidential candidates. However, Taegan Goddard's Political Wire is reporting some good news from Stan Greenberg:

• The "opinion elite" in the country -- those with a college education and earning more than $75,000 -- support a Democratic presidential candidate by an 11 point margin.
• Independents have defected from Republican candidates and now support a Democrat for president by 19 points.
• Young voters are breaking to Democrats with landslide margins.
• Married women -- a key swing vote -- are breaking marginally for the Democrats this year after swinging strongly for the Republicans in 2004.
• Unmarried women -- a key bloc of "base" voters for Democrats -- pick the Democratic candidate by two to one margin.

I believe that people are tired of the Republicans and their war in Iraq, their divisive politics, and their failed policies. Americans are ready for a change.

* TV news people should stop talking about Mitt Romney 'stunning win' of the the Iowa straw poll. Only a few thousand people voted and he spent too, too much money on a worthless campaign. My small dog could have won the Iowa straw poll with less money.

Bush and Sarkozy

Was President Bush disappointed with his meeting with French President Nicolas Sakozy? The Korea Times seems to think so. Here is an editorial cartoon from The Korea Times.


Sarkozy wasn't the willing poodle? By the way, Mrs. Sarkozy had some convenient ailment and she was unable (or unwilling) to meet with Mr. and Mrs. Bush, according to Javno.com.

Talk of A Military Draft????

Those of us who are old enough, remember such words as selective service, draft board, and draft lottery number. These words were all part of the American vocabulary during the 60's and 70's. Now that the military is dealing with exhausted and stressed troops (The Guardian), there are some people who are talking about bringing back the draft.

Isn't it amazing the mess that the Bush administration has given us----
1.) a war that wasn't necessary
2.) almost 4,000 dead American soldiers and marines
3.) almost 30,000 wounded American military
4.) billions and billions of wasted American money
5.) 190,000 lost weapons in Iraq
6.) an administration that will not take ownership of their mistakes.

Now there is talk of starting a draft. Wouldn't that be a great gift to dump into the lap of the next President?

Not Forgotten

It has been two years, but we still remember. Washington Post (August 4, 2005):

A Marine Reserve company that was known as "Lucky Lima" before suffering heavy casualties in May was hit Wednesday by the deadliest roadside bombing of the Iraq war, a massive explosion that killed 14 Marines and the unit's Iraqi interpreter, according to witnesses and military spokesmen.

The Marines were part of a convoy that was attacked on a desert road outside the western town of Haditha, one witness said. Rolling in armored vehicle after armored vehicle, the patrol was nearing the entrance to the town when a brilliant flash erupted in the middle of the convoy.....

.....Nine of the dead Marines were members of Lima Company -- part of the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, a reserve unit from Ohio that had been sent to the Syrian border to play a lead role in shutting off the main route for foreign gunmen and suicide bombers entering Iraq.....

According to ICasualties, 3,680 Americans have died in Iraq.

Rudy Equates Himself With First Responders

Rudy Giuliani is trying to paint himself as a hero of 9/11.
WTOL:

Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani says today that he exposed himself to the same health risks as workers at ground zero after the September Eleventh, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Giuliani says he spent as much time at the site as those involved in the recovery. The Republican was in Cincinnati today as part of an evening concert led by conservative radio host Sean Hannity.

The head of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association in New York says Giuliani is "trying to justify his previous attempts to portray himself as the hero of 9/11."

.....and this from NY1....

Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is being criticized for comparing his own exposure to toxins at the World Trade Center site to that of first responders.....

....In response, the head of the Detectives Endowment Association said, "I don't think he rises to the level of being an equal with those men and women who were involved in the rescue, recovery and cleanup."

...However, some are questioning Giuliani's claims. From Forbes....

...The former New York mayor has faced criticism from relatives of some of the firefighters killed at the World Trade Center, who have contended that Giuliani was woefully unprepared for 9/11.

Last month, the parents and siblings of some of the 343 firefighters killed in the terrorist attacks released a video with the International Association of Fire Fighters, which opposes Giuliani's candidacy....

...Michael Palladino, head of the Detectives Endowment Association, the union of NYPD detectives, said the mayor's record can't compare to those who spent 12 months sifting through toxic debris for evidence and human remains.

"As a result of their hard work, many are sick and injured. The mayor, although he did a fine job with 9/11, I don't think he rises to the level of being an equal with those men and women who were involved in the rescue, recovery and cleanup," Palladino said....

People should remember that Giuliani's term of office was from January 1, 1994 until December 1, 2001. How can Rudy say that he was there in the clean up at Ground Zero that lasted for over a year? He was out of office within a few months after 9/11. Giuliani's claims about his own hero status is similar to those people who claim to have military careers but later are found out to be liars. Shame on Rudy for trying to put himself in the same category as the men and women of NYPD and FDNY. Shame on him.

***>UPDATE<***

It looks like the oatmeal has hit the fan!!!!

NY Daily News:

Rudy Giuliani drew outrage and indignation from Sept. 11 first-responders yesterday by saying he spent as much time - or more - exposed to the site's dangers as workers who dug through the debris for the missing and the dead.....

.....His statement rang false to Queens paramedic Marvin Bethea, who said he suffered a stroke, posttraumatic stress disorder and breathing problems after responding to the attacks.

"I personally find that very, very insulting," he said.

"Standing there doing a photo-op and telling the men, 'You're doing a good job,' I don't consider that to be working," said Bethea, 47.

Ironworker Jonathan Sferazo, 52, who said he spent a month at the site and is now disabled, runs a worker advocacy group with Bethea and called Giuliani's comments "severely" out of line.

"He's not one of us. He never has been and he never will be. He never served in a capacity where he was a responder," Sferazo said.....

Here is the best quote from that NY Daily News article:

"[Giuliani] is self-absorbed, arrogant and deluded," said IAFF spokesman Jeff Zack.

....their experiences as teachers.....

Oh, my goodness! Jenna Bush is writing another book.
USA Today:

First lady Laura Bush and daughter Jenna Bush are writing a children's book about a boy who doesn't like to read. It is based on their experiences as teachers.

(My comment: The article says "their experiences as teachers.")

HarperCollins plans to announce today that it will publish the as-yet-untitled picture book next spring. It will be illustrated by Denise Brunkus, who's best known for her drawings in the popular Junie B. Jones series.....

Anything that would be associated with the Bush family is something to avoid. Jenna, who taught for just over one year, must be considered an expert on teaching. Despite my own refusal to buy this junk from the Bush family, there are people who will purchase this book. I predict that this and Jenna's previous book will land next to other books at the Dollar Store.

"....their experiences as teachers....."

Do you wonder if they've ever dealt with students that were hungry? Did they ever have to deal with a student who was high or had a knife? How many fights did they break up? Have they ever had to deal with the ramifications of court-ordered desegregation? How did they handle classroom problems, funding issues, student truancy, 180 students per day, student pregnancies, etc., etc.? Have they ever been threatened or hit by a student?

I'm sure that Jenna did not experience any problems because she had the protection of the Secret Service. Most teachers do not have that luxury.

*******UPDATE!!!******* 11:18AM EDT

I just suffered through another press conference from the White House. I learned quite a lot.

President Bush

1. ...still has difficulty communicating. (I'm going to start saying a special prayer that the next U.S. President is able to communicate her/his ideas in an intelligent manner.)

2. ...doesn't care that our bridges are decaying, collapsing, and killing people because he wants more money for his war in Iraq.

3. ...thinks that the investigations and hearings that are going on in the House and the Senate are all political. Obviously, he doesn't realize that the lies and inappropriate behavior of his administration are causing the investigations and hearings.

4. ...thinks that corporate America is not making enough money. He'd like to give them more tax cuts. (Yes. The fact that oil companies are making billions and billions of dollars in profits is just not obscene enough.)

5. ...likes Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and doesn't think he has done anything wrong. They must be BFFs (best friends forever).

I just checked with backwardsbush.com. I will take some comfort in knowing that there are 529 days left in Bush's term of office.

Mitt Romney's Sons

I learned today that Mitt Romney has 5 sons. TBogg has Romney's comment about why his sons are not in the military.
TBogg:
I smell a campaign issue: "One of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping me get elected because they think I'd be a great president." -- Mitt Romney, explaining today why it's okay that none of his five sons enlisted in the military.

TBogg is correct in saying that this is a campaign issue. How can the President of the United States compel other people's sons and daughters to go to war when he/she won't allow/suggest his own to serve in the military? How can he compare his sons' contributions to his campaign to the everyday sacrifices of our men and women in uniform?

Romney's sons would be great candidates because they are all under 40 years of age. Senator Jim Webb and Senator John McCain both have sons in the military. Why aren't the Romney boys in the service?

Have you ever heard of the Sullivan Brothers? Their lives were given in service to their country in World War II. Albert, Francis, George, Joseph, and Madison all served together on the same Navy ship (USS Juneau). They were all killed. You can find out about the Sullivan Brothers at a Navy history site.

The Sullivan Brothers (pictured left) are real American heroes. (Three of the Romney brothers can be seen in this picture from The Register.)

Hillary & Barack, Please Listen Carefully!

Dear Hillary & Barack,
I am not a political insider. I am just a wife and mother living in Ohio. It is time that you listened to some advice:

Enough! Stop beating up on each other. You may have different opinions on policies and strategies, but you both share the same idea that things must change.

You can both agree that the reason that our country is in such a mess is because of the policies of the Bush administration and the rubber-stamping Republicans. I am sure that you both agree that Bush's Iraq war has cost us American lives and money and it is time to bring our military home.

Americans need some positive inspiration that things can and will get better. Please put down your boxing gloves and help us believe that you can move this country forward.

Thank you.

Signed,
A Wife and Mother in Ohio

Good Idea!

If you are going to China for the Olympics, I'm sorry to report that you won't be able to eat crispy duck while you are in the public toilets.

Reuters:
Food stalls attached to Beijing's public toilets will be removed in good time for next year's Olympics, state media said Saturday.

Complaints over toilets with poor sanitation and toilet operators turning them into commercial operations led to the ban, which comes into force in October.

"It is not proper to sell soft drinks or snacks right at the toilets," the Beijing News said, citing sources within the Beijing Municipal Administration Commission.....

There are some expectations when you use public toilets. However, crispy duck and drinks should not be prepared and/or sold in restrooms. (Sorry to disappoint those readers who enjoy living dangerously!)

Judi Giuliani, continued....

There are many, many, many reasons that I would never, ever vote for Rudy Giuliani. Besides his political stands, his public adulterous behavior, and his disrespectful behavior toward his second wife, there is one more thing about him that I don't like. His current wife, Judi Nathan Giuliani, is another reason why I would never support him. Her previous job, as detailed in Vanity Fair, makes me question how and why she would act in such a way. What am I talking about? Read the following excerpt from Vanity Fair:

.....As a registered nurse, young Judi spent only a few months at Sacred Heart Hospital, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She would never care for patients after that. She had other plans. At 19 she married Jeffrey Ross, a U.S. Surgical salesman six years her senior.

In short order both Rosses were working in Charlotte, North Carolina, for U.S. Surgical (now part of Tyco Healthcare), which eventually grew into a billion-dollar enterprise marketing surgical staplers. Judi was excellent at her work, and earned $40,000 a year by the late 70s. But problems arose when animal-rights groups began investigating the way the company sold its products—problems recently pointed out by the New York press. U.S. Surgical used dogs in demonstrations to doctors and hospitals as part of its marketing plan.

"Every salesperson at U.S. Surgical was trained for six weeks with dogs at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx, and that was really brutal," explains a former employee. "They spent days and days with dogs, taking out the spleen or stomach or the lobe of a lung. Then if the dog started moaning or fidgeted, whoever was closest would push more sedative into him from the syringe. It was horrible. Then the dog would be killed with potassium chloride."

After training, the salespeople marketed the staplers to doctors, and, once again, in many cases large dogs were used, as they had organs comparable in size to those possessed by humans. "After the stapling, sometimes they'd put a big clamp above and below the staple lines of the dog, and fill [the area] with lots of fluid," the ex-employee says. "It would fill up like a balloon, and the salesperson would say to the doctor, 'See—it doesn't leak!' That's how they marketed and sold the product." (Some years ago, former C.E.O. Leon Hirsch defended the company's practice of using dogs, claiming that there was no proper substitute.)......

Has anyone asked Judi Giuliani how many puppies she killed? I don't care if she was a salesperson for the above mentioned company, she could have refused to do the demonstrations.

Anyone who is a dog owner cannot vote for Giuliani because it would elevate an alleged puppy killer to a place of respect, First Lady.

Monday's Musings

* Giuliani
> Rudy Giuliani still didn't answer the question--- Newsday:
Toward the end of yesterday morning's GOP presidential debate here in the heartland, each of the nine candidates was asked to describe in 30 seconds a defining mistake in their lives.
When the question came to Rudy Giuliani, he shrugged, lifted his arms and eyebrows, and said to much laughter, "To have a description of my mistakes in 30 seconds?"

I think that Giuliani has made a lot of mistakes in his life, but he could have attempted a more serious answer.

Don't you wonder what Americans think of Judy Giuliani? Do a Google search for Judy Giuliani puppy killer and here is what you can find: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=judy+giuliani+puppy+killer&btnG=Google+Search

* Sports
>I don't know about golf. However, I think it is great that Tiger Woods has won again!
>I remember watching TV when Hank Aaron broke the record, but I won't be watching when Barry Bonds break any records.

For the Next 533 Days

According to the people over at Bushslastday.com, there are just a little over 533 left in the Bush administration. While we wait and work on campaigns to elect a Democrat to the White House, we must keep ourselves busy.

Here are a few things to do to pass the time:

1. Watch for sales on confetti so that we can celebrate when a Democrat moves into the White House.

2. Visit Wetpaintpleasetouch.com to draw pretty pictures of how you'll feel when Dems win!

3. Go to Mrpicassohead.com and make a picture of what you think the Republican presidential candidate will look like when he/she is finally chosen.

4. Choose a new White House pet over at Cuteoverload that will move in when Barney and Miss Beazley move out. (Barney and Miss Beazley are soooooooooo overrated!)

5. Pray for peace and a quick end to Bush's war in Iraq.

Why are we spending billions in Iraq when we need the money here?

The collapse of the bridge in Minneapolis is a prime example of our crumbling infrastructure. While George W. Bush and his Republican fans continue to support his war in Iraq where billions of dollars are spent weekly, our bridges, roads, schools, and highways are deteriorating. Enough! It is time to bring our military and our money home.

Nick Coleman had an interesting article in the Star-Tribune. Here are some excerpts:
....There isn't any bigger metaphor for a society in trouble than a bridge falling, its concrete lanes pointing brokenly at the sky, its crumpled cars pointing down at the deep waters where people disappeared.

Only this isn't a metaphor....

....If it wasn't an act of God or the hand of hate, and it proves not to be just a lousy accident - a girder mistakenly cut, a train that hit a support - then we are left to conclude that it was worse than any of those things, because it was more mundane and more insidious: This death and destruction was the result of incompetence or indifference.

In a word, it was avoidable.....

.....For half a dozen years, the motto of state government and particularly that of Gov. Tim Pawlenty has been No New Taxes. It's been popular with a lot of voters and it has mostly prevailed. So much so that Pawlenty vetoed a 5-cent gas tax increase - the first in 20 years - last spring and millions were lost that might have gone to road repair. And yes, it would have fallen even if the gas tax had gone through, because we are years behind a dangerous curve when it comes to the replacement of infrastructure that everyone but wingnuts in coonskin caps agree is one of the basic duties of government.

I'm not just pointing fingers at Pawlenty. The outrage here is not partisan. It is general.....

Bridges don't build themselves. We need to take our money out of Iraq and spend some money here. We cannot sacrifice any additional American lives and our infrastructure so that Bush can save face. Let's get to work in re-building America, even if it means we have to raise taxes.

Senator Stevens in Big Trouble?

If you've seen pictures of Senator Ted Stevens (AK-R) over the last few days, he appears as though he has aged 20 years.
It must be the pressures of all those raids and investigations. Don't you think?

Who can forget the senator's description of the internet as a "series of tubes"? You Tube has captured that:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f99PcP0aFNE

Right Wing Vets' Group Supports Coleman

There are headlines all over the internet about some vet group that is supporting Republican Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota. HOWEVER, the veterans' group that supports Coleman also supports the concept of "stay the course" in the Iraq war. All vets groups are NOT the same. The group that loves Coleman, Vets for Freedom, also loves President Bush and his Iraq policies.

Here is what SourceWatch had to say about Vets for Freedom:

Vets for Freedom (VFF), which as recently as July 2007 declared itself the "leading voice representing troops and veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan."^[1], on July 10, 2007, resumed its pro-Bush administration, pro-war in Iraq political activities by launching its "Win the War! Victory in Iraq" campaign, stating that the "next ten weeks will be absolutely crucial in determining the fate of the Iraq War."^[2][3][4]

In July 2006, VFF—calling itself the Vets for Freedom Action Fund (VFF-AF)—registered^[5] with the IRS as a 527 committee national lobby. It was, in essence, a Republican front group managed by Republican-affiliated public relations, media, legal, and political consultants, including former White House spokesman Taylor Gross, to defeat candidates who advocate an end to the US occupation of Iraq.

There you have it! The Vets for Freedom are a "Republican front group." Other Veterans groups who have voiced opposition to the Iraq War include:

Veterans Against the Iraq War

Iraq Veterans Against the War

Veterans for Peace

Thursday's Notes

*My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Minneapolis this morning. Those 60 children on the school bus should be very thankful that they paid attention when they had those bus evacuation drills. Bus drivers across the nation can use the bridge tragedy to reinforce safety on school buses.

*Just when you thought Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) would not miss any additional votes before the coming recess, she does it again! According to the Washington Post, Pryce did not on the following last night: Vote 788: On Motion to Change the Convening Time and Vote 789: H R 3248: Safetea-Lu Technical Corrections Act of 2007 (Vote 788 was at 10:10pm and Vote 789 was at 10:17pm). However, Pryce returned to the floor to vote on HR 1495, Vote 790, which was held at 10:25pm. Why would she do this?

Pryce has missed 68 votes so far since January.

Those Republicans Not Voting on Vote 788 and Vote 789 need a little further examination:
NOT VOTING ON 788 at 10:10PM:

Michele Bachmann, Ander Crenshaw, Jo Ann Davis, J. Dennis Hastert, Sam Johnson, Randy Neugebauer, Deborah Pryce, Don Young

NOT VOTING ON 789 at 10:17PM:

Ander Crenshaw, Jo Ann Davis, J. Dennis Hastert, Doc Hastings, Sam Johnson, Deborah Pryce, Lee Terry, Don Young

What prevented Republicans Crenshaw, Davis Hastert, Johnson, Pryce, and Young from voting on back to back floor votes? Wouldn't you like to know? If you are one of their constituents, call his/her office and ask.

Warning! Vacation Ahead!

No, not my vacation! The House and the Senate are preparing to go on vacation within a few days. (Here in Ohio's 15th Congressional district, Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce, has been going on mini-vacations by taking long weekends. She has missed over 60 votes just since January!)

If you want to let your Senators and Representative know what is on your mind, you have a few days to send them a message until they leave town and pick up their suitcases for points unknown. Contact your member of Congress and/or your Senators by clicking the appropriate links.

Don't have a clue as to what you'd write in an e-mail or say in a phone call?
Let me give you a few suggestions:

> I am a constituent and I want Senator/Representative _______ to support an immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq. Bush's war in Iraq has nothing to do with September 11th.

> I am a constituent and I want Senator/Representative _______ to support expanding health care for children.

> I am a constituent and I want Senator/Representative _______ to support our troops by ending these extended and multiple deployments for members of our military. I am a good American and I support the troops but not Bush's Iraq policies.

> I am a constituent and I have been following the voting record of Senator/Representative _______ . I am very dissatisfied with his/her voting record, especially on his/her continued support of Bush's Iraq war. If the Senator/Representative does not vote to bring the troops home immediately, I will work to defeat the Senator/Representative in the next election by supporting his/her opponent.

You have my permission to use any or part of the above prompts.

Let me remind you that while our elected officials go on vacation, our men and women in uniform continue to fight, die, and get wounded in Iraq.