GOP Corruption Ruins Ohio

In today's Columbus Dispatch http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/08/11/20050811-A1-02.html&chck=t there is an article that explains the true cost of the GOP corruption and Coingate on the state of Ohio. According to the article, the cost of investigating Tom Noe's coin investment of state money is nearly $6.7 MILLION and the investigation is not over yet. The losses to the Bureau of Workers' Compensation have been incredible:

"Noe has acknowledged a shortfall of up to $13 million from the coin funds, and the bureau has lost millions on other investments — including $215 million from a high-risk investment by MDL Capital Management, of Pittsburgh, last year."

You are wondering how this happened? The GOP controls the state government and has been awarding contracts to contributors. Mr. Noe and others have gotten and continue to get contracts because they are contributors to the Ohio GOP. The corruption goes all the way to the governor. TSK! TSK! The Ohio GOP talks about moral values. Are cheating and stealing moral values?

Oil prices going up, up, up

Are you still driving that suv? Do you enjoy driving it to the gas station? Trade-in prices for suv's have dropped 3%. Right now, oil is trading for $65.70 per gallon. At this rate, $3/gallon could be just around the bend. Some market experts said that if oil continues to rise, we will experience a recession. I guess we'll just have to see what happens.

Points to Ponder

Cindy Sheehan is on a road that leads to the president's ranch. All she wants to know is why her son had to die in Iraq. Mr. Bush, who is busy clearing brush with a chainsaw, is unwilling to meet with Mrs. Sheehan. Is he afraid to talk with a mother of a young man who died for his war in Iraq? If we were in her shoes, wouldn't we want answers?

With school starting soon, I wonder if the military recruiters will be back at work in the high schools? The recruiters come in at lunch, sit with students, talk, gather information, and pass out pencils and other materials. Are parents aware that this recruiting is going on in schools? Are parents comfortable with these activities? I suggest you call your local high school and ask if recruiters are permitted on school grounds. Let the school administration know how you feel about this.

Roberts and Rush

Why won't this administration release information about Supreme Court nominee, John Roberts? What are they trying to hide? http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/09/politics/politicsspecial1/09confirm.html

Do you remember that book by Al Franken, Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot? There is some confirmation that the title accurately describes Limbaugh. I found this at MyDD.com:
http://www.mydd.com/story/2005/8/8/233333/1849

Paul Hackett shames Rush Limbaugh

by BobcatJH

Appearing on today's edition of "The Ed Schultz Show," Paul Hackett made several stand-out statements (mp3 file). http://audio.wegoted.com/dailyaudio/Paul%20Hackett.mp3 My favorite came in reference to his being attacked by Rush Limbaugh:

That's typical for that fatass drug addict to come up with something like that. There's a guy ... I didn't hear this, but actually when I was on drill this weekend, I've got to tell you, he lost a lot of Republican supporters with his comments. Because they were coming up to me, telling me, "I can't believe he said that! Besides that, he called you a soldier. He doesn't know the difference between a soldier and a marine!"

Play that audio link above to get the full interview.

Troops at Risk

The more I read, the more my heart breaks for the families of the soldiers who have been killed in this war. Rumsfeld said something like, "You go to war with the army you have." First, the war in Iraq was an unnecessary war and this administration started this war based on a lie. Second, this administration has done little to protect our young men and women with the proper equipment. Those troops from Ohio that were killed while riding in an amphibious vehicle were at grave risk. Would this president or Rumsfeld send their children or relatives to a war with inadequate materials that would reduce their chances for survival? I don't think they would. Here is something I found that supports this: http://www.defensetech.org/archives/cat_ground_vehicles.html

When Army Secretary Francis Harvey bragged last week that every American vehicle in Iraq was about to be armored up, Defense Tech readers smelled a rat. Maybe what Harvey was saying was technically true, readers figured. But a whole lot of those supposedly toughed-up vehicles would be protected with jury-rigged, "hillbilly armor" -- the kind that's cobbled together from scrap heaps and landfills. Now, the L.A. Times has confirmed vehicles venturing outside bases will have only the makeshift steel plates known to soldiers as 'Mad Max' or 'hillbilly' armor.

Ohio and the Country

In Ohio, our hearts are heavy because of the deaths of so many of our sons and daughters in Iraq and Afghanistan. The people in Ohio are also suffering from the corruption of the Ohio GOP. Besides corruption, citizens are also upset because of the GOP lies: No WMD's, no real homeland security at our ports, and no real protection for our soldiers in combat zones (unarmored vehicles in combat, soldiers having to pay for their own body armor, soldiers still having problems getting paychecks and medical care). People here in Ohio are also talking about the decision to send 14 men into a battle zone in an airtight amphibious vehicle. Who the hell made that decision? How is it that our soldiers, who are trained as snipers, are not protected/backed up by other soldiers? Who the hell is making these decisions that are killing our kids everyday? As of this minute 1829 http://icasualties.org/oif/ of our soldiers have died in Iraq, and that total does not include those troops who have died in hospitals or by suicide. What is our president doing while so many of our young people are dying? http://www.finktank3000.com/images/bush_ranch.jpg

Political Fallout

The deaths of so many troops from Ohio are starting to get people talking. Besides losing our sons and daughters in Bush's war in Iraq, Ohio is also suffering from the corruption of the Ohio GOP (coingate, ethics violations, etc.). Now the GOP is getting worried. Congresswoman Pryce (GOP-OH-15) has voiced major concerns http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/08/05/20050805-A1-01.html&chck=t :

"The political situation for Republicans both in Washington and especially Ohio is just dreadful," she said. "In my short political life I’ve never seen it so dire."
The Upper Arlington Republican said the unexpectedly close race in Ohio’s 2 nd Congressional District this week — a Democratic challenger came within 4 percentage points of winning the heavily GOP area — is a harbinger of the difficulty Republicans at all levels will face at the polls.
"It’s gonna get a lot worse," she said. "It’s not just about golf outings."

Thomas Ricks of the Washington Post was on the Washington Journal on C-SPAN this morning. A caller said that the amphibious vehicle that was carrying the 14 Ohio soldiers who died, was not the type of vehicle that is appropriate for this type of war. From what I've read, these amphibious vehicles are only lightly armored and are used only for special areas. http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/08/03/iraq.vehicle.ap/?section=cnn_latest

Mr. Ricks said that there are approximately 130,000 of our troops still in Iraq, and according to the timetable that this administration originally put out, troops were to be pulled out starting in December 2004. Last night I heard that we have 18,000 troops in Afghanistan. If we had not invaded Iraq, but had instead sent 130,000 troops to Afghanistan, we would have had Osama by now, and we would have saved lives, time, and money. However, this administration has made miscalculation after miscalculation in going to war and the aftermath. The mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, sisters, brothers, children, and friends of our troops are suffering with every loss and every injury. We cannot let our children be sent to be slaughtered because of the mistakes of this administration. Speak up and let the media and your elected officials know that enough is enough.

Stop the War

Our troops are dying in large numbers in Iraq. Meanwhile, President Bush is on his 50th vacation to his Texas ranch. What is he doing to bring this war to an end? http://www.boston.com/news/politics/gallery/bush_trail?pg=11

More Lives Changed Forever

Just two days ago, there was a story that 6 American troops were killed in Iraq. Today, the news is reporting that 14 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8797271/ Americans were killed in Iraq in one incident. With these new losses, that brings our service member war dead toll http://icasualties.org/oif/ to 1821. With every fatality, families, friends, and communities are changed forever because someone does not return home. The last 20 Americans were all from the state of Ohio. How many more will need to die before this administration admits to its mistakes in going to war in Iraq?

Limbaugh is a staff puke

Before you read the following post that I found over at Daily Kos, let me make myself perfectly clear. The other day one GOP bigshit said that the GOP will "bury" Paul Hackett (Democratic candidate for OH-2 and Iraq vet). Now we have Rush "I need my oxycontin" Limbaugh calling Paul Hackett a "staff puke." Limbaugh is a staff puke. Every minute that our troops are in Iraq, Afghanistan, or surrounding areas on their way to the war zone, their lives are in danger. I am SICK and tired of people who say they are for this war but then, by their words or deeds, they disrespect those who have served. The Iraq War was based on a LIE (there were no WMD). These men and women went to war willing to sacrifice their lives for this country because Bush, as commander-in-chief, sent them there. I think our troops should come home now, but I respect their service and their sacrifice. Limbaugh needs to shut his fat mouth! Thank you. I feel much better now.

I found this at DailyKos http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/8/2/15914/52380
OH:02, Limbaugh calls namesby devtob Tue Aug 2nd, 2005 at 12:09:14 PDT
Limbaugh went all out against Hackett today, including calling him a "staff puke" because he served as a civil affairs officer. Midway in the third hour, Limbaugh was talking to an active duty Navy officer from Houston and asked what "civilian" affairs officers do. The Navy guy said they are liaison with the local authorities."So he wasn't in combat," the anal-pimple chickenhawk asked.The Navy guy said yes, then Limbaugh said Hackett was just a "staff puke," several times.

Jean Schmidt - Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

Jean Schmidt has attacked the service and integrity of Paul Hackett. Mr. Hackett served in Iraq and if elected, he would be the first Iraq veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom to serve in congress. However, the Schmidt campaign said that some other vet who is in congress was also in Iraq. The other vet served in 1999. Operation Iraqi Freedom started after 9/11/01 when the Bush administration tried to tie Saddam Hussein to the 9/11 attacks. Schmidt and her campaign have attacked the service of every military personnel member. Shame on her and her staff.

Jean Schmidt has no concern about traffic laws and has received 6 points for traffic violations. Check it out by going to http://www.clermontclerk.org/pa/munipa.urd/PAMW6500 and enter Schmidt Jean on the search page.
Need more information on Jean Schmidt's ethics problems? I GOOGLED Jean Schmidt ethics investigation and I found the following : http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Jean+Schmidt+ethics+investigation&btnG=Google+Search
Apparently, Schmidt tried to lobby Ohio Gov. Taft about an online lottery company and then she received a nice donation from the company. TSK! She has denied meeting Tom Noe but testified in front of him when Noe served on the Ohio Board of Regents. TSK! TSK!

Those of us in Ohio are SICK of the GOP corruption in this state. If Schmidt is elected, the corruption and payoffs will only continue and we will be the real losers.

GOP WANTS TO BURY A VET?????

The GOP always says that they support our troops, but it doesn't sound that way. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/30/AR2005073001092.html
Here is the excerpt from the Post: Both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee have bought TV time for commercials over the weekend. "He called the commander in chief a son-of-a-[expletive]," said NRCC spokesman Carl Forti. "We decided to bury him."
I don't think it shows any respect for our troops or vets if a GOP big shot indicates that they want to "bury" a vet (in this case, Paul Hackett, Democratic candidate for OH-2). They are dying and getting wounded for you, Carl Forti! Shame on you!

BRUUUUUUUUUUUUCE!

We saw Bruce Springsteen at the Schott tonight and it was great. HOWEVER, there was a very obnoxious, loud woman behind us who sang along AND laughed and talked with her friend. Okay, I should have turned around and told her to be quiet, but I wasn't in the mood to fight her. When will some people get it through their fat heads that we paid to hear the recording artist not them!

Paul Hackett for OH-2

The citizens of Ohio's congressional district-2 have a choice. They can elect a candidate who will bring fresh ideas to Washington, D.C., like Paul Hackett, or they can elect another candidate who has ethics problems and likes the way things are in your district, your state, and your country. Things are not so great in southwestern Ohio. Compared to other parts of the state, unemployment is high in OH-2. People must elect someone who will speak for them and get things done. The best choice is Paul Hackett.

President Going On Vacation, Again

Don't you wish you could go on vacation for a month? I found the following story thanks to Raw Story (http://www.rawstory.com). George W. Bush is going to his ranch for the month of August. How many of us get a month's worth of vacation? http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5176459,00.html
"White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Friday that Bush will leave after signing into law the Central American Free Trade Agreement that Congress gave final approval to earlier this week.
It will be the president's 50th trip to the ranch since he was elected nearly five years ago."

Jim Petro in the Hot Seat

A few days ago, I wrote that Jim Petro, Ohio's Attorney General and GOP candidate for governor, had to know more about Coingate because of the nature of his job. Seems as though Mr. Petro has only been releasing certain records to the public. Could this be a cover-up? http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20050728&Category=NEWS24&ArtNo=50728002&SectionCat=&Template=printart
Here are some excerpts from the Toledo Blade's article:
The Supreme Court ruled 5-2 on July 13 that the coin-fund records are public records and should be made available.
But since releasing the initial three boxes of records last week, Mr. Petro’s office has refused to release any additional records.
“Mr. Petro went to law school and knows what the Supreme Court’s unambiguous opinion means,” said John Robinson Block, publisher and editor-in-chief of The Blade....
State Sen. Marc Dann, a Youngstown-area Democrat, said yesterday that the state’s delay in releasing the records to The Blade is looking like a pattern.
He has been fighting the governor’s office over the release of weekly staff reports.
“The stonewalling that’s going on in these cases is truly reminiscent of Richard Nixon,” he said, referring to the months of delays it took to get information from Mr. Nixon’s White House during Watergate.
Mr. Dann said the attorney general’s office should not be reviewing records to determine which ones to release.
“Whether or not they’re public has already been litigated and won,” he said.
He criticized Mr. Petro, saying he should take more of a watchdog role rather than act solely as the attorney for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.
“At some point you have to hold the attorney general of the state accountable for not standing up to his clients when the law is clear,” he said.
“Nothing could be more clear than a Supreme Court decision ordering the release of certain records.”

I am not a lawyer, but I am wondering if Mr. Petro could/should be held in contempt of court?

Hackett is a Hero

Isn't it amazing that some GOP people in Ohio are trying to attack Paul Hackett's service to this country? These people would rather have Jean Schmidt serve them in Congress despite her ethics problems. She is being investigated! http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Jean+Schmidt+ethics&btnG=Google+Search
I GOOGLED Jean Schmidt ethics and found a number of websites that describe her problems. With all the crap that the Ohio GOP has been involved in (loss of over $300 million in investments in BWC), I would hope that the citizens of OH-2 would vote for a good, honest candidate like Paul Hackett.

Is it my imagination or are the school supply sales getting earlier every year? Unfortunately, some parents will get their supplies before they get the official school supply list. Take it from me---wait until you get your list!!!!

Have you watched Countdown With Keith Olbermann? You can see it M-F on MSNBC at 8pm. Olbermann is almost as good as John Stewart's Daily Show.

Hackett OH-2

Do you live in Ohio's congressional district 2 in Clermont County, Ohio? If you do, you have a chance to send a real Iraq War vet http://www.hackettforcongress.com/ to the U.S. Congress! There have been many great things said about this candidate. http://news.kypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050726/NEWS02/507260388/1014

12 hours > 18 minutes

Those of you old enough to remember the Nixon administration, can't forget the 18 minute gap in the tape recording of the telephone recording that was "erased" by accident by secretary, Rosemary Woods. What was on that tape and why was it erased? Now we have another gap in time, but this time it is the Bush administration's problem.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2005-07-25T051753Z_01_N25690956_RTRIDST_0_POLITICS-BUSH-LEAK-DC.XML
Here is a small part of that ariticle:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said on Sunday that he immediately told White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card -- but delayed telling others -- when the Justice Department launched an investigation into who leaked the identity of a CIA operative.

Gonzales, who at the time was White House counsel, told CBS's "Face the Nation" that he waited until the next morning to discuss the issue with President Bush and to formally notify the rest of the White House staff, requiring them to preserve any materials connected to the investigation.

Democratic Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware said the approximately 12-hour delay in notification "raises a lot of questions" about whether some White House officials could have received an early warning from Card.

"The real question now is, who did the chief of staff speak to? Did the chief of staff pick up the phone and call (Bush political adviser) Karl Rove? Did the chief of staff pick up the phone and call anybody else?" Biden said.

Do you think that anyone in the White House did anything during those 12 hours?

Our Wounded

We cannot let this war in Iraq continue. So many have died and so many continue to suffer. You must see the following posting: http://www.mydd.com/story/2005/7/24/0550/15410
and http://icasualties.org/oif/

Would you like Turd Blossom as a nickname?

Sometimes people's nicknames aptly describe them. In today's Columbus Dispatch, there a news story that indicates that some people associated with the CIA leak might face charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. http://www.dispatch.com/national-story.php?story=dispatch/2005/07/23/20050723-A3-02.html&chck=t
The article mentions the name Karl Rove (nickname: Turd Blossom) and I. Lewis Libby (nickname: Scooter). I also did a Google News search with the terms "Rove perjury" and here are the results: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=Rove+perjury&ie=UTF-8&scoring=d
and Rove got in trouble in 1992 with the Bush Quayle campaign.http://www.mydd.com/story/2005/7/11/155029/380

With the former CIA agents stating their displeasure with the outing of a CIA operative, I would caution people not to piss off the CIA. These CIA guys may start leaking information about the people that leaked stuff.

It Takes A State To Vote Out These Clowns

With apologies to Senator Clinton and her well-written book, It Takes a Village, I have created my list of people that need to leave public service/office. The following people need to resign/be impeached/never seek public office again:
My Ohio List:
Governor Bob Taft: With so much corruption, mismanagement of state money, and loss of public trust, it is time for you to retire. Either you and/or people you hired have lost millions and millions of state money. The school children, the poor, and the elderly are suffering while GOP business buddies get richer.

Jim Petro: Once you were the State Auditor and now you are the State Attorney General. In both capacities, you would have had to oversee, check, approve, and audit funds and contracts. It is hard to believe that you did not know about the BWC investments with Tom Noe and other firms and the large losses that were sustained with them. Please don't act so shocked about all this mismanagement.
http://www.independent-media.tv/item.cfm?fmedia_id=11295&fcategory_desc=Under%20Reported
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/6/1/9715/04098 See lower half of article for pics and business ties.

Betty Montgomery: Once you were the Attorney General and now you are the State Auditor. In both capacities, you would have had to oversee, check, approve, and audit funds and contracts. It is hard to believe that you did not know about the BWC investments with Tom Noe and other firms and the large losses that were sustained with them.

J. Kenneth Blackwell: As State Secretary of State, you screwed up the 2004 election, made agreements with voting machine companies that were friendly to the Ohio GOP, and have disenfranchised thousands of Ohio voters. Get over yourself.

Bob Ney: 18th Congressional District: http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/news/state/11518224.htm
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/6/16/215659/062
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/05/10/opinion/main694222.shtml

Do you think Karl Rove might be charged with treason and perjury?

Taft, Petro, and Montgomery

In today's Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=122793 there is more evidence that this Coingate thing just keeps plugging along and getting bigger. Also, this is just my personal question, but is it possible that Petro and Montgomery knew something about all this while this mismanagement was going on? Were they completely out of the loop? Did Taft or some other person within his administration keep Petro and Montgomery updated on the investments and their failures? Jim Petro is the State Attorney General. Wouldn't he need to approve some of these investment contracts? Here is some interesting stuff: Petro and wife socializing with some investment people http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/6/1/9715/04098. What about Ohio State Auditor, Betty Montgomery, and her knowledge of the Coingate and other investment losses? Doesn't her job as Auditor mean that she overseees financial transactions and audits reports? For those of you not in Ohio, Betty Montgomery was Attorney General and Jim Petro was the State Auditor until they ran for their present state positions. The Ohio GOP has such a grip on this state they can pick and choose which offices they want!!!! Hopefully, enough has been established about the Ohio GOP corruption that their grip on this state will loosen.

Rove: More Turd Blossom Droppings

Does the fact that Bush has nominated someone for the SCOTUS mean that Karl Rove is off the hook? No! The grand jury is still working and the special prosecutor is still gathering evidence. Only time will tell what happens to Rove.

An interesting column written by Eric Mink from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch makes the following point about Bush's White House staff: "They think they work for President George W. Bush. They don't. They work for America." http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/ericmink/story/9B4E75AD9D6F9A7D86257044003231CB?OpenDocument

Here are some additional points made in the article: "The administration's response to the Wilson-Plame-Rove mess has been a laughable catalogue of excuses from denial to defense to rationalization - not unlike the ever-changing rationales offered for the invasion of Iraq after weapons of mass destruction were nowhere to be found. There is nothing laughable, however, about the effects of Rove's blind zeal to reinforce Bush's power and advance his agenda."
"The greatest threat to America today is international terrorism, and the worst-case scenarios, as Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff reminded us last week, involve terrorists acquiring and using a weapon of mass destruction."
"Valerie Wilson, 42, was an undercover agent in the counterproliferation division of the CIA's directorate of operations: Her focus was intelligence about the spread of weapons of mass destruction. As The New York Times reported earlier this month, not even the Wilsons' next-door neighbors knew she worked for the CIA until Novak blew her cover two years ago."
"It's impossible to say whether or to what extent this has jeopardized her life and work and that of her contacts and sources, to say nothing of other agents associated with her fake employer, Brewster Jennings & Associates of Boston. What is certain is that Valerie Wilson no longer can work undercover and that an American intelligence asset 21 years in the making - she joined the agency in 1984 - has been irreparably damaged."

Just when you thought you'd heard it all about the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation "Coingate," there is even more info in Steve Eder's article in The Toledo Blade.
"A consultant hired to examine the investment portfolio of the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation told agency officials yesterday that investment performance reports provided by the bureau's outside money managers had not been properly vetted for accuracy."
"In total, the state's insurance fund for injured workers has acknowledged $300 million in losses and fired five investment managers since The Blade began reporting on the agency's troubles in April."
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050720/NEWS24/507200446

Karl Rove: Turd Blossom

George W. Bush's nickname for Karl Rove is Turd Blossom. Isn't that a wonderful image? Stories are flying about Rove's leaking of Plame's name. Here are a few pieces of the stories:
http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=10016
"White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove did not disclose that he had ever discussed CIA officer Valerie Plame with Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper during Rove’s first interview with the FBI, according to legal sources with firsthand knowledge of the matter.

The omission by Rove created doubt for federal investigators, almost from the inception of their criminal probe into who leaked Plame's name to columnist Robert Novak, as to whether Rove was withholding crucial information from them, and perhaps even misleading or lying to them, the sources said."

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/special_packages/iraq/12172115.htm
WASHINGTON - "A State Department memo that has caught the attention of prosecutors describes a CIA officer's role in sending her husband to Africa and disputes administration claims that Iraq was shopping for uranium, a retired department official said Tuesday......

The original June 2003 memo was readdressed to Powell and included a short summary prepared by an analyst who was at a 2002 CIA meeting where Wilson's trip was arranged and was sent in one piece to Powell on Air Force One the next day.

The memo said Wilson's wife worked for the CIA and suggested her husband go to Niger because he had contacts there and had served as an American diplomat in Africa. However, the official said the memo did not say she worked undercover for the spy agency nor did it identify her as Valerie Plame, which was her maiden name and cover name at the CIA.

Her identity as Plame was disclosed first by columnist Robert Novak and then by Time magazine reporter Matt Cooper. The leak investigation by special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald is looking into who in the Bush administration leaked Plame's identity to reporters and whether any laws were broken.

A 1982 law prohibits the deliberate exposure of the identity of an undercover CIA officer.

Wilson believes the Bush administration leaked the name as retribution for his criticism...."

The next time you see a picture of Karl Rove think "Turd Blossom."

Karl Rove: History of Dirty Tricks

Karl Rove's association with dirty tricks in politics has a long history. One article from 1991 goes into a lot of detail about some of Rove's activities. http://www.texasobserver.org/showArticle.asp?ArticleID=398 Check out the following search results I got when I GOOGLED the terms Karl Rove dirty tricks: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Karl+Rove+dirty+tricks&btnG=Google+Search

Rove and the Ohio GOP

Here it is two years after the leak, and Karl Rove still has his job. Now the GOP and their friend are attacking Joe Wilson. Shame on the GOP spin machine. Jon Stewart and The Daily Show had some great comments on this whole matter. (See the Flop Sweat video.)
http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/videos/jon_stewart/index.jhtml

Do you want to do business in Ohio? The Ohio GOP has made this a pay to play state. Everyone has heard about the scandal involving "Coingate" and how a GOP contributor was given Bureau of Workers' Compensation investment money which he invested in rare coins, baseball cards, antiques, and Beanie Babies. Now we have the head of the Franklin County Board of Elections, Matt Damshroder, receiving $10,000 from Diebold which he then forwarded to the GOP. http://www.dispatch.com/

Karl Rove - Early life predicts future behavior

I found an interesting biography on Karl Rove. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/architect/rove/cron.html
Some of the information in the article not startling, given his current problems. Below are some excerpts from the article:
"At age 9, Rove is a vocal supporter of Richard Nixon's presidential campaign -- so vocal, in fact, that an older girl, a would-be Kennedy voter, beats him up." Ha!
"Rove enters the University of Utah and joins the College Republicans, who send him to Illinois to work on the successful Senate bid of Ralph Smith. Rove will later admit that during the campaign, he goes into the offices of a Democratic candidate for state treasurer, steals stationery, and uses it to mock up fake invitations advertising a party..."
With the dirty politics that Rove has participated in during his life, it is easy to see how he would do something to attack the credibility of a critic (Wilson and his wife) of this administration.

This Administration

Now we have word that this Bush administration has been investigating the ACLU, Greenpeace, and anti-war organizations. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/18/politics/18protest.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1121710689-kWpyo7hz3FcW7aHBoMWXaA&oref=login This sounds a lot like Nixon's enemy list and J. Edgar Hoover's attempts to discredit members of the civil rights movement. Obviously, this administration is against any opposing voices.

Karl Rove was the leaker. Karl Rove should be fired. Many papers have reports about the Karl Rove leaking incident and I am sure more will come out. http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/07/18/news/rove.php http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15975863%255E601,00.html Some writer called Rove Bush's brain. If Rove is fired and must leave the administration, how does the president continue?

Back to Work!!!

I have been out of town for a few days, but now I'm back to work. My suggestion to everyone is to try to take a vacation to a BLUE state. It was nice to be among friendly people. If you happen to visit Cape May, New Jersey, I suggest that you visit Tisha's for dinner. It is located in the heart of Cape May at 714 Beach Drive. The food, the service, and the atmosphere were all excellent.

It is good to see the Karl Rove is not out of trouble yet. I think the problem is that there are too many people running our government who think they are running a frat house. Everybody has their day. One day you release the name of a CIA agent, and the next day you could be in jail for treason. (We can only hope.)

Who is making a profit?

While our soldiers die in Bush's war in Iraq, more evidence is emerging about war profiteering. Are you surprised? Our soldiers are being given spoiled food while Halliburton makes huge profits by overcharging for many items.

http://warprofiteers.com/article.php?id=12476
"The new evidence, released Monday afternoon, shows that Hallliburton:
* overcharged or presented questionable bills for close on $1.5 billion, almost four times the previous amount disclosed.
* lost 12 giant pre-fabricated bases worth over $75 million destined for the troops. The bases could have housed as many as 6,600 soldiers.
* billed $152,000 to provide a movie library for 2,500 soldiers
* billed inconsistently across the board. Video cassette players, for example, were said to cost $300.00 in some instances, and $1000 in others. Likewise, the company charged $2.31 for towels on one occasion and $5 for the same units on another."

And further in the same article....

"A third witness at the hearing was Rory Maryberry, a former Halliburton contractor who worked at the dining facilities in Camp Anaconda. Located just north of Baghdad, near the town of Balad, Anaconda is the largest United States military base in Iraq.

Mayberry worked for Halliburton in Iraq from February to April 2004. He claims the company charged the Army for 20,000 meals a day when it was only serving 10,000 during his tenure. Subsequenttly he says he was punished for speaking to auditors by being banished to the more dangerous outpost of Falluja.

In a video-taped deposition shown during the packed hearing, Mayberry explained how the company would sometimes supply food that was over a year past the expiration date or had spoiled due to inconsistent refrigeration. When the United States military occasionally refused the spoiled food, Halliburton truckers were instructed to take them to the next base in the hope that they would escape scrutiny."

Our young people were sent to a war based on a lie. They were poorly equipped with unarmored Humvees and body armor that their parents had to purchase for them. Now we find that our troops receive spoiled food. This president says he supports the troops. Really? Would he allow his family members to go to war under these conditions? I don't think he would. http://icasualties.org/oif/


Meanwhile, the president's daughter, Barbara, is working as a volunteer at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital in South Africa. http://www.zimobserver.com/newsdetail.asp?article_id=1183 I applaud her service, but I would suggest that when she is finished volunteering in South Africa that she visit the wounded at Walter Reed Hospital. It is closer to home and it would show that someone in the family is willing to sacrifice something for Bush's war.

More BWC Losses

In today's Columbus Dispatch (http://www.dispatch.com), there is an article on another investment loss from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC). According to the article, a division of National City Corp., "lost $71 million in investments during the past two years." Hello!!!! Are these people idiots or arrogant fools to waste taxpayer money like this? Could there be a reason that people associated with National City gave over $70,000 to mostly GOP candidates and PAC's for the 2002 and 2004 election cycles? (http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=&txtState=OH&txtZip=&txtEmploy=National+City+Corp&txtCand=&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&Order=N
These people gave over $20,000 to GOP candidates and PAC's for 2000 and 1998 cycles.
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=&txtState=OH&txtZip=&txtEmploy=National+City+Corp&txtCand=&txt2000=Y&txt1998=Y&Order=N
Apparently, the people in the BWC don't know how to tell if an investment has gone bad. Here is a hint: When your investment loses money, it is time to pull out!!!!

TAFT and OIL PRICES

Governor Bob Taft of Ohio is being sued by State Senator Marc Dann over the "Coingate" scandal. More and more of this scandal is coming out and it doesn't sound very good. The Toledo Blade http://www.theblade.comhttp://www.wkyc.com/news/news_fullstory.asp?id=37541

Oil went to $61/ barrel today. Some experts are predicting even higher prices. My advice for you: GET RID of you SUV now! http://money.cnn.com/2005/07/06/markets/oil.reut/index.htm and other news outlets have been providing information about "special" golf outings and contracts awarded to political contributors. Isn't that a little too cozy?

Ohio's GOP Problem on NBC Nightly News

Ohio was a featured story on NBC Nightly News tonight. The story was about the BWC and Coingate. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8473954/ I think it made the Taft administration look really stupid. No matter what happens and who did what, it was all done in the Taft administration. He is ultimately responsible. I hope that voters recognize the fact that these GOPers have been making some stupid decisions with our tax money. We need to vote the GOP out of the statehouse.

Yeah, what he said!!!!

In today's New York Daily News, Denis Hamill writes precisely what many of us feel:

"Rove's problem is that he doesn't know jack about "liberals" in the very city where he delivered his punk speech that dishonored the fallen of Ground Zero 3 miles south. As did President Bush's lame "stay the course" pep talk to the nation on Tuesday night, for recycling the same debunked lies trying to connect 9/11 to Iraq.

In the last presidential election, 75% of New York City, where nearly 3,000 people were murdered on 9/11, voted for a "liberal" named John Kerry. They did this not because they thought it would be therapeutic for the terrorists but because they resented the lies coming out of this administration that had given up the search for Osama Bin Laden for a bait-and-switch war on Iraq."

http://www.nydailynews.com/boroughs/story/324744p-277605c.html
Read the entire column at the link.

Was Karl Rove the leaker?

Karl Rove? http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000972839
By E&P Staff

Published: July 01, 2005 11:30 PM ET
NEW YORK Now that Time Inc. has turned over documents to federal court, presumably revealing who its reporter, Matt Cooper, identified as his source in the Valerie Plame/CIA case, speculation runs rampant on the name of that source, and what might happen to him or her. Tonight, on the syndicated McLaughlin Group political talk show, Lawrence O'Donnell, senior MSNBC political analyst, claimed to know that name--and it is, according to him, top White House mastermind Karl Rove.

Here is the transcript of O'Donnell's remarks:

"What we're going to go to now in the next stage, when Matt Cooper's e-mails, within Time Magazine, are handed over to the grand jury, the ultimate revelation, probably within the week of who his source is.

"And I know I'm going to get pulled into the grand jury for saying this but the source of...for Matt Cooper was Karl Rove, and that will be revealed in this document dump that Time magazine's going to do with the grand jury."

If this is true, would we be surprised?

Exit Strategy and Young Republicans

President George W. Bush doesn't want to set an exit strategy for Iraq. However, when former President Bill Clinton had U.S. troops in Kosovo, Bush said the following:
http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:oPFweZNdwrQJ:vyas.com/story.jsp%3Fportal_id%3D1%26news_keyword%3DYellowBrix%2BTop%2BHeadlines%26index%3D2+Bush+said+Thursday.+%22I+think+it%27s+also+important+for+the+president+to+lay+out+a+timetable&hl=en&start=1
"I think it's also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn. If there needs to be a residual force, it is important that over time U.S. troops are withdrawn and our European allies carry the majority of the load." Really?

We've learned that the Defense Department has been gathering data on young people for the purposes of recruiting. I hope that they are able to put members of Campus Republicans and Young Republicans at the top of this list. If you have faith in President George W. Bush, the war in Iraq, and the principles of the GOP, you should run to your local recruiting office and enlist in the military. Your president and your party need you!

Can you see the connection?

In Saturday's Columbus Dispatch, there was an article about Bill Burgett who is the founder of Kokosing Construction. Kokosing builds a MAJORITY of the roads in Ohio. I visited Open Secrets (http://www.opensecrets.org) and put in the donor name "Burgett" and the name pulled up 145 records of Burgett names, all related to Kokosing Construction of Fredricktown, Ohio. http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=burgett&txtState=OH&txtZip=&txtEmploy=&txtCand=&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&Order=N
Amazing!!!!!! These Burgetts gave $148,118 for the political cycles of 2002 and 2004 to mostly Republicans. Do you think that maybe their political donations have something to do with the amount of work Kokosing does for the state of Ohio?
If you enter the name of Thomas Noe, rare coin dealer, at Open Secrets, you can discover that he contributed $37,050 to mostly Republican Party members for the 2002 and 2004 election cycles. Obviously, it is easy to conclude that Ohio has a "pay to play" method in doing business with the Ohio GOP.

Ohio's Unemployment Rate

The monthly unemployment report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services was released and the unemployment rate in Ohio was 6.1%. According to the report, nonfarm wage and salary rose 4,700 from April to May 2005. http://jfs.ohio.gov/releases/unemp/UnempPressRelease.htm This report is just plain crap! Where are these jobs? What companies, stores, and offices have hired people? I'd like to know because I know one unemployed college grad who has been looking for a job for 11 months. I think we should make the state and federal governments release the names of companies and their locations where jobs were created. Why? It is just too easy to lie with statistics.

The Blade, The Dog, and Big Ed

The Toledo Blade has done a terrific job of investigating the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation and the corrupt Taft administration. I hope that they win some writing awards for their reporting. The Blade's writers have a story that details how the BWC put the state's money in very high risk funds. Shame on them for risking the very survival of Ohio's sick and injured workers.
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050627/NEWS24/506270304
Duane "The Dog" Chapman, a well-known bounty hunter, is appearing on CNBC's The Big Idea With Donny Deutsch. Mr. Dog says he knows how to get Osama Bin Laden. I hope someone is listening because if this guy has an idea, we should try it. Also on the panel with Mr. Dog is Monica Crowley, Big Ed Schultz, and Lionel. Ed Schultz speaks the truth when he says that we've lost our focus in Afghanistan. How does this Monica say she has secret intelligence that other people don't? Do the Right Wingers get their daily talking points from Karl Rove? Since the Toledo Blade has done such a terrific job investigating the BWC, the Ohio GOP, and Taft, perhaps we should have them start inquiring about the administration and the reason we went into Iraq.

Rumsfeld and Cheney are Wrong

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said today that the war in Iraq could take several years. http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/special_packages/iraq/11992877.htm Are we prepared to sacrifice more of our sons and daughters for this war? Vice President Dick Cheney said he believes that Iraq will be a huge success.

Are these men dealing with reality? Senator Chuck Hagel said that the White House was "completely disconnected with reality." I would tend to agree with Senator Hagel. As a veteran of the Viet Nam war, Senator Hagel knows what he is talking about when he criticizes the handling of the war in Iraq. http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.asp?feed=FT&Date=20050626&ID=4918857
The American public is getting tired of the lies. We support our troops, but we don't support the decisions of this administration.

Kristen Breitweiser's Response to Karl Rove

Karl Rove has been referred to as Bush's "brain." Really? Rove was the mastermind behind the smear campaign against war hero and U.S. Senator John McCain during the 2000 primaries. Rove now has accused liberals of not doing enough in the war against terrorism. At mydd.com, a writer has printed what Kristen Breitweiser, a 9/11 widow, had to say about Rove's remarks http://www.mydd.com/:

More to the point, Karl when you say, "Conservatives saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and prepared for war," what exactly did you do to prepare for your war? Did your preparations include: sound intelligence to warrant your actions; a reasonable entry and exit strategy coupled with a coherent plan to carry out that strategy; the proper training and equipment for the troops you were sending in to fight your war? Did you follow the advice of experts such as General Shinseki who correctly advised you about the troop levels needed to actually succeed in Iraq? No, you didn't.

It has always been America's policy that you only place soldiers' lives in harm's way when it is absolutely necessary and the absolute last resort. When you send troops into combat you support those troops by providing them with proper equipment and training. Why didn't you do that with the troops that you sent into Iraq? Why weren't their vehicles armored? Why didn't they have protective vests? Why weren't they properly trained about the rules of interrogation? And Karl, when our troops come home - be it tragically in body bags or with missing limbs - you should honor and acknowledge their service to their country. You shouldn't hide them by bringing them home in the dark of night. Most importantly, you should take care of them for the long haul by giving them substantial veteran's benefits and care. To me, that is being patriotic. To me, that is how you support our troops. To me, that is how you show that you know the value of a human life given for its country.

For the record Karl, does Iraq have any connection to the 9/11 attacks? Because, you and your friends with your collective "understanding of 9/11" seem to be contradicting yourselves about the Iraq-9/11 connection, too. First, we were told that we went to war with Iraq because it was linked to the 9/11 attacks. Then, your rationale was changed to "Iraq has WMD". Then you told us that we needed to invade Iraq because Saddam was a "bad man". And now it turns out that we are in Iraq to bring them "democracy."

(The original post was at The Huffington Report http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/kristen-breitweiser/karl-roves-understandin_3103.html )

Karl Rove speaks for the President?

It is common knowledge that Karl Rove speaks for George W. Bush. Last night in New York, Karl Rove said,"Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 in the attacks and prepared for war. Liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers." http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-062305rove_lat,0,724654.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Is this really what the President of the United States feels about 50,000,000 Americans who identify themselves as liberals? This evening, it was reported on NBC Nightly News that Karl Rove will NOT apologize for his remarks. How dare Karl Rove speak of others in this manner! How many liberals died fighting in WWI, WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, and Iraq? There is no special disqualification for someone to join the military if they are liberal. Mr. Rove would not know that because he did not serve. Who does he think he is? How dare he insinuate that liberal Americans do not love this country?

The liberals of this country fought battles in foreign countries and the civil rights battles here in our own country. Liberals helped desegregate schools and public transportation. Liberals have worked and died to make all of our citizens equal under the law. Liberals are the ones who are the most generous with their time and money. Liberals have bigger hearts. Obviously, Karl Rove isn't a liberal.

POV and Bushies

1. Last night on PBS, there was a program called POV about the fight for sex education in Lubbock, Texas. Although I was unable to see the end of the program (I HAD to watch Jon Stewart!!!!), the first hour described the activities of a group of teenagers in Lubbock who were pushing for real sex education in the Lubbock school system. Despite the opposition of parents and overzealous ministers, these kids pushed on with great focus. Lubbock has a teenage pregnancy rate of 1 in 14 girls per year, and one of the highest teenage STD rates in the country. Obviously, some of the leaders in Lubbock can't face up to the fact that their abstinence program is not working.

2. Ohio's Governor Bob Taft is in hot water again. Apparently, he did not report some of his golf outings that were paid for by others. Another ethics investigation will be launched. Hello, Ohioans, wake up!!!!! How many more scandals will there be before someone discusses his removal from office?

3. More of our military troops died in Iraq. http://icasualties.org/oif/ At a rate of approximately 2 deaths per day, how many more of our sons and daughters will die for Bush's war? Do you know that no one in the Bush clan is serving in the military? Wouldn't you think that one of his daughters, nephews, nieces, or cousins would want to be a role model for George W and join the military?

4. T. Boone Pickens, famous oilman, has predicted that by this time next year gas prices will be $3/gal. What are YOU doing about it? Are you driving a more fuel efficient car? If you are driving an SUV, do not complain to me!

5. Bill Frist did a flip flop yesterday after a meeting at the White House. First Frist said that there would not be another Bolton vote. However, after meeting with the president, Frist said he would keep trying for a vote. Flippity floppity Frist!!!!

6. Bill O'Reilly is a clown. I personally do not watch or listen to his program, but I listen to Stephanie Miller (Jones Radio Network) and she watches right wing world so I don't need to watch. Bill O'Reilly pontificates about family values but he had phone sex with one of his employees. O'Reilly must have been the schoolyard bully because he still acts that way.

7. Congresswoman Pryce (R-15th-OH), also took some money from coinbroker, Noe. There are some great candidates going up against Pryce for the next election. http://www.loseyforcongress.com/ Great! She is nothing but a puppet for Bush and Rove.

War in Iran Has Started??????

Here is some news to make you feel worried today: Scott Ritter, the man who said there were no WMD's in Iraq, has said that the U.S. war has already started in IRAN. At this point, it cannot be confirmed, but apparently, some intelligence-gathering flights have taken place over Iran. For additional information, see the following link http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/article_002572.shtml

Recently, Porter Goss said in an interview that he knew where Osama was located, BUT the location is within a sovereign nation, and we cannot invade a sovereign nation. Bush did invade Iraq and they were a sovereign nation. This administration just makes up stuff as they go along to fit their needs. What is the truth and when will we know it?

I don't shop at the Michael's Craft Stores because they are owned by the Wyly Brothers. Who are the Wyly Brothers???? According to the FEC, they gave more than $1.3 million dollars to political campaigns like the GOP, Swift Boat Vets for Truth(?), and Republicans for Clean Air. What do those 3 groups have in common? LIES! LIES! LIES!

Iraq, Gold Stars, Ohio's Coingate

Secretary of State Rice was in Egypt recently and she said that our stay in Iraq will be "generational." I believe that when one refers to a "generation" that it means approximately 20-25 years. When will this administration stop lying? Rumsfeld said we'd be in Iraq six months. Wolfowitz said it was a slam dunk. Now they are saying our troops will be needed for a generation? What is the truth?

There is an organization called Gold Star Families for Peace. These people have lost family members in the war in Iraq. http://www.gsfp.org/ Their goal is to end our occupation of Iraq because they say that the war in Iraq was based on lies.

There was a great story in a local paper concerning the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation scandal.
http://www.theotherpaper.com/ As you may have heard, the dimwits in Gov. Taft's administration gave money to a GOP coin dealer and some firm in Pittsburgh for investment purposes. Unfortunately, both enterprises lost HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS that was to be used to take care of Ohio's sick and injured workers. Obviously, the idiots in Taft's administration did not take classes in ethics in business. http://www.theotherpaper.com/cover.html

Newt Gingrich: Stupid Jerk

Newt Gingrich wrote a letter to members of the U.S. Senate telling them to censure Senator Durbin because of his recent remarks. Who the hell cares what Gingrich thinks? Gingrich is an asshole. Gingrich has been married three times, divorced twice, and carried on an extra-marital affair with a congressional aide. He supposedly had sex with this woman within the offices of the congress. While one of his wives was recovering from cancer surgery, he served her with divorce papers. His term as Speaker of the House was full of scandal and corruption. Gingrich should mind his own business. He is not in the Senate and he is not even worthy enough to mention Senator Durbin's name.

More U.S. Troops Killed

After 17 days of June, 51 Americans have been killed in Iraq. My heart goes out to the families and friends of these men and women. http://icasualties.org/oif/

Bob Ney

Bob Ney is a little worried. There are SO many stories about Bob Ney and his "pay to play" legislation deals. The representative from St. Clairsville, Ohio, has worked very closely with Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist currently under investigation for his unethical practices. Did Ney take a bribe? http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7833922/ Bob Ney has a lot of power in Washington, D.C., but why would he need to hire a criminal lawyer if he has done nothing wrong? There are many stories that provide answers. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/05/AR2005060501223.html

Representative Ney has said that all of these questions are political in nature and funded by "shadow" groups associated with the Democratic Party. Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Obviously, Mr. Ney does not want to answer to the citizens of his district. He must be feeling the heat that all of these investigations are bringing to his business dealings.

Has anyone noticed the corruption surrounding so many GOP elected officials?????? Here is a short list of GOPers in the hot seat: Bob Ney, Tom DeLay, Bob Taft, Ken Blackwell, Melissa Hart, Conrad Burns, and others too numerous to mention. However, if you are interested in getting the rest of the names, just do a search at http://www.google.com with terms like GOP+corruption. You'd be amazed! Is this country better off with a GOP majority in the White House, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives? I don't think that the American people will continue to put up with this activity that only lines the pockets of individual GOPers.

In case you are curious, this blog is not a "shadow" group of the Democratic Party. This blog is written by a concerned, college-educated, human being from Ohio.

No Conference Rooms for Democrats Etc.

The GOP majority is not very nice. According the The Hill, the Republicans will no longer allow Democrats to use conference rooms to hold hearings or forums on issues that the GOP does not want to discuss.
http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/UndertheDome/061405.html When there is a Democratic majority in the House and Senate, we will remember the generous hospitality of the GOP.

As of this date, 1708 Americans have died in Iraq since the beginning of Bush's War. Since June 1st, 41 Americans have been killed. http://icasualties.org/oif/ Not only is recruitment down in the U.S., but the UK and Scotland are not meeting their recruitment goals. We need to support our troops by ending this war in Iraq and bring our troops home.

Enough on Michael Jackson!!!!!

The media has just gone ga-ga over this Michael Jackson trial. Enough! While Michael Jackson was basking in his not guilty verdicts, more Americans were killed in Iraq. The media needs to move on.

Recently, I was looking at the lyrics of I Ain't Marching Anymore, a song by Phil Ochs. Part of the lyrics that really stick are the following: " It's always the old to lead us to the war, It's always the young to fall." In the case of this war in Iraq, it is more like those who have never been to war are the ones who want the war. Bush, Cheney, and Wolfowitz wanted this war with Iraq, and none of them knows the full cost of war. They never served in active duty but they were happy to send other people's sons and daughters to a war that they created. Their lies have cost our country thousands of dead and wounded Americans, emotional trauma to families here and in Iraq, and damage to the reputation of this country and its ideals. The sad thing is that it all just keeps going----the war, the deaths, the wounded/maimed, the emotional damage, the financial costs, and the lies. How much longer will Americans allow the war to continue?

59% of Americans want all/some U.S. Troops Withdrawal from Iraq

The latest polls show that 59% Americans want some/all of U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq. With Bush and Rumsfeld mismanaging troop deployments, money, armored vehicles, Gitmo, and everything about the war, I am surprised that the percentage isn't higher. Everything we see and hear is being restricted. We cannot see the flag-draped coffins of our fallen troops or hear the truth about the wounded or casualties. This Iraq War was created with lies and the lies just keep coming. When we will get the truth?

Some GOPers upset with Bush

I watched the CBS News tonight and a report said that some GOP elected officials are getting perturbed with President Bush. These GOPers feel that Iraq is dragging on with no exist strategy. Duh? Did they just wake up? So far, 1772 Americans have died in Iraq. How many more of our people have to die for Bush and Blair's lies? When will it stop?

What is with that Congressman Sensenbrenner and his abrupt ending to the hearing on the Patriot Act? The GOP is drunk with power!

The Columbus Dispatch

When will the Columbus Dispatch publish the entire Downing Street Memo? Call/e-mail the editor and suggest that they publish it.

Will there be a draft?

During the presidential campaign, Bush promised that there would be no military draft. Unfortunately, the "all volunteer army" is not doing well with recruiting. May's recruiting was 25% less than the goal. According to CNN, "The Army also missed its monthly targets in April, March and February -- each month worse than the one before. In February it fell 27 percent short; in March the gap was 31 percent, and in April it was 42 percent."

Those of us who remember the military draft that existed up to the mid-1970's, know that deciding to start a draft for Bush's wars will create problems. The only thing we can do is pay close attention to these developments.

Editing the Science

This Bush administration has no respect for science. Consider the case of Philip Cooney, White House advisor on environmental policies, who edited important research on global warming and emissions to fit the administration's pro-business and anti-environment policies. Mr. Cooney, who is not a scientist, edited reports to downplay the findings of scientific research about global warming. Idiots!!!!!!

Rosie on The View

The View had Rosie O'Donnell as a guest host today. She was great! Unfortunately, Sean Hannity, lap dog for radical republicans, crawled out from under a rock and also appeared on the show. Rosie really gave it to Hannity about the war, adoption, and our casualties in Iraq. Hannity has his talking points memorized and he always must use the terms "rape rooms" every time he refers to Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Thanks for giving him hell, Rosie!!!

More Radical Republican Blabber

Conservative talk show host, Laura Ingram, has been attack the Democratic Party recently. Some other dimwits conservative blabber mouths also have been attacking Howard Dean and other Democratic leaders. My response is simple---These fucking radical republicans have NOTHING to talk about because the Bush administration and its policies are going down the toilet. The economy sucks. Unemployment is at an all time high, despite what they say (obviously, they read the book- How to Lie with Statistics). New job creation is at an all time low. The social security reform travel tour is like a sad carnival act. The war in Iraq is showing no progress while our young people are dying everyday. Bush lied about WMD's with Tony Blair. Their members of congress are bailing out over stem cell research and social security reform. The GOP is a party of hate, despair, war, and pretentious people. No wonder people who voted for Bush are feeling betrayed.

Ken Mehlman is a LIAR

I have to congratulate Tim Russert, moderator for Meet the Press, for actually asking a few tough questions of Ken Mehlman. However, Mr. Mehlman is a LIAR. He lied about the Downing Street Memo and he lied about why Bush invaded Iraq. Mehlman said the reason Bush invaded Iraq was to stop the terrorists. I guess GOP'ers are having trouble remembering their lies. Bush said the reason he invaded Iraq was because of WMD's. When Russert asked if the war in Iraq was worth the military casualties and the money, Mehlman answered that it was worth it. Ken Mehlman is a LIAR!!! This entire administration is full of LIARS!

To quote John Dean's Book: Worse than Watergate

A large number of the main stream media have been covering W. Mark Felt's identity as "Deep Throat." However, there are other important issues that should be covered. Richard Nixon, G. Gordon Liddy, H.R. Haldeman, and the rest of the Nixon White House, got into trouble because they broke into Democratic Headquarters and then lied to cover it up. No one died.

Today, we are confronted with the Downing Street Memo in which George W. Bush and Tony Blair agree in 2002 to go to war and invade Iraq. The agreement was made one year before the actual invasion. As a result of this unnecessary war, over 1640 of our military have died and over 16,000 are wounded. This war, the lies, and the coverup are crimes that are worse than Watergate. When will the rest of the American people see it????? I think if we had a Democratic majority in the congress, impeachment hearing would be underway.

Limbaugh: #1 Fool

Just when you were hoping that things might start becoming more civil in politics, Rush Limbaugh opens his fat mouth. Rush Limbaugh said the following:

From the June 2 edition of The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: " The two to three big opportunities so far mentioned by Howard Dean -- pension portability and changes to election laws. ... So portability of pensions. What's the second one? Oh, yeah, Election Day a holiday. And well, you know -- I don't know why they need to do that. Most of their voters don't work anyway, so I don't know how that's going to help them that much. At least in a percentage basis." (http://mediamatters.org/items/200506030003)

With these continued irrational comments from Limbaugh, I have concluded that he is still a blockhead and an asshole.

Is there another "Deep Throat" in our country's future?

With the news that Watergate's "Deep Throat" was W. Mark Felt, many people were glad to finally recognize him as a hero. Mr. Felt risked his own life to reveal the illegal activities of Nixon and his CREEP (committee to re-elect the president). Woodward and Bernstein should also be commended for their courage and journalistic work during those dark days of Watergate.

Who will be the next "Deep Throat" in the USA? Bush and Blair lied about the reasons for the Iraq war. This administration continues to lie about the true cost of "social security reform," an economy that has not improved, a staggering unemployment rate, and the real deaths and injuries that our service members have suffered in Iraq. We can only hope that some brave soul will step forward to tell the truth about the Bush White House.

Chris Matthews and Tucker Carlson

Chris Matthews, if you ask someone a question, shut up long enough so that they can answer your question. I think you just like to hear yourself talk.

Tucker Carlson is back on TV. Great. Bow-tie boy can spout off more of his stupid pin-headed ideas. I hope he has the same fate at MSNBC that he had at CNN. Doesn't he know he is hurting America? (Thank you, Jon Stewart!)

We Need to Know

Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) claims his home is in Verona, PA, but someone else lives in the home. Santorum and his wife have 6 children. When they visit PA, do they ask the residents of his house to move out? The house only has 3 bedrooms, according to the Allegheny County Property website. Where does everyone stay? I think that Mr. Santorum will find that the jig is up. He rarely visits Pennsylvania, and he doesn't really represent the ideals and goals of the people of the Keystone state.
Today the President said that the economy is improving. Where? Declaring it doesn't make it official. He said that his economic plan will half the deficit by 2009. Really? How? Does anyone believe this bullshit?
As of this time, 1664 Americans have died in Iraq. When will we leave? How many more will die for Bush's lies?

We Stand for People!

I was channel surfing today, and Bill "The Gambler" Bennett, was on Fox. Caputo asked Bennett if there was a chance that the Democratic Party could win back the Senate or the House in the next election. Bennett answered, "I don't think so because their party stands for nothing."
Well, Gambler Bennett, you are wrong! The Democratic Party stands for a fare wage for everyone. The Democratic Party cares about the elderly, the poor, the middle class, and the school child. The Democrats care about the disenfranchised, the sick, and the American family. We are not a party that is trying to take apart the structure that has kept this country going for the last 200+ years. We are trying to make our future secure. Our party did not start a war based on lies. Our party did not give huge tax breaks to the rich in a time of war. The Democratic Party represents Americans of every age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, religion,
and sexual orientation. We are the all-inclusive political party.

Fire Rick Santorum and Bring Our Kids Home

Pennsylvania was my birthplace and therefore, I care about events that happen in PA. Currently, Rick Santorum represents Pennsylvania as one of its senators. However, Santorum does not really reside in Pennsylvania. He rents his house to someone else. His children's schooling was paid for by a local PA school board (over $100,000) to an online charter school even though his children do not reside in the school district. Mr. Santorum has not paid back the district. Santorum is a sanctimonious jerk and he is not worthy to represent the Keystone State. I hope that the good people of Pennsylvania do not re-elect him because he does not care or respect the citizens of this great state.

I continue to see the yellow ribbons on the backs of cars and trucks. Today, I saw a yellow sticker that said, "Support our troops, Bring them home alive." I want to extent that message further. "Support our troops and bring our troops home NOW!" Bring them home now. We do not want to lose another person.

How in the hell did Norm Coleman become a senator??? He is an IDIOT!

Howard Dean

Howard Dean appeared today on Meet the Press. I think he did a wonderful job explaining what Democrats believe. He also put Limbaugh, DeLay, and O'Reilly in their place. Those three clowns have moral shortcomings and they have no right to judge others. Dean also pointed out that the abortion rate has gone up under this administration by 25%. It must be the "abstinence" programs that are increasing the abortions. Also, std's are also increasing because these "abstinence" programs tell teens not to use condoms.

More Americans were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan this weekend. We have to bring our people home now. As long as this president and administration continue to lie about the lives lost, wounded, and other events, the American people will remain in the dark about the true cost of the Iraq war.

Stem Cells

I was watching NBC Nightly News and there was a story about stem cell research. Congressman Spence (R-Indiana) said he did not think it was right to take the tax money from pro-life Americans to fund stem cell research. I have a great idea. If pro-choice Americans fund stem cell research, only pro-choice American can share in the benefits, cures, and treatments that would result. This is the only fair thing to do.

Today there was a story that President Bush wants to start a "freedom corps" to send into a country that is trying to start a democracy. How would it be funded? Who would volunteer for such a dangerous mission? Would Jenna and Barbara be interested in serving?

According to some recent reports, $8.8 billion are missing in Iraq. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6621523/
How do you misplace $8.8 billion? This is ridiculous!

Frist, Glenn Beck, and the Radical Right

Senator Frist is the puppet of James Dobson and Randall Terry. How can Frist, a highly educated man, take this impossible and destructive stand? Is he trying to destroy the senate? Today he said that the Democrats were trying to "assassinate" the judicial nominees. This was a horrible choice of words.
Glenn Beck, a right wing radio host, said on his show that he would like to kill Michael Moore. I am no lawyer, but couldn't he be charged with conspiracy to committ murder??????? Here is the story from http://www.mediamatters.com ----"Clear Channel radio host Glenn Beck said he was "thinking about killing [filmmaker] Michael Moore" and pondered whether "I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it," before concluding: "No, I think I could. I think he could be looking me in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out -- is this wrong?"
The radical right is very frightening. If these people had their way, this country would no longer be a democracy. It would be a theocracy. The 2006 elections for the senate and the house of representatives should prove to be very interesting. Hopefully, American citizens remember Tom DeLay, Bill Frist and their behavior during 2004, and then vote for Democratic candidates.

"This war came to us..."

I found this little quote on the internet:

Secretary Rice spoke with diplomats and soldiers this Sunday, saying, "I want you to keep focused on what you are doing here… This war came to us, not the other way around."

Do you believe this? Do they think we are stupid? What about the WMD's? What about the aerial pictures of the the plants where Saddam was making WMD's? How can this administration continue to lie to us and not expect us to get angry?

Bring Them Home Now

Iraq has its government in place and now we need to bring our military people home. This past week a large number young soldiers from Ohio were killed in a mission called "Operation Matador." I don't care what these military operations are named, it is time that we let our marines and soldiers come home. Iraq is a hell. We were lied to about the reasons for the war, and I am sure that the lies continuing for our ongoing presence. Our government tells us how many American military were killed, but how many died on the way to or in the military hospitals?
Despite the loss of life, there are still people who are cheerleaders for the Iraq war. Condi Rice paid a surprise visit to Iraq and told the troops that there is progress being made in Iraq. On Saturday, the New York Times had an OP-CHART that described the thirty good things that happened in Iraq in April. It was a disgusting attempt to try to promote some incidental events in Iraq. The truth is that over 50 Americans died in Iraq in April. When over 50 families lose loved ones, there is nothing to celebrate. As of today, 1622 Americans have died in Iraq. My prayers go out to each of their families for their sacrifice. For updates on U.S. casualties, visit http://icasualties.org/oif/ .

Vote the clowns out!

How do intelligent people vote for such idiots as Norm Coleman, George Allen, and Richard Lugar? Norm Coleman is a twerp. My dog is more intelligent. George Allen reminds me of a schoolyard bully. Why does he have that smirk on his face all the time? Besides, when George Allen opens his mouth, he say nothing. Senator Lugar needs to retire. His performance in his committee was abysmal. The people of Indiana deserve better.

The radical republicans control the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. What more do they want---a dictatorship? I cannot remember a more divisive time in this country since the early 1970's. These radical republicans want to forsake the individual's rights and elevate the rights of large businesses. This is sick.

Congressman Ney of Ohio is big trouble, according to NBC News. No, no, Ney!

Bush and Blair cooked up this war in Iraq. It is a war without end. More and more of our young people are being killed and injured. Thousands of innocent Iraqis have been killed. Is this why some of you voted for this radical republican administration? I fully supported going into Afghanistan, but Iraq was wrong. Those people who support the Iraqi war should run down to your nearest recruiting station and enlist!

Jobs, DeLay, and Reverend GOP

Every month the government releases the job growth in the U.S. Every month we get statististics that say that there were several hundred thousand jobs that were created in the previous month. I only have one question related to these statistics: WHERE ARE THESE JOBS??? If there are new jobs out there, I want to know where they are, what industries/companies are hiring, how much are they paying, and who is getting these jobs. Could it be that these statistics are a work of fiction? We have been lied to about WMD's, the reason for the war in Iraq, and so many other things. It is possible that these "new" jobs are bogus?

According to some information, many of the Ohio GOP congress members have received money from or contributed money to (legal defense fund) Tom DeLay. Also, these same GOPers, side with DeLay on a lot of his legislation. Isn't that cozy?

Rev. Chan Chandler of East Waynesville Baptist Church has resigned. Good. Sometimes some people need to be reminded about the separation of church and state.

Bush Blames FDR???? NO WAY!

George W. Bush has blamed FDR for the emergence of communism in eastern Europe following World War II. Hey!!! That is ENOUGH!!!! Bush and his radical republican party have blamed FDR for everything. Of course, you remember that Bush blamed FDR for social security!!!!! Social Security is the program that helps the poor, the elderly, and children survive. Somehow Bush and the radical republican party think that is a bad thing.

When will the radical republican party blame themselves for something? They should be taking the blame for the 6.3% unemployment rate in Ohio. They could take the blame for creating a war based on a lie. Perhaps they could blame themselves for the deaths of over 1500 American military members? There is also the possibility that they could take the blame for the North Korean nuclear weapons production. This adminsitration would rather blame Bill Clinton instead of their ridiculous six-way talks. Obviously, Bush and the radical republican party cannot take responsibility for anything!

COIN-GATE
The Columbus Dispatch has finally published additional information about the investigation of state money being invested in rare coins. The republican, Noe, who invested the money in the rare coins has also contributed to Gov. Taft, and republican candidates for governor---Blackwell, Montgomery, and Petro. This is such a nice bit of information for the Ohio Democrats to keep in the media. The state has been doing so poorly because of the economy. It is hard to believe that this republican state government is so dumb with our money.

Politics in Ohio

Taft and the Three Stooges
The political season is starting in Ohio. We have the three Republican candidates for governor (the three stooges----Blackwell, Montgomery, and Petro), working on a tour of the state. This state does not need any further tampering by the Republican Party. Because of Governor Taft, this state has lost businesses, tax dollars, thousands of jobs, and a disastrous lack of leadership in solving school funding.

Education
There are ten school districts designated with "fiscal emergency" status. Thirteen districts are on a "fiscal watch." Why? Our state supreme court has ordered our state legislature (controlled by the gop) to work on a fair school funding policy. Unfortunately, the gop leadership is more interested in passing bills like DOMA (the defense of marriage act) and a new bill to protect the public from mothers breastfeeding their babies. These elected officials need to wake up and get serious before this whole state is in a fiscal emergency.

Coin-gate
You have heard of the political scandal Watergate. In Ohio, we have "Coin-gate." A gop donor has been given the privilege of investing state money. Unfortunately, he invested the state's portfolio in rare coins. If that was not bad enough, approximately 100 of the rarest coins are missing. Great!!! If a gop donor had suggested investing in Beanie Babies or rare comic books, would the governor and his cronies taken the advice? There has been little coverage about "Coin-gate" in the Columbus Dispatch, but the Toledo Blade has been doing some great investigative reporting. The Dispatch just doesn't like to do bad stories about friends.

Strickland or Coleman
The Democratic Party has a chance to remove the gop from their control of Ohio. Rep. Strickland and Mayor Coleman are the two best Democratic candidates for governor to emerge in a long time. We need to work hard to advance their candidacies so that Ohio can save itself.

Rev. Pat Robertson and the Far Right

Reverend Pat Robertson said that some judges in the U.S. are worse than terrorists. Robertson said that some of these judges are causing more damage to our country than terrorists ever have. Is this guy playing with a full deck??? I cannot believe that there are people who respect, admire, and call upon this man for moral leadership. Obviously, Robertson needs to turn in his preacher papers because his sermons/lessons/commentary are not sane. How can this man make such comparisons? This man does not belong in a position of leadership. He does not demonstrate tolerance, love, and common sense!!!!

I must have missed the exact time that the far right won control of the country. Why do these people think that they speak for everyone? They do not speak for me. The far right is more concerned with judicial rulings than the plight of the poor. How many children are going to bed hungry every night while Robertson, Dobson, and others use their celebrity to attack the judicial branch of this country? If they were so concerned about moral leadership, they would be working harder to feed and house the poor.

Thoughts from a dreary day

Why was the news media so consumed over the "run away bride" story? Several more American military members were killed this weekend in Iraq and it should have at least made the news.

Nice job, Laura Bush. However, it doesn't change the facts: We are still involved in a costly war. People are losing their jobs in this country because of outsourcing. New jobs are not being created at the appropriate pace for our population. Our air is getting dirtier and our waters are more polluted. By the way, I have noticed that your daughters are not employed yet. Are they having trouble finding work?

The Social Security Reform traveling show needs to stop. Now we know how this administration will pay for their program: cut benefits by 30% for all but the poor. How will people live? I saw a great bumper sticker this weekend. It said- DON'T FOOL WITH SOCIAL SECURITY!