Pryce's Antics Not Winning LGBT Voters

The battle for the control of Ohio's 15th district is continuing. Many view Republican Deborah Pryce's recent behavior and language as desperate. The Chronicle has this:

Charges of gaybaiting are being tossed around a hotly contested central Ohio congressional race as one candidate tries to connect the other to former Rep. Mark Foley and his page scandal.

Incumbent Deborah Pryce, R-15, accused her Democratic opponent, Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy, of trying to “gaybait her way to Congress.”

The charge, made in an October 6 news conference, is over a Kilroy radio ad.

The spot starts out saying that House Republicans sent troops into battle without body armor and gave themselves a $30,000 raise “while running up the largest deficit in American history.”

The indignant female announcer then takes most of the ad to discuss “Deborah Pryce’s friend Mark Foley” and his “predatory behavior” with underage pages, criticizing House Speaker Dennis Hastert for “ignoring the Foley problem” and Pryce for “protecting” Hastert.

The one-minute ad accuses Pryce, the fourth highest-ranking Republican in the House, of being “part of the problem in Congress.”

But there is no mention of anything gay......

....LGBT Democrats charge that Pryce, who is trailing Kilroy, is tossing the term “gaybaiting” around in order to get traction on a matter that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Pryce’s campaign did not respond by press time to numerous calls to answer how the ad is gaybaiting.

Kilroy spokesperson Amanda Wurst said the charge was surprising.

“The reason why we put it out is that it shows a failure of leadership in Washington,” said Wurst.

Lynn Greer, a lesbian Democratic Party activist, called Pryce’s characterization “outrageous.” Greer lives in Pryce’s district, which includes much of Columbus with rural Union and Madison counties.

“Deborah Pryce is showing no responsibility for how the Foley incident was handled,” said Greer. “This is her desperate attempt to drive a wedge into the public in order to distract from that.”

“Had [Pryce] not used the word ‘gaybaiting’ no one would have paid any attention to her press conference or written anything about the ad,” said Greer, “not the Dispatch, and not the Gay People’s Chronicle.”

Greer said Pryce is trying to create controversy among LGBT voters that otherwise would not be there.

“It’s a close election,” said Greer.

Kilroy has a long relationship with the Columbus area LGBT community, including her distinction as Stonewall Columbus’ first non-LGBT ally....

With less than thirty days to go, Pryce and her Republican Party will only get more desperate and more despicable.

Army Plans to Keep the Same Troop Levels Until 2010

Mercury News: The Army is making plans to keep its current troop levels in Iraq through 2010 if they're needed, the Army's chief of staff said Wednesday....

How did military families feel when they read that bit of news?
How did our service members feel when they read that staying through 2010 is the plan?
How do our service members plan their lives knowing that there is no escape from the war and the consequences for the next four years?

Republican Sen. Mike DeWine of Ohio wants us to stay in Iraq until the job is done. How do we know when the job is done? How many more of our loved ones have to die until the job is done?

According to the Columbus Dispatch, here is what the Ohio Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Sherrod Brown, had to say: Brown...wants to see the military produce an exit strategy in the next 18 to 24 months, arguing that staying the course will dig the U.S. into a deeper hole.

Brown, who talked with the editorial board Tuesday, also wants to see competent Iraqi security forces in place, but he doesn’t think that can happen until the U.S. lets them know that American soldiers won’t stick around indefinitely.

"If the Iraqis think we’re not going to leave, there’s no incentive for them to do what they’re not doing now with security forces and political settlement," he said.

For those who predict chaos if we set a time to leave, Brown said, chaos already is happening.

"I’m not saying it’s going to be a peaceful country if we leave after two years, but we’re now refereeing a civil war," he said. "We’re not making Iraq safer, and we’re not making ourselves safer."

Here are the latest statistics from Iraq Coalition Casualties:

U.S. Deaths Confirmed By The DoD:	2742
Reported U.S. Deaths Pending DoD Confirmation:	13
Total	2755

If you want change in Washington, DC, you must elect new senators and members of Congress. Without a change in elected officials, it all becomes the same old routine --- scandals, ethics violations, lobbyists writing laws, war, lack of oversight, tax cuts for the rich, growing profits for oil companies and war profiteers, etc.

It is time for change.

Just Asking

If you watched the Daily Show last night, you know that Jon Stewart raised an interesting point---- Why did Republican Rep. Denny Hastert hold a press conference outside a graveyard? Was Hastert trying to show the prospects for the scandal-plagued Republican party for this year's midterm elections? Just asking.

If the Republicans call themselves the party of responsibility, why won't they take responsibility for the covering up the page scandal, the failure of the Medicare Plan D program, the fiasco in Iraq, their scandals with lobbyists, etc., etc.? Just asking.

Why do the Republicans always have to say that all bad news is politically motivated? Just asking.

Why are the Republicans trying to hide the deaths of 655,000 Iraqis since 2003? Just asking!

When Republicans talk about moral values, why do they always forget about their adulters Giuliani, Gingrich, Sherwood, Barr, etc.? I'm just asking!

Americans have to ask themselves if we are willing to continue to put up with the failures and lies of the Republicans in the Senate and the House. I think we've had enough.

Bush Administration At Fault

The Republicans cannot blame the Clinton administration for everything. The Bush people have been in office for six years.
Americablog quotes Madeleine Albright as she appears on ABC NEWS:

During the Clinton administration "...there were no nuclear weapons tests by North Korea, no new plutonium production, and no new nuclear weapons developed in Pyongyang."

This administration has ignored North Korea because they were more interested in invading Iraq. We know what a fiasco Iraq has been. The Bushes have done a poor job of keeping their eye on North Korea. Was it ignored on purpose, laziness, or was it out of ignorance? Whatever the reasons, the Bush administration has once again failed to protect the American people.

Passing Efficiency

Buckeye stuff today:

Here is a little something about Buckeye QB Troy Smith from this morning's Dispatch:

Troy Smith has become a downright picky passer of historical significance.

Buoyed by his performance in the past two games, which included throwing seven touchdown passes with no interceptions, the Ohio State senior quarterback is at the top of the Big Ten career passing efficiency list.

His career rating of 158.1 is well ahead of No. 2 Joe Germaine (151.0), who played for OSU from 1996-98....

AND....also in the Dispatch---

North Korea's Nuclear Test

It seems as though the Bush administration has wasted time and energy concentrating on starting a war in Iraq, when they should have been keeping an eye on North Korea:
KBS Global:
North Korea says it has conducted its first-ever nuclear test.

The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Monday that the underground test was successful without any radioactive leakage from the site.

Presidential office spokesman Yoon Tae-young said the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources detected a seismic tremor of about three-point-five-seven magnitude following Pyongyang’s announcement.

Yoon went on to say that President Roh Moo-hyun called a meeting of security-related ministers to discuss the matter.....

GOP Meltdown

I love that title from Newsweek--- Newsweek Poll:

GOP in Meltdown

Look at Newsweek's cover.

* Here are some excerpts from a recent Newsweek poll:

...Meanwhile, the president’s approval rating has fallen to a new all-time low for the Newsweek poll: 33 percent, down from an already anemic 36 percent in August. Only 25 percent of Americans are satisfied with the direction of the country, while 67 percent say they are not....

...Democrats now outdistance Republicans on every single issue that could decide voters’ choices come Nov. 7. In addition to winning—for the first time in the NEWSWEEK poll—on the question of which party is more trusted to fight the war on terror (44 to 37 percent) and moral values (42 percent to 36 percent), the Democrats now inspire more trust than the GOP on handling Iraq (47 to 34); the economy (53 to 31); health care (57 to 24); federal spending and the deficit (53 to 29); gas and oil prices (56 to 23); and immigration (43 to 34)....

* While the Republicans are dealing with their scandals, we have word about the war in Iraq from the Washington Post:

...Last month, 776 U.S. troops were wounded in action in Iraq, the highest number since the military assault to retake the insurgent-held city of Fallujah in November 2004, according to Defense Department data. It was the fourth-highest monthly total since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003....

Is this Bush's idea of success? Can Rumsfeld explain this?

If you live in Ohio, YOU MUST READ THIS from Crooks and Liars:

While the discussion about Woodward's State of Denial has largely centered around the communication (or lack thereof) of the Bush Administration, M.J. Rosenberg of TPMCafe caught a little throwaway line in the book that has some deeply disturbing implications:

On page 344, Woodward describes the doings at the White House in the early morning hours of Wednesday, the day after the '04 election.

Apparently, Kerry had decided not to concede. There were 250,000 outstanding ballots in Ohio.

So Kerry decides to fight. In fact, he considers going to Ohio to camp out with his voters until there is a recount. This is the last thing the White House needs, especially after Florida 2000.

So what happened?

James Carville gets on the phone with his wife, Mary Matalin, who is at the White House with Bush.

"Carville told her he had some inside news. The Kerry campaign was going to challenge the provisional ballots in Ohio — perhaps up to 250,000 of them. 'I don't agree with it, Carville said. I'm just telling you that's what they're talking about.'

"Matalin went to Cheney to report…You better tell the President Cheney told her."

Matalin does, advising Bush that "somebody in authority needed to get in touch with J. Kenneth Blackwell, the Republican Secretary of State in Ohio who would be in charge of any challenge to the provisional votes." An SOS goes out to Blackwell.

The rest is history.

More Problems for Hastert?

Now that the FBI finally has started the congressional sex scandal investigation, Republican leader Denny Hastert is starting to feel the pressure of the scrutiny. This is an excerpt from an article in today's Washington Post:

House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert's chief of staff confronted then-Rep. Mark Foley about his inappropriate social contact with male pages well before the speaker said aides in his office took any action, a current congressional staff member with personal knowledge of Foley and his behavior with pages said yesterday.

The staff member said Hastert's chief of staff, Scott Palmer, met with the Florida Republican at the Capitol to discuss complaints about Foley's behavior toward pages. The alleged meeting occurred long before Hastert says aides in his office dispatched Rep. John M. Shimkus (R-Ill.) and the clerk of the House in November 2005 to confront Foley about troubling e-mails he had sent to a Louisiana boy.

The staff member's account buttresses the position of Foley's onetime chief of staff, Kirk Fordham, who said earlier this week that he had appealed to Palmer in 2003 or earlier to intervene, after Fordham's own efforts to stop Foley's behavior had failed. Fordham said Foley and Palmer, one of the most powerful figures in the House of Representatives, met within days to discuss the allegations....

I hope that the investigations and their findings will be revealed before election day.

Could someone tell that twerp Hannity to stop blaming Democrats? Since when are Hannity, O'Reilly, Gingrich, Sheldon, and other ethically challenged Republicans experts on family values and morality?

Political Ads

*Have you heard Deborah Pryce (OH-15-R) is Debbie Doodle Dandy? Listen Here.

**Patty Wetterling, Democratic candidate for congress has a great ad. Watch it HERE.

***Former Republican Rep. Mark Foley sponsored several bills as a member fo the House of Representatives. According to Women's Policy, Inc., Foley sponsored a Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Here are some excerpts from the site, dated March 10, 2006:

....H.R. 4472 would incorporate the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (H.R. 2423), sponsored by Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL). The bill would establish three levels concerning a sex offender’s risk of committing another offense: a tier I sex offender has committed an offense punishable by imprisonment for one year or less; a tier II sex offender has committed an offense punishable by imprisonment for more than one year or committed the offense as a tier I offender; and a tier III sex offender has committed an offense against a minor or committed the offense as a tier II offender. The measure would require a sex offender to register in each jurisdiction where he or she lives, works, or attends school. Registration would be updated regularly for the offender’s entire life in the case of a tier III sex offender, for 30 years in the case of a tier II sex offender, and for 20 years in the case of a tier I sex offender. The measure would establish a National Sex Offender Registry and would require the Department of Justice to maintain a website that would allow the public to access the registry. H.R. 4472 also would establish a Sex Offender Management Assistance program to assist jurisdictions with the costs of maintaining local registries....

Does anyone else think Foley's sponsorship of a sex offender bill is just a little strange????

Republican Family Album

Wonkette had this picture of two good buddies--Tom Kean, Jr. and Dick Cheney: RBFF (Republican Best Friends Forever)










Hypo Speaks' found this cute picture of Joy Padgett and Ohio's ethically-challenged governor, Bob Taft.

(Hypo Speaks') President Bush and Republican Sen. DeWine seem to be having fun together here.

(Hypo Speaks') Bush and Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) sharing their political strategy.

Iraq

The war in Iraq continues. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Rice have mismanaged and lied about Iraq. We now see the results. The Iraq Coalition Casualties site has an update:

U.S. Deaths Confirmed By The DoD:	2726
Reported U.S. Deaths Pending DoD Confirmation:	11
Total	2737

Military Fatalities: By Month

Period	US	UK	Other*	Total	Avg	Days
10-2006	23	1	0	24	4	6
9-2006	72	3	2	77	2.57	30
8-2006	65	1	0	66	2.13	31
7-2006	43	1	2	46	1.48	31
6-2006	61	0	2	63	2.1	30
5-2006	69	9	1	79	2.55	31
4-2006	76	1	5	82	2.73	30
3-2006	31	0	2	33	1.06	31
2-2006	55	3	0	58	2.07	28
1-2006	62	2	0	64	2.06	31

This is only a partial listing. See http://icasualties.org/oif/

The wounded.... http://icasualties.org/oif/woundedchart.aspx

Best Line, So Far

Harold Ford, Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate for Tennessee, had this to say, according to the Times Online:

“I’m not going to take a lecture on morality from a party that took hush money from a child predator” — a reference to Foley’s six-figure campaign contributions...

Democrats can use that line again and again.

GOP-controlled Congress: 'A Moral and Ethical Sewer'

Looks like Ohio Republican Sen. Mike DeWine has been taking lessons from Rumsfeld. Check out the way he speaks in this excerpt from the Columbus Dispatch:

"Did they know he was a predator? " De-Wine asked, referring to Republican Mark Foley of Florida, who resigned from Congress last week after publication of the e-mails to former House pages. "Did they have reason to believe he was a predator? And if either one is true and they didn’t do anything, they should resign."

also, in the same article another view....
...Democrat Bob Shamansky, who is challenging Rep. Pat Tiberi of Genoa Township, called on Boehner and Hastert to relinquish their leadership posts, charging that the GOP-controlled Congress "has become a moral and ethical sewer."

I love that phrase ------
".....the GOP-controlled Congress "has become a moral and ethical sewer."

Speaking of obscene behavior.....

Raw Story is citing something they found at MSNBC.com concerning a $20 MILLION DOLLAR GOP PARTY-
The military’s top generals have warned Iraq is on the cusp of a civil war and that U.S. troops must remain in large numbers until at least next spring. But if the winds suddenly blow a different direction, Congress is ready to celebrate with a $20 million victory party....
...Republicans have yet to claim responsibility for the provision. Democrats say it was likely added by the Senate’s majority Republicans, and less than five weeks from congressional elections are pointing to it as another example of where the GOP has gone astray handling the war in Iraq....

While our troops are dying in large numbers http://icasualties.org/oif/ the Republicans are ready to party on their graves.


Things that make me change the channel:
-President Bush
-any Bush family member
-Karen Hughes
-O'Reilly
-Jean Schmidt
-any political ad that accuses someone of raising taxes
-Joy Padgett

Do you love horses? You must visit the latest Republican attack on horses. http://www.endhorseslaughtering.com

Republican Scandal Round-Up

This just in>>>>>> It looks like Ohio's Republican Sen. Mike DeWine has not been doing enough to protect us because of his high absenteeism. From the Huffington Post:
*Cleveland Plain-Dealer: "Sen. Mike DeWine has missed nearly half the public hearings of the Senate Intelligence Committee, a panel he is on that is supposed to keep the nation's intelligence capabilities on track."

Ladies and Gentlemen,
I'd like to present to you the scandalous Republican Party. Here is a partial list of what they've done:

1. Ohio Gov. Bob Taft and his ethics violations.
2. Republican Rep. Mark Foley and his sexually explicit e-mails and Instant Messages to congressional pages.
3. Jean Schmidt (OH-2-R) calling Rep. John Murtha, a Marine and decorated veteran, a cut and run Democrat.
4. Newt Gingrich serving his second wife divorce papers while she was hospitalized for cancer so he could marry his third wife.
5. Republican Rep. Sherwood of Pennsylvania chokes his mistress.
6. The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation lost millions of dollars because they gave the money to Republican friends to "invest."
7. Tom Noe, former coin dealer and Bush contributor, is accused of money laundering to protect his contributions to the GOP.
8. Republican Joy Padgett of Ohio, who is Bob Ney's hand-picked choice to fill his post, smeared former American hostage, Terry Anderson.
9. Republican Bob Ney who received money, trips, and favors from convicted lobbyist, Jack Abramoff.
10. The Ohio Republicans who promised jobs to Ohioans, but delivered part-time jobs at Wal-Mart.
11. The Ohio Republicans who refused to work out a plan for equitable school funding for the state.
12. Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce who votes according to the dictates of DeLay, Hastert, Boehner, drug and oil companies instead of her constituents.
13. Pryce voted for her own pay raises but voted against raises and bonuses for our troops.
14. Lt. Gov. Bruce Johnson's trip to Texas and his flyover downtown Columbus that frightened citizens.
15. Tom DeLay
16. Dennis Hastert

Need more examples of Republican corruption----Google it.

Have you had enough?

HinesSight has found an interesting You Tube campaign ad which asks the question, "Have you had enough?" This time the question concerns Hastert. The video was put together by the campaign for Mark Laesch, the Democratic candidate for Hastert's seat.

Brian Ross, ABC News reporter, said that he has been contacted by other former congressional pages. I'm sure there will be more news today.

According to a speech given by former Rep. Mark Foley, he mentioned he took some of the congressional pages out to dinner. This crosses the line. There should be rules that are strictly followed by members of Congress and the rules should include---

1. A member of Congress or congressional staff members may not take congressional pages to dinner, in their cars, on trips, or anywhere outside of the halls of Congress.

2. A member of Congress should not send e-mails, text messages, or Instant Messages directly to the pages.

3. A member of Congress should not be alone with any Congressional page.

4. Any and all infractions must be reported to the Clerk, one Democratic member, one Republican member, and the Ethics committee.

>>Looks like the pages knew about Foley. Zenoferox has an interesting posting about some congressional pages.

Top Stories Today

Monday Morning News Round Up:

The Ohio State Buckeyes are still Number 1. Thank God I'm a Buckeye!

The sex scandal involving Republican Rep. Mark Foley has now involved the FBI.

Donald Rumsfeld said he would not resign.

According to the Hill, Hastert knew about Foley since 2005.

NY Times: Members of the Sept. 11 commission said today that they were alarmed that they were told nothing about a White House meeting in July 2001 at which George J. Tenet, then the director of central intelligence, is reported to have warned Condoleezza Rice, then the national security adviser, about an imminent Al Qaeda attack and failed to persuade her to take action....

Wal-Mart plans to cut hours and pay for its work force.

Crooks and Liars has stuff on Woodward's Interview on 60 Minutes.

Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th district, Mary Jo Kilroy, says Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce should give back her contributions from Republican Rep. Mark Foley.

I'm wondering how long Pryce knew about the Foley-page-sex scandal. As the 4th ranking House Republican, Pryce had to know something was going on with the pages and Foley.

Sherrod Brown

Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Sherrod Brown, had this to say on Meet the Press--
He will represent the people of Ohio and not his party. Brown has only voted with Bush 7% of the time.

DeWine has voted for every Bush appointee. DeWine has voted with Bush on average 90% of the time. Looks like DeWine doesn't care what Ohioans think because he follows the commands of the White House, Karl Rove, and the Republican leadership.

With the recent Republican corruption in Ohio and the Republican scandals in the federal government, Ohioans have the chance to really make a big difference in the way things work. Dump the Republicans. Vote for Democrats!


Yeah Buckeyes!!!!!!!

GO BUCKEYES!

The good news----- GO BUCKEYES!

The bad news---
The ethically challenged Republicans now includes a sex scandal with Republican Rep. Foley. YUCK!

DeWine, Hannity, Foley

1. Looks like Republican Sen. Mike DeWine of Ohio hasn't been doing his homework!!!!! Tsk! Tsk! The Huffington Post reports this----
Sen. Mike DeWine (R) just read the NIE's intelligence assessment this week, despite having had access to it for months. "He said that while he only recently read the document, he was briefed on it months ago. "I read it this week," he said... "I don't read everything that comes in."

DeWine says he doesn't read everything that comes in. Terrific. Is he just too busy raising money to read an intelligence report about Iraq!!!!!! Shame.

2. I guess I won't be buying any cars from General Motors!

Think Progress:
General Motors has hired right-wing talk show host Sean Hannity to be the lead spokesman for a car giveaway campaign called “You’re a Great American“:

To stimulate consumer interest in its line of American-built cars, General Motors has turned to radio and Sean Hannity. … Hannity will serve as the spokesperson for GM’s You’re A Great American Car Give-Away, offering radio listeners the chance to pick and win one of five GM vehicles....

Hannity = Scumbag

3. Republican Rep. Foley of Florida has resigned. Here is an excerpt from the NY Times:

Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., resigned from Congress on Friday, effective immediately, in the wake of questions about e-mails he wrote a former male page....
...Campaign aides had previously acknowledged that the Republican congressman e-mailed the former Capitol page five times, but had said there was nothing inappropriate about the exchange. The page was 16 at the time of the e-mail correspondence.

It was not clear what prompted Foley to abruptly decide to give up a successful career in the House....

Tammy Duckworth and the Fighting Dems

Tammy Duckworth is the Democratic candidate for Congress for IL-06. If you know anything about Tammy Duckworth, you know that she is a real war hero. However, her Republican opponent doesn't think so. Her Republican opponent doesn't think she sacrificed enough when she was in Iraq.

A commentary by Rich Miller in The Chicago Sun-Times had this to say about Duckworth and the name-calling incident:

...Tammy Duckworth is a genuine war hero who lost both her legs when she was shot while piloting a helicopter over Iraq. She's now a Democratic nominee for Congress in Illinois' 6th District, and her campaign staff has been waiting patiently for her Republican opponent to question her patriotism so that they could pounce like tigers.

It happened right on cue this week, when Republican state Sen. Peter Roskam mentioned the dreadful "cut and run" line during a radio debate with Duckworth.

As Scott Fornek reported in the Sun-Times, Roskam didn't specifically say that Duckworth wanted to cut and run. But by then, other news outlets and pundits were claiming he did. Duckworth, the commentators all pointed out, can't "run" because her legs were "cut" off in "Iraq."

Don't the Republicans recognize the sacrifices of all Americans in Iraq? There are Iraq war veterans running for public office and they are running as Democrats. They have sacrificed so much in Iraq, and now they are willing to take what they've learned in life and on the battlefield to help this country get back on the right track. If you are interested in more about the Fighting Dems, just visit their website.

Have you heard that...

>According to Roll Call, convicted lobbyist, Jack Abramoff, had 485 contacts with White House officials. Wow!

>CNN is reporting that ...Nearly two-thirds of Americans surveyed consider Iraq to be in a civil war, a CNN poll said Thursday, and more people view the three major architects of the U.S.-led operation there unfavorably than favorably....

>While appearing on Countdown, Richard Wolffe of Newsweek, suggested that Americans should ask themselves, "Who do you trust to end the war in Iraq?"

>Apparently, Mr. Bush is getting his advice from Henry Kissinger, who did a great job with Viet Nam. Not!

>Mary Jo Kilroy, Democratic candidate for Ohio's 15th congressional district, has a new ad. Check it out here.

>Republicans may have a new theme: 'Republicans Love Torture!'

Iraq Violence Worse Than We're Told

From Channel 4 in Denver comes this news:

NEW YORK Veteran Washington reporter Bob Woodward tells Mike Wallace that the Bush administration has not told the truth regarding the level of violence, especially against U.S. troops, in Iraq. He also reveals key intelligence that predicts the insurgency will grow worse next year...

...According to Woodward, insurgent attacks against coalition troops occur, on average, every 15 minutes, a shocking fact the administration has kept secret. "It’s getting to the point now where there are eight-, nine-hundred attacks a week. That's more than 100 a day. That is four an hour attacking our forces," says Woodward.

The situation is getting much worse, says Woodward, despite what the White House and the Pentagon are saying in public. "The truth is that the assessment by intelligence experts is that next year, 2007, is going to get worse and, in public, you have the president and you have the Pentagon [saying], 'Oh, no, things are going to get better,'" he tells Wallace. "Now there’s public, and then there’s private. But what did they do with the private? They stamp it secret. No one is supposed to know," says Woodward....

This administration has lied to the American public over and over again. Nothing surprises us anymore.

Missing Words in Republican Ads

Those Republicans. They have created some crafty political ads. Republicans are talking about taxes, taxes, and taxes. However, there are many words you'll never hear in the Republican ads:

1. ETHICS
2. JACK ABRAMOFF
3. PAYOFFS
4. CORRUPTION
5. SCANDALS
6. BOB NEY
7. TOM "COINGATE" NOE
8. MISSING MILLIONS FROM OHIO BUREAU OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION
9. 200,000+ LOST JOBS IN OHIO
10. FAILED IRAQ POLICY
11. FAILED RESPONSE TO HURRICANE KATRINA
12. FUNDRAISERS AT JACK ABRAMOFF'S SIGNATURES RESTAURANTS
13. LOBBYISTS' JUNKETS TO FOREIGN DESTINATIONS
14. DISGRACED GOV. BOB TAFT
15. DUKE CUNNINGHAM
16. THE DONUT HOLE PROBLEM IN THE MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN

We've had enough of the Republicans controlling the agenda and this country. It is time to get to work on the important issues facing us. It is time to change course.

Track College Students????

There is another silly idea coming out of the Bush administration. USA Today's story says Sec. of Education Margaret Spellings wants to create a national database to "track" the learning of college students. Is this just another way to get information on students? Will the data be sold, given to military recruiters, or the GOP? No thanks! Spellings also was responsible for the highly unsuccessful "No Child Left Behind" act that has been grossly underfunded. Spelling and her crew need to work out how to fund NCLB before they create another unfunded mandate.

Think Progress has an analysis of NIE document and the Bush administration's activities and rhetoric. Long story short --- 'Cheney and Bush Misled Americans'

Did ESPN fake cheers for former President George H. W. Bush? Apparently, it has happened before. Check out the Daily Kos via Raw Story.

Bush and Rice Can't Handle the Truth: Clinton Administration Provided Intelligence Information about Dangers

Having read Richard Clarke's book, Against All Enemies, I knew that the Clinton administration had provided intelligence to the Bush administration about the dangers of Bin Laden and his group. Even though Sec. of State Rice has denied receiving information, the material is out there for everyone to see.

Raw Story has it:
...However, RAW STORY has found that just five days after President George W. Bush was sworn into office, a memo from counter-terrorism expert Richard A. Clarke to Rice included the 2000 document, "Strategy for Eliminating the Threat from the Jihadist Networks of al-Qida: Status and Prospects." This document devotes over 2 of its 13 pages of material to specifically addressing strategies for securing Pakistan's cooperation in airstrikes against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan....

The current administration has lied us to the American people time and time again. Now they've done it again.

What would have happened if Bush, Rice, and the rest of them had done something about that Presidential Daily Briefing in the summer of 2001 that said 'Bin Laden determined to strike inside the U.S.'? Bush stayed on vacation and ignored the warnings.

Olbermann Sets the Record Straight

I can understand why Keith Olbermann's Countdown program on MSNBC is gaining more and more viewers. Last night Keith hit another homerun. Here is an excerpt from his opinion piece:

...Bill Clinton did what almost none of us have done in five years.

He has spoken the truth about 9/11, and the current presidential administration.

"At least I tried," he said of his own efforts to capture or kill Osama bin Laden. "That’s the difference in me and some, including all of the right-wingers who are attacking me now. They had eight months to try; they did not try. I tried."

Thus in his supposed emeritus years has Mr. Clinton taken forceful and triumphant action for honesty, and for us; action as vital and as courageous as any of his presidency; action as startling and as liberating, as any, by any one, in these last five long years.

The Bush Administration did not try to get Osama bin Laden before 9/11.

The Bush Administration ignored all the evidence gathered by its predecessors.

The Bush Administration did not understand the Daily Briefing entitled "Bin Laden Determined To Strike in U.S."

The Bush Administration did not try.

Moreover, for the last five years one month and two weeks, the current administration, and in particular the President, has been given the greatest “pass” for incompetence and malfeasance in American history...

Thank you, Keith!!!! And, thank you, President Bill Clinton!!!!!

* * *The Army generals are not happy and they are letting everyone know about it. Here is an excerpt from Slate:

The generals' revolt has spread inside the Pentagon, and the point of the spear is one of Donald Rumsfeld's most favored officers, Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, the Army chief of staff

This new phase of rebellion isn't aimed at the war in Iraq directly, as was the protest by six retired generals that made headlines last spring. But in some ways, it's more potent, and not just because Schoomaker is very much on active duty. His challenge is dramatic because he's questioning one of the war's consequences—its threat to the Army's ability to keep functioning.

The trumpet sounded last month, when Schoomaker refused to give Rumsfeld a detailed Army budget proposal for fiscal year 2008. The Air Force and Navy met the Aug. 15 deadline for submitting their program requests. But Schoomaker—in an unprecedented move—said he preferred not to....

The truth is slowly coming out.

Just Another Monday in Republican Corruption Headquarters

Democrat Ted Strickland is leading Republican Ken Blackwell in recent polls for Ohio governor. ONN

Even though you might not be able to hear the Stephanie Miller Show on your local radio station, you can still listen on the internet. You'll laugh and you'll cry as Stephanie pokes fun at the Bushies, righties, and Bill O'Reilly. Check it out and listen for free at http://www.stephaniemiller.com

It looks like Republican Sen. George Allen has not limited his racist vocabulary. Raw Story has more about Allen.

The New York Times has a nice story on the Republican controlled "do-nothing Congress."

President Bush made some strange comment in a recent interview. He said that the war in Iraq will be looked back in history as just a comma. Editor and Publisher has their take on Bush's comma comment.

Thought for The Day

Do you want more Ohio Republican Corruption? Vote Republican.

If you are looking for change and new leadership, vote Democratic.

Check out this link for more details.

Republican Corruption

Republican corruption is the one and only reason not to vote for Republicans.

The corruption that the Republicans have brought to Ohio and this nation has robbed us. Instead of getting the best work for the best price in state contracts, business is given to Republican campaign contributors. When money was to be invested from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, it was given to Republican campaign contributors (Over $13 million is still missing from the Ohio BWC fund.) Special construction projects are going to the home districts of powerful Republican members of the state legislature simply because they demand them. Bribes and special favors are being paid to Republican state officials.

The Republicans have not delivered jobs, equitable school funding, an increase in the minimum wage, or honesty in government. It is time for a new direction for Ohio and our nation.

*I'll be at Ohio Stadium tomorrow for the game. GO BUCKEYES!

GOP - Trying to Change the Topic

The Republicans are trying to divert attention from their corruption scandals. They are talking about taxes. Isn't it just like the Republicans to try to change the course in the middle of something? After 9/11, Bush sent troops into Afghanistan, but then he diverted troops to Iraq. Now instead of pushing for tougher ethics, they talk about taxes.

Shame.

In a local paper here in Columbus, Ohio, Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) suggested that people in central Ohio have another way to send a message to President Bush instead of voting her out of office. Haven't we tried to send the message to the White House? Haven't we sent e-mails, letters, and made phone calls to her office urging her to change her stance on issues???? Unfortunately, Bush isn't listening. With an approval rating of 37%, Bush hasn't altered his behavior or message on Iraq, oil, social security, the failure of No Child Left Behind, the Medicare prescription drug plan donut hole, tax cuts to the top 1%, etc. What other way can we send a message to the White House? Vote Democratic. Vote for people who will go to DC and change how things are being done.

DeWine and Voinovich

Have you seen the ad about the body armor? Mike DeWine and George Voinovich also voted against the better body armor. Why do they hate our vets? Don't believe me? See the voting record here where DeWine and Voinovich voted yes, which stopped the improved body armor from getting to our troops. I wonder how many of our troops died because DeWine and Voinovich followed the Republican party line?

An article in the Contra Costa Times shows that Republicans are making a concerted effort to keep our focus off their scandals. The GOP wants to talk about taxes instead of their corruption, bribes, and scandals.

With Republican Rep. Bob Ney's guilty plea still fresh on our minds, we find that the Hamilton County Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services has somehow misspent $1.7 billion. Our Republican state auditor, Betty Montgomery, is still trying to explain how this happened under her watch.

How much more can Ohioans take from the corrupt Republicans? Our completely corrupt state government, which has been mismanaged by the GOP and our Rubber Stamp Corrupt U.S. Congress, have hurt us all. It is time to tell the Republicans (with apologies to Mr. Trump), "You're fired!"

Ney Continues to do Damage to Republicans

The Republicans want Rep. Bob Ney (OH-18) to just go away. Ney agreed to plead guilty to federal charges related to his association with convicted lobbyist, Jack Abramoff. Ney now has become the poster child for Republican corruption in Ohio and Congress. Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce (OH-15) has also called on Ney to resign.

Because the Republicans failed to pass stricter ethics legislation, Ney will still be able to collect his retirement and other benefits once he is out of jail. How nice. The Republicans have managed to take care of their own.

Ney's hand-picked Republican replacement for Ohio's 18th district, Joy Padgett, is also calling on Ney to resign. However, her request has other motives. If Ney would resign from his House seat before the election, Republican Gov. Bob Taft would more than likely appoint Padgett to fill Ney's seat for the next few months. Also, it would allow Padgett to call herself the incumbent in her political ads as she runs for the seat in the November election.

The Republicans can act shocked by the behavior of Ney and others, but the GOP knew these illegal activities were going on all the time.

*Ohio has lost more service members in Bush's war in Iraq. Ohio has lost 128 of its sons and daughters in Iraq, according to Iraq Casualties.

Remember when Bush said that the U.S. would start to send troops home by the end of the year? Unfortunately, that is not going to happen. The 147,000 men and women of our military who are stationed in Iraq will continue to stay there with no plans to send anyone home.

Notes From All Over

1. Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy, candidate for the Ohio's 15th congressional district, scored a smackdown on Republican Rep. Deborah Pryce at their first debate.

2. Republican Rep. Steve Chabot is handing out money to groups who are near and dear to his financial supporters (The Hill):

Several Cincinnati institutions with close ties to Rep. Steve Chabot’s (R-Ohio) top campaign supporters are in line to win $1.6 million in earmarks through the fiscal 2007 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill.

The earmarks would go to the Cincinnati Museum Center, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Xavier University, the University of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Center, all of which claim members of Chabot’s inner circle of contributors and fundraisers as members of their boards of directors, according to The Hill’s review of district-specific projects in the spending bill, federal campaign-finance reports, an invitation to a Chabot fundraiser, and Web listings of the institutions’ leadership.

“There’s not a connection” between the donations and the earmarks, said Gary Lindgren, Chabot’s chief of staff. Lindgren said the earmarks are for major institutions and that it stands to reason that board members would be politically active.

“You’re talking about some of the predominant institutions in the city of Cincinnati,” he said.

Eleven men and women who were identified as hosts or co-hosts on an invitation to a March Chabot fundraiser featuring House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) serve in leadership roles with the organizations in Chabot’s district that would receive federal money....

3. Crooks and Liars has the video: Retired Col. Sam Gardiner says we are in Iran now...

4. The Huffington Post has it-----Bill Clinton is sick of Karl Rove's b--- s---.....

5. MSNBC News is reporting that a Canadian was falsely imprisoned and tortured in Syria...
Why is this administration doing this? This is horrible. Why is Bush allowing people to be tortured????

Facts for Ohio

Update: Former President Bill Clinton will be on the Daily Show tonight at 11pm on Comedy Central.

*The recent Republican scandals have demonstrated that Republicans will lie, cheat, and steal while they're in office and will lie, cheat, and steal to get re-elected.
*Gov. Bob Taft will be out of office in two years.
*Republican Bob Ney, who was called a "sushi-holic" by Jack Abramoff, will serve some prison time for taking bribes and corruption.
*Thirteen million dollars is still missing from the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation and it is the fault of the Republicans.
*Deborah Pryce has flip-flopped on the idea of term limits. She was for them but now that she is in power, she is against term limits.
*Tom Noe brought us coingate and opened our eyes to the corruption in Republican money raising techniques.
*The more Ken Blackwell talks, the more extreme he appears.
*Jean Schmidt likes to run in marathons. The people in her district should run her out of office.
*The economic situation in Ohio is horrible. On election day, go to the voting booth, and show the Republicans how thankful you are for this.
*John Boehner is a friend of the tobacco industry and he often lights up on the floor of the House, even though it is "smoke-free."
*Lt. Gov. Bruce Johnson went to Ohio State vs. Texas game with state money.

If you still want to vote for these corrupt Republicans even though they've mismanaged our money and lost 200,000 Ohio jobs, you need to have your head examined!

And...
Have you seen the polls put out by Survey USA?

In Cincinnati, which is definitely more Republican leaning, According to Survey USA poll, Bush has a 56% disapproval rating for his handling on terrorism and a 42% approval rating on terrorism.

According to Survey USA, Ohio Gov. Taft has an approval rating of 17%. Awesome. He must be so proud. The Ohio Republicans must be bursting with pride.

Also,......
The Democratic Underground has a great explanation of Article 3 of the Geneva Convention. The section seems clear and concise. Why doesn't Bush get it? Is he having trouble with reading comprehension, vocabulary, or word attack skills? The explanation is clear enough that a typical 4th grader could understand it. Why can't Bush? Here is the post from Democratic Underground:

Art. 3.

In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each Party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions:

(1) Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria. To this end, the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:

(a) violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;
(b) taking of hostages;
(c) outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment;
(d) the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgement pronounced by a regularly constituted court, affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.

(2) The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for. An impartial humanitarian body, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, may offer its services to the Parties to the conflict.

Why did Ney pick Padgett?

Why did corrupt Republican Rep. Bob Ney hand pick Joy Padgett to run for his post in Ohio's 18th district? Does she know Abramoff? Do they have the same political philosophy----take money for votes? People in the 18th district need to ask how Padgett, known for her dirty campaigns, got in such a good position to fill Ney's job. I'm just asking.

>>>Here are some other questions we should be asking ourselves---
Did George Allen vote to support the Iraq resolution to show his support for George W. Bush?
Can George Allen explain why he kept a noose and a confederate flag in his office?
How many times has George Allen used the term "macaca" to describe another human being?

Here is more on George Allen from Brendon Nyhan:

...First, there's the noose he hung from a tree in his law office, which suggests an approving attitude toward lynchings. In 2000, Allen and his Senate campaign manager disavowed any racial connotation, describing the noose as part of a collection of Western memorabilia that represented his law-and-order stance on criminal justice. Then, in February of this year, he tried to claim that it was "more of a lasso" and "has nothing to do with lynching." But reports on the matter that I have read all describe it as a noose, and Allen and his representatives appeared to refer to it as such all the way through 2004. And of course, if the noose "has nothing to do with lynching," why was it hung from a tree? The symbolism seems obvious. As the Richmond Times-Dispatch put it in 2000, the noose was "a reminder that [Allen] saw some justification in frontier justice." Official hangings carried out under the auspices of the law presumably used real gallows, not trees.

Allen also used to display a Confederate flag at his house, which he claims was part of a flag collection...

..A March 2005 report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that, "as governor of Virginia, [Allen] signed a 'Confederate Heritage Month' proclamation while dubbing the NAACP an 'extremist group.'" Here's how the Washington Post described his actions in an article last year:

[I]n the late 1990s, former governor George Allen (R) issued a Confederate History Month proclamation, calling the Civil War "a four-year struggle for independence and sovereign rights." It was observed during April, the month in which the Civil War essentially began with the Confederates' attack on Fort Sumter, S.C., and ended with the Army of Northern Virginia's surrender at Appomattox. The declaration made no mention of slavery, angering many civil rights groups.

Allen also opposed the 1991 Civil Rights Act in Congress, and as a state delegate he opposed creating a holiday for Martin Luther King and voted against changing the racially offensive state song (though as governor he later signed legislation dropping the song).

Given all this, it's not surprising that Allen initially defended Trent Lott when he came under fire in 2002 for comments praising Strom Thurmond's presidential candidacy. Initially, Allen called Lott a "decent, honorable man" and said that it is "unacceptable to use the issue of race as a political weapon and try to pin the sins of the past on the leaders of the present." But when Lott's comments provoked a national outcry, Allen reversed field, saying that the "comment was offensive to many Americans, particularly those who have been personally touched by the viciousness of segregation." And after Lott resigned, he added, "This is a day that the United States Senate, with Trent Lott's resignation, has buried, graveyard-dead-and-gone, the days of discrimination and segregation," with an obvious eye toward leaving aside questions about his own past....

George Allen seems like he would have been a popular guy guy for the 17th century. The people of Viriginia have to ask themselves if they want this 17th century thinking man representing their state in the 21st century.

Republican Bob Ney Admits He Took Bribes

The truth is finally revealed about Ohio Republican. Some of the details found in the plea agreement show just how extensive the corruption was. Which Ohio Republican will be next? (Dispatch):

Hours after he agreed to plead guilty to federal corruption charges likely to land him in prison, Ohio Republicans yesterday called on Rep. Bob Ney to resign his seat.

In court documents made public yesterday, the congressman from Heath admitted accepting thousands of dollars in gambling chips from a Syrian businessman and free trips, drinks and food from now-disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff....

...The plea agreement painted a portrait of Ney eagerly willing to do official favors for those who provided him with free trips, cash and other benefits. The agreement shows how Ney used his connections with Abramoff and the Syrian businessman to enjoy a lifestyle that he could not afford on his $165,200 annual congressional salary.

"Congressman Ney admits that he corruptly solicited and accepted a stream of benefits, valued at tens of thousands of dollars, in exchange for agreeing to perform, and performing, a series of official acts," said Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher. "He also admitted deceiving the public and the U.S. House of Representatives about his actions."

...The agreement provided startling new details of Ney’s two trips to London in 2003 to meet with Syrian-born businessman Fouad al-Zayat, who wanted Ney’s help in ending a U.S. government ban on doing business with Iran. Al-Zayat, known in London gambling circles as the "Fat Man," wanted to sell airplanes and airplane parts to Iran and, according to the plea agreement, Ney promised to ask the State Department to lift the ban and grant a visa for al-Zayat.

The Dispatch has reported that Ney had dinner in February 2003 with al-Zayat at a posh London casino where al-Zayat held a membership. In August 2003, Ney returned to the same casino, where he reported on his House financial disclosure records winning $34,000 from an initial $100 bet on a game of chance.

But according to the plea agreement, al-Zayat actually supplied Ney and at least one unnamed Ney staff member with thousands of dollars in gambling chips and allowed Ney to pocket the winnings. The plea agreement said Ney returned to the United States in February 2003 with $3,250 in winnings and $47,000 more in August of that year.

The plea agreement shows that Ney undertook extensive precautions to hide the amount of gambling money he brought back into the United States. Prosecutors said that during the August 2003 trip, Ney handed $5,000 to the unnamed staff member and asked him to carry the money through U.S. customs.

Ney admitted in the plea documents that he "intentionally concealed his receipt of the things of value from Abramoff and the foreign businessman," including filing a false U.S. Customs disclosure form where he stated his winnings, false congressional travel-disclosure forms and false congressional annual financial-disclosure forms.

In addition to casino-related money, the plea agreement said that Ney accepted three free trips from Abramoff — an August 2002 golfing junket to Scotland on a private jet, valued at $160,000; a gambling and vacation outing in New Orleans in May 2003, valued at $7,200; and a trip to Lake George, N.Y., in August 2003, at a cost of more than $3,500.

Ney also accepted "frequent meals and drinks," mostly at Abramoff’s then-Washington restaurant, Signatures, with total costs exceeding "many thousands of dollars," according to the Justice Department. Ney also took tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions.

In return, Ney did such legislative favors as helping an Abramoff client to win a lucrative contract to install wireless telephone service in the House and promised Abramoff that he would insert into an election reform bill a provision that would have benefited a Texas tribe that wanted federal permission to re-open a casino...

Another One Bites the Dust

Republican Rep. Bob Ney (OH-18) is expected to plead guilty today. Here is an excerpt from The Hill:

Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) is expected to plead guilty later today to at least one count of corruption in the prolonged investigation of disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Republicans on Capitol Hill said Thursday.

The Ohio Republican announced last month that he would not seek reelection in the face of widespread speculation that he would be indicted for his connections to Abramoff, the once-powerful Republican lobbyist who pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges last January.

Calls to Ney’s office and to that of his lawyer, Mark Tuohey, were not returned on Thursday. Ney was present during House votes on Tuesday but missed votes on Wednesday and Thursday.

Ney’s former chief of staff, Neil Volz, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy in May, and the Ohio lawmaker was mentioned in his plea as well as Abramoff’s...

Don't these Republicans believe in ethics? Did all of these Republicans think they were above the law? Ney and the many Republicans who have had ethics problems have broken the public's trust. Here in Ohio, we have had our share of corruption at every level of government controlled by Republicans, from the Republican governor to local elected Republican officials. It is sad. While the Republicans are lining their pockets, eating at fancy restaurants, and visiting foreign capitals on trips paid for by special interests, the regular folks here in Ohio are struggling to find and keep jobs. It isn't right.

Ney's new Republican replacement for the 18th district is Joy Padgett. Padgett was responsible for swiftboating her Democratic opponent in the last election. Her Democratic opponent was Terry Anderson, an American who was held hostage in Lebanon for over seven years. I guess Padgett thought he didn't suffer enough and she had to add her personal attacks. Padgett is symbolic of the pond scum that makes up the Republican leadership in Ohio (This is just my opinion.)

If the people of Ohio's 18th district like the corruption, war, lies, and job losses the Republicans have given us, then they should just cast a mindless vote for Padgett. However, if they want to make a real change in this country, and this state, citizens in the 18th district must vote for ZACK SPACE.

Conrad Burns

Seriously, Republican Sen. Conrad Burns is a jerk. How could any man treat his wife like this? (Here is an excerpt from Raw Story.)

While Republican Senator Conrad Burns flew first class, his wife was "stuck" in coach, a "salivating Democratic informant" told Roll Call.

"The informant sent the information with an accompanying nasty editorial note that said, 'Guess women really are second class to him," Roll Call's "Heard on the Hill" reports.

Last October, two Northwest Airlines flight attendants accused Burns of sexism after "he told one of the women she could stay at home and be a mother if she lost her job to outsourcing," Gannett News reported.

Roll Call reports that Burns denied sexism in both cases and suggests that the senator "wasn’t playing the big man card taking the first-class seat while making his little woman ride in the stuffy coach seat."

A normal husband would have accompanied his wife and sat next to her on the plane ride. With his busy schedule, you'd think that Burns would want to spend some extra time with his wife and catch up on family news and some time together. Doesn't he have any love and respect for his wife? I'd guess that most of the women in Montana would not like to be treated this way and will vote the jerk out of office.

Have you seen Conrad Burns take a nap on You Tube? Click here.

You Need This

>Another Ohio corruption story is brewing. Hamilton County has mismanaged $1.2 billion. Gee, who was the state auditor????? Oh, yes, Republican Betty Montgomery. Why didn't she catch this earlier? Read the whole story in the Dispatch.

>You absolutely must visit HINES SIGHT. It calls itself the anti-Drudge.

>Former Texas Democratic Governor, Ann Richards, has died. Here is an excerpt from The Tribune Democrat:

Two years before she was elected governor of Texas, Ann Richards electrified the 1988 Democratic National Convention with a keynote speech in which she joked that the Republican presidential nominee, George H.W. Bush, had been "born with a silver foot in his mouth."

A longtime champion of women and minorities in government who was serving at the time as Texas state treasurer, she won cheers when she reminded delegates that Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, "only backwards and in high heels."

Richards died Wednesday at 73 after a battle with esophageal cancer. Her single term as governor had ended in a 1994 defeat to George W. Bush, who went from besting his father's silver-haired critic to the governor's office to the presidency.

A homemaker before she entered politics, Richards cracked a half-century male grip on the governor's mansion and celebrated by holding up a T-shirt that showed the state Capitol and read: "A woman's place is in the dome."

Raw Story: President Bush has fallen back on a "lame justification" for the war in Iraq, writes Hearst Newspapers' senior White House correspondent Helen Thomas in a column slated for Thursday's papers, RAW STORY has learned.

>If you haven't checked recently, you'll be surprised to see that our casualties in Iraq are inching up to 3,000 dead. Iraq Coalition Casualty Count shows that we are losing 2 to 3 Americans every single day.

News and Videos

I saw this ad on MSNBC's Keith Olbermann's Countdown. It is running in Virginia. Watch it:

http://www.ifilms.tv/votevetsweb/

The Vote Vets web page can provide a wealth of information to the voter. Visit it here:

http://www.votevets.org/

If you missed Jon Stewart on The Daily Show last night, you missed an incredible episode. Crooks and Liars has both videos of Bush with Little Richard and Jon Stewart trying to give Bush advice cowboy to cowboy. You must see this.

There is more news from the Tom Noe trial. From the Toledo Blade, we have this headline-- EX-AIDE ADMITS "CONDUIT" ROLE FOR STATE CANDIDATES. (Those are REPUBLICAN state candidates, folks.)

Boehner is an Idiot

...but that is only my opinion. Why do I think Republican Rep. John Boehner is an idiot? Here is what Boehner said (San Francisco Chronicle):

....Speaking of Democrats, Boehner told reporters, "I wonder if they're more interested in protecting the terrorists than protecting the American people.

"They certainly don't want to take the terrorists on to defeat them,'' he added in the context of answering questions about proposed legislation to legalize Bush administration plans for military tribunals to try some terrorism suspects under special rules. The administration's earlier plans for such tribunals were struck down by the Supreme Court, which suggested that Congress provide a remedy through legislation....

Can anyone take anything Boehner says seriously? Boehner, golfer, special interest traveller, and friend of big tobacco, is essentially trying to say that Democrats support the terrorists. Boehner is a fool. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents are dying in Bush's Iraq War. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents are paying for Bush's Iraq War. Americans know that the Republicans have allowed this administration and his party:

1. to spend our money without oversight.
2. slowly take away our civil liberties.
3. to give contracts to political friends (Halliburton, KBR).
4. to ignore ethics.

Boehner should go back to his tanning bed.

Republicans Destroying Themselves

I had to chuckle when I read about the debate in Montana. Republican Sen. Conrad Burns met Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, Jon Tester, last night. Here are some excerpts from an article in the Missoulian:

...The crowd, which at times booed and baited Burns, earned a public chastising from one Burns supporter, who voiced her displeasure and asked for the rudeness to end.

Candidates addressed a range of questions posed before the debate by readers of the Ravalli Republic, including: health care, immigration, national energy policy, the $.8.5 trillion federal debt, Veterans Affairs, American troops in Iraq, and North Korea and Iran as potential nuclear powers....

“But in the end,” Tester said, “lets talk about Senator Burns' trips. Hawaii, New Orleans, Miami, Alaska, Palm Beach, Los Angeles, New York, China, Japan, Toronto, and there must have been something going on in Las Vegas because he went there 10 times.”

The crowd applauded, as Tester ran out of time while listing some of the multinational corporations he said Burns associates with, among the Fuji, the petroleum industry and big tobacco companies....

Here is the quote from Burns that will get people talking: “I believe in light bulbs and sunshine,” Burns said.

And...
This was found at The Huffington Post---
MyWayNews:

Democratic Senate candidate Jim Webb has nearly erased the commanding lead Republican Sen. George Allen held six weeks ago, before Allen's insult of a man of Indian descent, according to an independent statewide poll published Sunday.

The Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. found 46 percent of those interviewed supported Allen in his bid for a second term and 42 percent backed Webb. Twelve percent were undecided.

Because the margin of error for the poll is plus or minus 4 percentage points, the race could be seen as about even...

>Then George Allen took an exact bill written by Sen. Durbin, except for a change in one word, and introduced it as his own. The Times Dispatch:
...Republican Sen. George Allen introduced an amendment yesterday to put additional millions of dollars into facilities treating soldiers and veterans suffering from brain injury. Its wording was nearly identical to a similar amendment by Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill....

...Within hours, the campaign of Allen's Democrat challenger, Jim Webb, issued by e-mail a statement that Allen "stole" Durbin's amendment and then called it his own.

Allen had used Durbin's funding figure and identical language but for one word, the Webb campaign said.

"This whole episode is shameful and not worthy of a sitting U.S. senator," Webb adviser Steve Jarding said in the statement....

Is the Republican greed for more power helping us see their true personalities?

Remembering 9/11

Today, Americans will remember the victims and heroes of September 11, 2001.

Stories on 9/11:
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/09/11/D8K2M0GO9.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14780747/