Durbin may also stand
Thu Jan 06, 2005 at 09:25:13 AM PDT
I realize that this should probably be on the open thread, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I firmly believe that all 45 Democratic Senators should stand and object to the vote TOGETHER--which is why I am still calling Senators right now. For me, this is not so much about whether or not Kerry would have won, but about the systemic disenfranchisement of minority voters.
That being said, I just got off the phone with a rep from Durbin's Chicago office (MY Senator--along with Obama--could I be prouder?), who sort of intimated that Durbin may rise to stand with Sen. Boxer. He was a little cryptic, but he said that Sen. Durbin "certainly believes that Sen. Boxer is a great patriot, and that she should not have to meet this challenge alone." Whatever that means. I took it to mean that he is considering objecting as well. If you aren't all phone called out, please consider calling his Chicago or DC Office:
Chicago:(202) 224-2152
D.C: (312) 353-4952
And So It Begins
Wed Jan 05, 2005 at 11:15:11 AM PDT
When the USA PATRIOT ACT was first enacted, I had to educate appromately 99.9% of people I knew as to why it was a bad idea. Aside from the civil liberties violations, I didn't like the new criminal laws it created. Besides, I generally worry when every member of Congress but one (God Bless You, Russ Feingold) signs on to sweeping new legislation without actually having READ it.
But we need it to fight the terrorists they whined. If you have nothing to hide, what's the big deal?
(This is the point at which Julie's ACLU-loving, ex-Public Defender head would usually explode)
MSNBC Comes Thru on Voting Story--for once
Tue Jan 04, 2005 at 10:21:35 AM PDT
The Title: Voters Stand Firm on Ohio Election Challenge.
I love that. VOTERS stand firm on Election Challenge--makes them look like they are fighting for their rights in the face of an anti-democratic leader, which they are.
A brief blurb:
One voter didn't see any signs of fraud on Election Day but was suspicious of the results. Another was surprised by long lines in her suburban city, where voting was always quick in the past.
Others were angered by having to wait hours to vote in black neighborhoods. Some left in frustration without casting their ballots.
In all, 37 voters in this swing state are challenging President Bush's Nov. 2 victory over Democratic Sen. John Kerry. They want Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Moyer to set aside the election results.
NEOCONS Take Over the State Department
Thu Dec 30, 2004 at 07:09:04 AM PDT
Sidney Blumenthal's column in Salon.com this morning---man, is this depressing:
To begin with, I have learned from numerous sources, including several people close to Brent Scowcroft, that Bush has unceremoniously and without public acknowledgment dumped Scowcroft, his father's closest associate and friend, as chairman of the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. The elder Bush's national security advisor was the last remnant of traditional Republican realism permitted to exist within the administration. But no longer. At the same time, Vice President Dick Cheney has imposed his authority over Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice, in order to blackball Arnold Kanter, former undersecretary of state to James Baker, and partner in the Scowcroft Group, as a candidate for deputy secretary of state.
A Billion Dollar Pledge to SE Asia
Wed Dec 29, 2004 at 12:18:38 PM PDT
This is the idea of David Shuster, of Hardball, who blogs on MSNBC. I doubt that very many of us read his blogs, but we all really should bookmark them--he's one of the few setting out the progressive/liberal view on pretty regular basis. He even tried to get Chris Matthews to pay more then lip service to what's been going on in Ohio.
His question today was why the US government didn't take the opportunity in SE Asia to set a really bold goal: a billion dollars in aid to the region.
The United States government is the wealthiest on the planet. At this time of worldwide horror and grief for the more than 60,000 people killed by the tsunami, and the millions of others who are now homeless, why not start with a billion dollar pledge? Compared to 35 million dollars, a billion would generate worldwide headlines and amazement... and it would immediately give people across this earth a reason to be thankful for the United States. And given recent polls showing that hatred for the U.S. is at an all-time high, we could certainly use a better image.
POLL Dean: DNC Chair Now or Candidate in 08?
Mon Dec 27, 2004 at 01:11:58 PM PDT
This seems to be the big topic of conversation today, so I'm getting curious about the poll results on this one.
Assuming that you are a Dean backer (and I think that there are more of us here than not), would you rather see him as DNC Chair or as a fire and brimstone throwing, Rethug-whupping, Presidential Candidate in 2008?
How to tell our story
Fri Dec 17, 2004 at 07:57:04 AM PDT
First, thanks so much to everyone who commented and recommended my diary from yesterday, entitled "It's People Like This That We Let Get Away." It was a very interesting and thoughtful discussion--and I'm grateful to everyone that participated.
Following up on the theme of how to talk to people that supported Bush, I was thinking of why his message was more persuasive to people than Kerry's--even aside from all the pressure they got from family, church, work. I mean, I know people whose eyes actually well up with tears when they think of Bush (well, so do mine, but I'm talking about the people who well up with joy and pride), so there has to be something more to this than just brainwashing (although I will admit that there's a fair amount of that going on).
It's People Like This That We Let Get Away
Thu Dec 16, 2004 at 11:38:34 AM PDT
I know that there have been a lot of anecdotal diaries posted lately, but, sometimes, I think anecdotes can tell the truth better than stats and studies (just ask any mom whose doctor has told her that teething doesn't make babies get runny noses). So here's one of mine.
I've belonged to an internet "birth club" since my first child was born in 2001. It's comprised of about 50 moms, all of whom had babies in the same month of 2000. It's really a mix of all walks of life, from moms who are executives for Fortune 500 companies to moms who live in trailer parks in the rural south. For the past 4 years, we've been through a lot together, births, death, divorce, you name it. Seemed that nothing could break the strong bond we all had. Nothing, that is, until the 2004 election. We split pretty predictably right down the Mason/Dixon line, red vs. blue. only recently have we been able to start patching up all the hurt feelings. I spoke the other day with "Melanie," a mother of 4 member of the club who lives the rural south--and voted for Bush.
Debasing the Medal of Freedom
Wed Dec 15, 2004 at 07:03:53 AM PDT
David Shuster of Hardball (who, incidentally, has replied to every email I've ever sent him, good or bad), tore into Shrub and his little Medal of Freedom photo op yesterday.
My point is that it is a shame to see a meaningful award turned into the latest political photo-op. I'm glad to hear that George Tenet, Paul Bremer, and Tommy Franks are doing so well in private life. But if the Bush administration wants to review the record of these three, let's have an honest discussion instead of the historical revisionism and political theater that was on center stage today.
Read David's blog here:
David Shuster's Blog
And The Incompetence Continues To Be Rewarded
Tue Dec 14, 2004 at 12:22:28 PM PDT
For those that haven't heard, Bush has awarded the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor this country bestows, to Tommy Franks, George Tenant, and Paul Bremer. You heard right. Three of the people who had the MOST to do with turning Iraq into the shitball that it currently is are getting this nation's highest honor.
Bush presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to retired Gen. Tommy Franks, who oversaw combat in Afghanistan and the initial invasion of Iraq, former CIA Director George Tenet and former Iraq administrator L. Paul Bremer.
Franks is a retired four-star Army general who commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.
He didn't decide until last summer to endorse Bush's re-election, but then spoke on the president's behalf at the Republican National Convention and campaigned for Bush through the fall.
Bush said Franks "led the forces that fought and won two wars in the defense of the world's security and helped liberate more than 50 million people from two of the worst tyrannies in the world."
TIME Piece on Iraqi Casualties. Finally!
Fri Dec 10, 2004 at 10:56:13 AM PDT
I apologize if this has already been diaried today. I saw it at the bottom of the screen on CNN.com and almost choked on my lunch.
TIME column
Finally, at least on mention of Iraqi casualties by the MSM. An excerpt:
Last month media coverage of Iraq was dominated by the stressed out Marine in a Fallujah mosque unfortunate enough to be caught on camera shooting dead an apparently unarmed and wounded man. That event was all over the national media, with plenty of hand-wringing about combat stress and rules of war to remind us that this was not the way America behaves at war; this was a painful transgression. U.S. ambassador to Iraq John Negroponte even took the rare step of publicly expressing America's regret over the shooting, although there was also widespread support for the Marine shooter in the domestic media.
The WAR: What are we going to do about it?
Wed Dec 08, 2004 at 02:36:36 PM PDT
After reading Kos's excellent dairy posting a column from the Grand Forks Herald (which you can read here:
Kos's Diary ), I sat at work for a few hours, getting madder and madder. I can't take this anymore. I can't take the nameless numbers that I hear every night on the news. SIX Marines killed in Iraq. TEN National Guardsmen killed in Iraq. FIVE HUNDRED "insurgents" killed in Iraq. ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE DEAD IN IRAQ.
Could this be true? Europe doesn't (gulp) need us?
Wed Dec 08, 2004 at 12:33:35 PM PDT
Last night, while waiting for Countdown, I caught the last few minutes of Hardball (yes, I know, treason). One of the guests was T.R. Reid, The Washington Post's London Bureau Chief. He's written a new book called "The United States of Europe." Some of his points seemed to be quite rethug-esque, claiming that Europe no longer cares about having large militaries, that they are dumping all their money into their economy and relying on us to keep the world safe.
Reid:
They don`t want military power. They would have their--as you say, their expensive welfare state. In Europe, university education is free. The doctors make house calls. You never get a bill. You retire on 80 percent pension. If you have a baby, the government hires you at your salary to stay home for a year and raise the child. It`s pretty sweet. And the reason they can do it is, we`re paying 70 percent of the cost of NATO. We have 100,000 soldiers stationed in Europe. We`re defending them.
The Oregonian "gets it"
Tue Dec 07, 2004 at 09:52:05 AM PDT
Okay--I have to admit, this was brought to my attention by KO's latest blog--make sure to check it out and send him some encouraging emails today. He's working hard to keep our cause in the news:
Keith's Blog
Here's an excerpt from the Public Editor's Column in the Oregonian, basically calling out the media for ignoring the "voting irregularities" story:
Was Tom Brokaw's Farewell A Swipe At Bush?
Fri Dec 03, 2004 at 12:50:33 PM PDT
I was just curious as to whether or not anyone else thought Tom Brokaw's farewell on Wednesday night was a swipe at Bush? I suppose it could be wishful thinking on my part, I fell in love with Tom at the ripe old age of 10, so I'm sure there's a part of me that wants to believe that he's a Bush hater, too.
Here's the transcript of his final words on Wednesday:
Our Boy KO Not Too Impressed with Bev Harris
Thu Dec 02, 2004 at 02:36:31 PM PDT
His latest blog pretty much echoes my concerns about her credibility (I know that I am going to be accused of being a troll for saying that, but so be it). I'm beginning to think that she's one of those people that I want to say "get off my side" to. Not that I don't think she has some good points, but I don't like the grandstanding.
Here's what Keith had to say:
How about a Daily Action Diary?
Wed Dec 01, 2004 at 10:56:48 AM PDT
Sometimes, I'm simply overwhelmed by the amount of people that I want to email and support or tell off based on the Diaries here. Like today, for instance, I've already emailed CBS, NBC, UCC,the DNC and CNN. Sometimes I don't have as much time as I do today though, but I still want to feel like I'm contributing.
Do we have anything on here like a "Daily Action" Diary? Something where, when I don't have that much time, I could hop on, see what entities are in need of an increibly well-drafted email from me, showing them the light of day, and then, if I don't have time to hop back on the DK later, at least I feel like I've contributed something.
Yet Another Fabulous Olbermann Blog Entry
Mon Nov 22, 2004 at 06:56:24 AM PDT
Our guy Keith comes through again. Not only does he take the time to go through a lot of the recent college-sponsored studies into election irregulaties, he actually EXPLAINS them to liberal arts majors like me. Here are a few chioce items from his column, but please got to the blog itself so Keith gets the hits. And let's keep those "atta boy" emails going to Keith, people!
In fact - and the academics got a little too academic in summarizing their report and thus, this kind of got lost - the two numbers already consider the prospect of a swing:
a) There may have been 130,000 votes simply added to the Bush total. If proved and excised, they would reduce the President's Florida margin from approximately 350,000 votes to approximately 220,000;
b) There may have been 130,000 votes switched from Kerry to Bush. If proved and corrected, they would reduce (by double the 130,000 figure - namely 260,000) the President's Florida margin from approximately 350,000 votes to approximately 90,000.
