Cry, My Beloved Country....

Thank you to my dear friend and political activist, Mary W, who graciously guest blogged for me below. Her resume includes (and is certainly not limited to) serving as County Democratic chair person and Vice chair of the Rural Caucus (CA), membership in the county Central Committee and, at state level, the Central Committee, entitling her to vote at their conventions. She's presently on the Platform & Resolutions Committee serving at the state level (NM). With thanks and admiration, her words speak for me (though, she's MUCH nicer than I am..trust me!) Read it and weep...

Today is a day when I want to throw open the window, stick my head out and yell at the top of my lungs, "Wake up America, we've been fucked!" Yep, that's my first impression on hearing that John Edwards has suspended his race for President.
I want to yell out to everyone, "I'm done! I won't play this game any more!"

Main Stream Media (MSM) has won and unfortunately, they will determine who wins the end game too. They did this in 2004 and are even better at it now in 2008. The fix is in as far as I can see! If we vote for one of MSM's chosen candidates, they have won AND if we don't vote, they have won! You'd think people would have wised up to this by now.

Perhaps had MSM let John Edwards have something NEAR the media time they gave the other two candidates, Edwards just might have had more votes and more delegates. God forbid that could happen! Perhaps Edwards would have won a couple more states! He or She who gets the media time, gets not only the votes, but the money. Cut a candidate off from MSM and you can expect them to fade away. It saddens me that it appears Americans today are not smart enough to think for themselves! But hey, why bother when you can turn on the tube and have some talking head tell you what to think and what to do.

It reminds me of Wal-Mart and how once they run out of your favorite brand, they don't restock, they make you buy up all the other brands first and then they still don't restock your brand. Well, that's what this reminds me of. MSM dumps all the canidates you like and then make you choose from the ones they want to sell.

Let's see, I could vote for Billary. You know the woman who is all for change. Change? She's tied to the status quo! Change my foot! But people will tell me that I can get two for the vote of one. Frankly folks, I'm sick of dynasties! Let's go with someone NEW! Bush - Clinton - Bush - and Clinton again? Hillary is so mired down in status quo that it's a miracle she can pick up her feet to walk. A strong DLCer who backs the corporations. That doesn't represent me! NO THANK YOU! As a woman, however, it pains me deeply not to be able to support a woman for president.

So now, that leaves me with the boy wonder! Obama. You know, when I first heard him at the Democratic Convention, I thought -- gee, this guy really might be the future of our country. So, I decided to watch him. And watch him I did. Especially in the senate hearing back in 2005. I watched him in hearings with Condi Rice and got to see first hand what a whimp he was as he held out his hand to the other side. At that point in time, I realized he was nothing but a lot of hot air! That brings me to words . . .

I remember him saying, "There is no liberal America, there is no conservative America, there is only the United States of America" Well, let me tell you the straight facts: There IS a liberal America, there IS a conservative America, there IS a rich America, there IS a poor America and these are the people that make up this country. If one can't admit to that, what chance do they have of making real change? Pretty words don't always paint a truthful picture.

And now let's get on to the words of change and hope! Who in this country is not for change and hope?

Remember George Bush when he was running for President? He was the compassionate conservative, he was the Uniter that could reach across the aisle. Plenty of pretty words, just like Obama, but none of them were true. Well, here we have Obama, and God help me as to how many times in one speech he uses the words HOPE and CHANGE. (what a great drinking game this would make)

What I think has happened here, is that Obama became no more than the figment of people's imagination. What is a figment of imagination? It's when people put their expectations, their hopes and wishes onto something and make it real in their mind. And that's what people are doing with Obama. Notice that his speech patterns are hypnotic, but hey, he makes people feel good. And, we all know if he's for hope and change, then he must be for this and for that. Ask them a question about what he has done on a certain topic and they will say, "but he is for change, he has hope and believes we can make change." "He has a plan." Well, pray tell, what is that plan? "Gee, I don't know - but he has to have a plan!" Sure! Folks, it's all WORDS! and words mean nothing. Obama is hope, Obama is change, Obama is our future! - no more than a figment of your imagination.

It pains me to see my friends come to terms with the devil as they pick one of the other remaining candidates now that Edwards has suspended his run. When do people say STOP! enough of this crap?!

There is NO good answer. But, I cannot play any longer. The last seven and a half years of my life has been spent in the Democratic Party fighting against the status quo and for the working person, the middle class, the poor. What I have learned is that when you're up against the status quo - change does not happen. And both of our candidates in the race today are part of the status quo. All you have to do is look at who is endorsing them.

Another thing that totally ticks me off is that it appears, no one is giving consideration as to whether one of these two remaining candidates is capable of winning in a general election! Geeeesh!

For me, I no longer can compromise my values. And that's not an easy stand to take. It's much more difficult for me to say I cannot and will not vote, rather than to hold my nose and vote! but holding one's nose and voting is just continuing the crap!

Perhaps something will come out down the road that could bring Edwards back into the race - my hope. He's left the door open, I think, by suspending his run. Suspending is not the same as withdrawing. All I can do is hope. (Durn, there's that dang hope word again).

If nothing happens where he can come back in, it will be an extremely sad time for me, for most of you, and for our country; as change cannot happen with the same old status quo attitudes. Change calls for a special person who puts people first and corporations interests back where they belong.

I will be voting on Feb 5 and I will be casting my vote for John Edwards! Join me! Let's give John as many delegates as we can - it's the best way to fight back!


"Think - it's not illegal yet."

This is no Clinton or Obama

Oh, Senator Lieberman, Where Are You?

Let me take a quick break from explaining the hundreds of reasons why John Edwards is the ONLY candidate who can lead us out of this nightmare George W. bush and Company and check in a bit with CT's finest "Independent Democrat," a real "party" animal, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman.

Today, as those of you responsible citizens already know, is a critical vote on the FISA bill...and please, if you need an explanation of that at this point, do yourself a favor and stop reading right here because you're not going to find it. You should already KNOW. In any event, because we have a Senate full of DINOS - "Democrats In Name Only," it is our job as citizens to make sure we watch these nimble- footed folks whose feet so artfully slide across the aisle where they join their "friends" from bushCo in continuing the destruction of our democracy.

Given that Senator Lieberman's shoes have been known to be EXTRA- specially treated with snake oil, I thought it might be a good day to check up on his activities - already knowing of course that CT's business has been on the back burner while our good Senator Lieberman performs a different kind of soft-shoe for "Maverick" McCain.

It must be said, in fairness and truth, that Senator Lieberman, despite our MANY differences, does know how to pick respectful and professional staff. Hat's off to them for putting up with callers such as lil' ol' me. It CAN'T be easy.

BUT,

Believe it or not, I'm gonna give Senator Joe a break here. Or, let's call it the benefit of the doubt perhaps.

And that is because I'm unable to rail against him, one of my favorite past-times as most of my readers know, simply because I could find no information about how he intends to vote!!! Imagine that!

I did learn, after much angst on the other side of the call to his D.C office, that indeed, Mr. Lieberman IS intending to appear on the Senator floor to vote on the FISA legislation today. When? Well, that's anyone's guess.

I did learn that there's a possibility of a press release that might give us a glimpse as to which side of the aisle Senator Lieberman's shoes will wind up today. However, I was assured that content of said release, remains unknown at this time. Well, hey, that's ok - it's only near 2 p.m. here on the East Coast - why should we EXPECT anyone to have a position on the violation of our rights at this hour?

So, I'm cutting you a break here, Senator Lieberman.

I'm going to hope that in good faith, that you are going to do the right thing and support our "other" senator, Christopher Dodd, in, if need be, filibustering the vote for cloture on this dastardly piece of legislation that you already know is illegal and that you already know is just one more sordid example of how these criminals are attempting to further chip away at our fundamental rights of privacy in the United States of AMERICA!!!

Senator Lieberman? I call upon you to do the right thing.

SAY NO TO IMMUNITY FOR LAWBREAKERS!!!

P.S. And YOU, Senator Obama, are NO John Kennedy. Or Robert Kennedy.

Democrats like MSM picking our President!

Democrats voting for Hillary (DLC) and Obama the Snake Charmer clearly have taken leave of their senses, intellect and critical thinking skills when they indicate either of those two charlatans to be their candidate to "lead" the Democratic Party.

Here's why.

Though I myself will admit to a certain admiration for Mrs. Clinton throughout the years, to the point I even considered her a wonderful mentor for ALL women, she has taken no, not even a centrist turn, but a RIGHT turn over the past several years. Think I'm kiddin'? Then go look at her record. Look at her votes. Look at her donors. Look at what she says and doesn't say. (For MY record here, never expect me to do your research for you here...that is YOUR job.) In the face of what this country has been through under the bush regime, you would THINK that intelligent, educated voters would recognize that Hillary Clinton might be the CLOSEST thing to ANY traditional Republican ideologist we've ever seen...and that's fine...IF that's what YOU Democrats want. (sorry, Barack - Hillary was a Republican lover before you were) Just make sure you KNOW what you're voting for and if it's a Democrat you want in office, you better forget Hillary, whose husband was one of the "best Republican presidents we've ever had." - Randi Rhodes. Once upon a time, Hillary -yes. Not here. Not now.

Obama...WHAT are you Democrats THINKING here? Or ARE you? Tell me...WHAT do you know about his contributors? WHAT has he "done" though I keep reading about ALL that is...Oh, he voted against the war is it? Fine. Good. More power to him. But can you tell me why that in the face of that, he has CONTINUED to vote to FUND this war he's against? And don't give me that propaganda about cutting off the troops...won't work here. And while we're on THAT topic - how long did it take Hillary to barely even acquiesce that her vote on the war was a mistake??? That makes me feel realllll good...about BOTH of them. Right out of the starting gate, owning that his OWN vote was a MISTAKE, Edwards bested them both. I like it when my candidate demonstrates accountability and growth.

bush/Clinton/bush/possible Clinton. Ya - that's CHANGE all right. I wonder if Bill and Poppy worked it all out during one of their cozy missions of goodwill...come ON, Dems - can't you put 2 + 2 TOGETHER anymore???

Whose platform IS Obama's anyway? Looking closely at dates, it's clear that he's borrowed quite liberally from both Edwards AND Clinton. Change. Change from WHAT, Mr. Obama? WHAT have YOU got to hang your hat on here? When I DO look at your record, all I see is a mish-mosh of ideas taken from BOTH Hillary's and Edwards' proposals. I'm beginning to wonder if you have an original thought in your head at ALL! But, ya shur SOUND real purty, now. Whitened sepulchres look mighty fine too. (oh, sorry - yes, you'll need your Bible to reference THAT one. Hint: New Testament)


And please...enough re bad Mrs. Clinton's "attacks." You got right down into the mud trough with her. And if you don't like attacks, I HAVE to make the leap that you're ill-prepared for what's coming down the line and that's even BEFORE I mention Karl Rove who is undoubtedly LOVING this divisiveness between the two of you. Unless, of course...ahem...

I've seen some of the best Democratic minds over the past several weeks as they stumble over reasons as to why they want to endorse one over the other, give me SERIOUS pause as to what's happened to them that's causing them to abandon the good judgement, excellent analytical skills, sound reasoning and acute political savvy I expect from my peers. What's UP with that?

Even without the big pockets Hillary AND AND AND Obama are dipping into to finance their campaigns, John Edwards STILL managed to finish significantly above what the pundits told you to believe and that's with OUR money. And, with virtually NO coverage from MSM - remember them? The Corporate Corrupteds you used to rail against? What does that say to you?

It tells me we STILL have people among us unwillingly to follow the crowd; unwilling to sell out our values previously held simply to jump on a perceived winning bandwagon. It tells me that we have a FIGHTER here - and if he's "angry?" Well SO WHAT???? I'm ANGRY too...and if you were TRULY informed, YOU'D be angry as well. But for the life of me, it appears that MSM has been able to deter you from your original commitment to truth-seeking and making good, informed judgements.

Neither Hillary or Obama can win the general election. Go check the polls. But evidently, something's preventing you from grasping that when it is CRYSTAL clear that Edwards is the CLEANEST one we've got, the ONLY one putting his neck out there for US - the same "us" who used to believe in the values of the party of the working man. To support either one of them is to throw your vote away given what our old friends in the party of Rove have awaiting us. It's as simple as that.

I have to wonder...is it bushworld side effects that are causing you to lose your way? Or, perhaps, and maybe even worse, could it be that the "sheeple" have been alive and well all along right here in our own backyard?

John Edwards is the ONLY one speaking against the things that are reallyyyyyy hurting you in your own lives whether you realize that or not. While Obama and Billary continue their scrapping in the schoolyard, it would serve you well to pay attention to the "only adult" on the playing field. Why, Dems, why do you continue to work against your own best interests to borrow again from Randi Rhodes?

And WHY are you letting the Mainstream Media choose America's president anyway? Didn't you all get this memo in 2000? Tell me - believe me, I'm listening here. I really want to know. Because what I'm seeing simply makes no sense to me assuming we all have access to the same information.

What IS it you don't understand? Those of us "patriots" who support Edwards will be more than happy to walk you through your illusions.




"There is nothing worse than gangrene of the soul." Mike Malloy 1/20/05

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." Martin Luther King

It's 11 a.m - Did MSM project a winner yet???

As South Carolina voters go to the polls today to choose their Democratic candidate, I wish I could become invisible and have the ability to bi-locate; for if I could, the first thing I would do would be to make certain that every single television plug would be out of its socket. (Actually, that's not a half bad idea for ALL of America!)

Undoubtedly, as voters attempt to make up their own minds, the "Vulfs," the "Tweetys" and the "Pumpkinheads" aka "talking heads," will be drooling all over our airwaves, "catapulting the propaganda" they wish/NEED them to believe in order to prevent John Edwards from becoming the next President of the United States.

Why you might ask? Books have been written on this entire subject but if you don't know why, I suggest you educate yourselves on the media conglomerate, who owns our networks AND where their money not only comes from but goes to. We'll save that chat for another day but for the moment, I'm simply indulging in my morning cynicism AFTER slamming the television off...a.g.a.i.n. The LAST person corporations, Big Pharma and media wish to see in office is Edwards - why? Because he is the ONLY one who is unafraid to stand up to these monolithic, greed-driven monsters. No one owns John Edwards.

But, in the unlikely event any South Carolina voters just happen to be visiting here, I'm giving you what might be one of the most important issues where Senator Edwards again leaves his two media opponents in the wind, directly from his own mouth, directly from his website, http://www.johnedwards.com/:

Urgent: Stand Up for the Constitution

Senator Edwards sent the following email to supporters this afternoon.

When it comes to protecting the rule of law, words are not enough. We need action.
It's wrong for your government to spy on you.

That's why I'm asking you to join me today in calling on Senate Democrats to
filibuster revisions to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that
would give "retroactive immunity" to the giant telecom companies for their role
in aiding George W. Bush's illegal eavesdropping on American citizens.

The Senate is debating this issue right now -- which is why we must act right now. You can find your Senators' phone numbers here or call the Senate Switchboard at
1-(202)-224-3121.

Granting retroactive immunity is wrong. It will let corporate law-breakers off the hook. It will hamstring efforts to learn the truth about Bush's illegal spying program. And it will flip on its head a core principle that has guided our nation since our founding: the belief that no one, no matter how well connected or what office they hold, is above the law.

But in Washington today, the telecom lobbyists have launched a full-court press for
retroactive immunity. George Bush and Dick Cheney are doing everything in their
power to ensure it passes. And too many Senate Democrats are ready to give the
lobbyists and the Bush administration exactly what they want.

Please join me in calling on every Senate Democrat to do everything in their power -- including joining Senator Dodd's efforts to filibuster this legislation -- to stop
retroactive immunity and stand up for the rule of law. The Constitution should
not be for sale at any price.

Thank you for taking action.

John Edwards

January 24, 2008

"There is nothing worse than gangrene of the soul." Mike Malloy - 1/20/2005

PERISH THE THOUGHT!!!

But, sometimes, it's a matter of survival to consider the "unthinkable."

And sometimes, things we say in mild jest have a horrible way of returning to us in the form of a frightening, maddening reality. Know what I'm sayin'?

Moments like that are often marked by a visceral reaction...Upon realization that you may have thought or spoken of something you truly can't bear to consider in the conscious part of your brain and, hoping that maybe the very utterance of it will prevent a sick, cosmic jinx from occurring, you file it away and wish that for a time, you've staved off the monstrous, blood-curdling thought. It might be a one-time deal, or, it might be a recurring thought process this thinking of the "unthinkable." Nevertheless, when it washes or "re-washes" over you, your body sends out a red alert in the form of grisly, ice-cold fingers dancing up your spine or an entire colony of butterflies with squatters' rights laying claim to your stomach. Oh, I think you all probably know this experience - and probably wish you didn't.

As I wish right now.

Just a quick stroll through my archives here, titles alone, will acquaint new readers with my never-ending disgust, disdain and downright loathing toward CT's very own Senator Joseph I.(diot) LIE-berman - now known by self appointment as an"Independent Democrat." My psyche simply won't accommodate a review of the multitude of reasons for my scorn - call it a protective device - and, I'd like to hold on to the little bit of sanity that DOES remain having lived in bushworld for 7+ long, SO VERY long years now. At times when I've really thought that things couldn't possibly get worse, I've always had Holy Joe around to remind me that indeed, they can. And they did. And, if I just hadn't thought one of those thoughts that SHOULD have just perished, maybe I wouldn't have to raise this alarm again.

I said it in wry jest at the time - months ago. Folks laughed. Hey, so did I!

But, I'm not laughing now. Especially since I've seen the same spectral thought just beginning to float around other blogs.

McCain. Lieberman. McCain. Lieberman. McCain. Lieberman...come on..say it with me now....McCain. Lieberman. McCain. Lieberman..anything coming to mind yet?

For those of you not already sickened enough by the thought of Pillsbury Doughboy McCain's peculiar, to say the least, embracing of The Decider on stage following a most brutal and vicious attack/smear/whisper campaign on his family engineered by "bush's Brain" the LAST time 70 year old McCain tried to work out his pathology on the American people, FOREVER nullifying McCain supporters' claim that he's a man of "honor," try on the visual of Lieberman standing by his side as he announces his running mate.

Sorry. I should have warned you. Does the thought disgust and repulse you the way it does me? And that's WITHOUT considering the ramifications of it all. We're simply talking "thought" here.

Some days, it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. Can someone throw me a blankie please?



"There is nothing worse than gangrene of the soul."Mike Malloy 1/20/05

Is God talking to you TOO, Senator Obama?

Sorry, folks. I don't know about you but I'VE HAD MY FILL of the religiously insane.

*cut and pasted from Salon. com with full credit to author and institution.

Barack Obama: "Committed Christian -- Called to Bring Change"

Are there differences between Mike Huckabee's and Barack Obama's overt political appeals as Christians?
Glenn Greenwald

Jan. 21, 2008 (updated below - Update II)

Mike Huckabee has been widely criticized for his overt religious appeals to win votes. One of the most criticized aspects of his campaign was a television ad he ran in Iowa and South Carolina pointedly describing himself as a "Christian leader":

Today, Greg Sargent posted a brochure which the Obama campaign is distributing in South Carolina which seem to include religious appeals at least as overt and explicit as anything Huckabee has done. The center page of the brochure proclaims -- in the largest letters on the page -- that Obama is a "COMMITTED CHRISTIAN," and includes three pictures of Obama, all of which show him praying or preaching in a Church, and also includes a fourth picture: of the interior of a Church with a large cross lurking in the background. The page also says that Obama is "guided by his Christian faith" and quotes Obama saying: "We do what we do because God is with us."

That same page prints Obama's views "on the power of prayer," and -- using the same language George Bush has frequently used as a signifier to evangelical voters -- says that Obama is "Called to Christ," "Called to Bring Change" and "Called to Serve":

Similarly, the front page of the brochure shows Obama in a chin-on-hand contemplative posture and underneath, it reads: "Answering the Call." The last page shows two more pictures of Obama in Church, proclaims him again in large letters to be a "COMMITTED CHRISTIAN," and describes how he "felt a beckoning and accepted Jesus Christ into [his] life":

Sargent speculates that the brochure is an attempt to counter the false whispering campaign increasingly being circulated in South Carolina (by whom, we should find out) that Obama is a Muslim. That very well may be, but the brochure seems designed with a far broader purpose: namely, to signify to South Carolina's many Christian voters that Obama is one of them and therefore should have their vote for President, much the way that Huckabee sought to court the evangelical vote that was so critical to the GOP Iowa caucus.

Leave aside whether what Huckabee and/or Obama are doing is inappropriate or not. Given how much religion has been infused into our politics, especially our Republican politics, I didn't really think that anything Huckabee was doing was particularly unusual. It seems more like a mild, natural extension of the direction in which we've been headed for some time. That, for the moment, is not the issue.

Clearly, there are major differences between Huckabee's views on the role of religion in government and Obama's, as evidenced most recently by Huckabee's call for the Constitution to be amended to comport with God's will on abortion and homosexuality. Obama has no such positions (and I agree with both Pam Spaulding and Andrew Sullivan that Obama's speech yesterday at Ebenezer Baptist Church was courageous and, in several important respects, admirable in the extreme).

But in terms of the propriety of their religious appeals for votes, is there really any meaningful difference between the two campaigns? Is it possible to criticize Huckabee for inappropriately exploiting his status in Iowa as a "Christian leader" -- as many, many people did -- while believing that Obama's hailing of himself in South Carolina as a "Committed Christian" is perfectly fine? What's the difference?

UPDATE: For all those angrily objecting to the notion that Huckabee and Obama are the same: nobody is arguing that they are. At least I'm not arguing that, as I think I made quite clear.

Instead, I'm focusing solely on Huckabee's explicit religious appeal for votes, which conveys this message: "Like you, I'm a Christian; my Christianity is central to who I am and how I will lead; and therefore, as a devout Christian, you should vote for me for President." Huckabee was criticized extensively for that appeal. Does anyone doubt that this same message is at least part of the brochure which the Obama campaign is circulating in South Carolina? Regardless of the numerous, significant differences between them, how can one be criticized while the other be defended for employing what seems to be the same tactic?

UPDATE II: Hordes of Obama supporters are claiming in comments and elsewhere that this brochure was nothing more than a perfectly innocent attempt to counter the whispering campaign that Obama is a Muslim. As I indicated, I think that probably is one of the purposes, although there would seem to be lots of other ways to do that other than by creating something this overt. If Obama supporters are really intent on denying that part of the purpose here is to appeal to Christain voters by emphasizing Obama's "COMMITTED CHRISTIANITY," I suppose there is no way to persuade anyone otherwise.

But I do think this question should be answered: the "Obama-is-a-Muslim" whispering campaign has been around for a long, long time -- more than a year ago, it made national headlines. If the primary purpose of this flier -- as Obama supporters insist -- was simply to rebut that false claim, why didn't Obama distribute this Christian brochure to Democrats in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada? Why is it only the heavily Christian South Carolina Democrats who received it? Didn't he want to rebut the Muslim claims in other states besides South Carolina?

Finally, just to underscore the point (again), I'm not arguing that Obama has done anything wrong here. As I said, I thought much of the criticism of Huckabee for making overt religious appeals was overblown because that's become the norm for our political culture. My point is simply that, with regard to this specific tactic of appealing to voters based on shared religious beliefs, Huckabee and Obama seem to be engaged in more or less the same exercise, and therefore, it's irrational to criticize one while defending the other. Atrios makes the same point in a slightly different way.

Saint Obama? Hardly.

As I pointed out 2 blogs ago, I have a verrrry creeeepy feeling about Senator Obama for previously stated reasons. Well, well, well, now whaddya know...looks like we might be getting our first glimpses of Obama's TRUE colors???

Alleged slumlord and indicted businessman Antoin 'Tony' Rezko has long supported
the Democratic presidential hopeful, who has returned related donations.

By Dan Morain and Tom Hamburger
Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

January 23 2008

CHICAGO — Hillary Rodham Clinton dropped the name of Barack Obama's
Chicago patron into the South Carolina debate Monday night, putting front and
center a tangled relationship that has the potential to undermine Obama's image
as a candidate whose ethical standards are distinctly higher than those of his
main opponent.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-rezko23jan23,0,6946018.story?coll=la-home-center


Visit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com

Martin Luther King's Son Speaks..no, Obama, not to you...

Reprinted below is a letter sent to Senator John Edwards from Dr. King's son, Martin Luther King, III.

Keep sluggin' it out, Hillary and Barack. Let's see if we can figure out which one of you is blacker, ok? Meanwhile, the rest of us will continue to fight for Senator Edwards - the only one AMONG you who DOES carry the legacy of OUR hero, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Honorable John R. Edwards

410 Market Street

Suite 400

Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Dear Senator Edwards:

It was good meeting with you yesterday and discussing my father's legacy. On the day when the nation will honor my father, I wanted to follow up with a personal note.

There has been, and will continue to be, a lot of back and forth in the political arena over my father's legacy. It is a commentary on the breadth and depth of his impact that so many people want to claim his legacy. I am concerned that we do not blur the lines and obscure the truth about what he stood for: speaking up for justice for those who have no voice.I appreciate that on the major issues of health care, the environment, and the economy, you have framed the issues for what they are - a struggle for justice. And, you have almost single-handedly made poverty an issue in this election. You know as well as anyone that the 37 million people living in poverty have no voice in our system. They don't have lobbyists in Washington and they don't get to go to lunch with members of Congress. Speaking up for them is not politically convenient.

But, it is the right thing to do.

I am disturbed by how little attention the topic of economic justice has received during this campaign. I want to challenge all candidates to follow your lead, and speak up loudly and forcefully on the issue of economic justice in America.

From our conversation yesterday, I know this is personal for you. I know you know what it means to come from nothing. I know you know what it means to get the opportunities you need to build a better life. And, I know you know that injustice is alive and well in America, because millions of people will never get the same opportunities you had.

I believe that now, more than ever, we need a leader who wakes up every morning with the knowledge of that injustice in the forefront of their minds, and who knows that when we commit ourselves to a cau se as a nation, we can make major strides in our own lifetimes.

My father was not driven by an illusory vision of a perfect society. He was driven by the certain knowledge that when people of good faith and strong principles commit to making things better, we can change hearts, we can change minds, and we can change lives.

So, I urge you: keep going. Ignore the pundits, who think this is a horserace, not a fight for justice. My dad was a fighter. As a friend and a believer in my father's words that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, I say to you: keep going. Keep fighting.

My father would be proud.

Sincerely,

Martin Luther King III

Flim Flam Obama Man

Well, Senator Obama, "there you go again." You just can't seem to get out of your own way, can you?!

After it became crystal clear to me that your candidacy, regardless of your so-called "visionary speeches," lacks substance, leadership, originality and a concrete plan I could sink my teeth into, a picture of such transparency emerged that I'd speculate that even typical, uninformed Americans (hopefully awakening) could recognize your platform as a classic smoke screens 'n mirrors act. IF paying attention. And, I'm being nice.

I've been watching you comport yourself quite keenly. Those of us, who take our responsibility of choosing our leaders carefully, often do. You came bounding out onto the stage in Boston, MA, at the Democratic National Convention, handsome, open, a sight for our sore eyes. And there you were; full of promise, for All of us. Who could NOT have been moved and inspired by your motivational message that promised us a light in the darkness, and hope vs. despair? I liked you. A lot. Then.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I still do like you. I'd like ANY of our talented Democrats over ANY Republican ANY day of the week. But, here are a few things I DON'T like.

I don't like the naivete you demonstrate when you think that political correctness trumps the realities we face ahead in going head to toe with filthy, smarmy, lying "swiftboaters" who are already gunning their engines waiting to "attack" you or ANY Democratic candidate without mercy until they're SURE that they've got MSM aboard for the ride. Do you REALLY think that they might give you a pass - perhaps because they're too worried about the ramifications of dragging race into their hulls maybe? Take a look around you, Senator. They already have. And while I'm on the topic - does the name Karl Rove mean anything to you? I'd bet it does. But maybe not for the same reason I cite him here. Assuming you are NOT a manifestation and result of one of his ever-reaching, never-ending talons, I'd suggest you have one of your staffers give you a quick update on the author of the "New and Revised Classic Dirty Tricksters 101." Aka: 'bush's Brain.' Might serve you well.

I don't like that through careful research and comparison of candidate records, I've discovered that there again, your plan is void of concreteness, unlike Senator Edwards' illuminates and details. In fact, MUCH of what you speak to is not only AFTER the fact, but is taken directly from Edwards' playbook. Come on, Senator Obama. We're not stupid here! We can read. We can tell time. We can compare voting records, research money trails and distinguish one from the other. Really, we can.

And we do.

I find nothing terribly focused on your webpages, nor, in your spoken words. Oh, sure, I find lots of Mr. Nice-Guy talk which is lovely indeed. In fact, if I were like many other Amurkins right now, I'd be supporting you simply because I might "enjoy a beer with you." Or tea. But, I'm not.

Or, if I were like many other Americans, I might decide to back or NOT back you based on race, color, gender or creed. But, you see, Senator Obama, when I'm deciding who it is I will support to be the President of the United States (not to be confused with the current Supreme Court appointed squatter in our White House), I'm looking to find one who will talk the tough talk, walk the straight walk DIRECTLY to the problems we face. And oh, yes, one more thing...I DO want someone who is organized - certainly not the portrait you painted for us at the last debate per your own words. Visions of you appearing on Inauguration Day with "post-it notes" stuck all over your new Brooks Brothers' suit frightened me more than most of your attempts to show us who you really are. If you can't prioritize CRITICALLY, IMMEDIATELY, demonstrating EXCELLENT command of all factors necessary for successful decision making and leadership, well, I'm sorry - you're simply not the man, woman, black, white, gay, lesbian, Christian, atheist, or WHATEVER for me.

But you know what REALLY gassed me, Senator?

Ronald Reagan.

What, Senator Obama, what in Planet Earth's name were you thinking????

Or, let me rephrase that....WERE you thinking when you cited him as an agent of change yesterday? Do you know your HISTORY???

And no, your attempt at spin did not work with me. Sorry. It just didn't.

Wanna know my GREATEST concern, Senator Obama? Something very deep inside me, call it intuition if you will, tells me that you are not who you say you are.

In fact, Barack Obama, WHO are you?

Hmmmmmm. I wonder.





"There is nothing worse than gangrene of the soul."Mike Malloy 1/20/05

Ned Lamont Who?

With fury, I sent the following to Mr. Ned Lamont upon learning of his endorsement of Barack Obama.

The following, a letter just sent to him, represents my utter disgust. Trust me - I'll have more to say later.

Mr. Lamont -

I'd met you at your original campaign meeting in New Haven in a school cafeteria - then, when John Edwards, WHO CAME TO SUPPORT YOU, at Yale.

I view your endorsement of Obama to be the EPITOME of poor judgement and hypocrisy of the highest order.

I worked VERY hard for you, gave you $$, made countless calls, blog entries, etc. because I believed in you. This action of yours makes NO political or professional sense to me.

Thus, I want you to know that not only have you lost my support in any of your future political endeavors, but that of ALL those whom are influenced by my voice.

Clearly, something is very "rotten in Denmark" here. It's also clear you're not how you presented yourself.

I guess, Mr. Lamont, that in the end, corporate money DOES rule you.

Sincerely -
XXX

We sleep. Edwards works.

This is what I want in my president. Not a faithful napper and one who's in bed while most Americans are just getting home from work. How 'bout you?

"While everyone else goes to bed tonight," he told a Nashua audience, "I'm going to be out working."

THAT is what I want in a President. A FIGHTER. A HARD worker. Someone who will fight and work for ME and not Halliburton or Novartis - or whoever gave them the most money to get them elected.

"Democrat John Edwards, meanwhile, mounted an all-night bus tour of the state, with early morning stops planned for Berlin, Littleton and Claremont, with 10 more events throughout the day and evening. "While everyone else goes to bed tonight," he told a Nashua audience, "I'm going to be out working.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080107/ap_po/campaign_rdp_...

379 days left till Inauguration Day

Go, go! Go, Johnny Go, Johnny IS Good!

Is it "personal" for YOU, yet??? It is for me.

Edwards: "We have a battle in front of us. We do."

From last night's debate: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/05/us/politics/05text-dd...

I want to say just -- I want to say a quick word about this. You know, it is true that these entrenched interests -- whether you're talking about oil companies, drug companies, gas companies, whoever -- these entrenched interests are literally stealing our children's future. They have a stranglehold on this democracy and they are having an incredibly destructive force on the middle class, on families being able to do what my family has done and so many who are sitting here have been able to do. And the problem is you can't be with those people, take their money and then challenge them. It doesn't work.

You have to be willing to actually stand up and say no -- no to lobbyist money, no to PAC money, no corporate lobbyists working for me in the White House.

If you intend to take them on, and if it is personal for you -- and this is extraordinarily personal for me -- if it's personal for you, then you can be successful bringing about the change.Teddy Roosevelt -- just one quick example -- Teddy Roosevelt -- Teddy Roosevelt, a great American president -- he didn't make deals with the monopolies and the trusts. Teddy Roosevelt took them on, busted the monopolies, busted the trusts. That's what it's going to take.

We have a battle in front of us. We do. I don't think we have a problem with politicians in Washington spending enough time with lobbyists and going to cocktail parties. They do it all the time. They do it every single day, and I'll tell you who's paying the price for those cocktail parties: Natalie Sarkisian, every single American who doesn't have health care coverage, everybody who's going to the gas pump and paying so much money for their gas. When are we going to have a president who actually takes these people on? That's what I'm going to do.

I actually completely agree that it's the responsibility of the president to unite and galvanize the American people. It is also the responsibility of the president -- and I will do it -- to work with members of Congress to get things done. But these entrenched, moneyed interests that have a stranglehold on the middle class, that are doing -- incredibly destructive to American jobs and health care system, energy, all taxes, trade, they're in everything. Absolutely everything. You cannot nice these people to death. It doesn't work. I have been in the trenches fighting them for my whole adult life.And it takes strength, backbone, fight, and you have to take them on.

Transcript: Democratic Debate in New Hampshire, January 5, 2008http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/05/us/politics/05text-dd...

JOHN EDWARDS FOR PRESIDENT!!!

America, oh America, please wake up. John Edwards is the only leader among the "business as usual" Dems and I regret that I have not enough time to explain why. I'm begging those of the intelligent population who read my blog to trust me and do the record search necessary in order for me to have come to the ONLY conclusion: John Edwards is our only hope.

Will follow as soon as I can find the time with a blog to describe my personal discussion with him on New Year's Eve from Iowa facilitated by a dear friend. I'd already met him in person and I can assure you that both personally and professionally, it is my FERVENT belief that he is the only one who can truly make this the "One America" he is dedicating his life to.

'Nuff said.

More to follow.

Auld Lang Syne - Good Bye, Bush!

And Happy Birthday to John Denver who lives forever on through his music.

386 days left till Inauguration Day! Start packin', Bozo. We are taking our country back!!!

Hey, Ms. Pelosi...

It's the day after Christmas, Madame Speaker.

Our troops are still in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ohhhhhh, I get it - you probably didn't know that, huh?

Obstruction of justice - does that ring a bell? And no, Nancy, I'm not talking about the prez here. I'm talking about YOU!

Bad bad Republicans preventing you from doing your job, eh?

You do know what happens when you look into the abyss, Ms. Pelosi....right?

Dear Santa: My Christmas List

1. IMPEACHMENT
2. IMPEACHMENT
3. IMPEACHMENT
4. IMPEACHMENT
5. IMPEACHMENT
6. IMPEACHMENT
7. IMPEACHMENT
8. IMPEACHMENT
9. IMPEACHMENT
10.IMPEACHMENT

P.S. Please don't think I'm being greedy, Santa but I just want one more thing, ok?

IMPEACHMENT!!!

Dan Fogelberg: 1951-2007

Magic Every Moment

written and sung by

Dan Fogelberg 1951-2007

I awoke this morning to a shattering sound And I went downstairs and found these shards of glass strewn all around And there upon the floor I found this poor broken dove And it made me realize how very fragile is this life that we so love.

I came back up to bed and I held you so tight And I prayed up to the Father, oh I prayed with all my might That He'd always keep you with me, that He'd always keep you safe And when I went downstairs I found that dove had somehow up and flown away.

Refrain: There's a magic every moment There's a miracles each day There's a magic every moment Oh won't you let the music play Oh won't you let the music play

On a high and windy island I was gazing out to sea When a long forgotten feeling came and took control of me It was then the clouds burst open and the sun came pouring through When it hit those dancing waters in an instant all eternity I knew

There's so much we take for granted, there's so much we never say We get caught up in the motion of just a living day to day We are fettered to the future, we are prisoners of the past And we never seem to notice 'til our lives have finally slipped right through our grasp

Refrain: There's a magic every moment There's a miracles each day There's a magic every moment Oh won't you let the music play Oh won't you let the music play

You can see forever in a single drop of dew You can see that same forever if you look down deep inside of you There's a spark of the creator in every living thing He respects me when I work but He so loves me when I sing and play

Refrain: There's a magic every moment There's a miracles each day There's a magic every moment Oh won't you let the music play Oh won't you let the music playThere's a magic every moment There's a miracles each day There's a magic every moment Oh won't you let the music play Oh won't you let the music play

Thank you, Dan. Your music lives on.

THIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!!

WE DO NOT TORTURE!!!

A WAR CRIME...DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT??? TORTURE IS A WAR CRIME!!!

I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK!!! CONGRESS!!! GET UP AND DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE!!!

NOW!

Because,

IF YOU DO NOT, AND REMAIN DERELICT IN YOUR DUTY, THIS LITTLE "EXPERIMENT" CALLED DEMOCRACY IS DEAD.

DEAD.

Pardon me. I am too heartbroken to write any more.

Peace.

Mary

Republicans Who Voted For Continual Troop Slaughter...

HERE THEY STAND BEFORE YOU. KNOW THEIR NAMES. MEMORIZE THEM. KNOW WHO AMONG OUR SENATORS REFUSES TO BRING OUR PRECIOUS RESOURCES HOME. ALIVE. WHOLE. IF ANY OF THEM ARE YOURS, YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO. WE ARE AMERICANS FIRST.


Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Reid (D-NV)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Not Voting - 1

Johnson (D-SD) ABSENT

If I need to explain to you why Reid's name is among them, sorry, you'll have to look it up. Beyond that, anyone notice the red initial after their name? Color their hands in the color of blood; "R" is what follows their name.

Glad to see a few Republicans waking up. Sure. Nice. Certainly you don't think the fact that you're up for re-election may have anything to do with your sudden change of heart and taking baby-steps toward ultimately RUNNING from these liars you continually handed your brains to? And I'm not even gonna TOUCH how you dealt with your conscience and in some cases, lack thereof. Don't worry. We see through it.

Keep it going, Sir Conyers. You have consistently been a moral, admirable leader. We are behind you and you have our support.

Senator Reid - can you possibly benefit from some speech coaching perhaps? The lightness of your voice doesn't match the gravity of your words. Pat on the back for ya though, but frankly, it sure took you a long time coming to growing "some," if ya know what I mean. But, I guess better late than never. I'll give you credit for that.

Frankly, though, if Whatever Is or Whatever Isn't out there, I personally think we're screwed. I think the timing's off and though it appears we're making some progress, it may very well be "too much, too little, too late."

And, uh, Whatever or Nothing? I've never hoped I've been more wrong than anything in my life as in this moment.

America? ENOUGH!

America? IMPEACH.

And remember this, my fellow Americans; it's something I feel like typing out tonight rather than post in my usual signature line:

"There is nothing worse than gangrene of the soul."

Mike Malloy - 1/20/2005

It's all up to us now. All up to us.

Mandatory

Herewith is that "one good man."



All thanks and credit to Truthout.org.



VIDEO:

Olbermann: Bush, Cheney Should Resign

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/070407Y.shtml

Keith Olbermann's impassioned plea to President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney Tuesday evening, during the "special comment" segment of his news show "Countdown," was succinct: "resign."

Happy Birthday, Beloved America

bUSH PISSES ON THE RULE OF LAW..AGAIN!!!

IMPEACH THESE CRIMINALS
NOW!!!

SCOOTER LIBBY, CONVICTED FELON GOES FREE.

PARIS HILTON DID MORE TIME.

"There is nothing worse than gangrene of the soul."

One Question

Please bear with me and pardon my curiously, single-minded focus but, please, is there ANYONE? ANYONE? ANYONE out there who can answer me this?

WHY WHY WHY is this "ADMINISTRATION" still in office???

Senator Dodd...Are you listening???

After having been invited to a live chat with our respected Senator Dodd only to meet w/utter frustration in not being able to log on, I sent him the following "comment" below which followed an initial comment regarding the removal of oh, guess who...Lieberman!!! Not that I thought for one minute that he'd address it, I still believe that CT has one charge and one alone at the moment which is to get that traitor to Life and Country OUT OF OFFICE!!! I may as well go whistle in the wind for what it's worth but I thought I'd share my utter outrage and frustration here...not that YOU need any more in your own lives but sometimes, ya just gotta know you're not alone. Herewith is my rant to Senator Dodd free from any proofreading. Just too angry:

To Senator Dodd,

Listen, I hate to have to revisit something I've already attended to and please do forgive my "attitude" but after all, I've been living in bushworld along w/all of my citizens here and I am just damn fed up. Since I couldn't get on the live chat either, what I need you to know is that I can't POSSIBLY give consideration to new proposals at this moment and it comes from my underlying philosophy that you cannot build a mansion on swampland. THIS ADMINISTRATION IS THE SWAMP...IF YOU DON'T DO SOMETHING NOW TO GET THEM OUT OF OFFICE, NONE OF YOUR PLANS WILL BE WORTH ONE DAMN OF ANYTHING! I hear NOTHING from you about impeachment (and don't DARE tell me it's a waste of time...OUR CONSTITUTION PROVIDES FOR THIS SITUATION we're now in and to dismiss it simply because elections are next year is as much of a high crime to me as was the DEBASEMENT of the Constitution for B.S. reasons during the Clinton era. Your platitudes are lovely - I support your overall ideas but for God sakes, who is the leader who is going to speak the ULTIMATE truth to power and restore the rule of law, end this fing war and return our DEMOCRACY BACK to the people? C'mon, Senator, let's start at the basics, ok? Healthcare, (and this is from an RN), hedge funds, the economy...you NAME it...NONE OF IT is going to matter if these criminals continue toward their own version of Armaggedon which quite frankly, I, nor my children are NOT interested in participating in. As a lifelong Dem, I cannot possibly articulate the level of disgust and disdain I have for leaders of BOTH parties so, Senator Dodd, I beg you..can you begin to talk turkey here? I do believe it's within you. I have to lest I begin to stick needles in my own eyes. Are you HEARING me??? Are you listening??? Is anyone??? And needless to say I hope, not one damn dime from me until I see some accountability. You are most welcome to call me or even appear at my door if it pleases you but as of this moment in time, not one of you will receive any support from me. You are a good man - that is not the issue...but it is LONG OVERDUE for ONE good man to come forth and do what is right and holy. I'm done.
reply

Uh, Hello Out There...

AMERICA!!!

WAKE UP!!!

NOW!!!


That's all I have to say.

Lieberman's Response

If it weren't so pathetically frightening, I'd find humor in the fact that Lieberman's staff can't even properly respond to the selected category the options on his website present. I have to wonder what he's got them tied up doing for him if they can't even provide the right automated reply. As noted, I checked "Terrorism" as the topic, though, come to think of it, it works for Cheney too. With that, here is Warlord Lieberman's response to my whuppin'....


June 12, 2007

Ms. Mary F.
West Haven, CT 06516

Dear Ms. F:

Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns about Vice President Dick Cheney. I appreciate the time you took to share your views with me.

The government of the United States is unique because it structurally decentralizes, divides, disperses, and limits power. Article II, Section 4 of the United States Constitution outlines the provisions regarding impeachment. The framers adopted a narrow view of the English practice of impeachment, and it has only been carried out on a select few occasions in our nation's history. Congress must first confront whether the conduct in question falls within the constitutional parameters of "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors" before contemplating impeachment of a federal official.

Elections have consequences, and that is why we should be extremely reluctant to employ impeachment except for exceptional circumstances. Impeaching Vice President Cheney would undoubtedly not succeed but would distract Congress from achieving progress on important issues such as health care, education, the environment, and global warming.

My official Senate web site is designed to be an on-line office that provides access to constituent services, Connecticut-specific information, and an abundance of information about what I am working on in the Senate on behalf of Connecticut and the nation. I am also pleased to let you know that I have launched an email news update service through my web site. You can sign up for that service by visiting http://lieberman.senate.gov and clicking on the "Subscribe Email News Updates" button at the bottom of the home page. I hope these are informative and useful.

Thank you again for letting me know your views and concerns. Please contact me if you have any additional questions or comments about our work in Congress.

A
Joseph I. Lieberman
UNITED STATES SENATORSincerely,






JIL:ae

SHUT UP, JOE LIEBERMAN, SHUT UP!!!

The following was sent to his official address. As stated, I will post for all of you his reply when received.


With all due respect, SENATOR, I chose "Terrorism" as the obvious subject here because YOU, Sir, with you utterly insane comments regarding bombing IRAN, demonstrate the highest form of the same.

WHAT IS IN YOUR HEAD, TELL ME PLEASE??? And just WHOSE children do you think you'll be sending to support such lunacy? Yours? Your grandchildren? Well, let me tell YOU something, SIR, you will NEVER, EVER see MY children work to support your bloodthirsty, war-mongering mentality...but the irony is, it's really nothing we have to seriously trouble ourselves about it, is it now. Because once we launch the first nuclear attack, ALL of us will be history.

I will fight your installation as a senator who represents my Democratic philosophy to my bitter end - however that may be - but I hope that for GOD SAKES you consider ALL the CHILDREN before you spew your lust to kill for YOUR personal agenda and let's face it, I think we know where your true loyalties lie, now don't we, Senator Joseph Lieberman!!!

Expect to see your response to me posted on my blog.

Ciao,

Your friend,

Mary

Finally! A win-win for ALL!

SEND THE MONKEY TO ALBANIA!

THEY LOVE HIM! THEY EVEN LIKE TO RUB HIS HEAD JUST LIKE HIS FAMILIAL ANCESTRY LOVES!!!

THAT'S IT!

ALBANIANS? TAKE HIM!!! YOU SEEM LIKE NICE ENOUGH FOLK... YOU CAN HAVE HIM! JUST DON'T EVER, EVER LET US HAVE TO 'LOOK UPON HIS LIKE' AGAIN.

IS THAT ASKING TOO MUCH???

I'm sorry but SOMEONE'S got to say it....

The Sopranos.

In a 24/7 with a bonus "x 3 days now" to be liberal, the "news" has revolved around the fate of Paris Hilton and pre-hype attached to the last episode of a television, not for real, crime family. IF I understand the show content never having viewed it as I simply had no interest in it, it begs the question. If this show can garner such interest from the public, why can't what's happening in REAL life engineered by a REAL crime family get the attention of the so-called mainstream and cable media???

Don't we as a society have the obligation to be told the truth by the authority we grant them by electing them into office? Is this the truth of our lives that we concern ourselves with this and not the other? Again, I implore. What does that SAY about us? Voyeurs of other peoples' make-believe dramas. I really don't understand.

I'm a FIRM believer in the necessity of R/R mentally, physically and spiritually. As a nurse I took a sacred vow to care for the well-being of others in those realms. I look around and discover I can't even find the words to address what I see and try to make sense of what's happening...and then I turn to the news...Paris Hilton. The Sopranos.

Can someone...anyone..explain this to me?

Paris Hilton

THIS is news.



What kind of people are we? I mean really. What kind of people are we?


I shudder to think.

Lyin' Libby Layin' Low...

Those of us who still care about the sanctity of the rule of law can breathe a wee bit easier now that I. Scooter Lewis Libby Liar Extraordinaire has been rendered a sentence of a 2 yr imprisonment accompanied by a $250,000 fine (a mere pittance when you have a legal defense fund of nearly $5 million based on the benevolence and generosity of fellow colleagues who make clear their own contempt for justice with their pocketbooks and letters of support. ) Imagine that...even retired Generals come forth to request mercy and leniency for this very small man - without him, surely their livelihoods might have been in danger had this little man not played the role he did in his attempt to make sure that the war machine was kept well oiled by doing the bidding of Darth Cheney, who was seeking to cover-up his own role in leaking the name of an undercover CIA agent to the phony media, in an act of revenge toward her husband, Joseph Wilson, who confirmed what others already knew by reporting via the New York Times that indeed, the 16 words uttered by the Decider in the 2003 SOTU address were false. And just think, the rest of us only had to read the Downing Street Memo to learn the truth. Well, the THINKING rest of us which according to recent polls, suggest the majority of Americans are in the process of becoming.

Thank you, Sir. Patrick Fitzgerald for your dogged insistence that truth still matters, for removing at least one of the curtains that stand between truth and this dangerous administration, for remaining steadfast and professional while you dwelled in the shady underworld all things Cheney and bush represent and finally, for letting the American people know that corruption, perjury and obstruction of justice remain the grievous crimes our forefathers intended them to be. Watch your back though, Mr. Fitzgerald. No one knows better than you the kinds of folks you're dealing with but still, watch your back. These people will stop at nothing and let's not forget that cloud you spoke of hanging over the head of Grampy Cheney. Let's never forget.

With all credit given to the New York Times, the details of yesterday's ruling are as follows:

By NEIL A. LEWIS
Published: June 6, 2007

WASHINGTON, June 5 — I. Lewis Libby Jr., the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney and one of the principal architects of President Bush’s foreign policy, was sentenced Tuesday to 30 months in prison for lying during a C.I.A. leak investigation that became part of a fierce debate over the war in Iraq.

The sentence ordered by Judge Reggie B. Walton of Federal District Court and his refusal so far to delay its enactment means that Mr. Libby may have to report to prison in about two months. That was expected to prompt Mr. Libby’s supporters to accelerate their calls for Mr. Bush to grant him a pardon, although a White House spokeswoman offered a discouraging view of that possibility Tuesday.

Mr. Libby, who was once one of the most powerful men in government and was heavily involved in planning both Iraq wars, stood calmly in the well of the court as Judge Walton said he appreciated his long service to the country, the record of which was put forward by his lawyers as an argument for probation and no prison time.

But, the judge said, “People who occupy these types of positions, where they have the welfare and security of the nation in their hands, have a special obligation to not do anything that might create a problem.”

Judge Walton, who presided over the trial that ended in March with Mr. Libby’s conviction on four felony counts, said the evidence was overwhelming that Mr. Libby had obstructed justice and lied to a grand jury and F.B.I. agents investigating the disclosure of the identity of a Central Intelligence Agency operative, Valerie Wilson.

The sentence was several months longer than the minimum recommended by federal sentencing guidelines, based on what Judge Walton said was his agreement with prosecutors that Mr. Libby’s crimes obscured an investigation into a serious matter and that his lies obliged the government to engage in a long and costly investigation that might have been avoided had he told the truth.

If Mr. Libby goes to prison, he will be the first senior White House official to do so since the days of Watergate, when several of President Richard M. Nixon’s top aides, including H. R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman, served prison terms.

In the second setback to Mr. Libby, Judge Walton refused a request by defense lawyers to delay the sentence until Mr. Libby’s appeals are exhausted. Unless the judge reverses his position, as Mr. Libby’s lawyers will press for in arguments next week, or unless Mr. Bush grants a pardon, the Bureau of Prisons is expected to order Mr. Libby to report to a federal prison in the next 45 to 60 days.

Mr. Bush, who learned of the sentence while traveling in Europe, expressed sympathy for Mr. Libby and his family through a spokeswoman, Dana Perino, who was accompanying the president on Air Force One from the Czech Republic to Germany. But as to the possibility of a pardon, Ms. Perino said only, “The president has not intervened so far in this or any other criminal matter, so he’s going to decline to do so now as well.”

Several Republicans advisers close to the White House, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Tuesday that they were perplexed as to why Mr. Bush seemed reluctant to acquiesce in pardoning Mr. Libby. Mr. Bush has pardoned more than 100 people so far, but none have been prominent.

An intriguing question for many is what role Mr. Cheney will play in pressing Mr. Bush to grant a pardon. In a statement, Mr. Cheney noted that Mr. Libby was appealing the verdict and said that he and his wife, Lynne, “hope that our system will return a final result consistent with what we know of this fine man.”

Judge Walton issued his sentence after intense arguments by both sides over the significance of Mr. Libby’s crimes, and after sifting through scores of letters asking for leniency that were sent to the court by notable figures, including former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger, former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, and Paul D. Wolfowitz, who recently resigned as president of the World Bank and who is a former professor and government supervisor of Mr. Libby. Neither Mr. Bush nor Mr. Cheney were among the 150 people who wrote letters of support.

In addition, Mr. Libby, who did not testify in his own defense at the trial, delivered a brief statement, asking Judge Walton to “consider, along with the jury verdict, my whole life.” Mr. Libby, who has continued to maintain his innocence, did not offer any words that would have hinted at an acknowledgment of wrongdoing.

Mr. Libby was not charged with leaking Ms. Wilson’s name, which first appeared in a column by Robert D. Novak on July 14, 2003. Mr. Novak’s sources were later revealed to be Richard L. Armitage, a former deputy secretary of state, and Karl Rove, Mr. Bush’s senior political adviser in the White House, neither of whom was charged with violating the law prohibiting the disclosure of the identities of C.I.A. officers.

But Mr. Libby was indicted on charges of lying about his conversations with reporters about Ms. Wilson. Mr. Libby argued that the three reporters who contradicted his grand jury testimony were incorrect and that, in any event, he was too pressed by other business to remember details about any conversations concerning Ms. Wilson.

A Libby defense lawyer, Theodore V. Wells Jr., asked Judge Walton to sentence Mr. Libby to probation or home confinement. He urged the judge to take account of Mr. Libby’s long record as a public official, saying that was not an appeal for special treatment but for consideration of the way he had lived his life. Mr. Wells said Mr. Libby had already been punished, through “public humiliation,” hate mail, the virtually certain loss of his license to practice law and the desire of some people to make him “the poster child” for all that has gone wrong with the Iraq war.
“He has fallen from public grace,” Mr. Wells said, his voice dropping to a hush. “It is a tragic fall.”
Many of Mr. Libby’s supporters have hoped he would remain free on bail for more than a year during any appeals. In that view, Mr. Bush might find it more palatable to issue a pardon down the road, perhaps just before leaving office.

A spokeswoman for a legal defense fund on behalf of Mr. Libby would not comment Tuesday. But several of the fund’s organizers have urged that Mr. Libby be pardoned if necessary to avoid a prison sentence, including Fred D. Thompson, (keep your eyes on THIS scary monster) the actor and former senator from Tennessee who has made it clear that he is likely to seek the Republican nomination for president.(p>
In court on Tuesday, the chief prosecutor, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, urged Judge Walton to issue a stiff sentence that would “send a message that the truth matters.” Mr. Fitzgerald said Mr. Libby’s misstatements had made it difficult for law enforcement officers to figure out the truth “in a hall of mirrors.”

In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Walton fined Mr. Libby $250,000. There is no parole in the federal system, but an inmate may be eligible for a reduction of up to 54 days a year for good behavior.

Judge Walton, who is generally regarded as a firm, by-the-book jurist, rejected the request to delay enacting the sentence. The judge said there was no issue that Mr. Libby’s lawyers could appeal that seemed to present a reasonable chance of succeeding. But he relented somewhat and said they could file briefs next week detailing their arguments that there were two reasonable grounds for appeal: that Mr. Fitzgerald’s appointment as a special counsel was improper and that Judge Walton had erred in prohibiting the defense team from presenting experts on the fallibility of human memory.

The only other figure from the Bush White House to have been convicted of a serious crime is David Safavian, a lower-ranking official who has been sentenced to 18 months in connection with the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. Mr. Safavian’s sentence has been stayed pending his appeal.

Jim Rutenberg contributed reporting.

The tangled web has had a few threads removed but, the cloud still remains.

Feel welcome to visit my store for all your jewelry needs at:
http://www.freewebs.com/rkymtnmary/

War on Health Foods..vitamin supplements and herbs...

And just when you thought you might have found an alternative to traditional medicine, now presenting:


Codex Attack on Health Freedom,

VITAMINS AND MINERALS, HERBS, ORGANIC FOODS and RAW PRODUCE!

Share this information freely!



An international cartel is working with a special EU/WTO subsidiary, called "Codex," and plans to do the following in our country:

(1) Limit the number of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients which you can purchase.
(2) Of the few which will be permitted; the dosages will be so low as to render them useless.
(3) You will only be able to buy them through a physician’s prescription.
(4) You will only purchase them in a drugstore.
(5) Only synthetic vitamins will be available.
(6) Only approved drug companies will make them.
(7) You will pay very high prices for each tablet.
(8) It will become a crime to use any nutrients — even the permitted ones — in the treatment of any infirmity or disease. No one, including physicians, will be able to use them to "prevent, treat, or cure any condition or disease."



An immense German, U.S., and British drug cartel is behind this.

In addition, Codex is also working with some other groups:


(1) The chemical industry will require that all animals be treated with antibiotics and hormones.
(2) The largest seed company in the world intends that only genetically modified crops be planted by farmers.
(3) The nuclear industry plans that all food plants and livestock be irradiated— which is catastrophically detrimental to their nutritional value.
(4) Truly "organic" foods will end. When?

MANDATORY IN THE U.S. STARTING 12/31/2009





HELP US SAY NO TO CODEX AND GET THE WORD OUT WHILE THERE’S STILL TIME



As this is being written, our Congress and FDA in Washington are stealthily working against DSHEA—the Dietary Supplement Health Education Act that protects our right to choose supplements and alternative health modalities, through the passage of new bills that work to dismantle the protections we were promised when DSHEA was enacted. FDA and Congress are also working (FDA quite openly, Congress more covertly) toward the end of harmonizing our health laws with Codex Alimentarius.



LINKS TO HELP YOU TAKE ACTION:

http://www.iahf.com

http://www.newstarget.com

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/2006/04/11/codex_is_a_health_prohibition_agenda.htm

http://www.saveoursupplements.org/

Thank you, Senator Dodd.

Senator Dodd Votes Against Iraq Supplemental, Rejects President's War Plan

“I wish that I could look at Iraq and say, with a clear voice and a clean conscience: ‘I share our President’s confidence.’ But the truth tells me otherwise.”



May 24, 2007


Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today sent a strong message of disapproval to the President and conveyed the views of millions of Americans by speaking out against the Iraq War Supplemental legislation currently under consideration by the Senate. In explaining his decision to vote against the bill, Senator Dodd cited the lack of strong timetables for troop withdrawal, no definitive guidance to transition U.S. forces away from combat operations, an ambiguous mission and strategy, and a lack of accountability for both the President and the Iraqi government.



Senator Dodd had been a strong proponent the Feingold-Reid-Dodd proposal which contained timetables for troop withdrawal and mandated a responsible transition in mission, all backed by Congress’s constitutional power of the purse. By a vote of 67 to 29 on May 16, the Senate decided not to debate this amendment.



“I cannot, in good conscience, support the half-measure that has taken the place of Feingold-Reid-Dodd,” said Dodd. “Instead of establishing realistic timetables, this supplemental does one thing only: It delays for four months, until funding runs out again, the decision we all know is coming: ultimately, combat troops will be redeployed from Iraq. This bill allows four more months of reckless endangerment of our troops and our national security.”



Senator Dodd’s prepared remarks are below:



Mr. President, I rise today to announce that I am voting against the Iraq War supplemental.



I wish I didn’t have to.



I wish that I looked at Iraq and saw a stable, united government, a society free of terrorists and insurgents, and liberal democracy around the corner, if only we spent another billion dollars, or a hundred lives, or another year of waiting. I wish that our surge had, at long last, brought quiet to the tortured city of Baghdad. I wish that our President’s policies were working.



I wish that I could look at Iraq and say, with a clear voice and a clean conscience: “I share our President’s confidence.”



I wish; and even as I wish, the truth tells me otherwise. It tells me that 3,415 men and women in uniform have already sacrificed everything in Iraq, with no end in sight. It tells me that our military is being hollowed out by the Iraq experience, that two thirds of our Army in the United States and 88 percent of our National Guard are forced to report, “Not ready for duty, sir.” It tells me that the American people demand an end to this war, and that the Iraqi people—for whose sake we toppled a dictator and established elections, precisely so we could hear their voice—demand the same.



I look at this bill and I don’t see the truth in it. It exists in a world in which the President’s plans are all meeting their mark. It gives us a status-quo strategy that has failed and failed again. It writes the President a blank check.



I had hoped that this supplemental would have passed with strong timetables for withdrawal, a unambiguous line in the sand. A responsible supplemental would have established definitive guidance for the President to transition the mission of our forces away from combat operations. It would have defined that mission clearly as counter-terrorism, training of Iraqi forces, and American force protection. It would have required a diplomatic and economic strategy in Iraq. And it would have held both the President and the Iraqi government accountable. The Feingold-Reid-Dodd bill contained just such timetables, and mandated a responsible transition in mission, all backed by Congress’s constitutional power of the purse.



But I cannot, in good conscience, support the half-measure that has taken its place. Instead of establishing realistic timetables, this supplemental does one thing only: It delays for four months, until funding runs out again, the decision we all know is coming: ultimately, combat troops will be redeployed from Iraq. This bill allows four more months of reckless endangerment of our troops and our national security.



A Senator shouldn’t talk like that, some will say. I’ll be told I’m declaring surrender right here on the Senate floor. Those are the words that will come from the other side of the aisle, Mr. President, big, grand words—surrender, triumph, defeat, victory—words that will blur and swirl together until they lose all mooring in reality. The President’s supporters want to paint us a picture of a world in which we line up on a field of battle, the terrorists on one side and America on the other, and fight pitched warfare until one side waves the white flag.



But Iraq does not exist in that world. General Petraeus tells us that there will be no military solution; so does the Iraq Study Group. Senator Hagel, a war hero and member of the Foreign Relations Committee, tells us that “there will be no victory or defeat in Iraq….Iraq belongs to the 25 million Iraqis who live there….Iraq is not a prize to be won or lost.”



So I am not conceding defeat in Iraq—because there is no defeat to be conceded. There is only the hope that Sunni, Shia, and Kurd will reconcile in government, call off their militias and death squads, and turn against the foreign terrorists who have helped to spark this civl war. Our combat presence in Iraq cannot make that hope real. We can, and must, continue to assist the Iraqis in trying to reach these goals—but we cannot do it with military might alone. In the end, the challenges in Iraq can only be addressed through political means.



We are told, again and again, that we are failing to “support the troops”—support that is subject to only the vaguest of measurements: “messages” and “signals” and “resolve.”



We answer with fact. We answer with young lives lost and dollars squandered. We answer with the wisdom of James Baker and Lee Hamilton. We ask how any conceivable definition of “support” would leave our troops stranded in a civil war of strangers, with no mission or end in sight. And we say, unequivocally, that the only way to support our troops is to bring them home—now.



In fact, from the very outset of this war, it has been the President’s defense policies that have hollowed out our Armed Forces and further threatened our national security. To reverse this negligence, Democrats have taken concrete action for our troops, again and again.



In 2003, I offered an amendment to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill to add $322 million for critical protective gear identified by the Army, which the Bush Administration had failed to include in its budget. But it was blocked by the Administration and its allies.



In 2004 and 2005, I authored legislation, signed into law, to reimburse troops for equipment they had to purchase on their own, because the Rumsfeld Pentagon failed to provide them with the body armor and other gear they needed to stay alive.



And last year, working with Senators Inouye, Reed, and Stevens, I offered an amendment to help address a $17 billion budget shortfall to replace and repair thousands of war-battered tanks, aircraft, and vehicles. This provision was approved unanimously and enacted in law.



That, Mr. President, is support—support that can be measured, support that carries a cost beyond words.



And it is support that will continue, even if this supplemental fails, as it should. The Defense Department has ample funds to maintain our combat troops in Iraq until they can be withdrawn responsibly. The failure of this bill will not turn funds off like a spigot—the military simply does not work like that. Instead, our troops are supported by the more than $150 billion in the Pentagon’s regular Operations and Maintenance Account—and in the meantime, we might negotiate with the President for a responsible drawdown of combat troops. Any implication that we are stranding our soldiers in the desert—without fuel or bullets or rations—is totally specious.



And it follows that the President’s Memorial Day deadline is totally arbitrary. The lives of our troops are more important than the President’s vacation schedule! Why should he set timelines for Democrats but not for Iraqis?



Instead, let us vote down this bill and then join President Bush at the table, with the dignity befitting an equal branch of government, and the authority vested in us by the American people and our Constitution. Let us bring this disastrous war to a responsible end. And after four years of failed policy, let our voice be loud and unmistakeable: “This far, and no further.”

CT Democratic Youths On the Ball!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=G_n0RhGJSl4

You go, Youngun's! Great job! Caught right in their filthy, dirty tracks!

No Gas Day May 15th!

I offer you the following notice for your consideration; it's been announced in several major places but was then de-bunked by Snopes as not being true. In consideration of the fact that Snopes is not always known for its accuracy, it appears that many of the most legitimate activist groups are still supporting this. (which doesn't tend to influence me anyway as I'm capable of making my own decisions and forming my own opinions just as you are!). I simply want to put the info out here for you to be aware of this undertaking and my attitude is that if it's NOT legit, then it OUGHT to be legit and we, friends, can MAKE it legit. That's my soapbox for the moment.

Impeach, impeach, impeach. It's the only solution, politics be damned! This is OUR country last time I checked!


NO GAS...On May 15th 2007 Body: Don't pump gas on may 15th Body: ...in April 1997, there was a "gas out" conducted nationwide in protest of gas prices. Gasoline prices dropped 30 cents a gallon overnight. On May 15th 2007, all internet users are to not go to a gas station in protest of high gas prices. Gas is now over $3.00 a gallon in most places. There are 73,000,000+ American members currently on the internet network, and the average car takes about 30 to 50 dollars to fill up. If all users did not go to the pump on the 15th, it would take$2,292,000,000.00 (that's almost 3 BILLION) out of the oil companys pockets for just one day, so please do not go to the gas station on May 15th and lets try to put a dent in the Middle Eastern oil industry for at least one day. If you agree (which I cant see why you wouldnt) resend this to all your contact list. With it saying, ''Don't pump gas on May 15th."

"There is nothing worse than gangrene of the soul."

Mike Malloy 1/20/05"

Anything your opponent views as a weapon becomes so when wielded."

Tom Moore

4/29/2007

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Please Support and Join!

"Seeking grace in every step he takes...;

His sight is turned inside himself, he tries to understand,

the serenity of a clear, blue mountain sky -"John Denver - Rocky Mountain High - 1972http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWU8XWksg_0&mode=related&search=

"Over there, over there...."

Anyone want to place a bet with me that tonight's "address" the un-president is planning to give following his VETO to cut off the funding for Iraq will include several re-iterations of "we have to fight them there to keep the "turrists" from coming here?"


If Seung-Hui Cho were alive to cast a vote, I wonder what he'd say. But, since that can't happen, the only thing I feel obligated to state is, "Mr. Squatter - perhaps you may not have noticed as you've been a little busy engaged in cover-ups lately, I'd like to inform you that the "turrists," are already here. Always have been. Furthermore, Mr. Appointed One, they'll ALWAYS be here. But, hey, thanks for making sure with your war lust, you've created a whole lot MORE of them....over "there."

Mr. Resident?...You disgust me.

Btw, Sir. Happy Mission Accomplished Day.


**The thoughts and opinions expressed here belong to the author alone.

In Memoriam with Hearts Joined

Do not weep for me for I have not gone.

I am the wind that shakes the mighty Oak.

I am the gentle rain that falls upon your face.

I am the spring flower that pushes through the dark earth.

I am the chuckling laughter of the mountain stream.

Do not weep for me for I have not gone.
I am the memory that dwells in the heart of those that knew me.

I am the shadow that dances on the edge of your vision.

I am the wild goose that flies south at Autumn's call and I shall return at Summer rising.

I am the stag on the wild hills way.

I am just around the corner.
Therefore, the wise weep not.

But rejoice at the transformation of my Being.

Author Unknown -

Not to be confused with Mary Frye's original

For all affected by the unspeakable tragedy at Virginia Tech -

April 17, 2007

Imus In the Mourning, Noon and Night

Shock jocks, building blocks, living life in lies,
Judge and jury one and all, scoffing Freedom Fries.
Who among us holds the honor to cast the first of stones
While deep inside the seeds of hate run secretly, deep within our bones?

Oh, not me you say, proclaiming your righteous moral codes,
Have you looked inside a mirror lately? Do you see a prince or toad?
Dialogue be damned, money paves the way,
Corporate greed disguised as outrage, the order of the day.

Spare me your platitudes, your ill-placed reasoned lies,
Show me your actions, your charities, wanna bet I'd be surprised?

Whitened sepulchres await us all;
Our choice, of course, so it is said.
Though nonetheless, Hypocrisy's the way
That Spirit claims Her dead.

If nothing else, I've learned one thing;
In truth it must be said,
Crucifixion's not enough
To satisfy and pacify the thrill that violence brings.

The rabid throngs stand armed and ready to pound the lusted nail;
Be careful where you place yourself or is your soul for sale?

Since creation through destruction that we're hell-bent to achieve,
We are who we are, nothing less could I believe,
History has shown us our nature
And for that I deeply grieve.

From rocks and stones, to arrow and bow,
Our toys have arisen by that which we sow.
But by far our most dangerous weapon in our arsenal of woes,
Is the mouths from which the hate-filled speech doth carelessly flow.

I will not, could not ever speak for you,
I'd like to think redemption awaits whether "hoe," or "spic" or "jew."

Cast your stone upon the ground, don't worry, there'll be another day
But once and for all can we not truly ask ourselves
If Love can be the way?



"Be careful what you pretend to be because you are what you pretend to be."
Kurt Vonnegut

IMPEACH, IMPEACH, IMPEACH!!!
It is the ONLY right and Holy thing to do.

"THERE IS NOTHING WORSE THAN GANGRENE OF THE SOUL"
MIKE MALLOY - 1/20/05




NOTICE: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency may have read this email without warning, warrant, or notice. They may do this without any judicial or legislative oversight. You have no recourse nor protection save to call for the impeachment of the current President.

Heckuva "Nice Guy" Gonzales to Go?

"You're a nice guy and I really like you."

Uh, Senator Biden, remember that? Remember when you heralded that pronouncement (and more than once I might add) in confirmation hearings necessitated by the resignation of John Ashcroft, former religiously insane, Attorney General (aka recording artist appointed by your equally religiously insane, comrade Texan-in-chief)??? Well, well, Senator, it's not like we didn't tell you so now, is it? Looks like the eagle isn't soaring too high now, eh? You could have spared us 2-1/2 yrs of signing statements, "legal" voyeurism and the hijacking of the Constitution had you not been so quick to confirm this caballero from hell-o.

Yeah, you're a perfect candidate for President, aren't you, Senator, huh? "Macaca." "Nice guy." What's the damn difference anymore?

While you're busy calling for Gonzalito's resignation, perhaps you'll consider you own?

I. Lewis Scooter Libby...

GUILTY!!!