July 25, 2006

Virginia Democrats on the move....pursuing the fight against ATR (all things Republican)

We know that 2006 could be a historic year - Democrats could take back either or both chambers of the U.S. Congress - and wouldn't that be a blessing! Across the state, Democrats are working hard to push the party's candidates. Here's what you can do to help....(By Rick Howell)

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Posted by rickhowell at 04:49 PM | Comments (0)

January 14, 2006

Viewing the Inauguration via TV in a Warm Room

While our man, Aaron, reports live Inaugural events in the rain, many of us view it televised while sitting in a warm room drinking hot tea, or the eqivalent. Though it's a shame that it rained on Tim's Parade, that is supposed to bring good luck. The beautiful pictures of Colonial Williamsburg and the cannons transport us to another time until we see the TV people gathering.

At high noon, the dignataries having filled the Inaugural platform, the ceremony begins and Governor Mark Warner enters to a standing ovation, an unprecedented event for an outgoing governor. One of the announcers says, "With Mark Warner's approval rating of 75 percent, Tim Kaine will have big shoes to fill, but he'll bring his own sense of self as governor."

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November 09, 2005

Governor-Elect Tim Kaine

When Governor Warner and Governor-Elect Tim Kaine came on stage last night, we let out a collective sign of relief. Then came the jubilation. All our hard work paid off. Phones rang and emails were sent not only across Virginia but across the states.

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October 07, 2005

What Ann Landers Would Say

By Barnie K. Day

One lame-brained idea-no doubt, there will be many-sure to see the light of day
during the coming session of the Virginia General Assembly will be a move to put to
referendum proposals that would increase state taxes and/or state spending-on anything.

"Let the people decide!" proponents will shout with huffed up indignation.

The people of Virginia should reject this duck, this con job, like the bob and weave that it
surely is.

Patrick McSweeney, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, supports this
idea. He said, writing in the Daily Press, of Newport News, last week: "Voters should
reject politicians who promise to enact new 'spending commitments' as if economic
growth will continue unabated."

Patrick, my friend, Ann Landers would tell you to "wake up and smell the coffee."
You've got it exactly backwards.

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Posted by amahler at 12:11 AM | Comments (0)

August 13, 2005

Cindy Sheehan is asking Bush to tell the truth about a single Iraq war death

Cindy Sheehan, whose son died In Iraq, has put George W. Bush on the hot seat for his war in Iraq in a way that hasn't happened before. The president has been taken to task for the war in many ways that relate to the specific policy. But Sheehan - through her highly public vigil outside Bush's ranch in Crawford - has asked Bush to explain to her one simple thing: the real reason for the death of her son. (By Rick Howell)

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August 07, 2005

State party chairman to speak at Lynchburg headquarters opening

All across Virginia, Democrats are organizing and plotting the course that will put Tim Kaine in the governor's mansion. In my neck of the woods, the Lynchburg area, this is very much in evidence. As Amherst County chair, I often work with my friends "across the river." Last year, we saw a very encouraging growth in the number of volunteers, given the excitement of a presidential race. We'd like to build on that in 2005. An Aug. 19 appearance by the state party chair might be just the thing to get us rolling. (By Rick Howell)

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July 30, 2005

Tim Kaine's commitment to public education should make us all proud

Education always ranks among the top concerns of American voters, whether in national campaigns or statewide and local elections here in Virginia. For good reason, too. Most of us have children in public schools or know someone who does. It's more important than ever - in a complicated new world with something called a "global economy" - that our kids be prepared for an increasingly competitive job market. Education is the key to that. We know it, and so does Tim Kaine. His commitment to education goes beyond the usual political rhetoric. It's a too-little noticed aspect of his campaign that we need to push more agressively. (By Rick Howell)

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Posted by rickhowell at 05:05 PM | Comments (0)

July 24, 2005

New Mason-Dixon poll has good news for Tim Kaine!

We knew it, right? Across this state, those of us who have been working for Tim Kaine, showing up at public events with signs and stickers, lobbying our friends and families, could feel a solid level of support for his campaign. The new Mason-Dixon poll that hit all the papers July 24 proved it. Tim Kaine is very much in this race. Even though it's a statistical tie, the Kilgore people have got to be worried. (By Rick Howell).

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July 17, 2005

Let's help Tim Kaine build momentum after first debate

Since the first debate of this campaign for governor wasn't televised, none of us saw it unless we were there. Like most of you, I was in Virginia, not West Virginia, on July 16. But from all the reports I've read and heard, our candidate, Tim Kaine, did us proud with a clear vision for Virginia, resolute statements about his beliefs and what he'll do as governor. The time is now to resist the temptations of the doldrums of summer, and get out and build upon this debate performance. (By Rick Howell)

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Posted by rickhowell at 07:10 PM | Comments (0)

June 29, 2005

MZM's Virginia Connections extensive

By Barnie K. Day

Let's see...

A California congressman's documents under federal grand jury subpoena. A defense contractor with several operations in Virginia. Virgil Goode's largest contributor during his last campaign. The Virginia Tobacco Commission. One of George Allen's former cabinet secretaries, with past ties to Pat Robertson's Regent University. The Warner Administration's Governor's Opportunity Fund. President Bush's war on terror. And Katherine Harris, Florida's former secretary of state, maven of Bush-Gore fame.

Could there possibly be a single, common threat that runs through this?

There is: MZM, Inc., the Washington-based security firm that has enjoyed exponential growth in revenues since the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

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Posted by amahler at 03:01 PM | Comments (0)

May 25, 2005

Memorial Day by the Numbers

By Barnie K. Day

Our early wars were small affairs, almost quaint, it seems now. George Washington fought on the cheap, in lives and money. We lost 4435 Americans in combat during the Revolutionary War. Another 6188 were wounded. Adjusted for inflation, (in today's George Washingtons), we spent just $3.2 billion parting company with the British-not enough to buy pair of tricked-out aircraft carriers.

The War of 1812 was, relatively speaking, just a skirmish-2260 American combat deaths, 4505 incidents of wounding. The tab was just $1 billion. (The White House was burned down in that one. I don't think that number includes re-building.)

The Mexican War (1846-1848) was just a dust-up, too: 1733 Americans killed in combat, an estimated 11,550 combat-related deaths, and 4152 inflicted wounds. We could have passed the hat and paid for that one--$1.8 billion

War didn't get really dangerous and expensive for Americans until the advances and wonders of the Industrial Age were introduced into the fray. Combat deaths during the Civil War shocked sensibilities on both sides. It is hard to comprehend now, but more Americans fell in single battles, more fell at Antitiem, more fell at Shiloh, more fell at Gettysburg, than were killed in our first three wars combined. When Americans shoot Americans, the numbers-and the bodies-add up quickly.

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Posted by amahler at 10:24 AM | Comments (0)

April 21, 2005

Hypocrisy 101

"The time has come that the American people know exactly what their Representatives are doing here in Washington. Are they feeding at the public trough, taking lobbyist-paid vacations, getting wined and dined by special interest groups? Or are they working hard to represent their constituents? The people, the American people, have a right to know...I say the best disinfectant is full disclosure, not isolation."

-- Tom Delay, November 16, 1995 on the floor of the House

You're kidding me, right?
- Aaron

Posted by amahler at 11:54 AM | Comments (0)

April 13, 2005

Will "The Hammer" drive a nail into Frederick's Political Coffin?

By Barnie K. Day

Just when I was about to get myself worked up into a good let-fly, Ross Mackenzie and the editorial gang at the Richmond Times Dispatch beat me to it Wednesday, showing House Majority Tom "The Hammer" Delay, (R-Texas) the door in an editorial titled "Delay Must Go."

Hey, it was just a matter of time anyway. The dead giveaway? The President has started bragging on him in public. This line led an Associated Press story Monday: "President Bush considers House Majority Leader Tom DeLay a friend and hopes to keep working with him, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Monday."

For you un-initiated in the Alice-in-Wonderland high-level doublespeak required at times like this, just know that when you're in trouble and the President starts saying in public what a good job you're doing that it is a universally recognized "all clear" sign. The next step you take will be through the trap door to political oblivion.

Here's the real question: Will "The Hammer" resign before or after he holds a fund-raiser for Woodbridge Delegate Jeff Frederick? That's scheduled for April 19 in Washington. The smart money says Delay won't make it until then.

So what's a Texas congressman under fire for a series of ethics lapses and facing resignation calls, even from leading national Republicans, doing raising money for a Virginia House of Delegates candidate? Well, I called the number listed for the invite. Spoke to "Ted." "Ted" didn't seem to know. Actually, "Ted" seemed to be deep into training for the World Stuttering Championship. I'd say "Ted" is favored in that one.

Said the Times Dispatch Wednesday: "Congressional Republicans would be wise to strip DeLay of his leadership position. Stories about ethical questions have become a drumbeat; the latest involve payments to DeLay's wife and daughter by his political and campaign committees, and a six-day junket to Moscow funded by lobbyists."

I guess Delegate Frederick somehow missed that drumbeat. The invitation he sent for the Delay soiree asks for donations of $250, $500, $1000, or $2000. It lists a number of "host" names. The only one I recognized was my friend Paul Jost. Of course, I pinged him with an email. Nothing back on that yet. Remind me to ask somebody what the Virginia Automobile and Truck Dealers Political Action Committee is doing in cahoots with a Tom DeLay fundraiser. It was listed too.

In October of last year the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct admonished DeLay, saying he had gone too far and violated rules on three separate occasions. Just the sort of individual you want raising money for you if you're running for re-election to the Virginia House of Delegates?

Actually, the Times Dispatch sold DeLay's troubles a little short Wednesday. He's got a long list of them. My favorite is an oldie-goldie-hoo-doing the Indians. These allegations involve messy casino deals with the Choctaws down in Mississippi that you can easily read about elsewhere. Just know here that DeLay and company have done more for Indian relations in this country than anyone since George Custer.

Enron-yeah, that Enron-gave DeLay his real start to national stardom, hosting the first fundraiser for his "leadership" PAC and raising $280,000 for him at that event. Along the way he got into all kinds of questionable situations, none more so than the recent role he played in politicizing the Terri Schiavo case. That judgment probably has him in more trouble with his Republican colleagues than anything else. The polls went south-waaay south-for national Republicans on that one.

Congressman Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) has called on DeLay to resign from his leadership position and the number three Senate Republican, Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, has called on DeLay to answer questions about his ethics.

Too bad Virginia Republicans don't have the same concern. They might save one of their own some trouble. "The Hammer" could stick around just long enough to put a nail into Delegate Frederick's political coffin on the 19th.

Posted by amahler at 08:57 AM | Comments (0)

March 30, 2005

Yearning for Larger Times

By Barnie K. Day

I have been spending quite a bit of time lately pulling together from contributors around Virginia the makings of a book of essays and political commentary that will be published later this year. The tentative, working title of this project is "Notes from the Sausage Factory," taken, of course, from the famous Otto Von Bismarck quote of a hundred years ago: "People who love the law or good sausage should never watch either being made." I will tell you more about this book, and perhaps give you glimpses of it, as publication draws near, but know this now: some of the sentiments you will find in "Notes" will leave you yearning for larger times. This crossed the transom the other day. It came from former House of Delegates member Alan Diamonstein who represented Newport News for 33 years, from 1967-1990.

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March 16, 2005

The cow at the stoplight

By Barnie K. Day

The cow at the stoplight is giving me a look. The thing is, I recognize it-not this cow, but the look she is giving me. It is that doltish stare of vague unease and bewilderment. I have seen it before. Virginia Republicans have two looks these days: either the one this cow is exhibiting, or that fierce, clenched-jaw look of determination and survival, that Zell Miller look you see on the news when folks are filmed climbing out of the wreckage of hurricanes.

She is a big black and white Holstein. A beautiful, high dollar animal. We are locked in a stare-down at one of Patrick County's four stoplights. I guess it is some of that wretched growth you read about in northern Virginia. Not so long ago we didn't have stoplights here. Who needs lights when time itself is stopped?

The stock trailer is so small and this cow so big, that she has to hang her head out of the back of it. She is definitely giving me that Republican look. I am wondering what she is thinking. She appears to be?well?just wondering.

Perhaps she wonders about Morgan Griffith's math, his understanding of the numbers in the House of Delegates. They had a little "glad-you're-staying" soiree for Joe May somewhere upstate the other day-May, one of the brightest bulbs in the GOP marquee, is dropping his bid for statewide glory and will try to keep his House seat-and Griffith was there to lay it on pretty thick for him. "I wish we had a hundred Joe Mays in the House," Griffith said.

Umm-hmm. Morgan, that would mean you wouldn't be there. A lot of us wish that.

Speaker Bill Howell was at May's little shindig. Perhaps this big Holstein is wondering about him. Said he this week of Virginia'a GOP affairs in general: "We are a team. We are united."

Umm-hmm. That's why it is going to take something pamphlet-sized just to print the Republican ballot for the spring primary. Forget about a bus. It'll take Amtrak to haul the "united" Republican candidates. This "team" unity is the same reason Jerry Kilgore has to hold a press conference to say the GOP is behind him.

Maybe this brute trying to stare me down is wondering about this first poll that's out. Maybe she's running the numbers I have run. Kilgore has spent $46, 689.15 per point for the 46 points he polls. That makes Russ Potts' six points worth $280,000. That's what Republican reaction to his campaign has been worth to him. How else do you explain even six points for a man just two weeks in the race, a man with no name recognition, no money raised, no money spent? You don't believe that? Then where is George Fitch? Where is his six points in all of this?

Or it could be this cow is wondering about Kilgore, wondering about that lame "fake Kaine memo" stunt his campaign pulled this week. What's next, Jerry? Whoopee cushions? Hand buzzers? Those little trick lapel flowers that squirt water in your face? Think about hiring my cat to write the stand-up stuff for you from here on out. Sammy's not much, but, hey, he's better than anything you've got. Works cheap, too. He'll cut all kinds of shines for a bowl of milk now and then. At the very least, Jerry, don't sign off on stupid stuff like this again. At least keep somebody you can fire in front of you on stuff like this.

Just then, inexplicably, I look away for one split second. But that's all it takes. When I look back, this cow belches up a wad of cud and begins to chew contentedly. If cows can smile, this one does. She knows that she has bested me in our stare-down. Just as well. The light changes and we part company.

Posted by amahler at 09:16 AM | Comments (0)

March 12, 2005

Russ Potts: In A Game That He Understands

By Barnie K. Day

There is an old joke in politics. It goes like this: Two campers hike into the back-country. They get to their campsite late and turn in after dark. In the morning, the first camper is up early. As soon as he's out of the tent, he spots a huge grizzly bear moving down the trail, headed straight for the campsite. He screams at his friend, "A grizzly bear is coming!" The second camper peeps out of the tent, verifies that fact, and calmly proceeds to lace up his running shoes. The first camper screams at him, "You damn fool, you can't out run a grizzly bear!" The second camper levels a calm and steady gaze at him and says, "I don't have to out run the bear. I just have to out run you."

Russ Potts is calmly lacing up his running shoes.

Virginia Republicans don't know exactly what to do. Strike that. Some Virginia Republicans don't know what to do. Members of the flat earth wing of the party-those on the far right, those who insist that you can build roads without money, who profess disdain for "big government" but grow it every chance they get, those who want government "off our backs" but want the government peeping into our bedroom windows and looking over our shoulders whenever we're in our libraries, those who don't mind mixing government and religion, so long as it is the right religion, those who prefer "borrow and spend" to "tax and spend"-those Republicans don't know exactly what to do with Russ Potts. Others, the solid center moderates, already are beginning to embrace him.

How can that be? How is it possible that he's already toe-to-toe in media coverage, toe-to-toe in the political coin that means the most, in "legitimacy," with Jerry Kilgore, the GOP's Six Million Dollar Man?

The answer is easy. Russ Potts is in a game that he understands.

When Potts announced as an independent candidate for governor the flat-earthers did exactly the dumbest thing they could do if their intentions were to stop him. Rather than ignore him, they fired up their propaganda machine and went after him tooth and high decibel claw-they held news conferences and issued press releases and generally threw temper tantrums in public-and in the process gave him the kind of free media coverage that money can't buy.

Surely, the four-term senator from Virginia's 27th Senate District, this man who exudes the small-town directness and earnestness of an Andy Griffith re-run, must have smiled to himself, contemplating the headlines, when his Republican colleagues demanded that he give up his committee posts in the Virginia Senate.

"Please, whip me harder," he must have thought, gleefully. "Whip me harder. Let them see the way you've bloodied me."

Surely, this member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, who has made his living as a sports promoter, who has made his living by understanding what the term "underdog" means, and how to hype it, how to leverage it, must have smiled to himself when the imperial highness of Virginia Republican politics, Kate Griffin, the state party chairman, cast him as the ultimate underdog.

Surely he must have sent up a silent prayer, "Keep it up, Lord. Please, keep it up," when the right wing's blogger goons went after him for days on end. "Please, Lord, let them keep flinging me into that briar patch," he must have said.

And guess what? They're still at it! Prayer does work sometimes, you know.

Those who would stop Potts, this level-headed, "fraid o' nothin" centrist, have blundered badly. They have let themselves be drawn into a game that he understands. They're on his field now, and he's calmly lacing up his running shoes.

Posted by amahler at 09:50 AM | Comments (0)

February 12, 2005

Take the Doctor's advice: Stand up for what we believe!

On February 12, our national party elected former Vermont governor Howard Dean as the new chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Dean promises to stand up to the Republican agenda and make sure that Democrats properly inform American voters about the details of the Democratic alternative. In Virginia, we must agree with his statement that we, as Democrats, will tell voters who and what we are; we won't let Republicans do that. (By Rick Howell)

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January 04, 2005

Barnie Day: Kilgore's Politics Of Killing

Under our Constitution, do we not demand that our accused be defended? Is this not a core value of our system of jurisprudence? Is it not at least part of what separates us, what makes us American?

Not if you're Virginia's Attorney General, Jerry Kilgore. He attacks Tim Kaine for doing just that.

Shall we not demand the rigorous defense of any accused whose very life hangs in the balance? Shall we not demand that? Shall we not demand prosecution that overwhelms any defense imaginable when a man's very life hangs in the balance?

Not if you're Jerry Kilgore. He attacks Tim Kaine for defending death row inmates.

What does Kilgore believe in when the state proposes to forever take a man's life? A middling defense? A pretty good effort? The ol' college try? A lick and a promise? A roll-over? What? Does he not believe that our accused should be defended?

If the answer to that one is 'yes,' then why the attack on Kaine? If the answer to that one is 'no,' then which Constitution did he swear to uphold?

It has to be one or the other. Which is it?

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Posted by laura at 11:21 AM | Comments (0)

November 22, 2004

A Winning Southern Model

Mike Signer is well-known among Virginia Democrats as an eloquent writer and dedicated activist. He has worked for Governor Mark R. Warner and in the 2004 presidential campaign led Virginia's voter protection initiative.

On Sunday, Mike wrote an expansive op-ed for the Washington Post about the results of the 2004 presidential election. Here is what he had to say about the piece:

I decided to write this piece for the Washington Post after I heard many of my close Virginia Democrat friends refuse to accept that John Kerry had simply been beaten on his message. Instead, these folks -- all fine, hard-working, and passionate Democrats -- were blaming malfunctioning voting machines, or conspiracies in Ohio or Florida, or Fox TV, for our loss.

But the problem had a different, more national, genesis. Here in Virginia, we all know that Susan Swecker, Larry Framme, Lindsey Reynolds, John Winston, Eric Payne, Joe Easton, Jay Myerson, and many others assembled a fantastic campaign. Virginia Victory '04's momentum and its many material accomplishments (thousands of new voter ID's, robust fundraising lists, committed new volunteers) will carry us through Tim Kaine's victory next year.

The problem, I believe, rested instead with the national campaign's failure seriously to fight for the trust of red America.

The point of the article was to try to highlight for the Post's national audience the fact that while many Democrats seem right now to be flailing about for a new direction, Virginia Democrats, under the leadership of Governor Warner, have already figured out how to reach out to red America, and win. In this difficult time -- because no matter how you slice it, November 2 was painful for all of us -- Virginia Democrats should take intense pride in what we've accomplished in the Old Dominion. We're at the forefront of a coming evolution for the Party. I truly believe that while November 2 was certainly an end in some ways, it can be a beginning, too.

As my old boss Creigh Deeds has been saying for years, there are more of us than there are of them. We've got better values, better policies, and better leaders. We just need to get red Americans to listen. If we do that, we'll win, and we'll be the majority party again.

Posted by laura at 03:27 PM | Comments (0)

November 21, 2004

Why the religious right doesn't truly reflect "moral values"

Early indications were that the religious right may indeed have been the decisive voting bloc in the presidential election. Many people have noted, though, that "moral values," the phrase used in exit polling, can certainly be understood in ways outside the grasp of the followers of Falwell, Robertson, et al. There are lessons here for Democrats. The first one is: don't pander to the religious right. (By Rick Howell)

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Posted by rickhowell at 09:03 AM | Comments (0)

November 16, 2004

Faith And Values

By Barnie Day

TO: Rev. Jerry Falwell

FROM: B. Day

RE: Your new scam

I've been mulling over your 'Faith and Values' idea and think it is a splendid one--especially if it helps us forget war and poverty and unemployment and lack of health insurance, and two-dollar-a-gallon gasoline, and such. It's just what the country needs: another smokescreen.

You want to register 10 million Republican voters and 'Faith and Values' is okay, but for it to take 'holt'--as we say out here in the western part of the state--you're going to need a catchier name.

Jim and Tammy had PTL (Pass The Loot) and your buddy Pat's got the '700 Club.' So we're going to have to come up with something else.

And I've been giving some thought to that. (No, don't thank me. It's what I do.) And I've got it!

'Rev-J's 105,000!'

Can you dig it? Is that hip, or what?

'Rev-J's 105,000!'

I'm telling you, bro,' this one will lay 'Moral Majority' in the shade. This one will become iconic. And it came to me in an inspiration! No foolin'!

All I did was Google the words 'indicted Republican.'

That's right. 'Indicted Republican.' Got 105,000 hits on it. The good Lord does work in mysterious ways, doesn't He?

I know you will have to have a board of directors. But you don't have to do all of this by yourself! Don't you see? I'm helping! I've been working on this part, too!

No, Jim and Tammy can't be on the board. We'll put them in charge of reservations. And maybe accounting. And no, Jimmy Swaggert's got talent that would be wasted on the board. He can run the procurement arm of the operation. And, no, not Rush Limbaugh. But he'll be perfect for the faith and values prescription drug program.

I'm thinking more of folks like Ollie North for the board. All he did was hold his hand up to God and swear a lie to Congress.

And Newt Gingrich would be a good one on any faith and values board. His extramarital involvement with that congressional aide may have cost him his Speakership, but that's the kind of faith and values leadership we want and this country needs.

Same with Republican Bob Livingston, who followed him to the Speakership--and out the same door--for nearly the same reason.

And how 'bout former Republican Congressman Bob Barr, from Georgia? Yeah, the one who went after Clinton so hard.

Let's see. What was it? I remember now. Infidelity and lying under oath about an abortion. Your buddy Larry Flynt outed him. He'd be perfect.

And how about Jack Ryan, the Illinois Republican who dropped out of the Senate race after his ex-wife made such a stink out of that sex club thing? He'd be good. He likes performing in public.

And think about Republican Senate Majority Leader Tom Delay. He might not quite measure up. He hasn't been indicted himself, but three of his tops aides were. Just recently, too.

And you might want George Ryan on. He'd poke his lip out if you didn't remember him. You remember two years ago when his Illinois campaign for governor was indicted--only the third campaign in U. S. history to face federal charges. Nixon's re-election committee (Republican) was the first. A presidential bid by Lyndon LaRouche (thinks like one) was the second.

And let's not forget the homegrown, local talent. Virginia's a regular Republican garden in that regard.

Vance Wilkins would be a lock for any 'faith and values' board. He's got time to do it, too.

And former Virginia Republican Party Chairman Gary Thompson's got some time on his hands. I'd say he'd be good. And he's got the right credentials. He's been indicted.

And I would recommend Ed Matricardi, the former executive director of the Republican Party of Virginia. Sure, he was indicted. But you're going to need somebody with his communications skills, better just let him do that. And, hey, he's a good listener, too.

Rev, I think you're on to something. Rounding up ten million folks for your faith and values outfit will take some doing, but hey! You've got your base! It's ready made! Indicted Republicans! Who could possibly know more about another 'faith and values' scam that the folks who wrote the book on it?

Posted by laura at 03:45 PM | Comments (0)

November 05, 2004

Zell Nation: The Church As State

By Barnie K. Day

The issue was not a pre-emptive war in which Americans continue to die--more than 1,100 now, and counting--not a war without strategy, exit or otherwise. The issue was the Ten Commandments.

The issue was not a wobble-wheeled economy, an economy based largely on debt, consumer and government, an economy that spends today what we must pay back tomorrow. The issue was prayer in schools.

The issue was not a foreign policy that seems truly foreign to anyone who knows anything about policy, a foreign policy void of coherence. The issue was men marrying men.

Used to be, when America looked into a mirror, she saw Jefferson, Madison, Lincoln, King, Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Shirley Chisholm. Used to be, she saw statesmen, and thinkers and artists. Used to be, she saw Buckley and Cronkite and Sevaried. Now when she looks, the visages of the Christian jihadists, the Zell Millers and Pat Robertsons and Jerry Falwells glare back at her, as does that of Limbaugh, the porcine, thrice-divorced, drug addicted, puff-faced, self-appointed, un-elected arbiter now of our family values, and Anne Coulter, a crane-necked shrew with the intellect of a ferret, and not your average ferret, but one of those runt of the litter ones, who said on MSNBC last night in what appeared to be a vein-popping moment of glassy-eyed sexual release that Democrats don't believe in God. In Zell Nation, the church has become state--not just state, but martial state. (Let us sing now, "Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war...")

Not so long ago, what has happened to the price of gasoline would have been enough to topple a presidency. Not anymore. Not in Zell Nation. In Zell Nation an energy policy written by the gas and oil industry doesn't blip the radar screen. It takes homophobia to do that now. Homophobia lights it up.

Not so long ago, the wholesale strip-mining of our manufacturing base and the export of millions of our jobs would have been enough to topple a presidency. Not in Zell Nation. In Zell Nation we can get right with the Lord and make the world flat again and put Druids in charge of that flatness and not have to worry about stuff like that.

Not so long ago, a record--and reckless--deficit would have been enough to topple a president. Not anymore. In Zell Nation the future doesn't matter in that regard. In Zell Nation we're all huddled on a mountain peak somewhere, waiting for the spaceship to come.

Not so long ago, the Haliburton scandal, and Dick Cheney's proximity to it, would have been enough to do in a presidency. No more. In Zell Nation graft may not be good, but, hey, it's just graft. What's a little graft when resurrection is just around the corner? THE resurrection!

Not so long ago, a health care system that leaves 44 million Americans to the mercy of the Tooth Fairy could have ginned up serious debate. Not in Zell Nation. In Zell Nation, sh-t happens. Hey, it says so in the Bible!

Not so long ago, America was a member of the community of nations. Not anymore. Not in Zell Nation. In Zell Nation, we are the landlord and the world must bow and scrape before us. In Zell Nation, yer either fer us, or agin us.

Not so long ago, Americans believed that right makes might. No more. Not in Zell Nation. In Zell Nation, might makes righteousness.

This is Zell Nation, buster! Love it, or leave it!

Posted by laura at 10:33 AM | Comments (3)

November 03, 2004

You need to get out of bed

I'm gonna ask you to do something I know is hard, I'm gonna ask you to stand up, dust yourself off and forgive those that voted for Bush. I'm not asking you to forget them - just forgive them.

Now what do we do? That's what you asked yourself this morning in the shower - I know you did, I did. I stood there thinking why? I don't understand how ..... how a person makes an educated decision to vote for Bush. Don't they read the papers; don't they watch the news; don't they see what has happened to our country? They do all of those things, and the bottom line is - they vote for him anyway.

Continue reading "You need to get out of bed"

Posted by lindsey at 10:03 AM | Comments (0)

October 30, 2004

Why I Support John Kerry

By Rodney Taylor

I will cast my vote Tuesday for John Kerry and John Edwards. I strongly believe that our great country is falling short of her potential. We need a change and a positive vision for the future. John Kerry and John Edwards will chart a new course in both domestic and foreign policy. We must have new leadership to correct the mistakes of the past four years and again get America moving forward towards economic prosperity at home and successful resolution of the difficult issues we face abroad.

Continue reading "Why I Support John Kerry"

Posted by laura at 01:15 PM | Comments (0)

October 28, 2004

Voting in America: Reflections of an American Abroad

. . . Or, Sometimes it Takes a Foreigner to Teach You What it Means to be an American

NOTE: This was submitted to Documenting Democracy by Donna Messner, a PhD candidate in the sciences from Virginia who is currently studying at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. In her e-mail to me, she says that the PIPA Report was the last straw and that led to her writing this passionate piece. Please send this link to others to read, especially your Republican friends who so desparately need to understand what is at stake. Thanks, Donna, for submitting this.

I had only been in Britain a couple of weeks before I was confronted with the question that would become a recurrent theme for my first year here. "Why do Americans vote for him? I mean-I don't want to offend you. We know Americans aren't stupid. But why can't they see through him? Are they naive?" An Austrian woman voiced the question while several others-among them British, Norwegian, Belgian, Finnish, and Korean-gathered around to listen, nodding in agreement.

The "him," of course, was George W. Bush. My classmates, colleagues, and teachers had barely gotten beyond the pleasantries before they began pressing me to explain my country and its actions. They were eager to talk about it, seemingly gratified to have among them an American to whom they could put the question directly.

Significantly, what they looked for was not retrospective justifications for war or for other American policies. Instead they sought an explanation for the choice millions of individual Americans make when they go into the privacy of the balloting booth to cast their votes.

(more below)

Continue reading "Voting in America: Reflections of an American Abroad"

Posted by amahler at 09:48 AM | Comments (2)

October 27, 2004

Finally, Bush says something I agree with.

General Wesley Clark, take it away:

Today George W. Bush made a very compelling and thoughtful argument for why he should not be reelected. In his own words, he told the American people that "... a political candidate who jumps to conclusions without knowing the facts is not a person you want as your Commander in Chief".

President Bush couldn't be more right. He jumped to conclusions about any connection between Saddam Hussein and 911. He jumped to conclusions about weapons of mass destruction. He jumped to conclusions about the mission being accomplished. He jumped to conclusions about how we had enough troops on the ground to win the peace. And because he jumped to conclusions, terrorists and insurgents in Iraq may very well have their hands on powerful explosives to attack our troops, we are stuck in Iraq without a plan to win the peace, and Americans are less safe both at home and abroad.

By doing all these things, he broke faith with our men and women in uniform. He has let them down. George W. Bush is unfit to be our Commander in Chief.

Six more days. GOTV. GOTV. And more GOTV.

Posted by amahler at 05:24 PM | Comments (0)

October 25, 2004

Observing Voting Machine Prep: Amherst County

Select photos by your connection speed:

Preparation of Voting Machines, Amherst, Va - Oct 22, 2004 - High Quality (slower)

Preparation of Voting Machines, Amherst, Va - Oct 22, 2004 - Medium Quality (faster)

I was asked to observe the preparation of the Amherst County voting machines on behalf of the DNC/KE voter protection program last Friday. The registrar for Amherst, Gary Beasley, had already extended an invitation to the local parties to observe the process (my Republican counterpart did not attend for whatever reason), so being asked to attend in a more official capacity by the DNC worked out quite well. I filled out a detailed form that is, more or less, a checklist that profiles the procedures and practices involved in the voting machine preparation process. It also helps document a general sense of the county's efforts to prevent problems and gauges their readiness to deal with problems if they should arise on election day.

I'll cut right to the chase here and say that everything looked excellent, both in relation to the equipment and the highly competent electoral officials I dealt with that afternoon. I feel very confident (and I speak here as nothing more than a voting citizen and tech geek) that the voting process in Amherst County will be smooth.

For a little background on the systems, read my brief write-up and photo gallery of a demo of our new voting machines given by Mr. Beasley at a previous local Democratic Committee meeting. The new touchscreen systems built by Unilect are profiled in that blog post. [NOTE: My previous entry shows the touchscreen panel used by voters to cast their votes. Today's story and photos show only the equipment "behind the scenes" that record the votes. Don't mistake the unfriendly looking machine in these pictures with the device you will vote with on election day.] I will focus on the preparation of the machines in the remainder of this entry (click below).

Continue reading "Observing Voting Machine Prep: Amherst County"

Posted by amahler at 09:59 AM | Comments (0)

October 23, 2004

Can't you just feel the momentum?

In a year when polls have been all over the place, anectodal evidence of just how this election might turn out seems as good as anything else. What you hear neighbors and strangers talking about is at least as reliable as polling organizations that admit they sample more Republicans than Democrats. Therefore, I get the feeling - yes, it's a feeling; it's not scientific - that things are trending our way. And even some surveys and other items in the news are beginning to show that. (By Rick Howell)

Continue reading "Can't you just feel the momentum?"

Posted by rickhowell at 02:32 AM | Comments (0)

October 20, 2004

Selective Service's Medical Skills Draft

While Bush continues to vow that we will continue to have an all volunteer army (many consider this a hollow pre-election promise since troop strength appears impossible to maintain), the Selective Service is hard at work defining various "skills drafts". From an article in the NY Times:

The Selective Service has been updating its contingency plans for a draft of doctors, nurses and other health care workers in case of a national emergency that overwhelms the military's medical corps.

In a confidential report this summer, a contractor hired by the agency described how such a draft might work, how to secure compliance and how to mold public opinion and communicate with health care professionals, whose lives could be disrupted.

I always love reading about government plans to "secure compliance" and "mold public opinion". I saw a lot of molding of public opinion in the run-up to a war... pity they had to tell so many lies to achieve the desired concensus.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Part of the plan involves staying in contact with various medical groups (schools, etc) to maintain relations so the process can go smoothly. However:

On the other hand, it said, such contacts must be limited, low key and discreet because "overtures from Selective Service to the medical community will be seen as precursors to a draft," and that could alarm the public.

I'll let you formulate your own opinions as you read the entire article - it contains a mixture of politically-driven assurances that this is not needed along with a lot of hints that the facts indicate otherwise. I'll also mention that this is just one particular "skills draft" being discussed. There are others focusing on additional professions including computer and technology skills.

Yes, I appreciate that effort goes into planning so we don't have our pants down on the domestic front if there is another 9/11. I would, of course, like much of that planning to include proper funding for first responders, better border protection, shipping container inspection and a host of other things this administration has underfunded. Instead, their priority has emphasized lashing out with costly and misguided wars that increase rather than reduce the need for the aforementioned items.

As one who hasn't been drinking the nutritionless, saccharine-sweet Bush administration Kool-Aid, it's quite difficult not to question any draft-related planning. Sadly, if more of our citizens and our media exercised their responsibility to analyze and questions this administration's intentions, we might not be living in a lousy economy where the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, healthcare costs an arm and a leg and the world increasingly sees us as an unpredictable bully.

In less than two weeks, I'm going to do my part and cast a vote for responsibility, integrity, and positive change in this country: John Kerry and John Edwards.

Posted by amahler at 09:12 AM | Comments (0)

October 13, 2004

Final Debate: W Gets His Clock Cleaned

I'm not going to write a huge entry tonight since the recap and debate about the debates will roll through here (and the rest of the blogosphere) for days to come.

What is not up for debate, though, is that only one of the two men on the stage tonight deserves the title of President and that man is, unquestionably, John Kerry. Through all three debates he has been clear-headed, articulate and possesses the bearing of a true statesman that causes Bush to shrink by comparison.

Tonight we heard John Kerry speak passionately and with conviction, laying out his plans in a clear and logical manner. While Bush lobbed his worn-out campaign smears like rotten eggs, Senator Kerry siezed his opportunity to stand before the American people and make the best possible use of the rarest commodity in a modern campaign: ninety unfiltered minutes.

Granted, the spin machine went into full force immediately afterward and the Bush people predictably declared the President the victor. Within minutes, though, the insta-polls started rolling in and Kerry mopped up. The closest poll was ABC giving Kerry a one point advantage of 42 to Bush's 41. The amusing thing, though, is that the participants were 38% Republican, 30% Democrat and 28% Independent. That puts a whole different light on what looks on the surface like a slim margin. CNN came in with a whopping 52% for Kerry against Bush's 39%.

Bush's remarks were rife with odd contradictions, including an attempted insult (in the GOP framework of humor) that Ted Kennedy is the conservative Senator from MA. Couple this with his other remark that Senator Kennedy was wonderful to work with in their joint support of No Child Left Behind. This allowed Bush to double his hypocrisy as he praised the man he had just insulted while discussing mutual support for a plan that he subsequently did not fund despite his promises.

Much more will be covered tomorrow and in the coming days. For now, have a good night and know that we're all that much closer now to sending Bush back to Crawford, Tx where he can focus on clearing brush without anything to interrupt him (like being President). The BC04 distortion onslaught is likely to go into an even higher gear over the next nineteen days, so remain vigilent and keep up the good work! On November 2nd, we're sending John Kerry and John Edwards to the White House.

P.S. I will throw in this bit of fact-checking from Salon's War Room:

Tonight:

KERRY: Six months after he said Osama bin Laden must be caught dead or alive, this president was asked, "Where is Osama bin Laden?" He said, "I don't know. I don't really think about him very much. I'm not that concerned."

BUSH:Gosh, I just don't think I ever said I'm not worried about Osama bin Laden. It's kind of one of those exaggerations.

----

From a March 2002 White House press briefing:

Q: But don't you believe that the threat that bin Laden posed won't truly be eliminated until he is found either dead or alive?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, as I say, we haven't heard much from him. And I wouldn't necessarily say he's at the center of any command structure. And, again, I don't know where he is. I -- I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him. I know he is on the run.

Posted by amahler at 11:31 PM | Comments (0)

October 11, 2004

Bush Admin: More lies, distortions and words out of context

The Bush administration has run an almost entirely negative campaign. With no actual successes to run on, the focus of their campaign has been a constant process of putting a happy spin on their many dire failures and doing everything possible to smear Senator Kerry in the eyes of voters.

Running a campaign this negative is a clear sign of desperation and part of why the debates have been so devastating for the administration. By allowing the two men to be seen side by side, Kerry's image as a true statesman has all but destroyed the image painted through hundreds of millions of dollars of misleading Bush campaign ads and the hours of loyalty-oath-sworn, pro-Bush lovefests that are pawned off as "town hall meetings".

One thing the Bush campaign has elevated to an artform is the use of quotes out of context in an attempt to damage Kerry with his own words. One of the most recent post-debate distortions was using only the two words "global test" from a larger statement Kerry made on the topic of American security in the fight against terrorism. His actual statement spoke of the value of global cooperation and U.S. integrity to combat terrorism. The Bushies, however, spun this 180 degrees out of context into a distortion that claimed Kerry would let other countries decide how and when we should protect ourselves. It's a despicable practice, but standard operating procedure for this administration.

Bush and Cheney have both sworn that they would make all the same mistakes over again if given the chance. Their dogged stubborness (and inability to admit mistakes) is supposed to represent determination and leadership. The same stubborn approach applies equally to their campaign. Despite being called on their constant distortions of Senator Kerry's statements, this practice continues with their latest campaign ad (from CNN):

In the magazine article, a largely analytical cover story by Matt Bai, Kerry is asked "what it would take for Americans to feel safe again."

"We have to get back to the place we were, where terrorists are not the focus of our lives, but they're a nuisance," the article states as the Massachusetts senator's reply.

"As a former law enforcement person, I know we're never going to end prostitution. We're never going to end illegal gambling. But we're going to reduce it, organized crime, to a level where it isn't on the rise. It isn't threatening people's lives every day, and fundamentally, it's something that you continue to fight, but it's not threatening the fabric of your life."

In this article, Kerry is speaking to our need to properly conduct our fight against terrorism so that we can reduce its threat in the years to come. Most importantly, the broader context of his remarks discusses the multipronged approach we must take that involves the use of law enforcement and diplomacy in harmony with military action to make our efforts more effective. The Bush administration, focused mostly on misguided military actions that are destroying our abilty to conduct good diplomacy and diminishing our security, has failed to properly combine these tools. The war in Iraq is a perfect example of these failures.

The Bush campaign, however, is already spinning Kerry's remarks out of context and focusing on the use of the word "nuisance". Rather than acknowledging that Kerry wishes to fight terrorism so effectively that it can be reduced to a mere nuisance (on par with prostitution and gambling), they are releasing a new ad portraying Kerry as having a "pre-9/11" view of terrorism as a nuisance and therefore risking our security.

Their hope, of course, is to continue to mislead the voters and tie up the Kerry campaign with the process of defending itself against these accusations. The bigger picture, however, is the obvious fact that the Bush administration has no respect for the American people and, as a result, treats us as if we're stupid. Their approach to campaigning is nothing short of insulting, reducing the issues to oversimplified name-calling, distorting the facts and playing the media like a fiddle.

We have a mere 22 days to go in this election and the American people are rapidly waking up to these distortions. The debates have gone a long way toward opening many eyes and we have another important debate focusing on domestic issues this Wednesday. As Kerry supporters, it's our job to continue to increase our efforts in these critical final weeks by getting the word out to everyone that, unlike Bush, our candidate speaks the truth and addresses the issues rather than dodging them.

The BC04 campaign machine is going to ratchet up their rhetoric and distortions in these final weeks to positively staggering levels. These are the inevitable actions of an increasingly desperate administration that sees the handwriting on the wall. Bush is getting increasingly shrill as evidenced in his debate behavior. Helping undecided voters witness the wisdom and vision of the Kerry/Edwards message in comparison to the hateful and divisive tone of the Bush campaign will bring us victory in November. Don't slow down, increase your efforts during this final push and, above all, keep up the good work!

Posted by amahler at 08:55 AM | Comments (0)

October 07, 2004

Dick Cheney, Hypocrite

On Tuesday night, Dick Cheney made a big deal of trying to shame John Edwards through an arrogant and holier-than-thou commentary on his Senate attendance.

"Now, in my capacity as vice president, I am the president of Senate, the presiding officer. I'm up in the Senate most Tuesdays when they're in session."

His zinger line was claiming that Edwards has been absent so frequently that Tuesday night's debate was the first opportunity that he ever had to meet Senator Edwards in person. (Cue a collective gasp from the media and the uninformed at this bold rebuke... if it's this harsh, it must be true.)

The problem is, Cheney either has a lousy memory, or he's a liar.

What has been revealed in the last day is that Cheney's trips to the Senate on Tuesdays are not to do his job, as he so arrogantly insinuated in the quote above. He travels up to the hill on Tuesdays to meet, in private, at a Republicans-only luncheon with his cronies to work on political strategy. (Part of me pictures these meetings happening in a huge cave under a smoking volcano... but that's just me.)

Looking at a list of the Senate's Acting Presidents for every Tuesday since 2001, Cheney appears a total of:

THREE TIMES

Let's put this in perspective: Hillary Clinton has filled in for him more times than Cheney has done the job himself. In fact, Senator Edwards has acted as President of the Senate, filling in for Dick Cheney, seven times to Cheney's three.

So, let's back up for a second. By claiming he's up on the hill on Tuesdays, he leaves the false impression that it's because he's doing his job and Edwards is not. He only told half the story and leaves the listener to make a negative assumption about Edwards. This is a lot like Bush and Co., spending the last week pulling John Kerry's "global test" remark out of context and throwing it around as "proof" that he'd leave America's security to the UN to decide. Anybody who heard the full statement in its entirety knows that this is exactly opposite of the truth. Telling half a story or using a statement out of context to mislead people is standard operating procedure in this administration.

Also, as reported here before, the statement that the debate was their first opportunity to meet was just flat wrong. Within an hour of the debate, blogs around the world (and now, finally, the mainstream media) were showing photos of Edwards and Cheney standing together in at least three public events over the past few years.

A lot of people would like to laugh this off and claim that, while Cheney was certainly being misleading, this is hardly an important issue in the grand scheme of things. The Vice President sat in front of the American people in a debate this week and, basically, lied about something that only took minutes to disprove. The emphatic way in which he attacked Edwards with these untruthful statements (both the tone and the body language) makes it all the more stunning. If he is this blatant in attempting to mislead the American people on his opponent's reputation, how truthful will he be about the bigger issues that affect lives and the economy?

We already know they lied about Iraq. What's next?

Posted by amahler at 10:04 AM | Comments (0)

October 06, 2004

Dick Cheney: Misleader-in-Chief

Tonight's debate was a fascinating thing to watch... two very intelligent men sparring with one another within a very rigid framework. John Edwards had a daunting task before him tonight: trying to clear up the staggering number of misleading or blatantly false statements repeated constantly in the BC04 stump speeches while simultaneously putting forth a positive vision for America's future.

The basic format tonight tended to follow this pattern: Cheney is given two minutes to reel off as many absurd distortions and out-of-context "facts" as he can fit in, punctuated with a handful of condescending barbs. Edwards, taking written notes on the fly to keep track of the distortions, then has a fraction of this time to present the real story. He did a very fine job indeed.

Among the misleading items was a continued attempt to draw a connection between 9/11 and Iraq. When confronted with the issue of reports disproving this claim, Cheney dodged the question. He later, however, came back with a disjointed story tying Afghanistan (not al Queda) to Iraq through Zarqawi (the man behind much of the terror in the newly failed state of Iraq). Using his usual tone of intrigue and authority, he traced Zarqawi's path to Baghdad post-9/11 and ended with a vow to deal with him by "taking him out".

Well, as previously reported, the administration had the chance to wipe Zarqawi off the map on several prior occasions and even drafted plans for his removal. They apparently did not, however, in order to not undercut their case for war in Iraq. American soldiers are now dying in a deepening quagmire, much of it due to the power of Zarqawi and his ability to organize terror in the destabilized Iraq we know today.

Cheney sits there tonight and tells this story (half of it, mind you... the half that serves his purpose) as supposed evidence of al Queda ties to Iraq. As usual, and in a manner similar to Bush's previous debate reference to A. Q. Kahn, this administration tells half the story to leave a specific impression and treats the American people like idiots.

Among the barbs was a distortion of Senator Edwards' record in the Senate that ended with the remark that, despite being the regularly attending President of the Senate, tonight's debate was his first chance to meet Edwards. The implication, of course, was that Edwards is so frequently absent that they have no cause to meet under normal circumstances. A number of people in the media afterward commented on this as a shrewd and effective smack at Edwards (such Andrea Mitchell appearing on "Hardball").,

The truth, however, is that they have met at least twice before in public events. In fact, here is a photo that Cheney might want to use to refresh his memory.

This point might sound petty, but barbs such of this will become the GOP legends of tomorrow, despite the fact that they are absolutely untrue. Again, fictions created for a snappy soundbite by this administration always tend to trump inconvenient things like the truth. Being parroted later by pundits who haven't checked the facts help perpetuate the distortions.

There are many more items of substance to relate, but the fact-checking discussion is going to go on for days to come and we'll cover plenty of it here on DocDem. The VP debate, though, has clearly heightened anticipation for Friday's debate between Kerry and Bush that focuses (finally) on domestic issues.

Edwards did a marvelous job tonight using his talking time to not only put many of the Bush/Cheney distortions to rest, but to lay out very clearly many of the ways they will get America back on track. Edwards, especially in contrast to The Dark Lord Cheney, was clear, concise, convincing and exuded the positive energy and confidence that stands in such stark contrast to the fearmongering that is so much the tone of the Bush presidency. Edwards ended with an excellent set of closing remarks that spoke of hope, values and setting the proper course for America's future. Cheney, by contrast, closed by sounded like an empty suit giving a PowerPoint presentation and, as always, harped on imminent danger, fear, and terrorism.

In closing this very late entry, I'll let some of the CBS instapoll results speak for themselves:

"Who won?"

Edwards: 42 percent
Cheney: 29 percent
tie: 29 percent

"Debate improved your opinion of the candidate?"

Cheney: 29 percent, opinion improved
Edwards: 58 percent, opinion improved

Most telling was the report from CBS tonight that 24 percent of the undecideds they queried said they were "scared" of the concept of Cheney as president.

I know how they feel.

Posted by amahler at 01:34 AM | Comments (0)

October 05, 2004

VP Debate: John Edwards vs. The Dark Lord Cheney

Tonight is the night for the single face-to-face debate between Edwards and Cheney. Unlike the three different Presidential debates, all of the issues, both domestic and international, will be addressed in one debate between Candidate Edwards and the current sitting power behind the throne.

As with the last debate, I strongly recommend watching it on C-SPAN where they will most likely do a full-time split screen. The split screen in the last debate was stunning to watch and I'm eager to see the same format again tonight. Switching to the screeching, pundit-laden networks after the partisan-free, pro-citizen raw feed that is C-SPAN is like putting your head into a wood chipper. It's worth witnessing.

9 PM. Be there or be powerless against the spin. :)

Posted by amahler at 07:36 PM | Comments (0)

October 02, 2004

Ladies, please! "Security moms" should have no illusions about Bush

When a Democrat wins a presidential election, that candidate usually carries a clear majority of the women's vote. Women generally tend to focus on social issues, expressing concerns over children and the elderly, and stressing health care, jobs, wages and other domestic priorities. In recent years the term "soccer moms" was used to describe these voters. This year, so we're told, there's a new group: "Security moms," and many of them are supposedly ready to vote for George W. Bush. (By Rick Howell)

Continue reading "Ladies, please! "Security moms" should have no illusions about Bush"

Posted by rickhowell at 08:09 AM | Comments (0)

October 01, 2004

The View From The Texas Tavern

From Chip Woodrum:

I watched the debate with my daughter and got a call from my son after it was over. It was unanimous in the Woodrum household that John Kerry was the clear winner in the debate. He was clear, consise and direct. He seemed more "presidential." Of course, in my house anything less than a unanimous vote for our side would be a complete disaster.

So when I stopped by the Texas Tavern in Roanoke this morning, I decided to broaden my sample. The results were excellent. The counterman said he thought Kerry "knew what he was talking about." The manager said that he felt Kerry "won" and that "his answers were crisper and he didn't just repeat phrases that he'd picked up from some focus group."

Now let me assure you that this election remains close. I really don't know what they think in Racine or even Richmond. But if you can get those results in an informal poll at the Texas Tavern, you're doing pretty damn good in Roanoke, Virginia.

Posted by laura at 10:15 AM | Comments (1)

September 30, 2004

Debate One: President Kerry

George Bush apparently brought his bag of White House pretzels with him to the podium tonight and proceeded to choke his way through ninety minutes in the shadow of a true statesman. John Kerry knocked it out of the park tonight while George Bush was left stammering, frequently grimacing and sounding weaker every time he tried to invoke his "flip-flopper" mantra.

The spinners are flying off their spindles at the moment in the GOP camp and many of the conservative blogs let out a collective wail within the first hour of tonight's debate. The network instant polls are showing a decisive Kerry victory in the numbers - even the Gallup poll that is so under fire in Democratic camps for its rightward tilt put Kerry on top by double digits.

Much will be said about this debate in the coming hours and days, but the country finally had an unfiltered opportunity tonight to see what those of us supporting John Kerry have known all along. He is a strong leader who is decisive, intelligent, articulate and capable of taking this country in the right direction.

There is so much more to say about this debate, but the hour is late and my brain is as tired as my fingers. Next week brings the VP debate between Edwards and Cheney. Between now and then, though, be prepared for the frantic GOP spinning onslaught as the overwhelming failures of the Bush administration sink deeper into the consciousness of the American people.

Posted by amahler at 11:40 PM | Comments (0)

Kerry was great

For those who doubted that Kerry had the expertise or other ability to debate George Bush or become President, Kerry certainly proved them wrong. Kerry looked great while Bush slouched and smirked; Kerry gave a broad range of answers; Bush kept repeating himself. Kerry knows these leaders and can bring the world together. The greatest lines, in my opinion, were when Kerry said, "Saddam didn't attack us; Bin Laden did" and Bush said, "I know that."

Posted by marlana at 10:46 PM | Comments (0)

Debate Time: Let the Games Begin

The news today has been, for the most part, all about the debates with the networks billing it like a title fight. Granted, the format is making something of a mockery of the concept of a true debate... but we've all heard about this ad nauseum.

So, with that said, my one recommendation for the debate watching is to watch it on C-SPAN if you've got cable or satellite TV. It's a nice, pundit-free source where you can play the role of citizen and listen without everyone telling you what was really said and how to formulate your thoughts in the moments before the ads start. 9 PM. Be there.

Among the countless articles I've absorbed on the topic today, this one stood out a bit from the rest. It goes into detail, with qualifications, on the misleading statements from Bush to watch for tonight and has some relevant background on the tactics applied in the 2000 debates against Gore.

As I'm finishing this post (three hours prior to the debate), CNN is breaking a headline on a full blown military offensive in Iraq to "recapture" Samarra. Upon reloading to see if there is an update, it vanished. Who knows.

Posted by amahler at 05:51 PM | Comments (0)

September 29, 2004

Dick Cheney: Putting the Flip in one Flop of an Administration

Apparently, in 1992 when Dick Cheney held Rumsfeld's current job in a former Bush admin, his stated position on Iraq was far more sensible (from the Seattle Post Intelligencer):

WASHINGTON -- In an assessment that differs sharply with his view today, Dick Cheney more than a decade ago defended the decision to leave Saddam Hussein in power after the first Gulf War, telling a Seattle audience that capturing Saddam wouldn't be worth additional U.S. casualties or the risk of getting "bogged down in the problems of trying to take over and govern Iraq".

He goes on to offer some insight into his reasoning:

"And the question in my mind is how many additional American casualties is Saddam worth?" Cheney said then in response to a question.

"And the answer is not very damned many. So I think we got it right, both when we decided to expel him from Kuwait, but also when the president made the decision that we'd achieved our objectives and we were not going to go get bogged down in the problems of trying to take over and govern Iraq."

146 Americans died in the first Gulf War. We're well over 1,000 now in these days of "Mission Accomplished" with no end in sight.

Here's another problem he felt they had avoided:

"Once we had rounded him up and gotten rid of his government, then the question is what do you put in its place? You know, you then have accepted the responsibility for governing Iraq."

So, Dick... what happened? And don't say it was 9/11 and Al Queda... that claim has been disproven many times over... not that it will stop you from misleading people in your quest for four more years as the power behind the throne.

I've got one bit of nostalgia about the former Bush administration: it only lasted a single term. I'm looking forward to reliving that delicious aspect again come November.

Posted by amahler at 06:08 PM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2004

The Poster Child for Flip-Flops

Frankly, calling Kerry a flip-flopper is a load of crap... but it's the kind of catchy sounding phrase the GOP likes to instill in its followers to keep them occupied and self-amused. It lacks depth and gives people a verbal talisman (with visual aids to hold up in crowds) as well as a free pass on having to think, debate, discuss or otherwise acknowledge the truth. Besides, lying in full sentences is very taxing and people tend to mess up the talking points.

So, when I was on the treadmill this morning listening to an audiobook on my iPod (bonus: I just handed some narrow-minded GOoPer a visual stereotype of me that they can now go parody on their blog), I heard Molly Ivins tackle the issue pretty nicely in her latest book - "Who Let the Dogs In?":

"Flip-flops? Compared to the man who opposed the 9/11 Commission, the Intelligence Review Board, the Department of Homeland Security, nation building, McCain-Feingold, the Middle East Peace Process, summits, free trade, the Corporate Reform Law, consulting the U.N. about Iraq, consulting Congress about Iraq, letting Condi Rice testify, etc., etc."

The "etc., etc" part of her commentary definitely cuts a very long list rather short, but the point is well made. Hypocrisy is what the Bush presidency is all about.

Feel free to share your own examples with the Comment button below...

- Aaron

Posted by amahler at 04:16 PM | Comments (0)

September 23, 2004

Saying it over and over does NOT make it true...

If George Bush had hit his head on the podium and landed on the floor unconcious, he'd have done a better job in his press conference today with Iraqi Prime Minister Allawi.

To my ear, there is a clear sense when he takes questions that he has no real answers and is just doing his best to string together a series of (what he hopes) are decisive and sharp sounding phrases. You know, "War President" stuff.

A few examples:

Continue reading "Saying it over and over does NOT make it true..."

Posted by amahler at 04:53 PM | Comments (0)

How Do You Spell That?

By all accounts, Bush just had a disasterous gaggle at a press conference this afternoon. I was marveling over parts of the transcript when Chip Woodrum sent this humorous piece along:

BUSH DENIES WAR WAS RESULT OF SPELLING ERROR

The Bush Administration again denied that the invasion of Iraq was the result of a spelling error and that the actual target was to have been Iran, which has been identified as the country that had actually assisted al Quiada terrorists.

The 9/11 Commission Report noted that Iran had actually assisted terrorists involved in the bombing by permitting them to cross its borders and concealed the fact in order to dispel suspicion.

But the President and administration sources bristled at suggestions that Iran had been originally selected as the target for attack but Iraq was substituted at the last minute due to a spelling snafu. President Bush himself responded to questions, saying: "I always get my facq's straight."

"The President was and is aware of his P's and Q's and his N's as well," Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld stated. "The President was very well educated at Yale which--although it's certainly no Princeton--is well known for its spelling expertise," he added.

Rumsfeld pointed out that Vice President Cheney had made a special emergence from his undisclosed location to assist in selecting which country to invade. "Dick Cheney is there to prevent just such an occurrence. In fact he and then CIA Director George Tenet were our fail-safe mechanism so you know nothing could have gone wrong in the spelling or intelligence department."

The President also stated "We intended to invade ...Iraq and knew what we were doing all along. Iraq is close to Iran which we may invade at a later date because it's close to...uh...several other countries too...."

Other highly placed Administration sources vehemently denied persistent rumors that former Vice President Dan Quayle had been involved in planning and targeting the initial stages of the invasion.

Posted by laura at 03:57 PM | Comments (0)