This is a sad apologia for an almost total rout of the Dem leadership by Bush and Co. on the war.  The pernicious phrase 'making the perfect the enemy of the good' is invoked here to tar the antiwar movement once again, as if supporting international law and the constitution was some kind of call for perfection.  If you mother is killed and the perpetrator is allowed to go free, your insistence that justice be done is not a matter of calling for the perfect; it is a matter of simple, elementary human rights.  It's easy to sit in front of a computer and pontificate about war critics going too far, heaven forbid.  Calling for an end to a war of aggression and torture and gross violations of the Constitution by this administration is no more than a call to return to civilized behavior.  If we are supposed to compromise about this, we're lost.  Where's the outrage here?  Edmund Burke's conservatism, by the way, was about preserving habits and customs which survived the test of time, things like habeas corpus.  It's the Bush administration which is radical and destructive here.  It's the Bush administration which seeks an outrageous perfection, one of unaccountable power.  Why this piece is the lead article on OpEd News is beyond me.

by Kuzminski (6 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 93 comments) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 7:23:21 AM

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I think that the Dems are getting much more crap from the antiwar movement than they deserve. I don't see millions of peace activists marching in the streets. Why not? The peace movement is lazy. It is not building up grass roots support because most Americans don’t seem to care very much. That's in part why Cindy Sheehan quit.

If you aren’t marching in the streets yourself, then you can’t really blame the Democrats for not doing enough. They don’t have the visible support of enough of the public, the media is totally against them, and they are always worried that they will be called “weak on security”.

If you aren’t marching in the streets, writing newspaper editors, and calling congress, then you too are just sitting at your computer and typing. That just isn’t going to make a real peace movement.

by John R Moffett (89 articles, 18 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 697 comments [14 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 8:40:20 AM

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"Tactical retreat"? Is that what we voted for?

Maybe I'm just not educated enough to understand all the nuances involved with politics, war and governance. I'm just a simple person that can't quite understand how adding more troops to a conflict that I view as a crime against all known charters and treaties as a blatant crime of aggression and is costing us our fortune, honor and the lives of the best we have.

Perhaps I'm not just smart enough to grasp how with a vast majority of the people behind them and with a president with a popularity no higher than fresh-cut grass why a congress denied the will of their constituents and instead of putting pressure to end this crime against humanity and place those responsible for all the destruction, war-profiteering and the murder of nearly one-million people on trial and instead did just the opposite.

Yeah, maybe we're as Kissinger once said, that this is too important to leave up to the people to decide.

Or maybe this is just more apologist, vacillating, bullshit we're suppose to believe and that we're to think black is white and up is down and as long as they keep dangling that carrot in front of our faces we'll be lead into the peace we seek just as soon as we win this war.

I realize the forces we face are powerful. But if we've reached the point where a majority of the people wishes are trumped by a war machine and corporations that have no place in our Constitution then we're also way past the point when we should have shed the shackles of this repressive government and no amount of explanation given can change that.

When the State takes over the corporations that's Communism. When the corporations take over the State that's Fascism.

by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 8:44:57 AM

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Mr. Biden, and others of like mind, to get their ass over to Iraq.

Likewise, I would encourage any soldier to quit while he or she can. And any other young man or women to get a life that does not include killing others.

by Daniel Geery (26 articles, 95 quicklinks, 126 diaries, 912 comments [27 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 9:02:07 AM

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I would encourage everyone who is mad... no incensed… about the war to actually do something about it.

How many here have called their representatives since the funding vote? How many have organized local anti-war rallies, or gone to a rally?

The Democrats will only have the political capital to end this war if there are incessant marches in every major city with hundreds of thousands or millions of protestors.

I see lots of apathy, and lots of worry about being seen as a “surrender monkey”, but I don’t see a lot of protesting. As Cindy Sheehan would tell you, the anti-war movement is not very large, and not very active. That does not give the Democrats the ground swell they need.

If you're not doing anything active, you can't really complain. 

by John R Moffett (89 articles, 18 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 697 comments [14 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 9:23:44 AM

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It would seem I would give political-junkies that would take the time to be in forums like this the benefit of the doubt that they also would be of like mind and participate in all, if not some of what you encourage.

Everyone in here is probably doing most all they can for the cause. But like Ms. Sheehan we have our humane limitations.

But I don't fault you for raging at the dying of the light.

by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 11:58:24 AM

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Joe Biden has been to Iraq at least 7 times during the war, Senator Max Baucus lost a nephew in the war and Senator Jim Webb's son is serving there now.  All three supported the compromise. 

As Al Gore recently pointed out, the Democrats did what they said they would do.  They passed a bill with timetables and tried to override Bush's veto.  He thinks instead the public's anger should be vented at Republicans who lack the courage or sense to stand with the Democrats. 

For those advocating a different approach -- what tangible result would this approach yield? 

Where would be in September 2007?
What reporting requirements would the Bush administration have?
Would there be funding for additional equipment needed by our troops?
What about increased homeland security and katrina funding or the minimum wage?

Or stated differently, do you think Mohammed Ali should have gone toe-to-toe with George Foreman in the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" instead of using the rope-a-dope to wear Foreman out?  Ali (who was the underdog against the powerful Foreman) stayed in the fight but waited for the right moment to unleash.  The Democrats have adopted a similar approach and it is only a matter of time before Republicans hit the canvas.

by Bennet Kelley (15 articles, 2 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 7 comments) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 11:28:41 AM

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Reasoned until you used the boxing analogy. And one more thing.

Anyone paying any attention knows we've run out of time and like titanic plates releasing pressure built over millions of years snaps and transforms all life on Earth is an instant is the precipice we find ourselves. Maybe, and that's a very weak "maybe", if we had started doing something about Global Warming, population explosion and pollution at the same time as the Industrial Revolution got started we could have forestalled the inevitable. But we haven't and all the mini-steps taken really don't mean sh*t to a tree. WE RUN OUT OF TIME.

And after we've annihilated ourselves and we're ground-up into magma and spit out again to the surface of the Earth and are fortunate to try to get it right the next time one can only hope we do it right the next time.

by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 2:17:53 PM

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Americans are trapped in a corrupt political system where our choices are apparently limited to choosing between the lesser of two evils, but our choices are actuality limited to choosing between the two heads of one snake. And that snake is the Military Industrial Congressional Complex.

The owners of the Military Industrial Congressional Complex are our de facto rulers, and they have been since World War II. The politicians we elect don’t determine or make national policy, they merely carry out instructions issued by their masters, the owners of the Military Industrial Congressional Complex. Actually the MICC should be called the Military Industrial Congressional Media Complex because the Monopoly Media is the propaganda arm of the MICC. This diabolical union of interlocking conglomerate corporations is owned by the richest one or two per cent of our population.

These richest one or two per cent of our population define and determine our “National Interests,” which amazingly always seems to coincide with their own self-interest. That’s what we call “Democracy” here in America.

.

by rabblerowzer (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 227 comments) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 9:19:03 AM

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Indeed the one reason we're not seeing the prosecution of obvious crimes against the Constitution, Bill of Rights and virtually every other common-sense law passed by reasonable thinking people before those ruthless and wealthy enough, you need to two to Tango, gained control of the distribution of life sustaining resources and 90% of the message, we, and the world, became basically screwed.

I don't see any good coming from any of this. The last World War obviously taught us nothing. The last 20 to 30-odd thousand years obviously didn't either.

The MICMC, as you put it, will like the last group of thugs that almost bombed civilization back to the Stone-Age, before being brought to justice, will unleash another "Scorched Earth Doom's Day" policy. Only this time they have the nasty little toys, at their willing, quivering fingertips to finish the job.  

It's got to the point that I hope there are such things as UFOs and somehow they have been keeping tabs, and like Ray Bradbury's "Childhoods End", intervenes in what seems to me a self-fulfilling prophecy of our species to have the stupidity to trump intelligence in a race to an extinction both foreseen and therefore preventable, made inevitable.

by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 11:45:16 AM

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before Republicans hit the canvas." I certainly hope you're right.

As for those who would send their sons or daughters to war, I can only say that we're on a different wavelength. Near as I can tell, our progeny comes from the Source of the Universe, whatever you chose to call that; war comes from the minds of cretins.

by Daniel Geery (26 articles, 95 quicklinks, 126 diaries, 912 comments [27 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 11:59:57 AM

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. . . cutting through the crap, Daniel. With this comment and the one above, you do what almost nobody in America does -- ask members of the military and prospective parents of members of the military to accept some personal responsibility for their actions or lack thereof.

Helping your child to find other options than enlisting or if he or she is already in the service, refusing to pull the trigger.

by Russ Wellen (58 articles, 1029 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 335 comments) on Sunday, Jun 3, 2007 at 2:32:08 AM

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but as Moffett pointed out lack of courage is not limited to congress.

by HL Bumpkin (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 53 comments) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 12:03:24 PM

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for the one party system we currently have, that operates the 2 fake wings, the Dems and the Reps, in cooperation with the MSM (6 megacorps own almost all the outlets) and most of corporate America and the elite investor class. They think they're superior and entitled, even obligated, to lie to the People, whose rights governments are instituted to protect, because we can't handle the truth about world affairs. Actually, it's them that can't handle the truth, which is why they lie and run like cockroaches when light is shed on their parasitic, criminal activities. After the Iraq War and 9/11 lies, the People are waking up to this infection of our government, press and economy, and we are using the new technologies like the internet to level the playing field, against the will of the ruling elite, who are not needed, let alone fit, to rule.

by Better World Order (4 articles, 568 quicklinks, 39 diaries, 1111 comments [56 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 12:08:37 PM

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the author/shill said that Nader helped Bush win; Gore won; the Supreme Court stopped the recount and the left wing of the Republocrats rolled over and certified the election. Screw Gore anyway- he's the criminal that helped ram NAFTA thru Congress, which has resulted in massive net wage decreases/job losses on both sides of the border, and is responsible for the increase in immigration. 

by Better World Order (4 articles, 568 quicklinks, 39 diaries, 1111 comments [56 recommended, 1 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 12:13:16 PM

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No lie -- up to and including "War is Peace" -- is beneath the shamelessness of Dem Party hacks like Mr Kelley. His thoroughly dishonest piece here is a lie from start to finishing, including the outrageous assertions that Nader cost Gore the '00 election, & that "the reality is that...the Democrats simply lack the ability to impose a timetable for withdrawal at this time." The truth is that they lack only the will, not the "ability." The voting mechanics required no "veto-proof majority." All they had to do was refuse to give Bush the money. If a unified Dem majority passed only bills with no money to continue the war, Bush could veto to his heart's content, but it wouldn't make the money magically appear. No money, no war. Game over. Mr rabblerowzer has it exactly right, above, in his remarks on the Military Industrial Congressional Media Complex. Lying hacks like Bennet Kelley get paid simply to keep the Dem-voting half of the population confused; to breed in them silly illusions in the terminally corrupt Democratic Party. In the raw sewage of this article, Kelley tells readers that black is white -- that a thoroughly loathesome capitulation by the Democrats should be regarded as a clever tactical maneuver, & as a sign of progress.

by Richard Mynick (2 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 1552 comments [255 recommended, 5 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 1:26:59 PM

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John Moffett asks why peace activists aren't out marching in the streets to protest this latest cowardly cave in by Congress.  He says the peace movement is lazy, and that in order for Democrats to take a stronger stand, they need to see larger and more visible support for ending the war. 

Well Democrats saw the vote results in 2006 and they know it was a demand to end the war, they've seen the repeated polls, call-ins, letters, petitions, they've seen countless marches and demonstrations (don't forget the huge protests before the war began).  We are hoarse from shouting our demands. How long does it take for us to see that our words aren't sufficient to motivate them to act.  The only thing they care about is our votes (which they think we are afraid to withhold), and our campaign contributions. 

If the Democrats want to redeem themselves, they need to put Bush on notice NOW, that there will be NO Iraq funding legislation offered in September, period! (no votes to compromise on, nothing to veto).  They should tell Bush there is plenty of money in the pipeline now for an orderly phased withdrawal and they'd better begin it.   In addition, they should commence serious hearings NOW, with subpoena power, to investigate and expose all the countless illegal activities of Bush-Cheney, and follow this with IMPEACHMENT - thus demonstrating to the country that the Democrats are the Party that stands for the rule of law and defenders of the Constitution and democracy.  

But will they do these things? No. Because they have instead demonstrated to us that they are just the other leg, along with the Republicans, of the same corporatist pair of trousers. 

Instead of more peace marches, perhaps peace activists should shift their time, energy, and money toward promoting and supporting anti-war challengers to all the spineless Democratic incumbents in the coming Primaries. And when we call and write the Democratic leadership, perhaps we should give them a new message: tell them they have lost our votes and our money. Tell them we will NOT be voting for Democrats in 2008! - unless they cut the war funding, relinquish the permanent bases, bring the troops home, and commence with Impeachment proceedings! Send them a voided check too, telling them this is what they would have received from us if they had demonstrated some spine.

by my2cents (0 articles, 5 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 30 comments) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 1:53:26 PM

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But waiting for the next election IS the lazy thing to do. More will be killed or maimed.

If every person on this board who is a progressive called their Senators and Congressperson on Monday, and asked their friends and family to do the same, it would be a good start. Congress may not be reading their email anymore, but they still are answering the phones.

If progressives kept calling every day, and didn’t let the pressure down, that would be even better.

If progressives gathered on a regular basis by the tens of thousands outside the capital building, that would be incredible pressure.

It’s not impossible, it just takes effort. If you don’t think that the Congress gets phone calls from conservatives all day long, you are wrong. They do. We need the ratio to shift to 10 progressive calls for every one conservative call.

Anger can be turned to action. I've already written Congress... I’m calling Monday.

House: Congress: 202 225 3121

Senators phone numbers: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

by John R Moffett (89 articles, 18 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 697 comments [14 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 2:45:03 PM

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Not to be naive, in a prefect world, shouldn't our votes be enough to dictate policy that our representatives are suppose to follow? Why do we, at this stage in our evolution, have to demonstrate or overthrow our government to affect change?

One of the things that I blame the war-opposition movement on is not forming "general strikes". General strikes, unlike demonstrations require little effort and can have a direct and immediate impact. Combined with the Internet and networking of the anti-war sites millions of people could focus their energy on a cause. Get 3 million people to stop buying gas at Exxon,  and watch how fast policy changes. Boycott GE products and we'd have the troops home by October Fest.

But I see, like in the past, co-ordinate efforts by the Fascist State to keep these kinds of efforts from happening. But that is still no excuse. We have the power to effect change, we have the will, we just need a co-ordinated effort.

by Mr M (8 articles, 0 quicklinks, 66 diaries, 2845 comments [654 recommended, 27 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 2:49:58 PM

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Long live war, warmongers, their defenders and coherts. (not)

These videos were made for guys like Kelly so they can be proud of the military industrial congressional complex;

youtube code : 6vS-Db9yT3c

parts 2 & 3 can be found there as well. Boom ! War is fun, he he , he he.  

What a butthead. 

by Tony Forest (7 articles, 18 quicklinks, 166 diaries, 1429 comments [5 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 1:57:34 PM

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The truth is that a significant majority are against the war -- and everyone knows that, Democrats and DLC included. What the Democrats are practicing is not politics, but obstructionism.

Perhaps if one is raising a toddler one needs to constantly tell the kid not to not to throw his applesauce on the cat, but unless we are to think that Congress is composed of people with the mentallity of a two year old then it becomes obvious they voted to fund the war because they want to fund the war -- to listen to the corporate fascists and other war-mongers who support them instead of the people.

Nothing is possible unless one decides to do it. "But Mommy, I don't know how not to throw apple sauce on the cat. I didn't do it -- the apple sauce  went through the air onto the cat. Ellie told me to throw it on the cat so I had to. The cat likes apples sauce on her." On and on and on... the Democrats -- all the politicans -- need a lomg timeout! Let's get real!

by Blue Pilgrim (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 997 comments) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 1:58:45 PM

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And fiber -- lots of fiber. But fascism is constipating -- just look at what's happened to the Democrats...

by Blue Pilgrim (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 997 comments) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 2:30:06 PM

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Go to VFCN Iraq and Afghanistan Supplemental Spending 2008 and read and/or listen to (or download) the presentation. I suggest listening to speech which has some extra comments.  

by Blue Pilgrim (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 997 comments) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 2:27:47 PM

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Call Congress Monday, and let them know that you are not pleased.

Be polite, the people on the phone just work there.

House of Reps: 202 225 3121 (give zip code to reach rep)

Senate: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

JRM

by John R Moffett (89 articles, 18 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 697 comments [14 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 2:50:29 PM

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You say that the dems didn't have the votes to pass a bill that would require a phased withdrawal and that's true. But they DID have the power to block funding, period. That's the power a principled, functionally spined congress DOES have-- the power to block funding for the war.

BTW, do a search for democrats and spineless and you come up with over 300,000 hits.

You are right that dems have done some of the things they said they would, but mostly, you're talking technicalities. Oh, yes. They passed the minimum wage-- not living wage-- legislation, at the cost of giving up their control over the budget. But what a price they paid. They now OWN the war. The Republicans will blame them for any outcome other than what they define as a win. 

The dems were afraid to be spun, over the break, as failing to support the troops, so they passed this spineless sellout bill. But they failed to realize that they bought a delay and even worse spin-- that their funding and micromanagement of the war interfered with Bush's ability to win the war.

Bottom line-- the Dems did and still do have the power to stop the war-- not with a time schedule, but with the hard refusal to fund the war, period, until Bush comes around. They didn't have the spine to do it.  

by Rob Kall (952 articles, 4177 quicklinks, 374 diaries, 2087 comments [45 recommended, 3 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 3:38:01 PM

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I, the local group, other groups -- we've demonstrated, met with politicians, hold vigils, marched, called, written letters to papers, had teach-ins -- but those in power have decided that be ignored. Yes -- it's time to General Strikes. But it's still a matter of having enough people participating, and it seems that building numbers like that takes time (although less time now than in the past).

There are still many people who may be opposed to the war, but often for the wrong reasons (such as not winning), and who still understand the situation or what has happened. The main obstacle to peace is still the mass media and propaganda -- they are like infantry and an artillary barrage on information and understanding. At the root of all this it's a war on information and concept.

This article right here is disinformation and obfuscation, intentional or no. Of COURSE if the Democrats wanted to they could have stopped the passage of a funding bill. A simple majority can do that, not even considering a filibuster in the Senate which would have required 60% vote for cloture, holds, and other possibilities. Saying a veto-proof majority is needed is simply not the case: just NOT passing a bill. It could probably have been blocked in committee. At the least it could have been strongly resisted, as only a handful have done. As been pointed out, this is not a bill about continuing a farm subsidy or education program, but about continuing war crimes -- crimes against humanity. Those who voted for this bill are complicit in the worst crimes in the world -- in aggressive war, the willful destruction of a nation, in the mass murder of as many as a million people or more. The people of this nation need to understand that in no uncertain terms.

by Blue Pilgrim (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 997 comments) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 3:49:39 PM

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Everytime I get my hopes up that America is FINALLY waking up from the nightmare of denial that:

(1.) America is 100% a Dictatorship of the Rich

(2.) We have a ONE party system -- the Democratic/Republican Party (or visa versa) which are the court jesters of the 1% American Royalty (of both parties!)

But then a piece like this cmes along and offf we go again into la la land and congradulagte ourselves for having a party which has abandoned rationality, ethics, and their constitutents.

WE HAVE NO ADVOCATES. God in heaven, how many more rastionalizations away of this fact are we going to have to read.

Things aren't going sort of OK with a sort of OK Democratic Party. We are rapidly dying as a country and planet and the alleged Democratic Partiy is now and always has been more part of the problem than the solution. As was earlier pointed out the nefarious military indestrial complex (alias America's Dictatorship of the Rich) is America's God.

Maybe a grassroots uprising with boycotts and demonstrations will slow our fall into hell, but the LAST thing on planet Earth which will save America is the Democratic/Republican Party.

So pLease, please, please, No more faiiry tales. No more "let's count our blessings". The only blessing we have to count is killer realism. No more whilstling in the dark. The dark's not listening.

We are on our own. We do not have advocates. We do not have a political party. This is called beginning where your are.

by W. Christopher Epler (Bill) (291 articles, 59 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 763 comments [44 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 4:49:36 PM

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There needs to be a political realignment and the elimination of this phony left-right paradigm that has prevailed and served as a facade for the dismantling of the middle class, the implementation of a police state and the selling off of our infrastructure to the hightest foreign bidder.

Enough is enough and it's time to issue a wake up call - we are all on the SAME SIDE and it is against the oligarchy, enough is enough and any acknowledgement of the current DLC Democrat/Republican Neocon alliance as one of legitimacy serves nobody but them.

Throw ALL of the bastards out, then haul their asses in front of a jury where they will be tried for treason and then imprisoned in their beloved GITMO.

Just my two cents

EE 

by Ed Encho (12 articles, 20 quicklinks, 65 diaries, 438 comments [14 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 6:11:08 PM

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URGENT! URGENT! URGENT!

I need some answers, before I go any further with the Dems and/or you.

I consider myself a moderate Democrat. And have been very active since 2004.

However, I am ready to quit my lifelong party and join the Independents. (I'm 63)

My party, elected majority by, 'we the people', have capitulated to bushco on just about every issue that we voted the Democrats in, to oppose and change.

1. You funded, no real strings attached, a war that we are absolutely opposed to. You didn't protect our troops from being unprepared to deploy, you gave bush a blank check and lying about it compounds the crime. You all know, very well, that he will not comply with your feeble attempts at holding him, 'accountable'.

I have 'covered the Dem leader's backs', on many blogs, message boards, letters to the editors, and, yes, even on dem and liberal's sites.

This time, you have gone too far!!!

2. You allowed bush a blank check on the un-fair, 'free trade' deals and are probably going to give him a blank check to 'fast track' trade.

You all know very well that they have not complied to human rights, unions, or environmental regulations attached to NAFTA CAFTA or any other trade deals.

You also know very well that the middle and lower classes are being driven into poverty and going without medical care as their good jobs are being replaced by service type jobs. By allowing corps to move overseas for cheap labor and to avoid environmental, work safety, human rights, and public safety laws you have helped to drive down the middle class, now you are proposing to bring in emigrants to take the lower paying jobs that can't be sent over seas.

3. You have sold out the American middle class to the Emigration bill. i.e. we pay their legal fees, we pay corporations to hire illegal to build 'the' wall, ect.

You know very well that you are not helping the workers of America, nor are the pre-existing laws being enforced.

Cut corporate taxes, let them pay cheap wages, with no benefits, and then, 'we the people' can pay for worker's medical and other emergencies.
We still pay taxes, remember? We pay for the war, so that the corporations can plunder all of Iraq's assets and natural resources. We pay subsidies to the oil corporations and receive no royalties for access to our public lands so they can make record profits, by charging us more and more at the pump.

4. To top it all off....impeachment is 'off the table'. The most corrupt administration in the history of our nation and we just let them commit so many 'high crimes and misdemeanors' that even members of their own party are saying that they are deserving of impeachment.

Spying without warrant, repeatedly lying to congress and the American people, outting a covert CIA officer and thus compromising the, people in the program, the mission, and the national security, Pre-emptive and perpetual war based on lies, torture, disregarding at least 7 international treaties, ratified by congress, using taxpayer's money (1.6 billion) to propagandize the American people with falsehoods, without stating who was paying for it, falsifying scientific reports and other governmental reports, using public personnel, assets, sites, and tools on public time to plot against the Democrats with power point presentations including charts and brochures of weak republican candidates and Democrats to 'target'. Using the Justice department to suppress the vote and cover for corrupt repubs and indict dems without real evidence. There is a lot more, but the Democratic leaders are letting the repubs run congress from a minority position.

What the hell is going on with my party? When are they going to start doing what is right, not letting the repubs and the media intimidate them into following, like a bunch of sheep?

What good are hearings? What good is letting the repubs write the bills for them? What good for America and the American citizens, is the congress we worked so hard to get elected....for change?

As for me? I am not part of their 'left-wing base', but they have just about lost any support from me. I will stop any support until the Dems stop acting like the 'center right', of the republican party.

'GIVE EM HELL HARRY', has turned into ask them please and then let them have what they want.

I was ashamed of my country's president and cabinet and the citizens that allowed it. The citizens (majority) have begun to make me proud to be an American again. Now my party has become a constant embarrassment.

I certainly hope to see hearings that have consequences for those that deserve it, and legislation of the people, for the people, and by the people, via their elected representatives. I need not remind you that the Dems were the majority when they help get us into this mess, and now they are the majority and are helping to keep us in this bloody quagmire.

Because the Dem showed no real patriotism, at least 500 more troops will die between now and Sept., 10,000 more Iraqi men women and children will die, untold numbers of troops and innocent Iraqis will be wounded, 100+ billion American tax dollars will be spent, and American infrastructure and social services will be cut.
It is criminal.

Until I see improvement I will work against any Dems that were complicit in these debacles and if it continues I will use what resources I have to expose what is really happening. Time for our leaders to 'put up or shut up'.

No more RUBBER STAMP CONGRESS!!
---------------------------------

I sent this to every dem senator. But, having said all of that. The anti-war, get us out right now, group that voted against the first bill, helped cause the final one.

But, why didn't they send that bill right back to him? And why are they doing all of these other things?

by LYNNE KRINGLER (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 70 comments) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 6:19:29 PM

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Welcome aboard ! Please do take a seat. Sorry, would the half of you please sit on this side ? And the remainder ...o'er here please. Thank you very much ! Now we're in balance !
(my arse!)

go to dogpile, search for

styx grand illusion

click on he very 1st mp3

The Grand Illusion

writen by Dennis Deyoung

"Welcome to the grand illusion
Come on in and see whats happening
Pay the price, get your tickets for the show
The stage is set, the band starts playing
Suddenly your heart is pounding
Wishing secretly you were a star.

But dont be fooled by the radio
The tv or the magazines
They show you photographs of how your life should be
But theyre just someone elses fantasy
So if you think your life is complete confusion
Because you never win the game
Just remember that its a grand illusion
And deep inside were all the same.
Were all the same...

So if you think your life is complete confusion
Because your neighbors got it made
Just remember that its a grand illusion
And deep inside were all the same.
Were all the same...

America spells competition, join us in our blind ambition
Get yourself a brand new motor car
Someday soon well stop to ponder what on earths this spell were under
We made the grade and still we wonder who the hell we are"

by Tony Forest (7 articles, 18 quicklinks, 166 diaries, 1429 comments [5 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 7:15:51 PM

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OK, Everyone is mad, now what are you going to do?

by John R Moffett (89 articles, 18 quicklinks, 3 diaries, 697 comments [14 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 7:15:54 PM

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What esle ? He can read, can he not ?

In memory of Berthold Brecht......

I shall NOT mention the "S" word, ......

yet 

by Tony Forest (7 articles, 18 quicklinks, 166 diaries, 1429 comments [5 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 7:20:06 PM

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I know if I were an elected representative, I would tell constituents that emails, letters and phone calls really make a difference and I give my full attention to them. I would tell my constituents this even if the letters went in the trash unread, the emails got deleted and the phone calls were intercepted by my staff under orders to not bother me with them unless someone I know died.

I know from my involvment in politics that the same people tend to contact our electeds over and over thereby giving them another reason to ignore these communications.

It seems to me that if our electeds are as corrupted by money and power as I believe they are, why on earth would these communications make any difference in the electeds actions?

For me the only activities that make sense are ones that will change the current system into one that will make our elected officials accountable to the people and not to the special interests.

Therefore I volunteer my time and give money to an organization that is working on getting the "clean election" system of campaign finance reform passed.

More so than a strong antiwar movement, we need a strong campaign finance movement. All and I mean all of our current political problems can potentially be fixed by creating a system where we are actually represented, rather than keep trying to change the behavior of elected officials who don't in fact represent us at all.

by John F Howes CPA (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 28 comments [1 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Saturday, Jun 2, 2007 at 7:54:24 PM

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Well put BT your right the clean election laws are a good first step in stemming the of corporate graft that now dominates our system. Then the focus need to address the laws that enabled cooperations to be given the same rights under the constitution as an individual. As corporations have, as can be readily verified buy their multinational propensity, have no allegiance to any one nation under god or other wise. Then Electronic voting needs to be eliminated thus taking another tool away from the corporate Nazis.

by Keith Hupp (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 23 comments) on Sunday, Jun 3, 2007 at 12:20:31 AM

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Thank you for your spirited comments.  To recap, it would appear that even if someone has been an outspoken critic of the Bush administration and opposed the war from Day 1 - should they disagree with you on this one issue of providing an additional 4 months of funding for the war - they are by definition a warmonger, fascist, criminal butthead. 

This is true, even though the approach advocated in these comments would yield a standoff that by September would be no closer to bringing our troops home than the compromise so vigorously denounced today -- but with no increased minimum wage or increased funding for Katrina or homeland security.

This is hardly a recipe for a building a broad coalition to actually achieve a tangible result.  But what do I know - since according to this page I'm just a lying DNC hack.

by Bennet Kelley (15 articles, 2 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 7 comments) on Sunday, Jun 3, 2007 at 3:27:58 AM

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Now, don’t be getting all bent out of shape Bennet, we play Rough and Tumble here.

Most of us are so pissed off with our government and leaders, we’re ready to burn it down and start all over again.

Though we are all mostly hardcore progressives, that doesn’t mean we won’t rip each other a new a**hole, if anyone disagree with us about anything: like for instance, “How many conservatives does it take to bring back Outhouses?

Answer two: Reagan and Bush.

The rest of them wipe their asses with their left hand because they eat with their right hand.

.

by rabblerowzer (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 227 comments) on Sunday, Jun 3, 2007 at 12:41:18 PM

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Mr. Kelley,

If Congress wanted to restrict spending on new armour for military vehicles in Iraq, they could have done that.

The ultimate proof to me that the Democratic Party is just as evil as the RNC was the fact that they voted to force the Iraqis to privatize their oil, aka - turn it over to U.S. oil companies.

Yes, I'm mad as hell and called my Senators and Congressman. I don't care if the staffers are just working people - they're working for the devil as far as I'm concerned.

by Bob Fireovid (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 19 comments) on Sunday, Jun 3, 2007 at 8:56:16 AM

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"Blame the Democrats for Everything" crowd that exists here. I'm not able to do that with this vote. This vote, and opposing continuation of the funding was basically the most important legislative vote of this session, and 1/3rd of the congressional Democrats blew it. See my article today on the subject Democrats Missed it Badly on Iraq War Funding Vote

by Steven Leser (255 articles, 58 quicklinks, 38 diaries, 2147 comments [63 recommended, 2 rejected]) on Sunday, Jun 3, 2007 at 1:16:26 PM

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I would most willingly agree with the reasons being put forward by Mr. Kelley for the Democrats voting the way they did BUT I can't because, when it comes to US Foreign Policy in the Middle East in general and Iraq-Iran in particular, neither the Congressmen nor the Senators can afford going against the dictats of those who placed them and sustain them on Capitol Hill AND I don't mean the American electorate. The ones I mean are the Oil, Defence, Zionist-Neo Con Mafias who are all Imperialists and Dominionist, each mafia with its special agenda and expected 'returns on investment'. High American casualties are a pain in the ***, but can be treated by the likes of Karl Rogue, Rupert Murdoch and Falwell. Iraqi and for that matter the Palestinian & the Lebanese casualties as well have no chance of becoming common knowledge in the US.The same Mafia imposed censoring, double talk, demonizing of hadjis and gooks and spreading of fear by the State takes care of this 'slight' inconvenience'. For these reasons, the US Congress & Senate can not bring back the troops home before 2008 or after 2008, specially when the construction of Imperial Capital of the US (The US Embassy)in Baghdad is nearing completion and Iraqi Oil reserves are about to be signed off to the Oil Mafia by the Vichi (Oops! Malaki) Govt. Only the Iraqi Resistance can get the American Hordes out of Iraq and this is exactly what they are busy doing in their crude ways. Only then will the Americans demonstrate in the manner their parents did thirty odd years ago and force the said mafias to bend to public opinion. Meanwhile, I sincerely advise my brothers in humanity in America NOT to bet a single dollar either on the US Legislature or the US Judiciary & definitely not on the US Administration!     

by syed mahdi (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 156 comments [17 recommended, 0 rejected]) on Sunday, Jun 3, 2007 at 3:08:29 PM

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