Hillary is partying with Rupert Murdoch. Gee, that makes me want to vote for her.

Memo to Hillary: It's all over but the equivocating.

Money can't buy you love.

Is this the OPEN THREAD?

I don't know if it is, doesnt say open, but it is shorter.

we can stake out the territory and send word back to those waiting off shore in rafts deb.

THIS IS THE OFFICIAL OPEN THREAD FOR THE DAY!

************************************************

hi dem, dk & gregg,

anyone watching cspan2? currently having talk about security...by Dem Nat'l Security Agenda - Progressive Policy Institute...

found this last nite, thought it interesting enough to re-post...

"To point out that our military has been overextended, taken for granted, and neglected - that is no criticism of the military. That is a criticism of a president and a vice president, and the record they have built together."

- Vice President Cheney, 8/30/00

this was posted yesterday but i am reposting it as it is so mind blowing. this is the result of institutionalized racism:

U.S. has second worst newborn death rate in modern world, report says
Research: 2 million babies die in first 24 hours each year worldwide
By Jeff Green
CNN

Tuesday, May 9, 2006; Posted: 10:57 a.m. EDT (14:57 GMT)

(CNN) -- An estimated 2 million babies die within their first 24 hours each year worldwide and the United States has the second worst newborn mortality rate in the developed world, according to a new report.

infant mortality

that is amazing momo. out of the mouths of monsters.

Rachel Kleinfeld - Truman Nat'l Sec Project - Int'l Relations Scholar on Cspan, very interesting, talking about her generation and what they believe and how to reach out to them.....

There is a REAL New "Open Thread"

she says that if the dems don't reach out to the younger generation (she calls them the boomettes) that the pugs have a huge "web" that will reach out to them.

Gary Trauner (D-WY) We have to help this guy win!!! Wouldn't that send a CLEAR/MANDATED message to dead-eye dick?

Greg, a recent column I read sited from the Washington Post that 50% more poor women gave birth in 2001 than in 1994 while the birth rate actually dropped for affluent women in the United States. Would it be a fair assumption that part of the increase in infant mortality falls to lack of prenatal care to many of these women?

"The Right to be born" folks need to realize that taking away affordable birth control options and doing nothing to provide better access to pre and postnatal care is just out right irresponsible.

Joe Scarborough: ...I've learned from this White House, that when things change these days, they almost always change for the worse. Let's face it. When one out of three of your own party wants you to lose control over Congress, it's time to take a long look-at the enemy within.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/

Kristen,
imo, they just don't understand the meaning of "responsible"

Hellooooo

Tracy posted a NEW OPEN THREAD!

Ron Asmus now on Cspan, talking same talking points as Benji, when dems come back into power, must make big changes and hold themselves responsible for all policy rules,etc....

Gregg,
"American babies are three times more likely to die in their first month as children born in Japan, and newborn mortality is 2.5 times higher in the U.S. than in Finland, Iceland or Norway, Save the Children researchers found."

I wonder if any of the death figures are for the US included deaths do to insurance companys control of length of hospital stay if insured, or the push for home birth, or births done by nurse rather then DR.

Along with the facts of the uninsured, or those who cant get care or proper nutrition, teenage mothers, and addicted issues.

US being so high on the list or deaths, doesnt say anything good for the Presidents policy on health care. Also maybe Laura should be picking books on children having children, birthcontrol, and maybe books how your govt is helping you, as if a book will cure Americas problems.

Hasn't anybody seen the notice about the NEW OPEN THREAD with only 3 posts?

DPD,

keep going out and looking for a new thread, can't find it, can you link it?

*******NEW OPEN THREAD AT TOP. PLEASE PROCEED TO THE AUDITORIUM...GIRLS TAKE YOUR PURSES (why did they always say that? what was in those purses?)***************

Linked @ 12:18 post. Weird, I tried to go back, and It disappeared. This happened yesterday, too.

Issues

Bob Casey is running for the U.S. Senate because he wants to help bring change to Washington.

This Senate race is crucial for setting a new agenda in Washington.

As your Senator, Bob Casey will fight to put the needs and concerns of Pennsylvania's middle-class families first.

Casey has a record of being a fiscal watchdog in government and holding state agencies accountable for spending tax dollars responsibly. He will bring this same resolve to Washington and return fiscal responsibility to the federal government to reduce the record deficits we now face.

BOB CASEY FOR U.S. SENATE

A Better Ohio for Our Children

As a Representative of the 19th House District, I will listen to the concerns of the people of my district. I promise to bring democracy back to the statehouse by working with Democrats and Republicans to solve the problems this state is facing. This kind of collaboration has been sorely lacking and has resulted in Ohio’s losing jobs, lagging in education and losing our youngest and brightest to other states. We must turn things around!

MARION HARRIS FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE

Join Space's Camp

Become an important part of the official Zack Space for Congress volunteer team known as Space's Camp. Together, Space's Camp members will provide the much needed resources to ensure Zack is elected to United States Congress. Your help is absolutely critical to winning this campaign. Join Space's Camp today!

ZACK SPACE FOR CONGRESS

The War in Iraq

Three years ago, President George Bush rushed our country to war in Iraq and Senator Lieberman has cheered him on every step of the way. No, there was no imminent threat to America, there were no weapons of mass destruction, and we were not greeted as liberators.

Today, America is no safer, Israel is no safer, Iran is more dangerous, Osama bin Laden is still at large, and our brave troops are stuck in the middle of a bloody civil war. I believe that those leaders who got us into this mess should be held accountable.

Looking forward, I salute the patriotism and wisdom of Congressman Murtha and others who emphasize that “stay the course” is not a winning strategy for Iraq or America. Our best chance of success requires that the Iraqis take control of their own destiny. America should make clear that we have no designs upon their oil and no plans for permanent bases. While we will continue to provide logistical and training support as long as we are asked, our frontline military troops should begin to be redeployed and our troops should start heading home.

NED LAMONT FOR U.S. SENATE

Saturday, May 13, 2006

My New Democratic Friends,

I hate to say this, I do not like even suggesting it, but I strongly feel the issues needs to be brought up, and debated by our people. I am talking about the currant Democratic leaders in Congress. Like it or not, deserve it or not, how ever they are chosen, we have goofed up. I am sorry to say it, but as it stands to the America people, the faces of the Democratic Party are, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton. However, the problem in my opinion is the first two. Both are very very good at their jobs and I would not vote them out of office if they were my reps.

The problem as I see it is one thing our Party tries to fight, sexism and labels. I strongly feel the America people want to see a strong man out there putting forward our grievances in a loud and forceful way. The problem of not doing it that way is it makes us look weak, soft, and afraid to fight. When that is the farthest thing we are, we are not afraid to stand up and say what we are for and what we believe in. I am sorry, the dam talking heads on TV, especially the bush regime party’s propaganda machine “Fox” is out there with a picture, and TV footage of Pelosi, and Reid saying is this who you want leading your Government?

I know it is not fair, and I know the Democrats mostly stand up for people who label others before they know the facts. I know some people would say Karl Rove is winning already. We should not have to change leaders this close to the elections. It would be a gamble I know, but it will pay off big. The truth is, it is a very smart move. I mean who do you think Karl Rove would rather debate, the super soft spoken Harry Reid, or Russ Feingold ? He must have been a very good attorney, and a better prosecutor. I have seen him going after the currant attorney general albert gonzales on the warrantless wiretapping the bush regime thinks it can go around the law on. Senator Feingold is on the Judiciary Committee along with a lot of other strong Senators who can hold their own in a loud man on man debate.

Senator Dick Durbin is also another great Senator who should be a leader. Senator Durbin is an extremely smart man, and by all accounts I have read, both Democrat and republican, he is considered one of the most honest and un-corruptible Senators in Congress. Now that is saying a lot, especially when it is coming from republican sources, and the republicans are the ones who know all about corruption. John Kerry would not be a bad choice, but America has already said no to him. I mean look who beat him, and that is bad when a corrupt, lying, cheating, and treasonous president can beat an honest smart, patriotic, and loving caring Father, and husband. I admit we did not know all the things we know now, but Senator Kerry did not go after the kill. I am sorry, that is what Americans are looking for. Why? Because we all want to be safe, and secure. But we also want to be safe from un-warranted nosy Government interference in our homes, papers, phones, cars, and computers. I find it awfully weird that a republican, a so called conservative would think it is ok, for the Government, Big Brother, to be snooping around, without cause of any kind in our homes, papers, phones, or our computers which now days is storing more and more of our life in their memory banks.

I had always considered myself a conservative republican, at least until george w. bush came along and apparently changed the meaning of conservative republican. Everything the bush regime has done is not conservative, nothing! And all the so called republicans who are supporting him, regardless of the things he does, I would say to them, go off and start your own bush party, you sure are not conservative. In fact the republican party has been smeared the names of anyone who backed them and are making a disgrace of the republican name. Apparently they back their man no matter what, it does not matter id they break the law, hell, we will just change it, and make what you have been doing legal, all in the name of the party. Since when have conservatives been for more laws that seem to be ignored, and never enforced. Or even worse, selectively enforced against those who appose you.

There is no doubt, none what so ever, that Karl Rove is the master of the smear campaign, he could make your grandmother look like an ax murdering child molester. Sadly this is something the republicans have grabbed onto like a life vest in a sinking ship. It seems to be all they know, I mean is Karl Rove running every campaign across the United States. This is one of the reasons I grew up in a republican house hold, and later agreed with my parents on their politics. Sadly my Father is gone now, but in a way he is lucky, because he would not have believed just how much the republicans have become this monster Government they have become. Just what in the hell is conservative about a Nine TRILLION Dollar Debt?
That is right, $9,000,000,000,000.00

Most people have no concept of what a Trillion is, or a Billion for that matter. A Billion is One Thousand Millions. One Billion dollars could make one thousand people millionaires. That is just one Billion, I mean just look at how fast these so called conservative republicans in Congress are spending a billion dollars. Money is being spent so fast in bush’s privet little war, a war everyone else is paying for, some with the most precious thing anyone could ever give, their life. Back to how fast bush and his bobble head - rubber stamp Congress is wasting YOUR money. I can not honestly say how much of YOUR money they are blowing in Iraq, I know by most so called “conservative” estimates it will end up costing a TRILLION dollars or more, and as I said, that is the “conservative” estimates. We all know just how well the Government, YOUR Government estimates the cost of things. With that kind of price tag we could have given every single person in the United States free health care, we could have completed the space station and built two more space shuttles, and throw on top a trip back to the moon. Or, we could have made one million people millionaires.

Instead what does your republican lead bobble headed, rubber stamp anything, never ask a question because they are afraid of what they might find, agree to not investigate as long as bush will not veto their ear marks, anything goes Congress been doing, well they have cut taxes for the rich, in fact the richer you are, the larger percentage of taxes you get back, and to pay for it and their for profit war, they have raised the debt ceiling to over Nine Trillion Dollars. This is money your kids, and your grand kids will have to pay for, and you better forget about retiring at 67, now you need to work to 75 before you can retire. That is unless you are one of the one percent of Americans who bought and paid for this president and his bobble headed, “yes sir” what ever you want Congress.

Almost all of this unbelievable debt the bobble heads in Congress have been racking up is owned by foreign Governments. The lions share of this huge unbelievable debt is owned by the Chinese Government. The bill is going to come due one of these days people, and does every single American living have an extra Thirty Thousand Dollars laying around that is not needed? DO you want your kids paying what ever this debt will be, plus interest, in lets say, 25 or 35 years from now? Now we have an election coming up, and the bobble heads in Congress are running around shanking their heads just now noticing how dam bad they look. Basically all they have done is what I said, cut taxes for their corporate masters. They have not secured our borders, in fact they have encouraged illegal immigration by having not charged an employer with hiring illegal’s in two years. Why in Christ would they want to, they are owned by the big corporate interests. Big corporate interests want super cheep labor, either importing it, which is driving down the wages or stagnating them for the normal hard working Americans, or they ship the jobs over seas. Anyone, and I know a lot of smart people are going to read this, everyone of the hard working middle class and lower wage earners had better pay attention, bush is trying his everything he can do to get ride of the middle class, he dam well might succeed, but with our kids, not his. Our kids, do you want them serving his kids for the rest of their life because they can not afford to do anything else? Do you want your kids to be poor because they have to pay off China? Come on people, we can all see who bush, and his bobble heads in congress have been watching out for, it has been their big corporate masters interests they have been looking after. It sure as hell has not been the middle class or the lower middle class, or the poor, which I am part of. In all my 45 years I have never seen the Government looking after so few, and doing it right in our faces. Lets all send them a message and send a working class Democratic Congress to Washington to restore some order.

It shocked my conscience to hear the CEO’s of all five major oil companies admit to Congress that they did not need, the over 20 Billion dollars in Government subsidies the Congress had been giving them. Hell, they even said they did not ask for it, I find that hard to believe, but that is what that scumbag retired exxon CEO said. You know, having been a conservative republican, and supporting less Government, and fewer taxes, and believing in the capitalistic system of making money, I find it odd that I would say this. However, I think this retired exxon CEO, lee raymond, I think this scumbag should go to jail for life. This guy had to have personally given the bush campaign and all their bobble heads in congress a million dollars each for their gifts to the super rich oil company. Exxon made more money last year than any company in history, no, not kidding, it’s true, more than any other company in history, 36 Billion dollars profit in one year. They also made the second highest profit margin in history, beaten only by the richest man on earth, Mr. Bill Gates and his company Microsofts.

Ok, I think you all get my point on how bad the bush regime, and his republican bobble headed congress is. If you are a republican who still supports bush, only God and you can figure out why, I can sure debate the issues, I have a fifteen page report, that lists all of his screw ups I knew about as of five months ago, maybe you should read that and do a little truth seeking. If you still support bush after reading my long point by point essay of the bush regime so far, then I guess you are either one of two things, a rich white guy who is scared shitless of what a responsible Democratic Congress may do, or you are a fanatical right wing nut who will not admit the truth, even to yourself.

Going back to my original point, I sure think we need to change our leaders in Congress right now. To win over the middle class white level headed voter they are going to want to see a man out there number one. Men are considered stronger and more capable of making life and death decisions. Now I sure am not saying that is true, I am just telling you what most Americans feel, including women. They want a man making the decisions when the country really needs to be protected. Number two, they do not want a soft spoken, half blind old man of there making decisions on the same issues of protecting America. What we want is a man who is not afraid to speak his mind, and could hold his own or win a loud forceful debate. I personally think the decision to not vote for Senator Kerry was made up in the minds of most Americans when that prick dick cheney beat up on poor little Senator John Edwards. Again, I am sorry, but that is how it came off in my mind, and I bet I am not much off the mark. Given the fact bush had lied his way into a war, and they fully used the fear all Americans still had, we lost the confidence of the American people.

I know this sounds a little cowboy’ish, but we need macho leaders to take this midterm election and wrestle it away from the so called conservative republicans. I mean they should be smacked with that label of, bobble head congress on every TV show in the country as often as you can get on. They should be hit with the facts, one, that they have not secured the borders, they have been the ones that got us into this war in Iraq, and relied on a plan of stay the course, what the hell kind of plan is that? Why is the Congress finding out from the newspapers what bush has been up to, why haven’t they done their Constitutional job of over site. Why does bush want to sell our ports, and control of our airlines? Why did he go into Iraq, before we caught Bin-Laden? Why for the first time in history, in History do we have retired Generals now telling us the bush regime would not listen to reason when it came to the war plans? Why wouldn’t he fire people and hold them accountable for doing horrible jobs? Instead of firing people who needed firing he, bush promoted them? I take no pleasure in saying it, but Rice should have been fired on 9-11 or 9-12. I have her on VCR tape, on 9-11 saying, “I do not think anyone could have imagined people who would fly planes into buildings”. She was national security advisor, if she could not imagine it, who in the hell should? I mean send me your email address I will send you the list of 37 issues where the bush regime has screwed up, time after time after time, it is none stop. The founder of the so called conservative movement saying bush is screwing up and is no conservative. He has gone way beyond the crap Nixon pulled and done it right in congress’s face. What do they do, pass a law making what he did legal, now what the hell kind of legal system is that? Something that has bugged the hell out of me, is why wont bush hold halliburton accountable, they are said to have lost two Billion dollars, and still got paid. Now if that is right, I want to know what the hell the new standard for wrong is.

So please, write your Democratic Party members in your State, send the DNC Dr. Dean a message. Send it via email to everyone you know, YES especially your republican family and friends. If they are still fanatical about bush, what can you say. If they are reasonable human beings, they will listen to reason, nothing I have said is a lie, nothing in my 37 point review is a lie, all of them are backed up with facts. Goodness, conservative, and bush and his bobble heads open the second largest Government operation in history. Second only to the social security system, I am talking about DHS, the Dept. Of Homeland security. Having been a police officers most of my adult life, I feel for them. But my God, how bad can you screw up a rescue operation in a flooded city? I mean they still have not finished screwing up, do you know what they were paying for those dam cruise ships, almost Five Thousand dollars a week, A WEEK PEOPLE. Hell, these people were not on a cruise, they did not have to have gourmet meal every night, and they didn’t. I am not even sure if they fed the people. The screw up’s on buying the mobile homes for One BILLION Dollars that they can not use. How stupid, how bad, how much do you have to screw up before the bush regime will hold anyone accountable? How much bush, HOW MUCH???

I hate to say it, but we need people like John Murtha, Russ Feingold, Dick Durbin, Rahm Emmanuel, other strong men who will take on the bush regime and take no political prisoners. But we can not torture them, well politically you can, but not physically like they do to people they decide are bad guys. All we Democrats have to do is get out there with a strong message. I think we have the message, even though all the talking heads say we don’t. Why are all the talking heads saying we don’t, because we do not have real strong voices out there telling people where we stand. All you have to do is beat bush up with his own record, it should not be hard or complicated. Just lay out to the American people how much and how BAD the bush regime is screwing everything up.

And here is my but, for the most part we should be able to beat the hell out of bush like I said with his own record. But, we can not stand in the way of anything that is good for America, just because it was proposed by a republican, or even bush himself. The only thing I think bush and his bobble heads including Karl Rove, can pull out and maybe beat us on is immigration. We Democrats need to stand up for border security first, and beat the hell out of king george with his own shitty record on border, and port security. It is not because bush has stopped any terrorist attack, we have just been dam lucky, ask the 9-11 commission how many of their recommendations the bush regime has put into effect. The one thing that can kill us, is looking like we are pandering to the illegal’s, who for the most part can not vote anyway. We do not have to be mean, it is a National Security issues, and we need those borders closed, Period! Once we do that, and the bush regime has shown he will enforce the laws already on the books we can later talk about guess worker. However, if the Democrats want to come out and demand amnesty now, in any form or perceived form we will lose, because we will be seen as pandering, and abandoning the American people. I mean this issue can be a gift, we can beat the hell out of bush with his record on border security. Why do you think snow and Karl are getting bush on TV Monday night to talk about this issue. He wants to make it a Democrat -vs- republican issue. It isn’t, please take my word for it, I was a police officer here in Arizona most of my life. I know it is an American issue, for every State. The bush regime wants all the cheep labor and that is it, he does not want the Mexicans staying, he just wants their hard ass work for below minium wage, just look at bush’s record on the minium wage, he and his bobble heads have not raised it in almost ten years.

So come on, join with me in sending this letter or one like it to your Democratic Reps. We need Dr. Dean to listen, and we need Senator Reid, and Congresswomen Pelosi to listen to us, for the good of the Party they need to step aside for now, and let our Macho men go get’em. I would hope and pray they would do what is best for the Party, and see that I am right, if all of you join with me and tell them we, not me, we are right, we will take back BOTH house’s of Congress without breaking a sweat. We must stick to the border security first though, and worry about the other issues later. Because right now, we can turn the Rove plan around and beat him over the head with their record on border, port, and immigration enforcement. This is a stick they want to beat us over the head with, but lets flip it on them and beat them over the head with it. But we must let the leaders, Reid, Pelosi, DR. Dean, Feingold, Durbin, all of them. I love hearing bush say, “a job Americans wont do.” Do you mean to tell me there are 12 -15 million jobs Americans wont do? I mean bush & his bobble heads would be funny, if he were not so dam dangerous.

I would strongly encourage you to dig a little deeper in your wallets and purses, and send the DNC another $20 bucks, it is not much, but if we all do it, we can help this country get right back on tract. I have no problem with anyone highlighting this letter and sending it directly to your representatives and one to the DNC. Feel free to print it out and pass it around. As I said, give it to your republican family and friends, we all are still Americans at the end of the day, we should not be fighting like we have been for the last four years, it’s nuts! It was all bush’s plan, I have heard from the very beginning, when he ran on being a uniter, not a divider and he and his bobble heads have done nothing but divide us all from day one. It has been the haves -vs- the have nots. Please, send your own statement, clean mine up, I know I am very wordy, and can not seem to shut up when I am putting the bush regime down. I know I did not capitalize a lot of names, and the other sides Party, I did not because that is my way of showing no respect for them, I have had to earn respect all my life, and I am not going to give it to these corporate thieves. My email is dwolfaz@netzero.com. Feel free to write or have your republican friends write. They read our blog all the time anyway. I have no problem with sending them the long list of 37 issues, minus the last five or six months of things I have now heard about, where bush has screwed up time after time after time.

Sincerely,
Mr. & Mrs. DW McKinney
Someplace in Arizona
Dwolfaz@netzero.com

CC: Senators Reid, Kerry, Durbin, Feingold, Schumer, Representatives Nancy Pelosi John Murtha, John Conyers, Henry Waxman, Rahm Emmanuel (Remember it is our Government we are trying to wrestle back away from the bobble heads and their corporate masters. It is YOUR America, and never let them forget it!
AND TO ANYONE SO INCLINED, FEEL FREE TO POST THIS ON REPUBLICAN BLOGS...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/democrats/

I just upgraded the Flikr account to a pro account. Now you can upload as many photos of your 50 state journey as you want.

Best of luck to you.