Potter's Musings

2006-11-10T04:02:00.000-05:00

Just in time for the election....

2006-10-24T15:47:00.000-04:00

All the reasons you've ever wanted NOT to vote for rethuglicans...

Senate:

--AZ-Sen: Jon Kyl
--MD-Sen: Michael Steele
--MO-Sen: Jim Talent
--MT-Sen: Conrad Burns
--RI-Sen: Lincoln Chafee
--TN-Sen: Bob Corker
--VA-Sen: George Allen
--WA-Sen: Mike McGavick

House of Representatives:
--AZ-01: Rick Renzi
--AZ-05: J.D. Hayworth
--CA-04: John Doolittle
--CA-11: Richard Pombo
--CA-50: Brian Bilbray
--CO-04: Marilyn Musgrave
--CO-05: Doug Lamborn
--CO-07: Rick O'Donnell
--CT-04: Christopher Shays
--FL-13: Vernon Buchanan
--FL-16: Joe Negron
--FL-22: Clay Shaw
--ID-01: Bill Sali
--IL-06: Peter Roskam
--IL-10: Mark Kirk
--IL-14: Dennis Hastert
--IN-02: Chris Chocola
--IN-08: John Hostettler
--IA-01: Mike Whalen
--KS-02: Jim Ryun
--KY-03: Anne Northup
--KY-04: Geoff Davis
--MN-01: Gil Gutknecht
--MN-06: Michele Bachmann
--NV-03: Jon Porter
--NH-02: Charlie Bass
--NJ-07: Mike Ferguson
--NM-01: Heather Wilson
--NY-03: Peter King
--NY-20: John Sweeney
--NY-26: Tom Reynolds
--NY-29: Randy Kuhl
--NC-08: Robin Hayes
--NC-11: Charles Taylor
--OH-01: Steve Chabot
--OH-02: Jean Schmidt
--OH-15: Deborah Pryce
--OH-18: Joy Padgett
--PA-04: Melissa Hart
--PA-07: Curt Weldon
--PA-08: Mike Fitzpatrick
--PA-10: Don Sherwood
--VA-10: Frank Wolf
--WA-08: Dave Reichert

via Chris Bowers, MyDD.com

Hi MommaPotter and IrishYankee!

2006-09-05T12:10:00.000-04:00

A little birdie told me that I still had a daily visitor. Checking site logs, I found out its true!!! And maybe even more than one!!! Just wanted to give a little shoutout to my peeps. :-*

In the interest of moving John Spencer down the page (who, by the way, enjoys reading, listening to music, gardening and spending time with friends -- even those from his high school days), here's a little picture for ya...

That's all I got. :-*

2005-12-17T16:51:00.000-05:00

Rest In Peace, John Spencer

LEO
Because I'm tired of it year after year after year after year having to chose between the lesser of who cares? Of trying to get myself excited about a candidate who can speak in complete sentences. Of setting the bar so low, I can hardly look at it. They say a good man can't get elected President. I don't believe that, do you?

BARTLET
Does it matter that I'm not as sure?

LEO
Nah. Act as if ye have faith and faith shall be given to you. Put it another way, fake it
till you make it. You did good tonight.

BARTLET
Yeah.

LEO
This is the time of Jed Bartlet, old friend. You're gonna open your mouth and lift houses off the ground. Whole houses, clear off the ground...

One of 1,000 Leo Moments on the West Wing that made reaffirmed my faith in the potential for great government, and more importantly, made me love John Spencer. You will truly be missed! @---}----

2005-12-17T16:28:00.000-05:00

Tim Ryan Blasts the Admin

Click here for the video

"Please forgive us for not believing what you're saying!" I wouldn't mind seeing more dems grow a spine, like Congressman Tim Ryan (D, OH-17). 3 Cheers!

2005-11-06T21:33:00.000-05:00

Go read this:

Wilson IV, Joseph C. What I Didn't Find in Africa. The New York Times; Sunday July 6, 2003, Section 4, pg. 9 col. 1.

It's the article that kicked off the conversations on Valerie Plame's ID in the White House and then in the press, and led to her outing in the press 8 days later (July 14th '03) as a covert op for the CIA. In my opinion, you can't understand the current scandal without reading this first.

Comments open for your input, bets on who gets indicted next, shoutouts, etc.

2005-11-02T19:50:00.000-05:00

John Kerry Is A Rockstar

So at this point exactly one year ago, I was at a visibility on a busy streetcorner in Concord, NH, holding a Kerry/Edwards sign and waving at the passing cars. Yeah, I was one of those people. Election day was one year ago today, and its sort of a oddly sad day for me now. I know, with all the other things to be sad about, I choose to revisit the Kerry loss...

On the bright side, this means that we have only 1 more year until dems take back the house, and 3 more years of this current insanity--a mere 38.5% left!! And lame-duckness is just around the bend.

Anyone have a good JK story to share? I could use one.

And just because it really isn't a day until I get a chance to mock B*sh, he had this to say right after the election:

I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it.

How's it going for you now, dear leader? You're little shopping spree about complete? Cuz Social Security didn't work out so well, the little filibuster melodrama was a little embarrassing for you, Katrina, Jeff Gannon, Cindy Sheehan, Michael Brown, Harriet Miers, Scooter Libby, Tom Delay (just because I can), approval ratings, and wait what was that other one? hmm. IRAQ. I can't even think straight about Iraq. That actually stopped being funny a little while ago...cut me some slack, I'm rusty!

Since that's not embarrassing enough, thanks to BillinPortlandMaine, we have this little tidbit: Number of times Bush said his job was "hard work" during the first debate: 11.

2005-10-01T21:05:00.000-04:00

Can't stop gloating

Thanks to 2 Political Junkies for the find:

2005-09-27T23:55:00.000-04:00

Moral Bankruptcy

I am so effing done with the idiocy of congress. Lead sentence of the NYT article:

"When Congress agreed this spring to tighten the bankruptcy laws and crack down on consumers who took on debt irresponsibly, no one had the victims of Hurricane Katrina in mind." (please go and read the whole article, its worth it).

That's because they were all so busy thinking about their next campaign contribution from MBNA or American Express, that they didn't have room for independent thought. It's a failure overall of both parties, not just a 55-45 split. The bankruptcy bill passed in April by a margin of 74-25 in the Senate, with every vulnerable or red-state Dem voting for the thing, Mary Landrieu among them (let me just take a moment to give thanks that Kennedy and Kerry are my senators). Dems did offer 26 amendments to the bill, only one of which was passed, but then 20 D-Sens ended up voting for the thing anyway! What gives?!

There are 3 things going on in the above sentence.

Let me just correct the premise to begin: the bankruptcy bill was the most highly lobbied bill of the spring, coming second only to the energy package (don't get me started). Maybe its nice high-minded intent was to crack down on irresponsibility, but its not working. Those who need bankruptcy protection are seriously hurt, and those who would take advantage are finding new ways. It is lunacy. All that being said;
The scariest part of it all: "no one had the victims of Hurricane Katrina in mind." And why would they?! Millions of people in need with no voice are not the problem of congress. Only millions of people with the eyes of the nation and the world matter. There is a MASSIVE image problem for the conservative movement, and more specifically for anyone who voted for this sorry excuse for legislation. Chew on that thought for a moment, while we take a look at the third consequence of this statement:
Potter's head has now exploded.

2005-09-25T22:25:00.000-04:00

What is wrong with the paper of record?
Unimportant rant ahead...

Seriously, I'm thinking of cancelling my Sundays only subscription in protest. The Times has decided to become irrelevant. I'm not kidding. Has everyone seen this TimesSelect feature they've got now? They've put all editorial content and special features behind a pay wall. They've left the commodities out there for free. Krugman's great, Herbert is my pal, Dowd is my hero, Friedman is cool to read every now and then. But c'mon! You want to be a national paper? You want to shape the debate? You want to matter at all?! Don't put the only unique thing about you behind the pay wall!

Yes, they've passed the "internet economic model for dummies" course. Increased revenue minus lost readership/ad rev will still equal profit. However, there's a reason WaPo and the LATimes are partying 8 nights a week. Irrelevancy!!! Krugman means nothing unless people read him. Thomas Friedman can't sell millions of books and be the foremost ed expert on the Middle East or globalization if his column doesn't get emailed around the office. They forgot about Internet 2.0.

All the news that's fit to read if you've got 50 bucks.

2005-09-25T09:03:00.000-04:00

Calling John Proctor...

My Church is basically falling apart, and they decide to fixate on ways to decrease vocations and alientate the faithful? "Let's blame it on the gays so we can ignore the idiocy of celibacy and women in the priesthood." Can anyone say witchhunt?! I don't have the strength to rant on this one. Stories from the NYTimes will have to do...

Vatican to Check U.S. Seminaries On Gay Presence
September 15, 2005, Thursday
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN

Investigators appointed by the Vatican have been instructed to review each of the 229 Roman Catholic seminaries in the United States for ''evidence of homosexuality'' and for faculty members who dissent from church teaching, according to a document prepared to guide the process...

...A 12-page document with instructions for the review is now being distributed to seminarians and faculty members. It asks whether the doctrine on the priesthood presented by the seminary is ''solidly based on the church's Magisterium,'' or teaching, and whether teachers and seminarians ''accept this teaching.'' Among the other questions are these:

''Is there a clear process for removing from the seminary faculty members who dissent from the authoritative teaching of the church or whose conduct does not provide good example to future priests?''

''Is the seminary free from the influences of New Age and eclectic spirituality?''

''Do the seminarians or faculty members have concerns about the moral life of those living in the institution? (This question must be answered).''

''Is there evidence of homosexuality in the seminary? (This question must be answered).''

Admirers of Fallen 9/11 Hero Disdain the Vatican's Likely Plan to Bar Gays as Priests
By ANDY NEWMAN
Published: September 25, 2005

The Rev. Mychal F. Judge, the Fire Department chaplain who died in the rubble of 9/11, was, and still is, one of the most widely loved Roman Catholic priests in New York City's recent history.

For 40 years, Father Judge tirelessly ministered to firefighters, their grieving widows, AIDS patients, homeless people, Flight 800 victims' families and countless others. At his funeral, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani called him a saint, a sentiment that admirers have followed up by campaigning for his canonization. A simple prayer that Father Judge wrote has been circulated around the world and attached to thousands of donations to the needy. Pope John Paul II accepted the gift of his helmet.

Father Judge was also, according to many of his friends of all sexual orientations, a homosexual. A celibate homosexual, he told friends, but a homosexual nonetheless. And reports last week that the Vatican is likely to try to bar gay men, even celibate ones, from the priesthood stirred anger among those who revere his memory.

2005-09-14T20:13:00.000-04:00

Why are you not doing your dissertation?

**Calling All Cars**Calling All Cars**Calling All Cars**
Potter's Mother is Procrastinating From Writing Her Dissertation!! Emergency!! Deadline Approaching September 21st!! Goals Not Achieved!! Encouragement, Harrassment, Words Of Wisdom, Prodding With Sticks Urgently Needed!!

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for [my mother] to [write her] dis[sertation, so that she can get her dream job, and live happily ever after...]

Everyone else: I know what you're thinking--"Oh good grief. Potter is blogging this again?" That's right. It's encourage Potter's Momma day here at the blog. Even if you don't know her (or me), leave a word of encouragement, a humorous higher ed incident, a knock-knock joke, constructive harrassment...This thing WILL BE DONE by next May. We have all this time to get used to calling her "Dr. Lastname", but she's gotta rush to finish. (I say its time to start using all those saved up sick days...)

Here, I've made it easy! There's the comments button below! Try clicking it and see what happens!

dissertation

2005-09-13T19:26:00.000-04:00

Questions for Roberts
John Tierney made me laugh til I cried at work. Its not often that the NYT op-ed page has me rolling, but today was another story. His point was to ask John Roberts something unexpected to catch him off guard. Some of the Q's:

If Roe v. Wade were a tree, what kind of tree would it be?
Is there any chance that you could speed up Justice Stevens's retirement by addressing him as "Gramps"?
In your best judgment, did Brad and Jen really just grow apart, or was it Angelina's fault?
If Vice President Dick Cheney and Justice Scalia invited you duck hunting, would you go?
Would it be a violation of Lois Lane's so-called right to privacy if Superman used his X-ray vision to look through her clothes?

And my personal favorite:

How would you edit this sentence to make it grammatically correct?: "I swear I ain't never gonna overturn Roe v. Wade."

If only. Today is Fantasyland Day--all political fantasies entertained in the comments below.

john roberts; john tierney; fantasyland

2005-09-13T18:05:00.000-04:00

~Breaking News: B*sh Takes Responsibility~
(or, how Potter would have reported the story)

Edited from the real New York Times story, found aqui. No copyright infringement indended.

B*sh Takes Responsibility For ~~Failures in Storm Response~~ the First Time In His Life

By ~~KIRK JOHNSON and CHRISTINE HAUSER~~ POTTER

~~NEW ORLEANS~~ BARBADOS, Sept. 13 - President B*sh said today that he accepted responsibility for the extent to which the federal government fell short in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. He quickly added, "but don't tell anyone, I don't want to ruin my perfect reputation for being irresponsible. Really, it's not my fault. Karl told me to do this."

Technorati--impeach b*sh; responsibility; rove, the antichrist.

2005-09-10T11:08:00.000-04:00

"And you will find rest for your souls"

When I was little and my family would drive down to the Jersey Shore, I'd seek out the Twin Towers each time as we passed Manhattan on the NJ side. I had this fantasy where I'd grow up to be a rich doctor and I would buy both the skyscrapers--I would live in one and my grandmother would live in the other. I had no real sense of the size of these buildings, and remember my shock at learning that several thousand people worked there. I was in wonder.

Four years ago this week, I felt a profound sense of loss. I can't describe the depth of feeling, but I'd imagine I don't have to. You probably felt similarly. It was the personal stories of September 11th that got to me the most: the cleaning crew at Windows on the World. The firefighter rushing back up the stairs. The man carrying a disabled coworker down 50 flights and just making it out of the building. The 22 year old girl starting her second day of work a junior analyst for Cantor-Fitzgerald.

My memory of that whole time is completely spotty--friends have had to remind me of major events that happened, but other things I remember clear as day. For instance, I recall 9:00 on Thursday night, I got a call from the director of Campus Ministry (ironically, my current boss). "Potter, I'm sorry to be calling you so late, but I was wondering if you could give a speech tomorrow at the memorial." But I don't remember writing or delivering my reflection. I don't even remember being in the building. I came across my notes in my journal yesterday. I had drawn strength from two bible passages at the time, I thought I'd share them here:

Matthew 11.28-30

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gently and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Romans 12.9-21

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection. Be patient in suffering. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mind, I will repay, says the Lord." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Comments open for your thoughts. Please share.

2005-09-09T13:36:00.000-04:00

Good of the Nation:1
Cronyism: 0

"FEMA Chief Relieved of Katrina Duties

FEMA Director Michael Brown is being removed from his role managing Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, The Associated Press has learned.
Brown is being sent back to Washington from Baton Rouge, where he was the primary official overseeing the federal government's response to the disaster, according to two federal officials who declined to be identified before the announcement.

Brown will be replaced by Coast Guard Vice Adm. Thad w. Allen, who was overseeing New Orleans relief and rescue efforts.

Brown has been under fire because of the administration's slow response to the magnitude of the hurricane. On Thursday, questions were raised about whether he padded his resume to highlight his previous emergency management background.

Less than an hour before Brown's removal came to light, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Brown had not resigned and the president had not asked for his resignation.

McClellan did not directly answer a question about whether the president had full confidence in Brown.

"We appreciate all those who are working round the clock, and that's the way I would answer it," he said."

Also this from WaPo:

Leaders Lacking Disaster Experience

By Spencer S. Hsu

Five of eight top Federal Emergency Management Agency officials came to their posts with virtually no experience in handling disasters and now lead an agency whose ranks of seasoned crisis managers have thinned dramatically since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

(Which loaded with the Sprint Ad stating "Reinventing the Yes Man". Coincidence? I don't think so.) This is not to say that Brownie's relieved of all duties. He's still head of FEMA, just not in charge of Katrina. More to come later...

Technorati--FEMA; Katrina

2005-09-07T23:47:00.000-04:00

B*sh: A Natural Disaster

The front page photo at the New York Times (shown at bottom) made me do a double-take. I couldn't figure out for the moment whether the photo was from New Orleans or Iraq.

Got me to thinking, this is what happens when you have incompetence in leadership. Really great troops, volunteers, rescue workers doing the best they can, without any idea of the big picture. And the streets of New Orleans start looking like the streets of Baghdad.

A war of choice. His people ignored and suffering.
I hope these images haunt his dreams.

From KidOakland's diary, Flipping the Rock, today on the Daily Kos. The absurdity of conservatism:

Did "big business" save people when they needed help?
Did "free markets" save people when they needed food and water?
Did "tax cuts for the rich" save people when people needed to evacuate?
Did "compassionate conservatism" come to the rescue when people were left stranded
Did "Homeland Security" come to the rescue while an American city drowned?

Ponder that awhile. Comments open for viscous rants. (Seems my hiatus was shortlived...)

Technorati -- hurricane katrina; iraq; failure of leadership

2005-09-07T21:01:00.000-04:00

Apologies for my absence

To the 4 of you who care, sorry for my relative absence of late. I'm on emotional overload, and can barely put together a coherent thought on this disaster. In the meantime, a pictorial diversion for you from PostSecret...

2005-09-03T09:52:00.000-04:00

National News Media Grows a Set in the Battle for Accountability

From Maureen Dowd's Op-Ed of 9/3, United States of Shame:

[Shit] happens.
And when you combine limited government with incompetent government, lethal [Shit] happens.

From Paul Krugman's Op-Ed of 9/2, A Can't-Do Government:

So America, once famous for its can-do attitude, now has a can't-do government that makes excuses instead of doing its job. And while it makes those excuses, Americans are dying.

All over the blogoshpere and in some commentary, people give blanket mea culpa's before attacking or questioning the administration's response. Maybe I am "politicizing this tragedy" or perhaps I want to blame B*sh for everything. I don't care--I'm not a B*sh apologist, nor am I a sensitive liberal in this matter. This tragedy is the utter failure of the B*sh administration, Homeland (In)security and FEMA. It is criminal neglect.

About six years ago, B*sh met with Jim Wallis (ed. of Sojourners Magazine). This is what he said:

"Jim, I don't understand poor people. I don't live, never lived around poor people. I don't know [how] poor people think. Frankly, I'm a white Republican guy who just doesn't get it. But I'd like to. How do I get it? How do I understand?"

Wallis gave him the benefit of the doubt for awhile. But six years later we have all come to witness his incompetence and lack of leadership on issues of poverty and race.

It is nearly one week after the storm hit, and elderly couples and families are still waving tshirts from their balconies to flag down helicopters. Some 10,000+ evacuees are still languishing on the streets, waiting for a bus-ride to a shelter. Only yesterday did they start to get the food, water and clothes they needed in any real quantity. Rot in hell, B*sh.

Comments open for vicious rants. I'll be back Monday.

Quick update: We're up to about $3,000 total. Let me know if you've already made your donation.

Technorati: maureen dowd; paul krugman; hurricane

2005-09-01T14:29:00.000-04:00

Hurricane Relief--Donate Now

Hi all. I need your help:
Four friends and I have decided to boost our own aid efforts by matching any donations made by other friends and family of ours, up to a total of $1,000 each.

If you've been thinking about making a donation, no matter how large or small, do it now. Donate to the charity of your choice, let me know and I'll match your donation.

redcross.org
catholiccharities.org
salvationarmy.org
NYTimes Relief Website
Or research a local chapter of a charity or church here: guidestar.org

Help us get to $10,000 together. Help us make meaning out of this terrible tragedy.

Technorait--hurricane katrina

2005-08-29T21:03:00.000-04:00

Too Blah To Blog...
But I don't want to end my streak of a post a day. Pinched from my fellow stumbler, Karyn. thanks! LBJ, Bush, protests...I am surprised at how casually the newsmedia and commentators are throwing the Vietnam card. Not that I don't agree, history is repeating.

Technorati--cindy sheehan; b*sh; LBJ

2005-08-29T00:15:00.000-04:00

Nobody cares, but...

I just jumped from Insignificant Microbe to Slimy Mollusc in the Truth Laid Bear Blogoshere Ecosystem. That's 5 whole levels, folks!! I also jumped from 36,xxx to 19,636...this is HUGE NEWS.

By the way, any blogger says they don't care 'bout this stuff is either lying, or is more at peace than I. Good for them. I've got traffic and links, baby! Thanks to my linkers, Chasing Lightning, Karen Gsteiger, and A Dude Somewhere. 3 Cheers. Each.

"There was quite a lot of sugar in the creme de caramel". --10 PotterPoints to the first visitor to correctly identify this quote.

Also, to commenters past, present and future, thanks for dealing with the word verification. With my fine honed sense of comment spammer mind-reading (and the site meter down below), its working. I got about 1,000 visits from people who couldn't care less about my site (Shocking), all wanting to tell us about the Mortgage offers and whatnot. So. That's why.

2005-08-28T18:50:00.000-04:00

Sunday Morning Talk Show Recap

Just a side note: if any of you ever have the opportunity to witness me in my Sunday routine (usually 10A-2PM each Sunday), run the other way. I should really be put under solitary confinement with the New York Times, a TV and a computer for those 4 hours. And on the Sundays I am otherwise occupied, my entire week is thrown off. There's a word for such behavior in the psychiatric field, but I choose to ignore it as it applies to me.

This week, as is customary for me, it was Meet The Press. Gen. Wes Clark was on a panel with 3 other Ret. U.S. Generals discussing Iraq. Last January, a friend and I split time in the New Hampshire Primaries working for Clark and Kerry, so I see the appeal. Completely unscientific 3+ years early poll at the Daily Kos has Clark as the early choice of all Kossacks (35ish% in a field of about 10 dems), so I've once again taken notice. He made my point for me today:

Mr. Russert: Was it a mistake to go into Iraq?

Gen. Clark: Well, I think it was a strategic blunder. First it wasn't connected to the war on terror, at least not to the people that struck us. Secondly, it has proved a huge recruitment tool for al-Qaeda. It's a feed lot for terrorists who want to learn how to fight Americans. We put our American soldiers at risk there. And we're producing terrorists out there. It's a training ground. And seeing American soldiers engaged there just raises the temperature and the blood pressure throughout the Islamic world. So I wish we hadn't done it. But having said that, I still believe there's an opportunity to make the best of a bad situation in Iraq. I don't want to see us come out of there if we can put a strategy together that will leave that region more peaceful and protect our interests and the interests of the other nations.

Mr. Russert: Would Iraq have been more stable with Saddam Hussein?

Gen. Clark: I think we could have worked against Saddam Hussein in a different way. We hadn't exhausted the diplomatic process. We hadn't finished squeezing him. There were lots of different moves we could have put on Saddam Hussein and maintained the focus on Afghanistan, where we've still got significant problems. We really haven't addressed the issues of Pakistan yet. We really haven't worked the whole arrangement of militant Wahabism coming out of Saudi Arabia, the funding, the ideology. If we're going to succeed in the war on terror, we have to succeed first on an ideological basis. It's about persuading people that they don't want to feel this way and that they shouldn't feel this way. It's about changing minds before it's about killing people.
(emphasis mine)

Later, Russert shows us that he ate his Wheaties and brought his A-Game:

Gen. Downing:...The other things we're doing is we're supporting the economic development of that country and the social development. That's why these military operations are going on. And I really think that it's incumbent upon you and the others and the responsible American press to put the casualties into these kind of context. In other words, what is it that they're accomplishing? I mean, can you imagine us and, you know, it's been quoted out there in the Web, judging the D-Day invasion of Normandy back in 1944 by the casualties that were suffered?

Mr. Russert: But those opposed to the war will say there's no comparison between World War II and Iraq; that one was a war of choice and one was a war of necessity. Those opposed to the war will say that we entered this war on the rationale of weapons of mass destruction that do not exist. Those who oppose the war will say that the number of troops that were necessary to conduct the war and the level of armament was woefully inadequate. And that it is--and that we would be greeted as liberators. None of those things have happened. And it's time to take the troops home because this was a tragic blunder.

Pow, Bamm, Smack...Russert wins the National Press Club's award for "ever so thinnly veiled anti-war comment of the day", and I love him for it. But why is it that the press only starts to get angry and fight back when its the institution of the press that's being attacked?? It happened with 3 big stories recently: Gannon/Guckert, Newsweek and Gitmo, and Miller/ Novak/ Rove/ Plame/ Wilson. Has anyone else noticed this? Bush and the administration have gotten a free pass for a ton of other stories, just not press-related stories. David Gregory almost started a fistfight with Scott McClellan over Rove and whether the president would comment.

No further analysis from me. Draw your own conclusions. My brain is mush. Oh and here is the full transcript from Meet the Press.

Oh, by the way, if anyone is using Internet Explorer, can you tell me if you can see this page right, with the side bar on the right? I use Firefox and just checked the blog earlier on IE and it was all messed up. The sidebar was below all posts. Let me know. Any ideas to correct it would be greatly appreciated as well. Cheers all!

2005-08-27T16:12:00.000-04:00

Effing Pat Robertson and his morals

I thought I was too sick to think and post, until my mind settled on thoughts of Pat Robertson. Karen Gsteiger, I'm taking your place in the blogosphere as the last fool to blog the Robertson story. Hope you don't mind. (Quick plug for Karen's website. Read. Laugh. Think. Repeat.)

Okay, so everyone has heard by now about Pat Robertson's call for Chavez' head on a plate, right? And the subsequent silence from the US government? And the subsequent apology (I didn't mean for you to kill him. That's not Christian)?If not, its been all over the news. I can't catch you up here.

So I'm listening to Howard Stern on the way to work on Thursday. I am fully expecting everyone to laugh at me, both for listening to Stern, and for the next part. Stern's experting clips from Pat Robertson's show. "Robertson has a show?" I think to myself. "I never knew that. "Come to think of it, where does he spew his venom?" Stern enlightens me. Robertson's television show is called The 700 Club.

I am not kidding you, I thought the 700 Club was a NASCAR week-in-review type show, much like Baseball Tonight.

But no, it turns out the wingnuttiest of wingnuts is on my television.

In the interest of research for you, my loyal readers, I tuned in on Thursday night to see what I was missing. Theres a story about Ron. Ron was a Black Panther, turned homeless man who nearly committed suicide, until Jesus asked him to come off the ledge, and then his life turns around, and now hes the LA correspondant for CNN. (Sorry for the brevity). Shoddy storytelling aside on 700 Club's part, it was actually a great and uplifting story about the saving grace of faith in this man's life.

Then effing Pat Robertson gets on with his smooth voice and folksy nature, and his tells us all the moral of the story: Don't become homeless in the first place. NO PATFUCKINGROBERTSON, THAT'S NOT THE MORAL OF THE FUCKING STORY! I was throwing pretzels at the TV at this point. Then he asks me to pray with him, and forces me to commit sacrelige when I begin to pray his own prayer against him. Am I not right about this? Is Pat Robertson sane?

Posessed co-host, Jane something:

Features like this:

And Mr. Incredible himself:

You can comment on this post below, but I'm too lazy today to separate out these two posts.

Speaking of insanity:
Announcing a New Section on Potter's Musings, Crazy Liberal Thought of the Week:
Let me set the stage first: I was in the middle of a leadership institute on Friday. The facilitator, a former professor of mine who is part of the reason I want to go into academia, divided the group into 2 for some group work. You know, "all the A's go to this table and all the B's, go to this side". I didn't have to join either of the groups for this one, so I grabbed lunch and my mind started to wander. Here's the CLT: Wouldn't it be great if all the liberals could go to one side of the country and all the conservatives go to the other? We could form our own countries, everyone could live under the rule of law they prefer, we'd declare war on eachother, or maybe play a great big game of red-rover. The conservatives could close their borders to outsiders, or any sane thought altogether, the 10 commandments would become the constitution, and live in the idealized past as they've always wanted. The liberals could have an actual social safety net, progressive reform, a bill of rights with some weight, gay marriage, civil rights...

Then the thought crossed my mind, where do you put the C's(Independents). I snapped back into reality, but not after the thought about what the campaign would be like for Indep's to join our respective countries: Conservatives: "you're either with us or you're against us". Liberals: "If you agree with our positions on the issues, and feel one with our platform, we would love to have you join us. But that's only if you want to..."

Please rate the level of insanity on a scale of 1-10. 1=great idea, 10=certifyably crazy liberal.

Technorati--pat robertson

2005-08-24T21:03:00.000-04:00

Brainwashing the little ones

From amazon.com comes a darling new children's book!

"Help! Mom! There are Liberals Under My Bed!"

Book Description
This full-color illustrated book is a fun way for parents to teach young children the valuable lessons of conservatism. Written in simple text, readers can follow along with Tommy and Lou as they open a lemonade stand to earn money for a swing set. But when liberals start demanding that Tommy and Lou pay half their money in taxes, take down their picture of Jesus, and serve broccoli with every glass of lemonade, the young brothers experience the downside to living in Liberaland.

From the Publisher
Would you let your child read blatantly liberal stories with titles such as "King & King," "No, George, No," or "It's Just a Plant"?
Unless you live in Haight-Ashbury or write for the New York Times, probably not. But with the nation’s libraries and classrooms filled with overtly liberal children’s books advocating everything from gay marriage to marijuana use, kids everywhere are being deluged with left-wing propaganda.

"Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed" is the book conservative parents have been seeking. This illustrated book — the first in the "Help! Mom!" series from Kids Ahead — is perfect for parents who seek to share their traditional values with their children, as well as adults who wish to give a humorous gift to a friend."

Are you kidding me? I don't know where to start the rant, but I guess its self explanitory. Anyone who gives this humorous gift to me will be dragged out back and--given a nice talking-to. Okay, wait, I found it: What if in Tommy and Lou's next adventure, "Help! Mom! There are hate-mongering conservatives under my bed!", Tommy is taken to religious-wingnut-hetero-death-camp for playing dressup with his sister, and having two Ken's kiss. Lou then has to learn all by himself that the conservatives want to ruin his environment, take away Daddy's union job so the greedy corporation can become richer, take away his civil liberties, and spew hatred into his little brain at every given moment.

Did I forget anything?
Thanks, Amerpie, for the find!

Technorati: conservatism

2005-08-23T21:01:00.000-04:00

Indulge the wonk...

I don't mean to be a needy blogger today, but this has been driving me nuts lately. Allow me a moment's rant, then comment and tell me if my idea is crazy or what needs tweaking (personal attacks and blind agreement not accepted).

The cowboy foreign policy has not been working for me lately. I don't mean to be insensitive, but let's review the US anti-terrorism activities over the past few years:

Terrorists attack New York and Washington using airplanes, the government works to improve airline and public building security, putting a band-aid on the problem.
Terrorists threaten seaports, the government works to improve port security, putting a band-aid on the problem.
Terrorists attack Madrid and London, the government works to improve rail and terminal security, putting a band-aid on the problem.
Special Ops war in Afghanistan, successful in crippling Al-Qaeda, but did not achieve the explicit objective of taking out Bin Laden.
(And whether you agree or not with B*sh's assessment that Iraq is a front of the Global War on Terrorism (which, I don't)) Iraq War II, successful in taking out Hussein, but has also created a recruiting ground for terrorists.

Where is the supporting policy? the diplomatic alternative? the "changing the hearts and minds" option? Nowhere to be found in the cowboy foreign policy.

But here in dreamland, lets consider the options. What could alter the cycle of poverty and hopelessness in the poorest nations, which are the new breeding grounds for terrorism? What could change the image of the U.S. and the West, so parents don't choose to send their children to madrassas, and desperate militants don't turn themselves into live bombs? These are my solutions:

Development aid and real honest-to-God debt relief (not the pansyass G8 version).
Conflict resolution through international governing agencies (UN is too weak, you say? how bout this from the Project on Defense Alternatives, Cambridge, MA: "Obviously, should the campaign against terror be perceived as the privileged instrument of a few states, others will resist it. The campaign must be detached from the advance of any one nation's (or alliance's) exclusive interests or power position." The main reason the UN isn't working is the US has become a rogue nation).
Expanding the Peace Corps and other diplomatic programs, and a viable National Year of Service option for all college grads.

We will never win by placing band-aids on the problems and bombing the shit out of perceived threats. There needs to be a long-term holistic alternative to back it up. Right now, we are hanging on a precipice. There is no context for the Global War on Terrorism--no one yet knows what we're dealing with (by the way, this is why Bush gets away with framing Iraq as part of the GWOT, and this is why many people believe him.) Who knows: it could be the end of globalization and the beginning of self-imposed isolationism. This can work out though. There are other ways than our current course. My solution is too weak? Never happen? Won't work? Tell me why...

Technorati: global war on terrorism; terrorism; foreign policy; strategy; peace corps.

2005-08-22T18:11:00.000-04:00

Down down down we go/ No way to stop...(Part 2)

Last time I posted about B*sh's disaproval ratings, I was excited about 41%. Now he's at 36%. And once again, life is good.
I don't know, for a fleeting moment, I feel bad for the guy. Two out of three people hate his living guts? Well, he still has 100 million Americans on his side at least. Go back to laughing at his expense. Party at the (steaming hot) Potter residence.

American Research Group. 8/18-21. MoE 3% (July results)
Bush approval ratings

Approve 36 (last result, July: 42)
Disapprove 58 (last result, July: 52)

Pretty pretty picture:

Technorati--Survey

2005-08-21T13:53:00.000-04:00

Open letter to the Heat:

Dear Heat,

You and I go way back. Remember all those fun summers at the shore when it was an adventure to sleep out on the deck when you made it too hot to sleep in the house? And those times at the beach, when all I had to do was run into the ocean to be able to enjoy you?

This is unfortunately not the case today. I live in a sweltering third floor apartment where my landlord cut the AC a week ago, and I am far from any swimmable beach. I am a working girl these days, Heat, and I don't have time for vacation right now. And because Humidity and you decided to get together, I am miserable. I have had to take 5 showers in the past 24 hours just to live with you two. I can't even sit and do nothing--which I am sure is what you would suggest. Even Asthma decided to get in on the act because you're hanging around so long. Now, Asthma and I had an understanding that unless Heat is oppressive, I won't see him until late in the fall. You are oppressive, Heat. STOP OPPRESSING ME !

Cheers,
Potter

Am I going slightly mad? Oh yeah.

2005-08-20T18:05:00.000-04:00

Dear leader

From the Daily Pick:

Congratulations President Bush: You Broke the Record!!!

Heartfelt congratulations to President Bush, who on Friday August 19th breaks Ronald Reagan's all-time record for most vacation days. The old record was 335 days, though Reagan took his sweet time of eight years to accomplish this feat. President Bush did it in nearly half the time. And with another two weeks of vaction on tap, he's obviously not content with simply breaking the record, he's going to smoke that record right out of the hole.

Great going, President Bush! We knew you could do it!

For a little perspective: Reagan was a senior citizen, and he was shot in his first year. Well, of course. At this pace, B*sh will actually be on vacation over one full year. So really, he'll only be the pres'nit for 7 years. Why can't he just give up a year early?

I say good for him. Get well rested, sir, so you can return to failing miserably.

2005-08-19T23:56:00.000-04:00

Will the clerk call the roll.
New SUSA poll of all 100 Senators--from DKos
100 US Senators--direct link to SurveyUSA Poll

I've enjoyed fantasizing about Pres'08 (in case you were wondering, my heart's in Feingold, but my head's in Clinton). But 2006 is a whole two years sooner, and there's a whole bunch of races worth fighting for. A few highlights from the poll:

100. Rick Santorum (R-PA)--worst result
Approve 42 (45)
Disapprove 46 (42)

92. Conrad Burns (R-MT)
Approve 48 (56)
Disapprove 42 (36)

61. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI)
Approve 55 (50)
Disapprove 37 (39)

21. Robert Byrd (D-WV)--getting safer and safer
Approve 65 (62)
Disapprove 29 (33)

What's up with Lieberman getting a 66/24% approve? He's a DINO hack!!!
And, yes, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins are great, but they've got the approval ratings of...I don't know, I've never really seen anything approved by a 59% margin. They've got numbers that would make 60's astronauts jealous. Maybe there's something in the water. (a rib to my Maine visitors :))

Other thoughts? Do you approve of your senator?
Technorati--election 2006

2005-08-19T23:50:00.000-04:00

Tech notes and updates

I wanted to apologize in advance to anyone who makes my day and goes to the trouble of commenting. I have been getting comment spam ("I like your blog and check these mortgage rates"), so I needed to add word verification. Just one additional step to protect us all--are they teaching about unprotected blogging in health these days??? (Interestingly enough, blogger's spellcheck doesn't recognize the word 'blog'. It wants me to change it to bloc. Where did they find a Soviet era spellchecker program?!)

Also, there are a few recent notes and changes that I am all too excited about: firstly, of course, is the Guestmap. There's seriously something in my DNA that gives me a thrill whenever I see a good map. Google maps are the best of 'em, and to see all you folks on my little map makes me cheer. If you've noticed I've also thrown in a Make Poverty History banner at the bottom, and below that a Site Meter (it makes me feel official--not for nothing, but I can't believe so many people have stopped by. Liking this blog is a whole 'nother thing entirely.)

I've been adding to the right sidebar links now and then, but don't really know the etiquette around permission, etc. If you know protocol for linking, clue me in. If you like my blog and wanna swap links or if I've linked to you and you can't stand mine, let me know.

A plea as well to you, my fellow potential activist: join me for the anti-war rally in DC next month. If transportation is an issue, I'd be glad to help make arrangements. Its time to get over the election. Its time to pressure this government, that has had a cakewalk in public opinion. Its time to stop writing and thinking, and start acting. Join me!!

2005-08-19T20:38:00.000-04:00

My boy Reid?!

From AP:
Sen. Reid Reports Suffering Mild Stroke

By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer 35 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., saw a doctor after feeling light-headed Tuesday and learned he'd suffered a mild stroke, aides said Friday.

"Senator Reid feels fine. There are no complications or any restrictions on his activities. He has undergone evaluations this week, and his doctors have recommended that he take advantage of the summer congressional recess for some down time," said a statement issued by Reid's press secretary, Tessa Hafen.

If you're a dweeb like me, and want to email a get well note to Sen. Reid, you can do so here: Email Senator Reid. Also, check out the great Salon article on the right sidebar, "Harry Reid is Not Boring". I love my minority leader. I'll update as the news comes in.

Harry Reid, as a Searchlight, NV baby...Then as Senate Minority Leader, boy wonder...

2005-08-16T21:17:00.000-04:00

B*sh to Sheehan: Nener-Nener-Nener, You Can't Meet Me

Okay, so not only does Cindy Sheehan have to deal with a mother's worst nightmare of losing a child, and the stresses it put on her family, leading to her divorce. There's the Media swarm (which is self-inflicted to be sure, but nonetheless burdensome), the rabid hate-mongering in conservative newsoutlets and blogs, and the all too shocking reality that her president and her government really DON'T CARE. (I suppose I should add dealing with the adoration of the left and the anti-war movement, as we are quite the force :))

But now she has to deal with the Crawford citizenry? Farmer with a shotgun? Crazed pickup truck driver who ran over crosses and American flags?? I try not to stereotype, but the limits of my openmindedness are tested by these two.

From AFP. WTF?!!?!
...The camp has been on the roadside since August 6. Tensions started to rise on Sunday when a farmer neighbour of the president fired a shotgun in the air, in what many saw as a warning to the protesters.
The land that Sheehan is moving to is owned by a cousin of the farmer who fired the shots.
The driver of the pickup truck drove onto the grass verge in the dark late Monday to knock down some of the 500 crosses which had been placed by Sheehan's supporters. Police have arrested a local man.
But a group of residents of Crawford, the small town of 705 people nearest Bush's [sic] ranch, sought a court order on Tuesday to restrict parking in the area around the encampment, police said.
The judge in nearby Waco has 30 days to give a decision but police said six feet (two metres) on each side of the road is public land and anybody can park there unless it creates a hazard...

What does B*sh have to gain by waiting this out? I'm sure they've calculated the political risk in this. Our lady peace is not going away any time soon. This whole thing just makes him look like a child: "Meanwhile, the official line from the President's Ranch is, 'nener-nener-nener, you can't meet me''.

So far, it seems only local voices of reason are the police, sherriff, and court system. But we're all behind you, Cindy! Take it to 'em!!!

Sheehan

2005-08-11T00:09:00.000-04:00

Rowie turns 84!!

Allow me a momentary diversion to celebrate the life and memory of an incredible woman, my grandmother, Rowie. Today, August 11th, would have been her 84th birthday. She was, and continues to be the biggest influence on me, and deserves a better tribute than my lowly keyboard can pound out, but I will give it a shot.

Rowie "retired" from her job when I was born to help to take care of my sister and me. When I started school, she took a volunteer job as a Pre-K teacher's aide; when I moved up to Kindergarten, she moved up too, and there she stayed in order to keep both eyes on us. Rowie drove us to and from school during this time, where she taught my sister and I numerous prayers (the Our Father to the tune of Old McDonald's Farm), the multiplication tables, spelling and vocabulary, and lessons in life. She taught me by example what it was to "give of yourself", whether it was taking care of me when I was sick, baking four dozen cookies for game day (for every game for every season, and my sister and I were both 3 sport athletes), or encouraging me to volunteer and consider those less fortunate. It's no small coincidence that I'm in the line of work I'm in because of her, and her voice of conscience in the back of my head telling me to give back.

(On topic footnote: In case there was any doubt, she is the reason I am a progressive. JFK was hands down her favorite politician, and every now and then when I tempt the thought of joining the Peace Corps, I feel like she wouldn't have been able to argue against my going.)

I've never known anyone who worked as hard and loved as unconditionally as she did. Up until the end, when she got her wish and died suddenly of a heart attack, having never gotten ill.

Ugh, pass the tissues. Cheers to you, Row. Miss you everyday.

2005-08-09T19:48:00.000-04:00

Framing

We're starting to get the message about, well, the message. Huge NYTMag article, and a Maureen Dowd op-ed substitute by "God's Politics" author, Jim Wallis. Not to mention George Lakoff's hugely successful book, "Don't Think of an Elephant: know your values and frame the debate", the slew of linguistics consultants working for dem politicians, and the start of framing successes like Social Security and the nuclear option.

From the New York Times:
The Message Thing
By JIM WALLIS

Published: August 4, 2005

SINCE the 2004 election, there has been much soul-searching and hand-wringing, especially among Democrats, about how to "frame" political messages. The loss to George W. Bush was painful enough, but the Republicans' post-election claims of mandate, and their triumphal promises to relegate the Democrats to permanent minority status, left political liberals in a state of panic.

So the minority party has been searching, some would say desperately, for the right "narrative": the best story line, metaphors, even magic words to bring back electoral success. The operative term among Democratic politicians and strategists has become "framing." How to tell the story has become more important than the story itself. And that could be a bigger mistake for the Democrats than the ones they made during the election.

Language is clearly important in politics, but the message remains more important than the messaging. In the interests of full disclosure, let me note that I have been talking to the Democrats about both. But I believe that first, you must get your message straight. What are your best ideas, and what are you for-as opposed to what you're against in the other party's message? Only when you answer those questions can you figure out how to present your message to the American people."

The majority of Americans agree with Dem positions when presented with issues statements. Its the message that's not getting across. Once we get the narrative going, then we'll finally start winning (or losing by a smaller margin, as the case may be...see rant below re: Hackett).

2005-08-09T19:25:00.000-04:00

Cindy Sheehan, my heroine

This is going to be the biggest story by the end of the week, unless B*sh grows a set and meets this courageous mother.
"Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq last year, is camping out near President Bush's [sic] ranch in Crawford, Tex., and says she won't leave until Mr. Bush [sic] agrees to meet with her to discuss the war." More at the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/08/politics/08crawford.html

If you'd like to contact her, here's the info:

Address:
Crawford Peace House
P.O. Box 710218
Dallas, Tx. 75371-0218

email: crawfordpeacehouse@yahoo.com

website: www.gsfp.org
www.meetwithcindy.com

In her own words at the DailyKos: http://cindysheehan.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/8/9/01024/39519

In other news, B*sh is on vacation at the Crawford ranch for the next 5 weeks. His longest stretch of vacation since the summer before 9/11. Not that I feel any more comfortable with him in Washington.
What exec takes off for five weeks when work is exploding all around? "Well, I've got a war on, the economy isnt great, no one likes my social security plan, somethings going on with Karl, I'm supposed to be paying attention to the who Supreme Court thing...maybe I'll take 5 weeks vacation! Presidentin' is hard work!!" Jackass...

Sheehan

2005-08-09T18:56:00.000-04:00

Paul Hackett, OH-2

From the NY Times:

Democrats Lose House Race in Ohio, but Celebrate the Margin

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 (Reuters) - Democrats celebrated a closer-than-expected loss in a special House of Representatives race in Ohio on Wednesday and called it a warning sign for Republicans entering the 2006 Congressional elections.

The Republican candidate, Jean Schmidt, a former state representative, defeated the Democrat, Paul Hackett, a lawyer and veteran of the Iraq war, by 3,500 votes out of more than 112,000 cast in the conservative and heavily Republican district, or 52 percent to 48 percent. No Democrat had won or even managed to get 40 percent of the vote in the district in decades."

Okay, so its been a whole week since the election. Im a little slow on the whole "timely reporting" thing.

I, like many bloggers and lurkers, was very excited on election night. Tracked the dailykos and swing state project for up-to-the-minute results. Went to sleep happy even after the lost.

But what are we so excited about? Hooray for losing by a small margin! Really folks, wtf? I get it, Paul Hackett lost by only a small margin. He took it to B*sh on the war and people responded. He "nearly won" in a Republican district. He was in the lead in all but one county, and was leading up until about 9:30.

But c'mon! "Democrats Celebrate the Margin"?! I don't want to celebrate a losing margin! I want to celebrate wins! I don't think I ever walked off the field against a big rival and said, hey that was awesome! I only lost by 4 points instead of 8! No. I said, damnit I lost, lets go prep for the next big game. Are we so lost as a party that analysis-inducing loses are treated as cause for celebration?

Don't get me wrong. I am still very hopeful for 2006. Call me a pessimist, but no matter how you look at it, there is still a republican hack sitting in congress.

2005-07-30T22:44:00.000-04:00

Paul L. Hackett, Dem-Ohio 2nd

ETA: Hey Sportsfans, things are getting exciting!! This is the SAME DISTRICT that B*sh won 74%-25%. Can you believe that we are even talking about this?! The polls are within the margin, both for and against Hackett. Over at the dailykos, you can phonebank from anywhere.

Any candidate who publically calls B*sh a chickenhawk is okay in my book. Paul Hackett is a Marine, an Iraq war vet, father of three, AND a democrat. And he's kinda handsome :)

If you're in the Ohio 2nd (SW Ohio, Cincinnati burbs (This means you BillyDem!!!)), take a break from your summer plans next Tuesday (8/2) and vote! Bring the kids into the voting booth--they'll remember it forever.

From SmartVoter:Info on Paul Hackett
From Wikipedia: Info on Paul Hackett
From the NYT: Veteran of Iraq, Running in Ohio, Is Harsh on Bush
And a sign of things to come. A really complete blog for an off-year, summertime election to fill the seat of a 6 term congressman. CHECK THIS ONE OUT: blog.oh02.com

Oh, and my boy Max Cleland supports him too. Go Paul Go!!

2005-07-30T13:46:00.000-04:00

Book Review

The Stock Ticker and the Superjumbo: How the Democrats Can Once Again Become America’s Dominant Political Party, by Rick Perlstein. (link opens up to Amazon.com)

Inthesetimes.com interviewed Rick Perlstein this month:
You have this analogy between Boeing’s multi-generational devotion to building the first jumbo jet and the Democratic Party’s multi-generational commitment to insuring economic security. How have successive generations of Democrats built on the same project?
Take something like federal aid to education. That was an idea Democrats had ever since the New Deal. It never succeeded for various political reasons, but they just kept at it and by 1965 Lyndon Johnson finally passed the thing. By that time, everyone knew what the Democrats were about: They were the party that supported federal aid for education. Compare that to when the Clintons proposed their health care plan in the early ’90s. He ran and won on the idea that he was going to deliver health care to all Americans, and for various complicated reasons he lost that battle. But instead of saying well, this is what the Democrats are about, we’re going to stick to it despite the setback, Hillary Clinton very explicitly said: What I learned was that you have to do things in small steps and incrementally. She specifically backed off the marker that the Democrats laid down, that we are the party defined by our pledge to deliver health care to everyone."

Just finished Harry Potter 6 last week, and this one's next. My liberal outrage fatigue is on the downturn!!

2005-07-28T19:02:00.000-04:00

Anyone need a good laugh??

From www.poweline.com, a rabidcon blog:
"It must be very strange to be President Bush [sic]. A man of extraordinary vision and brilliance approaching to genius, he can't get anyone to notice. He is like a great painter or musician who is ahead of his time, and who unveils one masterpiece after another to a reception that, when not bored, is hostile."

And they're not even being sarcastic. Thanks, dailykos.com! This made my day.

As this is a family blog, and we don't (usually) use bad language here, a friendly reminder on the correct spelling of the president's name:

B*sh.

Keep it clean, folks! I broke my own rule above, but the laws of grammar and citation come before Potter's laws of profanity I guess?

2005-07-28T18:55:00.000-04:00

I.R.A. Renounces Violence in Potentially Profound Shift

www.NYTimes.com
By BRIAN LAVERY and ALAN COWELL Published: July 28, 2005

"BELFAST, Northern Ireland, July 28 - The Irish Republican Army today declared an end to its campaign of violence against Britain that claimed more than 3,500 lives over 36 years in an effort to unify Northern Ireland with the Irish Republic.

The announcement in a DVD released to reporters was taken in London as, potentially, a profound shift in Northern Ireland's destiny and culture, possibly reversing decades of Republican commitment to violence in the effort to end British rule.

"This may be the day on which, finally, after all these false dawns and dashed hopes, peace replaced war, politics replaces terror on the island of Ireland," Prime Minister Tony Blair said in a televised statement in London."

And still there is hope!!

2005-07-27T20:07:00.000-04:00

Pataki--OUT!!

Pataki Rules Out 4th Term but Not a Run for the White House

NYTIMES: ALBANY, July 27 - "Gov. George E. Pataki confirmed today that he would not seek a fourth term as governor, saying that he was seeking "new paths, new challenges" but was grateful for his time in office."

Why this is good news: Firstly, Spitzer rules and he's already leading in polls. Number 2: Republicans will face a challenge to try to find anyone nearly as qualified or with such name rec as Spitzer. Thirdly, I will go out on the (very stable) limb and say Pataki has NO CHANCE IN HELL of getting the Rethuglican nomination. But even if he did, he's a lightweight nationally and I'd love the race against him. People of NY: be of good cheer!

Now if Mitt would only announce the same thing...

2005-07-27T19:49:00.000-04:00

The American Heritage definition of liberal: "Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded" The root of the word liberal is the same as the that of liberty. hmm. Maybe I'm not as hell bent on destroying America as they say I am!! [/snark]

2005-07-27T18:19:00.000-04:00

"Down, down, down we go/ no way to stop..."

B*sh's approval is at its lowest EVER, and is closing in on the 30's in the latest Quinnipiac Poll, released today...
Date Approve/Disapprove
7-27-05-----41/53
5-25-05-----44/50
3-9-05------45/48
12-11-01----83/11 (highest ever)
7-27-05----41/53 (lowest ever) (so far:)

Check out the full results here: Quinnipiac Poll, July 27, 2005

What makes me want to bang my head against a wall is the full 10% who voted for B*sh on November 2nd, but disapprove of him a mere 8 months later. But today, we celebrate the collective heartburn and headaches experienced at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Its a good day.

2005-07-04T11:27:00.000-04:00

Happy Fourdajooly!!

Just found out last year the the New Collosus has a verse one and two. I had memorized verse three at age three. The poem is inscribed on the Statue of Liberty, and the voice (pov) in the poem is lady liberty's.

ahem, ahem...
The New Colossus
by Emma Lazarus, New York City, 1883

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles.

From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame, "
Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips.

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

2005-07-03T22:53:00.000-04:00

Aquinas, Benoit, and the Just-War Doctrine

For many reasons, I was (and still am) pretty skeptical of the "Capital-C" Church and Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. I am a devout Catholic, but also a liberal, a democrat and a member of the Gay-Straight Alliance. My parish church in South Boston is being closed due to the financial difficulties resulting from the clurgy sex abuse scandal in Boston. Plenty of reasons to be a skeptic or a righteous deserter.

But then, I read this snip, from a 2003 press conference after the setting of the catechism:

"There were not sufficient reasons to unleash a war against Iraq. To say nothing of the fact that, given the new weapons that make possible destructions that go beyond the combatant groups, today we should be asking ourselves if it is still licit to admit the very existence of a 'just war.'"

There are many reasons to disagree with the official Church. But to simply call the Pope conservative and leave it at that is disingenuous. As for me, a statement like this lifts my liberal spirit!

2005-07-03T10:04:00.000-04:00

What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?
Mahatma Gandhi, "Non-Violence in Peace and War"
Indian ascetic & nationalist leader (1869 - 1948)

"Iraqi woman cry as they watch the van carrying the coffin of 22-year-old Alaa and her unborn baby drive away in the Al-Shula district of Baghdad, 11 June 2005. Alaa and her unborn nearly nine-month-old baby were killed in a car bomb which detonated close to the busy Nur marketplace in this district killing ten people in all and wounding 28 others according to hospital sources. (Photo by Karim Sahib/AFP/Getty Images)"

A 22 year old pregnant woman killed by a car bomb on June 11th, while we sit idly by and let Bush continue the madness. When will it end? When can we live in peace?

2005-07-02T13:55:00.000-04:00

Ripped from the Headlines at The Daily Kos:

Supreme Court: What You Can Do RIGHT NOW
by DavidNYC
Fri Jul 1st, 2005 at 15:00:27 EST

Whatever happens with the Supreme Court nomination battle that is about to ensue, it's going to happen fast. Here are some things you can do right now:

* If you have a cell phone, sign up for People at the American Way's Mass Immediate Response site. This way, you'll be able to receive text message action items instantly as events break. (If you signed up during the nuclear option fight, you'll need to re-sign up.)

* Also sign up with the Save the Court, another PFAW website devoted specifically to this issue.

* Recruit friends and family members to the cause.

* Write to the President, telling him he should choose a consensus candidate to replace O'Connor.

* Contact your Senators to tell them the same thing. (Or call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121, and ask for your state's senators. If you don't know who they are, you can ask me and I probably know.)

Potter checks this one off the list:
* If you have a blog, please post these action items on your site. If you don't, e-mail them to your like-minded buddies and relatives.

If you have any other action items, please post them in the comments below, with links.

2005-07-02T12:16:00.000-04:00

Book Description
With the world's economy being in such a slump, the Middle East's never ending conflict, and the war on terrorism, there is a heightened awareness in the world community of the many sides of the many issues that both directly and indirectly affect our lives. Increasingly, people are feeling powerless and underrepresented because they have no voice.
Designers, however, have a voice. They are among the most influential bystanders because their skills enable them to communicate a message easily through the Web or through posters and printed pieces. A picture is worth a thousand words and designers have used this adage to their advantage for years by creating simple yet powerful designs that immediately convey the message to the viewer. The Design of Dissent will focus on graphic work that designers have made as a result of social and political concerns. The time is certainly ripe as the U.S., and world, flares in opposition on so many important issues.

From the site:
NARRATOR: NOW on PBS...

The power of images in today's politics … legendary graphic artist Milton Glaser has spent a lifetime creating memorable images. Now he's speaking out about images as political propaganda.

MILTON GLASER: They use the term spin, and of course spin is just a nice way to say lie.

NARRATOR: Glaser is fighting back, promoting the DESIGN OF DISSENT in this exhibit and a new book of over 200 artists. The provocative images question authority, and, says Glaser, speak truth to power.

MILTON GLASER: That's the thing that makes you most crazy the idea of this passive acceptance of an authority. We thought we weren't that kind of people.

(Recommended by Tadpole2180--Thanks!!)

2005-06-27T22:19:00.000-04:00

Hooray for Sandra Lilley, Uncle Vince and Grandpa Benya!

The Paradox of a ‘Meritocracy'

Are there ways to fix the income gap in higher education?
By Sandra Lilley
News planning editor
Updated: 6:58 a.m. ET June 23, 2005

We never get tired of hearing my father-in-law’s story. He grew up in Yonkers, N.Y., with his parents, aunt and 11 brothers and sisters, in the heart of a Slovak immigrant community.
He recalls what it was like to get a laboratory job in the same carpet factory where his father performed such tough, manual labor. When he ran into his father at work, his dad would break into a big grin — he could see his son was on a different path.
With the help of a generous scholarship my father-in-law obtained an engineering degree from Carnegie Tech. He then used fellowship money to obtain a Masters degree from Harvard.
The Korean War “sidetracked him” — he almost died and received a Silver Star. But once he recovered from his injuries, his education was his best weapon. He went into corporate America and has lived a good life.
I love that story. But will today’s kids, whose parents work in factories — or in schools, police departments or insurance companies, for that matter — have the chance to tell a similar story?

Continued at MSNBC...

2005-06-27T21:20:00.000-04:00

This post brought to you by the letter B.
B is for Bush. B is for Blockhead. B is for Bullshit.

I found out today that the all-volunteer Earned Income Tax Credit campaign that I was working on in Brockton, MA, is most likely not going to be open next year. This is due to city budget cuts, which ironically came about because of Bush's two ridiculous tax cuts. I would find the irony hysterical if it didn't screw the people of Brockton out of the only free tax service in town. So they will have to go to H&R Block and the use check cashing services, thus paying an average of $500 to get the $2,000 in credits and refunds that they rightfully deserve for free and shouldn't have paid in payroll taxes in the first place.
I was fuming. But what recourse do I have? I can't start my own EITC campaign without the city's backing. Something will come to me, though, don't count me out yet. But now, I sit and fume.

In the meantime, let me represent my anger and pettiness visually:

From the great Russian adventure:

Russia, continued:

Russia, take 3:

Poor Vlad, having to deal with B*ush all week...

2005-06-26T20:57:00.000-04:00

I think it was the Irish missionary priest of the Holy Ghost fathers at mass today who got me going. I have been feeling guilty all day for not doing enough of my part for international development.

I came across two very stirring Flash animations today that have gotten me thinking. Hope you'll watch, and then do something about it (see links below). Click the pictures to begin animation. If you cannot use Flash, I have included some of the text from the videos.

"If we could turn the population of the Earth into a small community of 100 people, keeping the same proportions we have today, it would be something like this:

If you keep your food in a refrigerator and your clothes in a closet, you are richer than 75% of the entire world population.
6 people own %59 of the entire wealth of the community
7 are educated at a secondary level
If you have a bank account, you are one of the 30 richest people in the world.

...do your best for a better world"

"The price of a war tank is enough to build schools for 30,000 students.
In industrialized countries, military expenses are 30 times greater than aid to developing countries.
The average price of a landmine:

Production: $8
Deactivation: $5,000

Modern war victims are:

34% children
59% civilians
7% soldiers"

Check out these sites. Many offer a few action items (the Concern fast, boycots, walks/runs, etc.), and others allow you to donate from the site.
Concern Worldwide OR Concern Universal
United Nations High Commission on Refugees
War Child
International Committee for the Red Cross
Medecins Sans Frontiers/Doctors Without Borders

2005-06-24T00:07:00.000-04:00

This one is for you Momma, at your subtle request...

Countdown clock:

Fordham University Commencement 2005 Website
Fordham Graduate School of Education

There you are!!

Right there, see?====>

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

2005-06-23T23:42:00.000-04:00

First Post!

So I have been given a new mission, and I've chosen to accept...

Politics
The Nonprofit Sector
Travel
Jeeps
The imminent demise of conservatism
The imminent triumph of liberalism
Culture
Sports
Reflection and Analysis

There are many reasons I have wanted to start a blog, and many more that I have delayed it. But today, I've been given the subconscious nudge from a number of sources. So here we are. Hope you'll join me on this journey.