R O O T S !!!

Franklin Delano Roosevelt !

ROOTZ AND HOWIE AND JANE AND CHRISTY AND PACH!!!

Good Morning Firepups,

Howie thanks so much for the post and helping the community out - hope this means two days in a row of sleeping in for Christy -

forgive me, have no time this am, starting a new job and getting together with the entire crew for the first time -

but did I see Rahm is NOT going to support Jerry against Pombo ?!?!? Do I need more coffee ? Why is it called the DCCC? What ? Callow Incumbency Protection Racket didn’t look good on the masthead - AARRGGHHH!!

thinking of you Jane Hamsher and praying for strength and comfort to get ya through today

truckloads of progressive love to all - hope to catch y’all later !

How about John Laesch in Con. Disctrict 14 in Ill. He’s running against Dennis”the big fat lazy ass” Hastert. Any news there?

http://www.john06.com/

America Needs a New Deal for the 21st Century –

Vote Democratic — Defeat ALL Republicans!!!

I’m so glad that Howie did this update — I love that we were able to help Tester do that last minute mailing. Anyone who tells you that your vote or your one little donation can’t make a difference, you tell them about that! :)

What’s the word on Wisconsin’s 8th CD race? We never get news about how the ‘outside world’ feels about our chances of replacing Mark Green, and especially who the top Democrat is in the three way primary we’re having.

OT and/but ominous:

Baghdad has been slammed into sudden curfew with most people away from home. WaPo, NYT and ToL report.

Ann Coulter Endorses Lieberman. Also says he should become a member of the Republican Party

Thinkprogress from Fox news

From transcript

CAVUTO: So you would admire more at least the politician that says a timetable to get out than going back and forth?

COULTER: No. I would admire a politician, not as much as basically your run of the mill garden-variety Republican, but as far as Democrats go like Lieberman, who apparently does want to defend America and fight the war on terrorism. He is the one facing a primary fight.

CAVUTO: You know, there is talk about him maybe bolting to a third party. The seeds are there for a third party movement. Do you buy that?

COULTER: I think he should come all the way and become a Republican. He wouldn’t be our best Republican but at left he’d fit in with the party that wants to defend the country.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/.....lieberman/

at 5:40pm in curfewed Baghdad, it’s still 109ºF — good luck getting to your neighborhood mosque for Friday prayers …

Thnaks Howie,

One district at a time !

Jean Hay Bright will be running against Olympia Snowe here in Maine. Olympia is incredibly popular here, she’s considered a moderate, but has rubber stamped most of Bush’s agenda and voted to confirm Roberts and Alito.

TANK @ 10

Has Lieberman put this endorsement up on his website yet? Talk about the Kiss of Death . . .

Cut and Run!
Cut and Run!
Cut and Run!

Well,Democrats, YES!

Cut the B.S.
Run for office.

Cut the B.S.
Run the country!

Wow! NYBri got Spitzer’s endorsement? I’m really impressed.
I’ve heard great things about Larry Kissell.

Did Rahm Emanuel really say that? If so, this is just more proof that the party leadership really has no interest in winning, just in retaining their current positions. How can we get rid of this nasty rot at the top? The Dimocrapic leadership presents no opposition to the Rethugs.

If there is any possibility of winning another majority against the rethugs, perhaps we could mount a real campaign to throw out the bums.

I think that if Dimocrapic leadership feels that should they happen to win (by some mistake) a majority, then it will be back to business as usual, they will be making a big miscalculation. I suspect that most people posting to these progressive blogs are looking to reform the system for the better, not simply to get back to power.

Bob Casey of PA has been running some very god ads inj his race to defeat thet fool Santorum. his ads are short and succinct and actually educate the voter on issues and point out how out of step Santorum is in his votes and values….
The ads say something like Santorum lead the fight to privatize and destroy Social Security and then ends with the phrase, ” what were you thinking?”

This is O/T but The great Geraldo Rivera has spoken again, with his usual wisdom and credibility. See for yourself!

http://www.crooksandliars.com/

good ads…not god ads…sorry

Wow a thread that didn’t start with Fitz. Are we coming to the realization that Fitz isn’t going to be our savior?

klyde at 20 — was your point in saying that to antagonize the folks who do the “Fitz!” thing into doing it again, or was it a sort of “I told you so” — because either way, if your hope was that the Fitz-ing would cease, you might have been better off holding your tongue. Just sayin’…

Leisure Guy!

(tee hee)

:-)

Republicans are the party of crooks and kooks.
America has had enough.

OT

Another massive data mining operation has been uncovered. The Treasury Department has been monitoring banking transactions between the US and the rest of the world. It gained access to the SWIFT system which has about 8,000 member banks with a volume of about 11 million transfers a day or about 4 billion a year. In an eery echo of the NSA teleco operation, the program was described as limited and “wasn’t an effprt to snoop on law-abiding Americans.” The Treasury Department also tried to get the press not to print the story.

I first heard this on NPR but here is another link:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories.....5335.shtml

In other news, the House has passed another attempt at a line item veto, the onus of discharging their Constitutional responsibilities apparently being to great for them.

Also on NPR, I heard our man in Iraq General Casey say that he was comfortable with his civilian leaders pointing out what a good job Rumsfeld has done and how well he listens. And Bush is according to him not without military experience, citing his service in the Texas Air National Guard. With this level of insight, is it any wonder that things are going so well in Iraq?

This running amok of corruption may be the last straw to create true campaign finance reform.
Aren’t clean elections and politicians worth $6?

Morning, Christy, hope you slept like the famous log.

Hugh - Don’t worry. According to TPM Muckraker..

“The Times says the program looks only at financial transactions that occur outside the United States, or with only one party within the United States.”

You just can’t make this stuff up.

Did Kos send you guys an email asking you not to mention that Jerome has been caught selling junk stock? This story isn’t going away…We mustn’t be hypocrits like the opposition.

Howie, so glad you’re on the job. Very interesting about Rahm and McNerney. How much do you think his campaign will be losing?

What does your ear-to-the-ground say about Angelides in CA?

Hugh 24-
I thought that the general interviewed on NPR was Peter Pace?

Molly, did you or did you not read the part of the letter that said Jerome can’t make any comments for a few months? Until that time, just let it rest. They are attacking now because he can’t defend himself, just like the playground bullies they are. And no one can really speak for him.

FDL has become one of my must reads all day every day these days. I send links regularly to my friends, hope they get on the FDL juice now too.

Just sayin’–thanks to everyone, RIP to Jane’s mother, and keep the faith in the neighborhoods.

Got a call from the Harold Ford, Jr. campaign last night asking if I would like attend a rally he is having tomorrow. Told the gentleman that I am more than ready to jump into this fight. Can’t wait to volunteer to do my best to take back Congress.

mommybrain #30 at 7:11 a.m. — I’ve missed this — what letter, what attack on Jerome? I see no post by Molly above.

cut the coruption and run them out goverment

Cut the shit and run the country

dogeatdogi (#5)- John Laesch sounds like someone we’ll be discussing before November. I’m looking into his positions a little more thoroughly so I can be 100% sure that he’s not only a HUGE improvement over Hastert (the obvious part) but that he will also be someone who will stand up for put-upon minorities and that he will be a fighter on the tough issues and not be someone likely to sell out to Big Business when he hears their inevitable siren $ong.

I just want to say that I’m very grateful for coffee this morning…

Sorry, but gonna blog/post whore a bit. I have been supporting Larry Kissell (NC-08) since I met him at the Mecklenburg County Democratic Convention on April 1 of this year. He is very genuine. I have been posting about him on every site I can (as have others) and he now has a pretty large following trying to get him netroots endorsed. For those of you who want to read more about Larry I will give links to my posts and for those of you who don’t….ignore the links.:)

I’m not the only person writing blog posts. RANT just wrote one that was rec’d at DKos the other day. It includes a letter from Larry’s minister and is wonderful.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006.....7#readmore …..Robin Hayes:The Impotence of One - I tried some snark.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/6/20/9489/32507 - RANT’s excellent diary with letter from Larry’s minister where he takes on the right wing noise machine….

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006.....undraising event pictures…because everyone loves pictures, right?

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006.....4#readmore …when the poll numbers came out.

/blog-post whoring

Thanks, Howie for highlighting some candidates who don’t get quite as much attention on the national scene. I will be at the NC convention Friday and Saturday and I hear they have wireless….I will try to visit here as well.

Cathy 29

Yes, it was Pace. Though, Casey and Pace are equally dependable water carriers. I was taken aback when Pace cited W’s National Guard “service”. I was still sleepy and I didn’t quite hear what Pace said Rummy had done - military service-wise. It sounded like he said boy scouts. Did you hear what he said?

Curious #33:

“Molly” was prolly a troll from trollville, to which “she’s” been banished.

Christy,

You have done an admirable job keeping the home fires burning during these last few days.

I’m sure you’ve kept your peanut close to you, as you reminded all of us to do last night. I’m waiting for mine to return from a three day camping trip and can’t wait to see them hold them close.

Thank you so much for all you do here at FDL and in the world - If only there were more like you.

Plano tex-
Yes, I heard him extolling the virtues of Bush and Rummy’s services. That’s when I turned it off. I hate throwing up on an empty stomach.

and Christy, we’re grateful for you ….my best energy goes out to you for all the hard work you do — and are doing now, especially …and energy and love of course to Jane, for the loss of her mother …this of course reminds me that I need to call my own mom, now 87, but still unbelievably active…a lifelong registered Republican — still — who now votes straight Democrat (that’s taken a lot of talking-to!) ….though why she likes O’Reilly is still beyond me — still a bit more work for me to do, I guess …

Thanks, Jane and Redd, for working so hard for us! You two are the BEST !!!!

WE’RE grateful for your coffee too, CHS!

Three threads up and running, with the condolences to Jane on “Sorrow” now nearing 700.

I don’t know how you do it, kiddo, but God Bless Our Headquarters!

Noonan (#8– and district 8), Doctor Steve Kagen sounds like a good guy and I love his No Patient Left Behind proposal. Nancy Nusbaum was a popular mayor in the district. Her website looks good and she seems willing to take on all the tough issues. Jamie Wall seems like the most progressive and populist of 3 good candidates. It takes less than a second of looking at his website to see he is someone who will send fear into the hearts of Republicans AND of the sold out Democrats– like Emanuel and Hoyer– Inside the Beltway. Now you fill us in on the rest and tell us how it feels there on the ground in WI-08. Meanwhile, I’ll study up on this race and see if there’s something we can make of it.

cathy #29

It was indeed chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Peter Pace. My bad and thanks for the correction. For some reason I don’t hear as well when I am listening with half an ear.

TANK (#10) CNN.com/pipeline has an incredible Bruce Springsteen interview up and he takes on Bush and Coulter

Christy, coffee can be a wonderful thing.

I don’t know if anyone can see my post at 38 b/c it says it is in moderation….included in that post is a mention that I am going to our state convention Saturday. I just want ya’ll to know that this is a direct result of those initial actions taken by RevDeb, Scarecrow and others back in Feb?/March? I have often worked on campaigns and I’ve always been willing to spout off, however it’s coming here and reading about everyone’s adventures in activism that has kept me motivated to get out and get involved. (I still need to email Pach about the Roots project…)

Howie @ 36
Thank you for responding.
I will be interested to hear what you think about him. I met him at YearlyKos and was very impressed.
I know he needs $$$ and it would be nice, if he could get some national coverage.

The fact is - that in W’s day, the National Guard was the way rich kids avoided Viet Nam. W received expensive pilot training that was never put to use. He was always good at blowing OPM - other people’s money. Dan Rather’s expose was all true, in spite of the one “tainted” piece of evidence. ALL other evidence was good and shows that W shirked his responsiblity and disappeared from his cushy NG duty.

The fact that today’s National Guardsmen get shipped off to Iraq - provides cover and obfuscation for W’s National Guard service mythology.

Today’s Snow Report:
___________________

2,513

It’s a number. Just a number. Total U.S troops killed in Iraq to date.

18,356

It’s a number. Just a number. Total U.S troops wounded in Iraq to date.

0

It’s a number. Just a number. Total U.S troops killed in Iraq by Saddam’s WMD to date.

http://www.bgladd.com/Just_a_Number.jpg

Howie @ 47,

I saw part of that interview being aired this morning. I was sorry that they didn’t play the whole thing, but I got the impression they bumped it to the web because he is so anti-Bush.
Thrilled to hear him speaking out and singing about it!! Great CD

p.s. Solidad O Brien is pretty awful

BearCountry #16,
Rahm Emanuel is retiring from the DCCC in November.Looks to me like he could give a rats ass what happens. Too bad Schumer doesn’t join him.

BearCountry (#16), yes, and Emanuel is every bit as much the enemy of democracy and progressive values as the more obvious enemies (i.e.- Republicans). The best news I heard all week was that he has decided to not seek another term as DCCC head. (There are 3 articles about it at Down With Tyranny over the last 3 days.)

And Btw, I forgot to give Howie the credit for that info. Sorry bud.

al-Scooter at 40 — “Molly” is a RedState troll who has been showing up in multiple threads and trying to pick a fight over some crap that TNR tried to throw at Jane and I this week. Crap that we neither have the time nor the energy to deal with — seeing how Jane’s mother passed away yesterday after spending the week in the hospital, mainly in the ICU.

“Molly,” if you are still hanging around, you and all your pals who have been spewing bile and disgusting filth in the “Sorrow” condolences thread ought to be ashamed, because to do so when someone’s parent has just died is beyond souless. As to the rest of the TNR crap — I honestly make less than $1.27 an hour here — way, way below my former billable rate in private practice. Neither I nor Jane blogs for money and if you think for a moment that either Jane or me could be silenced by anyone, you clearly haven’t read here enough.

You want to know why I didn’t write anything about Jerome and whatever is going on with him this week? Because it’s boring, no one here would have given a rats ass about it until whatever SEC litigation has concluded (it’s still ongoing I am told), I don’t have time to research a whole new plodding series of legal documents in an area of the law in which I have never practiced (especially not this week), and, frankly, it’s been all I could do to get a chance to go to the bathroom, work on potty training with my three year old, patrol comments for trolls, put together regular posts, coordinate guest posts, and grab about 4 hours sleep a night.

You think there is some grand conspiracy — well, look elsewhere, because neither Jane nor I have had time to do much other than get up and plod through the day since last Friday night when Jane got word that her mother was dying. And fuck you and TNR and everyone else who has tried to make an already horrible, devastating and crushing week even worse.

How TNR lumped Jane’s and my name into the mix I have no idea, but I’ve given up waiting for an apology from the “journalistic” failures who couldn’t even be bothered to check our blog to see how overwhelmed we were. As for the trolls who’ve been sent here via RedState, LGF, Powerline and everywhere else that I’ve been notified had links up on the TNR story — screw you, too. Jane does not need this right now. But then, we all know that your “compassionate conservative family values” are a sham anyway, so why even bother appealing to angels of a better nature that don’t even freaking exist?

Southern Dem, er, B. Muse,

Yes, we can see it, thanks for the update. Keep it up and keep us posted.

Great news about Rahm (feh! ptui!), Howie. Any noise you’ve picked up about who wants to succeed him?

Oh, and Howie, so sorry to dump the TNR bullshit in your thread. I was so happy to put your post up today, because it was such a spot of great news. I didn’t mean to dump a load of crankiness into the discussion, and I apologize to everyone for that (except “Molly”).

Mommybrain (#28), I spoke with McNerney’s campaign manager this morning and he is optimistic– after a quick trip to DC and meetings with the DCCC– that they will be able to turn them around on the race. But they must “prove themselves” to Emanuel. Grrrrr… Winning the DfA endorsement today would probably help a lot. If anyone hasn’t voted yet, please do. The deadline is in a few hours and I think if McNerney comes in first– and he was leading yesreday– it will help force the DCCC’s hand.

I so agree Redd, That was THE most classless thing I have EVER witnessed.Trashing a condolence thread with vile shit like that,unbelievable.

Howie,
I’m sure you’ve heard by now of the pushpoll the day before the primary in the CA 26th CD. The DCCC is making a major effort to find people who received one of the calls.

Among the (typical)insulting questions was one that went beyond the pale, even for the PaleoCons - “If you knew that Russ Warner’s son had committed attrocities in Iraq, would you still vote for him?” I’d heard about the pushpoll but only heard the question at YKos from Gen. Clark.

Russ lost by 10% (2000 votes), which is rather stunning considering his primary opponent who is, IMO, a bit unstable.

Hear much about it?

*It is also noted that the US has begun with the “insurgent body counts” again. Remember old Tommy ‘We don’t do body counts’ Franks. Looks like another policy ground into the sands of ancient Mesopotamia.

*Also, in reference to the Florida “terrorists”. Just what is Jeb Bush doing to make Florida such a safe haven for terrorists? When the war began Bush said he would target those who give the terrorists refuge and haven? Seems like the terrorists train in Florida and then attack the rest of America.

End domestic terrorist coddlers. Invade Florida Now!

Message from Herr Rover: That “fight them over there” because “democracies don’t create terrorists” talking point is now inoperational.

-GSD

Christy, no apology necessary.

I don’t know Jane that well, but love her spirit and have learned so much here. I was in tears yesterday after reading the news and couldn’t explain it. I visited our little site after leaving FDL to find the news that one of our admins and his wife are expecting a baby. Tears of sorry turned to tears of joy…for people I’ve never met.

Hey all,

I live in Denny Hastert’s district, IL-14 and am supporting his opponent this fall, John Laesch. Here’s a great article from the Chicago Reader; http://www.chicagoreader.com/f.....ohnlaesch/
The thing is, before he can get national support from the party he’s got to raise $300,000. Any nickel or dime would be helpful.

Thanks!

I just sent McNerny some money. CA11 is my mom’s district (and mine actually too cause I use her addy while here in Texass). I’ll be voting absentee and doing what I can to further his race. Thanks Howie for the post. Thanks christy for being here.

I meant tears of sorrow….oops.

Bobby G 51

Very good artwork and message. Strong Visual. The democrats (except Lieberman) should use it for campaign advertising.

Good morning.

Got a call yesterday from the woman, Carol Voisin, running against Greg Walden in OR’s 2nd district. She had gotten my # through the Roots Project and I look forward to helping her run a competitive race!

Got to see Elvis Costello with Allen Toussaint last night. What a wonderful show! Had never seen Elvis before, he opened with Peace, Love & Understanding which had my wife in tears. Her theme song these days. As Elvis pointed out so humbly - Allen wrote every note played last night, as he rearranged all the Costello songs, plus plenty of NOLA classics. During the encore, we got about 10 minutes of Prof. Longhair piano solo. Plenty of pointed comments from Elvis about NOLA/Katrina and the “nimcompoops and jackasses that have abandoned those in the Gulf.”

Christy,
This site is a breath of fresh air. Thank you for all the hard work you do.

Jane,
so sorry for your loss. Just know that when one door closes another opens and your mom’s spirit will always be!

Peace,

Tony

Christy,
Enjoyed reading the royal smackdown.
They’ll get tired of getting punched in the nose and head back to their political circle-jerk.

Also, did you read *ilson46201’s comment at 2:03 in the Sorrow thread?
“The black-costumed stagehands that try to invisibly keep the FDL production flowing smoothly are wearing black armbands in grief. We are also busy shooing away the Phelps Family members flocking in from the rightwing blogosphere…”

I think that’s the first time I’ve ever busted out laughing through tears. Man I needed that, then.

That thread is an incredible memorial. I’ve never seen such an outpouring of love and compassion. What a gift.

Thanks for all ya’ll do,

T-

Mommybrain (#63), Rove is up to his slimy tricks and the push poll attack in CA-26 was one egregious example. I got word from Joe Sestak’s campaign yesterday that they’re doing a similar stunt there. I wrote about both instances this morning, an article called “Push Push in the Bush.

Abu G on CNN just now, honking about how “homegrown terrorists may grow as dangerous as al Qaeda.”

After HE helped start the next Hundred Years’ War, that’s rich.

new thread

Howie - great post on Larry and Heath at Down With Tyranny. Thank you for highlighting them.

Smack ‘em down Christy! The vile shit posted on a condolence thread can and will be used against them. My red state cousins are getting another round of emails about their delightful brothers and sisters in arms. That AnnCoulter-type bullshit isn’t going to get the theocrats to the polls. Fine with me.

Christy said: I don,t have time to research a whole new plodding series of legal documents in an area of the law in which I have never practiced

IANAL, but I am in the securities business. I looked through most of the stuff out there, including the SEC filings, and my advice is to continue to stay away from it. Unless/until Armstrong himself comes out with something, there’s really nothing mitigating out there at this point. Hope this helps save you some time. ;)

Lotus @74

Fighting them HERE so we don’t have to fight them THERE

Seems the Miami gang (of terrists) were just a bunch of sorry ass wanabes. My, how they tout the “success” of undoing a pack of rag tag wanabes. Seems they didn’t really even need to violate the constitution to catch these guys.

Blowing their horn over this crap, makes one wonder how inept they really are. They let Bin of laden escape at Tora Bora. They never got the ancoulterthrax duster/letter mailer. They shifted blame and attacked the wrong country after nine elva.

Thanks, op99 — I’m too exhausted to even bother with it at the moment, and for the forseeable future. And, having worked as a prosecutor, I know better than to wade into any investigation like that when it is in the midst of settlement.

anyone catch this?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....01474.html

“This is not funny: Jon Stewart and his hit Comedy Central cable show may be poisoning democracy.

Two political scientists found that young people who watch Stewart’s faux news program, “The Daily Show,” develop cynical views about politics and politicians that could lead them to just say no to voting…

…The results showed that the participants rated both candidates more negatively after watching Stewart’s program. Participants also expressed less trust in the electoral system and more cynical views of the news media, according to the researchers’ article, in the latest issue of American Politics Research.”

uh gee, did they start asking questions or something?

and later in the column:

“Are Republicans stingy but principled while Democrats are generous but racist?”

is this Morin guy serious?

This Jennifer, Campaign Coordinator for John Laesch’s Campaign. Please check out www.john06.com for informatin on John and how the campaign is growing. Lots of media attention in Vegas from Yearly Kos and now with Hastert in the news with his land dealings and corruption, this guy is beatable. John is the one than “can” and “will” beat Hastert. Republicans are calling the office and stopping in daily to announce their disgust. Stating they are supporting and voting for John in Nov.
Please call if you would like to set up an interview with John Laesch. 630.809.6595 or 630.385.8568

Thanks, Howie. Just voted in the DFA housevote. McNerney’s still in first place.

OT - AbuG says those 7 guys in Miami were about to engage in a “full ground war” against America. NPR says the search was carried out without a judicial warrant.

John is a “Fighting Dem.”

Jennifer — thanks so much for the info! Man, the fighting dems are kicking some serious booty this year — best of luck to John!

Howie (and mommybrain),

Once again this site is so helpful in providing ways to take action. I just voted for McNerney at DfA—thanks for the heads up.

Probably the wrong thread to put this on, but feel a need to respond to the GOP attacks:

No war was ever won with a slogan. No energy problem has ever been solved with a slogan. No person has ever gotten access to health insurance, a school loan or a prescription drug plan with a slogan. No worker has ever gotten pension equity or a pay raise or fairness in lending with a slogan or by putting a bumper sticker on the car.

When you hear a slogan used as a smear or a criticism, think about the last time a bumper sticker helped preserve your rights and safeguard your security.

We have serious problems and issues to deal with in this country, and none of them will be solved with slogans or bumper stickers; these are not policies - in fact, they are being used to block sincere, serious and productive debate toward the formation of policies that will help solve the problems before us.

At the core of all of this is that we are all Americans, and we have choices to make that will determine where this country is going and how it is going to get there.

Don’t settle for slogans. Don’t mistake a bumper sticker for a policy.

This administration has for months been talking about the possibility of drawing down troops. There are several conclusions one can draw from this: one, that they, too, want us out or, two, that this is merely a sop to those who are unhappy with the administration’s lack of a plan, in hopes that these people will go ahead and vote Republican on the basis of these vague promises.

This talk about troop draw-downs comes amid reports of increased violence, not less. It also comes as more troops have been deployed. It also comes amid reports of deteriorating conditions in Afghanistan.

It is time for the administration to put ego and pride aside, to put their political lives on the line, to listen to the people, to the experts who have different ideas and possible solutions, so that this enormous problem can be solved. I think that’s what all Americans expect their leaders to do, and I think Americans are disappointed and disgusted that political power seems to have taken a higher priority than the lives of our servicemen and women.

When you hear administration and GOP legislators and party leaders continue to drop the phrase “cut and run” into every sound bite, what you should be thinking is that it’s time to cut the posturing and run this Iraq operation the way it should have been run from the beginning. If pride and ego are driving this refusal to implement a better plan, there needs to be serious consideration as to how that pride and ego are going to respond when a sovereign Iraqi government politely, but firmly, asks the American and coalition forces to leave their country.

“If you knew that Russ Warner’s son had committed atrocities in Iraq, would you still vote for him?”

Is this a joke? Surely no one could fall for this by THIS time. Could they?

Never mind — I know the answer.

Jen @ 83

Nice job!!! Go John!!!!!!!!!

Howie, thanks for the updates. Your post is a lot more informative than the last column by Uber Pundit David Broder, who just gave blog support of candidates an uninformed brushoff.

I hope DCCC has a change of heart on McNerney. it is disappointing to see the DCCC involved in primaries. I think they should stay the heck out and let the party, (as in dem voters), decide who should run. Then they should get behind the nominee. How could they not support ANYONE running against Pombo? He is so toxic that even McCloskey is supporting McNerney.

And Christy, way to smack trolls! I know it must be hard work to keep up with them. This morning I read Wm. Arkin’s column in the WaPo on WMDs and then the first page of comments. There, anyone can say anything, no matter how vituperative or stupid. It made me appreciate the quality of comments here even more than I already do. This blog is an oasis of common sense and intelligent discourse, and I love it.

Are the sheeple stupid enough to buy into more Orange Alerts during election season? Haven’t had any since, ohhhh, late Oct. 2004…

Good Morning F, C, & C*,

Regarding Mr. Klein’s entirely apt comment pointing out that the Lieberman-beast is “…a venomous snake who will be dangerous right up until the last vote is counted on August 8,” I’d like to add that unfortunately he will still be a problem after 8/8. It seems a virtual certainty Lieberman will run as an independent when he looses the primary to Lamont, and in line with the slimy Schumer DSCC support questions, there are significant elements within the CT state Democratic Party machine who will back Lieberman in spite of the wishes of the Party rank and file.

Lieberman should take Ann Coulter’s advive and make his Republican Party affiliation official. That would clear up whatever confusion exists in the minds of CT voters who might support Lieberman because of incumbency inertia. However, since changing party affiliation would make any funding support from the DSCC or state party impossible, I suspect that financial opportunism will keep Lieberman from ‘coming out’, as it were, in this true political colors.

(It may also be that Lieberman really does want the Democratic Party to be nothing more than a minority faction of the Republicans. He certainly wouldn’t be the only one who acts as though this is the case!)

* (F)riends, (C)olleagues, and (C)omrades

howie, thanks for the link. ARe you saying Rove is behind it or just that it’s a Rovian trick? I was shaking mad when I heard the questions.

Vivian at 82, Morin is a Washington Post pollster who was quick to link Clinton and Monicagate with the question, should Clinton be impeached?

He refuses to ask the same question about Bush, because ‘no one is seriously considering it’.

I consider him a tool.

P.S. CHS, regarding the tempest in a teapot, I think Gavin at Sadly, No! is covering it with all the gravitas it deserves.

I am becoming so cynical these days. This morning, I’m awakened by the clock-radio (set to NPR). Top news item: Seven arrested in alleged plot to attack Sears Tower. So what’s my first thought?: Gee, wonder who’s election campaign would benefit from this? Hastert? Republicans running in Illinois?

I’ve no idea if these guys were planning to do such a thing - they said their group was peaceful and met to study the Bible, but who knows. It’s just funny that I no longer think it is beyond Bush/Rove to stage an arrest of “suspected terrorists”, especially so close to an election, in order to give the appearance that their policies are working. I just don’t believe our government tells us the truth anymore.

Anyhow, I think I’ll send a donation to John Laesch.

ifthethunder at 94 — thanks, I’ll try and take a peek if I can get time today. I’m still trying to figure out why Jane and I were named in the stoopid TNR article in the first place, unless they were just trying to drum up traffic or be “uberPC” by throwing in a couple of chick blogger names. Either way, if Zengerle had even bothered to look at the blog, he would have seen that we have been otherwise occupied…moron.

JWR 83 “Without a warrant” may be news to FBI director Mueller, who said on Larry King last night that they did have a warrant. I find it difficult to believe that he would lie about it–lawyer, former us Atty, ethics and all that. Maybe I’m naive, but I would assume that if there were no warrants, he didn’t know it.

Mark Schmitt, via Atrios, contemplates Lieberman:

http://atrios.blogspot.com/200.....8060284665

So I ought to be a Lieberman “dead-ender.” I’ve respected him for 30-some years, I don’t mind his idiosyncratic positions, I don’t demand party loyalty, and I don’t insist on any particular position on how to end the war. But I’m not. Because something happened to Lieberman, and it’s more than his position on the war. … Above all else, it’s simply his self-righteous anger, his hostility to those who differ. He alone among Democrats seem to think that opponents of the war are not just mistaken, but will cause us to lose. … He alone seems more focused on what he sees as the errors of the war’s opponents than those who launched the war. …

Friggin DCCC. Ok, a big donation just made to McNerney.

FIGHT BACK

rat bastahd 91 -

Elections are only a few months away. I expect to see orange alerts, and more “terrorists” indicted before the last vote is counted*.

*or not counted for that matter…

B. Muse, upon your recommendation I also made a lovely donation to Kissell.

vivian darkbloom at 8:17 am - Richard Morin was also the guy who did that WaPo push poll after news of the illegal domestic spying broke.

egregious @ 102 - I just checked back and thank you. Larry is a really good guy and he will make us proud in Washington. While I’m not connected with the campaign I’m not shy about promoting Larry.

Thank you again.

Democrat John Laesch is running against that crook Hastert. I donated to John here:

http://www.john06.com/donate

Note: John was at Yearly Kos. He spent time talking with everyone - he’s really listening to the Net Roots and is a candidate doing the good work - he has a tough race to win and truly needs our support.

thanks thunder and JWR

I read the Post every day but usu. don’t bother with most of the columns…

I thought his logic sounded kinda specious

Hi All!
Howie #37, You can rest assured of John’s character that he won’t be lured away from his stated goals by big $$$. I was in Sycamore when he stated he would never take $$ from a lobbyists or Special Interest. He will beat Denny Hastert. Here in IL-14 where I live he has almost utterly failed his constituents. On top of not doing the People’s business he is profiting from the Prairie Highway that he set up. Seems he and some others bought a little property nearby. See the write up in WaPO and local history. John could certainly use some support as Jen in #83 states.

We are behind John 1000% here in the 14th district and look forward to being re