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It's morning at the Smith household. The poodles are frisky, the peanut is bummed because she had to go to preschool instead of staying home all day to wrestle doggies...and Jane and I and my mom are kicking back with some freshly baked blueberry muffins and coffee. (I said screw the diet this morning, and boy am I glad...)
I heard on NPR on the way over to preschool that more than 50% of the Afghan economy is based on the drug trade at the moment. Glenn has some thoughts on the fact that breaking the law has consequences -- and I'm wondering why it is that the the Republican noise machine wants us to ignore that maxim only when Republicans are caught breaking the law.
Just starting to comb through the news and the blogs, so I thought I'd see what caught your eye in the news this morning? Do you have a link? What ticking you off -- or making you happy -- in today's headlines?
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Spotlight
Ned and Webb and Christy!
I am such a chucklehead ….
Morning all!
no muffins for the trolls, please! they are on a strict diet of LieberChow . . .
Oh great. Thanks for the picture; now I’m starving! LOL
Mmmmm…muffins!
Oh, and this is pissing me off this morning. Our boy Jim Amann is still crowing about his love for Lieberman.
http://www.norwichbulletin.com.....80328/1002
And I tore him a new one this morning on CT Bob
http://connecticutbob.com
Good morning, Christy, Mom and Jane!
yesterday was my third really hopeful day since sept 12, 2001.
day 1 - hamdan decision
day 2 - ned wins the primary
day 3 - yesterday, warrantless eavesdropping is illegal
worth a look and listen
http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/contributors/356
Just a thought from Canada based supporter: Ned needs to get back and get to work. Not saying he is not doing that. But there seems to be a slackening off. It is going to be a hard slog.
Plan to go to Connecticut two weeks before the election and pound the pavement: three of us exiles!!!
Take care: thanks for the good work.
BP
I’m actually geeking out on the news that we may have 12 planets now instead of 9. That’ll be weird when my kids are in school.
NPR had Abu Gonzalez’ attempts to defend his boss’s lawbreaking as the lead story this morning. That’s got to be a good sign, right?
On this date in 1959,Hawaii became a state.
Decide for yourself whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I’m just glad I’m here in Honolulu. Peace
good morning Redd (and did you say Jane is there?) wow, all that talent in one house. anyways, this is interesting and a possible outlet for our message:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14216322/
Berlin to Host Global Town Hall.
Wanna bet on whether the war(s) in Iraq, Lebanon and maybe Iran are in the top 10?
Wow. Deleting comments. Suppressing opinion. Where have I seen this before?
Sounds like the George Bush White House, doesn’t it?
“I love the smell of rotting Arab corpses in the morning. It smells like victory (for hezbollah.)” Amir Peretz
Decide for yourself whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
I actually know very little about Hawaiian history; is it good or bad that we made them a state?
Speaking of anniversaries, next week is the anniversary of Katrina. The British dude on the Daily Show last night (can’t remember his name) had an awesome line about how once Hezbollah was done rebuilding Lebanon, they’d be heading to New Orleans. That’s gooood snark…
I know that Josh Marshall is not always the ‘darling’ of the firedoggies, but I think his recent MARTYRDOM OF JOE piece is worth a read:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.c.....009461.php
BBC
Josh Marshall notes that Lieberman is playing the Israel/Jewish card funded by Republican Jews. It’s a worry b/c as I’ve noted before this issue can drive a huge wedge in the Democratic party. We’ve seen it here and elsewhere with charges of antisemitism levelled against those who criticized Israel’s invasion of Lebanon. This will be the issue that could insure Lieberman’s victory this fall.
Just saying.
Oooooo, I love the smell of blueberry muffins…..
The illegal wiretapping ruling has certainly put me in a great mood this morning.
Hi, you three wonders in Christy’s kitchen, and thanks for sharing your muffins.
Oh, and Christy, if you don’t share your lemon garlic chicken and caprese salad recipes tomorrow, you know to expect some pooched-out lower lips, right?
I REMEMBER that, Palolo lolo — I jumped up and down all day (as 11 yos will). Congratz or condolz, whichever you prefer …
I know that Josh Marshall is not always the ‘darling’ of the firedoggies
He seems to be waking up somewhat from his neo-liberalism.
Department of Funny and Sad:
Worse yet - rewriting comments!
An inability to hear criticism… Where have I seen this before?
George Bush is the perfect example !
Josh is giving Lamont a bit of hell for what he thinks was wasting a whole week after the election to give Joe a chance to get on his feet and attack while Ned was kicking back in Maine. Josh thinks Ned could have knocked Joe out of the ring during that week. I have my doubts, but the polls certainly show a big bounce for Joe right after the election, though that lead is dissipating as we write.
Any thoughts on this here?
As an Islander, one big disappointment for me was Inouye (D,HI) coming out for Lieberman, but Akaka (D,HI)came out for Lamont. Fact is, my opinion of Inouye as a politician has always been low, though I respect his wartime heroism. Pompous ass. I frankly doubt if Inouye’s endorsement is worth anything to the average voter in CT, whereas Kerry’s and Leahy’s (both from neighboring states) endorsement of Lamont does count for something.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com
TiredFed @ 13
WOW! Thanks so much for that link. Sounds really fascinating. Oh, if only that could take place online……can you imagine the server power required? I hope something wonderful comes of it.
Well, since you asked…. I’m still trying to find out what the heck was up with this little bit in Judge Taylor’s opinion yesterday:
That’s on p. 31, and there’s similar language on p. 38. If it’s actually more than five years, that would mean the un-warranted wiretaps were happening before Sep. 11, 2001. I would think this would be worth considerable attention, but so far, all I’ve been able to find on it has been a few other people wondering what the heck is up with that sentence like myself.
Reading Bob’s post above, I suggest a new rule of thumb for FDL readers - for every half an hour spent reading FDL, spend at least an additional five minutes or so taking action on what you have read - whether it be (i) researching an issue so that you can bring new information into the comments section (for example, reviewing Lieberman’s donors’ names or reseaching Amman’s background connection with Lieberman) or (ii) making calls and sending emails to journalists using the searchlight feature, or calling the offices of representatives who you want to congratulate or encourage to take a different position (for example, our calls to Harry Reid).
If we all make an effort to take action based on what we have read on FDL, each and every time we read FDL, our combined efforts could yield tremendous results in terms of the research that we can collectively conduct and the influence that we can have on journalists and politicians.
I realize that many of us are already doing all of what I have described above and then some, but I feel that a lot of FDL readers could take a much more active role in the way that they use the information gleaned from this website (myself definitely included).
Morning, all -
Listened to Paul Reickoff on Rachel Maddow this morning, talking about the Bush plan to cut - in half - federal funding for Traumatic Brain Injuries - you know - like the kind so many of our military are coming home with? Yeah - way to honor their service.
Listened to some Washington Journal on C-SPAN, talking about the NSA decision yesterday. Brian Lamb asked whether viewers/listeners thought the ruling was political or not, and why. Responses were typically polar. The right-wing just does not get that it is not that people do not want the government to gather intelligence on suspected terrorists - it’s that we want them to do it within the law. Some doofus - who didn’t bother to read the opinion - said it was ridiculous to think the ACLU (which he termed the American Criminal Liberites Union - nice) had suffered any “harm.”
Good thing that most people who see a driver yelling assume it is a phone call and not lunacy…*g*
John at 27, maybe Murray Waas is wondering (and asking) about that too, whaddya bet?
A well-deserved break for our hostesses.
I’m still deeply bugged about Glenn’s post a few days back about Michael Gerson’s (Bush’s speechwriter) case for attacking Iran. As recently as six weeks ago, the argument seemed to be “Iran: Because Iraq went so well”; but now it’s been upgraded; “Iran: Because Iraq and Lebanon went so well.”
If these were my students I’d certainly be asking them to look into help with their learning disability.
Also, a plea to our hostesses. Sometime, soon but not urgently, could you lay out an argument for where we should be focussing our efforts between now and November? Esp. wrt the balance between Joe and the other Senate races? You’ve shown you’re smarter than at least this humble commenter about how to get what we want, and I’d appreciate well-thought-out guidance. I imagine I’m not the only one.
I guess I always thought trolls came out at night . . .
Meanwhile, Eugene Robinson’s got another good column today . . .
But this whole thing is about more than just Allen. Says Robinson:
[emphasis added]
Yeah, we need more comedians like this in the Senate . . .
“Senior administration officials have acknowledged to me that they are considering alternatives other than democracy,”
When did they ever consider democracy an alternative?
Oh, you meant Iraq…
I’d say that, along with adding a few new planets, our childrens’ textbooks are going to be adding a few new countries in the Middle East. Kurdistan, Sunni Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iraq.
Hear-hear from here-here to *xyz and Professor Foland’s comments!
To elaborate on my post above, I mentioned CT Bob because he is such an exemplar of what it means to be an engaged FDL reader. I don’t expect everyone here to drop everything and go to CT with a handheld camera to interview HoJo, but I do think that we should look at CT Bob, Spazeboy, Maura, et. al. as trendsetters who have shown a great deal about how we can all take action based on what we learn at FDL, Kos, and elsewhere.
An inability to hear criticism… Where have I seen this before?
Lighten up, Francis.
Good thing that most people who see a driver yelling assume it is a phone call and not lunacy…*g*
Um, Anne, call me a contrarian, but . . .
mmmm….muffins!!!
please dont feed the trolls … if you hit F5 to reload your page, you’ll notice I have ‘convinced’ them to edit their comments …
But, but, but…Tony Snow said racism was in the past. Too bad stupidity isn’t.
I may have to apologize for saying Bush was the stupidest politician in the country. Allen clearly wants a shot at that title.
Jane at 38
I am so jealous *g*
To further elaborate, I think an extra five minutes of “taking action” for every half hour reading FDL is a good starting point for all of us to contribute what we can in our own way. It isn’t too burdensome, but applied consistently by readers across the FDL community it could yield incredible results. Limited, persistent efforts by a large group of people can be a perfect complement to the individuals who can and do devote a significant chunk of their lives to these issues. And who knows, you might find yourself loving the feeling of making a difference, being proactive, and start doing a whole lot more than 5 minutes for every half hour. But this is an accessible guideline for all of us to start with…
Palolo, 12: “On this date in 1959,Hawaii became a state. Decide for yourself whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I’m just glad I’m here in Honolulu. Peace”
Hey bra, howzit. Like so much else in life, Hawaii becoming a state was both a good and a bad thing. It would take a book to explain why, but following statehood, Hawaii was inundated by folks from the mainland, of all types, carpetbaggers, opportunists, rich retirees, and yes, even some good folks who have contributed to the community. Of course by and large they were white.
On Maui, where my parents were born, the whole place has become a vacation and retirement playground for white folks not born there, and there is a part of me that resents this on a more or less permanent basis. The local community to a sad degree, has become the service sector for the affluent.
The record in Hawaii is a replay of the scenario in most other places in the world: the arrival of the white man results in the disenfranchisement of the indigenous community. Historically and globally, I have no explanation for this. It must be in the DNA.
lotus @ 21
I remember it, too. I was at the Girl Scout International Roundup at Colorado Springs.
We had a huge, huge celebration. I think there were 50,000 of us.
Dog, I’m old.
Jane Hamsher @ 38
See what fun we have every crack-a-dawn around here, JH? Only diff is, you could actually burn yer hand on what y’all are passing around the table.
Of course, we don’t have to wash up after our FDL breakfasts . . .
Muffins with blueberries!
I saw a letter from young Virginian Sidarth’s parents who proudly pointed out their boy’s great-grandpa had traveled and worked with Gandhi. The kid comes from a family of activists for freedom and democracy it seems ! I’m proud to be associated with him . . .
*ilson46201 @ 39
Who knew that trolls had a thing for blueberry muffins?
Go *ilson!
*ilson nice edits
*xyz thanks for the nudge to take this info and actually do something with it.
morning all
*xyz @ 42
Honey, I already have to take an extra 5 minutes per half hour off FDL to do, like, my laundry.
Well, if 50% of the economy in Afghanistan is from poppies, then I blame it all on bushco.
I know, I know– I am always blaming these “fine leaders”. They chose to go into Afghanistan, finish bombing what little was left of the war ravaged country and truly throw these poor people back into a wasteland with nothing. Years of war, drought and a dearth of young men have brought nothing but sorrow to the proud Afghan people. How much treasure has gone into rebuilding that country? What has the former Soviet Union done to repair what it destroyed when they invaded? All their landmines remain to dismember any Afghan who tries to cultivate land for crops. Have we tried at all to offer any new hope and future to the people? Have we allowed them to rebuild their glorious country with their own hands and hearts and minds? How does the poppy crop get out of land-locked Afghanistan? Could it be thru Pakistan??? hmmmmm?
Oh, but oil and natural gas was discovered there so we can expect Karzai to be in charge of stealing that for the US as he has chosen not to run for President again…
From Christy -
You all know what DIET stands for right…Did I Eat That?
orangejumpsuit @ 25
What is it about tfitznc’s comments that I haven’t learned to trust yet, gang?
op99 @
50
the ONLY down side i’ve found is that the more i do “taking action”, the less time i spend reading (and commenting) at FDL. i miss it!
…haven’t figured out how to do a good job of fitting in the laundry et al.
“that I haven’t learned to trust yet” being a polite eupehemism, in case LMFarr is still around.
euphemism
Good Morning Firemuffins,
First off , ya know y’all could probably retire after that Peanut Meets The Poodles Pic
-jes sayin’
of course Hazeltin (sp?) and Betty Ford would be booked through 2022 . . .
was looking around for Orin Kerr’s take on yesterday’s opinion and found him over at Volokh Conspiracy - purportedly intelligent folks going on and on about how the 4th doesn’t cover communications - jeesh ! a textbook peek at group delusion - My comment on ‘Writs of Assistance You Putzes’! got deleted
oh and
like the toilet seat up, the hubster sometimes leaves Imus on when he leaves in the morning -actually heard Dan Abrams bashing the Boulder DA for ‘over hyping and over reacting’ - not a word, a peep, about his network and others making a gd GLOBAL SPECTACLE of themselves for the last 30 hours - aarrgghh!!!
… ah look, a Peanut and a Poodle
btw, pictures of a mass funeral from Qana in Southern Lebanon on teevee…
heartbreaking.
op99 @ 50
707!
a tale of two opinions…….
1. Gail Collins gets it:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08.....8fri1.html
2. Fred Hiatt thinks he works for Pravda:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....01540.html
Katherine Graham RIP.
great editorial in the new london day (local CT paper). http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?.....688e55f17c
lotus @ 54
Peace.
My opinion come from experience and history. I’m not much of a cheerleader, rather a realist; that doesnt make me a troll, does it?
*xyz - I couldn’t agree with you more; thanks.
Regarding Amann: I live in his home district, and feel it’s my personal obligation to really hammer him for his suicidal support of Lieberman. The other bloggers here in CT can also rightly complain because he’s the State House Speaker, but with me living right down the street from him I feel especially obligated to poke him with a stick until he finally comes around.
I felt bad about it at first, but he’s such a hard-assed moron that I’m starting to enjoy tormenting him. Too bad I’m leaving on vacation for a week starting tomorrow.
Check out this link. It was sent to me by my friend that works for IVAW and VVAW…
http://www.bushcommission.org/
International Commission of Inquiry On Crimes Against Humanity Committed by the Bush Administration
This is a great time to click through and read considering the news about courts and the illegality of the NSA wiretapping…
This mornings news is very disturbing - Iran and Turkey are lobbing missles at the Kurds:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq.....43,00.html
Yes, Samarai Sam, (at 11), I love the news that we get 12 planets now. Still the children will fight over who gets to paint Jupiter or Saturn. I also like the news about N’kisi, and all the gray parrots and complex language usage. The old news of our being hosts for mitochondria is interesting (see Lynn Margulis). But the new news of the Peanut wrestling the Poodles is great.
Good morning.
Turkey, Iran and Kurdistan…here is another one ready to explode, Iran bombed North of Iraq yesterday, and Turkey is wants to go in after the PKK.
wow! you’re making me feel deprived — muffins surrounded by intelligence
my favorite place to get the daily news is ‘asia times on line’ [atimesdotcom] — yesterday, for instance, a fellow from india wrote about the phoney british terror plot & how bush & blair are exploiting it
CT Bob - Have a great vacation! You’ve definitely earned it.
‘06 will be close as to taking back the Senate. Dems will suck it up and accept Lieberman in their caucus if he wins, especially mindful of the fact it may take his vote to gain majority status. Hence you don’t see a tidal wave of outrage over Lieberman’s indy run. What if you take him on unflinchingly, wrestle in the gutter and wage a full on alley fight, and he wins? If either Ned or Joe suits your purposes as far as getting to 51 what’s the percentage in throwing your dog in the fight? Don’t be deceived, getting to 51 is all that counts. If you think Reid, Edwards, Kerry, Clinton, Schumer and the rest are thrilled Ned is running, hoping a win will stick it to Bush with a “See, we can elect someone nationally that’s brazen in his contempt for your policies!” you’re deluded. Right now Reid is playing a waiting game, hoping Joe cedes to discreet entreaties to bail. Failing that pushback will be tepid at best. Someone should have been at the podium with a full throated appeal to Joe to drop out within minutes of the final primary results. Obviously Dem Senate leadership had a long time to plan for the contingency of a Lamont victory and Lieberman’s intended indy run. Knowing that they failed to make that plea repeatedly, vigorously and publicy. Why? Because they never planned to. Why? 51 baby, just get to 51. It was up to Ned to plant that seed, to make that plea, to publicly voice it as a demand. He needed to insist Senate Dems put up or shut up, here and now, the morning after the primary. Ned had to catch a plane to Crawford, er Maine, instead……………
just a couple of days ago the Preznit was saying that a democracy couldnt allow separate armed groups like militias — of course he was conveniently overlooking the Kurdish peshmurga . . .
I e-mailed you this link this morning, Christy. It came in a timely fashion. Yesterday, I had an accident and was required by my workplace to go to the emergency room. While I was sitting there, a woman was telling me about a FEMA trailer that appeared in her driveway while she was still in Texas, though she said she never applied for one. You might think that’s a good thing, but the trailer was set up facing the wrong way…against her fence…and the STEPS that were contracted to be built were on the side of the trailer with no door.
wake up VA:
Poll: Half of Virginians question whether ‘Macaca’ is racist
Heh…and THIS is downright infuriating. The REPUBLICAN congressman from that district is on the warpath against FEMA.
steve duncan although i understand what you say about 51, i just don’t want joe to represent ME any longer. it would be really nice if the dem power brokers would understand that. but it looks like it is up to us to get the job done.
John @ 6:29am
believe it was either Cheney or Abu who outed
themselves as to warrantless spying before 9/11
www.dailykos.com/story/2006/7/2/94354/21208
or here
www.afterdowningstreet.org/
firepups -
just a quick check-in to let y’all know the kludge cpu has joined the bit-bucket of the aethernet. (sorry *ilson, using pub/access library unit - Winjunk. Not enuf time to sneak a combo letter…)
Christy … blueberry muffins this am. YUM!
I see latest Q-poll has Ned down about 12%. That will improve. Caugth C.McEnroe on WTIC the past couple days. He’s good.
Judge tells Bush/NSA to ‘just say ‘NO’. This I like.
W/o net connection…ugh. Did manage to reread Gibson’s Count Zero. I think it’s the best one.
Can also recommend
Zen Computer - pithy lil work that takes a zen approach to computing.
D. Coupland’s ‘Microserf’ - nicley executed novel-as-diary. Lots of commentary still rings true today. Also, lots of Apple/Newton ‘coverage’.
That’s the silicon I have now. MP2K and eMate. Not really online units.
Called local used dealer of both Win and Mac. Had only one Mac unit on stock. iBook; fairly newish. $800.
now, to read y’all…
twolf1 @
75
Those 47% missed, no doubt, the contempt Allen was expressing for the rest of his audience, in using a term he expected them to intuit, but not understand. He was looking down on all of them with his ‘esoteric’ word. He was trying to make monkeys–forgive me–of all of them.
Steve Duncan: you’re probably right, except for the part that Ned insisting on anything would have made a difference.
Watching Ned be a citizen activist running for public office because he cares about the direction of the country is worth all this effort whether he wins or loses. Watching the tarnished, failed DC establishment Dems do their calculated machinations is simply business as usual.
Ned = a bright light on an otherwise dim horizon.
Since you ask, Christy, what’s ticking me off right now is what some people will do to smear Ned Lamont. As I write this, there is a topic on the Ed Schultz message board posted by someone who calls himself “Ilovegeorgebush.” He has posted a picture of the Jon Benet suspect followed by a picture of Ned. This points to the fact that his party is the party of lack–they lack anything real to offer America so they smear. I doubt this will last once the moderators see it, but not before 70 people have viewed it.
I need huge doses of science everyday to counteract all the believery congestion out there, and often pharyngula has what the doctor ordered. His latest cephalopod blogging is the exact ticket — be sure to scroll down for the explanation….
“Ow that’s my siphon!”
Josh has a greaty link to an article that puts a big whole in the threat posed by the recent London airplane bombers. No way could they have been able to pull it off. Hollywood stuff but not in the real world.
Also watched Washington Journal intervew with author of The Looming Towers, what insight.
Steve Duncan 72–it’s not true that the Dems need Joe’s vote.
It turns out that all the Dems need is for Joe to not caucus with the Republicans. If he doesn’t vote at all it does no harm whatsoever; because if he doesn’t vote, you only have to get to 50.
The story is, of course, entirely different if you give any credence to the thought that, anytime in the next 2 years, Joe might accept a SecDef position allowing Rell to appoint a Republic senator. In which case, if you’re Harry Reid, you really really want Ned in that seat.
tfitznc at 65 –
With an apology in advance that I don’t recall where to look for your recent comments here, so can’t properly document my theory … I do recall their gists, however; maybe someone else will find it worth the effort to search for them, though I’m not requesting that anyone drop what they’re doing and rush back to yesteday’ threads for ‘em. At any rate . . .
Rather than experience, history, and realism, what my antennae have picked up in your quite-recent appearances more nearly suggests snooty, dismissive, sneaky Lieberman plant.
But since, as I admit, I don’t have the evidence in front of me, this is merely a theory I’m offering, not a case I’m making.
Peace to you too, and to all — really.
twolf1 @ 75
I am making calls for Webb, I will happily remind every Virginia about how racist “macaca” was. Oh I am so embarassed to live here.
Morning All. Ooohhh. MUFFINS! Blueberries are GOOD for ya’, right?!
Peanut & Kobe(?) - JUST what the doctor ordered. CUTE! *g*
*ilson
You fierce doggie you. Thanks for assuming housekeeping duty this a.m. We like our peaceful morning cuppa…
I trotted over to DNC this a.m., left this little pile on their doorstep and marked a bush so I can get their e-newsletter. My goodness gracious. Can’t leave those kids alone for a minute(!).
Jane S.: you rock.
Virginia really is two states (N and S). It’s possible the North can win this one.
goddness, y’all chill about Ned taking some time off after 8/8
“greatest political stratergist of the late 20th Century”: Clinton did the exact same thing in August ‘92 and we all know how that worked out
connedicut voters to Joe -
It’s the sanctimony, stupid
and frankly, I’m thinking ol Joe did us all a favor for completely outing Schumer and Reid as failed Field Marshalls - am ready for some smoke filled back rooms ’bout now
Christy,
I guess I’m upset because I think we need to kick lieberman to the curb, now! I see the risks involved in alienating lieberman if he wins as an “independent” but to me its a sunk cost–lieberman will never, ever, go back to caucasing with the dems after this afront to his pride. He’s been sliding right for years, where it counts, and he will either demand huge perks (and fuck them up) for his voting or he will simply go to the highest bidder which will be the republicans who can really use him as a beard if he publicly goes over to them. So to my mind even if we risk alienating lieberman, we’ve got to do it while we go for the jugular.
Its simpy not possible that he and haddassah don’t have some very nasty skeletons buried in their big pharma closet. Its true that they are going to try to split not the jewish vote but the supportive of israel block by implying that lamont is somehow anti semitic or anti israel. The only thing to do on that is to turn around and cut him off at the knees by *attacking his perceived integrity*. Follow and publish the money trail, hang bush and bush’s corruption around his neck, ask “when you vote for joe, who are you really voting for?” and demonize the heck out of him. He’s doing it to lamont right now and we have lots, lots, more ammo on lieberman. No one is in the senate with the friends he has without having done some serious corrupt backroom dealing. Hell, if lamont ran some adds over a scroll of donors to liebermans campaign saying “I can pay for myself, I can’t be bought” that would be great.
aimai
And Ned had a joint appearance with John Edwards yesterday evening at a rally in New Haven. So don’t worry, Ned’s workin’ it.
Gotta go to work myself now. Later…
Greenwald has typically great posts up regarding Taylor’s opinion.
All I know is I got caught speeding last night.
Told the cop my lawyer said it was ok.
Didn’t work for me.
Jane S #87
as i do business overseas, i’m embarrassed to be living under the bush regime
a little daylight on the support for Israel bloc
(h/t Prof. Cole)
http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1159
lotus!
so THAT’s how we get something deleted????!
D’oh! I’ve tried a time or 2 during the past week or so, & ended up with goofy results. Next time I totally mess up, & happen to notice instead of suffering another “senior moment”, I’ll just call on the friendly gods ‘n goddesses to make it go ‘poof’. *g*
Good morning, all!
This caught my eye, gladdened my heart:
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/.....84_pf.html
Finally: “Republicans Losing the ‘Security Moms’”. Losing them in Ohio. There is hope.
Professor Foland at 31, people who think like that seem to believe that they can have their own facts. If I show them facts that completely knock their ‘facts’ onto the playground and send them blubbering to the teacher, they just say I’m a Bush-hater. Or they quibble with my source, be it the GAO or WaPo.
after the botched invasion of Lebanon, the current Israeli government including Olmert seems to be imploding under corruption charges … is Lieberman next?
believe Joe & ‘Bebe’ are BFF
some free advice for ned lamont:
1) start with the michael brown nomination hearings.
i believe that lieberman conducted them. as i recall they lasted 45 minutes.
as i recall brown’s resume was doctored (probably by the white house, not brown).
how come lieberman did not ask lots of questions about this putative head of an extremely important agency - extremely important if we had another terrorist attack.
we did not have that attack, but we did have katrina which was, for all practical purposes, as devastating an event, if not more so.
where was the Congressional oversight and accountability before as well as after katrina?
if lieberman gave brown a free pass, why did he do so? a favor for the white house? in what other circumstances has he done the white house a favor?
now moving on to the dept of homeland security - which lieberman fathered - how is it that fema could have performed so well before it became part of dhs and so poorly afterward?
how is it that in the election years of 2004 in florida fema was on top of their game?
but in Louisiana in 2005 they came late and acted incompetently.
what oversight was lieberman exercising when fema was placed in dhs, when fema was in florida or when it was in Louisiana?
summary:
start with michael brown, move to fema in dept of homeland security then move on to the dept itself. then move on to port security, airport baggage security (not carry-ons, the move on to fake terror alerts and the use of terror alerts for political opportunity.
what has lieberman had to say in an oversight role about these goings on?
2) jos marshal is a favorite journalist of mine; his site is doing a wonderful job of spotlighting what the main stream press will not spotlight.
but my free advice includes the advice not to pay any attention to marshall’s comments about lamont taking too long to get going.
a vacation after a primary is important for a candidate, his family, and his advisers.
a political campaign is a 24/7 verbal war. a little respite from that day-to-day combat is very productive, even essential, for clear thinking.
3) under no circumstances should lamont pin his campaign on proving that he is a demo who is “tougher” than republicans on national security. that bullshit about demos being less trusted than repubs on national security is just that, poll-generated bullshit.
it’s not that it is not literally true, but that it is meaningless. the question is a vague, general question asked in polling. but people make their voting judgments on a candidate-by-candidate basis during a campaign.
the key to winning is to present a whole person to the voters who is knowledgeable, competent, and caring and who, above all, does not present to the voters a caricature of a politician - as do so many of the old goats like lieberman are. american voters are really tired of the phony, caricature persona.
4) the key is questioning on a broad front the bush administration’s competence in domestic and international affairs.
and then to asking why there has not been better oversight of the administration’s decisions.
what has lieberman done to address the bush admin’s incompetence - with the disastrous federal budget, in education, in fema, in iraq, with al quaeda, with north korea, with energy policy?
and how about privatizing social security?
and, then, “when was th last time you saw joe here in —- (name of town)?”
finally, under no circumstances should you let your campaign degenerate into responding to lieberman’s, or gerstein’s, or bush-rove’s accusations. that is the rovian fools’ game democratic candidates have gotten caught up in time and again.
take the fight to lieberman and the administration. make them answer your questions.
good luck
p.s. yes, it is ok to keep the kiss float going, so long as you are asking tough questions about accountability and about lieberman’s coziness with a bush admin that has harmed this country in any number of ways thru its incompetence.
LindyH — I’d call that story (and all to do with FEMA) incredible, but it’s rilly The New Black, innit?
Kludgie — been wondering what went wif you. WELCOME BACK!
Hartford Courant column on whether JL could keep his committee assignments. Joes says Reid said he could.
http://www.courant.com/news/po.....s-breaking
Professor, wanting a Lamont victory means a nasty campaign with Joe to get it. Winning would be great, but losing and seriously alienating Lieberman in the process risks his ire down the road. Counting on his acquiescence in floor fights if you only get to 50 is a fool’s bet. Ned is voting with you later whether you help him or not in the election. The same can’t be presumed of Lieberman. Again I ask, what is to be gained by Dem Senate leadership vigorously backing Lamont? They’re in a win/win situation and sitting on the sidelines is a perfectly understandable stance. Now, you do have the risk Lieberman brings Republicans to the Conn polls, hurting Dem House candidates. All the more reason there should have been early, devastating pressure brought to bear for Joe to drop out. There wasn’t and I think that’s very telling. If Senate Dems have some sort of secret master plan I can’t see as Lamont is on page one of the schematics.
LindyLou @ 82
LindyLou, we don’t know whether this started with him, but we did have a report yesterday of Imus’s producer saying that on-air. My response at the time was that said producer needed firing and suing before the close-of-biz.
Christy, I vaguely recall that you have little control over the blogads on the right. But I really need to compliment you. The Ben & Jerry’s, on the very top, is a great link. I knew there was a reason I loved those guys (beyond the incredibly addictive “Chubby Hubby”)
lotus @ 85
I really dont know what to say. Maybe get your antennae adjusted.
Lets remember this is about NED, not petty sniping. BTW, I’ll bet my donations to ActBlue and NEDs site are quite competitive with the rest of the group.