Christy and I got to meet Bill Clinton at his offices in Harlem yesterday. Coming off our mutual victory scored in the ABC/911 fight it was something of a celebration. I can’t remember a time when national political figures have picked up on a battle being waged in the blogosphere and managed so successfully to reverberate the message and force it into traditional media.
He was also quite interested in what was happening on the Libby/Fitzgerald front. We’ll be posting more as transcripts of the meeting become available, but suffice to say that we hope this becomes some kind of model for how bloggers and politicians can work together when they share common interests. Mad props go to Peter Daou who was in the unique position to be both aware of the blogospheric conversation and have quick, high-level access to those who could influence the situation.
Maybe all those snappy, forward thinkers in the Democratic Party who might have an interest in doing likewise could leave off calling us dirty urchins long enough to figure out most of us are actually successful professionals who have some interesting things to say and a lively place to say it.
If we’re good enough for Big Dog…
(photo by Bill Sher of Liberal Oasis)
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Jane!!! Christy!!! Big Time!!!
OT- Jane, if you are reading, could you please check messages at the mod com courtesy desk? xxoo
OMG!!! Jane! Christy! President Clinton! Fitz!
Woohoo!
I am soooooo jealous!
I hope I’m not out of line to say, them’s some fine lookin’ women.
Soon they’ll be calling you…
Back in the day, when FDL was a little bitty thing, y’all didn’t think it’d lead to this, did you?!?
Just totally cool, and well deserved!
Who dat punk wit my gals?
Pachacutec @
6
Dang! Can’t help but agree. They look pretty happy too – good combo…
The Dog looks positively giddy!
Holy Shit, FireBigDogLake!
You are completely out of line, Pach. As Jane said to Markos, “I’m the girl.” Christy nodded, and said, “I’m the other girl.” However, wrt to the following,
“
. . . I will concede that they do clean up pretty good.
with all due respect to the Big Dog – imo, he’s not good enough for the two of you.
How did the Pres look in person? When I have seen him on TV since his surgery, he has looked a bit haggard.
WOW! I am SOOOO jealous…. (of Bill, too, of course…!) Can’t wait to hear more. And Pachacutec is right…
To quote Oliver Twist: “More, please??”
Very proud of you both, amazing what is happening.
As a matter of fact, I’m pretty proud of all of us.
Beautiful picture!
I am happy for our last elected President and our ladies of the lake– it’s about time real folk sit down and talk face to face, eye to eye!
I’m so happy you got to meet him. Way to go!
That pic is priceless. Love it.
Gawd, I miss the Big Dog.
chrisanthemama @ 20
Oh, me too.
That man knew how to be President . . .
And those gals know how to blog!!!
Congratulations, ladies. On so many levels. There are many more to come, I’m sure.
What a wonderful picture.
And Pach, if I may speak for the relatively few of us hetero guys here – I so totally agree.
Curious in Central Texas @
21
Me three…..
What a great photo! All three of you exude total confidence. I’ve picked up a little bit about the meeting from other bloggers and can’t wait to get your perspective.
BTW, you’ve probably know that Big Dog’s the Cover Boy on this week’s Fortune mag. Great caption: Love him or hate him, Bill Clinton is a force.
Je ne said quoi.
Jane and Christy -
You must be delighted with yesterday’s memorable meeting. Perhaps the Tao of blogging (or should that be the Tao of the blogosphere?) made the meeting possible. I will look forward to reading more about it.
I’m not sure either Jane or Christy are around, as they have been travelling today, but let me say this:
This photo is an affirmation of FDL, but FDL is also you.
Do you have any idea the reputation this commenting/Blue America community is building around the political, even the entertainment, worlds?
We have some very recognizable names lurking, but this burgeoning progressive movement building site is, excuse my lack of humility, really da’ shit.
Bubba wasn’t just acknowledging Jane and Christy, but you.
You.
So did you hit the Big Dog up for a chunk of change for Marcy’s 16 Words?
Heh.
Amazing, though, really, the trajectory of this blog. What will you two do next? I can hardly stand it, can’t wait to find out!!!
o just beautiful
I hope no one tells Kobe about this! He used to be the big dog…
Way Cool! And Hi Big Dog! ; )
p.s. thanks, Pach, we do forget that. This is an awesome community, a collection of talent and resources unlike anything I’ve seen in 10 years on the internet, as either a chat host/moderator, blogger, consultant, what have you.
I am wondering, in the transcripts, will anything be revealed about President Clinton’s thoughts on how to get the Palestinian/Israeli situation back on the resolution table? President Clinton, in my view struggled tirelessly for Middle East peace.
Valley Girl @ 30
707!
I thought I heard recently that Bill doesn’t use computers at all, a total luddite. I wonder if that’s true, or if he reads blogs. At the very least, he recognizes their importance, and that’s a very big deal.
what impressed me about the large group foto of the Big Dog and bloggers was the large number of female bloggers included … a good ratio there !
Hey all — got home about an hour ago or so. Just logged on to catch up on e-mail after getting The Peanut to bed, and…whammo!…there’s a photo of me and Jane with Bill Clinton on the blog. How did that happen? *G* (And can I say that being asked to attend a meeting with the former President of the US is a little overwhelming — but that both Jane and I had plenty of opportunities to speak our minds…surprising, eh? lol)
OKK– I am watching President James Carter right now; the other President who worked as hard as he did for peace in the Middle East is President Clinton.
Pachacutec @ 27
either that, or he’s trying to co-opt us.
i withhold judgment pending more evidence/information.
p.s. jane and christy SO rock…. hold his feet to the fire!
Pach at 27 — damn straight!
Your daily gas and oil prices
Average price for regular gasoline 9/13/06 in 50 states and DC
$3.00 plus 1 state
$2.90 plus 7 states
$2.80 plus 5 states
$2.70 plus 4 states
$2.60 plus 10 states
$2.50 plus 8 states
$2.40 plus 10 states
$2.30 plus 4 states
$2.20 plus 2 states
Average national price: $2.592, down $.021
Highest recorded national average price: $3.057 9/5/2005
Highest average price: Hawaii $3.289
Lowest average price: Ohio $2.295
http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/sbsavg.asp
Nymex Crude Future $63.97, up $.26
Dated Brent Spot $62.98, up $.62
WTI Cushing Spot $63.97, up $.21
http://www.bloomberg.com/marke…..rices.html
The Republican friendly fall in gas prices continues. There was a seasonal fall off last year but this one is steeper. Oil prices mark time.
Well, gawrsh. Talk aboutcher “suitable for framing” (the path of this country’s comeback, that is)!
Oh, and not to worry, VG — Kobe’s still the Big Dog, and his sharp ears can pick up the difference between that and Big Dawg.
OT, I saw that the Young Turks are the new morning drive show for Air America. ‘Bout fucking time, although I will miss them on my Sirius. God bless, Cenk, Jill & Ben, go forward and kick ass!
Inside word is Bill reads blogs. He has a very curious and thirsty mind. Of course, he’s also doing charm offensive on behalf of Hillary, though I have not heard he made that explicit at all during the meeting. Originally, the meeting was to be off the record, so we did not speak of it. I did not expect it to turn into a photo op.
Still, even if he’s making ambassadorial outreach for Hillary, he’s still using his face and name to lend legitimacy and power to the netroots – to you – and that’s worth something.
That’s really cool. Was Hillary there? Man, I miss having duly elected Presidents. I’m tired of having that dumbass governor of Texas besmirching the White House.
So, does Bush ever go hang out with the clowns at Pajamaload media? Think he’s aware of blogs? Hell, do you think he could even turn on a computer?
This picture is just exactly what I needed! Thank you!
In my attempt to catch up with everything I missed today, I got stuck way down below in the thread on Joe Sestak.
I despise Weldon, who, to my misfortune (and without my assent) was for several years my “representative” in Delaware County. But that wasn’t the part that got me all caught up.
It was what everyone in that thread was writing about the fundamental attack on our beloved Constitution which happened today in Congress — the ham-handed attempt to ram through permission to Little Boots to do whatever the fuck he wants to whomever he wants whenever he wants.
By the time I finished reading all the brilliant comments from my fellow outraged Firepups/True Patriots, I was shaking and dissolved in tears.
I couldn’t stop crying. For more than half an hour. Sobbed my heart out. Had to call Mr. K8 at work for comfort in my horror and fear for the future of this country I love so much. I don’t trust these fascists not to do everything in their power to keep the reins of power, democracy and elections be damned!
I normally keep my fear to myself — for me personally, it seems like a luxury I can’t afford — at the cost of the morale of our community — to express fear in such a public forum as FDL. That’s just my take on it (not dissing others with a different approach!) — thinking that my fear could be contagious and I’ll keep it offline in the privacy of my home.
I was just about to violate that long-time principle of mine, to come back here to ask for support from y’all — help to lift me up out of incipient depression at the horror of the evil evisceration of the Constitution, and fear of the depths to which the fascists will sink to keep the war crimes prosecutors at bay.
And here I see this wonderful picture which lifted my mood immediately! Thank you, thank you, thank you Christy and Jane!
And thanks to the soul in the Sestak thread (was that you, John Casper? I’m too weary and cried-out now to go back and check…) — who issued a reminder that as bad and truly dire the situation of our beloved country is now, it still is not as awful as it must have been for Washington’s starving troops at Valley Forge.
Thank you, whoever you were, for that reality check! It helped. I am also put in mind of the fact that my ancestors fought to save the Union in the Civil War — and that, too, must have seemed like the very end of the world to them.
We must never, ever stop fighting, no matter what. Courage is not absence of fear — courage is doing what is right no matter how intense the fear one feels.
Thanks to Jane, Christy, and everyone of the many people who make this FDL community as vibrant and nourishing as it is. And thanks to everyone who offers moral support to others in dark times such as these.
Hey meta, I have a theory about certain luddites. There are a very special few that are “ecosystems” in and of their own virtue; they create information, attract it to themselves. for these rare few, spending time retrieving and processing information may actually be of less value to the entire information food chain than spending time creating information (a.k.a. news). They might only be reading later what they’d already done, causing lag or delay, an inefficiency.
I suspect Bill Clinton is one of those rare luddites.
The overwhelming percentage of luddites don’t fall in this category, though; they simply live 1 to 2 days behind us and starved for information.
Welcome back, Christy. The president was so lucky to be able to meet you both. I hope he will drop in and give his impressions. Barring that, I expect a LOT of dish from you and Jane. ;)
I am so happy for and proud of you both! And grateful…thanks.
btw, President Jimmy Carter is on CNN right now (Larry King)
Big Dawg, the Brainiac Babes, and Pete Daou. All my faves in one spot. Well, it would be if’n you added Skippy to the lot. I’m thinking that the time we all spent in Las Vegas together was the start of something B-I-G. And everytime I hear or read the Has-Been Media referring to this crowd as doofuses blogging
in their pajamas, I must snort with derision. Truth will out. And clowns will inevitably fall down in their big floppy shoes. Thanks for all you do for Truth, Hope and the American Way. I concur that you three are positively oozing fabulosity-what a hot shot!
I would like to say thanks to Jane and Christy for all of the wonderful articles that they’ve posted at FDL, and which I have had the privilege to read. I came, and have stayed, because of these two awesome female voices. That is a rarity in the blog universe. Or perhaps, a singularity. And, despite the easy reads that they produce in prose, I have no doubt that it ain’t easy.
And, BTW, who’s the guy with the hair?
BEST.PRESIDENT.EVER
Pachacutec @ 43
true enough! and i trust jane and christy to keep their heads!
Jane – I’ve been missing your perspectives on the CT Senate race. Can’t believe that a poll yesterday puts Holy Joe ahead by 13 points. How can this be?
What is keeping Ned from making better headway? We have just a few weeks to turn this around.
Christy Hardin Smith @ 37
Oh, everyone already knows about your pajama party
;>)
Am exhausted from all the travel — nothing like a quick up and back in three days time, and a meeting with Bill Clinton — to wear you out. But I promise some good dish tomorrow. ;-)
Hi Christy! I am very grateful to you and Jane for meeting with President Clinton! Such an important opportunity to get ideas heard and exchanged. I look forward to hearing more and moving forward together with this growing movement.
Heh. . . Lieberconcerntroll.
Christy Hardin Smith @
37
Congrats, CHS and Jane (and alla yuz firepups, really)!
Cozumel @ 53
Oh, I don’t know. Thomas Jefferson wasn’t bad. FDR was ok too.
Rayne @ 47
‘Scuse me for horning in on your comment to Meta, but would you mind decoding that? I have no idea what you meant, but I’m intrigued.
President Carter? He deserves our undying respect. This man worked harder than anyone for peace in the Middle East. I am so proud to say I voted for this giant. Twice.
All these pent up OTs, sorry:
From an article entitled “When rockets and phosphorous cluster” in Haaretz by Meron Rapoport
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/761910.html
Christy Hardin Smith @ 37
You’re one up on me. I told Jane a couple of weeks ago that when I shook hands with Clinton in ‘92 was one of the few times in my life I’ve ever been caught speechless. He gave me every chance, but I just didn’t know what to say besides, “Good luck.”
cleter @ 61
OK, in my life time I mean ; )
Darkblack! 70707070707070707
Rayne, that a great insight. I meant no slight to Clinton. He’s obviously a curious and voracious intellect. I just happen to see him do an interview where he was being self-deprecating about it. The real message is clear, whether it’s one if by land, two if by sea.
I posted that earlier today, Hugh and am heartsick.
Props to Jane and Christy and all you/we do together. And Pach–too, too modest! And TRex and all the mods. And we commenters who take part from time to time. We are the village. Margaret Mead’s village, perhaps, a small-no-more hardy band on our heroic quest. We will succeed. We will prevail.
And special props to Bill Clinton, who recognizes savvy talent when he sees it.
And while it may be sullying the moment, I must add, so we don’t ever lose sight of the task, even amid the fiesta moments:
George W. Bush–Smallest. President. Ever.
The Republican friendly fall in gas prices is driven by the election season — just as the steep rise in gas prices in the fall of 2000 was timed to do maximum damage to the Gore Campaign.
The black gold gangstas are as despicable as Halliburton, and other merchants of death . . .
Twisted Martini @
12
teehee
darkblack @ 56
LMAO!
I recognize the FORMER president. But do I see a FUTURE president in there?
Cozumel @ 66
Point taken. If you were born in, oh, 1981 or later, then yeah, I’ll buy that. Best prez in my lifetime, I guess I’d go with Carter.
darkblack,
The teddy bear was an especially fine touch!
Swopa at 65 — we were at his offices in Harlem for close to 3 hours, so there was ample opportunity for conversation and some real debate (and some awesome sweet potato fries and chicken for lunch to dish over…).
And, Swopa, thank you muchly for addressing my questions in prior FDL posts. I appreciate that. And, thanks, for posting at FDL. Your articles are always thought-provoking.
Pachacutec @
6
Yup!
darkblack lmao
Great picture and kudos – I think it is great news. (I met Clinton briefly at a book signing. He almost glows – and has incredible blue eyes.)
It’s fascinating to me the politicians who were early adopters and “got” blogs from the get-go, i.e. the intelligence, the passion, the community such as Dean, Clark, Kerry, Edwards, Lamont – and worked with the blogosphere so effectively.
Now we have the “2nd generation” of adoptors like the Clintons. I suppose the others will catch up eventually. Clearly change, transparency, loss of centralized power, etc. are too threatening for many in the Dem party right now. But they’ll have to change because they simply can’t marginalize us – no matter how hard they try.
Thank you Jane & Christy for putting yourselves on the line for us. You deserve all the recognition you get.
Wow! I am so impressed! So amazed! (and so jealous!)
I hope that you really enjoyed the experience becuase it is so truly deserved!
Congrats to all!
The collective brainpower in the room for that meeting is nothing less than awesome. And yes, they, the rising leaders of this democracy, each one of them, are folks we can be proud of.
Prairie Sunshine @ 70
Oh, hell yeah. He’s like a freakin’ Titan of suck. He stands astride the suck like a Colossus. He’s taken suck to heights never dreamed of by guys like Warren Harding and Millard Fillmore. He’ll be like a shining beacon of suck for generations.
Mrs. K8 @ 6:24 pm
“And thanks to the soul in the Sestak thread (was that you, John Casper? I’m too weary and cried-out now to go back and check…) — who issued a reminder that as bad and truly dire the situation of our beloved country is now, it still is not as awful as it must have been for Washington’s starving troops at Valley Forge.”
Yes, it was John Casper who posted that reassuring comment.
“I don’t trust these fascists not to do everything in their power to keep the reins of power, democracy and elections be damned!”
Paternalism might be another apt description for their modus operandi of governing this country.
FireBigDogLake.
I like it.
WHAT OP99 SAID AT 48: YAY-EZZ!
cleter @ 75
In my case that would be starting with Eisenhower. 1981? LOL I wish
Jane’s home.
Jane Hamsher @ 86
Register it quick! *ilson?…
Compare Carter to Bush. There is none.
Clinton can be very charismatic — a few years ago he spoke at the Black Congressional Caucus dinner — my Congresswoman (in her 60s) was seen on CSpan standing on her chair applauding and whooping … charismatic!
angie #69,
Sorry, I missed it. Did you see it in the US media? I have lots of criticism of the Israeli press but they still do a much better job than our MSM.
Just got an update on Subway Serenade–it’s posted here
http://howardempowered.blogspot.com/
BigDogFireLake sounds better, dontcha think ?
Jane Hamsher @ 86
Some people just know how to make an entrance, don’t they?
Christy Hardin Smith @ 77
True, I suppose if I’d been with him for three hours, I would’ve figured out something to say eventually. :)
J & C, what were y’all laughing about just at that moment?
I think the policies of Terrorist Bush and Vice Terrorist Cheney have been detrimental to this country.
don’t tell me Christy just discussed recipes with him !
op99 — Remember way back when Ron Suskind reported that a White House aide said,
Ditch the arrogance about the empire bit. The rest contains a nugget of truth. Something or someone so large that they are a newsmaker and news leader actually creates not reality per se, but mass quantities of information. They are an ecosystem, an ecology, where information is born.
For people that fit this category, spending time reading news when news is about them is highly inefficient. Being a luddite is fine in these circumstances — because they already know the news.
Big Dog meeting with bloggers is an example of that ecosystem consciously at work. He made news; does he need to read about it on a computer after the bloggers assembled post about it? Or does he simply get on with the next thing — whatever it is?
I vote the latter. Much more efficient.
So are you now offically ladies who lunch?
How exciting! What day in the life of two talented and beautiful woman.
Iam so extremely envious, but so proud that you were there to represent the liberal bloggers. What a fine, fine group. Congrats, girls!
Mrs. K8, I thought it was Peterr. Nonetheless, love to you and your family.
So let’s see…less than eight months ago some putz named Brady thought he could dismiss Jane by calling her Columbo. Now she and Christy are invited to sit at the table with the Big Dawg.
That’s some serious affirmation for what they, and all of us, have done.
Stephen –
“Paternalism” — hmmm.
Haven’t heard that word used much in a good while. Seems to me that when my excellent teachers gave us good reading materials on American history, I read it a lot in reference to the slave-holders in the South and their enablers.
And I remember it being used quite a bit by writers who exposed the worst, ugliest aspects of British imperialism, foisted on their colonial “subjects.”
So I guess it works. But “fascists” works, too. Walks like a duck, and all.
Thanks for affirming that the Valley Forge remark came from John Casper — I hope he gets to hear how grateful I am to him for that reminder. I was so awfully low, and needed that badly.
I hope all the others in that thread who said they also could not help crying are — like me — finding renewed strength here tonight.
Rayne, thanks all is clear.
Hi Jane. Nice bear.
Hugh @ 92
I found it at Common Dreams first, Hugh and this is the link I had– I must say, the Israeli govt moved a lot quicker with testimony than we do ;(
http://www.commondreams.org/he…..912-10.htm
I saw that picture and my heart skipped at least two beats. I am so proud of Jane and Christy I could just burst! You two do the entire blogsphere proud!
I’m dying to read all the nitty gritty about what was said, but just knowing these brilliant ladies got solid face time with Big Dog…wow. Just friggin’ wow!
Looking at Carter on Larry King: Good Lord, the man is a progressive.
Mrs. K8, thanks for talking about your feelings. I’ve been down today because of, of all things, the Donna Edwards race. I’m so extremely upset that it got diebolded — I feel like giving up. I am now convinced this will happen in November in CA-04 and any other district. We are not going to win, no matter how many people vote for Democrats.
I want to be wrong. I think I’m right.
RBG @ 102
Oh, dear. I sure hope darkblack doesn’t get any ideas…
dab from CT @ 81
Then there’s that…that…thing Lieberman calls a blog. Retrograde.
The ladies of the lake keep making it happen
Woot !!!
Jane Hamsher @ 85
Gonna cost you a martini next time you are in town…
Mrs. K8 @ 46
Mrs. K8, I go through the same things, and I don’t sleep well at night because I worry about my children and grandchildren and what they are facing. These thugs would have us believe that we are nothing and they are everything. I don’t believe it for a moment, and I think they are in for a few surprises.
Jimmy Carter is a peacemaker, a statesman, a “common man”, a spiritual man, and a humanitarian.
I respect him every day.
meta –
Now I’ll have to go back, later, to check it out — wouldn’t want to leave Peterr by the side of the road here, if he was the one to give me a lift!!!
But I’ll wait until after Mr. K8 gets home from working late, and we go for a late evening swim together. He promised me that on the phone. It does wonders for my soul when I don’t have to do my daily exercise work-out in the water alone. We get into great spash fights, and the pupster has a grand time barking from the sidelines (while getting splashed herself).
I’ll be curious to ask in future what others (specifically those others who like me were totally devastated in that thread) do to nourish their hurting hearts.
“Tips for good morale” in the long battle for America’s soul is a topic of use to many of us, I suspect.
And love to you too, my dear friend! xoxoxo
ck @ 71–
Not Halliburton … Halliglutton.
They’re the corporate incarnation of Jaba the Hut.
Thanks very much Mrs. K8.
Big congratulations to Jane and Christy. That photo is a terrific milestone, testifying to what you have built with enormous energy, skill, and speed.
Jane and Christy: Wonderful! You rock!
The Peanut someday will so appreciate that foto !
Christy Hardin Smith @ 37
Who better to speak their minds?? WTG. And, to re-quote poor little Oliver, “More, please?”
Mrs K8 – I still can’t shake it but you sure helped.
Jimmy Carter will be 82 years young next month.
Valley Girl:
If you compare the blog universe to the real universe (or maybe the evil parallel universe), singularities are were the action is. The real universe singularities are also known as “black holes” that capture mass and light. Jane and Christy as blog universe singularities capture intelligence and critical thinking.
Mrs. K8, I agree that it’s a great idea for discussion. Today was a real low point for so many. I join you in your gratitude to LHP, May, John Casper, Peterr, Angie, Imm and way too many others who hang in there and help us understand what is really going on. Have a great swim with Mr. K8.
Swopa—I think that’s a grand idea…just as long as that putz is carrying the big book of blogger ethics.
angie @ 115
Did ya know that he madeevery piece of furniture in his house in his shop?
I was at a special college-wide faculty meeting that had been long-planned… Carter and the faculty. As it happened, it was the morning after Bush pulled the trigger to invade Iraq. Carter’s comments were memorable, as was his presence. The man didn’t pull any punches, on any questions. Re: Iraq invasion: He did not like the news at all, did not like it one bit. My admiration for Carter continues.
look at those wonderful smiles!
Hey, everyone!
LindaR @ 109
LindaR, did they announce final totals? I thought there was a challenge??
Oklahoma kiddo @ 108
And has always been one. The smear machine is pretty old.
Mrs. K8 @ 114
Thanks for expressing how you feel, how many of us feel at times. As a history major in college, I find that applying a little historical context helps me get through the rough patches.
There have been some bad stretches in American History with dumbasses similar to President Frank Burns making the decisions. It just sucks that we happen to be living though one right now.
Hang in there, we can get though this together, and never stop fighting.
*ilbo @
127
yep– I love the fact that he and Rosalynn always celebrate the simple and true life and they get special strength from doing for themselves and others. Voting rights, human rights, homes for the poor and broken, etc. No fakery.
When you look at what Carter and Roselyn have done with their lives, it’s truly humbling. They are such modest and genuine people, in stark contrast to so many other politicians.
Valley Girl @ 128
i haven’t studied up on this, so i’m more likely than usual to be wrong, but it does seem that carter is one of the most truthful pols… not a common quality.
yeah, as much as i try not to be – i’m a carter fan.
op99 @ 111
LOL – I was trying desperately not to make a crack about Liarman tonight. He learned NOTHING from his 2004 run. But then, again, he could care less about his constituents – so why would he want to “converse” with them.
By the way – whose poll show Liarman 13 points ahead? I find it very hard to believe. Lamont’s grassroots keeps growing and his campaign meetings are standing room only. People are coming out of the woodwork to help get him elected.
cleter @ 84
Love it! You did, however, forget to add that he is DEEPLY shallow… (I do love me some oxymoron…)
Carter on Lieberman.
dab from CT – That my dear was a troll.
*ilbo @ 126
If I made every piece of furniture in my house, I’d be too scared to ever sit or lie down.
Jane and Christy, I hope you’re planning on framing 8×10s of that photo, and putting it on your walls. That’s a picture you’ll treasure for the rest of your lives.
Lindy –
Oh bless you! Thank you for your honesty.
We worry about that here in our district. The Dem candidate everyone’s heard so much about in the press, the truly progressive candidate who has so much common sense even the AZ Republic endorsed him, Herb Paine, is in a battle which may last for days.
His primary opponent, whom no one heard anything about, who kept such a low profile he didn’t get ANY press at all, Don Chilton, somehow happens to be neck-and-neck in yesterday’s election.
No one understands how this could happen. The results will not be known for days because they are only one, two, or four votes apart, and provisional ballots (thanks to our new hideous ID law) will have to be counted.
Now, the fact that Herb Paine was viewed as someone who could beat that creep incumbent John Shadegg, and Chilton is a mysterious “nobody” — that couldn’t have anything to do with it, could it?
Keep posting about how you wrestle with your fears, please! I too am having serious sleeping problems, such that my sleep schedule is practically upside down.
Ah — Mr. K8 is home now! I’ll be back after the pool fun to see any comments you leave, Lindy. I am eager to here more of your thoughts, and those of others who manage to shake off what Churchill called his “black dog” of worry and insomnia.
OT: Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater will premiere next Monday night on HBO.
Anybody up for a simul-blog? Wonder if Rick Perlstein will be watching? I note that Hillary and Carville are featured, as is Uncle Walter Cronkite. Hmm.
p.s. it ain’t on ABC or Disney.
I think Carter was the best PERSON who was President in my lifetime, but not the best President. He inherited a lot of bs from the Republican crime family, but he did have some faults.
Since I was born in ‘70, I’d have to say Clinton was the best President. But Terri Schiavo had more of an intellectual interest in issues than our current Bozo (and sorry Bozo, don’t mean to blacken your name with Bush’s, but it is in the vernacular).
What about that whole Atrios/Avedon/ and what ever that tool’s name is controversy? (I need a link, not sure how, sorry) Even if Atrios did imply that Bush was more deserving of doing himself in than the ticket agent, WTF is wrong with that. A freaking day didn’t go by when Clinton’s life wasn’t expressly threatened when he was in power. The Regressives call us “traitors”, “lice” and other oh so pleasant epithets at every turn, yet we are supposed to play nice. Well, I’m not afraid to say it (please note NSA, I’m not threatening the President, just making a general statement):
If George Bush had one ounce of conscience, personal accountability, and anything that most of us would term shame, he would at the very least resign and give all of his salary back for the last six years, go to a local recruiter and sign up. Bush is so guilty he should feel suicidal. I don’t want Bush to commit suicide, for it would grant this empty-headed Pol Pot wannabe some measure of integrity and quiet dignity, two words which will never be proffered unto you, Mr 3rd wave of Christianity. But if you had a heart and especially a pair of balls you coked-up son of a c*ck loving whore your only question would be “Should I cut “up” the vein or swallow a bullet?” I’m not holding my breath, preppy boy. Say hi to James Buchanan for me on the dust heap of history, shitheel.
Sorry everyone, but it’s honest. And please don’t lecture me about the horrors of suicide, my best friend did himself in and I subsequently worked in a Hospital Diversion program in my local town preventing suicide and psychiatric hospitalizations, so I understand the horror of suicide.
BTW, I agree with a lot of the guys on here, hubba hubba ladies. :) I’ll try to be a little nicer in my next comment, but Bush really gets to me.
Raoul
beth meacham @ 140
Hell, I’m putting it on my wall.
Renee at 84 — many thanks for the update on our SubSer. He sounds pretty sick still, but after all he’s been through, it’s great to hear he’s getting stronger.
Well it’s been 26 years since that first October surprize. Think the swiftboating of President Carter set a trend?
President Carter was MY Commander in Chief… very good times in the CG…
but then Raygun took office… (I got out at the next opportunity)
alittlemusicalityplease @ 117
OOOhhh…. Halliglutton… That does just roll off the tongue so sweet and easy, doesn’t it?? Starting now that’s what I call them. I’ll add that to “The Mouse That Whored.”
op99 @ 144
Me, too.
LindyH @
130
Earlier today from MyDD:
I don’t know what the status is right now. I’ll see what I can find out.
Titanyum @ 124
Oh! So well said. Jane and Christy capture mass and light, and then send it out to us all.
Mrs K-
a little yoga every day ……
Mrs. K8 @ 114
I left this comment in one of the posts here on 9/11 and since you’ve brought it up tonight, here it is again.
When I find myself losing heart, I think of a a particular video of candidate Bush when he was campaigning for governor of Texas. He was goofing for the camera and gave the one-fingered salute. He looks like such a dufus and I imagine a thought balloon over his head with the word SUCKERS! in capital letters – because that’s how he thinks of us. And somehow that image helps get my chin off my chest and my butt in gear.
Linda –
What a goof I am! I see right now that I stupidly thought both you and Lindy were the same person.
I’m so sorry for that — you both wrote great comments, and on the same topic, but I will try to be much more attentive. You both deserve your own individual special attention. All I can say is that my eyes have been swollen and red, and, uh…I’m no longer the “young thing” I still mistakenly imagine myself to be sometimes.
Now I’m so confused I think there’s only one cure for it — SURF’S UP!!! See you all soon. I’m glad the topic of morale is of interest — every commander of “troops” needs to be concerned about the matter — especially when the battle for our Constitution proves to be so protraced.
:-)
Nice going, guys.
whenwego @
74
Now, that’s a thoughrt I’ve had before…
Mrs. K8 @ 142
I believe the voters of AZ may have to file some serious legal challenges, Mrs. K8. I think THIS is why KKKarl is not worried about losing either house of Congress. They have their operatives in place to cheat. And where Diebold is, we have no paper trail…and no one to guard the security of the vote. They have already proven to us that they will do terrible things. Stealing an election is a minor detail.
Mrs. K8, you are a sweetie pie :)
LindyH @ 131
Yep.
selise @ 135
Selise, that’s what really did him in. His main campaign promise was “I’ll never lie to you.” And I don’t believe he ever did. Can you even IMAGINE how that went over in Washington? I have enormous respect for him.
Very very OT, but KO let it slip tonight that Tucker Carlson was VOTED OFF “Dancing with the Stars” – out of 11 contestants he was the FIRST ONE voted off!
Ha! Couldn’t happen to a better guy – plus he is a HORRIBLE DANCER!
But I can’t help but think it had less to do with his bad dancing than with the fact that his rightwing politics are so petulant, dishonest and irrelevant. This definitely sends a good message.
Here’s hoping his show on MSNBC is the next to go…
In somone’s lit it says:
“A rose between two thorns”
I would say we have three roses here!
56 darkblack says:
Ok…gotta do it. EPU from me and Tommy last thread:
Pajamofascists! (Tommy)
Jane AKA “Pajama Bin Laden” (HopeSAT)
That sounds very illegal.
LindaR @ 150
Thanks.
Great pic and what a wonderful opportunity for you two ladies. Guess that’s what you get for hard work and unrelenting search for the truth. Hat’s off. You deserve it! I must say I do like the pajama party pic too….makes me want to make a hot cuppa cocoa and slip into my flannels.
I remind you, Clinton campaigned AGAINST Lamont in the primaries. Y’all may forgive him but *I* do NOT!
I’m usually a lurker but I just have to say that I am proud, awed and humbled all at the same time.
I was thinking a couple of days ago about the incredible people I have read commenting here and my heart skipped a beat.
This place is truly awesome.
Thank you, everyone, for giving me a place to hang out and renew my hope every day.
Guitar Playing Bastard @ 169
Well, Jane did say they had some debate too. Perhaps that was one of the topics.
welcome Joysness! Once de-lurked…
Okay, I must admit ignorance as to which is Jane and which is Christie….
Please don’t flame me on this…You are both geniuses!!!! (And both beautiful too :-)
Carter was disliked because he had the coctail weenies, but no cocktails~the crowds couldn’s stand it.
For the very young among you, the White House was tea-total when Carter was there.
Raoul Duke @ 144,
(Love your name, and still miss HT.) It was my turn to have a tantrum yesterday, and I got a kind and gentle comment, so consider this a “pay it forward” moment. I think most of us agree with about 99.98% of what you said. Hang around for a bit and I’m sure I won’t be the only one to say so. (And if you’re here later you might drop in for TRex, the best show in town…)
If we are going to dish on MSNBC just a lil plug for my fav. Bill Maher. He was (is) on Hardball tonight, as was Isikoff and Corn. Good on Tweety.
Christy is the gorgeous reddhead
Damn, I wish I could have been a fly on the wall….
A couple of years ago, I wrote a letter to Clinton suggesting that he start a blog, now that he was unemployed. I thought that I’d like to see his take a couple of times a week.
And even if he didn’t explicitly write out his position, he could write a column on how to look at the issues. Look at it from the top, then the left, then squinty-eyed, or Republican, then from a perspective no one ever imagined. Just to raise the median I.Q. in the political discussion.
I’ll have to look around and see if I’ve still got it. Maybe I should mail it to him. Or, if you’re reading this now, you could save me the postage, Big Dog.
Thank you Jane for letting me know. I’be been reading this blog for a while now, and have wondered what the two of you looked like…..Your writings are incredible! Thank you for your wonderful abilities to articulate so much of what I think and have thought! I know I’m not alone in the true fight for democracy!!
On the Edwards race/fiasco, here is a pretty recent Alternet article.
It looks like a real mess with real hanky panky. I hate sounding like a conspiracy theorist, but how else do you explain that the electronic cards that allow the voting machines to operate were missing in the precincts that were expected to favor Edwards?
*ilson46201 @ 36
YES! Thanks so much for that *ilson, it was the first thing I noticed also and appreciated thoroughly. I clicked on all the links popping up on the bloggers that attended to soak up details about this outstanding opportunity Bill Clinton provided them. Congrats Jane and Christy. I have shaken Bill’s hand before and know his charisma and intelligence is a true force that leaves not only a smile on your face but a feeling to your very core that he cares about the entire world and the betterment of humankind.
Mrs. K8, you are so wonderful, you brought tears to my eyes. As was expressed in the last thread, the balance must and is tipping back. As this thread shows it really has been the year of the chinese Firedog, and the year of the Goddess energy flooding back into this plane as prophesied.
Raise your heart up to the fact we still have 3 1/2 months left to this year to see what many more amazing things will manifest, be accomplished, and tip our way. It does help to remember the extreme hardships our ancestors fought and suffered through, it also helps to know that the rest of the world knows the truths we do and empathizes with our suffering through this murderous cabal in power. We won’t stop until they are brought to Justice. The world won’t stop until they are brought to Justice. Peace and Love to you, through you, and with you.
Not to belabor the point, but this is an interesting paragraph:
Guitar Playing Bastard @ 169
Oh please, that was an obligatory and half assed (read: transparent) apearence for the incumbant. Nothing more.
Guitar Playing Bastard @ 167
My thought {clapping tinfoil hat on} was that he did that only in order to be able to campaign AGAINST him for the “real election.” (If Joe had stabbed me in the back… ) {taking off tinfoil hat}
Thanks, Marion.
I love the snark-o-saurus, never miss him. HST was really one of a kind. I really think the re-election of Bush was a factor (albeit a small one) in his death. He gave up hope. I almost did to. I went on that “Date a Canadian” site and everything! :) Funny how two years, and a great community like this, can change everything.
Raoul
jmba @ 173
Bill is okay, but he too often falls into the “they all are horrible crowd” and lets his wingnut guests float their bullshit too much.
Jane and Christy rock!
HopeSpringsATurtle @ 170
Ain’t that the truth!!! Once you start… Was it potato chips? “Bet you can’t comment just once…” Jump into the pool… the water’s great!
Ladies: Congratulations! You’ve done good work!
On Lebanon: this is from the Sept. Share International Magazine. There are two more interviews about Lebanon and interesting Q&A on our 2004 election and Mexico’s recent one. http://www.share-international.org click on updates in the left side bar.
A Lebanese Ground Zero
by Andrea Bistrich
Share International correspondent Andrea Bistrich, who recently returned to Germany, sent the following first-hand account of events in Lebanon, where she witnessed the first 10 days of the conflict with Israel. The following is short excerpt from the beginning of her report.
Whenever I hear the sound of jet engines overhead these days, I believe that at any moment they will drop their deadly load. One, two, three, four, five … I count, yet the dull detonations that shocked my nervous system for many days don’t come. Instead – silence.
I was in Beirut, just like Esther and Camille who made a film about two journalists; like Ghada from the internet caf on the Hamra street, who translated the latest news in Arabic for me and without whose help I would not have managed in such difficult circumstances; like Monika and Zico, Sharif, Robert and many, many others, who – even now – are still in Beirut. The following are some thoughts, impressions and voices from the articles which I wrote while there during the first 10 days of the Israeli bombardment.
Under way in Beirut, the bombed capital of Lebanon
Sunday 16 July 2006, en route to the Shiite Beirut suburb of Haret Hreik. Since Wednesday (12 July) the Hezbollah stronghold has been under steady fire by the Israeli air force. We drive through deserted streets, past completely destroyed bridges and streets full of craters, and just make it to the adjoining district of Ghobeiry as Hezbollah’s defensive fire thunders away. With screeching tyres our car turns in the other direction. “Get out of here!” we shout in unison. The driver accelerates. Shortly afterwards two huge bombs detonate a few kilometres away. Heavy smoke rises above South Beirut, in Haret Hreik whole blocks are levelled to the ground – a Lebanese Ground Zero.Under the pretext of destroying ‘terrorist’ Hezbollah positions, Israeli soldiers massacre innocent civilians. On Saturday 15 July, in Marwaheen in Southern Lebanon, the Israeli army use loudspeakers to order people to evacuate their villages. The people leave their homes and flee from the imminent danger in cars and mini-buses. At exactly the same moment – as they are fleeing – Israeli bombers attack the convoy of innocent fugitives. Twenty people, nine of them children, were burnt alive in the vehicles. All terrorists? “Once again, truth is the first casualty of war,” commented Robert Fisk in his Saturday article for The Independent.
The city that never sleeps
“Our past is difficult, but the present is unbearable,” says Jamil, my taxi driver, in German. He drives me to the door of my apartment on Spears Road at Sanayeh Park. Years ago Jamil had applied for asylum in Germany, but was refused. In the 11 months of waiting he learnt surprisingly good German. “After 15 years of civil war, two Israeli invasions and many years of Israeli bombings I had hoped for a better future for my little daughter. And now everything is destroyed again. I want to try to get my family out of here.”
He is probably right. Even if Israel were to stop the blind destruction of airports, roads, bridges, harbours, power plants, television stations, lighthouses, petrol stations and apartment buildings in the coming weeks, it will take years for the country to reach the level of prosperity that it enjoyed just three weeks ago, before the aggressive military offensive began. Jamil is not the only one with plans to emigrate. Many young Beirutis share the same attitude. “We no longer have a future here,” says Ahmad, 18, convincingly. He has just finished school. Overnight the popular party city mutated to become the number one war zone. Kassin, 44, serves in a top restaurant. “Beirut was the city that never slept,” he remembers sadly. “We have seen many wars here, but this is the worst. It started so quickly and so violently.”
Andrea Bistrich also interviewed Alison Weir who explains how it is that although American citizens are involved in the Middle East crisis, directly and indirectly, few are aware of the influence of the media in the United States. The following is a short excerpt of this revealing interview.
Why Americans don’t know
Interview with Alison Weir
by Andrea Bistrich
Alison Weir was working as an editor of a small newspaper in Sausalito, north of San Francisco, when, during the Palestinian uprising in fall 2000, she became curious about a strange phenomenon in the Western media. Examining news reports more carefully she noticed that they seemed to reflect a predominantly Israeli perspective.
Weir then began to follow daily reports in local Middle Eastern media – the facts about children shot by Israeli forces. What struck her was that almost none of this was being covered by mainstream international media.
Alison Weir finally decided to go and see for herself. She quit her job and, in February-March 2001, travelled to the West Bank and Gaza as a freelance reporter.
“I saw tragedy and devastation that was far greater than anything being reported in the US media,” she said, describing her experiences. When she returned to the States she decided to start an organization whose aim was to study US media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to tell the American public the facts. Today Alison Weir is the founder and executive director of If Americans Knew.
Andrea Bistrich interviewed her for Share International.
Share International: Why don’t most Americans know what’s going on in Israel and Palestine?
Alison Weir: Because reporting on this issue is so Israel-centric.
A few years ago a survey asked Americans which children had been killed first in the uprising – Israeli or Palestinian? Approximately 80 per cent either had no idea or thought it to be Israeli children. In reality, however, at least 82 Palestinian children were killed before a single Israeli child was killed. For three-and-a-half months Palestinian children were being killed, before any suicide bombings and before any young Israelis had died – and yet Americans don’t know this because the media didn’t report it.
In the US media, reports of Israeli deaths are much more frequent than those of Palestinian deaths. For example, we studied The New York Times and discovered it had reported Israeli children’s deaths at a rate approximately seven times greater than they reported the deaths of Palestinian children. The Associated Press (AP) reported on 100 per cent of Israeli children’s deaths, while it failed to report even once on 85 per cent of Palestinian children’s deaths.
Primetime network news was even worse – Israeli children’s deaths were reported at rates up to 14 times more than Palestinian children’s deaths.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are entire swathes of newsworthy subject matter that the American media virtually ignore. We found, for instance, that Israeli torture of Palestinian prisoners is almost never reported; the growing non-violence movement in the Palestinian territories has gone largely unnoticed; the phenomenon of Israeli soldiers refusing to serve in the army is rarely mentioned.
Few Americans know that lately there have been almost daily invasions by Israeli forces into Palestinian towns and villages, during which Palestinian civilians are shot and often killed. For anyone who closely monitors what is occurring daily in the region, it is constantly astonishing to see what the American media are getting away with.
SI: People often describe the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as complicated. “It is not,” you said in one of your speeches.
AW: A little over 100 years ago, a movement began in Europe in which a group of people developed the idea of creating an ethnically exclusive state. However, 95 per cent of the people already living there were not of the preferred ethnicity and were to be expelled to make way for the new state. In 1948 the goal was realized, as three-quarters of the indigenous inhabitants were pushed out in a war to create this ethnically defined nation. The refugees created by the expulsion have never been allowed to return. In addition, more and more of their land has been taken as Israel, through illegal force of arms, continues to expand – by way of another war in 1967 and with steady land confiscation ever since. The basic reality is not complicated.
However, there are aspects that are far more complex: unlike the leadership, many of those who moved to Palestine did not intend to dispossess the inhabitants; there is a growing peace movement in Israel; the role of religion is complex, with Jewish scriptures used both to justify and to oppose this movement.
SI: You say that Americans are directly connected to this conflict, and yet most Americans are unaware of their connection with the violence. Could you explain?
AW: American taxpayers give Israel over $10 million per day (some assessments even place this as high as $15 million per day). This is far more than the US gives to any other country in the world – more than to all sub-Saharan African nations combined, for example. In addition, the US government consistently vetoes international efforts to rein in Israeli militarism. The US has vetoed at least 32 Security Council resolutions critical of Israel.
Yet very few Americans are aware of their involvement in the conflict, since these facts are so rarely and so minimally reported by the US media. In our six-month study of the San Francisco Chronicle, to name just one case, we found that there had been 251 articles on Israel. Not one mentioned the total amount of aid that Americans give to that country. As a result, most Americans are unaware of the scope of our country’s support for Israel, and are uninformed on how Israel is using the massive power given to it by Americans. Most of us have little understanding both of the brutality and injustice being perpetrated through the use of American money and diplomatic assistance, and of the extreme peril this situation creates for us and for our families
Coming off our mutual victory scored in the ABC/911 fight
Apparently, I’ve missed something. It doesn’t feel like a victory. What did you win?
darkblack @
56
Jon @ 171
{blush} and I thought I was the only one… Could someone please clarify for us? Thanks!
I thought Jane was in New York for fashion week – this is much better! This should make the MSM and wingnuts crazy – priceless.
very cool “pin shot” ! I haven’t read anything (post or comments so please forgive if redundancy exists:
I’m watching Harry Reid w/ Lehrer. He doesn’t look well and I’m worried about him. His presentation is stilted and he appears to be struggling.
It seems like a physical impairment.
Thoughts ?
Jane is also a blonde and Christy is also a red head
Jane & Christy,
Very cool the President listened to you. Also very cool you all came up to my neighborhood! Harlem is really a woderful community, I hope you got to see a bit more than just 125th and Adam Clayton Powell. And he is completely beloved up here, when he’s ventured out, people just love him to death.
I am a fan of Carter’s latest book. What a genuinely good man. Did it already get mentioned here that Lieberman’s spokesperson called carter a liar? What absolute class.
Jane is the blond, Christy is the red head.
Raoul
Marion in Savannah @ 188
Thank you both.
I do post occasionally, but usually, by the time I have thought about what I want to say and get it typed out, someone else has already said it.
:>)
Congratulations ladies!
On Lebanon
From the Sept issue of Share International Magazine http://www.share-international.org
click on updates on left sidebar
Why Americans don’t know
Interview with Alison Weir
by Andrea Bistrich
Alison Weir was working as an editor of a small newspaper in Sausalito, north of San Francisco, when, during the Palestinian uprising in fall 2000, she became curious about a strange phenomenon in the Western media. Examining news reports more carefully she noticed that they seemed to reflect a predominantly Israeli perspective.
Weir then began to follow daily reports in local Middle Eastern media – the facts about children shot by Israeli forces. What struck her was that almost none of this was being covered by mainstream international media.
Alison Weir finally decided to go and see for herself. She quit her job and, in February-March 2001, travelled to the West Bank and Gaza as a freelance reporter.
“I saw tragedy and devastation that was far greater than anything being reported in the US media,” she said, describing her experiences. When she returned to the States she decided to start an organization whose aim was to study US media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to tell the American public the facts. Today Alison Weir is the founder and executive director of If Americans Knew.
Andrea Bistrich interviewed her for Share International.
Share International: Why don’t most Americans know what’s going on in Israel and Palestine?
Alison Weir: Because reporting on this issue is so Israel-centric.
A few years ago a survey asked Americans which children had been killed first in the uprising – Israeli or Palestinian? Approximately 80 per cent either had no idea or thought it to be Israeli children. In reality, however, at least 82 Palestinian children were killed before a single Israeli child was killed. For three-and-a-half months Palestinian children were being killed, before any suicide bombings and before any young Israelis had died – and yet Americans don’t know this because the media didn’t report it.
In the US media, reports of Israeli deaths are much more frequent than those of Palestinian deaths. For example, we studied The New York Times and discovered it had reported Israeli children’s deaths at a rate approximately seven times greater than they reported the deaths of Palestinian children. The Associated Press (AP) reported on 100 per cent of Israeli children’s deaths, while it failed to report even once on 85 per cent of Palestinian children’s deaths.
Primetime network news was even worse – Israeli children’s deaths were reported at rates up to 14 times more than Palestinian children’s deaths.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are entire swathes of newsworthy subject matter that the American media virtually ignore. We found, for instance, that Israeli torture of Palestinian prisoners is almost never reported; the growing non-violence movement in the Palestinian territories has gone largely unnoticed; the phenomenon of Israeli soldiers refusing to serve in the army is rarely mentioned.
Few Americans know that lately there have been almost daily invasions by Israeli forces into Palestinian towns and villages, during which Palestinian civilians are shot and often killed. For anyone who closely monitors what is occurring daily in the region, it is constantly astonishing to see what the American media are getting away with.
SI: People often describe the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as complicated. “It is not,” you said in one of your speeches.
AW: A little over 100 years ago, a movement began in Europe in which a group of people developed the idea of creating an ethnically exclusive state. However, 95 per cent of the people already living there were not of the preferred ethnicity and were to be expelled to make way for the new state. In 1948 the goal was realized, as three-quarters of the indigenous inhabitants were pushed out in a war to create this ethnically defined nation. The refugees created by the expulsion have never been allowed to return. In addition, more and more of their land has been taken as Israel, through illegal force of arms, continues to expand – by way of another war in 1967 and with steady land confiscation ever since. The basic reality is not complicated.
However, there are aspects that are far more complex: unlike the leadership, many of those who moved to Palestine did not intend to dispossess the inhabitants; there is a growing peace movement in Israel; the role of religion is complex, with Jewish scriptures used both to justify and to oppose this movement.
SI: You say that Americans are directly connected to this conflict, and yet most Americans are unaware of their connection with the violence. Could you explain?
AW: American taxpayers give Israel over $10 million per day (some assessments even place this as high as $15 million per day). This is far more than the US gives to any other country in the world – more than to all sub-Saharan African nations combined, for example. In addition, the US government consistently vetoes international efforts to rein in Israeli militarism. The US has vetoed at least 32 Security Council resolutions critical of Israel.
Yet very few Americans are aware of their involvement in the conflict, since these facts are so rarely and so minimally reported by the US media. In our six-month study of the San Francisco Chronicle, to name just one case, we found that there had been 251 articles on Israel. Not one mentioned the total amount of aid that Americans give to that country. As a result, most Americans are unaware of the scope of our country’s support for Israel, and are uninformed on how Israel is using the massive power given to it by Americans. Most of us have little understanding both of the brutality and injustice being perpetrated through the use of American money and diplomatic assistance, and of the extreme peril this situation creates for us and for our families
I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have Bill Clinton listening to for three hours than you two.
I can’t believe what a WATB I am!!!!
I am a writer. In the past, I was a real-live paid journalist (okay, it was for the Rock-N-Roll News, but so what?) I am also a grown-up, reasonably brilliant, free American citizen. I live 7 miles, tops, from the Placer County Registrar’s office.
I am going to do some original reporting on preconditions for a clean vote in CA-04, and I’ll get back to everyone with my findings!
If there are any questions you can think of which you’d like me to ask in my investigation, please let me know.
Oh, my. I feel better already. Power to the people! ha.
One giant step for blogkind…!
Would I ever refer to Frist as the “brunette’ and Matthews as the “blond”?
Twisted Martini @ 184
Last week’s show was the first I had seen that wasn’t that way. After it was over I thought where was the wingnut.
Horny Bubba and the Groovy Babes!
Pretty good alternate title, eh? :)
Mrs. K8 @ 46
Thank you for sharing your fears, and thanks also to LindaR @ 110 for sharing your discouragement. We can and should help each other with mutual support against fear and despair. Just in the past few days I’ve been using the Serenity Prayer (though I’m not religious), which I find to be particularly apposite right now:
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
That prayer sounds pretty modest at first, but it is actually asking for some huge gifts: serenity, courage and wisdom.
In this situation, the actions of the major players are entirely outside our direct control. We can work hard and hope to have an indirect influence, perhaps, collectively, a major one. But we can never stand up and stop GWBush from invading another country, nor stop Congress from enacting brutally stupid, unconstitutional legislation, nor stop the election crimes being committed every day all over our once-lawful country.
The serenity prayer, like a Zen koan, presents a challenge of constant learning and reinterpretation. Years after I first learned to use it, it is still helping me.
Finally, thank you so much, Jane and Christy. We are in your debt, and ready to make good on that debt when next you ask.
lectric lady @ 203
You know how Matthews got nicknamed “Tweety”, right? Here’s a hint: it wasn’t for his singing.
ruffian @
154
I like the kind with the fruit on the bottom.
I missed the original thread I guess in which people got so upset, but if we are upset over fears of losing because of voting fraud, count me with you. The mess in a DEM state like Maryland means that no state is safe from their evil doings.
That is why they are so very sure they will keep both houses. And no one in the dem party will even make a noise about voting problems. My biggest anger is actually at the dems rolling over about this.
Oh, and last BUT NOT LEAST, great picture and thrilled to learn there will be at least a partial transcript. Even a generalization about topics would be great to hear.
Re: Donna Edwards. I went to BradBlog, which is awesomely up to date on voting issues. I couldn’t find anything about the Edwards outcome, but did find this:
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=3467
~~~The scientific study has revealed, for the first time, that a computer virus can be easily implanted on an electronic voting machine which could, in turn, result in votes flipped for opposing candidates. The virus, as well, could be written to then spread itself from one machine to the next resulting in a stolen election. The malfeasance would likely never be discovered, the scientists have said.
Though the concept of stolen votes via electronic voting systems has been widely regarded as theoretically possible by experts up until now, a top-secret four-month long hands-on study of an actual touch-screen voting system, by the scientists at Princeton, has confirmed the worst nightmares of elections officials and American voters…not to mention a voting machine company known as Diebold.~~~
And, I googled for recent news, thus:
http://www.thehill.com/thehill…../091406/wy nn.html
~~~Rep. Al Wynn (D-Md.) was leading Maryland attorney Donna Edwards at press time by fewer than 3,000 votes with 96 percent of the precincts reporting, according to the Associated Press.
The problem with the machines arose on Tuesday morning, when many poll workers found themselves without the “smart cards” containing voter information required to activate the voting machines used in Maryland. The delay caused officials to keep the polls open for an extra hour in Baltimore and Montgomery County. []
But according to Aviel Rubin, a computer science professor at Johns Hopkins University and author of Brave New Ballot: The Battle to Safeguard Democracy in the Age of Electronic Voting, the losing candidate could do little to contest the results because of the way they are tallied by Maryland’s electronic voting machines.
“In Maryland there is nothing you can do because of the electronic voting machines,” he said. He explained that although provisional ballots can be recounted, they are a small percentage of the total number of votes cast, and the rest are recorded only electronically without a paper trail.~~~
Christy, Did you and Bill coordinate that turquoise match up? Perfecto!
You two (Jane and Christy) are wonderful. Thanks for all you do and thanks for being our representatives to those wit da power.
LindaR– Rock’n’Roll News was fringe, then mainstream, now I don’t know cause I am a bit older.
If you were part of moving things once, you can certainly pay it forward yet again now– with a big push!
Rock on, LindaR!
thanks nancy.
Ann Richards dead, RIP.
Oh, how sad. Ann Richards has just died from esophageal cancer.
Breaking – Ann Richards has died : (
RIP
LindaR @
109
Oh LindaR, that is my great fear, too, that we will bust our asses and our hearts and the Houses will turn blue — and nothing will change. But I go to this, for words of comfort and strength from Granny D. Today I watched the Jersey Girls’ 911: Press for Truth and I think, if they aren’t giving up, then I won’t either, not just yet. And if that doesn’t do it, I think of the people in Iraq, who are fighting more than we have even begun to see here, and fighting it with less, and I think — hey, we ain’t got it so bad. We can do it, and that is why I am here.
p.s. sorry if this has been covered before. My dail-up and the FDL connection have been giving me grief.
I miss Bill’s brain.
lectric lady @ 199
Obviously not. But hey I am just glad I also have some hair left in any color. Nor would I jump from Jane and Christy to Frist and Chris. jus’ sayin’ *g*
Just reading this now at end of my day:
How cool is that?
Ans: pretty frikking cool.
Three Happy-looking people!
Please, let’s see fifty million progressive smiles like that late on the evening of the first Tuesday in November.
General Election all 50 States:
1 month, 23 days, 20 hours, 14 minutes, and 24 seconds
Ann Richards, what a loss. Peace, brave lady, peace.
Raoul
Congratulations ladies. You make us all feel proud. As bummed out as I felt on Monday and and yesterday, mockudrama, mockuspeech by chimpy, etc. You lifted my spirits. Thanks
I loved Ann Richards. May she rest in peace.
But the silver footed devil sleeps tonight. Oh, I liked Ms. Richards so much– she was made of serious stuff indeed. I hope that KKKarl and dubya and Laura twist and turn in their sheets tonite.
hey there, Mr. Teller… thanks for keeping track of the time for us… not much longer for chimpy…
“Poor George. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.” — Ann Richards
Ann Richards was a real broad, I admired her greatly.
R.I.P
Wasn’t she the one that said George was born on third base and thought he hit a triple.?
lina @ 223
Mrs. al-Scooter sends her condolences, too. A sad ending for the last humane governor of Texas.
HotFlash at 213:
Them’s great fighting words.
LindaR @ 209
Aww RIP Ann you are missed.
didn’t Ann Richards ride a Harley? seems I remember some great photo of that… seemed to fit her somehow…
what a woman!
Raoul Duke @ 197
Actually around here we would say:
“Jane is the blond, Christy is the Reddhedd.” :)
Eureka Springs, AR @ 216
They are the Cat Killer and Tweety.
Evening,
To second Pach’s observation, this is about constituencies, and the Ladies of the Lake have a very impressive list of informed and active participants on this site that they have poured a great deal of effort into.
This blog is not just crap spewing out, but a wonderful filling of the vast gap left open by other forms of media. Commentors continually drag in new links of new information that perpetually feed the visitors to this site.
Suggestion
8X10 glossies of the above photo signed by the ladies (Big Dog?) sent to big contributors to Marcy’s book.
scarecrow @ 226
I’ll never forget that line. Priceless.
I don’t think I can use the words I would use to refer to Frist and Matthews here, we try to be nice. :)
After I posted, I realized that I was not being “complete” enough in referring to the two lovely ladies, but I type slow and this thread moves fast.
I’m officially sorry to all I may have offended and most especially to the two “Blogoddesses”.
Raoul
I’m thinking that we SHOULD start calling Frist the brunette and Matthews the blond. What would we call Cheney? the bald? As in… “The bald Mr. Cheney, on Talk of the Nation said…” Then what would Bush be?
I know the meeting was “off the record”, but I wonder if Jane and Christie can give any words on the Lamont campaign and Bill and Hillary and the rest of the BigTimeDems going to CN to stump for Lamont?
#187 Nancy-I was doing some banking today, and was helped by a young woman from Lebabon. I expressed my outrage at the 1.2 million clusterbombs dropped there recently. She had tickets to go back soon, but had to cancel. I walked out hoping that some supervisor had not picked up on the conversation. So very, very sad. Now what were the votes in congress again limiting the use of these weapons?
OldCoastie @ 225
Thanks. I’ll keep posting it until after the election. I don’t know how many sites keep that calendar, but I get mine here:
http://www.kudo1080.com/
OFG
Great idea. I’d contribute more for one without the goofy guy in the middle. Who is that?
LindaR @ 201
You GO, Linda! I’m a polling commissioner for what’s coming up here.
Ann Richards
mitchIL @ 204
I have no idea how to use this quote thingy…, but anyway…. here it goes… See I think it is important to (occasionally) have the wingnuts and then to dispell all the rancorous b.s. they try to spew. I know it is sometimes VERY annoying having to listen to it (which is why I don’t watch O’Riley or listen to Rush), but I think Bill is incredibly intelligent and certainly doesn’t hold back…I mean tonight on hardball when tweety was asking him if it would have been better for Bush to have flown back to the white house (after the attacks on 9/11 instead of Nebraska or whatever “hole in the ground” he went to) where he could have been “blown-up” Bill said YES! Of course he laughed and took it back, but really we all know how he really feels. I just like that he doesn’t take any shit from anyone and calls it like he sees it…even if I don’t personally agree with him 100% of the time…anyway enough defending Bill Maher…but come-on the dude is funny :)
lectric lady @ 237
The Scarecrow?? (Not anything like FDL “scarecrow” of course.)
angie @ 242
I’d sit in her class any day!
So CHS and ReddHedd are one in the same? Jeebus, I need to buy a clue or something. I thought they were two distinct posters who just happened to have red hair. Okay, I will review the biographies tonight before I make a bigger Bush out of myself. :)
Raoul
I wonder if the graphic for donations to the publishing project is being updated?
hi everyone!
HotFlash @
215
i agree totally. i just watched this documentary last night, and i have to say if you haven’t seen 911 press for truth, do yourself a favor and take the 1-1/2 hours out of your life and watch it.
this isn’t conspiratorial stuff, people! it’s all reported facts sourced from legitimate, mainstream sources. it should be the number one tool we have to prove that wimp, jr. and his sick administration are a total fraud.
this, not ‘path to 9/11′, is what should have been shown to a mass audience on the public airwaves.
Mrs. K8 @
117
I cannot tell a lie, especially about George Washington and Valley Forge: it was John Casper who offered those helpful words on that earlier thread, not me. (I offered other words on that thread, but not those.)
But I’m honored to be mistaken for him around here with a comment like that.
And Pach’s right at 27: FDL’s hostesses are the most-est, but its the community that gathers around them that makes this such a powerful place. Hooray for us!
Ann Richards
hopefully Texas will remember what a great lady they had in Ms. Richards…
Jane & Christy, nice photo. Very cool!
Jon @ 171
Silly, Christy’s the ReddHedd
Ann Richards, Barbara Jordan.
Two great women outta TX.
Ann did kick some uh, dust. RIP. Worst thing ever happened to our country was her being beat by W. What a price we are paying.
Cozumel @ 214
Oh my god, this is devastating news. Barbara Jordan and Ann Richards are my heroes. Such a loss. As a member of Women in Film some years ago, I had the privilege of producing a video tribute to Ann Richards. She was smart, honest, funny and so real, so down to earth. A larger than life Texas woman. God bless.
“Poor George…. he was born with a silver foot in his mouth” A Richards. Could have been talking about jr.
Nah, junior was born with his head in his ass.
for those that are interested, the link to watch 911 press for truth:
http://video.google.com/videop…..&hl=en
it’s compelling, factual, and no one will accuse you of wearing a tin foil hat for watching it.
(well, some might, but they’re the ones that accuse everyone who doesn’t march in lockstep to being whackos or traitors. otherwise known as the backwash)
jmba @ 244
Yes, I do agree Bill is funny, and I Tivo his show every week. But I get frustrated when he allows the Gambino Republican guests to catapult their propaganda. If he was better prepared he would call bullshit on them. And he does fall for the conventional wisdom too often. But I love watching the tightasses squirm when he says fuck!
Ann Richards
I loved her.
lectric lady
“Then what would Bush be?”
The doofus with his head up his ass
Raoul Duke @
247
Raoul:
you definitely want to stay away from that “bigger bush”. it’s a cardinal rule here at the ‘lake ;-) ……..
Pachacutec @ 258
Junior was born on third base and thought he kicked a field goal.
And happy 21st birthday to my youngest, David.
A pioneer and a cowgirl and a lady- bless your soul Ann Richards; you helped pave the way for women in a man’s world, marching straight and strong and true!
angie, me too. The few times I met her I was struck by those knowing blue-green eyes. And her amazing wit.
Pachacutec @ 258
I concur
bg @ 244
Sadly, my twin brother has been depicted as scarecrow Bush, at least twice on these pages. It usually follows some ill-considered comment on my part. However, FDL has officially confirmed George Bush as the new CEO of ABC/Disney:
http://www.firedoglake.com/200…..tora-bora/
LindyH at 240 –
Very cool. Sometimes I forget: We don’t have to let them have it just because they try to take it.
Pachacutec @ 257
BWAHAHAHAHA!
best laugh I’ve had all day!
Raoul, welcome to the Lake! The water is fine and so are you. Love “Blogoddesses”, works for me.
…….
Ann Richards on How to Be a Good Republican:
“1. You have to believe that the nation’s current 8-year prosperity was due to the work of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, but yesterday’s gasoline prices are all Clinton’s fault. 2. You have to believe that those privileged from birth achieve success all on their own. 3. You have to be against all government programs, but expect Social Security checks on time.”
Which is why he thinks he farts roses.
And why he sucks ass.
OldCoastie @ 271
Sorry to ask, but what does that say about Barbara, mrs. bush I ? Something must have gone seriously wrong in the delivery room.
Jane, Christy …
Congrats on the recognition, but be careful. Bill Clinton was and is hugely talented, and of course I’d trade him for the present idiot in a millisecond, but he largely wasted that talent. He saved his butt by running against the Democratic congress, hired Dick Morris, pushed through two deeply flawed, pro-corporate, anti-labor, anti-environment trade agreements (NAFTA and the GATT), and didn’t do much for the environment until he was a lame duck (only then did he declare a lot of national monuments and pass a decent standard for arsenic in drinking water). His accomplishments are suprisingly thin for a two-term president, and as for the economic boom, he didn’t mess it up, but he did not cause it.
He doesn’t have good ideas on the Middle East either. His attempt to bully Yassir Arafat into accepting the Barak plan was doomed to failure: any Palestinian leader who signed a deal to split the West Bank into three separate pieces, criss-crossed by settler roads with the Israelis controlling all the borders like a jail, would have been shot, a lot faster than Sadat was shot. His chief negotiator, Dennis Ross, is practically a neocon; he certainly backed the Bush foreign policy.
You’re in that picture because you matter. But you’re also in that picture because Peter Daou told Hillary that she and Bill should court you. Fine: go ahead and play, but don’t let the Big Dog charm your socks off. Make sure that you get something solid from them, not just neocon-lite foreign policy and pro-corporate domestic policy. Tell Hillary that she has two years to improve her record, otherwise she’ll never go beyond senator.
Mrs. K8 @ 46
Mrs. K8
I so get this. Or to quote Big Dawg ” I feel you pain” and i cried your tears today
Valley Girl @ 274
It did.
Dubya was born with no eyelids. The Doctor fashioned him some from the circumcision, which is why all his views are cockeyed.
alittlemusicalityplease @ 267
Unfortunately, those that weren’t born here outnumber those that were (now), and so goes the demographics and political bent. I wasn’t born here either but after 26 years here, so far, this is a sad day.
BIG DOG!
I can’t remember when one picture has made me so happy….and more importantly, so hopeful.
Thanks shez, I’ve lurked for quite a while but am feeling more and more comfortable making comments. I was even the magical post zero one time, felt bad about it too since at the time I was relatively new commenter, but I still took the glory. :)
BTW, this has got to be one of the coolest names for a blog I’ve ever seen. I’ll have to navigate the site and see if it gives a history of the name.
Raoul
Twisted Martini @ 260
the thing that needs to happen on Maher’s show is to have somebody on with the nutty buddies who will really get in their face. every. time.
many times when bill has these people on the “liberals” just sit there, or are too polite or timid to interrupt, trip them up, TALK JUST AS LOUD AND AS FORCEFULLY AND AS AGGRESSIVELY AS THEY DO> BY GODDDDDDDD! and the ‘nuts just dominate. talktalktalkttalktalkdon’tletanybodyelsegetawordinedgewiseblahblahblahblahblah. they have mastered this “art”. it’s infuriating, but we let them DO IT. i don’t think that this is bill’s fault but maybe it is his producer’s fault, and ultimately bill’s as well.
Cozumel @ 278
I was born overseas and am a naturalized citizen and that is why I try so hard to make this country I chose the best it can be. It’s why we came, right?
Joe Buck #275- I don’t know so much about Christy, bec. in the time I have been at FDL my schedule has been such that I’ve mostly read Jane’s articles. But, from what I know, and what I’ve seen, Jane has an incredible instinct for politics and an incredible instinct for bull shit. Thus, I don’t think there’s any possibility that Jane is going to be hoodwinked. And, I don’t think that ReddHedd will be hoodwinked either. ReddHedd sticks to the facts, too. She has a very good prosecutorial mind. Not to worry.
The Scarecrow?? (Not anything like FDL “scarecrow” of course.)
Well, except THE Scarecrow knows he has no brain. W. Not so much.
bill maher is pretty funny, but (imo) he still has way too many ‘come on, laugh’ moments when he seems to be trying to milk more response out of the audience than the joke warrants.
it’s kinda annoying.
pach:
it’s early morning here in dresden so i haven’t read the whole thread. did you get my email? Jennifer Nix asked me to contact you.
Joe Buck @
275
1) I disagree about his wasted talent. I think he did pretty well, and that his goals and yours aren’t so in line. I see his mistakes but I’m not sure why you would waste the bile on him?
and 2) senator clinton better damn ass know she’s waiting 6 years or bust.
Cheney-
How about the Cue ball without a clue….
Fahrender:
Thanks for the reminder. I had that email flagged and I just replied to you.
Lest we forget in the 1994 race for governor of Texas Bush/Rove floated rumors about Ann Richards being gay. Bush “won.” The rest is history.
ah yes, I remember it well, ojs.
Raoul Duke, I like you. Please stick around.
Oilfieldguy @ 273
Cheney is a skinhead and Bush Jr. Is a little boy who was a hatchling and still has egg on his face.
What a beautiful picture! It warms my heart just to see it.
-S
Pachacutec @ 256
So even that didn’t require any work on his part?! Damn…
Raoul Duke @ 245
One of my many fond YearlyKos memories is standing at the rope line to pay my respects to the Plame panel, and having a German photographer ask QuickSilver and I to identify Christy Hardin Smith for her. When we did, she sternly looked at us and said, “No, that’s ReddHedd” (or maybe she said, “That’s Firedoglake,” I forget). The more we tried to set her straight, the more pissed off she got. Fortunately Christy finally came over and (I think) settled the issue.
angie @ 283
Yes, Angie. By the way, I was referring to the influx of NORTHERNERS in the 80’s that changed the politics here ; )
Psst…. I’m from California. LOL
mdhatter @ 288
i never voted for clinton (i was a 3rd party kinda guy). my thoughts after his term were that overall, he was good. definitely had some personal issues, though, and as much as some don’t want to admit it, clinton gave the unhinged right something to wail about. and wail they did.
he had to know that any shred of wrongdoing was going to be blown out of proportion. the bitter partisans on the right were looking for ANYTHING to destroy him.
his actions were unwise, and ultimately damaging for democrats in 2000.
the result: gore’s advisors think it’s best to avoid connections with clinton in 2000.
as an aside, we can bitch and moan all we want about stolen elections, but 2000 was gore’s to lose, and he lost it — he even lost his own state. it shouldn’t have even been close.
imho.
this, from someone who would gladly vote for gore if he ran in 2008 (or the big dog, if he was allowed to run again). and who, furthermore, would not vote for hillary as the dem nominee — i’d go back to my third party tendencies.
Wigwam @
139
Boy, now that quote has Gravitas. somebody who isn’t a luddite like me needs to cut and paste that sucker and send it to chuckie schumer and rahm right now. Carter does walk the walk. treasure this man while we can…..
op99 @ 293
Thanks, op99. I’m not going anyplace, I’
ve found a home. :)
Raoul
Valley Girl @ 282
Amen, and I’d say that the same is true for just about all of the other bloggers in the room.
Especially since they were all in the same room. If Big Dog had tried to sell them any line more controversial than, “Isn’t the chicken good?” half would have disagreed on sheer instinct alone.
LindaR @ 199
LindaR, yow-sah! Report the hell outta the sons(or daughters) of bitches! Hot damn!
Joe Buck,
Jane survived Hollywood, for goodness sake. I’m pretty sure she can keep the Big Dog on a short leash. We aren’t dittoheads in this side of the blogoshpere, we formulate our own opinions with our own talent, we don’t have to borrow anyone else’s.
Raoul
p-rex @
298
so, let’s see….. that means you didn’t really get what you did in 2000. sorry, i can’t buy that. i’m not a big fan of Hil’s but, i will not be a party to the kind of behavior that lead to Fuckwad getting into the White House.
I’m a Feingold man, through and through, but if Hil gets the nomination i feel duty bound to support her. No. More. Republicans.
that trumps everything else at this moment in time.
REPUBLICANS, OUT!
Has the NSA talking points given to Pat Roberts (R-Kan) been discussed on this blog? I heard about them on the radio and found an article in WaPoo about them. I highlighted on of them on my blog that pretty well say’s they’re admitting to breaking the law.
I just didn’t know if I was (as usual) way behind the curve on this or not. Nothing on Glenn Greenwald’s blog about it, and he owns this issue.
fahrender @ 304:
“so, let’s see….. that means you didn’t really get what you did in 2000. sorry, i can’t buy that. i’m not a big fan of Hil’s but, i will not be a party to the kind of behavior that lead to Fuckwad getting into the White House.
I’m a Feingold man, through and through, but if Hil gets the nomination i feel duty bound to support her. No. More. Republicans.
that trumps everything else at this moment in time.”
one question: do you really want a democratic president inheriting this mess in 2008? i’m all for a dem house and senate. but please, hang this foreign policy noose around a republican. bush has so absolutely f*cked up the middle east (and more) there’s no way it gets fixed in six years. no way.
and given that republicans know how to point fingers and smear, guess who’ll get the blame?
cleter @
84
Cleter! Stop it! I won’t get anything done tonight! 707, over and over again!
p-rex (#306):
i understand your point of view but, Jebus! so we just give them another four years because we don’t want them to be mean to us? it doesn’t matter how long we wait, they will blame us. that’s what they do. that’s all they have. right now Karl is working on a scenario to blame Bill Clinton for the South losing the Civil War. Bill Clinton caused the
Great Depression.
I want a Democrat to start cleaning up this mess in 2009. she may *uck it up but at least we can give ‘er a try. the nation and the world cannot wait any longer for this *hit storm to pass.
Russ Feingold in ‘08!
p-rex @ 306
So what, another four years of letting it get worse is going to help? I care way too much about this country and the world to let it go down the toilet for another four years because it might possibly be “strategically” better. Not to mention that there seem to be people in every election who envision that things are going to be bad enough that if we’re out of power, the other guys will get blamed for the coming bad stuff (the economy post-2000 being a prominent example), but it never seems to work out that way.
One thing I’ve learned in the past five years is that how much the Democrats get the blame has little to do with whether they’re actually in power. And how much Republicans get the blame has even less to do with it.
It’s been lovely, but there’s a new thread. I thought it was getting awfully quiet…
itwasntme @
174
now THAT took balls….
Watch out, Jane, the big dog’s got that gleam in his eye!
fahrender @ 308
i understand… but still, a dem house and senate for the last 4 years — actually exercising oversight — would’ve made a HUGE difference, don’t you think?
the main reason i don’t want hillary nominated is that i don’t think she can win. i really want a woman president, btw. i’ve had about all the chest-puffing i can stand. the problem i have with hillary is that if polls and advisors told her chest-puffing was a good idea, she’d probably do it.
fahrender @ 311
and yet willie nelson claims they smoked pot at the white house together…
I haven’t seen sheer joy like that in about 6 years.
redshirt:
“So what, another four years of letting it get worse is going to help?”
no, 4 years of a dem house and senate, holding a republican pres accountable and passing people-friendly legislation that a republican will have to sign or veto (and getting to avoid the blame for foreign policy and economy woes) is what helps.
and right about 2012, just when jeb bush is thinking america can stomach another assface named “bush” as president, the bushes see exactly what their “legacy” amounts to.
Cozumel @ 297– you are a peach! I used to live in CA.
Thanks for the gorgeous pinup of you two gorgeous creatures along with Bubba! I copied it to my desktop!
p-rex(#313): there has been talk that she is considering staying in the senate. i’m for this. she would be very wise to do so. she could be a power to reckon with for many years, plus it would drive the repubs wiggy. will she do it. probably not. that said, we must go with the nomination and we must win. the conventional wisdom is that Hil gets the nomination and loses the election. i would not bet the farm on it. it will be the most viscious election ever but not a foregone conclusion.
(#314): i have known a few people who smoked doobie and wouldn’t touch booze. he mighta taken a leeetle puff, but i bet he didn’t inhale ;-). actually, no, i don’t believe he even did that, really, but then, so what……..?
time to move on to the next thread, or pretend to get some “work” done…….
fahrender,
yes, here’s hoping she sees the wisdom of staying in the senate. maybe she needs another 6 years to convince some people that she’s got the goods to be president. but also note that senators don’t win the presidency — at least not since jfk.
and about carter… exactly: so what!
i’m off to the other thread…
I think if a couple of “gals” looking that good showed up for a picture with me, my wife would make sure I never blogged again. I would not be the “big dog”, but in the dog house.
Congratulations, but putting all that brain power in one place is downright dangerous.
I’m a Canadian who has been a daily visitor to FDL since last year. I have always really, really enjoyed Jane’s writing, (and Redd’s too!), and got an extra charge of closeness of community when Jane has commented on non-political things that were shockingly aligned with my own faves (Little Wing, Duane Allman, etc.) BUT NOW…. what the hell! I stared at the screen with my mouth agape when I realised who that was with Big Dog. It never occurred to me that Jane was not only smart, funny, vicious, and dogged, but also so very lovely. Seems like my intellectual crush has now taken on a different dimension. *sigh* Gotta get me one just like it.
Well, I just got out of the hospital (surgery again) and I open up the bloggy and imagine my shock at seeing the big dog at the fire dog! What a great pic of all but most of all I am soooo glad that Bill looks so healthy! The last couple of times he didn’t look so good but now! woooohoooo. You are all amazing! Thanks! Stay well Bill.
Forgot to add to my comment that I would love to see Joey box of donuts face when his campaign sees this pic! For the luv of Jane! And Christy, of course! I just hope I make it to yearlykos!
Did Bill have any further thoughts about Ned-Lieberman?
ccmask @
324
CC–a speedy and thorough recovery blessing to you.
hey thanks old sow!
cc, howya doon this morning, grrrl? Heal up fast, y’heah?
I am NOT a Liebertroll, thank you.
This was in the news Tuesday – here is a link to an item on political wire, but I saw it elsewhere as well.
http://politicalwire.com/index.html?page=2
“September 12, 2006
In Connecticut, Lieberman Holds Double-Digit Lead
In Connecticut’s U.S. Senate race, a new SurveyUSA poll shows Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) soundly defeating Ned Lamont (D) and Alan Schlesinger (R). Lieberman gets 51%, Lamont 38% with Schlesinger trailing at just 7%.
Key finding: 83% of the Democrats who voted for Lieberman in the Democratic Primary, which Lamont won by 4 points, stick with Lieberman as an Independent in the General Election.
Other key finding: 57% of those who prefer Lamont say they are voting “against” another candidate. 60% of those who vote Lieberman say they are voting “for” Lieberman.”
Now – I don’t know SurveyUSA, I don’t know what their methodology is or what the sample size was for this poll, and I have not noticed this organization’s name before in any of the CT surveys. I am particularly suspect of the “key findings.”
I’m calling heads up on this because it flies in the face of Lamont’s strong progress so far, and Lieberman’s utterly hapless campaigning.
So how did they come up with these numbers?
If it is a flawed survey, we need to get the word out about it and not give the Lieberman campaign (and its media allies)an opportunity to create false perceptions about voter preferences.
Does anyone have any further information on this?
SOME TIMES YOU TWO JUST GLOW!
I love the photo and agree it is wonderful that you got to hang with the Big Dog. I will enjoy it vicariously.
But, what did we win on the ABC issue? They played the show and the lies are out there. Only this morning there was a letter to the editor in the Orlando Sentinel repeating the false charges against the Clinton admin.
It does not feel like a win to me, so someone please explain and maybe I will feel better.
Aww, Mr Loveable!
Did you ask him what happened to the national health care he promised us? Could have paid for it by selling the digital spectrum instead of giving it away for free. But I’m just an old sourpuss.
Former President Clinton is justifying his reputation as the smartest pol of all. He’s ready to embrace all of you hard working, smart bloggers and join in common cause. Win/Win. Hey guys, these women have shown that they are much more than pretty faces. They are smart beyond belief, insightful, intuitive and work to the bone. The rest is just extra. To those who worry that issues will be co-opted by these relationships, think again. There is one thing our progressive bloggers demonstrate that can’t be said of either their Repub. counterparts or the MSM, they have integrity. Bill is right to recognize the influence our bloggers exert, he has shown initiative in calling for the meeting and positive collaboration and coordination will result from this relationship.
That meeting must have been so encouraging. Congrats and best!
Fire — Nice work — congratulations. Bill is clued in to everything — an amazing mind he has
for…everything! He reads or knows what FDL has accomplished, you deserved his attention. Enjoy, but keep pounding at Joe, et al. No distractions! JK
me too…sniff
So, where are his hands?
Did it have an eagle on it?