Woohoo! Blogtopia! And kittens!

Glad to see things are working again :-)

Mr. ReddHedd at 1 — you’re just glad to see that I didn’t throw my damned laptop out the window…arrrgh. ;-) (smooches…I think whatever you did worked…)

Even a blind conservative hog . . .

Serving the Republican Party
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4q9D6pc7Ls

How to Turn This Election Into a Progressive Mandate
By Jeff Cohen

So how do we make 2006 more than just a rejection of the other side? And with a wide-open presidential campaign approaching, how do we move a majority of the country to embrace a positive agenda for reform?

First, by recognizing that change comes from below.

Second, by fighting to change the Democratic leadership.

(I sure do like this!!!)

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1027-20.htm

OT: someone should get NED on Letterman….think of the free exposure!!

Eliot Spitzer has his own space telescope? Wow.

STOP ABUSING OUR MARINES!
http://www.wonkette.com/politi.....210428.php

Lou Costello @ 9

STOP ABUSING OUR MARINES!
http://www.wonkette.com/politi.....210428.php

If you’re not rich, Republican and didn’t vote for Bush, you are subject to abuse. As for dead soldiers? “They Were Expendable”.

New ad for Ned Lamont:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....&eurl=

I didn’t know that a picture of Joe’s head exploding would be so beautiful, mysterious, and awe-inspiring.

Digby is astute on GOP smear tactics:

–”It furthers their meme that Democrats are phonies and flip-floppers who don’t stand for anything. It helps their base come to terms with their own internal contradictions. They have turned spin into a worldview.”–

Even though the theories of cognitive dissonance and other social psychology concepts were developed by liberal academics, these techiniques have been thoroughly exploited by the GOPervs for years.

The sophistication of some (but by no means all) of the Democratic campaign ads this year shows that we’re waking up.

Oklahoma kiddo @
6

How to Turn This Election Into a Progressive Mandate
By Jeff Cohen

So how do we make 2006 more than just a rejection of the other side? And with a wide-open presidential campaign approaching, how do we move a majority of the country to embrace a positive agenda for reform?

First, by recognizing that change comes from below.

Second, by fighting to change the Democratic leadership.

(I sure do like this!!!)

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1027-20.htm

Well, yeah. Democrats taking over the government doesn’t do much good unless we take over the Democrats. A government run by Schumers and Emanuels and Bidens and Pryors and *shudder* Liebermans doesn’t really give me a warm & fuzzy feeling.

two beers @
12

I didn’t know that a picture of Joe’s head exploding would be so beautiful, mysterious, and awe-inspiring.

I didn’t know that NY’s next governor was in the space telescope business.

For anyone interested in viewing more photographs taken by the Spitzer Space Telescope, please click on this link: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu.....ndex.shtml

cleter and Eli - The Spitzer Space Telescope is named for Dr. Lyman Spitzer, Jr., who, according to this Wikipedia entry, was the first to propose placing telescopes in space: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S....._Telescope

Christy -

Thank you very much for two very aesthetically pleasing pictures in two of the threads you’ve posted today.

Stephen Parrish, CPA @ 16

cleter and Eli - The Spitzer Space Telescope is named for Dr. Lyman Spitzer, Jr., who, according to this Wikipedia entry, was the first to propose placing telescopes in space: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S....._Telescope

Oh. Um… Well, I’m sure they’re related, then!

Thanks, Mr. Reddhead. We always appreciate your services.

I just heard that Laura Lump will be campaigning in NY and CT today for republicans.

Is she showing up for Schlesinger or for Joe?

Enquiring minds want to know.

Eli @
18

Stephen Parrish, CPA @ 16

cleter and Eli - The Spitzer Space Telescope is named for Dr. Lyman Spitzer, Jr., who, according to this Wikipedia entry, was the first to propose placing telescopes in space: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S....._Telescope

Oh. Um… Well, I’m sure they’re related, then!

Here’s more information about Lyman Spitzer: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/about/spitzer.shtml

Eli @ 13

Oklahoma kiddo @
6

How to Turn This Election Into a Progressive Mandate
By Jeff Cohen

So how do we make 2006 more than just a rejection of the other side? And with a wide-open presidential campaign approaching, how do we move a majority of the country to embrace a positive agenda for reform?

First, by recognizing that change comes from below.

Second, by fighting to change the Democratic leadership.

(I sure do like this!!!)

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1027-20.htm

Well, yeah. Democrats taking over the government doesn’t do much good unless we take over the Democrats. A government run by Schumers and Emanuels and Bidens and Pryors and *shudder* Liebermans doesn’t really give me a warm & fuzzy feeling.

I like your list of bad Demos. But perhaps there is at least one MAJOR name missing?

angie @ 20

I just heard that Laura Lump will be campaigning in NY and CT today for republicans.

Is she showing up for Schlesinger or for Joe?

Enquiring minds want to know.

I don’t even have to look - I’ll bet fifty bucks it’s for Joe.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 22

Eli @ 13

Oklahoma kiddo @
6

Well, yeah. Democrats taking over the government doesn’t do much good unless we take over the Democrats. A government run by Schumers and Emanuels and Bidens and Pryors and *shudder* Liebermans doesn’t really give me a warm & fuzzy feeling.

I like your list of bad Demos. But perhaps there is at least one MAJOR name missing?

I’m sure there’s a lot more than one. I probably could have included Obama, Hillary, DiFi, Bayh…

Oh, and Casey. Sad that I’ve been spending so much time trying to get him elected.

I’ve been poking through Lieberman’s FEC filings, as an adjunct to Matt’s hivemind project over at MyLeftNutmeg. My goal is to try to connect the dots between several interesting points in the weeks around the primary:

Joe putting off collecting ballot access signatures until the last minute
Joe buying a lot of airline tickets
Joe renting a bunch of cars
Joe paying a bunch of money to a culinary school for lodging
Joe disbursing $387000.00 in petty cash for “volunteer stipends”
Anecdotal reports of paid (professional) out of state petition gatherers working for Joe
Joe suddenly having more than enough signatures

My question to the gang: I’m seeing several places where it looks to me like people made donations to Joe that were over the legal limits (e.g. in his October Quarterly, page 1197 where Phil Davinov of NJ gave $12600.00, or page 1196 where Eugene Isenburg of FL gave $10000.00, and so forth).

Aren’t individuals limited to giving $2000 per candidate in any given election? What am I missing?

–MarkusQ

How much do I dislike Ms. Lump and Ms. Bump (HRC)? Let me count the ways.

Oklahoma kiddo @ 27

How much do I dislike Ms. Lump and Ms. Bump (HRC)? Let me count the ways.

Well, okay, but I have to be somewhere…

If Mark is around — any chance we can get Digby’s blog supported by Spotlight?

Eli @ 28

Oklahoma kiddo @ 27

How much do I dislike Ms. Lump and Ms. Bump (HRC)? Let me count the ways.

Well, okay, but I have to be somewhere…

I could, with no difficulty whatsoever, conjure some “somewhere’s”.

Scheuer says that if the Dems win, it will be a victory for AQ, sir.

(on Faux)

What a pig tool shill he is.

Did somebody say “Connecticut”? Just saw this over at the Lamont blog, thought maybe we could help:

Let’s Clog Up Those Senate Voicemail Systems & Fax Machines!

On a rainy day, what could be more fun than pestering Democratic Senators who are failing to be responsive to constituents?

If you’re with me, please join us in pestering Obama a little bit more. Here is my latest salvo to Obama, asking for support that goes beyond a lousy email. But the really important function of this letter is this: It shows people in Congress we know about Lieberman’s illegal campaign slush fund! Feel free to use this sample letter as the basis for a fax or letter of your own:

Dear Senator Obama:

We are experiencing the “Audacity of Hope”. We have the audacity to hope that you’ll be a good Democrat by standing up for democracy and clean elections in Connecticut. We’re very worried about Joe Lieberman’s unlawful use of a $387,000 slush fund to undermine the democratic process there. Democrats must not tolerate Lieberman’s subversion of the democratic process, lest we ourselves become complicit in destroying American democracy.

We have the audacity to hope that you’ll remember why we elected you to the Senate a few years ago. You need to make a statement and show us you care about democracy. You need to show Americans that you’re against the Washington “culture of corruption” Lieberman has unleashed in Connecticut by campaigning with Lamont there. Lamont is running a strong campaign, and that race is winnable. This is a huge opportunity and all Americans – especially you – stand to gain enormously from the defeat of one of Washington’s most corrupt and dishonest entrenched incumbents.

Please go to Connecticut and campaign with Lamont. Support him in any way you can. If you do, you can count on our continued support in your future endeavors.

Yours Sincerely,
name withheld

Senator Barack Obama:
email
voice: (202) 224-2854
fax: (202) 228-4260
(312) 886-3514
(217) 492-5099
(309) 736-1233

Other people we should contact:

Pelosi, Feingold, Clinton, Schumer, Boxer,…

Please help me nag these Congresscritters. Together we can make a difference!!

Richard Scaife $2100 to Lieberman. I think the limit is $2100 not $2000.

http://nedlamont.com/blog/2012.....nd-purpose

~~Richard Scaife is one of the most influential men behind the right-wing today. Over the past thirty years the reclusive billionaire has funneled more than $340 million into right-wing organizations and causes, more than any other individual on the Right. Scaife has helped establish their biggest institutions and supported some of their most radical ideas.~~~

angie @ 20

I just heard that Laura Lump will be campaigning in NY and CT today for republicans.

Is she showing up for Schlesinger or for Joe?

Enquiring minds want to know.

Maybe Alan Schlesinger should just show up to greet her. That would be the gracious thing to do.

Christy said:

And don’t miss Taylor’s literary review of Lynn Cheney’s masterpiece book.

I especially like the part over at HuffPo where Marty Kaplan says:

And hey, she was set up: the booker said she’d be talking about her children’s book.

Talking about her children’s book? Yeah, sure, that’s why good ol’ Lynnee Belle would get 15 minutes of Wolf Blitzer’s time on his Situation Room program which spends most of its time these days on politics and “CW” political punditry.

Come on! Just how dumb do the Cheneys really think the public is?

Good ol’ Lynnee Belle knew exactly why she was invited on the show, and pretending it was about her “children’s book” is ludicrous.

This was nothing more than cheap political theater. Her display of “Faux” righteous anger was a calculated event. Only 4 year olds would think it real.

And in good ol’ Cheney form, every utterance out of her mouth made “black into white”, “up into down”, “wrong into right”.

Her “lying” was so inartfully and atrociously done, one really is concerned about how much Kool-aid this harpy has beening putting on her Fruit Loops.

Might as well take her off the grill Wolfie, she’s done!

Eli @ 23

angie @ 20

I just heard that Laura Lump will be campaigning in NY and CT today for republicans.

Is she showing up for Schlesinger or for Joe?

Enquiring minds want to know.

I don’t even have to look - I’ll bet fifty bucks it’s for Joe.

I’ll take that; loser contributes to BlueAmerica? My bet is she shows up for the House Reps, and/or Jodi Rell, but avoids the Senate campaign altogether.

scarecrow @
34

angie @ 20

I just heard that Laura Lump will be campaigning in NY and CT today for republicans.

Is she showing up for Schlesinger or for Joe?

Enquiring minds want to know.

Maybe Alan Schlesinger should just show up to greet her. That would be the gracious thing to do.

I think so too, scarecrow! With microphones and cameras aplenty.

Laura Bush to stump for Conn. Republicans

(Farmington-AP, Oct. 28, 2006 9:40 AM) _ Connecticut Republicans will be getting some help on the campaign trail from first lady Laura Bush today in Farmington.

The first lady is scheduled to speak shortly after one this afternoon at an event being called the “Connecticut Victory 2006 Rally.”

Connecticut Republican Congressmen Chris Shays, Rob Simmons and Nancy Johnson are facing tough re-election contests and are targets in the Democrats’ efforts to regain the majority in Congress.

Shays is being challenged by Democrat Diane Farrell, Simmons is locked in a close race with Democrat Joe Courtney and Johnson is up against Democrat Chris Murphy.

Arizona G-O-P Senator John McCain is also helping Republicans in the state today. He’s scheduled to stump for Simmons and Shays.

http://www.wtnh.com/Global/sto.....p;nav=3YeX

The grotesque lumps are out in force stumping for the worst failures in our country’s history.

MarkusQ @
26

I’ve been poking through Lieberman’s FEC filings, as an adjunct to Matt’s hivemind project over at MyLeftNutmeg. My goal is to try to connect the dots between several interesting points in the weeks around the primary:

Joe putting off collecting ballot access signatures until the last minute
Joe buying a lot of airline tickets
Joe renting a bunch of cars
Joe paying a bunch of money to a culinary school for lodging
Joe disbursing $387000.00 in petty cash for “volunteer stipends”
Anecdotal reports of paid (professional) out of state petition gatherers working for Joe
Joe suddenly having more than enough signatures

My question to the gang: I’m seeing several places where it looks to me like people made donations to Joe that were over the legal limits (e.g. in his October Quarterly, page 1197 where Phil Davinov of NJ gave $12600.00, or page 1196 where Eugene Isenburg of FL gave $10000.00, and so forth).

Aren’t individuals limited to giving $2000 per candidate in any given election? What am I missing?

–MarkusQ

Maybe I’m missing the point here, but why do you need to look through Holy Joe’s FEC fillings when he has already given us the best ammunition possible? He publicly supports Bush’s war. He publicly supports Bush. And its all on video? Do we need any more reason to vote against Holy Joe?

scarecrow @ 35

Eli @ 23

angie @ 20

I don’t even have to look - I’ll bet fifty bucks it’s for Joe.

I’ll take that; loser contributes to BlueAmerica? My bet is she shows up for the House Reps, and/or Jodi Rell, but avoids the Senate campaign altogether.

You’re probably right; I was thinking more in terms of Alan vs. Joe. But I’ll still take it.

Hours earlier, al-Maliki aide quoted PM saying ‘I am not America’s man’

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15454290/

Okaaaaay.

Damn, I guess I shoulda waited a few minutes…

the NYT link about corporate campaign donations is interesting. It actually scares me a little. K street has until now been a republican plague, but when dems take congress, the lobbyists will still be there licking their chops. Maybe it’ll be ok, but I would love to see the dems make real campaign finance reform a high priority. The rules for lobbyists have to be changed, and someone with authority needs to take on the monitoring of those rules. I don’t want a dem Duke Cunningham.

NumberFour @ 41

the NYT link about corporate campaign donations is interesting. It actually scares me a little. K street has until now been a republican plague, but when dems take congress, the lobbyists will still be there licking their chops. Maybe it’ll be ok, but I would love to see the dems make real campaign finance reform a high priority. The rules for lobbyists have to be changed, and someone with authority needs to take on the monitoring of those rules. I don’t want a dem Duke Cunningham.

Public Financing would help. As long as Senators and Congressmen need cash to run for reelection, special interests will be powerful. But don’t hold your breath for real reform. K Street will fight to the death to keep the current system intact.

NumberFour @ 41

the NYT link about corporate campaign donations is interesting. It actually scares me a little. K street has until now been a republican plague, but when dems take congress, the lobbyists will still be there licking their chops. Maybe it’ll be ok, but I would love to see the dems make real campaign finance reform a high priority. The rules for lobbyists have to be changed, and someone with authority needs to take on the monitoring of those rules. I don’t want a dem Duke Cunningham.

It scares me more than a little. There are already too many Democrats more beholden to corporate donors than to their constituents or the American people. Just look at how many voted for the bankruptcy bill.

Eli — what would be funny is if CT Bob (or Spazeboy) shows up and manages to ask her whether she supports the Republican candidate for Senate!! They’re good at this. That would then be the lede. Maybe the trad/press folks will ask the question, since it seems so obvious and simple. For that reason, I expect the handlers will keep the woman fifty yards from any reporters, and 100 yards from CT Bob. btw, if I win, I’ll match.

Howie’s introducing us to a new Blue America candidate upstairs.

scarecrow @ 44

Eli — what would be funny is if CT Bob (or Spazeboy) shows up and manages to ask her whether she supports the Republican candidate for Senate!!

She can just say she hasn’t really thought about it…

Hamden Connecticut Person @
37

MarkusQ @
26

I’ve been poking through Lieberman’s FEC filings, as an adjunct to Matt’s hivemind project over at MyLeftNutmeg. My goal is to try to connect the dots between several interesting points in the weeks around the primary:

Joe putting off collecting ballot access signatures until the last minute
Joe buying a lot of airline tickets
Joe renting a bunch of cars
Joe paying a bunch of money to a culinary school for lodging
Joe disbursing $387000.00 in petty cash for “volunteer stipends”
Anecdotal reports of paid (professional) out of state petition gatherers working for Joe
Joe suddenly having more than enough signatures

My question to the gang: I’m seeing several places where it looks to me like people made donations to Joe that were over the legal limits (e.g. in his October Quarterly, page 1197 where Phil Davinov of NJ gave $12600.00, or page 1196 where Eugene Isenburg of FL gave $10000.00, and so forth).

Aren’t individuals limited to giving $2000 per candidate in any given election? What am I missing?

–MarkusQ

Maybe I’m missing the point here, but why do you need to look through Holy Joe’s FEC fillings when he has already given us the best ammunition possible? He publicly supports Bush’s war. He publicly supports Bush. And its all on video? Do we need any more reason to vote against Holy Joe?

Because if he broke the law to get on the ballot that might be interesting news to people who are not concerned about the war issue. It also might mean he isn’t a candidate anymore.

I am worried that we are seeing a elaborate Nixonian plan to prevent control of the senate from falling into the hands of the Democrats, and think that it’s worth a little time to try and foil it.

–MarkusQ

I had to bring this over from the SF Chronicle — Hastert claims Grandma Pelosi’s never visited the Mexican border, although she was there in March. We’re seriously into the “GOP making shit up” stage of the midterm campaign for pedophile-enabler power retention.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/.....M1UNN1.DTL

Morning, Redd and your tech-savvy Mr.!

MarkusQ @ 47

Hamden Connecticut Person @
37

MarkusQ @
26

Maybe I’m missing the point here, but why do you need to look through Holy Joe’s FEC fillings when he has already given us the best ammunition possible? He publicly supports Bush’s war. He publicly supports Bush. And its all on video? Do we need any more reason to vote against Holy Joe?

Because if he broke the law to get on the ballot that might be interesting news to people who are not concerned about the war issue. It also might mean he isn’t a candidate anymore.

I am worried that we are seeing a elaborate Nixonian plan to prevent control of the senate from falling into the hands of the Democrats, and think that it’s worth a little time to try and foil it.

–MarkusQ

How is he not going to be a candidate, in a week and a half? (Nixon’s plot did work out too well, either.) And how many potential Ned voters don’t care about the war? Jusk asking

Hi Teddy! Good one @ 48.

Now, America– do you really feel safer??????

NEWARK, N.J. — Screeners at Newark Liberty International Airport, one of the starting points for the Sept. 11 hijackers, failed 20 of 22 security tests conducted by undercover U.S. agents last week, missing concealed bombs and guns at checkpoints throughout the major air hub’s three terminals, according to federal security officials.

http://www.rawstory.com/showou.....ers28.html

Jeepers!

Dennis Miller - what a hostile little shit!

Is he short(not that there is anything wrong with that)? I mean, the guy is a complete fricking idiot. He has a negative jones for Nancy Pelosi. What is that about? Just repuke talking points (probably) or the meanderings of a complete imbecile? Could it be that NP is stupid? I don’t think so. I’ve heard her talk and she does a hell of a better job at it than Shrub, Rummy, et al. He said “Its not even her politics.” I think the guy is really threatened by women. Don’t you?

Hamden Connecticut Person @
50

How is he not going to be a candidate, in a week and a half? (Nixon’s plot did work out too well, either.) And how many potential Ned voters don’t care about the war? Jusk asking

I’m not sure I understand your question. If (as appears likely) Lieberman violated several state and federal laws to get on the ballot it seems to me to be worthy of examination. This will not of course magically remove his name from the ballot but may well prevent him from being certified as the “winner” of a race he had no right to be in (as is a general rule, criminals are not allowed to keep the proceeds of their crimes).

If you were trying to say “Nixon’s plot didn’t work out too well, either”, you are correct, but only because people kept after it and didn’t drop it the first time they were told “no story here, move along.”

As for likely Ned voters, I’m not expecting (or trying) to change their minds.

It’s the likely Joe voters that need to know about his chicanery, before they vote for him if possible.

–MarkusQ

Thanks for the roundup, Christy. As someone who’s worked in the federal system for a long time, I find that NY Times article about KBR appalling. Always thought they were jerks, but this goes way beyond incompetence. Odd thing is, the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FARs) work pretty well to discourage fraud and corruption when they can be enforced. It’s pretty obvious that they can’t be in this case. Why that might be [cough, Dick Cheney] I leave to your [cough, Dick Cheney] imagination.

Science fiction TV fans might be interested in this article by Brad Reed (of Sadly, No) at The American Prospect online:

http://www.prospect.org/web/pa.....leId=12172

Just as with their rather myopic reverence for Star Trek, the right doesn’t get Battlestar Galactica, either.

powwow500 @ 52

Dennis Miller - what a hostile little shit!

Is he short(not that there is anything wrong with that)? I mean, the guy is a complete fricking idiot. He has a negative jones for Nancy Pelosi. What is that about? Just repuke talking points (probably) or the meanderings of a complete imbecile? Could it be that NP is stupid? I don’t think so. I’ve heard her talk and she does a hell of a better job at it than Shrub, Rummy, et al. He said “Its not even her politics.” I think the guy is really threatened by women. Don’t you?

I think he’s threatened by the dawning realization that he’s an aging hipster doofus.

looks like a jelly fish.
.