As the narcissistic faux-centrists continue their sanctimonious and sociopathic evasions in the media, letting people die so someone else can take the blame for "losing" Iraq, it's refreshing to see this from Raw Story yesterday (hat tip to Angie in comments for this FDL post):
Incoming Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has announced a "Democratic forum" on the Iraq war that will take place early next month, according to a press release issued today by her office.
"Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi announced today that House Democrats will hold a forum to discuss the war in Iraq on Tuesday, December 5," the statement begins. "Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, and Major General John Batiste will join current and new members of the Democratic Caucus in discussing options for a way forward in Iraq."
. . . "We know that ‘stay the course’ is not working, has not made our country safer, has not honored the commitment to our troops, and has not brought stability to the region. I look forward to hearing from our distinguished group of experts as House Democrats discuss the deteriorating situation in Iraq."
I've long been an advocate for Democrats educating the public about the real situation in Iraq, so we can get the hell out develop a saner policy free of McCain/Lieberman/Bushite fantasies of finding the pony if we just stay a little longer. So I'm delighted that Speaker Pelosi is taking this step, and even more so that she's framing the issue in terms of moral duty — protecting the country, and honoring our duty to our own soldiers. (Somewhere, Karl Rove is gnashing his teeth, saying "That's not fair! That's our narrative!" Well, it used to be, buddy.)
And (via Kevin Drum), the San Francisco Chronicle explains that this isn't all Pelosi is planning:
House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi made clear Tuesday she's not willing to cede the public spotlight to President Bush in the weeks before his State of the Union speech.
Pelosi plans to start the 110th Congress with a bang on Jan. 4 — when the House holds its ceremonial swearing in and elects her as speaker — by immediately setting off on a sprint of several weeks to enact the Democrats' ambitious 100-hour agenda.
Lawmakers usually return home between the swearing-in ceremony and the president's speech, but analysts say the hurried schedule gives Democrats a chance to show instant results. It could also put Bush on the defensive, forcing him to sign or veto a host of popular initiatives.
. . . "It is imperative that we waste no time in addressing the pressing needs facing our nation," the San Francisco Democrat said.
Tactically, the move has several advantages: January is usually a slow news month that the president dominates by leaking tidbits from his State of the Union speech and his proposed budget a few days later. Instead of waiting for Bush's agenda, Democrats could have a half-dozen bills waiting for his signature or veto by the time he makes his primetime speech.
This is great stuff — as a friend of mine said to me years ago after seeing a "Question Authority" bumper sticker, "Don't question authority; assume authority." Not only is Pelosi doing the people's business and refusing to be distracted by the inevitable sniping from the Republicans, their submissive allies in the corporate media, and self-serving factions within her own party, she's letting Dubya know that someone else is driving the train now… and it's about damn time.
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Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
I hope that universal healthcare, ending the quagmire of Iraq are settled in the first 100 hours.
Sounds good, except for Maj. Gen Batiste’s appearance. He was on Harball last night and was absolutely loopy. If you had your eyes closed, you’d think you were listening to a Bush/Cheney campaign spokesman circa October 2004. Matthews was stunned by the drivel coming out of Batiste’s mouth, lectured him for about a full minute and then went to commercial without giving Batiste an opportunity to respond or say his good-byes.
Literally, Matthews mouth was gaping in stunned silence.
a heartfelt happy thanksgiving to everyone.
kindly take a moment and click on the link below to learn of a sad, repellent human tragedy, lee kinshen:
http://www.boomantribune.com/s…../92654/258
in the spirit of thanksgiving, please send this woman a dollar–anything you may be able to afford, via the paypal option or snail mail.
and kindly forward this link to your entire list of family and friends.
we live in vile times when a travesty the likes of what happened to lee kinshen can occur. let us all give thanks and do everything we can to help this proud miscarriage of justice and defeat the disgusting racism and hatred perpetrated by george bush and his rapacious neocon mass-murdering thugs.
and condi rice was spotted at jimmy choo’s this afternoon, buying a dozen pair of patent pumps. she has yet to send a penny.
thank you. and lee kinshen will thank you.
The fact that the Republicans are punting most of the 2006-07 spending bills to the next congress makes Pelosi’s January play even more impressive. “We not only have a lot of ideas to put on the table, but we’ve got to clean up after the last GOP Congress, who couldn’t even pass the bills to make the government function. That’s the biggest annual task mandated to the House of Representatives under the constitution, and the old GOP majority couldn’t be bothered to work hard enough or long enough to get it done.”
Go get ‘em, Nancy!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!
I saw the Batiste segment on Hardball also and I was as stunned as Chris. Chris kept asking “who is our enemy in Iraq?” Batiste
replied that it didn’t matter, that they were all our enemy. It was a scary, real life version of “kill the all and let Allah sort it out.” I still can’t believe that I heard what I heard.
Peterr @ 4
I completely agree — Pelosi should send a thank-you note to the GOP leaders for helping Democrats build their narrative of who the real
daddygrown-up party is.Give the hell,
HarryNancy!As Harry Truman said: “I never did give them hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell.”
Carl @ 3
I saw that too. Batiste is off his rocker, nutcase
I hope Pelosi puts a lot of progressive bills in the hopper… move the tax cuts from the uber wealthy to the lower and middle classes.
Cut off funding for the Iraq debacle until the “benchmarks” are stipulated.
Punt away all the NSA wireless tap crap
Shut down Gitmo
recind the Patriot Act
Open up hearings on War Profiteering and hopefully recover the ill gotten gains
Flood NOLA with funds to rebuild affordble sustainable low cost housing
Open up ethics investigation for all the thugs running around congress with money stuffed in their knickers.
Open up hearings on the possiblity for impeaching the entire executuve branch
Remove Wolfy from the world Bank… I’d like to see Tom Hayden in there personally.
Break up the media conglomerates and remove Tomlison from his new post
Sponsor universal single payer heath care… after renogiating the perscription drug benefits for seniors.
Sponsor legislation for civic or military service for 2 yrs for every man, and women who resides in this country.
Offer stricter environments standards exceeding the Kyoto protocol.
The list goes on and on..
Get busy sistah!
Carl, Cozumel, and Joy Wahl, couldn’t agree more.
I loved Batiste when he called for Rumsfeld’s resignation, but he came off as a nutcake yesterday. Chris kept asking the right questions and Batiste kept ignoring them. They weren’t subtle questions either: “how do you separate the Iraqis who want to kill us from all the other Iraqis.”
Swopa, is there anyway we can
pressureencourage Speaker elect Pelosi to invite Juan Cole and you to address heranti Iraq Study Group? hearings?Executive Branch Blackmail
By Carlton Meyer
Nov/21/2006
“Capitol Hill
Many Americans now hope that with both houses of Congress controlled by the Democratic party, they will reverse the Bush administration’s effort to assert martial law. However, most Republican congressmen are decent Americans, so one must wonder why Congress has refused to reject outrageous demands from the Bush administration. The likely answer is that most congressmen have been quietly blackmailed by the executive branch.”
http://www.sandersresearch.com/index.php
If this is true, we are likely to see more of the same rather than any truly bold agenda beyond the requisite amount of talk to make it look like “the new boss” aint “the same as the old boss”
I’m very happy Pelosi is agressively beginning the re-education process and not waiting around for Jim Baker to give the war a coat of PR whitewash.
I don’t know who in their right mind thinks Mr. Iran Contra is going to step in and save the day here, but I understand it’s a popular sentiment.
and honoring our duty to our own soldiers. (Somewhere, Karl Rove is gnashing his teeth, saying “That’s not fair! That’s our narrative!” Well, it used to be, buddy.)
They squandered the right to that narrative by starting the war in Iraq. Soldiers have to obey orders, as long as they’re legal orders. We, as a society, have to make sure they are given the right orders. The President and his staff lied to us about what was happening in Iraq, and enough people in this country believed those lies that we started a useless war. Rove has no more right to claim he supports our troops than Saddam Hussein could claim to be serving his country.
Preaching to the choir, I know, but we failed them once before by starting the Vietnam War, so I think it’s something that should be repeated as often as possible, particularly when the people who started this war claim to be the ones who are behind the troops.
Jane Hamsher @ 12
I thought for a moment that you were posting a link to this picture.
I am thankful for Nancy!
DefJef @ 11:50 am (#9) – Wolfie may actually be doing some good at the World Bank, but if it gets me everything else on your list, fire him.
Happy Thanksgiving:
I’m choppin and sautein and whatever- with a little Slakee Guitar in the background- perfect somehow for Thanksgiving. Hope everyone has a great day!!
Cozumel @ 11:49 am (#8)
Is he on any medications? He’s sounded fine at other times.
FWIW, Handicapping the Baker Report is a Kos diary, that is strong imo as a high level overview of the level of cooperation needed from the major players in order to avoid a region wide war in the ME.
Unfortuntately imvho, it comes off as a little too optimistic. It suggests win win, cooperating strategies for the major players. It doesn’t in my opinion do justice to the fact that a a lot of
most ofmoderates all over the ME are either dead or allying themselves with radical elements that can ensure their physical safety. A stronger conclusion imo, was that Baker will allow Iran to influence southern Iraq in return for making that a secret that the rest of the worldexcept the US mediaknows.On the whole I thought it was an excellent diary and I had no problem recommending it, because it increases the reader’s ability to drill down a little beyond the GWOT rhetoric from
DearLeaderthe Bush WH.Back atcha rwcole.
David Shuster did a nice piece on the Pelosi hearings, emphasizing that Newt and Bugboy did the same thing, held hearing prior to actually taking over.
Cujo359 @ 18
I just checked his bio on wiki wondering if he received a medical discharge, he didn’t. He sounded like a lunatic to me.
“I’ve long been an advocate for Democrats educating the public about…”
There is a lot of reeducating going on. On December 6, the Martha’s Vineyard schools are starting to teach a subject more taboo than Sex Ed: civics. Ricahrad Dryfuss commandeered Real Time with Bell Maher to discuss the loss of civics as well as this “revolutionary” educational program.
http://www.truthdig.com/avboot…..s_america/
Jane – good point … seems our work is just beginning!
Carl @
3
Yowza! When you’re too whacked-out for Tweety, especially when you’re a Big Manly Man with a chest full of ribbons… That must have been something
OT – Thanks for the photo. I’m an old railfan. I can’t quite make out the wheel configuration – northern?
Happy Thanksgiving all
John Casper @
21
Not to be pedantic, but remember Clinton as Pres-Elect, holding a seminar on the economy before the inauguration.
Swopa @
14
Yours is better.
Just Spotlighted Happy Thanksgiving from the McCain Lieberman War to everyone at the Stamford Advocate who doesn’t cover sports. I want them to cover Lieberman4Lieberman’s latest reversal better than they did. I’ll do more as time allows.
Jim @ 27
No, I forgot to mention it, Shuster included that one too.
Full steam ahead, indeed.
Pwesident Pissy won’t wike it wiw he?
Go Nancy, and make sure Steny doesn’t get his pockets stuffed with K street cash.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone-we all have lots to be thankful for!
man oh man, I LOVED that’s right
Hardball message board, re: Batiste
http://boards.msn.com/MSNBCboa…..dID=134230
oops, entered too soon
I loved when I read that from palosi
ya, that’s the way our dialogue needs to be freamed, each and every time, hit them right where it hurts whenever we do something to get this country back where it needs to be
and right, when rove saw that he had a shit
Jim @ 27
That was one of the most inspriring moments I’ve had as an American — watching Clinton hold court on every issue imaginable and thinking, “Damn, that guy should be president… and he is!”
I found an actor who could pass for Joe Lieberman: Fabrice Luchini. However, he’s
a) French, and
b) probably a decent fellow, so it probably wouldn’t work.
(saw him in this film with Sandrine Bonnaire)
Coz – my favorite comment on the hardball Batiste comments after someone named “retiredperson” said Batiste made sense:
Umm… Dear Retired Person: did these existential jihadists just wake up one day and decide to conquer America? Are they like … The Joker, The Riddler and The Penguin from Batman?
Off topic but an update on Libby Trial…
What happens if Fitzy loses his appeal?
Any ideas?
Jack
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..01998.html
Swopa @
35
It was inspiring to me, too, for the reason you mention and for another as well.
That roundtable on the economy was spellbinding for the sheer wonderful variety of regional accents. I remember hearing an elderly farmer from the Mississippi Delta, a woodworker from rural Oregon, a person from New Mexico who (I recall the lightbulb going on in my head) sounded exactly like one of my co-workers; I never knew he had a regional accent until then…
All Americans. All different, and all united in this project by the person we’d just elected President. It was an amazing event.
Clusterfuck had an economic conference- He invited a bunch of people and sat through a good hour or two of listenin to them talk- but he was playin a video game through most of it- which he found terribly BORING- the cameras were there though!!!
punaise @ 36
If you need an actor to play John Boehner, try this guy…
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0624510/
deadlast, Thanks for that Dreyfuss link. That was Real Time’s last show of the season on Friday. I watched the show and agree civics needs more than a review, more like a full court press right down to billboards.
Reeducating, deprogramming, debugging, regeneration and reenergizing will be some of the main buzzwork for 2007 and beyond. Civics, governing fairly, civility, respect, self discipline, and manners will be virtuosly stressed under the much needed Feminine Eldership that Speaker Pelosi is going to set such a great example at.
That momentuous and rare aspect of the Mercury transit that eclipsed the sun on election day has ties to her natal chart in 1st degree Aries that signaled a strong new beginning. Everyone’s awareness and higher consciousness was raised, we can all feel it. Grandma’s going to box some ears and get everyone on their best behavior.
Thanks be to Godd/ess.
JimPortandOR @ 8
Great Harry quote! Fits the situation perfectly.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Oh, my… I am thankful for Speaker Pelosi…
and for FDL, herbs from the garden that make the stuffing better, a job that I love, the purring of cats, the birds at the feeders in my garden, and that I’m alive to enjoy it all. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone.
I’m grateful for Nancy Pelosi’s willingness to get things started as soon as possible.
TPM has something today stating that 99,000 families are spending Thanksgiving in FEMA trailers. I wish the whole Bush family could share that experience.
Shez @ 43
We must always remember the youngsters. Interestingly enough, they are aware. This elecetion, two-thirds voted D, based on exit polls. But many Americans don’t know the basics about separation of powers, the responsibility of jury duty, the ability to speak at public meetings.
When I was young, I was a Boy Scout. They had Merit Badges such as Citizenship in the Community, Nation, & World. Recently they added one on How Not to Pirate Hollywood Movies. “Yes dear Scout, OBEY the Corporation!” This is where civics is going.
http://www.boingboing.net/2006…..l_for.html
http://www.truthdig.com/avboot…..s_america/
The narrative is everything, and Nancy knows it and is running with it. This is about the best news for the Democrats since Jack Kennedy created Camelot. In public life we need analysis, and we need stories. The analysis is required to get the story straight, but in the end, people respond to stories. The Democrats lost their story during the Vietnam War. We had a good one — from FDR through the Civil Rights movement. It was a coherent story about how ordinary people managed to get control of their collective life. It was a story of struggle and success. And then our leaders took us to a war they couldn’t defend, and the story line changed. We became a story about ’special interests’ told by our opponents. It’s why swift-boating worked.
Pelosi is creating a new story; it tells how we got our government back. The play’s the thing, wherein she’ll catch the conscience of the King.
Madam speaker will have her work cut out for her. The “do nothing congress” want her to do their job as well.
Plus, a lot of Republicans don’t want their fingerprints on some pork spending tucked in half-finished bills.
Perhaps some of the criticism of Pelosi will ring hollow when she starts producing results (although that won’t keep the wingnuts from sniping at her).
If the right wants to say to the Democrats, “You’re in charge now, it’s your problem to fix,” the Democrats should respond by offering positive solutions to the problems.
And every time Bush vetoes a bill, the Democrats can bash him for thwarting the will of the electorate as expressed on Nov. 7, 2006.
skippy’s thanksgiving includes sheryl crow’s all i wanna do is have some yams;
a lost episode of i love lucy guest starring oj simpson;
gary puckett’s mayflower;
aretha’s white meat;
and paul simon’s 50 ways to eat leftovers.
.
.
Oilfieldguy @
49
Slash and burn and unwilling to do any heavy lifting to the bitter end.
That is the legacy of Bush/Rove/Gingrichism.
-GSD
Hi Swopa and thank you so much for the h/t. ;)
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Nancy’s excellent plans highlight the idiocy and arrogance of the media’s shameful excuse for collecting their paychecks these last 6 years: the “of course we only talk to Republicans – they’re in charge of everything” excuse.
It has left us profoundly divided, with fewer (if any) policies that still work, and far less safe.
All for access and a slap on the back and a free cocktail weenie.
Clusterfuck gave the goopers a laundry list of things that he wanted them to do in the Lame Duck session of congress..
The gooper congress told Clusterfuck to go Cheney himself..
That’s how Lame Duckiness works- they either ignore him or tell him to enjoy his Cheneying.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Oh, goodness gracious me… (No, I’m NOT channeling Rumsfeld.. I’m an old fart and we say stuff like that.) I forgot to say that I’m also thankful for Molly Ivins, who makes the world a better place simply by getting up in the morning:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/112306X.shtml
Dems are gonna have fun attaching apple pie to key bills- forcing goopers to vote against apple pie- or support the dem program..The worm has turned.
rwcole @
58
Yeah! And look out, sometimes those worms can whip around and bite folks on the butt! {crossing fingers}
Yep,
The smell from under the rug is the corpse Republican Party.
The electorate lifted the rig and decided to call in the cleaners in the name of the Democratic Party.
Here’s to Madame Speaker Pelosi and the rest of the new team. Roll up the rug and get to work.
-GSD
GSD, let’s not forget that we need Hazmat suits and a LOT of Clorox…
Put raising the minimum wage in with the budget items for Clusterfuck’s war- ya either vote for the minimum wage- or ya vote against “supporting the troops”..
Giving thanks for a country where, despite the many things which are going wrong, we’ve been given the opportunity to turn them around. I am still a little in disbelief that we won both houses even tho I was in for 6 and 28. That seemed overly optimistic at the time.
Count every vote: Larry Kissell Recount Fund in North Carolina.
Daughter and son home from afar, sister with family, old friend from 30 years ago, table so full of food we can hardly set our glasses down. Good times.
AssRocket: How Violent is Iraq?
Wrong answer, ButtMissle.
Much of the Gooper party needs QUICKLIME–it’s rotting and it stinks- and Clorox ain’t nearly enough to make it go away.
The awful truth and the cowards who ignore it
Kos Diary by Bob Johnson, interesting fact I didn’t know. Sunnis still control the water, it appears.
Some quoted text from it:
egregious- I thought you were overly optimistic too- but turns out you were right on. Congrats..I was a piker.
rwcole, you’re probably right. Okay, now we need to break out the Vicks Vapo-Rub…
A smear under the nose while we set to work…
We may have piece of shit politicians in this country – but we’ve got LOTS OF FOOD!!
Chimpy is just kicking the rug to flatten out the lumps and spraying Febreze and hoping no one notices the stank.
Everyone else is heading for the doors to puke.
Bush’s America. We have to rescue the nation from these creeps.
-GSD
chady @ 55
You’re very welcome chady. Happy Thanksgiving to All Our Relations. I would love to hear from more of our FDL readers out there. Today is a perfect day to join in and let us know how you are.
rwcole @ 61
You betcha rw, bring up abortion, we throw the Equal Rights Amendment right back at them. It’s time to pit better and even better policies at them. Reapin’ that whirlwind sure can suck.
From yesterday’s chatz with Charles Babington, now on topic here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..01240.html
Had a bad night (pain) and am heading for a mid-day nap here, so my brain’s a bit foggy — I may need y’all to correct me if I get this wrong:
Seems there was a story early this week about the Dems plan for lobbying reform / ethics [this is where I’m hazy — the subject of the legislation].
The point of the article was that the Dems don’t want a huge bill, full of all kinds of wide-ranging aspects, and then stuffed with extras to boot.
No! Instead, they’re going to offer up little “bites” — one tasty bit at a time. For instance a bill that says “no free trips from lobbyists.” Period. Next bill: “no meals from lobbyists.” Period. Next bill: concrete ways to have more transparency in reporting lobbying contacts. Period. And all done in the light of day.
Etc. etc. — you get the idea. I think it’s GREAT! People will love it.
Are you all as revved up and energized about this as I am? [Well, except for that bit about needing a nap…]
Nighty-night, friends. And thank you, Firepups, just for being you — and for hanging out here at the Lake, soaking up and offering mutual nourishment for the long battles ahead. Love and hugs to you all! Happy Thanksgiving from me and Mr. K8 and the pupster!
Thanks everyone for the sugar assist prevthread — Hunter/Gatherer TSF has returned from the Food Palace with the overlooked second can of evaporated milk for pie2. All in the oven now.
Thanks, swopa, this is great news about the Speaker-Elect. Huzzah!
I have an idea for the House of Representative 101st Legislative Hour: A Referral to Teh Hague.
========
Who’s Next?
========
Always good to hear from you Mrs. K8.
Pach upstairs.
Babington reads like a fucking Neocon sympathizer. Fuck him and his neocon WaPo masters.
Carl @ 3
I watched Matthews last night also. Don’t know what the good General was smoking…but wish I had me some. The guy sounded absolutely idiotic. Pelosi could do much better than Batiste for an advisor, methinks.
Joy Wahl @
6
That is the sort of question and answer which every paper of repute should put on it’s front page as a headline story. The American people have needed to see that for a long time. That they haven’t been allowed to hear the inner circle of ‘leaders’ explaining this war makes the MSM also culpable for all the warcrimes, waste of lives & money.
I agree. Hoyer is another Boehner – keep a close eye on this borderline facist.
There’s no reason for the House to be out until after the State of the Union. There’s nothing much Shrub will say which changes the new political environment or the new direction we’re going to go.
So, come January, the Democratically led House will start up the old choo choo and head down the tracks. George will be trailing behind the caboose on one of those manual push cars.
Go Nancy!