c u,

radio

ok, ok, i erupted in the middle of a thread, which was also rude……coulda handled it differently……..shoulda/coulda written my concerns privately……but didn’t think about that at the time.

lately it was buggin’ me that a few people have been pushy and rude, and dismissive toward others (not toward me, thankfully, but it bugged me)

adddddddd to that a few st. pauli girls and you get ===
issue + emotions + beer = foot/keyboard in mouth.

keep mouth shut, think about it, then act, is usually how i handle that one

PROBABLY won’t happen again………and i did donate money this am to back up my mouth. my apologies.

and radio-you’re hilarious, thanks for humoring me, really was rofl, then went to bed.

Let’s not put all the blame on Steny Hoyer, either. Good old Hillary Clinton’s plan to wait until October and then debate a new war resolution means giving Bush everything he wants between now and September. It would be a complete cave.

I don’t see any downside for the dems just saying no. No to funding any more of this madness. When 70% of the electorate wants our troops home, what are the political risks? I do not get it. I must be stupid.

The “American Dream” of NeoCons, Republicans and DLC Dems is clearly NOT the same as the general public or of firepups. But, they are in power and continue to hoodwink the public into voting for them. And, apparently if that doesn’t work, they’ll rig elections. I wonder if Sarkozy stole his election in France too. I vaguely recall reading that they used ES&S electronic voting systems.

We pressure them. If they don’t respond to give us what we want, then we challenge them with OUR candidates in elections.

Was I going to rat out my classmates? After all, they were covertly reading their pda’s and internet tablets out of sight – just like me. No, no, that would be missing the point…

Terrified that I didn’t have a good story to tell, I suddenly looked right at the Headmistress – but rather than being upset with me, she was calm and strong, and radiating understanding.

Without mentioning the ‘new thread’ note that had passed by me, I pre-emptively blurted out –

I was expecting a really important text message from my *cough* doctor when I hit the wrong hot-key on my pda. I couldn’t believe it…the internet popped up and there it was – FDL – my homepage, what can I say?

I go on – At that point (feeling inspired that I haven’t been called out,) I noticed there was a ‘new thread’ above the Mike Farrell article and I think to myself ‘I wonder what the article says?’

radio? says Ms. D.

Okay, I wondered if I could get the zed.

So, I went right for the comments and saw the glorious 0 Comments red cape waving right at me and I typed in the classic interrogative ‘zed?’

And? said the Headmistress.

Well, I got it, of course. I mean lolo’s been beating everybody lately and…

radio!

Okay, after a while I noticed nobody was on the new thread and it *hit* me – how rude of me! I’m supposed to tell the old thread that there’s a new thread (sitting up straight and trying to look responsible.) So, that’s what I did – I went and let everyone know.

Up to this point, Ms. D and the Headmistress have yawned their way through my story – but now, with interest, they both lean in expectantly.

I gulp and say, my mistake was in not seeing that the Book Salon – which can go long, as can Blue America – was still active and shouldn’t have been interrupted. I mean, its how I would feel if someone put static in my toobz, you know what I mean? I should have been more thoughtful.

Broad grins grew across the faces of Ms. D and the Headmistress.

radio, said the Headmistress in a moment of Zen awareness, learn the ways of the Lake and you can revel in them artistically with a free spirit.

puzzled but trying hard not to show it, I realize I’m almost out of this jam. Pulling my bookbag over my shoulder and backing towards the door, I say can I go now? I’m missing Late Nite.

I back out and close the door quietly, like it’s made of crystal, and let out a deep breath – so this is Firedoglake…

In no particular order:

“John Wayne” and Hollywood/advertising propaganda and myths on TV and in the movies about the “macho” man? World War II’s “good fight?” FDR’s long and good faith Executive Branch tenure? The remnants of the Nazis working for the new CIA/DOD? The entrenched Two-and-ONLY-Two Party System which results in Congress deferring and ceding its power to the shared political party in the Executive Branch? The military industrial complex? An unscrupulous President who went far beyond the outer limits of Constitutional power, and mostly got away with it (Nixon)?

In short: the slippery slope human nature (and Congress) craves known as the path of least resistance when faced with popular approval for Hollywood and advertising-created myths of heroic militarism. In general, it probably has a lot to do with the quality of the underlying society in America today, such as that represented on our television screens, in our (toxic) high schools, and by cutthroat corporate raider Wall Street ethics, etc., etc. Commercial television seems to have an awful lot to do with it, in many different ways.

The War Powers Resolution of 1973 pretended to – and on the surface intended to, post-Vietnam – limit Presidential power in accordance with the Constitution, but in fact it created the first (likely unConstitutional) Executive Branch authority to use our Armed Forces anywhere in the world for at least 90 days without Congressional approval. President Clinton exploited its loopholes in using our military in Bosnia, and we’ve been paying the price in many ways for the poorly-drafted and unwise provisions of the WPResolution ever since it was passed over Nixon’s veto. It’s way past time for some stronger medicine to firewall the Constitutional power to declare war inside the Legislative Branch and to provide an easier way to end authorized conflicts when their original purpose is no longer in evidence, especially when the Commander in Chief is having too much “fun” playing soldier to pay attention to the people who are paying the price for his reckless and bad faith behavior.

[Thanks, tw3k - I remember you read that long comment the first time around - you’re due overtime pay!]

Thanks for the post, Jane. We may have 70% of the public behind us, but we need them in the streets as well. Little knots of people everywhere, every day cannot be ignored for long.

Never give up.

Ms. D has her arms folded now, striking a pose of utter disdain in my general direction. I know I’m supposed to feel bad, but she’s so adorable when she’s upset…

Radio! Tell the Headmistress what happened down-thread…that, that car wreck that crashed in on the – going rather well, I should say – Book Salon with Mike Farrell.

The shame kept me from looking up at Ms. D, but somehow I knew she still liked me. Now however, was the moment of Truth – I couldn’t avoid it any more – turning my head ever-so-slowly, I strained to see out of the corner of my eye…

lol, u goofy tonight.

tw3k, cinnamonape, and others about de-authorization,

what I don’t get is whatever happened to Congress having the power to declare war? Clearly the founders had someone just like Shrub in mind when they wrote that part into the Constitution. What happened to it?

Read that comment that pow wow posted. And there is a lot more commentary by following the link within post.

As i understand it, semantics aside, congress did declare war by allow shrub to use military force. To my mind it boils down to netroots activity and the 50 state strategy to get congress inline with the people. I’m sure sharper wits with more informed ideas has other opinions but thats my basic take on things.

Radio! Tell the Headmistress what happened down-thread…that, that car wreck that crashed in on the – going rather well, I should say – Book Salon with Mike Farrell.

The shame kept me from looking up at Ms. D, but somehow I knew she still liked me. Now however, was the moment of Truth – I couldn’t avoid it any more – turning my head ever-so-slowly, I strained to see out of the corner of my eye…