I just want to see the insanity stop.

From a person with that name? Somehow I believe you.

We need more than sincere intelligent people devising our foreign policy just now. We need it to be articulated to the American people, so we will know whether to support it or let our government know we reject it.

There is a terrible imbalance of effective power in America. We see it in the wealth disparity and in some other things, but it is manifest in governance in things like Cheney’s energy policy discussions behind closed doors and even more normally in the formulation of America’s bi-partisan foreign policy. I fear our middle East adventurism is entirely the result of a bi-partisan decision. And, as the Clinton administration was recent, I want to know if Bill Clinton (and Hillary Clinton) were involved in the formulation of a policy which has us today at war in the Middle East.

We need a clear vision of how to achieve our nation’s goals, how to maintain the great nature of our nation and how to help our friends abroad without harming ourselves. I don’t see that happening because of an imbalance of power, from the hands of the people to the hands of a few select who work secretly, in a very un-Democratic way to control and steer our country towards dangerous waters.

America needs a new, well articulated intelligent foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East, which the American public can accept.

OldCoastie @ 15

yikes! just had an earthquake here… right behind the house on the San Andreas fault…

I’m in Costa Mesa and haven’t felt anything.

I’m in West Virginia and haven’t felt anything. We must still be living in the bestest wonderfulest country in the world.

Got Democracy?

Several lawyers in Minnesota said that Craig could have avoided the embarrassment of having to admit committing a crime if he had first hired a lawyer. Minnesota, like many states, has a program that allows first-time offenders to have charges against them dropped after a year if they do not engage in any further misconduct.

“Very likely, a lawyer would have gotten one of those dispositions . . . and Craig could have said, ‘I never admitted I did anything wrong,’ ” said Stephen M. Simon, a professor at the University of Minnesota law school who runs a legal defense clinic that represents indigent inner-city men charged with prostitution and indecent exposure, among other crimes.

“A lot of these men . . . are horribly embarrassed,” Simon said. “That explains the dynamics of him not going to a lawyer.”

NOTE TO DUMBASS U.S SENATOR: Only fools fail to retain an attorney in a criminal case!

I know this new Democratic Congress has been frustrating, and there needs to be some accountability, espicially from some new memebers who were elected because of strong positions they took on Iraq, war on terror, importance of constitutional government.

But emphasis should be on supporting as many new progressives as possible for Congres next year. That will keep emphasis positive, and if it is necessary to threaten not supporting some people who have gone back on their word, then there will be positive and useful alternative uses for the money and effort available.

Also, the vision thing. I have been very disturbed to find that a ‘PNAC light’ vision of some BS ‘American empire’ and ultimatim as first and violence as second resort has become mainstream. I think some emphasis on sound principles for the US would be useful.

I’m no Bill Frist, but I’d guess that he’s suffering from multi-infarct dementia. That’s when a series of small strokes slowly wipes out your brain. It fits with his history of personality change a few years ago, and it’s consistent with a man who’s had several heart attacks.

Although you might expect motor impairment over time as well as cognitive deficits. I think the thing that most people who have known Cheney in the past have noted is a change in personality, especially increased paranoia.

The scheme was reported a week before Election Day in the New York Daily News: they would simulate ” a popular uprising…. In league with the campaign — which is preparing talking points about the Electoral College’s essential unfairness — a massive talk-radio operation would be encouraged…. ‘We’d have ads, too,’ said a Bush aide, ‘and I think you can count on the media to fuel the thing big-time. Even papers that supported Gore might turn against him because the will of the people will have been thwarted…. Local business leaders will be urged to lobby their customers, the clergy will be asked to speak up for the popular will and Team Bush will enlist as many Democrats as possible to scream as loud as they can,’ the article said…. You think ‘Democrats for Democracy’ would be a catchy term for them?’ asked a Bush adviser.”

One week later came an interesting wrinkle: Bush won the electoral college but not the popular vote. And we never heard a right-winger whisper of “the Electoral College’s essential unfairness” ever again.

I’ve said it again and again: they’re the party of Nixon, top to toe and stem to stern.

Too. Much. Bushite.

Shear altruism. Doing what’s best for the country. Right?

GOP touts swift action on Craig

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200…..epublicans

At least the article mentions Diaper Dave Vitter. Glenn Greenwald has the definitive take on this bit of gooper kabuki theatre. And he has a must read post today about Gloria Borger, another GOP media whore.