“Runaway Train” is a more recent track by the band, Soul Asylum.

If someone asks me to do something that is immoral, illegal and unethical, I won’t do it.

Good on you but it still doesn’t explain what role career diplomats have in Iraq at the moment. It takes years of education and training to be a good diplomat and those professional skills do not extend to dodging bullets, shells, rockets mortar attacks and bomb blasts. By all means love your troops and demand they leave Iraq and Afghanistan but there is no rationale in ordering career diplomats to serve unsuitable, pointless and dangerous postings as a quid pro quo to avenge your troops.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11…..mp;emc=rss

I’m not sure what to make of this:

In the days leading up to the hearing before the oversight panel, which is led by Representative Henry A. Waxman, a liberal California Democrat who has no love for Blackwater, the company hired Burson-Marsteller, a global public relations firm. Blackwater said it hired the company on a temporary basis to help prepare Mr. Prince for his testimony.

Mark J. Penn, Burson-Marsteller’s chairman and a senior adviser to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential campaign, said in an e-mail message that he had no direct contact with Blackwater and that the work was landed by BKSH, a subsidiary. BKSH is a political consulting firm led by Charles R. Black Jr., an adviser to President Bush and his father, and R. Scott Pastrick, a top Democratic fund-raiser. Mr. Penn said that a BKSH associate had worked briefly in Iraq and met several Blackwater personnel, who steered the work to his firm.

Althought, I think this threat is pretty clear:

The central message in all of the interviews was that Blackwater was doing only what the State Department asked it to do, that it had not lost a single official under its protection while 30 Blackwater guards had been killed, and that if the company lost its $1.2 billion contract with the State Department it would find other ways to make money.

So that’s their offense media plan, according to this article. I hope they shut them down soon.

I saw that tube a few weeks ago. Makes it pretty clear.

OT – Ex-Alaska Legislator Vic Kohring (R – Wasilla) convicted by the jury on three of four corruption charges. I covered it here. Minimum of five years on the convictions.

I’ve gotta change real fast into my work tux to go play in a concert.

Dang, you have the energy, ET! Blows my mind!

I’m pretty shocked at the cavalier comments about our diplomatic corps. These are, for the most part, career diplomats who’ve been working at their jobs for decades—far longer than Bush has been ruining this country. Remember, Joe Wilson was an ambassador. Are people really saying people like him should be sent into a shooting gallery because they disagree with the military actions our government has undertaken?

The “technically we’re not at war” argument is ridiculous, bullets and bombs are being used daily. And I do hope we see a large-scale refusal to go and either resignations or Condi following through on her threat to fire everyone. That’ll cripple our State Department even more, but it will be another strong statement that the Bush government is out of control and bad for America.

by the time W leaves office, our government will be next door to paralized. Thank god for our career people. Truly, thanks to all of the real Americans who have been able to hold our government together despite what this admistration has attempted to do. THANK YOU ALL!

So how can we support Sharkowsky on this … she really deserves praise and we should be asking our reps to cosponsor seems to me.

The only way that counts. Money. Sad as it is…

Hey gang! We’re over $15,000 for Donna – let’s keep adding more and send a very clear message!

The main header says over $19,300 now, but near the bottom it says $15,000ish. I’m assuming the top is the most up-to-date. Either way, we’re frickin rockin!

Al Wynn is a “Lieberman” Dem. In other words, not a Democrat.