Hi Jane!

Yeah, it does seem more like the Senate as the incumbent protection club than an actual functioning legislative body.

And I guess it just fails to penetrate the limited minds of the folks like Harry Reid that by caving on all these issues, all it does is make them look weak and ineffectual, not give him and the rest of the Dems a cudgel to beat up on the Rs with.

Baked Alaskan

Senate Democrats have announced that they intend to roll over on new drilling because people are upset about high gas prices, and heaven forbid they get tagged with responsibility for them in November.

cowards!

Collegiality
BAH!

Yeah, it does seem more like clearly demonstrate the Senate as the is an incumbent protection club rather than an actual functioning legislative body.

hard to believe AFTER the indictment that Inoyue sides with Stevens.

or is it.

quoting the NY TIMES via Kos

Senator Daniel Inouye, Democrat of Hawaii, who is the chairman of the defense appropriations subcommittee and a friend of Mr. Stevens, said that “he is innocent until proven guilty.” Mr. Inouye said he did not expect that the indictment would interfere with Senator Stevens’s ability to work in the Senate.

as Kos goes on to say ”That’s so cute and heartwarming. Touching, really. The stuff that Hallmark Network movies are made of.”

The corruption still runs deep.

What a bunch of losers.

Hi, Jane. Belated Happy Birthday to you. I forget to wish it on Friday.

If I’m reading you right, I gotta say, I can’t be more disgusted with Democrats than I am already. I have no idea what’s left to do to make them wake up to the fact that they should not be cozying up to corruption, lest others think they’re all of the same stripe. OTOH, it seems to me that they must be all of the same stripe because if they weren’t, why would they be so willing to comply with the loyal opposition in all things. Bottom line is, it is unlikely that I will ever consider myself a Democrat again.

Just saw the Vote Vets Ad against Mc Pain… short but hard hiting questions about Mc Pains stand on Iraq!

Hey, Jane, I guess they like that 9% approval rating. Standing back and letting Republicans make a noisy mess suits them perfectly. They smile and wring their hands, give the netroots meaningful looks and write sternly worded letters (TM)and then return to their bridge game, or whatever they do instead of upholding their duties.

Maybe it is the summer heat getting to me and they really have our best interests at heart. Maybe I am upset that Liddy Dole is skipping the convention to campaign against a woman who will not have more than a handful of votes any different from Dole. And we are supposed to be happy about that.

My thoughts exactly Jane.

As I posted at Brendan calling, even the dopes at red state understand what’s going on here. And they’re laughing at mr. reid.

Reid’s a disgrace, as are so many of these entrenched troglodytes and hobgoblins, We need new leadership and we need it desperately. Pledge today for Accountability NOW.

Good Gawd, if the Dem’s keep on rolling over like this, dizziness and nausea are bound to set in.

I hope.

but WE are the ones who are really losing

Hey- I’m for Stevens too! I want him to stay in the senate- win the gooper primary- and then get the SHIT kicked out of him in November….

Combination EPU and Update from the Front Tubes:

Hiya, pups!

Is this indictment poetry, or what?

Once again, St. Ted has disrupted my plans. But, are we adaptable at fdl? Yes, we are. Dennis Zaki at Alaska Report and I are thinking of delivering the 121 poems from TedFest! last week, to Ted’s Wasilla Alaska legislative information office at 4:00p.m. today. They’ll be wrapped up – sort of like Hugh’s Scroll, but wrapped up from side to side, rather than from top to bottom. That way, they’ll form a nineteen-foot-long — (you guessed it, didn’t you) — TUBE!!!

Are we going to video the presentation? You bet…

OTOH, maybe we need to re-open the TedFest! contest for a couple of hours. He’s so inspiring.

Questions emerging – why I’ve been on the phone now for the pst three hours:

1) Does he have to resign from the Senate, or just from the leadership?

2) Will the certainty of a Mark Begich victory reduce voter numbers in August (our primary is the 26th) and November

3) Will that possible diminution of voters reduce the chances of Democrats from taking the US House seat from Young, or from taking over the state legislature, or for Obama winning in alaska – it is within reach, pups!

4) Wll this help the progressive and dynamic Diane Benson in her AK-AL primary race against Ethan Berkowitz?

Berkwitz has taken more money from Veco than any other Democrat now running.
Veco is the company named in the Ted Stevens indictment.

Berkowitz has also taken scads of money from Rahm Emanuel, several Fox executives, Bill O’Reilly’s producer, Henry Kissinger’s main business partner, and the top two executives in the Carlyle Group.

Update:

Phone ringing off the hook. Here’s one great scenario that has some Democrats unnecessarily worried:

1) Ted wins primary
2) Sean wins primary
3) Ted steps down
4) GOP puts Palin on the U.S. Senate ticket in Ted’s place
5) Combination of Sarah and Sean on national-level ticket draws fungelicals and GOP nutcases out to vote GOP in November, leading to Alaska GOP landslide
6) Talis Colberg becomes Alaska Governor
7) Bush pardons Ted

Is it any wonder congress has only a 9% approval rating?

OT
From Move on dot org:

Standing before a room of oil company executives in June, John McCain flip-flopped and declared support for coastal oil drilling. Now the Washington Post is reporting that, within days, oil and gas execs ponied up nearly $1 million to elect McCain.1 It’s another piece of evidence that in a McCain White House, oil companies will call the shots—just as they have with President Bush.
Yesterday, MoveOn members jumped into action in response to the Post story, placing “For Sale” signs on McCain headquarters in 10 battleground states to call public attention to it.2 At the same time, McCain made our point for us, holding a photo-op yesterday in front of a California oil well and renewing his push for offshore drilling.3
McCain’s hoping to use gas prices as a wedge issue to win the election. That’s why it’s so critical that we keep spreading the message that McCain’s been heavily influenced by the oil companies—and so we can’t count on him to solve the energy crisis. When people think of Bush, they think “oil,” but that’s not true of McCain yet—even though his energy policy is almost identical to Bush’s and his campaign is literally run by oil lobbyists!

Sources:
1. “Industry Gushed Money After Reversal on Drilling,” Washington Post, July 27, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3985…..x&t=3
2. “Activist group protests at McCain headquarters,” WHP CBS 21 Harrisburg, July 28, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3986…..x&t=4
3. “Offshore Drilling is Something We Have to Do,” Time Magazine, July 28, 2008
http://thepage.time.com/2008/07/28/oil/
4. “Oil Money: John McCain’s Close Ties to the Petroleum Industry,” Campaign Money Watch, July 11, 2008
http://www.campaignmoney.org/mccainoil

Gosh Jane, you seem a trifle disgusted, but it’s a bit unclear as to who, in particular, ‘they’ are.

Would it not be justice of a sort were ‘they’ to get on the tracks to slow or stop that runaway train?

Why shouldn’t said train wreak some havoc upon ‘them’?

Don’t ‘they’ deserve some little dollop of reality in their oh-so-comfortably-certain-to-make-big-bucks-lives?

Look, they know a train is coming, afterall, they found its tracks.

I think they should be encouraged to meet that train, not warned away.

;~D

Unfortunately, Hawaii’s senators, though Democrats, tend to support Stevens on everything. Even progressive Sen. Dan Akaka has supported Stevens on drilling for oil on the North Slope. Therefore I can predict that they will probably vote with Stevens to drill more. Inouye is a Blue Dog Democrat, anyway. Unfortunately, Blue Dogs + Republicans = more senseless drilling.

Instead, we should be supporting Gore’s Challenge.

Bob in HI

Hey ET. Figured you’d have the scoop!

h/t to egregious for opening the Digg!
Have you Dugg this Post??

Or they could have read Christy’s post from early yesterday morning

Dems may want to “support” Stevens. They’ve done this before. They know that Stevens is road kill- but they enjoy sayin “well hell he ain’t been CONVICTED yet- let him stay around” forcin the Goopers to scrape him up with a political road blade. This is actually good ol fashioned politics.

I wrote mine @20 before reading yours @7.
The Inouye-Stevens alliance goes back to statehood days. Party affiliation is irrelevant.

Bob in HI

Who is up at that hour?? Especially if you were up for the late late Nite show with Suz or ES…. boy 7AM is that the time of the waking dead?

from jane’s link:

The legislation, drafted by Reid and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), would open nearly a billion new acres off the coast of Alaska to study for drilling. It would also dramatically accelerate oil leases in the western and central Gulf of Mexico.

so – was all that talk last week by senate dems about reigning in excessive speculation just another act in the ongoing kabuki?

What’s the difference between opening acres for “study for drilling” and opening them for DRILLING?

Jane,

It’s worse than that. Inouye needs to STFU, but the rest of the Senate Democrats should have developed a message years ago for just this eventuality, and then rolled it out the minute the indictment went public, with stern warnings to Inouye and anyone else to STFU and support the team. That’s exactly what the Republicans would do (even in situations they couldn’t plan on – Tim Johnson, anyone?).

Instead, there is no leadership whatsoever, no plan, no strategy, no message, and so Inouye spouts off, and everyone else stutters because they don’t know how to respond. That is fucked up beyond belief.

If I were a Democratic strategist (and thankfully I’m not) and this happened on my watch, and the Democrats looked this disorganized, my ass should be fired and run out of town as an incompetent hack, with a scarlet A (for Asshat) tattooed on my chest. But we all know that this Democratic leadership is too incompetent to realize that.

Seriously, how do I apply for a job as a “Democratic Strategist”? I sure as fuck could do a better job than these clowns.

What does “accelerate oil leases” mean?

Grand Jury? ARRRRGH!
Hulk Smash!

I do love how Don Young is all about the presumtion of innocence thing… there has been more overt criminality in the last seven years by folks with an “R” after their names and yet the Clenis got a blow job. Yes, look for the all-mighty Clenis Defense to start coming to the forefront…

We do need more popcorn, especially if Don Young follows Senator Smash Toobz into the Dock.

i am betting it takes a lot less time to study drilling than to study alternative energy

Nine percent approval rating! Hah! They’ve got an answer for that one, too! Pelosi said on Daily show last night that the Dems in the House have a twenty percent higher approval rating than the Rethugs. So what does that put them at? Twenty percent of nine percent?

As to Liddy’s competition, maybe we’re rooting for the wrong candidate? If she’s just another Blue Dog, how is she that useful. Will she actually give us that 60 votes we’re seeking? If those in Congress sympathize so much with Stevens, who’s to say we can’t sympathize with Liddy? Near as I can’t tell, they’re not leaving us much left to lose. If we can’t find better Dems, what good do more Dems do? I’m waiting for the day that people wake up from their stupor and vote almost all the incumbents out, with Nancy & Harry the first to go.

This is your Senate.

This is your Senate on shrugs.

So, it looks like if the Dems got 80 seats in the Senate they’d still vote with the Rethugs. Jesus H Fucking Christ.

I dn’t anticipate Don Young’s indictment before the indictment of Ted’s son, Ben, the former President of the Alaska Senate. Ben Stevens was appointed to te Alaska Sente by Democratic Governor Tony Knowles, the all-time biggest recipient of campaign funds from VECO, the company Stevens took the $250,000 from.

VECO has been a pernicious influence on Alaska politics. We need to get rid of every politician who hasn’t returned every penny received by VECO, including those out of office, but currently seeking it. Like Ethan Berkowitz, Diane Benson’s AK-AL Democratic Primary opponent. When I asked him last April why he hadn’t returned his VECO money, Ethan refused to give me a clear, honest answer.

Wonder how Ted feels about wire-tapping now? Anybody wanna bet that one of his defenses will have to do with defective warrants?

Just remember that Harry Reid is the Majority Leader his Senate colleagues want.

We might not understand why, but he’s the one they want, even when he says things like this about Stevens:

“It’s a sad day for him, us.”

Whatever that means, he’s speaking for the Majority when he says that.

Time for firedoglake to finally step up to the plate and back Diane Benson for Blue America, a candidate who refuses corrupt PAC money from the likes of Rahm Emanuel.

This is your Senate.

This is your Senate on shrugs.

boy that sums it up

Well he can’t very well say “Seein this guy get indicted the best day I’ve had all year”

It’s time for a third party. I mentioned that to DiFi when she voted for Mukasey and again when she voted for telecom immunity. I’m sure she took my words to heart…

I don’t see any other way. We could bring the good dems with us.

Of course, Inouye betrays his shallow understanding of the “opposition” caucus in the Senate, as Stevens has already resigned from committees, which certainly will impair his functioning in the Senate.

Why don’t these old birds just stfu?

We’ve got both third and fourth parties–do we need a FIFTH party?

We need something.

Here’s what the Senate Majority Leader should be saying:

Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley, candidate for U.S. Senate, is calling on Republican Senator Gordon Smith to give up $39,000 in campaign contributions he received from Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens, who was indicted today. Merkley is calling for Smith to donate the money to charities to help provide health insurance to Oregon children.

The longest serving Republican senator in Unites States history, Ted Stevens was indicted today on federal corruption charges. Stevens has contributed $39,000 to Smith’s campaign.

Stevens was indicted on seven charges of corruption for failing to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts for labor and construction on his house.

“Senator Smith should donate these contributions to charities to help provide health insurance to Oregon children,” said Speaker Jeff Merkley. “Ted Stevens has been indicted on very serious ethical charges. These charges cast an ethical cloud on money he raised from oil companies and others, some of which he passed on to Gordon Smith.”

Here are the contributions that Stevens has made to Smith:

Date of Contribution / Amount of Contribution

3/14/2007 – $5,000

3/14/2007 – $5,000

3/28/2006 – $5,000

3/2/2005 – $5,000

Quarter 2 of 2002 – $10,000

5/12/2002 – $2,000

2/11/2002- $2,000

6/29/2001 – $3,000

10/31/1996 – $1,000

11/27/1995 – $1,000

Harry Reid should be LEADING this charge, not waiting for some Left Coast Senate candidate to get this ball rolling. All GOPs should be pressed to return contributions from Toobz.

And Harry Reid should be on top of this.

Unless the Senate Dems would rather have him say, “it’s a sad day for him, us.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..re=related

But Ann, Pelosi has determined that only 91% of the public are disgusted with the d’s, whereas fully 92.8% are disgusted with the r’s.

By her reckoning that is quite an accomplishment and she is, obviously, loathe to risk ANY of that substantial advantage …

Why we voters should want merely ‘better’ when we already have the ‘best’, is, quite frankly, very hard for Nancy to understand.

Besides, by their calculus, we can only assume that the d’s have W. right where they want him.

As to the rest … well, I have it on good authority that some very
sternly worded letters are about to go out. So there!

Please note: The preceding snark is is for porpoises of entertainment only.

from glenn: Let’s give “Blue Dogs” the boot. Pushing conservative Democrats out of Congress could help the party stand up to the GOP.

Earlier this month, Rasmussen Reports announced the humiliating finding that “the percentage of voters who give Congress good or excellent ratings has fallen to single digits [9 percent] for the first time in Rasmussen Reports tracking history.” That extremely negative view of Congress cuts across partisan and ideological lines, as only small percentages of Democrats (13 percent), Republicans (8 percent) and independents (3 percent) believe that Congress is doing an “excellent” or even a “good” job. Perhaps most remarkable, some polls — such as one from Fox News last month — reveal that the Democratic-led Congress is actually more unpopular among Democrats than among Republicans, with 23 percent of Republicans approving of Congress compared with only 18 percent of Democrats. One would be hard-pressed to find a time in modern American history, if such a time exists at all, when a Congress was more unpopular among the party that controls it than among voters from the opposition party.

That a Democratic Congress is so deeply unpopular even among Democrats may be historically unusual, but it is hardly surprising or difficult to understand. On key issue after key issue, it is the Bush White House and Republican caucus that have received virtually everything they wanted from Congress, while the base of the Democratic Party has received virtually nothing other than disappointment and an overt repudiation of its agenda.

Yeah

We need sound economic thinking (and let the ideological chips fall where they may)

We need a comprehensive restructuring of health care

We need an energy policy that will speed up our ability to significantly reduce oil demand.

I don’t see anyone outside the dem party being able to do that in our lifetimes.

Policitians will ALWAYS be politicians- no matter what party label they wear.

*sigh*

Heh, heh!

Besides, by their calculus, we can only assume that the d’s have W. right where they want him.

Someone should really tell W that, ‘cuz he’s been too busy winning all the calls to notice it for himself.

Seriously, though, I was talking to my nephew’s wife, a Repug (but otherwise nice enough person), and she said that even though she’s a Republican, even she thinks Bush should be impeached and she can’t understand why Dems haven’t done that, since that’s exactly what they were elected to do. That’s what’s truly shameful!

tundra mercies.

Don’t the rules say that since Stevens is indicted, he can’t chair any committees? And where is Harry Reid on that?

Well he can’t chair any committees anyway- cause he’s a gooper- but he also can’t be the ranking member- but that’s a GOOPER rule- not a dem rule (one of those rules they adopted when a DEM was in trouble no doubt.)

Late to the lake again. Elliott, I think you’re on to something here. A line of greeting cards for liberals to send to neocons et al. I think there’s cottage industry potential here.

I believe those are the Republican Party Senate rules that say that someone under indictment cannot be the Chair or Ranking Member of a committee.

And I believe Stevens has already resigned as the Ranking Member on two different committees so in that respect, Harry has no say.

Thanks all – I meant Ranking Member. And I should have used teh google first: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25916299/

Justice Department said Stevens will not be arrested and will be allowed to turn himself in.

Stevens has adamantly denied any wrongdoing but he said little else publicly about the investigation.

In a written statement, the legislator said, “I have never knowingly submitted a false disclosure form required by law as a U.S. Senator.”

Stevens continued, “In accordance with Senate Republican Conference Rules, I have temporarily relinquished my vice chairmanship and ranking positions until I am absolved of these charges.”

And, to be fair (for aren’t liberals famous for our fairness?), cards for miserable rightwing gravy sucking swine to send to perspicacious progressives.

Ah, but you realize, of course, that the leadership does.not.do “shame”.

And the concerns of the little people are but trifles for the very important PLAYERS whose gravitas must be saved for more stellar considerations, universally speaking, such as reelection and the dire concerns of the much-maligned and mostly-misunderstood lobbying class.

As you say, decent people who somehow remain ‘Republics’, also know, in their hearts, that much evil and many wrongs have been done.

Something happens to too many when they get to Washington on the Gravy Train, which is why I hope they are at the station when the wreck occurs.

The rest of us certainly will be, but that is not important.

Sociopaths unite! You can destroy each other later, for now. take down the Country, impoverish the ‘people’ and trash the Constitution.

Zounds! It looks like a PLAN. And it has bipartisan support.

Stevens may have a brain tumor. Course Harry may too.

howdy! DWBartoo – great to see you back at the lake.

silly Dems – still keeping, they’re prouder dry.

oOoo good idea
perhaps we could have a post for illustrations *paging watertiger and darkblack* and the greetings.

I really like this idea, barbara.

Because Inouye and Stevens are BFF, going back to statehood days. They’re like foxhole buddies.

I, for one, will be glad when Stevens is no longer around to pull Inouye towards the Dark Side.

Bob in HI

lmao!

McBush has head cancer- guess it’s a Washington thingee

Ian’s upstairs on the Knoxville tragedy

Aren’t you a little late? Hasn’t your plan already been implemented and accomplished? The question is where do we go from here?

I continue to be disappointed by Harry Reid. Just last week, he was talking about letting the pubs “walk the plank.” I guess Harry likes to talk out of both sides of his mouth, depending on the audience. Unfortunately, we always end up on the short end.

http://meetthebloggers.org/show_072508.php

- Tom

Here’s a reminder about a boffo Glenzilla column from way back in January:
Wednesday Jan. 30, 2008 07:50 EST

What “bipartisanship” in Washington means

Read it again, and weep.

I propose that someone who has more time on his/her hands than I do look up the votes on this dirty dozen legislative package, and find out which Democrats have voted most often for this vile pack of misbegotten laws.
They deserve to be at the top of our list for primary challenges.

Bob in HI

But but but if Harry Reid shows a spine then George Will might call him a bad name on This Week!

It’s good to be back, selise, the squirrel barracades kept me a bay for two weeks but they dropped their guard so … I’m back.

Didn’t comment much as it took me days to catch up on what I’d missed.

Certainly glad to see you and the other heavy hitters in such good form.

BTW I quit paying attention to the MSM after their madness surrounding 911 and frankly, my eqinimity and ‘balance’ are much less afflicted. As you said earlier though, I glad (I guess) that someone else listens and watches that I don’t have to.

By now, I’ve gained a fair idea as to how ‘they’ um … think, if that’s descrpitive of ‘their’ mental activities and there is no need to subject oneself to predictable, unchanging drivel unless one chooses to do so, as a form of ’scouting’ the terrain, as it were. Little in the way of true substance is to be found in the MSM. While that might not be true in other nations’ media, it is certainly mostly ‘true’ for ‘ours’.

Anyhow, ’tis great to ’see’ you and everyone else once again.

;~D

Yeah, gee, he might even call him “effective!” Oh, horrors! Can’t have that!

just e-mailed to me:

ALASKA DEMOCRATS CALL ON STEVENS TO STEP DOWN AND RETIRE FROM SENATE

According To Senate Republican Rules, Stevens Will Lose Committee Seniority

Anchorage, Alaska – Today, U.S. Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) was indicted on seven felony charges of giving false statements. The Alaska Democratic Party (ADP) called on Stevens to step down from his Senate seat, retire, and focus on his legal issues.

Due to Senate Republican rules, Stevens was forced to resign his seniority on committees, including ranking member status in the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, because of the indictment. The rules state, “In the event of an indictment for a felony, the chair/ranking member or elected member of the leadership shall step down until the case is resolved. Upon conviction, the chair/ranking member would automatically be replaced.” [Rules of the Senate Republican Conference]

“It is another sad day for Alaska,” said Patti Higgins, Chair of the Alaska Democratic Party. “Senator Stevens’ indictment shows just how much Alaska has been hurt by corruption. Senator Stevens violated the public’s trust. Senator Stevens should step down from his post in Washington. It’s time for him to retire. Alaskans need representation in the Senate that they can trust.”

I’m on my way in to Sen. Stevens’ Anchorage office to deliver a series of tubes – the TedFest! poems – to Sen. Stevens. YouTube here tomorrow at 6:00p.m. fdl time…..

It depends. Where do we want to ‘go’?

For most Americans, their comfort is their most prized possession and they do not wish to unduly upset it.

For the rest of us, we’d better start thinkin’ about it.

It would be wise be careful where and with whom we share our deeper thoughts and direst concerns, for while we represent the future, as we have recently seen, there are many frightened people who are easily manipulated.

Personally, I should like to attend a Constitutional Convention.

Our treasure, our lives and our sacred honor …

Actually, it is my firm conviction that we have been prepareing for these dark, disturbing days all of our lives, we only need act when timely moments arrive, but, meantime, we plan and we consider, we share and we hope, together we stand.

But we each must dare to stand alone, if need be.

A just, humane future for all of humankind as well as a planet which may sustain our collective needs is not a dream, it is a necessity.

;~D

For most Americans, their comfort is their most prized possession and they do not wish to unduly upset it.

And therein lies the problem. It is these people I think are in for a very rude awakening within the next few years. When I refer to a rude awakening, I do mean of the sort that manifested itself in Katrina.

To answer your question, where I want to go will cause many of those oh, so comfortable people some serious discomfort. More than likely, they’re gonna need pitchforks for poking and torches to light fires under their Congressional representatives to do their jobs. The Congress will also be made very uncomfortable, being drug away from the hard liquor and cocktail weanies and brought to do their jobs kicking and screaming.

What a shock.

these cretins like pelosi are so obviously inhuman, yet they get reelected by overwhelming numbers. Congress is horrible, except for my rep….

i had three days where i couldn’t access fdl – it started about 7/12 – but the admins, techies and fdl friends passed the word along and were able to fix whatever was causing the problem. at the time i wondered if anyone else was also affected. hopefully all is well now..

With the indictment of the arch-criminal Ted Stevens, the Bush Justice Department has now done more to weed out corruption in Washington than … the Democrats! Makes me proud.

happy trails ed the teller!!!

they look soooooo ‘toobular’!!!
http://progressivealaska.blogs…..toobz.html

Reid and Pelosi are a disaster. If they are the leaders in the next Congress the people once again are screwed.