Tederiffic News!

It must have been ET who sent popcorn futures thru the roof today. *g*

Probably got the terminology all wrong…….where’s eCAHN when ya need her?

Oh boy Alaska another Red state turning Blue… Thanks Ted for all you have done to make the Rethuglian name MUD!
While you are at Pups Digg this Post!!

Jane and Christy,

WBAI is producing an amazing radio “show” which consists of people reading the Kucinich articles of impeacment. It’s a long document and the one that the congresscritters walked out on and it was entered into the congrressional record.

I heard some first unedited recordlings and it blew me away. I was incredible pissed just hearing these charges.

I got the idea to produce this as a youtube video with all sorts of citizens reading on video (with telepromter)the Kucinch document… mothers fathers, children, soldiers, waiters, teachers, CITIZENS .

I spoke with Janet Coleman the Arts Director at WBAI and presented the idea and she loved it, but they are a radio station and they produce RADIO. This is a video concept for the wider reaching internet.

It needs some people who can do video (not me), someone to cast the readers, not me… and someone to get the you tube created and the infect the clogs and the internet with this so it becomes the most seen video EVER. I am sure Denis will come on board.

If the idea interests you can you can supply contacts or resources please call me

I don’t know if there is a connection…just throwing it out there…I recall Mary Landrieu begging for money for LA after Katrina, and on the floor, she said something to Stevens and he to her…like there was some kind of deal between them…maybe he’d get her money if she voted for ANWR or something….anyway, it’s probably nothing…nevermind if it is unrelated…did he give her money for her campaign?

Sounds interesting. It would be cool if people would read Hugh’s list too.

LS I mentioned Hugh’s list to her and promised to send the link.. do you have?

Try this one: http://www.netrootsmass.net/Hugh/Bush_list.html

Hugh’s List

Well if Stevens thinks he wants to run–BRING HIM ON (as our brave president would say).

August is a boring political month- maybe he’ll add a little pizzazz- but when the dust clears- he knows he ain’t a gonna be a US senator.

Vote for me. I have 7 indictments. Grand old party.

OT, but, Christy, due to you legal background, I would like to ask the question I asked earlier but did not get a definitive answer to. I’m not even sure you will have an answer to this off the wall question:

Well, I have a question. I’m told that the only way to hold Congress responsible for their own actions or inactions is to vote them out of office. Then I listen to Jane’s interview with Bruce Fein, and he says the Congress does not have the option not to follow through with their oversight responsibilities, or their responsibility to hold accountable all of those in the administration (executive branch, or judicial, for that matter) that are offending the Constitution because they took an oath. That implies that there is some penalty for not living up to the oath of office that they took. Who imposes the penalty and how?

Can citizens or groups of citizen sue their Reps or Senators for, oh, I don’t know, breach of promise or failing to live up to their oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution?

to paraphrase TS Elliot

“August is the boringest month”

Can’t get too much of this video! (This and the Kiss float take me back.)

Fantastic news!

Mark Begich will be in SanFran this Friday. Details and RSVP here.

Run Ted Run

It’s hard to unseat an incumbent Senator in a primary – - we know this! So I expect Ted will win his primary, and then stay in all the way. Who’s gonna tell him to get out of the race, anyway? And what’s he gonna say?

NO

And why aren’t Senate Democrats leading the charge for GOPs to return the Stevens bribe money? Leaving it to challengers is, um, uncourageous!

Take out a dollar bill – see where it says “in God we trust” – your looking at God

IANAL and obviously not Christy but I think Fein was describing an ideal world that does not exist.

Everything I have read on these topics state that the only way to punish Senators and Representatives is by expulsion and that pretty much only happens upon conviction for crimes. Which is why so many of the indicted types wind up resigning before trial in order to preserve their pensions.

Otherwise, the punishment is by voting them out of office. Elections = Term Limits imposed by the voters.

Nope, you can’t sue an elected official for the performance or lack thereof of their duties. But you can make their electoral lives miserable by finding someone to run against them, protesting at their public appearances, publicly shaming them…etc., etc., etc.

Elections are supposed to be the check on accountability. As is public pressure brought to bear forcefully and in a massive fashion — like the civil rights march and demonstration on the Mall in DC.

Via Kos, the Obama campaign responds to the new Hilton/Spears ad:

On a day when major news organizations across the country are taking Senator McCain to task for a steady stream of false, negative attacks, his campaign has launched yet another. Or, as some might say, ‘Oops! He did it again.’

btw, I hope everyone enjoys the “series of toobz” YouTube. Makes me giggle, every time… hehehehe

I worked in Alaska in the 70’s (fishery and pipeline) and the place was corrupt from top to bottom. There were lots of good people doing really good things, but money and favors greased the skids. Want a pipeline contract? A union slot for a relative? Fishing permit? Docking privileges? Your project at the top of the list for construction during the short summer season? *Everything* was a matter of who you knew and what you paid. It’s just the way it was (and maybe still is) up there.

Sorry to be OT, but just learned that Newt Gingrich was able to get 1,000,000 signatures on a petition to encourage off-shore drilling for America’s real heroin in just one week. Kuccinch was able to get, what, 250,000 signatures for impeachment? That was over a number of months. The American public is more than ignorant they are pathologicaly suicidal. They don’t care about torture committed in their name. They don’t care that Congress is populated with scoundrels and dipshits. They don’t care about global climate change that will make the “troubles” in the Middle East seem like the Boer War in the grand scheme of things. They just want their cheap gas and the ability to shop until they drop at their local mall. Even if they don’t have the money they will vote against their own self-interests.

If Newt Gingrich is the one giving out the numbers, I’d like to see them triple checked by someone who is not Newt Gingrich before I’d believe it. *g*

Now Christy, are you implying that Newt might be using a bit of hyperbole to pump his position?

How incredibly reality based you are!

Well, I think I was implying that Newt would sell his mother if he thought it would make him a buck, let alone that he’s a smarmy weasel and I wouldn’t trust him any further than I could pick him up and throw him…which would not be far, let me tell you. *G* But I’m a cynic when it comes to Newt…

LS, here are some of the senators that have taken money from Stevens. I saw the full list somewhere, but I can’t find it now.

John Sununu
Norm Coleman
John Cornyn
Mitch McConnell
Elizabeth Dole
Susan Collins
Gordon Smith
Pat Roberts
James Inhofe

While the right is slow off the mark on Web2.0, their mastery of email has never been in doubt. Gingrich’s search for signatures probably followed the same well-worn paths that the Obama smearmails have followed. Frankly, I’m not that impressed with one million “signatures” — and would be interested in knowing how unique and valid each one is.

Getting people to sign a petition to *lower gas prices* (which is how is was pitched, you betcha!) isn’t at all hard when people are stuck at their computers and can’t drive to the mall anymore because gas is so expensive.

Don’t despair, Americans *do* care. At least the Americans who hang around here!

So Christy, how many buckets of popcorn should we get for the Ted Toobz saga?

OT-Jack Cafferty just said Dems should dump Pelosi as speaker when next congress convenes. Go Jack!

See the previous thread

When dealing with folks like Newt (or Toobz Ted or Mitch or just about any other Republican), I’m always reminded of the words of St Ronnie of Raygunz when he referred to the Russians – “Trust but Verify”

OMG Pat on MSNBC is spewing the Obama quote aqain… and now Obama again.. Please help…

FYI, I actually had eggs shelled at me by Newt’s goons years ago. I wear them with honor.

Hey Teddy, McBush loves himself some Pelosi: McCain extends olive branch to Pelosi, Gore

Duh.

It doesn’t matter if the numbers are real or not. That is what the complicit corporate media is reporting and what the meeja says it what the vast majority of Americans believe because that is all they know.

Christy, If you are still here, I have been speculating why Powell hasn’t endorsed McCain.. IMO, there are probably lots of people leaning on him not to endorse anyone.

So Christy, how many buckets of popcorn should we get for the Ted Toobz saga?

Oh, truckfuls I should think.

Oh my goodness!

Hope they were reasonably fresh

Powell may be tempted to endorse his dog after seeing what happened to the last presidential candidate he got into bed with.

Teddy, I couldn’t agree more. Those who hang around here and Hullabaloo, TPM, Kos, etc. do care. It’s the vast majority of Americans that I worry about. They are led like sheep because they have been made to feel very affraid and very insecure. The fear is manufactured the insecurity is a reality. Progressives may own the internet but at times as if the fascist right has mastered it’s true potential.

Hear, hear.

I’m so disappointed and disgusted by her actions and her reasoning stupid excuses. A disgrace.

There has been a bit of a rumor going around that both Powell and J.D. Watts are contemplating endorsing Obama — they’ve both met with him (either during the primary or after, can’t remember exact dates for either meeting). I’d say people have been leaning on them to just not endorse rather than do it outright. But I don’t have a specific sources on either man to give details other than the rumors…

If only she could be dumped before Janruary. She has to be the most ineffectual, complicit and tone deaf Speaker in the history of the House.

Met some really neat folks who I still bump into and introduce me as the egg person. I can’t believe that we still are talking about Newt.

CNN just did a good piece on John McSames $540 Ferragamo shoes

Gee.. I heard that too. I would actually bet against a McCain endorsement but he is being leaned on not to endorse anyone. IMO.

I like that idea. I’ve sent an email about it to someone I know who does video. How would he get ahold of you?

Christy – I just wanna tell you how much I enjoy your “photos/videos” that accompany your posts.

This mixx is one of the better ones of the youtube “toobz” category. Thanks for the giggles.

Nancy is backed by a very powerful and wealthy machine in SF and I’m sure will be in Congress for as long as she wants to be. There are no threats to her – not even Cindy.

I haven’t heard anything about Watts.

So essentially, the only recourse against, say, a Senator that will continue in his office for a total of six years, when he infringes his oath of office in the first year is pitchforks and torches. Same goes for Pelosi, since she is really more than a representative of her district. If the rest of the country comes to see her as obstructing justice and says so with demonstrations, her district will probably be influenced to lose her.

Anybody got a pitchfork or torch? If the web is so good at organizing us, and we really care about some of these issues that are so obviously destroying the constitution and leading us toward dictatorship, why aren’t we already in the streets? Anybody gonna picket or demonstrate in large numbers at the convention? If not, why not.

Fein was right; when the Saturday night massacre occurred, many, many citizens wrote or wired or called their reps and Senators. We’d had enough! Why haven’t we had enough yet, and how much is too much?!!

when signing his petition today, on his website,
http://kucinich.us/#
i put hugh’s list’s link in the comments section, said he could pass it out to friends who need ‘cliff notes’ and leave copies of it laying around, just ‘for fun’….lol.

=======
loved the youtube–”the internet izzzzzz nOT…..the internet iz nOt….lol

and christy, guess what? remember you told me to use ’spotlight’ and my browser wouldn’t do it? well, went to firefox, older version, works GREAT!!!!
my first one was attaturk’s post this morning
http://firedoglake.com/2008/07…..-the-tank/
but i just realized as i was getting ready to paste here, i misunderstood the article and thought he WAS employed with mccain……crap…oh well..guess it doesn’t matter, is still a conflict…still, brought it to people’s attention today with spotlight. thanks. am still exploring what i can now do with new broswer and hi-speed.

yeah that is pretty sad.

It’s going to be a festival of finger-pointing, GOP infighting, and blame throwing between now and the August 26th Alaska primary. And potentially all the way to November.

Promise…?
Having spent time in Alaska, where Toobz was once at the RightHandOfGod, I am still amazed this happened. Too little, and far too late.

Think I’ll resupply my margharita makings, ’cause that’s what I’m gonna have with my popcorn while I enjoy the hell out of this show.

((((( Christy )))))

Do you mean J.C. Watts of Oklahoma ? That would be a huge shock for me, I thought the Repubs bought his soul years ago …

I just think it’s important for us to buck each other up. I too get discouraged. But I think most Americans mean well and can be reached better with a message of “Look here, at this outrage committed in your name.”

yep! Mr. siri, who is from AK, lived there his whole life till 2001 says the same thing as Mr. Redhead. That Stevens has been truly beloved up there by a real majority of native Alaskans. That’s an interesting question you ask there Christy. What happened to Stevens?
I’m not sure, neither is Mr. siri, but we’ve both felt it was getting time for the senator to step away from the senate since the “toobz” speech. One has to wonder if it’s a disorder of brain cell type.
Great post! We’re way into Begich here. And will be watching very closely as things unfold for Stevens.

I used to know a J.C. Watts, former OU quarterback, who replaced Dave McCurdy as Congressman from OK also know why he is no longer a congressman.

One more thing, I feel fairly certain on a gut level about the lack of McCain endorsement but if I were to hear anything else, I’d email your.. k

I hope Ted Stevens keeps his campaign going, it will keep the light shining on the Repub corruptions like nothing else …

((((( siri )))))

Well, we’ve been working on that for ages with the “You Work For Us Summer Tour” as an example from last year when we had people doing meetings with elected reps and/or staffers. That’s one good way to start — get a group together, schedule a meeting with a local office…and go from there.

They are much more swayed by an in person meeting than they are by a FAX, but a FAX or a call from a constituent are more effective than an e-mail…and so on.

All it takes is for someone to get the ball rolling on something. The folks who met with Jeff Bingamon in NM last year ended up putting the FISA issue enough on his radar that he sponsored an amendment on the most recent bill — which was much more than we were getting from him before. It’s an incremental process sometimes. The civil rights movement took from years before the civil war to the 1970s and beyond…it’s a marathon, not a sprint, but the key is to refuse to stop fighting.

When Christy evokes “popcorn”…there’s for sure popcorn there. *g*

Why is he no longer a congressman ?

I have heard so many complaints from people who have switched to the newest version of Firefox. I wonder if it hadn’t been sufficiently debugged before release or something? You are about the 8th or 9th person I’ve heard who has switched back to the older version just in the last week or so…

I can’t listen to MSNBC anymore and barely CNN…I’d rather watch Nanny 9/11 or Trading Spouses….

JC Watts — thanks — I knew that JD looked wrong when I typed it. Ooops…

OT – i haven’t been around today, so i don’t know if this has already been covered…. from the ACLU: Justice Department Asks Intelligence Court To Review New Wiretapping Law In Secret:

In a brief filed late yesterday with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), the Bush administration asked that any review of the new warrantless surveillance law be kept secret and that the court refuse to accept legal briefs from anyone other than the Justice Department itself. The government is responding to a motion the American Civil Liberties Union filed earlier this month asking the FISC to ensure that any proceedings relating to the scope, meaning or constitutionality of the FISA Amendments Act (FAA) be open to the public to the extent possible.

Real Estate

Thanks — would appreciate a heads up if you hear anything! :)

Thanks for the buck up. Just hoping the Dems don’t fuck up any more than they already have.

Hmmm…verrry interrresting…

Yuk!!! Watch the food network or hgtv. If that’s not available then a good book and music. My new channel is hgtv but that’s only because I’m refinishing a house.

I heard today that one of Stevens’ GOP primary opponents did an ad buy in excess of $400,000 in the Anchorage and Fairbanks markets alone…for starters. *g*

And the bear’s Catholic…

Pelosi has one of the most progressive voting records in the House. As speaker she represents the interests of all Dem house members. She is expected to get them all re-elected and widen the majority and is doing what she thinks will make that happen. She may be wrong, but that’s what she thinks.

Whoa….we got a slush fund agoin’…hmmm…and I suppose anyone who “partakes”….”partakes”…at their own peril….dang…

Do I need to buy a train load of popcorn??

They are all infected. Stevens has gone viral…

JC Watts played Pro Football up here in the 80’s … won MVP too. Having him endorse Obama would be like a BlueDog endorsing DK’s impeachment drive …

Including Blue Dogs

Ding!!!

pelosi is only as progressive has she has to be to represent her district. and as we’ve now seen, it is not the voting record that tells the story.

What is this?….Bribary? Blackmail? Coercion? Rico? All of the above? Something else?

He then became a Corporation Commissioner in OK then ran for Dave McCurdy’s seat when he ran for Sen Borens seat and lost to that jerk thats running for reelection now

What’s that virus that we should all be dead because of by now…??? Avian Flu?

i was on safari before, older mac……..but i have heard about of lot of ‘clashes’ with fdl with ff 3.0…..with my operating system i had to use an older version, plus i had heard complaints…..one friend who uses 3.0 likes it, but he doesn’t come to fdl……on safari, and ie, i had more problems here than anywhere, ever since late last year’s upgrade….couldn’t let the page load all of the way or it would crash and close all of my windows.

and now i can use ‘reply’!! no more memorizing the comment number and what was said!!!

it’s been two weeks with my new toys-catv and hi-speed, my brain is fried. going out of town tomorrow…have two years of bookmarks waiting for broadband, and not to mention all of the new stuff……arghhhhhhhh. fried.but in a good way.

and christy, and pups who missed it, was passing this youtube around, don’t know if you saw it…there is also a version with a montage of katrina photos. she’s from louisiana.
mary gauthier (go-shay) with marty stuart on mandolin
‘mercy now’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..re=related

bbl

No…it was West Nile.

No, it was SARS….

Boy am I not surprised. The whole object of telecom immunity was to keep Bush’s spying programs secret. Addington once said that they would keep pushing until someone pushed them back harder and stopped them. This is another example of that.

We’ve got people on both sides sounding alarms about Avian Flu, even though European experts say it’s never crossed over to humans in 40 years and there’s nothing to worry about …

According to the rethugs its liberalism

Addington and Fielding make my hackles go up more than anyone else….therein “lies” the source..

Terra!!!!

Barney Frank for President

Most intelligent, candid voice in american politics.

I refuse.

Second that.

Frank will never run but it would be fun to watch the fundies’ heads explode – talk about an ugly campaign.

pelosi is only as progressive has she has to be to represent her district. and as we’ve now seen, it is not the voting record that tells the story.

I agree her structuring of votes to get Republican bills, like the PAA, the FISA Amendments Act, and Iraq war funding, passed is the real story. Insuperable hurdles are put in the way of good Democratic alternatives and then the Republican version is brought up and sails through with Blue Dogs and Republicans voting in a block for it.

not to worry. i’m sure that both speaker pelosi and majority leader reid will be making statements tomorrow to prevent such action.

How come they don’t really “mess” with Barney Franks????

Maybe he knows where the bodies are buried…

Spew alert!!!

We’ve got people on both sides sounding alarms about Avian Flu, even though European experts say it’s never crossed over to humans in 40 years and there’s nothing to worry about …

It’s the memory of the tens of millions who died in 1918 the last time it jumped species that has and should have everyone concerned.

I say, live your life.

He could just cut them down to size with his intelligence.

and it has crossed to humans on numerous occasions during the last 40 years – there hasn’t yet been much human to human transmission.

but not with blinders on.

Bingo.

Frank just left Tucker crawlin on the floor lookin for his lost brain cells.

You probably confused JC Watts with JD Hayworth, former R-AZ, corrupt congress critter.

I think he’s using The Math of Karl Rove to come up with that number.

Bob in HI

contact me at

jsandero at gee mail dot com

That’s what Glenzilla was complaining about last January (30th, I think) in a column about “Bipartisanship”. Glenn listed a dozen examples of really bad bills that got passed by the Republican + Bush Dog majority. If that’s what Bipartisanship means, I don’t want any part of it.

Bob in HI

I think there must be a special army lab for creating corrupt politicians in Arizona. Keating, Evan Mecham, Symington, Hayworth, Renzi, McCain…

bmaz knows who I mean…

Bob in HI

I’m gonna write him a letter personally thanking him for doing what’s right (for us that is).

surely it’s already been said:

A Bridge Too Far.

but, but, i’m sure it’s for sale to the highest bidder.

Ooh, I see now Ted Stevens is worthy of a sonnet or two. You have to admire him “sticking to his guns,” holding on to his stink-infested incumbency. Larry Craig should take heart (all he did was tap the toe of an undercover police officer, while tapping to the merry tune of “Protect Marriage”. Umm, on second thought, Larry Craig seems as likely a suspect as any gooper to dip into the cookie jar as well.) If there’s infighting in the GOP, who’s to blame? Seems Toobz spread his happy mojo as per the Howie Klein post downthread. “Ungrateful kids all of them.” /snark.