Democrats & Liberals: Archives

Premature Pull Out

In an effort to forestall disruption of the handover of sovereignty to Iraq, and probably still smarting from the embarrassment of the last elaborately staged event, L. Paul Bremer quietly handed over the keys to Baghdad two days early, and then quickly left town before the door could hit him where the good Lord split him.

“This is not a time for Pessimism and Rage”?

Well unless it is a time for despair and disgust aimed at both parties and their ancillary support systems, which were only encouraged to grow by McCain Feingold, what else could it be? The header over this story is a quote taken from a campaign ad on the Bush web site that links the Democrats to Hitler quite effectively. This is of course in response to an equally offensive campaign ad run by Moveon.org, collating Hitler and the Republican leadership.

Fahrenheit 9/11-A Review

Apparently, it was wise of me to purchase my tickets on Thursday, as I found out after reaching my neighborhood movie theatre, that all five Friday showings of ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ had been sold out!

Supremes Reveal Cowardice

It was reported last week that the U.S. Supreme Court ducked the question of the constitutionality of the “under God” phrase added to the Pledge of Allegiance by Congress in 1954. By avoiding making a decision, this right leaning court has once again weakened itself, the country, and the American family.

Election Projections - a fun way to waste time

A lot of websites have joined the fun of predicting the 2004 presidential elections based on current state and national poll results, 2000 election results, and whatever else is determined relevant. Some use simple polls, and some use complex formulas. Some leave any close states as undecided, and some will predict a state on the basis of a 0.01% lead for one candidate.

Despite the differences, they all pretty much say that the election is much too close to call on June 22.

Best Armed Insurgency on Earth

Dick Cheney is still busily maintaining the non-existent link between Iraq and Al Queda that the 9/11 Commission has unequivocally said does not exist. Meanwhile Iraqi Insurgents, armed with the bounty provided by Saddam’s dead government, continue to make it impossible for peace to take hold in their exhausted nation. We are short of bullets but the insurgents are not.

The Ballot Of The Intolerant Initiative

A blogger pal was not quite prepared for my version of the Spanish Inquisition, when I peppered him with questions after his post, Gone Mild: Missouri Gay Marriage Issue on August Ballot - Good for the World. He is a very proud Missourian, yet as you will observe from the hate comments he received, it takes guts to post this sort of opinion even on one's own weblog homepage.

Enough Already, President Bush!

Why can't Bush admit it?

The most important, most damning assertions that Bush had Colin Powell make to the world have been almost all discredited. These were crucial to convincing most liberals who supported the war that it was a just and necessary war.

The ultimate test of the truth of what Bush alleged. the invasion itself turned up no WMD stockpiles or terrorist camps, beside Ansar al Islam. We only just found chemical weapons at all, and they're fairly old. The infrastructure for WMDs was not rebuilt, much less the nuclear infrastructure. So where was the threat?

Kerry Gets Key Early Endorsement

The Philadelphia Daily News published an early endorsement for expected Democratic candidate John Kerry. (registration req.)

In making the first endorsement of the campaign season, they explained:

George is No Friend of Bill

This is a set of observations that calls on some of the accumulated wisdom of AA and its powerful programs for recovery that save so many live each year. AA is a nonpolitical organization and is neither an advocate for, nor a source of, any of the opinions contained herein. In this article I speak for no one except myself and all errors and misstatements are mine alone.

Free Trade, Free Markets?

The GOP: Party of the Free Market. Correct? Not so fast. In reading Adam Smith, one is not merely told that government restraint is bad for business, but also government support.

If that is the case, why are we giving tax breaks to businesses to do things, to move in certain directions? If we are dealing with a free market approach, why does it include what is essentially the subsidization of business practices?

And Now, Your Moment Of Zen

Recently released figures show a huge drop off in viewership for the big 3 cable news networks, since their peak covering the Iraq War in the summer of ’03. Of course, this type of news would lead most learned folks to hope that many Americans are now looking to other sources for more substantive and wider ranging offerings, instead of a steady diet of indicted celebrities and the search for the most recent pretty white chick, gone missing.

The Fight for Congress

Most pundits say there is little chance of the Democrats wresting control of the House of Representatives from the GOP this election year. The latest congressional redistricting in most states further solidified the creation of safe districts for incumbents such that very few districts are expected to be in play in any given election year. With the Republicans currently enjoying a 228-206 advantage, few have dared to suggest that the Democrats have more than a long shot chance to become the majority party.

The Church Gap

The Church Gap | Christian Science Monitor

With a two to one ratio in church-goers voting Republican, the Democrats are launching a campaign to appeal to this voting segment but will it be effective? Will it even have a chance? And is it worth it?

Dear John

Dear Honorable Senator John McCain,

I sincerely hope that since recent reports have raised the specter of a Kerry/McCain Presidential ticket, that you’ve received many letters as the one I now write. It is now 1 week and a day since Richard Clarke’s revealing 60 Minutes interview, and the resulting events of this past week have compelled me to request of you, yet another extraordinary act in service to your country.

Presidential Presence and Presidential Past

Ronald Reagan has died at 93. The plaudits for his contributions to this nation are no doubt deserved. His policies and programs while in office can finally be weighed by history and set to rest. Wherever you saw Mr. Reagan when he was President you were struck by his bearing and charisma.

The Reagan Legacies

I am clearly, fundamentally and unabashedly a liberal Democrat, strange for one raised in a strong Republican family. At the very moment I was allowed to choose my own personal party affiliation I had no question, no doubt which party my ideals most closely paralleled. For nearly twenty-five years I've held that the liberal positions are the most compassionate and the most focused on the well-being of the individual. I've voted accordingly. Admittedly, the vote has often been against the Republican candidate rather than for the Democrat. I can accept that compromise on general principle alone.

Rubber Room at the White House

There is a serious case of election year stress at the White House. The article by Doug Thompson is just one of the sources for that contention. Simply watching George Tenet resign his office and listening to the absolutely false sounding explanations given by Administrative spoke persons regarding this and other matters lately gives one a feeling of Déjà vu if one lived through the last days of Nixon.

A Fallen Leader

President Reagan is dead at 93. Today, my politics and his are far different, but as a kid, he was my president, and it was growing up under his administration that had me identifying myself as a Republican as a child, to my Parent's consternation. It wasn't until I became disgusted at the vicious treatment of Bill Clinton that my moderate tendencies overwhelmed my childhood beliefs and I became a Democrat.

But before that, You could say I was a Bush Republican/Reagan Democrat. Whatever I was, I started from there, and I must acknowledge that debt of history, that presence in my life.

Class Warfare

You have to admire the Republican Party's flexibility. No matter what kind of person the Democrats nominate as their presidential candidate, that kind of person is bad. Hardscrabble background in Arkansas? No class. Wealthy Bostonian? Aristocrat who thinks his you-know-what doesn't stink. This flexibility, which lesser individuals might call hypocrisy, may have reached a new extreme with a little game on the GOP website called Kerryopoly.

An Elegy for Tenet's Tenure

It really is sad that a man who's done an admirable job has to lose his position because other people are such morons when it comes to dealing with the intelligence out there.

Some people have interpreted the new information from Plan of Attack in such a way as to scapegoat George Tenet for the failings of the administration. Though Tenet likely had some bad information amongst that which he presented the president, it must be noted, to be honest, that the Case Tenet said was a slam dunk is not the case the American people were presented with.

Two Alternatives

If the Middle East didn't have any oil, who thinks the region would even be on our radar? The problem is, those guys control a resource that we literally can't get enough of. Gas prices are at a record high and will never again be as low as they were just weeks ago. OPEC finally decided to increase production, but Saudi Arabia is the only OPEC country that has the capacity to do so. We are at the limits of oil production.

Chalabi Curveball Kills Powell

It is sad writing the obituary of a man who to all appearances is still alive. General Powell, Secretary of State Powell, Chairman Powell, is apparently politically dead because of a wicked “curveball”. How the curveball struck him so hard between his ears that his brains leaked out right there, in front of the UN and the whole world is a mystery to some.

Tide turning to the Democrats?

From 2000 to 2003, it seemed that every major contested election went to the Republicans, from Bush to Schwarzenegger. My conservative friends saw this as evidence the country was moving to the right; I hoped it was simply that the Republicans were simply winning more ties than Democrats.

Stephanie Herseth's victory in a special election for the South Dakota House seat may point to a turning tide.

Building The Perfect Nader-ite

In all modesty, one of my greatest strengths is the ability to effectively debate and argue – yet, sometimes to a fault. My 12+ years as a Sales Representative, an affinity for information and knowledge (plus retaining it), and an (evil) stepmother who was a habitual liar, were all principal to its development. I’ve come to characterize it as having a black belt in arguing.