by Maureen Dowd
I’ve been loath to admit that the shrieking lunacy of the summer []had much to do with race.
Some people just can’t believe a black man is president and will never accept it.
Boy, oh, Boy
Prolife, my @$$
George Tiller, advocate for reproductive rights for women, shot to death serving as usher at church
There are no words for how angry I am.
Wall Street’s Best Investment II: 12 Deregulatory Steps to Financial Meltdown
What can $5 billion buy in Washington?
Quite a lot.
Over the 1998-2008 period, the financial sector spent more than $5 billion on U.S. federal campaign contributions and lobbying expenditures.
This extraordinary investment paid off fabulously. Congress and executive agencies rolled back long-standing regulatory restraints, refused to impose new regulations on rapidly evolving and mushrooming areas of finance, and shunned calls to enforce rules still in place.
“Sold Out: How Wall Street and Washington Betrayed America,” a report released by Essential Information and the Consumer Education Foundation (and which I co-authored), details a dozen crucial deregulatory moves over the last decade — each a direct response to heavy lobbying from Wall Street and the broader financial sector, as the report details. (The report is available here.) Combined, these deregulatory moves helped pave the way for the current financial meltdown.
Here are 12 deregulatory steps to financial meltdown: (more…)
Kicking retirees when they’re down
Related:
Virtually without challenge, Pete Peterson claims to be a champion of the middle class. But his proposals would actually cut taxes for the rich and benefits for middle-income people.
Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait
“Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history.”
That is what he said. That is what Abraham Lincoln said.
“Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this congress and this administration will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance or insignificance can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor to the latest generation. We, even we here, hold the power and bear the responsibility.” [Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862]
He was born in Kentucky, raised in Indiana, and lived in Illinois. And this is what he said. This is what Abe Lincoln said.
“The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves and then we will save our country.” [Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862]
When standing erect he was six feet four inches tall, and this is what he said.
He said: “It is the eternal struggle between two principles, right and wrong, throughout the world. It is the same spirit that says ‘you toil and work and earn bread, and I’ll eat it.’ No matter in what shape it comes, whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation, and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle.” [Lincoln-Douglas debates, 15 October 1858]
Lincoln was a quiet man. Abe Lincoln was a quiet and a melancholy man. But when he spoke of democracy, this is what he said.
He said: “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy.”
Abraham Lincoln, sixteenth president of these United States, is everlasting in the memory of his countrymen. For on the battleground at Gettysburg, this is what he said:
He said: “That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion. That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. That this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.”
Merry Christmas All!
WHAT
I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS.
Robert Green Ingersoll
The Arena,
Boston, December 1897.
..If I had the power
to produce exactly what I want for next Christmas, I would have all the kings
and emperors resign and allow the people to govern themselves.
I would have all the
nobility crop their titles and give their lands back to the people.
I would
have the Pope throw away his tiara, take off his sacred vestments, and admit
that he is not acting for God — is not infallible — but is just an ordinary
Italian.
I would have all the cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests and
clergymen admit that they know nothing about theology, nothing about hell
or heaven, nothing about the destiny of the human race, nothing about devils
or ghosts, gods or angels.
I would have them tell all their “flocks” to think
for themselves, to be manly men and womanly women, and to do all in their
power to increase the sum of human happiness.
I would have all the
professors in colleges, all the teachers in schools of every kind, including
those in Sunday schools, agree that they would teach only what they know,
that they would not palm off guesses as demonstrated truths.
I would like to see all
the politicians changed to statesmen, — to men who long to make their country
great and free, — to men who care more for public good than private gain
– men who long to be of use.
I would like to see all
the editors of papers and magazines agree to print the truth and nothing but
the truth, to avoid all slander and misrepresentation, and to let the private
affairs of the people alone.
I would like to see drunkenness
and prohibition both abolished.
I would like to see corporal
punishment done away with in every home, in every school, in every asylum,
reformatory, and prison.
Cruelty hardens and degrades, kindness reforms and
ennobles.
I would like to see the
millionaires unite and form a trust for the public good.
I would like to see a
fair division of profits between capital and labor, so that the toiler could
save enough to mingle a little June with the December of his life.
I would like to see an
international court established in which to settle disputes between nations,
so that armies could be disbanded and the great navies allowed to rust and
rot in perfect peace.
I would like to see the
whole world free — free from injustice — free from superstition.
This will do for next
Christmas. The following Christmas, I may want more.
STEAL BACK YOUR VOTE!
Thanks for downloading the STEAL BACK YOUR VOTE INVESTIGATIVE COMIC BOOK!
Click Here to download the comic book.
Click here to download the Palast/Kennedy Rolling Stone article.
Thanks to the support of thousands of generous donors we are now able to offer the download of the Kennedy/Palast investigative comic “Steal Back Your Vote!” for free.
Democracy for America (http://www.democracyforamerica.com/) and Code Pink (http://www.codepink4peace.org) are spreading the word to their membership list – will you join them in getting it out to yours? Please send out the message below.
Thanks to the support of thousands of generous donors we are now able to offer the download of the Kennedy/Palast investigative comic “Steal Back Your Vote!” for free.
Spread the word – our servers can take it – we have a goal of 100,000 downloads by the end of the week – help us get the word out – tell everyone you know to go to http://www.StealBackYourVote.org and download the guide for FREE – or if you can – support our investigations and donate. Put our banners on your site (http://www.gregpalast.com/please-link-to-us/), grab a page from the guide and put it up on your blog . Embed the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. video PSA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azYH5qVH90M) to your blog.
Tell your family, friends and enemies that if they go to http://www.StealBackYourVote.org they can download the full color investigative comic book written by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Greg Palast featuring art by the graphic gonzo’s Ted Rall, Lukas Ketner and Troubletown’s Lloyd Dangle. Download the guide and find out what really is happening in the scary world of election theft, and find out how you can protect your vote in 7 easy steps.
Jesse Jackson of Rainbow/PUSH tells you to “Download it now and fight back!”
Print it out – OR Save your ink (the one thing still more expensive than gas these days…)
Congressman Rebukes McCain for Recent Rallies
WASHINGTON — Representative John Lewis, the Georgia Democrat and civil rights leader, said Saturday that Senator John McCain and his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, were “sowing the seeds of hatred and division” in a way that reminded him of former Gov. George Wallace and “another destructive period” in the nation’s history.
John Lewis: McCain, Palin “sowing seeds of hatred and division”
Frank Rich’s “The Terrorist Barack Hussein Obama”
Some voters told reporters that they didn’t want Obama to run, let alone win, should his very presence unleash the demons who have stalked America from Lincoln to King. After consultation with Congress, Michael Chertoff, the homeland security secretary, gave Obama a Secret Service detail earlier than any presidential candidate in our history — in May 2007, some eight months before the first Democratic primaries.
“I’ve got the best protection in the world, so stop worrying,” Obama reassured his supporters. Eventually the country got conditioned to his appearing in large arenas without incident (though I confess that the first loud burst of fireworks at the end of his convention stadium speech gave me a start). In America, nothing does succeed like success. The fear receded.
Until now. At McCain-Palin rallies, the raucous and insistent cries of “Treason!” and “Terrorist!” and “Kill him!” and “Off with his head!” as well as the uninhibited slinging of racial epithets, are actually something new in a campaign that has seen almost every conceivable twist. They are alarms. Doing nothing is not an option.
US Taxpayers are Being Enrolled in an Economic Chain Gang
“To preserve their [the people's] independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our selection between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude” – Thomas Jefferson
Assist immediately please
Dear Madame/Sir:
Compliments of the day. I need to ask you to support an urgent secret business relationship with a transfer of funds of great magnitude.
I am Ministry of the Treasury of the Republic of America. My country has had crisis that has caused the need for large transfer of funds of 800 billion USD. If you would assist me in this transfer, it would be most profitable to you.
I am working with Mr. Phil Gramm, lobbyist for UBS, who (God willing) will be my replacement as Ministry of the Treasury in January. As a former U.S. congressional leader and the architect of the PALIN / McCain Financial Doctrine, you may know him as the leader of the American banking deregulation movement in the 1990s. As such, you can be assured that this transaction is 100% safe.
This is a matter of great urgency. We need a blank check. We need the funds as quickly as possible. We cannot directly transfer these funds in the names of our close friends because we are constantly under surveillance. My family lawyer advised me that I should look for a reliable and trustworthy person who will act as a next of kin so the funds can be transferred.
Please reply with all of your bank account, IRA and college fund account numbers and those of your children and grandchildren to wallstreetbailout@treasury.gov so that we may transfer your commission for this transaction. After I receive that information, I will respond with detailed information about safeguards that will be used to protect the funds.
Yours Faithfully in the Name of God,
Minister of Treasury Paulson
Show Your Support for a Responsible Economic Recovery Plan
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We are facing a financial crisis as profound as any we have faced since the Great Depression. Congress and the President are currently debating a bailout of our financial institutions with a price tag of $700 billion in taxpayer dollars. We cannot underestimate our responsibility in taking such an enormous step. Please sign on to show your support for an economic recovery plan based on these guiding principles:
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Want to help Obama win?
Hey-
Been looking for a direct way to help Obama win? You should know about Vote
Today Ohio.
http://www.actblue.com/page/votetodayohio>It’s a simple, grassroots plan to take advantage of a new wrinkle in Ohio’s
election law. For one “Golden Week,” Sept 29 to Oct 6, any Ohio citizen can
walk into an early voting center, register, AND vote on the spot. During
that time, hundreds of Vote Today Ohio volunteers will blanket the state to
drive new voters from campuses and urban hot spots to Early Vote centers.
Simple, targeted, smart. (See below for a more complete explanation.)
If fully funded, we think we can bank 10,000 early votes for Obama in Ohio –
votes that can’t be lost to long lines, broken machines and Republican
tampering on election day. No, we won’t win the election by ourselves. But
Ohio is the #1 battleground state in 2008, and we can’t afford to let one
single Obama vote slip through our hands.
*If you want Obama to win as much as I do, you can do four things:*
*
*
*1. Lend us your car or home*. Our volunteers need wheels to drive voters to
the polls, and beds to sleep in all over Ohio. Can you spare either for the
week? If so, contact
cristina.moon@gmail.com.*
*
*2. Volunteer.* Get yourself to Ohio, preferably in a large car, by Sept 28.
We’ll give you housing, training and a meaningful job for the week. Fill out
the Online Sign-Up
Sheet,<
http://www.tatehausman.com/join-me-in-ohio-to-win-the-election/>hosted
(for now) on Tate’s blog.
*3. Donate*. Help us pay for vans, gas and posters. Our overhead is fully
funded, so donations go directly to producing votes. We’re looking for
generous individuals or teams of friends to *sponsor one van* — $750 for
the week. That’s a tangible, meaningful donation. If we run our program
right, each van should deliver about 250 voters. Make an online donation
here:
http://www.actblue.com/page/votetodayohio.<http://www.actblue.com/page/votetodayohio>To
send a check, see the end of this email.
*4. Spread the word.* Send this email to friends who want to put their butts
on the line for Obama, especially in Ohio! Or, pass it along to donors
looking to make a big difference.
This is a truly grassroots effort. Every volunteer, every vehicle and every
dollar counts. Read up on the campaign below, and then please be in touch if
you have ideas about how to support us.
*VOTE TODAY OHIO*
How to Bank 10,000 Progressive Votes Early and Win in Ohio
Two years ago, Ohio changed its voting laws in a way that creates an
extraordinary opportunity for progressives to win Ohio, and thus the
election.
Vote Today Ohio will use this change to lock down 10,000 progressive votes
before election day — critical insurance against the kinds of GOP dirty
tricks and election day problems that affected our past two presidential
elections.
For a 7-day “Golden Week,” from Sept 30 – Oct 6, Ohio residents can walk
into an early voting center, register to vote, and vote on the spot. This
has never been possible before. Why does it matter? Because it takes what is
normally a two-step process (register, wait a month, THEN vote) and turns it
into a one-step process (register AND vote at the same time). For
progressive organizers, that creates a much more efficient way to bring new
voters into the process AND lock down their votes, before they can be
manipulated, stolen or lost.
During this new Golden Week, Vote Today Ohio aims to turn out 10,000
progressive voters from two kinds of locations — college campuses, and
urban gathering spots. The model is simple: teams of five organizers will
drive students / young people from campuses / urban centers to early
votingcenters. Organizers will use music and a party atmosphere to
draw in new
voters — instead of knock and drag, it’s rock and drag.
The Vote Today Ohio model is intentionally experimental. Ohio law has never
allowed progressives to run this kind of program before. So a large part of
the goal is to discover if Ohio’s rule change can be positively exploited
for electoral gain, and whether we can.
*TEAM*
Vote Today Ohio is led by a team of experienced political and youth
organizers:
Amy Little
Political consultant, 30 years experience directing electoral, issue and
civic engagement campaigns, National Field Director US Action (‘04
cycle), Senior
Advisor to Congressman John Hall (current)
Billy Wimsatt
Former Executive Director of the League of Young Voters, best-selling
author, networking genius
Tate Hausman
Progressive organizer with a dozen years experience, four national electoral
campaigns, Director of 2004’s Slam Bush campaign
Cristina Moon
Executive Director of 8-8-08 For Burma, well known student organizer and
campus speaker
*THE PLAN IN MORE DETAIL*
• 20 Teams = 10,000 votes: Vote Today Ohio will recruit 12 teams of campus
organizers and 8 teams of urban organizers (for a total of 80 organizers).
Most teams will have 5 members — two drivers, two street team organizers,
one team leader. Each team will be responsible for delivering 500 votes for
the week (~72 / day). Total = 10,000 votes.
• Preparation: In the days leading up to early voting week, teams will
plaster their campuses / urban centers with materials about early voting
week. Team leaders will generate publicity in school newspapers, radio
stations, and via online campus channels, Facebook<
http://www.facebook.com/>,etc.
• Logistics: During early voting week, teams will set up vote ferry
stations, where students can get a ride to a polling station in a Vote Today
Ohio van. Two drivers will run continuous ferries to and from polling
stations.
• Training and GOTV: Each team will be instruct voters on Ohio new voting
rights, rules and regulations. Organizers and van drivers will be given
talking points and coached on how to recruit voters as Early Vote Volunteers
who can then turn out their social networks. Volunteers will also be
re-recruited for continuing persuasion and GOTV activities from Oct 6 – Nov
4.
• Non-van GOTV: Any voter who wants to register but can’t vote early will
have the opportunity to register and sign up for an absentee ballot.
Organizers will get mobile phone numbers from these voters to send follow-up
text messages (which proved in 2006 to be the single most cost effective
GOTV reminder tool, raising turnout by 4% versus a control group).
*Target Campuses:*
• Ohio State University (2 teams)
• Ohio University (2 Teams)
• University of Toledo (1 Team)
• University of Cincinnati (1 Team)
• Kent State (1 Team)
• University of Dayton (1 Team)
• Cuyahoga Community College (1 Team)
• Cleveland State (1 Team)
• Miami University of Ohio (1 Team)
• Bowling Green State (1 Team)
*Target Urban Areas:*
• Columbus (2 Teams)
• Cleveland (2 Teams)
• Cincinnati (2 Teams)
• Dayton (1 Team)
• Toledo (1 Team)
*SUPPORT*
To support this project, please visit our Act Blue page:
http://www.actblue.com/page/votetodayohio
Count the Lies
John McCain may be trying to sell himself as a “maverick” and a “straight talker” who will tell the truth no matter the consequences, but independent, non-partisan watchdog groups aren’t buying it. But, since he wrapped up his party’s nomination, John McCain has offered more of the same false attacks and smears. To date, independent, nonpartisan fact checkers have published more than 50 fact checks debunking John McCain’s lies and distortions.
McCain’s Health Records Must Be Released
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Dear Concerned Voter,
The state of John McCain’s health is an issue of grave concern for all Americans, regardless of political persuasion. Given the fact that he has been treated for an invasive melanoma and other maladies, it is important that he release his full health records.
For a very brief three hours in May, McCain released 1,173 pages of his medical records to a carefully selected group of reporters. They were not allowed to make any copies or phone calls. Why such secrecy?
We have enlisted a group of doctors from around the country to lead the effort to make sure the public is able to see and make judgments for themselves. Secrecy is not of service to our democracy, transparency is. Please have other doctors sign the open letter.
Watch the video and sign the open letter.
Cancer is a serious issue. That’s why 30 medical doctors have already signed our open letter telling McCain to issue a full, public disclosure of all his medical records. Send this video far and wide to request that McCain release his full health records. Ask every medical doctor you know to sign onto the letter, and don’t forget to sign the letter yourself! McCain’s records must be made public and soon.
While McCain doesn’t really care about our health care, we all should care about the health of McCain.
Yours,
Robert Greenwald
and everyone at Brave New Films
Nasty Anti-Obama Push Poll Launched In Ohio
When I said that I was voting for Obama, they asked if I would be more or less likely to vote for Obama if I knew that he voted to let convicted child sex offenders out early, voted to allow convicted child sex offenders to live near schools, is for sex education in Kindergarten, voted for some offensive and incredibly graphic abortion procedure, and so on and so on for 5 minutes.
Tell The Media to Call Sarah Palin a Serial Liar
Join me in signing the “Tell The Media to Call Sarah Palin a Serial Liar” petition at:
http://www.democrats.com/call-sarah-palin-a-serial-liar
You can help make this petition a success by sharing this petition with your friends and family. Petitions will succeed only by word of mouth, and every signature makes a difference! Simply send your friends this link:
http://www.democrats.com/call-sarah-palin-a-serial-liar?source=donkeyod%40gmail.com
Thank you again for making a difference!
Bob Fertik
Democrats.com
77+ Things To Know About Sarah Palin
Be aware that the media and Sarah spewer of hate Palin are going to try to falsely claim that liberal bloggers are attacking her children and that Palin is being attacked because of her gender. It’s a smear. Here are the issues and facts we are exposing about her. That’s much different.
via DailyKos
Thank General Clark for His Straight Talk, Tell Him To Not Back
Sunday, on Face the Nation, General Wesley Clark spoke honestly and bluntly about what it takes to be Commander in Chief. In doing so, while he said Senator John McCain’s service made him a hero to millions, including Clark himself, that experience does not trump the poor judgment that Senator McCain has shown on some of the most important issues in recent years.
What General Clark said was right, but the right-wing has been in an uproar. And even CNN accused Clark of “swift-boating” McCain. We need to fight back.
SIGN OUR PETITION THANKING GENERAL CLARK AND TELLING HIM TO NOT BACK DOWN
Let’s show General Clark that we have his back, and will not stand for any attempts to shut down this important debate.
GOP Reps advised to avoid party brand
From Politico: By MIKE ALLEN (full article here )
A new playbook for House Republicans urges them to run essentially as independents, showing empathy for voters, emphasizing local issues and ignoring many traditional party campaign practices.
(more…)
Time Magazine uncritically prints Nancy Pelosi’s “justifications” for the FISA “compromise”
It’s hardly news that Time Magazine’s principal function is uncritically to amplify false claims from government officials, but this article by Massimo Calabresi — entitled “Behind the Compromise on Spying” — is such a masterpiece in spouting simplistic government propaganda and rank falsehoods that it is revealing on numerous levels.
Remember Tim Russert
With Russert gone, Sunday will never be the same
Our view: A father we all can be proud of
For Tim Russert, success began with lessons from home
Russert’s passion showed in religion, family, work, sports
The Gold Standard Tim Russert’s legacy—in politics and in life
Tributes To Tim Russert — and Questions For NBC
Tim Russert: A personal remembrance
A Video Tribute To Tim Russert, Dead Today At 58 a la Wonkette
Luke Russert, son of the late moderator of “Meet the Press” Tim Russert, touches the empty chair that was left behind by his father on the set of the show after a taping of “Meet the Press” in memory of Russert in Washington June 15, 2008.
Fox News refers to Michelle Obama as `Baby Mama’
The graphic “Outraged liberals: Stop picking on Obama’s baby mama” was flashed during an interview with conservative columnist Michelle Malkin about whether Barack Obama’s wife has been the target of unfair criticism.
Investigate the Propaganda Pundits
From Free Press:
Dear Friend,
The Pentagon is infiltrating the media with pro-war propaganda.
The scheme reaches all the way to the Bush White House, where top officials recruited dozens of “military analysts” to spread favorable views of the war via every major news channel — without revealing they were working from Pentagon scripts and often lobbying for major military contractors looking to cash in on the war.
This is a violation of every conceivable standard of journalism — and possibly of federal law.
Take action at: https://secure.freepress.net/site/SPageNavigator/Punditsol
Hey you libertarian deregulation devotees and believers in the benevolence of Business…
Endocrine disruptors are perfectly okay! The plastics industry says so and they must have our best interests at heart! Right?
Learn about BPA, what it is and why you should care that it leaches from the plastic in baby bottles, the lining of all of the alumimum cans we drink from, and more… It’s in 93% of us. Studies funded by corporations found no problems with the chemical. Independent studies showed that BPA causes testicular, breast cancer, diabetes, obesity, miscarriage, hyperactivity in lab animals. Hmm. And where do our [corporatist] government regulators stand? On the side of the industry of course.
Find out more by watching Bill Moyers Journal which aired today.
and by reading the expose referenced in it…
WARNING: The chemical bisphenol A has been known to pose severe health risks to laboratory animals. AND THE CHEMICAL IS IN YOU.
Sen. Robert Byrd, one-time KKK member, backs Barack Obama
Byrd, as an outspoken foe of the Iraq war from the start, was attracted by Obama’s similar credential, as he mentions in his endorsement statement. But Byrd, having passed on active involvement in his state’s primary, could have remained neutral; the fact that he chose not to is more evidence that, in the view of most Democratic bigwigs, Clinton’s nomination hopes range from slim and none.
Obama tells Tenn.’s GOP: ‘Lay off my wife’
“The GOP, should I be the nominee, can say whatever they want to say about me, my track record,” Obama said. “If they think that they’re going to try to make Michelle an issue in this campaign, they should be careful because that I find unacceptable, the notion that you start attacking my wife or my family.”
Official Urged Fewer Diagnoses of PTSD
“Given that we are having more and more compensation seeking veterans, I’d like to suggest that you refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD straight out,” Norma Perez wrote in a March 20 e-mail to mental-health specialists and social workers at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Center in Temple, Tex. Instead, she recommended that they “consider a diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder.”
All the President’s Nazis (real and imagined): An Open Letter to Bush
Your speech on the Knesset floor today was not only a disgrace; it was nothing short of treachery. Worse still, your exploitation of the Holocaust in a country carved out of the wounds of that very crime, in order to strike a low blow at American citizens whose politics differs from your own is unforgivable and unpardonable.
Obama criticizes McCain, Bush on appeasement talk
“I’m a strong believer in civility and I’m a strong believer in a bipartisan foreign policy, but that cause is not served with dishonest, divisive attacks of the sort that we’ve seen out of George Bush and John McCain over the last couple days, ” Obama told about 2,000 voters at a town hall-style meeting in a livestock barn.
Obama said McCain had a “naive and irresponsible belief that tough talk from Washington will somehow cause Iran to give up its nuclear program and support for terrorism.”
Any full-blooded Americans around here?
I didn’t think so.
By the way, didn’t we eradicate the full-blooded ‘Americans’ we met when we got here…?
…oh, and F@ck You, Kathleen Parker.
