The Condi Hearings--WMD Again?

Condi, Condi, Condi
by Steve Earl

Oh Condi Condi beggin’ on my knees
Open up your heart and let me in wontcha please
Got no money but everybody knows
I love you Condi and I’ll never let you go
Sweet and dandy pretty as can be
You be the flower and I’ll be the bumble bee
Oh she loves me oops she loves me not
People say you’re cold but I think you’re hot

Oh, Condi, Condi
Oh, Condi, Condi

Oh Condi, Condi I’m talkin’ to you girl
What’s it gonna hurt come on give me a whirl
Shake your body now let me see you go
One time for me Oh Condi I love you so
Skank for me Condi show me what you got
They say you’re too uptight I say you’re not
Dance around me spinnin’ like a top
Oh Condi Condi Condi don’t ever stop

Oh Condi Condi Can’t you hear me call
I’m standin’ in the street outside your garden wall
Pocketful of money belly full of wine
Condi in my heart and romance on my mind
Listen to me Condi don’t be afraid
I come here tonight to chase your blues away
I’ll never hurt you I’ll treat you right
Oh Condaleeza won’t you come out tonight

Pretty little Condi precious as can be
Bet you never had another lover like me

*Said and sung in total sarcasm.

For another view, the L.A. Times recently considered the Rice nomination and found some redeeming social value:

EDITORIAL
Rice's Promising Start

January 10, 2005

When President Bush nominated his loyal national security advisor, Condoleezza Rice, to run the State Department, hard-liners hoped she would purge it of moderates who pushed for more diplomacy and better relations with U.S. allies.

But Rice's first big moves since her nomination — picking U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick as her deputy and prompting the resignation of Undersecretary of State John Bolton — indicate that she is taking a measured approach that is already being greeted with approval in Europe.

In contrast to neoconservative pit bull Bolton, Zoellick is a staunch internationalist. He played a key role in negotiations with the former Soviet Union to bring about the peaceful reunification of Germany. He will not revel in actions such as Bolton's needless attacks on the United Nations and sabotaging of its 2001 bioweapons conference. Bolton also deliberately deep-sixed nuclear disarmament talks with North Korea and undermined Secretary of State Colin Powell by publicly attacking its leader, Kim Jong Il.

Zoellick has more moderate underpinnings, but he is no pushover. He cut his political teeth working for a famously flinty negotiator, James A. Baker III, when Baker was secretary of State under the first President Bush. Zoellick, who was in the Reagan Treasury Department as well, has since been a tough negotiator in U.S. trade talks. In Zoellick's words, "Negotiating a free-trade agreement with the U.S. is not something one has a right to — it's a privilege." Zoellick's accomplishments include bringing China and Taiwan into the World Trade Organization and easing congressional passage of the Trade Act of 2002.

Rice is reportedly tapping other former colleagues from the George H.W. Bush presidency, including Philip Zelikow, who was a staff director of the Sept. 11 commission and who later co-wrote a book with Rice about German reunification.

Rice is reaching out to professionals rather than ideologues. Moderation and competence may be boring, but they are virtues that the Bush administration needs. With her closeness to the president, Rice could ensure that the State Department is more than a doormat in Bush's second term.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-state10jan10,1,5571965.story?coll=la-news-comment-editorials

a cool web site ofr the religious left..

http://www.cafepress.com/turn_left

gees....ofr = for

Jim wallis is in the news which is great. This is from last month's Sojourners.

Bob's comment:
- I wish all would subscribe as they do a lot of good for the poor and prisoners.
- Ohio must have been stolen. There is no way they could vote for Bush. The suffering is too great.

http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&issue=soj0412&article=041251
[snip]
Cleveland is now ground zero for poverty in America - the poorest big city in America with an appalling 47 percent of its children below the poverty line. But the city’s religious communities are seeing that as an opportunity to unite in "Greater Clevelanders Together Overcoming Poverty." In nearby Akron, the stories of those who had lost jobs were devastating, causing people to "live in fear." And, said the director of a jobs center, "This fear is not from a foreign threat." We heard similar stories in Pittsburgh.

And another great blog topic, and great link, Casey! I tried to watch Condi on the video, but I just can't stand more than a minute. It breaks my heart to see JK not as President-elect, but then it also gives me hope that there will be some sort of opposition in Congress, even if the republicans are in the majority.

We should merge Condi's WMD video testimony with Bush's video looking for WMDs under the furniture..
A future campaign ad maybe?

Battlebob:

I heard from an e-mail that Jim Wallis is making a major push now for religious progressives, and we should be seeing more about him as he has a new book out entitled "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It."

http://www.harpercollins.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0060558288

I haven't read the book yet, but I'm all for moderation and progressive social practices seeping into the religious political discussion--the fundie stuff is scary.

Beth,

More info on Wallis, from a previous thread:

January 17, 2005
Democrats Turn to Leader of Religious Left
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

Democrats, reeling from the Republicans' success at courting churchgoers, are focusing new attention on a religious and political anomaly: Jim Wallis, one of the few prominent left-leaning leaders among evangelical Protestants.

At the start of the Congressional session, Senate Democrats invited Mr. Wallis to address their members at a private session to discuss issues. A group of about 15 House Democrats invited him to a breakfast discussion about dispelling their party's secular image. And NBC News has enlisted him to appear as a guest during its inauguration coverage opposite Dr. James C. Dobson, one of the most prominent evangelical conservatives.

Last week, Mr. Wallis's publisher, a religious imprint of HarperCollins, released his new book, "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It," moving it up from a publication date this spring to coincide with the inauguration. It immediately jumped to the top of the best-seller list at Amazon.com, where it hovered between No. 2 and No. 7 over the weekend.

Mr. Wallis, the founder and editor of the Christian magazine Sojourners, has written two previous books on similar themes, "Who Speaks for God?" and "The Soul of Politics," without making much of a splash, but since the November presidential election he has drawn a new level of attention, especially from Democrats and liberals.
[SNIP]

MORE:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/17/politics/17wallis.html?ex=1263704400&en=8a0d2c7859c16537&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland

Thanks, Bob! Great article--glad to see it's getting publicity. The e-mail I got was forwarded from Sojourners by guy in our peace group who's a regular Sojourners' reader. They're pushing for people to buy the book so that it makes news, and Wallis is going to be crossing the country, looking for speaking engagements and trying to advance this cause. Wallis seems to me to be a decent man, not driven not by profit of book sales, but by the desire to take back religion, ethics, and morals from the clutches of the "religious right".

Another topic: I just saw this highlighted on the Dauo Report--was this also in an earlier thread here? "JOHNKERRY.COM New Kerry Petition: President Bush, for the sake of our troops, replace Rumsfeld now New..."

http://www.daoureport.com/

That links to here:

http://www.johnkerry.com/petition/rumsfeld2.php

I know that Kerry called for Rumsfeld's resignation two Novembers ago--is this a recent action by Kerry, I wonder?

Beth,

It's very recent -- from just a few hours ago. Pamela posted it after she put it up on her site:
http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=243

Posted by: Beth C. at January 18, 2005 06:18 PM

I ordered his book this morning..
Wallis mentions that emergency food pantries and food lines were to be temporary solutions. They are now part of the infrastructure.
In Phoenix, we are seeing the same people in need for years. I am sorry to say, but I am on first name basis with half of those to whom I serve meals at a homeless restaurant. They have been destitute that long. Newborn kids are growing up homeless and at 5 or 6 can not speak and forget about reading.
We have a school for homeless kids (grades k-12) - Pampus - that exists by donations and will physically drive around and pick the kids up. The trick is getting the kids in there as often the parents move around a lot.
One of the problems I have with Bush allowing religion and charities to mix is there is no demand for accountability. Churches don’t have to account where the money went and no one knows if churches are denying service to someone based on religious preferences. Charities are supposed to account where the money came from. Some charities have rigorous accounting practices and some don’t. Bush has opened up a gold seam for unscrupulous churches to essentially print money.
They can funnel tax dollars into their own charitable organizations and no one knows. They can deny aid to someone based on religious preferences.
They can provide aid only if the needy accept religious instruction.
The really insidious one is tax dollars can replace church dollars and the church can put their money in other projects – like a building fund - and no one knows the difference.
These acts are supposed to be illegal but needy people aren’t very choosy. If you are hungry, you may take aid with strings attached.

Glad to know that, Bob. I want so much to see John Kerry stand up and become a leader of the opposition!

Call me an idealist. Just have to share this quote I read of Martin Luther King--talking about the Vietnam War:

"I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a "thing-oriented" society to a "person-oriented" society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered."--MLK, from "Beyond Vietnam...." MLK--April 4, 1967, Riverside Church, New York City.

The man really was incredible. I highly recommend reading the quotes in the Alternet article--his thoughts on peace and war are eerily apt today...

Cited by Alternet: http://www.alternet.org/story/21003/

My comment "Glad to know that" were to Bob Evans comment--I'm certainly not glad to read from Battlebob about the recurrent homeless patrons at the restaurant.

I finally just read "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt, which was so big in the 1990s. Seems completely apt for this discussion in that it describes incredible abject poverty and a religious institution and government that showed little compassion for the poor.

Sorry, Casey, we've certainly deviated from the Condi Rice topic!

For those who have not signed yet, here are links to the AFL/CIO and MoveOn petitions to protect Social Security:

AFL/CIO petition:
www.unionvoice.org/campaign/ProtectSocialSecurity

MoveOn petition:
http://www.moveon.org/socialsecurity/

Sorry, the AFL/CIO complete link:

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/ProtectSocialSecurity

Thanks for posting the link to Condi's confirmation video. Here is another recent article about Condi and Obama:

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6835185/

Senator Boxer's grilling was satisfactory- notice how Condi is defensive of her "credibility" and relationship to "the truth", which in this day and age are the only things we can really rely on and which are so often threatened or destroyed.

Who is credible in this day and age? What is credibility? If you contradict yourself, flip-flop around assertive statements, do you become unreliable? This is the story of the 2004 election, and it will continue to be the story of media and bureaucracy politics for the considerable future.

How can you save your credibility?

Speak truth to power, and never malign reality.

I've been researching Republican strategy these last two days. Here is a good example of how the Republicans have spread their message - from a friend:

"Amy, do you have the prosperity project on your list? They got almost as many hits as the two presidential campaigns combined in the run-up to the election. They make it easy for businesses to use their intranets to spread the Republican message." Check it out at this link:

http://www.bipac.net/page.asp?g=NAM&content=Interm_P2&parent=NAM

Andrew, I laughed out loud when I heard Condi say "please don't malign my intergrity." ROTFLMBO!!!

First, what integrity?
Second, no one maligned it more than she herself did.
Third, isn't that what these hearings are supposed to do? Make sure the nominee has integrity?

How can someone with such a high IQ be such an airhead?

Kerry's great questioning Condi right now.

Bush is blathering about needing better human intelligence.
As far as the presidency is concerned, we need a more intelligent human.

For Ira from the last thread -

Regarding the district collectively endorsing one candidate for chair - I have no problem with people sending emails to their representatives to convey their preferences on anything.

What I was objecting to was the "collective" part - they want the whole district to endorse one candidate en mass, and they want the county to endorse only one candidate to the governor.

That leaves my voice out, and it is that to which I object.

Nice spin CNN... pls show me how this is "upbeat"????

Poll: Americans upbeat about next four years
Bush rates higher on security, lower on domestic issues

(CNN) -- A majority of Americans see improving military security as President Bush's only major first term achievement, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released Tuesday.

But the poll showed that while confidence in Bush's ability to use military force wisely and handle an international crisis is still strong, it has slipped since his first inauguration.

Nevertheless, most of those polled see Bush as an honest, trustworthy and strong leader, believe he has a clear plan for the economy and think he will improve education and moral values in his second term.

Lovely. Condi just said (replay) that she and president bush are committed to spreading freedom and democracy to the rest of the world the way the brought it to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Never mind the moral implications - who's going to pay for all this invading? Corporations? The ones paying for the party?

Where is the outrage of the American people? Why are we not more than 48%?

Oh, wait a minute.... touch screens.

this is a test of the pcdoc ability system....this is only a test...doc

oops...looks like i fail...since you all can see the post ;)...sry....kerry on!

Docabilly? Is that a new genre, pc?

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain . . .

http://www.bipac.net/page.asp?g=NAM&content=Interm_P2&parent=NAM

Posted by: Amy at January 18, 2005 07:19 PM

Amy

The Repubs do seem to have the Business market cornered these days. Between the Chamber of Commerce and NAM, they are pushing their agendas.

Last month I suggested here that anyone like myself who is a small business owner should join their local Chamber of Commerce. Point being, we need to infiltrate these organizations with Dems and liberals. Not all business owners are Republicans and if we don't get involved with groups like this that should be bi-partisan, we're missing the boat.

doc doc goose... democracy on the loose!

Marc,

LOL Looks like he's testing his newest brainstorm -- posts you CAN'T see. Stealth posts! Wonder why no one thought of that before?

Torture has its uses, says US security chief

THE outgoing head of the US Department of Homeland Security has said torture may be used in certain cases in order to prevent a major loss of life...

http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=53602005

Report: Bush's 'Clear Skies' is a step backwards

The Bush administration's "Clear Skies" proposal to rewrite the nation's chief air-quality rules for power plants would not reduce pollution as much as existing Clean Air Act regulations, according to an interim report by the National Academy of Sciences...

http://www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/usa.shtml#17166

'Abstinence only' sex education undermines the war on HIV/AIDS

http://www.onlinejournal.com/Commentary/011805Shaw/011805shaw.html

Any questions from JK really memorable? Overall demeanor, othen than fabulous?

I'm conducting a state-by-state investigation into the content and user-friendliness of the state party websites. The Dems are losing miserably. WA is the worst. Yuk, this is painful.

http://www.arizonayr.com

Arizona Young Republicans - I heard it's been hacked.

Amy
This is part of what I mean about we need to clean up our infrastructure!! No more phone bankers locked out & waiting. No more lists with people who have moved or never lived there.

doc doc goose... democracy on the loose!

Posted by: Marc Trager at January 18, 2005 08:26 PM

On the contrary my Dear Watson...

Behind closed doors (or private blogs) democracy dies.

Free Your Mind!!!

And have the voice to speak up, speak out and be heard!!!

Dianne, I see Paul Berendt already endorsed Dean for chair fo the DNC. Do you know him at all? Is his judgment good? LOL

Posted by: DiAnne at January 18, 2005 09:02 PM

WOW!!! Bravo!!! This is the best thing that's happened since.. since... since Clinton won!

Sorry if I'm repeating, but that MSNBC video of Kerry was all about Condi doing her controlled, we are bringing democracy to Iraq schtick, and running out the clock like the 9/11 hearing. Very little Kerry. I am sure there was one more informative and contentious. Surpised they didn't use it. Not.

Posted by: Amy at January 18, 2005 08:56 PM

http://www.blogforarizona.com/ is not a very pretty site but it has a lot of links..

Posted by: DiAnne at January 18, 2005 09:02 PM

It wasn't me...I gave up hacking sites for Lent...

So, what were Kerry's questions and how did Condi respond to him? Were the other Senators deferential to him?

I've been doing a lot of research on the net over the last week or so. Looking at Republican sites and Democrat sites, blogs I'm not familiar with, etc.

One thing really stands out to me with regard to the Dems - there is a single divisive faction, and it is the "Deaniacs." I'm getting more concerned than ever about this after reading on Democracy for America. Here is a sample from today:

"Go Dean! and good bye McAwful."

Posted by katrina in nh at January 18, 2005 05:48 PM
---
"Kerry so totally sucked up to Condi it was disgusting. And I'm not that easily disgusted."

Posted by Free Spirit at January 18, 2005 08:02 PM

Keep in mind, it's Dems they're talking about. The blog is full of this kind of mocking of other Dems. It reflects badly on Dean, but it does worse than that.

The fact that these self-appointed superior beings label themselves "Dean" everything ( i.e. Deaniacs, the Dean Dozen...)is very telling as well - it says, "I want to separate myself from the rest of the Democrats."

I see danger here. Am I alone in this?

Amy, it's what many have said all along. Dean may be motivational, not all that innovative on grassroots, but the strongest thing about him is the legions who liked his third party, divisive ravings. His followers are not always practical, able to work in a group, and ultimately may not understand when Howard would have to be accommodating or compromise to work with others. Many don't see him critically, only as a hero. The web Deaniacs are the worst, and we're all battle scarred from the contests.

I agree amy...I said on the chat room that Dean's my way or the highway mentality is not acceptable.

Posted by: Amy at January 18, 2005 09:30 PM

Amy

It's the same way with them on DU. It's not a good thing and yes they are big part of the problem, also some of the Kucinich people are the same way.

Posted by: battlebob at January 18, 2005 09:42 PM

Exactly Battlebob!

They are the ones that need to hit the highway.

Rice: U.S. Was Prepared for War in Iraq
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&u=/ap/20050119/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/senate_rice_27
[Uh huh.... and, like.., I'm So-o-o-o prepared to be an astronaut, too.... NOT!!!]

The article ontains some pithy comments by various senators (Go Barbara Boxer!!!)... and Condi's defense of shrubbie's fantasy of democracy in Iraq.... barf... (said with sarcasm... Only my opinion, but I see no reason for Condisleazy or Gonzilla the Torturer to be approved by the Senate committees - or anyone else... and I agree with the Kerry email that Rummy really needs to go....)

Thought some over at Kos said Kerry was strong, but anything respectful of her status, obviously, didn't go over well with free spirit.

Good read from Sandy on LUTD...

Can Democrats Come Together?
18 January 2005

Democratic Governors Hope to Lead Party Out of Wilderness

Another article on the supposedly floundering Democratic Party, actually a pretty good piece. There's been alot of talk about Democrats who have won in red states, particularly in the west. Often they have a little quote, usually related to economic populism, which is used as a justification to "move left". It's usually left me laughing hysterically.

Here's a little reality:

"Democrats in middle America must be viewed as part of a state's cultural fabric, clearly distinguishable from the national party in Washington."

http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=244

Many don't see him critically, only as a hero. The web Deaniacs are the worst, and we're all battle scarred from the contests.

Posted by: Marjorie G at January 18, 2005 09:41 PM

Absolutely - it's almost a cult. Dean can do no wrong and the level of viciousness toward Kerry still blows my mind. The more you insult Kerry - the cooler you are in the Deaniac crowd.

Marjorie,

How was your cell meeting?

"Massachusetts Republicans have launched a pre-emptive strike against Democratic Attorney General Tom Reilly by snapping up online Internet addresses that would have been obvious picks for him if he decides to run for governor in 2006.
Reilly has not yet said whether he will challenge Republican Gov. Mitt Romney in 2006. But if Reilly does run, it will be hard for him to use the Web sites reillyforgovernor.com, tomreillyforgovernor.com, reillyforgovernor2006.com and reillyforgovernor06.com."

etc/

http://www.swingstateproject.com/

The site is progressive, and they're advocating buying up santorum domain names. check it out, choose your race. NO SURRENDER!!!

At some point, Howard will have to attend to his flock, and speak some grown-up truth, when their blind following isn't as useful to him, personally, anymore. That would be one unifying gesture he could make, and necessary, after he cinches the chair.

resolute 10:12

As for tonight's cell meeting and plans for the future, yes, we're psyched. I left feeling some comfort in how I can be aided by and helpful to DCP, developing my less than perfect, motley cell with lessons gained here. Nourish it, get some advice and see it grow. This is an unstructured cell within an urban city with differences, leftover from the campaign, and not a homogenious group at first look.

I have a list of 600+ people still with me, sharing and passing on messages more than weekly what we've already worked through here. Some even go to Dem organizations in NJ and Broward County. People like us trying to figure it out. There will be campaigns.

Tonight we talked about the DCP, on the couches in the coffee shop, just like from a set of Friends.

Barbara Boxer just sent out an email to her supporters about the hearing today. If you have not signed her petition or joined her PAC there is some text from the email and a link to the petition on LUTD (Please give her your support)-

Barbara Boxer: "I'm not going to back down"
18 January 2005

Barbara Boxer was on fire today questioning Condoleezza Rice. She's commited to getting answers from Rice and in an email to her supporters, she stated "I'm not going to back down."

http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=245

Jim Wallis (Sojourners) was on The Daily Show.

Wallis says it's hard to believe Jesus' first tasks in office, if he were elected President, would have been to repeal the capital gains tax and invade Iraq.

He's great - well spoken and funny. Got in a lot of great points but with humor and quiet certainty - I am heartened. Talked about his sense that important social movements will form as a result of right-wing repression and cynical destructive agenda - emphasized that true Christianity is about being responsible for the least among us.

I think I'll subscribe to Sojourners. As disgusted as I am with "the Church" (as in organized Christianity) right now - I think it's important that those of us with a social conscience get in there and make our presence known in church - as much as in the political arena. We need to shape the religious debate as we need to shape the political debate.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?g=events/pl/021103kerry&a=&tmpl=sl&ns=&l=1&e=4&t=&prev=5

A light moment with Biden, and a few more to the thread-and my desktop.

You just know Condi played dodge ball as a kid. Kerry supposedly comes on at 12:15 again on c-span at 12:15 eastern, the first part of the session.

Resolute, had a latte for you, in spirit.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/yellerdawg/start

Here's a great graphic of the budget deficit/surplus story from George Sr to George the Lesser. Not sure if you have to sign up with Delphi or not. It's a chat group for "Yellow Dog Democrats".

Posted by: resolute at January 18, 2005 11:37 PM
I saw him too, resolute, and came away with the same impression. Articulate, sincere, genuine, and encouraging. We don't need to shy away from the morals battle with evangelicals. Many feel the same way we do; we just haven't been able to make that connection. While I find it hypocritical to "infiltrate" a church with intentions other than religious or spiritual beliefs (blame it on my Catholic guilt), I do believe there are many DCPers who can and will make these connections and form cells.

In the end, it's not about what religion we follow, but how we act our faith. His book is definitely on my list.

Resolute, I'm on board with that. (subscribe to sojourners.) And while I'm at it, I'm going to give a subscription to my mother, brothers and aunts and uncles. For... Lent.

Resolute, had a latte for you, in spirit.

Posted by: Marjorie G at January 18, 2005 11:58 PM

Thanks Marjorie. You were brave to be out in this bitter cold but it sounds like it was worth it.

******************************

At least Salon had a little more detail about Kerry today than other sources I've read...

(excerpt)

Just back from a fact-finding trip to Iraq, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry questioned Rice extensively about the war effort but also about negotiations with North Korea and the proliferation of nuclear weapons. In a style familiar to anyone who saw him on the campaign trail, Kerry began the day by announcing that his questions for Rice were "several-fold." Nearly 10 hours later, long after most of the other committee members had left for TV appearances or inaugural parties, Kerry was still in his seat, pushing Rice to explain why the administration would choose to spend hundreds of billions of dollars for "weapons that weren't there" but only $1 billion a year to secure "real, ascertainable, tangible" nuclear weapons from the former Soviet Union.

As he engaged in what became a one-on-one debate with Rice, Kerry invoked -- often explicitly -- promises, arguments and comments made during the presidential race. Tuesday was his first day back on the Foreign Relations Committee after losing to Bush in November, and he said it was "sort of good to be back." It's not where he hoped to be two days before Inauguration Day, and Condoleezza Rice was not the nominee he would have chosen to be secretary of state.

Kerry's nominee might well have been Joe Biden, a man who seemed to understand all too well Tuesday that this week's activities -- the inauguration festivities and the confirmation hearings -- are more about ceremony than substance. As he prepared to question Rice, Biden said he had a message for European nations still smarting over Bush's reelection. It's one that applies back home, too. "Get over it! Get over it!" Biden said. "President Bush is going to be our president for the next four years."

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/01/19/rice/index.html

Posted by: Marjorie G at January 18, 2005 11:57 PM

Marjorie

Thanks for the photo update... it's so good to get a fix!

Thanks for the photo update... it's so good to get a fix!

Posted by: Pamela at January 19, 2005 12:12 AM

The pictures of Condi being grilled by Kerry are priceless! What expressions.

On another note - I was upset by Jon Stewart's snarky comments about Kerry tonight. He made some very Deaniac comments about how surprised he was that Kerry stood up to Condi - but not surprised when Kerry stated (I thought through gritted teeth) that her nomination would be approved - regardless. Well, Boxer, Biden et al made that same comment - but, of course, the clip wasn't edited to show those comments. (Again, probably being oversensitive - but

I really wish Stewart wouldn't perpetuate the stereotypical criticism of Kerry. It's really a pretty cheap shot.

Posted by: resolute at January 19, 2005 12:20 AM

They all pretty much made the same comment (that she would be approved).

I would like to see more of the media pick up on what Salon said that JK was still there grilling her after others had gone!

Ron Chusid is enjoying himself once again at the happiest place on Earth... but he did take a few minutes out to share his wonderful wit on LUTD:

Congratulations George Bush
18 January 2005

Congratulations to George Bush. Soon he will be sworn in for his second term--quite an accomplishment for a man with as little understanding of the major issues of the day as he has displayed.

George Bush deserves congratulations for his remarkable political accomplishments as he was reelected (albeit by a tiny margin for an incumbent wartime President) despite the opposition of most voters to both his domestic and foreign policy positions.

George Bush and the Republican noise machine have managed to convince voters they represent less government, when they have become the party not only of big government, but of big government of the worst type. They have expanded the reach of the state to areas of personal morality which only religious dictatorships of the middle east dared go in the past.

MORE - http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=246

I was on my way to the city earlier this afternoon when I caught a live broadcast of the Condi COnfirmation hearings.

Voila, my Senator, Ms. Boxer was handing Condi her "don't impugn my integrity" lunch in a bag. Crumpled and quite reeking with Condi's own inconsistencies of statement since September of 2002.

What Boxer did today was great. The Democrats on the Foreign Relations Committee handled this adeptly, I think--let Kerry ask the questions on the FACTS purportedly up the Administration's claims as to WHY they were in Iraq in the first place, while Boxer raised the unspoken, but absolutely right questions on how someone who will have that much control over the foreign policy of the most powerful nation on earth will be held accountable--has she really proven to ANY of us that she's worthy of our trust?

I listened to Kerry's questions and was grateful that this man DOES HIS HOMEWORK. He was in Iraq and Pakistan, and talked to the very people whose lives are DIRECTLY affected by the policies and schemes of the neocons. Kerry questioned Rice on the efficiacy of the Iraq Advisory group--Condi could only answer that they were ad hoc. He also reminded Rice about the need to spread the effort in Iraq out to other countries to take the burden OFF the US. Kerry then asked about the conflicting reports about WMDs, and carefully prevented her from running her usual defense mode of putting her high-starched integrity in a ruffle, feigning a case of political "vapors".

The Dems today, of which I caught Kerry and Boxer, performed well as an ensemble. They know with the majority of Republicans in the Senate and House she will be confirmed. But John Kerry was unrelenting in ferreting out the truth, and Boxer was brilliant at raising the very issue at stake with the selection of this nominee for Secretary of State:

"WITH EVERY LIE you TOLD US BEFORE, STARTING WITH WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION IN IRAQ THAT NEVER APPEARED, AT THE COST OF LIVES AND A POSSIBLE UNENDING WAR---HOW CAN WE EVER BEGIN TO TRUST ANYTHING YOU SAY, CONDI?"

I was so proud of her at that moment, that after I pounded the roof of my car, I called her office in Washington, got a hold of her reception staff and gave this message to give to her:

"Senator Boxer, as a resident California and one of your constituents in the Bay Area--you have made me proud. Keep pounding it back on Dr. Rice. You ROCK!"

EDIT: "questions on the FACTS purportedly up the Administration's claims as to WHY they were in Iraq in the first place,"

CHANGE TO:

"questions on the FACTS purportedly UPHOLDING the Administration's claims as to WHY they were in Iraq in the first place,...

Transcript of Boxer-Rice exchange:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/01/18/RICEBOXER.DTL

Amy
Re Paul Behrendt - I'm not a fan because he harps on platform ("getting a backbone") and so on rather than cleaning up the party infrastructure (messy lists, nonuniform voting procedures) & caters only to city Dems aka "progressives" (though there is also a spectrum in the city, not so visible).

I'm as "progressive" as the next latte drinker but this (backing a trendy candidate) is the way you win 3 districts rather than the whole state. The state Dem chairman needs to represent the whole state, get the lists in order & make all 39 counties vote the same way. He isn't interested in things like that.

Sure they drew 15,000 people at once & dominated the caucus procedures - then won 3 districts (for Dean). I don't call that a mandate! I think he'll win again though so we can still work with the district heads & county heads to get the grunt work done. Nothing against Dean personally - I like him. I just don't like the priorities of his people here because I think they're assbackwards.

We need more than trendiness to beat the Republicans. My mentor is the woman from Texas who has fought them in the south. We need to complete the unglamorous task of fixing & oiling our machine. Then we need to figure out what the people of our state want and meet the need better than the Republicans. I know Ted Kennedy says that every time the Democrats lose an election they try to figure out whether to go left or center. I agree that's a dumb question. I think people already have values - I don't think you "spread" progressive or conservative values anymore than we can "spread freedom in the middle east." You have to frame to appeal to what is already there and you need a means to communicate. The Republicans did loads of demographic studies last election & went after Hispanics & fast-growing areas.

Thanks for the link about the Republicans targeting workers via company intranets.

January 20th Inauguration Protests to Take Place in Seattle
 
SEATTLE -- January 18 -- On January 20th students from several local high schools and colleges are planning a walkout strike to protest the inauguration of George W. Bush. A march will converge on Westlake Center around 2PM for a rally. Speakers, bands and performance art will be presented in an attempt to practice First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and assembly.

The Weapons of Mass Distraction Project will perform a skit, including amock debate between Kerry and Bush, followed by a satirical multi-media TV news broadcast exposing the conspiracy between corporate media and the government to whitewash the reports from Iraq and the botched elections ofBush and Christine Gregoire.Yes, there are many people who believe that the computer voting machine and GOP machinations in several states(including Ohio)resulted in aninaccurateelection rife with voting rights violations and voter suppression. Mnaysuspect that Bush was not the winner of the election.

At 4PM a march will proceed to the federal building for a demonstration at 5PM. More speakers, political art and satire will be presented. Following the demonstrations, a counter inaugural ball will be held at the Showbox with various bands participating.

See also - funny!

http://www.buckfush.com/SpecialReport.html

There are almost 1500 stories on Boxer v Condi & my favorite title comes from Kerala, India:
Grilled Rice.

Here is Kerry (Boston Herald):

     Kerry questioned Rice far longer than any other senator, keeping the Foreign Relations Committee hearing going until nearly 8 p.m. He returned to themes he often hit during his losing presidential bid as he charged Bush with failures on a range of policies from Iraq to nuclear proliferation.

     Also yesterday, Kerry sent an e-mail to nearly 3 million supporters asking them to visit his campaign Web site and sign a petition there calling for President Bush [related, bio] to fire Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

     The hearing marked Kerry's return to committee work and he acknowledged the occasion with humor after fellow Democrats joked they were disappointed to see him. ``I guess it's, sort of, good to be back,'' Kerry said.

     Turning to Rice, Kerry said, ``Welcome to the world of oaths and testimony and congressional accountability, which I tried so hard to distance myself from for a while.''

      At the hearing, Kerry expressed doubt that he would vote for Rice, although she is expected to easily win Senate confirmation.

     The Bay State senator said soldiers in Iraq are going on missions that are ``questionable,'' and claimed Bush policy is ``growing the insurgency, not diminishing it.''

Totally off topic but I SO love irony..........

Philly paper: Jenna can’t find work. It's possible that NCLB has rendered her unqualified to teach. 1/19

http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=558

Excellent article of our media-of course, not written by US media.........

A televisual fairyland

The US media is disciplined by corporate America into promoting the Republican cause

George Monbiot
Tuesday January 18, 2005

On Thursday, the fairy king of fairyland will be recrowned. He was elected on a platform suspended in midair by the power of imagination. He is the leader of a band of men who walk through ghostly realms unvisited by reality. And he remains the most powerful person on earth.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1392770,00.html

Hi -

Saw Kerry, Boxer and Chris Dodd questioning Condi last night (missed Biden). What a great team - they really stuck it to her. Kerry looked wonderful as always. And WOW - Barbara Boxer was fabulous. The next vice president, perhaps?

It was great to watch - they really kept after her, I thought, and didn't let her get away with the usual line. Great to see!

George Bush deserves congratulations for some of his political achievements (but might not welcome my compliments):

Unofficial Kerry Blog
http://kerryblog.blogspot.com/

and at Light up the Darkness Blog
http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp

thanks to Sen Kerry for his "no" vote today!

Bush's top ten scandals...
One of our bloggers sent me a list of 34 scandals.
It is several pages long. tonight, if no one else does, I'll reformat it and put it in the forum...

http://www.alternet.org/story/21018/

sshhhh. secrets

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/21010/

Interview with Seymour Hirsh...

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/21021/

House Repubs say Bush's SS plan os doomed..
Keep the pressure on them to stop them from wavering.
You know Bushco is going to crank up the volume.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19257-2005Jan18.html?referrer=email

The fog of a phony war
http://www.tompaine.com/articles/the_fog_of_phony_war.php

last paragraph
[snip]
Bush was flat-out wrong about WMDs. Yet the White House ignores this, the right-wing pundits keep their facts-free spin alive, and many within the mainstream media cannot (or will not) cut through this fog of phony war. Accountability? Not on any of these dials. Not even for a moment.

Time to choose..
Dems need to move the center, not move to the center..

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/democrats_time_to_choose.php

Social Security deception funded with taxpayer dollars.

http://www.cepr.net/columns/weisbrot/mark_weisbrot_1_18_05.htm

Kerry & Boxer both voted "NO" on Condi!

Posted by: Pamela at January 19, 2005 11:31 AM

Great...I heard Biden voted Yes with a provision he was concerened about Rice.

WTF is that. We gotta stop the nuance crap.

About Rice's testimony..
it is convoluted garbage..

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/19/politics/19diplo.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5094&en=60fdef25961ec162&hp&ex=1106197200&partner=homepage

This is just too funny..

D.A. Confronts 'Jury Pool From Hell'

The Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Tenn.
Defense attorney Leslie Ballin called it the "jury pool from hell." The group of prospective jurors was summoned to listen to a case of Tennessee trailer park violence. Right after jury selection began last week, one man got up and left, announcing, "I'm on morphine and I'm higher than a kite."

When the prosecutor asked if anyone had been convicted of a crime, a prospective juror said that he had been arrested and taken to a mental hospital after he almost shot his nephew. He said he was provoked because his nephew just would not come out from under the bed.

Another would-be juror said he had had alcohol problems and was arrested for soliciting sex from an undercover officer. "I should have known something was up," he said. "She had all her teeth."

Another prospect volunteered he probably should not be on the jury: "In my neighborhood, everyone knows that if you get Mr. Ballin (as your lawyer), you're probably guilty." He was not chosen.

The case involved a woman accused of hitting her brother's girlfriend in the face with a brick. Ballin's client was found not guilty.

Posted by: battlebob at January 19, 2005 11:40 AM

Read that story earlier & had a good laugh. Talk about a jury of "your peers"!!!

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday voted 16-2 in favor of confirming Condoleezza Rice as secretary of state.

The nomination goes to the full Senate, which is expected to approve the nomination Thursday.

Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer of California and John Kerry of Massachusetts were the two dissenting votes on the committee.

The Bush team's public relations efforts took a comical turn last Sunday when Senate majority leader Bill Frist, appearing on ABC's "This Week" told host George Stephanopoulos that Social Security faced a $10 trillion shortfall.

"But that's over infinity," replied Stephanopoulos, correctly. "OK, $4 trillion," said Senator Frist.

Ten trillion, four trillion, what's the difference? As the editorial board of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune recently remarked, we seem to be living in a "post-factual world." The $4 trillion figure (actually $3.7 trillion) that Senator Frist cited refers to the Trustees' estimate of Social Security's shortfall over the next 75 years.
Social Security deception funded with taxpayer dollars.

http://www.cepr.net/columns/weisbrot/mark_weisbrot_1_18_05.htm

Posted by: battlebob at January 19, 2005 11:26 AM

Battlebob,

That's an excellent column by Mark Weisbrot on SS. My favorite excerpt:

What Senator Frist didn't mention is that the same table in the Trustees' report shows our GDP (or national income) to be $567 trillion over the same period. In other words, the looming "crisis" amounts to less than 7 tenths of one percent of our income over the next 75 years -- or about one-third of the cost of President Bush's tax cuts.

Biden talks tough and delivers a yes vote, unbelievable... THAT in a nutshell is what the F*%@ is wrong with the democratic party, kids.

Talk is cheap, jackass.

Subject: Canadian view of innauguration

Inauguration is tastelessly insensitive even by U.S. standards

Vancouver Sun

Some of us are old enough to remember that dreadful television melodrama, The Six Million Dollar Man, in which space-age prosthetics transformed a multiple amputee into a patriotic superman who took down sneering evildoers.

Now we've got its bloated, reality-TV sequel, the $80 Million Man, starring President George W. Bush as himself in a Thursday inauguration characterized by relentless excess.

The most powerful man on the planet is about to demonstrate what an impressive guy he is by blowing $40 million on a self-congratulatory party. This is a chap who can't be content with one inaugural ball, he has to have 10.

In a country where bad taste extravaganzas are standard, I suppose we shouldn't be surprised. I mean, this is America, where a football game can't just have a half-time break, it has to feature fireworks, rock bands and some floozy flaunting parts of her anatomy.

Meanwhile, here we are in Canada, snivelling about slightly prissy Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson spending $20 million on a whole year's worth of dreary official functions, while south of the 49th parallel my many relatives are stuck with this "conservative" guy who cheerfully piddles away twice that on a single bash.

President Party Animal's first election shindig cost $40 million, too. Mind you, that was before.

"Before" -- the word that makes this round of excess so tastelessly insensitive that it's even begun to give some loyal Americans indigestion.

Before the agony of 9/11 and its 3,063 victims. Before the gung-ho, "We'll all be home by Christmas" invasion of Iraq. Before the more than 1,300 young Americans began coming home in their sealed aluminum caskets, sneaked in by night so nobody but the families would notice their sacrifice, as though the White House which sent them to do their duty was ashamed of them and the price their families were asked to pay.

Before the hospitals started filling up with the first of the estimated 25,000 American casualties so far -- many of them young men and women missing limbs, eyes, faces, internal organs, big sections of their psyches. Before the tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians -- half of them mothers and children -- began paying the price exacted by some Washington policy wonk's theories.

Before the Christmas tsunami that left more than 175,000 dead in southeast Asia and millions traumatized.

I'm trying to imagine Franklin D. Roosevelt staging a party like this in the dark days of the Second World War following Pearl Harbor. Or Winston Churchill throwing a lavish, free-wheeling glitzfest for the black-tie set during the Blitz.

Of course, like the proverbial rich boy spending a family fortune he didn't have to earn himself, President Bush is already proving the biggest wastrel in the history of his United States of Indebtedness.

At $737 billion in November -- on track for $788 billion when the final tally comes in -- the Bush administration's deficit so far for 2004 is reportedly bigger than the record $652-billion deficit posted for all of 2003. That's $1.4 trillion in two years. Impressive, indeed.

I can't one-up the black humour of American economic forecaster Joel Naroff, quoted in an Associated Press story:

"We now have the Grand Canyon of trade deficits . . . . Actually, deficit is really a misnomer. Chasm, gorge, black hole, infinitely deep well all fit the description better."

So tomorrow's show prompts the question of every genuine fiscal conservative -- have these folks completely lost their wits? Have they lost all sense of propriety? Of conservative principle?

A victory celebration, sure. But $40 million on party favours and ballroom dancing while young Americans go into battle without adequate armour on their vehicles? How many lives and limbs might $40 million save if it were spent upgrading Humvee armour? Well, at $58,000 per vehicle, my calculator says it would cover 689.

Somebody should ask how many lives and severed limbs are an acceptable tradeoff for a schmooze-up.

And remind its planners that the maimed who do survive can't simply be recycled -- that the bionic man with his robot limbs is just a fantasy, like the self-aggrandizing hubris of this inauguration.

Garbled it -- post begins with excerpt.

Rice Still Doesn't Get It

January 19, 2005

In confirmation hearings yesterday, Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's nominee for Secretary of State, sidestepped multiple opportunities to reveal some depth of moral and intellectual concern for the grave situation in Iraq. At every turn, her response was simply that things are going great and that history will be kind to President Bush.

Rice confirmed that the Bush administration has no viable exit plan for Iraq. Rice yesterday refused to offer any idea if and when American troops might be withdrawn from Iraq. Citing concern among Iraqi and American officials that the U.S. plans to cut and run in Iraq, Sen. Biden (D-DE) asked Rice if there was any "reasonable possibility that the United States would withdraw the bulk of its forces before the end of 2005." Rice replied, "I can't judge that."

Rice drastically overstated the number of trained Iraqi forces. Any viable exit strategy for Iraq must included hundreds of thousands of trained Iraqi armed forces. Due to the administration's early mismanagement of the war, and its inability to bring in international support for training efforts, we are nowhere near that number. Yet, Rice yesterday estimated that the number of Iraq trained forces was "somewhere over 120,000." Biden, who was recently in Iraq, sharply contradicted her: "I think you'll find, if you speak to the folks on the ground, they don't think there's more than 4,000 actually trained Iraqi forces."

Like Alberto Gonzales, Rice refused to condemn torture committed by Americans. Rice declined to make a clear statement against the use of torture yesterday. Citing instances of forced nudity and simulated drowning as interrogation techniques, Sen. Dodd (D-CT) asked Rice, "What are your views on that, is that torture, in your view, or not?" Rice "declined to characterize" the abusive methods, saying such determinations were made by the justice department and that it wouldn't be "appropriate" for her to comment.
Daily Talking Points is a product of the American Progress Action Fund.

Gonzales Vote Delayed… Kerry, Boxer Vote No on Condi

Democrats asked for a one week hold on the vote to confirm Gonzales as Attorney General today. Ted Kennedy recommended that the committee should withhold their vote on Gonzales until he answers all of the Democrats' questions. Democrats have made complaints that Gonzales has been evasive with his answers to their questions on White House policies, including the war on terror.

More - http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=247

I'm sorry, I am steaming over this Condi vote.

16 to 2.

Knowing wht we know, and claiming to be smarter about it now... I wanna know, where is the fight???

Tough questioning don't mean squat to me, it's as satsfying as Kerry bitchslapping Shrub all over the stage for 3 debates and the Monkey getting inaugurated tomorrow.

I have serious reservations, but by all means, confirm her anyway.

The Senate has become nothing more than a speedbump... the time to yield is way past over.

Eh, who am I kidding.

This is from Sojourners...
There is a petition on this page.
http://go.sojo.net/campaign/takebackourfaith

[snip]

We are not single-issue voters.

We believe that poverty - caring for the poor and vulnerable - is a religious issue. Do the candidates' budget and tax policies reward the rich or show compassion for poor families? Do their foreign policies include fair trade and debt cancellation for the poorest countries? (Matthew 25:35-40, Isaiah 10:1-2)

We believe that the environment - caring for God's earth - is a religious issue. Do the candidates' policies protect the creation or serve corporate interests that damage it? (Genesis 2:15, Psalm 24:1)

We believe that war - and our call to be peacemakers - is a religious issue. Do the candidates' policies pursue "wars of choice" or respect international law and cooperation in responding to real global threats? (Matthew 5:9)

We believe that truth-telling is a religious issue. Do the candidates tell the truth in justifying war and in other foreign and domestic policies? (John 8:32)

We believe that human rights - respecting the image of God in every person - is a religious issue. How do the candidates propose to change the attitudes and policies that led to the abuse and torture of Iraqi prisoners? (Genesis 1:27)

We believe that our response to terrorism is a religious issue. Do the candidates adopt the dangerous language of righteous empire in the war on terrorism and confuse the roles of God, church, and nation? Do the candidates see evil only in our enemies but never in our own policies? (Matthew 6:33, Proverbs 8:12-13 )

We believe that a consistent ethic of human life is a religious issue. Do the candidates' positions on abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, weapons of mass destruction, HIV/AIDS-and other pandemics-and genocide around the world obey the biblical injunction to choose life? (Deuteronomy 30:19)

Marc-I'm with you-not a single Dem in either the House or Senate should be voting with the 'pug's. We are the OPPOSITION party damn it!! If these neocon's want to pass their agenda, it should be done without a single Dem vote period. Seems like only Boxer gets it.

Posted by: nancyjane at January 19, 2005 12:31 PM

The other vote was Kerry..

The no votes make me angry but the no with provisions REALLY steam me. We gotta stop dealing in the margins or we will remain a marginal policy.

Also,, if we are going to oppose, we must have a counter position or people.
Just saying no without offering something else is useless.
The problem is Dems are leaderless and don't know what they want to do.

marginal policy s/b marginal party..

This was in my inbox

Dear Media Reformer,

Last week, 16,000 Free Press e-activists sent a letter to Congress and the FCC calling for an investigation into "payola pundit" Armstrong Williams -- and it worked.

Less than 24 hours after the petition drive started, FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein urged an investigation. Fellow commissioner Michael Copps echoed the call, stating that "in a single day, the number of complaints coming into the FCC has grown from a few to thousands."

On Friday, Chairman Michael Powell responded to the public outcry, instructing the FCC Enforcement Bureau to open an investigation into the payola allegations. Your petitions also prompted members of Congress to contact Chairman Powell, asking for a full report. A letter from Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.) demanded that "the political discourse of our nation must not be for sale to the highest bidder."

Your active participation made the difference, proving once again that online activism is still a powerful force to reckon with as we build the movement for media reform.

Now we must remain vigilant to ensure a thorough investigation into the full scope of taxpayer-funded propaganda. Concrete measures must be adopted to pre-empt the next Armstrong Williams. As always, we'll keep you updated as the story develops.

Thanks for all that you do,

Josh Silver
Executive Director, Free Press
www.freepress.net

P.S.: Our ability to stop payola pundits and create a diverse, independent media depends on your support. Please join the Free Press Action Fund. With introductory memberships as low as $20, your contribution makes all the difference in helping us to expand the media reform movement. For more information, go to www.freepress.net/support.

Right now, I think just saying NO is plenty.

Oppose them at every turn, and let THEM come up with someone else... reject every nominee that is crap, and most of them are.

Say this 3 times fast,

Boxer has Bigger Balls Than Biden.

This is from the American Heart Assoc and is slanted to contacting the Arizona legislature.
This is a pretty good template for contacting any legislature member...

Could Arizona’s Youth Be the First NOT to Outlive Their Parents?
“Yes,” reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Did you know? Arizona’s children are rapidly getting heavier, outpacing the national averages in this disturbing trend. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has even recently reported that this generation of American youth will be the first not to outlive their parents, largely due to physically inactivity together with poor eating habits contributing significantly to the development of obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease. In Arizona, we have few state standards for physical education. Our goal this session is to develop and promote the importance of daily, quality physical education for grades K-12, and encourage the Legislature to take up and pass a resolution stating this goal.

What can you do right now? Call and RSVP for lobby day! The American Heart Association is proud to announce that it will be hosting an “Arizona Heart and Stroke Lobby Day Breakfast” at the state capitol, Thursday, February 3rd at 7:30 a.m. This breakfast is for legislators, legislative staff and all AHA volunteers. Lobby day is an opportunity to kick-off Heart Awareness Month and our Go Red for Women Campaign. We encourage all who attend to wear red that day. In order to highlight the importance of physical activity, each legislator will be given a pedometer to begin the month long legislative pedometer challenge organized by the AHA.

Please RSVP by calling AHA Arizona Government Affairs Director, Shannon Harper at (602) 414-5346 or by e-mailing her at shannon.harper@heart.org.

Other Important Issues:
Require Coordinated School Health Programs: The AHA is working to promote coordinated school health programs in school districts across the country. Encouraging greater funding for these initiatives will address three aspects of important preventative health issues: nutrition, physical activity and tobacco. The AHA and other coalition partners are working to complete a state obesity plan.

Reducing Tobacco Use and Exposure: The legislature will play a crucial role in the fight against tobacco and reduction in death and disease caused by tobacco use. The AHA will be working with community health partners to keep opposition from imposing preemption and youth access, among other tobacco issues.

8 GREAT WAYS You Can Have an Impact This Legislative Session!

1. Mail a Letter to Your Legislators.
Taking the time to write and mail a letter says a lot about you. Advocacy experts report that it only takes 6 to 8 letters on an issue from their district to get a legislator’s attention. Write a letter, or even better, host a letter-writing party. If you need help, let us know.

2. Timing Does Make a Difference.
Early in a legislative session is a great time to drop a note via e-mail, regular mail or via phone to express your general concerns about an issue.

3. Be Brief.
Legislators are extremely busy as is their staff. When communicating with them or their office, remember to say:
a) Who you are: a constituent (i.e., a voter)
b) What you are concerned about (i.e., obesity)
c) How you want them to help (i.e., support a bill)

4. Be Informed.
The American Heart Association’s web site is a great way to get science-based information to help you write your letter. Go to www.americanheart.org and conduct a word search for your topic of interest. If you need help, we’ll be very happy to help you write your letter or express your message. Call (888) 302-8390 Ext. 8042 and our staff will be eager to help.

5. Respond to Urgent Action Alerts.
The American Heart Association periodically sends out urgent action alerts, especially during a legislative session. Before sending these alerts, we carefully consider their need and urgency. When you receive an alert, please take a moment to respond. It literally takes less than 60 seconds to take action.

6. The Old Fashion Phone Call is Back in Style.
In this era of technology and e-mail, a phone call remains one of the most effective and immediate ways to communicate your message. It is timely, quick, often toll-free and rises above the hundreds of e-mails a legislator may receive. E-mails are still important, but a good old fashion phone call goes a long way. Arizona central legislative hotline (800) 352-8404.

7. Provide Feedback about Our Efforts.
We are working very hard to provide heart and stroke advocates the most effective advocacy program and most of the best ideas come from volunteers like you. If you have an idea for us or feedback on an existing service, we want to know. Call us at (888) 302-8390 Ext. 8042 or e-mail us at brendan.burns@heart.org.

8. Become a Captain for the Cure.
Captains for the Cure is the American Heart Association’s new advocacy peer-to-peer recruitment program that empowers motivated advocates to make an impact in their local community. Let’s face reality – our opposition is powerful. We’ll always be outspent by Big Tobacco and many of our successes to promote healthy public policies start with people just like you – in the communities we serve. To learn more, please e-mail us.

Great posts today.

BattleBob, thanks for the links on the religious left.

Posted by: Marc Trager at January 19, 2005 12:46 PM

You are correct.. I won't dis you by saying right...

Posted by: Truth Shall Prevail at January 19, 2005 01:02 PM

I think framing the debate in these terms is how we counter the right wingnuts.

Tha's funny battlebob, I go outta my way now not to tell anyone they are "right" either!

"You are CORRECT sir, yes!" - Ed McMahon

p.s. the Right is Wrong and the Moral Majority is neither.

CNN QuickBloat...

Do you plan to watch any of the inaugural events?

Yes 20% 11119 votes

No 80% 43813 votes
Total: 54932 votes

Chief Justice Refuses to Stop Inaugural Prayers
Wed Jan 19, 2005 12:32 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chief Justice William Rehnquist rejected Wednesday an emergency request from a California atheist who sought to stop the recital of prayers at President Bush's inauguration.

A federal judge and a U.S. appeals court earlier ruled against atheist Michael Newdow. He is best known for trying unsuccessfully to remove the phrase "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance that millions of U.S. schoolchildren recite every day.

Newdow, a doctor-lawyer who is acting as his own attorney in the case, argued that clergy-led prayers at the inauguration Thursday would violate his constitutional rights.

"As an atheist, he cannot in good conscience attend an exercise where his government forces him to endure religious dogma he finds highly disagreeable," Newdow wrote in his motion filed with the Supreme Court. "Newdow's rights of religious freedom should be protected."

Newdow, who lives in Sacramento, California, said he would drop his plans to attend the inauguration if forced to confront the prayers by two Christian ministers.

Newdow also had suggested that Rehnquist, who plans to administer the oath of office to Bush at the inauguration, remove himself from considering his request.

He said Rehnquist took part in the 2001 inauguration when prayers were included. In seeking Rehnquist's recusal, Newdow said the chief justice would feel "awkward" at the ceremony if he rules in Newdow's favor.

Although Rehnquist denied Newdow's request for an injunction, he still could ask another Supreme Court justice to stop the prayers.

Four More Years of Bush Makes the World Anxious
Wed Jan 19, 2005 8:51 AM ET
By Timothy Heritage

PARIS (Reuters) - The rest of the world will be watching with anxiety when President Bush is inaugurated Thursday for a second time, fearing the most powerful man on the planet may do more harm than good.

Many world leaders, alienated by Bush's go-it-alone foreign policy and the U.S.-led war in Iraq, would have preferred him to lose the U.S. election last November. Since his victory, they have been urging him to listen and consult more.

Mistrust also runs deep among ordinary people. Some 58 percent of people surveyed in a British Broadcasting Corporation poll in 21 countries said they believed Bush's re-election made the world a more dangerous place.

"Negative feelings about Bush are high," Steven Kull, director of the Program on International Policy Attitudes which carried out the study, told the BBC. "This is quite a grim picture for the United States."
---------------------------SNIP--------------------------

http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-01-19T135136Z_01_L19712170_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-BUSH-WORLD-DC.XML

I generally oppose prayer in public places myself- not because it offends other religions, but because I think that the scriptures I read say it gets about as far as the ears of the people