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A Tale Of One Party


Both of these articles are from yesterday's Washington Post:

First this:

Ailing Democrats Put Their Faith in Dr. Dean

Two questions swirled around the Democrats as their national committee assembled yesterday to select a new party chairman: Can Howard Dean cure what ails the party, or is Howard Dean symptomatic of why those ailments may be so difficult to cure?

[...]His success has muted some of his former critics. Two years ago, centrist Democrats were at war with Dean. Asked this week whether he worried about Dean as party chairman, Bruce Reed, president of the Democratic Leadership Council, said: "The job of party chair is different from party nominee. The party chair needs to be an ardent partisan. You can't send a vegetarian to do a red-meat job."

And then this [emphasis mine]:

Democrats Go on Offense to Defend Reid

Senate Democrats watched in dismay last autumn as their longtime leader, Thomas A. Daschle, fell to steady attacks by national Republican and conservative groups. Yesterday they said they won't let it happen to Daschle's successor, Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.).

Each of Reid's 43 Democratic colleagues, plus a Democratic-leaning independent, signed a letter to President Bush, urging him to halt the "counter-productive attacks" against Reid by the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Top Democrats released the letter at a Capitol news conference, in which they fired back at the GOP for a fourth straight day.

I keep wondering at the impression that is repeatedly put out by the media that Democrats are somehow lost, wandering the woods, in search of the next rest stop and box of Kleenex. A party of Willy Lomans.

Hooey. Clearly, the reality is that Democrats are united and defiant. The party is in excellent shape financially. Gallup polling of Democratic caucus members during the last two weeks (prior to Dr. Dean being the sole candidate remaining)showed that 90% of those polled, stated that they believed Dr. Dean would be either an excellent or good choice to head the party.

So, where do the residents of Pundittia keep getting all of this nonsense and why keep putting it out there?

32 Comments

Cyrano said:

"You can't send a vegetarian to do a red-meat job."

Memo to Bruce: If you sent this vegetarian, I'd raise a lot more hell than the damn DNC did last year.

Terry McAuliffe was among the worst spokesmen for either Kerry or the Democrats that I can imagine - right there with the likes Tad Devine and a number of other highly paid imposters. We were facing the political equivalent of the mafia, and we were fighting them with water pistols.

We vegetarians may break for small animals, but unlike you fools, we don't break for neo-conservatives. You diss vegetarians at your peril.

Andrée - France said:

And it works!

I've already read 3 articles dedicated to Dean this morning. He is known by 80% of the Americans, and abroad because of his campaign and famous "roaring"... Well.
He may not be the darling one for manies, but the more he roars, barks and attacks at the rethugs the more he will put the dems in the public light again.
If he is the one who can turn the red meat into mince meat, let him do it, he can!
He seems to have a pretty good idea about how to work with the grassroots as well, and that may help at paving the way to new elections.
Lot of work ahead for him.... Good luck then!

mbk said:

Some of you may have already listened to these,if you have I am sorry I am ling them for those who have not, to make sure we remember why we are so angry
. ..
TAKE BACK THE MEDIA
http://www.takebackthemedia.com/true911.html
No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices.
Edward R Morrow

. . .

http://www.kerryoniraqwar.com/
Why the hell didnt they have the brains enough to listen
. .
posted by: rossiann at February 12, 2005 05:19 AM

Rossiann--
Thanks very much for the handy set of links you posted in the last thread. Now that the chickens are coming home to roost around W. and the neocons, showing that everything that Kerry (and others Dems, but, on foreign policy, especially Kerry) predicted would happen is now coming to pass, it's nice to have that set of links close at hand. (And, again, why isn't anyone in the media pointing these things out? It is SO frustrating).
Since today is Lincoln's Birthday (also Darwin's birthway, by the way: they were both born the same year), here's a quote from Lincoln that's a nice complement to the Edward R Murrow quote you posted: "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedomw, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

DiAnne said:

It's all good.
When Democrats vote, Democrats win.
Now we have to stick together, broaden our appeal & make sure the votes are counted.

In our area:

Election Reform in WA

An election reform meeting to be held in Seattle, set up by Governor Gregoire. If you'd like to speak up for having an election system in our state that will be above reproach no matter who's running it, I hope you can make it and show up early.

---
HIGHLINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
STUDENT UNION BUILDING

2400 South 240th
Seattle, WA 98198
206-878-3710
Monday February 14, 2005 - 6:00 pm

It kind of sucks that Arnold appointed a Republican Secretary of State for California.

Wednesday night is Dining for Democracy, in Seattle - I'm organizing it & Karen will be there.

spinnaker said:

I got this off of Kos, and while I am not a big Kos fan (different subject altogether), I hink this is a good thing and yet another opportunity to show Dem unity and get the media off of this "poor huddled Dems" crapola. So here it is. I checked it out thoroughly. It is not junk, con or spam. I did it, and frankly, she deserves this and more.

Send Barbara Boxer a Rose on Valentine's Day!
Senator Barbara Boxer has recently emerged as the leading voice in the Willfight against the Bush mandate of imperialism abroad and destruction of civil liberties at home. She has disputed the Ohio 2004 election vote, elegantly denied Condoleezza Rice a confirmation vote, and almost singlehandedly stood up for the principles of freedom, truth, and accountability that we all hold so dear. She has started what some are calling "The New Boxer Rebellion" - and other Senators are starting to follow her lead.

Now is the time to let her know she has our full support, admiration and thanks.

I have arranged for a national online florist, Coast to Coast Florist, to take $10 pledges from callers up until Feb. 12th for three red roses, which, in a mass delivery, will be taken on Feb 14th to the Hart Senate Building office of Barbara Boxer in Washington DC.

This message will be included with the flowers:

******

Dear Senator Boxer:

We the people have sent these flowers to you this day in thanks for your unwavering courage and determination to stand up for the principles of freedom and truth in the United States Senate. You are a shining example of what a civil servant can, and should, be, and we, your constituents and supporters, deeply appreciate your heroic charge to bring accountability, responsibility and honesty back into our government.

********

Here is the order/delivery information:

Call Coast to Coast Florist at 1-888-501-ROSE(7673). This is a dedicated phone line, created only for this order, a representative will answer "Barbara Boxer Rose Campaign." Press #1 to order and #2 for more information.

Give the representative your credit card number--you will only be charged $10.00 for your roses. I am picking up the delivery fee.

That's it. The cut-off date for orders is Saturday, Feb. 12th. That only gives us TWO weeks!

Also included in this delivery will be a rose dipped in 22k gold for her to keep. This fee I am also paying for.

(You may check out coasttocoastflorist.com online for your own verification purposes -- they have an informational link on their customer service page, in the middle of the page on the drop down menu about this - but please make orders only on the toll-free number to ensure your order is included in the mass delivery.)

Sen. Boxer is an emerging hero to liberals everywhere and a grand public thank you is in order. This action will also send a message to other Democratic senators and representatives that we, the people, are watching - and we will support, thank, and reelect those who stand up for our democratic principles. Think of what a million roses could mean! (And, once the roses lose their luster, we would respectfully ask the Senator to donate the deceased to a local manure manufacturer to be made into mulch - we're green, too!)

Feel free to verify all of the above information with this florist - who has taken a chance on this incredible idea and showed tremendous enthusiasm and support. Please email me directly if you need more verification of this movement. This is not spam! We can only do it with your help! Make it happen!

Thanks, Stacy Davies
Citizen
Claremont, California
------------
Now, if you want, you can check Stacy out thoroughly, but all of that legwork has been done already.

Also, I matched my donation to this with a donation to her PAC. I am thinking of 2006...I am also thinking of 1994. I guarantee you that the Republicans are thinking of 1994 and how it could happen to them in reverse.

So I sent her some a few roses, a thank you, because Dems are nice and Repukes are cranky. Everyone knows that for goodness sakes.

oncall said:

I keep wondering at the impression that is repeatedly put out by the media that Democrats are somehow lost, wandering the woods, in search of the next rest stop and box of Kleenex. A party of Willy Lomans.

Posted by Casey L. Morris at February 12, 2005 09:07 AM

Casey,

There is nothing to wonder about. This is the Buscho Propaganda (BP) machine at work. As long as BP can insinuate that the Democrats are a hopelessly confounded and dumbfounded party, they will continue to do so. BP is a self-serving operation.

The media will do anything to keep an audience.When BP starts to see the public turning against Bu$hco, and only then, will it start to portray the Democrats and Progressives in a more favorable manner. BP is like a pack of wild dogs that will mercilessly rip apart anybody that it perceives as stumbling. Over time, as the American public begins to resist Bu$hco's policies, the media will begin to turn on Bu$hco. They will have to in order to keep their audience and money rolling in. As Arthur Miller said, the media will have to "give attention"

DiAnne said:

If this is Democracy, who needs it?! Sound familiar? & women can't vote .. the excuse was that they didn't have enough voting machines

Losing Saudi Candidates to Contest Results

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - Dozens of losing candidates in Saudi Arabia's first regular election will contest results from the opening round of municipal balloting, arguing that conservative religious candidates won unfairly by claiming support from clerics, Saudi newspapers said Saturday.

The Okaz daily reported that more than 30 losing candidates were scheduled to meet soon to draft a complaint to the election commission about the results of the vote, which was promoted by this country's absolute monarchy as a democratic reform.

DiAnne said:

Speaking of Dems, I received a Republican joke by email in which a rich Arab who wants an airplane as a boy is given American Airlines etc. etc. & finally at the end when he has been given Disneyland, he wants a Mickey Mouse outfit & a Goofy outfit. The joke Republicans are ROFL at is that he then gets the Democratic Party & CBS News.

To say Bush has a mandate .. to say the Democratic party is "ailing" or "faltering" ..
it's the same as when candidates said each other's campaign was "imploding" anytime there was any bad publicity. The media eats it up.

I still say Bush is a house of cards & the house of Saud too. Propaganda is only able to persuade some of the people because nothing it propagates can be backed up.

oncall said:

Posted by: spinnaker at February 12, 2005 10:10 AM

Spinnaker,

Something weird happened. While I was giving my order, the line went dead. I tried calling back and got fast busy signal.

While I was talking to the phone rep, I asked "Many calls?". Answer: "Lots of them, more than they expected.....thousands".
At that point line went dead. I called back several times and then lines were up. I confirmed that my order went through. Reminds me of JK's first run for office in Boston.

on.to.victory4Dems said:

~we suspected as much, this article from the Boston Globe confirms it:

Bush cuts hit Democratic states, analysis finds

WASHINGTON -- Massachusetts and other traditionally Democratic states would see their share of federal grant money shrink under President Bush's 2006 budget, compared to Republican states in the South and West, according to a Globe analysis of funding projections compiled by the White House budget office.
http://tinyurl.com/48shk

Otter said:

That this is the way the dirty deal went down -- and down, and down -- is hardly news to the likes of us.

But the details behind the deal are still quite staggering when laid out in simple black and white. And now the story's finally being splashed all over the front pages for Americans everywhere to see for themselves.

Read the N.Y. Times' overview article, then follow their included link to see the full text of the original memo itself... and then be prepared to stand up and shout, "This isn't just arrogant incompetence, it's criminal negligence all the way to the top!"

And trust me, yours won't be the only voice you hear shouting that, either. So read the news, ring the alarm bells, and help to raise the righteous wrath of we the people who have been royally wronged by The Boy Who Would Be King.

http://tinyurl.com/5ys38


porque arbusto es malvado y debe ser acusado,
Otter

spinnaker said:

Oncall,

My first call had the line went dead experience. Second call was fine though. Yes, it does have that "who knew?" quality to it.

Can you imagine being Stacie for a second, though? Here she had this little idea one day, ta say thank you...can you imagine how she feels about democracy right now?

The idea of one person making a difference has just gone from theory to reality-based paradigm for Stacie and will never go back.

Stacie has made a nationwide democracy cell. Good for her!! Cheers and roses for Stacie!

DiAnne said:

This is from Robin:

Article on same: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=492489

Actual document: The White House released a list of over 150 programs proposed for termination, reform, or major reduction in the 2006 budget. You can find the document here:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2006/pdf/savings.pdf

I just read through the education cuts. I am going to be sick. They are taking a sledgehammer to programs that have been in place for sometimes decades and concluding... across the board:

--no demonstrated results.
--too narrow in focus so not needed
--the state/local/private sector can find a way to fund it
--there's a bigger, better program where that funding can come from

It is disgusting, infuriating, and criminal.

**and the evaluations of all these programs was done by PART. Whatever the hell that is.

The key to really understanding this budget is to look at where the cuts are in programs and find where they infuse a buncha cashola in faith based initiatives and corporate welfare in the form of 'tax incentives'.

spinnaker said:

Oh, and did you know that you can donate to the Democracy Cell Project?

There is a handy dandy little button on the top of the page at the left.

Only takes a second...don't be left out...be the first on your block to donate to the DCP...

oncall said:

Stacie has made a nationwide democracy cell. Good for her!! Cheers and roses for Stacie!
Posted by: spinnaker at February 12, 2005 11:00 AM

I dare the national media, or as I prefer to say Bushco Propaganda, BP, to say anything about this. Yet, they were all to happy to publicize the story of national boycotts, petitions against CBS and other phoney "issues".

oncall said:

Posted by: Otter at February 12, 2005 10:56 AM

As if we needed any more proof that our Secretary of State is a lying bitch.

DiAnne said:

This is from my mother in ND, w/no computer:

"Yellow ribbons have taken over the town as the 141st field artillery soldiers will soon return from Ft. Caron, CO, about 90 in number. I think 5 were killed - so needless! Every day I'm working on politics, even if I'm very much outnumbered."

Otter said:

When international activisim *really* gets personal:

http://www.marryanamerican.ca/

rossiann said:

So I sent her some a few roses, a thank you, because Dems are nice and Repukes are cranky. Everyone knows that for goodness sakes.


Posted by: spinnaker at February 12, 2005 10:10 AM

This should do alright spinnaker,they were announcing it on Air America for a while, so it has had plenty of publicity, and she deserves it, she had the balls to stand up to the Morons administration, that so many of the dems you are counting on did. Barbara Boxer you ROCK

Kangaroo

rossiann said:

The Okaz daily reported that more than 30 losing candidates were scheduled to meet soon to draft a complaint to the election commission about the results of the vote, which was promoted by this country's absolute monarchy as a democratic reform.

Posted by: DiAnne at February 12, 2005 10:21 AM

They learned from the best about election Fraud, DiAnne birds of a feather stick together,I wonder why the Moron is not invading Saudi Arabia, to liberate the women from that corrupt lot of Despots, after all didnt I hear somewhere that 15 of the 19 that attacked the Towers where from Suadi Arabia, including the Bin Laden Clan and company God knows who was in that company, that got whisked out of America, on the only plane that was in the air, Incredible when will the people wake up and look around them, smell the flowers and figure out what is in front of their noses, for all to see

Kangaroo


rossiann said:

He may not be the darling one for manies, but the more he roars, barks and attacks at the rethugs the more he will put the dems in the public light again.
If he is the one who can turn the red meat into mince meat, let him do it, he can!
He seems to have a pretty good idea about how to work with the grassroots as well, and that may help at paving the way to new elections.
Lot of work ahead for him.... Good luck then!

Posted by: Andrée - France at February 12, 2005 09:48 AM

The Cable and Media Swift Boat machine are at it already because they know he can do the job hopefully that, Mc Auliffe did not do for JK, watch his back when it was so desperately needed, before the election.

Kangaroo

rossiann said:

Sorry correction:

that so many of the dems you are counting on did. Barbara Boxer you ROCK

Kangaroo

that so many of the dems you are counting on did not have. Barbara Boxer you ROCK

Kangaroo

rossiann said:

Best Blog:

Check out our weblog every day for up-to-the-minute news and responses from Operation Truth bloggers.

Army Reserve Fast Becoming 'Broken' Force
By: Fury


"The Army Reserve, a force of 200,000 part-time soldiers that provides key support in Iraq and Afghanistan with medics, engineers and truck drivers, 'is rapidly degenerating into a 'broken' force," its top general told senior Army leaders.


First off, LTG Helmly deserves to be commended for his outspoken and candid assessments. This latest call for help is no surprise to those of us who have been monitoring the struggle within the Reserve Component to respond to the War on Terror...


Read the rest of Fury's blog. Check the OpTruth.org blog every day for powerful feedback like this. Our blog features vets speaking freely and the very latest news out of Iraq.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Upcoming Events:

Gunner Palace Opens March 4th-- But you can see it early!

Operation Truth is helping the promotion of Mike Tucker's new film, "Gunner Palace," which chronicles his two-month stay with the 2/3 Field Artillery in Baghdad. With total access to all operations and activities, Tucker's insider footage provides a rare look at the day-to-day lives of these soldiers on the ground -- whether swimming in Uday's pool and playing golf on his putting green or executing raids on suspected terrorists, enduring roadside bombs, mortar attacks, RPGs and snipers. You can see a trailer at the film's website.

The official opening date is March 4th, but in preparation for the release, Director Mike Tucker and soldiers from the film will be on a sneak preview tour. If you are in one of the following cities and want to attend a screening, please contact ticket@gunnerpalace.com and say you heard about their film at Operation Truth.

Sneak Preview dates:
2/14 Fayetteville, NC
2/18 Washington, DC
2/21 Phoenix, AZ
2/25 Los Angeles, CA
3/1 NYC, NY

Thank you for your continued support. Operation Truth's meteoric growth has depended on the help of people like you who care and get involved. Together, we are making a difference and taking care of our own.

Next month: OpTruth takes on homelessness, and a new play about Iraq created by Marine Corps Vet, Sean Huze

Kangaroo

Andrée - France said:

The Cable and Media Swift Boat machine are at it already because they know he can do the job ....

Rosiann,

Really? If the Swift Boat liars have a machine, Dean has a strong one too, and he is not about to shut up...
There's gonna be blood shedding and whatever is said, your corrupt media cannot ignore it.
At least some real political life will be back.

mbk said:

The text of Kerry's speech on Climate Change has been posted on his senate web site (www.kerry.senate.gov):Below are the remarks of Senator John Kerry at the Brookings Institution conference on Climate Change Policy in Washington, D.C., today. Remarks by Senator John Kerry AS PREPARED
Climate Change Policy: What's Next?

Wednesday, February 9, 2005

I'm very grateful to the Brookings Institution for putting this panel together. I know that under Strobe Talbott's leadership Brookings is increasing its investment in environment and energy work-and nothing could be more important right now. . .
. . .

(concluding paragraphs):So for those of us who ask "What is Next for Climate Policy?," the answer cannot be to just wait on Washington.

We can do our best to inform the elected here in Washington, but they may refuse to change course. If so, we must inform the electorate and call on them to change the elected.

We have to educate and organize. We need your expertise-Brookings and others-to defend the science and advocate for action. We have to build the political will so that it is as strong as the special interests-just as we did when we created the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency and environmental progress of the past 30 years. And we must build on the momentum of state and private leadership.

If we can do that, we can answer our own question: "What's Next?" We can answer it with real action to protect the global environment.

I look forward to working with many of you in the coming years, pressing our case inside and outside Washington.

sparrow said:

Remember, the GOP will unload on Dean. Everytime you hear the "Dean Scream" without context, consider donating. When you hear some empty head talk about the party "moving left" with Dean, consider donating. When you hear about unnamed big dollar Democratic donors whining about pulling their money out of the party, consider donating.

DiAnne said:

The Army is Getting Short-Handed, So To Speak

Fort Carson amputee returning to Iraq for second tour of duty By NBC's Kevin Tibbles
   
FORT CARSON - A soldier from Fort Carson is about to do something no other soldier has done in recent history: return to the battlefield as an amputee. Capt. David Rozelle lost one of his legs in Iraq a little more than a year ago. Now he's ready to be back in action, in charge of 205 troops. "I want to be their commander, not a one-legged commander," says Rozelle. He has gone through relentless training for a mission many thought he would never make. "I looked down and there was just nothing," Rozelle says, recalling the moments after an anti-tank mine tore through his Humvee. He ended up losing his right leg, below the knee.

Since the injury, Rozelle has learned how to walk and run all over again with a prosthetic leg. The 32-year-old soldier also made a trip to Vail with fellow amputees, to learn how to ski. He's now passed all the army's tests and is deemed fit for duty. He will be the first soldier amputee to return to the war zone in recent U.S. military history. "This has been a difficult thing, I'm not going to lie about it," says Rozelle. It would have been so easy to quit, he says. Except his wife Kim wouldn't hear of it. "She was the one that said, 'Get off the couch. Get the mail.'" "I didn't let him get away with too much because I didn't think it was healthy for him," says Kim Rozelle. Young Forrest, just 18 months, is the other reason why Rozelle wasn't going to give up. "How will my son perceive me in 30 years when he's a man?" Rozelle says he asked himself. Rozelle is ready to admit that "to be back driving through the sand in a Humvee, I'm gonna have to summon up some courage." Still, he says facing down his demons in the desert is vital. "You know, I left part of myself in Iraq. I'm not going back to retrieve a part of me that I lost, but it certainly brings full circle the healing process that I've been through."

--Excuse me if I'm getting a little cynical, but I will never forgive them for what they did to Max Clelland (or John Kerry).

mbk said:

Posted by: Mass at February 9, 2005 03:16 PM
Remember ANWR? The Bushies are at it again.
1. Mass posted the follosing link a few days ago(thanks!)
http://outside.away.com/outside/features/john-kerry.htm
but because this topic is so important, and timely, I'm posting it again to URGE people to read this excellent oped piece by Kerry. He is leading the senate fight against AWWR drillling: this piece is basically a call to arms
2. please support Kerry in this fight by emailing or telephoning your senators and congressional repr. and urge them to vote NO on ANWR: legislators who vote no on Arctic drilling whould be thanked; those who vote FOR drilling need to be held accountable.
3. Here also is a url to an accompanying feature article in the same issue of Outside : http://outside.away.com/outside/features/anwr-votes.html
Arctic Smackdown
Does President Bush have the votes to drill Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge? The world is about to find out.

By Michael Roberts & Jason Stevenson

The Gloves Are Off
An ANWR defeat would deal a major blow to the entire concept of wilderness protection. In this exclusive essay, Senator JOHN KERRY vows to take the fight to the GOP leadership.

Otter said:

An Otter Country Heard From
(a letter from abroad)

-----------

Dear Dick,

How are things going with you folks over there? There's nothing going on with us us over here. And I do mean nothing. It's just more of the same old same old. Except that there's less of it than there used to be.

You remember me telling you about our all-night poker games down at Bubba's Stump 'N' Bump? We all pretty much hang out at Bubba's, because it's his stump and he's got the the only game in town. We don't actually call him "Bubba," though. Not to his face, anyway. Can't. Won't. Wouldn't be prudent.

Bubba can be a real bear to be around sometimes, even when he has had his beauty sleep. But thanks to all that global warring, er, warming stuff they keep warning us about, the weather here has been unseasonably warm all winter. That keeps Bubba from hibernating for more than a week or two at a time, and he keeps getting up on the wrong side of the cave when he does wake up. So Bubba's kind of cranky these days.

Which is why we're extra careful never to call him "Bubba" to his face. He doesn't like that nickname at all. He says it makes people think that he's just another rube from the sticks. So we always call him "Bobby Lee' instead. And every now and then we tack on a little "Sir, yes, sir!" afterwards, just to be on the safe side. Because you know how bears can get if they think somebody's disrespecting them.

The reason that there's less than nothing happening over here is that we can't play our all-night poker games any more. What with us being quadrupeds, and most of us having pretty short legs at that, we need at least six players per game, preferably more. We need to have enough players to go all the way around that stump if we're going to pull off the old pass-the-ace-to-your-partner-with-your-back-paw trick. You know, like the little dogs do in those black velvet paintings you have over there.

But now there's not enough of us left for that. And it's just not right if there's not enough left, which you already know since you live in Washington. We don't have even six decent poker players left around here, much less more. We do have an otter and we still have a bear. But we seem to be missing a pig, and a goat, and a wolf, and a whole lot of sheep.

I"m not too worried about that pig, truth be told. I don't know for sure where Karl is, but he's probably out roving around somewhere looking for deeper mud to wallow in. The goat, though -- that's another kettle of fish. You see, Rummie took the sheep and marched them off into the boonies with him the other day. They'd better be careful, too, because wherever Rummie goes, Wolfie will be skulking around somewhere nearby. And you know how it is with Wolfie and sheep. He's got "issues."

But anyway, this whole thing happened because of a little chimp that showed up looking for a job. He had one of those rube accents, you know, like he's the one who should have been called Bubba. And Rummie and the chimp got to be good friends real quickly, even though me and Bobby Lee and almost but not quite half the sheep didn't care for him at all.

We invited him to come down and play all-night poker with us anyway, just to be polite, but he wasn't interested in that. He had own little game to play, something he called "Texas Hold 'Em", and he was one of those types that always expects the sheep to play along with him no matter what. It must have been a pretty complicated game, because the chimp had even gotten some pal of his named Gonzo to write out a set of special rules just for his version of the game.

Anyway, the chimp taught Rummie how to play this Texas Hold 'Em game of his, and then they had to teach the sheep how to play it too. Which took them a while, because sheep are notoriously thick-headed and they can't play cards worth a darn. But eventually they got things more or less figured out.

It's a funny thing about those special rules the chimp had made for him, though. Yesterday a couple of the sheep showed back up claiming that he'd conned them into playing Texas Hold 'Em before they were ready and without proper training, but that they were still sure they'd been following the special rules correctly even though they'd never seen or heard about them.

Anyway, the chimp finally got Rummie and the sheep ready to start playing that Texas Hold 'Em game of his. They couldn't get it going, though. Maybe those sheep didn't have enough left to be right either. And they must have been missing some of the cards or something. At least it sure looked to me and Bobby Lee like they weren't playing with a full deck.

I guess were right about them missing some cards, because after a few minutes I overheard Rummie telling one of the sheep to go and get some more for them to use. He also told the sheep to stop for a snack on the way back. At least I think that’s what he said. It's hard to understand anything Rummie says because he's always talking out of both sides of his mouth.

I did hear another sheep bleat out "Texas Hold 'Em!" and then the first one asked "Where?" And that's when I thought I heard Rummie say, "Git mo' an' have you a grape." But maybe I misunderstood that last part, because sheep don't like grapes. Besides, it sounded like he was talking with a rube accent and nobody ever does that around here. Except for the chimp.

All the sheep had started bleating and milling around aimlessly by that point, but after a while they got themselves lined up and settled down again. Which must have been a relief to Rummie, because he looked happy and the chimp looked happier. Even the sheep looked happy, at first anyway. But it was only a few minutes before almost but not quite half of the sheep started looking really glum and milling around even more aimlessly again.

Meanwhile the chimp had climbed up on a stump and was standing up there smirking and turning his head from side to side and blinking his eyes real fast. It looked like he was trying to make some kind of speech to the sheep or something, because he kept holding on to the sides of the stump and then waving his paws and every now again he'd touch himself on the chest. The chimp was a good ways off to my right, and maybe that's why I couldn't understand him at all. I could hear him yammering and making speech-like gestures, but nothing that came out of his mouth made any sense as far as I could tell.

But the chimp kept yammering anyway, and then he started jumping up and down and beating his chest with his paws. By then he'd got all of the sheep mighty worked up, and they were all swaying back and forth and bleating along with him. And then Rummie came over and started lining up the sheep so they were all facing east, while the chimp ran out and got in front of them waving and hollering like he was trying to get them all to hurry up and move faster.

And I could hear him real well as he ran past me yammering away like that. I don't know, maybe it was his rube accent or something, but I still misheard what he was saying. I'm certain of that, because I'm sure he couldn't have said what I thought I heard him say. It didn't make sense. It was crazy talk. I mean, who in their right mind would bother getting a bunch of sheep all worked up like that just so he could rush them off to somewhere else and go declare war on a ROCK?

Nope. Definitely crazy talk. But still, that's how it happened. And it's all that darn chimp's fault. And now everybody's gone off looking for that stupid rock, except for me and Bobby Lee and a handful of leftover sheep. Bobby Lee's still cranky. And the sheep are still thick-headed. They're useless. They can't remember the difference between a flush and a full house for more than ten minutes at a time. And with hooves like that, they just keep dropping their cards in their laps anyway. Sheep can't play poker worth a darn.

So that's it. There's not enough left. That was the only game in town. And so now there won't be any more all-night poker games down at Bubba's Stump 'N' Bump.

Hmmm. Unless...

Hey, Dick -- you think maybe you could send us a few of those little black velvet dogs of yours? We'll take real good care of them, I promise...


cheers (and roebuck),
Otter

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sparrow said:

Dianne;

If he's a dem, they'll reuse those purple bandages and bring out the swifties.

If he's a republican, then they'll tout his service and bravery.

It's US who honor all our service men and women. They don't have to lose an arm or leg for us to appeciate their duty.

sparrow said:

Otter:

A war on a ROCK--amazing. And the sheep followed him you say?

Was there anybody to question him? Was there any media looking under the rock to see if the chimp was hiding something?

Must not have been...judging by the fact that the silly sheep still believe the chimp!

oncall said:

Posted by: Otter at February 12, 2005 01:20 PM

Monkey see monkey do. Sheep blissfully lining up for the slaughter.

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