Senate Softball Game

I found this really interesting passage on the Kos blog...

"What no one seemed to notice. . . was the ever widening gap. . .between the government and the people. . . And it became always wider. . . the whole process of its coming into being, was above all diverting, it provided an excuse not to think for people who did not want to think anyway . . . (it) gave us some dreadful, fundamental things to think about . . .and kept us so busy with continuous changes and 'crises' and so fascinated . . . by the machinations of the 'national enemies,' without and within, that we had no time to think about these dreadful things that were growing, little by little, all around us. . .
Each step was so small, so inconsequential, so well explained or, on occasion, 'regretted,' that unless one understood what the whole thing was in principle, what all these 'little measures'. . . must some day lead to, one no more saw it developing from day to day than a farmer in his field sees the corn growing. . . .Each act. . . is worse than the last, but only a little worse. You wait for the next and the next. You wait for one great shocking occasion, thinking that others, when such a shock comes, will join you in resisting somehow.

You don't want to act, or even talk, alone. . . you don't want to 'go out of your way to make trouble.' . . .But the one great shocking occasion, when tens or hundreds or thousands will join with you, never comes. That's the difficulty. The forms are all there, all untouched, all reassuring, the houses, the shops, the jobs, the mealtimes, the visits, the concerts, the cinema, the holidays. But the spirit, which you never noticed because you made the lifelong mistake of identifying it with the forms, is changed. Now you live in a world of hate and fear, and the people who hate and fear do not even know it themselves, when everyone is transformed, no one is transformed. . . .You have accepted things you would not have accepted five years ago, a year ago, things your father. . . could never have imagined." :

From Milton Mayer,
They Thought They Were Free, The Germans, 1938-45

Casey --

Today, many posters on the DNC blog are BASHING George Voinovich for sending the letter to his colleagues urging them to vote against Bolton.

So, what I'm learning today is that some democrats don't like it when a Republican goes against his party, votes his conscience, and stands with Democrats.

Good to know.

www.stopbolton.org

Voinovich on now?

victoria: I am sorry to challenge you, but your post makes absolutely no sense, no sense at all. I know absolutely no Dem, none that would advocate would you have read from a bunch of nut jobs on daily koss but that would not be surprising at that site.I would not be surprised if a Republican troll wrote what you read.Why would you think that it is Dems rather than probable Repubs making such stupid comments?

Ira --

The ripping of Voinovich is not on Kos. It's on the DNC site.

Yes, the DNC. It's a blog thread header.

Here's the link:

http://www.democrats.org/blog/display/00012095.html

I'm stunned.

What's the DNC blog?
Voinovich is brilliant. He's painting himself as a Bush loyalist who simply can't let his conscience let him support Bush on this. Brilliant. Republicans will listen. We owe this man our thanks. We will never agree with all of his positions; but remember, democracy depends upon the free expression and open consideration of opposing ideas.

Oh, thanks for the link, Victoria.

The DNC thread is anti-Voinovich, although most of the comments are saying let's wait and see.

www.democrats.org half way down.

Voinovich is standing tall right now - this is what we can only wish for in all of our Senators. Letting their conscience be their guides. Both sides should follow his example.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/052505X.shtml
Exploit the Rift
By William Rivers Pitt
[Excellent piece of writing!!!]

Posted by: KerryOn62 at May 25, 2005 03:30 PM
Wonderful quote! Thanks! It goes well with "First they came for..." and with the 14 signs of fascism....

I'm listening to the Senate still talking about Bolton. Why this nomination was left to stand with all the negative things revealed about Bolton is just beyond my comprehension.... There are certainly more qualified people who could have been nominated. Seems like Bu$h is just determined to put thugs into offices where he can only damage the reputation of the US worse than it already is after the lies told to us daily....

Victoria, I read the header but couldn't get into the comments. I am with you on this; I suspect that Voinovich prefers the safety in numbers that a full senate vote gives him. He's brave; maybe he even had a change of heart. Whatever the reason, he's doing the right thing now.

Victoria:

The writer at this site is absolutely right. Voinovich did have an opportunity to stop Bolton in Committee and I am sure that Rove strong armed him to let Bolton out of commitee to come to a vote. The end result is that Bolton is now likely to be approved by a small margin even though Voinovich opposes him.This strategy of having it both ways seems to be prevalent by our Senate see the vote by Norm Coleman on Anwr when he knew his vote would be meaningless. Its called politics not principles.

However, Voinovich had nothing to gain by opposing Bolton period, other than to stop Bush's plan to allow the UN to whither on the vine with Bolton in charge. You are absolutely right in believing that Voinovich showed a profile in courage to oppose Bolton at any stage. Is it going to stop Bolton from confirmation? Probably not. The same question I asked of our compromise on Owens, Brown and Pryor. The person that wrote that post at the DNC site is uninformed and does not know they are talking about by criticizing Voinovich. Stuff happens.

Great Pitt article! Thanks!

Clearly the person there is trying to say, Voinovich gave "Too little, too late." But I actually think it shows how as he discovered more, his position reacted appropriately to his new knowledge. AND he did stand up in the end.

Posted by: Amy at May 25, 2005 04:22 PM

Velbekomme! William Rivers Pitt's writing keeps getting better as time goes by....

Write a letter to Voinovich thanking him for his grace, wisdom, and conviction, and service to our country.

Amazing.

After this speech on the Senate floor, Voinovich's patriotism can never be doubted. He has put country ahead of politics and ideology. If only our President was capable of such independent thought...

Harold Ford Jr. filed paperwork today to run for Frist' Senate seat. Ford is a great guy but winning in Tennessee for any Democrat will be a hard challenge.We wish him well, he is deserving.

[I am learning that there is apparently no end to the criminality of the bu$hcheney-rumsfool-rice-gonzalez administration...history will hold us all accountable, for what they are committing in our name]

FBI Records Cite Quran Abuse Allegations

By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer
26 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Terror suspects at the Guantanamo Bay prison told U.S. interrogators as early as April 2002, just four months after the first detainees arrived, that military guards abused them and desecrated the Quran, declassified FBI records say.

"Their behavior is bad," one detainee is quoted as saying of his guards during an interrogation by an FBI special agent in July 2002. "About five months ago the guards beat the detainees. They flushed a Quran in the toilet."

The statements about guards disrespecting the Quran echo public allegations made many months later by some detainees and their lawyers after prisoners' release from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The once-secret FBI documents show a consistency to the allegations and are the first indication that Justice and Defense department officials were aware in early 2002 that detainees were accusing their guards of mistreating the holy book.

Separately on Wednesday, Amnesty International urged the United States to shut down the prison, calling it "the gulag of our time." White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the human rights group's complaints were "unsupported by the facts" and that allegations of mistreatment were being investigated.

In its annual report, Amnesty accused the United States of failing to live up to its responsibility to set the standard for human rights protections. Rather, the group said the United States has been the biggest disappointment "after evidence came to light that the U.S. administration had sanctioned interrogation techniques that violated the U.N. Convention against Torture."

snip~
ACLU officials said the newly declassified documents provide new evidence that U.S. authorities at Guantanamo Bay were mistreating symbols of the detainees' religious beliefs as a tactic to force them to talk.

"The United States government continues to turn a blind eye to mounting evidence of widespread abuse of detainees held in its custody," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. "If we are to truly repair America's standing in the world, the Bush administration must hold accountable high-ranking officials who allow the continuing abuse and torture of detainees."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050525/ap_on_re_us/guantanamo_quran_3

Jay Rockefeller is making some devastating points about Bolton right now.

What I learned today is I believe the reps don't know which way to turn!! that will be good news for us come 06' & 08'..if we mind our P's and Q's...meaning stay on task and message!

Patti --

I agree that the Repubs are flaming right now... there is a huge split between the moderates and the neocons, and that will not help them.

Dems need to start laying out their agenda: National Security, jobs and the economy, Education, Health care, Envronment, New Energy... The country has seen the Repubs extremism in the last couple of months, and that is hurting them.

We have a great opportunity to define Democratic priorities now. I hope the Dems take advantage of it.

C'mon 2006!!

96% think Bush is trying to control the media to 4% no he's not!

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/

Today I finally learned - no, accepted - that no matter what happens, nothing bad will happen to the neocons in the minds of their followers. They can lie, cheat, break the law and their moral reputations will not suffer significantly. They can make the most illogical arguments, and still be considered rational. They can contradict themselves, and still be considered consistent. They can destroy a booming economy, start an illegal and immoral and unaffordable war, and still not be questioned. They can go back on their words, and still, people will think they are trustworthy.

So whenever I hear or read "Oh, the Republicans are going to regret this" or "They are a divided mess and this will hurt them in 06" and things like that, I know it's only the remnants, the last shred of hope of a still incredulous progressive who clings to the notion that the media will somehow get balls, and that from out of the sky, a bird, a plane....

Yes, it's hard to believe, but it's finally sunk in: nothing these neocons do EVER sticks. Nothing. They have raped the American people and have gotten away with it, over, and over, and over again. Their fellow Republicans have spoken out, called for impeachment in some cases. And still they grin their way to completing their extremist agenda.

We have to assume that there is nothing, NOTHING that will stick to these people. No mistake, no matter how huge, no travesty, no matter how shocking, will make a dent in their media-made armour. We need to accept this before we go forward.

In other words, the truth will not help us. It hasn't over the last 5 years, and it won't now. Facts, reality, common sense, rationality.... these commodities are all undeliverable to the American people.

We have to work around this.

Amy,

I understand where you are coming from, but I'd also like to encourage you by my story. Just one year ago, I watched CNN and happily thought I was getting the news.

Now look at me! I'm NOT watching any media, only listen to Randi Rhodes or Nancy Skinner, (or at least Air America if they're not on) and there are a lot of people like me.

I still boil it down to US creating the message. I think we need to PROMOTE the news through our everyday lives. The same way my in-laws wear their "A day without Jesus is like a sandwich..."

So I'm really thinking we need to wear t'shirts with a message. Even if we have to buy them cheap and paint them ourselves.

Admittedly we have an uphill climb, but frankly, the economy IS worse--despite whatever fake numbers they throw out. You can't HIDE that from people who have been out of work for 2 years. And by next year, I believe they'll be in enough pain to vote for their own lives instead of somebody else's life.

Another member of the Righteous Republican Club gets busted, Charles Taylor (R-NC) -

http://rawstory.com/aexternal/moscow_times_charles_taylor_525

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/05/20050524-10.html

Bush is spending taxpayer's money hunting down families who will adopt the over 400,000 frozen embryos? Is this real? This is a government website???

Where am I?

Posted by: Suz at May 25, 2005 08:45 PM

Early during the formation of the DCP, slogans were submitted for T-shirts. Placing that collection of slogans, if still available, in the forum may be helpful. Whenever I wear my DCP shirt, people either ask me about the DCP or are obviously studying it.

Posted by: Suz at May 25, 2005 08:45 PM

Suz, do you think your T-shirt will win over your inlaws?

Because that's my point. If they don't hear it on Fox News, it didn't happen. They base their decisions on "belief" rather than rational analysis of the facts.

http://homepage.mac.com/onegoodmove/movies/leno050205brighteyes.html

Hey watch this

MoNkEy,

Thank you for posting the Eric Grohe website. I live about 15 miles from Bucyrus,Oh. Massilon and Marion are also nearby. I'll look for the murals when I go to any of those towns. Heaven knows, Ohio has enough buildings which need beautified since the Bush administration economy has forced them to be abandoned.

I too am glad that Sen. Voinovich is doing what he can to encourage the senators to vote against John Bolton, but I wish he had just voted against Bolton in committee when he had the chance. Nevertheless, I'll send him a thank you.

I attended a rally in Columbus at the statehouse yesterday. Fifteen thousand supporters of public education were there to urge our legislators to defeat Gov. Taft's budget bill and to promote equal educational funding for all of Ohio's children. Wish we could have a rally that large for election reform!

VE,

I just finished listening to George Voinovich's speech on Bolton. Jesus, I don't know how anyone can call that guy a coward. He is scared to death of Bolton at the UN. I think he knows he screwed up in letting him out of committee, or somehow was conned by the whole "up or down" thinkset, but the man was IN TEARS at the end, begging his colleagues to reconsider before coming to the well to speak.

That took a phenominal amount of courage to do.

Posted by: Amy at May 25, 2005 08:32 PM
Posted by: Suz at May 25, 2005 08:45 PM

Amy, there are days when I would totally agree with your post, I have all but given up waiting for the "tipping point". We all know there are at least 100+ scandals that would have sunk any other administration. Even when the worst of "bad news" comes out, (Abu Garib, etc.) nothing sticks, bu$hcheneyco. are never held accountable or responsible, not even for this quagmire illegal war or the astronomical debt they have piled up that will suck the life from the next 2 generations.
Think of all we know, all we are aware of, that this administration has done to harm the poor and the working class of this country. And that's just what we know! With all the hyper-secrecy of this cabal, can you imagine what we don't know! When I think about the enormity of that, I feel helpless that this country is on the brink of disaster and half the adult population seems to be unaware.
Most of the people I meet in my neighborhood complain about the price of gas or healthcare, but they just don't make the connection that this administration and the republicans in Congress are selling out this country to big business.
But we can't give up, we must continue to speak up, in large ways and small ways, whenever we can, wherever we can.
I also agree with Suz' post. 2 years ago, I was a registered Dem and I voted and I watched CNN and read my local paper, so I considered myself an informed American. The turning point for me to take action came early last year; I happened to be channel surfing and I paused long enough on CSPAN to catch a panel discussion that included Eric Alterman, Paul Krugman and Sidney Blumenthal, among others. The more they spoke, the more I wanted to hear, which led me to their books, which led me to several progressive websites, which led me to the JK/JE website. I had opened my eyes and ears, FINALLY.
My point is there are still many many Americans out there who are ill informed, and we can't stop as long as there are so many still not paying attention. The future of this country is too great to leave it to an uninformed Fauxnews watching public and the criminality of the bu$hcheney administration.

Reading these pieces tonight is very heart-warming. This is exactly what we hoped we could do here--provide a place for information and community to grow and evolve.

We are beginning to see how we connect up with all the other progressive organizations--the blogs, the forums, the chats--and the potential of THAT is immense.

We cannot create change by ourselves, but we can contribute to change positively and proactively.

Okay, okay, I'll order a T-shirt! ;-)

Thanks, OTV. I needed that pep talk. I actually do talk, to everyone I meet, maybe too much, I don't know. I try to inform people, using all the people-skills techniques. But I get discouraged at the number of people who just refuse to believe the facts, and won't go check things out for themselves. I live in a Republican area of Wa, so perhaps that's it. Anyway, it's nice to come here and get a shot of encouragement.

http://voinovich.senate.gov/contact/

Thank Senator Voinovich at this address.

S*** there goes my google bar, dont know if this has been posted guys.

Lookout, France! Google hires neo-con headbanger
By Andrew Orlowski
Published Tuesday 24th May 2005 09:42 GMT
The company that prides itself on "Doing No Evil" isn't taking any chances with its latest executive appointment. Dan Senor, the company's new Global Communications and Strategy VP, has a CV guaranteed to have Register columnist Otto Z Stern firing a celebratory fusillade skywards from his compound in New Mexico.

A former Senior Associate at the Carlyle Group, Senor was briefly Scott McLellan's deputy as White House spokesman before becoming head of the the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq's information department. The White House web site bills him as Senior Advisor to Presidential Envoy L. Paul Bremer III. Fox News hired Senor as a panelist in February. While in Iraq Senor showed his loyalty by going jogging in a Bush-Cheney '04 tracksuit.

Not everyone is impressed.

"I have come to associate his triangular, brush-cut head with an unceasing stream of bullshit. He's Ari Fleischer without the charm," writes one grump. "Hiring this guy is a repulsive move."

An impressive resume, for sure, but one perhaps more useful to a company building a military task force than a search engine. And it'll be fascinating to see the reaction of the French, with whom Google is locked into some extremely sensitive negotiations, to Senor's brand of special diplomacy.

Related stories
Google values its own privacy. How does it value yours?
Europe uniting against Schmidt's Google print project
PR rules, OK? Google ducks promised news policy pledge
Google News' chief robot speaks out
Google slammed for corporate sleaze
Google's Ethics Committee revealed
Google files Coca Cola jingle with SEC

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/05/24/google_neocon/

I live in a Republican area of Wa, so perhaps that's it. Anyway, it's nice to come here and get a shot of encouragement.

Posted by: Amy at May 25, 2005 10:47 PM

Amy, I can relate!
I live in a suburb near Baton Rouge, LA...can we talk about being out-numbered, sometimes I feel like my hubby & I are the only 2 Dems in a tri-state area! Sometimes it seems that way. My senator, Mary Landrieu, has a habit of voting with the Republican big business interests, like she did today, on the Owens vote. That's what I did today, made my voice known, that I didn't appreciate her vote today at all! I may be out-numbered in my neighborhood, but that hasn't stopped me yet!

We cannot create change by ourselves, but we can contribute to change positively and proactively.

Posted by: Karen at May 25, 2005 10:28 PM

Karen,

I disagree...

We each effect change in the world by expressing our beliefs and convictions...by reaching out, and within...and teaching others.

But...there is strength in numbers.

Dare to create a better world...

One day at a time...
One heart at a time...
One mind at a time...

One Truth at a time.

Got Hope?

I certainly do thanks to all of you.

Indy =]

Posted by: on.to.victory4Dems at May 25, 2005 11:06 PM

OTV...

Mary Landrieu is my Goodmother's niece...I grew up with her in New Orleans...

She used to hide behind her aunt's skirt...I guess we boys were just a little too rambunctious for her...she sure was a shy little thing...I knew I should have thrown her in the Lake! lol!

Trust me...her father is rolling in his grave.

Indy, Give her a call and let her know what you really think.

OC,

I did...I am certain my mother is going to hear about it! LOL!

Batter up!

Posted by: Indy at May 25, 2005 11:13 PM

I like Mary, I support Mary, but she crosses that aisle a bit too much for me. But she squeaked through a close election last time and next time she will probably be facing young freshman Representative Bobby Jindal, so dear Mary casts herself as a "moderate" Dem, and votes pro-military and pro-big business.

I just found this on the HuffingtonPost.
Arianna gets it:

05.24.2005 Arianna Huffington

Next Dem Battlefront: Iraq
Now that the Democrats have won the battle over the nuclear option (or, at least, come away with a tie), they need to turn their attention to what it's going to take to become more than a minority party that wins a battle every now and then. They have been surprisingly successful at battling Bush’s domestic agenda, but if they’re going to broaden their appeal they’re going to have to first broaden their battlefronts to include Iraq.
snip~
Yes, it’s great that the Democrats staved off the nuclear option. But the reason the nuclear option was even a possibility in the first place is because they have ceded the foreign policy battlefront to a majority party that doesn’t represent the majority of this country on the crucial foreign policy issue of Iraq. Democrats need to realize that they will remain a minority party so long as they only dare to take on Bush and the Republicans on domestic issues.

http://tinyurl.com/bgts4

This is something that has to be advertised. Get ready for 2006 elections.

http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/

Friends,

Time is running out at the Federal Election Commission. The period for public comment on the proposed rulemaking regarding the Internet closes June 3, 2005.

As a blogger, or blog reader - you have valuable input from your firsthand experience that the FEC desperately needs. You don't have to be a lawyer, and you've got a duty to weigh in. Please take a moment and read over and endorse the 11 Principles for Online Freedom we've written up with the Center for Democracy & Technology and the Institute for Politics, Technology, and The Internet: http://fec.cdt.org/signup.php

Here is the proudly partisan report from day 3 of the Dino Rossi v Christine Gregoire WA Gubernatorial trial:

ROSSI’S CLAIM OF FRAUD PROVEN BASELESS BY GOP’S KEY WITNESS:

SMOKING GUN TURNS OUT TO BE SMOKE AND MIRRORS
 
SEATTLE -  On the third day of trial, it became even clearer that the Republicans have no evidence of fraud in this election.
 
Dino Rossi has wasted another day in court throwing out baseless allegations with no ability to provide any evidence.  For three days, the Republicans have been screaming fraud, despite the fact that Judge Bridges, who is presiding over the election contest trial, has repeatedly said fraud is not an element in this case.
 
 “For 50 minutes during their opening argument on Monday, Dino Rossi’s lawyers argued that they would be bringing forward witnesses that would prove fraud, claiming that Nicole Way’s testimony would provide the proof,” Washington Democratic Party Chair Paul Berendt said.  “Instead, today, Ms. Way testified that the reports she submitted were correct, based on the best information available to her at the time.”
 
Then, Dino Rossi, in desperation, unable to convince expert witnesses to provide testimony that would support the allegations he wanted to make to the court, brought in a Republican political operative to testify via innuendo to try to buttress their failing claims.
 
“It’s Dino Rossi who is defrauding the citizens of this state when he makes outrageous claims that he has no evidence to support,” (Dem party leader) Berendt added.

Voters Group: Fla. Audit Shows Problems

MIAMI (AP) - A voters' rights group said Wednesday its audit of November's presidential election ballots in Miami-Dade County showed counting problems - and an unintentional but worrisome instance of a number of votes being counted three times.

A report released by the Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition said during the elections there were ``serious problems with policies and procedures that are supposed to protect the integrity of the ballot.''

In many precincts, the number of people who signed in to cast votes was not tracked carefully, or in some cases was not compared with the actual number of ballots cast at those precincts.

The group also said there was a touchscreen machine malfunction; when votes were tallied the results from one machine had been counted three times, creating a discrepancy of 171 votes that became part of the certified canvass, the group said.

``It slid right through and nobody caught it,'' said Martha Mahoney, a professor at University of Miami and a group member.

Fifteen of Florida's 67 counties used touchscreen machines, including most of the heavily populated ones.

Election officials welcomed the criticism and said the machine that gave a 3-for-1 tally has been sent for testing.

``We generally think that the more voices that you have the better off you are,'' said Seth Kaplan, spokesman for the elections office.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5032419,00.html

I think we need to find bumper stickers with the signage...NOT MY PRESIDENT..says it all.
the reason the people are so misinformed is Bush gets a 10 sec sound bite and shouts it over and over again ,ten times a day. And the stupid people think "oh,that's my president speaking and I'd better listen up and believe him after all 9/11 did happen!"
So many JK/JE bumpers stilll in sight so a group of us had some fun. We changed the 04' to 08' with a dark pen and now many in this town all following and we always give a thumbs up! It's a good thing to see this!
Rossi will be going after Maria Cantwell's seat next go-round. These people are disgusting.

Posted by: Amy at May 25, 2005 09:22 PM

He does not have the right to adopt out someone elses embrios. Only the "donors" have that right.