What Progress?

Progress
Egress
Congress
Regress

Honor
Offer
Donor
Proffer

One state
Two state
Red state
Blue State

Will it?
Won't it?
Should it?
Don't it?

Let it
Fake it?
Get it:
Make it!

where's the good doctor now that we need him,
Otter

you're obviously channeling him Otter!

Otter, Mkh,

Simple reading for the current pResident...the theif in cheif.

This type of thing makes me ashamed of humans.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060106/wl_nm/mideast_palestinians_sharon_dc_1;_ylt=Am1vKocM681qpMH2JtTKQQ3uyucA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Sparrow
True. Arafat's death got same reaction in some sectors of Israel. No respect .. what is wrong with (some) people .. this sort of thing dims prospects for the peace process.

Sparrow, my dear, I love you to death, but...

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(Just a little bit of geekeristical reminder here, folks... if your post includes a URL that's longer than the comment column is wide, clicking on it breaks the page formatting for the reader thereafter. Might I humbly suggest making use of something like http://www.tinyurl.com for those really long links? Thenk yew.)

yeah, yeah, such a nitpicker,
Otter

Posted by: Otter at January 4, 2006 11:30 AM

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make beignets not bombers,
Otter

*ahem*

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know... but once a webpage-content specialist, always a webpage-content specialist.

So indict me already.

;0)

make peace not war,
Otter

Maybe not every dark cloud has a silver lining, but we'll take the good collateral damage along with the bad collateral damage every chance we get:

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LOBBYIST'S DOWNFALL LEADS TO CHARITIES' WINDFALL

Washington, Jan. 5 - The White Buffalo Calf Woman Society, a shelter for battered women in tiny Mission, S.D., is far removed from the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal that rocked Washington this week. But the society, along with many other charities large and small, is among the latest beneficiaries of Mr. Abramoff's legendary largess.

As panicked lawmakers rush to distance themselves from Mr. Abramoff, the disgraced Republican lobbyist, after his guilty pleas in federal and Florida state courts, tens of thousands of dollars in political donations from him and his Indian tribe clients are being returned or redirected to charities in a vast Robin Hood-like reordering of campaign funds.

[snip]

Full story here: http://tinyurl.com/d3cad

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make love not hate,
Otter

Those who can remember history are consigned to defeat it.

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THE END OF INFLUENCE

by Michael Waldman, NY Times

There are shivers running through official Washington, and it's not just the January cold. The plea bargain by the lobbyist Jack Abramoff threatens to ensnare key lawmakers in scandal and potential legal troubles, including some Congressional leaders. The case, with its luxury skyboxes, politicians shilling for gambling interests and lobbyists stealing from Indian tribes, symbolizes Washington's extreme cash-for-policy culture. But what can we do to ensure that, when the dust clears, things won't just go back to politics as usual?

In the long struggle to strengthen democracy, reform sometimes follows scandal, but not always. Often appalling corruption has produced a yawn rather than a shriek. True progress comes only from rare "reform moments," when accumulated public outrage combines with potent policy changes.

[snip]

At the beginning of the last century, the rise of corporations bred new corruption, tainting even President Theodore Roosevelt. After it was revealed that Roosevelt had received large donations from the insurance industry in 1904, he felt his honor had been besmirched. "Sooner or later, unless there is a readjustment, there will come a riotous, wicked, murderous day of atonement," he told a reporter, and eventually he won passage of the first federal law banning corporate campaign gifts.

A 1906 muckraking article in Cosmopolitan magazine called "The Treason of the Senate" exposed how corrupt state legislatures controlled the senators they appointed and sent to Washington. Public outcry was so fierce and sustained that the Constitution was amended in 1913 to provide direct election of senators.

[snip]

Just as important, the public must be persuaded that change will truly bring accountability. Reform must not be presented simply as a matter of political hygiene, but as a way to bolster voters' voices in the legislative process. Mr. Abramoff was central to the Republicans' so-called K Street Project, in which the Congressional majority sought to create a political machine tying Republican politicians to business lobbyists. A century ago muckrakers educated the public about such networks; perhaps today's bloggers can play a similar role.

Finally, the reform moment will arrive when politicians, in their own self-interest, press for change. There are hopeful signs. Democrats, finally shedding their incumbent mindsets after a decade in the minority, have now made political reform a central plank. Republicans are far more implicated in the current scandal, which may give their rank and file new reasons to turn to Senator McCain for leadership.

Jack Abramoff's football stadium skybox may never become a symbol as potent as the parking garage where the cinematic Deep Throat whispered, "Follow the money." But even a jaded public can reach a tipping point. As the scandal unfolds, let's hope it leads not just to lurid headlines but lasting change.

Full article here: http://tinyurl.com/98kqk

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make hay while the sun shines,
Otter

Change is good.

saving the world one nickel at a time,
Otter

Folding money, on the other paw, can get pretty complicated...

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IRS TRACKED TAXPAYERS’ POLITICAL AFFILIATION

Wasgington – As it hunted down tax scofflaws, the Internal Revenue Service collected information on the political party affiliations of taxpayers in 20 states.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a member of an appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over the IRS, said the practice was an "outrageous violation of the public trust" that could undermine the agency’s credibility.

IRS officials acknowledged that party affiliation information was routinely collected by a vendor for several months. They told the vendor last month to screen the information out.

"The bottom line is that we have never used this information," said John Lipold, an IRS spokesman. "There are strict laws in place that forbid it."

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Um, er, I mean, yeah... didn't we just hear the pResident say almost exactly those same words back in April of last year regarding the imminent we-spy-on-our-own-citizens kerfluffle?

Hmmm. Yup. We sure did. You betcha.

So... imagine our surprise now to hear those very same talking points coming back up again to haunt us, much like a bad burrito or a Congressional money-laundering scandal.

Gee. Who'd'a thunk it.

(Full story here: http://tinyurl.com/98kqk )

saving for our future one dollar at a time,
Otter

Otter,

Our own experience with the IRS (DCP) is that they are basically incompetent, but fair-minded. This is hardly widespread data; it is only what we found as we charted the nonprofit waters.

They lost our paperwork several times (to their embarrassment) and worked hard to find it again. They asked hard and silly questions of us (both). They struggled to understand the nature of an online community as a teaching/learning center, but they approved us, in the end.

I give them some creds for all of this. Whether or not this results in our being closely audited remains to be seen, but we are in total fiscal compliance, so not worried there.

More teaching/learning news from the latest headlines, courtesy of our friends over at http://www.truthout.org :

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11 US TROOPS KILLED IN ONE DAY IN IRAQ
http://tinyurl.com/ame8t

Attacks by insurgents killed 11 members of the American forces and as many as 130 Iraqis in Karbala and Ramadi on Thursday. They followed attacks on Wednesday that included a suicide bombing at a Shiite funeral and pushed the two-day death toll over 200.

US SAYS BOMB HIT WRONG HOUSE IN IRAQ
http://tinyurl.com/dltwk

Strike aimed at insurgents killed 6 family members -- A bomb that killed six civilians Monday near Baiji, Iraq, missed its target by 65 feet (20 meters) and hit the wrong home, military officials said.

TYCO ACKNOWLEDGES $1.6M LINK TO ABRAMOFF
http://tinyurl.com/7zd3a

Tyco International, whose former CEO became a symbol of corporate corruption, acknowledged Thursday it is the Jack Abramoff client referred to as "Company A" in court documents describing the lobbyist's scheme to funnel millions of dollars in lobbying fees to himself.

BUSH BYPASSES SENATE TO APPOINT UNDER-QUALIFIED DHS DISASTER CHIEF
http://tinyurl.com/asqtm

When Tracy A. Henke assumes a top homeland security job Monday, she will begin under a swirl of controversy. Critics said she had little experience relevant to the job she is about to assume, while others questioned her role in a racial-profiling study last year that resulted in some discord within the Justice Department.

COST OF IRAQ WAR COULD TOP $2 TRILLION
http://tinyurl.com/dhbhp

Nobel Laureate Joseph E. Stiglitz and Harvard budget expert Linda Bilmes plan to present a paper this week estimating the cost of the Iraq war at between 1 and 2 trillion dollars. This is far higher than earlier estimates of $100-$200 billion.

LEVIN PROTESTS MOVE TO DISMISS DETAINEE PETITIONS
http://tinyurl.com/ae7f5

Sen. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.) said that the Bush administration cannot use recent legislation he helped craft to seek the dismissal of habeas corpus petitions filed on behalf of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, contending that the law applies only to new cases.

ABRAMOFF AND HIS VANISHING FRIENDS
http://tinyurl.com/8wqpo

E.J. Dionne Jr. writes that Abramoff, who used to pal around with close Bush allies Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed in the College Republicans, and who has been a central figure in the rise of Republican dominance in Washington, is not a lone wolf.

"FOOL ME ONCE..."
http://tinyurl.com/973gg

Eric Alterman writes that the willingness of our most powerful media corporations to defer to this White House for reasons that relate far more to political embarrassment than national security is deeply disconcerting.

THE PIMPING OF THE PRESIDENCY
http://tinyurl.com/9lmvx

Abramoff was so closely tied to the Bush administration that he could, and did, charge two of his clients $25,000 for a White House lunch date and a meeting with the president. From the same two clients he took to the White House in May 2001, Abramoff also obtained $2.5 million in contributions for a non-profit foundation he and his wife operated.

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make news not noise,
Otter

Posted by: Otter at January 6, 2006 11:54 AM

Yes sir....

Have to admit though, I'd like to see you doing this with a teenager saying, "Move it mom...NOW!"

You ain't seen nothing til you've seen a bossy teenager.

And more ditto in re the teaching/learning info, this time courtesy of the MSM at http://www.cbsnews.com :

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BUSH UPBEAT ON 2006 ECONOMY
http://tinyurl.com/8sutk

Despite weaker-than-expected job growth, President Bush said the economy is starting the year with "a full head of steam." He said his tax cuts are a major reason for the economy's strength and urged Congress to make them permanent.

WHITE HOUSE REBUKES ROBERTSON
http://tinyurl.com/777ge

Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson is under fire for suggesting that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine punishment for "dividing God's land." The White House called his comments "wholly inappropriate and offensive."

TYCO ADMITS PAYMENTS TO ABRAMOFF
http://tinyurl.com/89avp

Scandal-plagued Tyco International acknowledges it is the "Company A" referred to in court papers detailing lobbyist Jack Abramoff's scheme to funnel millions of dollars in fees from clients to himself.

MURTHA TO MILITARY: DON'T BLAME ME
http://tinyurl.com/cj3vz

Rep. John Murtha says the military is blaming him for its recruitment problems rather than recognizing its own mistakes. The nation's top general charged that Murtha's criticism of the Iraq war has hurt efforts to attract new recruits.

RUSH TO RETURN LOBBYIST FUNDS
http://tinyurl.com/e2bqu

President Bush, ex-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Sen. Hillary Clinton are among dozens of politicians refunding or giving to charity the contributions they received from lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

DEMS MAY DELAY ALITO COMMITTEE VOTE
http://tinyurl.com/dmjzb

Senate Democrats might delay the vote on Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court for at least a week but insist they're not planning to filibuster his nomination unless there are dramatic revelations at the confirmation hearings.

SEN. CLINTON CAMPAIGN GROUP FINED
http://tinyurl.com/bhxg7

A fundraising committee for Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign has agreed to a $35,000 penalty to settle a federal inquiry into understating hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on a Hollywood gala, the man who bankrolled the event said.

BUSH HEARS SUGGESTIONS ON IRAQ
http://tinyurl.com/ckg3x

President Bush met with former secretaries of defense and state who have disagreed with his approach in Iraq. The White House hopes the prominent figures will be persuaded by the president's argument that he is on a "dual-track strategy for victory."

FLA. VOUCHER SYSTEM STRUCK DOWN
http://tinyurl.com/7lbtf

The Florida Supreme Court struck down a voucher system that allowed some children to attend private schools with taxpayers picking up the tab, saying it violates the constitution. Florida established the nation's first statewide system of vouchers.

KEY DEM: SPY BRIEFINGS BROKE LAW
http://tinyurl.com/avpmr

Rep. Jane Harman, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, says President Bush broke the law by not telling more lawmakers about his domestic spying program. Vice President Cheney defended the program as "critical" to national security.

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because knowledge really is power,
Otter

Turns out that the old 'Dukestir' wore a wire right before he copped a plea...

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1146700,00.html

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Thnx 4 th lnk, VE!

And here's more relevant teaching/learning info, also from the http://www.time.com website:

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WHY WASHINGTON IS PLAYING WITH FIRE
These Are Not Clever Times In Washington

By Joe Klein

An important press conference was not held in Washington last week. The leaders of the Democratic Party did not say, "We'd like to thank President Bush for his new, realistic tone about the war in Iraq. In his recent speeches, the President has acknowledged that U.S. military strategy has been defective, especially in the Sunni triangle. He has made clear the difficulty we have had in training Iraqi security forces. He has expressed concern about the power that ethnic militias have overthose forces. He has expressed dismay about the corruption rampant in the new democratic Iraq. He has admitted that large reconstruction contracts given to U.S. corporations like Halliburton have been a failure. He has repeatedly asserted that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, that the intelligence that caused him to attack Iraq was wrong. We applaud the President for finally acknowledging those mistakes. Given the Administration's sad record of incompetence in planning and executing this war, we do have concerns about the President's ability to bring it to a successful conclusion. In the meantime, we hope he will continue to be candid about the difficulties we are facing in Iraq."

[snip]

Full article is here: http://tinyurl.com/9bpnf

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PRESIDENTIAL SNOOPING DAMAGES THE NATION
Bush Has Put Himself Above The Law And In The Company Of Rogues

By Bob Barr

Back in the 1930s, when confronted with clear evidence he had violated the law, Georgia's then agriculture commissioner and gubernatorial candidate Eugene Talmadge popped his bright red suspenders and dared those accusing him of corruption to do something about it, declaring, "Sure, I stole, but I stole for you." He was elected Governor in 1932. Accused of breaking the law in the current debate over electronic spying, President George W. Bush has, in his own way, dared the American people to do something about it. For the sake of our Constitution, I hope they will.

[snip]

Full article is here: http://tinyurl.com/b5yzg

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HAS BUSH GONE TOO FAR?
The President's Secret Directive To Let The NSA Snoop Without Warrants Sets Off A Furor

By Richard Lacayo

Full story with sidebars and linked articles is here: http://tinyurl.com/7lxk3

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congregate; educate; activate,
Otter

Sparrow:

Can you imagine what it must have been like raising *me* when I was a teenager?!

Poor Mom. If I'd'a been twins, she'd'a had no choice but t' drown both of us...

am not! are so! am not! are so!,
Otter

And from the Official Otterworld Quoted Without Comment Department:

"Back in the dim recesses of my mind, I remember a party that thought of itself as a reform, or even a revolutionary movement. That party used to be known as the Republican Party. I wonder if it still exists."

-- David Brooks (writing in "Saving the House", NY Times, 1/4/06)

'nuff said,
Otter

Good.
A spokesperson for the White House has denounced the remarks of Pat Robertson.

Also, it would be a good side effect if the religious right starts to distance from the White House & vice versa & runs their own candidate & the conservatives become as splintered as possible.

This would make them easier to defeat, race by race.

LMR:

Yupperdoodles. Divide and conquer is one of the oldest and most successful strategies. And the good thing is, the Rethugs and their 'coalition of the wishing' are finally getting close to the point of stealing a page from the Demo playbook *ahem* and fragmenting themselves without any outside conquering necessary.

Not that all us liberals and progressives and independents and small-d democrats should hesitate to take advantage of that fragmentation early and often, you understand...

;0)

let 'em be their own dividers and not uniters,
Otter