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And Now There Are Eight
How many retired Generals does it take to change a Secretary of Defense?
None. All it take is one President who is not a stubborn ass.
Fox News is reporting an eighth general has called for Rumsfeld’s resignation. Ret. Marine General Paul Van Riper said he constantly talks with many active duty and retired senior officers who share his feelings that Secretary Rumsfeld has not fought the Iraq war competently. He told Fox that Rumsfeld has run the Pentagon through intimidation and that a change in leadership is needed:
If this leader is not capable of doing it, now going in excess of five years, has not demonstrated he is, then perhaps it is time to find a new one. If I was the president, I would have relieved him three years ago.
Van Riper follows the calls of Generals Swannack, Newbold, Eaton, Zinni, Batiste, Riggs, and Clark.
Eight retired Generals and counting.
2390 dead American soldiers and counting.
Ten of thousands of Iraqis dead and counting.
I am counting the days until Rumsfeld resigns.
Casey,
However many days it is, it's sad that it took this long.
Karen, I had planned to march on the 29th with my First Presbyterian social action group, as part of a Brooklyn contingent. Will Matt?
I've since been commandeered into getting volunteers for the NYers for Verified Voting table. I could talk by cell phone about the Peace festival, which has tables with the usual suspects. I think your Backbone guys will be here.
I could provide a few photos the next day. Still sitting with the many Bush Step Down images from that rainy day, waiting to buy a good CD burner.
My pitch to anyone reading: please participate and stop by a visit. We're in red t-shirts, with plenty of passion about voting integrity.
According to cnn, Bush's approval ratings are now at 32%.
That's all great, but the more difficult part is to come. We need to figure out ways to protect our election integrity before the neocon machines can steal votes and another election again. Since it's clearly not going to happen through Congress in time, I think Marjorie is on the right path to keep fighting for voting integrity.
I know people in Ohio are asking for help in running parallel elections. If anyone would like to join, send me a private message through the forum.
And if you don't want to help with that, you can also get family and friends to devote time to a local candidate.
Marjorie G
Those are MY Backbone guys, LOL - they're from Vashon Island WA. I wish I could be there, but then we'd have missed Sebastien, so that's why we came when we did.
Suz
Parallel elections is a good idea, if that is possible!
It might prove a point!
Other:
We were just out & I was happy to see Department of Ecology Official Vehicles & they are all Prius hybrid cars.
At the bakery, I noticed on the BB that quite a few restaurants are learning how to make biodiesel from their cooking oil waste.
Small steps, but encouraging.
The government taxes us & we get so little for it, but there are alot of things, like light rail to the airport that will be ready in a couple of years - where mostly our property taxes (which are high) pay the costs.
I never wanted to operate independently of the government, as I think the federal government bears alot of responsibility. But they're not doing their job. So now I think we should avoid them & go around them alot of the time.
Our Mayor spearheaded a Mayor's group (at the environmental meeting in Montreal) for dealing with global warming. Now he's doing the same thing with gun control, as our laws are too lax & we've had more gun violence lately. We are done complaining about him, as he seems to be proactive.
Bush wants the government to deal mostly with military & roads, like a Libertarian (but they don't believe in all this deficit spending). He wants us to use faith-based organizations for social programs. So .. why not support organizations of our own choosing which meet our needs & fit with our values, such as maybe Greenpeace, Planned Parenthood, World Can't Wait - whatever.
Same with media. It ranges from useless to dangerous. We have to use alternate channels.
Suz - I like your suggestions about local candidates too. It's all good. Someone had a good Kos diary the other day where they suggested that people focus on issues of their choice, such as voting reform or the environment or women's rights - but then regularly take time to learn about a completely different issue, to be balanced & more connected.
Yes, DiAnne, I know they're Seattle. You can share them. Met Bill Moyer once, at first PDA conference. Should I say hi from you?
Marjorie G
Tell him DiAnne in Seattle said "hi - Civil unions for all!"
Great ideas.
http://armbandsforpeace.blogspot.com/
Rumsfeld Sued Over Pentagon's Recruiting Database
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/24/AR2006042400852.html
Hitting the wires today, "Bush orders probe into gas cheating."
One could definately call this a rock and a hard place for him. Afterall, he's waited more than two years to decide he didn't have the political capital to bully his Republican Congress and with the cloud of 06 elections hanging over their heads, I suspect his Republican friends have said, "Now you listen to us...If you want to see us win in November it's time to reel in those gas prices. So instead of record breaking profits, they may have to settle for slightly less than record breaking profits." Ya think?
http://www.yahoo.com/s/135781/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060425/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush
Posted by: sparrow at April 25, 2006 09:08 AM
What they're not telling you is that the lower gas prices will only be for those who vote Republican or have "W" bumper stickers...
That is funny.
Bush really does think he's God if he thinks he has any control over gas prices. They can pressure Saudi Arabia to release more gas, they can let some out of the strategic reserves, but they can't force all of OPEC, they can't control events in Nigeria or Venezuela or Iran & they can't stop price gouging & gas wars by competitors. Bush has about as much control over the price of gas as he does over the price of methamphetamine on the street. He's desperate.
I don't think Bush can speed up refineries either.
Posted by: sparrow at April 25, 2006 09:08 AM
I would like to encourage all of you to look at that link for media bias.
It's all there.
Bush demands probe...
Republican's are upset...
Read the whole story. Not once does it make the point that Democrats have been calling for an investigation for months. Not once does it comment on the false "hearing" the Republicans had with the oil executives where they chose to not have them testify under oath. And not once does that article refer back to Cheney's energy conference years ago.
I rated it zero. However, I believe articles like this deserve to have many calls to the editor or letters to the editor.
If anyone would like to join me in contacting yahoo, here is the 'contact us' link.
http://yhoo.client.shareholder.com/press/contact.cfm
Oh..excuse me...They did put in one paragraph on Harry Reid. I guess there's no media bias after all. (sarcasm!)
Msn article...the same press release.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12469582/
Posted by: madame defarge at April 25, 2006 09:10 AM
I have no idea if it's really true, but I have heard from people that gas is higher in blue states and that the economy and job situation is worse too because Bush is punishing those who voted for Kerry.
this one's for monkey... too bad he's floating on a boat somewhere...
Neil Young did an interview on one of those entertainment shows on his new record and in particular his new song, 'Let's Impeach the President'. The interviewer is a real twirp but mostly it's Neil talking and he really lays it out there.
It's interesting to see how it's getting into popular culture level.
With a hattip to poster scarce at dailykos, check it out here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7utryGZ25dg
Posted by: dwahzon at April 25, 2006 10:00 AM
I saw it. Way cool. Maybe we need to make a "best of" file for Monkey in the forum. And give it to him upon his return.
If you have people who live in Ohio who would like to help run parallel election, they're arranging a training. Please contact them and get back to me.
The more the merrier!
Sparrow
The gas may be higher in some blue states, but the wages & cost of living tend to be higher along the coasts & in urban areas. It's all relative.
I don't think Bush has enough power - yet - to punish people for voting for Kerry. It actually looks like those (who are not CEOs) who voted for Bush are getting punished!
I just gassed up my car & it was the most I've ever paid, but still a nickel under $3/gallon. I heard an Economist on NPR - asked about the email circulating which says to boycott Exxon/Mobil & this would eventually send prices down. He said it wouldn't work - enough people would not do it, they could not remain organized, they would be 15-20% & would buy elsewhere, & that the best way to bring prices down is to drive less. That's what I'm doing.
It looked like oil company profits will go UP for this quarter for oil companies, at same time prices are up at the pump. That's why Bush is being proactive & trying to talk like an environmentalist. I can't imagine who would fall for it.
I forced myself to listen to him & to the Democratic rebuttal. What I noticed - listening as objectively as I could (Weds. AM rebroadcast of his Sat. AM speech, on APR, Community radio):
Bush always speaks in a whining voice but tries to emphasize the positive if talking about accomplishments of his administration. This makes the following Democratic talk (this time by Bill Nelson, D-Florida) sound more negative & complaining. I can't imagine who this would be effective with, yet I have a feeling it is with some.
Bush seems to have some decent speechwriters but the new part of his speech (about energy) had an old piece (about terra) tacked on & they didn't mesh or match. He also sounds like he's reading. Kerry may use alot of words with four syllables, but at least he knows what he's saying.
from Vets for Peace
Army training sailors to do battle on land
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2006/04/24/a3.nat.navyarmy.0424.p1.php?section=nation_world
(from former Navy person, Vietnam)
Kerry may use alot of words with four syllables, but at least he knows what he's saying.
Posted by: DiAnne at April 25, 2006 11:02 AM
He hehehehehe!! Funny!
Also funny was the cute discussion at the bottom of the "Meanwhile, Back at the War" thread on the 23rd. If you get a chance please go back and check it out. I 'splained about my phonics lessons and all....
This is the first chance I have had to be on the blog in a couple days.
I quote myself on the bottom of that thread:
"Kerry is a gentleman, and a genteel gentile.
HA HA ha ha...
Git hukd on foneks, it wurkd 4 me.
Posted by: Truth Shall Prevail at April 25, 2006 07:38 PM