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I've written before about the MSM's failure to communicate the truth to the American people. Often, they do this through omission. The other day, all the "journalists" were reporting on the President's surprise visit to Anbar province... except he wasn't there. He was at the isolated and heavily fortified Al Asad Air Base, known in Iraq military circles as "Camp Cupcake," for its relatively luxurious accommodations... The guy never set foot in the actual streets or anywhere that he may have seen anything not so swell going on, like large scale murder and such...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/03/AR2007090300333.html

Didn't get a mention in any television news coverage I saw. And that made me angry. But then, a sort of frightening calm followed my anger. And I realized that it will be exactly the myopic, corporate-driven, media spin machine that's going to save America.

Because Americans will create another way to communicate, and the MSM will become, in my lifetime, wholly irrelevant. And that ladies and gentlemen, will mark the beginning of the healing of this great wounded nation.

Photo courtesy of Associated Press

DCPers - Let's welcome back Gob Ears with another installment on the vicissitudes of our nation's infrastructure:

A lot of interesting stuff is coming out in the wake of the I-35W bridge failure in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Now we learn that that state's transportation bureaucracy quietly lowered its goals for bridge maintenance in 2003 from 65% to 55% of bridges receiving a "good" or better rating. Here's a wonderful quote from one of the top bureaucrats there: "Once we started looking at what others were doing, we realized that 65 percent was an unrealistic number."

In other words, if we can show that we're no worse than others, it's okay.

Photo by Jerry Holt, courtesy of Minneapolis Star Tribune

DCP Readers:

Please welcome Guest Blogger "Gob Ears", colleague and professional engineer addressing current affairs in infrastructure.--FB

On August 1 the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed suddenly and catastrophically dumping dozens of vehicles into the Mississippi River and stranding many more. There were an as yet undetermined number of people killed and dozens more injured. A vital transportation link in this major American city was destroyed.

We take our infrastructure for granted in this country with not much consciousness of how important it is to our health and well being. Consider the upheaval we in the Bay Area experienced when the Bay Bridge was out of service for a month in the wake of the Loma Prieta earthquake. People in the Twin Cities area will be without a similar transit link for a longer period.

Imagine the effect of losing our potable water supply for a month, or even a week. What would happen if a major sewerage treatment plant was knocked out of service?

Some ten years ago when I was working in downtown San Francisco, a garden-variety construction screw-up knocked out the electricity for six hours. Things came to a halt. Six hours! Imagine six weeks.

What the bridge in Minneapolis shows us, or should show us, is that all our infrastructure is vulnerable. Knowledgeable people working on these things have been saying for some time that we’re not maintaining our infrastructure and we’re moving into peril as a consequence. Yet, other than the typical run of bloviation from the political leadership, little gets done.

[Image credit: Wichita State College]

It seems that many a Republican presidential candidate are finding themselves with they YouTube jitters, and the CNN YouTube debate may not happen at all.

1. Why do you think the candidates are trying to avoid this format of debate?

2. What question would you ask a Republican candidate via You Tube that you think would have a hope in hell of getting through the selection process?

3. Do you agree that there should be, as some have suggested, an American Idol type call in voting immediately following the each of the future Democratic and Republican debates, to get people used to voting for political candidates and not just entertainment stars?

4. Did you think that question number three was a real question? It wasn't. I made up the whole thing, especially the "some people have suggested part". See how easy it is to be a journalist? All you have to do is add "some people" into any question, and it can make any idiotic assertion look like a plausible and reasonable question to ask. Right up there with asking Barack Obama if he's "black enough".

5. What the hell does "black enough" mean?

6. Anyone here think that Alberto is trying to get himself out of perjury charges by pretending to spill the beans on "other intelligence activities" as a cover?

7. And is it the height of incompetence to suggest that you have committed a lesser sin than perjury by admitting instead that you were talking about a whole other program of spying, so heinous in its illegality, that half of the Justice Department was ready to take a walk if they didn't knock it off?

8. Was the Hillary/Obama "fight", carried on thoughout last week to the interest of almost no one, utterly stupid and vapid?

9. Anyone know who did the John Edwards "hair video"? It's an education in itself how to react to this sort of absolutely idiotic nonsense, namely the hubub about his haircut. You respond with ridicule. If you missed it, it's here for viewing. And by viewing, I mean viewing in non-partisan terms, but as a piece of strategy and response in today's media culture. I don't endorse any candidate for office. I endorse solid political thinking.

10. Will Solicitor General Paul Clement appoint a special prosecutor to the DOJ USA firings investigation? The best I can come up with is, maybe. I am positive that if Ted Olsen were still the Solicitor General of the United States, he would and do so swiftly. As much as I dislike Olsen's stand on any number of social issues, I have always admired him as a good legal scholar who loves the law. Same goes for James Comey, and many, if not most of the employees at the justice department. So the question becomes, does Paul Clement love the law, or does he love some other ideology which ascends some folks above the reach of the Rule of Law for its namesake?

BONUS QUESTION: Now that Inslee is putting a Gonazales impeachment bill in the hopper, has Harry Reid thought about the problem of President Bush using the August recess to dump Gonzales and do a recess appointment of a new Attorney General without any Congressional oversight? Hmmm...

I have questions. You have answers. Pick a question or ten and let's get the discussion going.

Paul Krugman has written in the New York Times of the medical-industrial complex and how its political allies have used scare tactics to prevent Americans from supporting and seeking universal healthcare coverage for all. File under "I knew this would happen" his report of a Fox "talking head" trying to link universal healthcare with terrorism.

Excerpts from Krugman's article:

These days terrorism is the first refuge of scoundrels. So when British authorities announced that a ring of Muslim doctors working for the National Health Service was behind the recent failed bomb plot, we should have known what was coming.

“National healthcare: Breeding ground for terror?” read the on-screen headline, as the Fox News host Neil Cavuto and the commentator Jerry Bowyer solemnly discussed how universal health care promotes terrorism.

While this was crass even by the standards of Bush-era political discourse, Fox was following in a long tradition. For more than 60 years, the medical-industrial complex and its political allies have used scare tactics to prevent America from following its conscience and making access to health care a right for all its citizens.

I say conscience, because the health care issue is, most of all, about morality.

My family hasn't seen Michael Moore's "Sicko" yet as of this writing, but we understand that he will be accused of left-wing bias and selective presentation of information. There is always the option of someone making a counter-documentary, as usually happens, though his documentaries tend to start the ball rolling.

What would such a counter-documentary cover? Long lines for services? High taxes in countries with good coverage? How much better the US compares to some of the poorer African countries? Would they be able to explain why my two brothers and their families or my own son currently have no healthcare?

Here are the basic options available in developed countries today:

Sixteen months have passed since Katrina came ashore in New Orleans, since the insufficiently constructed levees failed to hold back the storm surge (as predicted), and since the lives of over a million New Orleanians changed overnight.

Sixteen months have passed since we watched in horror and saw that our government had failed and was failing at all levels to protect one of our most beautiful American cities from a disaster that had been predicted and could have been prevented.

Sixteen months -– and many, many square miles of that city still bear the open wounds of that day. Collapsed houses still sit where they landed. Flooded-out neighborhoods still sit –- mostly empty –- with houses full of mold and rot.

The euphoria is settling, though I am still dancing on air. The victories guaranteeing Democratic control of Congress is a breathtakingly giddy, rewarding aftermath after six long years of bitterness, fury and regret under an uncontrolled and uncontrollable Bush Administration and Republican majority in Congress.

Today, I keep wanting to pinch myself, and then take few friends out to dinner somewhere and preen gloriously under the stars of a city where Nancy Pelosi started her political career. She built a Democratic machine which in San Francisco, Sacramento and California, still endures.

Which brings me to the next topic: "WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?"

I found this gladkov diary from KOS truly impressive for its grasp of the realities Nancy Pelosi will be facing as Speaker of the House. Up against a President, albeit a truly lame duck President, who still has a media arsenal and a remaining Republican contingent that brought another sitting Presidency to its knees by pressing for investigations on allegations of scandal, Pelosi is right in the middle of a machine that still functions this way. And this machine is no joke. It operates as a take-no-prisoners grinding mechanism, and the new class of freshmen congresspeople and the new Speaker of the House will be marks for its hopper.

Which is why the KOS diary is important. It stresses the need to see the realities the new speaker will see inside the House, and suggests patience--on both sides of the aisle in Congress and across the country.

On a personal note, I've seen Pelosi's work close up. She started her work on the ground level, raising money for Democratic candidates in the Bay Area. She rose to prominence from this groundwork, and is as relentless as she is gracious, with a knack for creating long-term political solutions and institutions that still operate to this day. Attested to by the candidacies and long-term tenure of Senators Feinstein and Boxer. They are still at their posts.

The first steps for all of us are the hardest, and in this instance for Democrats, who have been held in check for so long. Perhaps for the new Speaker, these first steps will be the hardest of all. But after seeing her work over many years, we may have cause to have faith in her ability to think in the long term, which is what our country needs right now.

Its been a long while since adults have been in charge. Its time to let them take the reins, and trust them. (Nice diary, occam's hatchet.)

DCP ANNUAL MEETING
JULY 21-23
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, MN

Anyone wishing to attend the DCP annual meeting in St. Paul, please email
SuzATdemocracycellproject.net or VickyATdemocracycellproject.net

(We have written the emails without the '@' symbol to avoid major spammage in our emails.)

Since people will be arriving at various times on Friday, the bulk of our business will happen Friday evening and Saturday. Those of us that do not have to travel on Sunday can meet then also.

Saturday afternoon (about 3:00 pm) there will be a reception and
information table at Fabulous Fern’s in St. Paul, where DCPers can mix and mingle with local activists.

Saturday evening and Sunday’s plans TBD

Exxon Mobil is a story of what happens when greed meets immorality.

January, 2006

DALLAS - Exxon Mobil Corp. posted record profits for any U.S. company on Monday — $10.71 billion for the fourth quarter and $36.13 billion for the year — as the world’s biggest publicly traded oil company benefited from high oil and natural-gas prices and solid demand for refined products.

The results exceeded Wall Street expectations and Exxon shares rose more than 3 percent in afternoon trading.

The company’s earnings amounted to $1.71 per share for the October-December quarter, up 27 percent from $8.42 billion, or $1.30 per share, in the year ago quarter. The result topped the then-record quarterly profit of $9.92 billion Exxon posted in the third quarter of 2005.

May 29, 2006 Edition of Business Week

Scroll through the financial data of the biggest U.S. corporations and a surprising fact appears: Arguably the mightiest of them all, Exxon Mobil (XOM ), has left its employee pension plans with the biggest funding deficit. Its assets are $11.2 billion short of projected obligations, according to company figures as of Dec. 31 -- greater even than the gaps at struggling Ford Motor (F )and General Motors (GM ).

Exxon could write a check for its underfunding this afternoon. The oil giant has $27 billion in its coffers. It generated free cash of $9 billion last quarter -- almost enough to cover the pension shortfall. And it carries an AAA credit rating.

So why won't it? Exxon says it's in compliance with all labor laws and regulations. "We strenuously object to the use of the word 'underfunded' because we are not, [according to] the terms of the people who set the regulations," says media relations adviser Dave Gardner. "The company has the wherewithal to meet its funding obligations, period."

Well, that depends on what accounting methods you use. Just ask United Airlines pension non-recipients, or Enron, or...the list goes on and on.

The fact is, Exxon could be topping off its tank for employees but isn't. It's declining to put more money away for a rainy day while the sun is shining on the oil industry. And it isn't apologizing, either. "We basically chose not to," says Gardner. "That's not an investment we want to put more into at this point. Our financial strength provides excellent security for any pension." We'll see.

This is how Exxon treats its employees who have worked their whole lives in service of the company. Lee Raymond gets $400 million pension, but the average worker can just eat cat food if the going gets tough.

Shorter version ->> Exxon to employees: Screw you, old people.

There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live -- did live, from habit that became instinct -- in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.

George Orwell, 1984 (1948)

Just in case there was anyone out there left who thought that there was any personal privacy remaining, this ought to put that fantasy to rest:

The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY.

The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses across the nation by amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans — most of whom aren't suspected of any crime. This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity, sources said in separate interviews.

"It's the largest database ever assembled in the world," said one person, who, like the others who agreed to talk about the NSA's activities, declined to be identified by name or affiliation. The agency's goal is "to create a database of every call ever made" within the nation's borders, this person added.

For the customers of these companies, it means that the government has detailed records of calls they made — across town or across the country — to family members, co-workers, business contacts and others.

B-b-but, but, but I thought they were only spying on people talking to Al Qaeda? You mean they are keeping records of every phone call we make without a court order?

Yes, Virginia, they are. First they spy. Then they lie. The Fourth Amendment?

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

It's in the shredder.

If I were on the Intelligence Committee, I would raise hell until I got a list of people who have access to this information, and people who have accessed this information in the past.

Here's the list of the members of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees. Feel free to give them a phone call to voice your concern over this illegal program.

Here's what I will be asking when I call:

I understand that the NSA is amassing the largest database of phone records in history, and those phone records are of ordinary citizens, most of whom have no ties to terrorists, could you tell me what the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution says? And how is this program legal under the Fourth Amendment? And what does Member/Senator X plan to do about it? How do I find out if my phone records have been illegally appropriated?

What will you be asking?

There is an important piece of legislation before the Commerce Committee in Congress this week and everyone who reads this should get involved.

The Democracy Cell Project, as a 501(c)(3) will not argue one way or another on this piece of legislation, except to point out that we think neutrality of access on the net is a principle of democracy, part and parcel of freedom of speech, or in this case, freedom to be heard.

One commentor, as noted over at Eschaton this morning, called this legislation, Medicare Part D for the internet. Kevin Drum doesn't understand it, or why people think it's so bad. You see the problem.

Fortunately, there are MANY MANY posts on blogs about this issue that will help you to understand the fate of the internet is this legislation passes.

Please get involved. Here's a short list of blogs that are posting on this matter with links to the issue. There are also several blogs that have been started to deal specifically with this issue.

My DD - Has a good round-up on the issue

Taylor Marsh guest posting over at FireDogLake with a more in-depth essay and great links

You Tube - This short video explains the issue.

SaveTheInternet.com - The name says it all

Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo - Josh gives the crisp explanation

Political Animal - Comment section helps to answers the questions on the issue that Kevin poses that you may share.

Get involved now. The vote could come as soon as tomorrow. The National Journal reports that the raised profile of this issue is making a difference. Be part of that difference.

Go visit the links and make your voice heard today on this important issue.

One of the many, many great things about the internet, is that it aids the free flow of educational materials throughout the world to people who would otherwise be unable to connect with these resources.

One of the many, many great things about blogging, is that it allows us a place to discuss the materials we find, refine our opinions, argue premise, et cetera. Website such as this one are the classroom. Blogs are the blackboards.

One of the many, many great things about the intersection of these two entities, is that we don't have to reinvent the wheel each and every day. And to that extent, I wonder if this is how folks felt when Mr. Guttenberg invented the printing press.

What all of this is leading up to, is a diary entry on Daily Kos, by MarionCountyDemocrat on How To Organize A Precinct. Marion County refers to Democrats in her piece, but these principles can, of course, be applied to organize the party of your choice. To read the entire entry (and please do) go here.

I have reprinted her list of excellent recommendations here, and ask that you bookmark this page or add these to your growing compendium of political skills files:

Here's how I believe a precinct should be organized:

1.) Get a list of all the registered Democrats in the targeted precinct (from your local supervisor of elections, or whoever managed elections in your county - in Florida the state party has provided each county party a way to access this information quickly and easily.)

2.) Take the list of registered Democrats, and pull out those Democrats who have voted in 4 out of the last 4 elections (including primaries.) These are committed Democrats.

3.) Get a team together (hopefully a county party's precinct committee or whichever person or institution that should be dealing with this, again if there is such an entity.) Find a central meeting place and prepare for a meetup.

4.) Send out a snail mail invitation (preferably hand-written, sorry, but this is far more likely to get read) to all the "4/4" Democrats to the meetup.

5.) Coordinate a phone bank to call all of these active Democrats to coincide with the arrival of the snail mail and encourage them to attend.

6.) At the meetup, discuss the need to organize the precinct and how it figures into the larger Democratic strategy. Set some dates for a few (3-4) more meetups.

7.) At the subsequent meetups, discuss local issues and ideas on how to solve them, invite candidates to come speak - and always have free food. Hopefully, some leaders might emerge.

8.) At the final county party sponsored meetup, ask the group to elect a captain and turn over control of the small organization to the captain. But don't just walk away! Always have something there for the precinct captain to fall back on and get support from within the county party.

She has made a great list to help us all be involved, but she makes this important point in:

However, I don't think anyone would argue that the best way to organize a precinct is for someone interested to come forward and agree to stop complaining, and start leading.

And isn't that what we are always complaining about? If we don't have leaders then WE need to lead. It really is as simple as that.

WE are the people we have been waiting for.

UPDATE: Well, there you have it. The Attorney General just told Senator Biden that we will be at war forever, as long as there is one person alive that could possibly be considered a threat to the United States or its interests. Any questions?

Glenn Greenwald will be doing much of the legal-blogging coverage, as he's both a lawyer and an expert on these issues.

And if you are up, Glenn will be on C-SPAN's Washington Journal tomorrow morning from 7:45-8:30 a.m EST debating the NSA scandal with University of Virginia Professor Robert Turner.

Glenn sez:

This clip of George Bush should be talked about all week -- why, if the Administration had all the legal authority in the world to eavesdrop without warrants and outside of FISA did it repeatedly make false statements to the public and to the Congress assuring us all that it was eavesdropping only in accordance with FISA? Parties make false statements in order to conceal their behavior only when their behavior is improper and wrong, not when it is justified and legal. And deliberately false statements of that sort from our government officials happen to be unacceptable and wrong, and really constitute a scandal unto itself.

Or at least they should constitute a scandal in and of themselves.

Glenn also has the inside scoop on Ted Kennedy's line of questioning and you can read about that here.

While Senator Kennedy's line of approach may be unexpected, it shouldn't be. There are only two real ways to win this fight, and one of them is already been somewhat lost. The first way, would have been to control the conversation. The White House wanted the coversation to be about National Security, while the rest of the folks who have read the Constitution, want it to be about The Constitution. That point has been lost, I fear.

So Senator Kennedy has done what I think is a wise move, which it appears would be to pivot, to cede nothing to the administration or Gonzales on National Security, but rather make them prove that this program actually worked, and worked so damn well, that it was worth breaking the law, et cetera.

Of course, having seen this committee at work during the Alito hearings, I kicked my expectations to the curb last week for any democratic coordination or effectiveness during this set of hearings.

I'm with Dr. Greenwald on this one - we'll all wait and see.

Consider this an open thread on the NSA hearings.

(Blogger Marjorie G. is visiting DC and running around with me, and by herself, helping out for a few days. Here are some of her thoughts):

With a few days open in the calendar to help save the world and take stock in the nation’s Capitol, I feel encouraged and radicalized. I was also reminded, though, that an embrace and defense of our Constitution are not extreme positions, and never have they been more important.

Here to help with grunt work for the World Can’t Wait event on Saturday for Bush to Step Down, I also got a better look at how Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) made good on their post-inauguration promise. I saw a press conference of preliminary findings on the Bush administration’s Crimes Against Humanity inquiry, and even got to witness John Kerry receive a Backbone Citation from the Backbone Campaign for taking a lead in the filibuster fight.

The Democracy Cell Project is reporting live from the Capitol, and will be doing so all evening.

WASHINGTON D.C.-Live Blogging the SOTU, and the Alternative SOTU happenings around Washington DC from today's activities and the plans for the evening events.

Karen is reporting in to us right now.

She is standing directly front of the Capitol. A cold wind is blowing in Washington tonight. Interestingly enough, there are about 14 FEMA trucks between the protesters and the Capitol itself. It's possible, though hard to believe, that these trucks somehow got lost on their way to provide relief in Louisiana, for what other purpose could they be here, when help is still so desperately needed there?

It's sadly heartwarming to see that flags are flying at half-mast in observance of the death of civil rights icon Coretta Scott King. To the program tonight for the Alternative SOTU, we have added a bagpiper who will be playing Amazing Grace at the beginning of the event, to honor Mrs. King's memory.

Right now nationally known performers Chris Chandler and David Roe are setting up the and sound checking their instruments. They will be contributing spoken word and musical performances this evening, along with geurilla poets, jazz musicians, folk musicians, a few tap dancers (and you thought they were all tap dancers in Washington were members of Congress, busily answering corruption charges), along with The Rhythm Workers Union, who will be bringing in the "mother drum ship". We're not quite sure what a "mother drum ship is", but it is certain to be more interesting than watching Mrs.Sob Sister Alito in the gallery sitting with the self-styled Laura "I AM a Desperate Housewife" Bush.

Earlier today, Karen wandered through many alternatives to the State of the Union. One highlight of the afternoon was the large "Impeach Bush" sign being driven around the neighborhood, courtesy of The Velvet Revolution.

Gold Star Mother Cindy Sheehan is doing many events today and Karen has run into her several times, and can report that it's much warmer in Venezuela than Washington, in more ways than one.

As the day wore on, it became clear that more people than ever before, are coming out of their homes and into the street to protest this president's policies and the lies and deceptions he and his administration have used to sell them to an unwitting, and sadly, and unquestioning public. But the public of years before, is not the public this administration will be facing this evening. The public is sending this President a message-his popularity is at 39% for a reason. People are angry, dissatisfied, and remember the sixteen words from the State of the Union of two years ago. And they remember that they were lied to. And the anger and the questions have just begun.

The limosines are beginning to arrive, carrying the scions of political power once more behind the gates, and away from We the People. But not for long.

Evening has fallen in Washington, and the perfume of dissent is sweeping briskly through the air.

Written and reported by Karen B. and Casey Morris, The Democracy Cell Project

[Editors Note: Cross-posted at The Daily Kos. There will be live blogging of the SOTU this evening beginning at 8:45 here on The Democracy Cell Project Blog, and in the IRC Chat Room. Please come join us.]

"What it is --> is --> up to us"

That’s a rather brief sentence fragment; but in seven short words, it says an awful lot. It’s the widely-quoted motto and mantra of artist/writer/futurist and globe-trotting Internet evangelist Howard Rheingold. And it also sums up the mission and the meaning of grassroots political action communities like the Democracy Cell Project.

If you don’t know who Howard Rheingold is, you haven’t been paying attention online. You certainly know what he’s done for you, though, even though you may not realize it. Rheingold was one of the early advocates of using the global communications power of the Internet to bring people together. He doesn’t just believe in using online tools to build virtual communities, he quite literally wrote the book on it.

Often referred to as "Internet guru Howard Rheingold” (usually by media types quoting him as a reference to add credibility to their pieces), this one individual has had an incredible influence on the explosive growth of online communities and the blossoming of the World Wide Web as a medium for globe-girdling personal exchanges of ideas. He’s long been a passionate advocate for electronic grassroots organizing and the creative pursuit of positive social change. As a widely-read author, speaker, Internet consultant and forward-looking online activist, Rheingold’s ideas have had a huge impact on the Web as we know it and use it. It’s safe to say that without his breaking new ground for virtual communities like ours, the Democracy Cell Project as we know it would not even exist today.

[Editor's Note: I opened my mail this morning and it was full of requests to post on Alito. The first post is a call to action from DCP member Rick Albertson. The second post comes to us from DCP member Barry Schwartz. As some of you may know, Senate Majority Leader Frist has refused Senators time to speak on the floor of the Senate about Alito until January 25 (the day after the scheduled committee vote). In response, Senators are fanning out across America to give speeches urging action against the Alito confirmation. I will reprint a short portion of Senator Edward Kennedy's (D-MA) speech with a link to the full text. The upshot of these posts is clear. ACT NOW.]

CALL NOW

From Rick:

This news alert slash call to action comes direct to you from the fine folks over at Political Cortex. We're reproducing it here body and soul because goshdarnit, fellow DCPeople, this is important stuff and we all need to get on the horn and on the keyboard and make your feelings known before it's too late!

Via Political Cortex
[gently edited to comply with DCP's federal regulations]

Alito's not a done deal!

Over at Daily Kos they estimate he no longer has 60 votes!

Let's make sure thatwe are heard: CLICK HERE TO CALL YOUR SENATORS

John Edwards has endorsed this petition for FILIBUSTER

Phone, fax, and email addresses for the Judiciary Committee

People for the American Way has collected over 60,000 signatures to send to the Senate, please add yours: Save the Court Petition

MoveOn.Org's Stop Alito Petition

Democratic Party's Reject Alito Petition

Stop the NRA's Oppose Alito Petition

And while you're at it, sign: Planned Parenthood Petition

NARAL Say "No" On Judge Alito

Brady Campaign

Human Rights Campaign

National Abortion Federation

National Council of Jewish Women

National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association

National Organization for Women

National Partnership for Women and Families

National Women's Law Center

Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice

US Action

From Barry, via WaPo:

It's all in the record.

Law professors at Judge Alito's alma mater, Yale Law School, analyzed more than 400 of his published opinions and concluded: "In the area of civil rights law, Judge Alito consistently has used procedural and evidentiary standards to rule against female, minority, age and disability claimants..."

"In the context of these civil rights cases, Judge Alito seems relatively willing to defer to the claims of employers, the government, over the individuals advancing civil rights claims."

KENNEDY: And other objective observers who have examined Judge Alito's record have reached a similar conclusion. According to an analysis by the respected University of Chicago law professor, Cass Sunstein, said, "when there is a conflict between institutions and individual rights, Judge Alito's dissenting opinions argued against individual rights 84 percent of the time. In almost all of the cases in which Judge Alito dissented in order to reject an individual rights claim, he was sitting on a court with a majority of Republican appointees."

A comprehensive review of Judge Alito's published opinions by Knight-Ridder similarly found that Judge Alito has "seldom sided" with "an employee alleging discrimination" and "almost never found a government search unconstitutional..."

An analysis published by The Washington Post found that "routinely, he defers to government officials and others in positions of authority" and has "very little sympathy for those asserting rights against the government."

In sum, in case after case, Judge Alito's decisions demonstrate a systematic tilt toward the powerful institutions and against individuals attempting to vindicate their rights. He cites a few instances in which he has decided for the little guy, but they are few and far between.

Justice Lewis Powell captured the spirit of America best when he said: "Equal justice under law is not merely a caption on the facade of the Supreme Court building. It is perhaps the most inspiring idea of our society. It is one of the ends for which our entire legal system exists."

In evaluating Supreme Court nominees, there are no more important questions than whether they are dedicated to equal justice under law. Judge Alito is a highly intelligent man, but his record does not show a judge who is willing to enforce the constitutional limitations on executive power when government officials intrude on individual rights.

His record does not show a judge who is open to the claims of vulnerable individuals asking only justice against powerful institutions. His record does not show a judge who upholds the liberty and privacy of citizens seeking to protect their fundamental rights.

His record just does not show a judge who is committed to equal justice under law.

Full text of Senator Kennedy's speech can be found here.

It's clear. The time to act is now.

Blog entry written by Rick Alberson and Barry Schwartz, with contributions by Casey Morris and Suz Krueger.

{Editor's Note: Yesterday, Karen gave us all something to talk about. Today, as we ready ourselves to dive into 2006, DCP member Barry gives us all something to think about.]

New Year’s Eve was a great night for Merle and me. We’ve been through one tough period—my diagnosis of a brain tumor, successful surgery and recuperation period. So, out to dinner, just the two of us went. Had a wonderful meal. Thai! The end of 2005 was a time for much reflection. 2005, for the world was not nice. The aftermath of the Tsunami, Katrina, Iraq, Bush, deficits, deceit. But, I do have to say, for Merle and me, we’re happy. A wonderful family—three great kids, a new daughter-in-law. I have my family. I have my health. My doctor said to take time to rest. So, I am rested. It’s 2 AM on New Year’s Day that is how rested I am.

My message is this, and it is simple. At the start of the New Year, take time to take time. Enjoy the simple things in life. Try to take control of your personal calendar back from corporate greed.

Merle and I stopped on the way home from dinner for some chocolate to consume while watching the ball drop, at the local CVS. Guess what? All the Christmas decorations were gone. Valentine’s Day is marching right down the seasonal aisle. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was.

The 2006 elections will be coursing through the media soon enough. The Bush administration fraud will be paraded through Congress as Congress will not be fooled by the feint of the “leak” hunt of the disclosed NSA and other wiretaps. There will be time for that. For now, enjoy the New Year. Make some resolutions. I’m going to try to lose some weight. The surgery got me on my way. I’m going to try to eat healthier too! We’ll see how long these go on. I am determined to be healthier, for my family. Maybe these resolutions will stick this year. I hope so. Make your own. It’s good to take time for your self. Be mellow. Maybe you can make it for a day, an hour. Try it.

Happy New Year!

It's almost the New Year; time for the year-in-review, and the hopes for the future. Time for regrets and resolutions. Time for the lessons to sink in, and to be applied to winning strategies. Here is my own perspective: An essay in four parts. It's a summation of the past year, as well as a call to look ahead.

LOOKING BACKWARDS:

Let us review:

The Blogosphere has been an ever-changing landscape. Most blogs do not last long; all require daily care and nurture, extensive research, and constant moderation. Building the community is never easy. We were fortunate, at the Democracy Cell Project, to have a community demanding a blog for its own purposes; and we merely gave what had been developed during the K-E Campaign some new direction and resources.

As 2005 began, we made plans for the DCP; plans that would delineate us from all of the other online communities, would create a niche for an organization of online activists who would take what we had learned from each other and apply that to local and on-the-ground activities.

What we had come to understand from the Kerry-Edwards blog community:

1. People knew that the media reported untrue things.
2. People had deep and somewhat justified suspicions that the 2004 election was fraught with illegalities and dirty tricks.
3. People understood the concepts of messaging, voicing, and story telling, but needed a means by which to develop those.
4. People were frustrated, angry, and deeply sad. These feelings were genuine and needed an outlet.
5. Our voices were needed. We were to BE THE MEDIA.
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As the year went on, we networked with other bloggers and organizations, online and off, to build an even larger learning and teaching community.

We remembered that back during the *Campaign*, as it grew in size and scope, there was a natural tendency to become ever more hierarchical and disciplined in task and message. More layers of administration and delineated teams for particular tasks were named. As teams floated away from their original sources and deeply engaged with the specifics of their tasks, the requirements for internal communications grew exponentially.

When I first read this item on Media Matters, I thought this was a parody. I should have known better.

This is Bill O'Reilly's latest salvo in his imaginary "War On Christmas".

On the December 2 broadcast of Fox News' The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly, host Bill O'Reilly stated that he would "use all the power that I have on radio and television to bring horror into the world of people" who "diminish and denigrate the [Christmas] holiday." O'Reilly singled out "oppressive, totalitarian, anti-Christian forces in this country" as those who seek to undermine Christmas, asserting that these "forces" are "on the run, because I will put their face and their name on television and I will talk about them on the radio if they do it." He later added: "There is no reason on this earth that all of us can not celebrate a public holiday devoted to generosity, peace, and love together," cautioning that "anyone who tries to stop us from doing it is gonna face me."

Ya got that? Peace and love, or Bill O'Reilly's gonna beat the crap outta you.

I was at a fundraiser at Schroeder's Bar and Grill in the not only blue, but ultra-violet blue center of the state, San Francisco. I met a few republicans and quite a few democrats banded together to hear from congressional candidates, veterans of Vietnam, the Gulf and Iraq II wars, fighting to gain seats in the Senate and House. All competing to represent "red" districts, and in one case, a red state.

What I heard was a moment suspended in time, and a reminder of a not-too-distant event last year, spoken by the then candidate for Senator from the great state of Illinois:

The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I’ve got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and yes, we’ve got some gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq.

The candidates I met at Schroeder's were guys standing blue in a sea of red. Like what Senator Obama said, what they were concerned about was more basic, more essential than partisan politics. They dealt with the politics of COMMON SENSE.

As Iraq War hawk John Murtha spoke today, calling for the immediate scheduling of redeployment of US forces from Iraq, one could sense the shift in American attitude towards the War in Iraq.

The full text of the statement by the fifteen term veteran Democratic Congressman and 38-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps:

"The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion. The American public is way ahead of us. The United States and coalition troops have done all they can in Iraq, but it is time for a change in direction. Our military is suffering. The future of our country is at risk. We cannot continue on the present course. It is evident that continued military action is not in the best interests of the United States of America, the Iraqi people or the Persian Gulf Region."

"General Casey said in a September 2005 hearing, "the perception of occupation in Iraq is a major driving force behind the insurgency." General Abizaid said on the same date, "Reducing the size and visibility of the coalition forces in Iraq is part of our counterinsurgency strategy."

"For 2 ½ years, I have been concerned about the U.S. policy and the plan in Iraq. I have addressed my concerns with the Administration and the Pentagon and have spoken out in public about my concerns. The main reason for going to war has been discredited. A few days before the start of the war I was in Kuwait - the military drew a red line around Baghdad and said when U.S. forces cross that line they will be attacked by the Iraqis with Weapons of Mass Destruction - but the US forces said they were prepared. They had well trained forces with the appropriate protective gear.

"We spend more money on Intelligence that all the countries in the world together, and more on Intelligence than most countries GDP. But the intelligence concerning Iraq was wrong. It is not a world intelligence failure. It is a U.S. intelligence failure and the way that intelligence was misused.

Yesterday, there was this tense and interesting exchange between reporters and Scott McClellan on the subject of his credibility, and his credibility at the podium:

Q Whether there's a question of legality, we know for a fact that there was involvement. We know that Karl Rove, based on what he and his lawyer have said, did have a conversation about somebody who Patrick Fitzgerald said was a covert officer of the Central Intelligence Agency. We know that Scooter Libby also had conversations.

MR. McCLELLAN: I don't think that's accurate.

Q So aside from the question of legality here, you were wrong, weren't you?

MR. McCLELLAN: Again, David, if I were to get into commenting from this podium while this legal proceeding continues, I might be prejudicing the opportunity for there to be a fair and impartial trial. And I'm just not going to do that. I know very --

From Murray Waas of the National Journal (subscription):

Vice President Cheney and his chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, overruling advice from some White House political staffers and lawyers, decided to withhold crucial documents from the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2004 when the panel was investigating the use of pre-war intelligence that erroneously concluded Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, according to Bush administration and congressional sources.

Cheney had been the foremost administration advocate for war with Iraq, and Libby played a central staff role in coordinating the sale of the war to both the public and Congress.

Among the White House materials withheld from the committee were Libby-authored passages in drafts of a speech that then-Secretary of State Colin L. Powell delivered to the United Nations in February 2003 to argue the Bush administration's case for war with Iraq, according to congressional and administration sources. The withheld documents also included intelligence data that Cheney's office -- and Libby in particular -- pushed to be included in Powell's speech, the sources said.

The new information that Cheney and Libby blocked information to the Senate Intelligence Committee further underscores the central role played by the vice president's office in trying to blunt criticism that the Bush administration exaggerated intelligence data to make the case to go to war.

You think now we can maybe have a real Congressional investigation?

Maybe a few Contempt of Congress citations?

Maybe a Congress that can do its damn job of asking questions and serving the function of being a check on the power of the Executive branch?

[Editor's note: Just a reminder that The Democracy Cell Project is non-partisan. The opinion of the blogworld expressed below is the opinion of the writer. Thank you.]

I try to read alot of blogs. I am always on the hunt for who's writing something interesting, and who's offering a different take on the day's news. For fans of the former, there's the blog firedoglake, and for fans of the latter, there's Paul Begala's entry at Josh Marshall's TPM Cafe. Here's a bit about each:

Over at TPM Cafe, former Clinton advisor Paul Begala has written a very interesting piece on what it's like to be working in a White House that is 'under siege'. Here's a snippet, but it's worth going over for the whole read.

...This I know first hand: when The Boss explodes like that, there are two kinds of aides -- those who fight and those who flee. When he came to Washington, Mr. Bush surrounded himself with tough-minded people who seemed not to be afraid to stand up to him. But now his team is loaded with weak-kneed toadies, and Mr. Bush is home alone. Karl Rove, of course, is fending off a potential indictment. His prodigious brain has not entertained another thought in months. (That's why, I suspect, some months back Rove popped off and said liberals wanted to give terrorists psychotherapy after 9/11. It was a loopy, stupid, and distinctly un-Rovian, meltdown - the first public sign that the pressure was causing Karl to crack.)

Go here to read the rest.

The other blog I have been reading is called Firedoglake. Primarily written by an attorney and a former federal prosecutor (Reddhedd and Jane Hamsher, respectively), Firedoglake provides insight and context to the legal proceedings surrounding the leak investigation. They research the news exhaustively and put the pieces together in a way that is extremely helpful and understandable while steadfastly refusing to condescend to their audience.

Also, they are witty and clever without being either cutesy or mean. A perfect example is this morning's post. Everyone knows that Fitzgerald's office is leakproof. The only comment they ever have is no comment. And yet, Jane manages to get a story anyway:

"The spokesman for Mr. Fitzgerald, Randall Sanborn, refused to comment." I can't tell you how many times I've read that line. Every time I open a paper, it seems. And I'm always thinking, I want this guy's job -- he could be phoning it in from the high Himalayas for all we know.

So when I called him up the other day I expected the same thing. Since I'm working on a post on Fitzgerald, I had to do the obligatory request for an interview, which I knew he'd turn down, which he did.

"One more thing," I said. "I'd like to know if you could confirm the Viagra pen story."

Last night we found ourselves at a remarkable event: a planning session with Code Pink, Military Families Speak Out, United for Peace and Justice, DC Antiwar Network, the World Can't Wait's Travis Morales, Cindy Sheehan, Ann Wright, and others, all sitting around a big table at Busboys and Poets (currently THE social destination for the antiwar/peace movement in DC!).

Andy Shallal puts his head together with Cindy Sheehan

I'm not reporting on the meeting so much as sharing what we are all learning as we go along (for specifics on the outcome of the meeting, see the press advisory on the front page of this website).

It is never easy for organizations to work together, and each representative has to go back to the home organization for final approval of joint efforts. But the process was instructive and worth sharing.

Ann Wright and Travis Morales

We began (after introductions, and cheers for Ann Wright's shout-out from the Congressional gallery last week to Condileeza Rice) by setting the goals for the week: Cindy spoke eloquently about the meaning of the 2000th American death. Others brought up the Iraqi dead, the wounded, and the fact that George Bush would be having a session today with spouses and wives of dead soldiers; and that became the focus for today's actions.

We discussed the need for a beginning, middle, and end to each day and for the overall four day event.

The people present had tons of ideas about ways to drive home the messages; the challenge became to sequence those ideas in a way that amplified the messages and did not undercut them with clever but divergent concerns. It is so easy for progressives to be all-inclusive, but we need to adhere to the discipline of assuring that just the right messages get out and that messages are not stumbling over each other.

It felt rather like being in the room with a lot of artists--beginning with brainstorming all the images and ideas for a work, then the more difficult process of sequencing those ideas, losing some along the way that really belong in another work, adding new ones as the particular moments become clearer.

Over the years I have found collaborative work requires patience, perspective, clear guiding principles, and good souls. Last night we had all that, and it was good.

Christine and her brand-new Code Pink t-shirt

What is going on in your towns this week? How can you help to amplify and make visible the work that is going on in front of the White House?

[Editor's Note: This piece comes to us from Fe. I put it up ( in addition to the NYT obituary of Parks on the thread below) because it includes a personal remembrance of how Parks affected the life of its writer, who is a person of color.]

It was like any other day, in Montgomery, Alabama, when a white man approached a black woman who had taken a seat on the bus, asking her to move to the back. She refused.

"Are you going to stand up?" the bus driver asked.

"No," she answered.

"Well, by God, I'm going to have you arrested," the driver said.

"You may do that," she responded.

And they promptly arrested her.

That woman was Rosa Parks. By refusing to give up her seat, she became the catalyzing agent that set off the 381-day Montgomery Bus boycott, and the blossoming of the civil rights movement in America.

"At the time I was arrested I had no idea it would turn into this," "It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of the people joined in."

I was almost a year old when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat. Because of her, I grew up in a world where I never had to bow, scrape, or imagine myself less than. It was through people like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, and later, Cesar Chavez, Bobby Kennedy that an America that lived up to its highest, most fearless ideals came to full flower.

"I am leaving this legacy to all of you ... to bring peace, justice, equality, love and a fulfillment of what our lives should be. Without vision, the people will perish, and without courage and inspiration, dreams will die — the dream of freedom and peace."

For Rosa Parks, from all of us who work for justice and peace, we hold you in our hearts like a poem and a prayer.

From the New York Times:

Rosa Parks, a black seamstress whose refusal to relinquish her seat to a white man on a city bus in Montgomery, Ala., almost 50 years ago grew into a mythic event that helped touch off the civil rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's, died yesterday at her home in Detroit. She was 92 years old.

For her act of defiance, Mrs. Parks was arrested, convicted of violating the segregation laws and fined $10, plus $4 in court fees. In response, blacks in Montgomery boycotted the buses for nearly 13 months while mounting a successful Supreme Court challenge to the Jim Crow law that enforced their second-class status on the public bus system.

The events that began on that bus in the winter of 1955 captivated the nation and transformed a 26-year-old preacher named Martin Luther King Jr. into a major civil rights leader. It was Dr. King, the new pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, who was drafted to head the Montgomery Improvement Association, the organization formed to direct the nascent civil rights struggle.

"Mrs. Parks's arrest was the precipitating factor rather than the cause of the protest," Dr. King wrote in his 1958 book, "Stride Toward Freedom. "The cause lay deep in the record of similar injustices."

Her act of civil disobedience, what seems a simple gesture of defiance so many years later, was in fact a dangerous, even reckless move in 1950's Alabama. In refusing to move, she risked legal sanction and perhaps even physical harm, but she also set into motion something far beyond the control of the city authorities. Mrs. Parks clarified for people far beyond Montgomery the cruelty and humiliation inherent in the laws and customs of segregation.

That moment on the Cleveland Avenue bus also turned a very private woman into a reluctant symbol and torchbearer in the quest for racial equality and of a movement that became increasingly organized and sophisticated in making demands and getting results.

"She sat down in order that we might stand up," the Rev. Jesse Jackson said yesterday in an interview from South Africa. "Paradoxically, her imprisonment opened the doors for our long journey to freedom."

Please take the time to go here and read the whole obituary.

God bless Rosa Parks, and may she rest in peace.

Editor's Note: Cross posted at The Daily Kos under diary title, "The Elephant In Harriet Miers Room."

With the announcement of Harriet Miers to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court, a number of questions came to my mind regarding how her personal experiences may have shaped whatever her judicial philosophy may be.

In choosing Ms. Miers, the President has sucessfully escaped a nominee with a judicial record on which to base an opinion, but to that strategy, I would say, "Not so fast, Mr. President".

Sure, there's no record to question, but since there isn't anything to question, that leaves an awful lot of room for asking questions. Questions about anything and everything that may have shaped her thinking about the law.

Let's look at the "elephant in the room" questions first:

Ms. Miers, are now or have you ever been a homosexual? Have you ever had a homosexual experience?

Ms. Miers, have you ever had sex outside of marriage?

Ms. Miers, have you ever had an abortion or have you ever been pregnant?

Well, those few questions alone ought to get the conversation going.

Look, I am not saying that asking about someone's personal life is a great thing. I am saying that I didn't bring the subject up for judicial review by filing any number of legal cases, the results of which threaten to insert themselves into the general geography of my uterus.

On paper, this choice makes my brother look qualified to be a Supreme Court justice. Anyone here know my brother? Here's a heckuva guy and a good lawyer, but he's neither a Holmes nor a Fortas.

Not every lawyer is qualified for the Supreme Court by virtue of the fact that they are a lawyer.

And frankly, I don't know if Bush's girl scout is a good choice or not. But I do know this: We don't need a girl scout on the Supreme Court any more than we needed a Brownie over at FEMA.

Let’s review where we are:

We have been paying attention to:

Judith Miller-Scooter Libby—Dick Cheney
Abu Ghraib—Alberto Gonzales' role
Tom DeLay's indictment—Karl Rove's connection
Katrina-Rita-FEMA
Ohio voting—Tom Noe-Blackwell
IRAQ-IRAN-ISRAEL-PALESTINE-AFGHANISTAN-DARFUR-KOREA--war and violence
Global warming—arctic ice melt—oil
Supreme Court judges—fundamentalist religions
Poverty in America—civil rights violations within the USA
Health care—insurance, access, equity
Jobs—outsourcing, Walmart syndrome

There’s more, but these issues are what need immediate attention…

If we are the decision-makers about the direction of this country, and according to the Declaration of Independence, WE THE PEOPLE, ARE, we have not yet ratcheted up enough.

The march last weekend was meant as a mobilization. 500,000 of us need to actually MOBILIZE. But what do we mobilize around? Who will lead? Who will inspire?

Tonight, Karen and I attended an event on behalf of Rep. Jim Oberstar (8th District, Minnesota) in Washington, D.C. The food is always good at the Minnesota Wild Game Dinner: Venison, Walleye, Buffalo, Smoked Whitefish, Bear, Wild Rice. You betcha.

I don't go to many political fundraisers. But I went to this one because Jim Oberstar was my representative for my entire early life in northern Minnesota. I've met him, he knows my family, and he is, as we say at home, 'a keeper.'

He is one of those rare public servants who actually still believes he's a public servant.

He talked about a number of issues: The devastation of Katrina, and his unheeded personal warning to President Bush of the dangers in absorbing FEMA into the behemoth that is Homeland Security.

And he also shared his very real sadness at today's announcement by Northwest Airlines that they will be declaring bankruptcy. Northwest Airlines is a homegrown Minnesota company, and Jim talked about the huge impact this will have on working families in our state.

Northwest Airlines accounts for thousands of jobs in Minnesota. This includes many jobs in the northern part of the state, an area already devastated by the untimely deaths of the steel and mining industries. Coming on the heels of the Katrina disaster, the impact seems even larger. These are times that call out for leadership.

It's pretty clear that we've got a lot of soul-searching to do in this country. And we need elected officials that we can trust, and that truly care about a future that we share - whether we are the haves or the have-nots.

So, if you have some time this week, you might want to get in touch with your Senator or Representative.

You don't need to take a lot of their time. Just let them know that you're informed, that you vote, and remind them of one of life's great truths: That a job is a terrible thing to lose.

Polly, please don't forget to journal, my dear.

I mean, journal every single little itty bitty steamy, er....*ahem* detail. You may not think we lumpen masses care about every detail, and while the lumps on my left don't, and the masses on my right don't either, I certainly do. I want to hear about EVERY SINGLE LITTLE ITTY BITTY, TEENY WEENIE DIRT er......*ahem* - thing. In the interest of Homeland Security, of course.

Posted by: Truth Shall Prevail at August 13, 2005 10:40 PM

I met up with Polly Sigh at an undisclosed location (Murky Coffee). The following conversation, was, no doubt, videotaped, audiotaped, lip-read, transcribed, and disseminated throughout "offical Washington":

Me: Polly--whatcha' been up to?

Polly: Well, in addition to my official duties, which I will discuss later, I attended the National Powwow here in Washington: a gathering of tribes from across the nation. It was a great thrill--as you know, there are a great number of Native Americans in my home land of Andersonia. I saw many friends there, but the most exciting thing at the Powwow was seeing, in the flesh, in person, four of the original Navajo code talkers.

It was a great honor to see them and to see people lining up to get their autographs. They are truly warriors and patriots. Also during the powwow, in an intermission from the tribal dancing, a young Native American soldier who had recently returned from Iraq was introduced. He had just been released from Walter Reed Medical Center. He lost both legs below the knee, and he was honored during the powwow, receiving a standing ovation. As is customary in native cultures, all the dancers of every conceivable age and size, lined up to shake his hand, give their thanks and give him gifts. Native Americans value their veterans deeply.

Me: Interesting, Polly. Do you think the rest of the culture does NOT honor our veterans?

Polly: Well, I think we honor them in words. I would like to see a little more honoring in deeds. We need to make sure that our veterans receive all the medical, financial, and educational support they need to succeed in their lives following their sacrifice and service. No excuses, no beauracratic hold up. We need to get it done for these patriots. They were there for us, and we need to be there for them. That is our promise and our duty as Americans.

Me: I know that you cannot discuss a lot of your work, but can you tell us anything about your meeting with "X"?

Polly: Of course, you know that "X" has the most beautiful eyes that I have ever seen, and is basically physically magnificent in every way... a sublime intellect, a voice like silk in a gentle breeze, and eyes that dance with humor... really the feelings that are stirred in me are quite...

Me: Polly? Polly? Return to the planet?

Polly: Of course. My apologies. I really don't know what comes over me... In any case, what I can tell you about my meeting with "X" is that my contact with our target has been very productive. I have provided "X" with valuable information relating to the activities of our target, and I will continue to pursue this individual with all the espionage skills at my disposal. Which are, of course, considerable.

Me: good, good. Can you tell us how we, at the DCP, can help you achieve your goals?

Polly: The individuals of the DCP, as patriotic Americans, can work every single day to expose and destroy corruption in our government. Information is power. Your work on the internets is a valuable communication tool that is reaching millions of Americans. I will watch with interest your work to bring people together who share concerns about the future of our country. It's like a giant cocktail party online...without, of course, some dim bulb dropping the chicken wing on your new party frock. I'm very supportive and appreciative of your work here at the DCP.

Me: Bottoms up!

Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope...build(ing) a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.
Robert F. Kennedy

Cindy Sheehan started as a ripple. Now Cindy is threatening to become a tidal wave of conscience, as she takes her protest to Crawford, Texas and the President's doorstep.

From the NYTimes:

CRAWFORD, Tex., Aug. 7 - President Bush draws antiwar protesters just about wherever he goes, but few generate the kind of attention that Cindy Sheehan has since she drove down the winding road toward his ranch here this weekend and sought to tell him face to face that he must pull all Americans troops out of Iraq now.

Ms. Sheehan's son, Casey, was killed last year in Iraq, after which she became an antiwar activist. She says she and her family met with the president two months later at Fort Lewis in Washington State.

But when she was blocked by the police a few miles from Mr. Bush's 1,600-acre spread on Saturday, the 48-year-old Ms. Sheehan of Vacaville, Calif., was transformed into a news media phenomenon, the new face of opposition to the Iraq conflict at a moment when public opinion is in flux and the politics of the war have grown more complicated for the president and the Republican Party.

Ms. Sheehan has vowed to camp out on the spot until Mr. Bush agrees to meet with her, even if it means spending all of August under a broiling sun by the dusty road. Early on Sunday afternoon, 25 hours after she was turned back as she approached Mr. Bush's ranch, Prairie Chapel, Ms. Sheehan stood red-faced from the heat at the makeshift campsite that she says will be her home until the president relents or leaves to go back to Washington. A reporter from The Associated Press had just finished interviewing her. CBS was taping a segment on her. She had already appeared on CNN, and was scheduled to appear live on ABC on Monday morning. Reporters from across the country were calling her cellphone.

"It's just snowballed," Ms. Sheehan said beside a small stand of trees and a patch of shade that contained a sleeping bag, some candles, a jar of nuts and a few other supplies. "We have opened up a debate in the country."

Yesterday I was invited to observe a gathering of progressive interns in the Capitol. Representatives Dennis Kucinich and Lynne Woolsey spoke to them, along with several representatives of progressive organizations:

Malia Lazu of Cities for Progress

Erika Smiley of Jobs with Justice

David Swanson of After Downing Street

Amy Isaacs of Americans for Democratic Action

The Reverand Lennox Yearwood of the HipHop Caucus

Rep. Kucinich got the meeting off to a passionate beginning by telling the interns that they are already having an impact on the future of democracy just by working inside the walls of Congress.

"It all seems pretty dark now," he said. "We are at war without reason. But we are called upon hold up the light of hope and human dignity and freedom."

"Don't get pulled into pessimism, or the sheer density of Washington. It is divisive here, but that is not how we sustain the world. The pageant of democracy begins when young people come into it and breathe new life into it."

"The country is alseep. The answer is in you."

As I looked around the room, eyes were wide open. SOmeone asked, "Are you going to run again?" He is not sure; he thinks he will at some point. But, he pointed out, the most important reason to run is to influence the debate; to make a difference; to wake people up.

In what has easily been one of her best posts to date, Arianna Huffington offers this fascinating picture of the now "Rove-Libby-Wilson-Powell-Gonzales-Ashcroft-Bolton-Rice-Hadley-Fleischer-Card-Comey-Cheney-Hughes-Plame" scandal.

Not everyone in the Times building is on the same page when it comes to Judy Miller. The official story the paper is sticking to is that Miller is a heroic martyr, sacrificing her freedom in the name of journalistic integrity.

[Editor's Note: In response to the post reporting the Progressive Agenda from the Take Back America Conference, there was an interesting conversation ensuing about the war in Iraq, strategy for ending it, and how the nature of our language regarding war itself has changed. In an effort to explore some of these ideas more thoroughly, I asked Victoria to please write a thread header about them. Thanks.]

I inadvertantly began a small war on a thread today when I wrote about a "Progressive Agenda" in an attempt to initiate discussion on Iraq, National Security, etc... I believe that these issues must be addressed from the Progressive viewpoint.

The responses were myriad, but in reading down the thread, I was struck by a consistent sense of discomfort with this topic. Part of it seemed to be my use of the word "win" in relation to Iraq. Using the word "win" seemed to somehow imply consent, approval, acceptance -none of which I feel. But it also felt like Progressives reminding me that we didn't start this war. Which is true. That doesn't mean we won't be responsible for ending it. And it's that reality that we have to deal with. I'm done talking about whether or not the war is right or wrong. We all know the answer to that. The question now is "what do we do about it?" Which brings me to my real point here...

One of the things that becoming a parent does for you, is to help one develop a pretty sharp crap detector. Well, that's not totally true--you don't have to become a parent to get one. You could just as well have a fairly strong recollection of your own teenaged behavior and then take care of some one else's kids and you would know what I mean.

In teaching, there is a concept called applied learning sets. It's when the student learns a concept, and can then apply this concept to a myriad of situations in order to analyze the situation and draw conclusions.

You see where I am going with this I bet.

In seeing the inspiring political involvement and activities of the Princeton students, I started thinking about what is, or more important, what isn't being taught in schools today. In order to understand the complex world in which we live, there is a necessary baseline of information that all future voters will need. Are they getting that critical baseline of knowledge in our schools? In our homes?

I am afraid the answer is no. Consequently, I am worried about the quality or even the existence of democracy education in America, both in schools and in our homes.

My particular concern is this--Are we preparing our children to become full and active participants in our democracy? Again, the answer is no.

The lack of a basic understanding of the interpolation of world history and religion should be a deep concern for all members of our democracy, not just parents. For some time now there has been a movement fully engaged to mandate the teaching of creationism alongside the theory of evolution in schools. Now they are moving ahead with plans to reduce the factual basis for science education. Science no, God yes. But let's not lose sight of the larger issue here, which is how these decisions get made at their very roots, which is by voters.

"Through rain, exams, and dead of night... since April 26th!"
(on the Filibuster Frist website)

Today concludes the 15-day extravaganza in front of the Frist Center at Princeton University. The intrepid kids have been highlighting:

Beowulf in Old English
Readings from "Where the Sidewalk Ends" and US Weekly, while shaving moustache
The entire 'Q' section of Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
Prof Wilczek reading from Einstein's classic papers
The Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Revelation, and Psalms
Improvisational literary interpretation of The Pet Goat
Reading of 3500 digits of pi
Proof of Godel's Incompleteness Theorem
Impromptu rant about how "we're not on anybody's food chain" and "this is 'community action'"
Prof Sam Wang reading from his own work on brain evolution as measured by looking at cerebrotypes and Frankfurt's "On Bullshit"
Poetry in Hindi, and excerpts from Gandhi's autobiography
Congressman Rush Holt reading Aesop's fables
(Go HERE for more!)

Today is the last day, however. Are they giving up? No way. Early tomorrow they head south, to Washington DC, to join student groups from local campuses here in front of the Capitol, where they will continue the Fristibuster for 26 hours. The last hour will be filled by Senators.

I called CNN this morning (phone: (404) 827-1500). Here's the call transcript (to the best of my recollection):

CNN: Good Morning, CNN, how can I help you?
Me: Comments, please.

on hold, listening to something that was not CNN (weird)...

CNN: Comments, may I help you?

Me: Yes, I'd like to comment on the runaway bride story?

CNN: Okay, go ahead.

Me: STOP. STOP, just STOP. PLEASE. STOP. NOW. No more runaway bride, no more interviews with bridesmaids, no more speculation on what the bride could have been thinking then or now, no more interviews with police chiefs from Florida about what the law enforcement officials may do in Georgia, no more psychologists speculating on bridal stress, just STOP ALL OF IT. STOP IT NOW. YOU ARE HURTING AMERICA WITH THIS GARBAGE. STOP IT NOW. In case CNN hasn't heard, there is a war in Iraq. Soldiers and scores of Iraqis are being killed. You are spending 10% of your time on Iraq and the rest on newsmanure. So here's my message in a nutshell--STOP. STOP. STOP. You're hurting America, CNN. Just STOP. Please.

Do you have it?

CNN: Yes, and just so you know--the operators here are not allowed to comment on what people say to us, no matter how much we might agree, you know?

Me: Oh, yes. And thank you very much.

CNN: Thank you, too.

Me: Bye [hang up]

Even people who answer the phones at CNN know what dopes the bosses are...paging Jon Klein to the white courtesy clue phone, Jon Klein to the white courtesy clue phone, please...

UPDATE: Why leave MSNBC out? Here's my letter to MSNBC's Connected and Mark Effron, Vice-President News, Daytime Programming, MSNBC

Dear Connected,