Internet muse.
Daring, bold, never sold.
My daily weblog of politics, humor, philosophy...and a constant and nagging reminder of the existence of universal love....
"...lawyers close to the case, who asked not to be identified because it's ongoing, say Fitzgerald appears to be focusing in part on discrepancies in testimony between Rove and Time reporter Matt Cooper about their conversation of July 11, 2003."Somebody lied. Hmmm - would you suspect it would be - - -
Like Alexander Hamilton, I love the dynamism of capitalism. And like Alexander Hamilton, that doesn't mean I hate government. I love government when it lifts people up to compete. I hate government only when it stifles competition and coddles. I hated the old welfare system, which pushed its victims away from work. I love welfare reform, which encourages work. I hate government that directs ever more money to the affluent elderly, but I would love a government that gave poor children savings accounts at birth, which would encourage them to think about the future and understand that their destiny is in their own hands.....When David says...
"....the effort to promote democracy in the Arab world is one of the most difficult and noble endeavors any great power has undertaken.".........my reply is that noble thoughts and ideas are soon forgotten when our leaders start unnecessary wars, screw up on the planning of those wars, and deliberately mislead their citizens into those wars. The ante was high. The President gambled with his credibility on Iraq and he has lost - miserably. If there is any insurrection to be had, it should be primarily because of what this President has done to the citizens and the military of the nation he's supposed to be leading. I'm with David, though, in the long run. I feel invigorated about the political change that is coming, too.
The president's inability to grow beyond his big moment in 2001 is unnerving. But the fact that his handlers continue to encourage him to milk 9/11 is infuriating. For most of us, the memories are fresh and painful. We mourn the people who died on Sept. 11, as we mourn Daniel Pearl and other Americans, not to mention innocents from other countries, who were murdered by terrorists. The administration's penchant for using them as political cover is offensive. It threatens to turn our wounds, and our current fears, into cynical and desperate spin.President Bush's Major Speech:
The Washington Post reports that a group calling itself the "Third Way" (read: "Wrong Way") is forming to tout "centrist" policies for Democrats. Instead of leaving the Beltway and holding a town meeting to gauge the pulse of red America's working-class core, the group held its initial meeting "over dinner at a Georgetown mansion." Instead of engaging in grassroots funding efforts, it is openly relying on corporate contributions.
"The answer to the ideological extremes of the right has to be more than rigid dogma from the left," said Senator Bayh, a leader of the new group and one of Washington's most highly trumpeted "centrists." But really, who is pushing a rigid dogma: these bankrolled politicians who have hijacked "centrism" to sell out America's middle class, or the progressive populists who most often have the backing of the American people?
"The Third Way shows why Democrats need to move to the center on social and national security issues, but it will done with the progressive social activists yelling, kicking and screaming...It just doesn't make any sense for Democrats to just scream louder....Given the current Republican dominance in Washington, it is easy to look at the "New Democrat" era of the Clinton Administration with nostaglia. A more careful and objective look at that time will show it was filled with not only accomplishment but also missed opportunities and failure. We need a Democratic nominee in 2008 that can appeal to the center, but a somewhat different approach than Bill Clinton took while campaigning and in office...."
"...we need to stop fighting each other and start fighting those damn Republicans. Then and only then will we as a united Democratic party will be able to recruit new and old voters, and start winning elections instead of losing them."
"..I support a consensus nominee in the party who is liked from the liberal, moderate, and even conservative wing in our party. Who could this candidate be?"
"Elizabeth says that her health is better. She feels as if she has "slain the big dragon" of cancer."
"We now have a window of opportunty to do something about poverty in the entire nation, and we shouldn't squander it."
"Crossing Red Square in Moscow, Sen Edwards was impressed and heartened to have Russian citizens stop him in the street to ask how Elizbeth was doing."
"What's striking is that for the first time in decades Russia is becoming less, not more, free, and Bush can't even bring himself to acknowledge what is happening."Elizabeth thanked everyone who has nominated their favorite book for the One America book club, and a vote will soon be held to choose the overall favorite.
"Our country allegedly promotes democracy around the world, and that is all the more reason, for the future credibility of the U.S. election system, to avoid the "black-box voting" situation that we had in 2004."
"..."Americans know that Katrina's victims shouldn't be out there on their own, that no one should be out there on their own," Edwards said Thursday in a speech on poverty at the [University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock]."
We know that the Bible tells us the poor will always be with us. Some people hear that as an excuse for inaction. I believe it is a call for us to act and a call for us to serve. My family and my faith didn’t teach me to turn my back on a friend or neighbor in need. They taught me to open the door, let them in, and help them get back on their feet. And millions are calling for help right now. They don’t want a free ride. They just want a chance: a chance to work, buy a home, take care of their family, and live the American dream.
