Senator Ted Kennedy is resting comfortably after experiencing two seizures yesterday

America’s Democrats let out a collective sigh of relief yesterday when it was learned that Massachusetts senator Edward ‘Ted’ Kennedy did not suffer a stroke but instead experienced two seizures that required him to be hospitalized over the weekend (he is scheduled to be released tomorrow if all tests come back negative). His episode while at the family’s compound on Nantucket Island was continuously covered by the cable news outlets and a battery of reporters and cameras descended upon Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to await his arrival via medivac helicopter from the Cape Cod area and to provide updates on his progress. He has received a steady stream of well-wishers and has been resting comfortably the last two days while eating chowder and watching the Boston Red Sox on television.

Hawaii Democratic Senator Daniel Inouye is headlining a fundraiser for Alaska Senator Ted "Tubes" Stevens. Stevens, despite 40 years in the Senate, is considered vulnerable this year: Stevens is under federal investigation for his possible involvement in a corruption scandal that has rocked the Alaskan Republican establishment, and he is facing a strong Democratic challenge from Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich.

What does Senator Inouye think he is doing? Alaskan and Hawaiian Kossacks and anybody else interested in helping Stevens to retire -- you know what to do! (Suggestions for action after the fold.)

I was reading Talking Points Memo and came across this little chestnut. Senator-HI- Daniel Inouye is holding a fundraiser for the courruption laden Senator-AK-Ted Stevens.
Yes, that's right.  A democrat is holding a fundraiser for a Republican.  Though most of the money will go to his defense fund, there is never a good reason for any elected democratic official to hold a fundraisers for a republican. EVER!  Especially one as corrupt as "A Bridge to Nowhere" Ted Stevens.

More below the fold:

You think I'm kidding?  

It's a caucus.  It's his home state.  Done deal, right?

Wrong, wrong, wrong.  

We've watched Barack Obama go from Illinois Legislator to Democratic Convention Keynote Speaker to US Senator to viable challenger for President in 2008.  For anyone who watched it, the importance of Senator Obama's Keynote address at the 2004 Democratic Convention is difficult to overstate.

Ask yourself this: Would Obama even be running for President this election cycle had he not delivered that address?

In this diary I want to give some of the highlights of Keynote addresses over the years and demonstrate that this important speech is not the stepping stone to the Presidency that some might believe.

First the list...

Yesterday, twenty-one Democratic senators' joined their Republican brethren and voted to hand George Bush another blank check for Iraq.  Why?  Because if you ignore the fact that every benchmark laid out by Bush has failed, we're winning.  And with only forty or so soldiers dying in Iraq every month, what better way to support the troops than voting to keep them there indefinitely? Well, not all of the troops, because just since that Magical September, 45 soldiers from these Democratic senators' home states have died.  And when these senators defend their vote, will they remember those men and women?  

Senators Lincoln and Pryor, remember:

Thomas Martin:   It was just devastating. It's the news that hits you in the gut and makes you want to sit down and cry when you hear it.

 James Doster:  Just two weeks ago, 6-year-old Kathryn Doster was excitedly counting the days until her father, Army Sgt. 1st Class James Doster, 37, would get a short reprieve from the war in Iraq to come home for a visit.

 David Watson:  What a fine young man he was...a handsome man, and big beautiful eyes and always had something to say to cheer you up.

Michael Yarbrough:  He was on his third tour of duty and was scheduled to return home in November...

Kevin Bewley:  It hurts. I mean he was an all around good guy.

Matthew Reece:  It seemed things had been going well lately, and with the end of our deployment nearing, a lot of us had felt that we would ride the rest of the deployment out without incident.

Nathan Thacker:  Thacker's sister, Sabrina Black, says her brother was an excellent man -- and that she'd do anything to have him back.

Senator Salazar, remember:

Dane Balcon:  I was so devastated, and I still am. I don’t think I’ll ever be the same.

Senator Bill Nelson, remember:

John Mele:  He was a really great soldier, and the absolute greatest husband and father.

Jason Koutroubas:  He was glad he had the night shift because it was cooler and darker then, and he felt safer.  He said there were a lot of sandstorms too, and he missed trees.

Adam Snyder:  Fran Frazer...heard her son had been hurt...He had been badly burned...When she called to check his condition the next morning, a man came on the line. "We're sorry to inform you ..."When they told me he died, honestly, I was almost relieved he didn't have to suffer. There was a sense of relief that he died apparently quickly."

Donnie Dixon:  Dessie Dixon was overcome with emotion and still mourns her son, who was killed this month serving in Iraq. "At least he is home, and I am thankful for that," she said.

Marius Ferrero:  When I came in and saw these two military guys I said, 'Oh my God, it can't be. It can't be my son,' she said. "It was him."

Christopher Poole Jr.:  They think they're going for a purpose, and things change.  They need to bring our kids home. I feel for anybody at this point who has a child there.

Donald Valentine III:  The Valentine family has sacrificed; everybody feels it.

Daniel McCall:  He was a happy-go-lucky kid. And the thing I remember about him is that he could run forever and run fast.

Joseph Landry III: When he set his mind on something, he would do anything in his power to achieve it. He was not the fastest runner, but he would never quit the race.

Brandon Thorsen:  He enjoyed hunting deer and hogs, flat fishing, and golf with his father. Anything outdoor, that was us.

Senators Akaka and Inouye, remember:

Alexander Gagalac:  "For the past 13 months, I have been living in a place that time forgot- Iraq" read Hewe. "I can't wait to be home with family and friends."

Senator Bayh, remember:

Ryan Woodward:  Woodward was very outgoing and was known for always trying his hardest. He was also a jokester.

Timothy McGovern:  He loved his family and he loved leading soldiers. He was a son, a brother, a leader of soldiers in combat, a patriot and a friend to many.

Johnathan Lahmann:  He was a great kid, good listener, good learner, real sharp, real nice young man.

Nicholas Patterson:  He had been married just shy of nine months. When he was called away to war for the second time, he quickly married his high school sweetheart...

Shayna Schnell:  She passed away just nine days before her 20th birthday.

Kenneth Booker:  Booker’s mother...learned of her son’s death Thursday, the same day she had mailed a Christmas package to him. That package includes a note stating that since he couldn’t be home for Christmas, Christmas was coming to him.

Senator Landrieu, remember:

Jarred Fontenot:  He was our rock - able to take on the problems of a big company and never break.

Senator Mikulski, remember:

Ari Brown-Weeks:  It seemed like no matter what I would talk about, he would always slip in a comment about how much he loved his wife.

Robin Towns Sr.:  Staff Sgt. Robin L. Towns Sr., was serving his ninth day in Iraq when a bomb exploded under his Humvee and ended his life.

Towns, a 52-year-old father of six from Upper Marlboro, was killed Wednesday.

Senator Levin, remember:

Todd Motley:  He was one of those students that stuck out in your mind because Todd showed resilience that I haven't seen in a long time.

Jason Lee:  Lee was the life of any party, said another, but he was also an intelligent man who had the gift to make complicated topics understandable, especially in science.

Casey Mason:  He would always say he was going to run for president, and he'd tell me how he planned to change things.

Senators Baucus and Tester, remember:

Daren Smith:  Pvt. Daren Smith became the sixth soldier or Marine from Helena to die in the Iraq war since it began more than four years ago.

Yance Gray:  Gray and Mora were among seven soldiers...who wrote the op-ed piece that...called the prospects of U.S. success "far-fetched" and said the progress being reported was being "offset by failures elsewhere."

Senator McCaskill, remember:

Austin Pratt:  Austin Pratt came from a big family, loved baseball and didn’t know an enemy.

Joel Murray:  He loved music, riding four-wheelers, and going "muddin" in his pick-up.

Thomas Crowell:  He was hoping to retire in seven months and possibly get a corporate security job.

Bob Casey, remember:

David Wieger:  He will be greatly missed! He would have been so proud to know that you all were there for him.

Adam Chitjian:  A Philadelphia native due to end his second tour of duty in Iraq next month died Thursday.

David Cooper:  Sgt. 1st Class David A. Cooper Jr. loved to play computer and video games and a spirited round of poker.

Senator Tim Johnson, remember:

Zachary Tomczak:  "He was just a phenomenal person," said Tomczak's father, Blaise. "As far as the military, he took that very serious. He didn't talk too much about things, but you could tell he was pretty serious about it."

This was Tomczak's fourth tour of Iraq, his father said.

Senator Rockefeller, remember:

Jason Marchand:  He left behind a wife, a mom, two brothers, and his 6 year old daughter Savannah.

Benjamin Tiffner:  In 1996, Benjamin Tiffner was nominated by Sen. Robert Byrd to the U.S. Military Academy.

Senator Webb, remember:

David Lambert:  When it gets quiet around here...that’s when you start to realize it.

Mason Lewis:  People who didn't know Mason missed out.  He was just such a wonderful man.

Derek Banks:  He kept saying he was scared this time. "I might not come back. I may not come back."

So when these Senators' explain their vote by saying progress is on the march, ask them if they remember the men and women who continue to die everyday for George Bush's war and for their capitulation.    

The Senate capitulation post earlier today focused on Harry Reid, but the capitulation talk wasn't coming from him. It was coming from Daniel Inouye of Hawaii and Carl Levin of Michigan.

Last week we saw an incredible organized effort by California's DFA and the Courage Campaign to censure Diane Feinstein for her efforts on behalf of retroactive telecom immunity in the new FISA bill. As a result, she backed off (at least temporarily).

Part of the Feinstein effort was predicated on building the people-powered infrastructure in California, which then provided the manpower for the lobbying effort. It's not every day that regular people can go head-to-head against the powerful telecom industry and come out ahead (again, even if just temporarily).

Does the infrastructure exist in Hawaii and Michigan to pressure these two wavering, weak-kneed senators? I don't know. But it's clear that we must continue to build out the people-powered movement in all 50 states so that we can hold our elected officials to task when they consider abrogating the public trust.

There is nothing like a jolt on a Monday morning right before Thanksgiving to get you to sit up and take notice.

However, as some have predicted, it looks like the Senate Democrats are on the verge of capitulating again with regards to Iraq War funding.  

More after the flip...

When a Republic Party incumbent makes a statement which on its face seems completely ridiculous it becomes easy to notch that up as just another member of the Republic Party doing what they can to obstruct any legislative process which might be beneficial to the nation.  When a member of the Democratic Party makes a blanket statement which provides no facts and tables a very vital amendment it can be considered no longer a surprise.  Democratic Party members are Corruptists too.

I'm convinced that the Democratic incumbents are sectioned off into two groups.  Corruptists and Progressives.  Corruptists tend to be part of the Republic Party system in which they squeeze every dollar out of everyone who actually works in this country, and abuses their power to the fullest extent ensuring the Republic Party agenda gets passed easily and without unnecessary stipulations.

The Democratic Senator from Hawaii, Daniel Inouye, at this junction in time is no different.  I've been trying to track down a response from his office for the past week regarding a statement he made in debate while he asked for the tabling of a Senator Boxer amendment, I personally see as vital for the continued success of the US Military.

Once again, it seems that certain "Democrats" in the Senate do not get the message -- we did not elect them to cut deals with the Bush administration and be all nice and "bipartisan." The lie that we somehow have to be "bipartisan" is The Big Lie that is being promoted by David Broder and the rest of the Very Important People in Washington who think that their word is law because they are Very Important People.

Democrats were elected so that they could take a stand for what is right, not what the Bush administration or the Very Important People want. Dianne Feinstein is now FOX News' favorite Democrat; and she played a key role in confirming Southwick. You can vote for her potential replacement here. Here are the rest of the cowards and sell-outs who voted for cloture against Southwick:

The senators from the noncontiguous states have a tight relationship, and though Ted Stevens is mired in corruption charges, he still has a longtime friend in Daniel Inouye.

HOMER -- Sen. Ted Stevens got a campaign endorsement and a pat on the back from his old friend Democratic Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii during a low-key appearance at a wildlife refuge visitor center in Homer on Thursday.

"I'm here to tell the people of Alaska that I support him, that you're fortunate to have him," Inouye said.

Stevens and Inouye, the ranking members of the Senate Commerce Committee, are traveling together in Alaska through the weekend. Inouye, a frequent visitor to Alaska, was honored by the Alaska Federation of Natives in Anchorage Wednesday.

Lets just jump right in, shall we?

From Press Esc.

Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Vice Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) both argued that Internet was a dangerous place where parents alone will not be able to protect their children.

http://starbulletin.com/...

Inouye believes Obama’s too early

Clinton is in the best position to run for the White House, the Hawaii leader says

Hawaii's senior senator, Daniel Inouye, says it is too soon for Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., to run for president.

Inouye, 82, who has served in the Senate since 1963, is the third most senior member of the Senate and is considered a national leader of the Democratic Party.

Asked in an interview last week about Obama, Inouye said that while the 46-year-old former state senator is smart and hard working, he does not have the experience for a presidential campaign.

Inouye said the Democrats have several current and former members of the Senate who would be good candidates, including Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and former Sen. John Edwards. "They also say Barack Obama, but he should wait."

Just a little diary to remind everyone of just how much better this Senate is going to be than the last one.

The Commerce Committee, formerly chaired by Ted "A Series of Tubes" Stevens, will come under the leadership of Sen. Daniel Inouye. Lets take a quick refresher, shall we? Inouye favors net neutrality. Stevens opposes it. Stevens also does not understand what the internet is, exactly. For those of you who haven't seen or heard this, there is a techno remix version, with video (a must see).

In Saturday's primary the Akaka/Case race was the most contested and was billed as the race to determine Hawai'i's readiness for a transition in leadership. The race centered around questions of age with the 82-year-old Akaka challenged by Case who will turn 54 Wednesday.

"This race was a question whether we were ready to let Sen. Akaka go and we could not agree that it was time to go on to the next generation in the Senate," Case said yesterday.

Akaka felt the race was not about whether he should be put out to pasture.

"I am not too old, I have gained all of this seniority and I have gained wisdom, as a matter of fact in this point in time I can do more for this country and better serve Hawai`i than any time before," Akaka said. "Kupuna is very revered, I have the respect and I will share the wisdom."

Akaka captured 129,107 votes to Case's 107,115.

Percentage-wise, that's 54-45, a pretty darn good showing for a challenger against a long-term incumbent.

There has been speculation that Case will switch parties and run as a Republican. And even though he denies it, it's telling that it's within the realm of possibilities. Case is a Democrat in the mold of Joe Lieberman. With Inouye getting up there in age, and his term up in 2010, I doubt we've seen the last of Case.

Hopefully Hawaii Democrats will have some better options.

Race tracker wiki: HI-Sen

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye has backed away from his support of Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman in his controversial run for re-election as an independent.

Inouye drew criticism in the local Democratic Party when he said he would continue backing Lieberman even after he lost the Aug. 15 Democratic primary in Connecticut to Ned Lamont.

Party rules require loyalty to the Democratic nominee, and several Hawai'i Democrats have faced disciplinary action in the past for backing third-party candidates over the party's choice.

Inouye initially said that he'd support Lieberman as an independent because he was concerned about the single-issue focus on the war in Iraq that turned primary voters against Lieberman, who is strongly aligned with President Bush on the war.

But Hawai'i's senior senator said he was disappointed when Lieberman made a speech "very critical of the Democratic Party."

"I told some of my friends after he gave his speech saying the party isn't the party he knew that he doesn't get my support," Inouye said in an interview.

He said he hasn't communicated with either Lieberman or Lamont, "but if people ask I'll tell them I back Lamont."

And if anyone in Hawaii needs another excuse to back Sen. Akaka over challenger Ed Case in the Democratic primary, here's one:

Hawai'i Rep. Ed Case, who is challenging Sen. Daniel Akaka in the Democratic primary, also announced he would support Lieberman as an independent, and has given no indication that he's joined Inouye in changing his mind.

Meanwhile, Lamont earned the SEIU endorsement.

Race tracker wiki: CT-Sen

A couple items from the Huffington Post today that show more cracks in the Lieberarmor.

This is from Bob Geiger:

My guess was that the middle finger Joe Lieberman gave Democratic voters in Connecticut after they selected Ned Lamont as their Senate nominee on August 8 and Joe's ill-advised independent bid for the Senate would run its course and begin to unravel by the end of September.

It looks like it's starting a month early.  Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI), a longtime Lieberman supporter, has announced that he is pulling his endorsement of Lieberman's independent candidacy.

Only 5 senators remain in the Losercamp.

It reminds me of that classic line at the end of The Hunt For Red October: "Mr. Ambassador, are you telling me you've lost another submarine?"

One more nugget down below...