Barack hits back hard on the accusation against Michelle's "pride" in being an American.  And he makes it clear that there will be consequences if his warning goes unheeded.

Ok...this is going to be a bit of a quickie.  I just wanted to throw something out there that's bothering me.

I don't know if this has been diaried, because my search for "bat shit crazy ideas" didn't come up with anything.  If someone has, please link it in the comments.  I'm very interested to hear what people have to say about this, if anything.  Or maybe I really am the only one who had this nightmare...

I haven't been around here all that long.  Last year's Yearly Kos brought me on board.  I only post about once a month.  Having finally understood after many years that I have more to learn than I have to teach, I prefer to spend my time in the comment threads.

I've met a lot of great folks here.  I often scan the recent diaries, looking for the last post by one of my favorite diarists.  I know that if I invest my time with people like nyceve, teacherken or jerome a paris, that time will be well spent.  I will emerge with a deeper understanding of an important issue, and will have had an opportunity to converse with some very bright people.

This isn't really a substantive diary, but so many of us have been complaining about not being able to find this video that I thought I should get it out there:

The Trenton Friends Meeting House is nearly 300 years old.  For nearly 300 years, it has been a place where people came together joined not only by their faith, but also by their committment to peace and liberty.  And so it was fitting that the Trenton Citizens for Civil Liberties, in conjunction with the Mercer County Coalition for Civil Liberties, the Coalition for Peace Action and the ACLU of New Jersey, chose this historic location for an important public meeting.

Yesterday's meeting offered a chance for citizens, lawmakers, and civil liberties groups to get together and join a call to action.

Though it had been rumoured for some time, State Senator John Adler made his official announcement yesterday:

"Last November, the American people sent a clear message to Washington that we want a change in direction in Iraq and here at home," Adler said. "Unfortunately our congressman, Jim Saxton, refuses to listen. It's time for a change."

Since joining Daily Kos, I've had the pleasure of meeting many fellow New Jerseyans.  There are many of us here.  I suppose that's one of the many hidden benefits of living in a blue state!

With so much going on nationally, we rarely have the chance to talk about New Jersey affairs.  I've decided to change that.  Please join me for some Open Thread chit-chat.  I'll toss out a few news items from this week that I'd love to hear your thoughts on.  I've also done a Jersey-centric "diary rescue" of sorts.

I do hope to make this a weekly diary, so please speak up with those suggestions!

Well, I did it.  I wrote a letter to the President.  I'm not sure why I've never done it before.  I've written my Senators and Congressmen, but never the President.

I'm sure he'll never read it, but if one of his staffers counts the anti-war letters he gets everyday and lets him know, maybe my letter will be part of something bigger.

In any case, it sure did make me feel good to get this off my chest.

Happy Labor Day, Kossacks!

Millions of Americans are joining with family and friends today to bid a fond adieu to summertime.  All over our nation grills are burning, kegs are flowing, and squealing children are running through sprinklers.  I hope that you all are joining in the festivities.

For those of you who aren't the outdoor type, or are simply so addicted to Daily Kos that you can't tear yourselves away from your computers, I thought it would be a nice idea to bring the party on-line.  In honor of those American heroes whose efforts this day is meant to commemorate, I hope you will join me first in remembering the history behind this day.  

Don't worry -- there's a sing-along at the end.

So charge your glasses, and join me below the fold.

Many diarists have written about GW's recent attack on the SCHIP system.  We are universally outraged at our President's actions, and join each other in the hope that our Congress can defeat him on this issue.

For those of you who don't have immediate experience with our broken health care system and have not yet been directly affected by these events, I hope that my story will give you the context you need to understand what's really at stake.

I just got finished reading Jerome a Paris' diary on the place of ideology in the blogosphere.  I know, you guys all read it yesterday.  I was busy.  He exhorts us to give our ideology a place on the front page, if not literally, then at least figuratively:

"...I do think that the debate on these ideas is needed, and that the left should be able, at some point, to stand by a small number of core ideas supported by wide consensus. That consensus needs to be built, and dKos is the ideal place to do so..."

I couldn't agree more.  Further, I consider this a call to action.

Yes, I know.  You guys are all quite familiar with Keith Olbermann.  I've never seen the show myself.  Why?

Because I don't have television.

Remember when everyone was wearing those "kill your TV" shirts?  Well, I did it.  And every time I see a snippet of television programming while sitting in a dentist's chair or waiting for an oil change, I'm increasingly convinced I did the right thing.

Based on comments by fellow Kossacks, and the AFL-CIO debates I viewed on Youtube, I decided it was time for me to check him out.  I visited the MSNBC website and watched everything.  One particular  "special comment" from last fall moved me so deeply that I felt compelled to e-mail Mr. Olbermann a letter.  Since you guys are specifically mentioned in my e-mail, I thought I should copy you on it.

The text is below.  Go ahead and read it.  It's short.  And tell me what you think -- about the letter, about Mr. Olbermann, and about the state of journalism in general.

I didn't know much about Libertarianism until recently.  I've always been happy with my party and haven't felt the need to seek out alternatives.  With the popularity of Ron Paul on the rise, my curiosity has been piqued.

Many diarists on this site have expressed Libertarian-leaning views.  I've read their posts carefully to get an understanding of Libertarianism on the "business end."  I also did a little poking around on the internet to read up on the philosophy.

I was appalled.

In the TV infotainment age, I don't really know how many people are listening to radio news.  Check out what NPR reported yesterday:

Oil giant BP's plan to expand its Whiting, Ind., refinery, just across the border from Chicago, is sparking a firestorm of opposition.
When the expansion is completed in four years, BP will be allowed to increase its discharges of ammonia into the lake by 54 percent and its discharges of suspended solids by 35 percent.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management agreed with BP that the pollution levels were not excessive and issued a permit allowing the company to increase its output. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reviewed the permit and did not object.

This time, it's not just the tree huggers who are objecting.  Read on.

No, this is not a rhetorical question.  I do have a point, and it's one that we'll need to discuss seriously as the 2008 election draws near.

On Thursday, August 9th, GW had this to say with regard to the $0.05 per gallon gas tax proposed to fund desperately needed infrastructure improvements:

Before we raise taxes, which could affect economic growth, I would strongly urge the Congress to examine how they set priorities.

For once, I agree with GW.  Let's examine our priorities.