I consider myself a fighting Dem in the tradition of Steve Gilliard.  Who knows who Gilly would have been supporting now.  I am sure he would have been tempted to support the first black man with a chance at the WH, but I also think he would have been turned off by Obama's platitudes and lack of specifics.

So I ask the Obama supporters:

Obama says that he will bring people together -- Democrats, Independents, and Republicans.  I am OK with that.

Name 3 Republicans with any power in Washington who have shown any willingness to reach across the aisle and compromise and work with the Democrats to get something done.

What's that I hear?  Why it's the sweet sound of crickets.

That's exactly my point.

In response to our collective outrage at the ABC mockumentary, I spent quite a bit of time on Tuesday calling ABC, Disney, Scholastic, my local ABC affiliate, and my local newspaper to complain about the lies and misrepresentations contained in this program.

I managed to find a sympathetic ear at Scholastic in the form of someone I will refer to as Ms. X.  She told me to write up what I knew about the ABC program and that she would "pass my information" to someone at Scholastic who could do something about it.

I dutifully did so, providing links to thinkprogress.org and other progressive web sites.

On Wednesday morning I contacted her again, and she told me the following, which I put in a diary:

1. Scholastic was revising their materials to reflect a "more balanced" perspective

2. Scholastic has been in contact with ABC to discuss the program

3. Scholastic would be issuing at statement by day's end about their changes to their teaching materials.

The Toronto Star reports:

Jun. 23, 2005. 06:25 AM
Detainee medical records are being used to design more effective interrogation techniques at Guantanamo Bay, says a new report.
U.S. doctors linked to POW `torture'
Guantanamo medical records misused
Basis of interrogators' strategy: Report

TANYA TALAGA AND KAREN PALMER
STAFF REPORTERS

Medical records compiled by doctors caring for prisoners at the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay are being tapped to design more effective interrogation techniques, says an explosive new report.

Doctors, nurses and medics caring for the approximately 600 prisoners at the U.S. naval base in Cuba are required to provide health information to military and CIA interrogators, according to the report in the respected New England Journal of Medicine.

A friend asked, Why did it take so long for the DSM to come to light? Who released it to the British press and why? Can anyone shed any light on these issues?

I have done some searching and there is SO much to wade through.  I would like to answer him quickly.

I tried posting in the Open Thread but got no response.

Please help.

Schiavo Autopsy Shows No Sign of Trauma
AP - 10 minutes ago

LARGO, Fla. - Terri Schiavo did not suffer any trauma prior to her 1990 collapse and her brain was about half of normal size when she died, according to results released Wednesday of an autopsy conducted on the severely brain-damaged woman. Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner Jon Thogmartin concluded that there was no evidence of strangulation or other trauma leading to her collapse.

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/us/assisted_suicide

So how soon will Sean Hannity be issuing an apology for his outrageous remarks?  I'm not holding my breath.

I guess we had to expect this.  If enlistments in the service were down, applications to the academies had to drop as well.

Nice job, Shrub.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050613/us_nm/arms_usa_academies_dc

U.S. military academies attract fewer applicants
By Will Dunham 40 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Applications from high school students to each of the three prestigious U.S. military academies dropped this year, officials said on Monday, at the same time the Army is struggling to sign up new recruits.

This drop in applications represented the latest sign that the all-volunteer military is having difficulty attracting people during an Iraq war that is producing a steady flow of U.S. casualties, defense analysts said.

Enough with the "did we win or not" stuff for me.  I think the dust has to settle for a few days to tell.

Last night (Monday), I watched part of the Russert interview of Dr Dean on MTP last Sunday the 22nd. The clip in question is at Crooks and Liars.

When Tim tried to corner Dean re the Dems being pro abortion, Dean did some brilliant verbal ju-jitsu and re-cast the Dems position in a winning way.

Essentialy he said that no one is pro abortion, but Democrats are in favor of "individual rights," where women have the right and the responsibility to make choices about their own lives rather than have the government do so.

By talking about it as "individual right", rather than as pro-choice, Dean spoke of the issue in a way that will resonate with all Americans -- especially when he casts the individual versus the government.

We need to talk about this issue not as "pro-choice" with the other side as being "pro-life" but rather as "individual rights' versus the "government and others wanting to intrude" into the lives of women.

Your thoughts?

Today's NYT tells us of a Jesuit priest who has been asked to leave "America" magazine, because of his presenting BOTH sides of an issue in the magazine.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/07/national/07catholic.html?hp&ex=1115524800&en=35c3389ccd827 f3e&ei=5094&partner=homepage  

"An American Jesuit who is a frequent television commentator on Roman Catholic issues resigned yesterday under orders from the Vatican as editor of the Catholic magazine America because he had published articles critical of church positions...

The order to dismiss ... was issued by the Vatican's office of doctrinal enforcement ... in mid-March when that office was still headed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter, said. Soon after, Pope John Paul II died and Cardinal Ratzinger was elected pope..."

Couple that with the recent doings by the Baptist church in Asheville, NC -- throwing out Kerry voters -- and you have intolerance running amok from religious leaders.

I am sorry, folks, but I came across this just now.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050503/ap_on_re_us/prisoner_abuse_england

Lyndie's defense lawyers are claiming that she was oxygen-deprived at birth, is speech impaired, and has had trouble learning to read.

This is part of their defnse for her actions at Abu Ghraib.

Now call me crazy, but some things about this just tick me off.

1. Doesn't anyone take rsponsibility for their actions anymore?

2. If she is so impaired, what the heck is she doing at Abu Ghraib, let alone in the Army in the first place?  Do I really want a person who is so physically and psychologically screwed up to be guarding this county?

I dunno.  Seems like a stretch to me.  Troll rate me if you want.

I was having an email exchange with a fraternity brother from years ago, before the last election.  As background, both of us are Jews from NYC and his parents were Holocaust victims who survived.

I was searching through my old emails and found this one that I had sent to him.

I scared myself when I read it again, and would like to share it with you.

He was telling me what a fip-flopper Kerry is.  My response is below.

Ten of the 32 government drug advisers who last week endorsed continued marketing of the huge-selling pain pills Celebrex, Bextra and Vioxx have consulted in recent years for the drugs' makers, according to disclosures in medical journals and other public records.

If the 10 advisers had not cast their votes, the committee would have voted 12 to 8 that Bextra should be withdrawn and 14 to 8 that Vioxx should not return to the market. The 10 advisers with company ties voted 9 to 1 to keep Bextra on the market and 9 to 1 for Vioxx's return.

Link to NYT article below.

This is a REAL site !!!

http://www.prowrestlingrepublicans.com/index.shtml

From their home page:

The Pro Wrestling Republican Coalition, ("PWRC"), is a grass-roots organization supporting the principles of the Republican Party. The PWRC is made up of wrestling fans, wrestlers, promoters, merchandisers, vendors and wrestling journalists who share this common bond. Participating is absolutely free.

Like the Republican Party, the PWRC is dedicated to the principles of individual freedom, personal responsibility, limited government, the rule of law, free markets, and the values of family in American life.

Link to Eberle below.

The NY Times quotes a portion of the 911 Report that was just released.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/10/politics/10terror.html?hp&ex=1108011600&en=50d329a477de39c 5&ei=5094&partner=homepage  

Money quote:

"The F.A.A. "had indeed considered the possibility that terrorists would hijack a plane and use it as a weapon," and in 2001 it distributed a CD-ROM presentation to airlines and airports that cited the possibility of a suicide hijacking, the report said."

Condi Rice at a 2002 Press Conference:

" "I don't think anybody could have predicted that ... they would try to use an airplane as a missile," she said at the May 2002 press conference."

LIAR !!!!!!

SIECUS-the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States-has served as the national voice for sexuality education, sexual health, and sexual rights for almost 40 years.

SIECUS is committed to promoting comprehensive sexuality education and sexual and reproductive rights as well as fighting sexual ignorance, censorship, and discrimination based on gender, age, or sexual orientation.

SIECUS believes that sexuality is a natural and healthy part of life and that all people have the right to the information, skills, and services they need to make responsible sexual decisions.

People at SIECUS work hard, but they confront wingnuts at every turn.  Reading their website, I found this doozy:

Special Projects of Regional and National Significance-Community Based Abstinence Education (SPRANS-CBAE) and Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA) Grantees

There is one SPRANS-CBAE grantee in Kansas: Abstinence Education Consultants.

http://www.siecus.org/policy/states/mandates/KS.html

More below the fold.

So much for "compassionate conservatism."  Let's face the facts -- the Republicans want to gut the social safety net and all the programs that have been won over their objections of the past 75 years.

From Yahoo:

Leavitt to Lead HHS, Could Cut Programs
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20041214/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_cabinet

By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Michael Leavitt, President Bush's choice to be secretary of Health and Human Services may have to cut billions of dollars from the government's mammoth health programs for the elderly, poor and disabled to pare the budget deficit.

The Medicare and Medicaid programs, consuming nearly $500 billion a year and growing quickly, could be vulnerable in the context of last year's $413 billion budget deficit, the ongoing war in Iraq, costly domestic security commitments and administration plans to revamp Social Security without raising taxes.

Duh.  And what about those massive tax cuts for the rich?  Class warfare, anyone?

A Voice From New York

(published on Craigslist.com, other websites, and a few local NYblog/papers)

You people who voted for Bush. Who are you? Why did you do this to us? The man who did nothing to prevent 9/11, failed to react when the attacks occurred, and failed to find the two maniacs who orchestrated the attacks... has been re-elected!!??

Three years ago, everyone in the world cried over New York. You homophobes from Nebraska came and laid wreaths here. But you couldn't give an inch when we needed your help to get rid of this psycho-president. So here we are, in New York, scared of further attacks while this crackpot wages his crusades and scared of you anencephalic Neanderthals who stood up for his failures.

More below ...

Editor and Publisher reports that 21 of the 38 papers run by the Salisbury, N.C.-based Continental Features, which are predominately located in the Southeast, have voted to drop Doonesbury from its papers.  More heads-in-the-sand behavior from the Red Staters.

Is there somewhere that the Kossacks can keep track of these sorts of things?

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000581723

From today's WaPo:

Hold Bush Accountable
By Richard Cohen
Thursday, October 28, 2004; Page A25

I do not write the headlines for my columns. Someone else does. But if I were to write the headline for this one, it would be "Impeach George Bush."

Of course, I realize there's no chance Congress would impeach the president at this point or under almost any circumstance. It somehow reserves its outrage for lying about sex under oath and not, as now seems clear, the making of war under false pretenses. Say what you will about Bill Clinton, no one died in the White House pantry.

More here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A3933-2004Oct27.html?nav=most_emailed_emailfriend