At noontime today, that is exactly what John Kerry did on the issue of healthcare:

What we're really seeing with health care today is a slow-motion Katrina that's ruining lives and bankrupting families all over the country.

He defines the problem in three points:

To get there we must tackle three major challenges--spiraling costs, shrinking coverage, and uneven quality.

This reminded me of the three points he made on the Iraq War:  Tell the truth, fire the incompetents, get out of Iraq.

After the jump, he defines the solution in four points:

One look at the calendar and you know that some headlines just write themselves.  

It's 6-6-6 and Satan's Workshop is in session in Washington, D.C. again this morning, trying to build hate into the U.S. Constitution.

Here's a question that the media still needs to ask:

Did Karl Rove lose his security clearance?

In all of the media melee surrounding Scott McClellan's departure as White House Press Secretary, it seems to me that the story of Rove's job change has been largely overlooked.  

Here's why I am wondering what is really going on:

There's something that you can bet cash money on and win every time: Nobody in a White House wants to give up power willingly.  Nobody.

So when Rove gives up the policy power he assumed immediately following the 2004 elections, I have to wonder what is really behind it.

In his appearance on NBC's Meet The Press this morning, Senator Kerry (D-MA) continued to passionately press his case for holding Iraqis accountable and responsible for their own government.

In discussing his plan for successfully ending the US presence in Iraq, released earlier this week in an op-ed in The New York Times, Kerry continued to be the strong and leading voice in America on getting tough with Iraq's leaders.

Two deadlines and a date.

Fareed Zakaria, in lending his support to Kerry this morning, on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos, said we've hidden behind idea that we'll hold elections, but that doesn't get you beyond the central question of power distribution between the Sunnis, Kurds and Shiias.  If U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad cannot get them to come together, Zakaria says, "it's worth it to listen to guys like John Kerry and Jack Murtha because we are not going to baby-sit a civil war."

In light of this article (via James Wolcott), you have to wonder why Ben Domenech was singled out for slaughter while other accused plagiarists, Monica Crowley, and Jerome Corsi, have been ignored?

When I use the term "slaughter", I don't mean the criticism and eventual exposure that Domenech received from the left side of the blogosphere. Brady hired him to incite controversy, though I imagine he got more than he bargained for in the three short days that young Domenech worked for him.  

No, I'm talking about the pile-on from the right side of the blogosphere-NRO, Michelle Malkin and many others.  

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 desperatly needed there.

Don't miss what's below the fold!

I know the vote was much closer than it looked, that once the sixty votes were assured, some Senators folded their tents to avoid backlash.  Such is the state of things today.

I just want you to know that like you, we also believe in taking on the fights worth fighting.  Sometimes those are the fights you can't win, but you can't lose them either.  Unless you quit.  

Thanks for staying around, and standing up with the rest of us.

Best regards,

Your friends at The Democracy Cell Project

This diary is cross-posted at The Democracy Cell Project

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:

I would like to create a record here of the price gouging taking place across the country and I am asking you to participate.  

If you could please give your state and general area in that state (north, south, east, west) and the price of gasoline and the date you either paid that price or observed that price being paid, we can create a record here of what is part of the aftermath of this disaster.

Why do this?  Read below the fold...

In a breathless rush to get this all over before parents all across America have a chance to discover what they are doing, Congress has raced this item forward on the agenda, going from subcommittee hearing to full committee vote in barely a week.

Do you think that Congress should kill the funding for children's educational television programs, such as Sesame Street? Do you think they should kill the funding for public radio broadcasts?

If yes, then do nothing.

But if you think this is wrong, wrong, wrong--keep reading.

If you think it's time that Congress stopped interjecting politics into everything from Main Street to Sesame Street, then you are going to want to take action right now.

Start calling and faxing the members of the House Appropriations Committee.

Tell them to restore FULL funding to PBS.

More on the flip side!!

The Democracy Cell Project is doing a BLOGSWARM on it.  Here's the link for your own embedding purposes: The Democracy Cell Project. Also, if you have more media contacts, please post them in comments, and if you can, please post in comments the blogs you shared this message with.  Thanks for any help you can give.

Please help if you can, in any way you can.

It's time for FILIBLOGGING!

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD THROUGHOUT THE BLOGOSPHERE

CALL YOUR SENATORS AND TELL THEM TO PROTECT THE FILIBUSTER!

SENATE SWITCHBOARD NUMBER (202)225-3121

Link here to find your Senator's phone number and e-mail address.

During last night's event mocking justice in America, the leaders of the Fristian Right had their audience program their cell phones with the number of the US Senate switchboard, (202) 225-3121, and asked them to call Senators this morning on their way to work.  Though they want people to call their own Senators, they are also targetting members of the Senate such as Lincoln, Pryor, Chaffee, Snowe, Nelson (both) and Hagel.  Given the intense pressure they must be facing this morning, they need our support.

UPDATE BELOW THE FOLD