As a resident of the Va. 5th Congressional district, I have often wished the local Democratic Party would nominate a strong candidate.  Virgil Goode was a good ole boy conservative Democrat with generations in the region. His daddy was in Democratic politics and he was too until he jumped ship and turned anti-immigrant GOP embarrassment.  Goode has also recently had questions about some of his friends in the defense industry.  That plus the trending this year might make it a shoe in for a Democrat to take the district....but maybe not.

Once again, the local Democratic Party is ready to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

As noted elsewhere, in an internal memo made available to Newsweek, then WH lawyer Alberto Gonzalez, warned Bush that his actions in regard to disregarding the Geneva
Conventions as it applied to prisoners.  Those actons  ran counter to Treaties signed
by the US, which become law when approved by the Senate, and also Federal
Law Section 2441 [the War Crimes Act].

Doing so placed him and others in his admin in legal jeopardy.. The
"lawyer" and "officer of the Court" Gonzalez advised Bush to break those
laws, declare that he is above the law and they did not apply to his
actions.
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....but did he actually listen?

Reports of 11 Republican Congressmen meeting with W, Gates, Snow, Rice, Rove,
and others in the private residence.  They say it was the bluntest talk they
have ever had about Iraq.

From the report transcript-
http://thinkprogress.org/...

"My district is prepared for defeat...."

'm sorry I couldn't help it.

I was driving a truck this afternoon on personal business and listening to
the radio.  News came on with W at Mount Vernon giving a speech.  The
excerpt played was absolutely ridiculous.

In it W compared himself, favorably, to the late President Washington.

I kid you not.

Really.

While discussing, online, the ongo ing mess in the Middle East; a poster asked the question-

> "So Ridge is there anything you can do to calm things down in Iraq?"

Its the same question we have heard from supporters of Bushism when things aren't going their way and someone points out the facts.  With current political leaders now calling for more blood and treasure put into the Sandbox, I have a counter question.

I am going to take this opportunity to highlight a writer who has turned on a lightbulb.

He has hit the nail on the head about the GOP's relationship
with the military.  For years we have seen people who did not serve proclaim
their never dying love for anyone in uniform.  How noble they were, how
selfless the sacrifices they (and their families)made in defense of the
Nation.  How they exemplified all that was best in America.

Why are they so quick to shout, "Send in the Marines!"  "Bomb the fuckers!"
"Kill them all, let God sort them out."; while at the same time, these same
GOP leaders made sure their children never serve, cut funding for health
care, VA, family support, supplies, logistics, etc.....

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George Allen's social mentality formed in the 60's, a time when culture, and especially music, was a tool for breaking the barriers between class and race. Somehow he missed out and decided to chain himself in the fantasy of the "old South".  Like other plantation wannabe's, who fly the Confederate flag off their pickups, he would likely not be allowed on the front porch of the big house, let a lone at the dining table.

Wonder what moved him in that direction?

Maybe it was nightmarish scene's like this?
 <revealed below>

"There is a Providence that protects idiots, drunkards, children and the
United States of America."

Otto von Bismarck

I was reminded of this famous quote while considering the Bush Admin and the
recent Supreme Court ruling.  For 5 years, we have been under an
extra-Constitutional regime which built its powers on fear.  Fear promoted
so endlessly and pervasively that it literally rivaled Orwell's nightmare of
a government in 1984.

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The Washington Post has published this little gem-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/...

While W was playing The Shadow, ("who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of
men, W knows - by looking into their eyes") and swooping into Iraq, the US
Embassy sent this Memo to the State Dept detailing the lives of the Iraqis
who WORK at the Embassy.  Very disheartening.

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Kevin Philips (former Republican strategist) has written a new book that
proves, through surveys and public statements, what has been apparent for 20
+ years.  That the devil's bargain made by the GOP with the Fundamentalist
Right in order to gain political power has consumed them.  Philips's book
"American Theocracy" displays the sad fact that the Republican Party has
become the first religious party in US history...little different than the
fundamentalist Hindu and Islamic parties .  That a large segment, if not
majority , believe we are living in the End Times, and that belief drives
things like MidEast policy, fiscal policy, etc....

He gave two interviews on the subject today.

An audio one on the radio show "Fresh Air" (which also has a book excerpt)-
http://www.npr.org/...

and a TV interview on Lou Dobbs' show.-
http://movies.crooksandliars.com/...

The Fresh Air one is really frightening in its detail.

R

An element of the "Patriot" Act has been used to target a blog that has made a habit of breaking leaks and is also critical of the Bush Admin.

The target is the blog/news site, Capital Hill Blue.  yes, yes.. some find it controversial, but over the last year or so, its leak reporting has shown it more right than wrong.

The publisher of the site reported that his hosting service got a National Security Letter from the FBI.

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/...

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While many would like to see W gone, it may not be the best for the nation to go through another Presidential impeachment, and I'm not sure the votes would be there.  However, under Article 2, sec. 4 of the Constitution, impeachment is not limited to the office of President or Vice President.

"Section 4.

The President, Vice President and all Civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

"...all Civil Officers of the United States"

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She calls it a "joke" but the conservative author/spokeswoman Anne Coulter has threatened the life of  Supreme Court Justice J.P. Stevens.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060127/ap_on_re_us/brf_coulter_stevens

The various networks and interview programs have infuriated many time and time again by having her on their shows, treating her like a real commentator and taking her blather seriously...instead of confronting her  or dismissing her ravings as being from a deranged person; thus denying her legitimacy and a national audience.

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While President Bush and his Admin are making a habit of looking stunned at revelations concerning the disaster at New Orleans and surronding region....its another example of incompetence since the White House was directly briefed on the possiblity and its scale one year ago.

July, 2004 Federal, State, and local agencies had a 10 day table top exercise called "Hurricane Pam"

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To All-

I'm sure we are all struck by the attitude of the current President towards the War in Iraqi and those who are at the sharp point of the MidEast Policy spear.

Whether its a good idea to meet with Mrs. Sheehan or not, I don't know...but she is not the first to directly confront a war President over the loss of a child.  What matters is how a person responds to such a confrontation.  His response tells a lot about character.

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Steve Gillard, in one of the "after action reports" on the Hackett campaign wrote this,

"These are new tools and we're learning how to harness them each day. There isn't even a detailed essay on how to harness online resources for a campaign, much less a book. We are doing this on the fly."...

http://stevegilliard.blogspot.com/2005/08/nine-months-later.html

And he is exactly right.  I want to write and raise a warning flag about certain aspects of the new model that most may not think about, but could be critical in future races.

One of the tools that will be exploited is the near instantaneous communications created by the Internet.  Not just public posts on blogs, but email, instant messaging, writing and easily distributing position papers or political strategy, Voice over IP, etc...all the current technologies that shrink distances and make research so easy.

And here is the danger.

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While it may be too soon to hope , it may not be too soon to plan responses if Rove, Libby and others of  BushCo are indicted for various crimes against the Nation, Man and God.

Knowing the history of Republican Presidents Ford and Bush I in pardoning associates who were implicated in serious crimes, is it too far from reality to assume W will pardon  his senior staff for any crimes they are implicated in?  His arrogance is extreme and since the GOP controls all levers of the Federal Govt and most of the Main Stream Media, it would not be difficult to spin this as a "political" prosecution (from a Republican Federal Attorney).

What needs to be done now is to prepare the ground for a public show of disapproval if such a course is even considered; not to punish W, who will suffer for his sins soon enough, but to make it really hurt the GOP as a party.

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While the former interim Prime Minister says Iraq is on the verge of civil
war and 40 are killed by suicide bombers at recruiting stations; a British
memo says Bush and Blair planning to cut troops by 100,000 next year.
----------------------

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/10/AR2005071000725.html

" LONDON, July 10 -- The United States and Britain are drawing up plans to
withdraw the majority of their troops from Iraq by the middle of next year,
according to a secret memo written for British Prime Minister Tony Blair by
Defense Secretary John Reid.

The paper, which is marked "Secret -- UK Eyes Only," said "emerging U.S.
plans assume that 14 out of 18 provinces could be handed over to Iraqi
control by early 2006," allowing a reduction in overall U.S.-led forces in
Iraq to 66,000 troops. The troop level is now about 160,000, including
138,000 American troops, according to a military spokesperson in Baghdad...."

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