Daily Kos

Email: mlhoganjr@hotmail.com

Midwesterner, don't always vote Democrat (I lean Green in some local races), always interested in domestic policy but have a real soft spot for international affairs.

Calling all Minnesotans

Thu Feb 02, 2006 at 10:49:15 AM PDT

Amy Klobuchar's office is looking for volunteers. I got a message yesterday from their office about this. The way the message ended up on my desk is a perfect reason why everyone should give their time if they can.
My friend answered the phone, was told that it was Amy Klobuchar's office calling.

"Amy who-a-char?" my friend asked.
"Amy Klobuchar," they said.
"I'm sorry, say it one more time..." said the friend.

More trouble in Motown- Ford lay offs

Mon Jan 23, 2006 at 10:20:12 AM PDT

Ford is closing 14 North American plants and cutting 25-30,000 jobs in the next four years. Meanwhile, Japanese auto makers and their American factories and sales counterparts have waiting lists for some of their cars.
When you think of Ford, what comes to mind? For me, it's over-sized trucks and the Mustang. Of course they're late getting on the hubrid wagon (they do say they'll have 250,000 hybrids rolling off the line by 2010, about ten years too late).

Minneapolis City Election 2005

Wed Aug 10, 2005 at 09:32:44 PM PDT

Minneapolitans! Confused about the city election? Did you know that the primaries are exactly one month from now? The big show, of course, is in November.
Our city council is sort of a dream-team for moderates and lefties. There are DFLers, Greens, (little i) independents, and not a Republican in sight. But, anyone who lives here knows there's still work to do, and there are several races that could wind up being scorchers.
I honestly don't know where my votes are going yet, so this diary is as much a cry for help as it is a round-up of the City of Water's wacky political thrills and spills so far.
Poll

Are you voting in the Mlps. city elections?

96%25 votes
3%1 votes
0%0 votes
0%0 votes
0%0 votes

| 26 votes | Vote | Results

Do we really defend the downtrodden?

Mon Mar 21, 2005 at 12:39:22 PM PDT

Sometimes the logic of foreign policy goes over my head. For example, a carefully stage-managed protest in Lebanon is all happening because of Bush's relentless push to make Iraq the sweetest, most totally free democracy in the Middle East. Because nothing has ever happened in Lebanon before, that is, until we invaded Iraq. Don't you see?

Wingnuts eyeing YearlyKos

Wed Mar 16, 2005 at 11:11:11 AM PDT

YearlyKos has caught the eye of the creepies.

Nothing to be worried about. When they're not posting on LGF, most of these guys spend their spare time at home crying and eating corn chips while naked on the couch.
Not exactly your average "go out and get 'em" types.

FOIA Documents find 11-year old at Abu Ghraib

Fri Mar 11, 2005 at 07:31:20 AM PDT

From the BBC

Children as young as 11 years old were held at Abu Ghraib, the Iraqi prison at the centre of the US prisoner abuse scandal, official documents reveal.
Brig Gen Janis Karpinski, formerly in charge of the jail, gave details of young people and women held there.

Her assertion was among documents obtained via legal action by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The Pentagon has admitted juveniles were among the detainees, but said no child was subject to any abuse.

Three Cheers... for what?

Thu Mar 10, 2005 at 10:58:19 AM PDT

Mr. Charles Krauthammer recently wrote an opinion piece in Time magazine called "Three Cheers for the Bush Doctrine", another in a long line of jumping-the-gun cheerleading for neoconservatism.

The entire article is here.

11 intelligent men and one dope

Mon Mar 07, 2005 at 10:26:51 AM PDT

A brief history of Social Security through quotes--

First, we've got FDR:

This law represents a cornerstone in a structure which is being built but is by no means completed--a structure intended to lessen the force of possible future depressions, to act as a protection to future administrations of the Government against the necessity of going deeply into debt to furnish relief to the needy...

Let's go down the line from here. Truman:

"It has long been recognized as an inescapable obligation of a democratic society to provide for every individual some measure of basic protection from hardship and want caused by factors beyond his control. In our own country, the obligation of the Federal Government in this respect has been recognized by the establishment of our Social Security system.

Amend for Arnold?

Fri Mar 04, 2005 at 03:02:36 PM PDT

Though it looks like one of the longest shots in history, there's a slight push out there that wants Arnold Schwarzenegger to run for President, possibly in 2008 of 20012.
For example, there's the Amend for Arnold campaign, managed by San Francisco-based mutual fund manager (always such advocates for the common man) Lissa Morgenthaler-Jones.
The very thought of an Arnold presidency makes a lot of progressives sick. But I'm going to put out there one simple reason why we should support someone like that running: it would break the GOP's back.

 

Poll

This theory is

22%2 votes
55%5 votes
22%2 votes
0%0 votes

| 9 votes | Vote | Results

53% of Kansas voters aren't total dicks

Wed Mar 02, 2005 at 08:10:25 AM PDT

It's true. Kansas voters opted to keep an anti-bias ordinance, protecting gay people. The anti-civil rights side was led by none other than old nutsy McGree, Fred Phelps.

RNC Chair Mehlman plays with his softballs

Fri Feb 25, 2005 at 06:58:42 AM PDT

GOP.com now has its own poorly made TV show for the kids!

Hi everyone, it's Mindy and Katie again. Thank you all for making the first segment of Off the Record such a hit! Your interest certainly proved that Senator John Thune of South Dakota is a rising star in the GOP.

Afghanistan to delay elections...again

Thu Feb 24, 2005 at 01:30:05 PM PDT

Afghanistan!! Almost forgot about them, didn't you? How exactly is our first little fiefdom doing?

Afghanistan: Will delay their elections, again.


The poll was due to take place by 21 May, but logistical and security concerns have prevented President Hamid Karzai making an official announcement.

Under Afghanistan's new constitution any poll must be announced 90 days before it is scheduled to take place.

Correspondents say the election could be delayed by up to six months.


The Rational Thinker vs. the Paranoid

Tue Feb 22, 2005 at 10:21:08 AM PDT

Interesting, I was reading a Richard Hofstadter article called "The Paranoid Style in American Politics", a must-read for Poli. Sci. junkies.
Anyway, a professor from Rhode Island (looking outside his actual field, which is chemistry) had the essay posted on his personal webpage. He also had a chart examining the mindset of the "rational thinker" and the "paranoid style".

What a bunch

Fri Feb 18, 2005 at 09:59:45 AM PDT

Boy, Bush's cabinet is sure turning out to be a pile of rejects.

There's Gonzales, who was barely confirmed and whose name is now synonymous with torture.

Poll

TV show best representing Bush's cabinet

0%0 votes
0%0 votes
7%1 votes
7%1 votes
64%9 votes
21%3 votes

| 14 votes | Vote | Results

Something to think about at tax time

Tue Feb 15, 2005 at 02:55:15 PM PDT

Originally posted this elsewhere.

As tax season starts, this kind of news just pisses you off.

Iraq CPA officials lost even more money than originally thought, but they didn't exactly lose all of it, they gave it away.

Former CPA official Franklin Willis told the hearing there had been widespread abuse and waste of money at the authority.

He showed pictures of himself and other US officials holding plastic-wrapped bundles of $100 notes totalling $2m, which he said was used to pay a security contractor.

"We told them to come in and bring a bag," Mr Willis said.


Iraq vets showing up in homeless shelters

Wed Feb 09, 2005 at 07:06:52 AM PDT

I posted this at my blog too.

Homeless Iraq veterans are showing up at homeless shelters in NYC and around the country.

Two citations here, take your pick: crazy moonie version or the vast leftwing conspiracy.

Join the Ring of Conservative sites

Mon Feb 07, 2005 at 02:57:03 PM PDT

Maybe a month ago, I ran across The Ring of Conservative Sites. All the blogs and random websites listed there range from the moderate--let's call them "grouchy grandpas"--to the batshit insane--I'll just leave it at "batshit insane."
Well, there's also a button that invites you to join the ring. So I submitted my blog News-Junky.

Remember Your Senior Prom?

Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 09:53:50 AM PDT

The "America's Future Rocks Today" portion of the inaugural festivities looked like my own personal version of hell.
Watered-down no talent hacks from the bowels of pop culture paraded out in front of the Bush Youth Brigade in a vain attempt to show the the organization that Dick Cheney and Trent Lott call home is really a bunch of right-on hepcats who know where it's at.

Here's Georgie:

Listen, I want to thank all the entertainers who were here today. How about Hilary Duff. She was fantastic. (Applause.) Thank you, Hilary. JoJo -- JoJo is here -- yeah. (Applause.) Rubin Studdard -- you talk about a success story. (Applause.) Ryan Cabrera, I appreciate Ryan being here. (Applause.) How about Three Doors Down? (Applause.) Pretty cool guys, right? Seem cool to me. (Applause.) Fuel -- I appreciate Fuel being here. (Applause.) Jason Sehorn -- I'm honored that my friend, Jason -- and I'm really proud and pleased that he brought his wife, Angie Harmon. (Applause.)

skip down a bit...


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