Massachusets has made history today by passing a mandatory universal healthcare for ALL the state residents. Folks, as usual liberals has beaten conservative's asses again by passing the first universal healthcare bill for the state of massachusets which can be a model for other 49 states in the future.
This is a rock solid victory for the Progressive cause and the Democratic party. Walmart has done enough damage already for the working poor and has consistently shifted away the Healthcare cost for their employees on the taxpayers. Finally Maryland Democrats have shown some spine and overridden a veto from the Republican Gov. Robert L. Erhlich Jr. by a good 30-17 margin.
<div class= "blockquote"> The Maryland Senate today bucked the will of the state's Republican governor and the nation's largest retailer, voting to require Wal-Mart effectively to spend more on employee health care.
In a vote that was closely watched nationally, the Democratic-led chamber overrode Gov. Robert L. Erhlich Jr.'s veto by 30-17, following an unsuccessful filibuster attempt by Republicans. Legislatures in more than 30 states are now considering replicating the measure.</div>
I think Bush is going to lose this one even with Roberts in the Supreme Court. This is as dangerous a confrontation you can think of in terms of Constitution. This President is openly threatening another and equally important branch of Federal Government---the Judiciary.
The Justice Department, in an unusually strong criticism of a lower court that has historically been a staunch ally, said the earlier order blocking Mr. Padilla's transfer to civilian custody represented an "unwarranted attack" on presidential discretion. In last week's ruling, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Va., refused to allow Mr. Padilla to be transferred to civilian custody to face charges in Miami that he had conspired with Al Qaeda to commit terror attacks abroad.
More now.. I have modified the Subject Line. I think this is one of the most important stories right now. I hope it get traction for the obvious reason---The Darn Constitution is at stake.
This is what we call a smoking gun. We have always supsected that there was something fishy about 2000 Election when there were significant vote fraud reported in Florida. At that time there were lot of media reports but the story essentially died down because of (a)Republican Congress and (b) Media Compliance. But a programmer named Clinton Curtis actually made a software for then Florida Congressman and now U.S. Congressman from Florida's 24th Congressional District-Tom Feeney to do just that: A Vote Fraud Software.
The money quote:
At an October 2000 meeting with Feeney, according to the affidavit and BRAD BLOG interviews with Curtis over the past three days, Feeney inquired whether the company could build a "vote fraud software prototype".
This has sent my blood boiling. Who is this traitor Judas and what is he doing supporting a Republican candidate at the expense of a Democratic one? And how dare he says this:
"A list of Democrats supporting the reelection of Republican U.S. Senator Jon Kyl will continue to grow as the 2006 election grows closer, says a spokesman for the Kyl campaign.
On Sept. 14, Jamie Molera, former superintendent of public instruction and a consultant to the Kyl camp, released a list of nearly 50 elected Democrat officials, most of them from rural areas, who say they support Mr. Kyl in his bid for a third term.
Former state Democratic Party chairman Jim Pederson announced his run against Mr. Kyl on Sept. 14 in his hometown of Casa Grande.
Among the Democrats for Mr. Kyl, a press release stated, are sheriffs, mayors, county supervisors and Rep. Cheryl Chase, D-23.
This is absolutely fantastic: I am fan of Bill Maher. He calls BS by its proper name.
Mr. President, this job can't be fun for you any more. There's no more money to spend--you used up all of that. You can't start another war because you used up the army. And now, darn the luck, the rest of your term has become the Bush family nightmare: helping poor people. Listen to your Mom. The cupboard's bare, the credit cards maxed out. No one's speaking to you. Mission accomplished.
Breaking: Michael Brown of FEMA has been removed from Katrina recovery..from this. Atlast, Bush has got back to his senses and doing the obvious. Anyways, this has been long overdue and he shouldn't have hired at the first place. Now, that he is gone, who is going to be in-charge? Witt may be? Whoever is hired for this job better be more competent than Brown. But then, Bush's own level of competence has never ceased to amaze, so I am not hoping for much.
Well my friends, time has come for acknowledging those great friends of this country who have given their hearts and souls to serve the people of Louisiana at their time of distress. For the last seven days we have seen hurrican Katrina ravaging the coast of Mississippii and Louisiana. It has taken hundreds of lives, destroyed thousands of homes, livestock, bridges and roads. It has left millions of people without power, without water, without food to feed their families. Yet, out of this horrible tragedy, America has come out stronger than ever before. We stand together to build this city of New Orleans as we are building cities in Ramadi, in Basra, in Falluja.
As we know it. I know we have been talking about this for a loong time in liberal channels but I think this time shit has really hit the fan, for everybody. It is no longer a partisan thing to say what Liberals have been saying all along: George Bush is a complete fuck-up. He can't taken be seriously for anything serious and only fools will take for what he says, his mindless repetitious, vacous talk about all the freedom, responsibility, democracy etc. He is finished as he has been known since that day in New York when he grabbed that bull-horn. That myth is finally shattered and the whole country is truly waking up to the real Bush what he has always been-a complete nincompoop who's last name saved him from working as a night-shift manager at Burger King.
I have not much to say but this: Can we ask for a joint Congressional Hearing on this disaster and what brought us to this point? Can we humbly, just ever so humbly ask our learned Congressmen and Senators to look for reasons why these stupid (too stupid to get out before it hits) and poor (too lazy to buy even one 1982 Chevy!!) blacks just got stuck with a thousand others just like them with no food or water and died like a bunch of animals? Bush seems to care about people and I am sure he will provide excellent Geo-Strategic causes which provided the basis of his Budget cuts for FEMA. I am sure our President will not fail to answer, I am sure our Great Leader will not wilt under pressure.
Shall we bring back Saddam? Well, this is what I was dreading about. But after reading this I see few other options. Bush & Co. mafia has let loose an animal far more dangerous even in their standards! And they have no way of controlling it as it is evidenced from this. Now what?? We get someone like Saddam (one of his old cousins from Tikrit will do) and let him clean up the mess. Let George Bush declare a victory and let Jeb start pushing for his 2012 run based on the success of his great brother.
This is very very disturbing and frightening as well. Bumble Bee, Chicken of The Sea or Starkist are brand names and they are on every supermarket you can think of. Guess, how much mercury we have been consuming unknowingly because Bush & Co. has been thrashing any effort to make these dangerous revealation public!! I shudder to think how much more danger this administration will put Americans in just to cover the behinds of big businesses?? Have you had Tuna lately??
I was thinking if there would be enough support to place a "true" Democract against Joe "I Love Bush" Lieberman? This man simply nauseates me. Everytime I look at his face I feel like puking. How can we replace that pathetic appeaser of Corporate Bushists? That status-quo, Republican-In-A-Democrat's-Ticket, Bush-Lovin piece of crap with a real Progressive who will do some serious butt-kicking in a Congress half filled with corporate boot-lickers?? Can we raise some serious money to support a progressive candidate or stage a real protest against DINOs like Lieberman, preferably in front of their houses to put them on notice?? Just thinking..and cursing..But Oh Well!!
This is very disturbing coming from the Supreme Court. I must say that on this I side with the conservatives on the bench who dissented. Now large development firms will have almost unlimited access to any piece of property they deem fit for "development" and kick the proprietors off even if the families have lived there for generations!! That is simply not fair! And all of these for the "public" good. Isn't this the same argument used by the Chinese during the Revolution to uproot millions, for the "public" good? Granted, USA will never go that far but still it is a disquieting development to say the least. Infact, Sandra Connor has it exactly right when she says, "The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms." This I didn't expect from Souter or Breyer. Government should not have this much power over people's right to their properties.
Now, that I got your attention, let me ask you this: Pray tell me what options do we have in Iraq right now? The options as I see are maily three, (a) Stay until Iraq is a viable Democracy, (b) Leave within a definite time/positive event frame, and (c)Leave immediately with pots and pans behind. Option (a) is Bush's option and many Democrats (e.g. Dean) support it. Option (b) is most logical but vague because nobody knows what precisely those "positive events/timeframe" are,. That leaves (c) as Nader/Kucinich Liberals see fit as the most moral and the right thing to do. But what possible effects could (c) have on Iraq? Are we really ready for a Zarqawi/Al-Sadr type government in Iraq. Given their thirst for cruelty, don't you think Iraq under them would be in a far worse situation than it is now and to say nothing about the huge power vaccum it would create. I hate George but given a choice between him and Zarqawi I would choose Bush any day. Now, let the drubbing begin..
I just want to posit this question out of curiosity and not to throw flames(God forbid..hehe). What options do we have in Iraq, realistically speaking. I am sure there are many opinions about this among us liberals and some of them are (1)Stay Until Iraq becomes a Viable Democracywhich by the way Dean(among others) proposes, (2)Leave by a definite timeframe depending on some external factors e.g. With adequate training of Iraqi Security Forces, the Government exerting enough power to retain control etc, and (3) Leave Immediately and let the Iraqis figure it out among themselves because after all it is not our problem. The First option is the same as Bush's so I don't know what more we can say about it. The second one is too vague because no one really knows what exactly could be termed the ideal condition. And that brings us the most talked about (among the liberals at least) but the most risky alternative-Leave immediately and don't look back.
This is what they are after. You might say this has happened before during the cold war and nothing came out of it. But Kennedy, Ike or LBJ were no George Bush. Imagine a pre-emptive nuclear strike on Iran, a million dead, radioactive fallout spreading to CIS countries, to Iraq, to Afganistan, to Pakistan. What do you think the world's reaction is going to be? Imagine Russia's or NK's reaction! Knowing it cannot take on US alone, Russia/NK can or may allow one of its nukes to be "stolen" by some "terrorists".
