Yesterday was Organizational Day in NH, that is, the
day the New Hampshire Legislature convenes to
organize, and elect its leaders, staff, and in
addition, the Secretary of State and State Treasurer.
There are 6 more days of hard work before we can count our chickens, and the votes! But I wanted to encourage all good Kossacks to take a few moments to read Molly Ivins' column this week. She notes that since it has been a while since we Dems have had the opportunity to celebrate, we might need a few reminders as to how to do so with poise and grace.
I have been reading these past few days how so many "safe" Democratic Congress members are sitting on tons of our cash... money given by hard working Dems, yet they have no or nominal opposition. And they sit on this cash while we have a real chance to win the U.S. House from the likes of Denny Hastert, John Boehner, and GW Bush. I would never expect that from my own liberal Dem Bay Area Congressman.
UPDATE: They split 4-3, with the dissent saying that there is a fundamental due process right to SSM, and the majority disagreeing. The majority said the Legislature either has to amend the marriage statute to permit SSM or create a civil union statute.
In barely an hour, the New Jersey Supreme Court will release its decision in Lewis v. Harris, the so-called same-sex marriage case. Since oral arguments in February, the seven New Jersey couple, the LGBT community (and I am sure the Fundies) have been waiting anxiously for this ruling. Decisions earlier this year in Washington and New York have been hugely disappointing, if not unexpected, since the breakthrough Mass. decision.
Others have already diared about whether the timing is political (my take is no) or if a positive ruling will hurt the Dems chances across the country on November 7th. My concern is, regardless of the outcome, that we can put his decision IN PERSPECTIVE for ourselves and others, no matter who tries to spin it.
I am NOT amused by Patricia Dunn's comments tonight...
OMG... I am so rich and POWERFUL... and I can break state and federal laws and you all will defer to me....
In an article yesterday in the Sunday New York Times, it was reported that the Federal and New York State governments would be anchor tenants for the Freedom Tower currently being built at Ground Zero.
It was a courageous and principled Margaret Chase Smith, a Republican Senator from Maine, who first took to the Senate floor to condemn fellow Republican Sen. Joseph McCarthy for his fear-creating rhetoric and actions. Her speech in June 1950, titled "A Declaration of Conscience", is widely regarded as beginning of the demise of McCarthy, finally ending with his censure by the Senate in 1954.
I have been thinking a great deal lately about the amazing similarities of the politics of fear currently being employed by the Bush Administration in the so-called "War on Terror", and those employed by Joseph McCarthy in the early 1950's during his Cold War search for Communists in America.
Follow me below the fold to learn more about her famous words and why they are so applicable to the situation we face with the current Administration today.
The former No. 2 State Department official said Thursday he "inadvertently" disclosed the identity of CIA employee Valerie Plame in conversations with two reporters in 2003.
..in downtown San Francisco, I was taken by a group of well-dressed, primarily white folks (my racial group, BTW), gathered on the street holding attractive, blue type-set signs, reading "Stop John Garamendi." Well, at that time, I had no idea what the protest was about, but my first reaction was: "if there are some successful white professionals angry with our California Insurance Commissioner, he must have done something right on behalf of CA consumers."
Republican Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday called a Nov. 7 special election to temporarily fill the seat left vacant when former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay resigned.
I have read with amusement the various stories folks have shared this week regarding changes in Republican Congressmen's web sites further obscuring their affiliation with the Republican Party and the Bush/Cheney Administration. For fun, I thought I'd try to do a review of as many incumbent Republican Congressmen's sites as I could, to see if this was indeed a trend this year, and who, if any, would be honest in their support for the Republican Leadership and the Bush White House .
P.S. Please forgive my lack of formatting. I am still trying to learn <g>
Tonight's CBS Evening News story on the NYC Transit Strike had a very anti-union slant... Despite polls that show New Yorkers support the strike 60/40, not a single pro-union person was featured on tonight's episode.
Twenty-five Republicans, led by Rep. Charles Bass (R) of New Hampshire, signed a letter asking GOP leaders to strike the Alaskan drilling provision from the broader $54 billion budget cut bill.
At this point, I have no issues-specific objections to Judge Alito as the current nominee to the Supreme Court. I think it makes good sense to step back and allow the vetting process and hearings do what they are intended to do. But even today, there is one overwhelming reason to vote against the Alito nomination, absent any additional information. See below the fold.
Great editorial by the Editorial Board at SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER (credit to BUZZFLASH) today raising the legitimate question about Miers' qualifications. It is obvious she is not "exceptionally well qualified" as George Bush has eluded.
Hon. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor
State of California
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA
Dear Governor:
I never thought I could ever identify with, never mind agree with, a so-called "one-issue voter." But, low and behold, something unexpected and historic happened last week.... an act of courage by state legislators passed a bill acknowledging and respecting same-sex couples and their families.... MY FAMILY!
