In honor of Memorial Day and knowing that my fellow Kossacks will appreciate an account of what war used to be like for the kids who fight it, I am posting a transcript of a diary kept by my great great grandfather, Aaron Loder Mastin, a Civil War veteran.  

He started out a nineteen-year-old infantryman but due to a nasty case of jaundice, he wound up pretty quickly getting left behind his unit, recovering in a field hospital.  There, he helped care for other sick and wounded soldiers, eventually joining the hospital unit, and spent the rest of that war caring for sick and dying men.  

During the first part of his service he kept a diary of his activities, sometimes daily.  It is charmingly poetic in parts, humorous in others, and horrifying in still others.  Overall, it is sad.  Entries cover the period from August 1, 1861 to November 8, 1861 with a break in writing, and then again regular diary entries from February 13, 1862 to April 20, 1862, the day a revolver accidentally discharged into his left hand. This injury eventually led to his mustering out of the Union Army, with two fewer fingers.  

Breaking:  CNN just played an ad amidst election coverage, from AARP, hyping their new website, dontvote.org.  

Go to the simply titled site, and you'll find a HUGE logo:  DON'T VOTE

I already voted, so they can't fool me, but our polls are still open over here in Los Angeles at 6:04pm.  I am stunned.
The AARP??
WTF?

There is no fold.

There is a dark horse candidate for U.S. Congress in the 24th district of California, challenging twenty year incumbent rubber-stamp republican, Elton Gallegly, and this guy may just be exactly what Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties want.  He's a qualified write-in candidate (finally), and I thought it would be a good idea to find out everything possible about him.  

Now that I've had a chance to interview him in depth, I'm convinced that this man's ability to describe things as they are and his fearless determination to put things right are the right combination of traits for the United States Congress.  While he may not yet be well-enough known to mount a successful challenge, his story needs to be told now.  The details of his odyssey may be of some help to other democrat candidates negotiating similar roadblocks.  I submit it as a hazard map for those who come after.

Follow me below the surface...

Somewhere near you is a
Federal Building.  
If there still is a planet
at 12 noon PST (3pm Eastern)
April 14th,

Be there
Wear black.
Be Silent.

As crows on a wire.

This is organized disorganization.
We will stare silently, deliberately, intently.
We will do no harm.

I've been listening in at the boardroom for the  Thom Hartmann Program since discovering them at the YoungTurks recent 100 hour, 24/7 Filibuster the Filibuster marathon.  We tune into fine talk audio streams from all over the globe and share the best streams we find.  Today I was listening to Head On with Bob Kincaid

Late Monday, we met online with caller Kenneth Harris from Greensboro and a member of the Greensboro Seven.  The Greensboro Seven are friends; Six men and one woman from Greensboro, North Carolina.  These brave young people joined the North Carolina Chapter of World Can't Wait's "March to Drown Out Bush Lies," through downtown Greensboro last Tuesday, January 31, 2006 during the President's State of the Union Address.  The Chapter has an excellent write-up and background on the movement at North Carolina World Can't Wait

George Saba honored me with a long interview after the show and this is mostly his story, collected as he told it, below the fold.

RIGHT ON!
Vermont takes the lead in the State-led...ope, nope, CITY-LED National Impeachment Drive, as presaged here, here, here, and here.

Let's all send a dollar so that Newfane Selectboard member Dan DeWalt can stay elected a good long term.

Since he took the time in his 2006 State of the Union Address to recall his failure to dissolve the Social Security system, I thought it only fair to share another recollection.

He also had a few things to say about Social Security one year ago today, in his last State of the Union Address.

This is George W. Bush, speaking in Tampa, Florida two days later, almost exactly one year ago today, on that very topic.

I feel much better now.

PLAMONDON
Burn this name into your brain and never forget it.  Any bells? A tickle? Strap yourself in for a head-cracking ride.

PUN PLAMONDON you are going to like, a bunch.

~Follow me as I traipse along trying to keep up with StopVotePirates, picking up his trail of pocorn at hartmanwatchwatch. Right into the sun, Pirate. Thank you for the door~

mmmmooooouuuuwwwwwwwwaaaaasssssssspweeet~
<<ding>>

UPDATE: Lincoln Chafee voting no on Alito!!

SEND Kossacks to Young Turks NOW! Nearing the 90th hour awake on a full-blown Filibuster the FilibusterPalooza, The Young Turks Radio kids are on a LONG ROLL on the Bleeding Edge of Democracy.  Brad Friedman hosted in the wee hours...excellent, proactive programming here.  

Send some Daily Kossacks NOW!  Kos keeps getting props.  Room is full...Multicast in chat and on video...Calls from Worldwide.

Come give these cats some support and let's get some more strong calls in!

Seize the meme.
It's the only responsible thing to do.
So what if it has no backing?
What backing does any other possible outcome have?
Back it LOUD.
Alito WILL NOT BE CONFIRMED.

UPDATE I: Thank you so much...my first Recommended Diary...I feel so dirty now. Number 2 Woo-flippin' hoo! Hello, Honorable Louise Slaughter... hammer it home, hey?

UPDATE II: Separate consolidated diaries are birthing and congealing for each State. Here are links to those, as they report that here: Vermonters Here Go there. Hook up. Do your bit.

A high crime is one which seeks the overthrow of the country, which gives aid or comfort to its enemies, or which injures the country to the profit of an individual or group.

On December 10, 1903 William B. Lamar, US Congressional Representative for the 3rd district of Florida, rose on the floor of the house and delivered before Congress articles of impeachment, prepared and resolved by both houses of the legislature of Florida, alleging high crimes and misdemeanors by a Federal Judge, Charles Swayne.  
Swayne was ultimately acquitted, but strong precedent was established for a State to initiate impeachment proceedings, as clearly outlined in the House Rules of the 109th Congress (snippet therefrom down below).

Curious?  Lick yer thumb...

I've diaried before on the growing constitutional rumble in San Gabriel Valley,
eastern bastard stepchild suburb of Los Angeles County.
Impeachment Op-Ed in California Red Zone
My Spy LTE in a California Red Zone! (yellowdog poll
My Spy LTE in a California Red Zone.... Gets a RISE!!!

Today, I give you yet another two clear voices from the wilderness,
calling it spit in the SGV Tribune.

lick yer thumb...

The hearing was moved to 11 EST, and I still overslept it a little on the west coast.  Jerry Nadler arrived a little late, too, so at least I'm tardy with good company.

One important point first:  Conyers has signed an inquiry to home and internet service providers to find out how they turned over access.  Stay tuned!  Also, the hearing record is open for 5 days for members of congress to send questions, to be included in the record.

As I enjoyed my first cup of coffee and absorbed the comments of the distinguished speakers, I culled and  paraphrased the best of them, partly in my own words, so you'll hear some echoes.  
.
Once more, over the brink...

Please don't focus on the poll question!! This is really really more at the original question. Yesterday there was a RECOMMENDED diary on the HOT TEN entitled Research needed: Karl Rove & Abramoff Connection ??? (don't know who wrote it, sorry, but uid 32053, per the diary address)
In support of that VERY GOOD question, I did a little research for my own education on namebase, bradblog, and beyond and I posted a detailed synopsis of what I found, with photos & links, largely taking off from Brad interviews Thor Hearne & Jim Dyke of the American Center for Voters Rights, ON THAT DIARY in deference to the duplicate-diaries rule.  
This morning I see that the diary is poof gone, as are all of my carefully researched comments. So, since it's apparently not a duplicate diary now, I'll try to dig up and post what I found again, on this diary, where whomever pulled that down cannot hide and hoard my research contribution.  Live and learn.  Lesson learned, with much gnashing of teeth and time.  A minor pox on the taker-down.

unfold with care...possibly explosive

What a lineup!
I listened to the show & reported what I heard.  In some parts, I paraphrased what struck me as essential.  I didn't try to capture Larry's questions; just the guests' answers and ruminations.  Hopefully this is the gist of it.

First, Larry grills Alberto Gonzalez, partly on Al Gore's comments earlier today.  Next up James Risen, responding in part to AG Gonzalez' statements.  Then comes Russel Tice, NSA whistleblower and source for the NY Times Story ringing in with his perspective.  

Finally, a round-robin video panel:  
Russell Tice joins Senator Orrin Hatch and Senator Dianne Feinstein (both Senators serve on both the Judicial Committee and the Intelligence Committee); David Gergen, former White House advisor under Nixon; and Michael Isikoff, Newsweek investigative reporter.

...knead, then fold...

Welp, I got meself on the Independent Line at CSPAN's Washington Journal this morning at 4:44am PST.
That's Fo Fo de Fo
Call (202) 628-0205   more is merrier...

It's always on in the wee hours and this is the first time I ever got through.  They get some wingnuts, so I hoped to join voices of reason.

The question on the table was whether or not the U.S. is still an "Indispensable Nation."  I got to thinking about that as I listened to about a dozen callers on both sides of that question.  I had something else to say, but figured I'd start there since it BEGGED a reassessment.
Mo be lo the fo...

Whatever else you do, suspend disbelief for a moment and try to get a fax over to Dianne Feinstein at (202) 228-3954.

Continue flooding the other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the rest of our Senators with calls, faxes, letters and all, so they'll know they have the support they need to put their foot down on this.

This is it!!

Faxxed yesterday, Here's mine:

First, here's my original letter, published in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune on January 1, 2006, and diaried here that day and here below is the first responder: A direct assault!
Belower still is my draft response for hammering, particularly but not exclusively as to tone and length, should the ruthless be so inclined.
Let the debate flame on.