My support of the "Prairie Parkway" concept is well known. Whether we like it or not, the unavoidable reality is that our region is growing and continued growth is inevitable. – J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL)
As I’m sure most Kossacks have heard, Dennis Hastert, former Republican Speaker, has plans to resign from his congressional seat in IL-14 this November. Such a move will trigger a special election sometime before March of 2008. And while Democrats and Independents both in IL-14 and throughout the country are looking forward to a Hastert-free government, a critical piece of Hastert’s corrupt legacy continues to move forward.
"If we don’t fix global warming now, there may not be any America as we know it left. There may not be hospitable places left for our children and our grandchildren to live." – Jotham Stein (D-IL).
Americans have come to the consensus that pollution is the cause of global warming. Such changes to our atmosphere will be catastrophic if we do nothing about them. Rising temperatures cause ice caps in the Arctic to melt making sea levels rise and strengthening the size of hurricanes. At its worst, global warming could eventually lead to drought, flooding, famine, mass migration and eventually war. I don’t know about you, but that’s not exactly how I’d imagined living out my retirement.
Politicians in D.C. seem to have caught on to the fact that Americans are aware of what’s happening to our environment and what’s causing it. They’ve met our concern and awareness with a lot of talk, but very little action. Jotham Stein wants to change that and as the next congressman of Illinois’ 14th district, he will. To see how, join me below the fold.
We’ve got a race, folks. Keeping in line with the presidential contest, congressional district IL-14 is gearing up for 2008. There’s much speculation afoot as congressional hopefuls anticipate Congressman Dennis Hastert’s likely retirement.
So who will be the next representative of IL-14? Join me below the fold and we’ll explore our options.
I did a search and as far as I can tell, know one has written a diary about this. If they have, I'll promptly delete.
The Washington Post reports that in a show of support for user-generated content and people-powered politics, presidential contender, Barack Obama has requested the DNC put Democratic debate footage into the public domain.
No, no, it's not what you think! I'm not accusing Obama of being a Liebercrat or a DLCer or a triangulator or a... surrenderer. In fact, I happen to be an Obama supporter. No, I'm accusing Obama of being a Great Communicator.
I know, I know, it's been said before. He's articulate... he's eloquent... he can give a good speech. That's not what I mean though. If you follow me below the fold, I'll explain to you why Obama might be just as good for the progressive movement as Reagan was for the conservative jihad movement.
I'm going to vomit the next time I hear someone say "Where's the beef?" or "There's no there, there" in reference to Senator and Presidential Contender Barack Obama.
I'll grant you this, Barack Obama's experience is not conventional. He hasn't spent the better part of a decade in Washington D.C., he was never the President's wife, and he missed the opportunity to authorize Bush's pet project in Iraq.
I find it difficult to believe that the well-read posters and lurkers at DKos are not aware Barack Obama's rich background, but allow me to remind you, as it seems you may have forgotten...
Once or twice a week, when I come across an interesting story in the news or the blogs, I'll link to it and add my own comments in a Note on Facebook so all my friends will hear about it. I've gotten a really good response and generated discussion on a number of topics by doing that. I think of it as bringing blogging to facebook.
So I was dissapointed in myself when I overlooked a Note written by a good college friend of mine. I decided that if I want people to pay attention to what I think is important, I ought to extend to them the same courtesy. And in doing so I came across what you're about to see. I searched for this topic and found it nowhere on Dailykos. I hope I'm not breaking any rules because I won't be around to delete this diary today, but hopefully it will get some attention. The story, below...
Democrats know, whether they'd like to admit it or not, that there is no military solution for Iraq, there is no point for our troops to be in Iraq (nor has there been since the summer of 2003) and any violence that will result from a withdrawal will surely occur even if our troops stay. The logical thing to do is to leave Iraq and cooperate with Middle Eastern nations to help secure Iraqi borders and prevent a regional war. Ideally our exit will motivate the Iraqi government to settle sectarian strife.
I believe a lot of Republicans understand this as well, yet they continue to steer the debate towards a 'stay the course' strategy of failure with the intention of appearing strong willed. John McCain advocates sending another 20,000 troops to Iraq so we can take one more shot at quelling the violence... calling that a half-measure would be a severe overstatement. In reality, for such a scheme to work it would take hundreds of thousands more troops and an actual plan for victory. That's not what the Republicans want. Like I said before, their only intention is to appear strong willed. So let's call their bluff and give them a strategy they can really sink their teeth into. More...
Now, how in world am I going to get you to read what I have to say below the fold? How can I possible convince you that it is unlike anything you have EVER read in your entire life about Barack Obama?? Will you trust me? Will you take a peeky-poo?? I promise it will be short...
Let's suspend for a moment, our typical expectations of a Democratic nominee for POTUS. Typically we look at things like leadership, integrity, experience, familiarity with the issues and electability.
We argue back and forth over who has the best position on this issue or who raised the most money for that candidate, and still we seem to come up short.
For once, it would be nice to have a general election where the two candidates are not 50/50. We can argue about how Gore really won in 2000 or about all the election fraud that has occurred, but the reality is that these men (Bush, Gore and Kerry) could only manage to persuade just under half of the voting population that they were the man for the job. SIMPLY UNNACCEPTABLE!
An opportunity lies before us... the opportunity to choose a nominee that has a fresh face and may very well appeal to the majority of Americans. Let's take a look at some of Senator Obama's many redeeming qualities below the fold...
UPDATE: Just to clarify, I'm simply highlighting some of the positive things about Obama. This is not to say I prefer him over the other candidates, but that I think a lot of people are quick to come up with reasons not to support a candidate rather than what that candidate might do for our country.
Over the past four days, the PredatorGate Scandal has escalated beyond what anyone could have imagined. The fallout in my honest opinion, will certainly deliver the House of Representatives to Democrats, even if we only end up with 218 seats.
I believe that individuals have a responsibility to make the most of their own lives, and that government has a responsibility to make sure people have the opportunity, the security, and the tools to do so.
No, I didn't say that, Rahm Emmanuel did. It's from The Plan, a well-articulated social contract between Americans and their government. Last night appopt wrote a snarky diary comparing The Plan to the Contract with America. Having read his diary, I figured The Plan was just another copy of that 6 for '06 stuff Democrats were talking about a couple weeks ago. Still, I decided to click on the link he provided for the Chicago Sun-Times article previewing The Plan. Was it another 6 for '06?
The sectarian violence in Iraq has very obviously turned a corner, with the recent news of Shiite's rampaging a Sunni neighborhood killing women and children. It's time for Democrats to get serious. SERIOUSLY! This is what needs to happen--- follow me below the fold.
I want to march on Washington. I want to rally millions of my fellow Americans in the streets outside of the Capitol, outside of the White House and the Supreme Court. Once and for all we must be heard, for neglect has run rampant in DC and it will surely lead to our demise. Follow me below the fold.
In the lead up to the fall elections this year, Democrats have taken several steps towards solidifying their positions and putting the Republicans on the defensive. All this while the Republicans continue to put their collective feet in their collective big-fat mouth. Are Democrats perfect? No. Do they have a lot more to learn? Yes. However, there is nothing that irks me more than a prominent Democrat, undermining our party when the party is making positive steps forward... no, no, believe it or not, I'm not referring to Lieberman. I'm talking about his protege and my junior Senator, Barack Obama. More below the fold.
I'm sure this isn't news for most who visit DKos regularly. For those who didn't know, it's an election year and the Republicans are scared. Next week, they will attempt to rally their extemist base by introducing new legislation to ban Same-Sex Marriage. It's obviously not going to pass, so we can all take comfort in only being discriminated by the respective states in which we reside (except you lucky, open-minded bastards in Massachussetts.) But does that mean we should allow the Do-Nothing Republican Congress to get away with ignoring real issues in favor of spreading hate? HARDLY. More below the fold
Last night, BlueTide wrote an excellent diary entitled You Frame the Democratic Narrative , urging Kos Members to take an active part in creating The American Covenant, a Democratic Manifesto. For months, we've been writing diaries about how Democrats need a message, a slogan, a characterization... something to create an image that the general public can relate to. Most Americans don't take time to even catch a few minutes of the 24-hour bullshit cycle, let alone blog here or anywhere else for an hour. So when they go to the polls or when their friends pass along political gossip, they need to know who we are and what we stand for... and we ought to be the ones who tell them... not the Republicans. Here is our opportunity. More below.
I'm sick of hearing the Republicans and the Neutered-Media claim that Democrats don't have ideas. The Republicans don't have any ideas because they've tried them all... and they didn't work. Yet there is still a chance that the Republicans will retain power over THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT. Why? Because the American people "know" who the Republicans are. Let's meet the Democrats, below the fold.
