Watching Markos on Meet the Press this morning, I see the mainstream -- both the press and the old school Democrats characterize DailyKos as though it is the editorial page of a newspaper and that each one of us shares everyone else's opinion.

DailyKos is not a newspaper.  The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the founder, the posters, or the lurkers.  They are the opinions of the individual.  

Yet they continue to attack Markos because someone made a mean remark about someone else.

Why can't they understand that?

Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R, MI-09) is using tax dollars to fund his campaign -- and no one seems to care.

In another example of how Joe Knollenberg wastes your tax dollars, he has hired a Washington, D.C. lobbyist, Trent Wisecup, as his Chief of Staff -- even though all he is doing is running Knollenberg's re-election campaign.  Knollenberg has not only put this lobbyist on the public payroll, but he has been paying him an enormous salary -- $39,957 in just the first 3 months of the year!!!

The good folks at VoteNoOnJoe, a Congressional tracking blog,  already documented how Knollenberg has wasted tax dollars on earmarks (like the one where he gave $8 million to his biggest campaign donor) and how he spends tax dollars to frank his campaign mailers.  

Wait, it gets worse....

Bush's failed experiment in "bringing Democracy" to Iraq has failed on another level -- it has resulted in 3 of the largest nations to join together to offset what they see as U.S. assertions of Imperial Power.

In their distorted view of the world, Bush, Cheney, and their team of neocons thought they could play Lex Luther and try to rule the world.  Of course, they saw themselves as benevolent masters.  The rest of the world sees them as tyrants.  

It is frustrating watching the Senate get bogged down by hypocritical Republican's who are afraid to take a position.

Rather than ask the Senate to vote on a Resolution opposing Bush's escalation in Iraq, they should hold a vote on a Resolution supporting Bush's escalation.

How could the Republican's possibly filibuster a Resolution that asked them whether they support the White House?

It is starting.

I can feel it.

I think the SOTU last night was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back.

Without any prominent Democratic members of Congress uttering the word, there is a wave coming."

Most Republicans are disturbed by the crisis into which their party has been dragged . . .

Conservatives . . .   have been especially troubled.

Apparently the WH is hoping people will be talking about the President's Bold New Plan tomorrow.

If it is anything like they are leaking, it nothing but the same old tired and failed policies he has been proposing.

Here is a link to the WH Bullet Points for the 2007 SOTU

HoHum.  I'm bored with it already.  

President George W. Bush and his Vice President Dick Cheney have been telling the public all week that the President is the Commander in Chief and that he has the authority to do whatever he chooses with the military.

Our Founding Fathers disagree.  In fact they were very careful not to vest such authority in the Executive Branch.

Perhaps someone in Congress would be so kind as to raise this point -- to the President and to the American Public.

If Civilization is Really At Risk, Are Bush, Cheney & The Neocons the Only People "Smart" Enough to Realize it?

Bush has been telling us for years that the "War on Terrror" – of which he purports to distortedly think Iraq is a component – is a war for the survival of civilization.

If we were truly engaged in a war for the survival of civilization as we know it, wouldn’t we all be willing to do everything necessary to preserve it?  And wouldn’t our allies do the same?

If we were truly engaged in a war for the survival of civilization as we know it, why is this something only believed by Bush, Cheney, and their cabal of neocons?

If we were truly engaged in a war for the survival of civilization as we know it, wouldn’t the evidence be so overwhelming that the American public would be clamoring for action?

Wouldn’t citizens of the UK, France, Germany, and all other western countries be jumping on board to protect civilization?

Even When Bush Listens He Doesn't Listen

His advisors must think he has dropped their call.  They advise and he ignores.

While listening to George W. Bush’s speech last week, I was trying to figure out who it was that devised the plan that he has adopted.  It didn’t sound like the plan from the Pentagon or the Iraq Study Group (ISG).  In fact, it sounded more like "stay the course" plus 21,500 troops.  

Senator Reid released a letter in response to Bush's speech:

Four years into what has become a civil war in Iraq, military leaders and the nation agree: the time has come to transition our military mission, responsibly redeploy our troops, and end our open-ended commitment. As Americans await President Bush's announcement of a plan for Iraq tonight, they do so having already heard many promises. Here are some of the things Americans have heard him say in past prime time addresses.

Thursday's London Times is reporting that President Bush routinely ignored UK Prime Minister Tony Blair's efforts to influence US policy.

Blair must realize this already.  Certainly the average Brit has known it for years.  

This wasn't really a secret, but I think it was unspoken until now.  It must be quite a slap in the face to Tony Blair.

Please note that based on the information available, I think Bush has probably broken numerous laws (e.g., warrantless wiretapping, authorizing torture, etc.) and I strongly believe that his view of Presidential authority is unconstitutional.  

But the Republican's haven't run Congress for the last 12 years and the White House for the last 6 years by chance.  They plan.  They run their party like a business.  They have everything from 72 hour plans up to 10 year plans (and probably longer.)

If we plan and we play this right, we can use the Democratic Majority in Congress to win a bigger majority in 2008 and to guarantee the White House in 2008.

But if talk about "impeachment" then we will fall right into a Republican trap.  They are dying to run in 2008 arguing that they are going to protect the US while Democrats want to weaken our security and are just being obstructionists and playing partisan games.

If we do this right, by 2008 the public will be demanding impeachment.

Please stop the in-fighting.

Certainly there is enough credit to go around this year.

The Democratic Party just had a successful coup.  We gave the Republican's a "thumpin'".  

I have been a card carrying member of the Democratic Party (at least my state party) for over 20 years.  And I have to say that Dr. Dean brought new life into the Democratic Party when he ran for President.  

Real online news.

I'm so frustrated with broadcast news, network news, the newspapers, and most certainly radio.

We could have it up and running by 2008.

We report the facts.

We write the opinions & editorials.

And we let the people decide.

The most obvious message is that even if the Republicans lose big, they will try (emphasis on "try") to spin it as though they didn't lose, but in fact won.  

I predict we will be hearing the following Talking Points alot next week:

1.  The Party out of power always picks up seats in the midterm elections.


2.  The Dems lost because with every thing in their favor, they only picked up __ House seats and __ Senate seats.


3.  The Dems will just be obstructionists now.

Let me state very clearly up front, that I adamently believe that a woman's body is her own and that she, not the government, has the absolute right to determine whether or not to reproduce.

But here is my thesis for today:

"Life" does NOT BEGIN at conception.

"Life" EXISTS BEFORE conception.

Mr. Grey was interviewed by Teri Gross on NPR's Fresh Air today and it was very interesting.  

Mr. Grey mentioned that there are "prosecutions planned" which I took to mean that there are magistrates in the EU who are going to be filing charges against the US Agents involved in this program.  

Extraordinary rendition is unlawful in the UK and Germany -- and the CIA landed planes there.  The UK and Germany consider this to be kidnapping.

But when he travels, commerce in the area suffers.  

I was in Chicago on business yesterday and while trying to catch my return flight, I noticed that United had cancelled nearly 20 flights that afternoon.  

Reason for the cancellations?  Bush was in Chicago for Hastert yesterday.  This is a common occurence!