Based on the passion displayed in these diaries, I know that there are many who are disappointed by this news.  But I imagine that it is only a fraction of the disappointment that the Edwards family and staff must feel at this moment.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank John, Elizabeth, Kate, and especially Emma Claire and Jack. When a candidate runs for office, the whole family runs for office, sometimes, whether they like it or not.  In the case of the Edwards family, they all brought their warmth, passion, and dedication to the ideals of America.

There's a certain maturity and patience that is required to have meaningful political discussion.  That has been woefully absent lately, most especially in the candidate diaries.  As I posted in a diary sometime ago, "people around here have gone just fucking nuts".

It reminds me of some sort of mass frezied activity that feeds upon itself, and it always results in destroying something they didn't intend to.

Moreover, it bespeaks a level of societal immaturity, in that the Kos community hasn't been around long enough to have evolved to a level of societal maturity, and those of us who have survived several evolutionary cycles, are disapointed to see that we are still at tribal behavior, and have not moved up to democracy.

I think this is at the heart of what Dr. Harrison is describing.  

His leaving is a huge loss to this community.

Does it seem to you like the CNN/Republican You Tube debate over-hyping is a bit over the top. And by over the top?  I mean, it's become just like the Superbowl, only with less interesting commercials and no possibility of even one millisecond nipple flashing?

Okay, the absence of republican nipple flashing is something to praise, not decry, but still.

First we had the pregame show last night, in which CNN reporters talked about how important they think that 'real people' will be tonight, and how it's going to be blood sport right from the first question. I'm not sure which I find more offensive--the fact that they think that bloodsport means that some political good will surely follow, or the de facto insult that "real people" are somehow this magical breed that they have just dicovered. In a diner. Somewhere in whitebread middle Amerka.

Since the media seems to be having difficulty in explaining the problem with the Mukasey nomination and his inability to call waterboarding torture, maybe a post-Gonzales civics lesson might help them understand Mukasey's dilemma.

When someone asks you to give them an example of the Executive Branch of our government abusing the privileges granted them to protect the public, be sure to point to this latest and stunning example by the Bush Administration:

Three telecommunications companies have declined to tell Congress whether they gave U.S. intelligence agencies access to Americans' phone and computer records without court orders, citing White House objections and national security.

Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell "formally invoked the state secrets privilege to prevent AT&T from either confirming or denying" any details about intelligence programs, AT&T general counsel Wayne Watts wrote in a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Qwest and Verizon also declined to answer, saying the federal government has prohibited them from providing information, discussing or referring to any classified intelligence activities.

continued after the jump...

I'm a proud Democrat.  Most of the folks I know are proud Democrats.  But the proud Democrats I know, are not particularly proud of the Democrats in Congress right now, and it's obvious to those of us in Realityville, USA, why this is.

Ask a Democratic politician why the approval ratings of this Democratic Congress are so low, and they will tell you that it's because of the Iraq War and Republicans.  America has turned against the war, and it's dragging everyone's approval ratings down.

Wow. Is there a deeper level of willful ignorance anywhere in the world that surpasses that of Washington politicians?  

I can't take it anymore.  They're utterly clueless.  

I had to write a letter to them:

Dear Congressional Democrats,

After reading that you blame the President and the Republicans for your low approval ratings, I feel compelled to write this letter and correct your mistaken beliefs about why people think you suck

People think you suck, because you refuse to stand up to a president that is less popular than syphilis.

Does anyone here seriously think that because we are pissed at leadership and members of Congress we will abandon the fight?  

If so, they are remarkable in their tonedeafness to the problem being at hand.

A huge part of this issue that's being missed is that the Democrats completely forgot managing the message here.

NOW they want to tell us that there are some great amendments in there.  NOW they want to message that all of this is because Bush vetoed the first bill.

A messaging problem is one of perception.  One of language.  One of strategy.  One of tactics.  And having diaries from Kos, Slaughter, et al., ad infinitum telling us to buck up, continues to miss the point entirely.  

And when they repeat the points they are making in new diaries or updates, it just sounds like they are saying, "You're politically naive or don't understand Washington, so I'll say it s l o w e r."

UPDATE:  13:35:22 (EDT) AP Confirms the reports that Jerry Falwell is dead.  Chuck Todd has just called Falwell the "Elder statesman".  The hagiography to cover up a history of hate and bigotry has officially begun.  In any event, everyone has someone who will mourn their passing.  As such, condolences to Reverend Falwell's family and friends.

UPDATE:  13:28:22 (EDT)  Unconfirmed reports that he has died. Being reported by MSNBC, via local radio reporter after speaking with church and family members.

MSNBC is reporting via AP wire that the Rev. Jerry Falwell was found unconscious in his office at Liberty University after missing an appointment.  He has been taken to Lynchburg Hospital and details of his condition and treatment are unknown at this time.

I will update with wire stories below the jump.

Ed Henry at CNN reporting that Vice-President Cheney has been taken to George Washington University Hospital for unknown reasons.

Henry reports that Cheney's office is saying that it's just for a "check-up".

I think that there is room for doubt, given the past history of strong disagreement between Cheney's office, and the truth.

Will post updates as I get them.

UPDATE, 11:47 EDT: Confirmed on CNN's Political Ticker.

UPDATE: 12:13 EDT: Ed Henry reporting that Vice-President Cheney now back at work. Henry further reports that it was odd that the Vice-President's office knew nothing about Cheney's appointment.
Frankly, I thought the odd thing was that they apparently seemed to be telling the truth.

Story over. NOT. UPDATE AFTER THE JUMP.

Congratulations Congress.  Credit card companies would be able to charge rates and conduct business in a way that would make Vinnie-The-Loan-Shark blush.

I remember writing that phrase in a piece for The Democracy Cell Project asking folks to call their Congressmembers and push them to vote against the Bankruptcy bill.

My Congressman, John Sweeney, voted for it.  He has since been replaced by a Democrat, but I still have concerns about whether Congressowman Gillibrand, a member of the blue dogs, would have voted against this measure had she had the opportunity to vote against it.  That's why it's still important that we talk about this issue with our family, friends, neighbors, and if you are like me, everyone you run into at the grocery store, car wash, movie line, well, you get the idea...

But, here's a question--how do you talk to people about what the credit card companies are doing without getting into the eyerolling minutiae of it.

Here's what I have come up with:

David Wade has been called a whole lot worse by Rush Limbaugh and Ken Mehlman, and he's certainly tough enough to take his share of beatings from Markos. Wade prides himself on giving it back hard to any Republican who dares fuck with his boss, so I think he'll happily live with it when people give it back hard to him. He's a tough kid.