Gephardt on Iraq: "I was wrong" (full-length version)

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Monday October 17, 2005 · 10:18 PM PDT

2005/10/17 · 22:18

[Crossposted here for the benefit of Kossites too lazy to click thru to TNH.]

Former House Minority Leader the Hon. Dick Gephardt was in Seattle last week on several accounts -- a victory lap for his mediation of the Boeing strike, a business seminar for the DC law firm where he hangs his hat, and a funder for Rep. Jim McDermott's Legal Expense Trust. [We'll hear more on this as Boehner v McDermott reaches critical junctures in DC Circuit Court of Appeals, and in the political arena as some of the original cast of heavies -- Gingrich, DeLay, Boehner -- prepare to test their chops in an XTREME ETHICS Cage Match Spectacular: "Moral Equivalence" .]

At this odd-couple tag-team appearance -- "Baghdad Jim" McDermott and "Rose Garden Richard" Gephardt -- the inevitable question was voiced: "Why did you support Bush on the Iraq War, and what would you do differently now?".

RonK Seattle

Community

Saturday September 24, 2005 · 10:10 PM PDT

2005/09/24 · 22:10

(Great analysis by RonK. While I don't know whether I agree with his details or not -- I'm undecided -- he's right that it's all about the second justice. And whether the Roberts' strategy was a success or failure can't be determined until we see what happens with the second nominee. It's a two-part act. Part One is complete, and many are unhappy. But none of us know how this story ends. Ultimately, who the second justice becomes will determine whether Feingold, Leahy, and the rest of the Dems that will vote "yes" did the right thing or not. -- kos)

[Crossposted from The Next Hurrah ... with sincere regards to Armando Agonistes.]

If you always smile, nobody will know when you're happy. Always frown, and nobody knows when you're sad. And if you shout all the time, how will anybody know when you're really outraged?

Judge Roberts will soon be confirmed as Chief Justice, with many Democratic 'Aye' votes ... and so there is wailing and gnashing of teeth and rending of garments in progressive quarters.

Are our frantic exhortations all for naught? Are our party leaders utterly lacking in brains, or hearts, or spines, or testicles, or situational awareness, or moral compasses? Are they lost in the beltway bubble? Have they sold us out? Is there no hope? Are we doing something wrong? Are we doing everything wrong? Doesn't anybody listen -- the voters? The media? Elected officials? Doesn't anybody care?

The psychic torment is genuine, but our message is undeliverable, our anguish is misplaced, nobody cares -- and it's OK.

RonK Seattle

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Friday September 23, 2005 · 2:27 PM PDT

2005/09/23 · 14:27

Today, Friday September 23, 2005, at 4 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, longtime Machinist Union activists Don Grinde and David Clay will be on the Dave Ross Show (710AM KIRO, Seattle) to dicuss the Machinist Union rank and file view of the 21 day old strike underway at Boeing by IAM&AW.

Dave Ross is webcast. Live streaming audio here. Update [2005-9-23 23:22:31 by RonK Seattle]: Direct, downloadable .mp3 link here.

Grinde and Clay's 9/3/05 Labor Day weekend KEXP FM interview has been webcast across Europe, Australia and North America. "Now that's union globalization."

This is a big one, folks, with the company driving wedges between age/seniority groups and pressing for givebacks on top of Boeing's unfavorable post-9/11 contract. Read More

'if you are reading this, then I have died in Iraq'

RonK Seattle

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Thursday September 01, 2005 · 11:01 AM PDT

2005/09/01 · 11:01

From the Seattle P-I.

Dearest ----
I'm writing this for one reason only. On April 13th 2004, I thought I was going to die. My only regret is that I hadn't spent enough time with you. That I hadn't told you everything I wanted to. Being in Iraq for a 3rd time, I don't want to feel that way again because it was the worst feeling ever.
So this letter is in case I won't ever get the chance to tell you.
I kind of predicted this, that is why I'm writing this in November. A third time just seemed like I'm pushing my chances.
I don't regret going, everybody dies but few get to do it for something as important as freedom. It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq, it's not to me. I'm here helping these people, so that they can live the way we live. Not have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators. To do what they want with their lives. To me that is why I died. Others have died for my freedom, now this is my mark.
Well I can't type forever, I know you want to read more but I thought simple and to the point would be easier.
I love you with all my heart.

Goodbye my Love.

Drinking (Liberally) with Jim McDermott

RonK Seattle

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Tuesday August 09, 2005 · 4:10 PM PDT

2005/08/09 · 16:10

Seattle area Kossacks are invited to the regular Tuesday eruption of Drinking Liberally, tonight at 8, Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E.

As a special irregular event, we'll be joined by Congressman (and Irishman) Jim McDermott. It's congressional Recess, and Recess is time for our normally quiet representatives to go out and hoot and holler.

It's entirely possible the session will feature extended discussion of blog-shaking events to come next month. (On the other hand, maybe we'll just get loaded and gripe about CAFTA ... stay tuned to find out!)

Plus, it's a good excuse to escape the 43rd Legislative District endorsement meeting, if you're so inclined.

'Impeachment'? No. Let's Talk 'Exit Strategy'.

RonK Seattle

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Monday July 04, 2005 · 1:37 PM PDT

2005/07/04 · 13:37

[Crossposted from The Next Hurrah.]

George W. Bush.
Worst. President. Ever.

How bad is that? Bad enough to animate a lively "Impeach Bush" community. Bad enough that 42% of voters polled might sign on if they knew Bush lied his way into Iraq.

One word of strategic advice to the impeachniks: Stop!

The situation at hand is too serious for impeachment. "High crimes" are at best incidental to the major case against Bush, and "Impeachment" talk drives us farther from every plausible goal, in almost every plausible set of circumstances. It is almost comprehensively anti-strategic.

Bush is bad, but how bad is bad enough? It's an important question. Somebody has to be Worst, and Worst isn't necessarily bad enough to justify jumping democracy's routine feedback cycle.

"How bad is Bush?"

"How bad is bad enough?"

"And what do we do if Bush is bad enough?"

Make these questions -- and not your immediate answers -- the core topic of our national conversation, and we may get somewhere. Read More

FRIST --> TOAST in six steps

RonK Seattle

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Monday May 23, 2005 · 9:10 PM PDT

2005/05/23 · 21:10

FRIST
FOIST
JOIST
JOUST
ROUST
ROAST
TOAST

(Courtesy Tim Sackton in comments at The Next Hurrah.)

Too early to evaluate long term prospects of The Deal. I've been a skeptic on negotiated settlements, but optimistic that the grown-ups would keep the brat pack from going nuclear.

Lindsey Graham says all we did was reset the clock. Maybe there's more to it than that, maybe there's less. It'll be an interesting week.

McDermott on Bankruptcy: Banca Rotta

RonK Seattle

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Wednesday April 20, 2005 · 1:11 PM PDT

2005/04/20 · 13:11

Bush signed the bankruptcy bill today. Perspective on the bill from US Rep. Jim McDermott on the House floor, April 15:

Mr. McDERMOTT: Mr. Speaker, the word "bankrupt" as we know it today comes from the 16th century Italian banca rotta, which literally means broken bench. It refers to a legend that said when a money trader became insolvent, the bench or table which he used in the market was literally broken. The Latin root of the word includes "corrupt" in the meaning.

The bankruptcy bill that the Republicans forced on the American people in this House today is as broken a bench and as corrupt a piece of legislation as I have seen in this House.

RonK Seattle

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Wednesday March 23, 2005 · 7:46 AM PST

2005/03/23 · 07:46

Today the Social Security (OASDI) Trustees release their 2005 look in the 75-year crystal ball -- the primary source of quotable assumptions for public dialog in the year to come.

[UPDATE: And it's out -- and it's dark! 2018 goes to 2017, 2042 goes to 2041~~2017~~ ... let's see how they did this. ... OK, mostly in the economic assumptions: economy got rosier, forecast got thornier. Dig we must.]

John Snow live on C-SPAN, 12:30 EST. Max Sawicky now live-blogging from Treasury. (Anticipatory comment in progress.) CBPP hosts an analytical conference call at 2pm EST. Others (wise and otherwise) will chime in through the day.

Speculation abounds. Will above-forecast growth push the depletion date (2042) farther into the distance?

By exposing unrealistically dark assumptions, today's data -- and spin -- can shade the debate inour favor or even put the "crisis" thesis in extremis.

Fudge factors? Actuaries (who write the report) are career pro's with a strong institutional culture. Trustees (who sign it) are mostly Bushite political hacks. The assumptions themselves can throw you a curve. Read More

Election Fraud, and Diary Fraud

RonK Seattle

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Sunday December 05, 2004 · 7:48 PM PST

2004/12/05 · 19:48

The Dean of Yale Law School declares the election stolen!

An objective, mainstream, Red State journalist does likewise!

Editor and Publisher chides major Ohio dailies -- all of them -- for foot-dragging on the issue!

What do these developments have in common?

They became sensational dailyKOS diary fodder.
They didn't really happen.
Almost nobody here noticed, or cared.
When (2) came to the attention of diarists and camp followers responsible for (1), they responded dismissively or abusively.

"It seems this issue [election fraud] is dying out on Kos and that's a travesty" comments 'TXsharon'. "Seems like kos and the others who are in charge of this forum are keeping the voter fraud issue out of the spotlight" replies diarist 'super simian'.

Impressions:

The dKos user pool is full of suckers.
This does not advance any progressive cause.
Diarists alone are not to blame. Only a permissive (read "gullible") and defensive (read "f.o.s.") culture makes these collective mania possible, and only more discerning readership can turn it around.

RonK Seattle

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Wednesday November 03, 2004 · 5:13 PM PST

2004/11/03 · 17:13

W is more dangerous now than ever. (Details below.) Monday, we're coasting downhill in a handbasket. Wednesday, we're racing to the bottom with no brakes. Two immediate priorities.

Create "wind resistance" by any means possible, slowing our descent until we can fix the brakes.
Plant message hooks in the minds of Bush voters, so they'll respond favorably to future news events and message elements.

Hook #1 -- "Buyer's Remorse". Tell them what you're going to tell them. Tell them what their own experience is going to tell them ... and suggest to them how they're going to react to it.

It might be Friday's BLS report ... or next month's Plame indictments ... or next year's outright collapse in Iraq. Whatever it is, remind them there's more where that came from. Each jagged chunk of Remorse is a conversation starter -- and that conversation starts between the ears of a Bush voter.

Hook #2 -- "Debatable Mandate". A win on bad evidence begets a questionable mandate. Those questions can take wind out of W's sails, and prime Bush voters to recognize the same deceits as "Buyer's Remorse". Read More

October Surmise: Reading the Surge

RonK Seattle

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Sunday October 31, 2004 · 1:28 PM PST

2004/10/31 · 13:28

Facing the sea or facing the shore, the sound of an approaching tsunami is indistinguishable from that of ordinary breakers on an ordinary day -- up until the very last moment. It's white noise, and plenty of it.

Likewise, this weekend's information background is mostly white noise.

A lot of people are very confident in their predictions. All who are confident are dead wrong -- but half will receive positive reinforcement, and the rest can add to their collections of conspiracy fodder.

Interpretation is further obscured by the fact that several separate dynamics nearing their own simultaneous endpoints. Even if we had uncluttered views of each trajectory, we'd be hard-pressed to plot each and extrapolate their combined effects.

* Straws in the wind. Mostly favorable -- tracking poll upticks ... good rally energy ... GOP surrogates whistling past the graveyard (per my read between the talking points) ... early voting backlogs ... no big splash from Osama tape ... final Kerry bites sounding more "Closer" than "Loser" ... and minor anecdota from folks in the field here and there. Read More

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Gephardt on Iraq: "I was wrong" (full-length version)

Democrats for Roberts, and the Contrast Principle

Boeing strike news on KIRO radio, 4pm Pacific Time

'if you are reading this, then I have died in Iraq'

Drinking (Liberally) with Jim McDermott

'Impeachment'? No. Let's Talk 'Exit Strategy'.

FRIST --> TOAST in six steps

McDermott on Bankruptcy: Banca Rotta

UPDATE: OASDI Trustees Report is out. Surprise!

Election Fraud, and Diary Fraud

Message Keys: Buyer's Remorse & Debatable Mandate

October Surmise: Reading the Surge