Saturday, October 02, 2004
Friday, October 01, 2004
Down Goes Frazier!
William Rivers Pitt at truthout.org saw the debate as a complete asskicking. He points out that some people on the other side feel similarly:
Um, I don't think that's it.
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William Rivers Pitt at truthout.org saw the debate as a complete asskicking. He points out that some people on the other side feel similarly:
...At FreeRepublic.com, the bastion of far-right cheerleading, the faithful were fashioning nooses. "It's really painful listening to Bush," said one Godebert. "Kerry has had him on the defensive from the beginning. Kerry sounds confident while Bush has a pleading defensive tone. Not good so far."
"Kerry looked much more experienced," said one whadizit. "He appeared to be relaxed and in control. W looked weary and worn and sounded weary and worn."
"Unfortunately," saith The Sons of Liberty, "Kerry looked more prepared. He seemed to have more facts, however questionable, at his command and he delivered his message succinctly. Even when confronted on his flip-flops, he had plausible explanations. On the other hand, The President seemed to lose his train of thought at times. He continued to repeat the same things, and he looked tired and a little haggard. He needs to do much better next time."
The comments went on and drearily on in this vein, in conversation thread after conversation thread, until a forum participant named areafiftyone threw the distraught legions a lifeline: "I had that feeling that Kerry had the questions beforehand. He seemed to have his answers right on target. Bush seemed like he was surprised by the questions. I wish they could investigate to see if the DNC got a hold of the questions beforehand."...
Um, I don't think that's it.
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"Mission Accomplished"
Our President made the case 17 months ago today.
We've lost 1,059 soldiers in Iraq, 920 since Bush made the fateful claim.
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Our President made the case 17 months ago today.
We've lost 1,059 soldiers in Iraq, 920 since Bush made the fateful claim.
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Unhappy Bush
"How can it be the wrong war, at the wrong place at the wrong time if we're already fighting it? That doesn't make sense."
--Bush's little voice 9/30/04
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"How can it be the wrong war, at the wrong place at the wrong time if we're already fighting it? That doesn't make sense."
--Bush's little voice 9/30/04
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Debate Transcript
The entire bloodbath can be found here.
While reading, please keep these images of our President in mind:
-Leaning against the lectern, almost disinterested
-The facial expressions, see next post
-Fumbling at his cheat sheet, wishing he'd studied
-His newly-whitened teeth
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The entire bloodbath can be found here.
While reading, please keep these images of our President in mind:
-Leaning against the lectern, almost disinterested
-The facial expressions, see next post
-Fumbling at his cheat sheet, wishing he'd studied
-His newly-whitened teeth
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Faces of Frustration
Check out this video from the DNC. Hilarious.
Tip of the Horn to Duncan for the link.
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Check out this video from the DNC. Hilarious.
Tip of the Horn to Duncan for the link.
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Jon Stewart
The Daily Show was aired live last night after the debates. Stewart interviewed Wes Clark and Rudy Giuliani about the points made and not made during the 90 minute face-off.
The best part of the show was when they played a clip of 44 feverishly writing as the President spoke. Stewart wondered out loud, "What is Kerry writing?" They then cut to an over the shoulder shot of a legal pad with a message in big block writing:
I'M SO KICKING HIS ASS
Beautiful.
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The Daily Show was aired live last night after the debates. Stewart interviewed Wes Clark and Rudy Giuliani about the points made and not made during the 90 minute face-off.
The best part of the show was when they played a clip of 44 feverishly writing as the President spoke. Stewart wondered out loud, "What is Kerry writing?" They then cut to an over the shoulder shot of a legal pad with a message in big block writing:
I'M SO KICKING HIS ASS
Beautiful.
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Right Wing Blogosphere Reacts
For the Land of the Lost, the news isn't good.
It's fun to read these guys grudgingly give 44 some respect. You know it's really bad for Bush when his fanatical base is conceding defeat on the first debate.
The only "rose-colored glasses" has come in an email from the BC04 Campaign:
I'm not sure what debate they watched, perhaps the GOP typed this on Wednesday afternoon as a time saver.
One thing I did notice last night was the sheer volume of BC04 campaign commercials on all channels last night. My favorite was aired on Nickelodeon that featured two sock puppets, Drinky(!) & Winky, who discussed the President's leadership abilities and were then thrown in the washer.*
*May not measure up to the current administration's, "Lie Beleivability Scale" which is pretty liberal in it's own right. There were a ton of Bush campaign ads on.
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For the Land of the Lost, the news isn't good.
It's fun to read these guys grudgingly give 44 some respect. You know it's really bad for Bush when his fanatical base is conceding defeat on the first debate.
The only "rose-colored glasses" has come in an email from the BC04 Campaign:
...President Bush spoke clearly and from the heart last night about the path forward - toward victory and security - in the War on Terror. The President spoke candidly about the difficulties facing our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan as these countries prepare for their first free elections. The terrorists will continue to fight these steps toward freedom because they f! ear the optimism and hope of democracy. They fear the prospects for their ideology of hate in a free and democratic Middle East.
President Bush detailed a path forward in the War on Terror - a plan that will ensure that America fights the enemy in Iraq and Afghanistan - not in America's cities.
John Kerry failed the one test he had to pass last night: he failed to close the credibility gap he has with the American people as his record of troubling contradiction and vacillation spiraled down to incoherence...
I'm not sure what debate they watched, perhaps the GOP typed this on Wednesday afternoon as a time saver.
One thing I did notice last night was the sheer volume of BC04 campaign commercials on all channels last night. My favorite was aired on Nickelodeon that featured two sock puppets, Drinky(!) & Winky, who discussed the President's leadership abilities and were then thrown in the washer.*
*May not measure up to the current administration's, "Lie Beleivability Scale" which is pretty liberal in it's own right. There were a ton of Bush campaign ads on.
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Post Game
All of the instant polls by media outlets point to a decisive victory for Kerry in the debate tonight. I voted in about 15.
If I'm Karl Rove I'm worried. This was supposed to be their strong point. They fought to have the first debate be on foreign policy and the President crapped the bed.
Next comes the town hall debate format and then the focus on domestic issues.
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All of the instant polls by media outlets point to a decisive victory for Kerry in the debate tonight. I voted in about 15.
If I'm Karl Rove I'm worried. This was supposed to be their strong point. They fought to have the first debate be on foreign policy and the President crapped the bed.
Next comes the town hall debate format and then the focus on domestic issues.
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Thursday, September 30, 2004
Bush's Line of the Night
"I know how the world works."
I don't think he had to read it.
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"I know how the world works."
I don't think he had to read it.
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Tom Delay & Coincidences
It's just a political witch hunt:
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It's just a political witch hunt:
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay should not be untouchable. The powerful Texas Republican has wiggled out of ethics investigations before, but not this time. Not when criminal indictments for illegal fund-raising activities are handed up in Texas against three men associated with his political action committee and eight corporations.
The Houston Republican is trying to brush off any attempt to link him to a scandal unfolding in Texas with a PAC he set up, and on whose advisory board he served, by insisting it "isn't about me." Besides, said the tough-talking Texan, "this is 41 days before the election. You do the political math. People see this for what it is."
That they do, which is why the criminal investigation under way in Texas on the conduct of the fund-raising network formed by Mr. DeLay bears urgent examination by the House Ethics Committee.
A Texas grand jury indicted three close Delay associates running his Texans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee, and eight out-of-state companies, on 32 felony charges of illegally funneling corporate money to Republican Texas House candidates...
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WaPo Blogging Nominees Announced
In a case of blatant voter suppression/disenfranchisement/intimidation/noogie threats, Uncle Horns has been shut out of the Washington Post Readers Choice Awards for Political Blogs.
I have some investigating to do because severalof the checks cleared people told me I had a good shot.
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In a case of blatant voter suppression/disenfranchisement/intimidation/noogie threats, Uncle Horns has been shut out of the Washington Post Readers Choice Awards for Political Blogs.
I have some investigating to do because several
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Debate Answer I'd Like to See
The Rude Pundit has it here after 44 is asked, "What would you have done differently in Iraq?"
Caution: As the blogger's name attests, the language in the, linked to, post should be considered graphic enough to make George Carlin blush. You've been warned.
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The Rude Pundit has it here after 44 is asked, "What would you have done differently in Iraq?"
Caution: As the blogger's name attests, the language in the, linked to, post should be considered graphic enough to make George Carlin blush. You've been warned.
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F911 DVD Goes On Sale Next Week!
According to the All Spin Zone the extras in the DVD are even more inflammatory than the content of the film.
If you buy the DVD here a portion of the proceeds will go to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
You're going to buy it anyway.
Do you need a better reason?
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According to the All Spin Zone the extras in the DVD are even more inflammatory than the content of the film.
If you buy the DVD here a portion of the proceeds will go to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
You're going to buy it anyway.
Do you need a better reason?
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Real Voices
Check out this powerful ad.
(Works best on Windows as it's a WVX file, but there is a way to play it on Mac via WMP Nine. I just don't know how to do it.)
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Check out this powerful ad.
(Works best on Windows as it's a WVX file, but there is a way to play it on Mac via WMP Nine. I just don't know how to do it.)
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Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Drafty II
Newsweek, via AMERICAblog has some excellent points about a possible draft:
I have much to catch up on with my blogroll but, AMERICAblog is a good start. Read. Often.
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Newsweek, via AMERICAblog has some excellent points about a possible draft:
...The threshold question before the election is this: which candidate is more likely to have so few international friends amid a crisis that he would have to move beyond the all-volunteer force?...
I have much to catch up on with my blogroll but, AMERICAblog is a good start. Read. Often.
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More Florida Voter Suppression Shenanigans
I've heard that Jeb Bush may run for President in 2008. He better hope his successor is just as big a scumbag.
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I've heard that Jeb Bush may run for President in 2008. He better hope his successor is just as big a scumbag.
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One Simple Question
It's posed at The World's Shortest Blog, "How many times have you been arrested, Mr. President?"
If you can ask this question of the President, you'll we awarded the princely sum of $2,386.00, with an additional $6,000 if the exchange is televised. To me, the value of this question being asked is priceless. I hope it happens.
How hard can it be? Go to a rally in full Bush regalia (don't forget the flip-flops.) Sign your name saying you support the President. Get in line to ask the question. Ask it. Spend a couple of years at Gitmo. Collect.
No worries.
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It's posed at The World's Shortest Blog, "How many times have you been arrested, Mr. President?"
If you can ask this question of the President, you'll we awarded the princely sum of $2,386.00, with an additional $6,000 if the exchange is televised. To me, the value of this question being asked is priceless. I hope it happens.
How hard can it be? Go to a rally in full Bush regalia (don't forget the flip-flops.) Sign your name saying you support the President. Get in line to ask the question. Ask it. Spend a couple of years at Gitmo. Collect.
No worries.
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So Sorry, Seattle
Yuck.
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Yuck.
KVI Talk Radio 570 in Seattle and Fox News have partnered to provide the first Fox News branded radio station in the country. KVI will feature Fox News personalities and radio news updates. The station's new moniker will be "KVI Talk Radio 570…Fox News and talk radio."
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Debate Transcript Released One-Day Early
Face-off Overly Choreographed, Critics Charge. A full transcript of Thursday's
presidential debate between President George W. Bush and Democratic
nominee John Kerry was released today,sparking criticism that the debate has
been overly choreographed by the committee representing the two major
parties.
The transcript, full of pre-planned quips and sound bites from both
candidates, is a verbatim reflection of what the actual debate will be on
Thursday night, a committee member confirmed.
"We have shared the written transcript with both President Bush and
Senator Kerry and warned them to stick to the script," said Davis Loudon
of the Presidential Debate Steering Committee. "If they stray one iota,
we're threatening to turn the heat in the room up to 71 degrees."
According to the transcript, the debate will begin with opening statements
by both candidates, after which Mr. Bush will turn to Mr. Kerry and ask,
"Where's the beef?"
Mr. Kerry, totally prepared for this witticism, will reply by saying,
"I've got your beef right here," to which Mr. Bush will reply, "Beef
this."
After Mr. Bush goes on to extol the legacy of Ronald Reagan, Mr. Kerry
will respond, "I served in the Senate under Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan
was an enemy of mine. President Bush, you're no Ronald Reagan."
Jonah Traylor, the Washington correspondent for the Toledo Blade, said
that having a written transcript of the debate a day in advance means that
he can skip the event altogether: "I might TiVo it, but probably not."
Elsewhere, after an earthquake in central California failed to cause any
serious damage, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called the 5.9 tembler "a
girlie quake."
I have no idea of the source for this. If you do, leave me a comment and I'll give credit.
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Face-off Overly Choreographed, Critics Charge. A full transcript of Thursday's
presidential debate between President George W. Bush and Democratic
nominee John Kerry was released today,sparking criticism that the debate has
been overly choreographed by the committee representing the two major
parties.
The transcript, full of pre-planned quips and sound bites from both
candidates, is a verbatim reflection of what the actual debate will be on
Thursday night, a committee member confirmed.
"We have shared the written transcript with both President Bush and
Senator Kerry and warned them to stick to the script," said Davis Loudon
of the Presidential Debate Steering Committee. "If they stray one iota,
we're threatening to turn the heat in the room up to 71 degrees."
According to the transcript, the debate will begin with opening statements
by both candidates, after which Mr. Bush will turn to Mr. Kerry and ask,
"Where's the beef?"
Mr. Kerry, totally prepared for this witticism, will reply by saying,
"I've got your beef right here," to which Mr. Bush will reply, "Beef
this."
After Mr. Bush goes on to extol the legacy of Ronald Reagan, Mr. Kerry
will respond, "I served in the Senate under Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan
was an enemy of mine. President Bush, you're no Ronald Reagan."
Jonah Traylor, the Washington correspondent for the Toledo Blade, said
that having a written transcript of the debate a day in advance means that
he can skip the event altogether: "I might TiVo it, but probably not."
Elsewhere, after an earthquake in central California failed to cause any
serious damage, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called the 5.9 tembler "a
girlie quake."
I have no idea of the source for this. If you do, leave me a comment and I'll give credit.
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Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Tornado Photo
My wife's step-father took this photo today just south of Wilmington.
UPDATE: I heard on the radio this morning that this tornado was a Category Two that destroyed a hangar at the New Castle County Airport.
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My wife's step-father took this photo today just south of Wilmington.
UPDATE: I heard on the radio this morning that this tornado was a Category Two that destroyed a hangar at the New Castle County Airport.
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Free Hot-Spots
Doing some travelling? Have a wireless enabled notebook?
You can find free hotspots around the country here.
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Doing some travelling? Have a wireless enabled notebook?
You can find free hotspots around the country here.
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Buster Keaton Would Be Proud
Increased chatter? Threat level raised? Long airport lines?
Don't worry the Federal Government is on the case:
Yes, the No Sarcasm sign has been extinguished.
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Increased chatter? Threat level raised? Long airport lines?
Don't worry the Federal Government is on the case:
Despite major increases in money and personnel, the FBI is still failing to translate many al-Qaida surveillance recordings in a timely manner and faces a giant backlog of untranslated material from terrorism and espionage investigations, a new Justice Department audit shows.
The report released Monday by Glenn A. Fine, the department's inspector general, found more than one-third of al-Qaida intercepts authorized by a secret federal court were not reviewed within 12 hours of collection, as required by FBI Director Robert Mueller.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 123,000 hours of audio in languages associated with terrorists still had not been reviewed as of April 2004, the audit found. In addition, more than 370,000 hours of audio associated with counterintelligence had not been reviewed.
This backlog existed even though money for the FBI's language services had increased from $21.5 million in fiscal 2001 to about $70 million in fiscal 2004. The number of linguists had risen from 883 to 1,214 over that period, the audit found, while electronic surveillance collection in key languages such as Arabic and Pashto has risen 45 percent....
Yes, the No Sarcasm sign has been extinguished.
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Crawford, TX Newspaper Endorses Kerry
This, after endorsing Bush in 2000. Maryscott O'Connor has the details.
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This, after endorsing Bush in 2000. Maryscott O'Connor has the details.
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Palestine/Israel Media Cover-up?
Yet another reason to seek out alternative media outlets:
Much more to this story.
Go. Read.
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Yet another reason to seek out alternative media outlets:
Three and a half years ago, when the current Palestinian uprising began, I started to look into Israel and Palestine. I had never paid much attention to this issue before and so – unlike many people – I knew I was completely uninformed about it. I had no idea that I was pulling a loose piece of thread that would steadily unravel, until nothing would ever be quite as it had been before.
When I listened to news reports on this issue, I noticed that I was hearing a great deal about Israelis and very little about Palestinians. I decided to go to the Internet to see what would turn up, and discovered international reports about Palestinian children being killed daily, often shot in the head, hundreds being injured, eyes being shot out.1 And yet little of all this was appearing in NPR reports, the New York Times, or the San Francisco Chronicle.
There was also little historic background and context in the stories, so this, too, I began to fill in for myself, reading what has turned into a multitude of books on the history and other aspects of the conflict.2 I attended presentations and read international reports.
The more I looked into all this, the more it seemed that I had stumbled onto a cover-up that quite possibly dwarfed anything I had seen before...
Much more to this story.
Go. Read.
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Blair Comes Close to an Apology
Link.
I don't think we'll see something like this from Bush anytime soon. Although an apology from him would be a real October surprise.
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Link.
Tony Blair offered his Labour party on Tuesday a partial apology for waging war in Iraq -- a desperate attempt to pull supporters back behind him ahead of an election next year.
But as two more British soldiers died in Iraq and a hostage remained under threat of death, his hopes of drawing a line under two years that has wrecked his public trust ratings are far from secure.
"The evidence about Saddam having actual biological and chemical weapons ... has turned out to be wrong," Blair said, his nearest yet to a mea culpa.
"The problem is, I can apologize for the information that turned out to be wrong but I can't, sincerely at least, apologize for removing Saddam," he said. "The world is a better place with Saddam in prison not in power."...
I don't think we'll see something like this from Bush anytime soon. Although an apology from him would be a real October surprise.
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Monday, September 27, 2004
Shaving Question
I have the Quattro. It has four blades.
Will there be something more?
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I have the Quattro. It has four blades.
Will there be something more?
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Traveling Music
One of the good things about extended trips in the car with the baby is the music. He doesn't like talk radio for extended periods of time (he'll learn the beautiful voices of Linda Wortheimer & Scott Simon when the time is right) or books on tape. Nope, the big man wants to hear music. And I was happy to oblige this weekend when we spent 12 hours on the road. I know at least one reader of Uncle Horns is an avid music fan, so I thought I'd list our weekend musical selections.
These are in no particular order but I jumped around to please my pint sized passenger. I stand almost 6'3" so it's easy for me to keep the beat on the baby's leg while keeping my eyes on the road. He let me know when he wanted a change. And as long as my betrothed isn't in the car I usually sing as well.
Anyway, here they are:
Lyle Lovett - My Baby Don't Tolerate
Cold Play - Parachutes
Keane - Hopes & Fears
Old 97s - Satellite Rides
U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind
Beatles - Abbey Road
Talking Heads - Compilation
Sonny Landreth - The Road We're On
Sublime - Compilation
The Kinks - Compilation
This is Crucial Reggae(SKA) - Various Artists
Jason Mraz - Tonight, Not Again (Live)
World Cafe Live Volume 10 - Various Artists
I hope when my son grows older he can appreciate all types of music and that someday he'll be able to teach me about his favorite music. I feel you can tell a lot about a person by the diversity of their musical tastes.
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One of the good things about extended trips in the car with the baby is the music. He doesn't like talk radio for extended periods of time (he'll learn the beautiful voices of Linda Wortheimer & Scott Simon when the time is right) or books on tape. Nope, the big man wants to hear music. And I was happy to oblige this weekend when we spent 12 hours on the road. I know at least one reader of Uncle Horns is an avid music fan, so I thought I'd list our weekend musical selections.
These are in no particular order but I jumped around to please my pint sized passenger. I stand almost 6'3" so it's easy for me to keep the beat on the baby's leg while keeping my eyes on the road. He let me know when he wanted a change. And as long as my betrothed isn't in the car I usually sing as well.
Anyway, here they are:
Lyle Lovett - My Baby Don't Tolerate
Cold Play - Parachutes
Keane - Hopes & Fears
Old 97s - Satellite Rides
U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind
Beatles - Abbey Road
Talking Heads - Compilation
Sonny Landreth - The Road We're On
Sublime - Compilation
The Kinks - Compilation
This is Crucial Reggae(SKA) - Various Artists
Jason Mraz - Tonight, Not Again (Live)
World Cafe Live Volume 10 - Various Artists
I hope when my son grows older he can appreciate all types of music and that someday he'll be able to teach me about his favorite music. I feel you can tell a lot about a person by the diversity of their musical tastes.
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Bush Could Be Bitten
Our President's "humor" could come back to bite him in the ass:
He's a riot. And a liar.
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Our President's "humor" could come back to bite him in the ass:
President Bush said on Monday his Democratic rival John Kerry had shifted his positions on Iraq so many times he could "debate himself" at the prime-time face-off between the two candidates in three days.
(...)
"It's been a little tough to prepare because (Kerry) keeps changing positions on the war on the terror," he joked.
He's a riot. And a liar.
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Jon Stewart
Viewers of The Daily Show are better informed on the issues regarding the Presidential campaign than people who don't watch late-night television.
And, during six of the eight nights of both Conventions The Daily Show had better ratings than Fox, CNBC, CNN and MSNBC.
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Viewers of The Daily Show are better informed on the issues regarding the Presidential campaign than people who don't watch late-night television.
And, during six of the eight nights of both Conventions The Daily Show had better ratings than Fox, CNBC, CNN and MSNBC.
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President Schwarzenegger?
Don't laugh. The ball is already rolling:
And here's a little reminder of Arnold's sordid past.
Yikes.
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Don't laugh. The ball is already rolling:
A California Republican congressman introduced a constitutional amendment Wednesday that would allow Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to run for president. But he insisted the candidate he really wants to see is a 76-year-old House Democrat from Hungary.
"There are those here Wednesday who will interpret this constitutional proposal permitting naturalized citizens to serve as president as a political ploy," Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, an early supporter of Schwarzenegger's gubernatorial bid, said in remarks prepared for the House floor.
And here's a little reminder of Arnold's sordid past.
Yikes.
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Billmon's Last Post
Here. Just an image.
(I saw his LA Times article and have no opinion. He's a great writer, but definitely marches to the beat of a different drummer.)
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Here. Just an image.
(I saw his LA Times article and have no opinion. He's a great writer, but definitely marches to the beat of a different drummer.)
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Quote of the Day
From James Carville:
Tip of the Horn to Eric Alterman for bringing this to our attention.
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From James Carville:
"You know, back in 2000 a Republican friend warned me that if I voted for Al Gore and he won, the stock market would tank, we'd lose millions of jobs and our military would be totally overstretched," he writes. "You know what: I did vote for Al Gore, he did win, and I'll be damned if all those things didn't come true."
Tip of the Horn to Eric Alterman for bringing this to our attention.
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Jimmy Carter: FL Has a Long Way to Go
In today's WaPo former President Jimmy Carter points out that several things are still needed in FL:
How sad is it that our "democracy" has come to this?
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In today's WaPo former President Jimmy Carter points out that several things are still needed in FL:
...A nonpartisan electoral commission or a trusted and nonpartisan official who will be responsible for organizing and conducting the electoral process before, during and after the actual voting takes place. Although rarely perfect in their objectivity, such top administrators are at least subject to public scrutiny and responsible for the integrity of their decisions. Florida voting officials have proved to be highly partisan, brazenly violating a basic need for an unbiased and universally trusted authority to manage all elements of the electoral process.
Uniformity in voting procedures, so that all citizens, regardless of their social or financial status, have equal assurance that their votes are cast in the same way and will be tabulated with equal accuracy. Modern technology is already in use that makes electronic voting possible, with accurate and almost immediate tabulation and with paper ballot printouts so all voters can have confidence in the integrity of the process. There is no reason these proven techniques, used overseas and in some U.S. states, could not be used in Florida.
It was obvious that in 2000 these basic standards were not met in Florida, and there are disturbing signs that once again, as we prepare for a presidential election, some of the state's leading officials hold strong political biases that prevent necessary reforms.
Four years ago, the top election official, Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris, was also the co-chair of the Bush-Cheney state campaign committee. The same strong bias has become evident in her successor, Glenda Hood, who was a highly partisan elector for George W. Bush in 2000. Several thousand ballots of African Americans were thrown out on technicalities in 2000, and a fumbling attempt has been made recently to disqualify 22,000 African Americans (likely Democrats), but only 61 Hispanics (likely Republicans), as alleged felons.
The top election official has also played a leading role in qualifying Ralph Nader as a candidate, knowing that two-thirds of his votes in the previous election came at the expense of Al Gore. She ordered Nader's name be included on absentee ballots even before the state Supreme Court ruled on the controversial issue.
Florida's governor, Jeb Bush, naturally a strong supporter of his brother, has taken no steps to correct these departures from principles of fair and equal treatment or to prevent them in the future.
It is unconscionable to perpetuate fraudulent or biased electoral practices in any nation. It is especially objectionable among us Americans, who have prided ourselves on setting a global example for pure democracy. With reforms unlikely at this late stage of the election, perhaps the only recourse will be to focus maximum public scrutiny on the suspicious process in Florida.
How sad is it that our "democracy" has come to this?
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Mission Accomplished?
In a sign that our President has only the most tenuous grasp of reality, he recently said that he would still declare "mission accomplished" aboard the aircraft carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln, if he could do it all over again.
In another sign that there has been very little accomplished in Iraq; five additional U.S. soldiers have died in the past two days.
I hope 44 brings this up in the debate on Thursday.
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In a sign that our President has only the most tenuous grasp of reality, he recently said that he would still declare "mission accomplished" aboard the aircraft carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln, if he could do it all over again.
In another sign that there has been very little accomplished in Iraq; five additional U.S. soldiers have died in the past two days.
I hope 44 brings this up in the debate on Thursday.
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I'm Back
A long weekend. I spent six hours in the car on Saturday and then again on Sunday. It was nice to see my grandmother and aunts, they enjoyed playing with my 16-month old son.
I gave my one aunt a Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker and asked her to stop by this forum and she asked, "...so you're one of those blogsters?"
On the trip back there was a border patrol roadblock. They stopped every car and asked if the occupants were U.S. Citizens. They let us pass. It was set up about two hours south of the Canadian border.
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A long weekend. I spent six hours in the car on Saturday and then again on Sunday. It was nice to see my grandmother and aunts, they enjoyed playing with my 16-month old son.
I gave my one aunt a Kerry/Edwards bumper sticker and asked her to stop by this forum and she asked, "...so you're one of those blogsters?"
On the trip back there was a border patrol roadblock. They stopped every car and asked if the occupants were U.S. Citizens. They let us pass. It was set up about two hours south of the Canadian border.
| Permalink Here
