Call the democrats that betrayed us! Today!

The Alito Betrayal
By Bob Fertik
Created 2006-01-30 17:18
We, the voters who elect Democrats in every election, were utterly and completely betrayed today by 18 Democratic Senators that we elected, all of whom can be reached at 888-355-3588 or 888-818-6641:

Akaka (HI), Baucus (MT), Bingaman (NM), Byrd (WV), Cantwell (WA), Carper (DE), Dorgan (ND), Inouye (HI), Johnson (SD), Kohl (WI), Landrieu (LA), Lieberman (CT), Lincoln (AR), Nelson (FL), Nelson (NE), Pryor (AR), Rockefeller (WV), Salazar (CO)

There was no reason for this betrayal. We only needed 40 39 of the 45 Democrats to sustain a filibuster. We could have won even if 5 6 Democrats who were flat-out stupid enough to believe Alito's lies (like Robert Byrd and Kent Conrad) had voted against the filibuster. (1)

Every Democratic Senator knew what was at stake - both in the rulings Justice [sic] Alito will make for the rest of his life, and in the anger - even rage - that will greet their decision to betray us.

So why did these Democrats decide to stab us all in the back?

For one simple reason: because we let them.

Democratic candidates - at every level - take us, the Democratic base, completely for granted.

They ask us for money and we give it to them - with no strings attached. They ask us for votes and we give it to them - with no strings attached.

They are not accountable because we don't hold them accountable.

That must change - and with your help, I will make sure that it does change.

In the coming weeks, I will offer a plan for holding elected Democrats accountable. The plan will be based on some core principles:

We have a right to be furious at the 18 Democrats who betrayed us - and we have a right to share our fury with those Democrats (888-355-3588 or 888-818-6641), as well as the DSCC (202-224-2447) and DNC (202-863-8000).
The Democratic Party belongs to the people who vote for Democrats, not to the elected officials, party bureaucrats, and rich consultants whose power and wealth comes entirely from us.
We, the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party, represent the majority of all Americans on every issue Americans care about, and we will win majorities in every state (almost!) if we fight as hard as Republicans do for our issues
We must find politically strategic ways to channel our anger towards constructive goals, rather than the obvious destructive ones (like electing even more Republicans to accelerate the rise of Fascism in America).
I'll say a lot more in the days and weeks to come - stay tuned!

(1) The official Roll Call shows only 53 of 55 Republicans voted (Ensign and Hagel were absent) so Frist needed 7 Democrats to reach 60 and end the filibuster.


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Source URL:
http://www.democrats.com/alito-betrayal

This Week on the Daily Show

Monday, 1/30: Randy Jackson, "American Idol"

Tuesday, 1/31: Charles Barkley, basketball player

Wednesday, 2/1: Michael Beschloss, historian

Thursday, 2/2: Robert O'Harrow, Jr., writer, Washington Post

At Last, A Mainstreamer Prints the Truth

January 30, 2006

A False Balance
By PAUL KRUGMAN

"How does one report the facts," asked Rob Corddry on "The Daily Show," "when the facts themselves are biased?" He explained to Jon Stewart, who played straight man, that "facts in Iraq have an anti-Bush agenda," and therefore can't be reported.
Mr. Corddry's parody of journalists who believe they must be "balanced" even when the truth isn't balanced continues, alas, to ring true. The most recent example is the peculiar determination of some news organizations to cast the scandal surrounding Jack Abramoff as "bipartisan."
Let's review who Mr. Abramoff is and what he did.
Here's how a 2004 Washington Post article described Mr. Abramoff's background: "Abramoff's conservative-movement credentials date back more than two decades to his days as a national leader of the College Republicans." In the 1990's, reports the article, he found his "niche" as a lobbyist "with entree to the conservatives who were taking control of Congress. He enjoys a close bond with [Tom] DeLay."
Mr. Abramoff hit the jackpot after Republicans took control of the White House as well as Congress. He persuaded several Indian tribes with gambling interests that they needed to pay vast sums for his services and those of Michael Scanlon, a former DeLay aide. From the same Washington Post article: "Under Abramoff's guidance, the four tribes ... have also become major political donors. They have loosened their traditional ties to the Democratic Party, giving Republicans two-thirds of the $2.9 million they have donated to federal candidates since 2001, records show."
So Mr. Abramoff is a movement conservative whose lobbying career was based on his connections with other movement conservatives. His big coup was persuading gullible Indian tribes to hire him as an adviser; his advice was to give less money to Democrats and more to Republicans. There's nothing bipartisan about this tale, which is all about the use and abuse of Republican connections.
Yet over the past few weeks a number of journalists, ranging from The Washington Post's ombudsman to the "Today" show's Katie Couric, have declared that Mr. Abramoff gave money to both parties. In each case the journalists or their news organization, when challenged, grudgingly conceded that Mr. Abramoff himself hasn't given a penny to Democrats. But in each case they claimed that this is only a technical point, because Mr. Abramoff's clients — those Indian tribes — gave money to Democrats as well as Republicans, money the news organizations say he "directed" to Democrats.
But the tribes were already giving money to Democrats before Mr. Abramoff entered the picture; he persuaded them to reduce those Democratic donations, while giving much more money to Republicans. A study commissioned by The American Prospect shows that the tribes' donations to Democrats fell by 9 percent after they hired Mr. Abramoff, while their contributions to Republicans more than doubled. So in any normal sense of the word "directed," Mr. Abramoff directed funds away from Democrats, not toward them.
True, some Democrats who received tribal donations before Mr. Abramoff's entrance continued to receive donations after his arrival. How, exactly, does this implicate them in Mr. Abramoff's machinations? Bear in mind that no Democrat has been indicted or is rumored to be facing indictment in the Abramoff scandal, nor has any Democrat been credibly accused of doing Mr. Abramoff questionable favors.
There have been both bipartisan and purely Democratic scandals in the past. Based on everything we know so far, however, the Abramoff affair is a purely Republican scandal.
Why does the insistence of some journalists on calling this one-party scandal bipartisan matter? For one thing, the public is led to believe that the Abramoff affair is just Washington business as usual, which it isn't. The scale of the scandals now coming to light, of which the Abramoff affair is just a part, dwarfs anything in living memory.
More important, this kind of misreporting makes the public feel helpless. Voters who are told, falsely, that both parties were drawn into Mr. Abramoff's web are likely to become passive and shrug their shoulders instead of demanding reform.
So the reluctance of some journalists to report facts that, in this case, happen to have an anti-Republican agenda is a serious matter. It's not a stretch to say that these journalists are acting as enablers for the rampant corruption that has emerged in Washington over the last decade.

Grrrrr to Frist and those other self righteous prigs!

It just galls me that the lesson learned by Frist regarding Terri Schiavo was that people don't want the government involved. Duh!!! But more importantly, he and his asshole buddies should also have learned that they should have done more for the people of New Orleans--people who still had their brains, still had futures ahead of them. Or how about the miners who died because safety measures were not in place. Before the Repugs out there shout that I'm saying Frist caused the miners to die. I'm NOT saying that. I'm just asking where the outrage is for the miners and for victims of Katrina. Even Frist doesn't have to make a video diagnosis of those piss poor situations!

Wake up America! Bush is not our king!

Madness of King George

Led by White House propaganda czar Karl Rove, the Bush Administration has launched an aggressive campaign claiming that the President's authorization of massive ongoing electronic surveillance of American citizens is the only appropriate response to "a ruthless enemy." Rove added that criticism of the President's policy comes from those who don't understand "the nature of the threat and the gravity of the moment."

The Founding Fathers anticipated debates such as the one stemming from George W. Bush's illegal spying. Well acquainted with the excesses of mad monarchs named George and the excuses for tyranny peddled by their partisans, Benjamin Franklin warned, "They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." James Madison understood how seductive the claims of national security could be, pointing out that wartime is "the true nurse of executive aggrandizement."

Contemporary experts as diverse as Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University and one of the foremost scholars of the conflict between the demands of national security and the Constitution, and Bruce Fein, a key player in Ronald Reagan's Justice Department, have identified the Bush Administration's wiretapping as a dangerous assault on our basic freedoms. Turley says, "What the President ordered in this case was a crime." Fein adds that Bush is claiming "more power than King George III had at the time of the Revolution, in asserting the theory that anything the President thinks is helpful to fighting the war against terrorism he can do." Link-The Nation

We gotta keep the momentum going!

Most people think Bush is a failure. We Democrats need to start stepping up and getting out the message. Oh yeah, what are my talking points? Somebody please tell me so I can pass them along!

State of the union 2006

watch this and weep for our nation

Call and voice your opinion

Here is a l list of the phone numbers for the members of the Judiciary committee:
(some have answering machines and you can leave a message)

Leahy: 202-224-4242
Kennedy: 202-224-4543
Biden: 202-224-5042
Kohl: 202-224-5653
Feinstein: 202-224-3841
Feingold: 202-224-5323
Schumer: 202-224-6542
Durbin: 202-224-2152

And Byrd: 202-224-3954

CALL THEM ! !

Love that William Rivers Pitt!

Democrats: Get Up and Walk Out
By William Rivers Pitt
t r u t h o u t | Perspective

Sunday 22 January 2006

MEMO
To: Congressional Democrats
From: William Rivers Pitt
RE: A bold maneuver
- - - -

I have a wild and crazy idea.

George W. Bush's delivery of the State of the Union address will take place on Tuesday, January 31, a little more than a week from now. It is my strong belief that every single Democrat present in the House chamber for the speech should, at a predetermined moment, stand up and walk out. No yelling. No heated words. Every Democrat should simply stand silently and leave.

Crazy, I know. Crazy, and possibly the best idea ever put before a body of Democrats since the New Deal.

Understand this, congressional Democrats, and understand it well: you are not dealing merely with a body of political opponents in the GOP. You are dealing with a group of people that want you exterminated politically. The days of walking the halls of the Rayburn Building, sharing a bourbon with a colleague from the other side of the aisle, and hammering out a compromise are as dead as Julius Caesar. Collegiality is out. Mutual respect is out. They want you gone for good. Erased. Destroyed.

And you have been far too polite about this.

View the remainder at truthout.org

Buzzflash editorial...Demos asleep at the wheel again

The Power of One

A BUZZFLASH EDITORIAL

Of all the bullying insults to democracy, George W. Bush, a man who has shown utter contempt for the rule of law and civilized governance, is about to pack the Supreme Court with a majority who will grant him the powers of a king.

The Democrats in the Senate, as we predicted in multiple editorials, will not filibuster Samuel Alito, short of some miraculous epiphany and spinal transplant.

(See "Sam Alito and the End of Constitutional Checks and Balances: The Senate Dems are About to Hang Themselves," which includes links to most of the pertinent BuzzFlash commentaries.)

Those chronically timid and cautious Democratic Senators who find comfort in passivity and enabling the dismantling of our Democracy should take note that times have changed.

The revolution to restore the gift of the American Revolution -- our Constitution -- is moving from a simmer to a boil, by the power of one exponentially multiplied into an army of patriots.

Rarely is the sequel to a movie released so early

This Week on the Daily Show

Monday, 1/23: Fred Barnes, reporter / author, "Rebel-in-Chief"

Tuesday, 1/24: Anthony Hopkins, actor, "The World's Fastest Indian"

Wednesday, 1/25: TBD

Thursday, 1/26: Bernard Henri-Levy, philosopher / author, "American Vertigo"

Incoherent Ramblings of Paranoid Dem

It suddenly occurred to me, as I read my book this afternoon, that if Bush had his way none of us would know how to read or be educated enough to question his actions. My thoughts traveled to the plot of Fahrenheit 451 (the temperature it takes to burn a book). Perhaps those of us with similar fears should begin stockpiling some of the great books in history--and maybe a few lighthearted mysteries--so that when Bush declares martial law, we can sit quietly in our dark hovels, with just a tiny candle, and we can read to each other.

For those of you who are only starting out as adults, please become as educated as you can! It is our only true weapon against tyranny that I'm afraid is very much in the very near future.

West Wing Fiction

Watching "West Wing" last night, I couldn't help but compare the fictional President Bartlett's abilities with those of our own'real president'. The TV president was fast, smart and decisive when handling a domestic nuclear emergency; also fair and honest with the American public. Could our own west wing inhabitant behave as well under similar circumstances? I am really afraid not.

Michael Moore vs. Chris Matthews

Chris Matthews, host of Hardball, said some pretty outrageous things the other night, including a slur against Michael Moore. Well, today, MM got even!

Well, at least Frist is tellin' it like it REALLY is!

Read here about how we've confirmed exactly how odious Alito really is!

It's the Republicans, stupid!

UPDATE: Abramoff STILL hasn't given any money to Democrats. If any of you Dems still think that's a possibility, it's not! Don't you think we'd have heard their names by now? The media would love to make sure we all know this a scandal suffered by both parties, but they're having an incredibly hard time making that charge stick! Read this story about the recent slap in the face of one Republican congressman.

Can this be for real?!?

Soldiers are being told that their families won't get benefits if they don't wear lousy military issue body armor? What the hell?

Gore's response to administration criticism of his speech

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a statement by former Vice President Al Gore:

"The Administration's response to my speech illustrates perfectly the need for a special counsel to review the legality of the NSA wiretapping program. The Attorney General is making a political defense of the President without even addressing the substantive legal questions that have so troubled millions of Americans in both political parties.

"There are two problems with the Attorney General's effort to focus attention on the past instead of the present Administration's behavior. First, as others have thoroughly documented, his charges are factually wrong. Both before and after the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was amended in 1995, the Clinton/Gore Administration complied fully and completely with the terms of the law.

"Second, the Attorney General's attempt to cite a previous administration's activity as precedent for theirs -- even though factually wrong -- ironically demonstrates another reason why we must be so vigilant about their brazen disregard for the law. If unchecked, their behavior would serve as a precedent to encourage future presidents to claim these same powers, which many legal experts in both parties believe are clearly illegal.

"The issue, simply put, is that for more than four years, the executive branch has been wiretapping many thousands of American citizens without warrants in direct contradiction of American law. It is clearly wrong and disrespectful to the American people to allow a close political associate of the president to be in charge of reviewing serious charges against him.

"The country needs a full and independent investigation into the facts and legality of the present Administration's program."

http://www.usnewswire.com/

Synopsis of Al Gore's speech

Can be found here
It's edited, but hits the highlights for those of you that don't have a lot of time. Otherwise, go to cspan.org for the full speech.

Al Gore speaks out

In a riveting and passionate speech, Al Gore spoke out against the Bush regime. Granted, the Repubs are spinning this mightly but it's like that Iowa farmer's invention that spins the water out of manure, the manure is still left behind. They can spin all they want, but some of us know that fascism is growing in DC, and what Bush wants is to be king. The unitary presidency idea sure allows him to believe, wrongly of course, that the law does not apply to him.

To quote a portion of Al Gore's speech:
"As we begin this new year, the Executive Branch of our government has been caught eavesdropping on huge numbers of American citizens and has brazenly declared that it has the unilateral right to continue without regard to the established law enacted by Congress to prevent such abuses.

It is imperative that respect for the rule of law be restored."

If you have not heard it, go to cspan.org; if you want to read it, go here

George Bush is a Saint?

President George W. Bush was scheduled to visit the Methodist Church outside Washington as part of his campaign.

Bush's campaign manager made a visit to the Bishop, and said to him "We've been getting a lot of bad publicity among Methodists because of Bush's position on stem cell research and the like. We'd gladly make a contribution to the church of $100,000 if during your sermon you'd say the President is a saint."

The Bishop thinks it over for a few moments and finally says, "The Church is in desperate need of funds and I will agree to do it."

Bush pompously shows up looking especially smug today and as the sermon progresses the Bishop begins his homily: "George Bush is petty, a self-absorbed hypocrite and a nitwit. He is a liar, a cheat, and a low-intelligence weasel. He has lied about his military record and had the gall to put himself in a jet plane landing on a carrier posing before a banner sting 'Mission Accomplished.' He invaded a country for oil and money, and is using it to lie to the American people. He is the worst example of a Methodist I've ever personally known.

But compared to Dick Cheney and the rest of his cabinet, George Bush is a saint.

Anybody here seen my ole friend Martin?

Today we have celebrated the birth of the great civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Let's face it, if he were alive today he would be disgusted at how the clock is beginning to turn back. He also would be dismayed at how we learned nothing from Vietnam. Read Mideast expert Juan Cole's thoughts on King's view of war.

This Week on the Daily Show

Monday, 1/16: Eugene Jarecki, filmmaker, "Why We Fight"

Tuesday, 1/17: L. Paul Bremer, former Presidential Envoy to Iraq, author of "My Year in Iraq"

Wednesday, 1/18: James Woolsey, former CIA director

Thursday, 1/19: Nathan Lane, actor, "The Producers"

I've got friends with low wages

Wal-mart workers rights Watch the video by jibjab!

Governor Gives Our Supporters the “Finger” at Campaign Stop in S.A.!

January 11th, 2006 by terrih

At our picket of the Governor’s stop today, he clearly gave our supporters an obscene gesture commonly known as the “finger!” I was on radio this afternoon with Christian conservative talk radio host Adam McManus, KSLR AM 630. He was so appalled at this incident and couldn’t believe that a sitting Governor who claims to be a conservative would stoop to such a thing toward people with an opposing view, that he called up our witnesses, Byron and Dave, to have them personally testify ON THE AIR that they saw him do it! He’s demanding the Governor apologize. We’ll see what comes of it.
I must agree, it’s shocking for the leader of the Great State of Texas to resort to such school yard tactics when confronted with law-abiding citizens demonstrating their opposition to one of his prominent, life-altering policies to toll existing highways.
Tell the Governor how you feel about his rude behavior to law-abiding citizens with a differing point of view. Write AND call the Governor: (800) 252-9600 ( and through web mail). Ask for an apology and more importantly, ask him to put have his Transportation Commission put a stop to this! link

Hail King George--Your Evil Minions are Growing

It looks as if Alito's going to make it with no problem. Where the hell are the Democratic voices? Our world as we know it is about to end.

The March for Millions of Veterans 2006

My daughter forwarded an email from a friend of hers with the following message:
"I consider myself a conservative Republican, but if the current administration refuses to properly fund veteran's promised medical care, I will vote democratic in the next election".
He included a web address with information on the following:
Veteran's groups are getting together to march in Washington,D.C. and in cities all over the United States on April 25, 2006 to protest the the treatment they are receiving by the administration and Congress. Check out this website, click to sent emails to your senators and representatives and be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to be counted.
My daughter's friend is the father of a young man fighting in Iraq.

I'm Still Here...Really!

VTex accused me tonight of not blogging enough. I have to agree, but I reminded him that my problem is two-fold. First of all, too many Republicans are doing scandalous things these days. It's all running together and hard to keep up with! Secondly, whenever we get too optimistic about anyone caring about how Republicans are dreadful, scandalous, and deserving of jail time, it always seems to go the Repubs' way. I'm just sitting in the corner and biting my nails as I wait to see these scandals take root.
By the way, DeLay seems to be as corrupt as we all thought. Go figure!

Kerrville's Peace March

Last Saturday when I got to the grounds of the Kerr County Courth-ouse for the Peace March, I thought, what a great day for a march! Clear and sunny, cool but not cold. Those who started out in sweaters ended up with them tied around their waists.

I pulled into the parking lot and was immediately greeted by a Kerrville couple. Then another. And yet another. They're going to get the reputation of being good folks if they're not careful.
I counted about 65 of us at our peak. I thought that was a good turnout, although I was disappointed that I was the only Kendallian (as far as I know).

We marched with a variety of signs, but mine was typical:
Support the Troops. Bring 'em Home!

Kerrvillians (I'm tempted too call them Kerrverts, but that has an unsavory sound to it) greeted us warmly at times, honking and giving us thumbs up. At times however, we were given the single-fingered salute, and then there was the guy who took the cake:
"You Al Quaida Democratic idiots!"
he screamed as he sped away. Ah, yet another Republican coward. Just brave enough to yell out something ridiculous, but not brave enough to stop and engage us in conversation to tell us why we were so wrong. I suspect there are a lot of those folks these days; in their heart of hearts they're scared that maybe they've invested their trust in an untrustworthy man.

I met lots of folks in Kerrville, and it was nice to know that in that bastion of Republicanism there were plenty of people who could get together and exercise their constitutional rights. Congratulations Kerrville. May it not be the last peace march, unless it's because peace has been attained!

This Week on the Daily Show

Monday, 1/9: James Risen, NY Times reporter and author of "State of War"

Tuesday, 1/10: Albert Brooks, actor/filmmaker, "Finding Comedy in the Muslim World"

Wednesday, 1/11: Peter Bergen, CNN terrorism analyst

Thursday, 1/12: Matthew Broderick, actor, "The Producers"

Report Rebuts Bush on Spying
Domestic Action's Legality Challenged

A report by Congress's research arm concluded yesterday that the administration's justification for the warrantless eavesdropping authorized by President Bush conflicts with existing law and hinges on weak legal arguments. link

Vietnam Veterans Association on federal cuts

November/December 2005
PTSD/SUBSTANCE ABUSE COMMITTEE REPORT
BY TOM BERGER, CHAIR

With the number of American soldiers killed in Iraq having topped 2,000, those fortunate enough to return face the task of putting the war behind them and resuming their lives. Some are getting reacquainted with wives and children they left behind a year or more ago. Many face the task of catching up on bills or fixing homes that have gone in need of repair. Some lost jobs or had their businesses falter while they were gone. More than a few have found they have returned home with their war anxieties.

“They are witnessing far more traumatic experiences than they did in the first Gulf war,” said Terri Tanielian, a senior military health policy analyst for the Rand Corporation. Longer deployments, fiercer engagements, and more casualties have left Iraq war veterans more vulnerable to psychological trauma than Gulf War veterans, Tanielian said. She said many veterans may be shunning counseling services offered by the military out of a misplaced sense of honor. “Their training is to go on with the mission and put on the brave face,” Tanielian said.

A recent article in USA Today noted that more than one in four American troops have come home from Iraq with health problems that require medical or mental health treatment. According to the Pentagon’s first detailed screening of service members leaving the war zone, almost 1,700 returning this year said they harbored thoughts of hurting themselves or that they would be better off dead. More than 250 said they had such thoughts “a lot.” Nearly 20,000 reported nightmares or unwanted war recollections; more than 3,700 said they had concerns that they might “hurt or lose control” with someone else. link

interesting discussion at the Boerne Daily Grind today

We went over there to test my daughter's WiFi connection as the Boerne Daily Grind has free WiFi, and ran into a gray haired man who started a conversation with us. It all started when he saw my Quaker shirt that states "war is costly." The conversation covered many issues, but the most outstanding issue was healthcare. When I stated that I felt it was a moral imperative to offer healthcare for everyone in this country, his return arguement was shocking to me. He felt, as a physician, he should not be required to give away his intellectual property, his skills as a physician that he spent thousands of dollars for, and should not be forced to take care of people who could not pay for his services. That entire argument astounds me. I think his Merlot and cigar went to his brain.

DeLay is Out!!!!

CNN is reporting that Tom DeLay is stepping aside as the House Majority Leader. Christmas just keeps on comin'! Yea!!!!

Kerrville Peace Walk--Saturday at Noon!

If you'd like to see the troops come home from Iraq far sooner than later, and hope in some way to influence that possibility, become a part of the organized resistance to the war.
Saturday (1/7) at noon in Kerrville at the Kerry County Courthouse, get together with the Hill Country Peace Movement for a protest against the war.

Democrats, liberals, free-thinkers: if you find yourself complaining that it's tough being a minority philosophy in the Republican-heavy hill country, then get off your butts! When the opportunity affords itself, you have to get together and show your numbers. Deepen the bench of your network of like-minded people. Don't let this opportunity to exercise your distinctly American freedom of speech get by.

It all starts at noon at 700 Main Street. How hard can that be to find?

If you need additional information, contact Tom O’Brien, 830-896-2090, tomob@ktc.com.

Letterman Smackdown of O'Reilly

Watch this video. It's so wonderfully gratifying!

Scary news

The Bush administration is preparing its NATO allies for a possible military strike against suspected nuclear sites in Iran in the New Year, according to German media reports, reinforcing similar earlier suggestions in the Turkish media.

The Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel this week quoted "NATO intelligence sources" who claimed that the NATO allies had been informed that the United States is currently investigating all possibilities of bringing the mullah-led regime into line, including military options. This "all options are open" line has been President George W Bush's publicly stated policy throughout the past 18 months. link

Jan 1 protest against Bush

A few brave souls got up really, really early to meet outside BAMC to protest as Bush arrived to visit the troops. We got to speak with the SAPD detectives, SAPD, Secret Service, and a wave from Ft. Sam Houston police. The law enforcement personnel were very polite and considerate. One even gave a ride to a group member who moved a car to a far off location where we parked.
Sadly only 7 people showed up. We were first allowed to stand outside the fence by the helipad, but then we were moved across the access road very far from the helipad. We could see the Bush motorcade arrive, but I am positive we could not be seen by anybody unless pointed out. Ah well, we at least exercised our constitutional right to protest.

Then to hear the next day that Bush talked about his "combat" with a cedar tree, in front of real combats Vets, just wound me right up. What kind of insenstive idiocy is that? These men and women have lost arms and legs, had real serious wounds, and he talks about a stupid cut from a cedar tree? I am so embarrassed that this is the President! Good grief!

Wire tapping without a warrant is illegal ... Doh!

The most relevant precedent is United States v. United States District Court (Keith). Decided in 1972, Kieth involved a prosecution for conspiracy to blow-up a CIA office. The Executive argued that in order “to gather intelligence information” that was “necessary to protect the nation from attempts . . . to attack and subvert the existing structure of the Government,” it was constitutionally entitled to engage in electronic surveillance of American citizens without complying with the requirements of the Fourth Amendment. In Kieth, the Supreme Court unanimously and unequivocally held that, even in national security investigations, the President had no constitutional authority to conduct electronic surveillance of American citizens on American soil without a judicially issued search warrant based on a finding of probable cause. link

This Week on the Daily Show

Monday, 1/2: Ken Auletta, author, reporter for The New Yorker-REPEAT EPISODE

Tuesday, 1/3: Tom Brokaw, former anchor of "NBC Nightly News"-REPEAT EPISODE

Wednesday, 1/4: To Be Determined

Thursday, 1/5: To Be Determined

The Growing Debt

Our current administration wants to raise the government's debt ceiling, according to JABBS, a blog created by David Mark to encourage journalists to stop repeating Republican spin. Congress will certainly agree to the request and Bush will continue to say that he will cut the deficit in half by 2009. And our children and grandchildren will pay for this man's folly.

Happy New Year from VTex and Me!

Hope this year is a great year for Dems and other wise people. In case you need a Bill Maher fix, here are his musings about the past year.