Oh. My. God.

Incarnate Word, an institution of HIGHER LEARNING is buying into this bull crap. VTex, please email this jackass and give him all the examples of Bush giving away the same stupid "secrets!" Denying his patrons a newspaper because of his personal beliefs is just beyond ridiculous.

Dear Veteran, your information has been stolen...

This is a copy of the letter that they send to you. I got one. I am pissed. Then today the Feds say they found the laptop and nobody accessed it. Hello, do I look totally stupid? I sincerely doubt they are telling the truth. After all, what happened, did the fed employee just lose the laptop on the way to the bathroom, or what?
Total B.S. period.
Oh there was a second page listing FAQ's, such as

How can I tell if my information was compromised?

what is the earliest date at which suspicious activity might have occurred due to this breach...and the answer is May 2006...gosh thanks for the timely notice guys

Where should I report suspicious or unusual activity? The letter says to contact the 3 major credit bureaus....duh. Like all the information they have is totally correct.

Ok, I am truly pissed off. The feds should have done more to help veterans out such as free credit watch, guaranteeing that veterans are fully covered for their breach of security, and more.

Here is a very scary fact: As noted in the news, data on 26.5 million veterans was stolen.Here is an interesting fact that I just learned. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2005, there were 24.5 million military veterans in the United States. So I guess that means the information on almost all US veterans was potentially compromised. Great job Brownie...er VA. Kiss my big, zoftig derriere Mr. Bush. I do not believe a friggin word you or your paid cronies have to say.

Texas Redistricting court schedule

The three-judge Federal District Court has issued an order and provided a schedule for determining a remedy in response to the recently released opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court on Texas redistricting.

The Schedule is below

July 14, 2006 - All parties (plaintiffs and defendants) required to file remedial proposals including briefs and proposed maps.

July 21, 2006 - responses to remedial proposals must be filed.

August 3, 2006 - 9:00 a.m. - Oral arguments on proposals before the three-judge panel in Austin, Texas
link

The NY Times Traitor Talk Truly Just a Tumultuous Tempest in a Teapot

If the explosive reaction to Friday's NY Times article talking about the tracing of terrorist money has made you squeamish...if you're wondering "did they cross the line?"...if the screeching right wing quasi-pundits have given your common sense a run for its money, go to Crooks and Liars. The 2nd story down is called Keith Strikes Back Against NYTimes Bashers and it contains lots of facts that we'd be best advised to remember.

An overview of those facts? Olbermann reveals that our tax dollars pay for a web site and a magazine which detail this administration's efforts to track down terrorists through their finances. Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Transactions--SWIFT for short. Swift's efforts: to track down terrorists through their money transactions.

Then Olbermann shows a half-dozen soundbites by GW Bush himself wherein he proudly claims with Texas bravado that he's tracking down the terrorists through how they use their money.

So if Americans should be outraged at the Times, maybe they should first be outraged at the Bush administration for detailing their TOP SECRET (snicker-snicker) program. This is yet another example of these folks SWIFT-boating an opponent through disinformation and mock outrage.

Washed out : Pennsylvania

Easton, PA My family lives west of here in Allentown where there is much less flooding, except in low lying areas. The last time I recall flooding like this was during Hurricane Agnes when I got married in Allentown.

The Morning Call in ALLENTOWN, Pa. noted that heavy rains brought flooding to eastern and central Pennsylvania, forcing thousands to evacuate and damaging businesses and homes as officials braced for the possibility that major rivers would jump their banks. At least four people died.

Global warming?

Helen Thomas

Helen Thomas was on the Daily Show the other night and as usual, she was pithy, direct and oh so correct. Watch it here

Texas Voting Rights Act

Texas African American Leaders Call on Bush for Help on VRA Extension
State House Legislators Send Stinging Letter to Bush asking
him to reign in Texas Congressional Republicans

In a direct and often stinging letter from the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, African American leaders in the Texas State House challenge President Bush to directly intervene with Texas Congressional Republicans currently blocking extension of the Voting Rights Act. The letter is signed by nine Legislators, including three officers: Rep. Senfronia Thompson, Chair; Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon, 2nd Vice Chair; and Rep. Marc Veasey, Treasurer. Copies of the letter to Bush were sent to all Members of the Texas Congressional Delegation and to Congressional Black Caucus Chair Mel Watt.

Following are selected excerpts from the Legislative Black Caucus Letter
(Read the Whole Letter Here)

We were deeply disappointed to learn that Republican Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, led by the Republicans in the Texas Delegation, are attempting to block the extension of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). This hostile action against the VRA is deeply troubling…
We need your help in immediately demanding that members of your own party, in particular Republican Members from our shared home state of Texas, do the right thing and extend the VRA…
During the 78th Legislative Session we saw the rights of our constituents trampled by then Majority Leader Tom DeLay in his brutal pursuit of mid-decade redistricting. Your Administration abetted, rather than prevented, Mr. DeLay's overt attack on minority voters. ..
The Department of Justice (DOJ) had the opportunity to stop this attack on minority voting strength in Texas. Professional voting rights experts in the DOJ recommended that an official objection be filed. Instead your political appointees overruled the professionals and supported the onerous plan. You failed us then. We ask that you not fail us again...
You are the leader of your party and have direct influence over the most partisan and ideological Members in the U.S. House of Representatives...We humbly ask that you use your powers of persuasion and the influence of your high office to convince
Republican Members of Congress, particular those in Texas, to drop their opposition to the extension of the Voting Rights Act.

Support the VRA, call your representative today!

Texas 23rd Congressional District

Rick Bolanos, who is running against Henry Bonilla in the 23rd Congressional district, had this to say about the SCOTUS decision today:

RICK BOLANOS STATEMENT ON SCOTUS DECISION TO REDRAW LINES OF 23RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

A tremendously large number of Texans were disenfranchised by the Republican redistricting of the Congressional map. Today’s Supreme Court decision will allow many of those Texans, and particularly a large number of Hispanics who were cut out of the 23rd Congressional District, to again exercise their inalienable right to vote as guaranteed by the constitution of the United States. Furthermore, those disenfranchised voters will have a strong voice in deciding who they want to represent them in Washington.

This is a tremendous victory for those Hispanic voters whose Voting Rights were trampled by the partisan agenda of Tom DeLay, Henry Bonilla, Governor Rick Perry, Republican legislative leaders and the political appointees of the Bush Administration Justice Department, all of whom argued in support of an egregious plan that violated Hispanic voting rights in a deliberate and blatant manner. It was morally reprehensible to violate the Voting Rights of those Hispanics in an obvious attempt to ensure Henry Bonilla’s re-election. The actions of those persons was a repugnant and shameful act that is indicative of the crisis of corruption that has left our great nation with leaders more interested in accumulating power and economic gain, rather than enacting responsible public policy that responds to the needs of our American populace.

In a recent interview Mr. Bonilla, whose voting record has been very anti-hispanic, and who has been feeling very "safe" in his gerrymandered district, was asked if he was forgetting that more than fifty per cent of his constituents were Hispanic. Mr. Bonilla responded by saying "it doesn't matter they don't vote." It is my personal belief that this statement is going to come back to haunt the incumbent.

A three judge panel will now decide how to proceed to re-enfranchise those voters by redrawing the lines of the gerrymandered 23rd congressional district. In spite of the furtive attempts by Mr. Bonilla and his cohorts to violate the constitutional rights of our nation, I will continue my campaign to give all the voters of the 23rd congressional district the type of ethical, fervent and passionate representation that they have so long been denied and that they so dearly deserve. I want to personally thank LULAC for their relentless pursuit of justice for those Hispanics who were oppressed by the misguided, avaricious actions of the present administration

SCOTUS rules on Texas redistricting

SCOTUS on DeLay's Gerrymander: It's Okay To Screw Democrats, But Not Latinos
by Adam B posted on dailykos
A majority of the Court determined that nothing in the Constitution prevented Texas (and, thus, every other state) from disrupting the stability of decennial redistricting and redrawing the map whenever it felt like, and rejected plaintiffs' contention that a mid-decade redistricting was sufficiently suspect on its own to determine that a redistricting was unconstitutional. The Court further declined to determine whether there was a general test to apply in the future.

However, partisanship was not the sole issue. The Court determined that new District 23, designed to protect weak Republican incumbent Henry Bonilla by making his district more Anglo-friendly, violated the Voting Rights Act by unlawfully diluting the voting rights of Latinos who remain in the district. Basically (and this is a complicated area of law), Latinos in the old District 23 were large and compact enough to constitute a majority of a district, but weren't any longer. Said the Court:

District 23's Latino voters were poised to elect their candidate of choice. They were becoming more politically active, with a marked and continuous rise in Spanish-surnamed voter registration. . . . In successive elections Latinos were voting against Bonilla in greater numbers, and in 2002 they almost ousted him. Webb County in particular, with a 94% Latino population, spurred the incumbent's near defeat with dramatically increased turnout in 2002. [] In response to the growing participation that threatened Bonilla's incumbency, the State divided the cohesive Latino community in Webb County, moving about 100,000 Latinos to District 28, which was already a Latino opportunity district, and leaving the rest in a district where they now have little hope of electing their candidate of choice. . . .

Against this background, the Latinos' diminishing electoral support for Bonilla indicates their belief he was "unresponsive to the particularized needs of the members of the minority group." Ibid. (same). In essence the State took away the Latinos' opportunity because Latinos were about to exercise it. This bears the mark of intentional discrimination that could give rise to an equal protection violation. . . . The State not only made fruitless the Latinos' mobilization efforts but also acted against those Latinos who were becoming most politically active, dividing them with a district line through the middle of Laredo.

These are the basics, so far as I can tell. Bonilla's district will have to be redrawn, and who knows how many other districts will be affected. (I'm also not sure when this will take place; presumably, not in time for November.) The Court's opinion is a mess, and this is going to take a good amount of sifting. Thank goodness I'm not the only lawyer here.

When The FBI Raids The Times, from Tom Paine.com

by: Dennis Persica
June 28, 2006
[Dennis Persica is a staff writer and editor at The Times-Picayune newspaper in New Orleans. He has worked at the daily newspaper for the last 20 years.]

To paraphrase Alice’s walrus, the time has come to talk of scary things.

The New York Times has spurred the anger of the Bush administration by reporting on a program to monitor international banking transactions as part of the government’s counterterrorism program. Critics argue this is the equivalent of reporting on troop movements or disclosing the existence of secret weaponry. You don’t have to look too hard online to find posters of the World War II “loose lips sink ships” variety that pretty much blame the Times for the deaths of American soldiers.

The National Review urged the administration to revoke the Times’ White House credentials. U.S. Rep Peter King, R-N.Y., said the Times should be brought up on charges of treason.

The current climate leads me to ponder a what-if scenario. One that I hope is as far-fetched as I believe it to be. But imagine the possibility suggested by the recent rhetorical attacks and threats of prosecution.

What if the U.S. Attorney’s office in New York—bolstered by a cadre of federal marshals or FBI agents—entered the offices of The New York Times, looking to rummage through the paper’s files and computers either to find the source of the leaks for the banking story or to make sure the Times isn’t about to publish another story allegedly damaging to national security?

In raising this possibility, I am not suggesting the administration would do this to shut down all news media and establish an authoritarian regime. Let’s just assume the government has good intentions—guarding the nation’s security—when it orders the raid. But historians and polemicists of all political stripes know that since the dawn of humanity the road to catastrophe has often been paved with good intentions.

Far-fetched? Remember, we are talking about an administration that has angered even some members of its own party in Congress with its my-way-or-the-highway approach. Republicans screamed the loudest when the FBI raided the office of Democratic Rep. William Jefferson (who, coincidentally, is my congressman). Critics say this administration has seized the powers of the imperial presidency and expanded them farther than ever before. There are echoes of the Cold War here, when we were engaged in a similar debate: To defeat the totalitarians of the Eastern Bloc, do we have to become more like them or can we win without sacrificing our democratic soul?

Conservatives have long warned citizens to be careful about what powers we allow the central government to arrogate because we’ll likely never recover what we’ve given up. Yet conservatives—and some not-so-conservative people—are up in arms over the fact that The New York Times and other newspapers have revealed major federal spying programs.

Consider the implications of this hypothetical scenario: Agents search the files inside The New York Times building. Perhaps some of those files are carted out; maybe even computer drives are taken. Such a scenario would make the Pentagon Papers dispute look like a minor disagreement among gentlemen. In that case, the government tried to stop the Times and other newspapers from printing a particular story. A raid, on the other hand, would shut down the entire paper. If it wanted to get really tough, the government could treat the Times as an enemy collaborator, seal off its headquarters and move toward seizing its assets.

Meanwhile, the administration could count on a portion of the blogosphere—as well as talk radio and cable TV personalities—to cheer on the raid.

Sure, other journalists would be outraged. But what could they do besides write a few editorials and columns? Perhaps a small majority of the American public would think the government had overstepped its bounds as well. But what can they do outside of expressing their opinions? Remember, we are talking about the power of the federal government arrayed against that of the press and the people. While the latter may win in the end, their victory will be a long time coming—if it comes at all. And there’s reason to be skeptical about the likelihood of ultimate victory. After all, the federal government has an arsenal of weapons—both figuratively and literally. And to be honest, I’ve never quite bought into the notion that the pen is mightier than the sword. Or the M16.

Since the days of Spiro Agnew’s “effete corps,” the press has been portrayed—with some success—as a liberal elite with a political axe to grind. Many of us in the media view these barbs as an occupational hazard. We are accustomed to being criticized for doing our jobs, so we tend to ignore the criticism if it strikes us as baseless.

But in recent years, the criticism has taken on an ominous tone. There are the famous statements by Ann Coulter about how Timothy McVeigh or the 9/11 plotters should have targeted The New York Times building. There was the ad I saw recently linking to a conservative website for t-shirts that featured a noose and some comment about journalists that I’ve since forgotten. I haven’t forgotten the implication, however.

This is more than just an attack on perceived bias; this is demonization. Journalists have now been caricatured as a group of people who are siding with a fanatical, barbaric enemy. Once Americans believe that, it then becomes easy to support our arrest.

Those who would grant the Bush administration extraordinary powers today must ask themselves whether they would be comfortable with the same authority in the hands of a President Clinton (Bill or Hillary), a President Kerry or a President Gore. That is one test of whether the grant of a certain power is a good idea: Are you comfortable with the government having that power no matter who is at the helm?

Let’s hope this scenario of raids on news outlets is nothing more than conjecture; one that can exist only in some made-up Bizarro World—a dark, hellish Wonderland of a society lacking the freedoms its leaders proclaim to uphold—and nothing that could ever happen in this America, our America.

Pre-War Intelligence Hearings

If you go to Crooks and Liars and look for the above pictures, the video testimony available there is really quite creepy. It details how the pre-war intelligence was manipulated by an office full of people whose charge was not to reveal the truth, but tell the Vice President what he wanted to hear.

This is some of the most damning stuff I've seen for the Bush administration. It's pretty incredible stuff. And it's great to see some people standing up for the truth, despite whatever damage it might do to their careers and personal lives.

This Week on the Daily Show

Mon 6/26 -- Lance Armstrong Cyclist

Tue 6/27 -- Helen Thomas Senior White House correspondent

Wed 6/28 -- Al Gore former Vice President, "An Inconvenient Truth"

Thur 6/29 -- Kevin Spacey actor, "Superman Returns"

This Week on the Colbert Report

Mon 6/26 -- Mark Bowden author, "Guest of the Ayatollah" and "Black Hawk Down"

Tue 6/27 -- Chris Matthews

Wed 6/28 -- Robert Baer Ex-CIA Agent

Thur 6/29 -- Christopher Noxon author, Rejuvenile: Kickball, Cartoons, Cupcakes, and the Reinvention of the American Grownup

The June Kendallian Newsletter is Now Online

Click here for news, pictures, opinions, reviews and much more!

Cut-and-Runner, and Damned Proud of It!

They say that we Democrats are cut-and-runners, and at first I tried real hard to be offended by this latest epithet, but then I realized, hey, I like being a cut-and-runner! Why? Because I know that I'm right when I feel this war is a steep cliff we're all heading over. I just wanna cut to the side and run the other way. Is it wrong to want to avoid doing the dumbest thing in the world? Those ignorant, arrogant draft dodgers up in Washington think it's just fine to be idiots. Let them. At the end of the day, I KNOW that we're completely right in our belief that this war is a futile endeavor. So, are there any other proud cut-and-runners out there?

Terrorists in Miami, Oh My!

Robert Parry Terrorists in Miami, Oh My!: " Terrorists in Miami, Oh My!
By Robert Parry
Consortium News
Saturday 24 June 2006
The Bush administration finally took action against alleged terrorists living in plain sight in Miami, but they weren't the right-wing Cuban terrorists implicated in actual acts of terror, such as blowing a civilian Cuban airliner out of the sky. They were seven young black men whose crime was more 'aspirational than operational,' the FBI said. "

If Americans can be charged with a crime of intent, then what's next? I don't like lack of healthcare, is that a crime of some sort of intent? Where does this B.S. end? Well, we know where it ends, when the eliminate the freedom of speech on the internet. After all, they have already eliminated it in the papers, the TV, and on the street near anything Bush-related. We must not speak out where we are seen or heard.
For instance, the Bush administration took no action in early April 2006, when a Spanish-language Miami television station interviewed Cuban terrorist Orlando Bosch, who offered a detailed justification for the 1976 mid-air bombing of a Cubana Airlines flight that killed 73 people, including the young members of the Cuban national fencing team.

Rev. Neimoller's poem, first they came for the socialists and I did not speak out.... then they came for me, rings more true every day.
For longtime observers of political terrorism in South Florida, the aggressive reaction to what may have been the Miami group's loose talk about violence, possibly spurred by an FBI informant posing as an al-Qaeda operative, stands in marked contrast to the US government's see-no-evil approach to notorious Cuban terrorists who have lived openly in Miami for decades.
But there's really nothing new about these two terrorists - and other violent right-wing extremists - getting protection from the Bush family.

For three decades, both Bosch and Posada have been under the Bush family's protective wing, starting with former President George H.W. Bush (who was CIA director when the airline bombing occurred in 1976) and extending to Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and President George W. Bush.

The evidence points to one obvious conclusion: the Bushes regard terrorism - defined as killing civilians to make a political point - as justified in cases when their interests match those of the terrorists. In other words, their moral outrage is selective, depending on the identity of the victims.

And...ladies and gentleman...they are working up the fear frenzy before the Nov. elections. Total B.S. What will they do next? Hmmmmm....more missle launch attempts from North Korea that will hit Chicago? Why don't they just tell us an asteroid is bearing down and will kill us unless we elect Republicans? It's about as plausible.

Is Queen Ann a Man?

Only her doctor knows for sure. There's no doubt that in short skirts and skin tight blouses she doesn't look like one. But how do you explain that Adam's Apple?

And for someone who embraces far right wing ideology, that whole sex thing is kinda odd. When you dress like this, are you wanting everyone to ponder your ideas, or some of your other attributes?

Madonna makes sure that whenever you see images of her, sex isn't too far away from your thoughts. But how do the rigid right-wingers rationalize that the most prominent spokesfemale of their philosophy looks like a cross between a drag queen and a Playboy playmate?

Impeachment? No. Impalement!

Impeachment? No. Impalement!
By Will Durst
June 2006 Issue

I don’t know about you guys, but I am so sick and tired of these lying, thieving, holier-than-thou, rightwing, cruel, crude, rude, gauche, coarse, crass, cocky, corrupt, dishonest, debauched, degenerate, dissolute, swaggering, lawyer shooting, bullhorn shouting, infra-structure destroying, buck passing, hysterical, criminal, history defying, finger pointing, puppy stomping, roommate appointing, pretzel choking, collateral damaging, aspersion casting, wedding party bombing,......read on

Jim Crow GOP

TomPaine.com - Jim Crow GOP: "What's a bigger problem with American elections: disenfranchisment of minority voters or new electronic voting machines stealing votes?
Most people on the political left will answer electronic machines. But on Wednesday, House Republicans showed America exactly why old-school election thuggery is a far more pressing problem. In fact, it was Jim Crow tactics, not computer hacking, which gave George W. Bush his Ohio victory in 2004. And such tactics are exactly what a handful of southern GOP congressmen defended on Wednesday when they derailed renewing the National Voting Rights Act, complaining it does not end federal oversight of elections in their states and requires multilingual ballots.
These Republicans want elections in their states to return to the good old days, when mostly white people voted�just substitute registered Republicans in 2006�and ballots were only in English�no Espa�ol, por favor. Their grassroots rebellion reveals a dirty secret about elections that liberals and Democrats still haven't learned from the 2004 presidential race: The GOP wins elections by targeting likely Democrats, especially minorities and new voters, by creating barriers in voter registration and obstacles to voting itself and ballot counting."

And, 3.5 million voters were disenfranchised in the last presidential election by "caging" and those voters included US military personnel serving overseas! Stand up for voter's rights. Call your Congressman and let him/her know that they need to renew the National Voting Rights Act.

Free grassroots training...consider attending

Nationally recognized expert comes to Austin and San Antonio

You won't want to miss out on this—June 24 and 25 we will be visited by nationally recognized expert on communications and activist training, Jon-Christopher Bua. Jon has worked with and trained many individuals and organizations, including Clinton/Gore, Kerry/Edwards, Vietnam Veterans of America, American Federation of Government Employees, American Civil Liberties Union, The Episcopal Church USA, and the United States Department of Energy. He'll be focusing on delivering your candidate's message effectively through hands-on voter contact practice. It promises to be fun!

This training will be provided to you at no cost. The sessions will be as follows, so mark your calendars! If you would like to attend (information provided will be useful for any volunteer), RSVP as soon as possible to Teri Sperry at tsperry@courageforcongress.org.

This is a great opportunity to learn and improve on speaking, messaging, and much more from an easy-to-understand perspective. We hope you’ll join us!

Austin--6/24 10am - 3pm (with a lunch break), location to be announced

San Antonio--6/25 12pm - 4pm, at the NE Service Center, 10303 Toolyard, off Wurzbach Pkwy, between Perrin Beitel and Thousand Oaks

KCDAW Coffee chat news

An Inconvenient Truth is playing NOW at the Bijou at Crossroads. Click here for show times.

Note: the dates and times will also be posted on the calendar for ready reference.

Parade July 4th in Comfort. Please join us! All are welcome. To march in the parade just wear a royal blue shirt and white pants. We will be meeting at the park and ride across from Chili's at 0930 hrs. The parade starts at 1030 hrs.

The regular meeting of the KCDAW will be on July 13th at 30260 Saratoga Lane at 1130 hrs. Directions: Ralph Fair road to Keneland to Saratoga Lane. John Courage will be the speaker.

Guess who is coming for dinner?

Robert Loretta and his wife Roslyn had just sat down to dinner of a nice barbecued teryaki chicken when the knock came at the front door.

'Guess who's coming to dinner?' Mrs Loretta joked as she got up to answer the door.

The hammering grew louder, so luckily she looked out of the peep-hole, as she often does, before opening up - and saw a 6ft alligator scrambling up the wall as though it was trying to ring the bell. link

This Week on the Daily Show

Mon 6/19 -- Calvin Trillin- humorist, author, "Messages from My Father"

Tue 6/20 -- Juliet Eilperin- Washington Post reporter, author, "Fight Club Politics"

Wed 6/21 -- Anderson Cooper- CNN anchor, author, "Dispatches from the Edge"

Thur 6/22 -- Adam Sandler- comedian, actor, "Click"

This Week on the Colbert Report

Mon 6/19 -- Gustavo Arellano- columnist, Orange County Weekly

Tue 6/20 -- Bart Ehrman- author, Misquoting Jesus

Wed 6/21 -- Bay Buchanan- Team American PAC

Thur 6/22 -- Doug Brinkley- author, The Great Deluge

Frontline, Inside Battle between Cheney and CIA

I think this might be worth watching. Who knows.
The Raw Story | Frontline: The battle between Vice President Cheney and CIA to control the 'dark side': "Tuesday's episode of the PBS public affairs series Frontline will probe the battle between Vice President Dick Cheney and the CIA to control the 'dark side,' according to a press release for the show."

Obama's Profile Has Democrats Taking Notice

Obama's Profile Has Democrats Taking Notice: "EAST ORANGE, N.J. -- Barack Obama was standing before a packed high school auditorium when he noticed a familiar face in the crowd -- none other than singer Dionne Warwick. He paused, flashed a mischievous smile, then let loose with a perfectly on-key performance of the opening line of her hit song 'Walk On By.'"
I want a video of this one!
Here is a video of an older one from the campaign for America's future in D.C. on June 24, 2006. One quote attributed to Obama: The time for our identity crisis as progressives is over!"
Can we believe? Inshallah, God willing.

New book that's a must-read

Thanks to a generous donation by KCADW member Cindy Offutt, the Boerne Public Library now has Glenn Greenwald's book, How Would a Patriot Act? The library has an online reserve form you can fill out so that you can be put on the list to read this excellent little book. Just click on "Online Services." Thanks, Cindy, for your generosity!

Click on the book image for more information.

humor

NSA surprise

talkinga-hole

Please make a pledge on my blog

Please pledge to see An Inconvenient Truth on my blog.
Thanks, progressivegrannie.
BTW: It is showing at the Bijou at Crossroads on June 30th. SAAPAC is going as a group, so you can join SAAPAC or we could met at the theater as a group.

Religion running roughshode over cancer science

Truthdig - Reports - Gene Gerard: Religion Running Roughshod Over Cancer Science: "The Food and Drug Administration advisory panel approved a vaccine for the human papilloma virus (HPV) last week. The vaccine appears to be 100% effective at protecting against the most prevalent viruses that cause cervical cancer. While public health professionals view the vaccine as miraculous, many conservative organizations oppose it on the grounds that it might encourage promiscuity among adolescent girls. Now that the FDA has approved the vaccine, conservatives are already working feverishly to limit or even prevent its use.

Funny, it's usually right wing type men that deride anything that has to do with the female reproductive system. Well guess what? Men get HPV too. Men get what is called genital warts. The National Institutes of Health (where I worked for many years in the National Cancer Institute) says this about HPV:

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common causes of sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the world. More than 100 different types of HPV exist, most of which are harmless. About 30 types are spread through sexual contact. Some types of HPV cause genital warts—single or multiple bumps that appear in the genital areas of men and women including the vagina, cervix, vulva (area outside of the vagina), penis, and rectum. Many people infected with HPV have no symptoms.

There are high-risk and low-risk types of HPV. High-risk HPV may cause abnormal Pap smear results, and could lead to cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, or penis. Low-risk HPV also may cause abnormal Pap results or genital warts. Genital warts (sometimes called condylomata acuminata or venereal warts) are the most easily recognized sign of genital HPV infection. Many people, however, have a genital HPV infection without genital warts. The only way you can prevent getting an HPV infection is to avoid direct contact with the virus, which is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact. If you or your sexual partner has warts that are visible in the genital area, you should avoid any sexual contact until the warts are treated.

Research studies have not confirmed that male latex condoms prevent transmission of HPV, but studies do suggest that using condoms may reduce your risk of developing diseases linked to HPV, such as genital warts and cervical cancer. Unfortunately, many people who don’t have symptoms don’t know that they can spread the virus to an uninfected partner.

So, it's not just women that get this disease and men spread this disease as well as women. The right-wingers only want to tell half of the story, as usual. Best practice is safe sex, use a condom, and if you are a teen, consider waiting for that first sexual experience....and that includes oral and anal sex. Talk to your parents or an older sibling, an grandparent, Aunt, Uncle or other adult that you are comfortable that you feel you can ask about sex. We older folks won't be shocked, usually, and we will be glad to give you some direct information or help you find the information you need. For more information on sexually transmitted diseases go here

Did you wonder why...

at the state Democratic Convention we did not have an opportunity to hear John Courage or Rick Bolanos address the convention? I know I wondered about it. I wish I had been able to read this email before the convention. However, it arrived the day I left for Ft. Worth, a day I did not check my email. All I can say is that I feel vindicated that all along I was a Maxey supporter and not a Richie supporter. Richie, IMHO, is just a blowhard and will not do anything of value to change our direction.

Here is some information from the Rick Bolanos campaign.

Rick Bolanos the democratic candidate for the 23rd congressional district in Texas speaking at a breakfast in San Elizario, Texas blasted Boyd Ritchie and the Texas Democratic party for their lack of vision and common sense. Bolanos stated that it was "incomprehensible" the Mr. Ritchie and the democratic party would refuse to let the "congressional" candidates address the convention during the common gatherings.

Bolanos stated that " state races are absolutely and without a doubt important races and every candidate running for a state position should be permitted to expound their platform to our patriot democrats who give of their time to defend the conceptual precepts upon which our nation is founded."

He went on to say that it was just as important for the congressional candidates to be offered that same opportunity. Bolanos went on to say that "We have some tremendous congressional candidates like John Courage, Ted Ankrum, John Morris, and David Harris jus to name a few. They are tremendous speakers that can instill the desire of our party to work hard to create the impetus for change.These candidates have an opportunity to change the course of human events in this nation and they absolutely need to be able to speak to our democrats so that they can enflame the passions of those great patriots and encourage them to work hard to get all democrats elected.

Bolanos stated that "Boyd Ritchie and the democratic party refuses to give us the time to address our democrats at a time when we are facing a crisis of corruption. It is extremely imperative that our democrats know that my opponent (Mr. Bonilla) has prostituted his vote and his record shows it. He votes his donors and not his constituents, and for my district it is essential that they hear these facts directly from the candidate that is attempting to unseat an incumbent who's only loyalty is to the almighty dollar. Unfortunately they won't be able to hear this because the actions of Boyd Ritchie and the party won't permit it."

That Idiot Cowboy, GW Bush

Lest ye think I'm a hater of all things cowboy, know this: my favorite author is Elmer Kelton. For the unitiated, he's a writer who specializes in the psychological drama of his characters. But since most of his characters exist in the cowboy era, his books are called westerns, and he's the most-awarded western writer of all times.

I come from West Texas and have ridden roundup, de-wormed, castrated, sheared and been knocked down by rams. I've driven miles of big-ranch fenceline, shot a buck from one canyonside to another, then gutted him in the 20-degree weather. By no stretch am I a cowboy, but I've known and respected a goodly number of them.

And then there's the variety of cowboy we have as president. You may have heard the phrase "goin' off half-cocked" to describe those who act before properly thinking, or, in the following case, speaking without knowing what they're talking about.

Yesterday's press conference in the Rose Garden: Bush calls on reporter Peter Wallsteen, but then jokes that he doesn't like being asked a question with shades on. It was a joke, but it was clear Bush was using his presidential gravitas to suggest the sunglasses go away. Well, Wallsteen wasn't wearing them to look cool. He has Stargardt's disease, a form of macular degeneration that causes progressive vision loss. He's legally blind.

This is yet another example of a President who stays remarkably uninformed, stumbling into situations like a rube cowboy (unlike the honorable men Kelton so wonderfully describes in his novels). I wouldn't mind if he kept this kind of decision-making confined to Rose Garden photo-ops. It's when he starts wars, pushes social security plans, approves environment-harming legislation...more based on gut than hard evidence...that it rubs me the wrong way.

Michelle Malkin

I could not get her video to post here, but please visit here to see the bitch in action. Culture of suicide? She just shows her ignorance and her lack of life experience.

Our representatives vote themselves a raise

House Accepts $3,300 Raise: "Despite record low approval ratings, House lawmakers Tuesday embraced a $3,300 pay raise that will increase their salaries to $168,500.
The 2 percent cost-of-living raise would be the seventh straight for members of the House and Senate.
Lawmakers easily squelched a bid by Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, to get a direct vote to block the COLA, which is automatically awarded unless lawmakers vote to block it."

My only comment...what pigs!

The first officer to announce his refusal to go to Iraq

Sarah Olson | Is the US Army Trying to Silence Lt. Watada?: " US Army First Lieutenant Ehren Watada says, 'I've come to believe this is an illegal and an immoral war, and the order to have us deploy to Iraq is unlawful. I won't follow this order and I won't participate in something I believe is wrong.'
On Wednesday, June 7th, Lieutenant Watada became the first commissioned officer to publicly announce his refusal to deploy to Iraq. He said, 'The war in Iraq violates our democratic system of checks and balances. The wholesale slaughter and mistreatment of the Iraqi people with only limited accountability is not only a terrible moral injustice, but a contradiction to the Army's own Law of Land Warfare.'
The very next day, Watada's commanding officers read him his rights. They opened an investigation into Lieutenant Watada's alleged violations of Articles 133 and 88 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ): conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, and making 'contemptuous' statements against the president, respectively. "

Let us all applaud the courage of this military officer. As the daughter of a military officer (an a Veteran myself) who resigned in protest to the Vietnam War in 1967, with mistletoe on his coat-tail, and who braved WWII without a weapon larger than his communion chalice, I give LT Watada a salute.

A Few Days After...

...the Texas Democratic Convention, I came across some words that, once again, rang so true, I had to post them. Read these thoughts regarding the sorry state of affairs in Washington DC from national treasure Bill Moyers, and see if you don't agree:


"Something can be done about it. Organized people have always had to take on organized money. If they had not, blacks would still be three-fifths of a person, women wouldn't have the vote, workers couldn't organize, and children would still be working in the mines."

"Our democracy today is more real and more inclusive than existed in the days of the Founders because time and again, the people have organized themselves to insist that America become 'a more perfect union.'"

"It is time to fight again. These people in Washington have no right to be doing what they are doing. It's not their government, it's your government. They work for you. They're public employees - and if they let us down and sell us out, they should be fired. That goes for the lowliest bureaucrat in town to the senior leaders of Congress on up to the President of the United States."

"You're the guy who has to spray perfume on these turds"

The best line on The Daily Show tonight! Jon Stewart uttered it during his interview with Ken Mehlman. He told Kenny that he felt sorry for him. At the end of a very good flogging by Jon, he told Kenny Boy to come back on the show after this administration left office so that he could tell us what was REALLY going on. Good interview all the way around.

I Can Dream, Can't I?

Here I am with Tom DeLay in jail! The first day of the convention happened to fall on The Hammer Toe's last day in Congress. Awwww, poor Tommy Boy.

Early Indoctrination!

I meant to put this picture on earlier! This mother is reading Why Mommy is a Democrat to her little baby at the convention. The story depicts the elephant as a looming danger in the background on several pages. It's great!
The KCADW ladies sold a ton of these books for $10 a pop. If you're interested in purchasing this precious book just email us.

**Click on the picture to enlarge**

Tonight's Jon Stewart: Must-See TV

Tonight's guest is Ken Mehlman, who is chair of the Republican National Committee. While he's been on the Daily show before, I sense this time will be different. Why?

Last week's William Bennet appearance was brutal. Jon Stewart took apart the gravel-voiced windbag, seemingly with ease. Stewart has a fairly good record of treating opposition guests with kid gloves, only landing the occasional verbal blow as an exception. Last week's drawing and quartering of Bennet was a sight to see.

Now comes Ken Mehlman. Mehlman's one of the party's most bizarre spokesmodels because it matters not what you ask, Kenny boy will answer with a soundbiteable Democrats are bad response. He's really bad at this, and only his tenacious stick-to-the-talking-point-edness has earned him his position. Surely it's not his charm or his intelligence. He simply keeps taking punches with a smile.

Additionally, Mehlman seems to be gay--not that there's anything wrong with that. But his is the party of the anti-gay marriage amendment. It's high time someone asked him "Ken...you gay?" And then follow that with a series of questions revealing the depth of Mehlman's individual and the party's collective hypocrisy.

Okay...now I've over-billed it. But if there's anyone to do this, it's Jon Stewart. Jon: don't fails me now...

Another Travesty of Justice

Karl Rove will NOT be indicted by Fitzgerald. How the hell did THAT happen?

They Talk the Accountability Talk

But will they ever walk the accountability walk?

Check this out. It appears to show from a shooters-eye-view private contractors in Iraq randomly shooting at cars behind them. Outside-the-car points of reference show the car that's being shot from is moving pretty slowly...so when cars approach the vehicle from behind, someone with a machine gun starts shooting at them.

The video doesn't make clear if anyone died, but windows are shot through, cars veer off the road, and cars crash into one another, perhaps because the driver has been shot.

The US government has investigated the video, but refuses to release the investigation. Bottom line: no charges. So whoever it was who thought shooting at Iraqis was good fun has been allowed to get away with it.

And we still claim that "they hate us for our freedom."

This Week on the Colbert Report

Mon 6/12 -- Robert F. Kennedy Jr.


Tue 6/13 -- Tim Flannery author, The Weather Makers


Wed 6/14 -- David Sirota author, Hostile Takeover


Thur 6/15 -- Michael Pollan author, The Omnivore's Dilemma

This Week on the Daily Show

Mon 6/12 -- Thomas Friedman New York Times columnist


Tue 6/13 -- Ken Mehlman Republican National Committee Chairman


Wed 6/14 -- Tim Russert host, "Meet the Press"


Thur 6/15 -- Louis C.K. comedian, actor, "Lucky Louie"

Buy blue, visit a local farm

It is a short drive to Kendalia Farms! Their web site will keep you updated as far as what produce is available. After talking with Richard and his brother today, I was told that they were good democrats. So consider driving out for some fresh tomatoes, onions, shelled peas and watermelon.

progressive grannie's convention travelogue

Sunday, June 11, 2006
Progressivegrannie's convention travelogue check it out at at here
Here are some of the sights you can see...an old haunt from our TCU college days and
dinosaur tracks in Glen Rose.
Now, after all our sightseeing on the way home, it's time to get some rest. Thoughts about the convention to follow.

Tired, Inspired and a Little Embarrassed

After getting results from not one but two sources that Boyd Richie had around 55% of the vote--he needed 51% to claim victory--I took my exhausted self from the convention at about 3:40 this afternoon and headed home. The muffin I'd had for breakfast had long since stopped supplying me with energy and I was definitely ready for some lunch.

Now that I'm home I find there actually was a second vote needed for Richie to secure more than 50%. My apologies to my Kendall county delegation for leaving before it was a done deal. My presence there wouldn't have made a difference, as my choice, Glen Maxey, lost by far more than my vote.

I had a great time at my first state Democratic Convention. I hope to blog about it quite a bit in the next couple of days...the good, the less-than-good, and maybe even the ugly. Much to process, much to share. Once Progressivegrannie gets back in town I'm sure she'll share her thoughts, as will Madmomma.

You should know that the Kendall County Democrats were well-represented, and most prominently by the Womens' club booth, which got a lot of business, and a lot of visitors. I'll bet there are quite a few folks who had never heard of Kendall County, but who now have a very good impression of us.

Maxey Speaks

Enough! Maxey says "Ya Basta!"

We are relevant. He's detailing the reasons why we're relevant. He's a pretty good speaker. "I'm going to make each one of you relevant!"

Ya Basta!

The guy's got a passion...seems to have the crowd's heart, too. He's having us repeat ya basta on all the issues about which the Republicans have failed so poorly. The crowd's response has been far better than Richie's speech, thus far.

Maxie's Folks Introduce Him

A young hispanic named Marcos is telling us what Glen Maxey has done in Austin, and why we should vote for him. Maxey's got a lot of support here. Jewell McCown(?) is seconding the nomination for Maxey...she's proud and articulate. She's saying Maxey represents common man or rich man alike...she says he's a skilled strategist who has a finger on the pulse of the electorate. Not afraid of diversity.

We have a 3rd nomination for Maxey it seems...he says he's never met anyone better at politics than Glen Maxey. He's a former state representative who's been involved in politics for most of 40 years.

Crowd chants MAXEY MAXEY MAXY!

Richie Speaks

He's speaking with fervor and an energy that we didn't see yesterday.

A few minutes later and his speech, from my persepective, has lost some steam.

Now he's going over some detail of the financial progress of the party since he's been at its helm.

Richie, Maxey, Jones and Rogers

We're going to hear them all speak...Boyd Richie speaks first...the woman introducing him is claiming a "two-fer" advantage for Richie...we'll get his wife as well as him. Sounds very Clintonesque.

...we're on the 3rd person speaking about Boyd Richie...no Richie yet...here he is...he finally hit the stage.

It's Almost Time to Vote...still more speechifying

Everyone's being called back to their delegations so that the votes for the head of the Texas Democratic Party in Texas.

The candidate for Agriculture Commissioner has just been introduced by his sons. They were in Texas flag shirts...the father, Hank Gilmer is wearing an American flag shirt. His cowboy hat's in place...my Texas cheese-o-meter has pegged just now...it's getting a little thick, in my humble opinion. I don't know enough about the candidate to say anything about his positions, but the presentation is a little over the top.

He says our position "sucks," which roused some laughter. He seems to have an agricultural background, which, given his choice of office to run for, is encouraging. He claims to have made his decision to run when reading in the newspaper who was running for office for the Republicans.

Now he's rousing the crowd...claiming Governor Goodhair is even more stupid than George W. (rousing laughter and crowd response).

This guy may be sharper than his over-the-top presentation (his wife's got an American flag shirt, too). He's speaking out against the corporatization of agriculture, which sure makes me happy. Yeah, this guy is wrapping the crowd around his finger...slowly but surely.

David Van Os Speaks With Religious Fervor

This guy is rockin' the house. It's now, he's saying...we've gotta take it back. He's praising the grass roots statewide candidates...fighting Democrats...who are doing this because it's the right thing to do...not because of commercial interests.

Join us in this fight, he's saying...this state shouldn't belong to the CEOs and the oil executives...this year we ARE taking it back!

The crowd is going nuts...everyone's on their feet applauding. Willie Nelson's "Mamas Don't Let
Your Babies Grow Up To be Cowboys" is the music in the background. Excellent speech...who's gonna follow Van Os?

Jim Maddox Speaks

He's going to introduce David Van Os...a "give 'em hell Democrat!"

Van Os is the guy who says "we'll fight 'em 'til hell freezes over, then we'll fight 'em on the ice!"

People are popping up out of their seats and screaming and applauding...this guy needs to get elected.

Now he's attacking the media for their making fun of candidates...people who are trying to do the most noble of acts: serving the public. He's exactly right.

Mary Luisa Alvarado Speaks

She's candidate for Lieutenant Governor...

Chet Edwards Speaks

...greeted by Tom Petty's "Won't Back Down!" Rousing response...I wish I knew more about Edwards.

He said he represents (besides Waco) Crawford, Texas...and he carried Crawford in the last election.

The one promise delay kept in his career was when he said "I want to govern in the worst possible way..." (huge laughs)

Edwards says he governs as a Democrat in the most Republican district in Texas...if he can do it, so can we. Hey...that makes lots of sense if you think about it, eh? He says we've failed to convey our values to former Texans...he's exactly right, too. He says we need to hone our message.

"Is there hope for Texas Democrats? You bet there is! If Montana can elect Democrats, SO CAN WE!" Applause...

4 things Edwards learned in his hard-fought 2004 re-election:
1. We've got to win at the ballot box. How? Build coalitions. Respect our diversity...can't be 1-issue litmus test voters.
2. We must DEFINE OUR VALUES clearly and concisely. Find those core values that define us, and then communicate those values, with discipline. Dignity for every individual...the party that believes that anyone who wants to work should be able to...we believe in percolate up economics, not trickle-down economics. We need to stop playing defense all the time, and start playing offense instead (applause).
3. We must define our opponents, especially when their record and their rhetoric is so far apart: our most powerful weapon is the truth. Republicans won't like it, but that's tough!
4. When they attack attack back...immediately!

John Courage Gets Extended Ovation

Wow...nice surprise!

Radnofsky's Got us Whipped Up

She's detailing her platform and the crowd is applauding, wave on wave in reaction to her platform. Allright...I've got chill bumps.

"Do you stand with me?" The crowd stands and applauds, and the Beach Boys' "Barbara Ann" booms from the speakers...excellent political speech! She's gonna be hard to beat.

Sharp Cookie

Radnofsky is detailing some of the attributes of the Democratic party and liberalism in general by putting the form of human stories. Who has benefited from the GI Bill...her grants to go to college.

Now she's attacking the Bush administration's reactions to 9-11...a lack of vision...the wrong focus. She's taken 401 trips on her journey thus far through Texas to try and re-capture "Lloyd Bentsen's seat, which has been temporarily taken away..."

"Can we trust your elected officials today?" HUGE reaction from the crowd.

Evidently Kay Bailey Hutchison is refusing a debate from Radnofsky...Barbara Ann has bought Kay a state of Virginia bag (Hutchison has moved to Virginia). She also has a case of Alaskan salmon to present to her, since Hutchison's votes have benefited the Alaskan senator so much.

She keeps asking the crowd if the crowd should trust Hutchison, while giving us dozens of reasons why not. She's talking now about who has funded Hutchison's campaign.

Barbara Ann knows how to work the crowd!

"Should we trust her?" NO!

Barbara Ann Radnofsky Speaks

Barbara's smart, and has a sense of humor. She only wants to reach mothers or anyone who's ever had one. Those are the only groups she cares to reach.

Then she gets serious...her dad was in a Nazi death camp in WWII...the Nazis asked the Americans there for every Jew to step forward. She says every last one of them stepped forward.

Bill Clinton Lauds Bentsen...

Okay, Clinton's on tape; he's not here. But Clinton gives Bensten some excellent verbal high-fives.

Of note, whenever Clinton is shown on tape here, the crowd applauds. Despite all that's come and gone, he's still probably the party's most-loved figure.

"You're No Jack Kennedy..."

The Bensen video contained the great debate clip wherein Bentsen told Dan Quayle that he was no Jack Kennedy...the hall erupted in applause and whistles. Great stuff.

We Honor Lloyd Bentsen

A video was produced and is now running to honor the efforts of Senator Lloyd Bentsen, who passed on this year.

The Session Begins

A 30-person choir gives a rousing rendition of the National Anthem.

A Great Big Black Choir has Assembled...

...and I think that's how we're going to begin.

Day 2 About to Begin

Waiting for the general session wherein we'll elect the new leader of the Texas Democratic party. The two candidates who have a realistic chance are Boyd Ritchie, who's put large signs in almost every chair in the auditorium. Glen Maxey is the other strong candidate, and his people have been out in force to put stick-on-signs on peoples' shirts.

As Lyle Lovett sings on the speakers, the anticipation builds...this is gonna be interesting!

Wes Clark & The Young Turks

Wes Clark speaks with The Young Turks at the YearlyKos in Las Vegas yesterday. In the 20 minute discussion, Clark tells about his talks with the current administration officials before 9/11, their war plans and their lack of knowledge. It's a great interview.
The speech VTexan and the other delegates heard at the convention must have been outstanding.

Wesley Clark Rocks the House

General Clark just left the stage after a rousing speech which left us here in the auditorium with sore hands from clapping, and sore leg muscles from standing up and sitting down with ovation after ovation.

He was critical of the Bush administration on a very deep level. His distrust--his anger--at how they've misled this country was clear, and was felt by everyone here.

His charge to Texas Democrats was that we've got to take back control of this country, and the time is now. In his speech the recurring theme was Enough is Enough! and the crowd chanted right along with him. It sure made a lot of us wonder if the 2004 election might have gone differently if he had been our nominee.

More Live Blogging

As you know, the most recent blog is on top, so you can see earlier posts below. We're in the middle of the main session of the convention, and it's really very exciting! In the middle of the Pledge of Allegiance a war protester started yelling out that war is terror (duh!). It made many people angry, and all I could think of is, "We all feel the same way, so why interrupt the convention to say something about it?" We've just seen a video of many Democratic state legislators. It was very inspiring. Our main speaker is Wesley Clark. I can't wait!

I should have mentioned earlier that the Kendall County Area Democratic Women hosted a great booth today. They were selling the sterling silver donkeys designed by James Avery, a cute little book called "Why My Mommy is a Democrat," and finally, a brochure listing all the companies that donated money to the Democratic Party, along with a blue wristband. Many ladies helped out: Gwen King, Cindy Offutt, Carla Mercado, Crystal (I feel bad, I don't know her last name), Phyllis Crockett and Carol Carpenter. Well done, ladies!

Live Blogging from the Convention

I'm sitting in the convention center, blogging as the action is happenin'! I love it! VTex and I are just a little bewildered at how disorganized the whole operation has been. The caucuses (workshops) began before the credentials were handed out. That was a real head scratcher! It's funny how we all just love to talk and there's no real order to any of the proceedings. The SD25 caucus this afternoon was really kinda fun. I was an alternate and VTex was a delegate. I didn't get to vote for anything, but it was enjoyable watching the process. We voted in Michael Wilson as the SD25 committeeman. Zada True-Courage was re-elected. Jim Mattox--you know who he is--chaired the whole session. He was so cool to watch!
Here's a picture of all the delegates standing and being counted during the proceedings.

NeilYoung's album is playing over the loud speaker and the color guard is practicing before we begin in 10 minutes. It's kind of surreal.
See you later!

The Dems have hit Fort Worth!

Six of us Dems spent our first evening at Joe T. Garcia's, a famous Mexican restaurant. We had margaritas and tons of food. I'd like to say we had a strategy session, but I'd only be lying! We DID discuss Greg Palast's new book, as well as the Patriot Act, so we definitely took care of a smidge of business. We'll head to the convention center tomorrow morning to sign in and start participating in the Democratic process. What fun!

al-Zarqawi is Dead

Seems we got him with an airstrike yesterday. Wonder how crucial he is to the insurgency? Is this it? Will the insurgency die? I'm curious to see. I AM glad we got one of the bad guys. By the way, Osama's still out there, guys. When are you going to get him too?

Look at this Republican dirty trick

Go here

The website is listed as: http://www.txdemocrats.COM
Liars! This is truly ugly and nasty.

That ugly Ann Coulter...

“Godless” is Gutless
Greg Palast
June 7th, 2006

Anne Coulter says we’re “Godless” — we “liberals.” And by “liberals,” she means anyone who wants to keep the government out of our underpants, out of Iraq, and out of the business of helping Big Business shoplift America.

It’s time someone took on the blonde bully.

Anne, I realize yesterday was special day for you, releasing your book on June 6 — 06-06-06.

Going through it, I must, admit, is heavy going: ‘Godless’ is a 300-page brick of solid meanness and pin-head hatreds packaged like a fashion magazine: Big Brother wears Prada.

You accuse those who don’t sign on to your list of prejudices as the Lord’s enemies. That’s not original, Anne: the Taliban thought of it before you and they too were partial to dressing in black.

You want to talk about Godless? OK, let’s go:

Would the Lord lie us into a war?

Would the Lord let thousands drown in New Orleans while chilling at a golf resort?

Would the Lord have removed tens of thousands of Black soldiers from the voter rolls as the Republican Party did in 2004?

You talk about being “Christian” — but with all your zeal to fire up electric chairs and Abrams tanks, you sound more like a Roman.

I suggest this, Anne: let’s debate. Set the time, set the place, and I’ll be there. Nose to nose, my facts versus your fanaticism.

But I know you don’t have the guts to do anything but lob idiocies from your electronic Fox-hole.

Your new book is called, “Godless.” Your autobiography should be called, “Gutless.”

Jon Stewart Kicks Some Self-Righteous Bootie!

William Bennett was the guest on tonight's Daily Show, and Jon ripped him a new one during their discussion of the gay marriage amendment. Please, please, please, if you have the chance, watch one of the following repeats! It'll be well worth it.

12:00 AM

Tomorrow:

7:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 7:00 PM

How Does GW Bush Plan to Build That Border Fence?

Army Manual to skip Geneva detainee rule

Army Manual to Skip Geneva Detainee Rule - Los Angeles Times: "The Pentagon has decided to omit from new detainee policies a key tenet of the Geneva Convention that explicitly bans 'humiliating and degrading treatment,' according to knowledgeable military officials, a step that would mark a further, potentially permanent, shift away from strict adherence to international human rights standards."

What kind of nonsense is this? This is totally, utterly disgusting. The Bush crime family will turn our nation into the most hated nation in the world, while they stomp on the values inherent in our constitution! I guess they do not believe that the oath they took to protect and defend the constitution of the United States was very important. There is no excuse for torture, none. Period.

Thank You Jesus for George W. Bush

I am SO glad that since we finally got the problems in education fixed, New Orleans re-built, the internal combustion engine replaced, our men and women back from Iraq, the spawning pools for Islamic Fundamentalism negated, the export of American jobs to the 3rd world turned around, the budget deficit paid off, and all those other problems that have so dogged us...that we can now finally take time to rid America of the scourge which makes every waking hour of every day so much less than it might otherwise be: the lack of a constitutional ban on gay marriage.

Thank God almighty that we have a man in the White House who can determine those problems which plague us worst, and find a way to solve every last one of them. Because in the final analysis, isn't the only question that matters:
Who Would Jesus Destroy?

This Week on the Colbert Report

Mon 6/5 -- Stone Phillips

Tue 6/6 -- Christiane Amanpour

Wed 6/7 -- Steve Squyres NASA/Mars Rover

Thur 6/8 -- Steve Johnson author, Everything Bad is Good for You

This Week on the Daily Show

Mon 6/5 -- CAROLINE KENNEDY co-founder, Profiles in Courage Award

Tue 6/6 -- BILL BENNETT former US Secretary of Education

Wed 6/7 -- BONNIE HUNT actress, "Cars"

Thur 6/8 -- LILY TOMLIN comedian, actress, "A Prairie Home Companion"

Colbert's Commencement Address

Man, I wish I could be speeched to by this guy! He's so freakin' funny!

Bolanos Bowls Over Boerne

If Democrats put the effort into getting out the vote as they do making finger foods for our meetings, we'd be declaring MISSION ACCOMPLISHED ourselves...(cymbal crash). But seriously folks, yesterday's soiree at the Boerne Middle School South was enjoyed by about a hundred of us. Party Chair John Weir introduced Virgil Yanta, who got the proceedings going by reminding us of how it used to be. His rememberances were spot-on and nostalgic, in a bitter-sweet way.
Party representative Anthony Gutierrez then appeared to remind us how we're re-building the state party from the grass roots up. It was Gutierrez's job to introduce the day's main speaker, Rick Bolanos.

He and two of his three brothers took the stage, and in near-preacheresque tones, Bolanos told his story, and of how his family's love of country was pretty near genetic. His charismatic speech also dealt with the brass tax of the current situation: that Henry Bonilla can't seem to find a large donor whose cause he can't support with a vote. As to representing his constituency, well...that's just not on his radar.

All in all, it was a very nice turnout with lots-n-lots of Kendall County, Bandera County, Kerr County checks finding their way into the jar that then went to Bolanos for his campaign.

Also there was 29-year Army vet Ann Wright, who resigned her commission to join Cindy Sheehan in her fight to end the war in Iraq.

Thank you to the Kendall County Area Democratic Women for organizing this thing. It was a great event that went off without a hitch, and raised a lot of money for a strong candidate. And thanks to lefties from all over the hill country for doing the most important thing: showing up. We'll get nowhere without that first step! Now...on to the Fort Worth Democratic Convention!

Global warming

The Republicans showed this advertisement over the Memorial weekend watch the one labeled glacier the one with the Time magazine picture. Science? We don't need no friggin science! Morons.

Legislating Hate

TomPaine.com - Legislating Hate: "What do the flag-burning amendment, the gay marriage amendment, the immigration issue and the national language amendment have in common? It's not just that they seek to solve "problems" that a month or two ago no one felt required urgent attention. The real common denominator is the lowest one: hatred. If you've got hatred in your heart, the GOP has a piece of legislation for you."

Today, tomorrow and Monday please consider calling our Senators and asking them to vote NO on the gay marriage amendment, and to stop the hate. No walls on our southern border and for heavens sake, when was the last time you heard of anyone burning a flag? The 60's?

My friend's husband is coming home from Iraq

He will be here in the next day or so. She will know when he calls from the airport when he arrives. Sooner if he can.

Here's the most amazing thing. He had to be able to PROVE that he could afford a return trip to Iraq on his own before he could leave! As my friend put it, what does a private do in that case? After all her husband is a Col, and has a lot more cash in the bank than a private does.
She had to mail credit cards to him as proof. However, they never arrived. So, what is he using as proof? His paycheck and his checkbook.

One question we both had...is there some flunky in Kuwait who sits at a computer and checks your bank account and credit cards before they let you go home to the US?

Is this any way to treat out troops? NO !

Do you think I will be letting Rick Bolanos know about this today? Oh yeah.

It's Bolanos Boerne Day!

Today's the day wherein Boerne Democrats can either
--hang at the house...take it easy...re-arrange your living room...
--or you can step up and be counted as someone of ideals and beliefs and even a little commitment.

All you need do to show that Boerne Democrats have backbone is to show up to Boerne Middle School at 5pm to hear what Congressional candidate Rick Bolanos has to say.

Listen, be heard and be counted as one of those who doesn't just believe, but does something with those beliefs.

Hope to see you there!

Stop Messing With My Constitution!

With all the past and present troubles in Iraq, with the so-called great economy beginning to dip, what is our president doing? Ignoring the all the problems we're facing and promoting a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. This is an obvious attempt to placate his religious right backers. The proposal isn't expected to pass, but I worry about the future of the constitution with this 'profoundly mediocre'* man in charge.
*thanks, Leonard Pitts

You NEED to Know About Jack Cafferty

Caffery works for CNN as a commentator. He's a crusty old coot and seems perpetually pissed. But in Cafferty's case, that seems just fine. A larger attribute of the guy is fearlessness. Not only will he point out what the mainstream media won't tackle about the Bush administration, but he does so with all the respect that the Bush folks deserve (translation: no mercy).

His demeanor is old school and his chiseled-in-stone delivery would seem more at home on a Bush fan instead of a detractor. Hearing him rake this administration full of bufoons over the coals is one of my greater pleasures of late. I think the guy just has no tolerance for bad governmental behavior, whichever party it comes from.

Haven't seen him? Go to Crooks and Liars. You may have to search down a little ways, but look for Cafferty. Crooks and Liars posts something by him most days, and they're all worth listening to. Somehow he manages to be the mainstream media, but not behave like it.

Democrats at Market Days in Boerne

At the KCDC meeting tonight, we decided to put up a Democrat booth during the August, September and October Market Days in Boerne. Several of us volunteered to boothsit, but we'll still need more. If you're interested please send an email to kendallcountydems@yahoo.com. You'll be amazed at how many Democrats will come out of the woodwork and visit our booth!