Topics At the Kerry Blog Today

Topics At the Kerry Blog Today

Former GOP Gov Endorses Kerry
[Elmer L. Andersen was Minnesota's Republican governor from 1961 to 1963.

Why this Republican Ex-Governor will be Voting for Kerry
Elmer L. Andersen
Minneapolis Star Tribune

Throughout my tenure and beyond as the 30th governor of this state, I have been steadfastly aligned -- and until recently, proudly so -- with the Minnesota Republican Party.
Continue reading this entry...

New Ad: "We See It for Ourselves"

Washington, DC - Responding to the latest misleading Bush-Cheney ad, the Kerry-Edwards campaign Tuesday took to the airwaves with the new ad “Looking.” The ad recounts the mess in Iraq Americans are seeing every day and notes Kerry’s strong record on and commitment to keeping our country safe.

Kerry: A Fresh Start to Restore Fiscal Responsibility

Wilkes-Barre, PA – Providing America a fresh start after four years of wrong choices by George W. Bush, John Kerry pledged in a speech in Wilkes-Barre, PA that as president he will restore fiscal discipline in Washington and strengthen Social Security.
“What George Bush still doesn’t understand is that his four-year spending spree on tax giveaways for millionaires has undermined the hopes of middle-class families and put Social Security on a dangerous road,” Kerry said. “Now he’s asking for another four years to privatize the program, and undo the sacred compact we’ve made with our seniors. Well I’m here to tell you that even though this is George Bush’s plan, it doesn’t have to be our future. And now is our moment to choose...”

Cheney’s Talk of Nuclear Terrorism Highlights Bush’s Failed Record

Responding to Dick Cheney's remarks earlier today about nuclear terrorism in American cities, Mark Kitchens, Kerry campaign national security spokesman, issued the following statement:

"Mr. Cheney's attacks are in line with what we've come to expect from the Bush administration – reckless and irresponsible leadership. Cheney's attacks are filled with irony. He has the audacity to question whether a decorated combat veteran who has bled on the battlefield is tough and aggressive enough to keep America safe. He wants to scare Americans about a possible nuclear 9/11 while the Bush administration has been on the sidelines while the nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran – the world's leading sponsor of terrorism – have increased. John Kerry will take strong effective action to prevent nuclear terrorism – dramatically accelerating efforts to secure nuclear weapons and materials around the world and leading international efforts to end nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea.”...

Conscience of a Conservative

The New Republic's October 25 issue contains the latest anguished letter from another Republican who has decided to vote for John Kerry. In a truly impassioned plea, New York Post editorial writer Robert A. George lays out a damning case against George Bush for violating the fundamental tenets of conservatism, including fiscal responsibility, smaller government, and accountability for all of the activities of the executive branch, even in a time of "war." (Keep in mind that the New York Post is owned by Rupert Murdoch, the arch conservative media mogul.)
*********

"Conscience of a Conservative":
Robert A. George
The New Republic


Sixteen years ago, just out of college, I volunteered at the Republican National Convention as a man named George Bush prepared to begin a fall campaign that would see him defeat a Democrat from Massachusetts. The sparkling words of an acceptance speech crafted by Peggy Noonan—and delivered almost flawlessly--helped him inspire his party and a country that saw him as an extension of Ronald Reagan. It fell to that George Bush to "close out" the cold war and launch a different one in the Persian Gulf.....(cont'd)

Kristen and her daughter

New Ad: 9/11 Widow Shares Her Story

Washington, DC - 9/11 widow Kristen Breitweiser is featured in the latest Kerry-Edwards television ad. Titled “Ever Since,” the ad shows Breitweiser talking about the reasons she is supporting John Kerry for president over her 2000 choice, George W. Bush.

Click here to watch the ad and for documentation.

Bush’s Significant Failures In The War On Terror

Monday in New Jersey, George Bush gave what his aides said was a “significant” speech on the war on terror. The only thing significant about Bush’s policy on the war on terror has been his significant failure to focus on terrorism before September 11, his significant failures to protect America through homeland security, his significant failure to stay focused on the war on terror by shifting attention and resources to Iraq, and his significant failure to build a real coalition and provide American troops with proper equipment for battle. (cont'd)

Bush Distorts and Misleads in New Jersey

In his speech in New Jersey Monday, George Bush continued his smearing of John Kerry by distoring Kerry's record and statements. (cont'd)

Hope

Hope



credit: Guardian Unlimited

"We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope."
"Everything that is done in the world is done by hope."

--words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Every area of trouble gives out a ray of hope; and the one unchangeable certanity is that nothing is certain or unchangeable."
"We should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes."

--words of John Fitzgerald Kennedy




"There is no hope of joy except in human relations."

--words of Antoine de Saint-Exupery

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"When your son or daughter, who is serving this country heroically in Iraq calls, you tell them: 'Hope is on the way.' "

--words of Sen. John Edwards

On Enemy Ground: CS Lewis on God's pleasures

On Enemy Ground: CS Lewis on God's pleasures

The following reminded me of all those annoying pharmaceutical commercials. The promise of a better life, a better time, a better erection, a more purple flowery existence. At the drop of a pill down one's throat. Gulp. Instant pleasure. What about God's pleasures? How did we get to the point where we feel no blessed reverence from living out a cloudy day?

"Never forget that when we are dealing with any pleasure in its healthy and normal and satisifying form, we are, in a sense, on the Enemy's ground.


I know we have won many a soul through pleasure. All the same, it is His invention, not ours. He made the pleasures: all our research so far has not enabled us to produce one.


All we can do is to encourage the humans to take the pleasures which our Enemy has produced, at times, or in ways, or in degrees, which He has forbidden. Hence we always try to work away from the natural condition of any pleasure to that in which it is least natural, least redolent of its Maker, and least pleasurable. An ever increasing craving for an ever diminishing pleasure is the formula.


It is more certain; and it's better style.



To get the man's soul and give him nothing in return--that is what really gladdens Our Father's heart. And the troughs are the time for beginning the process."

~C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters, Chapter 9) 1942

*thanks to The Window in the Garden Wall

The Joke: Bush accusing Kerry of scare tactics

The Joke: Bush accusing Kerry of scare tactics-
Bush should know, he's the expert


Real reason for fear.
The fundamentalist hijacking of America
will tear it apart.
Bush facilitates the hijacking.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


In his important speech at Georgetown University yesterday, Al Gore pointed to Bush's use of "the symbolism and body language of religion" to mask policies intended to satisfy right-wing ideology and financial needs of wealthy, greedy donors.

"The essential cruelty of Bush's game is that he takes an astonishingly selfish and greedy collection of economic and political proposals, then cloaks them with a phony moral authority," said Mr Gore. "President Bush has stolen the symbolism and body language of religion and used it to disguise the most radical effort in American history to take what rightfully belongs to the American people and give as much as possible to the already wealthy and privileged."

Here we have a legitimate and realistic reason to be afraid. Fundamentalism is the cause of anti-modernity and the spread of terrorism in other war-torn parts of the world. We're supposed to be raging against fundamentalism in Iraq today. So, what does our leader do? Not only does he fail in Iraq, but he uses politics to cause a heavy rise in negative emotion at the fundamentalist core of the right wing in order to promote an agenda of greed and discrimination at home.

Secular America has a reasonable right to be scared of a leader who would manipulate the emotions of fundamentalists. We've seen enough bombings of abortion clinics and shootings of doctors. We've seen enough hate crime against gay Americans. We've seen the angry burning of synagogues. It doesn't only happen in the Middle East. Fundamentalist-tinged hate isn't confined to the streets of Fallujah or Jenin.

We know we have a leader who, if re-elected, will tamper illegitimately with our secular-sacred American Constitution for the sating of the rabid Falwell-following fundamentalist.

We know we have a leader who, if re-elected, will appoint right wing activist justices to the Supreme and lower courts to appease the fundamentalist.

Cloaked in the name of religion, Bush is no better than the Islamic fundamentalist right. Make no mistake, his style of leadership will not only further divide America, but will promote fundamentalist violence in America.

The Scare

Failure in Iraq. Beheadings of Americans. Killings of contractors. No plan for the peace. Not enough troops. Not enough armor. Not enough security. Halliburton's theft from American taxpayers. Price of a barrel of oil the highest in history.

Kerry pulls reality out of Bush's fantasy-ass.
Bush calls it "scare tactics".

Have I been dreaming or has Bush not been scaring America at every turn since 9/11 happened on his extremely non-curious watch? 9/11, Orange alerts, 9/11, duct tape, 9/11, anthrax, 9/11, you're a traitor if you disagree, 9/11, smoke 'em out, 9/11, Bush doing poorly in polls/new terror alert, 9/11, WMD, 9/11, alumininum tubes, 9/11, mushroom clouds, 9/11, greeting us with roses, 9/11?

Bush dares to call John Kerry a coward? The little yellow-rose belly-of-Texas who snuck out of Vietnam duty? The coward who had to sneak into Iraq under cloak of secrecy and night to face the troops he misled to war? Even Tony Blair was brave enough to have walked out onto the streets to face the people he brought war upon.

Jerry Falwell says we should vote our conscience.



Knock yourself out.

"I'm convinced that most of the President's frequent departures from fact-based analysis have much more to do with right-wing political and economic ideology than with the Bible. It is ideology, and not his religious faith, that is the source of this troubling inflexibility. Most of the problems he has caused for this country stem not from his belief in God, but from his belief in the infallibility of the right-wing Republican ideology that exalts the interests of the wealthy and of large corporations over and above the interests of the American people."

--Al Gore, about GW Bush

A Tribute to Autumn

A Tribute to Autumn

"October is the month of painted leaves. Their rich glow now flashes round the world. As fruits and leaves and the day itself acquire a bright tint just before they fall, so the year near its setting. October is its sunset sky; November the later twilight."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson


Anonymoses on the trail
photo by Iddybud


"You like it under the trees in autumn,
Because everything is half dead.
The wind moves like a cripple among the leaves
And repeats words without meaning."

- Wallace Stevens, The Motive for Metaphor

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~


Iddybud.....Anonymoses

Come said the wind to
the leaves one day,
Come o'er the meadows
and we will play.
Put on your dresses
scarlet and gold,
For summer is gone
and the days grow cold.

- A Children's Song of the 1880's

~~~~~~~


May you have a beautiful autumn!

Iddybud bloggers

Gore Says Bush Governs from 'Love of Power'

Gore Says Bush Governs from 'Love of Power'

"Bush and Cheney-simultaneously dishonest and incompetent.."
TRANSCRIPT OF SPEECH

Al Gore gave a speech at Georgetown University today that will go down in history as one of the most important set of words ever offered to the American people. It ranks up there with the Declaration of Independence.

The choice has never been made clearer.


Video here-CSPAN(see it again at 11:59 pm tonight on CSPAN 1hr 30min.)

Bush intentionally deceived public on Iraq

Gore warns of election grab by Bush

WP- Gore Charges Bush With Prewar Deceit/President Called Reckless, Dishonest

Palm Beach Post- Gore says Bush 'arrogantly out of touch with reality'

CNSNews- Bush Administration 'Dishonest and Incompetent,' Gore Says

Georgetown Hoya, Vidhya Murugesan- Gore Attacks Bush's Love of Power

SC Clerks give Bush v. Gore details in Vanity Fair

SC Clerks give Bush v. Gore details in Vanity Fair

In the October issue of Vanity Fair magazine, former Supreme Court law clerks from the court's 2000-01 term speak out, under cover of anonymity, about what they saw behind the scenes during the fateful case of Bush v. Gore

In an article titled The Path to Florida, writers David Margolick, Evgenia Peretz and Michael Shnayerson recount the views of former clerks to liberal justices who opposed the ruling. Those clerks contend that the decision was an exercise in partisanship by conservative Republican justices.

The buzz surrounding this piece centers less on the article’s content than the fact that those who worked for the justices have broken their vow of silence. Some have called this a 'whistle-blowing'.

According to an article in Sunday's Washington Post, most of the criticism in the Vanity Fair piece is aimed at Justices Antonin Scalia, Sandra Day O’Connor and Anthony Kennedy, all of whom voted in favor of Bush. Scalia is depicted bullying Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg into watering down her dissenting opinion. O’Connor is described as emotionally fixated on stopping a recount and Kennedy as overly influenced by his right-wing clerks.

From Online Journal: What's Wrong with America?

Shouldn't we be thinking of impeaching George W. Bush and Dick Cheney instead of running them for political office?

"This election—if the schemers' supporters don't manage to steal it—may be the people's only chance to bring a modicum of justice and sanity to the current bizarre state of affairs. Vote for Kerry as if your life and the world's safety depended on it, because, as never before, they do...

..what the foggin' heck is wrong with America? The malevolent nature of Bush and Cheney's actions, namely cooking up false intelligence and lying Americans into a war, should sicken and outrage any person with a conscience. Yet, in today's upside-down America, Bush and Cheney aren't criminals; they're legitimate candidates, smiling, strutting and backslapping their way across the country, snake-charming voters and continuing to defend their transparent lies. The corporate media eat it up. Half of the public may actually vote for them. There aren't enough world-gone-crazy metaphors to describe this situation. It's Alice in Wonderland and Orwell's 1984 rolled into one. Have a cup of tea with the Mad Hatter. War is peace. God bless America the Delusional."

LINK-Online Journal, Carla Binion

A Grand Hypocrisy--Putin Campaigning For Bush

A Grand Hypocrisy--Putin Campaigning For Bush

Putin and Bush-
Failure Supports Failure---
Co-dependents in Wrong Thinking

They want you to think that each terror attack in Iraq is because of who Bush IS instead of remembering all the dead-wrong things he's done.

_________________________________



It's nothing less than bizarre. The Oil-For-Food Scandal King campaigns for the American president who was on watch as Russia slid back toward authoritarian rule...

"Last week, President Bush said that the war on terror isn't actully one that's ever going to be clearly won.
What happens if Putin, under political pressure, decides to fall in line with the virtually unwinnable war against a tactic?
What happens to the many good and decent people who have only desired liberty in Chechnya? (Make no mistake, there are many decent people in Chechnya even though we only hear about the worst). The civil citizens of Chechnya are calling upon the international community to step in and help bring peace to both Chechnya and to Russia. To date, international ears and eyes remain closed..."

--Iddybud, September 9, 2004

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bush's dogmatic insistence and race to unilaterally take out Saddam Hussein caused him to proceed with blinders, neglecting a diplomacy that was sorely needed and inviting distrust of America and inviting right-wing radicals-East and West- to follow America's pre-emptive lead. Putin recognized the Iraq war (and rightly so) as a war evocative of the Cold War-era rather than a new and necessary type of warfare where we don't rub out regimes, but instead rub out terrorist networks.
That breakdown in international trust has led to Russia's falling away from democracy and contributes to European instability which endangers our nation's interests in Central Asia. It has led many in the world to believe that the Bush administration's National Security strategy did not take into serious consideration the fact that the Berlin Wall had ever fallen in the first place. It's no wonder all nations of the world (except for three) hope there is a change in American leadership this November...As overwhelmingly troubled as the old U.S.S.R. was, Ronald Reagan understood that, unless you employed diplomacy with hope and good faith, you will never forward America's best interests...While I truly believe Ronald Reagan acted in his nation's best interests, I believe Bush has acted with contempt for America's best interests, or at best, Bush has simply been an incapable leader.

--Iddybud, September 14, 2004 Russia Going Back to Authoritarian Rule--Another Casualty of Bush's War

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Just Like Bush"-
A Child's Tale

Part Three:

So, children...
After the terror in Beslan, the Kremlin reached for harsh levers, refusing to negotiate its way out of the Chechen war for fear it would look weak and embolden other separatist movements in Russia.

George W. Bush would never have negotiated with terror. Why should Vladimir?

So 100,000 more Chechens were slaughtered and 100,000 more terrorists were born.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The moral of the story:
No one wins when you rage, with hatred and bloodthirst, against a tactic.

--posted on Iddybud, September 13, 2004

Guardian's Operation Clark County: Americans Respond

Guardian's Operation Clark County: Americans Respond

An Interesting Exercise....

Since US policy now affects every citizen on the planet, Guardian writers felt all should all have a say in who gets to the White House next. In the democratic contest that matters most to the world, the world has been feeling disenfranchised. So the Guardian (G2) came up with the idea for Operation Clark County. It was a chance for the world to get involved with Americans who will decide on November 2nd. (See introduction to the project here). Three prominent Britons (John Le Carré, Antonia Fraser, and Richard Dawkins) have sample letters here.

Today we see a sampling of reaction from Americans. The title of the general sampling, Dear Limey assholes, may give you fair warning of the type of language to expect to run into. Have fun!

Media Lies to Public Just Before Election

Media Lies to Public Just Before Election

Zarqawi was not connected to pre-war Iraq government, regardless of what Andrea Mitchell or Dick Cheney try to hand you.

They can't find Osama in time for the election, and they can't tie Osama to Saddam Hussein, so they've been using al Zarqawi as the "big, bad new bogeyman". I said it last June, I'm saying it now. Zarqawi is a murderous creature, but he is not the significant tie to Saddam Hussein's regime as Dick Cheney has lied, boldfaced, to Americans about so many times. Bush and Cheney created the monster that is now Zarqawi with their totally wrong-minded approach to fighting terror.

I heard Andrea Mitchell was whining on and on about the latest 'Bushit' regarding a pre-war Zarqawi terror connection with the government of Iraq again today on NBC. Don't be fooled by fools in the media. I've heard enough shit in the past year to drown in it.

The same Andrea Mitchell spewed this crap after the VP debate, covering for outright lies of VP Cheney:

ANDREA MITCHELL (NBC News chief foreign affairs correspondent): "I think Dick Cheney did awfully well, first of all. Putting John Edwards in his place. Saying, "I have been presiding over the Senate, and I didn't meet you until tonight." Talking about his not having been on the job was pretty devastating."

Watch her, people. She's not being square with the American people. She's not on the people's side".

It's time we call these idiots on their disinformation when we see them trying to get away with it.

See my post from February, 2004 about the Bush administration's bad attempts to tie al Zarqawi with pre-war Iraq. Scroll down to There wasn't one back then...but there is now.

It's disgusting to see media whores running wildly with what can be nothing else but an intent to disinform as the election draws near.


See additional blog from last June about Cheney's deliberate lies and childish behavior upon getting caught.

Endorsement for Kerry-NYT/Boston Globe/Star Tribune/Dayton Daily News

Endorsement for Kerry-NYT/Boston Globe/Star Tribune/Dayton Daily News

The New York Times endorsed Kerry on Oct. 17.

"We have been impressed with Mr. Kerry's wide knowledge and clear thinking -- something that became more apparent once he was reined in by that two-minute debate light. He is blessedly willing to re-evaluate decisions when conditions change...He strikes us, above all, as a man with a strong moral core."

The Boston Globe endorsed Kerry on Oct. 17.

"These are challenging times for any leader. On the signal issues of this campaign --the Iraq war and terrorism -- Kerry is up to the challenge. ... He is best suited to heal our painful rifts now -- not just with the community of nations but within this nation, rent by social, ideological, economic and religious diversions. These sap the strength of America. We are confident a Kerry presidency will restore both unity and strength."

The Star Tribune, Minneapolis, endorsed Kerry on Oct. 17.

"Kerry knows how to effectively join with U.S. allies to leverage the vast power of international will. ... Kerry's approach demonstrates maturity, nuance and thoughtfulness. Those qualities don't always play well in campaign sound bites. But they will serve America exceedingly well in the Oval Office."

Dayton Daily News, Dayton, Ohio, endorsed Kerry on Oct. 17.

"John Kerry is a credible, prepared, likely choice for a nation that should expect more sophistication, more skill, less failure and more focus on the problems of the American mainstream than George W. Bush has offered."

________________

Bush's hometown newspaper in Crawford has already endorsed Kerry

Philadelpia Inquirer has endorsed Kerry

McCain aide quits, Endorses Kerry, Blasts Bush administration

Gold-medal Olympians, Julie Foudy and Abby Wambach, announced their endorsement of John Kerry and John Edwards for President and Vice President of the United States this week.

Question for Bush/Cheney: Why has Jim Tobin Been Kept On?

Question for Bush/Cheney: Why has Jim Tobin Been Kept On?

According to Talking Points memo, Jim Tobin has resigned from his post as President Bush’s New England campaign chairman. Tobin was Northeast political director in 2002 for the Republican Senatorial Committee, the party operation working to elect Republicans to the Senate. He resigned last Friday over questions surrounding an election-tampering scandal which took place in 2002.

According to the Portsmouth Herald:

"Democrats and Republicans fought in court this week over whether Democrats could question GOP officials, including Tobin, as part of a lawsuit about the illegal jamming [ of Democrats' phone lines during the 2002 election]. Democrats won a ruling Wednesday that cleared the way for the questioning, but depositions scheduled for Thursday and Friday were called off after the Justice Department said it would seek to delay them.
The 2002 jamming consisted of computer-generated calls to get-out-the-vote phones run by Democrats and the nonpartisan Manchester firefighters’ union. More than 800 hang-up calls tied up phones for about 1½ hours."

You may be disturbed to learn that, according to witnesses in the case, it may not have been just a local affair, but possibly arranged by the Committee itself ( at least at a minimum, through its regional political director, Tobin).

Kudos to Josh Marshall for tenaciously keeping up with this story. In so many ways, he's doing the mainstream media's job for them.

This is a question of ethics and character as well as legality. We need to ask the Bush campaign why they had kept Tobin on in a senior position all this time, knowing he'd been implicated and knowing he'd be forced to resign once the alleged illegal activities were discovered and/or questioned.


Related stories:

Nashua Telegraph, Kevin Landrigan- Phone scandal may have Bush connection

New York Times-

"..Last summer, Chuck McGee, former executive director of the state Republican Party, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and admitted paying $15,600 to a Virginia company that hired another business to make computer-generated calls that jammed Democrats' phone lines for about 90 minutes. Mr. McGee acknowledged speaking to an unidentified official with a national political organization about the jamming. Democrats have said they believe that Mr. Tobin was the official."

Guardian- Bush's New England Campaign Chief Resigns

Plans to Attack Iran?

Plans to Attack Iran?

A senior intelligence officer in Tel Aviv revealed that President Bush "is now firmly convinced that Iran poses a greater threat to Israel than Iraq did". And a senior Pentagon official has further confirmed that a number of Department of Defence planners have recently travelled to Tel Aviv to discuss plans to attack Iran.
LINK

_______

"The best way to avoid the draft is to vote for me."

--GW Bush, October 16, 2004

Bush is a liar.
Why would you believe him now, given all you already know?



Talking Points Memo- An issue that deserves a lot of attention, but receives precious little

Every person in long lines for flu shots..

Every person in long lines for flu shots..
..and every person who can't get one will remember to vote for John Kerry in a couple weeks (if they're not in bed with a high fever--or six feet under).
Meanwhile, in merry olde England...

"Flu vaccine may be delayed in some locations, but the shortages America is seeing are not expected here, thanks in part to early action by British health officials.

Late this summer, at the first sign of new problems at the Chiron Corp.'s long-troubled plant, the British began searching for other suppliers of flu vaccine." LINK

Daily Kos- Swing State Front-Page News: Flu Shot Shortages!
"Maybe God, in the midst of telling George Bush to invade Iraq, forgot to mention that it might also be a good idea to look after the health of our grandparents."

Washington Post- How U.S. Got Down to Two Makers Of Flu Vaccine
Bottom line, there's not enough money in the business of protecting Americans from a life-threatening illness. The fruits of Bush's coddling of big business come home to roost with millions of unprotected Americans in the middle of flu season.

"Wyeth threw away 7 million unsold doses, for a loss of $30 million. It then quit making flu shots. It eventually closed the Marietta plant, which once employed 800 people..."

The Rise of Pseudo Fascism, Dave Neiwert, Orcinus

The Rise of Pseudo Fascism by Dave Neiwert, Orcinus

Excerpts from this must-read work:

"Today we have a milieu in which this administration's manifest incompetence is hailed as moral clarity; in which the torture of prisoners at American hands is dismissed as a fraternity prank; in which the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II is defended as a necessary step (that may need to be repeated); in which a policy to further denude America's forests is called the Healthy Forests Initiative, and the evisceration of the nation's public education system is named No Child Left Behind. We're relentlessly sold an image of Bush himself as strong and resolute, and yet when he appears for a national debate on TV, what we see instead is a "peevish and bored" caricature of a leader, a man more likely to remind us the feckless pointy-haired boss we all once had than an actual president....

...the movement not only makes reality a function of the movement's agenda; its agenda itself can shift rapidly according to the strategic needs of the movement in its acquisition of power. Thus, as described in Part 1, the conservative movement has come to resemble nothing so genuinely conservative at all but rather something starkly radical: profligate spending; incautious and expansionary wars, pursued unilaterally; the steady dumbing-down of the nation's education system. The neo-Confederate-laden GOP no longer has even a passing resemblance to the "party of Lincoln." Even at the micro-political level, in interpersonal debate, the famous conservative carefulness, politeness and reserve has utterly vanished...

..The conservative movement, as such, is an ever-shifting beast. Its drive is power, and as such it has gradually adopted the familiar architecture of another power-mad phenomenon of mass politics: fascism..."

READ MORE HERE

Articles/Columns You Shouldn't Miss

Articles/Columns You Shouldn't Miss

• William Rivers Pitt: Bearing Bloody Witness, Truthout, October 12, 2004
"I wanted to vomit because Bush and Cheney, since the release of the Duelfer report, have attempted to scramble towards a new rationale for the invasion. It was never about weapons of mass destruction, but about the possibility that someday - if the entire world decided to stop watching Iraq, and if the sanctions somehow magically disappeared - Hussein might maybe somehow make the stuff we've been looking for. I wanted to vomit because I have spent the last two years listening to things like this from George W. Bush and the members of his administration: 'Simply stated,' said Dick Cheney on August 26 2002, 'there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction'...'We know for a fact that there are weapons there,' said Ari Fleischer on January 9 2003...'There is no doubt,' said General Tommy Franks on March 22 2003, 'that the regime of Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction'....'We know where they are,' said Don Rumsfeld on March 30 2003, later denying to the press that he ever said such a thing. 'They are in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad'...'We have sources that tell us,' said George W. Bush on February 8 2003, 'that Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons'...'Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt,' continued Bush on March 17 2003, 'that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised'...In his February 5 2003 speech to the United Nations, Secretary of State Colin Powell warned of the 'sinister nexus between Iraq and the Al Qaeda terrorist network'."

• Philip Gourevitch: Reality Check: John Kerry's Iraq Attack, The New Yorker, October 18, 2004 issue
"Despite a pre-debate "memorandum of understanding" between the Bush campaign and the Kerry campaign that there would be no televised "cutaways" or reaction shots, more than sixty-two million Americans watched George W. Bush appear to come unglued while hearing, for the first time, John Kerry's forceful voice of opposition. Bush's face betrayed him on the very first cutaway. He had insisted that the focus of his initial encounter with Kerry, in Coral Gables, Florida, be foreign policy and national security-the issues on which, as a self-proclaimed "war President," he believes himself to be strongest, and on which he has staked his bid for a second term-yet, barely a minute into the debate, he had been subjected to more direct criticism than he had endured in public in the previous four years, and it soon became obvious that he couldn't take it. . . . Now, faced for the first time in his Presidency with an inescapable adversary, he appeared to experience the debate as an insult. At times he sulked, at times he winced, as Kerry picked apart the Administration's catastrophic Iraq adventure. "I didn't need anybody to tell me to go to the United Nations," Bush protested. "I decided to go there myself." And, a bit later, 'Of course I know Osama bin Laden attacked us. I know that.' "



Seen in Austin, TX
credit: freewayblogger.com


• kid oakland/Daily Kos- Making History, October 15, 2004
"I firmly believe we will make history this November. I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe it was so. And, I guess, this diary is, in a way, a kind of time out from that to reflect on something that I feel the need to remember:
I firmly believe that we share this nation with people who don't agree with us. It's all of ours. Together. Hell, some of us are related. And, right now we are all just trying to figure how better to run our government.
History is weird. We might have one perspective on things now...and see it changed by events outside our control.
The one thing we do control...is our integrity...staying true to ourselves and our values. Standing up for our principles. Paying authentic witness to our times, no matter who we are or where we find ourselves. Our stories, collectively, are what make history. And we must never forget that, because, in a way, that is the basis of our politics."


• Paul Krugman: Checking the Facts, In Advance, New York Times, October 12, 2004
" The point is that Mr. Kerry can, at most, be accused of using loose language; the thrust of his statements is correct. Mr. Bush's statements, on the other hand, are fundamentally dishonest. He is insisting that black is white, and that failure is success. Journalists who play it safe by spending equal time exposing his lies and parsing Mr. Kerry's choice of words are betraying their readers."
(Related: Robert Kuttner's "How Kerry Can Win")


• Media Matters- On Nightline, Vietnamese witnesses further debunked Sinclair exec's report on Kerry's Silver Star
"An October 14 report on ABC's Nightline strongly refuted claims by opponents of Senator John Kerry, including Sinclair Broadcast Group vice president Mark Hyman and the anti-Kerry group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, that, in Hyman's words, Kerry "shot a wounded teenager retreating from battle" when he was in Vietnam.
In a September 13 televised commentary titled "Kerry and the Killing," Hyman purported to discredit Senator John Kerry's account of events that led to his receipt of the Silver Star. Hyman claimed that an "official after action report" obtained "[i]n an exclusive" from U.S. Navy archives contradicted Kerry's account and supported the account of "eyewitnesses" that "allege Kerry shot a wounded teenager retreating from battle." Similarly, in the book Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry (Regnery, August 2004), co-authors Jerome R. Corsi and Swift Boat Veterans for Truth co-founder John E. O'Neill described the man Kerry killed is described as "a lone, wounded, fleeing, young Vietcong in a loincloth." Media Matters for America noted at the time that the Navy document Hyman cited did not contradict Kerry's account.
Hyman's commentaries, called The Point, appear on many of the 62 TV stations Sinclair owns or operates."
(Related: MyDD- Nightline---Wow! SVFT Exposed as Liars!
and
ABC News Story)


• Imagining the Danger of 2000 Redux By John M. Broder
NYT, October 17
The danger may be greater than 2000: Could the country stand another Florida?


• Winning the War for Muslim Minds: What Bush can learn from The Battle of Algiers DVD, Slate, October 14 by Fred Kaplan
"Gilles Kepel notes, "The most important battle in the war for Muslim minds during the next decade will be fought not in Palestine or Iraq but … on the outskirts of London, Paris, and other European cities, where Islam is already a growing part of the West." Most of these Muslims emigrated to the West not to export terror, but to earn a living. If they're given an opportunity, maybe Muslims everywhere will take notice and wonder if the West is really as bad as the Bin Ladens say."

• Military probing whether unit in Iraq refused dangerous mission Boston Globe, October 17
"The grandfather of an Army Reserve soldier whose platoon refused to deliver supplies in Iraq said his grandson told him Saturday that he and other soldiers had been detained by military authorities but were later released. Meanwhile, military officials said commanders reassigned five members of the unit. Some in the platoon had told relatives they refused to deliver tainted helicopter fuel in poorly maintained vehicles by traveling a dangerous supply route without an armed escort.
The Army is investigating up to 19 members of the platoon, which is part of the 343rd Quartermaster Company based in Rock Hill, S.C. The unit delivers food, water and fuel on trucks in combat zones."


• A three-hour election show from film-maker Michael Moore has been dropped by In Demand cable TV company. BBC, October 16
The Michael Moore Pre-Election Special, including the first TV showing of his film Fahrenheit 9/11, was to be shown on pay-per-view channel In Demand. The company said the decision to axe the show the night before the November 2 elections was due to "legitimate business and legal concerns." "Apparently people have put pressure on them," said Moore. Moore said he signed a contract with In Demand last month and is now considering legal action.



The unAmerican Sinclair Broadcasting Network:

• FCC Chairman Powell Won't Block Anti-Kerry Election Propaganda, Boliek
• Kerry Team Demands Equal Time From Sinclair, Kurtz
• Sinclair's slander, bg ed
• Backlash Begins Against Sinclair Broadcasting, wd
• Unreality TV: Ohioans Try To Survive An Attack By Swift Boats, Harkavy
*thanks to BushWatch.org
• Jay Rosen/Press Think- Agnew with TV Stations: Sinclair Broadcasting Takes On John Kerry and The Liberal Media
• Sinclair Action Constitutes "Sovietization" of U.S. Television, Buzzflash, Oct 17


• READ WHAT I WROTE ABOUT SINCLAIR LAST APRIL--Be sure to see their political contribution record linked at my post.



To be continued

Review-Vote For Change Concert Oct 11 in DC

Review-Vote For Change Concert
October 11, 2004
MCI Center, Washington D.C.

"I am a patriot
and I love my country
Because my country is all I know
I want to be with my family
With people who understand me
I got nowhere else to go

And I ain't no communist, and I ain't no capitalist
And I ain't no socialist
and I sure ain't no imperialist
And I ain't no democrat
And I ain't no republican either
And I only know one party
and its name is freedom
I am a patriot.."

-from the song I Am A Patriot (and the river opens for the righteous) by Little Steven Van Zandt, sung by Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, and Keb Mo at the Vote For Change concert finale, October 11, 2004 in Washington, D.C.

The sun was shining on a clear Sunday afternoon in Washington D.C. The mall was sprinkled with people tossing footballs and frisbees, tourists strolling the sculpture garden at the Hirschorn Museum, and students reading their schoolbooks at the Starbucks on 7th Avenue. You could tell which people were headed to the Vote For Change concert finale at the MCI Center either by their Kerry-Edwards T-shirts or anti-Bush statement shirts. If you listened carefully, you may have heard some say jovially to one another "So, have you heard the rumors on the internets?"

A few hours before the show, four or five Freeper-types stood across the street, one with a Saddam Hussein costume on, another holding a sign saying something ludicrous like "MoveOn.org rocks for Osama" and "Saddam-Aid 2004". I waved to them while happily, thinking about the great music they were never going to be hearing that evening while they backed Bush the loser whose big-name entertainment supporter is Wayne Newton.

As concert time drew near, a large crowd gathered outside the MCI center. There were people handing out flyers and stickers, groups looking for volunteers to travel to swing states, and 'Billionaires for Bush' looking dapper and darling. Inside the arena, a large crowd swarmed the T-Shirt concession area, lining up six-deep to gaze upon the Vote For Change merchandise.

By the time the show started, at 7pm sharp, most people were not yet in their seats. By the time the first artist, John Mellencamp, had taken the stage, the crowd had quickly gotten into their assigned places to enjoy the show, which had been sold-out 30 minutes after tickets had gone on sale last month.

Before Mellencamp sang, a group of artists came out to make a brief political statement. Bruce Springsteen, Emily Robison (of the Dixie Chicks), Dave Matthews, Michael Stipe, and Eddie Vedder came onstage together. Without mentioning Bush or Kerry, Springsteen said, "We're here to raise our voices loud and clear...we want to change our government."

Eddie Vedder added, "We want government that's open, rational, responsible for the citizenry, and humane."

I enjoyed Mellencamp's set. I'd seen him at a small club when he was still John Cougar Mellencamp back in the 80s, and watching him at the MCI Center, I realized he has never lost his energy or his spirit through the years. He set the tone for the night with a solid acoustic performance. Mellencamp's rootsy band included a drummer, two guitarists, violin, accordian, upright bass, and background singer. Songs performed:

1. In my time of dying (blues version)
2. Paper in Fire
3. Walk Tall (prefaced by the statement, "This next song is about what the Devil can do if you don't keep your eye on him.")
4. Authority Song
5. Pink Houses

By the time Mellencamp had finished his set, the crowd was on its feet with an energy that would last the whole night long.

Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds was next, doing one smooth, blues-injected song, "Change the World" (a hit song written by Eric Clapton, produced by Babyface).

Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, and KebMo were next, performing the following songs together:

1. Worlds in Motion
2. For What It's Worth
3. I am a Patriot
4. Stand up and be Strong

At the end of the set, Bonnie Raitt stated, "America, we'll see you at the polls!"

"I am a Patriot" was one of my favorites of the concert. It was written by Little Steven Van Zandt, and I believe its lyrics and reggae spirit stayed closest to the theme of the raucous evening of political rock for change.

Jackson Browne came back to the stage after a short break as the stage was rotated to a new set and he introduced the hip hop act, Jurrassic 5.
1. I Am Somebody
2. And you Don't Stop
3. Freedom
After the performance, members of the group stated, "It starts with you first."; "Don't point the finger at no one else."; "Vote yes on Proposition 66"

At about 8:30pm, REM took the stage. I was thrilled as it was my first opportunity to see them in concert. It was a dream-set with stellar guest-singers. REM gave a CD-quality performance of the following songs:

1. The One I Love
2. Begin the Begin (with guest singer Eddie Vedder)
3. Leaving New York (an excellent new song)
4. Losing My Religion (oh, man, this was great)
5. Man in the Moon (with Bruce Springsteen)

Pearl Jam was next.

1. Grievance
2. Save You
3. New World (by X) (with guest singer Tim Robbins)
4. Bushleaguer
5. Master of War (The Bob Dylan song, and Vedder sang the tune with a decided high-lonesome Appalachin feel, a bone-chilling rendition--one of the best performances of the night.)

Vedder was heard saying, "I guess now everyone is going to vote" Also, Vedder remarked that everyone is talking about November 3rd--how the work will have just begun on November 3rd. He said he was worried people would forget the actual day they need to vote and he asked the audience to raise their hands for the television cameras and show them the day they have to vote. The 2nd sign doubled for the peace sign, and Eddie Vedder was pleased with the resulting visual mass statement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I hate it when they say you shouldn't change horses in mid-stream. The horse can't swim and it's in way over its head and that horse shouldn't have crossed the stream in the first place, and there's a good democratic mule right there. So change that horse. Change it."

--James Taylor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pardon my adolescent-sounding admiration, but I was blown away by James Taylor.

1. The Secret of Life
2. Hold Them Up

(Out came the Dixie Chicks to join Taylor for a couple songs)

3. Sweet Baby James (A sweet rendition with Natalie Maines on vocals and Taylor on harmony--the audience went wild with appreciative applause after the song.)
4. Shower the People

James Taylor made the most astute remarks of the evening:

--"I hate it when they say you shouldn't change horses in mid-stream. The horse can't swin and it's in way over its head and that horse shouldn't have crossed the stream in the first place, and there's a good democratic mule right there. So change that horse. Change it."

--"We started the tour on the eve of the first debate and I've been asked 'What advice do you have for undecided voters?' You take a look at the two candidates; you study 'em real close... and YOU CHOOSE THE SMART ONE. You choose the smart one."

The Dixie Chicks performed the next set on their own:

1. Some Days You Gotta Dance (with guest James Taylor)
2. Truth No. 2
3. Mississippi (Bob Dylan song)

Natlaie Maines' comments included:

"Gosh, I hope y'all show up to our next tour." and "After 'the incident', people asked me if I wanted to take back what I'd said. I thought, well, no, because after that, Bush would just call me a flip-flopper." The audience cheered with amused delight.

At about 10:20, the Dave Matthews Band took the stage. Their set list:

1. Don't Drink the Water
2. One Sweet World
3. Joy Ride
4. Ants Marching
5. So Much to Say
6. Too Much

Bruce Springsteen took the stage a bit past 11:00.

1. The Star Spangled Banner (guitar version)
2. Born in the USA
3. Badlands
4. No Surrender

John Fogerty was introduced by Springsteen as the Hank Williams of our generation. Fogerty, along with the E Street band, started with a new song called Deja Vu. It was another one of my favorites of the night. It sounded as if the song was written just for the evening. It was a fresh look at what's happening today through the eyes of someone who's lived long enoughto have seen it all before. Shades of "Won't Get Fooled Again". Fogerty then performed a rousing version of "Fortunate Son" to a responsive and enthusiastic crowd.

Springsteen continued on with his set.

5. Because the Night /with Michael Stipe (It was GORGEOUS.)
6. Mary's Place (From the post-9/11 CD "The Rising", a song which contained the key line for the whole album, "How do you live brokenhearted," with a juxtaposition of sad lyrics and complete party music with Clarence Clemons playing a mean, mean sax).

Public Service Annoucement -Bruce Springsteen, in a televangelist preacher style, called all believers to their television screens and asked them to touch the screen and chant (three times) a healing: "Halliburton, Halliburton, Halliburton". ;) Springsteen then got serious and it was the one and only time he mentioned his confidence in and support of John Kerry and John Edwards, which he expressed with a serious yet hopeful patriotic tone.

7. Born to Run (with Peter Buck and Mike Mills of REM--and just about every member of the audience!)

I can't begin to tell you about the energy that was running through the arena by this time. It was more intense than I'd ever experienced at a concert in the past--and I've attended many a concert in my day. The E Street band sounded like they did in the late 70s/early 80s, with a vibe that sent shivers down my spine.

It was time for the finale. All the stars came to the stage to join in singing:

8. What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding? (With Michael Stipe and Eddie Vedder playing air guitar and bouncing joyously.)

11. People have the Power

I watched the finale from the stage left door looking directly onto the singers onstage. It's a moment I wish I could have recorded by means other than memory. It's a sight I'll never forget. I only hope the message sent by these fine, conscientious performers will travel straight to the hearts of Americans and will be translated to their hope--our hope---which is new leadership in the capital of the nation we all love so much.

Jon Stewart Slams Tucker Carlson/CNN's Crossfire

Jon Stewart Slams Tucker Carlson/CNN's Crossfire

SEE CROSSFIRE VIDEO HERE

I can't begin to tell you how much I respect Jon Stewart. At Salon.com, there's a brief rundown about Jon's appearance on Crossfire today. You'll need a subscription or one-day pass to read it.

Excerpts:

"..I think you're a lot more fun on your show," said Tucker Carlson to "Crossfire" guest Jon Stewart this afternoon. "And I think you're as much of a dick on your show as on any other," Stewart shot back. It wasn't the faux avuncularity we've come to expect from Stewart on "The Daily Show" but there, of course, he's playing a role. Here he was himself -- and he wasn't buying any of it...

...Carlson tried to counter Stewart's criticism by pointing out that during John Kerry's recent appearance on "The Daily Show," Stewart asked the candidate softball questions. "If you want to measure yourself against a comedy show," Stewart said, "be my guest..."

..."I thought you were going to be funny," Carlson said toward the end of the interview. Stewart responded, "No, I'm not going to be your monkey."

LINK-Salon.com

Related Stories:

MTV- Jon Stewart Bitchslaps CNN's 'Crossfire' Show
"..I watch your show every day, and it kills me. It's so painful to watch...What you do is not honest. What you do is partisan hackery...You have a responsibility to the public discourse, and you fail miserably....The thing is, we need your help...Right now, you're helping the politicians and the corporations and we're left out there to mow our lawns..."

Alternet- Jon Stewart to Tucker Carlson: "You're a dick"

Wonkette- BREAKING: TUCKERGATE TRANSCRIPT (I WOULD POST MORE ON O'REILLY BUT THE NEWS CYCLE MOVES REALLY FAST!!!)

Why the shame, Cheneys? Why the Shame?

Mary

Why the Shame, Cheneys? Why the Shame?

"Senator Kerry could have made his point about gay and lesbian Americans without mentioning the Vice President's daughter. However, this shouldn't distract us from the fact that President Bush, Karl Rove and other Republicans have been using gay and lesbian families as a political wedge issue in this campaign."

--Patrick Guerriero, Log Cabin Republican Executive Director

It's time we started discussing the issue of being gay in America straight up. *pun intended*

I cannot believe, with the way the Cheneys are acting, that they could be proud of their daughter Mary. As an American with many gay friends and relatives, that really disturbs me. I feel embarrassed for Mary for having been put at the center of this controversy. The ones mostly responsible are her own parents.

Why are the Cheneys acting as if they are ashamed of their girl? Why?

Is it because they think it will get them extra votes from Bible-thumping redneck gay-bashers in swing states? If so, the dirty shame is upon them, not Mary.

What on earth is wrong with someone referring to a third party as a lesbian?

If that person is a self-avowed lesbian, what is politically "cheap" about referring to her as such?

If someone lives their life proudly as a gay American and fights for the rights of other gay Americans (as Mary Cheney does), why should they (or their proud family) be offended by the very mention of the fact they're gay?

If the Cheneys respected all of our gay sons and daughters and wanted the best life for them and all gay Americans, why would they take pot-shots at people in public life who have shown particular interest in and promotion of gay rights?

Why hasn't Cheney been a better public spokeperson and politician for his own daughter's (and all gay American's) interests? Why have the Cheneys given the gay rights issue only lip service while exploiting their own child for the wedge issue they're purposefully dumping on the electoral doorstep?

The Cheneys must be hypocrites who are ashamed of their gay daughter. It's the only lesson I can take away from this turn of events.

I'm glad I don't have parents like Lynne and Dick Cheney. My parents would never think of doing this to me. If I were in Mary's place, the day after John Kerry made the comment about my life, I know my parents would have not exploited me. My loving parents would have made my life's hard work shine proudly in the face of any political hardship they were facing.

Poor Mary. My heart goes out to her and to all gay Americans who are being used for political sport. The way I see it, if you're going to be used as an example by a politician, you're best hope is that it's a politician who is actuallty fighting for what you've been fighting for.

Mary- John Kerry is on your side.


See Barbara O'Brien's commentary at American Street

Guardian- Mary Cheney has declined to comment on remarks John Kerry made during a presidential debate suggesting that her homosexuality was formed at birth.

Media Matters- Despite conservative accusations, Kerry didn't "out" Mary Cheney

Human Rights Campaign (HRC) responds to Lynne Cheney's comments

Lynne Cheney denied her daughter was gay four short years ago

The denial as reported at Salon.com

Salon.com- John Kerry's lesbian moment
"Dick and Lynne Cheney screamed foul when the Democratic candidate mentioned their gay daughter. But for gays and lesbians, what is most outrageous is the Cheneys' outrage"

Columnist Bart Whiteman's views on the situation
"Kerry now is a “bad man” in their eyes, not because he is trying to put them on the unemployment line, but because he said something actually supportive of their daughter in response to a purposely provocative question lobbed by moderator Bob Schieffer..Let's get one thing straight. It is not an insult to call a proudly public lesbian a lesbian. It's an insult to gasp when someone calls her a lesbian.."

Some Kerry supporters don't even like me talking about this

MyDD- H20 Cooler Talk-It's All About Mary

Buzzflash- Oh, Lynne Cheney, Stop Listening to Mary Matalin Feed You Whiny Character Attacks that Backfire Because Your Husband, Dick, is the Witness Against You -- And Himself

Hilary Rosen/WP- "The silent but admirable Mary Cheney has remained a loyal daughter and foot soldier in this homophobic campaign. I feel sorry for her.."


William F Buckley Jr- So Mary's Gay?

Why America Needs Rumi

This We Have Now

This we have now
is not imagination.

This is not
grief or joy.

Not a judging state,
or an elation,
or sadness.

Those come and go.
This is the presence that doesn't.

--Rumi

Why America Needs Rumi
by Maliha Masood

Excerpt:

"In the polarized tensions between Islamic militants, global terrorism, homeland security and national interests, the teachings of Rumi are all the more relevant in deflecting misunderstandings. It seems odd that the same poet is read with voracious intensity across America, Afghanistan and Iran. One would think that the World Trade center attacks would have also obliterated appreciation of Islamic literature and poetry in the US. But the Rumi resurgence in spite of or perhaps because of September 11, is a strong testament to Americans new found receptivity to learn more about Islam. Rumi is a necessary voice to bridge the gap between the Islam which stands for pluralism and tolerance and the belligerent abuse of religion branded by extremist factions, that gets the most media attention to distort public perceptions.

Since many Americans admire and relate to Rumi's philosophy, they can also learn to distinguish between Rumi's message of a peace loving Islam that embraces humanity and the misdirected Islam of bigotry and desperation that leads to violence."

LINK

BulgeGate / Third Debate

BulgeGate / Third Debate

Okay, people, what the hell was this thing on the president's back at last night's debate? It isn't a bunched-up shirt, so don't even try handing me that explanation again!




UPDATE- October 18, "At Each Ear a Hearer", Bush Bulge Bulletin

Signs Point to Bush Loss in November

Signs Point to Bush Loss in November

The signs are pointing to a Bush loss in November. (Unless desperate corruption steps into the free path of the American election).

LA Times Editorial

"It should be clear by now that Kerry is not for some Stalinist government healthcare system, that he won't give Paris a veto over U.S. foreign policy and that he doesn't think terrorism is merely a nuisance. He was thoughtful and firm in all three debates, despite his enduring stiffness. The shrillness of the Bush camp's attacks on Kerry betrays an unbecoming desperation, and adds to the sense that the challenger came out the convincing winner."

LINK

Thomas Friedman/NYT:

"I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I hear the president and vice president slamming John Kerry for saying that he hopes America can eventually get back to a place where "terrorists are not the focus of our lives, but they're a nuisance." The idea that President Bush and Mr. Cheney would declare such a statement to be proof that Mr. Kerry is unfit to lead actually says more about them than Mr. Kerry. Excuse me, I don't know about you, but I dream of going back to the days when terrorism was just a nuisance in our lives...

...I want a president who can one day restore Sept. 11th to its rightful place on the calendar: as the day after Sept. 10th and before Sept. 12th. I do not want it to become a day that defines us. Because ultimately Sept. 11th is about them - the bad guys - not about us. We're about the Fourth of July."

LINK

Informed Comment/Juan Cole: Bush v. Kerry: The Persian Gulf Empire and Perpetual War:

"The visions for the American future laid out by George W. Bush and John Kerry differ starkly on matters of war and peace, and the shape of American power in the Middle East.

Bush has put enormous resources into the Iraq war compared to those he has committed to fighting al-Qaeda. Kerry pledges to concentrate on stamping out al-Qaeda. The American public has a clear choice between a continued US push into the Middle East, with bases and very likely further wars, and between a calmer, more patient foreign policy that makes room to address the problem of practically fighting terrorism.."

LINK

Also at Informed Comment...6 US Troops Killed/Mass Grave Exhumed

"...the Kurdish mass grave is not only a testament to Saddam's monumental brutality. It is also a sad commentary on the immorality of US policies in the region in the 1980s under Reagan. It is not a legacy over which Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and other figures on the Right can take any pride in, or political comfort from"

LINK

Bush's OBL Debate Comment-BUSTED!

Bush's OBL Debate Comment-BUSTED!

In last night's debate:

KERRY: Yes. When the president had an opportunity to capture or kill Osama bin Laden, he took his focus off of them, outsourced the job to Afghan warlords, and Osama bin Laden escaped.

Six months after he said Osama bin Laden must be caught dead or alive, this president was asked, Where is Osama bin Laden? He said, I don't know. I don't really think about him very much. I'm not that concerned.

We need a president who stays deadly focused on the real war on terror.

SCHIEFFER: Mr. President?

BUSH: Gosh, I just don't think I ever said I'm not worried about Osama bin Laden. It's kind of one of those.... exaggerations. Hh-eh-eh.(goofy grin/guffaw).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

13 march 2003 press conference:

Q: Mr. President, in your speeches now, you rarely talk or mention Osama bin Laden. Why is that? [...]

BUSH: ... I don't know where he is. Nor -- you know, I just don't spend that much time on him really, to be honest with you [...]

Q: Do you believe the threat that bin Laden posed won't truly be eliminated until he is found either dead or alive?

BUSH: As I say, we hadn't heard much from him. And I wouldn't necessarily say he's at the center of any command structure. And, you know, again, I don't know where he is.

I'll repeat what I said: I truly am not that concerned about him.

*Thanks to Daily Kos
LINK

AND...

QUESTION: Mr. President, in your speeches now, you rarely talk or mention Osama bin Laden. Why is that?
Also, can you can tell the American people if you have any more information -- if you know if he is dead or alive. Deep in your heart, don't you truly believe that until you find out if he is dead or alive, you won't really want to make...

BUSH: Well, deep in my heart, I know the man's on the run if he's alive at all. And I -- you know, who knows if he's hiding in some cave or not? We hadn't heard from him in a long time.

And the idea of focusing on one person is really -- indicates to me people don't understand the scope of the mission. Terror's bigger than one person. And he's just -- he's a person who has now been marginalized. His network is -- his host government has been destroyed. He's the ultimate parasite who found weakness, exploited it, and met his match.

He is -- you know, as I mention in my speeches -- I do mention the fact that this is a fellow who is willing to commit youngsters to their death. And he, himself, tries to hide, if, in fact, he's hiding at all.

So I don't know where he is. Nor -- you know, I just don't spend that much time on him really, to be honest with you. I'm more worried about making sure that our soldiers are well supplied, that the strategy is clear, that the coalition is strong, that when we find enemy bunched up, like we did in Shah-e-Kot mountains, that the military has all the support it needs to go in and do the job, which they did.

LINK

Rumor About After-Debate Bush-Kerry Conversation

Rumor About After-Debate Bush-Kerry Conversation

From Daily Kos:

"This is exactly what the Kerry blog entry said:

"anyway, I am new tonight... as you may not have seen me before in here.. just a FYI that I am deaf here and can read lips okay..
at the end of debate where Kerry and Bush shook hands.. Bush was asking Kerry, Can I talk to you later tonight? Kerry said sure then Bush said where would you be? I missed what Kerry said.

I wondered what Bush wanted to talk to Kerry about??

... not good. Not. Good. At all.
I watched them talk after, and it seemed like Kerry was surprised... something was off. I was wondering what was said...

When the president asks to talk to you, you don't not meet with him...

Whatever Bush says, whatever it sounds like, I wouldn't trust it worth a damn.

But Kerry's a senator... he knows the game."

If I had to guess, I would say that something is up with Bush's health. With all of the comments on how Bush's face is drooping on one side, and the lack of a physical until after the election, you really have to wonder what is going on."

Another Comment from Kos site by kfractal on Thu Oct 14th, 2004 at 08:58:46 GMT :

Bush: Can I talk to you (later tonight)?
Kerry: ???
Bush: Where you gonna be?
Kerry: ???
Bush: ... We'll find each other.

Kerry had his back to the camera for this.

Not that I have any clue what this means.

Another Comment from by Geotpf on Thu Oct 14th, 2004 at 09:17:29 GMT:

Could be Bush wants more debates

Could be Bush really has health issues (either mental or physical) and is about to drop out of the race (!!!)

Could be a security/terrorism thing

Comment from Akapl on Thu Oct 14th, 2004 at 17:43:20 GMT:

At the end of the debate.......

When they were shaking hands Bush clearly asks "Can we talk later" and Kerry a bit surprised seems to say yes and then U see Bush clearly say "Where you gonna be later".....
This was posted on the Kerry blog last night so I re-watched the end it absolutely DID happen. Is there any more info today about this??????
I'm wondering if there isn't something going on within the Bush family with someone's health....

Next Comment from smubbard on Thu Oct 14th, 2004 at 17:20:05 GMT:

questions

I have questions about his whole left side of his face. It wasn't even his mouth. His left eye looked drooping as well.
I was surprised that no one mentioned it last night.

Review-Vote For Change Concert Oct 11 Washington DC

Review-Vote For Change Concert
October 11, 2004
MCI Center, Washington D.C.

"I am a patriot
and I love my country
Because my country is all I know
I want to be with my family
With people who understand me
I got nowhere else to go

And I ain't no communist, and I ain't no capitalist
And I ain't no socialist
and I sure ain't no imperialist
And I ain't no democrat
And I ain't no republican either
And I only know one party
and its name is freedom
I am a patriot.."

-from the song I Am A Patriot (and the river opens for the righteous) by Little Steven Van Zandt, sung by Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, and Keb Mo at the Vote For Change concert finale, October 11, 2004 in Washington, D.C.

The sun was shining on a clear Sunday afternoon in Washington D.C. The mall was sprinkled with people tossing footballs and frisbees, tourists strolling the sculpture garden at the Hirschorn Museum, and students reading their schoolbooks at the Starbucks on 7th Avenue. You could tell which people were headed to the Vote For Change concert finale at the MCI Center either by their Kerry-Edwards T-shirts or anti-Bush statement shirts. If you listened carefully, you may have heard some say jovially to one another "So, have you heard the rumors on the internets?"

A few hours before the show, four or five Freeper-types stood across the street, one with a Saddam Hussein costume on, another holding a sign saying something ludicrous like "MoveOn.org rocks for Osama" and "Saddam-Aid 2004". I waved to them while happily, thinking about the great music they were never going to be hearing that evening while they backed Bush the loser whose big-name entertainment supporter is Wayne Newton.

As concert time drew near, a large crowd gathered outside the MCI center. There were people handing out flyers and stickers, groups looking for volunteers to travel to swing states, and 'Billionaires for Bush' looking dapper and darling. Inside the arena, a large crowd swarmed the T-Shirt concession area, lining up six-deep to gaze upon the Vote For Change merchandise.

By the time the show started, at 7pm sharp, most people were not yet in their seats. By the time the first artist, John Mellencamp, had taken the stage, the crowd had quickly gotten into their assigned places to enjoy the show, which had been sold-out 30 minutes after tickets had gone on sale last month.

Before Mellencamp sang, a group of artists came out to make a brief political statement. Bruce Springsteen, Emily Robison (of the Dixie Chicks), Dave Matthews, Michael Stipe, and Eddie Vedder came onstage together. Without mentioning Bush or Kerry, Springsteen said, "We're here to raise our voices loud and clear...we want to change our government."

Eddie Vedder added, "We want government that's open, rational, responsible for the citizenry, and humane."

I enjoyed Mellencamp's set. I'd seen him at a small club when he was still John Cougar Mellencamp back in the 80s, and watching him at the MCI Center, I realized he has never lost his energy or his spirit through the years. He set the tone for the night with a solid acoustic performance. Mellencamp's rootsy band included a drummer, two guitarists, violin, accordian, upright bass, and background singer. Songs performed:

1. In my time of dying (blues version)
2. Paper in Fire
3. Walk Tall (prefaced by the statement, "This next song is about what the Devil can do if you don't keep your eye on him.")
4. Authority Song
5. Pink Houses

By the time Mellencamp had finished his set, the crowd was on its feet with an energy that would last the whole night long.

Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds was next, doing one smooth, blues-injected song, "Change the World" (a hit song written by Eric Clapton, produced by Babyface).

Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, and KebMo were next, performing the following songs together:

1. Worlds in Motion
2. For What It's Worth
3. I am a Patriot
4. Stand up and be Strong

At the end of the set, Bonnie Raitt stated, "America, we'll see you at the polls!"

"I am a Patriot" was one of my favorites of the concert. It was written by Little Steven Van Zandt, and I believe its lyrics and reggae spirit stayed closest to the theme of the raucous evening of political rock for change.

Jackson Browne came back to the stage after a short break as the stage was rotated to a new set and he introduced the hip hop act, Jurrassic 5.
1. I Am Somebody
2. And you Don't Stop
3. Freedom
After the performance, members of the group stated, "It starts with you first."; "Don't point the finger at no one else."; "Vote yes on Proposition 66"

At about 8:30pm, REM took the stage. I was thrilled as it was my first opportunity to see them in concert. It was a dream-set with stellar guest-singers. REM gave a CD-quality performance of the following songs:

1. The One I Love
2. Begin the Begin (with guest singer Eddie Vedder)
3. Leaving New York (an excellent new song)
4. Losing My Religion (oh, man, this was great)
5. Man in the Moon (with Bruce Springsteen)

Pearl Jam was next.

1. Grievance
2. Save You
3. New World (by X) (with guest singer Tim Robbins)
4. Bushleaguer
5. Master of War (The Bob Dylan song, and Vedder sang the tune with a decided high-lonesome Appalachin feel, a bone-chilling rendition--one of the best performances of the night.)

Vedder was heard saying, "I guess now everyone is going to vote" Also, Vedder remarked that everyone is talking about November 3rd--how the work will have just begun on November 3rd. He said he was worried people would forget the actual day they need to vote and he asked the audience to raise their hands for the television cameras and show them the day they have to vote. The 2nd sign doubled for the peace sign, and Eddie Vedder was pleased with the resulting visual mass statement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I hate it when they say you shouldn't change horses in mid-stream. The horse can't swim and it's in way over its head and that horse shouldn't have crossed the stream in the first place, and there's a good democratic mule right there. So change that horse. Change it."

--James Taylor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pardon my adolescent-sounding admiration, but I was blown away by James Taylor.

1. The Secret of Life
2. Hold Them Up

(Out came the Dixie Chicks to join Taylor for a couple songs)

3. Sweet Baby James (A sweet rendition with Natalie Maines on vocals and Taylor on harmony--the audience went wild with appreciative applause after the song.)
4. Shower the People

James Taylor made the most astute remarks of the evening:

--"I hate it when they say you shouldn't change horses in mid-stream. The horse can't swin and it's in way over its head and that horse shouldn't have crossed the stream in the first place, and there's a good democratic mule right there. So change that horse. Change it."

--"We started the tour on the eve of the first debate and I've been asked 'What advice do you have for undecided voters?' You take a look at the two candidates; you study 'em real close... and YOU CHOOSE THE SMART ONE. You choose the smart one."

The Dixie Chicks performed the next set on their own:

1. Some Days You Gotta Dance (with guest James Taylor)
2. Truth No. 2
3. Mississippi (Bob Dylan song)

Natlaie Maines' comments included:

"Gosh, I hope y'all show up to our next tour." and "After 'the incident', people asked me if I wanted to take back what I'd said. I thought, well, no, because after that, Bush would just call me a flip-flopper." The audience cheered with amused delight.

At about 10:20, the Dave Matthews Band took the stage. Their set list:

1. Don't Drink the Water
2. One Sweet World
3. Joy Ride
4. Ants Marching
5. So Much to Say
6. Too Much

Bruce Springsteen took the stage a bit past 11:00.

1. The Star Spangled Banner (guitar version)
2. Born in the USA
3. Badlands
4. No Surrender

John Fogerty was introduced by Springsteen as the Hank Williams of our generation. Fogerty, along with the E Street band, started with a new song called Deja Vu. It was another one of my favorites of the night. It sounded as if the song was written just for the evening. It was a fresh look at what's happening today through the eyes of someone who's lived long enoughto have seen it all before. Shades of "Won't Get Fooled Again". Fogerty then performed a rousing version of "Fortunate Son" to a responsive and enthusiastic crowd.

Springsteen continued on with his set.

5. Because the Night /with Michael Stipe (It was GORGEOUS.)
6. Mary's Place (From the post-9/11 CD "The Rising", a song which contained the key line for the whole album, "How do you live brokenhearted," with a juxtaposition of sad lyrics and complete party music with Clarence Clemons playing a mean, mean sax).

Public Service Annoucement -Bruce Springsteen, in a televangelist preacher style, called all believers to their television screens and asked them to touch the screen and chant (three times) a healing: "Halliburton, Halliburton, Halliburton". ;) Springsteen then got serious and it was the one and only time he mentioned his confidence in and support of John Kerry and John Edwards, which he expressed with a serious yet hopeful patriotic tone.

7. Born to Run (with Peter Buck and Mike Mills of REM--and just about every member of the audience!)

I can't begin to tell you about the energy that was running through the arena by this time. It was more intense than I'd ever experienced at a concert in the past--and I've attended many a concert in my day. The E Street band sounded like they did in the late 70s/early 80s, with a vibe that sent shivers down my spine.

It was time for the finale. All the stars came to the stage to join in singing:

8. What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding? (With Michael Stipe and Eddie Vedder playing air guitar and bouncing joyously.)

11. People have the Power

I watched the finale from the stage left door looking directly onto the singers onstage. It's a moment I wish I could have recorded by means other than memory. It's a sight I'll never forget. I only hope the message sent by these fine, conscientious performers will travel straight to the hearts of Americans and will be translated to their hope--our hope---which is new leadership in the capital of the nation we all love so much.