Kerry and Clinton in Philly Today

Kerry and Clinton in Philly Today




credit: AP photo

21 Reasons and None Very Good, As It Turns Out

21 Reasons and None Very Good, As It Turns Out

The Foreign Policy magazine website has a colorful diagram showing the many rationales given ( mostly ) by individuals within the Bush administration for going to Iraq.

100 Facts and One Opinion

100 Facts and One Opinion-
The Non-Arguable Case Against the Bush Administration
LINK-The Nation

Bush Is In 'Deep QaQaa' Over Disappearing Explosives

Bush Is In 'Deep QaQaa' Over Disappearing Explosives

Hello?!

Several hundred tons of conventional explosives are missing from a former Iraqi military facility, al Qaqaa, that once played a key role in Saddam Hussein’s efforts to build a nuclear bomb.

This is possibly the worst mistake of all. IAEA inspectors once had a handle on these dangerous explosives. Until Bush lied his way into making a stubborn attack on the country. The Bush administration knew where this stockpile was, but took no action to secure the site. The inspectors had to pull out of Iraq just before the 2003 invasion and have not yet been able to return.

The Bush administration was 'urgently and specifically informed' that terrorists could be helping themselves to the most dangerous explosives bonanza in history, but nothing was done to prevent it from happening.

This should not be reported as a campaign issue. It's an issue that is deadly serious and needs to be thoroughly investigated.

This, dear readers, was a major, major Bush f**k-up. We may suffer for it in the future. Safer, my ass*terisk!. I am very upset to know this has happened while we've gotten nothing but rhetorical lip service from this rotten, destructively partisan, inept, unaccountable administration.

I just saw this headline and wanted to throw up all over it:
Bush: I'm Best Candidate to Protect US
Bull-friggen crap, you are.

On CNN, a senior Bush administration official downplayed the importance of the missing explosives, describing them as dangerous material but "stuff you can buy anywhere." Blogger Josh Marshall said, tongue-in-cheek, "So, given what a powder keg Iraq is, what's another few hundred tons of plastic explosives. It's not even "necessarily" a proliferation risk. I'm feeling better already."

I saw what less than a pound of HMX or RDX could do when Pan Am 103 was blown up over Lockerbie Scotland. It killed 35 students of a university right here in my city ( Syracuse University ). If you haven't seen the heartbreak of hundreds of families caused by less than a pound of that shit, then you'd better get back to your fantasy world and vote for the maniac who failed to secure 380 tons of it.

"This material was monitored and controlled by UN inspectors before the invasion of Iraq. Thanks to the stunning incompetence of the Bush administration, we now have no idea where it is,” Joe Lockhart has said. He demanded the White House explain “why they failed to safeguard these explosives and keep them out of the hands of our enemies.”

Josh Marshall wants to know where the hell Jerry (Paul) Bremer is.

I hope the press doesn't let this slide now that the dreadful information has been unearthed.

Joe Lockhart asks, at official Kerry-Edwards campaign site: "..why was this information unearthed by reporters -- and was it covered up by our national security officials?"

See John Kerry's comments on the situation.

"In the Air" - And a Prayer

"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air"
-1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

"In The Air"-
and a prayer

"Whether or not we can be ever fully safe is up -- you know, is up- in the air."

-G.W. Bush, Oct 24, 2004

Bush has wasted too much time leaving
our destiny to some idea that will fall
from the sky. Our domestic and foreign
policy belong down to earth.
My prayer is that we will soon
have a leader who
understands that.


Coming from a society that has always prided itself on being based in decency and Christian-based values, I don't think breaking the Golden Rule and making carelessly offensive pre-emptive attacks upon our global neighbors ( largely based upon lies ) is going to cause us to deserve respect; nor will it ever make us safer.

That's what this election is all about.

We need a new direction.

Bush's visions of the Rapture seem too real to him for any of it to be acceptable to me. Each time he reverts to faith when pressed with a difficult question, I lose faith in his ability to lead a real and wanting nation. His latest statement about our safety being up "in the air", combined with his born-again attitude and non-reality-based thinking are disturbing to me. My faithful vision for those who are living on this earth are strikingly different than those of Mr. Bush, and it's one of the main reasons why he will never have my vote.

If you are a secularist, please pardon my foray into the fields of personal faith for the sake of forwarding political ideals.

I want nothing more than for my nation and its people to follow the rule of law, which, in its most simplistic state, parallels the rule of God. The rule begins from the within and, in the spirit of love, helps us to create a vision of freedom in the light of true respect and fairness.

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment."
-Matthew 22:37-38

"The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
-Mark 12:30-31

Bush talks a mean God, and judging from his actions while in office, I can only come to the conclusion that his God is mean.

Maureen Dowd wrote a refreshingly astute column about how Bush planned for national safety predicated upon a miracle with incurious ignorance of fact and willful blindness; to the extent that we (along with our foreign policy) have become a 'casualty of faith'.

When casualties of blind faith become - or cause others to become - casualties of unnecessary war, we can clearly see that the spirit of God's law has been violated.

"A word was secretly brought to me,
my ears caught a whisper of it.
Amid disquieting dreams in the night,
when deep sleep falls on men,
fear and trembling seized me
and made all my bones shake.
A spirit glided past my face,
and the hair on my body stood on end.
It stopped,
but I could not tell what it was.
A form stood before my eyes,
and I heard a hushed voice:
'Can a mortal be more righteous than God?
Can a man be more pure than his Maker?"

-Job, 4:17-21

Bush seems to be trying to act as a Moses when he is merely an elected public servant. I am reminded of the book of Exodus 18:15-24. Bush's job is not to be God's messenger. He has President confused with Prophet.

I am deeply concerned.

"As for the deeds of men-
by the word of your lips
I have kept myself
from the ways of the violent."
-Psalm 17, A prayer of David

We need new direction.

"He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God."
-Micah 6:8

We need a humble leader whose faith is incorporated in his soulful deeds, not wading in the shallows of his chirping throat and warbling lips.

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
-James 2:14

This is the closest you'll see me get
to praying that our hope is met-
That John F. Kerry wins next week
to work on the vision that we seek.

Don't be afraid to join me in this prayer.

Desperation from the right

Desperation from the right-
Start learning to say 'President Kerry'


The 'Mowbraying'-
A last-ditch effort to impugn.

There is a new article at the Washington Times by someone I consider to be a total weasel named Joel Mowbray. Mowbray's the rabid critic who disgraced himself by smearing General Anthony Zinni ( former chief of Centcom ) for partisan politics' sake. He's the same Joel Mowbray who inspired the gentle-but-loony Pat Robertson to say, in terrorist fashion, that he wanted to "nuke Foggy Bottom". He's so bad that writer Justin Raimondo created a new term in his sad honor, which is mowbraying, meaning: telling a lie so brazen as to make every decent person within earshot cringe with embarrassment. I apologize if this sounds like an
ad hominem attack, but I think, in this new day of partisan political "bluntness", that we really need to call them as we seem them. The stakes are too high to be polite.

Righties have been allowing themselves to become tittilated about the partisan Washington Times puff piece, posing it as the anticipated 'October surprise'.

The gist of the story? The Washington Times reveals that John Kerry did, indeed, talk for an unspecified period of time to at least a few members of the U.N. Security Council before the Iraq 2002 Resolution was passed - but, in 'mowbrayistic' terms - he really didn't. It's not much of a story. Bottom line, the meetings John Kerry would have had with any of these council members would not have been a public hearing and we cannot expect any security council ambassadors or Kerry to whip out transcripts on what was said in private.

They're only making one last feeble attempt to hurt John Kerry by attacking his honesty. When it comes to the heart of the honesty issue, an examination of the gravity of the Kerry-meetings-situation dissipates like alcohol-on-skin - POOF - when you remember the president's failure to tell the truth to the American people in taking us to an unnecessary war, ruthlessly risking (and taking) untold numbers of lives.

The "big October story" falls flat and predictable and I now realize that John Kerry is, indeed, poised and ready to take his rightful place as President Kerry.


The members of Bush's base are deathly afraid of American voters

Right-blogs such as Powerline are afraid that every voter who desires to vote for John Kerry will actually be able to do so. The Powerline blogger says that Democrats are "gaming the system" simply because they've registered people to vote. The same blogger has taken pleasure in seeing the reverse decision on the Ohio provisonal ballots, which I believed was a decision running in bad faith toward the people's rights and interests. The election-related "fraud" those on the right seem to be anticipating surrounds the dreaded possibility that everyone who intends to vote will be enabled to do so. If every vote counts, why is counting every vote such a fear? I think it may be because they know Bush's ability to win has diminished. They see that decent Republicans have been jumping ship.


False Reliance upon Unreliable Polls vs. The Electoral Process

I notice that righties in the blogosphere are also taking poll statistics to heart, forwarding the notion that, if the vote is a landslide for Kerry, there will have to have been corruption involved because it wouldn't have "jibed" with poll numbers. We seem to be easily confusing polls with the real and meaningful participatory action of voting. Example at Powerline:

"The bottom line is that if this election is close enough, it will be stolen. If it is too close to steal but still close, the result will be months or years of litigation, designed either to give John Kerry the Presidency, or to deny President Bush legitimacy in his second term. Under current law, there is no solution to the problem of voter fraud other than a one-sided election. And this year, that doesn't look likely."

A one-sided election doesn't "look" likely because unreliable polls have systematically conditioned the righties to believe they've got an edge. What if the election were to be close and John Kerry won, prompting an action by the people to contest the election? Would John Kerry's "legitimacy" not also be affected?

*see Scrutiny Hooligans for more proof of poll voodoo


The People - Our rights and privileges are paramount

I saw a right blogger complaining today. He said:"

This has been the mantra of the Democrats since September; if we can't beat you, we'll make your election illegitimate in the eyes of the world."

I made sure to remind him that his statement was pure self-contradiction in light of our free democratic society, which our Founding Fathers helped to form. In a race that is allegedly this close, it is a natural "given" that Bush (or Kerry) can (and one will) be beaten. Any legal election-related challenges raised by either side may effect someone's perception of a winner's "legitimacy", but what's truly important is the American PEOPLE getting a fair treatment in the electoral process. I can't imagine why we would worry more about the perception of Executive power and less about the PEOPLE. We're the ones who are supposed to hold true power in this nation. Regardless of who holds the presidency, it's paramount that we, the people, keep our freedoms and privileges intact.


One thing we DO know about Bin Laden...

In other news from the right, the Washington Times has a column by Jack Kelly playing with the possibility that Osama Bin Laden might be dead, for all we know. One thing we do know is that we let him slip away at Tora Bora and lost him in the haze of lies told to us about Iraq.

New Kerry Endorsements-including Wa Po

New Kerry Endorsements

62 So Far Today....

Washington Post endorses John Kerry
Chicago Sun-Times endorses John Kerry
Hampton Roads Daily Press (VA) endorses Kerry
LA Daily News (surprise) endorses John Kerry
The Olympian (WA) endorses John Kerry
Sarasota Herald Tribune endorses John Kerry
The Decatur Daily endorses John Kerry
Lufkin Daily News (TX) endorses John Kerry
Ventura County Star (CA) endorses John Kerry
The Coloradoan (Fort Collins, CO) endorses John Kerry
Kennebec Journal (ME) endorses John Kerry
Allentown Morning Call (PA) endorses John Kerry
The Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) endorses John Kerry
The Iowa City Press Citizen endorses John Kerry
The Raleigh News & Observer endorses John Kerry





Seattle Times endorses John Kerry
Centre Daily Times (PA) endorses John Kerry
Las Vegas Sun endorses John Kerry
Bismarck Tribune endorses John Kerry
Des Moines Register endorses John Kerry
The Journal Times in Racine, Wisconsin endorses John Kerry
The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Indiana endorses John Kerry
Bangor Daily News endorses John Kerry
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette endorses John Kerry
Allentown (PA) Morning Call endorses John Kerry
Newark (NJ) Star Ledger endorses John Kerry
Memphis Commercial-Appeal endorses John Kerry
Bergen County (NJ) Record endorses John Kerry
Newsday endorses John Kerry
The Republican (MA) endorses John Kerry
Macon Telegraph endorses John Kerry
The Journal News (White Plains, NY) endorses John Kerry
Northwest Indiana Times endorses John Kerry
The Courier Journal (KY) endorses John Kerry
Glens Falls Post Star (Upstate NY) endorses John Kerry
Orlando Sentinel endorses John Kerry
Gloucester County Times (NJ) endorses John Kerry
Asheville Citizen Times endorses John Kerry (10/22)
The Buffalo News endorses John Kerry
The Nashua Telegraph endorses John Kerry
The Portsmouth Herald endorses John Kerry
Nashville Tennessean endorses John Kerry
Santa Fe New Mexican endorses John Kerry
The Toledo Blade endorses John Kerry
The Memphis Commercial Appeal endorses John Kerry
The Santa Cruz Sentinel endorses John Kerry
The Port Huron Times Herald (MI) endorses John Kerry
The Lansing State Journal (MI) endorses John Kerry.
The Hutchinson News (KS) endorses John Kerry
The Idaho Statesman endorses John Kerry
Stamford Advocate endorses John Kerry
Rockford (IL) Register-Star endorses John Kerry.
Contra Costa Times (CA) endorses John Kerry.
Worcester Telegram & Gazette (MA) endorses John Kerry.
Wausau Daily Herald (WI) endorses John Kerry.
Billings Gazette (MT) endorses John Kerry.
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin (WA) endorses John Kerry.
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (NY) endorses John Kerry.
Reno Gazette-Journal (NV) endorses John Kerry.
Daily Southtown (IL) endorses John Kerry.
Durango Herald (CO) endorses John Kerry.
Waco Tribune-Herald (TX) endorses John Kerry.
The Flint Journal (MI) endorses John Kerry
Traverse City Record-Eagle (MI) endorses John Kerry



I have an important "non-endorsement" to announce. The Detroit News is conservative, and they had endorsed Bush in 2000. Bush no longer meets their endorsement test.



See list of all endorsements to date HERE

Do not miss the most Bush-damning endorsement of all--from the AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE- Kerry's The One

Jon Stewart Watch

Jon Stewart Watch

Jon Stewart will be on 60 Minutes Tonight. ( We know you specialize in the 'Fake News', Jon, but we suggest you don't bring any fake documents with you to this particular interview. *wink* )

Daily Kos diary- Jon Stewart 's CSPAN interview

Mercury News- The unlikely influence of Jon Stewart, The Comedian as pundit; it's funny, but it's true.

NYT- JON STEWART GETS SERIOUS: If You Interview Kissinger, Are You Still a Comedian?

Ft Wayne Journal Gazette- Take it easy. He’s joking; Stewart insists show about comedy, not news by Howard Kurtz

Wal Mart Sez No Nudies! No Jon Stewart books in store.

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


Want to see Lawrence O'Donnell rip John O'Neil a new one? ( * inspired by Jon Stewart, I think * ).

Watch This Video

Watch this video

Please watch this powerful Truth and Hope ad today. (Quicktime)

Why the Neo-Cons Can't Win the War on Bin Ladenism

Why the Neo-Cons Can't Win the War on Bin Ladenism
by Paul Adler
October 20, 2004

"I do not doubt that people like Paul Wolfowitz or Dick Cheney are sincere in a desire to see democracy expand to the Arab world. However, not only do I doubt their ability to carry through on such rhetoric, but I have serious issues with their conceptions of democracy.."

Paul Adler talks about how he thinks the Bush Administration is both too cynically political and too rigidly ideological to conduct this war properly; how Afghanistan (the primary front in the war on al Qaeda) remains a very dangerous and unstable place, and how, in the Bush Administration, we find a hyper version of the neo-liberal economics that has hampered development efforts around the world. In Adler's words, "Reconstruction and development efforts need to be based more on the ethos of the New Deal, not the era of robber barons." A must-read.

Kerry: the conservative choice/Bush: A radical candidate

Kerry: The conservative choice
Bush: A radical candidate
By Daniel Sneider, foreign-affairs columnist for the San Jose Mercury News

"We are witnessing the cost of Bush's radicalism in Iraq. And there is reason to believe it will not be the last we will see of this doctrine in action if he wins a second term.." LINK

Ohio Provisional Ballot Ruling Reversed

Ohio Provisional Ballot Ruling Reversed

"The ruling by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals supports an order issued by Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell. Democrats contend the Republican official's rules are too restrictive and allege they are intended to suppress the vote. Ohio Democrats were discussing in a conference call Saturday night whether to file an appeal in the case, one of the first major tests of how such ballots will be handled in a close election......Blackwell has said allowing voters to cast a ballot wherever they show up, even if they're not registered to vote there, is a recipe for Election Day chaos.The Ohio Democratic Party and a coalition of labor and voter rights groups argue that Blackwell's order discriminated against the poor and minorities, who tend to move more frequently."

Newsweek- OHIO: The Next Florida by Howard Fineman
Fineman is forwarding the notion that Ohio may be so close that it will be a fight to the finish. He plays directly into the poll trap, placing poll results on par with the result of true and real democracy, which can only be represented by those who actually come out to vote on Election Day. But who is representing the voters? In Ohio, Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell is fighting against those people who wish to participate in the process while polls spread the myth of the popularity of Dubya Bush. I don't see Fineman as being helpful here. The people need the journalists' support instead of their lust for controversy and poll-speak. The people need the truth.

Plain Dealer Fiasco/Headlines

by Jack Ohman, OregonLive.com

Headlines

**Cleveland Plain Dealer to Endorse Bush Even Though Majority of Editorial Board Voted For Kerry (5-2)**
The Cleveland Plain Dealer's publisher is overriding the editorial board. Lorain Journal editors were told that either they endorse George Bush or they endorse no one. So, they are endorsing no one.

NOTE: It is critical for us to start a MAJOR letter writing campaign to the Plain Dealer and to spread the word about the publisher overruling the editorial board's vote. If this is going on here, you can imagine it's being duplicated all over the country.

Letters can be mailed to the Editor, The Plain Dealer, 1801 Superior Ave, Cleveland 44114. Email can be sent to letters@plaind.com. Faxes can be sent to 216-999-6209.

SEE UPDATE ON MAIN PAGE/DAILY KOS.
Apparently, this has something to do with a conflict between Richard Holbrooke and the publisher of the Plain Dealer, Alex Machaskee. To me, a publisher going over the heads of the editorial board for revenge seems to be a non-democratic and unAmerican way to conduct the business of editorializing in an American newspaper. The Plain Dealer's journalistic integrity will be lost on many because of this.

From Editor and Publisher:

"E&P has learned from several sources at the Cleveland Plain Dealer that the paper's nine-person editorial board decided earlier this week that it wanted to endorse Kerry but Publisher Alex Machaskee, who has final say, has decided on Bush. The paper backed Bush in 2000. This has caused consternation in some quarters at the Plain Dealer, with sources telling E&P that the endorsement editorial, which was expected to run Sunday, was put off."

Jesse "The Body" Ventura Slams Bush
Ventura breaks his own rule against endorsing major-party candidates because he is so unhappy with President Bush's leadership on the war in Iraq, the deployment of National Guard and reservists overseas and the treatment of veterans. Jesse endorses John Kerry.

Stocks sent sliding on rash of bad news

A repeat of the 2000 recount would almost certainly send stocks tumbling

Crude Oil Tops $55 per Barrel

"It hurts to see my wife cry"- Margaret Hassan's husband appeals for her release

Further abuse at Abu Ghraib detailed

Army captain sues government, saying Iraq assignment came after he had retired

Vote for a man, not a puppet by Charlie Reese

"This election really is important, not only for domestic reasons, but because Bush's foreign policy has been a dangerous disaster..I will swallow a lot of petty policy differences with Kerry to get a man in the White House with brains enough not to blow up the world and us with it."

UPDATE: What's Happening in Lucas County?

"It’s an area of opportunity. It’s that little extra percentage we’re trying to make up in Lucas County that could pull Ohio through for the president in a close race."

--Bernadette Noe, chairwoman of the Lucas County Republican Party

UPDATE: What's Happening in Lucas County?
PART ONE HERE

The Columbus Dispatch has an interesting article about Dick Cheney's appearance in Sylvania, Ohio on Thursday.

While in Sylvania speaking to a crowd of 500 supporters, Cheney said:

"What Senator Kerry is trying hardest of all to hide is his record on national security."

Very interesting, considering that the Bush administration lied (boldfaced) to us consistently, handing us almost thirty different rationales for attacking Iraq while they kept their real intentions in tight secrecy and, to this day, waver, swerve, and dodge the obvious realities of failure on the ground in Iraq.

Frankly, all I've seen John Kerry doing is pointing out those realities.

Who's trying to bury their national security record and lies to America in a near-fantasy world of wild optimism, fables of grand coalitions, and (knowing Iraq will be a hardline fundamentalist democracy at best), a child's tale of freedom and liberty to rival "My Pet Goat"?

You know who: Dick and George.

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

There are disturbing things happening in Lucas County That Are Happening Across America

At the Sylvania rally, a Bush/Cheney supporter named Rita Fournier cited the Iraq war in Iraq as the top issue for this election, saying:

"We were right to go there because we needed to do something to protect our country. John Kerry is two-faced about the war; he says what people want to hear."

If anyone watched the three presidential debates, they should clearly understand that John Kerry has, indeed, been consistent with his plan for national security. All they needed to do was to listen with a discerning and open, independent mind.

Rita is just one out of many Bush/Cheney supporters who have been systematically trained to misunderstand the reality which has unfolded before them in Iraq. A recent study shows similar cognitive dissonance with many Bush/Cheney supporters.

There have been studies tracking the public's misperceptions of major news events and polling people to find out just where they go to get things flat out wrong. It is interesting, but not surprising, to find that, statistically, those who consistently get the actual facts wrong about what our country has done and is doing - and about much of what is happening in the world - use Fox News as their usual source of information.

PIPA- The Program on International Policy Attitudes - has released a recent study titled Public Perceptions of the Foreign Policy Positions of the Presidential Candidates- Bush Supporters Misread Many of His Foreign Policy Positions- pdf file. There are two subheadings which speak volumes. "Kerry Supporters Largely Accurate" and "Swing Voters Also Misread Bush, But Not Kerry."

Related article at 'Just Above Sunset'

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DAILY KOS: The GOP is hiring recruits and paying them $100 on election day to "challenge" the validity of voters' registrations!


Toledo Blade- Ohio GOP to deploy 3,600 for challenges
Republican Party officials in Ohio took formal steps yesterday to place thousands of recruits inside polling places Nov. 2 to challenge the qualifications of voters who they suspect may not be eligible to cast ballots. In Lucas County (and other Ohio counties), Republicans are trying to blame Democrat '527' fund groups for "undermining the Ohio election". David Sullivan, voter protection coordinator for the Ohio Democratic Party, called the latest challenges an "unprecedented effort to throw tens of thousands of voters off of Ohio's voting rolls." (Question: If the 527 ads sparked voter interest and participation, how is the election process undermined? Sour grapes, GOP!


Bad News for all would-be voters: Judge Carr issued a decision favorable to Mr. Blackwell when he ruled late Thursday against the Lucas County and Ohio Democratic Parties.
As I described to you on Thursday, the case involved a space, Box 10, on Ohio Voter registration forms asking applicants to provide their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. Blackwell's office told county boards of elections that the registration applications couldn't be accepted if Box 10 wasn't filled and the form was submitted in person at a county elections board, a public library, or vehicle department. Democracy loses this one.

Let's Work Together to Elect Kerry/Edwards

Let's Work Together to Elect Kerry/Edwards
They're Going to Win - Believe It!

There are less than two weeks left before the presidential election. I'm optimistic that John Kerry will be elected by a clear and undeniable margin on November 2nd, no matter how the mainstream media beats the "close race" drum.

America knows too much of the truth to allow Bush to take our country further down the drain for another four years.

Democracy and strength at home, and respect in the world for America must be restored.

Let's work hard these next 10 days to make it happen.



credit- AP photo, Oct 22 in Reno, Nevada


Never lose hope. The Johns have got it goin' on!

KERRY-EDWARDS ONLINE FORUM
ACTION PLAN: POST ON BLOGS, FORUMS AND MESSAGE BOARDS
Pro-Kerry Blogs, Forums and Message Boards are listed here.
Visit as many as you can. Please participate. Volunteer.
Do all you can.



credit: Reuters photo, John Kerry and Dana Reeve, Oct 21st
Christopher Reeve spent his final evening cheering on presidential hopeful John Kerry.

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From Political Strategy:
"Top 35 Trends that say Kerry will Take the White House in November

"Recently, a couple nationwide polls have shown Bush with a substantial lead, including some nonsensical outlier from Fox News and an equally unrealistic poll from Gallup which showed likely voters favoring Bush by 8 points. What's going on?

Fear not. It is all a grand load of garbage!

See the transcript of John Kerry's powerful speech in Iowa:
A Fresh Start: Succeeding In Iraq And Winning Against Terrorism

POLLGATE: Pollsters Are Stealing Democracy

POLLGATE: Pollsters Are Stealing Democracy

Not one cell phone has been called during the presidential campaign. This is because there is no method for polling cell phones. Yet, there are 170,475,160 cell phones in America.

While polls may sound convincing, the foundation for their statistical predictions is shaky, at best. This is no longer a nation of landlines, and this is becoming a real credibility problem for pollsters. Polls are rapidly becoming an antiquated predicting tool.

If the election were to be stolen on November 2, the nation would be more apt to swallow it due to their heads being stuffed, 24/7, with inaccurate statistical poll data in the weeks leading up to the election.

On the positive side of possible poll inaccuracy, if Jimmy Breslin's right about this poll fiasco and Kerry wins by a landslide on election night, soon we could well be singing 'Buh-Bye, Dubya'!

Excerpt from Jimmy Breslin's latest column:

"Yesterday, the polls showed a Bush surge. It never happened because they were basing it on thin air. There also were figures showing Kerry winning states like Ohio in the Midwest. They came up with the percentages without calling one cell phone of the millions and millions of them in the area. I believe nothing.

Everybody maintains that the two candidates are in a statistical dead heat. Nobody knows that. With a huge number of new registered voters, overwhelmingly of color, and young, and with 40 million using cell phones, the only thing going on in this election is how many times George Bush goes under before he drowns on Election Day. As he should. He is the worst president we have had, maybe ever...

..They [the polls] are lies by numbers. The reporters basing their coverage on these polls are lazy, unimaginative and irresponsible. That everything is based on an untruth could be the reason for the dreadful election coverage. What they write or say so often has nothing to do with the times in which they are supposed to live and report."

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

Paul Krugman writes in today's NYT:

"A lot can change in 11 days, and Mr. Bush may yet win convincingly. But we must not repeat the mistake of 2000 by refusing to acknowledge the possibility that a narrow Bush win, especially if it depends on Florida, rests on the systematic disenfranchisement of minority voters. And the media must not treat such a suspect win as a validation of skewed reporting that has consistently overstated Mr. Bush's popular support."

Doing 'Whatever It Takes' To Cling To Power by Sen. Patrick Leahy

Doing 'Whatever It Takes' To Cling To Power by Sen. Patrick Leahy

This week, U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) offered a guest column to Howard Dean's 'Democracy for America' readers.

Excerpt:

"To hold on to power, to preserve their own political self interest, President Bush and his political allies have tried to smother debate about his policies on terrorism and on Iraq. They have implied that a coronation instead of a real election would be the patriotic thing to do....This is not politics as usual. This is something new and ugly and dangerous...they routinely use fear of terrorism to divide the American people to preserve their political self interest...this Administration has squandered the unity of the American people and our international allies....What they are saying is that the half of all Americans who disagree with this President's policies are less patriotic or are somehow not as American as they are. Have they no self respect? No sense of decency?....This is the American people's election, not al Qaeda's. And it's not Karl Rove's, Dick Cheney's or George Bush's either. As Election Day nears, they can't be allowed to undermine the right that the American people have to an open and informed debate about some of the most important issues of our lifetimes.."

Bravo, Senator Leahy!

Salam Pax in the U.S.A.

Salam Pax in the U.S.A

"There is no way the Bush administration can get away with the mess it created in Iraq by saying it did not know and could not predict this, because for two hours I sat with a man who was so knowledgeable on things I thought no one in the west knew or cared about."

-Salam Pax/The Baghdad Blogger

I hope you've been reading Salam Pax this week at the Guardian. His diary is filled with unique bits of observational wisdom. These paragraphs caught my eye in today's installment:

"The state department had, through its Future of Iraq project, detailed plans on how to proceed. There were plans for all the ministries. Months were spent preparing reports that once they reached the Pentagon ended up in the waste basket. Chalabi was in; everybody else was out. It really is strange how often his name comes up when people start talking about Why Things Went Wrong."

"..When we talk about possible Iraqi elections in January, he doesn't sound very optimistic. He doesn't see it happening because, to start with, there are no internal parties; only the exiles are ready. Actually, the religious parties are ready as well, and this is something not many people have considered. What would the US government do if we had elections and we in Iraq choose someone like Sadr - or even Ayatollah Sistani?"

Virginian-Pilot Endorses Kerry

Virginian-Pilot Endorses Kerry

"Resolve is no substitute for results."

A course change: The Virginian-Pilot endorses John Kerry

Terrorists for Bush, no matter what GOP tries to feed us

Terrorists for Bush, no matter what GOP tries to feed us

A new Bush ad is hinting that terrorists want Kerry to win this election. I found that to be preposterously hilarious, knowing that Iran (one member of Bush's "axis of evil") strongly endorsed him this week. (Democrats press human rights issues, you see).

The Abu Ghraib torture probably won Tehran over for Bush.

An endorsement from the government Bush considers to be 'evil' should give us all a startling pause. Breathtaking pause.


Why Iran Wants Four More Years by David Jagernauth

Massing Taking on the Press; Bradlee Calls Bush "a liar"

Michael Massing: Taking the press to task for buying into the war

The Seattle Times discusses a compendium of pieces written for The New York Review of Books by Michael Massing, a contributing editor of Columbia Journalism Review titled "Now They Tell Us: The American Press and Iraq".

Excerpt:

"So here's the Washington, D.C., bureau of the Knight Ridder newspaper chain working the bowels of the bureaucracy — low-level intelligence, defense and diplomatic analysts — and publishing on Oct. 8, 2002, a forceful story reporting the doubts analysts had about the Iraqi threat, and more significantly, making a case that the civilian leadership was deliberately exaggerating the threat.. but because Knight Ridder has no newspapers in New York or Washington, it was all to no effect..

Is American-style journalism — weighted with the misnomers "objective" and "impartial" — so reliant on government sources, and blind sources in particular, that it is prone to being duped by those willing to deceive to advance their agenda?"

Pierre Salinger and days of solid investigative reporting memorialized

Which leads me to a quote from the NY Times article about yesterday's funeral of former White House press secretary and bon vivant Pierre Salinger:

"....when the mourners prayed for "those who serve in government or the press," they prayed for themselves, marking the passing not only of Mr. Salinger but also of an era when journalists considered themselves reporters and thought of "media" as a Greek sorceress, "usually played by Dame Judith Anderson," as the veteran NBC and ABC correspondent Sander Vanocur recalled in a written remembrance read aloud..."

Ben Bradlee says, flat out, that Bush is a liar.

I read an alleged 'exclusive' piece on the internet about Ben Bradlee calling Bush a liar.

From Spiegel Online:

"He [Bradlee] says US President George W. Bush is a liar. Journalists should stop dancing around the issue and name Bush for what he is, the ever surly Bradlee says in a SPIEGEL ONLINE interview. Bradlee also bemoans a worsening Washington climate in which politicians regularly hide behind lies - his favorite being that they can't discuss an issue "on the grounds of national security." Nixon used that line, too, Brandlee says. Bradlee admonishes reporters at both the Washington Post and the New York Times to get a backbone and to do more homework. Journalists today should not only question what politicians say but also their motivation, he says. He faults both news biggies for not asking enough questions before the Iraq war broke out and for not investing enough time or money into researching tough-to-get stories. Calling Clinton a liar was easy, Bradlee says. With Bush, the trail is less transparent."

Minneapolis loves John Kerry

Minneapolis loves John Kerry!

Tonight’s John Kerry rally in Minneapolis at the Metrodome.
Look, Ma!
No Loyalty-Oaths!

Star Tribune: Kerry leading in Northeastern Minnesota

Kerry addresses estimated 30,000 at Metrodome rally -SEE VIDEO
It was one of the largest political rallies in Minnesota history.

Levin blasts Feith in report

Levin blasts Feith in report

Democratic Senator Carl Levin has accused a Douglas Feith, undersecretary of defense for policy, of distorting intelligence information to back claims of links between Iraq and al Qaeda in the run-up to last year's U.S.-led invasion.

A report issued by Sen. Carl Levin, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, also questioned assertions of pre-war links between Baghdad and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who since the invasion has emerged as a leader in the anti-U.S. insurgency.

Chicago Tribune Answers Furious Readers re: Bush Endorsement

Raw Story: Chicago Tribune Answers Furious Readers re: Bush Endorsement

Read about it here at Raw Story.

New: Project on Quality in Election Discourse

New: Project on Quality in Election Discourse

A new website is at www.projectqed.org. The Project on Quality in Election Discourse rates election candidates on the substance and logic of their speech. ProjectQED, as it's called, aims to encourage meaningful public debate in elections for high public office.

Most recently, they have subjected the debate performances of the two presidential candidates, George Bush and John Kerry, to a test. It's a test which the group of judges, who are trained in philosophy, law, the humanities and the sciences, have developed. The results are available at the website. I guarantee that you'll find them extremely interesting.

One Year Ago Today at IDDYBUD

One Year Ago Today at IDDYBUD-
"Shame on you, Bush!"



One year ago today, a hot topic of blog conversation was the censoring of the photography of flag-draped soldier's coffins arriving at Dover AFB.

Please read and reflect on my thoughts then...in light of what we've learned over the course of this past year.

CENSORED-October 21, 2003

Colin Powell loses confidence

Not so confident about January...

Colin Powell loses confidence

Who in their right mind
could blame him?

"[Colin Powell] was less firm in expectations for elections by the end of January than he had been in the past, while in New York, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said elections were only ''technically possible'' by that target date.

Annan said the United Nations may not have enough staff in Iraq to help prepare for voting. In Baghdad, Iraqi authorities expressed concern that the lengthening unrest would discourage international monitors from going to Iraq.

But Powell was confident Iraqis would vote for democracy."

Powell has lost confidence that meaningful elections can take place in January, but he is confident that Iraqis will "vote for democracy". What the hell does that mean?
I'll tell you what it means. NOTHING, when it comes to the part of Iraq's population against which we're fighting today. We are simply front-loading corruption onto Iraq's democracy before it is ever naturally formed.

By its most basic definition, a democracy is 'government by the people governed'. We are fighting 'the people' of Iraq. 'The people' of Iraq live in Fallujah as well as in other cities, and they will soon die in Fallujah at our hands, in the name of an interim Iraqi government who are seen as our puppets.
(GO HERE to see the video "Digging for Bodies in Falluja"--definitely not a good campaign ad for Bush)

Is it our plan to kill off that portion of 'the people' of Iraq who would vote for representatives who would support the continued killing of our troops? What if we cannot kill enough of them before the election?

Will we be surprised when a majority of Shi'ites, who are the majority in Iraq, elect hard-line fundamentalists to represent them?

How will we expect them to treat the Kurds, who will be a minority in their democracy?

I sense, if we rush a January election, we will pull our troops out of Iraq and there will be more mass graves to contend with in another year or two.

Bush has lied to us about the reasons for going into Iraq, and now he has made a horrendous political mess of the entire situation.

As an American, I hang my head in shame for what Bush has done to our trusting soldiers, the American citizens, and the people of Iraq.

I believe there is great strength that can be shown in humility, and my fervent hope is that John Kerry is elected and empowered to turn the tide and bring a light of hope to those who understand that democracy is more than just a word or a term for a political whore to wield.



UPDATE:
Reuters- U.S. - Backed Iraq Government Losing Support - Survey

George Tenet Calls Iraq War "wrong"

George Tenet Calls Iraq War "wrong"

Reporter Anna Clark of the Herald Palladium reports:

"George Tenet called the war on Iraq "wrong" in a speech Wednesday night to 2,000 members of The Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan at Lake Michigan College's Mendel Center. He did not elaborate."

Also reported at:
Daily Kos
Editor & Publisher
__________________________________________________

Who needs to elaborate, already? Saying the Iraq war was wrong is a "slam-dunk" comment, isn't it?

And, (omigawd!) Tenet came up with (choke) REASONS for the existence of terrorism and moral ways to ebb terror's wicked tide:

"Tenet said a developing nation's low per capita income, high unemployment among young men and high infant mortality rate strongly increase its likelihood of becoming a "terrorist safe haven."

"In 2010, 100 million people outside of Africa will be infected with HIV," Tenet said. "The secondary implications of this are staggering."

He said the work of public health officers, missionaries and literacy teachers in third world nations are crucial to the war on terrorism, because terrorists build supporters by spinning poverty as a form of humiliation caused by wealthy nations like the United States."

I'll bet this "Iraq war was wrong" comment will soon be all over the INTERNETS !

David Corn: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog Visits the Spin Room

David Corn: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog Visits the Spin Room



In case you missed it on Conan O'Brien's show last night, be sure to read about it.

-- TRIUMPH: A lot of people think [Bush] should appeal more to women because he's a douche. [laughter] I finally stopped you. You know what Bush won me over with? When he indicated that Kerry changed his mind. I think the 83rd time was finally a charm for me.

REPUBLICAN WOMAN: I think the most important time he changed his mind was when he refused to fund the troops in iraq, a critical situation for our country to be successful there. it's good to see you tonight.

TRIUMPH: Thank you for your time. Have a safe trip back to Stepford. [laughter]--

Rice Wastes Precious Time/A Republican Endorses Kerry

Rice Wastes Precious Time/A Republican Endorses Kerry

"There’s a problem when our troops are in harm’s way, fighting for a secure Iraq, and our national security adviser is out on the stump campaigning instead of working."

-Senator John Edwards

...while Dick Cheney gloomily warns of a pending nuclear attack against the nation.

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

A FORMER REPUBLICAN SENATOR FOR KERRY
'Frightened to death' of Bush
Marlow W. Cook

"I have been, and will continue to be, a Republican. But when we as a party send the wrong person to the White House, then it is our responsibility to send him home if our nation suffers as a result of his actions....I hope you all have noticed the Bush administration's style in the campaign so far. All negative, trashing Sen. John Kerry, Sen. John Edwards and Democrats in general. Not once have they said what they have done right, what they have done wrong or what they have not done at all...If we are indeed the party of Lincoln (I paraphrase his words), a president who deems to have the right to declare war at will without the consent of the Congress is a president who far exceeds his power under our Constitution.
I will take John Kerry for four years to put our country on the right path."

What's Happening in Lucas County, Ohio?

"In the battle of Fallen Timbers, it took but 40 minutes for "Mad Anthony" Wayne’s disciplined troops to bring to an end 20 years of border warfare. My hope is that Democrats will bring, in but one day, an end to four years of miserable failure in American leadership and partisan warfare."--Iddybud

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

What's Happening in Lucas County, Ohio?

There are things happening in Lucas County, Ohio, which are making me extremely nervous. Lucas County is situated at the western tip of Lake Erie and borders the state of Michigan. The county is home to Toledo, which rests upon on the historic Maumee River. It is the location of Fallen Timbers, which was one of the shortest and most significant battles in American history fought in 1794 between tribes of the Northwest Territory and the U.S. army, commanded by "Mad Anthony" Wayne. In that battle, it took but 40 minutes for Wayne’s disciplined troops to bring to an end 20 years of border warfare.

My hope is that Democrats will bring, in but one day, an end to four years of miserable failure in American leadership and partisan warfare. The prospects of the election being settled in one day are questionable right now, if we choose to believe the polls. A clear and decisive win by Kerry on election day would prevent corruption and chaos from seeping into the American election, as it did in 2000.

VP Dick Cheney appeared in Ohio yesterday at a rally and spoke of doom and gloom. He will make an appearance in Lucas County today. The news from this Ohio county is getting little play in the mainstream media, so I thought I would tell you a bit about what's been going on lately. Bear in mind, as you read, that this is just one county in America.

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

BOARD OF ELECTIONS

Election day is less than two weeks away. According to a report from ABC/Toledo, the Lucas County board of elections is playing "beat the clock." They still have to process thousands of new registrations and thousands of people are waiting to learn where they need to go to vote. Election workers estimate there are 10,000 new registrations that must still be processed. And there are less than two weeks left to get that done and then notify those people where they need to go to vote. On top of that, board of elections members are trying to understand election law in case someone's voting eligibility is challenged.


The Lucas County Board of Elections is bracing for a wave of challenges against thousands of registered voters that could keep them from casting ballots in the November presidential election. As many as 4,000 voters may be targeted for removal from the list of qualified voters because the board has found residential addresses on their registrations incorrect. [See Toledo Blade article]

The 4,000 registered voters may be the subject of what election officials are calling a "prechallenge" that could disqualify them from voting before Election Day. Once the County files the challenges, which could come by the end of this week or early next week, a public hearing is scheduled and a letter will be sent to the registered voters notifying them their right to vote is at risk and they must appear to defend themselves.

On Election Day, poll workers running the election can challenge any voter's legitimacy to cast a ballot.
The poll workers at the precinct ask voters they have decided to challenge questions to determine whether they should vote. The poll workers - two Democrats and two Republicans - then vote on whether the persons should get a ballot. If they tie 2-2, the challenge fails and the voter is allowed to vote. If the majority of poll workers vote to approve the challenge, the voters areoffered a provisional ballot.

The provisional ballot, however, will not be counted until after an investigation is completed following Election Day to determine if the voter was properly registered and eligible to vote.


BLACKWELL SUIT

Last Friday, the Lucas County and Ohio Democratic parties sued Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, accusing him of failing to enforce uniform standards for people who register to vote in the Nov. 2 election. It is believed that Mr. Blackwell is trying to make it more difficult for people to vote rather than making it easier. The lawsuit surrounds a problem with the Ohio voter registration form. It includes a space, "Box 10", for applicants to provide their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. In a Dec. 31, 2003 memo to county boards of elections, Mr. Blackwell's office said, based on the federal Help America Vote Act (HAPA), voter registration applications can't be accepted if "Box 10" isn't filled out and the form is submitted in person at a county elections board, a public library, or a motor vehicle department. But, in that same memo, the secretary of state's office said if a person completes the same form by mail, he or she wouldn't have to check "Box 10". [Toledo Blade article]



THEFT

Even more worrisome was a theft which took place sometime during the early hours of October 13. Thieves shattered a side window overnight at the Lucas County Democratic headquarters in Toledo, stealing computers with sensitive campaign information and triggering concern of the local party's ability to deliver crucial votes on Nov. 2. Among the data on the stolen computer of the party's office manager were: e-mails discussing campaign strategy, candidates' schedules, financial information, and phone numbers of party members, candidates, donors, and volunteers. Also taken were computers belonging to Lucas County Commissioner Tina Skeldon Wozniak and to a Texas attorney working with the Kerry/Edwards presidential campaign to ensure election security.

The thefts have prompted the Kerry/Edwards campaign and Democrats in Washington to offer help and have left local officials fretting about the crime's impact on the upcoming election, in which Ohio plays a high-profile role.

Very little has been reported in the mainstream media about this theft.


Peter Jennings of ABC recently said he was nervous about the upcoming election. His concern is not that it might be delayed all night long on November 2nd. That would be okay with him. Jenning's concern is about a long, drawn-out presidential election battle and the effect it will have on our national institutions. Jennings says, "If we don't trust the voting system, then I think there's some danger we'll begin to question a lot of other institutions." Jennings said the media is included among the institutions that may get heightened scrutiny, and I think that's already happening.

Watching Lucas County, Ohio, I share Peter Jennings' concerns.

Remember, Lucas County is just one of many swing-state counties which may determine the winner in this race, if it's a close one.

I'm hoping it won't be a close race and that Kerry will win by an undeniable margin in the swing states.

Are you feeling nervous yet?

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


UPDATE- More Ohio election trouble in the Columbus area, Voters report fake calls

Articles You Shouldn't Miss

Articles You Shouldn't Miss

• The art of stealing elections
by Robert Kuttner
"THE REPUBLICANS are out to steal the 2004 election -- before, during, and after Election Day. Before Election Day, they are employing such dirty tricks as improper purges of voter rolls, use of dummy registration groups that tear up Democratic registrations, and the suppression of Democratic efforts to sign up voters, especially blacks and students.


• GOPers Assail Nation Institute
by David Corn
"This past summer, the Senate intelligence committee released a report on the prewar intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. The report was an indictment of the intelligence community, noting that the community's critical findings on Iraq's WMDs were "either overstated, or were not supported by, the underlying intelligence reporting." That was the big news: the war had been based on bad and overinflated intelligence. (And, by the way, Bush had even overstated the exaggerated intelligence.) But conservatives jumped on a portion of the report devoted to the Niger affair to mount an attack against Wilson. At the time, I debunked much of this assault in two columns (Click here and here). I didn't realize then that Representative J.D. Hayworth, a Republican from Arizona, and ten of his GOP House colleagues had written a letter to The Nation Institute to demand that the institute withdraw the award it had bestowed upon Wilson..."

• Desperate Measures
by William Rivers Pitt
"In the last Presidential election, it was Florida that made the mess. This time, it could very well be Ohio, Oregon, West Virginia and Nevada, and that's just for starters..."


• The End of Democracy
Losing America's birthright, the George Bush way
by Rick Perlstein
"..Many among our Republican rank and file would have a hard time noticing anything amiss. These are the people who can say, as Richard Viguerie told the Voice, "If there's vote suppressing, nine times out of 10 it's going to be Democrats."A coup? Deep Faith is convinced some might even welcome it. "It makes me wonder, if something really bad happened, and the Bush administration was able to have a coup and be in permanent charge," he tells me, sinking into his living-room couch, scaring the hell out of me, "who among my folk would seriously protest, if they could get a slice of the pie? 'We could go in there and reverse all this judicial precedent we don't like!' " That Kingdom of God they keep talking about, he reminds us, the hunger for which is now the fuel of the Republican engine, "is not a democracy."

Elections: Big Ruling, Little Notice

Elections: Big Ruling, Little Notice

From the Village Voice:

It's easy to vote absentee in Illinois if you meet certain qualifications, like being out of your home county on Election Day. It's also easy if you don't meet those qualifications: You just lie. In fact, greasy machine pols have been known to exploit the present system to cast "votes" for their entire block. Juliet Alejandre is one person who didn't qualify, and who wasn't prepared to lie. Going to school full-time and working nights, the single mother says that the last time she tried to vote she left much of the ballot incomplete because she was terrified her unminded toddler would fall off the stage upon which the booths sat. So with three other working moms, Alejandre sued in federal court to order the state legislature to revisit its horse-and-buggy absentee statute to make reasonable provisions—whether by extending voting hours, changing absentee requirements, or instituting a universal vote-by-mail system like the one that's worked well in Oregon.

This past Friday, Judge Richard Posner of the Seventh Circuit, a prominent conservative intellectual and vocal Bush supporter, handed down a capricious, flippant dismissal of the complaint, ignoring key portions of its argument and simply inventing others. (The plaintiffs wanted the court to "decree weekend voting," he fantasized, wondering whether a federal court would soon "have to buy everyone a laptop, or a Palm Pilot or Blackberry?")

Bad enough if it only affected Illinoisans. Here's the scary part: Posner worded his ruling in such a way to make it difficult for anyone to challenge any voting statute passed by any state legislature anywhere.

The decision is diabolical—a perfect counterpart to this season's Republican strategy of drowning voting-rights complaints in a sea of moral relativism. One example: A goal of the plaintiff's case was to stop existing fraud by making Illinois's vague and antiquated absentee regulations more uniform and fair. Instead, Posner argued that the plaintiff's commonsense request for a second look at the statutes opened the door to fraud.

The bottom line: Posner's precedent gives much more discretion to states like Ohio and Florida to take action to restrict voting opportunities, especially for working people. And it was handed down, conveniently, two weeks before Election Day.

—R.P/Village Voice

Rolling Stone: John Kerry Interview

"I love 'Hey Jude'."

Rolling Stone: John Kerry Interview


Click photo for link

Excerpts:

What are the parallels between Iraq and Vietnam?

Right now there is one parallel that's very disturbing, and that is the leadership in Washington has not told the truth to the American people.....

...A failed Iraq is not in the interests of Arab states, and it's not in the interests of the European states -- but they're absent from the kind of effort necessary to prevent that from happening. That's where leadership is going to be necessary. That's the difference that I intend to make, and that I must make -- for the sake of our country. To make ourselves safe in the long term, we're going to have to rebuild relationships and re-establish American credibility. Bush's mistakes don't have to become America's misfortune for the long term, and it's my job to undo his mistakes and turn this into a success.

If you send troops into Iraq, how will you be able to tell them they're not risking their lives for a mistake?

Because I'm going to make it a success, 'cause we're going to win. We're going to do what we need to do to get this job done. And I'm committed to doing that -- and I know how to do it. I'll put a foreign-policy team together that talks the truth to the American people.

Will you communicate to the American people the size of the crisis we face?

I'm doing it in the course of this campaign. I'm already talking about it -- and I will as president. Look: I'm a person who has always believed that you tell people the truth and they'll make reasonable decisions. Truth is powerful.

This administration disrespects the truth, because they have a different credo. The truth unfortunately works against their interests, because their interests are in keeping power and in making money. And so they feed the drug industry, and they feed the oil industry, and they feed the big power companies.

And that's the difference between us. I'm fighting for the middle class -- he's fighting for a tax cut for people who earn more than $200,000 a year.


How did you feel when you first saw those Swift-boat ads?

Disappointed -- a sense of bitter disappointment. That people will stoop to those depths of lying -- for their personal reasons.

Did you get angry at Bush personally?

I do worry, and I am angry, about what they do to the American people. That's what this race is about. It's not about me. I can take it -- I don't care. I've been in worse things. I was on those boats -- I got shot at. I can handle it. What I worry about is that they lie to America..


You don't get angry when Bush outright lies about you?

No, I don't get angry at it. I think it's sort of pathetic.


Were you surprised by how the Swift-boat thing blew up?

I was surprised that the media, even when they knew it was lies, continued to cover it and treat it as entertainment.


You were criticized for wearing a windsurfing outfit.

It shows how pathetic and diversionary they are. They can't talk about having created jobs for America; they can't talk about giving people health care; they can't talk about having protected America and made it safer.


Did anyone say, "Senator, you shouldn't be wearing windsurfing clothes"?

Yeah, a few people said . . .


And you said, Fuck it?

You're damn right. I said, "I'm going to be who I am" -- I think people care about authenticity. There are much bigger issues.


What do you think of Karl Rove? Is he an evil genius?

I don't know him. I've met him once. I'll tell you November 3rd.


What do you think of the Vote for Change concerts that Bruce Springsteen organized?

I haven't been able to go. I'm jealous of everybody who is. It's separate from us -- they've done it by themselves. But I'm obviously elated. His music has been the theme song of our campaign from Day One. To have him out there is both a privilege and exciting. I hope it has an impact on the outcome.

Who are your favorite rock & roll artists?

Oh, gosh. I'm, you know, a huge Rolling Stones fan; Beatles fan. One of the most cherished photographs in my life is a picture of me with John Lennon -- who I met back in 1971 at an anti-war rally. But I love a lot of different performers.


Do you have a favorite Beatles song -- or Stones song?

I love "Satisfaction" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "Brown Sugar." I love "Imagine" and "Yesterday."


You're a greatest-hits kind of guy.

My favorite album is Abbey Road. I love "Hey Jude." I also like folk music. I like some classical. I love guitar. Oh, God. I mean, you know -- Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Buffett . . .

Let's Work Together to Elect Kerry/Edwards

Let's Work Together to Elect Kerry/Edwards
They're Going to Win - Believe It!

There are less than two weeks left before the presidential election. I'm optimistic that John Kerry will be elected by a clear and undeniable margin on November 2nd, no matter how the mainstream media beats the "close race" drum.

America knows too much of the truth to allow Bush to take our country further down the drain for another four years.

Democracy and strength at home, and respect in the world for America must be restored.

Let's work hard these next 13 days to make it happen.

Never lose hope. The Johns have got it goin' on!

KERRY-EDWARDS ONLINE FORUM
ACTION PLAN: POST ON BLOGS, FORUMS AND MESSAGE BOARDS
Pro-Kerry Blogs, Forums and Message Boards are listed here.
Visit as many as you can. Please participate. Volunteer.
Do all you can.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


From Political Strategy:
"Top 35 Trends that say Kerry will Take the White House in November

"Recently, a couple nationwide polls have shown Bush with a substantial lead, including some nonsensical outlier from Fox News and an equally unrealistic poll from Gallup which showed likely voters favoring Bush by 8 points. What's going on?

Fear not. It is all a grand load of garbage!

See the transcript of John Kerry's powerful speech in Iowa:
A Fresh Start: Succeeding In Iraq And Winning Against Terrorism

Robertson's Absent Reason

Robertson's Absent Reason
or: Nutty Like a Fruitcake

"OOOOOOO, ouch, ouch, ouch----Bush told me there weren't
going to be any casualties in Iraq. See, I knew different. God told me there was gonna be a messy, messy disaster.
I knew it-heck, I knew it all along. Look, I know
George has had his share of goofs and gaffes --
but I just think God's blessing is on him.

Are you following me?
Good, because no one else who
is sane has been able to follow my reasoning on this yet....."




"...You just may be the first!"

CIA 9/11 info withheld-Ignorance has been bliss for Bush

CIA 9/11 info withheld-
Ignorance has been bliss for Bush


Robert Scheer/LA Times

It is shocking: The Bush administration is suppressing a CIA report on 9/11 until after the election, and this one names names..."What all the other reports on 9/11 did not do is point the finger at individuals, and give the how and what of their responsibility. This report does that," said [an anonymous] intelligence official. "The report found very senior-level officials responsible."....the only legitimate reason the CIA director has for holding back such a report is national security. Yet neither Goss nor McLaughlin has invoked national security as an explanation for not delivering the report to Congress.."

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

The Bush administration is withholding information for no other reason than the fact that doing so would be politically damaging to them. Politics over truth and country is damnable. John Kerry needs to speak out on the matter. The public needs to know.

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

UPDATE: OCTOBER 20/LA TIMES- Lawmakers Prod CIA for Pre-9/11 Accountability Report
The agency says the document isn't finished, but some think they're stalling to benefit Bush.

"The scuffle over the CIA report could pose a problem for the CIA's new director, Porter J. Goss, who now is head of the agency he helped investigate when he was chairman of the House Intelligence Committee."

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

Are you sick of the lies? Go HERE to see what Robert Acosta, an Iraq War veteran, thinks about Bush's lies.

Photo

Iddy at Wellfleet, Massachusetts,
thinking "I hope John Kerry wins in two weeks."

John Zogby predicts John Kerry will be #44.
He's staking his 20 years' experience on a Kerry win in November.

Madrid Terror Video

Madrid Terror Video


How interesting that the video of Spain's terror attack should be released just before the American presidential election.

SEE VIDEO HERE
courtesy NBC30.com

Listen To These People Before Going to the Polls

ErrolMorris.com/Election 2004