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

CONGESSIONAL DEMOCRATS---A WAKE-UP CALL!


"A long string of blatant misstatements"
Paul Krugman tells it like it is.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/03/opinion/03KRUG.html?ex=1055611954&ei=1&en=41f31e1d053d1d43

"Yet few have made the same argument in this country, even though "spin" is far too mild a word for what the Bush administration does, all the time. Suggestions that the public was manipulated into supporting an Iraq war gain credibility from the fact that misrepresentation and deception are standard operating procedure for this administration, which — to an extent never before seen in U.S. history — systematically and brazenly distorts the facts."

"It's long past time for this administration to be held accountable. Over the last two years we've become accustomed to the pattern. Each time the administration comes up with another whopper, partisan supporters — a group that includes a large segment of the news media — obediently insist that black is white and up is down. Meanwhile the "liberal" media report only that some people say that black is black and up is up. And some Democratic politicians offer the administration invaluable cover by making excuses and playing down the extent of the lies."

"If that claim was fraudulent, the selling of the war is arguably the worst scandal in American political history — worse than Watergate, worse than Iran-contra. Indeed, the idea that we were deceived into war makes many commentators so uncomfortable that they refuse to admit the possibility.

"But here's the thought that should make those commentators really uncomfortable. Suppose that this administration did con us into war. And suppose that it is not held accountable for its deceptions, so Mr. Bush can fight what Mr. Hastings calls a "khaki election" next year. In that case, our political system has become utterly, and perhaps irrevocably, corrupted. "



WAKE UP, CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS!
SPEAK UP-- OR RISK POLITICAL OBSOLESCENCE!
THE AMERICAN PUBLIC IS PERFECTLY CAPABLE OF SEEING WHAT IS TRUE!
THE MORE GINGERLY YOU DANCE AROUND THE BUSH LIES, THE LESS RESPECT YOU ENGENDER.

So much for "free" speech:
Now we have to pay to participate in polls?!

http://www.potuspoll.com/index-GL.htm

Let's face it, public polling means a disproportional lot to those who govern. Not that I think it SHOULD. I don't think poll results should mean as much as
they do to the electorate who represent the people of this country. Polls can easily be manipulated to create a false-nation of opinion.
Poll-results are often exactly (and "miraculously") what potentially-biased pollsters were possibly hoping to "cook up".
At best, a poll is only a sampling of an extremely small segment of American society.
Consideration of the law of large numbers might well drown the accuracy of these poll results.

I gave the above-linked website a look today.
Perhaps I'm naive...but it appears we now have to PAY to voice our opinions so that they may be heard by the electorate as they foolishly govern by POLL.

When the basic democratic system fails...when a letter or call to your Congressperson seems to take a back seat to governing by polls,
the knowlege that expressing that dismally effective
poll-opinion is going to "set me back" economically is doubly disheartening news.

WHERE IS TRUE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY?

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

'Billmon' has collected a number of interesting direct quotes from members of the Bush administration.
(Re: those 'elusive' WMDs)...

http://billmon.org.v.sabren.com/archives/000172.html

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OH, YEAH, YOU GOT THAT SOMETHIN'..I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND.
WHEN I...
FEEL THAT SOMETHIN'....................

http://a.abcnews.com/images/autowirestory/AP/XDG107060306.jpeg

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"WHERE IS BUSH LEADING US?" asks Gary Hart

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/153/oped/Where_is_Bush_leading_us_+.shtml

"Iraq represented no immediate or unavoidable threat to the United States. We
overthrew its government because key Bush administration officials convinced
the president it was the next step in the war on terrorism. But they had
decided Saddam Hussein must go a full decade before 9/11. The destruction of
the World Trade towers, which Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with, simply
gave them the excuse to resurrect an old agenda....."

"America is a republic. Throughout history, republics have never been
compatible with empire. Read the Romans, among others. When republics begin
to seek hegemony and expand the reach and scope of their power, they no
longer remain republics. America is still too young - and too noble - for
that."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

THE GOOD NEWS IS:
The Dow Jones industrial average hit the 9,000 mark for the first time since last summer, but that seemed to be a sell signal to a lot of trader.
Turning down sharply two hours before the closing bell, the Dow ended the day up 48 points at 8,897.81, after giving up two-thirds of its early gains



THE BAD NEWS IS:
Neither of the pieces of economic data reported today gave stocks much reason to move up so rapidly this morning. Construction spending fell unexpectedly and while manufacturing conditions improved, that sector of the economy still is cutting its losses rather than building gains.

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UMMM---THEY'RE CHEERING, ALRIGHTY---BUT NOT FOR WHOM YOU THOUGHT THEY'D BE CHEERLEADING...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/2954096.stm


"BBC - Iraqis in Basra have taken to the streets to protest against a
British commander being installed as the de facto leader of the city.
The committee of utility experts charged with getting the city's
infrastructure back on its feet is headed by Brigadier Adrian Bradshaw,
the commander of the British Seventh Brigade, the Desert Rats. On
Sunday, when the committee met for the first time, protesters,
reportedly as many as 5,000, gathered outside the military base in
Basra, led by Shia Muslim clerics. They carried banners with "No to
British rule over Basra" and "We can rule ourselves" on them...."

RULE THEMSELVES? HOW DARE THEY PROPOSE REAL DEMOCRACY???

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

OK---TELL ME---I GIVE UP ALREADY!!!

Where are the Real Patriots While Bush Rapes and Trashes America?
by Rob Kall

http://www.opednews.com/kall%20where_are_the_real_patriots_whil.htm

"It's so easy to line up mindlessly behind the president, to follow orders and feel like you are doing your duty. It must be. There are millions who are taking that route. But I wonder where the true patriotic conservatives are.

The main bulk of American patriots voted for Al Gore and have been watching in shock and awe as the Bush Regime loots and destroys our country's resources, defiles our values and pulverizes our economy. But, by now, it should be clear to real conservatives-- that the country is being run by fake neoconservatives-- radical right-wingers who are nothing like real conservatives."

NOTE: SEE MY RELATED BLOG ENTRY OF MAY 27th:
http://www.iddybud.blogspot.com/2003_05_25_iddybud_archive.html#94943492

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

YO-- JACK 'N TONY GOT SOME 'SPLAININ' TA DO ABOUT
DA REASONS FOR GETTING THEIR WAR ON.....


http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,968603,00.html

"Mr Straw yesterday denied he had had a private meeting with Mr Powell on
February 4, the eve of the security council meeting where Mr Powell gave
a dramatic presentation of intelligence material purporting to reveal
hard evidence that Iraq possessed chemical and biological weapons."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,3605,968576,00.html

"Tony Blair is facing mounting pressure from across the House
of Commons to hold an independent inquiry into the Iraq war after Clare
Short leveled the incendiary allegation at the prime minister that he
had lied to the cabinet. As an increasingly exasperated prime minister
once again swept aside calls for a public inquiry into the failure to
uncover banned Iraqi weapons, the former international development
secretary accused Mr Blair of bypassing the cabinet to agree a "secret"
pact with George Bush to go to war."
~~~~~~~~~~

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/story.jsp?story=411301

"INDEPENDENT, UK - Tony Blair's sensational pre-war claim that Iraq's
weapons of mass destruction "could be activated within 45 minutes" was
based on information from a single Iraqi defector of dubious
reliability, The Independent on Sunday can reveal. British intelligence
sources said the defector, recruited by Ahmed Chalabi's Iraqi National
Congress, told his story to American officials. It was passed on to
London as part of regular information-sharing with Washington, but
British intelligence chiefs considered the "45 minutes" claim to be
unreliable and uncorroborated by any other evidence. How it came to be
included as the most dramatic element in the Government's "intelligence
dossier" last September, making the case for war, is now the subject of
a furious row in Whitehall and abroad. "

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

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

WCWJB?

"Whose Children Would Jesus Bomb?"

- Seen on a pickup truck in Colorado



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

"All truly wise thoughts
have been thought already thousands of times;
but to make them truly ours,
we must think them over again honestly,
until they take root in our personal experience."

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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

DEMOCRACY FOR IRAQ?
UH...HMMM...NOT JUST YET.....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq/la-fg-iraq2jun02,1,4584323.story?coll=la%2Dhome%2Dheadlines

U.S. Increases Role in Picking Iraqi Leaders
Plans for a national conference are scrapped. Instead, the coalition will assemble a council to work quickly toward an interim government.
By John Daniszewski, Tyler Marshall and Michael Slackman, Times Staff Writers


"BAGHDAD -- In a major shift, U.S.-led occupation authorities Sunday abandoned the idea of letting a national conference of Iraqis select an interim government, instead opting for a plan that gives the United States a more direct role in choosing the country's leaders."

"......it risks undermining confidence in the interim administration if Iraqis see it as handpicked by the Americans and the British, rather than being selected by Iraqis in what was planned to be a conference of about 300 Iraqis from various political parties and groups."
NAH!!! YA THINK??!?

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

HOWARD DEAN TRIES TO EXPOSE BUSH FOR WHAT
HE IS ACTUALLY ATTEMPTING TO DO--
MURDERING U.S. SOCIAL WELFARE


http://www.sunspot.net/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.witcover02jun02,0,483209.column?coll=bal-oped-headlines

"Former Gov. Howard Dean of Vermont, now a Democratic presidential candidate, invoked the theory the other day in a statement on the new Bush tax reductions and budget. "Let us be clear," he said. "The president's tax cuts are part of a radical agenda to dismantle Social Security, Medicare and our public schools through financial starvation."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLAIR 'N BUSH:
Are they two boys who think
"Jesus wants them for sunbeams"???

:)

The humor of Gore Vidal:

http://www.iddybud.blogspot.com/2003_05_25_iddybud_archive.html#95119857

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

TODAY'S WISDOM:
HOW TO BE UNHAPPY

--Make little things bother you. Don't just let them, MAKE them.

--Lose your perspective on things and keep it lost: don't put first things first.

--Get yourself a good worry, one about which you cannot do anything.

--Be a perfectionist, which means not that you work hard to do your best, but that you condemn yourself and others for not achieving perfection.

--Be right. Be always right. Be the only one who is always right, and be rigid in your rightness.

--Don't trust or believe people, or accept them at anything but their worst and weakest. Be suspicious. Insist that others always have hidden motives.

--Always compare yourself unfavorably to others. This guarantees instant misery.

--Take personally everything that happens to you.

--Don't give yourself wholeheartedly to anyone or anything.

-- Always remember that if your partner loves you, he or she can read your mind. There is never a need to share openly with them how you feel.

--Surround yourself with only people that agree with everything you say. The last thing you need is contradictory opinions!

--Break that promise.

--Lose your faith in all that's good.

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

HEY, COMRADES--DON'T WANNA BE COLD-WO NO MO
BEEN DARE DONE DAT
WAKE UP, BUSH ADMINISTRATION

U.S. "inattention and parsimony" has contributed to the growing possibility of nuclear proliferation, delaying for years a U.S.-Russian project to eliminate 1.9 million chemical weapons housed at a rickety and vulnerable facility in Russia.

http://www.hpronline.org/news/437679.html?mkey=796243

"the turn to the free market did not solve the matter of Russian capital left over from the Cold War: stockpiles of highly enriched uranium and plutonium as well as 200,000 nuclear scientists, engineers, and technicians employed in weapons-related work. The confluence of Cold War material and the neoliberal spirit has led to a "nuclear industry", as Russia encourages resource maximization and profit seeking, even at the price of global brinksmanship."


"The United States has failed to provide the material incentives necessary to dissuade Russia from questionable nuclear alliances that the Russian government has condoned. Ironically, such partnerships might be the only way possible for Russia to fund the nuclear conversion projects championed in the post-Cold War world."

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

HEY GEORGE---LET'S PLAY 20 QUESTIONS!

1-Where's the WMD?

2-Where's Saddam?

3-Where's Osama bin Laden?

4-Where's Mullah Omar?

5-How come you didn't know about the resurgence of Al Qaeda?

6-Why haven't you fixed the economy?

7-What do you plan to do to fix the economy?

8-Millions of jobs were lost on your watch. Why did you cut unemployment
benefits for more people than any other president in U.S. history?

9-Why do Alan Greenspan and Warren Buffet both say your tax plans won't
work and will only serve to further damage the economy and the
country?

10-Why does Dick Cheney still receive benefits from Halliburton? Why did
Halliburton receive a no-bid contract for the reconstruction of Iraq
worth tens of billions of dollars?

11-Where exactly were you during those months you served as a Lt. in the
Guard?

12-Why did we kill journalists in Iraq?

13-Why do you favor slashing Veterans benefits while significantly
increasing defense spending?

14-As a 2nd Amendment supporter, why did you vote in favor of extending
the ban on assault weapons?

15-As a supporter of free speech, why has your administration put massive
restrictions on the Freedom of Information Act?
AND----What are you hiding?

16-Why hasn't anyone been held accountable for 9-11? The most MASSIVE
intelligence FAILURE in U.S. history.
AND --Why have the Saudis been given a
de facto pardon?

17-Why did you take so many vacations leading up to 9-11? Were you asleep
at the switch?

18-Is our children learnin' yet?

19-Do you still think it would be easier if you were dictator?

20-Why should ANYONE in their right mind vote for you?

For extra credit-

21- What fool could have squandered the good will in the world after 9-11--when he could have had them in the palm of his hand?

''I'm Howard Dean,'' he shouted, ''and I'm here to represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party!''


NY TIMES MAGAZINE ARTICLE 6-1-03
"DR NO AND THE YES-MEN"

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/01/magazine/01DEAN.html

"In this first campaign of the post-Clinton era, the coalition of interests the former president so deftly managed to patch together is on the verge of spinning apart. Democratic voters are venting more than a decade's worth of pent-up hostility, and at least one poll shows they don't think they're going to win anyway. In Dean, they see someone who will at least go down fighting and give voice to their dissent. Against that backdrop, touting your electability -- because you're a war hero or a Southerner or a social conservative -- might turn out to be the worst argument a candidate can make."

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

From The Associated Press, 6/1/03:
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/103-05292003-98292.html

PHILADLPHIA PASSES ANTI-PATRIOT ACT RESOLUTION
LARGEST CITY YET TO PASS RESOLUTION OF ITS KIND.

"Philadelphia's resolution expresses Council's "support of the United
States government in its campaign against global terrorism, but also
reaffirms that any efforts to end terrorism not be waged at the
expense of the fundamental civil liberties of the people of
Philadelphia, and all citizens of the United States."

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

"If many more months go by and our troops are still there, the Iraqis
are still fighting each other and us and we still haven't found any
WMD (weapons of mass destruction), there will be hell to pay."


From The Charlotte Observer, 5/31/03:
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/5982641.htm

Bush aides fear tumult in Iraq rising
Questions swirl about dubious intelligence, weapons, troop deaths
By JOHN WALCOTT
Knight Ridder

"Some of President Bush's top advisers now fear the war in Iraq is
becoming a political, diplomatic and military mess, instead of being
the centerpiece of the president's re-election campaign that they had
hoped for..."