“The Weakest Adminstration on Defense We Have Seen in Many, Many Years”
(From a speech given by Governor Dean earlier today 2/28/2006 at the the Annual Conference of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. — Tim)

“Karl Rove says that the Republicans are going to win on the issue of defense. I submit to you that if the issue is defense, the Republicans will lose because this is the weakest Administration on defense that we’ve seen in many, many years. What I mean is this. For five years this President has been in the White House. For five years North Korea continues to possess nuclear weapons. For five years this Administration has been in the White House, Iran moves closer every day to producing nuclear weapons. For four years, Osama Bin Laden has been on the loose and remains so. And today we see the specter, as reported in the Jerusalem post- of a company that is about to take over American ports, which actively continues today to boycott Israel.

“The Democrats have a better idea. First we will conclude the negotiations with the Chinese and the North Koreans to disarm North Korea. Secondly, under no circumstances will a Democratic Administration ever allow Iran to become a nuclear power. Three, we will kill or capture Osama bin Laden and four, the authority and the control of the ports of the United States must be retained by American companies.

“We are not simply speaking about the United Arab Emirates — we are also speaking about the western ports which are controlled by companies controlled by the Chinese government. Foreign governments of any kind ought not to be controlling American ports, especially when the Coast Guard already recommended that they could not guarantee the security of the ports.”

“We will defend America.”

“Republicans have been in power long enough to show that they can’t be trusted with your money, your defense or power. The truth is today, 34% of the American people think that the President is doing a good job. So, we’re not talking about a fifty-fifty country- we’re simply talking about a country that wants competence and honesty in their leadership again”

“While the Republicans have done a good job winning elections the. . .way they win elections is the root cause for why they’ve done such a terrible job governing America. . .

“If you divide people in order to win elections, you can’t govern. . .The president has to understand that they are the President of all people, not just 50.1%.”

Together, America Can Do Better – A Positive Democratic Agenda

“So our strategy is very simple- we want to make it clear to the American people what the Republicans are about and what their discrepancies are between what they say and what they do. We also want to make sure the American people understand what we are going to do differently.

“One- we will pass ethics legislation within the first 100 days of our re-ascension to power, and eliminate the scandals and the corruption that the Republicans have brought to power. We want honest and open government in America again.

“Two- we want a strong national defense which begins with telling the truth to our citizens and our soldiers and our allies before we send troops abroad.

“Three- we want American jobs that will stay in America by creating a new energy independence industry, creating thousands of manufacturing jobs and construction jobs to retrofit our homes and businesses.

“Four- we want a health care system which works for everyone, just like 36 other countries in the world have.

“And five- we want a strong public education system so we can have opportunity and optimism back in America again. . .”

I NEVER RECALL SO MANY GOVERNORS (BOTH REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT) DECLARING STATES OF EMERGENCY IN THEIR STATES AT THE SAME TIME AS IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING.

THANK YOU TIMES ARGUS and Associated Press for this important article. (introduction and link posted below)

Yes, the Governors of many states are concerned with the eroding fabric of our federal government.

First we had several states declaring emergencies because of the Medicare D prescription drug BOONDOGGLE!

Last evening, Governor Napolitano was on CNN and she has just declared a State of Emergency in Arizona because of the parade of illegal immigrants from Mexico streaming into Arizona. Governor Richardson in New Mexico declared a similar state of emegency although he was not on CNN last evening.

These STATES OF EMERGENCIES are not even WEATHER related which is usually what we see governors declaring emergencies for!

FOLKS! THIS IS A WAKE UP CALL! THIS IS THE CANARY IN THE COAL MINE! THE CANARY JUST DIED!

Bush’s missteps worry nation’s GOP governors

February 28, 2006

By Robert Tanner Associated Press

WASHINGTON — If President Bush thinks he has problems in the nation’s capital, he should hear what his allies are saying in the state capitals.

[http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060228/NEWS/602280354/1002]

Republican governors, more tuned to grassroots politics than their Washington counterparts, warn that the administration’s fumbles in the past few months are taking a toll back home. Their constituents are seeing mistake after mistake — from the slow response to a hurricane-ravaged New Orleans to prescription drugs and ports security.

( – promoted by odum)

Today’s Washington Post carried a story about the national controversy over emergency contraception, with more than sixty bills pending in state legislatures to either encourage or discourage its use. While things look bad in some states, the Senate Health and Welfare Committee is taking testimony on H-237 later this week. The committee is scheduled to take action on the bill tomorrow, Tuesday, and if the committee passes the bill it could be on the floor later this week.

Of course, none of this would be necessary if the FDA weren’t sitting on emergency contraception to mollify the extreme right, people who believe that pregnancy is a suitable punishment for having sex.

If things line up right in Vermont, the bill, which has already passed the House, will pass the Senate and be on its way to Governor Douglas for his signature.

It was only last year that all the buzz around the Legislative Session was Health Care. In the 2004 gubernatorial contest, Peter Clavelle attempted to push the issue front and center but fumbled. House and Senate Democrats picked up the ball that was all but handed to them by the press (who seemed to want to make the point that they understood what a big deal it really was after ridiculing Clavelle for dwelling too much on it).

Democracy for Vermont blocked for the Dems, pushing the issue front and center in as many communities as possible. The House produced a good, progressive bill, the Senate a more stop-gap one. Governor Douglas suggested he might be willing to consider working with the Senate, and rather than make a doomed stand on pure principle, the Dems calculated, decided to call Douglas’ bluff and pushed forward with the Senate model. Douglas blinked, refused to be even vaguely constructive, and scuttled any progress, all the while whining that it was all the Democrats fault.

And yet, only a few weeks after the session ended, the Governor, remarkably, managed to take complete control of the issue.

But fate has handed the Dems a second chance. Something almost unheard of within the same election cycle (here’s Sarah Copeland Hanzas discussing the Dems plan on the Orange County Dems site). And while I hope to god they can take this blessing from on high and do something with it, I am admittedly dubious…

It truly is remarkable. To read the papers, you’d get the feeling that the slate was totally wiped clean, and the playing field completely reset. The only ones who seem to remember are disappointed progressives (of the Democratic and capital-P-Progressive variety) who saw the final product of the Democratic congress a complete wimp-out and — fairly or not — lay the blame squarely at the feet of Senate President Pro Tem and US Congessional hopeful Peter Welch for dropping the single-payer torch.

It doesn’t taker a genius to see that this is a Democratic issue, but Douglas’s handlers do the Karl Rove thing well — identifying your enemies advantage and defying conventional wisdom by playing on their advantage yourself, both by denigrating and undercutting the other side and presenting yourself as the new champion of the issue (no matter how ridiculous it would seem to be on its face). Douglas did that last summer after looking like a total obstructionist going into the Spring and it worked, largely because everyone in the press and the other side of the aisle let him get away with it.

Now it looks even worse for him. He’s got no new thinking on the table, and seems too bored to even pretend to have any interest in working with Democrats on the issue. He half-heartedly followed his previous formula of paying lip-service to the idea of at least considering what the Dems had to offer before slamming the door shut. Now all he seems to have is a shrill, canned assault on Democrats for daring to consider raising taxes, while his own proposals raise taxes at least as much as the Democrats (oh, SO sorry…they’re not “taxes” they’re “fees…” My bad…). I mean, the guy barely seems like he’s trying.

The problem is, if things go like last year, he doesn’t need to.

Why the Democrats lose control of issues in the media is a topic of much debate. In my view it comes down to one thing: the Democrats see policy and politics as distinct. the Governor doesn’t. Frankly, the Governor doesn’t seem to have much interest in policy. He seems to leave that to his lieutenants.

Now, you’ve got to feel for many of these Dems. In fact, I suspect they are not much different then most of the Republican congresspeople in this way (the difference of course being that the Republicans in the House and Senate do not have the responsibility of playing the role of opposition to the Governor). They share the public’s distaste for politicking, and they don’t really want to engage in it any more than they have to. What they want to do is make policy — you know, the cool stuff. And again, who can blame them? They do what they can to divorce the two by placing the politicking in a box marked “election season,” and they try not to think about it any more than necessary until then (and even then, they often try to create rationales for why they don’t really have to do it — rationales that often sound something like “in MY district we dont like that sort of thing” or, “I just dont think running elections right is the Vermont way”…but thats a topic for another diary…).

And because they dont like it and they want to avoid it, two things happen. ONE: They don’t accept (as Douglas does) that, like it or not, you are ALWAYS running for re-election, and so is the other side. Now, there are certainly plenty of organizational doings going on behind the scenes in Democrat land, but they are all primarily support work for Election Time. Candidate recruitment, research, checking in with your infrastructure, developing lists — great stuff, but its the prep work for politicking rather than the politicking itself. There is still — even with all this good behind the scenes stuff going on — a tendency to want to compartmentalize politicking into “election season,” and that just doesn’t work anymore.

TWO: When it comes time to really play politics, they get uncomfortable, stiff, long-winded and meandering. And it’s because they just don’t like it. Why was Peter Shumlin always so good with the press and on the stump? He really dug that stuff. Most of his Democratic compatriots really, really don’t. And you never get very good at something you don’t like to do.

A key moment where the Dems lost traction last year was also an incredibly illustrative example of what I’m talking about. When Douglas called the legislature back into session last year to address the VSC contract, the Democrats blinked. Obviously, that was going to play badly in the press, but both sides had the sense to realize this was a high tension, high-stakes moment, and the opportunity was there to set the tone for the post-legislative war in the press. Dueling press conferences ensued, with Douglas doing his usual song-and-dance, while a couple doors over, Speaker Gaye Symington and Peter Welch addressed the cameras.

It was hard to watch. Symington and Welch stammered, they squirmed. Even when they spoke with committment and authority, two things were evident: one, they really didn’t want to have to do this. Two:

They hadn’t prepared (or perhaps “they hadn’t been prepped” is fairer).

They were winging it, pure and simple. They were so clearly ad libbing that Welch allowed himself to get dragged into a bizarre digression with Peter Freyne of Seven Days about whether referring to a Dem officeholder as “Democratic” or “Democrat” was a key part of the grand right-wing conspiracy or not. Sure, I think the GOP-ers use “Democrat” as an epithet that rhymes with “bureacrat,” but was that really what they called a press conference for, and is it really a good idea to get into a back and forth argument with a reporter about it?

Within weeks, Douglas was around the state making his opponents issue into his issue. At the same time, the Speaker was making sure Democratic County committees had videotaped copies of her press conference to watch.

Do I think Rep. Symington thought she and Welch were so great that the legions of Dems assembled should bear witness? Not at all. I think the video dissemination just shows us once again that Symington, Welch, and most of the other Dems would rather think about policy that politics. Who cares about the style of the thing, the point is that she and Welch discussed policy.

The unspoken assumption here, is that politics are unnecessary — even unseemly — when you’re in the right. That intelligent people of good will, if they take a moment to listen to you, can’t help but agree. It’s a nice idea. It truly, truly is, and it’s an idea that honorably motivates many folks to run for office.

But it sure as hell doesn’t win these policy battles (or in the long run, elections).

So what am I suggesting? Replacing competent policy-makers in the state legislature because they dont get (and don’t want to get) politics? No. Obviously we need good policy makers…well…making policy.

But everytime they go out in front of a camera, they need to be prepared. Everytime they start a new session, they need to be prepared. The Governor practiced before his press conference. He practiced in front of his political people. No doubt when they told him to go back and do it right, or to change an intelligent monologue to a pithy one-liner when it was called for, he listened. When they told him to make it a simple message and stick to it, he listened.

The Democratic Leadership doesn’t have to like politicking, or be natural politicians. But they owe it to the state to:

a) Recognize their limitations, including how their distaste for politicking can create those limitiations.

b) Surround themselves with staffers and allies that don’t share those limitations and have a good sense of when and how to play politics, and most important…

c) Listen to those people…defer to those people when appropriate. They do exist in the state. Some damn good ones. They are resources.

Resources that will be squandered so long as the Democratic elected leadership considers themselves to be above what these human resources are good at — politics.

Rumsfeld on “Policing” The Internet .. and getting rid of the “troublemakers”.  A MUST READ.

February 24, 2006
By Mike Whitney

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was warmly greeted at the recent meeting of the Council on Foreign Relations. The CFR is the hand-picked assemblage of western elites from big-energy, corporate media, high-finance and the weapons industry. These are the 4,000 or so members of the American ruling class who determine the shape of policy and ensure that the management of the global economic system remains in the hands of U.S. bluebloods.

As the Pentagon’s chief-coordinator, Rumsfeld enjoys a prominent place among American mandarins. He is the caretaker of their most prized possession; the high-tech, taxpayer-funded, laser-guided war machine. The US Military is the crown-jewel of the American empire; a fully-operational security apparatus for the protection of pilfered resources and the ongoing subjugation of the developing world.

Rumsfeld’s speech alerted his audience to the threats facing America in the new century.

He opined: “We meet today in the 6th year in what promises to be a long struggle against an enemy that in many ways is unlike any our country has ever faced. And, in this war, some of the most critical battles may not be in the mountains in Afghanistan or in the streets of Iraq, but in newsrooms—in places like New York, London, Cairo, and elsewhere.”

“New York”?

“Our enemies have skillfully adapted to fighting wars in today’s media age, but for the most part our country has not”.

Huh? Does Rummy mean those grainy, poorly-produced videos of Bin Laden and co.?

“Consider that the violent extremists have established ‘media relations committees’—and have proven to be highly-successful at manipulating opinion-elites. They plan to design their headline-grabbing attacks using every means of communications to intimidate and break the collective will of free people”.

What gibberish.

It’s foolish to mention “intimidating and breaking the collective will of free people” without entering Abu Ghraib, Guantanomo and Falluja into the discussion. Rumsfeld is just griping about the disgrace he’s heaped on America’s reputation by his refusal to conform to even minimal standards of decency. Instead, he insists that America’s declining stature in the world is the result of a hostile media and “skillful enemies”; in other words, anyone with a computer keyboard and a rudimentary sense of moral judgment.

(Our enemies) “know that communications transcend borders…and that a single news story , handled skillfully, can be as damaging to our cause and as helpful to theirs, as any other method of military attack”.

If the Pentagon is really so worried about “bad press coverage” why not close down the torture-chambers and withdrawal from Iraq? Instead, Rumsfeld is making the case for a preemptive-assault on free speech.

“The growing number of media outlets in many parts of the world….too often serve to inflame and distort, rather than explain and inform. And while Al Qaida and extremist movements have utilized this forum for many years, and have successfully poisoned the Muslim public’s view of the West, we have barely even begun to compete in reaching their audiences.”

“Inflame and distort”?

What distortion? Do cameras distort the photos of abused prisoners, desperate people, or decimated cities?

Rumsfeld’s analysis borders on the delusional. Al Qaida doesn’t have a well-oiled propaganda mechanism that provides a steady stream of fabrications to whip the public into a frenzy. That’s the American media’s assignment. And, they haven’t “poisoned Muslim public opinion” against us. That has been entirely the doing of the Pentagon warlords and their White House compatriots.

“The standard US government public affairs operation was designed primarily …to be reactive rather than proactive…Government, however, is beginning to adapt”

“Proactive news”? In other words, propaganda.

Rumsfeld confirms his dedication to propaganda by defending the bogus stories that were printed in Iraqi newspapers by Pentagon contractors. (We) “sought non-traditional means to provide accurate information to the Iraqi people in the face of an aggressive campaign of disinformation….This has been deemed inappropriate—for examples the allegations of ‘buying news’”.

A brazen defense of intentionally planted lies; how low can we sink?

This has had a “chilling effect for those who are asked to serve in the military public affairs field.”

Is it really that difficult to print the truth?

Rumsfeld boasts of the vast changes in “communications planning” taking place at the Pentagon.

A “public affairs” strategy is at the heart of the new paradigm, replete with “rapid response” teams to address the nagging issues of bombed-out wedding parties, starving prisoners, and devastated cities. No problem is so great that it can’t be papered-over by a public relations team trained in the black-art of deception, obfuscation, and slight-of-hand. Trickery now tops the list of military priorities.

“US Central Command has launched an online communications effort that includes electronic news updates and a links campaign that has resulted in several hundred blogs receiving and publishing CENTCOM content.”

The military plans to develop the “institutional capability” to respond to critical news coverage within the same news cycle and to develop a comprehensive scheme for infiltrating the internet.

The Pentagon’s strategy for taking over the internet and controlling the free flow of information has already been chronicled in a recently declassified report, “The Information Operations Roadmap”; is a window into the minds of those who see free speech as dangerous as an “enemy weapons-system”.

The Pentagon is aiming for “full spectrum dominance” of the Internet. Their objective is to manipulate public perceptions, quash competing points of view, and perpetuate a narrative of American generosity and good-will.

Rumsfeld’s comments are intended to awaken his constituents to the massive information war that is being waged to transform the Internet into the progeny of the MSM; a reliable partner for the dissemination of establishment-friendly news.

The Associated Press reported recently that the US government conducted a massive simulated attack on the Internet called “Cyber-Storm”. The wargame was designed, among other things, to “respond to misinformation campaigns and activist calls by internet bloggers, online diarists whose ‘Web logs” include political rantings and musings about current events”.

Before Bush took office, “political rantings and musings about current events” were protected under the 1st amendment.

No more.

The War Department is planning to insert itself into every area of the Internet from blogs to chat rooms, from leftist web sites to editorial commentary. Their rapid response team will be on hair-trigger alert to dispute any tidbit of information that challenges the official storyline.

We can expect to encounter, as the BBC notes, “psychological operations (that) try to manipulate the thoughts and the beliefs of the enemy (as well as) computer network specialists who seek to destroy enemy networks.”

The enemy, of course, is anyone who refuses to accept their servile role in the new world order or who disrupts the smooth-operation of the Bush police-state.

The resolve to foreclose on free speech has never been greater.

As for Rumsfeld’s devotees at the CFR, the problem of savaging civil liberties is never seriously raised. After all, these are the primary beneficiaries of Washington’s global resource-war; should it matter that other people’s freedom is sacrificed to perpetuate the fundamental institutions of class and privilege?

Rumsfeld is right. The only way to prevail on the information-battlefield is to “take no prisoners”; police the Internet, uproot the troublemakers and activists who provide the truth, and “catapult the propaganda” (Bush) from every bullhorn and web site across the virtual-universe. Free speech is a luxury we cannot afford if it threatens to undermine the basic platforms of western white rule.

As Rumsfeld said, “We are fighting a battle where the survival of our free way of life is at stake.”

Indeed, it is.

CRIMES AND CORRUPTIONS OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER NEWS
LiveJournal.com

This diary would have been up last night, but I was a little distracted. I refilled a refillable/disposable lighter with the wrong kind of fluid, and in the process of that comedy of errors, I managed to set my right arm on fire. I was neither freebasing nor shooting a Pepsi commercial, and at no time did I shout, “Tito! Tito!”
But for some reason, I found it necessary to keep a piece of frozen food – or a cold beer – in my right hand last night. Typing was out of the question.
At any rate, the Catamount is now open to serve you.
Welcome to it. Bar’s open, belly up and set a spell.
Serving the suds below the fold. 

“Those who invalidate reason ought seriously to consider whether they argue against reason with or without reason; if with reason, then they establish the principles that they are laboring to dethrone: but if they argue without reason (which, in order to be consistent with themselves they must do), they are out of reach of rational conviction, nor do they deserve a rational argument.”
-Ethan Allen

Curiouser and curiouser. Mark Shepard reads Human Rights Watch!  Who woulda thunk it? A guy that doesn’t think adult humans should have the right to marry whoever they want reads Human Rights Watch. Shep, as I’m sure you’ll recall, got his panties all in a twist because a bill was introduced into the Statehouse daring to suggest it might be polite to thank Venezuela for their energy assistance.
Went and ticked them Venezuelans off real good too:

“Mark Shepard lies or is an irresponsible fool when he claims that in Venezuela freedom of expression is suppressed, the media is censored and legal rights are suppressed,” read a statement released late Thursday by the government’s Ministry of Communication and Information.

Jeezum, you’d think the guy said we should go assassinate their president or something. Cheap thrills for the winger wing of his base, I guess…..

“I really don’t have a reputation for plugging politics,” Shepard said. “It’s not in my nature.”

Oh, goodness. I fear I may have insulted him.

Shepard, who represents Bennington County and Wilmington, is vying for a seat in the U.S. House. He said the resolution appeared to be a “tweak” at President George W. Bush disguised as a thank-you card.

“Clearly, this is a political maneuver by the sponsors,” he said.

Or, maybe it’s MY intelligence that’s being insulted.  Apparently, he thinks Venezuela has a big problem with the cold just like New England does……

“As a matter of foreign policy, there must be a better way to alleviate the difficulties from the high cost of oil. What do the people in Venezuela think when they see their wealth going to the richest nation in the world?”

Uh…..it’s a bit of warmth, not a bunch of wealth, Shep.They probably not only enjoy the “tweak” at the Bushies, they could be hoping for some nice thank-you notes from people in the Green Mountain State, so they can write back and ask them what it’s like when it gets that cold: Average temperature ranges in Caracas are from 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit) to 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) all year.
Besides, when they answer the thank you letters, they can tell themselves they’re helping even more: their letters will give folks something else to burn when the oil runs out…..

The Impeach Tree in Vermont appears to be sprouting some new branches. Is this a graft seeking more sweet fruit, or a natural, healthy mutuation?

MONTPELIER — Democratic congressional candidate Peter Welch called Friday for the firing or resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, calling him “the face of failed policies in Iraq.”

Could it be the company Rummy keeps?

Yep, Rummy goes back with a bunch a people:.

“I call on Rumsfeld’s resignation because his poor judgment has unnecessarily put Vermonters and Americans at risk and has undermined our ability to accomplish our goals,” Welch said.

“Americans should not forget that Rumsfeld has failed to eliminate the single greatest threat to our security, to find Osama bin Laden and dismantle his terror network,” he added.

Well, that’s certainly worth remembering…..but so’s this:

“The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him.”
– G.W. Bush, 9/13/01

“I want justice…There’s an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, ‘Wanted: Dead or Alive,'”
– G.W. Bush, 9/17/01, UPI

“I don’t know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don’t care. It’s not that important. It’s not our priority.”
– G.W. Bush, 3/13/02

“I am truly not that concerned about him.”
– G.W. Bush, repsonding to a question about bin Laden’s whereabouts,
3/13/02 (The New American, 4/8/02)

But the military is quick to rush to SecDef’s defense, making it doubtful that the Vermont National Guard will support a coup d’etat:

Republican congressional candidate Martha Rainville, who is currently adjutant general of the Vermont National Guard, said “now is not the time for political grandstanding or fingerpointing.”

“Demanding the removal of Secretary Rumsfeld is not going to hasten the dismantling of the worldwide terror network or ensure security of our homeland, nor will it speed the process of turning responsibility for the security of Iraq over to the Iraqi defense forces,” Rainville said in a statement released by her campaign.

Darn. Somehow, Martha Rainville musta got battle hardened, Rumsfeld style. It boggles the mind that the Adjutant General of the National Guard in the state that has the highest per capita losses in the Iraq war could be sticking up for the guy that sends weekend warriors into a combat zone without the proper body armor.

And look who got caught flat-footed:

State Sen. Mark Shepard, R-Bennington, who is vying with Rainville for his party’s nomination, said of a Rumsfeld ouster, “I haven’t thought about it until now. … I’m certainly not prepared to make such a statement.”

Of COURSE you haven’t thought about it, Shep. We understand.

But we’re missing somebody here. The whole field has weighed in, except for……..

07/21/05 “Rutland Herald” – – A Congressional candidate who wants to impeach President Bush insists he can win the Republican primary.

Dennis Morrisseau, 62, of West Pawlet, plans to seek the Republican nomination to run for U.S. House of Representatives. The seat is being vacated by Rep. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., who plans a run for the U.S. Senate.

A central part of his platform, Morrisseau said, will be bringing articles of impeachment against Bush.

Aw, Dennis. You used to be a Democrat, dammit!  What happened to ya?
Do a Perot. If you lose the primary, run as an independent! That way, Vermont Republicans have a choice until the bitter end. It’s only fair. (evil snicker)

While 38.8 percent of Vermonters — and likely the lion’s share of Vermont Republicans — voted for Bush, Morrisseau said he thinks there is enough anti-Bush sentiment within Republican circles for his message to find an audience.

“I think I’ve got a great shot,” he said. “There’s been movement since the election, if you track the polls. That’s not just Democrats, that’s Republicans, too. Down in southern Vermont, the man is reviled among Republicans.”

Morrisseau was dismissive of the party leadership in Vermont.

“The Republican leadership is Bush people for the most part,” he said. “Generally speaking, I don’t pay much attention to party leadership. I recommend that. I recommend it highly.”

Yeah, the Republican leadership here are certainly Bush people. They even get invited to slumber parties:
Least that Chimpy can do for his Vermont campaign manager, right?
Careful, Jim. You don’t want to catch what George’s got……

Hope that shot covers the “bird flu”……

Oh, and speaking of “the bird”……BWAHAHAHAHA!

Heard the latest about the Big Giant Head? The guy that called on AlQaida to blow up the Coit Tower, and even called for a boycott of our state’s economy – until threatened by an angry army of teddy bears with a money dog in his race? Seems like Billdo has a soft spot in his heart for Phil Donahue. Maybe it’s an Irish solidarity thing. You know how those Irishmen stick together……unless it’s like, in Ulster or something…..
ANYway, He Who Bill Dares Not Name, Keith Olbermann, has affixed his John Hancock to this latest falafel foolishness..or is that foolish falafelness? Crooks and Liars has the video up, and it’s a hoot, in your choice of Quicktime or WMV. Barmaid! Draw this fine person another ale…..drink up, now, and enjoy the show.

A contented Olbermann viewer last night

RenaRF at dKos has a petition of her own going. Won’t you sign now, and help rid the world of those who don’t know the difference between a loofah and a falafel? It only takes a minute, and it can make such a difference in the life of a small child.

Rokay. We did sniping, we did subterfuge, (Did you catch it? Or was I too subterfugeous?) now let’s do strategery….uh..STRATEGY. Yeah. What you said.
The gops get to have a primary for the House race.  We don’t.
And mad props to Zuckerman, by the way.
I feel this irresistable urge to divide and conquer, manipulate, exploit, and generally fuck up my karma. Take my devious poll and tell me what you think.
And have another ale!

“”Waiting, are they? Waiting, are they? Well, goddam ’em, let ’em wait!”
[Ethan Allen, to his physician who said “General, I fear the angels are waiting for you”, quoted in Saturday Review, April 5, 1958]”

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  Our inaction is allowing Bush and Cheney, and trickling down to Governor Douglas and our Legislature, to enrich corporations that are financial supporters of the Republican Party.

  Secret meetings and memos leading to industry-profiting legislation, payoffs disguised as campaign contributions, campaign workers with no prior experience appointed to top-level positions in control of millions of dollars of taxpayer money .. where will it end, and it will never end if we don’t take matters into our own hands.

  Your grandfather’s Republican Party is dead; killed by greed, and the ‘Moral Majority’ (which was neither) is being courted with wedge issues like the flag, school prayer and abortion to advance an an agenda that advances business profit rather than people.

  We cannot let our safety be compromised by those who worship money.  The ski areas can prosper while still protecting the environment — we will, if asked, cut back on electricity usage to protect ourselves from a looming catastrophe from an aging nuclear power plant and the cost of storing/disposing of nuclear waste.  We can no longer depend on our ‘regulators’ to protect us.

  Look at port security.  Never mind that only 5% of the containers coming in are inspected, and the budget for inspection has been further cut ….Supposedly the head of the Department of Homeland Security and the pResident were not told of the sale of US ports to a nation that funnels money to terrorists?  Does anyone really believe this?  Reagan was supposedly ‘out of the loop’ on Iran-Contra, and did have Alheizeimers — but Dubya … what’s his excuse?  (There are rumors!)

  The voters are seen as easy pickings for the msm to substitute press releases for real news. 

  Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, and thousands more like them had the courage to revolt against unjust laws and created a great democracy.  It’s up to us to find the courage to reclaim that democracy. Our country is being sold, piece by piece, to the highest bidder.  Dissent is patriotic …..

  We cannot let a bunch of self-serving incompetents turn this country into a third world nation.  The gap between the rich and the poor is getting wider every day; more people are losing their jobs because of downsizing, and can’t afford to pay their rent, or have health insurance, or pay the fuel bill .. we’re becoming WalMartized; the working poor.

  We can’t give up.  Our elected representatives are there to serve us .. and if they refuse to we can replace them in the November elections.  They must be held accountable.
Barbara

I wanted to post a letter printed in the Rutland Herald newspaper here.  I have heard Mr. Tarrant’s radio adverts when I drive through Brattleboro on my way to Boston.  When I first listened to the biographical nature of his adverts, I thought it was an odd approach.  Giving him the benefit of the doubt, maybe he is trying to get people who don’t know him to learn about his salad days???????
On the other hand, officials of the Democratic party in Vermont have told me that “its early yet” and “the electorate is not paying attention”.  Seems like maybe Mr. Tarrant IS trying to get people to pay attention?????

Rich Tarrant’s wonderful life   [http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060224/NEWS/602240311/1037]

February 24, 2006

The second installment of Rich Tarrant’s wonderful life is appearing in his daily campaign ads on our local television stations. It appears that we are going to be subjected for the next eight months to Tarrant’s egocentric rendition of his accomplishments, inclusive of delivering soft drinks and playing basketball. At the rate these ads are running, the cost will probably be in the millions of dollars. The expense will not be any deterrent to Tarrant, as he is expected to infuse millions of his own money into his campaign in an attempt to buy the senatorial election.

We have been down this road before. A rich guy who doesn’t know what to do with himself tries to buy a Vermont election so that he can get his ego stroked in Washington, D.C. Rich Tarrant does not genuinely care about helping the people of this state. How can a candidate who isn’t even sure if he is a resident of Vermont or Florida represent our interests in Congress?

I hope that others will join me in supporting Congressman Bernie Sanders in his candidacy for the U.S. Senate. Bernie has continuously proven his commitment to Vermont’s citizens. He has worked tirelessly for years to help Vermonters obtain a livable wage, adequate health care and pharmaceutical drugs, affordable housing, food and heating assistance and benefits for veterans. When we eventually have the opportunity to view Bernie’s campaign ads on TV, he will not be touting what he has accomplished on behalf of himself, but will present what he has accomplished for the citizens of Vermont.

MONICA LITZELMAN

Northfield 

Heard on the Radio:  Peter Welch did not file his campaign paperwork on time.  Campaign manager Carolyn Dwyer says he mis-read the deadline for filing the report. 

What are the ramifications of this? 

Is there some sort of penalty Politically or Financially??

(From the diaries… thought about posting on this, but Barbara says it so much more clearly than I would. — – promoted by odum)

Looks like the Governor is expecting 25,000 senior citizens to either sink or swim on March 8th, according to today’s announcement that he will switch Vermonters back to the Federal prescription drug program that (already) failed miserably. 

The legislators will be away March 8th for their Town Meetings.  Coincidental .. or Douglas’ version of a recess appointment?  (That’s how Dubya got Bolton in the UN to wreak his vengeance.)  I predict we’ll see a resurgence of complaints and screwups if this happens.

The legislature has already paid out $11 million to seniors for their prescriptions, with no guarantee of reimbursement by the Feds.  Good job, Jim … I’d like to be a  fly on the wall at the next meeting of the National Governors’ Association ..  and at the Republican Governors’ Association behind closed doors.

How far will you go to stay on Dubya’s good side?  Loyalty is an admirable trait but should be tampered with common sense, and responsibility.  It doesn’t mean you need to cover up his messes at the expense of the people who voted for you in good faith.  As head of the Bush-Cheney Vermont campaign last year you should have some clout.  You were so proud to be linked with them.

There are still 5,000 elderly Vermonters who still have problems navigating the bureaucracy, with 2,800 still not assigned to a specific insurance plan.  The state will still pay for most of them.  The residents of the state will pay twice, with our Federal tax dollars misused and wasted and our state income tax increasing to pay again for what we already paid for once.  Good government?  I think not.

We’ll remember in November!

Barbara