Green Mouse says: Look for an addition to the Obama super-delegate ledger tonight in Bloomington, thanks to a high profile hoosier.
With the latest Wright eruption behind him, does anyone else sense a momemtum shift back towards Obama?
Obama is criticized for not quitting the church when Jeremiah Wright uttered his hot rhetoric. Who has a count on the number of Catholics who left the Church in response to actual behavior from reprehensible members of the cloth, as well as the cover up by the hierarchy?
What office is Jeremiah Wright seeking? Perhaps he'll agree to debate Mrs. Clinton.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Senator Durbin in New Albany Friday for Barack
The senior senator from Illinois will be in town Friday for a town hall meeting on behalf of that state's junior senator's presidential campaign.
Dick Durbin, one of the Democrats who opposed Bush's war in Iraq from the start, will speak at the Obama headquarters. Senator Durbin will be at the Parthenon at 11:30 AM this Friday, April 18.
This is an opportunity to meet one of the Senate's most distinguished members. It is also an opportunity to show your support for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
Stop by the headquarters, or call Megan Maher at (317)503-9772 for additional information .
Dick Durbin, one of the Democrats who opposed Bush's war in Iraq from the start, will speak at the Obama headquarters. Senator Durbin will be at the Parthenon at 11:30 AM this Friday, April 18.
This is an opportunity to meet one of the Senate's most distinguished members. It is also an opportunity to show your support for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
Stop by the headquarters, or call Megan Maher at (317)503-9772 for additional information .
Monday, April 14, 2008
Bitter? Who's Bitter?
As one who is not put off by the idea that the President of the United States of America, the most powerful office in the history of the human race, should be just a cut above the rest of us, I guess I'm buying into the "elitist" view. The recent flap over Barack Obama's comment that Pennsylvanians are "bitter", however, to me, illustrates the danger posed by a shallow news media.
Perhaps Obama used a poor choice of words which may have rubbed people the wrong way when he said these bitter voters "cling" to religion. "Rallied to defend" may have worked better in reference to Ohio voters, who in 2004 came out in droves to protect that state against gay marriage because it offended God's plan of marriage. Whatever word you choose, fundamentalist voters were exhorted to come to the polls to vote down the amendment and since they were in a voting booth anyhow, they might as well go ahead and vote for president; two birds one stone.
That linkage of deeply held religious views and craven political motive was taken from the playbook of Carl Rove,incidentally, the son of a gay man. Is it possible that our nation has to be split like a Spanish dubloon to help exorcise his inner turmoil? Or, is it simply Machiavellian S.O.P.?
Whatever the reason, recent political history has shown that many people vote against their secular interests in defense against perceived attacks of their cultural or religious beliefs. That was the essence of Thomas Frank's 2005 book, "What's the Matter With Kansas?"
Our nation was founded on the notion that an ideal is more valuable than "our lives, our fortunes our sacred honor". When speaking philosophically, is it really a stretch to say that people "cling" to their religion or their right to own guns? Is such a construction truly an example of elitism or is it, rather, a display of desperation by a candidate who's on the ropes and a news media trying to fill a page or a 24 hour news cycle?
Below are lyrics from Bruce Sprinsteen's 2001 ballad "Youngstown". I think they express the sense of alienation and betrayal felt by many of our fellow Americans. Some might call it bitterness.
Here in north east Ohio
Back in eighteen-o-three
James and Danny Heaton
Found the ore that was linin' yellow creek
They built a blast furnace
Here along the shore
And they made the cannon balls
That helped the union win the war
Here in Youngstown
Here in Youngstown
My sweet Jenny, I'm sinkin' down
Here darlin' in Youngstown
Well my daddy worked the furnaces
Kept 'em hotter than hell
I come home from 'Nam worked my way to scarfer
A job that'd suit the devil as well
Taconite, coke and limestone
Fed my children and made my pay
Then smokestacks reachin' like the arms of god
Into a beautiful sky of soot and clay
Here in Youngstown
Here in Youngstown
My sweet Jenny, I'm sinkin' down
Here darlin' in Youngstown
Well my daddy come on the 0hio works
When he come home from world war two
Now the yards just scrap and rubble
He said, "Them big boys did what Hitler couldn't do
"These mills they built the tanks and bombs
That won this country's wars
We sent our sons to Korea and Vietnam
Now we're wondering what they were dyin' for
Here in Youngstown
Here in Youngstown
My sweet Jenny, I'm sinkin' down
Here darlin' in Youngstown
From the Monongaleh valley
To the Mesabi iron range
To the coal mines of Appalacchia
The story's always the same
Seven-hundred tons of metal a day
Now sir you tell me the world's changed
Once I made you rich enough
Rich enough to forget my name
In Youngstown
In Youngstown
My sweet Jenny, I'm sinkin' down
Here darlin' in Youngstown
When I die I don't want no part of heaven
I would not do heavens work well
I pray the devil comes and takes me
To stand in the fiery furnaces of hell
Copyright © Bruce Springsteen (ASCAP)
Perhaps Obama used a poor choice of words which may have rubbed people the wrong way when he said these bitter voters "cling" to religion. "Rallied to defend" may have worked better in reference to Ohio voters, who in 2004 came out in droves to protect that state against gay marriage because it offended God's plan of marriage. Whatever word you choose, fundamentalist voters were exhorted to come to the polls to vote down the amendment and since they were in a voting booth anyhow, they might as well go ahead and vote for president; two birds one stone.
That linkage of deeply held religious views and craven political motive was taken from the playbook of Carl Rove,incidentally, the son of a gay man. Is it possible that our nation has to be split like a Spanish dubloon to help exorcise his inner turmoil? Or, is it simply Machiavellian S.O.P.?
Whatever the reason, recent political history has shown that many people vote against their secular interests in defense against perceived attacks of their cultural or religious beliefs. That was the essence of Thomas Frank's 2005 book, "What's the Matter With Kansas?"
Our nation was founded on the notion that an ideal is more valuable than "our lives, our fortunes our sacred honor". When speaking philosophically, is it really a stretch to say that people "cling" to their religion or their right to own guns? Is such a construction truly an example of elitism or is it, rather, a display of desperation by a candidate who's on the ropes and a news media trying to fill a page or a 24 hour news cycle?
Below are lyrics from Bruce Sprinsteen's 2001 ballad "Youngstown". I think they express the sense of alienation and betrayal felt by many of our fellow Americans. Some might call it bitterness.
Here in north east Ohio
Back in eighteen-o-three
James and Danny Heaton
Found the ore that was linin' yellow creek
They built a blast furnace
Here along the shore
And they made the cannon balls
That helped the union win the war
Here in Youngstown
Here in Youngstown
My sweet Jenny, I'm sinkin' down
Here darlin' in Youngstown
Well my daddy worked the furnaces
Kept 'em hotter than hell
I come home from 'Nam worked my way to scarfer
A job that'd suit the devil as well
Taconite, coke and limestone
Fed my children and made my pay
Then smokestacks reachin' like the arms of god
Into a beautiful sky of soot and clay
Here in Youngstown
Here in Youngstown
My sweet Jenny, I'm sinkin' down
Here darlin' in Youngstown
Well my daddy come on the 0hio works
When he come home from world war two
Now the yards just scrap and rubble
He said, "Them big boys did what Hitler couldn't do
"These mills they built the tanks and bombs
That won this country's wars
We sent our sons to Korea and Vietnam
Now we're wondering what they were dyin' for
Here in Youngstown
Here in Youngstown
My sweet Jenny, I'm sinkin' down
Here darlin' in Youngstown
From the Monongaleh valley
To the Mesabi iron range
To the coal mines of Appalacchia
The story's always the same
Seven-hundred tons of metal a day
Now sir you tell me the world's changed
Once I made you rich enough
Rich enough to forget my name
In Youngstown
In Youngstown
My sweet Jenny, I'm sinkin' down
Here darlin' in Youngstown
When I die I don't want no part of heaven
I would not do heavens work well
I pray the devil comes and takes me
To stand in the fiery furnaces of hell
Copyright © Bruce Springsteen (ASCAP)
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
"Elections" Have Consequences
Remember: They Are Liars By William Rivers Pitt
t r u t h o u t Columnist
Tuesday 08 April 2008
___________________________
No one is such a liar as the indignant man.- Friedrich Nietzsche
George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Condoleezza Rice, along with a slew of administration underlings and a revolving-door cavalcade of brass hats from the Pentagon, have been making claims regarding Iraq for many years now.
They claimed Iraq was in possession of 26,000 liters of anthrax, "enough to kill several million people," according to a page on the White House web site titled Disarm Saddam Hussein.
They lied.
They claimed Iraq was in possession of 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin.
They lied.
They claimed Iraq was in possession of 500 tons, which equals 1,000,000 pounds, of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent.
They lied.
They claimed Iraq was in possession of nearly 30,000 munitions capable of delivering these agents.
They lied.
They claimed Iraq was in possession of several mobile biological weapons labs.
They lied.
They claimed Iraq was operating an "advanced" nuclear weapons program.
They lied.
They claimed Iraq had been seeking "significant quantities" of uranium from Africa for use in this "advanced" nuclear weapons program.
They lied.
They claimed Iraq attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes "suitable for nuclear weapons."
They lied.
They claimed America needed to invade, overthrow and occupy Iraq in order to remove this menace from our world. "It would take just one vial, one canister, one crate slipped into this country," went the White House line, "to bring a day of horror like none we have ever known."
They lied.
"Simply stated," said Dick Cheney in August of 2002, "there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction."
Liar.
"Right now," said George W. Bush in September of 2002, "Iraq is expanding and improving facilities that were used for the production of nuclear weapons."
Liar.
"We know for a fact," said White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer in January of 2003, "that there are weapons there."
Liar.
"We know that Saddam Hussein is determined to keep his weapons of mass destruction," said Colin Powell in February of 2003, "is determined to make more."
Liar.
"We know where they are," said Donald Rumsfeld in March of 2003. "They are in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad, and east, south, west and north somewhat."
Liar.
"The Iraqi people understand what this crisis is about," said Paul Wolfowitz in March of 2003. "Like the people of France in the 1940s, they view us as their hoped-for liberator."
Liar.
"No one ever said that we knew precisely where all of these agents were," said Condoleezza Rice in June of 2003, "where they were stored."
Liar.
"I have absolute confidence that there are weapons of mass destruction inside this country," said Gen. Tommy Franks in April of 2003. "Whether we will turn out, at the end of the day, to find them in one of the 2,000 or 3,000 sites we already know about or whether contact with one of these officials who we may come in contact with will tell us, 'Oh, well, there's actually another site,' and we'll find it there, I'm not sure."
Wrong.
"Before the war," said Gen. Michael Hagee in May of 2003, "there's no doubt in my mind that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical. I expected them to be found. I still expect them to be found."
Wrong.
"Given time," said Gen. Richard Myers in May of 2003, "given the number of prisoners now that we're interrogating, I'm confident that we're going to find weapons of mass destruction."
Wrong.
"Do I think we're going to find something? Yeah, I kind of do," said Maj. Gen. Keith Dayton in May of 2003, "because I think there's a lot of information out there."
Wrong.
Gen. David Petraeus, commander of US forces in Iraq, is about to give testimony before the Senate regarding the current state of affairs in that battle-savaged country. He is a political general, one of many America has seen and heard over the last five years, one who would leap nude from the Capitol dome before telling the real truth about matters in Iraq ... or who would speak using words fed to him by liars, and thus be wrong.
Remember: they lie. They all lie, from the top man down to the bottom. If their lips are moving, a lie is unfolding. If they say water is wet, get into the shower to make sure.
They lie.
Period.
End of file.
Gonder's note: Remember their lies have now cost 4,026 dead U.S. soldiers, at least 30,000 maimed and wounded and untold numbers of Iraqi citizens killed.
Question for the Little Mind: How do you sleep at night?
t r u t h o u t Columnist
Tuesday 08 April 2008
___________________________
No one is such a liar as the indignant man.- Friedrich Nietzsche
George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Condoleezza Rice, along with a slew of administration underlings and a revolving-door cavalcade of brass hats from the Pentagon, have been making claims regarding Iraq for many years now.
They claimed Iraq was in possession of 26,000 liters of anthrax, "enough to kill several million people," according to a page on the White House web site titled Disarm Saddam Hussein.
They lied.
They claimed Iraq was in possession of 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin.
They lied.
They claimed Iraq was in possession of 500 tons, which equals 1,000,000 pounds, of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent.
They lied.
They claimed Iraq was in possession of nearly 30,000 munitions capable of delivering these agents.
They lied.
They claimed Iraq was in possession of several mobile biological weapons labs.
They lied.
They claimed Iraq was operating an "advanced" nuclear weapons program.
They lied.
They claimed Iraq had been seeking "significant quantities" of uranium from Africa for use in this "advanced" nuclear weapons program.
They lied.
They claimed Iraq attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes "suitable for nuclear weapons."
They lied.
They claimed America needed to invade, overthrow and occupy Iraq in order to remove this menace from our world. "It would take just one vial, one canister, one crate slipped into this country," went the White House line, "to bring a day of horror like none we have ever known."
They lied.
"Simply stated," said Dick Cheney in August of 2002, "there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction."
Liar.
"Right now," said George W. Bush in September of 2002, "Iraq is expanding and improving facilities that were used for the production of nuclear weapons."
Liar.
"We know for a fact," said White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer in January of 2003, "that there are weapons there."
Liar.
"We know that Saddam Hussein is determined to keep his weapons of mass destruction," said Colin Powell in February of 2003, "is determined to make more."
Liar.
"We know where they are," said Donald Rumsfeld in March of 2003. "They are in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad, and east, south, west and north somewhat."
Liar.
"The Iraqi people understand what this crisis is about," said Paul Wolfowitz in March of 2003. "Like the people of France in the 1940s, they view us as their hoped-for liberator."
Liar.
"No one ever said that we knew precisely where all of these agents were," said Condoleezza Rice in June of 2003, "where they were stored."
Liar.
"I have absolute confidence that there are weapons of mass destruction inside this country," said Gen. Tommy Franks in April of 2003. "Whether we will turn out, at the end of the day, to find them in one of the 2,000 or 3,000 sites we already know about or whether contact with one of these officials who we may come in contact with will tell us, 'Oh, well, there's actually another site,' and we'll find it there, I'm not sure."
Wrong.
"Before the war," said Gen. Michael Hagee in May of 2003, "there's no doubt in my mind that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical. I expected them to be found. I still expect them to be found."
Wrong.
"Given time," said Gen. Richard Myers in May of 2003, "given the number of prisoners now that we're interrogating, I'm confident that we're going to find weapons of mass destruction."
Wrong.
"Do I think we're going to find something? Yeah, I kind of do," said Maj. Gen. Keith Dayton in May of 2003, "because I think there's a lot of information out there."
Wrong.
Gen. David Petraeus, commander of US forces in Iraq, is about to give testimony before the Senate regarding the current state of affairs in that battle-savaged country. He is a political general, one of many America has seen and heard over the last five years, one who would leap nude from the Capitol dome before telling the real truth about matters in Iraq ... or who would speak using words fed to him by liars, and thus be wrong.
Remember: they lie. They all lie, from the top man down to the bottom. If their lips are moving, a lie is unfolding. If they say water is wet, get into the shower to make sure.
They lie.
Period.
End of file.
Gonder's note: Remember their lies have now cost 4,026 dead U.S. soldiers, at least 30,000 maimed and wounded and untold numbers of Iraqi citizens killed.
Question for the Little Mind: How do you sleep at night?
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Making the Rounds Progressively
Just as people host progressive dinners, New Albany is offering a Progressive Thursday.
At 6:00PM tomorrow, the Obama headquarters will hold its official grand opening. This will be an opportunity to see the campaign headquarters at the Parthenon (corner of Main and Bank Streets) and meet the staff and other Obama supporters. That is Stop One-a on the Progressive evening's rounds.
Stop One-b is a scheduling conflict; the opening of the Clinton headquarters also on Main Street.
Obama supporters need to keep uppermost in their minds that Clinton supporters are also Democrats who want to see a blessed end to the Bush junta and all that it has meant for this nation. Clinton supporters need to keep the same thing in mind regarding Obama supporters. United we stand divided we fail.
Stop Two is Rich O's (3312 Plaza Drive) for a free showing of Michael Moore's movie "Sicko". The event starts at 7:00, with the movie starting at 7:30. Seating is limited so the earlier you arrive the better.
______________________________
In case anyone missed this: Good Indiana news for Obama today as Lee Hamilton announced his support for Barack.
At 6:00PM tomorrow, the Obama headquarters will hold its official grand opening. This will be an opportunity to see the campaign headquarters at the Parthenon (corner of Main and Bank Streets) and meet the staff and other Obama supporters. That is Stop One-a on the Progressive evening's rounds.
Stop One-b is a scheduling conflict; the opening of the Clinton headquarters also on Main Street.
Obama supporters need to keep uppermost in their minds that Clinton supporters are also Democrats who want to see a blessed end to the Bush junta and all that it has meant for this nation. Clinton supporters need to keep the same thing in mind regarding Obama supporters. United we stand divided we fail.
Stop Two is Rich O's (3312 Plaza Drive) for a free showing of Michael Moore's movie "Sicko". The event starts at 7:00, with the movie starting at 7:30. Seating is limited so the earlier you arrive the better.
______________________________
In case anyone missed this: Good Indiana news for Obama today as Lee Hamilton announced his support for Barack.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Just What the Doctor Ordered
Hoosiers for a Commonsense Health Plan will offer a free showing of Michael Moore's "Sicko" this Thursday at Rich O's Public House 3312 Plaza Drive.
The movie will be shown at 7:30 PM in the Prost room. Seating is limited, and is available on a first come, first served basis. It is suggested you arrive about 6:30.
Since the venue is being provided gratis by the proprietor of Rich O's, you can thank him by buying beer and pizza. Consider it your investment in bringing healthcare to the last major industrialized nation on earth lacking such a basic human right.
The group's purpose is to give political leaders the confidence that H.R. 676, a national single payer health plan, truly represents the will of the people. H.R. 676 is co-sponsored by Louisville's John Yarmuth and others but our representative, Baron Hill, has not signed on yet. You can help him find the strength. For more information about the single payer plan, check http://www.hchp.info/
Also, since this is April Fool's Day, don't be fooled by last week's LEO Magazine. LEO's announcement of the movie said a showing of Roger Moore's "Sicko" would be shown. So far as I know, Roger Moore has retired, and Michael Moore as 007 just doesn't work for me.
The movie will be shown at 7:30 PM in the Prost room. Seating is limited, and is available on a first come, first served basis. It is suggested you arrive about 6:30.
Since the venue is being provided gratis by the proprietor of Rich O's, you can thank him by buying beer and pizza. Consider it your investment in bringing healthcare to the last major industrialized nation on earth lacking such a basic human right.
The group's purpose is to give political leaders the confidence that H.R. 676, a national single payer health plan, truly represents the will of the people. H.R. 676 is co-sponsored by Louisville's John Yarmuth and others but our representative, Baron Hill, has not signed on yet. You can help him find the strength. For more information about the single payer plan, check http://www.hchp.info/
Also, since this is April Fool's Day, don't be fooled by last week's LEO Magazine. LEO's announcement of the movie said a showing of Roger Moore's "Sicko" would be shown. So far as I know, Roger Moore has retired, and Michael Moore as 007 just doesn't work for me.
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