Freedom's Fire, Brightly Burning

John Kerry on This Week, strong endorsement of Barack Obama

2008-01-13T14:31:00.000-05:00

I'm a bit late posting about John Kerry's endorsement of Barack Obama for President (yeah, I've been neglecting this blog lately), so I'll just cross-post here what I just posted in a comment at KerryVision - some thoughts on what is so great about this endorsement, to me. This comment is inspired by Kerry's appearance on ABC's This Week this morning (video available at ABC now - hat tip,

Ask Senators to cosponsor S.1930, The Combat Illegal Logging Act

2007-09-08T09:35:00.000-04:00

Bill Summary and Status on thomas.loc.govhttp://action.defenders.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=24... Email from Defenders of Wildlife:Dear Wildlife Supporter,Across the world, illegal logging, driven by the demand for cheap wood products, is destroying vital habitat for tigers, jaguars, orangutans and other wildlife… and driving some of the planet’s most beloved wildlife to the brink of

"Put Down That Weapon"

2007-08-06T20:09:00.000-04:00

This weekend I was looking through my CD collection for something to listen to that I hadn't heard in awhile, something rockin'. I saw Midnight Oil's Diesel and Dust in the stack and thought, yup that's it, and popped it in the player. That album rocks alright, but it also brings home just how badly things have unraveled since that CD came out. "How can we dance when our beds are burning,"

Who needs terrorists?

2007-08-03T13:10:00.001-04:00

From Dick Polman's American Debate (emphasis added):Expect in the days ahead to hear a surge of rhetoric about the need forlong-term thinking (before the Minnesota incident is largely forgotten, at least outside of Minnesota). For instance, the American Society of Civil Engineers is telling the politicians that we need to spend $9.4 billion a year over the next 20 years to repair our deficient

S-CHIP reauthorization stalled by Sicko?

2007-07-08T22:38:00.001-04:00

That what this item at OpenCongress seems to be suggesting:Health care reform is abuzz, in presidential politics, in the movies, and, most immediately, in Congress.It's perfect timing. The initial 10-year authorization of one of the government's biggest health care initiatives, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, is scheduled to run out on September 30th, and Congress has

Jon Udell: Motivation, context, and citizen analysis of government data

2007-07-07T16:33:00.001-04:00

I ran across this blog post by Jon Udell on del.icio.us and I think Udell and Willinsky are on to something here:...these are only views of data. There’s no analysis and interpretation, no statistical rigor. Since most ordinary citizens lack the expertise to engage at that level, are governments that publish raw data simply asking for trouble? Will bogus interpretations by unqualified observers

Cheap solar on the way?

2007-07-07T12:56:00.001-04:00

The fossil fuel industry won't like to hear this:Within five years, solar power will be cheap enough to compete with carbon-generated electricity, even in Britain, Scandinavia or upper Siberia. In a decade, the cost may have fallen so dramatically that solar cells could undercut oil, gas, coal and nuclear power by up to half. Technology is leaping ahead of a stale political debate about fossil

Independence Day - and the birth of a new blog!

2007-07-04T21:57:00.001-04:00

KerryVision:Today, July 4, is the day we say "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH" and begin to report news that has an impact on our daily lives. So, on our nation's 231st birthday, we celebrate our own. We celebrate the American patriot whose vision and values most closely match our own: John Kerry.Nicely done site, good video work. I do, um, know some of the folk involved, and they were nice enough to include

Plan Colombia: What gives us the right?

2007-06-08T19:28:00.000-04:00

From IPS News, we learn that Plan Colombia isn't even reducing the supply of cocaine:COLOMBIA-ECUADOR: 'There Are No Plants or Animals Left'By Constanza VieiraCredit: Acción EcológicaBOGOTA, Jun 6 (IPS) - A new U.S. government report acknowledges that coca crops expanded last year in Colombia, despite the heavy herbicide spraying carried out under Plan Colombia, which has been loudly protested

This Moment in Philly

2007-06-06T22:58:00.000-04:00

Monday night I enjoyed a wonderful evening at the Philadelphia Free Library, where John and Teresa Kerry gave a talk on their new book, This Moment on Earth. Before the show, waiting in line for about an hour before doors opened, I had a great conversation with three local women who were quite excited for this opportunity to hear the Kerrys speak about their book.As we waited, and chatted about

Charcoal for carbon sequestration? Sounds good...

2007-05-08T21:12:00.001-04:00

maybe too good to be true? I hope not..it does sound promising. I hope we hear more about this.Charcoal from biowaste may remove carbon from atmosphere, on global scale Terrigal, New South Wales, Australia - As delegates met in Bangkok this week to debate climate change solutions contained in the IPCC's latest report, one technology not mentioned in the draft report was being closely examined at

What a long great trip it's been! - Wrapping up the THK blog tour

2007-04-30T19:16:00.001-04:00

When Meredith Efken approached me in March with the suggestion that we do a "blog tour" to promote Teresa Heinz Kerry's upcoming Pittsburgh conference on Women's Health and the Environment, I had no idea what a blog tour was. To make it more intriguing, I learned from Meredith that a "blog tour" is something more and more book authors are doing to promote their newly released books - but Meredith

WHY are my tax dollars paying for this?

2007-04-29T10:03:00.000-04:00

No, I'm not talking about the Iraq Civil War.I'm talking about THIS.Life came unglued for Bernie Ellis on the day drug agents raided his farm like it was the fortified villa of a South American cocaine kingpin. Ellis was bush-hogging around his berry patches when two helicopters swept low over the treetops. Then, rumbling in on four-wheelers, came 10 officers of the Tennessee Marijuana

Women's Health and the Environment Conference - Recap

2007-04-23T14:04:00.000-04:00

I'm back home after attending the Women's Health and the Environment Conference in Pittsburgh on Friday (Apr 20) and then taking advantage of the great weather to visit with family in West Virginia. The conference was excellent - I quasi-live-blogged it at The Democratic Daily (quasi because my own laptop isn't aircard-enabled so I had to bum keyboard time from someone who was), and several

Women's Health and Environment Conference

2007-04-19T23:57:00.000-04:00

I'm in Pittsburgh this weekend, looking forward to attending the Women's Health and Environment Conference.If the tech gods and goddesses smile on us, we'll be liveblogging the conference, at The Democratic Daily, Democracy Cell Project, and perhaps Dailykos and Democratic Underground.Democratic Daily is also the conference day stop on the blog tour. You can check out all the blog tour stops here.

Supreme Court Win #2: Power Plants must upgrade pollution controls when making other mods

2007-04-03T21:51:00.000-04:00

From Environment News Service: The U.S. Supreme Court today unanimously upheld a federal program designed to clean up the nation's oldest coal-fired power plants, vacating a lower court ruling that has derailed major air pollution enforcement efforts against Duke Energy and other utilities.The court rejected a ruling by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that found Duke Energy did not violate

Supreme Court Win #1: Clean Air Act does give EPA authority to regulate CO2

2007-04-03T21:36:00.000-04:00

Yesterday in "Massachusetts v. EPA" the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the EPA can't duck their duty to regulate CO2 based on the flimsy excuse that they were trying to use, that the Clean Air Act doesn't tell them they can. Of course, while the EPA is under Bush or any other Republican administration, they will probably continue to duck their duty anyway, but they'll have to come up with a

Not so fast with biofuels

2007-03-26T23:32:00.001-04:00

Via IPS News Agency, Stephen Leahy warns of some unintended consequences that can occur with the rush to biofuels: Biofuels Boom Spurring DeforestationBROOKLIN, Canada, Mar 21 (IPS/IFEJ) - Nearly 40,000 hectares of forest vanish every day, driven by the world's growing hunger for timber, pulp and paper, and ironically, new biofuels and carbon credits designed to protect the environment.The irony

"This Moment on Earth"

2007-03-25T21:01:00.000-04:00

That's the name of the new book by John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry, which is officially "released" as of tomorrow, but has already been out on bookstore shelves in some places. I was lucky and was able to pick up my copy on March 19th. So I am almost done reading it. Well, the first time through, that is - this is the kind of book I'll be reading at least once more pretty quickly.The subtitle

Dorgan, Kerry and other Dems push for Iraq contracts reform

2007-02-16T11:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Senators Kerry and Dorgan introduced S.606 (authored by Dorgan, according to WaPo) at a press conference. According to the Boston Herald, the bill would:Punish war profiteers and set penalties of 20 years in prison and $1 millionin fines for profiteering. Cracking down on corporate cheats and restore a rule that prohibits awardingfederal contracts to companies that exhibit a pattern of

"If a Military Times poll falls in a forest..."

2007-01-02T20:09:00.000-05:00

I just had to steal that headline from this article by Steve Benen at Washington Monthly:IF A MILITARY TIMES POLL FALLS IN A FOREST.... Following up on an item from the weekend, the Military Times newspapers published a massive new poll after questioning 6,000 randomly selected active-duty members of the Armed Forces. The results ran counter to much of the conventional wisdom -- barely one in

Alliance of civilizations, not "clash of civilizations".

2006-12-22T22:32:00.000-05:00

Here is an interesting article from IPS News, A Bridge Over Troubled Waters:UNITED NATIONS, Dec 19 (IPS) - Key political figures from the West and the Muslim world, as well as the outgoing U.N. chief Kofi Annan, urged the international community Monday to seriously examine ways to promote greater dialogue among civilisations and cultures."It is not enough to publish an insightful report, and

"On a swift boat to a warmer world" or, abusing the Word.

2006-12-17T15:36:00.000-05:00

Daniel Schrag, a climate scientist from Harvard, gives some insight in today's Boston Globe into the cravenness of the ideologues running Washington the last two years:Yet I am an optimist because I believe we can fix the climate change problem. We can deploy the technologies to meet our energy needs while slashing carbon emissions: plug-in hybrids, windmills, carbon sequestration for coal plants

John Kerry to TIME: My Person of the Year

2006-12-17T00:48:00.001-05:00

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1568495,00.htmlMy Person of the YearTo help us make this year's selection, TIME asked people who have been featured in the magazine for their 2006 nominations. A sampling:Posted Sunday, Dec. 10, 2006John Kerry, presidential contender in 2004, is the junior U.S. Senator from MassachusettsI nominate the veterans who ran for Congress for their guts,

A belated birthday blog.

2006-12-16T21:37:00.000-05:00

I was there! Like last year. This year was every bit as cool, but I'll have to admit, there's just not as much I can write, because this year I knew how cool it would be. But, I couldn't move on to posting other stuff until I said something about the birthday party. First off let me say that, Senator Kerry was just as great as ever, but Teresa stole my heart this year. Last year I'd been too shy

Fox News: Lying or incompetence?

2006-11-19T12:50:00.000-05:00

So, Fox News is at it again. I know you'll be as "shocked! shocked, I tell you!" as I am.This morning I realized I had probably missed John Kerry's interview with Chris Wallace, but I flipped on Fox News just in case. Well, I had missed the interview, but the folks on the news program (11-11:30 EST) decided to include a little bit about the interview.Here's the thing, in that brief snippet, the

Sestak gives props to Kerry for JK's early support

2006-10-27T19:02:00.000-04:00

This is what I've been telling people, and I've heard the Sestak folks say it, but hadn't seen it in print before. Kerry tries to add wind to Sestak’s sailsWilliam Bender, Of the Times Staff10/27/2006RADNOR - U.S. Sen. John Kerry defended Joseph Sestak Thursday against what he said were "unacceptable" attacks on his Navy career by U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon and other Republicans. The Massachusetts

PA-7: Rep. Curt Weldon faces FBI investigation

2006-10-14T23:39:00.000-04:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061014/ap_on_go_co/congressman_investigation_5The FBI is investigating whether Rep. Curt Weldon (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., used his influence to secure lobbying and consulting contracts for his daughter, two people familiar with the inquiry said Saturday.The inquiry focuses on lobbying contracts worth $1 million that Weldon's daughter, Karen Weldon, obtained

Sestak opens up some daylight

2006-10-12T20:41:00.000-04:00

This is only one poll, and it may be overly optimistic, but the last one was only 44-43; at least this one shows him leading outside the MoE.PA-07Weldon (R) 44Sestak (D) 52:-)

The Kerry Blog is up!

2006-10-09T18:06:00.000-04:00

Good to see!

Bush: America's "strained psyche"; Kerry: Bush "profoundly wrong" (as usual)

2006-08-21T20:56:00.000-04:00

(Okay, the "as usual" in my headline is editorial...not directly from Kerry...but easily inferred if you've been listening to him for a while!)Earlier today at a press conference, Bush made the claim that [These are] challenging times and they're difficult times and they're straining the psyche of our country..." Bush said.No shit these aren't joyous times. But why is that, George?I remember in

Russell Shaw (HuffPo): "Ohio Was Stolen" Crowd, Pay Heed To Tom Hayden

2006-08-21T20:35:00.000-04:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-shaw/ohio-was-stolen-crowd-_b_27705.htmlBy now, large swaths of the progressive blogosphere are convinced beyond counterpersuasion that "Ohio was stolen," and John Kerry was actually elected President in 2004.While objective, politically progressive outlets and thinkers without books to sell have countered these notions with hard facts, the "Ohio was stolen"

Even George Will has buyer's remorse

2006-08-15T21:58:00.000-04:00

I didn't see it, but I'm told that on ABC's Sunday pundit show, This Week, George Will said that "John Kerry had a point" when he said during the 2004 campaign that defeating terrorism was more a matter for intelligence and law enforcement than military action. Not only did Will say it on This Week, he reiterated it in his column in the Washington Post:Cooperation between Pakistani and British

Cal Thomas, Unraveled.

2006-08-11T21:54:00.000-04:00

Cal Thomas, in an editorial that equates Democratic voters with a terrorist organization (Taliban Democrats are Voting to 'Kill' Their Own), has decided what's best for Connecticut Democratic primary voters, calling Democratic Senate nominee Ned Lamont's supporters the party's 'kook fringe'.Just a few problems with Mr Thomas' characterization.First, Mr. Thomas makes an assumption that the Iraq

Bush has failed.

2006-08-10T23:12:00.000-04:00

I know that's more than obvious to most of us, but today was such a clear reminder of Bush's total and complete failure, it just has to be repeated until everyone understands.Five years since 9-11, and still bush hasn't made us safer. He hasn't captured bin Laden, he's wasted billions of our tax dollars on his debacle in Iraq, and if it weren't for the Brits, we'd have nine planes blown up over

Kerry Rides in Pan-Mass Challenge

2006-08-03T23:14:00.000-04:00

Something, it seems, other than the dearth of diplomacy in the Bush administration, the do-nothing Republican congress, global warming, the lack of adequate healthcare for all Americans and Donald Rumsfeld is pissing off the good Senator these days. And he's doing something about it.Saturday.The Globe reports:As he prepares to bicycle 111 miles Saturday to raise money for cancer, Senator John

Save the Planet, End the War

2006-06-26T18:47:00.000-04:00

Last week, Senators Kerry and Feingold gave us a plan for ending the war in Iraq. Today, John Kerry reaffirms his position on the environment, and shares his plan for helping to save the planet from the current climate crisis.Read the speech, posted here in it's entirety, or even better, listen to it. Then read, below the speech text, what leading environmentalists have to say. Go see Vice

Stay and Pay

2006-06-25T13:15:00.000-04:00

I'm confused by the Republican "stay and pay" position on Iraq.The Democrats have proposed a plan for ending the Iraq war.Iraq Prime Minister Al-Maliki has proposed a plan for ending the Iraq war.General Casey has proposed a plan for ending the Iraq war.The majority of American people want to end the Iraq war.The majority of Iraqi people want to end the Iraq war.Why, then, do the Republicans in

"The most important work"

2006-06-24T07:10:00.000-04:00

Kerry points to "The most important work"By Patrick Brodrick/ Staff WriterThursday, June 22, 2006CLINTON - It has housed disadvantaged and troubled youth since the Victorian era, but on Monday the Robert F. Kennedy Action Corps in Lancaster hosted both local and federal politicians, including former presidential-candidate U.S. Sen. John Kerry.(snip) During his speech, Kerry drew attention to

Dems 2, Repubs 0

2006-06-22T07:41:00.000-04:00

Developing an exit stragegy for Iraq is not a game, although the Republicans spent yesterday in the Senate chanting their mindless "Dems are divided" and "cut and run" nonsense nonstop. And the mainstream media, as is their habit, is only too happy to cheer them on.This Republican political posturing does nothing to advance what most Americans are hoping to hear from their elected

John Kerry exposes the Bush Plan as "Lie and Die"

2006-06-20T20:12:00.000-04:00

Senator John Kerry was on fire on Imus this morning! The tired Republican 'cut and run' meme has been smacked down by the good Senator from Massachusetts, and he's proposed a counter:The Bush strategy - "Lie and Die"The Kerry/Feingold amendment for redeployment of our troops will be presented on the floor of the Senate tomorrow, so sign the letter at Kerry's site, and get on the horn and call

Heroes of the Middle Class

2006-06-19T21:04:00.000-04:00

Which United States Senators vote in your best interest? The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy has reported the results of Congress at midterm. And what does the report card say about Senators who voted for the middle class of America in 2005?On the issues that matter most to the majority of us, Senate Democrats garnered 4 'A's, 3 'C's and a 'D', while Senate Republicans managed a

The Mission:

2006-06-19T19:40:00.000-04:00

To boldly send your kids where they were too cowardly to go before...George "AWOL" BushCUT AND RAN"Dick" CheneyCUT AND RANKarl RoveCUT AND RAN"Scooter" LibbyCUT AND RANPaul WolfowitzCUT AND RANRep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)CUT AND RANGov. Jeb Bush (R-FL)CUT AND RANSen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)CUT AND RANRep. Tom "The Exterminator" DeLay (R-TX)CUT AND RANRep. Charles Gwynne Douglas, III (R-NH)CUT AND RANRep.

Karl gets his.

2006-06-18T16:45:00.000-04:00

The Real CowardBy Chris SatulloInquirer ColumnistThe only bullets Karl Rove has ever dodged were legal.Last week, after learning he would avoid indictment for his role in the sliming of an Iraq war critic, Rove had this to say about two men who risked death in service of country, John Murtha and John Kerry:"Like too many Democrats, it strikes me that they are ready to give the green light to go

SUPPORT THE TROOPS!

2006-06-17T22:26:00.000-04:00

What does it mean, exactly, to “support the troops”? Does a yellow magnet on your car qualify you as a troop supporter? When you're a United States Senator, does it take a little more than that?Contrast legislation that serves the needs of active duty military and veterans proposed by Senator Kerry in the current session of Congress:S.AMDT.3143 to S.CON.RES.83 To prevent the imposition of

THE SUN GOES DARK

2006-06-17T18:42:00.000-04:00

What sucks about editorials is not that any idiot can write them, it's that no matter how fraught with inconsistencies, misinformation and outright lies, 'news'papers like the Lowell Sun will print them. Well, let's take this one apart, shall we? I will direct my replies to the writer of this drivel.Complete the missionThe Lowell Sunhttp://www.lowellsun.com/editorials/ci_3949617U.S. Sen. John F.

John Kerry posts at The Hill blog

2006-06-15T23:51:00.000-04:00

Senator Kerry is really getting out and about in the blogosphere these days. I was wondering why there were so few comments on the posts at The Hill blog...then I found that only Congressmembers, staff, and recognized policy experts can post comments. It does seem like that would keep the debate a little more civil than if the riff raff were allowed to post!Re:Troop Withdrawal–It’s time for

Former POW blasts renewed smear attacks on his "Vietnam brother," John Kerry

2006-06-15T18:38:00.000-04:00

Recently, the Dem Daily posted on the New York Times report of John Kerry's continuing fight against the repugnant smear merchants we know as the Swift Liars. One of the smear merchants, Colonel "Bud" Day, responded to the NY Times article in a press release, claiming - falsely, but why should Day begin now to care about truth - that Kerry's "Vietnam service and medals" were "roundly disputed by

Take Back America - The Apollo Alliance

2006-06-12T17:44:00.000-04:00

I'm here blogging from the Take Back America Conference in Washington DC. This morning I had the distinct pleasure of joining in a bloggers-only discussion with Robert Redford, and Jerome Ringo, President of the Apollo Alliance. For anyone who has been spending too much time under a rock (or just getting news from the M$M - same thing), the Apollo Alliance is (from their web page):The mission of

Pulitzer Prize Nominees for Truth

2006-06-06T20:42:00.000-04:00

PPNT Mission Statement:Pulitzer Prize Nominees for Truth is an organization of Pulitzer winners and nominees dedicated to debunking the lies and exaggerations of Thomas Lipscomb and other fake journalists who claim or imply to be Pulitzer Prize Nominees.OK. None of us are really Pulitzer winners or nominees. INCLUDING THOMAS LIPSCOMB.Truthfully, PPNT is not 'us', just me. And I'm not really '

J'accuse!

2006-06-01T21:06:00.000-04:00

Damn, I hate to point to such an nasty hit-piece as R. Emmett Tyrrell's ugly attack against our veterans, but this just has to be said. Mr. R. Emmett "Bob" Tyrrell hates veterans. It's a shame, really. But it's true, and it must be said.Mr. Tyrrell, j'accuse! That's French, by the way. Deal with it.In defending the so-called and long-ago discredited Swift Boat Veterans for "Truth" (it's

Meeting famous authors, bloggers, and Bob Casey

2006-05-18T20:57:00.000-04:00

Tuesday night - primary day in PA - I finally left the polling place where I am minority inspector at about 9:30 pm. Whew, long day, I'm thinking; I'm beat. I debate just going home and calling my numbers into County Dem HQ and think nah, I do want to stop by the party at Joe Sestak's campaign HQ. That turned out to be an eventful decision. (A little background: Joe is running to unseat Curt

How Much to Tip Big Oil?

2006-05-15T22:18:00.000-04:00

If you're anything like me, tipping is a problem. If the service is good, I like to tip 20%. Less than good, 15%. Waiters, even bad waiters (or especially bad ones), don't typically make a whole lot of money, so I don't really mind. If the waiter looks like a college kid who's been up half the night studying (or whatever), it's up to 20% again.In Europe, it's a whole different story. Tipping

Speaking of Weldon: a Billmon must-read

2006-05-15T20:16:00.000-04:00

Hee hee. Billmon nails Curt Weldon on this Harper's find about the Congressman's, um, shall we say, voracious eating habits:In the light of the moon, a little campaign lay on a leaf. One November morning the voters came out, and POP, out of the campaign came a tiny, very hungry Congressman. He started looking for some food.On Monday, the Congressman ate through one Boeing PAC contribution, but he

Now they're even doing stealth fundraisers

2006-05-15T18:34:00.000-04:00

From today's Philadelphia Inquirer:Cheney photo-op for WeldonVice President Cheney turned out for a quiet fund-raising event on Friday in Washington to help U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon (R., Pa.).Weldon, who will face a November challenge from Democrat Joe Sestak, probably got a nice chunk of change from the luncheon at the C2 Group offices on Constitution Avenue. His campaign wouldn't say how many

Kerry in The Hill: Health insurance for every child in America (5/10)

2006-05-14T19:36:00.000-04:00

Looks like amongst everything else, John Kerry is going to be pushing for some action on the Kids First Act:Health insurance for every child in AmericaBy Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.)American families put kids first every day. They work hard to give their children opportunities they never had. It’s called the American dream.But in Washington, D.C., today, our government is making that dream almost

Hopeful in New Orleans

2006-05-12T20:22:00.000-04:00

Today, eight months after Senator John Kerry's first look at the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina, he took to the Senate floor to describe the current scene. In a heartbreaking account of his recent visit to meet with local small business leaders, the Senator seemed as incredulous as he was angry, and as stunned as he was saddened by what he saw and reported to the Senate. Senator Kerry (

Adam Nagourney (and assorted idiots)

2006-05-12T19:15:00.000-04:00

In a recent NYT article, Adam Nagourney successfully reads and deciphers the left hand column of the most recent NYT poll, giving us the following:The political situation has not helped some of the more prominent members of the Democratic Party. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, who was Mr. Bush's opponent in 2004, had a lower approval rating than Mr. Bush: 26 percent, down from 40 percent in

I'll take 'F-You' for 100, Bill

2006-05-09T23:21:00.000-04:00

On second thought, Mr. Frist, I think I'll pass.If you happen to be a Saturday Night Live fan, you probably caught the brilliant skit last weekend where Senate Majority Leader 'Bill Frist (R-TN)', (played by the much better looking and more charasmatic Tom Hanks) attempted to improve on his $100 gas bribe by adding $20, tickets to Busch Gardens and a Wonder Mop (with two replacement heads).

Are we There Yet?

2006-04-22T10:41:00.000-04:00

In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.-George OrwellHas defending our right to speek freely about an obvious failure of leadership become a revolutionary act?Today, on the 35th anniversary of John Kerry's historic testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I can't help but wonder if this is where we're headed.Senator Kerry is again speaking

35 years and what have we learned?

2006-04-21T21:36:00.000-04:00

I am writing this as I ride a train from Philadelphia to Boston, on my way to witness what, to me, is a momentous anniversary in our national history, even if it will be barely noticed in our national media, let alone by the circus-captivated American public. 35 years ago this Saturday, April 22nd, a young former Naval officer appeared before the Foreign Relations Committee of the United States

Time Online highlights Fighting Dem Joe Sestak

2006-04-12T22:41:00.000-04:00

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1182606,00.htmlCan the Dems Win on National Security? It's been their Achilles' heel for years. But as the mid-term elections approach and Republicans continue to stumble, Americans may finally trust Democrats to protect the home front By MASSIMO CALABRESI Posted Tuesday, Apr. 11, 2006 National Conference of State Legislatures in Seattle. (Hat tips to the good folks at DU: kerrygoddess for the

WaPo: Iraqi Chemical Stash Uncovered

2005-08-15T23:39:00.000-04:00

Let's see, why did we invade Iraq? To stop production of Weapons of Mass Destruction? So how come when we got there we didn't find any WMD, but now that we've been there awhile production has started up?? Post-Invasion Iraqi Chemical Stash Uncovered:Cache Could Have Been For Use in WeaponsBy Ellen KnickmeyerWashington Post Foreign ServiceSunday, August 14, 2005; Page A18BAGHDAD, Aug. 13 -- U.S.

Divided Koreas mark 1945 freedom

2005-08-14T13:51:00.000-04:00

From BBC Online:Divided Koreas mark 1945 freedomHaving spent some time in South Korea in the 1980's, and having friends and associates from there, I am very interested in the re-unification efforts, and heartened by signs like this.A North Korean delegation has arrived in South Korea on a ground-breaking visit, to mark 60 years since the end of Japanese colonial rule.Senior members of the North's