Bill Richardson: A "New Direction" for American Agriculture

Experience for a Change

Join the Campaign – Caucus for Bill

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

IWR News

Iraq Body Count: 11/29/07
Americans Killed: 3879
Americans Wounded: 28,451
http://icasualties.org/oif/
Iraqis Killed: 655,000+
http://www.thelancet.com
"...a small price..." Rep. John Boehner
-----------------------------------------


Latest Confirmed Casualties:

*Staff Sgt. Alejandro Ayala, 26, of Riverside, CA died Nov. 18 in Kuwait.

*2nd Lt. Peter H. Burks, 26, of Dallas, TX died Nov. 14 in Baghdad, Iraq.

*Pfc. Marius L. Ferrero, 23, of Miami, FL died Nov. 18 in Baqubah, Iraq.

*Cpl. Jason T. Lee, 26, of Fruitport, MI died Nov. 18 in Balad, Iraq.

*Cpl. Christopher J. Nelson, 22, Rochester, WA (81st Washingtonian) died Nov. 18 in Baqubah, Iraq.

*Sgt. Alfred G. Paredez Jr., 32, of Las Vegas, NV died Nov. 20 in Baghdad, Iraq.

*Spc. Melvin L. Henley Jr., 26, of Jackson, MS died on Nov. 21at Camp Striker in Baghdad, Iraq.

*Staff Sgt. Jonathon L. Martin, 33, of Bellevue, OH died Nov. 22 in Regensburg, Germany, of wounds suffered on Nov. 9 in Jisr Naft, Iraq.

*Pvt. Isaac T. Cortes, 26, of Bronx, NY died Nov. 27 in Amerli, Iraq.

*Spc. Benjamin J. Garrison, 25, of Houston, TX died Nov. 27 in Amerli, Iraq.


Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

Bill Richardson - The Education President

Bill Richardson's Record

* Raised Teachers' Salaries and Improved Teacher Standards.

Shored up New Mexico's Education Retirement Fund, which had a projected long-term shortfall of $2.4 billion.

Increased the percentage of quality teachers in New Mexico from 67% to 90%, raising the number one predictor of student performance.

* Increased Accountability. Successfully fought for a state constitutional amendment that created a Secretary of Education.

* Earned National Recognition for Education Reform Efforts. With Richardson as Governor, New Mexico earned an "A" for assessments and school accountability in Education Week's Quality Counts report. The report also showed New Mexico in the top 6 in the nation for efforts to improve teacher quality, moving the state from 30th to 17th. New Mexico also earned the 3rd-highest grade for resource equity.

* Implemented free full-day kindergarten, available to every five-year-old.

* Implemented Pre-Kindergarten. Governor Richardson launched a statewide public-private pre-kindergarten program for four-year-olds. Now in its third year, New Mexico Pre-K went from $5 million to $13 million and now serves 5,000.

* Removed junk food from New Mexico's schools.

* Increased physical education classes and doubled the number of school-based health centers.

* Increased funding for classrooms.

Invested more than $600 million to modernize New Mexico's schools and reduce class size, giving New Mexico's teachers the resources necessary to provide high-quality education.

Brought 5,000 laptops to New Mexico's 7th graders, bringing greater fluency and familiarity in technology.

* Expanded Charter Schools. Signed the Charter School District Act, giving charter school districts greater flexibility to experiment with new ideas, as well as increased funding to help charter schools get off the ground throughout the state.

* Increased access to college and expanded training for high-demand jobs.

Created the College Affordability Scholarship so that more New Mexicans can afford to continue their studies. Thousands have already been helped.

Expanded access to the state's lottery-scholarship program.

Aligned degree programs with workforce needs, such as film, natural resources, health, and nursing.

* Addressed Truancy and High School Dropouts.

Funded programs to help at-risk students stay in school and prepare for college.

Toughened the fight against truancy by stripping away driver's licenses and holding parents accountable for habitual offenders.

Going forward, Governor Richardson is also seeking to raise the legal drop-out age from 17 to 18.

Experience for a Change

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

Richardson on Steady Rise

In a post by John Nichols in today's The Nation Blog, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson seems to be making steady gains in both Iowa and New Hampshire as we move closer to the first caucus and primary of the 2008 presidential campaign.

The post, NH PRIMARY: KEEP AN EYE ON RICHARDSON..., begins:

"New York Senator Hillary Clinton's once-daunting lead among likely voters in the New Hampshire Democratic primary is slipping. But neither of her principle rivals, Illinois Senator Barack Obama nor former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, is gaining much.


The action is with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson."

The post notes that, since September, Gov. Richardson has moved from 6% to 12% in New Hampshire and is at 11% in Iowa.

"That's a dramatic jump when the two CNN/WMUR polls are compared. But it appears to be the continuation of a pattern of improvement for Richardson that becomes clearer when the Boston Globe survey from earlier this month is factored in. That survey showed the New Mexico governor moving from 6 percent in September to 10 percent.


So we've got two polls tracking an uptick for Richardson from 6 percent to 10 percent to 12 percent.


If the pattern holds, the New Mexican will easily overtake Edwards and could begin closing in on Obama by the time New Hampshire holds its first in the nation primary."

What I find most satisfying in these numbers is the factor that seems to be making the most difference to the voters - Experience.

"It is worth noting that, according to the polls, Richardson is now viewed as more experienced than either Obama or Edwards by the New Hampshire voters. His numbers are dramatically up in other categories, as well, especially on measures of trust -- the New Mexican now leads Clinton in this category."

Now, obviously, we are still some time out and these numbers certainly are not in the 30 and 40% range we have been seeing from the "media nominees" but the fact that they reflect a continuing upward trend is quite satisfying and a testimony to the fact that there is no nominee until the voters have spoken. As Nichols concludes:

"The bottom line: Richardson is moving up. He could stall. But if he keeps going in the direction he's headed in, the governor could yet be a serious contender in the critical first tests of the Democratic race."

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

Experience for a Change - Education

Get involved in your precinct caucus. Contact Ken Camp at kennethcamp2@gmail.com and sign up to join the campaign here.

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

Center for American Progress

By the way, Move-on.org is sponsoring a vote for best ad:

"Vote for the best TV ad, then chip in to get it on the air.

Millions of people could see the winning ad on TV during the holidays—if we all pitch in to make it possible.

Our friends at the Center for American Progress put together the ads. Some are spoofs on a recent Apple ad campaign. The others tell the proud history of progressives fighting for women's right to vote, national parks, Social Security, and civil rights.

If we help define our progressive values now, more people will realize they're progressives, too.

Can you watch the ads, vote for the one you like most, and then chip in to get these ads in front of real people? Click here and enjoy:

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

Experience for a Change – Energy

A former Secretary of Energy, Bill Richardson understands and has actually enacted real energy solutions:

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

The Clinton News Network from "The Hill"

Aren't you tired of these media pig-dants like Blitzer and Russert who are paid millions to push the phony propaganda media in this country. These people could make Pravda blush. It's not as personal as it's about values in the sense of honesty and truth in Journalism.

For once I would like to hear the candidates speak as to "What they would do as President"!
Not the mumbo-jumbo that they seem to be maneuvered into BLA! BLA BLA-ING about.

Kucinich- Is Clear on His HealthCare plan "medicare for all"
Richardson as well -Take care of the Vetrans
Edwards "complete withdrawal of all combat troops from Iraq"
Biden- Public Financing of elections

I support Edwards and Kucinich! If you look that their positions you will see they don't screw around with words!

Many of the others do.

I don't want to hear what these people think I want to hear I want to hear what they are going to do if they get elected!

Now Hillary is another corporatist whose camp is using Rove tactics which disgrace the credibility of the Democratic party.
Had enough yet?




"The Clinton News Network Holds a Vladimir Putin Debate (Brent Budowsky)

Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson and Dennis Kucinich have close to a hundred years of significant government experience and very significant things to say about the campaign, but have been treated in these debates like the opposition to Vladimir Putin are treated in the state-controlled Russian media.

It is a disgrace and a sham and a disrespect not only to those candidates but to the very idea of an informed citizenry choosing our next leader in a democratic election.

This CNN debate began with a lie.

Matt Drudge reported that the Clinton people were pressuring Wolf Blitzer to go easy on Hillary; Blitzer dutifully denied. Either Drudge, the Clinton people or Blitzer was lying, and obviously it was Wolf.

Why couldn’t Blitzer say the truth, that the Clinton people used Drudge to send him a message?

It gets worse. The first 20 minutes of the debate completely excluded a majority of the candidates despite Blitzer’s lame and false promises that they would all be heard.

It gets even worse. In the kind of completely unethical practice that has become all too common in this campaign, CNN had the gall to pressure a student to ask a trivial planted question of Hillary Clinton about her relative opinions of diamonds or pearls.

Never mind that in this warped and ridiculous debate format the Bidens, Dodds, Richardsons and Kuciniches are largely closed out by the dictatorship of who decides which candidates are allowed to speak.

Never mind that candidates are interrupted in the most rude and unprofessional way if they dare to take more than a few seconds to discuss World War III, or the threat to the earth from climate change, or how to help the multitudes of the homeless or those without healthcare.

To waste time on questions about diamonds and pearls when candidates do not have the time to intelligently discuss Pakistan is Kafkaesque; to force-feed a question on a student, aimed at the network’s favored candidate, on such a stupid and trivial matter is not merely Kafkaesque but Putinesque.

It gets even worse. The so-called analysis of the debate is conducted by a partisan of one of the candidates, who dutifully cites the success of his candidate. This is not merely an issue of disclosure, with the lack of disclosure yet another unethical practice of what passes for journalism. Why was James Carville chosen in the first place? Couldn’t CNN find even one objective analyst?

Folks, I don’t blame Hillary Clinton or Jim Carville. If I were advising a major candidate, and more than once I have and probably will again, if I had the chance to dominate a debate by rigging the rules: Go for it. That is the way the game is played, let’s be honest about it.

This whole affair was a shame and disgrace and the latest in a series of debates that were managed in ways that insult the very notion of an informed electorate choosing our leader in a democratic election at a dangerous time.

My advice if this happens again: Biden, Dodd, Richardson and Kucinich should agree in advance to walk off the stage together and find some place to have their own debate, for as long as it takes, to have the kind of serious discussion our country deserves.

Trust me, if they do, it will be a ratings smash."

Experience for a Change - Immigration Reform

You can help bring experience back into the Whitehouse

Contribute - HERE

Volunteer - HERE

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

IWR News

Iraq Body Count: 11/19/07
Americans Killed: 3871
Americans Wounded: 28,451
http://icasualties.org/oif/
Iraqis Killed: 655,000+
http://www.thelancet.com
"...a small price..." Rep. John Boehner
-----------------------------------------


Latest Confirmed Casualties:

*Spc. Jermaine D. Franklin, 22, of Arlington, TX died Nov. 9, in Jisr Naft, Iraq.

*Sgt. Joseph M. Vanek, 22, of Elmhurst, IL died Nov. 12 in Baghdad, Iraq.

*Sgt. Christopher R. Kruse, 23, of Emporia, KN died Nov. 13 in Mukhisa, Iraq.

*Spc. Peter W. Schmidt, 30, of Eureka, CA died Nov. 13 in Mukhisa, Iraq.

*Pfc. Casey P. Mason, 22, of Lake, MI died Nov.13 in Mosul, Iraq.

*Spc. Derek R. Banks, 24, of Newport News, VA died Nov. 14 in San Antonio, TX of wounds suffered Oct. 25 in Baghdad, Iraq.

*Spc. Ashley Sietsema, 20, of Melrose Park, IL died Nov. 12 in Kuwait City, Kuwait.

*Sgt. Kenneth R. Booker, 25, of Vevay, IN died Nov. 14, in Mukhisa, Iraq.

*Sgt. Mason L. Lewis, 26, of Gloucester, VA died on Nov. 16 in Baghdad, Iraq.

*Sgt. Steven C. Ganczewski, 22, of Niagara Falls, NY died Nov. 16, in Balad, Iraq.


Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

A Question of Torture, Algeria to Iraq

A Tom Hayden/Robert Greenwald Production via Dal LaMagna:

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

Senate Republicans block funding for U.S. troops!

Finally - the headline the way it should be written! (h/t to Crook and Liars dot com)

By: Steve Benen on Friday, November 16th, 2007 at 12:45 PM - PST

"Senate Dems gave the GOP an opportunity, but they rejected it.


The Senate on Friday blocked a Democratic proposal that would have paid for the Iraq war but required that troops start coming home.


The 53-45 vote was seven votes short of the 60 needed to advance. It came minutes after the Senate rejected a Republican proposal to pay for the Iraq war with no strings attached.


Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the only way to get troops the money was to approve the restrictions outlined by Democrats.


“Our troops continue to fight and die valiantly. And our Treasury continues to be depleted rapidly, for a peace that we seem far more interested in achieving than Iraq’s own political leaders,” Reid said.


John Aravosis captured the situation perfectly: “[T]he Democrats were ready to give George Bush $50 billion for Iraq today and the Republicans killed it because they don’t want to provide any oversight whatsoever. The Republicans think the war in Iraq is going great, and to prove it they just took $50 billion away from our troops.”"

Harry Reid has indicated that there will not be any further funding bills until 2008. According to the Pentagon the military will not run out of money until mid February.

Harry Reid has done what we have been demanding since January. Now it is up to us to "cover his back." The attacks will be fierce over the next two months as Bush and his henchmen throw everything they have at the Senate Democrats. We must continue to shout from the roof tops:


Senate Republicans block funding for U.S. troops!

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

NAFTA - A Vague Memory

More from Sirota

Funny, I have no problem remembering where my last two jobs went.......

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

Bangeladesh

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

Support the Troops - Not One More Dime; Not One More Life

This in from CBS News

Not One More Dime - Not One More Life

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

Richardson Nominated (AGAIN) for Nobel

From the Associated Press:

Richardson Nominated for Nobel Prize

"WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Bill Richardson often touts his four Nobel Peace Prize nominations on the presidential campaign trail.

Now he has a fifth.

Democratic Rep. Bart Gordon of Tennessee said he has sent a nomination packet to the Nobel Committee in honor of Richardson's diplomatic efforts with countries like Sudan and North Korea.

"He's well deserving," said Gordon, who got to know Richardson when they served in Congress together. "It's just a continuation of his willingness to continue to go around the world, whether it's a matter of hostages or other tense situations, and work with all parties.""

And before some suggest that the nominations are simply late rewards for his work as US Ambassador to the UN, the story goes on to note:

"Between campaign stops this year and his job as governor of New Mexico, Richardson went to North Korea to recover the remains of missing U.S. troops from the Korean War and to Sudan to encourage a cease-fire in the Darfur conflict. Richardson often undertakes these efforts on his own, without an official imprimatur from the U.S. government, and he has negotiated with some of the world's most notorious dictators, from Iraq's Saddam Hussein to Cuba's Fidel Castro."

Oh, and for those who would simply chalk this up as some kind of campaign "gimmick":

"Eubank said 11 of Gordon's congressional colleagues signed the nomination letter, including one Republican — Jim Ramstad of Minnesota. Gordon said he's still staying out of the Democratic presidential primary, though....

Others who signed on to the nomination were Texas Democratic Reps. Charles Gonzalez, Solomon Ortiz, Silvestre Reyes and Ciro Rodriguez; California Democratic Reps. Joe Baca, Xavier Becerra, Bob Filner and Grace Napolitano; and Reps. Eliot Engel of New York, and John Tanner of Tennessee."

The more I listen to Clinton, Obama, and yes even Edwards, talk a tough line when it comes to American foreign policy - Clinton labels would be negotiating partners "terrorists" before they even sit down to the table; Obama talks of unilateral invasions of Pakistan; and all three continue to cast Iran in the role of "greatest threat to stability" in the Middle East, the more I long for a president who will lead with diplomacy and has a track record accomplishment in that arena.

It is a fact that any international negotiation entered into by any of the so-called front runners will be their first. We have already seen where OJT gets us. Gov. Richardson has more foreign policy experience than Clinton, Obama, and Edwards combined! It is time for Experience for a Change.

By the way, on a different note; today is Governor Richardson's birthday. I just received this nice note from his wife Barbara:

"Dear Chad,


You may not know this, but today is my husband's birthday.


It's not surprising if you don't know it. In the 35 years I've been married to Bill Richardson, I have never known him to want to make a fuss over it. In fact, this year he told me he didn't want to pay attention to it at all, since it comes on the same day as the CNN debate in Nevada.


Well, tough luck, Bill! Somebody has to make a fuss over you even if you're too busy to make a fuss over yourself!


So I asked Dave Contarino if I could e-mail you and the rest of Bill's supporters and ask that you all send him some birthday wishes online today.


Just write a little note or a joke or anything at all you think he might enjoy. Dave is going to have some of the folks on the campaign compile them all for me to surprise Bill after the debate tonight. I thought they would be fun to read to each other on the way home. You can do it by clicking here.

Knowing Bill as we do, and believing in what he has done and what he can accomplish for our country, I want to take this special occasion to let him know how much we stand behind his enormous effort.


Thank you for being there for my husband. And if you happen to be at that debate tonight, don't say anything to him about getting this from me!"



Barbara Richardson

Hopefully next year Bill will be celebrating his birthday with his Whitehouse Transition Team.

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

Hillary and the Plant

Whether or not Hillary Clinton is suited to be President of the United States there does appear to be one federal agency that she would have no problem in overseeing.

A couple of weeks ago the folks at FEMA got caught “staging” a press conference at which they planted some of their staffers to pose as news reporters in a hastily called press briefing. The staffer/reporters asked pre-determined questions designed to highlight the rapid response and brilliant effectiveness of the organization in response to the California wildfires.

How does this tie in to the Clinton campaign? Well a couple of days ago you might have thought that Hillary’s staff had borrowed that page from the FEMA play book when it was revealed that the senator’s staff was found to have planted a question at a recent campaign stop in Iowa. Of course, if you had thought that, you would be wrong. According to ABC News (and despite the campaign’s statement that, ”… This is not standard policy and will not be repeated again.”) this is not the first time that the Clinton campaign has attempted to “salt the crowd.”

"Another Question Planted by Clinton Campaign"

Illinois Minister Tells ABC News That Clinton Staffer Asked Him to Pose a War Question

By ELOISE HARPER
Nov. 10, 2007

”One day after Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign confirmed that a staffer planted a question for the presidential candidate at a recent campaign stop, another person has come forward with a similar story.

Geoff Mitchell, a minister who recently moved to Hamilton, Ill., from Iowa, told ABC News that he was approached this spring by Clinton's Iowa political director Chris Haylor to ask Clinton a question about war funding.” – “…Before the campaign event, Haylor asked Mitchell if he would pose a specific question about Iraq. The question was about how Clinton would be tough on President Bush about funding the Iraq war, Mitchell said.”

So, as you can see, the whole notion of “staging news” was being executed by the Clinton camp long before the FEMA folks took their stab at it. But, lest we believe that the irony stops here, we should remember back not too long ago to Senator Clinton’s exchange with Randall Rolph at another event in Iowa. You remember, the exchange that had Hillary accusing Rolph of being a “plant.”

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

Four Who Failed to Lead

"It is shocking that four U.S. Senators running for the Democratic Presidential nomination failed to show up and vote against Judge Mukasey or speak against him during the debate to persuade their fellow Senators that torture is a no-compromise issue.

"Judge Mukasey disqualified himself by refusing to acknowledge what the world has known for centuries: that waterboarding is torture and torture of any kind violates U.S. and international law. Alarmingly, Judge Mukasey already has shown a startling willingness to allow politics to influence his opinion regarding one of the most basic American principles -- human rights.

"The Attorney General is responsible for steadfastly defending the Constitution and implementing the laws of the land, without exception or equivocation. What should have been an easy question to answer-- waterboarding is torture, and torture is illegal-- was not easy for Judge Mukasey, who chose instead to dodge. His actions speak volumes. His answer was unacceptable, and he is unacceptable as the Attorney General of the United States. The Senate could have rejected this nomination with a filibuster. By showing up and speaking out, Senators Biden, Clinton, Dodd, and Obama might well have stopped his confirmation. Instead, they chose to sit on the sidelines and watch history pass them by.

"Last night, we witnessed a devastating failure of leadership in the fight to take back America, enforce the Constitution, and restore the principles on which this nation was founded.

"This is not what our country needs in its next President.

"Let me be clear: As President, I will ensure that any form of torture, including waterboarding, will never be used. Furthermore, I will direct the Department of Justice to vigorously investigate and prosecute any individual responsible for the use of torture. No one is above the law. No one."

*****

On October 19th, Governor Richardson released the following statement regarding Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey's refusal to say whether waterboarding is torture:

"Waterboarding is torture, and anyone who is unwilling to identify it as such is not qualified to be the chief legal officer of the United States of America. If I were in the U.S. Senate, I would vote against Mukasey unless he denounces such specific forms of torture.

"Torture does not work. Mistreatment backfires and destroys our international leadership, as we saw with Abu Ghraib. Torture also endangers our own troops. The standards we adopt may well be what our own troops are subjected to.

"Anytime one makes a person think he or she is being executed, the very nature of waterboarding, it obviously is a violation of the U.S. Constitution, international law, and basic human decency.

"ABC News has described waterboarding as follows: 'The prisoner is bound to an inclined board, feet raised and head slightly below the feet. Cellophane is wrapped over the prisoner's face, and water is poured over him. Unavoidably, the gag reflex kicks in, and a terrifying fear of drowning leads to almost instant pleas to bring the treatment to a halt.'

"If another nation engaged in waterboarding against American citizens, we would denounce that country and call the practice barbaric, and rightly so.

"We must stand against torture without equivocation, without compromise, and without exception. Torture is a violation of everything we stand for as Americans and as human beings."

It is unacceptable for anyone who would ask to lead this country to miss such a critical vote and take a stand - in fact LEAD - on such an issue of American values.

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

IWR News

Iraq Body Count: 11/09/07
Americans Killed: 3858
Americans Wounded: 28,451
http://icasualties.org/oif/
Iraqis Killed: 655,000+
http://www.thelancet.com
"...a small price..." Rep. John Boehner
-----------------------------------------


Latest Confirmed Casualties

*2nd Lt. Tracy Lynn Alger, 30, of New Auburn, WI died Nov 1 in Shubayshen, Iraq.

*Pfc. Dwane A. Covert Jr., 20, of Tonawanda, NY died Nov 3, in Al-Sahra, Iraq.

*Spc. Christine M. Ndururi, 21, of Dracut, MA died Nov. 6 in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

*Petty Officer 2nd Class Kevin R. Bewley, 27, of Hector, Ark., died Nov. 5 in Salah ad Din province, Iraq.

*Sgt. Daniel J. Shaw, 23, of West Seneca, NY died Nov. 5 in Taji, Iraq.

*Staff Sgt. Carletta S. Davis, 34, of Anchorage, AK died Nov. 5, in Tal Al-Dahab, Iraq.

*Staff Sgt. John D. Linde, 30, of New York, NY died Nov. 5, in Tal Al-Dahab, Iraq.

*Sgt. Derek T. Stenroos, 24, of North Pole, AK died Nov. 5, in Tal Al-Dahab, Iraq.

*Pfc. Adam J. Muller, 21, of Underhill, VT died Nov. 5, in Tal Al-Dahab, Iraq.

*Capt. Benjamin D. Tiffner, 31, of Pigeon, WV died Nov. 7 in Baghdad, Iraq.

*Sgt. Lui Tumanuvao, 29, of Fagaalu, American Samoa, died Nov. 7 in Arab Jabour, Iraq.


Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

House Dems Bitch Slap Kucinich and the Majority of Americans

Ohio Democrat, and presdential candidate Dennis Kucinich offered a "Privledged Resolution" on the floor of the US House today designed to cause a vote on initiating impeachment proceedings against Vice President Darth Cheney. What follows is the time line of events as recorded by the Clerks Office (All times EST):

1:36 P.M. -
NOTIFICATION OF INTENT TO OFFER RESOLUTION - Mr. Kucinich notified the House of his intent to offer a privileged resolution.

2:35 P.M. -
Considered as privileged matter.

2:54 P.M. -
Mr. Hoyer moved to table the measure.

On motion to table the measure Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 162 - 251 (Roll no. 1037).

4:02 P.M. -
Mr. Hoyer moved to refer to Judiciary.

4:03 P.M. -
MOTION TO REFER PRIVILEGED RESOLUTION - Mr. Hoyer moved to refer the privileged resolution to the Committee on the Judiciary. Subsequently, Mr. Hoyer moved the previous question on the motion to refer and by voice vote, the Chair announced the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Kucinich demanded recorded vote on ordering the previous question on the motion to refer.

The previous question on the motion to refer was Agreed to Agreed to by recorded vote: 218 - 194 (Roll no. 1038).

On motion to refer Agreed to by recorded vote: 218 - 194 (Roll no. 1039).

In effect what happened to day was that Dennis Kucinich kept his word to bring impeachment to the floor of the US House and Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats ran away. With recent polls reflecting some 45% of Americans in favor of impeaching George W. Bush and 54% favoring the impeachment of "Dead Eye" Dick, it's good to see that the Democrats continue to keep their finger on the pulse of the country.

Lest there be any confusion, the vote to refer this resolution back to Judiciary is essentially the same as the vote to table. HR 333 has been sitting in Judiciary since May of this year with no action taken.

It will be interesting to hear the Republicans play this as a chance to say, "Today the House Democrats stood solidly in support of Vice President Dick Cheney as they resoundingly defeated a measure (supported by an overwhelming majority of Republicans) to bring impeachment charges against him."

Thanks for trying Dennis.

[UPDATE - 11:00am 11/07/07]

From "The Hill"

Republicans keep Cheney impeachment bill alive

By Jonathan E. Kaplan | Posted: 11/6/07 4:35 p.m. [ET]

November 06, 2007

"House Republicans on Tuesday prevented Democratic leaders from blocking a resolution to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney.

The vote to table the privileged resolution, offered by Ohio Democrat Dennis Kucinch, began as a largely party-line vote to kill the measure, but Republicans developed a strategy to force Democrats to debate the resolution by supporting Kucinich. GOP leaders felt as though it was in their interest to debate the measure because it would make Democrats look bad.

After more than an hour of waiting for the vote to close, the motion to table the resolution failed by a vote of 162-251 after Democratic leaders failed to convince a group of liberal caucus members to side with them.

Republican lawmakers and aides credited Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) for coming up with the idea."

Oh it is just so hard to be a Democrat these days....

[FURTHER UPDATE - 8:20am 11/08/07] - From Brad Blog via my good friend and Candidate for Congress in New Mexico, Jason Call:

The following is from a letter sent to constituents today by Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, where the matter has been sent again. Wexler is calling for the committee "to schedule impeachment hearings immediately and not let this issue languish as it has over the last six months."...

"I share your belief that Vice President Cheney must answer for his deceptive actions in office, particularly with regard to the preparations for the Iraq war and the revelation of the identity of covert agent Valerie Plame Wilson as part of political retribution against her husband. That is why I voted against the motion to table debate on H.Res. 333. Along with only 85 other Democrats, I opposed tabling the measure and supported beginning immediate debate and a vote on the Cheney impeachment resolution. The vote on tabling the Kucinich resolution was rejected, and the House subsequently voted to refer the matter to the Judiciary Committee.
...
The American people are served well with a legitimate and thorough impeachment inquiry. I will urge the Judiciary Committee to schedule impeachment hearings immediately and not let this issue languish as it has over the last six months. Only through hearings can we bring begin to correct the abuses of Dick Cheney and the Bush Administration; and, if it is determined in these hearings that Vice President Cheney has committed High Crimes and Misdemeanors, he should be impeached and removed from office."

Hmmm - I wonder if Rep. Shadegg's clever scheme might come back to haunt him. More importantly, I wonder if Judiciary Chair, John Conyers, will respect the "will of the majority" who wish this resolution to be acted upon. After all, it wasn't too long ago that he told folks that if a few more Democrats signed on to HR 333 he would bring it before the full committee. Well, as noted, all but 5 Democrats just voted to send this resolution to the committee......

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

NW Progressive Convention

Friends,

I hope you will join me in Tacoma next Saturday for America in Solidarity's first NW Progressive Convention

The event to be held on Saturday, November 10th will run from 9am to 4pm at the First Congregational Church (209 S J St
Tacoma, WA 98405). The NW Progressive Convention, co-sponsored by AM 1090, offers to be a great chance to meet fellow progressives, share ideas and get involved. The itinerary includes:

* Keynote Speaker Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey


* Retired General Paul Eaton speaking about Iraq and what we should do there

* Congressional candidate Darcy Burner speaking about our loss of civil liberties

* Congressman Adam Smith in a Q & A about recent developments in the Middle East

* Two of the leading NW trade experts talking about our trade policies affect on working families

* A panel about clean elections and campaign finance reform

* Great workshops on immigration and affordable health care

* Presentations by each of the presidential campaigns with a chance for you to weigh in on our straw poll

Admission (to offset the costs of venue, promotion, etc.) is $20. Oh yeah, that covers your lunch as well. Tickets may be obtained by sending a check to:

America in Solidarity

3049 S. 36th St #205

Tacoma, WA 98409

I am looking forward to catching up with many folks I haven't seen in a couple of years as well as continuing to expand the Progressive network with new friends I will meet there. I hope that you will come enjoy the NW Progressive Convention.

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

H.J. Res. 53

Being a pretty liberal guy, I always find it difficult to read things that the more conservative columnists write and still keep my pleasant disposition. However what can be even more disconcerting is reading something one of them writes and realizing that I AGREE with them. Such is the case with today’s column from the Washington Post’s George Will,
“Congress surrenders warmaking role”
He begins:

”Americans are wondering, with the lassitude of uninvolved spectators, whether the president will initiate a war with Iran. Some Democratic presidential candidates worry, or purport to, that he might claim an authorization for war in a Senate resolution labeling an Iranian Revolutionary Guard unit a terrorist organization. Some Democratic representatives oppose the president's request for $88 million to equip B-2 stealth bombers to carry huge "bunker-buster" bombs, hoping to thereby impede a presidential decision to attack Iran's hardened nuclear facilities.


While legislators try to leash a president by tinkering with a weapon, a sufficient leash -- the Constitution -- is being ignored by them. They are derelict in their sworn duty to uphold it.* Regarding the most momentous thing government does, make war, the constitutional system of checks and balances is broken.” *(Emphasis TLS)

Gee, it seems that I (and so many of my friends and fellow patriots) have been saying this for over five years now. What’s changed? What is George doing on this bandwagon? Perhaps Mr. Will and some of the other “real conservatives” (as opposed to these neo-con criminals who are in charge of the asylum today) are starting to realize that these “new and improved” Commander in Chief powers might soon be falling in to the hands of another Democrat. And, for those who believe that Democrats are above the concept of expanding presidential war power, Will reminds us,

”Congress' powers were most dramatically abandoned and ignored regarding Korea. Although President Truman came from a Congress controlled by his party and friends, he never sought congressional authorization to send troops into massive and sustained conflict. Instead, he asserted broad authority to "execute" treaties such as the U.N. Charter.


For today's Democrats, resistance to unilateral presidential warmaking reflects not principled constitutionalism but petulance about the current president. Democrats were supine when President Clinton launched a sustained air war against Serbia without congressional authorization. Instead, he cited NATO's authorization -- as though that were an adequate substitute for the collective judgment that the Constitution mandates.”

Of course, in probably the most egregious example of presidential warmongering, there is the example of Johnson-Nixon Southeast Asia war game.

Regardless of where you stand on the righteousness of the military actions undertaken by any one president, the bottom line is this: (if we are to honor and respect our Constitution) Any military action, short of self defense from a real and ongoing attack against our country, MUST be sanctioned and authorized by our duly elected Congress.

To this end, Will informs us (why have I not heard this on Air America or some other Progressive outlet?) of H.J Res 53 from North Carolina Republican, Walter Jones and Massachusetts Democrat, William Delahunt.

”Introduced last week by Rep. Walter Jones, a North Carolina Republican, it technically amends, but essentially would supplant, the existing War Powers Resolution, which has been a nullity ever since it was passed in 1973 over President Nixon's veto.


Jones' measure is designed to ensure that deciding to go to war is, as the Founders insisted it be, a "collective judgment." It would prohibit presidents from initiating military actions except to repel or retaliate for sudden attacks on America or American troops abroad, or to protect and evacuate U.S. citizens abroad. It would provide for expedited judicial review to enforce compliance with the resolution, and permit the use of federal funds only for military actions taken in compliance with the resolution.”

What a concept! Yet, as of this writing, although there is real bi-partisan support, there are only 6 co-sponsors of this resolution (including Libertarian/Republican, presidential candidate Ron Paul).

It would seem to me that, if we are serious about stopping this madness of never-ending war that continues in presidential politics, perhaps this is an effort that deserves our attention. I mean, if you listen to any of the ongoing presidential debates and hear the Republicans (minus Ron Paul) seeing who can thump their chest harder when it comes to attacking Iran or the Democrats (minus Kucinich, Richardson, and Gravel) declaring that “all options are on the table” or that they could entertain ‘a unilateral invasion of Pakistan’ I think we should be expediting our efforts to get our members of congress to sign onto HJ Res 53 and get it enacted into law before January of 2009. As George Will concludes,

”Unless and until Congress stops prattling about presidential "usurpation" of power and asserts its own, it will remain derelict regarding its duty of mutual participation in warmaking. And it will merit its current marginalization.”

I would only add that if “we the people” don’t keep the fire lit under these folks, we will continue to receive the representation we deserve,

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

More "Democrats-as-Bush Enablers"

In the continuing tradition of “Democrats-as-Bush Enablers”, California Senator Diane Feinstein and New York Senator Chuck Schumer have broken ranks with the majority of their Democratic colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee to announce that they will vote to move Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey out of the committee and will vote to confirm him when the vote is before the entire Senate. Their actions will almost certainly guarantee Mukasey’s confirmation.

Following in the foot steps of recently departed Attorney General Alberto (‘Torture is a quaint notion’) Gonzales, Mukasey testified before the Judiciary Committee on such issues as presidential power and the lawfulness of torture. According to the Washington Post

”Mukasey aroused Democrats' concerns by testifying that there may be occasions when the president's powers as commander in chief could trump a federal law* requiring that a special court approve intelligence-related wiretaps. That answer jibes with one of the legal rationales used by the Bush administration in defense of its controversial Terrorist Surveillance Program, under which the National Security Agency eavesdropped on calls between persons in the United States and those overseas without first securing a court warrant. - (*Emphasis TLS)

Mukasey also repeatedly demurred when asked whether an interrogation technique that involves simulated drowning, known as waterboarding, constitutes torture and is therefore illegal. "I don't know what's involved in the technique," Mukasey said. "If waterboarding is torture, torture is not constitutional."

Waterboarding generally involves strapping the prisoner to a hard surface, covering his face or mouth with a cloth, and pouring water over his face to create the sensation of drowning, according to human rights groups. The practice has been prosecuted as torture in U.S. military courts since the Spanish-American War.

In the face of such testimony, Feinstein issued a statement yesterday that said that while ”…serious questions have been raised about Judge Mukasey’s views on torture and on separation of powers.” she, none the less, believes that ”…he will be a strong Attorney General and will represent the best interests of the American people.“

Likewise, Schumer, who introduced Mukasey to the Senate as a fellow New Yorker, while allowing ”This is an extremely difficult decision…”…adding Mukasey”…“is not my ideal choice.” also announced his intention to vote for Mukasey's confirmation.

Far from an ideal choice, Mukasey represents yet another dangerous afront to our civil liberties and our form of democracy. While Feinstein and Schumer have reputations for inflexibility once they have made public announcements, here is their contact information:


FEINSTEIN

SCHUMER

Judiciary Chair, Patrick Leahy has said that the vote in the committee could come as Monday or Tuesday. These senators need to know that we are counting on them to act in the best interest of our country and the rule of law.

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

IWR News

Iraq Body Count: 11/03/07
Americans Killed: 3848
Americans Wounded: 28,355
http://icasualties.org/oif/
Iraqis Killed: 655,000+
http://www.thelancet.com
"...a small price..." Rep. John Boehner
-----------------------------------------

Latest Confirmed Casualties:

*Seaman Anamarie Sannicolas Camacho, 20, of Panama City, FL died Oct. 22 in Bahrain.

*Seaman Genesia Mattril Gresham, 19, of Lithonia, GA died Oct. 22 in Bahrain.

*Staff Sgt. Robin L. Towns Sr., 52, of Upper Marlboro, MD died Oct 24 in Bayji, Iraq.

*Pfc. Adam J. Chitjian, 39, of Philadelphia, PA died Oct 25 in Balad, Iraq.

*Spc. David E. Lambert, 39, of Cedar Bluff, VA died Oct. 26, in Baghdad, Iraq.

*Sgt. Louis A. Griese, 30, of Sturgeon Bay, WI died Oct 31 in Tikrit, Iraq.

*Cpt. Timothy I. McGovern, 28, of Idaville, IN died Oct. 31 in Mosul, Iraq.

*Spc. Brandon W. Smitherman, 21, of Conroe, TX died Oct. 31 in Mosul, Iraq.

*Sgt. Daniel L. McCall, 24, of Pace, FL died on Oct. 30 in Salman Pak, Iraq.

*Pfc. Rush M. Jenkins, 22, of Clarksville, TN died on Oct. 30 in Salman Pak, Iraq.

*Pvt. Cody M. Carver, 19, of Haskell, OK died on Oct. 30 in Salman Pak, Iraq.

*Master Sgt. Thomas A. Crowell, 36, of Neosho, MO died Nov. 1 near Balad Air Base, Iraq.

*Staff Sgt. David A. Wieger, 28, of North Huntingdon, PA died Nov. 1 near Balad Air Base, Iraq.

*Nathan J. Schuldheiss, 27, of Newport R.I. died Nov. 1 near Balad Air Base, Iraq.


Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

Change AND Experience

Remember this?

"Had Enough?
Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course." Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out! You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. The President of the United States is given a free pass to ignore the Constitution, tap our phones, and lead us to war on a pack of lies. Congress responds to record deficits by passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I don't need it). The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving pom-poms instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for.

I've had enough. How about you? I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. My friends tell me to calm down. They say, "Lee, you're eighty-two years old. Leave the rage to the young people." I'd love to, as soon as I can pry them away from their iPods for five seconds and get them to pay attention. I'm going to speak up because it's my patriotic duty. I think people will listen to me. They say I have a reputation as a straight shooter. So I'll tell you how I see it, and it's not pretty, but at least it's real. I'm hoping to strike a nerve in those young folks who say they don't vote because they don't trust politicians to represent their interests. Hey, America, wake up. These guys work for us. Who Are These Guys, Anyway? Why are we in this mess? How did we end up with this crowd in Washington? Well, we voted for them, or at least some of us did. But I'll tell you what we didn't do. We didn't agree to suspend the Constitution. We didn't agree to stop asking questions or demanding answers. Some of us are sick and tired of people who call free speech treason. Where I come from that's a dictatorship, not a democracy. And don't tell me it's all the fault of right-wing Republicans or liberal Democrats. That's an intellectually lazy argument, and it's part of the reason we're in this stew. We're not just a nation of factions. We're a people. We share common principles and ideals. And we rise and fall together.

Where are the voices of leaders who can inspire us to action and make us stand taller? What happened to the strong and resolute party of Lincoln? What happened to the courageous, populist party of FDR and Truman? There was a time in this country when the voices of great leaders lifted us up and made us want to do better. Where have all the leaders gone?

The Test of a Leader
I've never been Commander in Chief, but I've been a CEO. I understand a few things about leadership at the top. I've figured out nine points, not ten (I don't want people accusing me of thinking I'm Moses). I call them the "Nine Cs of Leadership." They're not fancy or complicated. Just clear, obvious qualities that every true leader should have. We should look at how the current administration stacks up. Like it or not, this crew is going to be around until January 2009. Maybe we can learn something before we go to the polls in 2008. Then let's be sure we use the leadership test to screen the candidates who say they want to run the country. It's up to us to choose wisely.

A leader has to show CURIOSITY. He has to listen to people outside of the "Yes, sir" crowd in his inner circle. He has to read voraciously, because the world is a big, complicated place. George W. Bush brags about never reading a newspaper. "I just scan the headlines," he says. Am I hearing this right? He's the President of the United States and he never reads a newspaper? Thomas Jefferson once said, "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate for a moment to prefer the latter." Bush disagrees. As long as he gets his daily hour in the gym, with Fox News piped through the sound system, he's ready to go.

If a leader never steps outside his comfort zone to hear different ideas, he grows stale. If he doesn't put his beliefs to the test, how does he know he's right? The inability to listen is a form of arrogance. It means either you think you already know it all, or you just don't care. Before the 2006 election, George Bush made a big point of saying he didn't listen to the polls. Yeah, that's what they all say when the polls stink. But maybe he should have listened, because 70 percent of the people were saying he was on the wrong track. It took a "thumping" on election day to wake him up, but even then you got the feeling he wasn't listening so much as he was calculating how to do a better job of convincing everyone he was right.

A leader has to be CREATIVE, go out on a limb, be willing to try something different. You know, think outside the box. George Bush prides himself on never changing, even as the world around him is spinning out of control. God forbid someone should accuse him of flip-flopping. There's a disturbingly messianic fervor to his certainty. Senator Joe Biden recalled a conversation he had with Bush a few months after our troops marched into Baghdad. Joe was in the Oval Office outlining his concerns to the President, the explosive mix of Shiite and Sunni, the disbanded Iraqi army, the problems securing the oil fields. "The President was serene," Joe recalled. "He told me he was sure that we were on the right course and that all would be well. 'Mr. President,' I finally said, 'how can you be so sure when you don't yet know all the facts?'" Bush then reached over and put a steadying hand on Joe's shoulder. "My instincts," he said. "My instincts." Joe was flabbergasted. He told Bush,"Mr. President, your instincts aren't good enough." Joe Biden sure didn't think the matter was settled. And, as we all know now, it wasn't. Leadership is all about managing change, whether you're leading a company or leading a country. Things change, and you get creative. You adapt. Maybe Bush was absent the day they covered that at Harvard Business School.

A leader has to COMMUNICATE. I'm not talking about running off at the mouth or spouting sound bites. I'm talking about facing reality and telling the truth. Nobody in the current administration seems to know how to talk straight anymore. Instead, they spend most of their time trying to convince us that things are not really as bad as they seem. I don't know if it's denial or dishonesty, but it can start to drive you crazy after a while. Communication has to start with telling the truth, even when it's painful. The war in Iraq has been, among other things, a grand failure of communication. Bush is like the boy who didn't cry wolf when the wolf was at the door. After years of being told that all is well, even as the casualties and chaos mount, we've stopped listening to him.

A leader has to be a person of CHARACTER. That means knowing the difference between right and wrong and having the guts to do the right thing. Abraham Lincoln once said, "If you want to test a man's character, give him power." George Bush has a lot of power. What does it say about his character? Bush has shown a willingness to take bold action on the world stage because he has the power, but he shows little regard for the grievous consequences. He has sent our troops (not to mention hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens) to their deaths. For what? To build our oil reserves? To avenge his daddy because Saddam Hussein once tried to have him killed? To show his daddy he's tougher? The motivations behind the war in Iraq are questionable, and the execution of the war has been a disaster. A man of character does not ask a single soldier to die for a failed policy.

A leader must have COURAGE. I'm talking about balls. (That even goes for female leaders.) Swagger isn't courage. Tough talk isn't courage. George Bush comes from a blue-blooded Connecticut family, but he likes to talk like a cowboy. You know, My gun is bigger than your gun. Courage in the twenty-first century doesn't mean posturing and bravado. Courage is a commitment to sit down at the negotiating table and talk.

If you're a politician, courage means taking a position even when you know it will cost you votes. Bush can't even make a public appearance unless the audience has been handpicked and sanitized. He did a series of so-called town hall meetings last year, in auditoriums packed with his most devoted fans. The questions were all softballs.

To be a leader you've got to have CONVICTION, a fire in your belly. You've got to have passion. You've got to really want to get something done. How do you measure fire in the belly? Bush has set the all-time record for number of vacation days taken by a U.S. President, four hundred and counting. He'd rather clear brush on his ranch than immerse himself in the business of governing. He even told an interviewer that the high point of his presidency so far was catching a seven-and-a-half-pound perch in his hand-stocked lake. It's no better on Capitol Hill. Congress was in session only ninety-seven days in 2006. That's eleven days less than the record set in 1948, when President Harry Truman coined the term do-nothing Congress. Most people would expect to be fired if they worked so little and had nothing to show for it. But Congress managed to find the time to vote itself a raise. Now, that's not leadership.

A leader should have CHARISMA. I'm not talking about being flashy. Charisma is the quality that makes people want to follow you. It's the ability to inspire. People follow a leader because they trust him. That's my definition of charisma. Maybe George Bush is a great guy to hang out with at a barbecue or a ball game. But put him at a global summit where the future of our planet is at stake, and he doesn't look very presidential. Those frat-boy pranks and the kidding around he enjoys so much don't go over that well with world leaders. Just ask German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who received an unwelcome shoulder massage from our President at a G-8 Summit. When he came up behind her and started squeezing, I thought she was going to go right through the roof.

A leader has to be COMPETENT. That seems obvious, doesn't it? You've got to know what you're doing. More important than that, you've got to surround yourself with people who know what they're doing. Bush brags about being our first MBA President. Does that make him competent? Well, let's see. Thanks to our first MBA President, we've got the largest deficit in history, Social Security is on life support, and we've run up a half-a-trillion-dollar price tag (so far) in Iraq. And that's just for starters. A leader has to be a problem solver, and the biggest problems we face as a nation seem to be on the back burner.

You can't be a leader if you don't have COMMON SENSE. I call this Charlie Beacham's rule. When I was a young guy just starting out in the car business, one of my first jobs was as Ford's zone manager in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. My boss was a guy named Charlie Beacham, who was the East Coast regional manager. Charlie was a big Southerner, with a warm drawl, a huge smile, and a core of steel. Charlie used to tell me, "Remember, Lee, the only thing you've got going for you as a human being is your ability to reason and your common sense. If you don't know a dip of horseshit from a dip of vanilla ice cream, you'll never make it." George Bush doesn't have common sense. He just has a lot of sound bites. You know, Mr.they'll-welcome-us-as-liberators-no-child-left-behind-heck-of-a-job-Brownie-mission-accomplished Bush. Former President Bill Clinton once said, "I grew up in an alcoholic home. I spent half my childhood trying to get into the reality-based world, and I like it here." I think our current President should visit the real world once in a while.

The Biggest C is Crisis. Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down. On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. Where was George Bush? He was reading a story about a pet goat to kids in Florida when he heard about the attacks. He kept sitting there for twenty minutes with a baffled look on his face. It's all on tape. You can see it for yourself. Then, instead of taking the quickest route back to Washington and immediately going on the air to reassure the panicked people of this country, he decided it wasn't safe to return to the White House. He basically went into hiding for the day, and he told Vice President Dick Cheney to stay put in his bunker. We were all frozen in front of our TVs, scared out of our wits, waiting for our leaders to tell us that we were going to be okay, and there was nobody home. It took Bush a couple of days to get his bearings and devise the right photo op at Ground Zero. That was George Bush's moment of truth, and he was paralyzed. And what did he do when he'd regained his composure? He led us down the road to Iraq, a road his own father had considered disastrous when he was President. But Bush didn't listen to Daddy. He listened to a higher father. He prides himself on being faith based, not reality based. If that doesn't scare the crap out of you,I don't know what will.

A Hell of a Mess.
So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you've got to ask: "Where have all the leaders gone?" Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, competence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened. Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when "the Big Three" referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it? Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debt, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bobblehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change? Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope. I believe in America. In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises, the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the Kennedy assassination, the Vietnam War, the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to action for people who, like me, believe in America. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the horseshit and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had enough."


By Lee Iacocca with Catherine Whitney
04/11/07

Well, he's back

Lee Iacocca Endorses Bill Richardson for President
11/01/2007

"Bill Richardson is my guy.


From the beginning, my intention has been to get people actively involved in this election and get them thinking about the candidates for themselves. While that hasn't changed, I've come to the conclusion that this race is too important for me not to publicly endorse the candidate I feel is best qualified for the job of President. And whether I'm examining their priorities, using my 9C's Scorecard or simply listening to my gut, Bill Richardson is the one who always comes out on top.


Richardson's been a successful Governor. He's been a successful CEO. He's demonstrated that he knows how to negotiate with foreign leaders and lead on issues like global warming. Unlike others on the stump, he’s offering bold plans, not just pandering talk. I like his job plan, his health care plan, his energy plan, his education plan and his plan to get us out of Iraq. I also just plain like the guy.


While I believe every citizen should vote their own mind and conscience, I'd encourage you to take a long hard look at Bill Richardson for yourself. With his experience, character and vision, I believe he's the President we need right now."

The "Inevitable Nominee" and the Washington Caucuses

An interesting post over at Washblog.:

The Arrogance of the State Clinton Campaign

By DWE

Thu Nov 01, 2007

”The Chair of the 36th District Democrats, Peter House, recently received what he described as a "chilling" phone call from the director of the state Clinton campaign. James Kainber wanted the help of Democrats who would do grassroots organizing on behalf of the Senator's presidential campaign. Peter House replied that he knows the grassroots Democrats in his district and that most of them don't support Sen. Clinton.

Using one of the oldest tactics around--what amounts to the "bandwagon" argument--Mr. Kainber claimed that 30 LD chairs had already signed on to support Sen. Clinton. Kainber said that the activist contingent of the Party isn't lining up behind Clinton, but it really doesn't matter. After February 5th, she'll have the nomination sewn up. Our February 9th caucuses will, in effect, be irrelevant.”

Now while some might think that this is about Clinton bashing but, in fact, it has much more to do with the potential threat that our State Party imposed February 9th caucuses might actually pose to other races in our state.

The post goes on to share a letter that Peter House sent out to his fellow LD and County Chairs. In the letter he asks that his fellow chairs refrain from making ”an early endorsement of a presidential candidate.” His request was not about restricting support for any candidate but rather about preserving the integrity of our caucuses. He details the phone conversation that he had with Kainber and then explained his concern:

”February 5th is the day of a slew of state primaries...what Dwight Pelz calls Stupid Tuesday. On Tuesday February 5th, the field will be substantially narrowed. It may even be that one candidate gets enough votes to effectively end the nominating process.

Our caucuses are a few days later, of course, on February 9.

A done-deal nomination would be bad for party activists because it would let the air out of the excitement around the caucuses. All of us will by then have put in hours of planning and spent lots of money preparing for the caucuses. If we get low turnout, we will miss the chance to recruit new folks into the party. We will miss the chance to meet the "Challenge from the Chair" of getting an increase in voter turnout. I also shudder to think of the money we might lose.

Now, maybe you have a candidate that you have endorsed and you are not willing to withdraw your support, but I ask you please to refrain from talk of inevitability of the nomination of any candidate. Resistance is not futile. Our party depends on it.”

My question is: Do you think that the continued rhetoric of “the inevitable nominee” will have the impact on our caucuses that House is predicting and, if so, will that low turnout have a lingering effect on November, 2008 turnout?

Now, while the idea of having your own blog is to create comments on your topic, in this case I would direct you to the original post at Washblog where your thoughts will have a much broader audience.

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue

Experience and Trust for a Change

You can help HERE

Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue