Well, for those of us living in New York this has been, shall we say, an "interesting" week. I discuss the scandal surrounding Eliot Spitzer in some detail in this newsletter. In the end it just may be a good thing. Our new governor, Governor Paterson, is untested in many ways...and some consider him a bit weak. But I have a better feeling about him than I did about Spitzer when he was elected. But time will tell.

This week also has been horrible for our economy. Things are getting worse and worse and no end in sight. I am seriously concerned about the economic situation. But Bush has been "reassuring" America that the economy is just fine. This reminds me of his father telling us "Don't worry, be happy." Which, of course, led to the brilliant counter line, "It's the Economy, Stupid." Well, "It's the Economy Stupid" applies more than ever, as I write on Culture Kitchen. Halliburton, Exxon/Mobil, Shell Oil, Chevron etc. rake in record profits while you and I have trouble making ends meet...and Bush "reassures" us. Pardon me, but to Hell with that! This economy has sucked during the entirety of Bush's term, with this being the SECOND recession he has given us. And inflation has been a problem at the very same time. I am not reassured.

But change is coming. Whether our nominee is Clinton or Obama, I am eager to see a change. Either way we will see some of the nastiest attacks from the Republicans we have ever seen. Be prepared. And be prepared to fight it tooth and nail. They will be as sexist and/or racist as they need to be to win. They will lie, steal and cheat to win. We are poised to take the Senate solidly, win more House seats and take the White House. This week alone we won yet another House seat (in Illinois) and successfully defended a threatened seat (in Indiana). But they have more dirty tricks up their sleeves and we have to be ready for it.

200,000 dead!  2 million displaced!

While the Bush Administration was spending billions to bring freedom and democracy to Iraq, or so those Republican leaders told us, all hell broke loose in a violent sectarian war.  

The most horrifying wars of all are religious wars.  How many of those Republican leaders such as Tom DeLay (former pest exterminator) and Dennis Hastert (former wrestling coach/teacher) were well grounded in historical knowledge of the Dark Ages or of Middle East religion and politics?

Sadly name value, such as Reagan the actor, Schwarzenegger the actor, or Jesse Ventura the wrestler, were all names and careers with which a lot of voters could easily identify.

Isn't it enough that this Republican Administration got us into Iraq?

Isn't it enough that it is now provable there never were those "weapons of mass destruction" that launched us into this bloody spectacle?

Every congressman should be required to have knowledge of the historical background and irrefutable proof of the nation they want to war against as an "imminent threat" to the U.S.A.

Otherwise innocent men, women, and children will be killed in a slaughter spree.

The diary below was originally posted in my blog the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

Seventeen years ago Democrats jettisoned the remnants of their eroding spine and House Speaker Jim Wright went down in flames. Wright's fall was a seminal moment for Democrats as well as our national politics. Already on the defensive following defeats in three consecutive presidential elections Democrats crawled into a fetal position and became a self-gelding machine of ineptitude. Corporate militarism and Christian radicalism bagged a trophy and were on the march.

First, let's get one thing straight. Gays, media, and Democrats are to blame for Mark Foley's and the GOP leadership's reprehensible behavior.

Well... that's the argument being foisted upon the public by 'personal responsibility' Republicans.

And they're probably right.

Clearly it was the media that forced GOP Congressman Mark Foley to spend all those years repeatedly seeking sexual fulfillment with children.

Clearly it was gays who strong-armed the Republican leadership into ignoring the initial evidence of lurid impropriety in order to preserve their majority status in the House.

Clearly it was the Democrats who used their well-known mind-control techniques to thwart the Republican leadership's efforts to come clean with the GOPedophile scandal at a less politically sensitive time way back when GOP leaders first learned about it.

Clearly it was gays, the media and the Democrats who caused Republicans' to do the wrong thing, embrace power, and protect their favorite pedophile at the expense of their honor, integrity, and dignity.

Dems, gays, and Media should be ashamed.

Hastert quarantined at Walter Reed


Washington, DC (APE) - Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert was rushed to Walter Reed Hospital late this evening after apparently suffering a setback during treatment for a skin infection. Hospital authorities confirmed that Hastert was in stable condition but that the infection seemed to be spreading.

Nine long time Republican Representatives have gone on record. They have vehemently and eloquently made a case for impeachment when we have a President who lies.

 I was very impressed at how outraged they were, how concerned they were about ensuring honor and integrity in the White House.  They believe that if the President continues such behavior it would ultimately destroy the fabric of our society and the foundations of our government for future generations.

They were quite firm in saying that such issues were above partisan politics.

If you don't have time to read it all, in summary they said that: A lying President is the antithesis of Truth, Justice and the American Way.

I am relieved, because now I know that they will have to impeach George W. Bush.

This will be the first of a series of diaries where I will share what I learned with you.

AP/Susan Walsh

Via The Huffington Post:

In June 2003, House Speaker Dennis Hastert sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton urging her to act in favor of clients of the scandal-plagued lobbyist Jack Abramoff. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reported yesterday that investigators believe that Abramoff and his staff provided the congressmen with the letter's text.

Three other representatives, including former House Majority leader Tom DeLay and the current majority leader Roy Blunt, co-signed the letter. Both DeLay and Blunt have close ties to Abramoff and have received thousands of dollars from his clients.

The letter endorsed a view of gambling law that would block the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians from opening a casino nearby one owned by the Coushattas, an Abramoff client.

In September 2004, the Washington Post quoted V. Heather Sibbison, a lobbyist at the time for the Jena Band: "I have never seen a letter like that before. It was incredibly unusual for that group of people, who do not normally weigh in on Indian issues, to express such a strong opinion about a particular project not in any of their home states."

Accoring to FEC reports, since 1999 Hastert has taken $49,000 from American Indian tribes while they were Jack Abramoff's clients. On June 3, 2003, Hasteret held a fundraiser at Signatures, a Washington restaurant owned by Abramoff. He did not pay for the space until more than two years later, when Business Week began an in-depth investigation into use of Signatures.

The Libby/Plame story is fastinating, but it's the Jack Abramoff story that has the Republican Power Base really nervous.