John Sidney McCain III made his first national "executive" decision a few weeks ago. He chose a person who was singularly unqualified to hold even city wide office to be his (and, unfortunately, our) Vice President.

I think that single decision shows us who John Sidney III really is, reveals him more clearly than anything I have seen in this or his many previous failed campaigns.

His choice, as far as I have been able to determine, may have been partially forced upon him by the darker forces of neo-conservative Republican politics. The Roves and the Cheney's intend to rule from Mordor long after their official tenures are over in Washington. They need their Bushes, their McCains and Palins.

Forced though the choice may have been, McCain made it with a degree of public glee, of arrogance and cynicism that I have never personally witnessed in presidential politics in my tired old life.

July 6, 2007

Each year, it seems, the Grand American Puppet Show is getting longer, and the assortment of characters more diverse and talented. This time the curtain was lifted in the middle of 2006, more than two years before the Grand American Puppet Choice Day--er, excuse me, Election Day. The first two characters to appear on stage were New York Senator Hillary Clinton, representing the Democratic Party, and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, representing the Republican Party.  

The Progressive Democrat Newsletter grew out of the frustration of the 2004 election. I have try mixing my own rants and ideas, with national issues, news items, and some very local groups and events in an attempt to both help shape debate and to help people find their own ways of getting involved.

This week I discuss a couple of major victories (one familiar to the dKos community, but only covering it now in my newsletter). I also continue to highlight the REAL Rudy Giuliani, countering some of his lies about 9/11/ I also do a roundup of local progressive events for places where I have had the most readers over the last couple of weeks. Don't forget to visit an advertiser or two and if you want more, please visit Culture Kitchen.

I've avoided the debates until now because I saw them as little more than exercises in media manipulation.  This time, I wanted to watch the Republican debate just to hear the other candidates respond to Ron Paul.  Unfortunately, I had a scheduling conflict so I asked a kid to take notes for me.  As the debate began, I drew a quick seating chart of the candidates to help the kid keep track of who said what and then ran off.  BTW - this is not snark.  This is a straight rendition from a 9 year old.  The only changes I made were for spelling errors (except the names).

It must have been more difficult thant I thought to keep track of all the new names.  That's the only reason I can think of to explain why this  reporter devised their own naming strategy to keep track of the candidates.  Aside from that, it seems they got all the high points.

Follow me below the fold for the 9-years old rendition of a fight between Sarge, Wrinkles, Bunny Ears, Oily, Beagle Eyes and Carrot Face...  

The Progressive Democrat Newsletter grew out of the frustration of the 2004 election. So I have bene doing this almost exactly three years. And boy are my arms tired! (sorry!) Having organized protests against the Republican Convention, I found I had a core of activists who needed some encouragement after Bush "won" re-"election". My carefully thought out suggestions as to where we could go from that defeat led to this more-or-less weekly newsletter.

This week I discuss the corruption and pedophilia...yes, pedophilia...that is rampant in the Republican Party. I discuss why Rudy Giuliani should reject Pat Robertson's endorsement...and if he doesn't he should be held accountable for the fanatical extremism of Robertson. I also cover election results and some local events in many states. Don't forget to visit an advertiser or two and if you want more, please visit Culture Kitchen.

The Progressive Democrat Newsletter grew out of the frustration of the 2004 election. Having organized protests against the Republican Convention, I found I had a core of activists who were looking to me for support after Bush "won" re-"election". My carefully thought out suggestions as to where we could go from that defeat led to this more-or-less weekly newsletter. EVERYONE REMEMBER: TUESDAY IS ELECTION DAY IN MANY STATES. VOTE!

This week I discuss the declining Republican Party, Ann Coulter's Extremist Intolerance, Child Soldiers in Burma, Rudy Giuliani's screwing of New York's firefighters, and rape and women's rights in Indian Country. I also focus on local actions and events in New York State, New York City, New Jersey, Virginia, California, Iowa and Mississippi. Don't forget to visit an advertiser or two and if you want more, please visit Culture Kitchen.

The Progressive Democrat Newsletter grew out of the frustration of the 2004 election. Having organized protests against the Republican Convention, I found I had a core of activists who were looking to me for support after Bush "won" re-"election". My carefully thought out suggestions as to where we could go from that defeat led to this more-or-less weekly newsletter.

This week I discuss a very personal conflict with Homeland Security. Yes...my wife is at the center of a battle for our Civil Liberties and my diary about that on Culture Kitchen went platinum with WELL over 12,000 reads in one week. I also cover recent Republican attacks on our troops, Rudy Giuliani's campaigns disguting exploitation of 9/11, and I put out a personal appeal to you to help us here in NYC take one more Congressional seat: NY-13.

Last week I started something without even realizing it. I posted my second ever recommended diary on Daily Kos called "The Articles They Don't Want You to See." The success led me to even start it as a new blog, as well as a regular Daily Kos article.

The response was good enough that it is clear I should try and make this a weekly thing. The idea is to highlight articles/infromation/videos , new or old, that are important, under-reported and/or forgotten. And to provide YOU to post articles that YOU think need more attention. Last week I focued on Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and John McCain as well as a Republican Congressman named Vito Fossella (also called Bagdhad Vito or Bush's Lap Dog) in NYC and his challenger, Steve Harrison. This week I will review last week's articles, YOUR suggestions from last week, and present a new set of articles that I think deserve more attention. And if you think I forgot anything, please post in the comments! New articles come first, last week's articles are at the end.

Being a New Yorker, I have realized that many people don't know what Rudy Giuliani is really like. It is amazing how few people realize what a dick he is and how our first responders DETEST him. So I wanted to find some articles (including my own...) that highlight how he really is.

Which then made me realize that I already have some articles on some other Republicans that should get more attention. So, here is what might be a regular thing I do: highlighting the articles that Republicans DON'T want you to see. Please feel free to add more in the comments. I may pick up on some of them for my own blogging. And feel free to spread the word on these articles.

This week I discuss targeting ME Senator Collins as an enabler of the McCain/Bush/Lieberman escalation, call Rudy Giuliani to task for his Karl Rove like tactics, and discuss what it REALLY means to support the troops. If you visit my blog, don't forget to click on an advertiser or two since that helps me keep the blog going. As usual I also highlight local events and organizations for several states. And, if you want more political and social discussions, please check out our offerings on Culture Kitchen.

The Progressive Democrat Newsletter grew out of the frustration of the 2004 election. After much pressure from readers, this email newsletter is now going the blog route. I update the blog once a week focusing on both national issues and issues of interest to particular regions or states. In general, NYC, California, New Jersey, Virginia and the Midwest get special attention simply because those are the areas where I seem to have the most readers.

This week I discuss how Republicans hurt our troops, Rudy Giuliani's flip flops, Democratic Presidential hopefuls going to Indian Country, and LOTS of stuff about Ann Coulter. If you visit my blog, don't forget to click on an advertiser or two. As usual I also highlight local events and organizations for several states, including some real disgusting stuff about Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards project in NYC. And, if you want more political and social discussions, please check out our offerings on Culture Kitchen.

Photo reportedly showing Jon Stewart in possession of Giuliani presidential playbook


Washington, DC (UPSI) - Aides to 2008 presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani today leveled accusations at the fledgling bipartisan Stewart/Colbert '08 Campaign in regards to the recent theft and publication of Giuliani's 140 page 2008 presidential campaign playbook. Initially they had proposed that the document was covertly stolen by airport baggage handlers and photocopied by tricksters for another campaign, but they today produced photographic evidence showing Jon Stewart in possession of the disputed documents at a Giuliani press conference in New York, hours before the former mayor had left for the airport. The playbook in its entirety was subsequently released anonymously to the press, with many feeling that the revelations might ultimately be proven fatal to Giuliani's run for the presidency.

The Stewart/Colbert '08 campaign arranged for an exclusive interview for UPSI with the two candidates, in which they vehemently denied culpability.

You know, I started this post as a serious criticism to Giuliani's presidential ambitions, but the further I got, the more I realized that it was largely a waste of my time. Giuliani already did the work.

So, in case there was any serious speculation about Rudy making it as the GOP's choice in 2008, I feel it is my duty to remind the world of Rudy's... uhhhh... prior escapades.

Though it was clearly in good fun, we all know that the Republican base has a sense of humor akin to a horse's ass.

So buh-bye Rudy, and let's not waste our time with him. Rudy will be but a diversion to the 2008 race.

First some pics:

And then the BIG SHOW: Check out this YouTube footage of Rudy in Drag with the Donald!!

In head-to-head matchups, Gore has pulled to within 7 points of McCain and 4 points of Giuliani in a FOX News/Opinion Dynamics poll released yesterday, improving his standings from May when he trailed both McCain and Giuliani by double digits.

Gore now matches Hillary's poll numbers versus Giuliani and marginally improves upon her versus McCain.

"... Rudolph Giuliani and, yes, President Bush, he wasn't a hero of 9/11, but he played one on TV. And like Mr. Giuliani, he was quick to cash in, literally, on his undeserved reputation."

-- Paul Krugman (01/07/2005)

I was sitting in the middle of our trading floor, several positions already established, admiring the sun's brilliant rise over Brooklyn. Wall Street was beginning to buzz and it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day.

I was particularly at ease that morning and was waiting to see what the morning's data releases were going to unleash on the markets.

In the background, I could hear the guy sitting behind me chatting on the phone with his wife who was strolling past the twin towers only a few blocks away.

The morning was September 11th, 2001.