The diary below was originally posted earlier today on my blog the Intrepid Liberal Journal.

In July 1947, George F. Kennan published an article in the quarterly edition of Foreign Affairs entitled "Sources of Soviet Conduct." Kennan originally drafted the article as a paper for Defense Secretary James Forrestal. When he submitted it to Foreign Affairs, Kennan used the moniker "Mr. X." The piece was known as "containment" and is credited with guiding American foreign policy under presidents of both parties during the cold war.

The Congress, both houses, have failed the veterans used in hazardous substance  experiments from WW2 thru the end of human experimentation in 1975, when after public outcry and congressional investigations, by Vice President Nelson Rockefeller and then the Church Commission, exposed the depth of violations by the CIA and DOD of the Nuremeberg Codes of 1947 on American military personnel.

Senator Jay Rockefeller conducted the Rockefeller Commission of 1994 that delved into all of the programs, nuclear, radiation, chemical and biological. It is now 2006 and the federal government refuses to find these veterans who were harmed in these experiments  why? Why hasn't our Congress, our elected officials ever forced them to deal with a six decades long problem?

Crossposted at skippy, Booman Tribune, and my blog, The Mystery of the Haunted Vampire.

Asked to explain the differences between the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Hamdan and President George W. Bush's description of the case, the U.S. Department of Justice's head of the Office of Legal Counsel Steven Bradbury told the Senate Judiciary Committee: "The President is always right."

In decision after decision, we have seen that this was not a lone statement from a sychophant. Remember, George W. Bush could not think of any mistakes he had made despite failing to prevent the worst attack to the United States in modern history. "The President is always right" is a view held by George W. Bush himself.

This is it folks. Tonight is the night!

Endorsed by Eliot Spitzer...

Designated a 'Top Tier' race by the NY DSCC...

...Our man Brian Keeler (NYBri) is having a 'Blograiser' -- located physically in Manhattan and virtually online -- live-blogged on DailyKos.com and other excellent sites across the blogosphere.

This is our chance to make a bold statement about the direction of politics in America -- and continue to expand the passion and implement the progressive values of the Netroots.

Leading the charge to take back the NY State Senate, Candidate Brian Keeler (NYBri) is setting the standard for creative thinking -- an invaluable quality for any leader. His latest creation is the 'Blograiser' -- a commonsense combo of traditional and pioneering fundraising.

As far as we know, this will be the first time that a (relatively) traditional political fundraiser (See Details Below) has been coordinated to run concurrently with an associated online fundraiser (a 'Blograiser').

The purpose is threefold:

1) Maximize the contribution total for the event -- accepting contributions from both the physical and virtual attendees.

2) Allow supporters outside Brian's district -- and even outside NY -- to participate and support his candidacy.

3) Generate a burst of enthusiasm for the Keeler campaign that will increase his campaign's visibility with his constituency, the remaining public, the media, and the state and national political infrastructure.

HERE'S HOW IT WILL WORK

Dear Future New York State Senator, Brian Keeler (NYBri),

I want to take this opportunity to broadly, and without any authority whatsoever, speak on behalf of the entire blogosphere by asking you to... relax. Take it easy.

Okay, so you're running for NY State Senate against a punk-ass Republican incumbent and that might cause a little stress.

Sure, as a long time net-denizen you and your campaign have become a cause célèbre with the progressive political blogosphere and that might put a little pressure on some.

And, yeah... The results of your pioneering run will, in many ways, reflect upon the current state of the 'gate-crashing' movement... the degree of influence... and the motivation and ability to get 'one of our own' elected to office.

So what! We really don't expect that much of you. How could we? You're just a mild mannered guy who believes what he says and acts as he believes.

On this 4th of July I am remembering the words of Thomas Paine in The American Crisis, written to inspire nascent America in its darkest hours of 1776:

THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.

You are invited to a NYC Fundraiser to benefit the campaign of NY State Senate Candidate Brian Keeler!

Our Netroots candidate is ready to ROCK with his first Manhattan fundraiser, but we need your help to spread the word!!

If you could please communicate this important message to everyone you know -- and ask them to spread the word as well -- it would be infinitely appreciated!

This event MUST be a huge success as it will serve as a sort of symbolic measuring stick (in the eyes of DC and the media) of the Netroot's determination to walk the walk when it comes to putting our ideas and passion into a position of policy determination (i.e. getting our people elected).

From 1952 thru 1975  the United States used 7120 men in chemical weapons experiments using stuff like mustard agents, Sarin, other nerve agents, they also used some of the same veterans in drug tests at Edgewood Arsenal using LSD, PCP, etc  in all 254 substances.  Pages 20-23 show the Cold War tests  http://www1.va.gov//vhi/doc s/CBR_www.pdf

This report published in March 2003 shows that 2098 of the men were dead in FY 2000   40%, and of the survivors 54% of them were disabled another 2200 men, for a total death and disability rate of 74.43%. The VA has failed to find these men and claim they can't "find" us until 2009, why? http://www.iom.edu//CMS/379 5/4913/5842.aspx

The U.S. Supreme Court has just overturned a ruling for President Bush that upheld Guantanamo Military Tribunals.

The Court said that the procedures adopted to try Guantanamo prisoner Hamdan violated the Geneva Conventions.

Once Again, the Bush Administration has overstepped its legal authority:

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that President George W. Bush overstepped his authority in creating military war crimes trials for Guantanamo Bay detainees.

The ruling, a rebuke to the administration and its aggressive anti-terror policies, was written by Justice John Paul Stevens, who said the proposed tribunals were illegal under U.S. law and the Geneva Convention.

Conservative political analyst Dick Morris writes that the majority senate party come 2006 might be decided in red-state Tennessee, home to Al Gore and Democratic Senate Hopeful Harold Ford. With the senate holding a 55 Republican majority, Democrats will need to pick up six seats to take over. But which six?


Top Democratic targets: (According to the latest Rasmussen polls)

Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) trails Democrat Bob Casey Jr. 56-33

Senator Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) trails Rep. Sherrod Brown 44-41

Senator Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) trails Jon Tester by 48-44

Ahead of their Democratic challengers but well below 50 percent are:

Senator Jim Talent (R-Mo.) over Democrat Claire McCaskill 43-40

Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.) over Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse 44-42

Both of these would likely fall to the Democrats in the event of a broad trend towards Democrats.

Dear Mr. Reed,

To quote from Abraham Lincoln, "I have never written to you in greater kindness of feeling than now, nor with a fuller purpose to sustain you."  

From the missives that keep getting launched from the DLC site and DLC operatives, I feel that you are laboring under a horrible misapprehension.  The Democratic blogs don't have a problem with moderate Democrats.  In fact, we don't even have a problem with very conservative Democrats.

It's not about positions.  It's never been about positions.

Sir, you're fighting the wrong fight.

I'm tired of the right wing war whore lovers who think this war is a videogame. The honored dead are meaningless to them.

They can't wrap their chickenhawk wings around the idea that each of these deaths is about the worst thing that will ever happen to these soldiers' families and friends.

Help Wanted!

If you are an American citizen with skills and expertise in any field relevant to the operation of the legislative, judicial or executive branches of the American government Uncle Sam wants you.

The People are currently seeking men and women with talent and competence in any area who are willing to work forty eight weeks a year at the People's business, keep their hands out of the cookie jar and themselves out of the beds of those who would corrupt the government to serve their own interests.

This is less strategic and more tactical than Tom Ball's diaries. Consider his diaries for the generals and this diary for the foot soldiers.

How do we reach those willing to blind their own eyes to avoid seeing the truth?

I have found that educating people and informing them about what Democrats are doing and have stood for and who supports them are powerful ways to reach them.

So that means getting out of our comfortable zone here on the blogs and getting out on the streets this summer and taking it face-to-face.

So my plan for a Democratic victory:

1. Be informed about your candidate's positions.
2. Buy comfortable shoes to canvass in.
3. If you are not physically capable of walking, volunteer to work the phone bank.
4. Listen. Listen. Listen. By listening, I found people worried candidate John Kerry being weak on national defense. By being informed I was able to tell them more retired generals and admirals were supporting Kerry's candidacy than George Bush's. By canvassing, I found those people to persuade.

Did we win my county in 2004? No. But we increased the Democratic presidential votes by nearly 40 percent in 2004 over 2000. If that can be done in a Republican stronghold of the state, think what can be done in other areas.