"If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. We need to go far -- quickly." ~~ Al Gore

No entity in this once-proud nation is more corrupt than its shallow, hubris-infested media. Any pricks of conscience the media may have felt for covering up the treasonous seizure of the 2000 election were swept away in the swirl of terror following the attack on 9-11. The "big story" to confront George Bush when he returned from his month-long vacation in September 2001, his approval numbers tanking, was that Al Gore got more votes than any Democrat in US history -- nearly a half-million more than Bush. It was that five conservative Supreme Court judges stopped the vote count that would prove Gore won because, in their unsigned decision, they wrote such a democratic win would cause "public acceptance," which would "cast a cloud over Bush's legitimacy" and thus harm "democratic stability."

Last Sunday (August 5) I went with my Dad, Mom and sister to see a late afternoon showing of Ratatouille in Columbus. My Mom and I like to sit near the back, but most of the seats were already taken, so we settled into the third row from the front. Several times while I was enjoying the movie, I noticed my sister turn and whisper in excited tones to my Mom. I was too engrossed in the film to pay much attention.

Eight faces that I'm thoroughly sick of.

Ten faces that make me vomit, projectile style.

Now, the man on the stand he wants my vote,

He's a-runnin' for office on the ballot note.

He's out there preachin' in front of the steeple,

Tellin' me he loves all kinds-a people.

He's eatin' bagels

He's eatin' pizza

He's eatin' chitlins

He's eatin' bullshit!

Bob Dylan "I Shall Be Free"

I knew this would happen when they started campaigning for the 2008 election five minutes after the 2006 mid terms. I felt it coming, like the feeling I get when I eat a giant sausage sandwich with peppers and onions at midnight, I know that indigestion is in my immediate future.

I'm sick of politics, thoroughly, fed up, to the gills.... Urp!

I know, I know, being sick of politics is like being tired of living, OK so what what what do you do about it? Shut up? Quit bitching? Take up residence in the nearest hermitage? Find a cuckoo's nest and commit to it?

By Tyler LePard

 

Today the House of Representatives will vote on the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act, sponsored by reproductive health advocates' good buddy - Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ).  This is the act that would require women seeking abortions be offered anesthesia for fetuses of 20 weeks or more and told that there is substantial evidence of fetal pain at that stage.  Rev. Haffner discusses this latest attempt to mandate bad information and Marcy Bloom examines the science and politics behind this issue.  And that's exactly what's going on - politics.

This is just another example of abortion counseling requirements that are medically inaccurate.  Fetal pain legislation is a common tactic used by abortion opponents to try to force women to continue their pregnancies.  In fact, five states already include counseling materials on fetal pain, despite credible scientific evidence that fetal pain is unlikely before the third trimester.  (And third trimester abortions are illegal - in fact, so called "late-term" abortions occur in the second trimester and "partial-birth" is not even a real medical term... but now we're getting off-topic.)

This bill puts politics in the doctor's office, without regard to sound science - so why isn't this bigger news?

The Aristotelian Mean, or "moderation in all things," that is found in the Nicomachean Ethics is defined as the middle ground between excess and deficiency.  Granted Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics is viewed by many as an attempt to provide a teological explanation of Nature, that is to say Nature works toward an end goal.  In the modern scientific age we live in, this is known to be erroneous.  Nature is non-moral and completly bereft of "goals."  Thank you for demonstrating that to us, Mr. Darwin.

But the Nicomachean Ethic does contain that golden nugget of an idea "The Golden Mean of Behavior," more completely presented yet loosely restated as moderation in all things, excess in none.  That idea does not mean (yet is frequently misinterpreted and misunderstood to mean) that a person can take all things (particularly in re health) with moderation; therefore reasoning that a moderate amount of a bad thing can be indulged.  Wrong!

Here's how my idea of the Aristotelian Moderate Democrats and the philosphy for which they stand is correctly understood.

Isn't George W. supposed to be the President, not the Press-ident?  

PAUW

UWANT2BFAMOUS

For a guy who's getting paid to run a country but who has a war in Iraq, a war in Afghanistan, a war in the making in Iran, and a war in the making in North Korea - you'd think he'd have something better to do than flying across the country trying to save a sure loss in the polls.

 

There's a fantastic article on Alternet right now called "Reflections from a Former Anti-Abortion Activist" - a must-read for those on both sides of the abortion debate. The article, written by the intelligent, thoughtful, and truly pro-life Elizabeth Wardle, is an excerpt from the recently published Abortion Under Attack: Women on the Challenges Facing Choice. If this article is any indication, the book may not be a bad investment, especially for those who believe that the best way to move forward amidst the current political deadlock on abortion is to broaden, rather than narrow, the conversation.

This was not written by a Democrat or a Republican. This was written by someone who cares for the environment, sees the true urgency of this crisis, and is tired of the political run around on all sides. This proposition does not call for getting alternate energies to market now, which I believe is a mistake in that it will make people suspicious about its motives. Therefore, as an American and someone who does not believe this to be a political issue, that is where this opinion comes from... the heart of a working American tired of being taken advantage of by a system that never considers the plight of the poor in regards to their policies. And this climate crisis is defintely an issue where the poor in this country have the biggest stake.

After reading about various interesting events that had taken place in virtual venues within the world of Second Life, it finally sunk in. This might have a potential as a civic space, where I could talk to people all over the world about the idea of dignity as a human right.

Second Life is a massive virtual reality environment. It's not so much a game as a global conference call that takes place in fantastic imaginary settings. All sorts of activists could set up kiosks around the virtual public square. People with common interests could meet and coordinate for political action. One day there might even be ways to facilitate voter registration. Enthralled by the vision of cyber-democracy, I set up an account.

Today's Washington Post editorial by E.J. Dionne correctly identifies the reason Lieberman is being successfully challenged for his Senate seat.

"The opposition to Lieberman is motivated by an effort to reverse the trend to the right. It's true that Lamont's campaign has been energized by widespread opposition to the Iraq war and the fact that Lieberman has been one of the most loyal Democratic defenders of President Bush's Middle East policies.

But Lieberman's troubles are, even more, about a new aggressiveness in the Democratic Party called forth by disgust with the Bush presidency -- an energy comparable to the vigor that a loathing for liberalism brought to the Republican right in the 1970s and '80s.

Like the earlier generation of conservatives, today's Democratic activists are impatient with accommodating the powers that be. They demand that Democrats stop trying to chase a "center" that has veered ever rightward since 1980. Instead, they want to haul that center back to more progressive terrain. That's why so much of the political energy in Connecticut seems to be with Lamont."

The consequences of voting for the lesser of two evils

In today's political climate, progressive politics has become heavily orientated toward a single short term goal - defeating the Republicans at any cost.

Unfortunately, this obsession of voting against one party, instead of voting for what we believe in, has prevented us from engaging in the important work of coalition building between Progressive Democrats, Independents and Greens that is essential for building a fair and just society.

A large part of our inability to challenge the political elite is that we have inherited a highly undemocratic winner-take-all voting system, which insures the political hegemony of the two party system. This traps the majority of us into voting defensively, instead of voting for candidates we believe in.

The consequences of voting for the lesser of two evils

In today's political climate, progressive politics has become heavily orientated toward a single short term goal - defeating the Republicans at any cost.

Unfortunately, this obsession of voting against one party, instead of voting for what we believe in, has prevented us from engaging in the important work of coalition building between Progressive Democrats, Independents and Greens that is essential for building a fair and just society.

After all the electronic voting nonsense, some registrars may be getting it right SacBee [reg. req'd]):

Registrars want total vote-by-mail election
By Kevin Yamamura -- Bee Capitol Bureau
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, January 15, 2006
Story appeared on Page A1 of The Bee

Cutting-edge electronic voting was supposed to solve ballot-box flaws in the wake of the 2000 presidential election. But now some California registrars believe that good old-fashioned snail mail is the best way to go.

[edit]

The registrars point to a successful mail-ballot system in Oregon and the fact that most counties in Washington state now do the same.

California is heading in that direction, considering that nearly two in five voters statewide used absentee ballots for the 2005 special election. The state has seen a surge in mail ballots since a permanent absentee voter program took effect four years ago.

No machine, no problem.

NEWS FLASH!!  Fundies Attack World, World Yawns!  Those little devils never give up trying.  (Ap/Yahoo):

Conservatives Step Up Activities Overseas
By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer  Sat Jan 14, 12:50 PM ET

NEW YORK - From Peru to the Philippines to Poland, U.S.-based conservative groups are increasingly engaged in abortion and family-planning debates overseas, emboldened by their ties with the Bush administration and eager to compete with more liberal rivals.

Lobbying Abroad
Some examples of conservative activity overseas:

• In Peru, the Population Research Institute filed a complaint with the U.S. Agency for International Development, contending that two local groups had violated U.S. policy by using American funds to promote legalization of the morning-after pill. Both groups were warned, and one will have to return some funds, according to Joseph d'Agostino of the Population Research Institute, a Virginia-based anti-abortion group.

• In Colombia, PRI has assisted local conservatives in opposing a legal challenge to the country's sweeping ban on abortions. Women's rights activists plan to file a new lawsuit seeking to end Colombia's status as one of three Latin American countries prohibiting all abortions.

• In the Philippines, several U.S. conservative groups have been helping rally opposition to family-planning legislation. The bill would provide some financial incentives for parents who limit themselves to two children; critics also say it goes too far in promoting sex education and birth control access.

• In Africa, U.S.-based groups focusing on abstinence as a strategy to prevent HIV/AIDS have received grants, in some cases drawing criticism that political ties overcame their lack of expertise.

The vast no-brain conspiracy.

Via the Internet Scout:

U.S. Congress Votes Database
http://projects.washingtonp ost.com/congress/

While many people may eventually become aware of how their elected officials in the U.S. Congress voted on a particular bill or resolution, this database created by the Washington Post will allow them to find out rather quickly. Utilizing a variety of authoritative data sources (such as the web site of the Senate and the Library of Congress's THOMAS site), the database contains the results of every vote cast in the Congress since 1991. Visitors can look at vote results in a variety of different ways, such as particular Congress or a particular individual. Recently, they also added a selection of "Votes by Type", such as those cast on impeachments, treaties, and vice-presidential tiebreakers. Additionally, the site contains a RSS feed of recent votes by each member of Congress.