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.

A case that truly defies logic (AP/Yahoo):

Lawyers Take Cubans' Case to Federal Court
By LAURA WIDES-MUNOZ, Associated Press Writer Thu Jan 12, 3:29 PM ET
[edited]

Under the government's long-standing "wet-foot, dry-foot" policy, Cubans who reach U.S. soil are generally allowed to stay, while those stopped at sea are returned to the communist island. In this case, the government said it sent the Cubans back to their homeland because the bridge no longer connects to land.

The Cubans set out from their homeland in a small boat and thought they were safe when they reached the bridge Jan. 4 after more than a day at sea. But the bridge, which runs side by side with a newer bridge, is missing several chunks, and the group had the misfortune of reaching a section that no longer touches land.

99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name. - Steven Wright

Turns out the Prez' numbers haven't changed since last year's low:

The poll shows that, as with views of congressional leaders, Washington's controversies have not had an impact on opinions of the president. Bush's approval rating has not changed since December (38% approve/54% disapprove).

Much more from Pew Research.

Lede says it all:

9th Circuit Dismisses Gennifer Flowers' Defamation Suit
Louise Chu/The Associated Press/01-11-2006

A federal appeals court Monday dismissed a defamation lawsuit that Gennifer Flowers filed against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and two former advisers to former President Clinton.

[edit]

The dispute dates to the 1992 presidential campaign, when Flowers said she had a 12-year affair with the Arkansas governor.

Clinton initially denied the allegation, but later, during his deposition in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case, acknowledged a single sexual encounter with Flowers.

"It takes a certain kind of fool who likes to hear the sound of (her) own name" [Eagles, Old Song]

Can't improve on this (from MENAFN:

Iraq reconstruction -- state in, Pentagon out
Jordan Times - 10/01/2006

After a thousand days of widely acknowledged failure in the job of rebuilding Iraq, the department of defence has quietly been relieved of that responsibility, with the State Department taking over as America's lead reconstruction agency and coordinating the work of all other government departments.

While supporters of the policies of President George W. Bush dismiss the change as an administrative adjustment, others suggest it is symbolic of a decades-old turf battle between the two departments, and the administration's increasing frustration with the reconstruction performance of the DOD and its contractors.

They also point to the switch as an example of how the president goes about making policy changes in Iraq: Exhorting the public to "stay the course" while changing it without fanfare.

Yet further proof the administration lives in the Land of Oz.

Tomorrow's news is "today" in the Middle East (from TradeArabia):

Iraq's oil minister has returned to work, a week after resigning in protest against fuel price hikes, aided by support from the president and the most powerful Shi'ite political leader.

Ibrahim Bahr Al Uloum's return for a probable four-year term appears part of intense partisan wrangling over the formation of a full-term government following the December 15 election to replace the interim administration.

[edit]

He was replaced by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Chalabi.

But Uloum has since met other senior leaders including President Jalal Talabani, whose Kurdish bloc is a key element in the ruling coalition, and Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of SCIRI, which, with Jaafari's rival Dawa party, forms the backbone of the Shi'ite Islamist Alliance bloc.

[edit]

A second oil industry source said Uloum, an Islamist, had a better chance of staying on in the new government than Chalabi, another Shi'ite but a secularist, and once a favourite of Washington.

Tantrums 'r us.  Helluva way to run a government.

From Law.com's newsletter:

Buchanan Lawyer Leaves for Key Homeland Security Position
Gina Passarella
The Legal Intelligencer
01-04-2006

The recently added co-chairman of Buchanan Ingersoll's national security practice group will spend just one more week with the firm before his new role in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security begins.

Jack Thomas Tomarchio will resign from the Pittsburgh-based firm on Monday to take the newly created position of deputy director of intelligence for the Department of Homeland Security.

[edit]

Tomarchio said he had been offered several different government positions during the past year and a half, but turned them down because they did not fit with his background and experience.

[edit]

Legal recruiter Frank D'Amore of Attorney Career Catalysts said . . .  it would be a boon for (Tomarchio's) career in the long run and for Buchanan Ingersoll if he chooses to return to the firm.

BushCo's 2nd term:  Reach out and beg someone?  

The thing that speaks for itself:

US should 'seek resolution' with Iraq over $1.4 billion Kellogg, Brown and Root contract
Iraq-USA, Economics, 12/31/2005

The United States should "seek resolution" with the Baghdad Government in relation to a $1.4 billion contract awarded to the firm Kellogg, Brown and Root using Iraqi oil revenue, officials from the International Advisory and Monitoring Board (IAMB) set up to track the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI) said this week.

[edit]

Asked about audit reports that were redacted before being provided to the IAMB, Bert Keuppens of the IMF said early on the Board had noticed that DFI money had been used to pay sole-sourced contracts to Halliburton. US Department of Defense audits provided to the IAMB were heavily redacted, but subsequently the Board was provided with full copies, which had in any event had already been posted on the Internet by US Congressman Henry Waxman.