The Hamster

Posted by Eric at 05:39 PM | Comments (102)

Kerry Releases Video to Email List

Email to supporters:

Dear Eric,

I want to thank you personally for what you did in the election -- you rewrote the book on grassroots politics, taking control of campaigns away from big donors. No campaign will ever be the same.

You moved voters, helped hold George Bush accountable, and countered the attacks from big news organizations such as Fox, Sinclair Broadcasting, and conservative talk radio.

And your efforts count now more than ever. Despite the words of cooperation and moderate sounding promises, this administration is planning a right wing assault on values and ideals we hold most deeply. Healthy debate and diverse opinion are being eliminated from the State Department and CIA, and the cabinet is being remade to rubber stamp policies that will undermine Social Security, balloon the deficit, avoid real reforms in health care and education, weaken homeland security, and walk away from critical allies around the world.

Regardless of the outcome of this election, once all the votes are counted -- and they will be counted -- we will continue to challenge this administration. This is not a time for Democrats to retreat and accommodate extremists on critical principles -- it is a time to stand firm.

I will fight for a national standard for federal elections that has both transparency and accountability in our voting system. It's unacceptable in the United States that people still don't have full confidence in the integrity of the voting process.

I ask you to join me in this cause.

And we must fight not only against George Bush's extreme policies -- we must also uphold our own values. This is why on the first day Congress is in session next year, I will introduce a bill to provide every child in America with health insurance. And, with your help, that legislation will be accompanied by the support of hundreds of thousands of Americans.

There are more than eight million uninsured children in our nation.

That's eight million reasons for us to stay together and fight for a new direction. It is a disgrace that in the wealthiest nation on earth, eight million children go without health insurance.

Normally, a member of the Senate will first approach other senators and ask them to co-sponsor a bill before it is introduced -- instead, I am turning to you. Imagine the power of a bill co-sponsored by hundreds of thousands of Americans being presented on the floor of the United States Senate. You can make it happen. Sign our "Every Child Protected" pledge today and forward it to your family, friends, and neighbors:

http://johnkerry.com/EveryChild

This is the beginning of a second term effort to hold the Bush administration accountable and to stand up and fight for our principles and our values. They want you to disappear; they are counting on that. I'm confident you will prove them wrong, and you will rewrite history again.

Here is what I want you to know. I understand the strength, commitment, and passion that are at the core of what we built together -- and I am determined to make our collective energy and organization a force to be reckoned with in the weeks and months ahead.

Let's roll up our sleeves and get back to work for our country.

Thank you,

John Kerry

Posted by Eric at 04:33 PM | Comments (15)

Where Does Santorum Live?

If MTV Cribs did a segment on Rick Santorum's dig, where would they go? Would they find anything in Penn, wonders the Pitt PG:

All of which begs a much bigger question: Is Rick Santorum R-Pa. or R-Va.? No one should represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate because he once lived here or because he visits all 67 counties every year. A traveling salesman can do that.

Article I of the U.S. Constitution says, "No person shall be a Senator ... who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen." Rick Santorum last won election in November 2000, when he owned the house at 111 Stephens Lane in Penn Hills plus a house in Virginia. Where he was an "inhabitant" at the time only he can say.

He faces re-election in 2006, but if that election were held today, the two-term Republican would be hard-pressed to convince voters that he inhabits a house on Stephens Lane. Sure, he and his wife pay taxes on the house. They also use the address for voter registration, but so do two other people. When a Post-Gazette reporter visited the house last Friday, a young man came to the door and declined to comment. He wasn't Rick Santorum.

It gets worse. The two-bedroom house that the Santorum children called home for education purposes and that gives Mr. and Mrs. Santorum the right to vote in Pennsylvania lacks an occupancy permit. And the property tax break from the homestead exemption claimed by the Santorums on the Penn Hills house is allowed under law only if the dwelling is their "permanent home."

It's a strange case of political turnabout. In his initial House race against Rep. Doug Walgren in 1990, challenger Santorum attacked the incumbent from Mt. Lebanon for buying a house and raising his children in McLean, Va. Now Rick Santorum of Leesburg, Va., is saying that he is and he isn't a resident of Pennsylvania.

Well, which is it?

Posted by Eric at 03:04 PM | Comments (49)

Bill Gates Gets Lots of Spam

Hyuuuk:

The Microsoft Corp. chairman receives 4 million pieces of e-mail per day, most of it junk, said Steve Ballmer, the company's chief executive.

"There are two people who probably are the number one spam recipients in the world," Ballmer said. "Bill Gates (is first) because he is Bill Gates."

Posted by Eric at 02:57 PM | Comments (33)

ANWR Drilling Likely to Move Forward

The Democrats' failure in the 2004 Senate elections is likely to mean the approval of ANWR drillilng, reports USA Today:

When the new Congress meets in January, the Senate will have three more members than it does now who favor opening the refuge to energy exploration. The Senate has been the last significant obstacle to drilling approval.

Environmentalists say drilling in the refuge would despoil one of the USA's last pristine wildernesses, a place where caribou and wolves roam. Industry groups and Alaskan politicians say the refuge holds enough oil — the source of gasoline — to lessen U.S. dependence on foreign supplies from places like Iraq.

Both Democratic and Republican leaders say that as a result of the Nov. 2 elections, the Senate will almost certainly muster the votes to overturn the existing ban on ANWAR drilling. That vote could come as early as April. President Bush and the House of Representatives have long favored drilling.

Posted by Eric at 02:56 PM | Comments (45)

News Roundup

USAT. Obstacle to drilling for oil in ANWAR is removed
AP. Stocks Sink on Greenspan Deficit Warning
LAT. San Diego Mayor Widens Lead
LAT. Santorum Pulls Kids from School
LAT. Powell's Talk of Iran Weapons Has Fallout
AP. Bush to Take Security Plan to Asia Meeting
AP. Leaders Hope to Push $388B Spending Bill
AP. U.S., Iraqi Troops Storm Baghdad Mosque
Newsday. Naples concedes defeat in Congressional race
CNET. Report: Florida data suggests e-voting machine problems
HoustonChron. State certifies Democrat Vo's House victory; Heflin's lawyer says the campaign still has options
BGlobe. Democrat warns on CIA changes
AP. Clinton Says Library Represents His Hopes
ChicTrib. Bush: Praise for one-time foe
SFC. Clinton dedicates presidential center
WP. GOP Governors Celebrate Party Wins
WP. Judiciary Panel Backs Specter
WP. FDA Officer Suggests Strict Curbs on 5 Drugs
NYT. Reporter Convicted for Refusing to Give Identity of a Source
NYT. Congress Passes $800 Billion Debt Limit Increase
NYT. Bush Confronts New Challenge on Issue of Iran

Posted by Eric at 02:43 PM | Comments (13)

Little Big Companies

"How did corporations like Halliburton get millions in government contracts designated for small minority businesses?" Mother Jones:

Partnerships between multinational companies and tribal businesses, most of them Alaska native corporations, have skyrocketed in recent years—in large part because of a provision in federal law that exempts tribal companies from rules that apply to other minority-owned businesses. The system was established in the mid-1990s to help native communities, where unemployment rates often exceed 40 percent. But it has also become a way for large corporations with no Native American ownership to receive no-bid contracts, an avenue for federal officials to steer work to favored companies, and a device for speeding privatization. “It’s a loophole gone wild,” Charles Tiefer, an expert in federal contract law, recently told the trade journal Washington Technology. “I have seen little evidence that this produces jobs in Alaska as opposed to profits for those entrepreneurs skillful enough to exploit it.”

A Mother Jones analysis of federal contracting records shows that no-bid, or “sole-source,” awards to native companies have risen dramatically since the late 1990s (see chart). Back in 1999, the largest tribal firms received just $195.5 million worth of no-bid work, or roughly 3 percent of the awards under the federal government’s program to assist small and minority-owned companies. By 2003, however, large tribal companies were getting $1.3 billion worth of contracts without any competition, accounting for nearly 15 percent of the minority program. Bruce Pozzi, a spokesman for Olgoonik, says the company decided to “jump on this bandwagon” after it realized how much money other native companies were making. Olgoonik has 175 employees, but only 7 of them are tribal members and thus shareholders of the corporation.

Posted by Eric at 01:01 PM | Comments (17)

Texas Widely Supports Med Marijuana

In that red state, this poll result:

A strong majority of Texans favor legalizing the medical use of marijuana, according to a new poll.

Seventy-five percent said people with cancer and other serious illnesses should be allowed to use marijuana for medical purposes as long as their doctor approves, according to a Scripps Howard Texas poll question commissioned by Texans for Medical Marijuana. Nineteen percent said they would oppose such a bill.

"I'm surprised support is that high," said Dr. Richard Evans, president of the Texas Cancer Center and medical adviser to Texans for Medical Marijuana. "That should help when we next testify before the Legislature."

Bills that would have legalized the medical use of marijuana have been introduced in the last four sessions of the Texas Legislature but have never passed. Evans said he expects legislation again will be introduced in 2005.

Meanwhile, in the US Senate, the first-ever Senate medical marijuana bill has been introduced.

Posted by Eric at 12:19 AM | Comments (77)

November 18, 2004

Net Commentary Roundup

Robert B. Reich. A Really Dumb Idea: You can sum up Social Security privatization in four words
Berkeley. UC Berkeley Research Team Sounds 'Smoke Alarm' for Florida E-Vote Count
Robert Kuttner. Attacking American Tolerance: Never before has a president cast his lot with the absolutists
Michael Erard. Frame Wars: The next move for the left in the frame war is to accept that it’s okay to cherry-pick reality as long as it conforms to a frame that’s morally acceptable.
Frida Berrigan. Soldier of Misfortune
Sandeep Kaushik. How Do We Win?
Sasha Abramsky. Why Bush Scored in Nevada: Sasha Abramsky explains why the GOP message machine triumphed
Farhad Manjoo. Third World democracy The real problem with the American election system isn't fraud, it's good old-fashioned incompetence. And that's something we can fix -- if we have the will
David Cole. Less safe, less free; John Ashcroft's war on terrorism has done enormous damage to our liberties -- and he has few tangible results to show for it
Sharon Lerner. The first battle in the new war against Roe: Grim Specter of Things to Come
Ari Berman. The Social Security Sham; That dirty "privatization" word
Spencer Ackerman. Killing the Messenger: Porter Goss' purge at the CIA will ensure the agency is full of Bush yes men - but it will seriously damage U.S. intelligence
Steve Weissman. How Much Fraud Does the GOP Need?
Tom Engelhardt. The Carthaginian Solution
Chalmers Johnson. Where will America stand in the world?
David Brock. What’s on the media agenda?
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. What strategy should the Democrats pursue?

Posted by Eric at 06:13 PM | Comments (11)

Cross-Post: The Flimsy Delay Rule Change Defense

Post over at Al Franken Show blog.

Posted by Eric at 01:51 PM | Comments (64)

Oped Roundup

Sidney Blumenthal. Colin and the crazies: The culling of the US secretary of state is symptomatic of a swing even further to the right.
Maureen Dowd. A Plague of Toadies
Richard K. Simms. Bush proposal not good for wild fish
StarTrib. DeLay & Co./Protecting their own
SFC. Ohio Finds Possible Double Votes, Counts
Wisconsin State Journal. Job one: Cut federal debt
SFC. Damming dissent: WEAKER EMISSION rules, rollbacks on wilderness protections and more logging: This is the White House brand of conservation
John Nichols. Condoleezza Rice is a politician, not a diplomat
Ellen Goodman. The Specter spectacle
BG. Coddling Tom DeLay
Clarence Page. Sacrificing Pvt. Ryan, and common sense
HonoluluAdv. For Powell, loyalty trumped leadership
NYT. Politics and the C.I.A. The country deserves a C.I.A. where intelligence operatives feel free to tell the administration that policies are based on wrong or incomplete information

Posted by Eric at 09:53 AM | Comments (19)

Morning Stories Roundup

AP. Ohio Finds Possible Double Votes, Counts
AP. Chafee: Reid Sounded Out Joining Democrats
WP. Bishops Avoid Abortion Showdown
WP. Education Nominee a Bush Confidante
WP. Powell: Iran Pursuing Bomb; He cites U.S. intelligence on adaptation of missiles to deliver a nuclear weapon
NYT. Senate Votes to Raise Federal Debt Limit
NYT. House G.O.P. Acts to Protect Chief
NYT. Bombs Kill Four in Baghdad and Kirkuk
NYT. Marine Officers See Risks in Reducing U.S. Troops in Falluja
CBS. More Fallout Over 'Desperate' Move
CBS. FDA On Hot Seat Over Vioxx Safety
Palm Beach Post. Appeals court bumps Limbaugh case to state Supreme Court
San Diego Union Tribune. UC rejects 'multiracial' category
BGlobe. Activists seek wider gay-marriage rights
ChicST. Clinton fans reunite for a day
BGlobe. Top adviser tapped for education post
LAT. Goss Isn't Done With Housecleaning at CIA
LAT. Congress Approves Nevada Public Lands Bill
LAT. Mixed Smoke Signals; Anti-tobacco campaigns try to respect Native American rituals and warn of cigarettes' dangers
Reuters. Recount Ordered in Washington Governor Race
Reuters. Chirac Visits Blair Amid Rancor Over Iraq
Reuters. Recount Ordered in Washington Governor Race

Posted by Eric at 09:36 AM | Comments (12)

Smog Kills

According to those crazy environmental wackos in ... the Journal of the American Medical Association:

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that smog is directly linked to deaths from heart and lung ailments in major U.S. metropolitan areas. With this troubling new evidence, the Bush Administration and Congress must make it a priority to save thousands of lives by enforcing and strengthening the Clean Air Act and by providing Americans with better transportation choices.

The November 17th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association includes an extensive study titled, "Ozone and Short-term Mortality in 95 US Urban Communities" which finds that even a relatively small increase in ozone (a main ingredient of smog) is directly linked to an increase in deaths from heart and lung ailments. This study in the nation's most prestigious medical journal shows our air is too polluted and our health is at risk. According to the study, ozone smog pollution causes a significant increase in the risk of death for those in the 95 largest communities, where up to 40% of Americans live. Ozone smog comes from factories--including power plants, cars and trucks.

Posted by Eric at 06:34 AM | Comments (30)

November 17, 2004

Stupid Stupid Stupid

And since we're talking about indencency, here's reaaalll indecency from a week or so ago:

Because director Steven Spielberg wouldn't allow the profanity in his film to be edited out, it is likely to offend hypersensitive viewers most likely to lodge a complaint with censorious bureaucrats. Meanwhile, the FCC refused to issue a waiver in advance of the broadcast, insisting that it was up to ABC to follow the dictates of its own conscience.

To its credit, ABC was willing to risk it, but many of its affiliates weren't willing to follow, despite the network's promise to pay all FCC fines. The affiliates were afraid that fines would be used as a pretext to challenge their broadcast licenses when they come up for renewal in some communities.

Several years ago, conservative interest groups lobbied hard against ABC showing "Saving Private Ryan" on network television. Now affiliates are terrified that those operatives are still lying in wait for the broadcast now that the drift of national politics is on their side. These groups are already going after ABC's "Desperate Housewives," television's top-rated drama.

yes. it's really come to blocking 'Saving Private Ryan' from TV. sigh.

Posted by Eric at 11:14 PM | Comments (12)

FCC Reviews 'Desperate Housewives' Football Promo

Jesus Christ:

The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday reviewed complaints about ABC's steamy "Desperate Housewives" promotion before "Monday Night Football" and while the agency's chairman expressed disappointment, it was not clear whether government would tackle the network.
Although the FCC plans to fine 20 CBS affiliates for its live telecast of the Super Bowl halftime show this year in which Janet Jackson bared her breast, agency chief Michael Powell was measured in his comments about the seductive prime-time "Desperate Housewives" promo.

"First of all, as a legal matter, whether it's a problem is yet to be determined. We only respond to complaints and evaluate them fairly and make a decision," Powell said in an interview with CNBC.

"But I think it's very disappointing. I wonder if Walt Disney would be proud," Powell added.

Posted by Eric at 06:29 PM | Comments (17)

Nasty Politics: Delay Trying to Block Post-Election Jobs for Daschle Staff

Hm, and I thought Tom Delay was such a nice guy; The Hill:

Several Democratic aides said that a midsize Washington lobbying firm, the Alpine Group, declined last week to hire a Daschle staffer with whom the group had been in long-standing discussions about a possible job. They said the Daschle aide, who The Hill agreed not to name, believed he would get the job based on conversations with the firm about three months before the election.
According to one Senate aide familiar with the situation, the firm told the Daschle aide, “This is a cold town for Democrats. It’s especially cold for Daschle’s staff.” Asked whether DeLay or any of his associates had specifically conveyed a message to the firm, the Senate aide said, “The implication was that DeLay had put the word out that Daschle staff should not be hired.” ...

“We have heard from two different Republican lobbyists that this is true,” said one Senate Democratic aide. The aide cited the “K Street Project,” an effort to get firms to eschew Democrats and hire Republicans to top posts at major Washington associations, and reported GOP efforts to punish the Motion Picture Association of America for hiring former Clinton administration Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman as its head, saying the efforts had deliberately created a sense of paranoia on K Street against hiring Democrats.

And, as I almost always do in a Tom Delay post, here's my favorite Tom Delay moment:

He and Quayle, DeLay explained to the assembled media in New Orleans, were victims of an unusual phenomenon back in the days of the undeclared Southeast Asian war. So many minority youths had volunteered for the well-paying military positions to escape poverty and the ghetto that there was literally no room for patriotic folks like himself. Satisfied with the pronouncement, which dumbfounded more than a few of his listeners who had lived the sixties, DeLay marched off to the convention.

Those Vietnam-hogging minority bastards.

Posted by Eric at 03:51 PM | Comments (53)

"How a Montana Democrat bagged the hunting and fishing vote, and won the governor's mansion"

David Sirota in the December 2004 Washington Monthly:

How did Schweitzer pull off such a dramatic victory in an election year when Democrats seemed to have lost their capacity to win red states? The answer should give Democrats everywhere some hope and Republicans reason to worry ... But in addition to a winning personality and strong populist convictions, Schweitzer had an innovative, three-part political strategy, one that perfectly fit the current conditions in Montana, but which Democrats across the country could learn from. First, Schweitzer took advantage of public dissatisfaction with two decades of insular one-party rule in the state capital, casting himself as an outsider and a reformer. Second, he rallied small business, usually a solidly GOP constituency, to his side by opposing the deals Republicans had cut in Washington and Helena to favor large or out-of-state corporations over local entrepreneurs. Third, and most interesting of all, Schweitzer figured out how to win over one of the most important, reliably Republican, and symbolically significant groups of voters: hunters and fishermen ...

But that underestimates the path Schweitzer has blazed for a national Democratic Party that desperately needs to reconnect with the working-class and rural regions it was originally built on. His success in using outdoorsmen's priorities helped him bridge a cultural divide that ultimately allowed voters to hear a message they already know deep down is true: that the GOP has sold out its small business roots and has abused power when left unchecked. As the Missoula Independent wrote, “Montanans, having suffered through more than a decade of one-party control of state government, have cast their ballots to bring the state back into balance.”

When I arrived back in Washington after the election, I found Democrats despondent, furious and desperate to find a way to reach out to red state voters. Despite the national disaster, one message from this election is clear: Just head to Whitefish, Mont., and follow the gregarious mint farmer with a smile on his face—he's already out of the wilderness.

Posted by Eric at 11:34 AM | Comments (5)

Morning News Roundup

NYT. House Republicans Move to Protect Their Leader
NYT. New C.I.A. Chief Tells Workers to Back Administration Policies
NYT. Cabinet Choices Seen as Move for More Harmony and Control
NYT. U.S. Troops Move to Rein in Rebels in North of Iraq
NYDN. Run, Colin, run-vs. Hil, New York GOPers urge
SeattleTimes. For now, Rossi has 19-vote edge
LAT. Shuffle Hits Top Army and Air Force Jobs
AP. Special master to oversee California Youth Authority reforms
Las Vegas Review-Journal. MINORITY POST: Reid elected Senate leader
Reuters. Inquiry backs Gulf War syndrome
LAT. Tradition-Bound Senators Rally Around Specter
LAT. Iraq Shooting Spurs Uproar, Inquiry
LAT. U.S. and Iraqi Forces Target Insurgents in Mosul
Newsday. Survey 'shatters' youth vote myths
Newsday. Below Rice, a chain reaction; Vacancies created by Condoleezza Rice's nomination to secretary of state post is getting insiders speculating about who will shore up, or change, policy
WP. Troops Move to Retake Mosul From Insurgents
WP. Specter Seeks, Gets Support
WP. GOP Proposes Rule Change; Republicans eagerly push to protect Majority Leader Tom DeLay's post

Posted by Eric at 07:47 AM | Comments (5)

Kerry on 2008: "We'll See"

From the AP:

In his first extensive interview since his Nov. 2 defeat, Kerry was asked by the Fox News affiliate in Boston about running again in 2008 and reminded the questioner that Ohio is still counting votes from 2004.

He then said, ``It is so premature to be thinking about something that far down the road. What I've said is I'm not opening any doors, I'm not shutting any doors.'' Kerry added, ``If there's a next time, we'll do a better job. We'll see.''

Reflecting on his loss, Kerry said he was not sitting around thinking about it. ``You've got to go on,'' he said. ``Do I find it some mark of failure or distress, the answer is no.''

Posted by Eric at 07:27 AM | Comments (14)

November 16, 2004

The Election Isn't Over

Waaaat, you say? Well, it's true; new Hamster ad from House Dems:

The Election Isn't Over! There are two more chances to put the brakes on the Bush Administration's plans. Democrats Willie Mount and Charlie Melancon NEED YOUR HELP to win their runoff elections on Saturday, December 4th.

Show the nation that Democrats are not going to take another four years lying down - Click below to volunteer for this critical fight. The DCCC will be flying activists in from Washington and meeting up with activists from around the country in Louisiana. No matter how you get there, we will pay for your food and lodging.

Louisiana, as seen in late night infomercials for Girls Gone Wild! If you're not happy with the results of the November 4th election, take action now - or at least see how you can help.

Posted by Eric at 05:31 PM | Comments (4)

O'Reilly: Nominate Clinton for Sec State

Ha, I post you decide (tip to Chris in the comments):

And now I'm going to be controversial. Now, I know the word is Condoleezza Rice (search) will get the job. And she is absolutely brilliant and very loyal to President Bush, but I would replace Secretary Powell with Bill Clinton.Yikes! The former president probably wouldn't take the job, but if he did, countries like France, Germany, and Spain would like the move, perhaps cooperate more with America. Add Canada and Indonesia to that group as well.

Mr. Clinton is a smart guy, knows the players and the issues, and has clout, especially in the Palestinian-Israeli arena. So there you go, bold move, little downside, maybe big benefits. But I'm sure President Bush isn't going to do it.

Posted by Eric at 05:28 PM | Comments (15)

Mary Matalin's MTP Lies

See Media Matters:

On the November 14 edition of NBC's Meet the Press, Republican political strategist Mary Matalin exaggerated both the margin of President George W. Bush's reelection victory and the state of the economy in historic terms. Matalin falsely claimed that Bush "increased his margin in a greater proportion than anyone has done in many, many decades," and that today's U.S. economy is "a great economy, better than it was even in the Clinton years." ... As for Matalin's claim that the current economy is "better than it was even in the Clinton years," the major economic indicators suggest otherwise. The following indicators show that economy grew increasingly stronger during the Clinton administration (1993-2000) followed by a reverse trend in the first three years of the Bush administration (2001-2003). The current economy is still below that of 2000, the end of Clinton's second term

Posted by Eric at 01:58 PM | Comments (2)

Let's Reward Failure

E.g. in the case of Condi Rice and her wonderful record:

INATTENTION TO TERRORISM: According to the 9/11 Commission report, chief White House expert on terrorism Richard Clarke sent Rice an urgent memo just days after she took office, stressing the severity of the terrorist threat. She did not respond, and although the national security leadership "met formally nearly 100 times in the months prior to the Sept. 11 attacks…terrorism was the topic during only two of those sessions." The first meeting on al Qaeda did not occur until 9/4/01.

MISLEADING STATEMENTS PRE-WAR: Rice was one of the primary perpetrators of misinformation in the push for war with Iraq. In September 2002, she claimed, "We do know that [Saddam] is actively pursuing a nuclear weapon." Weapons inspector David Kay and his successor, Charles Duelfer, debunked that outright, saying Saddam had no nuclear program. Rice also pushed the phantom nuclear threat by charging that certain aluminum tubes Saddam sought were "only really suited for nuclear weapons programs, centrifuge programs." A 10/3/04 New York Times article exposed that as false.

RICE GIVEN LEADERSHIP ROLE IN IRAQ, FIZZLES: In October 2003, President Bush announced he was "giving his national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, the authority to manage postwar Iraq." With great fanfare, Rice was put in charge of the "Iraq Stabilization Group." Seven months later, the Washington Post reported "the four original leaders of the Stabilization Group have taken on new roles, and only one remains concerned primarily with Iraq." Even within the White House, "the destabilized Stabilization Group is a metaphor for an Iraq policy that is adrift." According to the White House website, the Iraq stabilization group hasn't been publicly mentioned for more than a year.

MISLEADING STATEMENTS POST-WAR: Even after the invasion of Iraq failed to turn up any evidence of weapons of mass destruction, Rice continued a calculated effort to keep the nonexistent threat in the public eye. On 9/7/03, she ominously warned, "we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud." On 3/18/04, Rice said that "It's not as if anybody believes that Saddam Hussein was without weapons of mass destruction." In fact, the administration's handpicked weapons inspector, David Kay, had publicly said – two months earlier – that he didn't believe Saddam had WMD before the March 2003 invasion. When Kay resigned in January he said "he did not believe banned stockpiles existed before the invasion" and that pre-war intelligence that said Iraq possessed WMD was probably "all wrong."

See a video of Condi's brilliance.

Posted by Eric at 01:26 PM | Comments (9)

Michael Moore Scouting Candidates for 2008

You'll remember Michael Moore once pushed Oprah for president, so what about Tom Hanks?

Looks like "Fahrenheit 9/11" director and proud lefty Michael Moore is hatching a scheme to draft Tom Hanks for the White House in 2008.

"We need to find our Arnold," Moore told Lowdown at Sunday's "Hotel Rwanda" premiere, adding that the box-office star is the Democratic Schwarzenegger.

"You know, Americans want to vote for someone that they trust, that they like, that has a friendly face. They don't expect their President to be the one who's actually setting the policy and writing the laws. They know Bush doesn't do that. They want the person in charge, though, to be someone who will make them feel safe and someone who they like and who they trust.

"Americans love celebrities, they love movie stars, and when they get the chance to vote for them, they do." ... "That will never, ever, ever happen," Hanks declared through his PR rep.

While I don't believe running a celebrity in 2008 is the solution, I'll link to another celeb-prez site with amusement: Cusack for President

Posted by Eric at 09:44 AM | Comments (10)

Computer Back

For now ... DUN Dun dun.

Posted by Eric at 09:39 AM | Comments (2)

November 12, 2004

Deader Than Dead

Well, instead of the system being corrupted, it's actually the hardware, so my hard drive is dead and I have to get a new one. I'll probably be back on Monday, at the earliest ...

Posted by Eric at 01:50 PM | Comments (2)

November 11, 2004

Computer Offline for Now

I'll resume regular posting tomorrow, as my computer is acting up and I have to reinstall the system.

Posted by Eric at 12:09 PM | Comments (10)

Concerns About Gonzales

Another group, Alliance for Jusice, has serious concerns about Alberto Gonzales:

"Alberto Gonzales served as a primary author of memos advocating the use of torture in defiance of the Geneva Conventions, international law and standards of human decency," said Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron. "Gonzales provided the Bush administration with the legal architecture to sidestep and ignore the rule of law that, as attorney general, he will be mandated to enforce."

Prominent members of the legal community, in a bipartisan effort, have long been demanding full disclosure of all memos related to torture-a request that White House Counsel Gonzales, among others, has failed to meet. "Alliance for Justice urges the Senate Judiciary Committee to review all memos relating to torture written during Gonzales' tenure as White House counsel before voting on his nomination," said Aron.

Aron noted other areas of concern in Gonzales' record, including his direct role as White House counsel in selecting extremist judicial nominees; his cavalier treatment of clemency petitions in Texas death penalty cases while advising then- Governor George W. Bush; and his financial connections to Enron as a Texas Supreme Court justice.

Posted by Eric at 11:49 AM | Comments (1)

Serious Problems Remain With Voting System

From American Progress Talking Points:

Electronic voting machines recorded "extra" votes.  A voting machine in a suburban Columbus, OH precinct recorded an additional 3,893 votes for President Bush even though there were just 800 voters registered in the precinct. Similar glitches were discovered in e-voting machines across the country. There were as many as 10,000 extra e-votes cast in Nebraska and 19,000 mysterious "extra ballots" were added on electronic machines in Florida

No paper trail for electronic machines meant some votes "disappeared."  More than 4,000 early votes were lost in North Carolina's Carteret County because an electronic voting system could not store the volume of votes it received. This could have been avoided with a verifiable paper trail. 

Long lines made voting difficult for millions of Americans. The most common problem of all in this year's election was long lines which caused hours-long waits in many precincts in the country.  The problems appeared to be particularly acute in some low-income areas due to the lack of adequate numbers of voting machines. 

Posted by Eric at 05:45 AM | Comments (4)

Cross-Post: SCOTT MCLELLEN: IRRESPONSIBLE AND IGNORANT

My post over at the Al Franken blog. Programming note, I'll probably be doing a post or so daily at the Franken blog (and link whenever I write something over there).

Posted by Eric at 02:23 AM | Comments (15)

PFAW on Gonzales Record

Serious questions need to be asked, says People for the American Way; for example:

"Alberto Gonzales's role in the development of policies that ultimately led to the Abu Ghraib prison scandals in Iraq is deeply troubling. Few images have done more to scar our nation's image at home and abroad than the terrible pictures of prisoners being abused in Iraq. Further, there are many questions that must still be answered regarding the rights and treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere. We expect Senators to question him closely on these matters.

"An even more fundamental question is whether Mr. Gonzales will continue the damaging course set by John Ashcroft at the Justice Department. John Ashcroft's tenure was marked by a severe erosion of Americans' civil liberties and a diminished commitment to civil rights enforcement. Would an Attorney General Gonzales continue policies that restrict Americans' constitutional protections? Would he undermine voting rights by supporting recent Justice Department actions to restrict Americans from turning to the courts to enforce the Help America Vote Act?

"Senators should explore Mr. Gonzales' support for the excesses of the PATRIOT Act, parts of which come up for renewal in 2005, as well as his central role in the administration's efforts to pack the federal judiciary with far-right ideologues. Senators should also examine his role in White House actions promoting excessive secrecy, interfering with constitutional checks and balances and demonstrating contempt for Congress' oversight role, threatening affirmative action, and restricting workers' rights by executive order.

Posted by Eric at 12:02 AM | Comments (1)

November 10, 2004

Bush Looks to ANWR Drilling ... Again

From the AP:

Republican gains in the Senate could give President Bush his best chance yet to achieve his No. 1 energy priority - opening an oil-rich but environmentally sensitive Alaska wildlife refuge to drilling.

If he is successful, it would be a stinging defeat for environmentalists and an energy triumph that eluded Bush his first four years in the White House. A broader agenda that includes reviving nuclear power, preventing blackouts and expanding oil and gas drilling in the Rockies will be more difficult to enact.

Republicans in the House and Senate said this week they plan to push for Alaska refuge drilling legislation early next year, and they predict success, given the 55-44-1 GOP Senate majority in the next Congress. Democrats and some environmental activists say continued protection of the refuge has never been as much in doubt.

What's at stake, and what's the fight? Sierra Club:

Today, oil industry lobbyists persistently press lawmakers to open the coastal plain to oil and gas drilling -- despite indisputable proof that oil drilling irreparably damages the fragile tundra and its wildlife. At Prudhoe Bay, home to one of the world's largest industrial complexes, 43,000 tons of nitrogen oxides pollute the air each year. Hundreds of spills involving tens of thousands of gallons of crude oil and other petroleum products occur annually. Decades-old diesel spill sites still show little regrowth of vegetation. Gravel fill, excavation and waste disposal alone have destroyed 17,000 acres of wildlife and marine habitat.

A similar fate awaits the coastal plain if the oil companies have their way. Drilling for oil and gas in the coastal plain would require 280 miles of roads, hundreds of miles of pipelines, 50 million cubic yards of gravel scoured from nearby ponds and rivers, and massive production facilities. There is little doubt that such activities would forever alter and irreparably harm the coastal plain.

But despite nationwide opinion polls showing that an overwhelming 70 percent of Americans support protection of the Arctic Refuge and its coastal plain, the Alaska delegation continues to threaten the coastal plain with onshore and offshore drilling proposals, road-building schemes and powerful attacks on the Wilderness Act itself.

The most optimistic estimates of commercially recoverable oil from the coastal plain would yield only about six months’ worth of oil for the U.S. -- not even a dent in our dependence on foreign oil. America could save far more oil simply by increasing the fuel efficiency of our cars and light trucks. We wouldn’t flood the Grand Canyon to build a hydroelectric dam. We wouldn’t plug Yellowstone’s Old Faithful to tap its geothermal energy. Why should we permanently destroy this unique wilderness for an unecessary and uncertain amount of oil?

Posted by Eric at 10:57 PM | Comments (2)

Falwell to Return

Plans an 'Evangelical Revolution.' Oh, tell me more:

Seeking to take advantage of the momentum from an election where moral values proved important to voters, the Rev. Jerry Falwell announced Tuesday he has formed a new coalition to guide an "evangelical revolution."

Falwell, a religious broadcaster based in Lynchburg, Va., said the Faith and Values Coalition will be a "21st century resurrection of the Moral Majority," the organization he founded in 1979.

Falwell said he would serve as the coalition's national chairman for four years.

He added that the new group's mission would be to lobby for anti-abortion conservatives to fill openings on the Supreme Court and lower courts, a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, and the election of another "George Bush (news - web sites)-type" conservative in 2008.

How strongly does Falwell believe that same-sex marriages or relations is wrong? Strong enough to compare it to bestiality and crack addiction.

Posted by Eric at 06:39 PM | Comments (5)

Oped Roundup

Robert Kuttner. No, the pocketbook rules
BG. A combatant's rights
NYT. The Rule of Law at Gitmo
HonoluluAdvertiser. Find less ideological A.G. than Ashcroft
Mark Morford. We Are All Dubya's Doormat; News flash for ordinary Repubs and born-agains: Bush doesn't care about you, either
Pierre Tristam. 'Subordinating nation's secular values to zealots' will'
Susan Reimer. Got Values? Republicans Apparently Think They Do
Michael Kinsley. I apologize for all that I believe in; may I go now?
Seattle PI. Overdue at Justice
Newsday. Bush should obey Geneva Conventions
Derrick Z. Jackson. Heeding the call: `Vote or die'

Posted by Eric at 04:45 PM | Comments (1)

Online Commentary Roundup

Robert B. Reich. Bush's Republican Problem
mediamatters. Michelle Malkin's "freakish" mischaracterization
Mike Davis. Apocalypse Denial
Slavoj Zizek. The Liberal Waterloo (Or, finally some good news from Washington!)
Sally Kohn. Back In The Ring
Robert Parry. Upgrading The Liberal Media
Amanda Griscom Little. Muckraker: Lax on, lax off; Bush appointee charges that EPA tried to thwart lawsuits against polluting power plants
Bill Berkowitz. Assaulting America's public lands: The American Recreation Coalition is taking command of the nation's public lands
Rory McCarthy. Countrywide conflict: The Iraq insurgency spreads as eight militant groups say they plan to step up operations against the "American enemy" in retaliation for Fallujah
Eric Boehlert. The media gives Bush a mandate: Falling to its knees in record time, the press predicts the president will be a uniter this time -- really
Farhad Manjoo. Was the election stolen? The system is clearly broken. But there is no evidence that Bush won because of voter fraud
Gordon Adams. America Must Find Alternatives to Fear
Naomi Klein. Die Now, Vote Later
John Nichols. Danger for Dems: A Moral Misstep; Misreading exit polls could lead to a doomed outreach to social conservatives
David Corn. A Stolen Election?

Posted by Eric at 03:02 PM | Comments (2)

A Lot Happens in Two Months ...

From the Center for American Progress (edit: sorry, forgot the cite):

“The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved.”

– Attorney General John Ashcroft's resignation letter, 11/9/04

VERSUS

“We are not yet safe.”

– President Bush, 9/11/04

Posted by Eric at 12:04 PM | Comments (135)

Sanctity of Marriage

If we're all in an uptight citizens brigade about marriage, here's numbers that's been kicked around for a while which I thought deserved a repeat:

The state with the lowest divorce rate in the nation is Massachusetts. At latest count it had a divorce rate of 2.4 per 1,000 population, while the rate for Texas was 4.1.

But don't take the US government's word for it. Take a look at the findings from the George Barna Research Group. George Barna, a born-again Christian whose company is in Ventura, Calif., found that Massachusetts does indeed have the lowest divorce rate among all 50 states. More disturbing was the finding that born-again Christians have among the highest divorce rates.

The Associated Press, using data supplied by the US Census Bureau, found that the highest divorce rates are to be found in the Bible Belt. The AP report stated that "the divorce rates in these conservative states are roughly 50 percent above the national average of 4.2 per thousand people."

And the obligatory Al Franken joke:

"Frankly, I"m getting a little sick of cranky Republicans who can't keep their own families together telling everybody else about family values. Quick. What do Newt Gingrich, Bob Dole, Phil Gramm, Pete Wilson and George Will have in common? Answer. They've all been married only one less time than Rush Limbaugh."

Posted by Eric at 08:30 AM | Comments (13)

Possible Replacements for Ashcroft

As Ashcroft has departed, leaving for other opportunities to lose to dead guys, who will replace him as the most vilified member of the cabinet? LAT names a few:

Among the publicly identified contenders for Ashcroft's job are former Deputy Atty. Gen. Larry D. Thompson, now an executive with PepsiCo, and White House Counsel Alberto R. Gonzales. Thompson would be the nation's first African American attorney general, and Gonzales the first Latino.

Other possible replacements include former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot, chairman of the 2004 presidential campaign; former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani; and former Alabama Atty. Gen. William H. Pryor Jr., whom Bush named to the federal appellate bench as a recess appointment this year.

Talk Left says Thompson is a good pick. Here's that notorious WashTimes:

A shortlist of potential replacements for Mr. Ashcroft includes Mr. Racicot, White House General Counsel Al Gonzales, Deputy Attorney General James B. Comey, U.S. Attorney Paul J. McNulty in Virginia and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Giuliani is being mentioned far and wide for a spot, but I'm not sure why he'd want to take such a lightning rod position when he has teflon status in the media.

Update: Alberto Gonzales

Posted by Eric at 07:58 AM | Comments (4)

Morning News Roundup

LAT. U.S.-Iraqi Force Pushes Deeper Into Fallouja
NYT. Ashcroft Quits Top Justice Post; Evans Going, Too
LAT. Reality of Combat Hits U.S. Platoon
AP. GOP to try again to drill for oil in Alaska refuge
LAT. Unions Confront Postelection Reality
AP. Fed Expected to Boost Interest Rates
LAT. Frist Faces Balancing Act in Senate
HoustonChron. Texas Baptists define marriage as man, woman
SunSent. Federal judge rules against counting late absentee ballots
SFC. Drop in foreign college students
AP. Kerry joins party chiefs in Capitol
WP. Democrats Vow to Hold Bush Accountable
BGlobe. Puerto Rice in Limbo After Race
BGlobe. Massachusetts facing $1 billion shortfall; The governor's top economist predicted an increase in tax receipts, but not enough to maintain programs and services at current levels
newsday. Poll: Iraq war seen as moral issue for Bush
Reuters. Powell: U.S. Will Pursue Aggressive Foreign Policy
Reuters. Slow to Execute, California Sees Death Row Swell
WP. Liberal Christians Decry 'Values Vote'
WP. Democrats Gaining a Foothold in Tex.
WP. Law Leaves Schools Behind; High achievers are using the No Child Left Behind transfers meant for area's struggling students
NYT. Plan May Keep Bird Off Endangered List
NYT. Largest Union Issues Call for Major Changes
NYT. U.S.-Led Assault Marks Advances Against Falluja

Posted by Eric at 07:33 AM | Comments (1)

"Polluters to Face Even Less Resistance from EPA in Second Bush Term"

The NRDC reports that the EPA is taking its job as the environmental protection agency seriously and going on longer lunch breaks:

The reelection of President George Bush means that polluters will enjoy four more years of lax enforcement of the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to experts from the Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NDRC). The good news, the groups say, is that at least some state attorneys general and citizen enforcers will step in to tackle the worst cases when the EPA fails to act.

Also today, EIP released a new analysis showing that civil penalties imposed by the EPA against polluters in 2004 hit a 15-year low. The $56.8 million in 2004 civil penalties is the lowest amount since 1990, the first year for which such "big picture" penalty information is readily available, EIP reported.

Commenting on the implications of this month's elections for EPA enforcement, Environmental Integrity Project Director Eric Schaeffer said: "Watch out for efforts to break up the federal enforcement program at EPA through 'reorganizations,' or through continued budget cuts. If we want our environmental laws to survive, we had better be prepared to make creative use of the opportunities we have in a federal system. We'll need to put pressure on state agencies to enforce the law when EPA won't, and to hold both federal and state elected officials accountable when agencies fail to protect the public. We also anticipate an increase in the number of citizens' lawsuits -- such as the recent Hatsfield's Ferry case in Pennsylvania - that are brought when EPA drops the ball."

Schaeffer, you may remember, quit the EPA in protest of Bush.

Posted by Eric at 07:25 AM | Comments (1)

November 09, 2004

Tuesday Oped Roundup Jesse Jackson.

Tuesday Oped Roundup

Jesse Jackson. No GOP monopoly on God
Thomas Oliphant. Why the Specter flap matters
Guardian. Fearful in Falluja
George Monbiot. Puritanism of the rich: Bush's ideology has its roots in 17th century preaching that the world exists to be conqueredPuritanism of the rich
Marie Cocco. Bush should see this film on abortion
Robert Scheer. He Won. Live With It, for Now
Gary Hart. If 'faith' is to govern policy, let's go all the way
Bob Herbert. Take care with that 'values' word
EJ Dionne. Moderates, Not Moralists
AJC. Miller needs anger management
Ed Garvey. Bush planning changes, so we must organize, be ready
honoluluadvertiser. Nation needs to know more about Rehnquist
Jerry Burris. Democrats keep clout in Hawai'i

Posted by Eric at 11:05 AM | Comments (1)

I get the impression that

I get the impression that this new format isn't working as well as before (I enjoyed this comment: "Are you trying deliberately to turn people off this site? The blog has been great, but the new changes just defy the fundamental conventions of typography. C'mon."), so I'm partially switching back to the old, blog format. I'm still playing around with things, and I might as well do it now since it's post-election, and heading toward the holiday season, i.e. less news-hungry readers. So expect some tweaks every now and then. Surprisingly, though, visits to this site haven't dropped off substantially (though there is a drop off). I think the 'roundups' work, and I'll probably do three a day: an online commentary, a morning news stories (from papers and wire), and an oped. Anyway, if you feel so inclined, use this thread as a way to comment on ways to improve the blog, etc. And please do comment, as it is always helpful.

Posted by Eric at 09:27 AM | Comments (90)

Morning News Roundup, Tuesday ChicTrib.

Morning News Roundup, Tuesday

ChicTrib. Jesse Jackson says Kerry ignored key Democratic blocs
Houston Chronicle. Key legislation still on table for House, Senate: Energy bill and trade agreement unlikely to see the light of day until next year's session
NYT. Another run by Kerry possible, brother says
Huntsville Times. Top Alabama Democrats say replace party chairman
Guardian. Arafat in 'deeper' coma
LAT. Ohio Is Set to Reckon With Outstanding Ballots
LAT. Rumsfeld Looks to Success to 'Tip' Iraqi Opinion
WPost. Judge Rules Trials Unlawful; "Commissions" for detainees held at Guantanamo Bay are invalid, court says
WPost. McGreevey Gives Farewell Address
CSM. An Arctic alert on global warming
BGlobe. Stem-cell vote blurs religion-based politics
WTimes. Conservatives target Specter
DenPost. Court crusade in Springs: Colo. groups lead national call for conservative justices
NYT. The President: Card Will Stay On as Chief of Staff
NYT. New Study Puts Sept. 11 Payout at $38 Billion
NYT. Hispanic Voters Declared Their Independence
NYT. 6,500 American G.I.'s and 2,000 Iraqis on Attack
CSM. In Texas, a stand to teach 'abstinence only' The state's Board of Education approved new texts without any mention of contraception
CSM. US tests new tactics in urban warfare; The Fallujah fight may offer a verdict on training - and whether control can bring peace to the Iraqi city

Posted by Eric at 06:03 AM | Comments (0)

Online Commentary Roundup, Tuesday Thom

Online Commentary Roundup, Tuesday

Thom Hartmann. This is a Game Where Principles are the Stake
Matthew Rothschild. A Letter to Incredulous Friends Around the World
Howard Zinn. The Optimism of Uncertainty
Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson. Popular Fiction; re: Republicans' mandate line
Grist. The Shadow In The Valley
Micah L. Sifry. The Rise of Open-Source Politics; Thanks to Web-savvy agitators, insiderism and elitism are under heavy attack
Thom Hartmann. Evidence Mounts that the Vote Was Hacked
The Nation. Stand and Fight: The fight is over. Let the fight begin
Paul Waldman. A Warning on Over-Interpreting Exit Polls; Lining up your beliefs and your vote
Michelle Goldberg. Joyful and triumphant The religious right is in heaven at the prospect of remaking the Supreme Court
Edwin M. Yoder Jr. The Founders would be appalled at the Bush administration's shameless religious exhibitionism
Sean Gonsalves. What it means to be 'evangelical'
John Podesta and Sonal Shah. A Progressive Trade Agenda
Bill Berkowitz. Team Bush's 'November surprise'; Karl Rove's army of evangelical Christian 'values voters' put President Bush over the top
Michael Tomasky. The Gettables; Democrats locked in the values debate need to remember an important distinction
Allan J. Lichtman. From the Ashes; Forget the 2008 election. Democrats should focus on 2006 and 2010
Tom Hayden. Learning from the Loss: A transition to a new generation of leadership is needed if the massive outpouring of activism of the past year is to flourish and be funded for the future
Michael Moore. 17 Reasons Not to Slit Your Wrists

Posted by Eric at 01:46 AM | Comments (2)

November 08, 2004

[AP] Dean to become DNC

[AP] Dean to become DNC head? Former Vermont gov ponders bid:

"I strongly urged (Dean) to seek the position," he ["Steve Grossman, himself a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee"] said. "Howard is a voice of political empowerment and that to me is important, for the Democrats to get their sea legs back as quickly as possible, to get beyond the disappointment of the last week and to believe there is a bright future ahead for the Democratic Party."

Previously: Clinton perfect for DNC head role, LAT writes.

Posted by Eric at 10:48 PM | Comments (3)

[American Progression Action Fund] "The

[American Progression Action Fund] "The Fight Goes On: Progress Report Readers Write Back."

Posted by Eric at 07:11 PM | Comments (2)

[Reuters] Arctic threatened by global

[Reuters] Arctic threatened by global warming; eight-nation report says "global warming is heating the Arctic almost twice as fast as the rest of the planet in a thaw that threatens millions of livelihoods.

The biggest survey to date of the Arctic climate, by 250 scientists, said the accelerating melt could be a foretaste of wider disruptions from a build-up of human emissions of heat-trapping gases in the earth's atmosphere. The "Arctic climate is now warming rapidly and much larger changes are projected," according to the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment

Posted by Eric at 09:46 AM | Comments (164)

[Guardian] Bush and co. head

[Guardian] Bush and co. head to next target: space. "US ready to put weapons in space."

Internal USAF documents reveal that seizing control of the 'final frontier' is deemed essential for modern warfare. Counterspace Operations reveals that destroying enemy satellites would improve the chance of victory. It states: 'Space superiority provides freedom to attack as well as freedom from attack. Space and air superiority are crucial first steps in any military operation.' Theresa Hitchens, vice-president of a Washington-based independent think-tank, the Centre for Defence Information, said: 'These documents show that they are taking space control seriously.'

Posted by Eric at 06:01 AM | Comments (1)

[ACORN] Report finds lending disparities

[ACORN] Report finds lending disparities for minorities and low-income people.

Nationally, the study found that even upper-income African-Americans were more than twice as likely (2.6 times) to be turned down than upper-income whites. Findings also show that larger gains in lending to minorities and lower income people were made in the earlier 1993-1998 time period, while disparities increased in the more recent five years since 1998. Although, lending to minorities and lower income families has increased, it is still at low levels compared to their share of the population and the quality of these loans has changed.

Posted by Eric at 05:23 AM | Comments (8)

[US News] Hillary 2008 speculation

[US News] Hillary 2008 speculation once again as 'friends' say the NY Senator is exploring a run.

Friends of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton tell us that the New York Democrat is set to begin the hard work of running for president in 2008. Associates say that she already has organized a team to target fundraising prospects, create voter lists, and draw up a campaign agenda. The presidential effort will run in tandem with Clinton's 2006 senatorial re-election bid.

Posted by Eric at 05:12 AM | Comments (3)

Morning Papers Roundup (News) WPost.

Morning Papers Roundup (News)

WPost. U.S. Unready for Bioterrorism; Despite progress, many U.S. officials express unease about biodefenses
Houston Chron. Bush faces foreign challenges; Outcome in Iraq could influence next term's policies
USAT. Bush seeks tax overhaul;
President pledges to make sweeping tax cuts permanent
USAT. Prison population a record
USAT. Marriage will be spelled out in Texas textbooks
Wisconsin State Journal. Mixed stem-cell research feelings after election
Toledo Blade. Businesses may not need air permits: Too much paperwork, agency says
WTimes. Specter denies pro-choice litmus test
WPost. Evangelicals Led GOP Efforts; Christian groups were often more aggressive than the Bush campaign
Boston Globe. In Oregon, same-sex marriage ban leaves wedded couples in confusion
Boston Globe. Jitters before assault wearing on soldiers
Boston Globe. Conservative radio host apologizes for using racial slur
Baltimore Sun. The architect's next plan: After more than a decade helping make Bush a two-term president, Rove prepares to build GOP into durable national majority
USAT. Surfer-activist may win San Diego mayor's post
NYT. G.O.P. Plans to Give Environment Rules a Free-Market Tilt
NYT. Even With Campaign Finance Law, Money Talks Louder Than Ever
NYT. Big Tax Plans, Big Tax Risks
NYT. Guantánamo Prisoners Getting Their Day, but Hardly in Court
NYT. President Feels Emboldened, Not Accidental, After Victory
Seattle Times. Teaching often out of reach for minority aides
LAT. Villaraigosa Grim on Return From Kerry Campaign
LAT. Dejected voters find themselves in an even bluer state
LAT. Business Groups Invested in Races, Wait for Returns; After a hefty push for Republican candidates, industry organizations form their wish lists
LAT. U.S. Troops Advance to Fallouja's Edge
SFC. Battle Over Arafat's Millions:
The leader's wife is fighting to win a part of his fortune. Officials hope the money goes to the people
SFC. What Now For Democrats?
In the wake of a stinging defeat, party members say it's time for an overhaul in message and candidates

Posted by Eric at 03:15 AM | Comments (14)

November 07, 2004

[Mother Jones] Being Ralph Reed:

[Mother Jones] Being Ralph Reed: "The man who mobilized the religious right puts his conservative connections to work for business"

Reed's value to corporate America has been enhanced by his close ties to the Bush administration and especially to Karl Rove, the president's chief political guru. Not long after Century Strategies started, Rove reportedly helped Reed land an Enron contract worth at least $300,000 to help build support for energy deregulation. Century Strategies did voter-mobilization work for the Bush campaign and the Republican National Committee in 2000; it has been retained again this year for similar projects.

Posted by Eric at 07:29 PM | Comments (2)

[Reuters] From the book of

[Reuters] From the book of scary quotes: "With a bigger majority, we can do even more exciting things." Tom Delay, 11/3/04

Posted by Eric at 05:14 PM | Comments (2)

[AP] Wisconsin school district to

[AP] Wisconsin school district to teach creationism

Members of Grantsburg's school board believed that a state law governing the teaching of evolution was too restrictive. The science curriculum "should not be totally inclusive of just one scientific theory," said Joni Burgin, superintendent of the district of 1,000 students in northwest Wisconsin.

Posted by Eric at 05:02 PM | Comments (8)

[Baltimore Sun] All publicity is

[Baltimore Sun] All publicity is good publicity, apparently, for the Sinclair Media Group, which finds some good in the fallout from the Stolen Honor controversy

"The thing that has really gone unnoticed by most is the promotional value we've received ... which is probably worth tens of millions of dollars," said David D. Smith, president and chief executive officer .... "What's the promotional value of being on Good Morning America for five minutes?" Smith asked. "What's the promotional value of being on every cable news channel literally for a period of six to eight days and being the topic of conversation. What's the effect of being in the print media a multiple number of times."

Posted by Eric at 11:21 AM | Comments (5)

[Media Matters] O'Reilly lies about

[Media Matters] O'Reilly lies about voting trends in election

O'Reilly told Reverend Al Sharpton: "The Democrats actually lost votes from four years ago in addition to losing seats in both the House and the Senate. So what happened?" The truth is that Senator John Kerry won 5 million more votes in 2004 than Al Gore won in the 2000 presidential election. Kerry won nearly 56 million votes in 2004 (at last count), while Gore won about 51 million. Later in his discussion with Sharpton, O'Reilly claimed: "The 18- to 24[-year-old]s didn't go [to the polls]. That was about the same [as 2000]." In fact, as the Associated Press noted, voter turnout among 18- to 24-year-olds was up

Posted by Eric at 09:28 AM | Comments (8)

[LAT Editorial] LA Times says

[LAT Editorial] LA Times says Clinton is perfect for new DNC head role.

How about a slightly raffish, smooth-talking Southerner, a statesman with a strategic mind who delights in outsmarting his opponents? Someone who can go into a black church and rouse the congregation. Someone with a proven track record, an astute political analyst admired for his ability to split political differences and make it sound like a good thing.

Posted by Eric at 08:43 AM | Comments (11)

[WPost] 52 killed, at least

[WPost] 52 killed, at least 16 U.S. soldiers wounded in new attacks in Iraq. U.S. headed for assault on Fallujah.

Hours after the attacks began, Fallujah's mujaheddin shura, or council of holy warriors, which governs the city, issued a statement in which it threatened to "launch wide military operations within the first hours of the U.S. attack on Fallujah, to open several fronts at the same time." The statement said insurgents were standing by in the cities of Baghdad, Kirkuk, Basra and Samarra.

Posted by Eric at 08:08 AM | Comments (7)

[Honolulu StarBulletin] University of Hawaii's

[Honolulu StarBulletin] University of Hawaii's Timmy Chang breaks NCAA record for most career passing yards, becomes most visible Asian football star ever.

Posted by Eric at 07:49 AM | Comments (5)

[Economic Policy Institute] Tax cuts

[Economic Policy Institute] Tax cuts meet October target, cumulative impact falls far short

The October job growth of 337,000 jobs exceeded the Bush Administration's projections by 31,000. However, the overall projection that 4,896,000 jobs would be created over the last 16 months is not close to having been realized. In reality, since Bush’s “Jobs and Growth” tax cut plan took effect, there are 2,738,000 fewer jobs than the administration projected would be created. In fact, job creation failed—often by a large margin—to meet the administration's projections in 13 of the past 16 months.

Posted by Eric at 07:38 AM | Comments (5)

[WPost] U.S. Wants No Warming

[WPost] U.S. Wants No Warming Proposal: Administration Aims to Prevent Arctic Council Suggestions

The Bush administration has been working for months to keep an upcoming eight-nation report from endorsing broad policies aimed at curbing global warming, according to domestic and foreign participants, despite the group's conclusion that Arctic latitudes are facing historic increases in temperature, glacial melting and abrupt weather changes.

Posted by Eric at 07:32 AM | Comments (0)

[AP] Durbin to take 2nd

[AP] Durbin to take 2nd post, Harry Reid to replace Daschle in Senate.

Senate Democrats worked to avoid an internal squabble over leadership jobs after their party's disappointing showing in Tuesday's elections that increased Republican majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives.

Posted by Eric at 07:11 AM | Comments (3)

[Maureen Dowd] Rove's Revenge.Like the

[Maureen Dowd] Rove's Revenge.

Like the president, vice president and defense secretary, General Karl wanted to wipe out the gray, if-it-feels-good-do-it, blame-America-first, doused-in-Vietnam-guilt 60's and turn the clock back to the black-and-white Manichaean values of the 50's.

Posted by Eric at 07:02 AM | Comments (15)

Thanks for all the positive

Thanks for all the positive comments and emails over the past few days. It's obviously nice to receive such feedback, and I'm grateful that people find this site of some use. As I said previously, I wasn't sure whether or not I was going to continue this site past the election. I wanted to take a couple days to think about what to do with this site, and I've ultimately decided to continue, though in a slightly different format. It's been my impression that people find the daily links the most beneficial, and thus I'm switching to a more link-emphasis format. The intent of the new format is to compile a couple dozen useful / amusing stories daily in a reader-friendly format. A note, every story won't be completely political. Please feel free to email me comments about the format, or how I can improve. Again, thanks for all the nice words. Eric.

Posted by Eric at 06:45 AM | Comments (26)

November 04, 2004

Site Note

I wasn't sure whether or not I was going to continue this site regardless of the election's outcome. Right now, instead, I'm tinkering with a possible format change that'll be more link-emphasis and less blog entry emphasis. Anyway, stay tuned.

Posted by Eric at 09:15 PM | Comments (38)

November 03, 2004

Kerry: "Today, I hope we can begin the healing"

AP writeup.

Text.

Says to supporters:

And I wish, you don't know how much, that I could have brought this race home for you, for them. And I say to them now: Don't lose faith. What you did made a difference.

Posted by Eric at 02:29 PM | Comments (113)

Bush is President; Kerry Concedes

And so it ends, from the AP:

President Bush (news - web sites) won a second term from a divided and anxious nation, his promise of steady, strong wartime leadership trumping John Kerry (news - web sites)'s fresh-start approach to Iraq (news - web sites) and joblessness. After a long, tense night of vote counting, the Democrat called Bush to concede Ohio and the presidency, The Associated Press learned.

Posted by Eric at 11:12 AM | Comments (121)

The President Is ...

The House.

The Senate.

Posted by Eric at 01:00 AM | Comments (47)

November 02, 2004

Election Day