A Message from Russ Feingold

Russ Feingold thinks that you're awesome.



--WS

Howard Metzenbaum (1917-2008)

One of the stalwarts of the Democratic Party has passed away:

(AP) Former Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, an Ohio Democrat who was a feisty self-made millionaire before he began a long career fighting big business in the Senate, died Wednesday night. He was 90.

Metzenbaum died at his home near Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said Joel Johnson, his former chief of staff. No cause was given.

During 18 years on Capitol Hill, until his retirement in 1995, Metzenbaum came to be known as "Senator No" and "Headline Howard" for his abilities to block legislation and get publicity for himself.

He was a cantankerous firebrand who didn't need a microphone to hold a full auditorium spellbound while dropping rhetorical bombs on big oil companies, the insurance industry, savings and loans, and the National Rifle Association, to name just a few favorite targets.

Unabashedly liberal, the former labor lawyer and union lobbyist considered himself a champion of workers and was a driving force behind the law requiring 60-day notice of plant closings.

When other liberals shied away from that label, Metzenbaum embraced it, winning re-election in 1988 from Ohio voters who chose Republicans for governor and president, and by wider margins than either George Voinovich or George H.W. Bush.

That victory produced his third, final and most productive term in the Senate. When it was over, in 1995, he started a new career as consumer advocate, heading the Consumer Federation of America.

You know, we could use more like Howard.

House Fails to Override Veto

Probably just a symbolic attempt, but nonetheless:

HR 2082 was the bill that was designed to ban waterboarding. The full description was: "To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes."

[A waterboarding ban was part of that.]

These three Democrats voted to uphold Bush's veto and joined the Republicans, and they had previously joined three other Democrats in voting against the legislation in December:

Nay OH-10 Kucinich, Dennis [D]
Nay GA-8 Marshall, James [D]
Nay CA-35 Waters, Maxine [D]

I tried to find an explanation for the votes, but I couldn't locate one. Perhaps they're just being "consistent" in their desire to not vote for any program that funds or supports the intelligence community. I don't think they are "FOR" waterboarding. I think they want to draw attention to themselves by voting against their party and against funding the intelligence community. And that's, umm, to put it mildly, brain-dead and immature.

Either way, this is another example as to why we need to have BETTER DEMOCRATS in the Congress. Kucinich, Marshall and Waters aren't the kinds of Democrats we need. They are self-centered, self-important, and in it for themselves.

I don't know--instead of grandstanding and all that, instead of being difficult, can't you just vote with the Democrats once in a while?

Hell YES Spitzer Should Resign

From the Federal Affadavit:

According to the affidavit, Kristen called Lewis about 9:32 p.m. Wednesday, February 13, and told her she was in Client 9's room -- number 871 -- at the Washington hotel.

Four minutes later, Client 9 was in the hotel, Lewis told Kristen in another call.

No more calls were logged until 12:02 a.m. Thursday -- Valentine's Day -- nearly 2½ hours later. At that time, Kristen told Lewis Client 9 had left and she had collected $4,300.

Lewis told the prostitute she'd been told that Client 9 "would ask you to do things that, like, you might not think are safe -- you know -- I mean that ... very basic things," the affidavit says.

Kristen told Lewis, "I have a way of dealing with that. ... I'd be like, listen dude, you really want the sex?"

"I don't think he's difficult," Kristen is quoted as saying. "I mean it's just kind of like ... whatever ... I'm here for a purpose. I know what my purpose is. I am not a ... moron, you know what I mean."

Spitzer, who has not been charged, went before reporters Monday to confess to an undisclosed personal indiscretion, saying he had acted "in a way that violates my obligations to my family, that violates my or any sense of right and wrong."

Forget the titillating aspect of the NY Governor Elliot Spitzer case--he should resign immediately because, as Governor of the State of New York, he is given access to Classified material through the Department of Homeland Security. I mean, it's pretty obvious--he's into what a call girl would consider a "deviant" type of sexual practice. And if what you're doing with a woman paid to have sex with men is considered "dangerous," you have issues that go well beyond anything we have to consider as far as politics are concerned.

I mean, whoa. Get some help, Governor. And get your ass out of office now.

Regrettably, I am not an expert on High End Prostitution Rings. In only the satirical sense do I wish I was, but some things in life are just not meant to be. So I can't really speak to the idea of paying $4,300 just to roll in the hay with someone who is not Mrs. Pale Rider. But if you're the Governor of New York--and you have access to classified material AND you can pretty much direct the full Executive power of a major state against anyone you want--that is, shut down businesses, investigate people and call for people to be indicted--you probably shouldn't be using the services of a call girl ring AND you damned sure better not be crossing state lines to do so.

I know there's a Libertarian aspect here--fine, I'm not going to debate that. But when you start talking about the kind of money involved in one of these rings, I'll bet you dollars to donuts there's organized crime that's involved as well.

A sad day to be a Democrat, but that doesn't mean I'm going to turn into a shithead about it. Thanks for your service Governor Spitzer, but you're done. Now, can we get some better Democrats please? Thanks.

UPDATE I - PALE RIDER

One of my long-time friends on the blog front, shortstop, explains what "do you want the sex" really means.

That's what "very basic things" and her telling him "You want the sex...? [No glove, no love]" means.

Boy, am I red-faced. Thanks, shortstop! I'll just go back to GAO reports and impolite commentary.

Oh, Come On...

[Burt Lancaster, Elmer Gantry]

I don't consider myself an Obama supporter or a Clinton supporter--I'm a Democrat, I've participated in the primary process, and when the party selects a nominee, that's the person I'm going to support. You see, there's a greater good, and while I will always demand better Democrats, I'll still vote Democrat this fall. No Republican alive could earn my vote this year.

But Taylor Marsh jumps the shark:

Cons eventually catch up with you. Obama's played his supporters for suckers. They bought into the hope hype, sucking up this stuff with a straw, only to find out Obama's not an original, he's a knock off, of a governor, no less. Siphoning off of a winning campaign to try to win the presidency with a formula. Hey, it's politics. One campaign model fits 'em all. Put your twenty bucks in the bucket and shut the hell up!

The traditional media, cable talking heads, and quite a few large progressive blogs have regurgitated the Obama story like a pack of nomads wandering in the political desert in search of sustenance; people bankrupt of political or factual integrity looking for the answer and refusing to see what was in front of their faces all along. The question is whether the journalists who bought into the Obama hype, along with the cable talking heads who propped his campaign up, and the Obama blogs who didn't care one whit about the facts or his record but were only interested in spreading their Hillary hatred, have got so much invested they won't have the honesty, the integrity, and the moral courage to back peddle on their craven cave in before it's not only too late for them, but too late for the Democratic party.

Barack Obama isn't an original. He's the first 21st century L. Ron Hubbard of politics, Elmer Gantry, name your huckster.

"I have a dream" just became "I have a con."

Hold on, have to wipe off the spittle...

Really, Taylor? L Ron Hubbard? Elmer Gantry? One was real, one wasn't. Not much else in your metaphor stands up. No further comment on Hubbard will appear here, thank you very much. But Elmer Gantry was banned in Boston, of course, and Taylor Marsh's bullshit can't get out of Hooterville. This is a perfect example of getting completely unhinged in public and wondering why no one can take Marsh seriously anymore.

Quick question--How does THAT help Hillary accomplish anything? The real problem is this--she needed to run a great campaign and she only managed to run a pretty good one. There's nothing wrong with her or Obama, in my eyes, and we are blessed as a Democratic Party to have this kind of talent to choose from.

The derangement of the people on my side of the aisle sometimes approaches the derangement of those who oppose me politically. But derangement is derangement, and Taylor Marsh exemplifies the kind of derangement we do not need as Democrats.

UPDATE I - PALE RIDER

Sadly, one of our commenters had to do a "full disclosure" and identify themselves as an Obama supporter.

Hello? You don't need to do that. Thanks, but if you support Obama, that doesn't mean you have to disclose it. The vitriol of liberal blogs in recent months has people self-identifying themselves, lest they be "outed" and persecuted and shut down for their beliefs. You have to disclose, for example, that if you're a paid shill of Monsanto that your twenty-six blog posts highlighting what a safe and pleasant line of products that Monsanto safely makes out of distilled water and grass clippings come from a biased point of view.

A Democrat shouldn't feel obligated to disclose who they support. Come on, has it come to this? I hope not. That's why I would argue that people like Taylor Marsh have jumped the shark, and have crossed the line into irrelevance.

This is What We Mean By Better Democrats

Tough primary race in Maryland's 4th today:

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - One of the most watched races in Maryland outside the presidential primary is in the Fourth Congressional District, where Democratic U.S. Rep. Albert Wynn is trying to fend off another challenge from Donna Edwards.

After losing by just 3 percentage points in 2006, Edwards is back, hoping to achieve the rare feat of unseating an incumbent in a primary election. The eight-term incumbent defeated Edwards by a little more than 2,000 votes out of more than 82,000 voters, News4's Tracee Wilkins reported.

If Wynn loses, he would be the first incumbent to fall this primary season, though only one other state, Illinois, has included congressional races with its presidential primary elections so far.

We need to see more of these "Democrats" like Wynn either driven from the party or forced to reform their ways. I've seen video of his "supporters" assaulting people and this constitutes the best case against Wynn, as told by the Baltimore Sun:

To put it bluntly, Mr. Wynn, an eight-term congressman, is an embarrassment to his Prince George's County-based district, the state and the Democratic Party. And his past - his machine-style bossism, dirty politics and political bullying - is catching up with him.

In 2006, he sent out a flier implying he had won endorsements from some unions that hadn't endorsed him.

That same year, two of his supporters physically harassed one of Ms. Edwards' campaign volunteers.

This cycle, he filmed a political ad fashioned to look like a news reporter had caught him randomly on the street for an interview, when in fact the ad was staged by his campaign.

And then last week, Mr. Wynn, who is a lawyer, filed a completely bogus Federal Election Commission complaint that charges Ms. Edwards with violating election law. As The Sun has reported, the complaint is so slapdash that it doesn't even bother to cite specific election law provisions.

All of these electoral shenanigans are designed to mask Mr. Wynn's real problem: his voting record, which reflects contempt for voters in his district and the opinions of many Marylanders.

He voted in October 2002 for President Bush's Iraq war resolution. In 2004, Mr. Wynn voted for Vice President Dick Cheney's energy proposal, even though every other member of Maryland's House delegation, including both Republicans, voted nay.

He has accepted more than $200,000 in campaign contributions from banks and lending institutions, and, not surprisingly, voted in 2005 for a Bush administration-backed bankruptcy "reform" bill with punitive provisions for working-class borrowers.

So, yes. The rallying cry is always "better Democrats, please." Nobody around here is blind, you know.

UPDATE I - PALE RIDER

Unbelievable--good government seems to be making a comeback:

U.S. House - District 4 - Dem Primary
Maryland - 68 of 173 Precincts Reporting - 39%
Name Party Votes Vote %
Edwards , Donna Dem 19,810 59%
Wynn , Al (i) Dem 12,161 36%

Let's hope this holds...Wynn's defeat would be huge for Congressional politics.

UPDATE II - PALE RIDER

Victory for the progressive movement--Wynn goes down in flaming defeat. Hoyer and Pelosi get a wake-up call.

Better Democrats, Please

Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu picks up some unwanted scrutiny:

------------
CREW FILES JUSTICE AND SENATE ETHICS COMMITTEE COMPLAINTS AGAINST SEN. MARY LANDRIEU

8 Jan 2008 Washington, D.C. – Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) today sent a complaint to the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District for Louisiana and the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, asking for an investigation into whether Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) violated federal bribery law by including a $2 million earmark for Voyager Expanded Learning in a bill a mere four days after receiving $30,000 in campaign contributions from company executives and their relatives. CREW also asked the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate the matter.

Randy Best, a top Republican donor and Bush pioneer, founded Voyager, an educational products company and rather than selling the company’s reading program to school districts, hired lobbyists to obtain earmarks for it. Although the House had appropriated $1 million for his program for the D.C. public schools, Best still needed a Senate sponsor. A lobbyist arranged a meeting with Sen. Landrieu, the chair of the Appropriations subcommittee responsible for the District of Columbia, to press for an earmark. Shortly after Sen. Landrieu met with Best, a member of Sen. Landrieu’s staff asked him to hold a fundraiser for her and he agreed. After the fundraiser, she received $30,000 in campaign contributions from individuals associated with the company -- donors who had never before contributed to her. Four days after she received the money, she inserted an earmark into a D.C. appropriations bill, giving D.C. schools $2 million to buy Best’s reading program, which was unproven and had not been requested by the school system.

[snip]

Melanie Sloan, CREW’s executive director, said today, “Senator Landrieu appears to have traded a $2 million earmark for $30,000 in campaign contributions. It was a win-win situation for Best and Senator Landrieu, but a lose-lose for the taxpayers and D.C. school children.” Sloan continued, “the Department of Justice and the Senate Ethics Committee should look into this matter immediately. Members of Congress need to understand that trading earmarks for campaign funds is illegal -- no exceptions.”
------------

Here in the DC area, lives amidst flourishing hanging gardens festooned with colorful screaming animals of all shapes and sizes and works in a thriving bottle washing factory, it is well known that the District of Columbia school system is rife with corruption, paralyzed by poor management, and reeling from incompetence. Do they really need a Senator from Louisiana to step in and try to help them? How about some "earmarks" for the people affected by Katrina, Senator? How about some help with those formaldehyde laced trailers, perhaps? Better yet--how about acting like a Democrat once in a while?

How about Better Democrats, please? And a strong primary challenger for Landrieu would be nice. She tends to vote with the Republicans a little too often, for my taste. Especially when it comes to torture.

No, You DON'T Get to Move the Goalposts...

Unbelievable...

Do they really think they're going to get away with denying that they're just moving the goalposts each and every time it looks like they're failing to make any significant progress in Iraq?

From the NY Times:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24 — With American military successes outpacing political gains in Iraq, the Bush administration has lowered its expectation of quickly achieving major steps toward unifying the country, including passage of a long-stymied plan to share oil revenues and holding regional elections.

Instead, administration officials say they are focusing their immediate efforts on several more limited but achievable goals in the hope of convincing Iraqis, foreign governments and Americans that progress is being made toward the political breakthroughs that the military campaign of the past 10 months was supposed to promote.

NO MORE MONEY! Make them accept a timetable for withdrawing US Troops and the Webb Amendment, giving service members equal time at home station for time spent deployed in Iraq.

This should go out as a wake-up call to Democrats who want to waffle and flip-flop--we're not only going to demand "better Democrats" but we're going to go after Democrats who cave in and support the administration over the needs of our troops and the overwhelming desire of the American People to end this war.

The US Ambassador had this to say:

Ambassador Crocker drew a distinction between the effectiveness of the American military buildup in quelling violence and the influence the United States could bring to bear at a political level.

“The political stuff does not lend itself to sending out a couple of battalions to help the Iraqi’s pass legislation,” he said.

Still, he said, there were some positive signs that Iraqis were interested in making headway on some thorny issues. Provincial governors, he said, were pressing for a law to define their powers. “We are past the point where it is an American agenda,” the ambassador said. “It is what needs to be done in Iraqi terms.”

I want to see Democrats out there, NOW, calling out the Administration for moving the goalposts. I want to see outrage and indignation. And I want it backed up with votes and with deeds.

Hear that, Presidential candidates?

Meanwhile, Huckleberry Graham sets the stage for the coup that was planned when the surge strategy was announced:

BLITZER: But what happens if they fail to divide up the oil, if they fail to get those elections, they don’t disband all the various militias by the end of the year? Then what does the United States do?

GRAHAM: So I am hopeful that some of these people at the local level will have a stronger voice. And I’m hopeful that Talabani, Maliki, and Hashemi and all the major players can have a breakthrough.

I’m asking them to do things they say are important for their country. The conditions are right now and, quite honestly, if they can’t do it by the end of the year, I have real doubts that this group will ever do it so we need a new political strategy to find a group that can.

WHAT???

"We'll find a group that can?"

I thought we had a law against overthrowing foreign governments. You'd think a sitting US Senator who pretends to know something about the law would know that.

Pardon me while I reset my indignation and outrage meters...

Delusional Wingnut Jim Gilmore

Just when you couldn't figure out which delusional wingnut to laugh at next, the former governor of Virginia obliges us with a trip down batshit crazy way.

-From WJLA: Former GOP Gov. Jim Gilmore announced Monday that he will seek the U.S. Senate seat held by retiring Republican John Warner.

Gilmore's announcement sets up a campaign with another former governor, Democrat Mark R. Warner - a clash between two men with vastly different views about government and little affection for the other.

In 1997, Gilmore was elected governor in a landslide after promising to eliminate the personal property tax cities and counties in Virginia impose on private cars and pickup trucks. By the end of Gilmore's term in 2002, however, the cost to the state of the car tax cut had exceeded projections, and a recession deepened by the terrorist strikes of Sept. 11, 2001, had created a state budget shortfall that eventually topped $6 billion.

We should all rejoice that Republicans like Gilmore and George Allen walk amongst us, convinced to their self-righteous core that people will actually vote for them and give them money to run for office. Disgraced former Senator Allen actually signed on the Fred Thompson campaign, helping to sink it even further into a morass of indecision. No one could figure out what was worse--having Allen help out or having Thompson speak in public and tell people when they should applaud his remarks.

If Virginia is smart, and it looks like it's starting to become one of the smartest "purple" states in the country, then it'll send Mark Warner to the Senate to help Webb end the war in Iraq.