Investigate the Propaganda Pundits

The networks and cable news channels employed "military analysts", with undisclosed ties to the Pentagon and defense contractors.

NYT broke the story that those "military analysts" were actually working from a Pentagon script meant to sell Bush Administration spin. Americans were lied to, they got pro-war propaganda instead of honest analysis. Tell Congress to Investigate the Propaganda Pundits

EXPOSED: Media ignore Pentagon Pundits scandal
Mainstream media are ignoring one of the biggest political scandals in recent memory.
Demand a full Congressional investigation here:http://freepress.net/
Note: CNN's Rick Sanchez is actually a "late evening" host, not a morning host (2:38)

Rep. Larsen Looks Into Border Patrol 'Spot Checks'

From the San Juan Journal:

Larsen raises questions about spot checks
Apr 27 2008

Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Bellingham, forwarded a list of questions to U.S. Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar on Thursday as a follow up to a briefing he received in March about citizenship spot checks at the Anacortes ferry terminal.

The questions seek specific information about the effectiveness of the stops, other steps being taken by Border Patrol to protect national security and how Border Patrol is going to accommodate the flood of summer ferry traffic without adversely affecting the county’s economy.

The stops at the ferry terminal have created a controversy among ferry riders and islanders, many of whom complain that they unfairly target San Juan County residents and create both delays and discomfort for locals and may make tourists decide to visit elsewhere. ...(more)

I'm glad to see Congressman Larsen take this up. It really does bring up questions about whether we are sliding down a slippery slope toward becoming a "police state" when Border Patrol Agents are demanding to see people's "papers" when they ride a local ferry.

More about "spot checks":

Border Patrol "spot checks" on ferries provoke outrage in San Juan Islands
By Sara Jean Green - Seattle Times staff reporter

PBS NewsHour Covers Pentagon Pundits Scandal

Last Sunday, the NYT exposed the Pentagons use of military analysts/consultants to echo Bush Administration's talking points and distort media coverage.

And then the media went silent on the subject, until last nite when the PBS NewsHour covered the story.

PRWatch's John Stauber appears on PBS NewsHour to talk about the
Pentagon Pundits scandal -- "the Pentagon Papers of this war." April 24,
2008

GWOT - Going In Circles

The Daily Show hits the nail on the head... The Republican's "War on Terror" has accomplished nothing. It's cost us a fortune and done nothing to make us safer.

Exit: Strategy
President Bush doesn't want to hear America's backseat driving in this war on terror -- and keep your hands off the radio.

support for Obama

news from the blogs i find interesting.....

Post from Zach Edwards's Blog:

Former Edwards National General Chairman and 49 Other Edwards Supporters Throw Support to Barack Obama
By Zachary Scott Edwards - Apr 23rd, 2008 at 12:29 pm EDT

from New York Times Politics blog...The Caucus.......

April 23, 2008, 2:32 pm

Edwards Backers Team Up With Obama
By Julie Bosman
No, John Edwards has not yet endorsed a candidate. But nearly 50 of his most prominent backers lined up behind Senator Barack Obama today, in a gesture designed to give Mr. Obama a heavy boost of support less than two weeks before the North Carolina primary on May 6. The group includes Ed Turlington, Mr. Edwards’s former national general campaign chairman; three North Carolina members of Congress; and 46 local activists, philanthropists and business leaders, among others. (Not surprisingly, given Mr. Edwards’s background, the list holds the names of 20 lawyers.)
full article

Earth Day News - Washington State

Earth Day Founder Endorses Darcy Burner bid for Congress

Celebrate Earth Day: Re-Elect Chris Gregoire
Gov. Gregoire is working tirelessly to fight climate change, create green jobs, and preserve Washington's environment as a jewel of the Northwest.

be afraid....be very afraid....

enough with the fear card!!!!! please don't keep this ad out there Senator Clinton...it is a shameful tactic!

Democrats More Trustworthy

The latest poll shows that the American People think a Democrat in the Whitehouse would do a better job with the economy AND the mess in Iraq.

Clearly, reality has won over hyperbole and Republicans have lost their "strong on defense" credibility.

Washington Post-ABC News poll - April 10-13, 2008

35. Thinking ahead to the next presidential election, do you think a
(Democratic) or a (Republican) president would do a better job [ITEM]?

a. resolving the situation in Iraq
Democratic 52%
Republican 35%

b. handling the economy
Democratic 55%
Republican 34%

And here's a good reminder of how really really messed up Republicans are.
BBC radio remembers Rumsfeld's best soundbites
They thought Rummy was super-spiffy.

Reagans Legacy = Broken Government

Republicans don't believe government works and when they're in power, they make sure it doesn't!

[NOTE: sorry 'bout posting a video with commercials, but the report is worth suffering through the sales pitch.]

Outsourcing the Government
When government and business collide, private contractors win big!

h/t to McCranium & Homind Views

Leila Fadel: News From Sadr City

From Bill Moyers Journal:

April 18, 2008
Just back from being under fire in Sadr City this week, award-winning
journalist Leila Fadel, Baghdad Bureau Chief for McClatchy, gives viewers
on-the-ground analysis of the latest events and close-up look at the state of
the war.

Watch the video of the interview. It'll open your eyes!

LEILA FADEL: Yeah. Well, you know who are the important people that you
need to know and talk to and-- but it's so hard to tell when you're getting
everybody has an agenda. And everything they tell you is going to go towards
their cause, you know? The fact that the Maliki government is saying, "We're
gonna disarm militias," I mean, that's a very empty thing to say because the
Supreme Council has a militia which now is pretty much the national police.

The Kurdish parties have a militia, the Peshmerga. The head of the KDP, the
Kurdish Democratic Party I think it stands for-- has a personal militia that was
deployed when Turkey bombed the mountains of Kurdistan because of what they
consider a terrorist organization, the PKK. A personal militia that has no--
[full transcript]

DNC Chairman Howard Dean on CNN

Dean to superdelegates: Decide [5:09]
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean repeats his calls for superdelegates to make up their minds.

Rossi's Fantasy Plan

You'd think that after running a non-stop campaign since the '04 election was finally settled in court, Dino Rossi would have something of substance to say. But he's got nothin' but posturing... nothin'.

Dino Rossi's fantasy transportation "plan" is full of misleading and inaccurate information, would mean higher taxes and more congestion, and its costs and assumptions are completely divorced from reality.

The latest poll shows Rossi isn't getting any traction with his fanciful plans and dire predictions.

shame on ABC

the politics of personal destruction,ends justify the means,slash and burn, irrelevant crap, marketing machine, tactics (cut to Chelsea), etc etc.....
our children and grandchildren and great grandchildren and beyond have been spat upon.....not only are we maxing out their credit cards, but we are squandering the opportunity to move at breakneck speed toward saving their home...planet earth. shame on the shills at abc!!!!!

Shame on ABC: Enough distractions!
Sign the petition: here

couldn't have said it better myself.....

Soulja Boy Presidential Debate Remix

Top-Two Primary - Prefers Confusion

The Sec. o' State's office has issued a gushing press release about proposed ballot language for the new Top Two Primary. It's clear that Sec o' State Sam Reed and State Attorney General Rob McKenna are delighted with themselves and didn't mind saying so on the tax-payers dime.

But the slim slice of meat hidden between the Reed-McKeena self-congratulatory white bread buns is that candidates will have a party preference listed below their names and that it will be meaningless. As a matter of fact, the "party preference" will be so meaningless that every ballot will have to come with a warning label:

Each candidate for partisan office may state a political party that he or she prefers. A candidate’s preference does not imply that the candidate is nominated or endorsed by the party, or that the party approves of or associates with that candidate.

Democratic Congressman Rick Larsen (WA-02) wasn't impressed and wasn't shy about saying so:

'Top two' primary: new ballots, new headaches?

Proposed rules call for listing a candidate's party preference, not affiliation, and at least one lawmaker thinks only confusion will result.

By Jerry Cornfield - Herald Writer

... U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., didn't mute his disappointment with the proposed wording, saying it will likely incite more confusion among voters, not less."

I don't prefer being a Democrat. I am a Democrat," he said. "Voters will look at that ballot and say, 'What does it mean to prefer the Democratic Party?'" ...

(full article)

Moving to the Progressive Movement

The times they are a changin'. If you're paying any attention, you can feel it in the air.

Robert Borosage has very insightful piece at The Big Con:

Bringing the White Working Class Into the Progressive Majority
By Robert Borosage
April 10th, 2008 - 9:00pm ET

... Conservatism has failed—and conservatives, while they cannot admit it, understand that. ...

... A new progressive majority is forming. You can see it in the Democratic victories in 2006; you can see it in the astounding turnout in Democratic primaries in 2008: young people turning out in unprecedented numbers; Latinos doubling their share of the primary vote; African Americans and single women raising their participation. ...

A key test of the viability of a new coalition will depend on the votes of the white working class, ...

... Progressives have to prove that government can work. That it can make
health care and college affordable. That it can help generate good jobs here at
home. That it can curb the Wall Street casino and insure that increased profits
and productivity are widely shared. We have to take reinventing government
seriously, not as a slogan or a gimmick, but as a fundamental project of reform. ...

And as if John McCain felt compelled to prove that Conservatism has been playing the white working class for fools, today:

McCain's Plan for Working Class Offers Plenty for Corporate World
By Michael D. Shear and Jonathan Weisman - Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, April 16, 2008; Page A07

Sen. John McCain yesterday offered sweeping rhetoric about the economic plight of working-class Americans, promising immediate assistance even as he spelled out a tax and spending agenda whose benefits are aimed squarely at spurring corporate growth.

...(more)

Can Tim Eyman Have It Both Ways?

Earlier today Bellingham Herald's Politics Reporter, Sam Taylor, posted an email from "professional initiative promoter and conservative Tim Eyman" with the subject line "RE: King County Democrats newest member: Tim Eyman"

Mixed in with Eyman's usual tedious self-promotion was something quite curious. Eyman wrote: "The King County GOP convention was super fun (I live in Snohomish county and have already been elected a delegate to the state GOP convention in Spokane this May).".

And later in the email, referring to his visit to the King County Democrats convention, he says: "My first and most significant experience was signing in. I walked up and before I could say anything the very nice woman behind the registration desk said “hello, Mr. Eyman.” I said, “Hi, I’m told from Susan Sheary (the Democrats’ chairwoman) that the admission fee is $25.” The woman smiled and replied “Well, for $40 you can become a member of the King County Democratic Party, get the newsletter, and get into the convention for free.” I laughed and said no at first, paid the $25, got my name tag, and went over to my table for a while. But after a half hour of talking with fellow activists and gathering signatures for I-985, I went back and changed my check amount to $40 and officially became a member of the King County Democratic Party."
[bold emphasis added]

Now I'm no expert on the rules of the Washington State Republican Party(WSRP)... but it strikes me that being a dues paying member of the Democratic Party might interfere with Eyman being seated as a delegate to the WSRP State Convention.

I've emailed WSRP Chairman Luke Esser to ask about this puzzler, but I haven't gotten a response yet.

Washington's Fickle Voters

I was just looking at the top-two primary FAQ on the Whatcom County Auditor's webpages and it got me to thinkin' about how fickle Washington State voters can be.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that the top-two primary (I-872) could go ahead. I-872 was passed in 2004 but had been on hold because of court challenges. Voters passed the top-two primary because they didn't want to pick-a-party on the primary ballot.

The top-two primary (I-872) removes all political party's from the election process. The State Primary is no longer about selecting major party (D's & R's) candidates for State and Federal offices and the General Election ballot will no longer have a place for each political party's candidates.

It used to be that minor party's selected their candidates at nominating conventions and major party's candidates were selected in the State Primary. With the adoption of the top-two primary, State law no longer dictates how political parties conduct their nominations.

Here's what really puzzles me: How can Washington's voters have passed an initiative (I-872) that removes the political party nominating function from the State Primary, denies political party's candidates a place on the General Election ballot and yet still feel free to criticize Washington State Democrat's for using caucuses instead of the State imposed Presidential Primary to select their delegates to the Democratic National Convention?

freedom is on the march.....

General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker came to Capitol Hill to answer questions about the Iraq war. They talked about security, troop cuts among other things but one item was missing from their agenda. What did the General and the US Ambassador to Iraq forget to talk about?

What Petraeus Didn't Tell You

More Democrats

Perhaps our long National nightmare is really coming to an end. It seems that a majority of Americans have finally figured out that Republican politicians are crocks and liars... and that their 'conservative values' are nothing but a scam.

We have yet to discover the full extent of the damage done by years of conservative dominance, but a shrinking middle-class, jobs being exported, massive trade deficits, horrific National debt, crumbling infrastructure, a weak Dollar and skyrocketing prices are a start to the list of things Republicans have done to this country.

There will be no easy fixes to the mess we're in, but electing more Democrats is a rational first step toward putting America back on the right track.

Here in Washington State, most voters have figured it out.

Washington State Voters

Party Affiliation

Republican 24%
Democrat 40%
Independent 25%

and Nationally, people are moving to the Democratic Party.

Partisan Trends
Democrats Retain Huge Advantage in Party ID

Thursday, April 03, 2008

During March, the Democrats held on to their partisan gains earned during the first two months on 2008.

In February, the number of Democrats in the United States soared to the highest level ever measured by Rasmussen Reports—41.5%. In March, despite the squabbling among their leading Presidential candidates, the Democrats held on to those gains--41.1% now consider themselves Democrats. Those figures reflect a sharp increase from the 36.3% who considered themselves Democrats in December 2007. (see history from January 2004 to present). (more)

Gregoire and the Dalai Lama

Day 2 Dispatches: the Dalai Lama at Qwest Field

Gregoire and the Dalai Lama

2:21 p.m.: Gov. Christine Gregoire drew applause here for her comment, "I want our government to be compassionate."

"But it is thousands of daily actions by millions of people in this state and across the world that will ensure that every child leads a happier and richer life," Gregoire says.

She tells the crowd that the Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for advocating non-violence. "We know he advocates nonviolence even in the face of aggression," Gregoire says. The Dalai Lama has been listening for a while now with a sober demeanor, in contrast to his smiling visage yesterday at KeyArena.

She introduces the Dalai Lama. — Sanjay Bhatt

Worth Reading

Richardson says Clinton camp "really ticked me off"

Securitization of commodities = Runaway Prices

There's been plenty of theories and excuses about why the price of everything from gasoline to milk has skyrocketed but here's something that explains it all too well.

- "Securitization of commodities refers to Wall Street's method of repackaging futures on commodity exchanges into products that can generate investment banking fees, not unlike subprime mortgages and municipal bonds."

We're all being screwed.

High commodity prices? Blame Wall St.

Fri Apr 11, 2008 6:36pm BST

By Barani Krishnan - Analysis

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Speculators are likely the first to be blamed in any discussion of today's soaring commodity prices.

But the people who profit without taking delivery of a single barrel of oil, ounce of gold or bushel of corn may not have taken these assets to record highs without the encouragement and products of Wall Street banks and firms, according to some.
"The ugly truth is that the securitization of commodities has eased the way for money flows to raise commodity prices beyond that which the current fundamentals of the global economy can sustain over the long term," Michael Frankfurter, a fund manager at California's Cervino Capital Management, told a conference on base metals in New York last week.

Securitization of commodities refers to Wall Street's method of repackaging futures on commodity exchanges into products that can generate investment banking fees, not unlike subprime mortgages and municipal bonds.

The spotlight has again shifted to commodity speculators after crude oil hit a peak of $112 a barrel and corn $6.40 a bushel in U.S. trading this week. U.S. oil and gold futures have already seen record highs more than a dozen times this year. Wheat and soybeans have also hit repeated tops.

Industry observers cite huge fund inflows into commodities as a reason for such rises. The surge of such funds, often called speculative or hot money, has led to high prices in everything from gasoline to bread and clothing, enraging consumers around the world.

"There is an orgy of speculation in futures markets," U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, told Congress last week. "This is a 24-hour casino with unbelievable speculation."
[ full article ]

Luntz Defends Obama!

Holy Cow! Frank Luntz boldly disagrees with Sean Hannity and defends Barak Obama against claims that he's not pro-American.

Frank Luntz on Hannity and Colmes, April 9, 2008

Worker-Dems

After last Saturday's local Democratic Party 40th & 42nd Legislative District Caucuses & Whatcom County Convention, one of the attendee's sent us her reaction... and with her permission, we are posting it.

Worker-Dems

Can I tell you that I have the biggest darn crush on Whatcom County's democratic party?

And by that I don't mean the entire membership, but the loyal and dedicated core--you know, the ones who do the work.

Over a thousand people attended Saturday's three-in-one county/legislative district convention. Maybe thirty or so people volunteered thousands of hours to coordinate, hammer out the rules, certify the credentials of 1,500 delegates, strive to create a comprehensive-yet-succinct platform draft, work out the logistics--on top of the varied normal demands of a large event.

All day long, while we listened to hundreds of impassioned speeches from hopeful delegates (many who had never participated in politics before), volunteers worked furiously behind the scenes to credential and tally everyone.

These people, these sweet, quirky, geeky, frumpy-sexy worker dems--these people give a darn about democracy. They care so much that they devote their lives to ensuring that the process happens as smoothly, as fairly and as equably as possible. The antithesis of the ego-driven politician stereotype, they see and acknowledge the faults of an imperfect (read: human) system and do their level, passionate damnedest to make it work.

So when other democrats complain about how disorganized or lengthy or cumbersome the process, I get a little grumpy. But not too grumpy, because the worker/complainer ratio is the same for sci-fi cons, rock shows and marches on the Capitol. It's the Way Humans Are.

Besides, I'd rather be sitting at the feet of my beloved worker-dems, gazing up at them with love and adoration.

Stephanie Kountouros

Gov. Siegelman speaks....

thanks to 60 MINUTES for staying on the story....

Dear Democrats

just for the record, the upcoming platform for our approval contains a plank that is a deal breaker for me. i feel very strongly this is a fundamental wrong direction.
What we want is to engage with candidates (the caucus system), not to be marketed to (the primary system).

my statement:

I have always loved our platform and I still do. There is a plank in the draft platform this year that is a deal breaker for me. Calling for: “Adoption of State delegate selection process where 50 percent +1 of committed delegates are a result of a state primary, and 49 percent are chosen by caucus polling” is a step toward using the taxpayer funded primary to register our preference for the presidential candidate to be put forward to the voters in November. Some might say, slippery slope, and I agree. As an open primary state the primary offers no way to know if Democrats are the ones choosing our nominee. It will be open season for the corporate-complex to market our candidate to us. They already do, but this will be on steroids. And in the process we will lose our voice. Another case where one thing is touted but the result will be the opposite. Until we register publicly by party (closed primary) we should not consider using the primary in any part. And even then, the legislature or an initiative sponsored by the Grange could change the rules without any input from us (Dem's). We could end up with a top-two Presidential primary.
Beyond that, this is the perfect time to build our democratic community. The primary moves us in the direction of the spectator democracy that has been so successfully marketed to us. We should be embracing the new enthusiasm, welcoming all, and make our caucus and convention better than ever. Respected members, who have been involved in the process for years, have great ideas about how smaller precinct size could help. I would like to see proxy available, if not to all, to many more. We have some great talent involved and if we attract the next generations this could be a priceless legacy. They are going to need a working, vibrant democracy and voting on the couch during halftime of the super bowl isn't going to cut it.

Dwight Pelz nailed it in his post caucus message.
... One woman wrote in response to criticisms of the Caucuses:
No one promised democracy would be easy. No one guaranteed that you wouldn't have to work for it. But if someone in Kenya can face down the guns, knives, and blunt force weapons of the opposition to vote, we can handle a bully or two. If a woman in Iraq can brave car bombs and threats to her family and stand in line for half a day to cast a ballot, surely we can endure a couple of hours of physical discomfort. And if we can't, we don't deserve to be there.Democracy is not always convenient, but our country is worth it.
full message

We should be working to recover and reinvent how hold on to our democracy. We have the luxury of many experienced, wise, long time Democrats freely sharing their knowledge. With the many new talented people who are coming to the process, we have a opportunity to make this a more perfect union.
This plank moves our party and our elected officials in a fundamental wrong direction I can not support. I will vote against approval of the platform with this plank.


and thank you! Sam Taylor for starting the discussion at the Herald

Whatcom Democrats meet........

wow what a great day....i loved seeing the enthusiasm, people talking to people, the business of the day being done by all of us. what a success!!!!
i wish i had been able to get more photos and video but my duties kept me running much of the day.....(literally!!!)

photos taken during the 42nd LD Obama caucus, including my "suit up and show up" hero Ted. and thanks to Bob and Richard for making that happen.

John McShameful

Headzup: John McCain & The G.I. Bill

BIAW Newsletter - Not Just Name Calling

The Bellingham Heralds Politics Reporter, Sam Taylor, has blogged about a Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) newsletter article that equates environmentalists to Nazis. Sam concludes that the BIAW has automatically lost the argument by making a comparison to Nazi's.

I can't agree with Sam's conclusion that the article in the BIAW newsletter is simply a "violation of Godwin's Law". Godwin's Law refers to name calling, the inclination to sinking to the level of throwing in the term "Nazi" as an epithet.

What Musser has done is join in an elaborate effort at historical revisionism akin to the Holocaust Deniers. In an interview with David Postman of the Seattle Times, Musser admits he was inspired by right-wing revisionist Jonah Goldberg . "Musser said he began researching Nazi environmentalism after hearing an interview with Jonah Goldberg who recently published, Liberal Fascism: ...".

[historical revisionism: the illegitimate manipulation of history for political purposes]

Musser has spent a great deal of time attempting to draw a connection between stormwater management and stormtroopers. However all of his supposed connections are based on logical fallacies. A classic example of the logical fallacy is: "All dogs have four legs. My dog has four legs and spots. Therefor, all dogs have spots".

In his blog post, "Distorting Nazi history to attack environmentalists", David Postman exposes some of Musser's fallacies. Postman also reveals that the authors who's works Musser cites as sources categorically reject Musser's conclusions.

What's going on with the BIAW isn't just the use of some intemperate language in a newsletter, it's intentional disinformation intended to vilify. The BIAW has been transformed by its staff from a trade association into a right-wing extremist organization.

Compare some of our neighboring states Building Industry Association's mission statements with the BIAW's.
==
the California Building Industry Association (CBIA) says:
In 2007, CBIA's official publication California Builder spotlighted the association’s major functions — lobbying, education and research, member services, public affairs, and PCBC® The Premier Building Show —
==
The Idaho Building Contractors Association (IBCA) says:
The Idaho Building Contractors Association (IBCA) is a proactive trade association representing the home building industry - committed to promoting and protecting the American dream of home ownership As a voice of the industry, we provide education, information, and networking opportunities. We are dedicated to professionalism and the highest ethical standards in our industry..
==
the Montana Building Industry Association (MBIA) says:
In an industry so vital to the local economy, and one so frequently influenced by government policy, no one of us can afford to "go it alone". It takes every one of us to stand together and take care of business by influencing public policy, marketing our industry, and collectively providing small business services such as education, group insurance and industry wide communications.
==
BIAW says:
The Building Industry Association of Washington exists to unite those in the building industry in Washington state in their fight against a government that has made this industry among the most regulated in the nation.

The BIAW Leaders and staff work full time so you can work less time, representing you and more than 12,500 member companies like yours who want taxes and regulations limited. BIAW battles 365 days a year on your behalf to reduce the scope of government and expand free enterprise.

Besides battling big government, BIAW offers a variety of programs and services...
==

While other Building Industry Associations are promoting and lobbying, the BIAW has declared war on the government.

The Age of Fear

The Age of Fear
Mike Papantonio of GoLeft TV and Air America's Ring of Fire talks about how the Republicans, led by the Bush administration, are using fear to keep Americans subordinate.

Gregoire Signs Toy Safety Bill

After hints that Governor Gregoire might veto the Children’s Safe Products Act, it's a relief to read that she has signed the bill. Good Goin' Gov.!

News Releases

Office of Governor Chris Gregoire
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 1, 2008
Contact: Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Gregoire signs legislation improving toy safety
Action will protect health and safety of children

OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire today signed landmark legislation to protect children from unsafe toys. House Bill 2647, the Children’s Safe Products Act, was sponsored by Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, D-Seattle.

Surrounded by youngsters and other bill supporters, the governor noted that the health of young Washingtonians is one of her top priorities.

“Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our children,” Gregoire said. “The toys and products we give them must meet the highest possible standards of product safety. Parents, doctors, public officials, toy makers and retailers in Washington state all share these goals.”

Gregoire cited federal inaction on product safety as a motivator to improve safety standards in Washington state. (more)

As a doting grandfather, I've written about the threat of toxic toys numerous times. This is an invisible threat that could severely effect the lives of millions of children. You can get some good information about toxic toys HERE and HERE

Colbert Report: Eric Alterman's Complicated Truth

Eric Alterman on the Colbert Report.
"Eric Alterman explains that truth is complicated and that's why liberalism is complicated."