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."

top-two primary... the winnowing

Many newspaper editorial boards across the state have applauded the Supreme Court ruling allowing the top-two primary to go ahead, saying it's a win for voters. But I think in their zeal to punish political party's for the pick-a-party primary ballot, voters have cut off their nose to spite their face.

Before I-872 the primary was a nominating process in which the Republican and Democratic Party's selected their candidates. By law, the major Party's (R's & D's) were required to use the primary to select their candidates, while the minor Party's used conventions to select their candidates.

Even though many voters loved it, the old blanket primary denied the constitutional right of free association to the members of the States Republican and Democratic Party's. The members of the major Party's were not allowed to select their own candidates. The blanket primary law said anyone, friend or foe, was entitled to vote on who the Party's candidates would be.

The Supreme Court ruled the blanket primary unconstitutional and that made Washington's "independent" voters mad. I guess those voters think constitutional rights are good only if they are the ones getting the benefit.

So we've ended up with, I-872, the top-two primary initiative and primaries are no longer about the political party's nominating process.

Now the primary, if it can still be correctly called a primary, is about limiting voters choices. No more picking from the candidates put forward by the various political party's. The general election ballot will have two and only two candidates for each position, all other candidates will be winnowed out.

Candidates will be trying to get voters attention during the summer; Official candidate filing is June 2 thru 6 and the top-two primary ballots go into the mail on August 1. Less than two month to campaign while most voters are busy with summer activities or maybe even away on vacation.

Who will be the real winners in this new winnowing process? Candidates who already have big-money connections; incumbents and candidates backed by special interests. They are the ones who'll be able to afford a summertime media blitz. New, more independent, candidates will be winnowed out before they ever have a chance to introduce themselves to most voters.

As usual, voter turnout will be lower for the primary and come November, many general election voters will be wondering why they have so few choices..

The Surge Didn't Work

Back in July of '07 Rick Larsen (WA-02) opposed the surge.

And he was right to oppose it. The Iraqi government has made no advances; Their performance has been so poor that no one even talks about them meeting benchmarks anymore.

Maliki's government has tried to us the surge and the ceasefire agreed to by Sadr as cover to arrest the leaders of the Mahdi Army, the militia's loyal to Sadr. That attempt by Maliki to consolidate power before provincial elections is spiralling downward toward all out civil war, with U.S. troops caught in the middle.

Credit where credit is due, Congressman Larsen saw that the surge wouldn't work.

But even now, some politicians can't figure it out.

Gov. Siegelman freed!!

more here

Freed Alabama Ex-Governor Sees Politics in His Case
By ADAM NOSSITER
Published: March 29, 2008
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Former Governor Don Siegelman of Alabama, released from prison today on bond in a bribery case, said he was as convinced as ever that politics played a leading role in his prosecution.
In a telephone interview shortly after he walked out of a federal prison in Oakdale, La., Mr. Siegelman said there had been “abuse of power” in his case, and repeatedly cited the influence of Karl Rove, the former White House political director. full article

Judge orders jailed governor's release

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A federal appeals court Thursday ordered former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman released from prison on bond pending his appeal, saying he is not a flight risk and has shown his appeal will raise "substantial questions of law or fact."
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals made the ruling on the same day a House Judiciary Committee spokesman said the committee would ask that Siegelman be briefly released from prison in Louisiana so he can testify in its inquiry into selective prosecutions. "It's been a lot of work," said Hiram Eastland of Greenwood, Mississippi, lead counsel for Siegelman. "This is really huge, and we're gratified." He said he had not spoken to the former governor yet and wasn't sure if he knew of his impending release, which Eastland said would likely happen Thursday evening. Siegelman's appeal is pending before the 11th Circuit, Eastland said, adding it involves "profound issues that should concern every American, Republican or Democrat" regarding political expression through campaign contributions.

full article

from Scott Horton, who has been following the case...

Court of Appeals Sets Governor Siegelman Free As Congress Calls Siegelman to Testify in Continued Probe of Political Prosecutions

Today was a news double-header for former Alabama Governor Don E. Siegelman. In an order issued by the Court of Appeals in Atlanta, Siegelman’s request to be set free pending his appeal was granted. The court noting that it had reviewed the decision of District Court Judge Mark Fuller for “clear error” and had considered legal issues de novo stated that:

Siegelman has satisfied the criteria set out in the statute and has specifically met his burden of showing that his appeal raises substantial questions of law or fact.
Meanwhile in Washington, the House Judiciary Committee made clear that it was far from finished with its probe into allegations of prosecutorial misconduct in the Siegelman case.

full post

More Corporate Welfare

The Bear Stearns Welfare Program
Mike Papantonio of GoLeft TV and Air America's Ring of Fire talks about how the US government has become a crutch for big corporations seeking a bailout, while leaving millions of American citizens without enough money to even provide food for their
families.

And of course when it comes to help for homeowners who face losing their homes: "White House resists pleas for mortgage bailout"

Larsen (WA-02) Defends WA Democrats

Congressman Rick Larsen (WA-02) has defended Washington Democrats against DLC dead-enders claims that smaller states that hold caucuses to select delegates are undemocratic. Kudos to Rick.

Lawmakers from caucus states roiled over Clinton criticism
By Manu Raju (TheHill.com)

Democratic lawmakers from caucus states are agitated by the Clinton campaign’s attempts to dismiss Sen. Barack Obama’s (Ill.) victories in their home states.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and her campaign surrogates have tried to marginalize Obama’s caucus wins by saying the process is unfair because it limits participation. In a televised interview earlier this month, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell (D), a top Clinton supporter, went as far as to call the caucus process “undemocratic.” ...

... Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa), an uncommitted superdelegate whose state and district were won by Obama, said the Clinton campaign’s attack on the caucus system is a “cause for concern” in evaluating her candidacy and one of a number of factors he’ll consider in making his endorsement.

He said his home state’s January caucuses “were one of the most democratic processes we’ve ever seen.” ...

... “The first thing I would say to any national leader, whoever they are, is, ‘Don’t boss around states and tell them how to select their delegates,’ ” said Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), who, like Braley, has not picked a candidate to support in the race. ... (full article)

Meanwhile... in an interview with Columbian Staff Writer Kathie Durbin, Senator Maria Cantwell stated:

... “I definitely don’t want the superdelegates to be the deciding factor,” she said.

The Democratic party should come together around the candidate with the most popular votes, the most states won and the most delegates, Cantwell said. The pledged delegate count will be the most important factor, she said, because that is the basis of the nominating process. ...

It seems pretty clear that Senator Clinton and her DLC elitist, authoritarian backers are driving away supporters by arguing that the nominating rules should be changed in the middle of the game so that she can be nominated without winning the nomination. Her attitude that she is entitled to be the nominee is revealing of a very undemocratic outlook. Hillary would do well to dump advisers like her cajun crap-meister James Carville and the other DLC weasels that surround her.

Dear radio talkers......

Dear radio talkers....
I hear everybody, those who call themselves Democrats, support Democrats in elections, are actually members of national, state, or local parties or not, pontificating about what “the Democrats” should do or how screwed up we are.
To be clear, I joined the party for the first time in my life in December 2004. Before, I voted Democratic (just voting is a D-grade according to Howard Dean) and usually voted. I had been to one caucus (not presidential nominating year) before 2004 and I am in my third quarter. Since then I have volunteered as a precinct committee officer, (since spring 2005 to now), currently serve as treasurer for my Legislative District organization and my county organization. I have worked on a campaign or issue every fall and served on the platform committee in 2006. I participate in my community to advance policies advocated by our platform. (local county platform)
Most of the work done to maintain our party is done by millions of volunteers, such as myself, and our financial support comes from our members. The way we promote candidates on all levels is put in place by our membership, who suit up and show up day in and day out. Many have served at local, state and national levels for many years and continue to do so. Are we perfect? No, we are human.
There is so much confusion these days and I believe much of the blame can be placed at the decision to use taxpayer funded elections to place presidential candidates for nomination before the voters. I will urge my party to maintain control of our nominating process and take it back where it has been given up. (still caucus, under assault, in my state.)
I am a huge fan of talk radio. Some talkers are truly heroes to me. And that is being said in the spirit of all the wonderful people who are working to take back our voice and our country. Many of us are new to our civic duty. We must all value our work and the work of others.
I certainly do not think everyone has to belong to or work within a party. I would only ask talkers to not assume you know how parties work. Some of us are in the fight of our lives, even within our own party, to keep our party out of the hands of corporatists. (media and otherwise) It makes it hard when people who don't know our process (trust me it is democratic and damn messy) speak as if they know.

dead-eye dark-side dick on 4000 dead...and more

attention congress!! do something

Cheney On 4,000 Dead Americans: They Volunteered
ABC News
March 24, 2008 01:49 PM

Wrapping up a nine-day overseas trip to Iraq, Vice President Dick Cheney was asked, in an exclusive interview with ABC News, about the effect on the nation of today's grim milestone of at least 4,000 U.S. deaths over the five-year Iraq war.
Noting the burden placed on military families, the Vice President said the biggest burden is carried by President Bush, and reminded ABC news that the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan volunteered for duty.

ABC news article

and this little "brace yourself effie" moment.......what will this mean for those brave Americans in Iraq.......

Saudis Prepare for Nuclear Fallout from Iran
March 24, 2008 -
4:57pm

I think we can stop asking if Bush will attack Iran. This little gem was reported by the German news service DPA.
"The Saudi-based King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology has prepared a proposal that encapsulates the probabilities of leaking nuclear and radiation hazards in case of any unexpected nuclear attacks in Iran, the Okaz Saudi newspaper
said."Well, that little NIE report last fall was just a minor inconvenience. Bush and Cheney know that if they keep lying they get their way. They also know that the Democrats will do nothing. John Conyers swears that he really, really means it this time. He claims he will hold impeachment hearings if Bush attacks Iran. Puhleeze.
Spare us. The Democrats will do nothing and Bush knows it.I for one can't stomach being an accomplice to a war crime. Not enough people feel the same way, so many thousands of Iranians are about to die.
the article

Hat tip to Chris Floyd.

ATTENTION CONGRESS: STOP THE MADNESS

4000 U. S. Deaths in Iraq!

Sunni Awakening guardsmen are angry because the Iraqi government hasn't been paying them the wages they were promised and Shiite militias have been chafing against continuing the cease-fire their leader negotiated with the Iraqi government.

The Surge was supposed to give the Iraqi government breathing room to make progress, but Iraqi politicians have wasted the time... and the lives of Iraqi's and Americans.

U.S. death toll in Iraq conflict reaches 4,000
Four U.S. soldiers were killed by a bomb blast in southern Baghdad late
Sunday, raising the death toll for American forces since start of the war just
over five years ago to at least 4,000, according to the Pentagon.

On ABC's This Week this morning, Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) defended his opposition to the surge last year, saying that, "We have lost over 900 dead Americans since the surge. Now if you want to dismiss that as 'success' that would be your interpretation."

Shelling Hits Green Zone; Scores Killed Elsewhere in Iraq
By Sholnn Freeman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, March 24, 2008; Page A09

BAGHDAD, March 23 -- Mortar and rocket attacks early Sunday pounded the Green Zone, the heavily fortified U.S.-Iraqi military complex, on a day in which at least 58 people were killed in violence across the country. ...

... The Green Zone shelling and the other attacks across Iraq marked an escalation of violence as the war has entered its sixth year. ...

Iraq - Bush Blows It... Again

80,000 Angry Men. Is the US Surge collapsing?
In an investigation carried out by GuardianFilms, they uncover how thousands of Iraqis employed at $10 a day by the US to take on al-Qaida are threatening to go on strike because they say they have been used by the 'Americans to do their dirty work' and haven't been paid

Gov. Bill Richardson Endorses Barak Obama

challenging the lies and fearmongering....

this is such a great press moment with video over at Think Progress....thanks to Rachel Maddow for featuring this.

Bush: Al Qaeda is in Iraq, stealing our oil
Eric Brewer
Published: Thursday March 20, 2008

I had a lot of fun at the White House Wednesday afternoon, and not because I made Dana Perino mad. In fact, I felt a little sorry for her today. It's not her fault that Bush's speechwriters put ludicrous statements into his speeches.It all started when I came across the following line in the President's Iraq War Birthday speech: "An emboldened al Qaeda with access to Iraq's oil resources could pursue its ambitions to acquire weapons of mass destruction to attack America and other free nations."

I almost started salivating

full article

5 years later.....freedom is on the march

and it's been 5 months since we have heard from river ..... i think about her often.....my heart breaks for the millions of humans whose lives have been changed forever for this immoral, illegal, totally unnecessary aggression done in my name.
more to come later.....

kudos to the youth of Ferndale!!!!!!!
Peace Rally and Commemoration of the 5th Anniversary of the Iraq War (longer than World War II) at the Ferndale Riverwalk on Main Street at southwest end of the Nooksack River Bridge. Organized by Ferndale High School Students for the whole community.

Two sisters singing, Amy and Becky

Students with signs on bridge

Denny (sounds like Bob Dylan, awesome singer)

Amy , event organizer with Mayor Gary in the background

thanks Debi for photos..

more photos from Debi.......

some photos i got.....

more video

Barack Obama's Philadephia Speech

thanks to Ben Smith for video


text of speech here

stealing on STEROIDS!!!!!

these people are looting this place soooooo fast. we are seriously facing a "brace yourself, Effie" moment....they even mock us by calling it bear.......
wake up america......

Frank James is asking the right questions.....

Rescue of Bear Stearns 'cowboys' questioned
by Frank James
President Bush said some very nice things about the Federal Reserve's rescue, once
removed, of Bear Stearns, the wobbly investment bank."... We've taken strong and decisive action," Bush said. "The Federal Reserve has moved quickly to bring order to financial markets. Secretary (Henry) Paulson is supportive of that action, as am I," said Bush, referring to the Treasury Secretary.
Not everyone is joining Bush in singing the Fed's praises. Some say the central bank's actions violate notions of fairness. Why is a large investment bank rescued while homeowners are left to the rough justice of foreclosure and bankruptcy?
This from Kurt Eggert
.......Why is a large investment bank rescued while homeowners are left to the rough justice of foreclosure and bankruptcy? ...........
........And that's what makes it bad. Bear Stearns gambled and lost. They took enormous risks with CDOs and such. When they made money, they kept it. Now they lose money, and they get a quasi-government bailout. That's wrong. The taxpayers should not have to pay for the lost wagers of some Wall Street cowboys. As for the "too big to fail" theory, if the Fed follows that, it will be spending countless trillions to bail out anybody and everybody in the subprime mess, and only encourage such reckless behavior in the future. "
full article

a little Bear Fact: on the welcome page....sounds like the cancer stage of unregulated capitalism to me....

Welcome to Bear Stearns.
If you're really good at what you do, you probably have a lot of choices when it comes to taking the next step in (or starting) your career. But if you can tackle complex challenges with creative solutions, and want to be able to make your mark quickly regardless of title or tenure, we think your only
real choice is pretty clear.

Why let someone else drive your career? Call your own shots and create your own success–however you define it–with us.

Peace Rally in Ferndale

5th Anniversary of Invasion of Iraq--

Wednesday, March 19th
3-6 pm, Downtown Ferndale, Peace Rally and Commemoration of the 5th Anniversary of the Iraq War (longer than World War II) at the Ferndale Riverwalk on Main Street at southwest end of the Nooksack River Bridge. Organized by Ferndale High School Students for the whole community. Make your own signs and/or some signs will be available. Speakers include Mayor Gary Jensen and Evan Knappenberger, Iraq War veteran. Music by local musicians!
Information: Amy Englesberg, 380-2238 or 305-4631.

Ending The War - Plan Unveiling Today

Congressional Challengers on the Responsible Plan for Iraq

Presentation of the plan is scheduled for 5:30PM ET today in the Palladium Room, Omni Shoreham Hotel, and will be live streamed at DarcyBurner.com

These are the 10 Democratic challengers who have initially signed on:

Darcy Burner (WA-08)
Jared Polis (CO-02)
Donna Edwards (MD-04)
Eric Massa (NY-29)
Chellie Pingree (ME-01)
Tom Perriello (VA-05)
George Fearing (WA-04)
Larry Byrnes (FL-14)
Steve Harrison (NY-13)
Sam Bennett (PA-15)

Ending The War In Iraq

Brig. Gen. John Johns for Take Back America Conference

Brig. Gen. John Johns (ret), the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense discussing the Democratic challengers' plan to responsibly end the war in Iraq.

A Plan to End the War in Iraq

Maj. General Paul D. Eaton (ret), the former Commanding General in Iraq discussing Darcy Burner's plan to responsibly end the war in Iraq.

Plan to End the War in Iraq to be released on Monday

"The Surge" Is A Failure

Don't take my word for it, listen to General Petraeus: [via TPMMuckraker]

The goal posts have been moved so many times that it's worth recalling that when President Bush called for a "surge" of troops in Iraq, the stated goal was to create the stability required for the Iraqi government to function effectively and begin the process of reconciliation. By that standard, General Petraeus conceded yesterday that the "surge" has failed. Petraeus informed the press that "no one" in the U.S. and Iraqi governments "feels that there has been sufficient progress by any means in the area of national reconciliation," or in the government's ability to provide basic public services. (Washington Post)

In Case You Forgot - There's A War On!

Nearly 4000 American troops have died in Iraq. But the American public has lost track.

The stop-gap tactic of "the Surge" had temporarily reduced violence in Iraq and suckered the mainstream media into reducing coverage of the occupation of Iraq.

Although there had been less violence to report, the root problems have not been fixed. Clear evidence that things aren't really better is the growing refugee crisis. Although the number of refugees is not growing, the 4.5 million Iraqi refugees are in increasingly desperate circumstances.

The Iraqi government is still dysfunctional. Bush's pet Generals still have only temporary tactics but no strategy to resolve the various conflicts going on within Iraq.

Bush and his McClone still babble on about fighting al Qaeda, but al Qaeda isn't in Iraq and never has been. That's right, al Qaeda isn't in Iraq! the group called 'al Qaeda in Iraq' isn't al Qaeda and has little or no connection to the original al Qaeda.

'al Qaeda in Iraq' operates only inside Iraq and exists only because U.S. Troops are occupying Iraq. They don't 'hate us for our freedom', they hate U.S. Troops because they are occupying Iraq.

The violence in Iraq is ramping up again. 'The Surge' was a sham. The occupation is a disaster. This disaster is the fault of those who give the orders, not the troops.

Daily Violence
Round-up of Daily Violence in Iraq, Thursday 13 February 2008
By Sahar Issa McClatchy Newspapers
Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2008

The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers Special Correspondents in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It's posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy's Washington Bureau.

Baghdad
5 civilians were wounded when an IED exploded near the local marketplace in al-Shurta al-Khamisa area at around 9 this morning.

Mortar rounds hit the Green Zone this morning at 11.15. No casualties were reported. The US Military do not generally comment on indirect fire.

An IED was successfully detonated under control in Oqba Bin Nafi' Square, Karrada, central Baghdad.

A car bomb, parked in al-Khayam Street, Bab al-Sharji, central Baghdad exploded killing at least 9 civilians and wounding 48 at 2 o'clock this afternoon.
3 unidentified bodies were found in Baghdad by Iraqi Police today. 1 in 52 Street, Karrada; 1 in Washash and 1 in al-Shurta al-Khamisa.

Qasim al-Oqabi, a media assistant in al-Mowatin local newspaper, still a freshman in College of Journalism, was gunned down near the National Theater, central Baghdad by gunmen using a pistol with a silencer at around seven am, Thursday.

A roadside bomb targeted a US military convoy on Qanat Street, near al-Amin neighbourhood, east Baghdad at around 11 am today and no casualties were reported, said Iraqi Police. The US military have not confirmed the incident.

Diyala
1 civilian was killed by gunmen near al-Farouq Mosque, central Baquba this morning.

Salahuddin
Gunmen killed 3 Sahwa (Awakening Councils) members and kidnapped 4 from a location close to al-Hajaj village, 25 km to the north of Tikrit early this morning.
1 policeman killed and 2 Sahwa members injured by an attack by gunmen in west Tikrit this morning.

Gunmen attack a checkpoint manned by Support Forces of Baiji and kidnap 4 on the highway between Baiji and Tikrit at dawn today.

Kirkuk
A suicide bomber detonated this afternoon in Zab district, west Kirkuk killing 3 civilians, injuring 7.

One civilian killed and 10 injured when a car bomb exploded on the highway between Kirkuk city and al-Rashad district, to the west of Kirkuk.

A Kurdish citizen, Mwaffaq Raheem Kereem was kidnapped this morning near Tuz Khormatu district, to the south of KIrkuk by gunmen. The kidnappers took Kereem and left his car on the side of the highway. District Police towed his car to Sulaiman Bek military garage for further investigation as to why this person was abducted.
3 IEDs were detonated under control by Iraqi Army in Tuz Khormatu district on the main route between Tuz and Baghdad.

3 Iraqi Army soldiers were injured when an IED exploded targeting their patrol in al-Farha village, Tuz Khormatu district, south Kirkuk at 8.10 this morning. Their vehicle was completely destroyed.

Erbil
A body was found on the side of the route between Erbil city and Makhmoor district in Nineveh province. The body was found near Daybeka village, to the southwest of Erbil, it was the body of a 40 year old male and has not been identified yet.
2008 McClatchy Newspapers

McCain's Airbus Chicanery

From TPMMuckraker:

John McCain boasts that he was crusading against excessive spending and legislative corruption when he helped block the Boeing-Air Force air tanker contract. But lobbyists in his campaign, including his finance chair, helped Airbus beat out Boeing last year for a $35 billion contract to build aerial refueling tanker planes. McCain is under scrutiny in this deal because he sent letters "urging the Defense Department, in evaluating the tanker bids, not to consider the potential effects of a separate United States-Airbus trade dispute." (Washington Post, New York Times)

For many years, John McCain has managed to project a public image as Mr. Clean, but it seems that's all been a front. His campaign is staffed by lobbyists and as it turns out, he has been working for them, not the other way 'round. HorsesAss.com has more details.

It's 3 AM, Do You Know Where Your Stock Footage Is?

From the AP:

Girl in Clinton ad supports Obama

BONNEY LAKE, Wash. (AP) — Casey Knowles didn't much like a recent campaign commercial for Hillary Clinton — even though she's in it as a sleeping 8-year-old.

After all, she's about to turn 18 now and is a big supporter of Barack Obama.

"What I don't like about the ad is its fear-mongering," Knowles told ABC's "Good Morning America Weekend Edition" on Sunday. "I think it's a cheap hit to take. I really prefer Obama's message of looking forward to a bright future."

The well-known Clinton ad aired in Texas before last week's vote and implied a lack of experience on Obama's part. It showed an exterior of a Colonial-style home and old stock footage of Knowles sleeping in bed. A narrator describes a phone ringing in the White House: "It's 3 a.m. and your children are safely asleep. Who do you want
answering the phone?"

Clinton won the Texas primary by a 51-47 percent margin.

Knowles said she didn't see the ad until Jon Stewart lampooned it
Thursday on "The Daily Show." Her brother noticed it was her, and the family replayed the commercial on their digital recorder to be sure.

"They were parodying this ad, kind of poking fun at it," Knowles said. "My brother was like, 'Is that Casey?' And we just erupted. Sure enough, it's me."

The file footage was originally shot for a railroad company advertisement. The Clinton campaign bought it from Getty Images.

The little girl (Casey Knowles) in Hillary Clinton's red phone ad is all grown up now, thinks for herself and supports Barack Obama

Texas Caucus Goers & Jim Hightower

The Texas two-step voting process

Jim Hightower looks at the election results and says people are tired of getting the "shaft"

"McCain will make Cheney look like Gandhi"

White Noise - GOP Killing Floor
"McCain will make Cheney look like Gandhi" - Pat Buchanan / While the civilian economy is shrinking, the military sector is expanding. The Republicans, are pledged to an even bigger U.S. military. It’s good for business, if your part of the growing group of Americans whose livelihoods, and claim to some sort of social status, depend on the continuation of our foreign policy of perpetual war and civilian abuse. GOP KILLING FLOOR examines how Nixon’s ghost & ghoulies are ...

Funny Numbers in the Governor's Race

Yesterday, The Bellingham Heralds Politics blog linked to a Rasmussen poll that sez, in the race for Governor, Gregoire and Rossi are tied.

The Rasmussen Reports website says:

"This telephone survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports on February 28, 2008. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence."

I'm left wondering where Rasmussen got his numbers. Did all those "Likely Voters" live East of the Cascaded? What makes me so doubtful about Rasmussen's numbers is that a week before his survey, The Washington Poll did a survey that produced drastically different results:

Although Republicans continue to drone on about how bad they imagine things to be here in Washington State, I think most citizens have noticed that we are doing quite well in relation to other States. "Forbes’ annual survey ranked Washington state number five in the nation for business climate." "Fortune magazine rated Washington the fourth best state in which to start a business—specifically citing our “low taxes”." "The Pew-sponsored Government Performance Project (GPP) graded Washington state a B+. From the individual scores, Washington ranked as the third best state government, with only Utah and Virginia doing better."

While Republicans babble on about how over-taxed they imagine us to be, the fact is that our total state and local taxes here in Washington State are average. Our total state and local tax burden is 11.1% and the national average is 11%.

Over at HorsesAss.org, Darryl has written a very interesting analysis of the efficiency of Washington State governments. We get a lot of bang for our tax dollars.

R U a Pin-Head Patriot?

Is wearing a Lapel Pin a sign of patriotism? Georgia Congressman Jack Kingston thinks so.
Follow the Flag Lapel Pin

[via Balloon Juice via HorsesAss.org]

McCain - No New Ideas

On Iraq ... McSame as Bush.

On the Economy ... McSame as Bush.

On Energy ... McSame as Bush.

On Healthcare ... McSame as Bush.

McCain: McSame as Bush.

Olbermann on 'The Fear Card"

Olbermann and his guest analyst Rachel Maddow notice that Hillary has no 'experience' and that her ad is about nothing but spreading fear.

Campaign Analysis with a Smile

Hillary's Inner Tracy Flick
Don't you just hate when some upstart comes along and threatens your best-laid plans? We were struck by how well one of Reese Witherspoon's monologues from the film Election fits the narrative of Campaign 2008.

Winter Soldier

From March 13-16th, U.S. veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan will testify to what is really happening day in and day out, on the ground in these occupations. Go to Iraq Veterans Against the War to see a short film. The film features three members who will be testifying at Winter Soldier and includes videos and photographs of Iraq from their deployments. This video contains graphic content.

support and Find out more about Winter Soldier

How to watch and listen to Winter Soldier

be afraid ....be very afraid.

the thing is ....the bar is so low for "who do you want answering the phone?" what the hell! who is in charge of the "f__k us groups for god's sake. this fear mongering is so disgusting.


Senator Obama answers the question best.....

Thom Hartmann is traveling to Darfur

follow Thom in Darfur next week.....Thom Hartmann is traveling to Darfur

Thom Hartmann - Air America Radio - is traveling to Darfur in the Sudan with other talk show hosts to bring "Sacks of Hope" and to provide awareness of the Sudanese Refugees March 10-18 2008
Thom will be doing his radio show from Darfur by Satellite Phone on March 14th
Donate $50 for each "Sack of Hope" to help out - here

we watched this at our movie night and our eyes were opened!!!........
(If you'd like to see an amazing documentary on Darfur, check out The Devil Came On Horseback)

Bill's for Barack??????

man, that guy can give a speech.!!!!.......

Thursday - Do Something

Barack Obama responds to John McCain's "I have a message for you" comment.

...the war goes on ...and we continue to get the bill.

free Gov. Siegelman

hilarius post over at Think Progress.......

Rove confronted with ‘Free Don Siegelman’ banner.
Yesterday, blogger Alan Bleshauer met Karl Rove before Rove was set to give a speech in Los Angeles. During the encounter, Bleshauer unrolled a banner reading “Free Don Siegelman” which Rove reluctantly agreed to hold. Watch it:

full post

previous post here

bring in the grown-ups.......

i would hope the Senator Clinton would reevaluate the advise she is getting or, if this is her idea, shame on her. i do not like being mocked by someone who, if nominated, will be asking me to work hard to get her elected. and then there are all those fine Americans who have been awakened to their civic duty by Senator Obama. how will they feel about her candidacy after being mocked?????.... i want the president of the United States to model the best behavior, not this adolescent, borderline bully behavior. Stop it, Hillary!!!

free Gov. Siegelman....

watch 60 minutes video ........


great chance for people in Alabama to watch as it apparently got blacked out there.......
encourage CBS to continue to follow this story here

ATTENTION: CONGRESS special prosecutor NOW

send encouragement to Gov. Siegleman:

Don Siegelman
Inmate 24775-001
FPC P.O. Box 5010
Oakdale, LA 71463

previous post with good video and links

The Not So Maverick

John McCain has spent many years cultivating his image as the maverick who isn't influenced by lobbyist. But behind the image there's a very different McCain with a different set of friends.

John McCain has 59 lobbyists raising money for his campaign, and yet he said
"I'm the only one the special interests don't give any money to."

Sign
the petition demanding McCain return the millions of dollars raised by
lobbyists.

http://therealmccain.cm/friends.php

free Gov Siegleman

just heard on Thom Hartmann that 60 minutes will air the Gov. Siegleman story next sunday.....check it out on their announce page

previous post with good video

Recommended Reading

If you feel like something's fundamentally wrong with the economy but you can't quite put your finger on what it is, then you should read this article at ourfuture.org by Terrance Heath:

The Society of the Owned
By Terrance Heath
February 19th, 2008 - 10:30am ET

Part One of a series.

When George W. Bush first spoke of "the ownership society," he led most Americans to believe, and many did believe, that he was talking about them. Now, four years later, it's easy to conclude that the president, his party and conservatism itself has failed to deliver the ownership society.

But the very crises now being described and decried in both the new media and the old can actually be taken as signs of conservatism's success, depending on one thing: identifying who really belongs to the ownership society. Because conservatism, depending on how you look at it, has successfully built the ownership society—albeit a very small, narrowly defined one—and strengthened it by building or expanding its essential support: the society of the owned.

The term "owned" has its origins in the realms of hacking and gaming, but I'm only partly borrowing the slang definitions—"To dominate another person or thing so completely as to humiliate them" and "To be made a fool of; To make a fool of"—here.

As the grandson of sharecroppers, I grew up hearing stories about how the system of sharecropping worked. Farmers worked all season, buying the goods they needed—food and clothing for their families—from the plantation owner, on credit and at high interest. By harvest, they always ended up owing more than their yield was worth, often due to various adjustments by the plantation owner. The bottom line was, as long as they were in debt they couldn't leave. And the system all but assured they never got out of debt. Sharecropping was post-slavery, so they weren't literally owned; just nearly so. Sharecropping itself died with the the advent of farm machinery, but there's a lot going on in America today that looks an awful lot like it. ...(Read the rest)

Obama wins & Wins

Here in Washington State, the results of Sec. o' State Sam (R)eeds Taxpayer funded Presidential Candidate Popularity Poll are coming in:
Barack Obama - 50%
Hillary Clinton - 47%
54% of precincts reporting

- And in a contest that will actually send delegates to the Democratic Party's National Nominating Convention:

Obama Wins Wis. for 9th Straight Triumph

By DAVID ESPO
AP Special Correspondent

...With the votes counted in more than 80 percent of Wisconsin's precincts, Obama was winning 58 percent of the vote to 41 percent for Clinton.

Wisconsin offered 74 national convention delegates. There were 20 delegates at stake in Hawaii, where Obama spent much of his youth.

The Illinois senator's Wisconsin victory left him with 1,303 delegates in The Associated Press' count, compared with 1,233 for Clinton, a margin that masks his 145-delegate lead among those picked in primaries or caucuses. It takes 2,025 to win the nomination at the party's national convention in Denver. ...(full article)

Dear Democrats...........

The caucus and events surrounding it have driven me to speak out in the hope we really can save our Democracy..........

Dear Democrats,
The corporatists have been very successful selling a spectator democracy to us. Moving to the primary to send delegates on to the national convention, in an open primary state, will seal the deal in Washington State.

Our party should not consider using the primary until we publically declare parties. Even then I don't quite get how that would work. The nominees are the choices on the ballot. Who are the delegates? Hmmm....anyway......if anyone thinks we could move to other than the open primary, after the fact, doesn't understand how indoctrinated a fairly large portion of our society is. My parents are trained to hiss and growl if anyone dares suggest they have to declare a party. This crosses party lines. The marketing in this area has been a huge success.

The primary came to Washington in an initiative delivered to the legislature in 1988 by the very party elite everybody says they're against. It passed in the legislature in 1989. As we are a membership of voluntary association, supported by our donations, a large part of the grassroot work done by some amazing volunteers, we retain the right to decide how we advance candidates to nomination. We want our party to insist on represention by representatives who also believe in a society where all boats are raised.

If the corporatists prevail and we give up our caucus for the primary in this open primary state we will never get it back. In spite of the large price tag of $9,700,000 to the taxpayer, their marketing appears to be working well.

Me...........I want to press the flesh and look eyeball to eyeball with my neighbors. I want to keep our democracy. I want to build our neighborhoods and communities. I want a world that is safe, secure and prosperous for all inhabitants of earth. I pledge to work to make our caucus better than ever in 2 years. Let's make our platform the best ever. And every 2 years we can make it great. I want a participatory democracy in real good working order to pass on to those who come after. We have got a lot of work to do and we all need to roll up our sleeves!!!!! I believe we can!!!!!

WA02 - Rick Larsen May Have Friendly(?) Rival

Seattle-Times Chief political reporter David Postman has the news that Rick Larsen may get a Republican opponent after all.

MOUNT VERNON -- Former Snohomish County Sheriff Rick Bart is close to announcing he’ll run for Congress against Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Lake Stevens. Bart appeared last night at the Skagit Valley Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner. He said in his brief remarks:

There needs to be a new sheriff in Congress, and it’s going to be me.

Bart told me he hasn’t made his final decision, but said, “We’ll give it a shot, more than likely.” He’s been talking to people in the 2nd Congressional District and checking to see what the money situation is. Raising campaign funds, he said, looks to be “very, very, very tough.”

In the '06 race, Larsens opponent Doug Roulstone(R) got his campaign seed money from dozens of Republican Congressmen and fundraising help from the Bush Administration but wasn't getting help this cycle and recently dropped out of the race. With a couple dozen Republican Congressmen having already announced their 'retirement', of course it's going to be tough to raising money to run against a Democratic Congressman who, in '06, strolled to re-election with two out of three votes.

Dave Postman reports that Dave Reichert (R) is "Among those urging him to run" and that Reichert calls Bart weekly; Bart says "He’s begging me to run and I keep asking him why and he says he’s lonely."

You've really got to wonder if Rick Bart is going to run to win or run to give some cover to beleaguered Republican Congressman Dave Reichert (WA08).

Democrat Darcy Burner is running against Reichert and Reichert is running scared.

Dave Reichert should be afraid, very afraid. Darcy is a great progressive candidate and she has Howard Dean and the DNC's 50-State Strategy backing her up.

Jim Hightower Lowdown

Cowboy George, Horse Thief

More at www.hightowerlowdown.org! We've learned the hard way over the past seven years that George W lives in his own fantasy world--a place in which reality is whatever he wants it to be, facts notwithstanding.

Tim Eyman Not Filing PDC Reports

Eyman Running Initiative Campaign without Filing Required Reports with Public Disclosure Commission

Tim Eyman and friends are once again in violation of Washington State's Public Disclosure laws. This morning MajorityRulesBlog filed an official compliant with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission regarding the lack of filing of campaign contributiuon and expenditure reports for Initiative 985.

In a phone call this morning I confirmed with the PDC that there was no error on their part - no reports have been received by them from Eyman besides a C1pc on initial formation of a committee entitled Reduce Congestion.org on January 3, 2008. ReduceCongestion.org has not updated this report with any additional information or reported any contributions or expenditures as of today, Feb 14, 2008. The deadline for filing Jan reports is Feb 10, 2008.

Yet they have sent mailings to people soliciting money, have a website up asking for money on behalf of ReduceCongestion.org which they secured on Dec. 18, 2007 , and are sending out e-mail asking for money. ...(more from Majority Rules Blog )

Tim Eyman is breaking the law and abusing the initiative process... again. He and his business partners should be held to the same standards as anyone else who runs a political campaign in the state of Washington.

Just today the Bellingham Herald ran an editorial complaining about House Bill 2601, which would regulate the work of paid signature-gatherers, requiring them to provide their name, home address and other information. And all signature gatherers, paid or not, would have to sign the petitions they turn in. In their editorial they turned to Eyman for an argument against the Bill: "But we think Eyman is right when he argues that it seems absurd that signature gatherers will have to register with the government to exercise what is considered a basic civic right by our state’s constitution."

It's pretty pathetic when a guy like Eyman who thinks he's above the law is looked to as an authority on what is and isn't a "basic civil right" ---

Tim Eyman has turned filing initiatives into a personal business in which he is extravagantly compensated for championing millionaires personal agenda's. Eyman knows what the reporting requirements are and should be held strictly to account for ignoring the Public Disclosure Laws.

Caucus 2008 ...debrief

Whew!! What an amazing week....I helped make it happen in my little corner of the world. I worked along side amazing dedicated Democrats who volunteered untold hours and put sites together all over Whatcom County. (attendance was up 278%. 3477 in 2004, 9674 in 2008)They trained all of us volunteers to manage our sites (mine had 13 out of the 119 precincts) and run our precinct caucuses. And thanks to the generous donations of great Democrats who suited up and showed up and said “I'll help cover caucus costs”, I had a daunting task ahead as the party treasurer. On Monday morning 3 enthusiastic Obama supporters showed up ready to pitch in. Wow!! They assured this ole gal “no big deal.” It's a big deal to me cuz I get to enjoy the garden as spring approaches and everybody likes me better when I get to do that.

I will even be able to handle the calls that continue to trickle in at our office. Most are the disgruntled or lonely or both. We have been receiving the blame for what I believe belongs at the Secretary of State's office. There is so much confusion(no accident in my opinion) about the primary and the caucus. The Democrats in the state of Washington have always used the caucus to select our delegates to move to the presidential nominating convention. The primary came about as an initiative to the legislature in 1988 and passed in 1989. The Democratic party, a voluntary association, makes the decision how we choose our delegates. It is not an election! (The election happens in November.) Democrats from all over the state met this spring and again chose the caucus. This is the only thing that makes sense for us because we are an open primary state and do not publicly record our party. We would have no way of knowing if Democrats were the ones selecting our nominee to the general election if the primary was used.

Two similar calls I received had very different conclusions. Both times I spent a fair amount of time explaining the situation and how common it was for us to be confused. One ended with woman klucking at me repeatedly and saying “wait till I tell my husband.” Another woman finally said “well I guess I'm going to have to just come down there and see if there's something I can do.”

It is my opinion we need to end this spectator democracy and take our democracy back and the caucus moves us in that direction. We can make it better. And we can build the community necessary for our children and grandchildren's future. Yes we can!!!

and I just recieved permission to post this from a hard working Barack Obama supporter......

Dear everyone:

I completely understand why many of you prefer a primary and your frustration with the current system. If you think I'm being facetious, imagine me being the site leader and chair of my precinct of 198 people in a building designed for 65.

I won't deny that there are advantages to a primary. More people can vote, more time is allotted to accommodate schedules and mail-in ballots are an option for everyone rather than just some.

Now please humor me while I talk about why I love caucuses. While the conservatives talk of the demise of the family, it is the demise of the community that is the real concern. Most of us don't know our neighbors and are far too busy (and too isolated by computers and televisions) to take the time to know one another.

The caucus is above all a chance to gather with local folks. It encourages us, not just to talk about candidates, but to talk about ISSUES, something rarely mentioned in the press. When we attend caucuses, we can bring a resolution about any damn thing we want. These resolutions form our county, then state, then national platform. You have a chance to create the political party you want it to be.

This opportunity, time consuming as it is, happens ONCE every four years. Ask yourself, is two hours every four years really too much time to get a chance to know who shares your neighborhood?

On to delegates. You already know that every state sends delegates to the national convention, and those folks decide the party's candidate.

In a primary, you are still choosing delegates, not voting for president. However,you're looking at a set of names of folks you've never heard of before. Who will really represent your candidate? Who is only out for their own advancement? Who is undecided? You have no way of knowing.

Not only that, but who gets on that ballot? Activists like me, folks. And I tend to believe that activists like me shouldn't be the only ones getting to go to the national convention.

In Washington State, we have an affirmative action goal for our national delegates. We read this at every caucus and encourage people to choose folks who represent diversity. Yesterday my precinct chose folks who were Black, Asian, Pacific Islander and recent immigrants. But the most moving story was a new friend of mine who shyly stood up, introduced himself, and announced that he is transgendered.

I could tell he had never spoken these words out loud to a mixed group of people. I hugged him afterwards as did others. He was one of the first delegates chosen.

And when it was all over, folks looked around, smiled, and asked how we could keep in touch with each other. That plus this wonderful moment of coming out made the entire lengthy, sweaty process more worthwhile than any damn ballot I've ever completed.

Stephanie Kountouros

Whatcom for Obama

Caucuses - Some Don't Love 'em

Hillary Clinton had some disappointing things to say about the grassroots of the Democratic Party.

... "These are caucus states by and large, or in the case of Louisiana, you know, a very strong and very proud African-American electorate, which I totally respect and understand."

Clinton has publicly dismissed the caucus voting system since before Super Tuesday, seeking to lower expectations heading into a series of contests that played to Obama's advantage. His campaign features what many consider to be a stronger and more dedicated grassroots organization than Clinton's.

Noting that "my husband never did well in caucus states either," Clinton argued that caucuses are "primarily dominated by activists" and that "they don't represent the electorate, we know that." ... (CNN - Clinton dismisses weekend losses )

Spoken like a true triangulator. I suppose she's just trying to spin her losses, but her comments aren't doing anything to undo her image as queen of the DLC (the corporatist wing of the Democratic Party).

Until yesterday I was all set to get out and work for which ever candidate got the nomination. Now that Hillary has insulted all us "activists", if she does become the Democratic Presidential candidate, I'll certainly make a point of reminding her supporters that they need to get out and campaign extra hard for their candidate.

In other local news:

Representative Rick Larsen (D) has spoken, to politics reporter Sam Taylor, about his stance as a superdelegate to the Democratic National Convention; Update on Larsen's pick: There isn't one

In more entertaining news:

WA state Democratic Party Chair Dwight Pelz has offered to help Republican state Chairman Luke Esser with his caucus vote counting problems.

From: Dwight Pelz Sent: Monday, February 11, 2008 3:45 PM
To: Luke Esser
Subject: Dean is available

I can get Dean Logan in on short notice.

Esser's problem, if you haven't heard, is that Huckabee wants a recount of Republican caucus votes and that's going to be tough because the WA state Republican caucus was a sham. Maybe those Rossi '04 supporters can find a new use for their "ReVote" signs.

Whatcom County Democratic Caucus - A Big Deal!

Yesterday was the WA State Democratic Party Precinct Caucuses. I spent the afternoon (noon - 4PM) at our local (Ferndale) Caucus. I then spent the rest of the afternoon at the Whatcom Democrats office, helping with the tallying and paperwork needed to compile all the information from the precinct caucuses and report it to the State Party.

Those results were: Clinton 23.5%, Obama 74.58%.

I was hearing enthusiastic anecdotes about the large turn-out at every Democratic precinct caucus in the County. But I had no idea just what a big deal the turn-out was until this afternoon when the final attendance count was added up.

The total number of Democrats who went to caucus in Whatcom county on Feb. 9 was 9674. What makes that a big, big deal becomes apparent when you compare it to the number of voters who choose a Democratic ballot in the 2006 primary (all mail-in voting). It works out that 48.6% of those who mailed in a Democratic primary ballot in '06 made the effort to show up in person at a precinct caucus this year. Wow!

(UPDATE) The 2008 Democratic precinct caucus attendance in Whatcom county was nearly three times larger than for the 2004 Presidential precinct caucuses. Double Wow and Zowie!

Ferndale's Democratic Caucus

Democrats from precincts in and around Ferndale held their caucuses at the Horizon Middle School.

Four years ago at our Presidential caucus we felt the turnout of nearly two hundred was quite good. This time our turnout was phenomenal; over five hundred!

People began arriving before noon; happy, enthusiastic people. It was a little frantic at time but things went off without any major hitches.

The results for the Ferndale area were pretty much like the rest of Whatcom County: Clinton 23.5%, Obama 74.58%.

Obama supporters were elated and Clinton supporters were disappointed but not disillusioned.

Wexler wants help.....

attention: congress

still no Washington signatures.....

New members of Congress added to letter to Chairman Conyers Congressman Wexler urges support for Cheney Impeachment Hearings

The following members of Congress have joined as signatories to my letter to Chairman Conyers in support of Cheney Impeachment Hearings:
(*= member of the Judiciary Committee)
Baldwin, Tammy, WI, 2nd *
Capuano, Michael E., MA, 8th
Clarke, Yvette D., NY, 11th
Clay, Wm. Lacy, MO, 1st
Cohen, Steve, TN, 9th *
Farr, Sam, CA, 17th
Grijalva, Raúl M., AZ, 7th
Gutierrez, Luis V., IL, 4th *
Kucinich, Dennis J., OH, 10th
Lee, Barbara, CA, 9th
Moore, Gwen, WI, 4th
Moran, James P., VA, 8th
Thompson, Mike, CA, 1st
Towns, Edolphus, NY, 10th
Woolsey, Lynn, CA, 6th
Wexler, Robert, FL, 19th *
Wynn, Albert Russell, MD, 4th

January 16, 2008

Dear Judiciary Colleague:
Over the recess, I began collecting signatures online from citizens across the country in support of beginning impeachment hearings pertaining to Vice President Cheney. I was shocked by the overwhelming response. In just a few weeks, I have received almost 200,000 signatures. What I have learned is that Congress is way behind the American people on this issue. According to a November 13 poll by the American Research Group, nearly three-quarters of Americans believe that the Vice President has abused his power in office, and almost half believe he should be removed from
office immediately. Now I am asking you to join me in supporting hearings by signing the attached letter to Chairman Conyers.

As I said in my op-ed with Representatives Luis Gutierrez and Tammy Baldwin in the Philadelphia Enquirer (attached), the issues at hand are too serious to ignore, including credible allegations of abuse of power that if proven may well constitute high crimes and misdemeanors as provided in our constitution. You do not have to believe that the case has already been made to support hearings. One of the important functions of hearings would be to put all the evidence on the table and let the facts determine where to go from there.

Chairman Conyers has been a leader in holding this Administration to account for its consistent pattern of ignoring the balance of powers set out by our Founding Fathers and baselessly asserting that it is above the law. I hope that you will sign the attached letter to Chairman Conyers asking that now he join us in support of impeachment hearings as well.

Sincerely,
Robert Wexler

sign up to support

Obama Gets BIG Washington Endorsements

Governor Gregiore has endorsed Barak Obama and so have four (count 'em... four) Bellingham Mayors.

Present and past Bellingham Mayors endorsing Obama:
Dan Pike, 2007 to present
Mark Asmundson (1996-2006)
Tim Douglas (1984-1996; 2006-2007)
Ken Hertz (1976-1984)

Don't forget... Saturday is Caucus Day

Less Jobs. More Wars.

BraveNewFilms needs help to continue making these great videos. Help them Continue.

Democratic Presidential Precinct Caucuses - Saturday

If you're a Democrat or feel kinda like a Democrat or just don't like the Republicans anymore, Saturday is your chance to help decide who the Democratic Partys Presidential candidate will be.

Find out where your precinct caucus is - Whatcom County Democrats - 2008 Caucus Locations or at the WA State Democratic Party Caucus Information Center

After Super Tuesday the race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton is close! At the Washington State Caucus on February 9th you will have a huge role in deciding the next president, we checked out some of the Super Tuesday parties to see how people feel about the race.

What's Bellingham radio got that Seattle radio doesn't?

Michael Hood at BlatherWatch has written an enlightening and very nice piece about Joe Teehan, his wife Laurie and Whatcom County's new Progressive Talk radio station (930AM):
Tale of two joes: bellingham gets live & local & liberal!

Stepford Republicans by Jeff Cohen

here's some amazing video and theory about what happens to humans with a lust for power.....it is a mystery how humans can behave so badly.....i keep thinking..."they have children and grandchildren......i don't get it." John McCain's 8 yr old daughter is trashed in 2000 by the bush/rove machine and he can't hug on bush enough now...????

i'm gonna go with Jeff's abduction theory and they are dangerous.... here we go into a big presidental election......alls i can say is "brace yourself effie."

Stepford Republicans: All Caught on Tape!

by Jeff Cohen

"TheStepford Wives" tells the chilling story of once smart, independent women who get abducted and turned into tamed, mindless robots. I have a theory about a similarly subversive process that turns grown men once capable of independent and reasoned thought into robotic extremists. Call them Stepford Republicans. The nefarious transformation always occurs before the individual gets close to becoming a Republican president or vice president.
Stepford Wives become robotically subservient only to their husbands; they pose no threat to the rest of us. But Stepford Republicans become subservient to right-wing forces of corporatism, war and prejudice. Once converted into mindless ideologues, Stepford Republicans are a threat to us all.
article and great video

Deficit Dino

It seems the luster has just gone from Dino Rossi's one claim to fame, a budget deal he struck during his one and only term as a state senator.

Rossi's campaign has been yammering about a six year projection that sez Governor Gregoire's 2007 would lead to a $2.5 billion deficit in 2013. The trouble with Rossi's finger-point about budgets is that when the same six year projection is applied to the 2003 budget he claims as his own, it shows that HIS deficit will be $5 billion!

Josh Feit at Slog has the ugly details.

So... with a Rossi budget that has a 'projected' deficit double Gregoires, should we start calling him Deficit Dino? Or maybe instead of 'Dino Rossi (R)' we should all be writing 'Dino Rossi (har har har)'.

Progressive Radio On Air in Bellingham

With little fanfare Cascade Radio Group, owners of Bellingham radio stations KAFE KISM, KGMI, KPUG & KBAI, has switched the format of KBAI 930AM to Progressive Talk. There was an article in yesterdays B'ham Herald and today it's on the air...

Progessive radio station debuts in Bellingham
A new radio station is on the air in Bellingham. A-M 930 has changed its format from "good time oldies" to "progressive talk." The lineup includes Thom Hartman, Stephanie Miller, Randi Rhodes, Ed Schultz, Rachel Maddow and Alan Colmes. Local Progressive Talk show host Joe Teehan will simulcast his 6 p-m show on both KGMI and the new AM 930. (source: KGMI Local News)

For those with technical curiosity:

KBAI-AM Technical Info:
Status - Licensed Class B AM Station
Area of Coverage View Daytime Coverage Map, View Nighttime Coverage Map

Hours of Operation - Unlimited
Antenna Mode - Directional - Nighttime Only
Daytime Transmitter Power - 1000 Watts
Nighttime Transmitter Power - 500 Watts
License Granted - August 10 2006
License Expires - February 01 2014