NO on Gonzales

I join the call to the Senate to vote a resounding NO on Alberto Gonzales for Attorney General.

"Unprecedented times call for unprecedented actions. In this case, we, the undersigned bloggers, have decided to speak as one and collectively author a document of opposition. We oppose the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to the position of Attorney General of the United States, and we urge every United States Senator to vote against him."

We as a nation cannot support torture, or risk further reducing our standing in the world. Contact your Senator and tell them to vote NO!

Send an e-mail to Margo Baldwin and Dimpled Chad at the addresses below, telling them your blog is joining the call to the Senate for a "NO" vote.
[Kos] [ChelseaGreen] [DimpledChad]

Action Items

Support raising the minimum wage in Wisconsin. It is currently $5.15, and has been since 1997. Governor Doyle has asked the State Legislature to raise the minimum wage to $6.50. Of course, it is the Republicans that are blocking it. [MinimumWage]

Message from MoveOn PAC: "In house meetings after the election, you told us that crafting a bold progressive message and running an aggressive organizing strategy were your top priorities. The Chair of the Democratic Party may be able to do more than any other individual to help accomplish these goals -- and on February 12, the members of the Democratic National Committee will pick a new one. They need to hear from you.That's why we're launching an unprecedented campaign to tell the DNC who grassroots progressives across the country want to see as the next DNC Chair. We'll start by posing your top questions to the six candidates running for Chair. Then we'll present their answers back to you, and hold a nation-wide online vote. We'll deliver the results to your state's DNC delegation when the members gather in Washington, DC."
Click here to send your thoughts [ActionForum]

Sign this petition: [Education]

Get the Message Out!

Paul Starr: "And now we have reached that point. The Republicans, with their party in control of both elected branches - and looking to create a conservative majority on the Supreme Court that will stand for a generation - see the opportunity to overthrow policies and constitutional precedents reaching back to the New Deal. That prospect ought to concentrate the liberal mind. Social Security, progressive taxation, affordable health care, the constitutional basis for environmental and labor regulation, separation of church and state - these issues and more hang in the balance."
Time to get the message out, to everyone. [NYT]

Why Gonzales is not even a bad choice for Attorney General, he's worse. [NYT]

Follow-up and Greenspan

Here’s a follow up to yesterday's post about the environmental protectionism (or rather, the LACK of) in the United States. Need more proof about Global Warming??? [NYT]

Krugman on our economic future after Greenspan: "Yet President Bush, as you may have noticed, only appoints yes-men (or yes-women). This is most obvious on the national security front, but it's equally true with regard to economic policy. The current Treasury secretary has no obvious qualifications other than loyalty. The new head of the National Economic Council apparently got the job because he is a Bush classmate and fund-raiser."
I love nepotism! [NYT]

Democratic Agenda-Grow Balls

Wow...the Democrats got off their butts and put forth an agenda. Maybe they are starting to realize that they lost they last two elections not because of "moral values," etc, but because they haven't told anyone what they stand for! People respond to Bush because he comes off as decisive, and you pretty much always knows where he stands on an issue. Can you say the same of the Democrats nationally?
[Dems] [Boston] [Kos] [IsolatedIncident]

Sign these petitions:
[Social Security] [Filibuster]

Someone finally says it: Rice LIED. I must be mistaken, when did the Democrats grow balls? Go Mark Dayton (D-Min) Go! Confirmation is still all but assured in the GOP-controlled Senate, but they are at the very least challenging this horrible nominee, and raising questions with the public, if they'll listen. [Yahoo] [CNN] [WP] [Reuters]

Record Deficits

"White House officials predicted this afternoon that the budget deficit would hit a record $427 billion this year, including an additional $80 billion that President Bush will ask for mostly to cover the costs of the war in Iraq." [NYT] [CNN]

Not that you can actually believe any numbers that the White House puts out, but WOW. Earlier today, they put the budget deficit number somewhere around $368 billion, excluding the $80 billion for Iraq. So, Bush says he can cut the deficit in half by 2009, while each year the deficit gets larger. Extending Bush's two tax cuts are expected to cost $1.8 TRILLION over the next 10 years. Bush is preventing an expansion of the alternative minimum tax (tax on the wealthy-his base) that would cost over $500 billion. All in all, the new estimate calls for the budget to climb slightly, and a new report earlier today by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office shows that deficits will remain above $350 billion through 2009 and climb sharply after that. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that continued costs of the war in Iraq and other aspects of the war on terrorism could add $285 billion over the next five years.

Contaminated Future

UC-San Diego researchers report that existing stem cell lines are contaminated and compromise the potential uses of these cells. "The human embryonic stem cells available for research are contaminated with nonhuman molecules from the culture medium used to grow the cells, researchers report."
Wow...but they won't allow new lines to become available because we "have to protect the fetus." So, a simple solution would be to use cells from fertility clinics, but that would only make sense. Stupid "junk-science." [NYT] [CNN] [BBC]

Krugman on Social Security and the politics of fear. [RollingStone]

AWESOME article by Richard Clarke: "The column is written from the perspective of a fictional lecturer speaking on September 11, 2011 at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, and talks about how the country hasn't won the war on terror. It speculates that attacks have increased over the previous ten years, the price of oil has spiked dramatically, a successful coup has occurred in Saudi Arabia, and Iran has become a nuclear power." [CrooksandLiars]

Killing our World

Researchers at Yale and Columbia Universities ranked the world's nations on environmental sustainability, which ranks nations on their success at such tasks as maintaining or improving air and water quality, maximizing biodiversity and cooperating with other countries on environmental problems. "Finland, Norway and Uruguay held the top three spots in the ranking, prepared by researchers at Yale and Columbia Universities. The United States ranked 45th of the 146 countries studied, behind such countries as Japan, Botswana and the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, and most of Western Europe. "
We were 45th?!?!!!!?!?!!! Thank you pResident Bush! Thank you for making our environment worse! Thank you for giving tax breaks and eliminating regulations on industries so they can rape and pillage our environment. [NYT] [Yale] [Columbia]

New research indicates that global warming is now reaching a critical point of no return. "According to the report, urgent action is needed to stop the global average temperature rising by 2 degrees Celsius above the level in 1750 -- the approximate start of the Industrial Revolution when mankind first started significantly polluting the atmosphere with carbon dioxide. Beyond a 2 degrees rise, "the risks to human societies and ecosystems grow significantly" the report said, adding there would be a risk of "abrupt, accelerated, or runaway climate change." It warned of "climatic tipping points" such as the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets melting and the Gulf Stream shutting down." [CNN]

SpongeBush and Evolution Re-deux

Dowd: "Even if he's a little light in the flippers, SpongeBob has brought children good, clean fun. SpongeBush has brought the world dark, endless fights." [NYT]

Editorial: "That said, in districts where evolution is a burning issue, there ought to be some place in school where the religious and cultural criticisms of evolution can be discussed, perhaps in a comparative religion class or a history or current events course. But school boards need to recognize that neither creationism nor intelligent design is an alternative to Darwinism as a scientific explanation of the evolution of life." [NYT]

Friedman: "There's only one thing you can say about the elections in Iraq: They are either going to be the end of the beginning there or the beginning of the end." [NYT]

He Lives in A Pineapple Under the Sea...

Sponge-Bob Square Pants!! Is he pro-gay? The better question is WHO CARES!?!?!?!?!
"Now, Dobson said, SpongeBob's creators have enlisted him in a "pro-homosexual video" in which he appears alongside other children's television characters such as Barney, Blue from "Blue's Clues," Clifford the Big Red Dog and Jimmy Neutron, among many others.The makers of the video, he said, plan to mail it to thousands of elementary schools this spring to promote a "tolerance pledge" that includes tolerance for differences of "sexual identity." He urged his allies to stand together to stop it as part of a "spiritual battle" for the country." This James Dobson, founder of Focus on Family, is a HUGE nutcase. People, it's a cartoon! We can't have all these crazy people walking around trying to teach us REAL values and tolerance!
[Tribune] [NYT] [IsolatedIncident]

Wait...you mean, one state got it right??? "To loud cheers and a standing ovation from some 150 gay rights supporters, Gov. Rod Blagojevich (Illinois) on Friday signed a new law protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination." [Tribune]

No Free Lunch

Krugman: " Sometimes I do find myself puzzled: why don't privatizers understand that their schemes rest on the peculiar belief that there is a giant free lunch there for the taking? But then I remember what Upton Sinclair wrote: "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it." [NYT]

Herbert: " People traveling in the real world may see Iraq as a place where bombings, kidnappings and assassinations are an integral part of daily life; where police officers are blown to pieces as they line up for their pay; where innocent men, women and children are slain by the thousands for no good reason; where cities like Falluja are leveled in order to save them; where America's overwhelming superiority in firepower has not been enough to win the war; and where the upcoming elections seem very much like a joke since many of the candidates have to keep their identities secret and the locations of many polling places remain undisclosed.
People traveling in the real world may see Iraq that way. But in the fantasy-laden Bush realm, Iraq is a place where freedom is on the march. So why not raise a toast to freedom, and dance the night away." [NYT]

Fuzzy Math

Frank Rich: "History tells us that in these cases a reckoning always arrives, and Mr. Danner imagines that "in five years, or maybe sooner, there will be a TV news special called 'Torture: How Did It Happen?' " Even though much of the script can be written now, we will all be sure to express great shock."
If it's not on TV, we as a nation don't hear about it. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! [NYT]

Friedman: "Watching George Bush's second inaugural from a bistro in Paris is like watching the Red Sox win the World Series from a sports bar in New York City. Odds are that someone around you is celebrating - I mean, someone, somewhere in Europe must be happy about this - but it's not obvious." [NYT]

Dowd: "She (Rice) can't do simple equations. She doesn't even know that X times zero equals zero. If you multiply 1,370 dead soldiers times zero weapons of mass destruction, that equals zero achievement for Ms. Rice, who helped the president and vice president bamboozle the country into war." [NYT]

Black Thursday

Well, today is the coronation of King George II. The Re-Oathening if you will. [Comedy Central Videos]

I, for one, will be protesting the coronation. We as a nation have settled for a semi-literate, "moral" pResident instead of thinking about what might be best for us. Our nation has already suffered the consequences for four disasterous years under the Bush Family Crime Syndicate: our standing in the world, over 1,370 soldiers dead in a failed "war" in Iraq, the gutting of the environment, and civil liberties, for example. Haven't we had enough!?!?!!!

I urge you not to spend one damn dime today in protest of Bush's coronation. He is wasting over $45 million of OUR money on his coronation and the gala surrounding it, therefore, today, I will spend not one penny, not one nickel, not one damn dime. I also urge you to visit Choose the Blue, and find out how you can switch your spending to companies that support democratic causes. [NotOneDamnDime!] [ChoosetheBlue]

Rice-A-Roni

Condi Rice received endorsement by the 18-member Senate panel today, 16-2. The only dissention: John Kerry and Barbara Boxer.
I can't believe that it was even this close. At least two Democrats stood up to this horrible confirmation. Rice did a HORRIBLE job as NSA; how is she going to do a better job as Secretary of State?
[NYT] [Yahoo] [Quotes] [Transcript] [Video]

This was nothing but an exercise in political theater. "Senator Joseph Biden, Democrat of Delaware, asked Ms. Rice how big an Iraqi security force had actually been trained. When Ms. Rice, the national security adviser, offered an absurdly inflated 120,000, Mr. Biden said the people doing the training put the total at 4,000. He then suggested that Ms. Rice "pick up the phone or go see these folks," as if that has not been her job all along, especially in the year since the administration said that all information on operations in Iraq would flow through her." [Editorial]

Caught between church and state: evolution vs. "intelligent design." Hey, how about we keep the religion in church, and out of the schools. Last I checked, there was supposed to be something called the "separation of church and state." [NYT] [CNN]

Judge throws out Florida same-sex marriage suit. [NYT]

Remember me? Death toll exceeds 226,000 in tsunami & aftermath. [Reuters]

That Magic Moment

Krugman: "Last week President Bush declared that the election was the "accountability moment" for the war in Iraq - the voters saw it his way, and that's that. But Mr. Bush didn't level with the voters during the campaign and doesn't deserve anyone's future trust." [NYT]

This is your brain on politics. [NYT]

Some genetic research isn't worth the money. That is the suggestion of two geneticists: that we need to prioritize our research on disorders that cannot be derailed by changes in personal habits or manipulation of the environment, such as Type 1 Diabetes, autism, and Alzheimer's. [NYT]

Legacy

Randi Rhodes of Air America on Dr. King and his legacy. AMAZING audio w/ U2 remix of "I Have A Dream" speech. [Audio]
Text of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I See the Mountain" speech, given 04/03/1968, the day before he was assassinated. [I See the Mountain]
Text of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech, given 08/28/1963. [Mecca] [UMN]
New York 7th & 8th graders on Dr. King. [Buzzflash]
Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence, by Dr. King. [Buzzflash]

Bob Herbert: "Never since his assassination in 1968 have I felt the absence of Martin Luther King more acutely. Where are today's voices of moral outrage? Where is the leadership willing to stand up and say: Enough! We've sullied ourselves enough.
I'm convinced, without being able to prove it, that those voices will emerge. There was a time when no one had heard of Dr. King. Or Oscar Arias Sanchez. Or Martin O'Brien, who founded the foremost human rights organization in Northern Ireland, and who tells us: "The worst thing is apathy - to sit idly by in the face of injustice and to do nothing about it." [NYT]

Adam Hochschild on how the British influenced Dr. King and history: "Dr. King knew that too. In celebrating his legacy today, we also honor the legacy of all those who went before him, here and abroad. And, in a world where the gap between haves and have-nots sometimes seems wider than ever, we acknowledge the work that still has to be done." [NYT]

What Liberal Media???

This is former Secretary of the Treasury Paul O'Neill's take on how to overhaul Social Security: "At the same time we acknowledge that it is the most successful domestic program in American history, we should also admit that Social Security, in its present form, is unsustainable. And then we should come up with a plan that is different than what President Bush and most of the pundits are proposing."
I don't know if this is the answer or not (is there one?), but it seems a hell of a lot better than Bush's plan. [NYT]

What liberal media? [Tribune] [WhatLiberalMedia?] [Eric Alterman] [Altercation] [Alterman] [Cohen]

14-2

UNC falls flat Saturday, losing at Wake Forest 95-82. This snapped UNC's 14-game winning streak. The Demon Deacons hit 32-32 free throws in the game, and got North Carolina in foul trouble.
[UNC] [CBS] [Fouls] [Box]

Wisconsin plays Michigan State today at 12:30. [JS]
UW-Milwaukee hammers UW-GB yesterday, 86-56. [GB P-G] [JS]

Badger Hockey now alone atop the WCHA at 17-6-1 overall (14-4-0, 28 points in WCHA) [JS]

Back from the Brink

John Nichols: " But it is Dean who can put the race on the front pages and the evening news, and that is precisely where it belongs."
This is why Dean is the right choice for DNC Chair. To bring back the party from the brink of its own destruction, at its own hands. [TheNation]

David Corn: "And nothing has changed in terms of the White House's response to the absence of WMDs. Bush refuses to address the consequences of having misled the nation and the world. Before the war, he stated that there was "no doubt" that Iraq was loaded to the gills with WMDs."
I just love how there are no consequences for Bush. He LIED to the WORLD about Iraq and the threat it posed. [TheNation]

Katrina Vanden Heuvel: "What's in store for 2005? We anticipate scandals to come. But it should be noted that the GAO may face White House-proposed budget cuts and that the Bush Administration has developed a hostile policy toward nonpartisan IGs in various federal agencies. Instead of shooting the messenger, the Bush approach is defunding the investigator." [TheNation]

The British Evasion

Krugman: "We must end Social Security as we know it, the Bush administration says, to meet the fiscal burden of paying benefits to the baby boomers. But the most likely privatization scheme would actually increase the budget deficit until 2050. By then the youngest surviving baby boomer will be 86 years old.
Even then, would we have a sustainable retirement system? Not bloody likely." [NYT]

Herbert: "But the administration is like an ardent lover in its zeal to shower the rich and powerful with every imaginable benefit. So tucked like a gleaming diamond in proposed legislation to curb malpractice lawsuits is a provision that would give an unconscionable degree of protection to firms responsible for drugs or medical devices that turn out to be harmful." [NYT]

Is there no end to the hypocrisy?!?

Media Matters

Frank Rich: "I do not mean to minimize the CBS News debacle and other recent journalistic outrages at The New York Times and elsewhere. But the Jan. 7 edition of CNN's signature show can stand as an exceptionally ripe paradigm of what is happening to the free flow of information in a country in which a timid news media, the fierce (and often covert) Bush administration propaganda machine, lax and sometimes corrupt journalistic practices, and a celebrity culture all combine to keep the public at many more than six degrees of separation from anything that might resemble the truth." [NYT]

Kristof: "Yes, Cuba's. Babies are less likely to survive in America, with a health care system that we think is the best in the world, than in impoverished and autocratic Cuba. According to the latest C.I.A. World Factbook, Cuba is one of 41 countries that have better infant mortality rates than the U.S. Even more troubling, the rate in the U.S. has worsened recently." [NYT]

Yes, thank you Republicans. Cut our healthcare and assistance to the poor, and then wonder why we have such a high relative infant mortality rate. Typical. Protect the fetus. It's all about the fetus. It's once you're born that you're screwed.

Ramblin' Wrecked

UNC put up a dominating performance, soundly defeating eighth ranked Georgia Tech, 91-69. That's 14-straight wins for UNC, heading into Saturday's matchup at third ranked Wake Forest. Sean May had 12 points and 13 boards, Felton had 9 assists, and Jawad Williams led with 18. McCants even played defense, with four blocks, and was seen hopping and dancing, exciting the crowd. I just love the freshman, Marvin Williams: 14 points, 6 boards, and a ton of hustle.
[UNC] [CBS] [Box] [On Marvin]

Meet Your Federal Budget!

"The Bush administration is preparing a budget request that would freeze most spending on agriculture, veterans and science, slash or eliminate dozens of federal programs, and force more costs, from Medicaid to housing, onto state and local governments, according to congressional aides and lawmakers." [WP]

Excellent. We have over 10,000 wounded troops returning from Iraq/Afghanistan, and they are going to come home to what? NOTHING. No assistance, no housing, no health benefits. Community Development Block Grants could be cut by 50%, and overall funding to housing programs will be AT BEST frozen. "Veterans programs are also expected to be pinched, with flat funding, higher deductibles and co-payments for health care and a squeeze on benefit eligibility, aides said."
Way to support the troops Republicans!

Kennedy's on fire [CNN] [WP]

Dean for DNC Chair

Howard Dean finally threw his hat into the ring today (officially) to head the DNC. "The Democratic Party needs a vibrant, forward-thinking, long-term presence in every single state and we must be willing to contest every race at every level. We will only win when we show up and fight for the issues important to all of us."
The vote is February 12th; here's to hoping that he wins in a landslide.
[DemocracyforAmerica] [BlogforAmerica] [Buzzflash] [CNN]

The Iceberg (and Doomsday) Cometh

Krugman: "Last week someone leaked a memo written by Peter Wehner, an aide to Karl Rove, about how to sell Social Security privatization. The public, says Mr. Wehner, must be convinced that "the current system is heading for an iceberg." It's the standard Bush administration tactic: invent a fake crisis to bully people into doing what you want. "For the first time in six decades," the memo says, "the Social Security battle is one we can win." One thing I haven't seen pointed out, however, is the extent to which the White House expects the public and the media to believe two contradictory things." [NYT]

Victor's Spoils: aka, "How to hold an inauguration at taxpayer expense." [Editorial]

The "Doomsday Plan": "Usually, 218 lawmakers - a majority of the 435 members of Congress - are required to conduct House business, such as passing laws or declaring war. But under the new rule, a majority of living Congressmen no longer will be needed to do business under "catastrophic circumstances." Instead, a majority of the Congressmen able to show up at the House would be enough to conduct business, conceivably a dozen lawmakers or less."
[Boston Herald]

Mortgaging Our Futures

Bob Herbert: "You know you're in serious trouble when the politicians and the military brass don't even bother suggesting that there's light at the end of the tunnel. The only thing ahead is a deep and murderous darkness. With the insurgency becoming both stronger and bolder, and the chances of conducting a legitimate election growing grimmer by the day, a genuine sense of alarm can actually be detected in the reality-resistant hierarchy of the Bush administration." [NYT]

The Baby Tax: "You've known them in your lives. The guys who go on credit card spending sprees and then skip town leaving their families to pay off their debts. They are louses, creeps, guys who mortgage the future of their children to their high off the hog living and lavish life styles." [Buzzflash]

Social Security by the numbers: "So you add that up and you get $3.7 trillion we need to cover Social Security's shortfall and $19.7 trillion we need just to cover the costs of the two major domestic policy initiatives of the president's first term." [TalkingPointsMemo]

Iraq, Jon Stewart, and Torture

MoDo the Dragon Lady on Iraq: "The president prides himself on being a pig-headed guy. He is determined to win in Iraq even if he is not winning in Iraq. So get ready for a Mohammedan mountain of spin defining victory down. Come what may - civil war over oil, Iranian-style fatwas du jour or men on prayer rugs reciting the Koran all day on the Iraqi TV network our own geniuses created - this administration will call it a triumph." [NYT]

Editorial: "And last month, when the tsunami hit Asia, viewers got a chance to notice what they were in danger of losing to talk TV. CNN, with a comparatively large international army of journalists at its disposal, went out and covered the story. Fox News and MSNBC had to depend more on conversationalists in the studio, all of whom agreed that tidal waves were very, very bad." [NYTE]

Danner: "We are all torturers now." [NYTOPED]

Houston, We Have a Problem

BREAKING NEWS: Carlos Beltran has decided to remain a free agent, and skipped past the 12 PM EST deadline to resign with the Houston Astros. The Astros now lose all negotiating rights with Beltran (until May 1st), ending his tenure there. The Mets are considered the leading candidates for his services, with the Cubs and Yankees also in the mix. [MLB] [CBS] [ESPN]

As a Cubs fan, I'm elated that Beltran decided not to continue to play in Houston (whom I HATE). I see good and bad things about this guy. Good: he's only 27, a five-tool player, hit .435 with 8 HR's in the playoffs in 2004. Bad: he wants HUGE money. Do the Cubs need another player with a long-term guaranteed contract on their roster? I don't want a guy that is making $16+ million that is hitting .265 (as he did after coming to Houston). Sosa is already a cancer on the payroll (which will be eliminated after the 2005 season).
This guy is a REALLY good player, and I really think the Cubs owe it to their fans to take a shot and go and get this guy.

'Heel Yeah!

#3 UNC wins it's 13th straight game, shellacking #21 Maryland, 109-75. "As of now, that's a scary thought for the rest of the league. The Tar Heels have won 13 straight games -- most by lopsided margins -- since a loss to Santa Clara in the season opener. On Saturday, North Carolina shot 57 percent, went 10-for-20 from 3-point range, had a 49-28 rebounding edge and led by as many as 42 points."
UNC had SEVEN players in double-figures, and the bench scored 41 points. If they can just cut down on the turnovers. But, you have to give Maryland credit: they forced a lot of turnovers, and their defense wasn't terrible. UNC is just playing like a #1 team. [UNC] [CBS] [Box]

Meanwhile, Wisconsin lost to Indiana [CBS]
and UWGB beat Butler [CBS]

Iokiyar: It's O.K. if You're a Republican

Krugman's take on the popular novel: "In my bad novel, a TV personality who claims to stand up for regular Americans against the elite will pay a large settlement in a sexual harassment case, in which he used his position of power to - on second thought, that story is too embarrassing even for a bad novel."

"Either way, when the Senate confirms Mr. Gonzales, it will mean that Iokiyar remains in effect, that the basic rules of ethics don't apply to people aligned with the ruling party. And reality will continue to be worse than any fiction I could write." [NYT]

Herbert: "If the United States were to look into a mirror right now, it wouldn't recognize itself." [NYT]

'24'

Frank Rich: "By common consent, 2004 was the year that Jon Stewart's fake news became more reliable for many viewers than real news. As 2005 begins, we must confront the prospect that a fictional TV action hero is more engaged with the war on terror than those in Washington who actually have his job." [NYT]

MoDo the Dragon Lady gives us such gems as: "It's comforting to start the new year in the hands of a party that cares so much about morals and values." & "You know how bad the situation is when the president's choice for attorney general has to formally pledge not to support torture anymore." OH MAN. [NYT]

Friedman: "What the Bush team has done in Iraq, by ousting Saddam, was not to "liberate" the country - an image and language imported from the West and inappropriate for Iraq - but rather to unleash the latent civil war in that country. Think of shaking a bottle of Champagne and then uncorking it." [NYT]

Boxer Rebellion

"Sen. Barbara Boxer (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., signed a challenge mounted by House Democrats to Ohio's 20 electoral votes, which put Bush over the top. By law, a protest signed by members of the House and Senate requires both chambers to meet separately for up to two hours to consider it. Lawmakers are allowed to speak for no more than five minutes each."

"I have concluded that objecting to the electoral votes from Ohio is the only immediate way to bring these issues to light by allowing you to have a two-hour debate to let the American people know the facts surrounding Ohio's election," Boxer wrote in a letter to Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (news, bio, voting record), D-Ohio, a leader of the Democratic effort."

Someone stands up. How nice it is to see someone, anyone, fight back for the rights of the disenfranchised. It won't change anything, especially since the Rethugs have control of both houses, but maybe it will spark a REAL journalist or two to question what really happened. [Yahoo] [Buzzflash]

Fake Crisis

Paul Krugman: "There are two serious threats to the federal government's solvency over the next couple of decades. One is the fact that the general fund has already plunged deeply into deficit, largely because of President Bush's unprecedented insistence on cutting taxes in the face of a war. The other is the rising cost of Medicare and Medicaid.
As a budget concern, Social Security isn't remotely in the same league. The long-term cost of the Bush tax cuts is five times the budget office's estimate of Social Security's deficit over the next 75 years. The botched prescription drug bill passed in 2003 does more, all by itself, to increase the long-run budget deficit than the projected rise in Social Security expenses.
That doesn't mean nothing should be done to improve Social Security's finances. But privatization is a fake solution to a fake crisis." [NYT]

Choose and LOSE [NYT]

And, this is NO time to play "Fear Factor" with Social Security funds. [NYT]

Ryno-mite!

Ryne Sandberg and Wade Boggs were voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, to be inducted in July. Boggs will go in as a Red Sox, and Ryno will go in as a Cub.
[Cubs] [Ryno] [Career] [MLB] [Tribune] [Stats]

One and done: The Bears fired offensive coordinator Terry Shea Tuesday. Not really a huge surprise. The Bears offense took a step backwards this year (if you can believe that).
[Bears] [CBS]

Sick & Tired of Being Sick & Tired

I just got out of the hospital at about 4:15 this afternoon. I went in at around 7:30 Monday night, with severe abdominal pain. After numerous tests, poking, prodding, and shoving tubes in EVERY orifice, I am feeling well enough to sleep in my own bed. The staff at Columbia Hospital in Milwaukee rocks by the way. Very caring group of folks.
Can't a guy catch a break? I was just sick with the flu last week, and then this happens: more of the vomiting, and this time, severe pain.

The good news was that I met two new friends: Morphine and Valium.

Happy 2005!!!

Happy New Year to all from BenPAC!

Here's a hilarious (and VERY true!) cartoon by Joe Heller. [Cartoon]

Armor, Tragedy, & Ethics, OH MY!

Frank Rich: "Such is the disconnect that Washington and the news media react with slack-jawed shock when one of those good soldiers we support so much speaks up at a town hall meeting in Kuwait and asks the secretary of defense why vehicles that take him and his brothers into battle lack proper armor." [NYT]

Bob Herbert: "Any tragedy is awful for the relatives of those who perished. But this is a catastrophe of a different magnitude. "This," as one observer noted, "is like confronting the apocalypse." [NYT]

House ethics are going by the wayside with this Republican plan. "After a summary of the Republican plans became public on Thursday, officials of the organizations said the changes appeared to represent a step backward and could cripple the ethics panel in efforts to hold lawmakers accountable for suspect conduct." [NYT]

Are We Stingy? Yes

Are we stingy? YES!
"We hope Secretary of State Colin Powell was privately embarrassed when, two days into a catastrophic disaster that hit 12 of the world's poorer countries and will cost billions of dollars to meliorate, he held a press conference to say that America, the world's richest nation, would contribute $15 million. That's less than half of what Republicans plan to spend on the Bush inaugural festivities."

I'm glad that Bush decided to step up his initial offer of $15 million, and offer aid of $35 million. Yeah, that's LESS than what Bush is spending on his coronation ceremony on January 20th ($40+ million). But, one has to ask, is that it? Wow...we're sending an aircraft carrier! [NYT]

Price of Inauguration (coronation) too rich for even the 'haves.' [NYT]

11

UNC destroys Cleveland State 107-64 Thursday night to improve to 11-1. They have one more tune-up game (January 2nd versus William & Mary) before starting ACC play on January 8th against Maryland. [CBS] [UNC] [Box]

Untold Horrors

Tsunami death toll reaches 125,000+ (as of 8 PM EDT). [Yahoo]

Olbermann reports that Reuters saying maybe 400,000+ dead. "Now, the latest Reuters count, is 125,282. But according to Indonesia's ambassador to Malaysia, three days from now, we may find it equally impossible to believe that this number was so low." [MSNBC] [Malaysia] [Yahoo]

2004 Misinformer of the Year

I want to wish a hearty congratulations to the King of the Douchebags, Bill O'Reilly. [Media Matters]

Here are the 10 Most Outrageous Statements of the Year:
Ex: "Rush Limbaugh on the Abu Ghraib photos: "I'm talking about people having a good time, these people, you ever heard of emotional release? You ever heard of need to blow some steam off?" [Media Matters]

The Year the Earth Fought Back

The year the earth fought back [NYT]

Most reported totals of the devastation are around 80,000 dead and climbing. [Buzzflash] [Yahoo] [CNN]
And the Earth wobbled, and began to spin just a little bit faster. [CNN]

UNC wins 96-75 over UNC-Wilmington last night, for their 10th straight win. [UNC] [CBS] [Box]

Disaster

Experts now fear that over 44,000 people may have died in the tsunamis in Southeast Asia. "Mourners in Sri Lanka used their bare hands to dig graves Tuesday while hungry islanders in Indonesia turned to looting in the aftermath of Asia's devastating tsunamis. Thousands more bodies were found in Indonesia, dramatically increasing the death toll across 11 nations to around 44,000."
[AP] [NYT] [Yahoo] [Tribune] [Red Cross] [Blogs] [Help] [Geology] [Supermodel]

Robbed!

The Chicago Bears were robbed yesterday in Detroit on an apparent 43-yard TD pass with 1:26 to play. The replays CLEARLY showed that Bernard Berrian caught the ball, and that it was a TD that would have put the Bears ahead by 1. Officials called it an incomplete pass, giving the Bears their 10th loss of the season. [Tribune] [CBS] [Bears]

Bob Herbert: "You might think that the debacle in Iraq would be enough for the Pentagon, that it would not be in the mood to seek out new routes to unnecessary wars for the United States to fight. But with Donald Rumsfeld at the apex of the defense establishment, enough is never enough." [NYT]

Happy Consumer-Mas!!!

Before I leave today to go to see my Wife's family in La Crosse and Eau Claire (WI), I wanted to wish you all a "Happy Chrismahanukwanzakah!"

BenPac will return to its regularly scheduled programming on Sunday night or Monday. Have a wonderful Consumer-Mas!!!

Bring Them Home

Bob Herbert: "This week's hideous attack in Mosul reminded me of those long ago days. Once again American troops sent on a fool's errand are coming home in coffins, or without their right arms or left legs, or paralyzed, or so messed up mentally they'll never be the same. Troops are being shoved two or three times into the furnace of Iraq by astonishingly incompetent leaders who have been unable or unwilling to provide them with the proper training, adequate equipment or even a clearly defined mission. It is a mind-boggling tragedy. And the suffering goes far beyond the men and women targeted by the insurgents. Each death in Iraq blows a hole in a family and sets off concentric circles of grief that touch everyone else who knew and cared for the fallen soldier. If the human stakes were understood well enough by the political leaders of this country, it might make them a little more reluctant to launch foolish, unnecessary and ultimately unwinnable wars." [NYT]

Why We're Losing 2

This is why the Democrats are losing! Just give the right control over another one of our core issues: the issue of choice over a woman's body.
We CAN'T move to the middle, or to the right...This is sacrificing the very principles that Democrats supposedly stand for when this happens. Do we really need/want an pro-life Democratic Party chair, just to pick up a few more so-called "moral values voters?" I say NO!!!!!!!!! We want Howard Dean!
Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything! [Yahoo]

Why We're Losing

Thomas Friedman: "We may lose because of the defiantly wrong way that Donald Rumsfeld has managed this war and the cynical manner in which Dick Cheney, George Bush and - with some honorable exceptions - the whole Republican right have tolerated it. Many conservatives would rather fail in Iraq than give liberals the satisfaction of seeing Mr. Rumsfeld sacked. We may lose because our Arab allies won't lift a finger to support an election in Iraq - either because they fear they'll be next to face such pressures, or because the thought of democratically elected Shiites holding power in a country once led by Sunnis is anathema to them."
Bringing democracy to Iraq is a worthy goal, but at what cost? What has happened to the Iraqi people under Saddam Hussein is unconscionable. Yet, this continues through the insurgency; the Iraqi people. They want to bring Iraq back to theocratic control. [NYT]

MoDo the Dragon Lady: "President Bush finally acknowledged that the Iraqis can't hack it as far as securing their own country, which means that America has no exit strategy for its troops." [NYT]

Ninth Staight Win

Even with star Rashad McCants showing up late, and sitting on the bench to start the game, he scored 19 points, and the Tarheels defeated the Vermont Catamounts 93-65 Tuesday night. Sean May had 20 points and 8 rebounds, and Raymond Felton had 10 and 7. The Heels held Vermont star center Taylor Coppenrath to 13 points and 5 rebounds. That's 9 straight for UNC! [UNC] [CBS] [Box]

Attack in Mosul Kills 24

A rocket attack on a mess tent while US troops were eating lunch has killed 24, and wounded 60. "A radical Muslim group, the Ansar al-Sunnah Army, claimed responsibility for the deadliest attack on a U.S. base in Iraq. The dead included U.S. military personnel, U.S. contractors, foreign national contractors and Iraqi army, said Brig. Gen. Carter Ham, commander of Task Force Olympia in Mosul." [NYT] [Tribune] [Yahoo] [CNN]

Researchers have found male fish in the Potomac River (DC area) that are carrying eggs. Due to pollution in the river, these male fish have become females. "Nine male smallmouth bass taken from the Potomac near Sharpsburg, about 60 miles upstream from Washington, were found to have developed eggs inside their sex organs, said Vicki S. Blazer, a scientist overseeing the research for the U.S. Geological Survey." [Yahoo] [CNN]

Just announced: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth book of the Harry Potter series, will be released on July 16th. [JKRowling] [CNN] [Yahoo]

When Grown Men Cry

Bob Herbert: "The Bush administration, which has asked so much of the armed forces, has established a pattern of dealing in bad faith with its men and women in uniform. The callousness of its treatment of the troops was, of course, never more clear than in Donald Rumsfeld's high-handed response to a soldier's question about the shortages of battle armor in Iraq."
"From the earliest planning stages until now, the war in Iraq has been a tragic exercise in official incompetence. The original rationale for the war was wrong. The intelligence was wrong. The estimates of required troop strength were wrong. The war hawks' guesses about the response of the Iraqi people were wrong. The cost estimates were wrong, and on and on.
Nevertheless the troops have fought valiantly, and the price paid by many has been horrific. They all deserve better than the bad faith and shoddy treatment they are receiving from the highest officials of their government." [NYT]

What happened to Freedom of the Press???
"Among the strange wrinkles in this case is that Mr. Novak, who first published Ms. Plame's name, seems to be in no jeopardy, while Mr. Cooper faces jail time stemming from an article he wrote exposing the administration's seamy motive of retaliating against Ms. Plame's husband for criticizing Iraq policy. Stranger still is Mr. Fitzgerald's decision to entangle Ms. Miller, since she never wrote a single article about the Plame controversy" [NYT]

Welcome to the ACC!

UNC dominated Virginia Tech on Sunday, 85-51, in Virginia Tech's first ever ACC game. Sean May and Jawad Williams each had 17 points, and the Heels won their eighth straight. [UNC] [CBS] [Box]
UNC moves up to #4 following a loss by then #3 Georgia Tech to Gonzaga. [Poll]

Breaking News: TO will miss the entire NFL Playoffs with a fractured right fibula, and will have surgery on Wednesday to repair the sprained deltoid ligament in his ankle. His trainer predicted that the earliest he could start running is two weeks before the Super Bowl. Big blow to the Eagles title hopes.

The Environment

Here is a link to the LCV (League of Conservation Voters) scorecard that rates how each member of the House and Senate did on voting for the environment. On the right hand side, there is a box to input your zip code, and it shows how your Representatives did. Both of my senators, both Democrats, rated 100%. My Congressional Representative, Jerry Kleczka, rated 100%. Jim Sensenbrenner, the Republican from my district was rated at 18%. Most of the ratings had to do with a few issues: the failed Energy Bill, environmental funding, public lands, and transportation. [LCV]

Bush is going to freeze or significantly cut domestic spending. I've got an idea: instead of cutting domestic spending, why don't we stay out of illegal wars that kill thousands! Or, how about not giving tax cuts to the rich. Or, reduce the trade deficit. Or the deficit! "But House and Senate aides, speaking on condition of anonymity, said cuts appeared destined for such programs as housing, grants for community development, purchases of new equipment for the Federal Aviation Administration, and Army Corps of Engineers water projects." Yep, now that it gets cold out, we can cut funding to get people off the streets, help low-income families afford housing, develop communities, help the FAA make our air travel safer, or help protect our water resources. [CNN]

Morning Reading

Bob Herbert: "The White House seems to have slipped the bonds of simple denial and escaped into the disturbing realm of utter delusion." If we gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom to three people who did such a bad job in Iraq, what do we give to those who actually DID their jobs? [NYT]

Paul Krugman: We can learn a lot from other countries that have gone the privatization route. This really just isn't a good idea. Yeah, we need some reform, but the system is solvent until 2052. If it isn't broke, don't fix it! [NYT]

Frank Rich: "What is this about? How can those in this country's overwhelming religious majority maintain that they are victims in a fiery battle with forces of darkness? It is certainly not about actual victimization." [NYT]

The American Express Green-Zone? MoDo the Dragon Lady explains. [NYT]

Bush Monkey Art

You will notice the picture that I just posted...here are some links to the "controversy" over this piece of art.
"From afar, the painting offers a likeness of Bush, but when you get closer you see the image is made up of chimpanzees or monkeys swimming in a marsh. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-bred artist said he was happy for all the attention paid to his work but said the decision to shutter the exhibit was "a blatant act of censorship."
Welcome to Bush's AmeriKKa, 1984 style.
[Mirror UK] [Reuters UK] [Yahoo]
Here's some other pics: [Google] [PoliticalHumor]

The resemblance is eerie!
[BenPAC]

New Features

I got my start in the "blogosphere" just over a month ago. I can't tell you how much I love this!!!
I have listed my favorite blogs along the side, political websites and resources, as well as my favorite links. These are my favorite sports teams, favorite beers, and websites of interest, including the American Diabetes Association, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

My newest feature is to add headlines from Buzzflash.com. Excellent website! These 10 headlines will update continously as Buzzflash is updated.
Tell me what you think! [Email Ben]

Mmm...Beer!

I stumbled across this article in the NY Times about how geology has effected the production and taste of beer for centuries. "Beer is more than 90 percent water, and because almost all brewers use water from wells, not rivers or lakes, the different styles of beer were traditionally derived from the rocks that the breweries sat upon." Fascinating article about the origin of beer, how brewers had to change how they made beer (or the ingredients) because of geology, and what makes each beer different. [NYT]

The One Ring

The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition) comes out today on DVD. It comes with 4 DVD's, and 50 minutes of extra footage that is incorporated into the film.
To me at least, this is a once in a lifetime movie series. The Lord of the Rings is definitely my favorite book series, and now, my favorite movies.
[LOTR] [Amazon] [OneRing]

Majority Rules

Republicans are going further than ever to take away the rights of the minority party in the Senate. Democrats have blocked the confirmation of only 10 of Bush's 229 judicial nominations. This is much less than the Republicans blocked in Clinton's second term. "If they, for whatever reason, decide to do this, it's not only wrong, they will rue the day they did it, because we will do whatever we can do to strike back," incoming Senate Democratic leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) said last week. "I know procedures around here. And I know that there will still be Senate business conducted. But I will, for lack of a better word, screw things up." Just remember, you won't be the majority forever, and turnabout is fair-play! [Yahoo]

Meanwhile, John McCain (and the rest of the sane world) give a vote of "no-confidence" in Rummy. [Buzzflash]
The daughter of Strom Thurmond and his then 16-year old black maid speaks out. Just remember, as Al Franken says, "the pecker knows no bigotry." [Tribune]
Two careers ruined [NYT]
GOP "tough-guy" was having TWO affairs at the same time. [Buzzflash] And was corrupt as hell. [MSNBC] We almost let a guy that dropped out of High School in the ninth grade run the Department of Homeland Security...nice.

Trade

The Milwaukee Brewers traded CF Scott Podsednik and RHP Luis Vizcaino to the Chicago White Sox for OF Carlos Lee today. The Brewers lose a MLB leading 70 stolen bases, but gain a 28 year old .305 hitter with 31 HR and 99 RBI last year (and a $16.5 million salary over the next two seasons). [MLB] [CBS] [Brewers]
Ron Santo is a finalist for the 2005 Ford C. Frick Award. This gives him a chance to be named to the MLB Hall of Fame as a broadcaster. He is also on the Veteran's Committee ballot to be named as a player. [Cubs] [MLB]
Complete MLB Winter Meetings coverage [MLB]
UNC moved up to fifth in the newest AP Poll (and sixth in the Coaches Poll) today after a 109-60 rout of Loyola-Chicago last night. [Poll] [CBS] [UNC] [Box]

Eventual Cure?

"A vaccine against the most serious form of diabetes is to be tested on humans for the first time, raising the prospect that a cure could be widely available within 10 years, The Times reported."
Oh, I read this article, and it made me very hopeful for a cure to this NASTY disease. I've had Type I Diabetes for 9 years now, and the thought of a cure (even if it's 8 years away) gets me SO excited.
[Yahoo]

Sunday Morning

Sports Roundup:
Complete MLB Winter Meetings coverage [MLB]
Notre Dame has found a new football coach to replace fired Tyrone Willingham: Charlie Weis of the New England Patriots. The Chicago Tribune says its final, but CBS Sportsline says a deal has not been finalized, and could still fall apart. [Tribune] [CBS]
Atlanta Braves acquire closer Danny Kolb from the Milwaukee Brewers and get P Jose Capellan in return. [CBS]
Marquette tops Wisconsin for state bragging rights. [CBS]
USC QB Matt Leinart wins the Heisman Trophy. In other news, who cares! [CBS]

This weeks sign of the apocalypse:
Six soldiers find themselves accused of felonies after "scrounging" supplies. They went and found abandoned vehicles, spare parts, and used them for the benefit and safety of their fellow soldiers, and now they are being charged with felonies? These soldiers were just doing what they had to do to survive and protect themselves, and all the army can do is court-marshall them and charge them with felonies. [Tribune]

How has George Carlin kept it going so long? He's figured out how to offend everyone.
"Of course, Mr. Carlin appointed himself. Since at least 1973, when he performed his famous routine "Filthy Words," describing the seven words you can never say on television, Mr. Carlin has made a point of saying things no one else would dare and mocking the sacred — religion, patriotism and every conceivable political group and ideology. Along the way, he has managed to find the holy grail of show business: a constantly renewing audience, a steady stream of moderately disaffected people with a high threshold for being offended." [NYT]

MoDo the Dragon Lady on the REAL 12 days of Christmas. [NYT]

Poisoned

Tests now confirm that Ukranian opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko was poisoned with dioxin in his soup. I'd rather have a fly. [NYT] [Yahoo]

Bush to start search for new Homeland Security Director after Kerik withdraws over immigration concerns involving a family housekeeper. How can you control National immigration, when you can't control your own household? [Statement] [NYT] [Yahoo]

Can you spare a brigade? Nicholas Kristof continues his mission to drum up support and troops for Iraq. As a frame of reference, of the 28 Allied countries that still have troops in Iraq, only eight have more than 500. "Most are there as window dressing. And because of language and equipment difficulties, some contingents - like Macedonia's 28 or Kazakhstan's 29 - may be more trouble than they are worth." [NYT]

The Democrats Da Vinci Code

How do we win? We have to turn the debate to the things that matter most: the economy, the poor, education, and healthcare, not God, guns, and gays. It's still about the economy, stupid.
David Sirota offers seven lessons for the Democratic Party to find its way out of the wilderness.
1. Fight the Class War: emphasize economic populism
2. Champion Small Business Over Big Business
3. Protect the "Every-Man" and the farmers
4. Appeal to Hunters, Conservationists, and Exurbs
5. Actually Be Tough on Crime-Don't be afraid to take on the "Goliaths" of corporate crime
6. Clean up Government-Cut Government waste, deficits, corruption
7. Use the Values Prism-use values to our advantage; the environment, economy, workers rights and welfare are all values.
"In the aftermath of the recent election, the stale cadre of campaign consultants who helped run the party into the ground now say the solution is for Democrats to simply invoke God more often and radically change their positions on social issues. But the point is not to impulsively lunge rightward in some cheap, unprincipled gesture to red America that would reek of political strategizing.The point is to follow red-region Democrats who have diminished the electoral impact of traditional social issues by redefining the values debate on economic and class terms." [AlterNet]

Borrow, Speculate, and Hope

Krugman: "For it is now apparent that the Bush administration's privatization proposal will amount to the same thing: borrow trillions, put the money in the stock market and hope." Why do we want to let market forces decide when we retire? Personally, I can't think of anything scarier than diverting payroll taxes into a personal account to be played in the stock market. Who is the big winner in all of this? Wall Street, due to all of the HUGE brokerage fees we'd be paying them to manage these funds. I'll keep my money with the Government run program, thanks. [NYT]

OPEC is going to cut oil production by 1 million barrels a day starting January 1st. I can't wait for gas prices to go up! The American people will have to foot the bill and do without, while the Saudis get rich. Oil prices are still up by a third this year. [Yahoo] [NYT]

Science

Frank Rich discusses "The Plot Against Sex in America." Why has our culture shied away from discussing sex? Then you have pharmacists that won't fill a person's prescriptions based on their own "moral" grounds. You now have schools that are trying to get rid of science curriculum based on the Theory of Evolution. The government will only provide funding for abstinence-only sex education. Nevermind the fact that the religious-right comes up with such crazy notions that "masturbation causes pregnancy."
Science shows that abstinence-only programs don't work..."A recent Columbia University study found that teens who make "virginity pledges" to delay sex until marriage still have premarital sex at a high rate (88 percent) rivaling those that don't, but are less likely to use contraception once they do. It's California, a huge blue state that refuses to accept federal funding for abstinence-only curriculums, that has a 40 percent falloff in teenage pregnancy over the past decade, second only to Alaska." [NYT]

Air America Radio

Air America radio host Al Franken has signed a 2-year extension to his contract with Air America Radio. Randi Rhodes signed a 3-year extension to stay with Air America Radio.
I stream both of these shows on my computer, the O'Franken Factor, and the Randi Rhodes Show everyday. Most of you probably remember Al Franken from his recurring stint on Saturday Night Live as Stuart Smalley. Well, he's even funnier on the radio. If you haven't heard of Randi Rhodes, what's wrong with you!? I love listening to her! She's very intelligent, funny, and just tells it like it is; Randi doesn't pull any punches. [Air America] [Tribune]

Coalition of the "Willing"

US troops in Iraq get the chance to complain to Rumsfeld over the issues they face in Iraq. Soldiers listed such "non-issues" as lack of body and vehicle armor and extended deployments. Now there are reports that US soldiers were forced to look through dumps and Iraqi landfills for pieces of ballistic glass and scrap metal just to try to protect themselves. Excellent way to support the troops. [Yahoo] [CNN] [NYT]

Nicholas Kristof tries to recruit more troops for Iraq from our coalition of the "willing." The tiny country of Estonia currently has 55 troops in Iraq. By the basis of their understanding, Estonia has sent 55 soldiers to Iraq, therefore, if Estonia should come under attack or invasion from Russia, the US is expected to "get their back."
"And that's the problem with our coalition: it's mostly made up of leaders counting on rewards, rather than of nations that are really behind us." [NYT]
By the way, eight of our "partners" have fewer than 100 soldiers in Iraq.

Hooray for Morals!

Great story out of Iowa. So, who gave the Republicans control of the moral high ground? What with Rush, O'Reilly, Gingrich, Bennett, Swaggart, Bakker...the list just keeps on going...

[Yesterday] "Bush introduced Mike and Sharla Hintz, a couple from Clive, whom he said benefited from his tax plan. Last year, because of the enhanced the child tax credit, they received an extra $1,600 in their tax refund, Bush said. With other tax cuts in the bill, they saved $2,800 on their income taxes. Mike Hintz, a First Assembly of God youth pastor, said the tax cuts also gave him additional money to use for health care. He said he supports Bush's values. "The American people are starting to see what kind of leader President Bush is. People know where he stands," he said.
[and Today] "A Des Moines youth pastor is charged with the sexual exploitation of a child. KCCI learned that the married father of four recently turned himself in to Johnston police. Rev. Mike Hintz was fired from the First Assembly of God Church, located at 2725 Merle Hay Road, on Oct. 30. Hintz was the youth pastor there for three years. Police said he started an affair with a 17-year-old in the church youth group this spring.

What a difference a day makes!

My favorite Senator, Russ Feingold on Condoleeza Rice: " I admire Dr. Rice's obvious intellectual gifts and her communication skills, and I congratulate her. But I am deeply troubled by the signal that this nomination appears to send -- a signal suggesting that the modest moderating influence of the State Department over the last four years will disappear, and that the next four years will be guided even more closely by the voices that shouted loudest in the first term, and that led our country into seriously flawed foreign policies. Our country cannot afford to continue down the foreign policy path that was forged during the first term of the Bush Administration." [Feingold]
With Powell leaving, any moderating influence is gone.

Inventing a Crisis

Paul Krugman takes a vacation from his vacation for a quick hit on why we shouldn't mess with Social Security.
"Projections in a recent report by the Congressional Budget Office (which are probably more realistic than the very cautious projections of the Social Security Administration) say that the trust fund will run out in 2052. The system won't become "bankrupt" at that point; even after the trust fund is gone, Social Security revenues will cover 81 percent of the promised benefits. Still, there is a long-run financing problem.
But it's a problem of modest size. The report finds that extending the life of the trust fund into the 22nd century, with no change in benefits, would require additional revenues equal to only 0.54 percent of G.D.P. That's less than 3 percent of federal spending - less than we're currently spending in Iraq. And it's only about one-quarter of the revenue lost each year because of President Bush's tax cuts - roughly equal to the fraction of those cuts that goes to people with incomes over $500,000 a year.
Given these numbers, it's not at all hard to come up with fiscal packages that would secure the retirement program, with no major changes, for generations to come." [NYT]

Nomah!

Nomar Garciaparra gets to keep his 'r' for at least one more season in Chicago, by agreeing to a one year deal worth eight million, plus incentives. Reports are saying that the Cubs may re-sign 2B Todd Walker today as well. I for one welcome these two signings. The Cubs are obviously saying they prefer offense to defense, but Walker is a .981 career defender, and Garciaparra is a career .969 defender. I'll take those numbers. Walker excelled last year when starting for Mark Grudzielanek, and Nomar hit .297 for the Cubs in 43 games since the July 31st trade.
[Cubs] [ChicagoSports]

To Your Health

Hardee's Monster Thickburger...only 1,420 calories and 107 grams of fat! [Tribune]
I'm literally having a heart attack just thinking about the three slices of cheese, four slices of bacon, two delicious 1/3 # angus beef patties, all nestled deliciously between two buttered, sesame-seed buns, and mayo dripping off. Oh God, I need to find a Hardee's!

Hangover cures? Maybe that would be the Monster Thickburger from above. [NYT]

Or, maybe try a Kamikaze! [DrinkNation] Happy Pearl Harbor Day!

Religion and the War on the Environment

I heard about this article here, and Mike is right: we need Bill Moyers now more than ever. Check out this article about the "upcoming" rapture, and why the environment really just isn't that important. [AlterNet]

Weekend Roundup

Secretary of Health & Human Services, Tommy Thompson has stepped down. His parting shot was to say that he can't believe that terrorists haven't struck the US through the food supply yet. Yeah, good idea to let them know that we're WIDE OPEN. Do you feel safer?? Another day, another terror warning downplayed by Bush. Does this guy even have a pulse? [Yahoo]

The Chicago Bears beat the Minnesota Vi-Queens 24-14! Final line on Chad Hutchinson: 18-30 for 213 yards, and 3TD's. I think he'll probably start next week at Jacksonville! :) [Bears] [CBS]

Big win for the North Carolina Tarheels Saturday! UNC beat eighth ranked Kentucky 91-78 to improve to 6-1. Rashad McCants had 28 points, and Sean May had 14 points and 19 boards to lead the Heels. [CBS] [UNC] [Charlotte] [Box]

Choose The Blue

I found this website through an e-mail that I received on the Wisconsin for Kerry Yahoo group mailing list. The site tells you which corporations donated to which political party in the 2003-2004 election cycle, and how much. It gives a good guide to buying goods and services from causes that support Democratic causes. [Choose The Blue]

Check out this cereal bar! They opened it up at Arizona State University a while back, and it's been a big hit so far. Here's what the website has to say: "At Cereality, customers choose from their favorite brands and toppings. Pajama-clad Cereologists™ fill the orders. And customers choose and add their own milk, just the way they like it." Sounds like they have something like 36 toppings for the cereal including malted milk balls. [Cereality]

Welcome to Nascar-Land!

Frank Rich welcomes all of you to Nascar-Land! So, does that mean that we live either in a Jeff Gordon State, or a Earnhardt Junior State? Liberal media my ass!!!!!! [NYT]

The 9/11 Bubble by Thomas Friedman. So, which generation is going to foot the bill and the debt for this Administration's inept policies? Yes, that would be you, 20-year olds. [NYT]

MoDo the Dragon Lady asks if maybe it's time we have a woman or a black person take over a nightly news desk. I guess it's still a man's world on the boob-tube. (Is that an FCC violation?) They can put whomever they want on the nightly news, I still won't watch it, The Simpsons are on!!! Of course if they had put Katie Couric in Tom Brokaw's spot, I'd probably start drinking heavily. (oh...wait) [NYT]

Oh, and those "new" 12,000 troops going to Iraq? Yeah...10,400 of them are ALREADY THERE. They are just extending their tours of duty by 60 days, even though they've already been there for a year. Great idea! [NYT] [Tribune] [WP]

5-1

UNC survived a superb effort by Indiana in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge to win 70-63. UNC looked particularly weary, but won it's 5th straight to improve to 5-1. Marvin Williams had 12 boards, Rashad McCants had 19 points, and Raymond Felton contributed 18 points in the victory. Sean May struggled in front of his "home" crowd. He is a former Mr. Basketball in Indiana, and is from Bloomington. His father, Scott May, was the Player of the Year for Indiana in 1976. There were chants of "traitor" all night. [CBS] [UNC]
[Box] [Roy] [Photos]

UWGB won a tough road game in Chicago, to improve to 3-1. [GB P-G]

A Plan to Win

What's the matter with Democrats?
That's what Thomas Frank, author of "What's the Matter with Kansas?" asks. It's a good question. Where do we go from here? How do we pick up the pieces and move forward? Changing our core beliefs is certainly not the answer, but that seems to be the way the party is moving under current leadership.

"Having already moved to the right on economic issues, the party seems ready to don the mask of social conservatism – as in the appointment of an anti-abortion Harry Reid as the Senate Minority leader – to hold on to a sliver of power.
That's exactly the wrong strategy to beat the Republicans, says Tom Frank. The solution is not Bible-thumping but economic populism. Liberals need to respond to the faux populism of the GOP – which pits "real" working class Americans against over-educated, snotty liberals – with the real deal. Frank argues it's time for the Democratic Party to return to its roots, to rediscover its lost soul. To become once again the champion of the working class." [AlterNet]

I think it all comes down to selecting the right person at the top, Howard Dean. He started the largest grassroots organization in history, and can change the entire direction of this party. While trickle-down economics doesn't work, trickle-down leadership does.

World AIDS Day

Today, December 1st is World AIDS Day. [Google] [website] [Studentsfight]
HIV/AIDS is something that I feel very strongly about. My uncle Scott died of AIDS in 1994. I think of him constantly.
We need to do more as a society, as a country, as humans, to spread awareness of this deadly virus. I heard a statistic today that 70% of 18-year olds have had sex at least once. The Bush Administration has not only stopped all efforts to try to teach safe sex to our students, but has thwarted any attempts to educate our children about safe sex. They preach abstinence, which is good...but it can't be the only option (and well, try to tell a horny teenager to keep it in his pants). We need to teach everyone about safe sex: condoms, protection, selecting partners carefully, etc, and yes, abstinence. [Advocatesforyouth]

Tom Brokaw retires tonight. I'll actually be sad to see him go. He's one of the few with integrity. Brokaw coined the term "The Greatest Generation" referring to the World War II veterans. His swan song airs tonight on NBC at 5:30-6 PM Central time. [MSNBC] [CNN]

Kristof on China. Sounds more like the US all the time. We don't even protect our journalists or their sources anymore. Well, not the right ones anyways. [NYT]

Psych Test

Under pResident Bush's "New Freedom Initiative" that recently passed Congress, schools will now receive funding to perform mandatory psychological testing on students, WITHOUT parental consent. So...how are already stretched schools going to find time to test students? Who is going to do the testing? What are they going to do with the results?

Yet another aspect of "Big Brother" from Orwell's 1984 is coming to pass. Let's just take the parents out of the equation when it comes to health choices for their own kids. [InfoWars]