Are You Happy??????

Bipartisan panel slams NCLB: "A bipartisan panel of state lawmakers that studied the effectiveness of President Bush's No Child Left Behind initiative assailed it today as a flawed, convoluted and unconstitutional education reform effort that had usurped state and local control of public schools." [NYT]

So, do you think that people would start to realize that No Child Left Behind is a mess!? Maybe it's an unfunded mandate that DOESN'T WORK!!! Are you red-staters happy now??? Are you?????

Here's an article about the stem cell debate in California. Can we just get down to business of actually trying to help people, and cure diseases rather than worry about a clump of cells in a petri dish!?!?!?! [NYT]

Kristof: "During past genocides against Armenians, Jews and Cambodians, it was possible to claim that we didn't fully know what was going on. This time, President Bush, Congress and the European Parliament have already declared genocide to be under way. And we have photos. This time, we have no excuse." [NYT]

Bush always gets credit for his social security proposals...but, has anyone in the general public really taken a look at them? The longer this stays on the table, the less-attractive it becomes. Wake up Sheeple!!!!!!!!! [NYT]

Wag the Dog

Krugman: "My point is that Mr. Bush's critics are falling unnecessarily into a trap if they focus only on domestic policies and allow Mr. Bush to keep his undeserved reputation as someone who keeps Americans safe. National security policy should not be a refuge to which Mr. Bush can flee when his domestic agenda falls apart." [NYT]

What has this guy done to deserve any of the credit given to him for "protecting" the Nation??? Invade Iraq; basically putting up recruiting posters for Middle East terrorism? Check.

Tackling Election Reform: "The Democratic Senate bill, introduced last week by Senators Hillary Clinton, Barbara Boxer, John Kerry and Frank Lautenberg, is now the gold standard for election reform. It would require not only paper records, but recounts in 2 percent of all polling places or precincts, and restrictions on political activity by voting machine manufacturers." [NYT]

I wrote about this issue this past weekend. (Thanks again to Scott of Brewtown Politico). We need to adopt some form of meaningful reform, SOON. The Republican plan is a start, but it doesn't go far enough to address the issues with such people as the Secretaries of State, and voting machine manufacturers.

It's really great to hear that the rates of AIDS are decreasing in the children of American and Europe, but shouldn't we then transition to Africa? [NYT]

What's up for Howard Dean and the Democrats, "post-scream." [NYT]

The social issues fueling the race for the Oscars. [NYT]

The Simpsons

Marge's sister Patty came out last night on The Simpsons: "In the ongoing culture wars over whether gays should have the right to marry, an animated question reared its head on Sunday prime-time television: as goes "The Simpsons," does the nation go, too?" [NYT] [Tribune] [TheSimpsons] [Famous Moments of Gay TV Past] [BBC]
Check out the Fox site that was promoted during last night's episode: [SpringfieldIsForGayLoversOfMarriage]

So, on the show, Springfield legalizes gay marriage to raise money and boost tourism. I'm still trying to figure out why gay marriage is so bad? Doesn't everyone deserve to love and be loved in return?

Ignoring Cancer

Herbert: "It may be that most Americans would prefer not to know about these practices, which are nothing less than malignant cells that are already spreading in the nation's soul. Denial is often the first response to the most painful realities. But most Americans also know what happens when a cancer is ignored." [NYT]

Proof-Positive that the Conservative ideology doesn't work: "A number right-wing Washington, D.C. politicians have headed back to their states as newly-elected governors. And their behavior, once they leave Beltway fantasyland for the real world, shows just how out of touch today’s conservative ideology is with solving real problems." [ThinkProgress] [Kos]

It's all about gutting spending on critical programs (like Medicaid). These conservative politicians ram their agenda through Congress, then they go back home, and see that oh wait...it DOESN'T WORK!!! Then they come back and try to address reality, not just push an ideology, and wait...the Progressive agenda works! [WP] [CommonDreams]

Voting Holiday

Saw this on Brewtown Politico: "Senator Clinton pushes voting holiday, allowing ex-cons to vote."

In addition to creating a federal holiday for voting, this bill would:

-Require paper receipts for votes
-Authorize $500 million to help states make the changes in voting systems and equipment
-Allow ex-felons to vote. Currently an estimated 4.7 million Americans are barred from voting because of their criminal records
-Require adoption of the changes in time for the 2006 election [USAT] [FindLaw]

You can sign the petition at the Friends of Hillary website. [FriendsOfHillary]

Isn't it about time for meaningful election reform!? I would love to see election day as a federal holiday, if only for selfish reasons of not having to take a day off of work to work for a campaign. Paper receipts are a must-have. I have no issue with ex-felons being allowed to vote. If you've served your time, then you should get your rights back. I agree w/ Scott, that making it a holiday will be harder because of the Constitution. But this reform is LONG overdue.

Deference

So, when the foremost economist in the US says that he supports private accounts, but, well maybe we should stop and consider it. What are we supposed to think? I think Greenspan is a right-wing shill. The Bushies have made him a lot richer, so, he says whatever they want him to say. Rove, tug on his arm string...maybe it will punch him in the eye.

Krugman: "But Mr. Greenspan is no longer entitled to such deference. By repeatedly shilling for whatever the Bush administration wants, he has betrayed the trust placed in Fed chairmen, and deserves to be treated as just another partisan hack." [NYT]

Herbert: "Extraordinary rendition is antithetical to everything Americans are supposed to believe in. It violates American law. It violates international law. And it is a profound violation of our own most fundamental moral imperative - that there are limits to the way we treat other human beings, even in a time of war and great fear." [NYT]

It's really great when we can make the rules, then break them whenever we feel like it. Why should we treat others with respect???

Right-Wing Shillery! Wake Up Sheeple!

Rich: "When the Bush administration isn't using taxpayers' money to buy its own fake news, it does everything it can to shut out and pillory real reporters who might tell Americans what is happening in what is, at least in theory, their own government. Paul Farhi of The Washington Post discovered that even at an inaugural ball he was assigned "minders" - attractive women who wouldn't give him their full names - to let the revelers know that Big Brother was watching should they be tempted to say anything remotely off message." [NYT]

Dowd: "It's hard to believe the White House could hit rock bottom on credibility again, but it has, in a bizarre maelstrom that plays like a dark comedy. How does it credential a man with a double life and a secret past?" [NYT]

Wow...the press just has NO credibility right now. You can't trust anything that you hear on cable news, local news, or pretty much anywhere you are hearing a "white house correspondent." Just watch "The Daily Show" and be happy. [Salon] [MediaMatters]

*Check out this "Social In-Security" calculator. [Calculator] Just enter your average annual salary, and the year you were born, and it calculates how much the Bush privatization plan will cut from your benefits. On my salary alone, my cut is OVER $5,000!!!

Abstinence-Only=NOT WORKING

Kristof: "You see, for all the carnage in President Bush's budget, one program is being showered with additional cash - almost three times as much as it got in 2001. It's "abstinence only" sex education, and the best research suggests that it will cost far more lives than the Clinton administration's much more notorious sex scandal."
"Other developed countries focus much more on contraception. The upshot is that while teenagers in the U.S. have about as much sexual activity as teenagers in Canada or Europe, Americans girls are four times as likely as German girls to become pregnant, almost five times as likely as French girls to have a baby, and more than seven times as likely as Dutch girls to have an abortion. Young Americans are five times as likely to have H.I.V. as young Germans, and teenagers' gonorrhea rate is 70 times higher in the U.S. than in the Netherlands or France." [NYT] [WP]

Ok, let's think about this...Congressman Waxman (D-CA) conducted studies of abstinence-only programs, and found that 11 of 13 curricula contains errors and distortions. I agree with Kristof, abstinence is a big part of it. But, try to tell that to a 17-year old boy. We have to be teaching protection and the PROPER way to use protection.
[IsolatedIncident] [Waxman] [PlannedParenthood]
Kos: "Abortions are up during Bush's term. Divorces are up during Bush's term. And, thanks to abstinence-only education, it looks like teen sex is also up during Bush's term." [Kos]

Rogue Nation?

However you feel about the global treaty to curb global warming, you can't deny the fact that the US is the largest polluter, and is doing virtually nothing to slow pollution spewed into our environment.

"The planet faces many environmental challenges, but none of them come close to global warming. In the past month new studies have shown that the trigger point for severe climate change may be closer than previously thought, and the possible consequences even more severe. Just to slow the pace of this rapid warming will require every possible response, from more efficient cars to fewer sprawling suburbs to more trains to - well, the list is pretty well endless." [Op-Ed]

Sign HERE to tell the auto industry to innovate, not litigate! "Today marks a major milestone. With Kyoto, the world is moving forward to address global warming. While the Bush administration blocks national legislation, we should pressure industry to take the lead, before it's too late."
[NYT] [CNN] [Annatopia] [Kyoto] [Exxon] [Kos] [LCV] [Yahoo]

Hope Springs Eternal

Hope Springs Eternal. Snow blankets many of the parks, fields, and stadiums where baseball will be played in 2 short months. Players have moved to warmer climates to start their journeys toward the elusive ring. Lord of the Rings??? No, Spring Training!!!
I can't express how excited I am for Spring Training to start! Cubs pitchers and catchers report today, with the first full workout tomorrow. The Brewers report on Saturday.

After a disappointing 2004 season which saw a end of season collapse for the Cubs, and a All-Star breakdown for the Brewers, bring it on! The Cubs try to make it three winning seasons in a row, and the Brewers try to break the streak of 12 losing seasons.

HOORAY for spring baseball!!! I've included a bunch of links related to the Cubs and Brewers spring training, as well as NL and NL Central previews. There is an interview with Mark Prior, and an article about Sosa. Also, check out what's in the sauce! [Spring Preview] [NL Outlook] [Cubs] [Brewers] [Tribune] [Tribune Preview] [Prior] [Sosa] [Gammons] [Fox] [Bartman Ball]

For Our Future

New DNC Chairman Dean's plan for the future of the Democratic Party:

• Show Up! Never concede a single state, county, district, or voter. Build a truly national party that wages a permanent campaign in all 50 states.
• Strengthen State Parties and the Grassroots. Better integrate state and national party operations and support Democrats organizing in local communities.
• Focus on Our Core Values. Articulate core Democratic values strongly and clearly, and show people how our agenda for reform reflects those values.
• Take Advantage of Cutting-Edge Technologies. Leverage the Internet and cutting-edge technologies to better organize, empower, and communicate with people.
• Train Tomorrow's Leaders. Strengthen our leadership institutes so we can recruit new talent, cultivate new leaders, and elect Democrats at every level of office.

Click HERE to read the plan, and sign the petition. If we all work together, we can take our party, and our country back!!!

Click HERE to reject Bush's budget, a budget that squanders all of our futures!

What You Are, What I Am

You know what...I don't care. I don't care what you look like. I don't care what color your skin is, or your hair, or your eyes. I don't care what God you worship. I don't care if you are gay or straight.
These statements make a lot of people angry. But really, what does it matter? Try tolerance as a moral value.

A lot of publicity has been given recently (to those paying attention to politics) to Maya Keyes, the daughter of Republican journeyman, Alan Keyes. She "came out" as a lesbian during her father's campaign for the US Senate out of Illinois. What makes this so controversial is the fact that the elder Keyes came out numerous times in speeches and appearances railing against gays and gay rights.
"Keyes’ strong objection to gay rights had become a major issue in the campaign after he’d been lured, in a radio interview, into agreeing that vice-president Dick Cheney’s gay daughter was a “selfish hedonist.” When these remarks turned into a national kerfuffle, Keyes misled the public when he discussed how he would respond “if” he had a gay daughter."

The Keyes family, according to a Washingon Post article, have thrown Maya out of the house for being "a liberal queer." They told her that her sexuality is "wrong and sinful." Wow, wrong and sinful?
What could possibly be wrong about finding happiness and love in this world? I don't care how you get down, live your life. If God loves everyone, then he loves you too. These conservatives just drive me insane. Their "morals" are so backwards. Try tolerance as a moral value. [Tribune] [Zorn] [ChiReader] [WP]

Dean-ocrats

Krugman: "The Republicans know the America they want, and they are not afraid to use any means to get there," Howard Dean said in accepting the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee. "But there is something that this administration and the Republican Party are very afraid of. It is that we may actually begin fighting for what we believe." [NYT]

Anyone that says Dean is a radical lefty, is an idiot. These are the same people that tried to portray Kerry as a "radical liberal," when he was anything but. Dean had the temerity to question what is happening in the country and the world. How dare anyone question the mighty Bush Administration!???!? And, Krugman is right, picking Dean isn't about moving to the left, it's about making a stand.

Thinking

Herbert: "Arthur Miller, in his autobiography, "Timebends," quoted the great physicist Hans Bethe as saying, "Well, I come down in the morning and I take up a pencil and I try to think. ..."
It's a notion that appears to have gone the way of the rotary phone. Americans not only seem to be doing less serious thinking lately, they seem to have less and less tolerance for those who spend their time wrestling with important and complex matters. " [NYT]

Is this what our culture has become??? "If you can't say it in 30 seconds, you have to move on. God made man and the godless evolutionists are on the run. Donald Trump ("You're fired!") and Paris Hilton ("That's hot!") are cultural icons. Ignorance is in. The nation is at war and its appetite for torture may be undermining the very essence of the American character, but the public at large seems much more interested in what Martha will do when she gets out of prison and what Jacko will do if he has to go in."

Social Insecurity

An article from the LA Times about Chile's privatized social security plan: "The government "painted this wonderful picture of private accounts," Pardo said. "They fooled me. They fooled us all."
Chile switched to private accounts in 1981, along with about two dozen other countries. After some initial success, people are starting to fall through the cracks; either they got into the government-promoted system too late, or they have lost extensive and sizeable amounts of money to high management fees. [LA Times]
Here is Jay Rockefeller's (D-WV) plan. [Rockefeller]

Pushing the conservative agenda: "Corporate America, the financial services industry, conservative think tanks, much of the Washington trade association community, the Republican Party and GOP lobbyists and consultants are prepared to spend $200 million or more to influence the outcome of two of the toughest legislative fights in recent memory." [WP]

Here's David Sirota's take on the "class action sellouts."
I can't believe that Obama voted for this either...WTF!?! [Sirota] [Kos]

Budget cuts: "In the new list, the president asked legislators to eliminate programs worth $4.3 billion from education, $1 billion from health and $1.5 billion from law enforcement. Reductions include cuts totaling $2.5 billion from agriculture, $690 million from health and $470 million from housing."
That's right, keep America dumb, sick, and without protection. [Seattle]

Leave No Mullah Behind

Friedman: "By adamantly refusing to do anything to improve energy conservation in America, or to phase in a $1-a-gallon gasoline tax on American drivers, or to demand increased mileage from Detroit's automakers, or to develop a crash program for renewable sources of energy, the Bush team is - as others have noted - financing both sides of the war on terrorism. We are financing the U.S. armed forces with our tax dollars, and, through our profligate use of energy, we are generating huge windfall profits for Saudi Arabia, Iran and Sudan, where the cash is used to insulate the regimes from any pressure to open up their economies, liberate their women or modernize their schools, and where it ends up instead financing madrassas, mosques and militants fundamentally opposed to the progressive, pluralistic agenda America is trying to promote. Now how smart is that?"

Yeah, how about we think about what we are really doing, and what we are saying. The actions don't match the rhetoric do they!? [NYT]

The Good Doctor is In!

The Democrats have a new leader. The 447-member board elected Howard Dean as Chairman of the DNC today.
All I can say is, it's ABOUT TIME!!! People try to paint Dean as a northern-elitist liberal...what garbage! Look at the man's record: he's socially liberal, but conservative fiscally.
We need someone who is not republican-lite. We need someone that will communicate our values, and share what we believe in. We need someone that will fight for Democrats in all 50 states, in every county, at every level.
The Good Doctor is In!
[DNC] [Share Your Ideas] [Acceptance Speech] [NYT] [Yahoo] [WP] [Reuters] [Donate]

Clumps of Cells

Massachusetts Governor Romney is a MORON: "Moira McCarthy Stanford, past president of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, said that her 13-year-old daughter, Lauren, who has diabetes, had "had a medical appointment every two hours of her life for the past eight years" and that "her fingertips are shredded from 30,000 times that she pricked her finger."

What more is it going to take for these religious zealots to realize that killing a clump of cells might just be worth saving humanity from the scourge of diabetes, parkinson's, MS, etc...what is it going to take??? [NYT] [Op-Ed] [Boston Globe]

Fight on against the right-wing lies on social security! [Thereisnocrisis]

Torture, American Style

Krugman: "It may sound shrill to describe President Bush as someone who takes food from the mouths of babes and gives the proceeds to his millionaire friends. Yet his latest budget proposal is top-down class warfare in action. And it offers the Democrats an opportunity, if they're willing to take it." [NYT]

Herbert: "Our henchmen in places like Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Uzbekistan and Jordan are torturing terror suspects at the behest of a nation - the United States - that just went through a national election in which the issue of moral values was supposed to have been decisive. How in the world did we become a country in which gays' getting married is considered an abomination, but torture is O.K.?" [NYT]

Dowd: "But Bush officials prefer to write the script, or "create their own reality," as one Bushie put it, whenever they can. Besides the W.M.D. scare, there was the Kabuki "Ask President Bush" campaign sessions where voters had to take written pledges of support before they were allowed in, and the micromanaged town hall debates, where Bush strategists would not allow truly undecided voters to ask W. questions. And don't forget the administration's payments to conservative "journalists" to sell programs they would have promoted anyway." [NYT]

Rich: "What makes some feel betrayed and angry after seeing "Million Dollar Baby" is exactly what makes many more stop and think: one of Hollywood's most durable cowboys is saying that it's not always morning in America, and that it may take more than faith to get us through the night." [NYT]

The Farns is Gone

The Cubs traded reliever Kyle Farnsworth (and the infamous "player to be named later") to the Detroit Tigers for P Roberto Novoa, 3B Scott Moore, and OF Clarence "Bo" Flowers. Farnsworth struggled last season, and had career numbers of 22-37 with a 4.78 ERA in 343 games for the Cubs. He ranks third in club annals in relief appearances (317) -- and has fanned 381 batters in 334 2/3 innings while working out of the bullpen. [Cubs] [CBS] [MLB]

MLB Spring Preview of the NL Central: Cards/Cubs/Astros/Reds/Pirates/Brewers.
[Cubs Spring Training Preview] [Depth Chart]

Around the Horn: [Catchers] [Corners] [Mid Inf] [Outfielders] [Starters] [Bullpen]

Spearing the Beast

Krugman: "President Bush isn't trying to reform Social Security. He isn't even trying to "partially privatize" it. His plan is, in essence, to dismantle the program, replacing it with a system that may be social but doesn't provide security. And the goal, as with his tax cuts, is to undermine the legacy of Franklin Roosevelt." [NYT]

For anyone interested in a progressive organization on Milwaukee's Northshore, check out Grassroots Northshore. I started working with this group during the campaign, when it was known as Grassroots Shorewood. [Grassroots Northshore] [Join!]

One of the main issues being discussed by Grassroots Northshore is TABOR, or the tax-payers bill of rights. Colorado enacted TABOR in the mid-1990's, and hardest hit has been the school and university system. Some facts:
Wisconsin ranks 50th in the nation in share of taxes paid by businesses.
Wisconsin ranks 16th in the nation in spending.

Ok, listen: taxes are always too high, and no one likes paying them. But, I bet you like it when your house is on fire, and the fire department shows up. Or when the garbage man comes and removes all the garbage, or when the school bus comes to pick up your kids. If you don't think that this Administration has raised taxes, think again! They have cut funding to the states in a MAJOR way. This forces the states to find a way to make up for the lost revenue. Your property taxes go up to fund schools that are already pinched, and to provide even the most basic of services.

Bushonomics

More on this disaster of a budget.
Education: "Financing at the state level for the Safe and Drug-Free Schools program would be eliminated, and about $2 billion would be cut from other high school programs, including vocational education and efforts like Upward Bound, Gear Up and Talent Search that help prepare students from disadvantaged backgrounds for college." [NYT]

This budget imposes $5.3 billion in new, regressive taxes, including new taxes that will increase the price of a six pack of beer, an airline ticket and prescription drugs for veterans. Meanwhile, the budget cuts funding for education, public health and environmental protection and includes $1.4 trillion in new tax cuts for the wealthy. Welcome to Bushonomics.

The Shell Game: fuzzy math indicates that the budget deficit in 2006 will be $390 billion. BUT, that includes $1 billion in revenue from drilling in ANWR, AND excludes the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan, and the $2 trillion social security package.

Kicking the poor: The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities sums it up: "The number of poor went up for the third straight year in 2003, the share of total income that goes to the bottom two-fifths of households has fallen to one of its lowest levels since the end of World War II, and the number of people lacking health insurance rose to 45 million in 2003, the highest level on record." [CAP]

Medicare: The industry-backed prescription drug bill President Bush jammed through Congress is a bad law that keeps getting worse. While the bill was pending before Congress, the administration promised the bill would cost $400 billion over 10 years and threatened to fire the Medicare actuary who knew that figure was too low. Later, the administration revised its estimated price tag to $534 billion over 10 years, largely due to excessive payments to private insurers and HMOs. Now, in the most recent budget, the Bush administration estimates the bill will cost $395 billion over five years. In the meantime, drug companies have already jacked up their prices enough to offset any discount to seniors. [CAP]

Sex: Even though the Administration-backed programs were packed with lies, Bush continues to increase funding to abstinence-only programs. Bush is calling for increased funding of $39 million to a whopping total of $209 million. [CAP]

Clean water: Bush's budget is proposing to reduce federal funds that states use to improve water quality by $369 million. The new budget would call for an amount of $730 million, down from $1.98 billion four years ago. [CAP]

Hazardous To Your Health

Mercury is a poisonous material. Currently, it is found as a preservative in many of the vaccines we give our kids and expectant mothers. This website exposes and educates about the danger that is becoming very pervasive in our industrialized society. It also explores the links to autism in children.
Please, write to your Senators and tell them to vote "NO" on S.3, that would prevent States from banning mercury in vaccines or in regulating drugs and biologics.
[NoMercury.org] [S.3 Bill]

Herbert: "During the whole time we were at Guantánamo," said Shafiq Rasul, "we were at a high level of fear. When we first got there the level was sky-high. At the beginning we were terrified that we might be killed at any minute. The guards would say to us, 'We could kill you at any time.' They would say, 'The world doesn't know you're here. Nobody knows you're here. All they know is that you're missing, and we could kill you and no one would know.' "
[NYT] [ChelseaGreen]

Here's the ongoing cost of the quagmire in Iraq. [CostofWar]

Meat Ax

"The conservative ideological agenda on the economy has hit full stride: aggressively slash taxes on the wealthy; run up huge budget deficits; then push for massive cuts in critical domestic spending under the guise of fiscal responsibility. President Bush will introduce a budget today that is so callous Vice President Cheney felt compelled yesterday to assure viewers of Fox News that "it's not something we've done with a meat ax." Just as with its push for privatizing Social Security, the White House plans "an elaborate marketing strategy to sell the cuts to voters and lawmakers." The message: they aren't cutting government programs for the needy, they are "centralizing government services and saving tax payer money." America doesn't need to be sold another product. America needs a responsible budget that allocates resources to where they are most needed. (Share your thoughts on the budget at ThinkProgress.org.)" [CAP] [NYT] [Tribune] [Yahoo]

Among the "needed" cuts: Job training cut by $500 million. Slashed funding for police and firefighters. Cutting veteran's benefits and doubling the drug co-payments for veterans. Big cuts in bioterrorism protection. And, of course, leaving the poor out in the cold.

But, we NEED to privatize Social Security and extend the tax cuts for the wealthy!!!

Return...

After a long (felt short), very emotional week, I have returned. My Wife's Father passed away this past Tuesday, after suffering for several years with Parkinson's and dementia. This past week has forced me to reconsider my entire belief structure.

I bought a new computer (right before this past weeks events transpired), a Dell 8400. Nice machine. Now I can at least do something at home!

All in all, it's been a trying, emotional journey this past week. But, we've come out on the other side, hoping for better times. 2005 so far, has sucked. Here's to an improving year!

But, We WANT Boobs!

Rich: "That our government is now both intimidating PBS and awarding public money to pundits to enforce "moral values" agendas demonizing certain families is the ugliest fallout of the campaign against indecency. That campaign cannot really banish salaciousness from pop culture, a rank impossibility in a market economy where red and blue customers are united in their infatuation with "Desperate Housewives." But it can create public policy that discriminates against anyone on the hit list of moral values zealots. Inane as it may seem that Ms. Spellings is conducting a witch hunt against Buster or that James Dobson has taken aim at SpongeBob SquarePants, there's a method to their seeming idiocy: the cartoon surrogates are deliberately chosen to camouflage the harshness of their assault on nonanimated, flesh-and-blood people." [NYT]

Dowd on morals [NYT]

Hiatus

BenPAC will be on a temporary hiatus, while we deal with the impending passing of my Father-in-Law. We will be in La Crosse, Wisconsin until further notice. I will be checking e-mail as often as allowable, which won't be often.

Recipe For War

Herbert: "Iraqis may have voted yesterday. But they live in occupied territory, and the occupiers have other things on their minds than the basic wishes of the Iraqi people. That's not democracy. That's a recipe for more war." [NYT]

Friedman: "By refusing to rein in U.S. energy consumption, the Bush team is not only depriving itself of the most effective lever for promoting internally driven reform in the Middle East, it is also depriving itself of any military option. As Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, points out, given today's tight oil market and current U.S. consumption patterns, any kind of U.S. strike on Iran, one of the world's major oil producers, would send the price of oil through the roof, causing real problems for our economy. "Our own energy policy has tied our hands," Mr. Haass said." [NYT]

Torture Chicks Gone Wild: " former American Army sergeant who worked as an Arabic interpreter at Gitmo has written a book pulling back the veil on the astounding ways female interrogators used a toxic combination of sex and religion to try to break Muslim detainees at the U.S. prison camp in Cuba. It's not merely disgusting. It's beyond belief." [NYT]

Empty Outfield

So long Sammy. The Cubs get Jerry Hairston Jr, and at least two minor leaguers. All that is left it seems is to get on a plane and pass some physicals, which should happen by Tuesday. The Cubs say there are still potential hurdles, but really, they've wanted him gone for a while, and it's pretty obvious that Sammy has wanted to leave as well.
Sammy's best and worst moments: [Tribune]
Who is going to play in the Cubs outfield now? Hollandsworth and Dubois are expected to platoon in left, Patterson in center, and...The Cubs should be going after Magglio Ordoñez, NOT Jeromy Burnitz. But, why spend money to improve your team??? [CBS] [ESPN] [Cubs]

In good news: UNC dominated Virginia today, 110-76, and it wasn't even that close. The Heels led 62-26 at half, and led by 50 points at one point in the 2nd half. UNC shot 60% from the floor, while Virginia shot 39%, and UNC outrebounded the Cavs 45-26. [UNC] [CBS] [Box]

Little Black Lies

Krugman: "Is this an example of what Mr. Bush famously called "the soft bigotry of low expectations?" Maybe not: it isn't particularly soft to treat premature black deaths not as a tragedy we must end but as just another way to push your ideological agenda. But bigotry - yes, that sounds like the right word." [NYT]

Editorial on the Millenium Challenge Account, that gives money to poor and developing countries for sorely needed aid: "This follows a sad pattern. Mr. Bush said he would ask Congress for $1.7 billion in 2004; he asked for $1.3 billion and got $1 billion. He said he would ask for $3.3 billion in 2005; he asked for $2.5 billion and got $1.5 billion.
So if past is prologue, the Republican Congress will cut the diluted 2006 pledge even further." [NYT]

So Long Sammy?

The Cubs are close to sending embattled slugger Sammy Sosa to the Baltimore Orioles for 2B/OF Jerry Hairston Jr., RHP Jorge Julio, and two minor leaguers. The Cubs are expected to pay at least half of Sosa's $17 million 2005 salary.
Chicago GM Jim Hendry denies the trade rumors, but admitted that he negotiated with several teams on Friday. This is basically a giveaway. Sure, Hairston is fast, but he has had a lot of injuries. Julio had a 4.57 ERA last year, which hopefully would improve in the NL. This is the best we could do for a future HOF Member with 574 HR's??? This speaks volumes.
Nothing is done yet, however. There is still the sticking point of money for Sosa, who by being traded is guaranteed $18 million for 2006, and a $4.5 million buyout. The Cubs are rumored to be seeking the services of 35 year old RF Jeromy Burnitz, who hit .283 with 37 HR's and 110 RBI's in Colorado (inflated? Yes). So...why wouldn't the Cubs go after Magglio Ordoñez? Who would you rather have sprinting out into right field at the home-opener???

Is Señor Cub really leaving? I think he mentally checked out after his sneezing-fit last May. Honestly, I will be sad to see him go. He's been the Cubs to me for so long. Who will ever forget 1998? Who will ever forget the corked-bat episode? The Cubs are losing a prima-donna, a mediocre at best right fielder, a aging and declining hitter, and one of my favorite players ever.
[Cubs] [Tribune] [Downey] [Rogers] [CBS] [MLB]

Just Listen

Frank Rich: "It says much about the distance between the homefront and these troops that the Motion Picture Association of America this month blithely awarded "Gunner Palace" an "R" rating - which means that it cannot be seen without parental supervision by 16-year-old high-school kids soon to be targeted by military recruiters. (The filmmakers are appealing this verdict.) The reason for the "R" is not violence - there is virtually none on screen - but language, since some of the troops chronicle their Iraq experience by transposing it into occasionally scatological hip-hop verse. " [NYT]

Dowd: "Genius? Not so much. Spendthrift? Definitely. W.'s administration was running up his astounding deficit paying "journalists" to do what they would be happy to do for free - just to be friends with benefits, getting access that tougher scribes are denied." [NYT]

Friedman: "In such an environment, the only thing that Mr. Bush could do to change people's minds about him would be to travel across Europe and not say a single word - but just listen." [NYT]

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]