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I can’t even begin to wrap my head around the tragedy at a Universalist Unitarian church in Knoxville yesterday. The first paragraph from Knoxville News -Sentinel says it all: [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Boston Herald reported today that an “upbeat U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy completed his last day of radiation and chemotherapy treatment yesterday, according to an e-mail to friends and family from wife Vicki Kennedy.” "He remained strong and was able to stay on schedule throughout this shock-and-awe phase of the treatment and his doctors - and we - are enormously pleased with his progress,” Vicki said in an e-mailed update sent yesterday.[...] "As you can imagine, after six weeks, we've really come to know and respect the entire Mass. General treatment team - doctors, nurses and technicians - and, even in the midst of this very serious business, we've shared a lot of laughter. But that's not surprising to those of us who love and know Teddy - there's always laughter when he's around,” Vicki wrote. It’s wonderful to hear that the Liberal Lion, Ted Kennedy is finished with the chemo. Supporters like myself, look forward to seeing Kennedy back at work in the Senate before long. A longtime friend of Kennedy’s, Phil Johnston said the “76-year-old senator has been very upbeat throughout his treatment.” "He's got considerable energy, he's on the boat virtually every day and he's enjoying himself as much as he can on the Cape in the summer,” Johnston said. And the final day of the “grueling chemo” treatment came Senator John Kerry pledged to ride the Pan Mass challenge next week in honor of Kennedy.” A cancer survivor himself, Kerry sent an e-mail saying the bike ride this year is "for Ted.” "This year, it's especially poignant and meaningful,” Kerry said in a written statement. "I'll be thinking of him every mile of the ride across a state we both love.” Supporters of Kerry and Kennedy can donate to sponsor Kerry’s ride in the Pan Mass Challenge here. Kerry has been riding in the Pan Mass Challenge for several years now. Tags: Boston Herald, Cancer Survivor, Chemotherapy, Chemotherapy Treatment, E Mail, Edward M Kennedy, John Kerry" rel="tag">John Kerry, Laughter, Longtime Friend, Midst, Pan Mass Challenge, Phil Johnston, Senator John Kerry, Serious Business, Shock And Awe, Six Weeks, Supporters Of Kerry, Team Doctors, Ted Kennedy, Wife Vicki [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

If we could stop eating our own we might have a chance… [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

I was only 7 years old when President John F. Kennedy challenged the nation to think of the possibilities of space and launched the nation onto a journey reaching to the Moon. He stated : [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Ted Kennedy returned to the floor of the Senate today for the 4:00 PM vote on Medicare.  Kennedy was accompanied by members of his family, John Kerry and Barack Obama. He received a standing ovation as he “walked through a wall of applause,” to “cast a dramatic, decisive vote on long-stalled Medicare legislation.” “Aye,” the 76-year-old Kennedy said in a loud voice, smiling broadly and making a thumbs-up gesture as he registered his vote. Spectators in the galleries that overhang the chamber burst into cheers -- a violation of decorum that drew no complaints. “It’s great to be back. I love this place,” he said after his brief visit. Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NWE-YEdZXY Kennedy issued the following statement today on the Medicare vote: “I return to the Senate today to keep a promise to our senior citizens — and that’s to protect Medicare. Win, lose or draw, I wanted to be here. I wasn’t going to take the chance that my vote could make the difference. Medicare should not be a partisan issue. Illness and age know no party boundaries. The 44 million Americans who rely on Medicare to meet their health care needs are both Democrats and Republicans. Like all Americans, they have worked hard all their lives. They’ve raised their families. They’ve built our towns and cities and farmed the land. They’ve served in our military.” “We owe them so much for the part they have played in making America a great country. So today I proudly cast this important vote for them — a vote to keep the Medicare program strong and effective for the future.” What a heartwarming sight to see Uncle Ted back on the Senate floor. Kennedy cast the “60th Vote To Break GOP Filibuster On Medicare.” Tags: Barack Obama, Decisive Vote, Decorum, Democrats And Republicans, Filibuster, John Kerry, Loud Voice, Medicare, Medicare Legislation, Medicare Program, Overhang, Partisan Issue, Senate Floor, Senior Citizens, Spectators, Standing Ovation, Ted Kennedy, Towns And Cities, Uncle Ted, Www Youtube [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Hillary Clinton did not disappoint liberals on today’s FISA vote, but Barack Obama certainly did.  I can’t even begin to imagine why Obama caved on this issue as boldly as he has but it’s beyond disappointing, especially for those of us who had worked so hard to get Hillary nominated. While Barack Obama voted “yes” on the FISA legislation today, Hillary Clinton joined the ranks of many other wise Obama supporters in the Senate who voted “no” on FISA. The following is Hillary Clinton’s statement on her vote against the FISA Amendments Act of 2008:  One of the great challenges before us as a nation is remaining steadfast in our fight against terrorism while preserving our commitment to the rule of law and individual liberty. As a senator from New York on September 11, I understand the importance of taking any and all necessary steps to protect our nation from those who would do us harm. I believe strongly that we must modernize our surveillance laws in order to provide intelligence professionals the tools needed to fight terrorism and make our country more secure. However, any surveillance program must contain safeguards to protect the rights of Americans against abuse, and to preserve clear lines of oversight and accountability over this administration. I applaud the efforts of my colleagues who negotiated this legislation, and I respect my colleagues who reached a different conclusion on today’s vote. I do so because this is a difficult issue. Nonetheless, I could not vote for the legislation in its current form. The legislation would overhaul the law that governs the administration’s surveillance activities. Some of the legislation’s provisions place guidelines and restrictions on the operational details of the surveillance activities, others increase judicial and legislative oversight of those activities, and still others relate to immunity for telecommunications companies that participated in the administration’s surveillance activities. While this legislation does strengthen oversight of the administration’s surveillance activities over previous drafts, in many respects, the oversight in the bill continues to come up short. For instance, while the bill nominally calls for increased oversight by the FISA Court, its ability to serve as a meaningful check on the President’s power is debatable. The clearest example of this is the limited power given to the FISA Court to review the government’s targeting and minimization procedures. But the legislation has other significant shortcomings. The legislation also makes no meaningful change to the immunity provisions. There is little disagreement that the legislation effectively grants retroactive immunity to the telecommunications companies. In my judgment, immunity under these circumstances has the practical effect of shutting down a critical avenue for holding the administration accountable for its conduct. It is precisely why I have supported efforts in the Senate to strip the bill of these provisions, both today and during previous debates on this subject. Unfortunately, these efforts have been unsuccessful. What is more, even as we considered this legislation, the administration refused to allow the overwhelming majority of Senators to examine the warrantless wiretapping program. This made it exceedingly difficult for those Senators who are not on the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees to assess the need for the operational details of the legislation, and whether greater protections are necessary. The same can be said for an assessment of the telecom immunity provisions. On an issue of such tremendous importance to our citizens -- and in particular to New Yorkers -- all ... [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

I’m with Paul Krugman, Greg, dday, and Atrios – Obama’s cave in on FISA is “a downer.” It’s not a good sign for things to come from an Obama administration, quite frankly and anyone making excuses for him doing this, shouldn’t be. Thankfully most liberal bloggers are calling it as they see it: Wanker of the Day Barack Obama. It’s been a day and half for Obama… He cave’s on FISA and he unveils a totally lame logo/campaign seal all on the same day. Jeez… The thing reeks of “Dude get over yourself.” Sorry… Even staunch Obama supporters are asking WTF? He have his bounce after all, but he might wanna consider how he’s coming off to supporters because out of touch is coming to my mind once again.  Tags: Atrios, Barack Obama, Bloggers, Bounce, Dday, FISA, Lame, Logo Campaign, Paul Krugman, Seal, Stuff [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

MoveOn announced today that they would walk the Obama walk when it comes to fundraising for the presidential election: MoveOn, the advocacy group supporting Barack Obama, has decided to permanently shutter its 527 operation, partly in response to the Illinois Senator’s insistence that such groups should not spend on his behalf during the general election, I’ve learned from the group’s spokesperson. MoveOn’s decision, which will dramatically impact the way it raises money on Obama’s behalf, is yet another sign of how rapidly Obama is taking control of the apparatus that’s gearing up on his behalf. In closing down their 527, MoveOn effectively kills their “ability to raise money in huge chunks from labor unions, foundations, and big donors who would give over $5,000.” The decision doesn’t mean MoveOn will stop spending on Obama’s behalf. Instead it will raise money exclusively with its political action committee, whose average donation is below $50 and will even be raising money with things like bake sales starting this weekend. To put this in perspective, MoveOn’s 527 raised $20 million for the general election in 2004 — and at least half of that came from donations over $5,000. “This is an affirmation that we, like Senator Obama, believe that this election can be won by ordinary Americans giving small donations,” MoveOn spokesperson Ilyse Hogue told me. Smart move from MoveOn… now let’s see if the Republican 527’s follow suit… Probably not too likely. P.S. Go find your neighborhood MoveOn bake sale this weekend and buy some cookies or click here to “pitch in to help build the small-donor revolution.“ Tags: Advocacy Group, Affirmation, Barack Obama, Candidacy, Chunks, Donors, Follow Suit, Foundations, General Election, Illinois Senator, Insistence, Labor Unions, MoveOn, Political Action Committee, Presidential Election, Raising Money, Senator Obama, Shutter, Smart Move, Spokesperson [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

I just finished watching the video below from MSNBC with Taylor Marsh and Matthew Slutsky (DoubleSpeak). Both Taylor and Matthew agreed that despite the divide between bloggers over the two candidates, Obama and Clinton, bloggers will come together to support the nominee. Watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=albKrBwWCV8  I’ve been saying here for some time that I’ll be supporting the nominee and urging readers to do the same. It’s time to put aside our personal preferences and work like hell to make sure McCain does not get elected — something else that Marsh & Slutsky agreed upon. And work we must, and so too must the candidates - both Obama and Clinton, as Marsh & Slutsky noted. Taylor, like myself, is “keeping a hope open for Hillary Clinton to be Obama’s vice presidential nominee.” Tags: Amp, Bloggers, Doublespeak, Hell, Hillary Clinton, McCain, MSNBC, Obama, Personal Preferences, Presidential Nominee, Slutsky, Taylor Marsh [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

“When the violence causes silence we must be mistaken”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyp5we2ySDo Many Hillary supporters see this election as social justice issue. Obama has worked hand in hand with the media in branding the Clintons as racists and spreading the gross lie that Hillary was calling for Obama’s assassination. The so-called liberal bloggers have joined in this appalling demonstration. The Democratic Party has remained silent. Now they want us to be silent and give it up. This whole “inevitable” line is a game. It’s a game to cow us into silence, into submission. The media are fighting in our heads, just like the media did when they cheered us into Iraq. Just like when they cheered us into accepting Bush in 2000. Just like they cheered us into rejecting health care reform in the 1990s. We’re not supporting Hillary on a whim. Disenfranchisement of FL and MI is a moral failure–the voters did nothing wrong. The recent deliberate efforts to suppress turnout in the last primary states to protect Obama from a humiliating popular vote defeat is also a moral failure. The Democratic Party I gladly worked for over the last several years was never about disenfranchisement or voter suppression. We are staying in this because we are not just supporting Hillary anymore. We are fighting the attempts to disenfranchise voters and suppress turnout. We are fighting the casual acceptance of misogyny and character assassination of someone we consider to be an American treasure. We are staying in this as long as Hillary does. If you think your mind violence is going to keep us silent, you are mistaken. Tags: American Treasure, Character Assassination, Clintons, Deliberate Efforts, Democratic Party, Disenfranchisement, Health Care Reform, Hillary Supporters, Justice Issue, Last Several Years, Misogyny, Moral Failure, Obama, Popular Vote, Racists, Social Justice, Violence Causes Silence, Voter Suppression, Whim, Www Youtube [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Senator Ted Kennedy was hospitalized this morning after suffering from stroke like symptoms. He was rushed by ambulance and initially hospitalized at Cape Cod Hospital and then airlifted to Mass General in Boston. Kennedy spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter says that “Kennedy has been hospitalized in Boston after suffering a seizure,” rather than a “stroke as initially suspected.” Cutter says “he is undergoing tests at Massachusetts General Hospital to determine the cause of the seizure.” Ted Kennedy, the Lion of the Senate, has served in the Senate since 1962, representing Massachusetts. He is one of only six senators in U.S. history to serve more than 40 years. He is known as a liberal champion of social issues such as health care, family leave, and the minimum wage. Kennedy, the patriarch of the Kennedy family, is the only surviving son in a famed Kennedy family. The eldest Kennedy brother Joseph, was killed in a World War II airplane crash and “resident John Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 and his brother Robert was assassinated in 1968.” Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, beginning a tour of hospitals in Eugene, Ore., told reporters that he had been in touch with the senator’s family. “Ted Kennedy is a giant in American political history. He’s done more for health care than just about anybody in history. We are going to be rooting for him. I insist on being optimistic about how it’s going to turn out.” Kennedy gave Obama’s presidential campaign a big boost this year with his endorsement and has campaigned actively for the Illinois senator. Obama’s rival for the Democratic nomination, New York. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, also issued a statement. “My thoughts and prayers are with Ted Kennedy and his family today,” she said. “We all wish him well and a quick recovery.” The Caucus reports that “Senator John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee, was the first political figure to release a statement on Mr. Kennedy, a longtime colleague and friend.” "Senator Kennedy's role in the U.S. Senate cannot be overstated. He is a legendary lawmaker, and I have the highest respect for him,” Mr. McCain said. "When we have worked together, he has been a skillful, fair and generous partner. I consider it a great privilege to call him my friend.” Ted Kennedy was preparing this morning to host the annual Best Buddies Challenge event this afternoon, “a fundraiser for the Best Buddies organization founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver to help people with intellectual disabilities.” Hundreds are expected to participate in the event, which started with a 100-mile bicycle ride from the Kennedy Library in Boston to Hyannisport, and closes out with a concert at the Kennedy compound. A man walking by the hospital was startled by the news when he asked why about the reason for the large media assemblage. “Ted? Is he all right? Jeez, I’m taken aback. I just saw him on television yesterday,” said Jerry Leonard, 76, a retired bartender. “He’s a Kennedy. His name is synonymous with this area. I’m a Bostonian, too, and he’s done a lot for us around here and for the senior citizens in particular. I don’t know him but I feel a connection.” Longtime readers here know I am originally from Massachusetts and I have strong sense of loyalty to the two great Senators from Massachusetts. I have always considered myself to be a Kennedy (then Kerry) Democrat. My thoughts and prayers are with Senator Kennedy and his family for a speedy recovery. Tags: Airplane Crash, Ambulance, American Political History, Boston, Cape Cod, Cape Cod Hospital, Champion, Democratic Nomination, Democratic Presidential Candidate, Democrats, Family Leave, health care, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Illinois Senator ... [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Boston Globe reports the latest on Senator Ted Kennedy, friends and associates have said that hos “ condition was considered serious ,” but “his life did not appear to be in imminent danger.” Kennedy was hospitalized earlier today after suffering a seizure. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Senator John Kerry is reported to currently be at Massachusetts General Hospital with Senator Kennedy and members of the Kennedy family. Via my contact in Senator Kerry’s office, his press office has released the following statement in regards to Senator Edward Kennedy: “Ted Kennedy is beloved and respected on both sides of the aisle in the Senate in which he’s been a giant for close to half a century, a legend in Massachusetts, and a dear friend to me and Teresa. He’s also been a fighter who has overcome adversity again and again with courage, grit, and determination. Teresa and I are praying for Teddy, Vicki and all of his family and we know that everyone in Massachusetts and people throughout the nation pray for a full and speedy recovery for a man whose life’s work has touched millions upon millions of lives.” I was actually stunned to see the headlines about Ted Kennedy this morning, because I had been discussing the ‘04 election with friends last night and talking about Ted Kennedy’s role in supporting John Kerry. One of my fondest memories of working on Kerry’s campaign is attending an event in Nashua, NH, in the last days before the NH primary, where Ted Kennedy spoke and introduced Kerry, as though he was introducing a prize fighter. I’ll never forget the moment when he roared, “And I bring you the next president of the United States, John Kerry.” Again… God Speed Senator Kennedy — We need you back in the Senate. Tags: Adversity, Aisle, Courage, Dear Friend, Edward Kennedy, Fondest Memories, God Speed, Grit, Half A Century, In The News, John Kennedy" rel="tag">John Kennedy, John Kerry, Kennedy Family, Last Days, Massachusetts, Massachusetts General Hospital, Nashua Nh, Pamela Leavey, Political News, President Of The United States, Sen. Edward Kennedy, Sen. Edward Kennedy, Senator John Kerry, Senator Kennedy, Senator Kerry, Senator Ted Kennedy, Speedy Recovery, Ted Kennedy [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Some seem overwhelmed with the decision. Others feel the process is a sham and there is no point in participating. This historic election, we have a group that is more vocal about their reason. They won’t vote for the nominee if it isn’t their primary candidate. If there are enough of them - and the percentages are plenty- McCain could take the WH. This possibility is not real to some. Despite the irrefutable evidence that the bigger numbers defeat not only the Republicon candidates, but also the interference with the election process, from registration to count. We are all accustomed to taking risks in life. As simple as running a red light at 3 in the morning when the light won’t change and there isn’t another car to be seen. To chucking birth control in a moment of passion. As I pointed out to a few guys four decades ago, there is no such thing as being 3% pregnant. Let’s try visualizing election night ‘08. Replay ‘04. Now let’s visualize ‘09, ‘10, ‘11, ‘12. Will we be reasonably better off economically by the end of those 4 years? Will any more of the 9/11 Commission recommendations have been put in effect? Will the bridges be falling down? Will health care be available to all Americans at a price their incomes will cover? Will we have an energy policy that is in place and making progress towards energy independence? Will the school systems still be ‘teaching to the test’ or to the students’ needs? Will there be food and water rationing? Will it be equitable? Will the national debt our children and grandchildren will pay down be 5, 10, ? % higher? Will our position in the world court of opinion be any better? Will we still be occupying Iraq and Afghanistan? Will we have bombed or invaded Iran or any other nation? Will there be a 7 to 2 majority of ultraconservative Supreme Court Justices? Will there be a Constitution to defend against all enemies, both foreign and domestic? Will there be a Constitution to defend us? Will the 9/11 responders and our veterans, especially the injured, be getting the physical, mental and economic care they have so heroically earned in service to this country and our Constitution? We will be doing well if we can make significant progress in most of these with both a Democratic White House and Congress. They are not easy problems to solve. Especially given the serious crises among them. I have voted in 9 presidential elections. Two candidates were close to ideal for me. They lost. Seven times my primary candidates were nominated. Nixon, Carter and Clinton went to the WH. Two of those elections were protest votes, in my Libertarian phase. In Alaska, in it’s flaming red era. In this election, if I were in a flaming red state, I would still vote for the Democratic nominee, just to maximize the mandate for change. I’m not sure what all the arguments are to refuse to vote for a candidate the majority (however slim) of your party members have chosen. Regardless of how delusional or unreasoned anyone thinks these other voters are, the fact is they voted. There are some very significant and respected elected officials who have endorsed both. A frequent comment is that Democrats are faced with TWO inspiring candidates (although I disagree with the common, ‘compared to none’). The ‘Dream Ticket’ for many would be both (although I refer to it as the nightmare ticket). I am asking those who are thinking this to try to gain better insight into their true reasons. To examine them carefully against the potential cost of abdicating your right to vote. As an RN, I have to ask you to specifically remember the treatment our veterans have been getting under this administration. John, who was against torture before he voted for it, McSame cannot be trusted to cooperate with this expensive obligation. How many Americans regret not voting in 2000 and 2004? How many of us regret that they ... [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The celebration of Blogroll Amnesty Day, that I posted about here yesterday,is sweeping across the blogosphere. Way to go, Skippy and Jon Swift! Wow, “Were Havin’ A Party ” and in honor of that, here’s Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes (one of my all time favs) on Imus from ‘06, performing their hit “Were Havin’ A Party”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNdtwrC4e7k Taking a peek around at the blogs who have joined the effort, I’m going to do a round-up and include as many linksas possible to the blogs that our friends inthe sphere are giving a shouting outto, that have not been previously mentioned here: On The Reaction today, Carl gives a shout out to: Mr. Doggity. The Dogg always writes about politics from the perspective of a blue voter trapped in a red (but turning purple) state, Kansas. Always interesting and informative. Guys From Area 51. You know most of these fellows if you spend anytime at the snarkier blogs (including my own). A daily stop on my path to avoiding sanity…I mean, INsanity. Adgita Diaries. I was embarrassed to find out two things: 1) Mandt, who comment here fairly often and whom I run into regularly on other blogs, is actually two people (M and T, get it?) and 2) They have a blog of such aching beauty that, well, I almost quit blogging. OK, that last bit is not quite true, but… A Poetic Justice. You know him, you love him. The Poetry Man’s blog. Over on The Impolitic Libby has a great round-up: Creature at State of the Day, Carl at Simply Left Behind, Edward Copelend at Edward Copeland on Film, J. Kingston Pierce at Limbo, J. Thomas Duffy at The Garlic and Carol Gee at South by Southwest. Capt. Fogg at Human Voices you know from these pages and Brian from World Gone Madas you noticed has just joined this week while we await the arrival of Kvatch from Ragebot. And as long as I’m linking to my co-bloggers, I can’t forget my Newshogger cohorts, Fester, Eric at Total Information Awarenessand Shamanic’s simainbrain. Moving on to some new friends, being a little shy, I was delighted that Buck Naked Politics and Brandy at Moue Magazine introduced themselves, as did Tony at Monkeyfister. Under the heading small world, Tony and I discovered we have a Detroit connection. Also new to me is John and his crew at Wet Machine. They’re a brainy bunch over there and the posts on the ongoing spectrum auction are a little over my head, but this is a big issue that I want to take up soon and it’s worth trying to wrap your head around it. This auction will make a huge difference in the future of wireless internet and these guys are having a direct impact on it. If it’s too techy for you, keep scrolling. They have plenty of other stuff. Ah, and another late arrival just in, check out Crinch Pin. I love them already. I know Pygalgiathrough his comments at Newshoggers and since he offered, I asked him to blogroll us here and I’ll be adding him today. World-O-Crap gives a holler to the following blogs: Bats Left, Throws Right. Youre probably checking him daily, and if not, get thee hence. Along with Roy at Alicublog, Doghouse Riley turns out the most intoxicatingly trenchant snark on the internet, offering long, discursive jeremiads that move faster and sting harder than a cracking bullwhip. Hes immune to the national Alzheimers that allows people like Jonah Goldberg to pass themselves (and their gas) off as historians, and most important of all, he uses his tongue prettier than a Kansas City whore. Pen-Elayne on the Web. Fun, breezy, eclectic, a great mix of the personal and the pop cultural. Mark of the Beast. If deliriously profane fury could be bottled, the best cask-strength stuff would come from this Louisiana-based distillery run by our friend Anntichrist S. Coulter and her stable of enablers. Caution: Not to be taken internally. Just Another Blog From L.A. isnt, since its provides a ruefully funny ... [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We need to be as ambitions in envisioning political process integrity as John Edwards has been honest in talking about political process corruption. For supporters of John Edwards, the end of his 2008 campaign for the presidency should not be spent in either deep gloom or false bravado. The future of the cause Edwards champions remains open and John Edwards influence on the rest of this campaign and perhaps on the next four years is unknown. We would be mistaken to write him out of our script just because he has bowed out of the race for the presidency. At the same time, clearly his campaign is lost and what is most appropriate in the face of this political loss is to take stock of the lessons we can learn from it. They are not Edwards lessons to learn alone, but are instructive to the entire nation. What we learn from the Edwards campaign is that American politics requires from its populist candidates the highest standard of vision: It requires much more than the ability to see and speak the truth about corruption. It requires much more than the ability to set forth a ground breaking plan to address our problems. For a populist candidate to win in America, he or she must ring the bell of our ideals loud and clear. We need a positive vision of our democracy that is pitch perfect, resounding, and inimitable. Back in August when John Edwards began to aggressively challenge the Democratic Party to look honestly at the corruption and inequality in our nation, he promised his campaign would be about real change, saying: Real change starts with being honest — the system in Washington is rigged and our government is broken. It’s rigged by greedy corporate powers to protect corporate profits. It’s rigged by the very wealthy to ensure they become even wealthier. At the end of the day, it’s rigged by all those who benefit from the established order of things. For them, more of the same means more money and more power. They’ll do anything they can to keep things just the way they are — not for the country, but for themselves. [The system is] controlled by big corporations, the lobbyists they hire to protect their bottom line and the politicians who curry their favor and carry their water. And it’s perpetuated by a media that too often fawns over the establishment, but fails to seriously cover the challenges we face or the solutions being proposed. This is the game of American politics and, in this game; the interests of regular Americans don’t stand a chance. In response to this speech, I offered the Edwards campaign some advice in a column published at CommonDreams.org. I said, If Edwards plans to make his campaign about Real Change, he is going to have to raise political process integrity to the first place in his political agenda. He is going to have to champion an ambitious program to engineer from scratch a political process that can maintain its democratic integrity in the face of technology, corporate power, and global economics. Initially, as the Associated Press observed yesterday, Edwards burst out of the starting gate with a flurry of progressive policy ideas he was the first to offer a plan for universal health care, the first to call on Congress to pull funding for the war, and he led the charge that lobbyists have too much power in Washington and need to be reigned in, but these themes were eventually adopted by other Democratic presidential candidates and even a Republican, Mitt Romney, echoed the call for an end to special interest politics in Washington. Ultimately, its one thing to offer aggressive populist policy which even a Republican can imitate; its another to set an uncompromising standard that forces the other candidates to show their true colors. When the other candidates caught up with Edwards ideas, he had a choice: (1) He could advance an ambitious, courageous, and modern vision of comprehensive political process integrity as the first, necessary step to ... [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The recent flap over Barack Obamas comments on Ronald Reagan speaks volumes about what distinguishes our three democratic presidential candidates. But what it says is not complementary to either Obama or Clinton. Instead, once again, it shows us that John Edwards is the real candidate all Democrats should support. Obamas Intent When Obama described Reagans Republican Party as the party of ideas, his intention was to use Reagan as a sort of yardstick for measuring whether or not a candidate has the mojo to rally a large majority of the nations political support. By invoking the concept of the Reagan Democrat, Obama intended to show that the Clintons did not measure up to the Reagan yardstick and to suggest, however, that he would. Obama was thus casting a Clinton White House as one which would lack a governing majority, one that would only perpetuate an entrenched partisanship the nation would not willingly choose if offered an alternative. By contrast, an Obama White House, he implied, would, in a Reaganesque manner, make the Democratic Party once again a Party of Ideas, capable of maintaining a governing majority. This governing majority would attract Obama Republicans discontented with the Presidency of George W. Bush, who, however, would never vote for a Clinton.To read between the lines here, we have to look at the Reagan mythology a little more closely. In fact, there are two sides to this mythology: one built on false ideas, the other built on false emotions. The Reagan Mythology and the Hard Reality The false ideas were summed up in Reagans claim that Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.[i] The false emotion was summed up in Reagans campaign motto: Its morning again in America.” We know the Reagan ideas were false because we have it straight from the horses mouth. At the time, Reagans Budget Director, David Stockman, confessed: None of us really understands what’s going on with all these numbers and that supply-side economics was always a Trojan horse to bring down the top [tax] rate.[ii] The confession came too late, however, and the ruse worked. During his presidency Reagan cut the top income tax rate from 70 percent to 28 percent. Getting rid of the government, it turned out, really meant just getting rid of the societal obligations owed by Americas most wealthy. We all know the Reagan emotions were also false because we witnessed the havoc the Reagan presidency wrecked upon our nation. Author Thom Hartmann describes the impact of Reaganomics: Our government was suddenly so badly awash in red ink that Reagan doubled the tax paid only by people earning less than $40,000/year (FICA), and then began borrowing from the huge surplus this new tax was accumulating in the Social Security Trust Fund. Even with that, Reagan had to borrow more money in his 8 years than the sum total of all presidents from George Washington to Jimmy Carter combined. [iii] As a result, Hartmann concludes, we stopped investing in our infrastructure, our social safety net, and vital public services. Night fell on America. Clinton Co-Opts the Center Obama was right in his intimations about the limited reach of the ideas in the Clinton presidency, however, in that Bill Clinton won his bid for the presidency, not by railing against the economic injustice inflicted by Reagan, but often by co-opting Republican ideas. Thus, the centrist New Democrat, Bill Clinton famously declared straight out of the Reagan script: The era of big government is over! Then he instituted welfare cuts as welfare reform and recast laissez faire economics as the NAFTA free trade agreement. Corporations got bigger and more powerful and the poor got cast out of the governments protection. Thus, when Hillary Clinton twists Obamas words around to suggest he is a fan of the economic abuses inflicted by Ronald Reagan, she is something like the pot calling the kettle black. Her political machine may be more in line with those ... [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

I feel like I woke up this morning and found boundary lines painted all over the surface of the planet, making it look like a Globe from space. But what if the entire Earth was inhabited by only one species of humans? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Heres an itch that Ive been wanting to scratch so I guess that Ill just let it hang out. I probably looked forward to the Hillary Clinton presidential candidacy since some time just after the end of the 2000 election. Watching her perform on the campaign trail (and by her I include, but do not overweight Bill), however, has done very little other than lessen my enthusiasm for her as a candidate. And thats a relative thing, because as I watch the campaign unfold on the other side my enthusiasm for any of the Democrats has grown by leaps and bounds in comparison to all of the astoundingly bad alternative choices presented by the Republicans. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the wake of John Kerry’s endorsement of Barack Obama the question as surfaced once again about whether Al Gore and Ted Kennedy will be endorsing either of the front-runners. Ted Kennedy it seems isn’t going to be jumping on any endorsement bandwagon in the near future: [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

I grew up on the Massachusetts - New Hampshire border and lived for 33 years years not far from where this incident happened today in Salem, NH. It’s just another sad statement on the treatment Hillary Clinton is getting that is, to be frank oh, so sexist: [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It was October 2004. I had come to this beautiful rural retreat in the Berkshires to hear Robert Bly and Coleman Barks conduct a seminar on “the poetry of the ecstatic.” Barks had become famous over the years for his translations of the Sufi mystic poet, Rumi and Robert Bly …well, he was Robert Bly. He had become just a bit more famous with his best seller "Iron John" back in the nineties, but that was only to augment an already distinguished career, as a poet and translator, as a cultural and literary critic, as an activist voice. I'd been reading him devotedly for more than twenty years. His gorgeous "A Third Body" was read at my wedding (by an achingly hung over survivor of my bachelor party, no less). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Last week I was contacted by a local Los Angeles Obama volunteer, inviting me to donate to Obama’s campaign and attend his upcoming fundraiser extravaganza here in Los Angeles at the Gibson Amphitheater. I explained to the volunteer that I am uncommitted to a candidate at this time, but would love to attend as a blogger to witness first hand the Obama hype and write a fair and balanced piece about the event. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

And speaking of endorsement, there’s been rumblings and rumors swirling about when and who John Kerry will endorse over the past couple of days. Radar has a snarky piece about who Kerry might endorse and they are betting it will be Obama . Regardless of who Kerry endorses it will no doubt be a coup for the lucky Dem candidate, as National Journal’s John Mecurio points out the Democratic candidates are awaiting endorsements from “ The Three Kings of the Democratic Party “: [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

I know a little bit about unions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

What the heck is NEWSWEEK thinking? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

It's going to be Halloween soon. And in the spirit of the season, The Republican National Committee has introduced a fun little interactive page on their website called " Scariest Democrat ". On the opening page, a picture of each of the Democratic candidates for president is shown. Each is captured with a menacing (or goofy) expression on their face. Along side each such image, they display the results of some sort of polling activity where they've actually been trying to gauge who is, in GOP terms, the scariest. Also there next to each candidate's "scary" visage is an interactive link where you can "click here to read why" Biden, or Clinton, or Obama is "the scariest Democrat." [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Maybe it’s just me, but I sick and tired of the partisanship gone crazy that has infested this country and shows itself at it’s lowest levels on any given day of late in the blogosphere and in the opinion pages of what some call our news media as Paul Krugman points out in his Monday N.Y. Times column: Gore Derangement Syndrome .  The truth is, as Krugman says, is what “drives right-wingers insane” about Al Gore, drives them insane about just about every other issue of the day. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A fine post at Dkos by Kossack Turkana turned up a ton of information about Senator Clinton I hadn’t seen previously. The diary itself was about the constant hateful spew of hot air aimed at Senator Clinton. A stream of hatred towards Senator Clinton appears to have become a standard feature on many Democratic or Progressive websites as she continues to gain in the polls. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

(This is an introduction to a longer examination I intend to publish next week. ) If you look at the political advertising on Democratic/Left Political Blogs, including DemDaily, there are few ads from Candidate Campaigns. Only the largest sites, Dkos, MyDD, Atrios etc. draw a few short ad placements from the largest campaigns. You seldom, if ever, see a direct Campaign ad purchased at here at DemDaily or most blogs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In his column today, David Brooks aims for the netroots while holding up the argument that the voters who fall in more of a centrist position hold the key to the ‘08 election. Among Brook's claims is this one which is sure to piss off the netroots: The fact is, many Democratic politicians privately detest the netroots' self-righteousness and bullying. They also know their party has a historic opportunity to pick up disaffected Republicans and moderates, so long as they don't blow it by drifting into cuckoo land. They also know that a Democratic president is going to face challenges from Iran and elsewhere that are going to require hard-line, hawkish responses. Finally, these Democrats understand their victory formula is not brain surgery. You have to be moderate on social issues, activist but not statist on domestic issues and hawkish on foreign policy. This time they're not going to self-destructively deviate from that. Both liberals and Republicans have an interest in exaggerating the netroots' influence, but in reality that influence is surprisingly marginal, even among candidates for whom you'd think it would be strong. Personally, while I may be passionate about the many issues that the netroots are outspoken on, I understand the need for courting the center. Kerry courted the center in ‘04 and the netroots decried the move. The Democratic candidates have the opportunity to pick up perhaps even more "disaffected Republicans and moderates" then in the ‘04 election. The candidates understand that. I think what Brooks misses in his claims about the "netroots' influence" is that this group of outspoken bloggers and activists have helped in some ways to propel many "disaffected Republicans and moderates" towards the truth. The Bush Administration has made a mess of our country, the Iraq War is among it's greatest mistakes and the outcry from the netroots has indeed woken up America to that reality. I'm not one to take the time to decipher a David Brooks column, but Brooks is wrong about the netroots influence. Centrist voters have always and will always play a big role in every election, but clearly it does not take a rocket scientist to see that the netroots have as I said, helped to wake up America. There's discussions in the blogosphere at The Carpetbagger Report; Shakespeare's Sister; Buzz Machine; TalkLeft; Matthew Yglesias and Swampland. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Which wing is your brain? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]