Blog Roll As Of 9/16/06

Instead of a traditional blog roll I've used the RSS feed box in the sidebar to deliver the headlines from the sites I check regularly. The advantage is, obviously, that you can see what each site delivers and go right to an article that interests you. This does have it's problems though. There are several great sites that may not update as frequently and thus won't show up in the box as often. Here's a list of all the sites in my blog roll.

• Blue Buckeye Blog


• Camp Democracy - while it's going on


• CQPolitics


• DailyKos


• Democrats.com Blogs


• Meet the Bloggers


• Mother Jones


• Ohio 2006 Elections


• The Huffington Post


• Think Progress


• TPMmuckraker


• Truthdig

Also I need to mention that there will be little to no posting after Tuesday next week due to having my wisdom teeth removed. Also keep in mind that any posting done after Tuesday will be done under the influence of pain medication so if I say something really stupid cut me some slack.

Bob Ney Pleads Guilty

My former Congressman (before the 2002 redistricting) has plead guilty of conspiring to commit multiple official acts for lobbyists in exchange for things like campaign contributions, golf trips, free meals.

Ney, once a loved Representative that even drew votes from many Democrats, has been steadily losing his good reputation since his ties with lobbyist Jack Abramoff became public knowledge. I believe, however, that he would still win in November if he hadn't of pulled out of the election, though it probably would have been a near thing. That's not to say that people don't care about the scandals, but rather they don't know much of them.

It was also revealed that Ney has checked into an alcohol rehabilitation program.

Bob Ney's Statement:

I have made serious mistakes and am sorry for them. I am very sorry for the pain I have caused to my family, my constituents in Ohio and my colleagues.

I know that this plea agreement will probably forever change the way people view my public service. I regret this very much because I hope and believe that I have helped people through my work, and I hope that someday the good I have tried to do will be measured along side the mistakes I have made. These have been difficult times, and I appreciate more than I can describe the support, encouragement and friendship that people from inside and outside my District have given to me and my family over the past months.

I have gone through a great deal of soul searching recently, and I have come to recognize that a dependence on alcohol has been a problem for me. I am not making any excuses, and I take full responsibility for my actions. Over the years, I have worked to help others, but now I am the one that needs help. I am seeking professional help for this problem I am hopeful that with counseling, time and the support of my family and friends, I will be able to deal with my dependency.

-- WTRF.com

Yesterday Joy Padgett won a special primary to replace Ney as the Republican candidate for Ohio's 18th Congressional district.

Read More: Washington Post

Joy Padgett Wins Special Election

Joy Padgett has won the special election with an amazing 66% percent of the vote.

Results:

630 PRECINCTS OF 630 REPORTING (100%)

768 VOTES - RALPH APPLEGATE (5%)
1,435 VOTES - RAY FEIKERT (10%)
490 VOTES - SAMUEL JERRY FIRMAN (3%)
2,102 VOTES - JAMES BRODBELT HARRIS (15%)
9,451 VOTES - JOY PADGETT (66%)

Source: WTOV9.com

Bob Ney To Plead Guilty

TPMmuckraker is reporting that Bob Ney will plead guilty to corruption charges related to the Jack Abramoff scandal. The announcement comes the same day of a special primary election to choose who will replace Ney as the Republican candidate for Ohio's 18th Congressional district.

John Bolton Nomination Still Up In The Air

UN ambassador John Bolton's nomination seems to be stalled and Republican leaders are scrambling to find some way to keep him in his position. Bill Frist has launched "Blogging For Bolton" and Condoleezza Rice has called Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee (R-R.I.), a critical vote in the committee, in the start of a major lobbying campaign. The Washington Post has an article about options that might be considered should the nomination vote fail.

This could get interesting.

CQ Talks Padgett and Ohio's 18th Congressional District

CQPolitics.com has an article up about the 18th districts special primary to fill the Republican nomination that Bob Ney had held and Joy Padgett.

You can find the article here.

Quote Of The Day

Republicans are breaking ranks with the President over his plan to try alleged terrorists in military tribunals. The plan lead to this quote:

How many more times do we need to create legislation that's defective, that's going to confuse people, that's got not a snowball's chance in hell of passing Supreme Court muster?

-- South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham

Finally Republicans realize that giving Bush what he wants isn't good for the country.

My Problems With The Democratic Party

I'd like to start of by saying that I'm pretty much a Yellow Dog Democrat and about as liberal as they come, but that doesn't mean I can't find fault with the Democratic Party. These are some of my major complaints.

Cut Out The "Cut and Run"

The Democratic Party needs to assure people that Republicans started the whole "cut and run" thing and that they plan on winning in Iraq. We need to turn this around on Republicans by asking things like "Stay what course?" and pointing out that when we make a mess, we clean it up.

Make Room For Moderates

As a liberal I can't believe I'm saying this but we have to stop this whole hardline liberal message. We need moderates, independents, and even Republicans to win elections.

Plan Ahead

I have yet to hear a set plan of what Democrats will do when they get to into office. I know there are plans but they need to be polished and publicized. We found out in 2004 that we can't rely on the anti-Bush vote. Stop criticizing mistakes and tell people exactly how you plan on fixing them.

What Are We Afraid Of?

Why haven't we been there when Republicans have made things partisan? Why do we sit back and let Republicans say Democrats are weak on terror when we could point out how Bill Clinton made it a major issue while Bush ignored it until the 9/11 attacks? Why don't we ask where Osama bin-Laden is 5 years after Bush said we would catch him dead or alive? The Republicans aren't afraid to compare us to Nazi sympathizers so why can't we point out the truth that Republicans lied us into war and used that war to award no-bid contracts to some of their rich friends?

CQ Politics Predictions For Ohio Swinging Democratic

CQPolitics.com has changed its predictions for Ohio's Governor and Senate races.

The Governor race, previously down as "No Clear Favorite", is now in the "Leans Democratic". The Senate seat moved from "Leans Republican" to "No Clear Favorite".

Article here.

Major Coingate Figure Going To Jail... For Something Else

Tom Noe was sentenced to two years on prison yesterday for illegally funneling $45,000 into President Bush's re-election campaign by giving money to friends and family to donate . Noe is also accused of embezzling at least one million dollars from the $50 million rare coin investment he had managed for Ohio's worker's compensation fund.

So really it's possible that he was illegally sending Ohio's money to the Bush campaign.

More at MSNBC.

Always Check Your Facts Before Trying To Protest

Ken Blackwell's official campaign blogger, Matt Naugle, attended a "Republicans for Strickland" press conference and made a fool out of himself. He sent a message to Charles Saxbe, son of Nixon Attorney General William Saxbe, saying ""that his father would be rolling over in his grave if he knew he was supporting Strickland”. One problem, William Saxbe isn't dead. Charles later came out to speak and told the story of what had happened earlier and went on to say “When I spoke to my father this morning, he didn’t seem to be too upset about it.”.

Naugle was removed from the event and responded by saying “Go Fuck Yourself”.

Source: Blue Buckeye Blog, the Ohio Democratic Party's Blog.

MSNBC Posts Employee's Anthrax Survival Story

MSNBC has posted the story of the Tom Brokaw aide that was infected on the 2001 Anthrax attacks.

Casey Chamberlain was working for 'NBC Nightly News' Anchor Tom Brokaw in Sept. 2001. She first opened the anthrax-laced letter sent to the anchorman and fell seriously ill as a result. This is her story, in her own words.

It's a very interesting story and I highly recommend it.

On Oct. 12, having planned on heading into the office late after an appointment, I was surprised to hear from one of my bosses early in the morning. She asked that I head into the office as soon as possible. Immediately, I knew there was something about the letter that was terribly wrong. I soon learned why I had been sick — anthrax poisoning. Like Mr. Brokaw’s assistant, I had contracted cutaneous anthrax.

-- Casey Chamberlain

The full story can be found here.

Free Anti-Bush Song on iTunes

This has been up for a long time (at least a few months) but I forgot all about it. The iTunes music store has a free song from Indie artist Bright Eyes called "When The President Talks To God".

Lyrics:

When the president talks to God
Are the conversations brief or long?
Does he ask to rape our women’s' rights
And send poor farm kids off to die?
Does God suggest an oil hike
When the president talks to God?

When the president talks to God
Are the consonants all hard or soft?
Is he resolute all down the line?
Is every issue black or white?
Does what God say ever change his mind
When the president talks to God?

When the president talks to God
Does he fake that drawl or merely nod?
Agree which convicts should be killed?
Where prisons should be built and filled?
Which voter fraud must be concealed
When the president talks to God?

When the president talks to God
I wonder which one plays the better cop
We should find some jobs. the ghetto's broke
No, they're lazy, George, I say we don't
Just give 'em more liquor stores and dirty coke
That's what God recommends

When the president talks to God
Do they drink near beer and go play golf
While they pick which countries to invade
Which Muslim souls still can be saved?
I guess god just calls a spade a spade
When the president talks to God

When the president talks to God
Does he ever think that maybe he's not?
That that voice is just inside his head
When he kneels next to the presidential bed
Does he ever smell his own bullshit
When the president talks to God?

I doubt it

I doubt it

Republicans For Strickland Launches

Ted Strickland launched Republicans for Strickland today. Sure, it doesn't seem that exciting compared to the launch of iTunes 7 (which sounds awesome, I'm downloading it now) but it's still important. Announcement email text below

Today, we’re announcing the launch of Republicans for Strickland, a grassroots group of Republicans who have chosen to support Ted to be Ohio’s next governor.
Beginning officially today with a press conference at the Statehouse, Republicans for Strickland draws together Republicans from across the state who are truly ready for a change in our state government. These people have chosen to cross party lines and support Ted’s sensible plan to TurnAround Ohio.

You can visit the Republicans for Strickland page here:

http://www.tedstrickland.com/republicans

If you’re a Republican for Strickland, please add your name to the list of supporters by clicking above. If you know a Republican for Strickland, please invite them to join the thousands of Republicans across the state who are going to support Ted on November 7th!

http://www.tedstrickland.com/page/invite/republicans

Ted is enjoying growing support from every corner – and every political persuasion – of Ohio. Help Ted continue down the path to victory today!

It's So Much Worse The Second Time...

Today I watched MSNBC's rebroadcast of the 9/11/01 Today Show and it literally made me sick. It's so strange to look back at how little we knew when the attacks were going on compared to how much we know now. I had printed a timeline out and had it with me as I watched. It was so strange listening to Katie Couric talk to NBC's Pentagon correspondent about the New York attacks when you know that another plane is about to be hijacked and ran into the Pentagon.

Probably the worst moment was when I saw the clock say 9:58 and I looked to see what was next on the timeline. I read the line:

9:59:04 The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses, 55 minutes 51 seconds after the impact of Flight 175.

I look up just in time to see the event unfold on the screen before the view is completely blocked by dust and debris. The anchors talked about how a piece of the south tower just fell and speculating about whether or not the towers could be repaired or would have to be torn down.

The Election Is Coming Up Fast

I received an election announcement card in the mail today and I just want to share the disclaimer with the rest of Ohio.

Disclaimer on Card:

Voters must bring identification to the polls in order to verify identity. Identification may include a current and valid photo identification, a military identification that shows the voter's name and current address, or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document, other than this reminder or a voter registration notification, that shows the voter's name and current address. Voters who do not provide one of these documents will still be able to vote by providing the last four digits of the voter's social security number and by casting a provisional ballot. Voters who do not have any of the above forms of identification, including a social security number, will still be able to vote by signing an affirmation swearing to the voter's identity under penalty of election falsification and by casting a provisional ballot.

Where Were You On The Morning Of 9/11/01?

Around our house we have a book a letters to Dear Abby called "Where Were You When President Kennedy Was Shot?". The letters are from all over the country answering that very question. Today, the 5th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 2001, I'd like to ask what your story was. Where were you on 9/11/2001?

My Story

It was my freshman year of high school and it just happened to be school picture day. As freshmen we were first and we were all gathered together in the school auditorium talking amongst ourselves when my friend Ben Jones comes walking up and yells "China's Bombing Us!" in a joking tone. He goes on to say that he heard that a plane crashed into the World Trade Center but at that point no one had seen the TV coverage so we assumed a small plane. I knew about the '93 bombing and wondered if it might have been a bomb but as the talk turned to things like "You don't want to die a virgin" and such I brushed it off, thinking if we can joke about it then it can't be that bad.

I finally had my picture taken and went to English. Going through the door I noticed the TV was on and showing a smoking Trade Center tower. I just froze staring at the screen and to my horror another plane came and struck the other tower. I still don't know if that was a replay or a live shot. I slowly went to my seat and someone near me said "what's going on?" and all I could say was "Osama bin-Laden". I'd seen him on the news, I knew he was behind the '93 attempt. I'd even been in Washington D.C. with my family when Bill Clinton bombed Afghanistan and Sudan in retaliation for the embassy bombings. We later heard about the Pentagon and the Pennsylvania crash. We watched as both towers fell and the speculation as to what happened on the TV. As the day went on it seemed more and more likely that I had been right. I didn't want to be right.

The day continued on in a daze for the entire school and I really can't remember much until my last class. My eight period class was Algebra I taught by a teacher who could best be described as a nerd. Glasses, pocket shirts, great with computers, always covered in chalk dust, and amazingly smart - he fit all the stereotypes. When we went in he was on his computer searching for webcam footage in New York as he didn't have a TV in his room and the news sites were flooded. I suggested he stop looking for one one The Empire State Building and instead go for the World Trade Centers site. I guess I thought they might have their servers off site and maybe had a webcam on one of the smaller building. He looked at me and said "I already tried that, the site's down... Literally" He wasn't really concentrating on what he was saying. Slowly we all kind of laughed. It wasn't funny but still laughed. In that moment life seemed to start back up.

There you have it, my story. Now I want to hear yours.

MSNBC Today Show 9/11/01 Rebroadcast

Just a quick note, MSNBC will do a real time rebroadcast of the September 11th, 2001 Today show starting at 8:30 A.M. Eastern.

September 11th, 2001: A Timeline

There are several informative time lines showing the event's of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks. Here are two of the best:

• CNN


• Wikipedia

Blackwell Does A Push Poll

Today my mother received an interesting automated poll today. Among the questions (there were around 5) was something like "Would you vote for Ted Strickland if you knew he supported liberal judges in a vote to remove the words 'under God' from the Pledge of Allegiance?". It's worth mentioning that Ted Strickland is a United Methodist Minister.

Found: Statement Pulled From ABC "Path to 9/11" Blog

The following statement had been posted to the ABC "Path to 9/11" blog on 9/8/06 but was pulled down later that day. It turns out the permalink still worked. They did edit it a little, however. The original signature mentioned something about being the maker of Syriana, An Inconvenient Truth, and Goodnight and Good Luck. I can't remember what the original signature was but I don't think it was Chris Salvaterra (who was involved with Goodnight and Good Luck) but rather a company name. Sadly Google never cached the page.

Looking Inward

I, along with several of my colleagues, have seen “The Path to 9/11” in its entirety. I think that it is absolutely essential viewing, a stunning portrayal of events leading up to September 11, 2001. It is certainly a critical look, as 9/11 could and should have been avoided. One could say that about any tragedy; but, in my view, “The Path to 9/11” is not about pointing fingers. It is about looking inward and looking to the future. The intent of the story is to highlight the fact that our follow-up to the events of 9/11, as outlined by the Commission, has been abysmal. For that, we are all responsible. This is not a partisan issue. To take sides and place blame, in my opinion, is to miss the point of “The Path to 9/11”. The path leading to September 11th can’t be changed; the future can be. Please watch this incredible work and take action – not by pointing fingers, but by demanding attention to the open issues threatening the safety of our country.
Chris Salvaterra

Cheney Resorts To Textbook Fascism

On the heels of the Rumsfeld controversy, Vice-President Dick Cheney pulled yet another reiteration of the classic "you're either with us or against us" line today on Meet The Press. The statement below is exactly the sort of thing I was talking about when I said it was reprehensible for politicians to use the "what kind of message are we sending to our troops" line to shield failures and bad policy.

Vice President Cheney said today that the ongoing national debate over the war in Iraq is emboldening adversaries to believe they can undermine the resolve of the American people to complete the U.S. mission in Iraq and Afghanistan.

-- Washington Post

But just think, if Democrats can take the House in November we're only a pretzel and some Viagra away from the Presidency. Relax I'm just kidding.

Define Irony: Flashback 9/17/01

The following quote is from 'Dead or Alive': Bush Unveils Wild West Rhetoric, a 9/17/01 article in the Washington Post.

In a news conference, Ashcroft called on Congress to change surveillance laws to allow federal agents to assign a wiretap to an invidual [sic], not merely to a specific phone number. He also said agents should be allowed to obtain nationwide wiretap authority for a given suspect, rather than having to seek such authority state-by-state.

"In our effort to make sure that law enforcement can gain the intelligence that it needs in order to protect America, we are also mindful of our responsibility to protect the rights and privacy of Americans," Ashcroft said. He also assigned 300 deputy U.S. Marshals to help FBI agents hunt terrorists, and he posted other armed marshals on commercial flights throughout the country.

Looking back at the NSA program they were starting up it seems that they weren't all that mindful of their "responsibility to protect the rights and privacy of Americans" after all.

DailyKos Diary About ABC Boycott

A user on DailyKos has posted a good diary about boycotting ABC. Check it out.

To stop watching ABC shows is mostly pointless. Unless some technology I am unfamiliar with has changed recently, no one can really tell what station you are watching unless you've got a Neilson Box. So boycotting ABC television will make no difference to ABC or Disney. It would be far more productive to watch their shows, write down each of their advertisers, and then make a point of avoiding whatever companies, products and services that you can. Even more effective is to let those advertisers know that you are not using their products and why, and do it often. Concentrate on local advertisers (they are much more susceptible to this sort of pressure). Of course, many people (me included) will stop watching some or all of ABC stuff just because it makes us feel better, but don't fall into the trap of thinking it does any good.

Dick Cheney Misses The Point

On Meet The Press this morning Vice-President Dick Cheney said that we would have invaded Iraq even if we knew they didn't have weapons of mass destruction. Does he really think Congress would have authorized a war in Iraq, while we were still committed to Afghanistan, over a situation that was the same as it had been for years?

How can the Bush Administration still claim their focused on National Security when they:

• Break the law to trample rights by ignoring FISA to set up the NSA wiretap program.
  
• Take America in to an unrelated war in Iraq 18 months after America was attacked over claims that have now been proved false.
  
• Have failed to capture Osama bin-Laden in the 5 years since the attacks.
  
• Have alienated us from the rest of the world by their complete disregard for other countries wishes (see Freedom Fries, Kyoto Protocol).

Honestly, it's time for a change. There has to be a course before we stay on it.

Path to 9/11 Airs in New Zealand

Americablog is reporting that "Path to 9/11", ABC's fictional documentary, has ran in New Zealand with the the inaccurate scenes. Though the blog annoyingly keeps mentioning lawsuits (we get the point, we got it 60 posts back) it's still worth a read.

ABC Docudrama Is Retaliation?

Think Progress is reporting that John Lehman (R), a member of the 9/11 Commission, made the statement below about ABC's "Path to 9/11".

I think that it certainly should go forward. I’m told it’s equally harsh against the Bush administration, in fact, both Bush administrations and even back to Reagan for not retaliating against early strikes, so absolutely it should go forward, and if you don’t like the hits to the Clinton administration, well, welcome to the club. Republicans have lived with Michael Moore and Oliver Stone and most of Hollywood as a fact of life.

The problem with that statement is Michael Moore at least tried to tell the truth.

Check out Think Progress for more news and a video of the remark.