Think We'll Be Spooked by Robert Novak? FAT CHANCE!

Looks like Robert-pay-no-attention-to-the-leaker-behind-the-curtain-Novak is up to his old tricks again. As soon as the Democrats elected Dean as their party chair, he immediately jumped on board the republican-spin-wagon repeating by rote the usual party line on Dean almost as if Rove himself wrote the script:

Dean's a loose cannon. Out of control. The Democratic party is "aimlessly adrift." "Mired in unreality."

One would think that he expects the Democrats to take their talking points from the republican play book. I guess that's what he would think. That has certainly the Dems M.O. in years past. But the election of Dean is an acceptance by Dems that we need to start creating our own agenda and speak to the country from our heart about our values and why they're important to every day people. We can no longer base our platform on just responding to the flaws in the republican propaganda. We must counter their propaganda with truth. Fight back. Clearly state our values. And stand by our values as if our lives depended on it...because it does. I think Dean recognizes this need and will not give an inch to spin-meisters like Novak.

I seriously question the motives of anyone who tests the limits of our national security by revealing the name of an undercover government operative for political purposes. The kind of person who would do this holds no credibility with me and is no one the Democrats should kowtow to. Fear what you have to say, Robert Novak? Fat Chance!

Canoligate

Even Keith Olbermann from MSNBC has started reporting on Gannon-gate. Or is that Guckert-gate? WHATever. When no one else in the mainstream media will report on the republican propaganda machine, Olbermann can always be counted on to bring to the light of day stories that have been floating around on blogs all week.

Election Laws Bill

It looks like Senators Kerry and Clinton have joined forces to propose a bill that would revamp election laws. I think this is good. I haven't actually looked at the legislation, but I would like to see things like making election day a holiday, a paper trail to go along with the electronic machines, more machines in heavily populated area regardless of economic demographic and limits on the role the secretary of state can play in a candidates campaign.

I think we should all (democrat, republican, independent, green, libertarian...etc) support substantive election reform.

Reinventing the Press for Political Reasons

Maureen Dowd, while still awaiting her clearance for a White House press pass, has written an article that susinctly sums up the right wing propaganda machine.

I have really stayed away from writing about the Gannon/Guckert story because I didn't really have very many details about it. I know its been all over the internet, but since I had limited internet access until just recently, I didn't really have the ability to follow the story closely enough to understand the crux of the problem. Now that I have had a chance to read back articles about this issue, I have a clearer understanding.

I have an impossible time believing that the government didn't know who this guy was. According to Dowd, he used his real driver's lisence to get into the press room and then switched identities and went by another name in the press room. Huh? This tells me that the White House Secret Service is allowed to know who he really is, but the rest of the press and the American public are not. What is going on here? If this isn't an example of a known republican operative pushing the republican agenda, I don't know what is. And you mean to tell me that the Secret Service, FBI and White House couldn't find out about his secret life as an escort? I don't buy it.

"With the Bushies, if you're their friend, anything goes. If you're their critic, nothing goes. They're waging a jihad against journalists - buying them off so they'll promote administration programs, trying to put them in jail for doing their jobs and replacing them with ringers. "

Democrats Online II

Please check out this site for the Democratic party. Join Howard Dean in reinforcing the party as a strong political force.

Destroying America's Social Values

This is a great article by Floyd McKay that appeared in the Seattle Times and on CommonDreams.org. It begs the question: If you're willing to destroy America's social values, can you really claim the high ground on moral values?

George W. Bush is one of two radical presidents in my lifetime. The first, Franklin D. Roosevelt, saved the poor and middle classes and built a nation of opportunity. Bush is destroying FDR's legacy and waging class warfare on behalf of wealthy Americans who don't need his help.

Considering that there are over 3,000 references in the Bible for how God expects us to treat the poor and the needy, I think actively dismantling programs meant to bolster the least among us is one of the least Christian things I can think of. You cannot claim to be enforcing moral values and God's will on earth of you are actively persuing policies that are antithetical to His words.

Dean on the Attack

It looks like Howard Dean has come out of the starting gates swinging. He has rebuked remarks made by Stephen Minarik, NY State Republican chairman, for linking democrats to a civil rights lawyer convicted of aiding terrorists. I lifted these quotes from an AP story in Newsday.com.

Calling Stephen Minarik's comments "offensive," the former Vermont governor said, "The American people deserve better than this type of political character assassination."

Way to go Howard. We democrats are sick and tired of being compared to al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations and individuals because we disagree with the Bush administrations policies. And its about time we started hitting back instead of cowering in the corner because we're afraid of what the Bush/Rove dirty tricksters might come up with next. We cannot take accusations of terrorist links laying down.

"Don't accuse the 5.5 million Democrats in this state of treason if you hope to win our votes," said Howard Wolfson, a Democratic consultant and top adviser to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. "And, if you make that mistake again, you best be prepared to make it to my face, because we love this country much too much to allow you to ever question our patriotism."

I hope we continue to see more of this assertive action coming from the democrats over the next couple of years.

I'm baaa--aaack!

Finally, I am moved, sort of unpacked and hooked up to the internet. I may not have my have everything done, but my I have my priorities...internet, coffee pot, cable, kitchen, place to sleep...not necessarily in that order. I will definitely be posting more frequently now that I have a reliable connection to the internet.

Let me begin by saying a big congrats to Howard Dean! I heard his speech this weekend on C-SPAN Radio and it was great. I think we Democrats can expect great things from him and his leadership of the party. I know that I hope he can keep the dems on message and united. We really need to stand up for our values and not be cowed by the other side.