A Likely Story!

Change vs. Experience

Some out there say our next President has to bring 'experience' to the table. Others say change is what's needed most.

My 2 cents?

If this is the effect of experience, I'll take change ANY day.

Gobama!

Politics of Service

Ever feel like you want to do something good for your community, but are not sure where to start? Or say you are a Progressive Liberal or Dem or someone who follows that way of thinking and you also want to get involved...but maybe not involved in a campaign and certainly not for the whole campaign season?

If you fall within those parameters, check this out.

Erin Egan ( a friend I met thru Drinking Liberally) who along with Jason represents Democrats Work is looking for some locals to get involved with their cause. If you have some spare weekend time, please check them out. If you can't help asap, no worries. Please sign up anyway and help when you can.

Thanks!

Heading Into The Home Stretch

Tomorrow is election day. Love it or hate it, it's when we try to change what has not worked and hope for a new future in which something will work...unless the Diebold machines beat us to it. Sorry, I'm from Palm Beach County FL, you need to humor me when it comes to voting machines. I have personal experience with the Diebold machines.

Did a fair amount of canvassing for Ed Perlmutter on Saturday and Sunday and switched to phone banking in the late afternoon/evening. It was great meeting new canvass buddies, enjoying the gorgeous Fall weather, and go figure that certain parts of Arvada have really steep hills that made me realize how out-of-shape I am.

There was one registered voter that is really in a quandry on who to vote for. Immigration is his sore spot, since he has had his house, vehicles, property vandalized by the illegal immigrants in his neighborhood. I realize that a person's perspective is their reality, but in his mind Illegal Immigration is the highlight of this campaign. We went back and forth about who is the better candidate until he said that he called Beauprez personally and Beauprez promised a vote for him would improve the situation. He didn't say how or why, just that the caller should trust him.

So my response was 'what has Beauprez done SINCE he's been in office. The immigration problem didn't start over night.'.

He didn't have an answer for me.

Take that same question to a national level. The Republicans have been in power for 6 years. Both House and Senate. What good have they done? Anyone?? Ok, Bush did back up the end of Daylight Savings time for a couple of weeks. Give credit where credit is due, I know. But anything else?

Found this on my friend Amanda's MySpace page. Sometimes it's good to take a trip down memory lane to remind us of how far we have...or have not...come.

To be a Republican today, you must believe:

Jesus loves you and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush I made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find bin Laden" diversion.

Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then demand their cooperation, money and men.

Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health care to all Americans is socialism.

HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.

Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense, but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George W. Bush's driving record is none of our business.

Bill Clinton spent 8 years trying to secretly kill Osama Bin Laden without taking the lives of thousands of innocent people and American soldiers. He is accused of doing nothing and being the bad guy. Bush has spent 5 years trying to openly kill Osama Bin Laden while taking the lives of thousands of innocent people and American soldiers and invading two separate countries to do it, but he is a good guy.

Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.

What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.

VOTE ON NOV. 7 (THAT'S TOMORROW). YOUR LIFE (AND CIVIL LIBERTIES) DEPENDS ON IT.

Read All About It

I've not been happy with the current administration since...well, since they became the current administation.

From rigging the election in 2000 to today's report of the RNC placing misleading Robo-calls intended to smear Dems running for office, I've not been happy with the whole gang.

Seems I'm not the only one.

NY Times editorial.

What's it gonna take to get these clowns out of office?

Just When You Think You've Heard It All...

...you go and read something like THIS and you get pissed all over again.

This diary was written by Michael Schiavo....Terri Schiavo's husband.

Who among us should know better than Michael? His personal life and the life of his wife were violated by the current administration running the country (into the ground I want to add).

Like the popular bumpersticker says, 'If you're not pissed yet, you haven't been paying attention'.

I got pissed enough from reading this diary to donate some cash to Angie Paccione's campaign. Am not rolling in money..far from it...but when evil lives in your own backyard, you need to do everything in your power to defeat the danger that is Marilyn Musgrave.

Feel like donating to Angie or any of our other local candidates? Check out the links on my sidebar.

Two New Links

One organization I passionately support is NARAL.

Also discovered a new Colorado-based organization called Choice Vote Colorado that's just developed an on-line presence.

It disturbs me to no end that Bill Ritter has not responded to Choice Vote Colorado's poll regarding voting Pro-Choice. It might be a minor point to others, but it is a major sticking point with me. So, I'm calling his office over the weekend to see who I can chat with and see what their rationale is for him not responding to the poll. I know that Ritter is Catholic and is personally Anti-Choice. That's his right.

As my potential governor, I want to make sure that if my birth control glitches and I wind up pregnant (it does happen!), I'll be able to safely and legally have an abortion. Or get EC without getting any grief from a holier-than-thou pharmacist. Which also happens. You'd think that in this day and age there would be no question whatsoever on this issue.

Sadly, we've not come as far as we should have.

UPDATE :

Called Ritter's office and spoke with one of his staffers. She was very pleasant and tried to help me but since I had already read Bill's statement page and still had questions, she said she'd have a staffer get back to me.

Here is a copy of the follow up letter I emailed to the campaign :

Hello!

I spoke with Liz Broder this afternoon, trying to get some information on why Bill did not respond to the Choice Colorado PAC questionnaire on Abortion Rights.

While chatting with Liz (who was very pleasant and professional, by the way!) she directed me to Bill's statement page. I am aware of the statement page and while it all sounds good, the fact that Bill has not answered the questionnaire gives me cause for concern.

Actions DO speak louder than words.

Have enclosed a link to my blog where I posted about this issue. Several of my readers are waiting to hear what the response will be from the Issues Staff, as am I.

http://alikelystory.blogs.com/a_likely_story/2006/10/two_new_links.html

Regards,

So there ya go. Will keep you posted as to when and what I hear back.

34 Talking Points

Rarely, if ever, do I post an entire article. This demands an exception.

34 talking points for Dems. In case they decide they want to govern again.

by Jay Esbe

OP ED NEWS

1. Is the United States safer without it's allies?

2. Is the United States safer with it's military decimated and trapped in Iraq losing a batallion a month?

3. Is the United States safer with the entire Arab world enraged on account of an illegal war?

4. Did Bush get Bin Laden?

5. Is the United States safer with the Taliban back in Afghanistan and not enough troops because of Iraq?

6. Was America prepared on September 10th 2001 with Bush explicitly warned and supposedly in charge?

7. Was New Orleans safer with Bush in charge?

8. Do you like being told that if you don't support Republicans, you're "on the side of the terrorists"?

9. Did Bush "solve the middle east problem" or is it now erupting in flames?

10. Do you feel safer when Republicans cut port security bugets?

11. Did it tell you something when Bush tried to turn New York/New Jersey port security over to an Arab company?

12. Does it tell you something that the same Arab company is still in charge of New York/New Jersey port security 6 months after the arrangement was supposedly banned by congress?

13. Do you wonder why Bush opposed the creation of the 9-11 commission?

14. Do you wonder why he immediately hired a personal attorney after 9-11?

15. Do you wonder why Bush and Cheney REFUSED to be sworn in to swear to tell the truth when questioned by Congress about 9-11?

16. Did you liked being lied to 237 times to "justify" attacking Iraq?

17. Do you think a man who was willing to lie 237 times to attack a country which never attacked us, and to kill a hundred thousand innocent people in Iraq, might have been willing to kill three thousand people in New York city to "justify" doing what he wanted to do?

18. Do you think letting a thousand illegal aliens a day cross our border while confiscating your shampoo at the airport is a legitimate national security policy?

19. Do you think declaring there are "no symbols of national significance" in New York in order to justify cutting proposed anti-terrorism funding is a legitimate national security policy?

20. Do you like the 20,000 Iraq casualties for NOTHING; no WMD, no democracy, no peace, only increasing chaos and death?

21. Do you like starting unnecessary wars and then LOSING them?

22. Do you approve of remaining in a lost cause and watching our soldiers die only to protect Republican politicians from admitting the obvious defeat which has taken place?

23. Republicans have controlled all 3 branches of government for 6 years, who then is responsible for all this?

24. Do you think keeping the people who've lied and repeatedly failed national security on the job, to fix what they broke, is smart?

25. Do you like living in the most hated nation on earth now?

26. Do you like having a religious delusional who claimed ""God"" told him to strike at Saddam", with his finger on the nuclear button?

27. Would you like the United States to attack Iran on false WMD pretenses too? "Fool me once....": Bush couldn't even finish the sentance correctly, can you?

28. Do you want a man who believes Armageddon is "necessary" to fulfill his religious beliefs?

29. Do you want two more years of this nightmare?
30. Would you like Bush and Cheney re-questioned about 9-11 and compelled to answer under oath?

31. Had enough fear?

32. Had enough abuse of power, contempt of congress, violations of the Constitution, violations of the court, arrests, indefinite detainment, and torture without trial?

33. Had enough of being ashamed of your own country, all on account of a few contemptible criminals?

34. Tired of being held hostage to elevated terror alerts before elections and having your patriotism questioned when you notice they're compulsive liars?

If you have had enough, realize that the ONLY way to change this disastrous course, is to elect Democratic representatives who will act to remove Bush from office. A vote for ANY Republican anywhere, is a vote for more of the disasters you've already seen and worse to come.

Jay Esbe is a writer with a background in cultural anthropology and comparative religion and lives in Seattle Washington.

'Cut And Run'...

...that's what Karl Rove said the Democrats are doing (via Meet The Press).

Rove sez that Dems that voted for the war are now advocating we  'cut and run'.

Karl, Karl, Karl.

In case you don't remember, those Democrats actually believed that guy you put in the White House when he made a compelling case for going to war. They stood in line behind their Commander-in-Chief.

Of course, that's before we all found out that there were no WMD's and Bush Jr. was basically going after Saddam cause Saddam tried to kill his dad. Grudge match, if you will. So yeah, Bush lies and now that we see the light  that changes things. Truth can do that, you know. Or maybe you don't.

We all know that Bush is a lame duck President...he's on his way out. Some would say he's been a lame President from the get go. C'mon George, try stepping up and being a leader at least once in your 8 (4 of which were stolen) year Presidency. Get us out of Iraq. The troops deserve better. We deserve better from you.

Here's your chance to do something right for a change.

It's not called 'cutting and running'...it's called bringing them home.

One More Thing That's Right About America

Just say no to hate-based doctrine.

By the way, has Osama Bin Laden been found yet?

Evil Is All Around US

A promo for Yearly Kos. (if viewing in IE, scroll down 1/2 way on both pages)

Sign of the devil? More like proof of the devil...or devils, as the case may be.