Psssttt....Do Something

Please sign the Petition from Whenthesaints.org that urges the United States Senate to pass Senator Dodd's Gulf Coast Recovery Bill of 2007 (S1668) to assist the Gulf Coast region in rebuilding the infrastructure lost after the Katrina and Rita disasters.

Passage of this bill is an important step towards returning the Gulf Coast residents to their homes.

The People of New Orleans

On Wednesday, protesters planned to march from the obliterated Lower 9th Ward to Congo Square, a venerable spot where slaves were able to celebrate their culture. Accompanied by brass bands and wielding megaphones, they will again try to spread their message that the government has failed to help people return.

The people are still not OK posts Ashley Morris, a native of New Orleans. Her post includes letters and facts. Well worth reading.

More $$$ for Iraq War??

Bush is preparing to ask Congress for as much as $50 billion in additional funding for the war in Iraq.

The request signals increasing White House confidence that it can fend off mounting congressional pressure to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, the Post reported.

Justice Denied!

Worth Reading Senators!

Dems should fight tooth and nail

Digby, unsurprisingly:

Either way, it won't be surprising if the Dems opt to quickly pass through anyone Bush puts up because Bush is such a lame duck. That would be a terrible mistake. They should fight tooth and nail and use the opportunity to highlight the fact that the entire upper echelon of the Department of Justice has resigned under a cloud of scandal. Part of being held accountable is being held accountable by the voters and the congress must make that case using every tool at their disposal. If we want to drive the stake through the GOP zombie, the modern Republican party must be thoroughly discredited in the eyes of the public. Any chance they get to keep this on the public stage, with hearings and press conferences and constitutional challenges is another chance to pound it into the electorate that these people are authoritarian crooks.

Gonzo and Rove going now is another delaying tactic. The Democrats should ratchet up the pressure instead of ratcheting it down, which is clearly what the white house is going to be attempting to do.

Gonzo is a Goner!!

The PEOPLE did it!

The People played a major role in causing Gonzales to cave. You signed petitions calling for Gonzales to go. You helped by donating money to DFA to run media ads and newspaper ads. And finally, you delivered your powerful message to the Members of Congress by phone, through email and in person.

Tell your senators that they must insist on an attorney general who will represent the interests of the American people and defend the Constitution!

Please sign the Petition to your Senators!

And this is what "they" had to say about the resignation of Gonzales.

Katrina Remember

Jane Hamsher has an excellent post up about Hurricane Katrina.

Barack Obama has said, now that we approach the second anniversary the following:

America failed the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast long before that failure showed up on our television sets. America failed them again during Katrina. We cannot -- we must not -- fail for a third time. But tragically, that's what's happening today. And that's what needs to change. I am here to remember this, but also to look ahead. We need to rebuild this city. And we need to tend to the foundation that we rebuild upon.

This is the first post of many, because with 2 years since we watched as people died and very little accomplished for the black communities, we should never forget.

Early Sunday Morning

What are you doing today?

Why We Need To Start Worrying

Why we need to start worrying

and learn to love nuclear disarmament.

Back in 1959 when I was twelve years old the movie "On the Beach" came out. I was aware of what it was about and chose not to see it because I knew how disturbing it would be to watch the slow end of the human race which resulted from a nuclear war. We were still pretty close in time to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were versed in and not jaded about mega tonnage and would carry the anxiety of having "become death, destroyer of worlds" for the rest of our lives.

Last night I happened upon a remake of that movie on TV, on some channel on cable I don't remember seeing before identified as "Ion", which is weird. It was made in 2000. I watched it and forty eight years later it was just as disturbing as I imagined it would be back in 1959.

I have no idea if it is great movie making but the message is so strong it doesn't matter. I recommend it. In particular I recommend it to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney and all the other chickenhawks out there who like to say "nothing is off the table". And to all people who have friends or family who they would prefer not see disappear into dust or die from leukemia... I recommend it to all who think nuclear weapons in the hands of any country is healthy, for those who seem not to be worried by Mr. Bush's disdain for nonproliferation and for all those red faced red staters with their pocket protectors and 3D glasses who think such a holocaust would be survived by anyone.

~ Gregg

On the beach, at night,

Stands a child, with her father,

Watching the east, the autumn sky.

...

From the beach, the child, holding the hand of her father,

Those burial-clouds that lower, victorious, soon to devour all,

Watching, silently weeps.

~ Walt Whitman

Unchecked Surveillance

TPM has the article about the "revised" FISA bill Congress handed to Bush.

Israel to turn away Darfur refugees

Here is the story.

Strong Earthquake in Peru

A powerful earthquake shook Peru's coast near the capital on Wednesday, reportedly killing at least 17 people as it toppled buildings and caused many residents to flee homes. Authorities said the quake had generated a small tsunami but it wasn't destructive.

Share what you know

about the Candidates running for US Senate on the Democratic Line in:

Alabama against Jeff Sessions
Alaska against Ted Stevens
Colorado against Wayne Allard
Georgia against Saxby Chambliss
Idaho against Larry Craig
Kansas against Pat Roberts
Kentucky against Mitch McConnell
Tom Allen, Maine against Susan Collins
Al Franken, Minnesota against Norm Coleman
Mississippi against Thad Cochran
Nebraska against Chuck Hagel
New Hampshire against John E. Sununu
New Mexico against Pete Domenici
North Carolina against Elizabeth Dole
Oregon against Gordon Smith
Oklahoma against James Inhofe
South Carolina against Lindsay Graham
Tennessee against Lamar Alexandar
Texas against John Cornyn
Virginia against John Warner
Wyoming against Michael Enzi
Wyoming against Appointed John Barrasso

Rover to Resign

WSJ has the story.

Oh in case your wondering, when asked about his mistakes. Rove answered:

"I'll put my feet up in September and think about that."

Kid Sally Presents...

Jon Powers. Running for US Congress in NY-26.

While leading his soldiers through one of Baghdad’s most volatile sectors, Capt. Powers witnessed firsthand the devastation and lost opportunities that resulted from the Bush Administration’s mismanagement and lack of planning for post-invasion Iraq. He saw how his and his fellow soldiers’ idealism, dedication and patriotism were dishonored by a government that sent them to war without proper equipment, training or forethought.

Those Sleazy...

TPMmuckraker has the latest.

A Tree Falls in Brooklyn

Strange weather they are having.

AFL-CIO Debate

"Leaders of the labor organization recognize the importance of candidates who stand on principle rather than merely engage in political calculations" says John Nichols.

TPM has more about the AFL-CIO not immediately endorsing any of the Democratic presidential candidates in next year's primary.

Mitt needs his sons

Steven Benen has a good post on the whole Romney answer - regarding why his sons are not enlisted.

Worth reading also is this comment.

Kid Sally is not wondering...

She likes what she sees.Last year, Scott Kleeb ran for US Congress in the Nebraska's 3rd district. He lost by a very small major. His campaign was one of those races that was attacked by "a barrage of automated telephone calls to voters. The unauthorized calls, officials said, distorted Mr. Kleeb’s views and even used a recording of his voice — sometimes arriving in the middle of the night — with the greeting: “Hi, this is Scott Kleeb!”

The good news is that Scott is running again in 2008. Just read the endorsement he received last October from Omaha World Herald.

Hat tip to Eli.

The Fear of Fear Itself

From the New York Times Editorial:

It was appalling to watch over the last few days as Congress — now led by Democrats — caved in to yet another unnecessary and dangerous expansion of President Bush’s powers, this time to spy on Americans in violation of basic constitutional rights. Many of the 16 Democrats in the Senate and 41 in the House who voted for the bill said that they had acted in the name of national security, but the only security at play was their job security.

[...]

The Democratic majority has made strides on other issues like children’s health insurance against White House opposition. As important as these measures are, they do not excuse the Democrats from remedying the damage Mr. Bush has done to civil liberties and the Bill of Rights. That is their most important duty.

Steven Benen has more.