I grew up reading comic books wanting to be a superhero. Comics taught me that those who speak the truth are heroes, all the rest are liars.

Friday, September 29, 2006

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Bin Thinking? Red Shirts, Bin Laden, Dubya Supporters

The Red Shirts Are Coming…
While GOP bloggers are ape slapping each other’s hairy chests regarding the GOP convention coming to MN, I’d like to point out…MN is more blue than red. Minnesota Politics sums it…

"Carping about taxes or talking about the horrors of the gay are not what Minnesotans want to hear, which is why Republicans have not taken over yet, and won't if Republicans don't remember what they used to stand for. Since I don't see that happening anytime soon, the RNC shouldn't expect too many dividends from choosing the Twin Cities for its next convention."

Bin Laden? Probably dead, again…
Is it just me or is this beginning to take on a comic book reality? And why do we only ask were he is when it's election time?

Who are these people that still support Dubya and why? This study answered some of my questions: In their 2003 study, "Political Conservatism as Motivated Social Cognition," researchers John Jost, Jack Glaser, Arie Kruglanski and Frank Sulloway offered some insights from the field of social psychology as to why Bush supporters may hold the beliefs they do, and cling to them with such tenacity…

Jost and his colleagues found that the following psychological factors were correlated with conservative political beliefs:

  • Anxiety about death
  • Dogmatism
  • Needs for order, structure, and "cognitive closure" -- the need for a firm belief on a given topic

Factors with negative correlation to conservative political beliefs included:

  • Openness to experience
  • Tolerance of uncertainty
  • Self esteem

The researchers also found that perceived threats from "system instability," such as economic decline, increased crime, or civil disturbance, correlated with conservative political beliefs.

On a more personally level you can't convince me that they are sane or rational. After seeing and experiencing the war, massive spending deficit, uncontrolled government expansion, major cuts in every community, educational and infrastructure program, and major windfalls to big businesses and the wealthiest 2% of Americans, voting Bu$h and GOP is like voting for a slow, painful, suicide of American dreams and values. It's just plain wrong.

And lastly, Death Takes a Holiday: I linked to itsy bitsy yellow polka dot bikini (mpg) as the deathbeeper incorrectly told me Paul was dead...They were right and wrong...Paul is dead...just not the correct one!
NOT DEAD: REAL 'ITSY BITSY' SONGWRITER ALIVE http://deathbeeper.com/9397227.html

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Protest John Kline's 'Torture Bill'

Calling all CD2 activists and friends:
Protest against Rep. John Kline's 'Torture Bill' tomorrow morning..Thursday (9/28) from 7-9 a.m. at John Kline's office.: 101 W. Burnsville Pkwy #20,

Bring your own sign..be creative. Suggestions:“Kline Sponsored Torture Bill" “Tell XXX NO to Torture” “Call Rep. Kline: 952-808-1261".

DJK has a summary on Kline's torture bill.

I don’t think you know that that word really means

Continually the right wing tries to use the word “Independent” as a word to describe themselves. First we have Mark Kennedy, who is running away from Bush as fast as he can, and now we have one of Kennedy Staffers (Michael Brodkorb - aka MDE) running away from his connections with Kennedy. Don’t any of them want to stand up for each other?

Mark Kennedy is scared of Bush and Michael Brodkorb is afraid of Mark Kennedy (but is happy to take his money as long as he does not have to be called one of his staffers). I do understand their repulsion, it is well deserved, but really, they are supposed to be on the same team aren’t they? I am just waiting for Tim Pawlenty (another shrill republican who is slimy enough to try and slip away from Bush et all, even though he is a crony to Bush like Kennedy is) to diss both of these guys (again who are supposed to be on the same team) and call them weenies.

The main lesson here, is for the “real” journalist who mine MDE for spin, they should really think twice now. He is nothing but a press release Staffer for Mark Kennedy, who is stuck to Bush, the “War,” and the rest of that failed presidency no matter how hard he tries to run.

“Independent” does not mean what they think it does.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The GOP Convention is Coming...cover your babies eyes, hide the chads, and start making signs now!

Good News, my family and friends won't have far to go in bailing me out of jail, and I'll probably know most the cops! Plus I won't have to figure out how to get all those protest signs through airport security...all in all, I think I can handle this...barely.

Morning Thoughts: Kline, Brodkorb, Wardlow and Polka Dot Bikini

A Lakeville dad has a story to tell…read it! See the chart!
There's lots of bad ass criminal rethugs out there and Rep. John Kline seems to have taken money from or given money to them all!

IMP has a cookie crumb from Rep. Lynn Wardlow (SD38) on Brodkorb…

Right! Brodkorb isn’t involved…right!

Maybe if Rep. Wardlow closes his eyes, click his ruby slippers together and says long enough:
“I don’t know what Mike Brodkorb the chair in my senate district, and MDE blogger does”…just maybe... flying monkeys will believe it!

Either Wardlow is totally out of touch with reality or he lies...take your pick.

...in memory of Paul...
Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Playing Games With The Media?


One of these things just doesn't belong.
Can you tell which thing is not like the others by the time i finish my song?
Did you guess which thing was not like the others?
Did you guess which thing just doesn't belong?
If you guessed the u.s. cover is not like the others, then you're absolutely...right!

the
carpetbagger, rising hegemon, and altenate brain have more on this story.

And you say the 'liberal' media doesn't 'kid glovc' Americans!








MDE - Official Blog of the Kennedy Campaign

Michael Brodkorb is the fifth highest paid staffer on Mark Kennedy's campaign

Brodkorb confirmed that his pay is actually $4583 monthly. On even a full-time schedule, this would come to more than $25 per hour. This amount is higher than all but four Kennedy campaign members, including, incidentally, Mark Kennedy's own (presumably full-time) campaign press secretary. This is also more than the monthly pay for all but three of DFL senate candidate Amy Klobuchar's staff.

Hmmm, I'd call that official. Why is he hiding this from his readers? Why has he not disclaimed all his ties? Well, a paid hack is a paid hack. MDE should be classified as either Mark Kennedy's Blog or the Official Blog of the MN GOP (
cause he takes money from other candidates too).

Kline and Kennedy: Total Failures

A startling truth from the Strib today:

Defeat this November is the deserved consequence for every incumbent member of Congress who has sung with gusto the bunting-draped "We'll fight them over there" chorus that was written and produced for them by the White House. Two especially deserving of that consequence in Minnesota are Rep. Mark Kennedy, who is running for the Senate, and Rep. John Kline, who is running for reelection.

Kline's behavior has been especially contemptible because he is a retired Marine officer. It's difficult to comprehend that someone of that background would demonstrate so little regard for the troops that he would vigorously support sending them to fight and die in a war that puts their nation at risk.

Bad History In The Making

Needlenose gives us a snapshot of the future.

Friday, September 22, 2006

Friday's Child Sez 'Bring It On'

but have a nice weekend...
Behind Door Number One er..Three..
I'm thinking it's all three...and I particular buy into Mark Kennedy being a moronic manlipulator lacking complete website intelligence!- kudos to the across the great divide in getting to the heart of the brainless matter.

I don't make this stuff up...
Even in my wildest dreams: Black Republican group's ad accuses Dems of starting KKK, claims MLK was Republican

It's coming! Run screaming for your voter registration forms!
It's really no surprise that Karl Rove and Bu$hCo keep trying to scare the beehudos out of the voting public... "In the past week, Karl Rove has been promising Republican insiders an 'October surprise' to help win the November congressional elections,"

I'll let you know when I can sleep through the night till then...
Check out this: flash film - and spread it especially to teens.

U.S. Iraq War Deaths
Total 2695 DoD Confirmation List

BWT there is no such thing as a HOLY war...there's only failure and death

Top CIA Guy confirms what we all know to be true:
"The Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) recently retired top expert on radical Islamists has strongly denounced the conduct of U.S. President George W. Bush's "global war on terrorism" and the continued U.S. military presence in Iraq, which he said is "contributing to the violence".

Democrats are selling life boats.
When we read that 77% of the people don't want Congress to remain as is and that 66% of the nation believe something's seriously wrong, then America is sinking...we're all on the same leaking, listing vessel, but Democrats have a plan.

Truth be told, I'm none and all:
Monday's child is fair of face
Tuesday's child is full of grace
Wednesday's child is full of woe
Thursday's child has far to go
Friday's child is loving and giving
Saturday's child works for its living
And a child that's born on the Sabbath day Is fair and wise and good and gay.

If you're the one person who read down this far, here's a smile:
"A new season of 'Survivor' debuted tonight featuring the controversial idea of separating the tribes by race. The Asian tribe is called Puka Puka, the African-American tribe is called Manihiki, and the Caucasian tribe is called the Republicans." ~Conan O'Brien

Diebold's Criminal Quackary

Holy quack! A duck got out of the pen....

We all know about Diebold's vulnerabilites and ties to the rethugs...
But now there's a strong "if it walks like a duck" case to be made that the Georgia election in which Vietnam veteran Max Cleland (D) was ousted from his Senate seat was probably cooked....As in fraudulent fudging irregularities revolving around secret software patches.

A DailyKos diary broke this and now Rolling Stone magazine has the story. Seems like there's a dead victim, some smoke, and now indications of the the gun..that doing more than quacking:
Georgia law mandates that any change made in voting machines be certified by the state. But thanks to Cox's agreement with Diebold, the company was essentially allowed to certify itself. "It was an unauthorized patch, and they were trying to keep it secret from the state," Hood told me. "We were told not to talk to county personnel about it. I received instructions directly from Urosevich. It was very unusual that a president of the company would give an order like that and be involved at that level."

According to Hood, Diebold employees altered software in some 5,000 machines in DeKalb and Fulton counties - the state's largest Democratic strongholds. To avoid detection, Hood and others on his team entered warehouses early in the morning. "We went in at 7:30 a.m. and were out by 11," Hood says. "There was a universal key to unlock the machines, and it's easy to get access. The machines in the warehouses were unlocked. We had control of everything. The state gave us the keys to the castle, so to speak, and they stayed out of our way." Hood personally patched fifty-six machines and witnessed the patch being applied to more than 1,200 others.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

'I Will Do Better'

CD2 (and the South Metro especially) has probably the greatest list of Democratic candidates. They are on fire with the passion and Minnesota values that reasonate with voters. One of those candidates is Sandra Masin in SD38. Her motto is 'Calling for Common Sense'. I would add to it, 'and not willing to pull any punches!'

Check out IMP's video podcast of Sandra's dressing down of Republican incumbent Tim Wilkins. Yes sirrey...We got ourselves some real winners. Take some time and take a look then dig into your checkbook and give!

MN Senate Candidates in CD2
Jessica Peterson SD25
Laura Helmer SD34
Carolyn Sampson SD36
Michael J. Germain SD37
Jim Carlson SD38
Senator Jim MetzenSD39
John Doll SD40
Katie Sieben SD57

MN House Candidates in CD2
Tim Siebsen 25A
David Bly 25B
Rep. Patti Fritz 26B
Marcia Krueger 34A
Gary DeVaan 34B
Doug Zilla 35A
Taylor Kristoffe-Jones 35B
Dave Laidig 36A
Paul Hardt 36B
Shelley Madore 37A
Sandra Masin 38A
Mike Obermueller 38B
Rep. Joe Atkins 39B
Will Morgan 40A
Karla Bigham 57A
Eileen Weber 57B

Coleen's Stremgth Lies In The Truth

There's substance and strength within DFL Congressional candidate in Minnesota's Second District Coleen Rowley. Sure- she's not polished like a consummate politician, but give me her straight forward, 'I'm willing to stand up at the gates of hell for you and tell the devil the truth' personality over any run of the mill, milk toast Democrat!

Coleen Rowley, the DFL candidate for Congress in Minnesota's Second District, issued a sharp denunciation of recent GOP smears directed toward Keith Ellison, DFL candidate in Minnesota's Fifth Congressional District. There's power in truth, what's it worth to you?
"With no record worth bragging about, Republicans candidates are left with fear and slander. Even the National Republican Congressional Committee has admittedt hat it plans to spend more than 90 percent of its budget on negative ads. They say, 'Give up your rights, so we can protect you. Fear gays and lesbians. Fear liberals. Fear Muslims.' The president says that 'it is unacceptable to think'. Republicans across the country hammer wedge issues and divide our country."

What are they afraid of?

"Keith Ellison is a uniter. He won his primary by bringing together people of all different ages, races, religions and backgrounds, and he will help to unite our country while in Congress. Like Keith Ellison, I agree that it's time to end the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Like Keith Ellison, I believe that every American deserves access to adequate medical care. The Fifth District is lucky to have him fighting for them, and when I get to Congress in January, I look forward to working with Keith Ellison to hold the Bush administration accountable for its failures and restore our country's greatness."

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

More DeKlining Values From Rep. Kline

Congressman John Kline (MN-R- CD2) has a lot more in common with Richard Nixon these days. Clearly Kline has stepped over the line of public service to public harrassment. Wonder if I ask to see my 'file' if he'll allow it, or is it soley for his personal use in smearing people? Is it no wonder Kline supports warrentless wiretaps.
The Star Tribune's Kevin Diaz reports that Kline's office had been gathering blog posts from Paul Bartlett, a DFL activist who has written unfavorable things about Kline in the past.

Today Bartlett responded to the revelation:
Kline's staff exposed their dark underbelly during their Diaz interview, revealing that they have maintained "a lengthy file of his e-mails and blog entries." I would expect that they would maintain my e-mails, after all, I was a constituent and had every right to contact my congressman, but to admit that they search the blogs looking for my postings is disturbingly paranoid

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Fine Re-Do

All you need to know about Alan Fine (and all he really has to offer)

Check out this video

If you have not seen it, here is Keith Ellison's Victory Party Video

Monday, September 18, 2006

Murtha, Oberstar and Rowley

I attended the Murtha, Oberstar and Rowley event Sunday at the VFW hall in Rosemount. The place was packed, standing room only. About half were vets. Many we’re like me, the spouse of a vet (my husband was too ill to attend).

As luck (!?)would have it I got to stand next to a troll that wanted to ‘exercise his first amendment rights’ by baiting and heckling. Oberstar was introduced with a reference to all his great work on port security. The troll loudly proclaimed ‘what about immigration and the borders?’. Another vet who looked to be about 70 replied calmly, ‘Ports are borders’. The general area broke out in chuckles and smiles…It was right after that the troll made his stage right exit.

There was lots of excitement inside and more and more and out. It reminded me of the 60’s with all the outside protesters and counter protesters.

Kline’s folks were in full fruity neo-con mode even verbally attacking the kids (do you really want that kind of behavior on your behalf Mr. Kline? Some of them were staff members of Kline as caught on video and posted on IMP)

Mike called it ‘Weirdness in CD2’, but it’s not…it’s a lack of respect for Congressman Oberstar with 26 years serving Minnesota, a decorated veteran who has served more than 30 years in the house, Congressman Murtha, DFL endorsed candidate and retired FBI agent with 24 years, Coleen Rowley, the veterans and general public that attended this event. As The wege pointed out:

If current members of the Republican party cannot stomach Coleen Rowley or Jack Murtha, then they have moved further right than this country has been since the days of lynching. I'm not kidding myself at all when I support Democrats like Rowley and Murtha. These are people who today are still further to the right than pre-Attica Nelson Rockefeller was in the '60s.

It was a way to attempt to intimated and bully which is a mimic of how Kline and Bu$h have govern the last term. These are not the values of Minnesotans. All I could think of was how decorated veterans deserved better than Kline. We all deserve better. Vote for change, vote Coleen Rowley.

PS...for some reason the title (Murtha, Oberstar and Rowlely) reminded me of Abraham, Martin and John sung by Dion and the Belmonts. Maybe some budding musican might be inspired to write a tune...

Friday, September 15, 2006

I Yield The Floor To The Senator From Louisiana

Never forget that their are democrats that aren't going quietly...
Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA)

"In light of the rantings that went on for 30 minutes here, in the chamber, by two colleagues from the other side, I'd like to state for the record that America is not tired of fighting terrorism;

America is tired of the wrongheaded and boneheaded leadership of the Republican party that has sent six and a half billion a month to Iraq while the front line was Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia. That led this country to attack Saddam Hussein, when we were attacked by Osama bin Laden. Who captured a man who did not attack the country and let loose a man that did.

"Americans are tired of boneheaded Republican leadership that alienates our allies when we need them the most. Americans are most certainly tired of leadership that despite documenting mistake after mistake after mistake, even of their own party admitting mistakes, never admit they do anything wrong. That's the kind of leadership Americans are tired of.

"I'm didn't come to the Senate to have partisan rantings on the floor, but I am most certainly not going to sit here as a Democrat and let the Republican leadership come to the floor and talk about Democrats not making us safe. They're the ones in charge and Osama bin Laden is still at loose."

John Kline DeKlines Body Armor for U.S. Troops

John Kline and Body Armor

This ad is currently running against George Allen in the Virginia Senate race and is garnering huge earned media on CNN and elsewhere. This ad is the talk of the town. It's like the "Swift Boat Liars" ad without the lies.

Just sub in Congressman John Kline as he also voted against body armor for our troops. hattip to DJK

A Fair and Free Election? Think Again.

A new study released yesterday by The Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton University, demonstrates just how easy it is to steal an election without leaving a trace

Does anyone doubt that Karl Rove would do ANYTHING to win an election? Whisper campaigns about Ann Richards being a lesbian, push polls suggesting that John McCain fathered an illegitimate child, lying to the FBI about his office being bugged by the opposition and voter suppression drives are all hallmarks of a Rove run campaign.
Name one thing in his moral character that would suggest he WOULDN’T tamper with election results ? Yeah, I can’t think of anything either.

Without full confidence that our elections are free and fair, we don’t have a democracy. As long as Democrats in Congress refuse to engage on this issue, they remain a bigger part of the problem than those who would exploit vulnerabilities in the system.

Karl Rove being a snake is expected, but Democrats are to blame for continuing to provide him the opportunity. I want to know that our elections are secure so I don’t have to rely on faith that Rove and his kind will play by the rules. That would require a level of self-delusion that I’m simply not capable of.

hattip to the (liberal) girl next door.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Kennedy Trips While Attacking

Regardless of how Kennedy's campaign spins it, “radical Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam.” There's enough bad examples of radical religious behavior on both sides.

Radical means: extremist: (used of opinions and actions) far beyond the norm; "extremist political views"; "radical opinions on education"; a person who has radical ideas or opinions

If Mark Kennedy is going to use these kind of 'radical' flawed associations in an failed effort to discredit Amy Klobuchar, can we really depend on him making common sense and valid decisions that represent the average Minnesotan?...probably not.

Voters DeKline GOP Attacks

DJK has posted some polling showing Coleen Rowley is competitive with Colonel Kline. This would go a long way in explaining why Kline has come out early and negative in CD2.

Klines latest attacks accuses Coleen of having no stand on issues. (Does Kline even listen to his own claptrap nonsense or is his campaign staff just as stupid?).

Fact: Coleen's website has posted ten issue (which doesn't include her OpEd's and blogs).

Fact DeKliner: Kline's campaign website has posted ZERO issues. (Unless you count the fluff that says he supports a strong economic...yada yada yada..)

This is really a page out of the RNC Rovian play book...accuse Democrats of your own short failings, attack, attack and attack, deflect from the issues and attack some more. We've seen this for the last 6 years and voters are smarter now. Kline and the GOP attack dogs are 'staying the course' with their old campaign tricks:
Already the Republican National Committee (RNC) has acknowledged in a recent Washington Post report that it plans to go on the attack with brawling ads that zero in on personal issues and local controversies. In a memo cited in the Post story, the RNC urged House and Senate candidates to find "damaging material about challengers" and "define your opponent immediately and unrelentingly."
We see this policy again with Alan Fine's attack on Keith Ellison character. Instead of running on issues, Fine will wage a personal attack campaign rather than talk to voters about issues that affect them, their family and community. Gee, GOP should rename themselves 'Get Out Poop' because that's about all they offer Minnesota's voters....fake outraged, over the top theatics, dirty smears, and negative campaigning.
Republicans are planning to spend the vast majority of their sizable financial war chest over the final 60 days of the campaign attacking Democratic House and Senate candidates over personal issues and local controversies, GOP officials said.

The National Republican Congressional Committee, which this year dispatched a half-dozen operatives to comb through tax, court and other records looking for damaging information on Democratic candidates, plans to spend more than 90 percent of its $50 million-plus advertising budget on what officials described as negative ads.

Fortunately, Minnesotan voters are smarter and the recent polls are reflecting it. They aren't buy GOP poop when they can have DFLers.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Kiffmeyer's MN SOS Site Sucks

Vox Verax blogged what my thoughts were this morning when I tried to access up-to-date information from the Secretary of State (Kiffmeyer) website. Haven't Minnesotans seen and put up with enough crap from the SOS office.. just one more reason to vote for Mark Ritchie.

There was one precinct that did have up-to-date figures last night on the SOS site way before any of the others...it belonged to this guy.

BTW- there's something about pawlently's website that reminds me of when I played with paperdoll cutouts of Ken...quick changes but only one dimensional.

I should have done this before, but have now added Vox to my blogroll.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Ellison Posed to Make Minnesota History!

CD5, Keith Ellison is the winner. He received calls from both Erlandson and Reichgott Junge.

As the darkside blogger said and I personally couldn't agree more!:
'With today's primary results, the DFL Party of Hubert Humphrey firmly establishes itself as the Party of Keith Ellison'
Congrats Keith…now on to winning the next round!

It's late and I have to get up early tomorrow...still no solid lead between Swanson and Kelley...looks to be a close one for now (midnite)......one thing I did notice here in Pawlenty suburbs...democrats turned out in higher numbers...wonder how that compares to 2004?
Ah well... good night..time enough tomorrow to look at the data and dissect it

Send In Superman

Superman

Superman is coming...let's hope he arrives before it's too late. The Carpetbagger got it right when he blogged:

In Bush's America, the America dreamed up by people like Yoo and Addington and implemented by people like Cheney and the Republican rubber-stampers in Congress, the president enacts laws, interprets laws, ignores law, and is essentially a law into himself (or herself).Don't think this isn't possible.

It's happening right now.

The State I'm In

Bu$h gave his 911 address…it wasn't political…yeah and the Pope ain’t religious…and Dubya ain't a liar. Here's my review on the steaming pile of garbage that wasted my time and used 911 anniversity for more evil ends...

How ironic that Dubya found the time to travel to the 9-11 sites but still hasn't found time to attend a single funeral for the soldiers who have died fighting his war against Iraq. You remember Iraq? The country which never attacked the US, nor did it have the technology to do so, nor did it have terrorist training camps, or terrorist connections or WMD.

But Dubya's speech did have one thing right:
Iraq and Saddam was not responsible for 9-11.
So tell us Mr Preznut- why are we really in Iraq?
Duh. Funny that he’s still can’t explain it years later…

Yesterdays nice and improved excuse:
"He was a threat."
Period.
The end.

No mention that the first threat Bu$h sold to us was NOT TRUE!
No explanation…no specifics, no truth…
Just the Bushsh*t of 'a threat'.

You know my grandmother before she gets her coffee in the morning is a threat. Hell, my little bitty 9 pound dog could be seen as a threat when it growls!

When did America's mantra change from:
‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself’,
to:
"Be very afraid"?

America was united after 911 until the 'Divider' Bu$h used 'be very afraid' to manlipulate and hold us hostage to his neocon ideology and his own personal agenda. Now his voice keeps chanting at every chance: ‘Be very afraid’,‘Be very afraid’,‘Be very afraid’ ,‘Be very afraid’.

But I'm not buying lies any more. How much of the mealy mouth bullsh*t double speak are we going to take before we start asking what should have been asked the day after…why?

Until we can answer that, there is no solution, no end, no way to stop it. It's time to end to the voices chanting in darkness, Pay attention! "We have nothing to fear but fear itself".
Come on Weasel Georgie, answer why?

For the rest of us-
we can’t vote the idiot out
but we can vote out the rubberstamps.
GO VOTE TODAY…because I can’t take much more of his crap.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Murtha to Visit Minnesota In Support of Coleen Rowley!

Congressman John Murtha (D-Penn.) will visit Minnesota to support Second District Congressional Candidate Coleen Rowley on Sunday, September 17th. Congressman Murtha, Minnesota's senior Congressman, Jim Oberstar (D-MN 8th) and Ms. Rowley will meet U.S. military veterans and the public at the Rosemount American Legion Post No. 65 at noon.

Press release from the campaign:
Northfield, MN, September 11, 2006--Congressman John Murtha (D-Penn.) will visit Minnesota to support Second District Congressional Candidate Coleen Rowley on Sunday, September 17th. Congressman Murtha is a 37-year Veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps who has served in the U.S. Congress since 1975. He has taken the lead in Washington by proposing to redeploy American troops in Iraq with a resolution widely known as "The Murtha Plan."

A strong proponent of U.S. defense and security initiatives throughout his 32 years in Congress, Murtha regularly visits wounded soldiers at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. Congressman Murtha's Iraq redeployment plan is based on those conversations. By visiting the troops who are in harm's way in Iraq, Murtha learns about conditions on the ground, training and equipment issues from those who have experienced the situation first-hand. Murtha was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal by the Marine Corps Commandant when he retired from the Marines.

Congressman Murtha, Minnesota's senior Congressman, Jim Oberstar (D-MN 8th) and Candidate Coleen Rowley will meet U.S. military veterans and the public at the Rosemount American Legion Post No. 65 at noon. The event is free and open to the public.

Jim Oberstar began representing Minnesota's Eighth Congressional District in Congress in 1975, and is now in his 16th term, the longest service in the U.S. House of Representatives from the state of Minnesota. Oberstar is now the senior Democrat on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and says it's natural for Congressman Murtha to visit Minnesota to support Coleen Rowley: "They speak the same language of truth, integrity and telling it like it is," Oberstar said. "They are my good friends and I admire them for standing up and telling Americans the inconvenient truths and how to address the mistakes that this Administration has made."

Coleen Rowley, the DFL-endorsed candidate in Minnesota's Second Congressional District, running unopposed in her party's primary, will face Republican incumbent John Kline in the general election November 7th. According to the Rowley campaign, Kline has voted with the Bush Administration 95% of the time and is a leading advocate for the Administration on the Iraq war as well as privatization of Social Security.

Rowley has consistently opposed the Iraq war since before it was launched, stating that there was no link to al Qaeda, as the Administration and her opponent both claim. Rowley is a 24-year veteran of the F.B.I. and was a Time Magazine "Person of the Year" in 2002 as a whistleblower on intelligence failures prior to 9/11.

Rowley noted, by way of contrast, that Kline's continued praise for and defense of George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld is not playing well in the district. "Bush and Kline's cumulative refusal to admit mistakes by "staying the course" comes at too high a cost to the country. So the race here in Minnesota's 2nd District is shaping up as a key one that could help John Murtha re-take the Chairmanship of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and Jim Oberstar become the next Transportation Committee Chair."

The public is invited to call Coleen Rowley's campaign headquarters in Northfield at (507) 664-3850 for more information about Congressman Murtha's visit.

Mary Kiffmeyer - Primary Shmimary

Yes, she has done it again! After another letter and press conference by Mark Ritchie, Mary Kiffmeyer (you know the one who is supposed to be the current Secretary of State) fixes another oversight (well mostly). This letter basically calls for the Secretary of State to fully state the oath the legislature called for.

After Mark Ritchie’s letter Mary Kiffmeyer sent out a memo to the county auditors which includes most the language the legislator insisted on, however, instead of implementing this change automatically, or at least as instantly as she could, she says that the new language will be printed on the rosters after September 11th. This means instead of reprinting the Rosters with the proper Oath for the Primary Election, the old oath - the one which does not comply with state statues will stay on the rosters and be the oath primary voters swear to.

I guess Mary does not think that Primary elections are all that important. Now that is what I want to see in a Secretary of State, someone doesn’t bother to make sure the rules are followed in our elections. This is shameful and plain lazy.

Now, gentle reader, you may say - well, it may take time for all this to happen, maybe she had to hand out some coffee to someone, or go shoot off a cannon - you know the important stuff. So, just in case you are wondering what the proper oath on the rosters for primary voters should be, here it is in full:

I certify that I am at least 18 years of age and a citizen of the United States; that I reside at the address shown and have resided in Minnesota for 20 days immediately preceding this election; that I am not under guardianship of the person in which the court order revokes my right to vote; have not been found by a court to be legally incompetent to vote, and that I have the right to vote because, if convicted of a felony, my felony sentence has expired (been completed) or I have been discharged from my sentence; and that I am registered and will be voting only in this precinct. I understand that giving false information is a felony punishable by not more than five years imprisonment and a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.

If this one is in place at your polling location, you can thank the local office for going the extra mile, and Mark Ritchie for bringing attention to it - just not Mary Kiffmeyer, who doesn’t think primary elections are important enough to have proper Oaths to swear to. I am glad at least Mark believes in the value of Oaths.

Oh, and even though she did try to do what Mark wanted (and the laws says), she didn’t fully update the oath either, here is what it should say - maybe Mark will have to send her another letter...

According to Senate File 2743, the sections on guardianship and felony status should be changed so that they read as follows:

that I am not under a guardianship of the person in which the court order revokes my right to vote; and that I have the right to vote because, if convicted of a felony, my felony sentence has expired (been completed) or I have been discharged from my sentence.

It may not be that big of a change, but ehhh, its just an Oath right?

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Ze on 9/11

For those of you unfamiliar with Ze Frank - What are you waiting for?

With all the garbage we will be dealing with about 9/11, Ze has poignant piece on it all.



the show with zefrank

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Had Enough? Time to Throw John Kline Out!

Have You Had Enough Of John Kline? Vote Rowley!

Things worked out so well with the first version of the "had enough" video that the Executive Producer and the musicians who did the song have done a special version specific for Coleen Rowley's race against John Kline. It also happens to be 60 seconds long... perfect for TV or radio use.

Follow the bouncing ball and sing along as it's "Time to throw John Kline out".

Howie Klein (Executive Producer of the music) is willing to help out other progressive campaigns with this video. He's done custom audio versions for several congressional campaigns and local DFLer (and so much more) Mike McIntee is cutting the video versions as fast as he can. If you know of a U.S. House or Senate campaign that could use this kind of help, please get in touch with Mike McIntee. He's doing the work as a private citizen for free....oh and donate to Coleen Rowley because we've had enough!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKw92D82XHY

If you like the video, pass it along to your friends.

Friday, September 08, 2006

Mary Kiffmeyer - Voting is not a Right

Mary Kiffmeyer just likes tweeking the SoS website. After Mark Ritchie’s press conference the other day where he said:

According to Minnesota Session Laws 2006, Chapter 242, Sections 17 and 18, residents of battered women’s shelters and group homes now have the right to designate an agent to pick up an absentee ballot and deliver it to them. The legislature passed this law on bipartisan basis this year and it went into effect on August 1st.

Mary Kiffmeyer changed the SoS website yet again (from #1 below (which I have a pdf of) to #2 this to #3 this).

Because the section that changed is subtle here is what it was (Sept 5th'06):

#1: The Agent Delivery Designation Form is for people health care facility residents who want someone to handle the transmission of their absentee ballots.

To this (Sept 7th '06):

#2: The Agent Delivery Designation Form is for health care facility residents who want someone to handle the transmission of their absentee ballots. The Residential Care Facility Locator is a search tool intended to help identify local facilities for purposes of absentee ballot voting.

And now this (Sept 8th '06):

#3: The Agent Delivery Designation Form is to authorize an agent in writing to pick up and return an absentee ballot for the following voters:

  • in a healthcare facility (hospitals, residential treatment centers and nursing homes governed by Minnesota Statutes 144.50 or 144A.02),
  • a participant in a residential program for adults licensed under section 245A.02, subd. 14,
  • or a resident of a shelter for battered women as defined in section 611A.37, subd. 4.

This activity may only occur the four days preceding an election, up until 2:00 p.m. on Election Day.

The Residential Care Facility Locator is a search tool intended to help identify local facilities for purposes of absentee ballot voting.

Other then correcting the needed grammar problems from #1-#3, this change did not make it clear that there is help for these people, but rather it simply changed the language and gave another link to yet another pdf. And if you think because the pdf hints at being a “Locator” and said to be a “search tool” will help battered women, you are taking the definitions of those words too seriously (kinda like “Mission Accomplished”). In that pdf, under the section for battered women shelters, it just refers searchers to contact… get this... The Department of Corrections.

She also finally fixed the agent delivery of ballots on her website for battered women and group home residents, but the form they fill out they still have to say which place they’re a “patient”. I don’t think that battered women or group home residents consider themselves patients where they live.

What was the point Mary? We all know we need another SoS, and it is good that you keep trying to follow Mark’s lead, but if you really want to help battered women and these other needy people, just give them the proper information in a direct and efficient manor.

Mary must simply believe that voting is not a right, but a privilege and that if you have to jump through a bunch of hoops to vote - so be it.

MN Publius has a post on the same subject - You guys ROCK!

CD5, don’t worry, it will be over soon

So Mike has been filling Paul’s roll in the final week, that’s a shame. However Ember is not being completely straight with us either.

From MPR: (emphasis mine)

Reichgott Junge says she’s a proven progressive, and is disappointed with Erlandson’s mailing. “There is no question that I’m strong on gun control, there is no question that I have always opposed the Iraq war, there is no question that I always opposed the privatization of Social Security. He says differently. He is just simply misleading the voters,” says Reichgott Junge.”

Hmmm, Ember strong on gun control? Really now...

There is a big difference in criticism on their record and personal attacks. Ember needs to understand that questioning her past voting record is always legitimate, and it is in question.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Mary Kiffmeyer - Those Darn Internets

Mary Kiffmeyer, knowing so much about the internets and all, said recently in the Rochester Post Bulletin (registration required)

When I took office, the Web site was an 8-by-10 picture of the former secretary of state. We have dramatically changed the information that is available on the Web site and the phone lines and things like that...

How neat, unfortunately for her, her web-history is wrong, and even though she does not understand these things, it can actually be proven how wrong she is. Heck, most computers did not have a screen much bigger than 8x10 back in 1998, and the website was quite detailed for the day. If she hadn't improved the site much since then, then she would be completely incompetent (rather than just mostly incompetent). Yaay Mary! You kept your head above the water, but why the need to lie about your predecessor?

Why is this important? Because she has been criticized for not providing the full information that is required in state statues on the SoS website, and she keeps updating the site depending upon what Mark Ritchie criticizes her about.

Mark Ritchie is trying to help people have greater access to the voting booth. But I guess Mary is just going to have to keep taking Mark's ideas in order to do to her job. Hopefully she won't have that stressful job much longer.

More on this soon...

Harry Potter and Bu$h's Magic WMDs

The ABC television network is using the fifth anniversary of 9/11 as an opportunity to rewrite history. On September 10 and 11, ABC/Disney will broadcast "The Path to 9/11", a 6-hour, two-part "docudrama" written and produced by conservative filmmakers who place a lion’s share of the blame for the 9/11 terrorist attacks on alleged failures of the Clinton administration.

This ABC's mockumentary has no sponsors and is a Disney/ABC production. A good run down of how it came into being is posted a firedoglake. While this is as fictional as Harry Potter (who they also produce!) and the WMD (who Bush produced yet hasn't), The Path... is getting plenty of coverage regarding what’s wrong and right with it, but just in case you want to do more especially in shielding your children from this disgraceful display of GOP propaganda…Perhaps next will be Harry Potter and Bu$h's Magic WMD? read on...

The biggest impact you can have is to call your local school district’s main office and ask nicely that they take immediate action against Scholastic for promoting this type of propaganda and lies through the schools. If people want to understand the failures that led to 9/11, they should turn to these and other examples of actual journalism rather than the mix of fact, fantasy and deliberate distortion that ABC/Disney plans to broadcast on the fifth anniversary of America’s deadliest terrorist attack. This distortion is wrong. Contact your local school district first then here’s more contacts…

BTW- Scholastic, Inc., is the company that is set to disseminate Republican propaganda and revisionist history through schools to millions of American school children who read books such as Highlight. Here's the customer service number for Scholastic Books. Customers within the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada may call toll-free (1-800-724-6527), Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM and Saturday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Central Standard Time. You can ‘Press 0’ to get to an operator but as of an hour ago, they are no longer answering.

From Huffington Post:

The cat calls surrounding ABC's "The Path to 9/11" continue to grow louder. Not only is the network under fire for legitimate questions about the veracity of the primetime mini-series, which apparently goes to significant lengths to pin the blame of 9/11 on the Clinton administration, but ABC itself has failed to answer questions about the dubious way it has arranged for conservative partisans to view the program prior to air date (which has allowed them to cheerlead the movie online and on talk radio), yet Democratic activists have been stiff-armed. My own numerous calls to ABC's publicist requesting a screening copy of "The Path to 9/11" have been ignored. Even former President Bill Clinton's request for a DVD hasgone unheeded by ABC.

Note to Pawlenty: Buy Books Not Ads

Governor Pawlenty has a new ad entitled Pawlenty and Education. But from personal experience, I know how Pawlenty's term in office has affected education:

My daughter ( the same age as Pawlenty's daughter ) attended the same primary school and was in many of the same classes. One day I happen to be talking to one of the teachers who mentioned my daughter 'forgot' to do her homework. Having several children, I know that a parent needs to react immediately to let their children know school work is part of their responsibility. That same day, I showed up after school and in front of the teacher asked my daughter to explain her missing homework assignment.

Knowing even in third grade it was a serious situation because mom showed up unexpectedly, my daughter, on the verge of tears explained she couldn't do her homework because she didn't have the school book! Before I could question her further the teacher's eyes lit up and while sympathically patting my daughters hand she said "now I understand and will take care of it". Naturally, I pressed for an explanation.

The teacher told me there wasn't enough books for each student so some were sharing (every other day)...only the boy that my daughter was sharing with had forgotten his book at home, so my daughter didn't get a chance to do the assignment.

So in a middle class suburban primary school that Governor's Pawlenty own daughter attends there weren't enough books for every student! Makes you wonder how inner city schools that are grossly under funded and over crowded with cultural and language differences are faring?

As to Pawlenty's ad....He should spent the money on books for our schools...they need them a lot worse than they need his ads making empty promises!

Mike Hatch's First Ad

Well, Mike's first ad is out and its not too bad.



It is not what I normally would like to see - I would like to see something a bit harder hitting, something more fun and upbeat, but I am not the target for this ad. This is a good introductory piece playing up Mike's strengths, and I mean that literally. He is a fighter, which has rubbed some of my friends the wrong way (and well, it has rubbed me that way in the past too). But this is exactly what we need in MN, a tough Governor that isn't going to play nice with all that threatens our way of life here. Tim "the weenie" Pawlenty, may want to make everyone think he is cute and sweet and all, but you can have him and George W as you drinking buddy all you want, but we don't need them in office anymore. Mike Hatch, may not be cuddly, but he will fight tooth and nail for the security and health of this state. That is clear from this ad.

If you want help this ad out, click here and donate!

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

DOD To Gitmo

Filed today under 'about damm time':
ABC News: President Bush to announce that detainees held at secret CIA prisons, including alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, will be transferred to the Department of Defense and granted protection under the Geneva Conventions.

Now let's look to our leaders to see if they will uphold the conventions or go toward the dark side in allowing new legislation to undermind the conventions and erode basic civil rights.

Civil-liberties advocates point out that Guantanamo's 460 inmates have few other means to make their voices heard, given that most have been detained for more than four years without even being charged with a crime. Indeed, though the U.S. has condemned the hunger strikers at Gitmo, just last year the White House haile a hunger-striking Iranian dissident for showing "that he is willing to die for his right to express his opinion."

At Gitmo, however, dead prisoners are something the U.S. military wishes devoutly to avoid. So force-feeding has been standard policy at the camp ever since hunger strikes began in early 2002. The facility's top physicians have also told TIME that prisoners who resist are subjected to especially harsh methods. In one case, according to medical records obtained by TIME, a 20-year old named Yusuf al-Shehri, jailed since he was 16, was regularly strapped into a specially designed feeding chair that immobilizes the body at the legs, arms, shoulders and head. Then a plastic tube that is 50% larger, and more painful to insert, than the commonly used variety was inserted up through his nose and down his throat, carrying a nutritional formula into his stomach

.

Any Questions?

1938









Neville Chamberlain
and the
Appeasement of Hitler

1983








Rumsfeld with Saddam

Any Questions?

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Star Tribune makes Boring Endorsement

Come on, where is the fire? Where's the fun? Talk about making the most boring choice possible. At least no one can complain about them making an impact in this race - yawwwhhhnn...

Here is a quote from the article (not really, and snoring mine):
zzzzzz....zzzzzzz....zzzzzzzz....everyone is neat....zzzzz.... Keith Ellison, an attorney from north Minneapolis and a two-term member of the Minnesota House, has reminded more than one voter of the late Paul Wellstone. He brings a passion for progressive causes, a gift for grassroots mobilizing..... and Ember...zzzzz.... but Mike is the golly gee neatest zzzzz and zzzzzzzzzzzzzz... will... zzzzzzzzzz... bore... zzzzzzzzzzzz... us... zzzzzzz... all... zzzzzzz to ... zzzzzzzzz death ... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

We all know who will really stand up for the 5th, but if the Strib wants a snoozer candidate.. and I thought they wanted to sell papers.

UPDATE:
Others feel strongly about this, and I have to say I agree now after first reading this and falling asleep. Now once rested, here are some good reads to put a spark back into your life.
Across the Great Divide, American Hot Sausage, New Patriot, Minnesota Monitor

Can Somebody Turn Down The Heat?

Am I the only one or is it getting warmer?

“Carbon dioxide levels are substantially higher now than at any time in the last 800,000 years, the latest study of ice drilled out of Antarctica confirms.”

What?! Bu$hism and lies over science and global warming?

"You're talking about a president who says that the jury is out on evolution, so what possible evidence would you need to muster to prove the existence of global warming? We've got polar ice caps melting, glaciers disappearing all over the world, ocean levels rising, coral reefs dying. But these people are flat-earthers." - Robert F. Kennedy Jr., author of "Crimes Against Nature."

So naturally congress will look into....nothing. They keep quiet while the commander-in-crime continues the lies:

After a five-week summer break, Congress returns today for 19 days before ending its work for the legislative year. The only legislation being considered this week in the House “is a bill to toughen rules against horse slaughtering.

Of course, they'll try to promote legislation to 'one up' themselves over their opponents or keep their pet lobbyist's purring. But global warming? No that makes no transbuddha sense...which goes to show I'm way far gone into the purple haze of political musing and Bu$h's lies:

Will Ferrell - Bush on Global Warming on Transbuddha

Friday, September 01, 2006

Labor Day Vellings

TGIF because I couldn't do another Thursday!

In celebration of Labor Day:
President Bu$h has announced he will do a recess appoint Paul DeCamp— a corporate lawyer who represented Wal-Mart and built a career fighting against unions — as head of the U.S. Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division, which oversees “the nation’s wage and hour laws, including overtime laws, workplace discrimination laws, and child labor laws.” More at AFL-CIO Now

Yes, I'm still obsessing on Rumsfeld...it's like trying to turn away from a bad accident: 60 % of Americans: there will be more terrorism in the U.S. because of the Iraq war. That would a majority of American's that Rumsfeld thinks of as Nazi's or their appeasers...give me a break...why does he still have a job?...Shouldn't this dude be in jail? (oops did I just use Rumsfeld and 'think' in the same sentence...my bad)

September 2, last year 2oo5:
"Bu$h- One of the worse disasters to hit America"

"The National Public Radio news anchor was so excited I thought she'd piss on herself: the President of the United States had flown his plane down to 1700 feet to get a better look at the flood damage! And there was a photo of our Commander-in-Chief taken looking out the window. He looked very serious and concerned.

That was yesterday. Today he played golf. No kidding."

Never forget what really happened... That Bu$hCo failed and is still failing..they even have a katrina international policy...never forget.

Download Video
"We have been abandoned by our own country," said Aaron Broussard, the president of Jefferson Parish in New Orleans. He broke down in tears Sunday as he recounted how a colleague's mother drowned awaiting rescue from a nursing home.

"Everyday, she called and she said, 'Are you coming, son? Is somebody coming?'

"And he said, 'Yeah, Mama, somebody's going to get you.

'Somebody's coming to get you on Tuesday.

'Somebody's coming to get you on Wednesday.

'Somebody's coming to get you on Thursday.

'Somebody's coming to get you on Friday,'

and she drowned Friday night."

"Nobody's coming to get her. The secretary's promised, everybody's promised; they've had press conferences. I'm sick of the press conferences.

For God's sake, shut up and send us somebody