Damn it all! I'd hoped they'd win this one!!

Bush Disavows Hussein-Sept. 11 Link

From the article:
"No, we've had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with September the 11th," the president said yesterday after a meeting at the White House with lawmakers.

OK, you hear that!?! 70% of americans believe otherwise because of what HIS administration says. now he admits the truth. At every turn the administration has attempted to associate the 2 in order to justify withdrawing military action where the 9/11 terrorists are rooted, in favor of the personal vendeta in Iraq. see this from the day Bush declared victory on May 1st:

"The battle of Iraq is one victory in a war on terror that began on September the 11th, 2001." He added: "With those attacks, the terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States. And war is what they got."

The administration did everything within its power to project Iraq and an imminent threat and a link to 9/11. If that is not tying the two together, i've lost my ability to read. Most telling is the fact that the president avoided real, justified reasons for action in Iraq in favor of fabricated evidence. actually, lies. they lied. when the lies were found, the justification and the reasons shifted. anything that would take hold would work. just because the president changes his story now doesn't eliminate the lies he told us then.

John Edwards (D, NC)

Poor guy. i LIKE john edwards. i think he has a great future in politics, but (as mentioned below) i think his chances at the white house have slipped away. he's got decent money coming in, but that's tapered off. his message hasn't really connected for a while and he can't seem to create a buzz. all good reasons to quit now to fight again another day.

So what does he do? he does his announcement this week. the week Gen. Wesley Clark announces and sucks up all the press in the room. Edwards is sitting there STILL trying to win us with the 'i spent 20 years representing the everyday people...' line. the problem is that only works if you can get people to listen to whatever else you have to say. Poor John, this is his big week to say "I'M RUNNING" and all anyone wants to talk about is whether Gen. Clark will run. he's about to take himself into the Sharpton-sphere where campaigns go to die.

like i said before, the problem i that he's declared he's NOT going to run for re-election in the senate, where we NEED him. the senate has a razor thin margin and we need all the democrats we can get. mix that with the fact that the NC senate seat is a DOG FIGHT to say the least, so we'll have a nail biter!

I once said "John Edwards will be our next president" with no reservations about a year ago. I'm a General Clark man now.

can ANYONE make a comments program that doesn't go down or give out errors? gahh!

Republicans for Dean

Not Far off the Mark?

GOP still think Dean is the easiest to defeat. i'd like to have a discussion on this with some Dean supporters. I know he's no McGovern in the sense of his vigor and ability to make the right political moves, but i have to wonder if this translates into broad support from the electorate (not just the partisan true believers). is this a reflection of what bush did with the conservatives? can it work? and maybe more to the point, why should it looking at liberal candidates who embrace that word?

HERE WE GO!!

It looks like Gen. Wesley Clark will be in the race come Wednesday! I'm hopefully this will actually help narrow the field of candidates. I'm supporting the General.

Dick Cheney quote from a year ago:

'Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction; there is no doubt that he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies and against us,' he said in August 2002, when others were advocating more U.N. weapons inspections.

--in light of the quote and the developments that followed, it seems he was:
*dupped--because it wasn't real.
*a liar.
*incompetent--to know precisely where the WMD's were then lose them while they were being 'hidden'

take your pick. i don't know the alternatives. feel free to share.

So it begins...?

This may be the beginning Kerry's freefall off the top of the polls. i think that he, lieberman, and maybe gephardt fall if Wesley Clark gets in the race. Gephardt was at a democratic event in (VERY IMORTANT TO HIM) Iowa and declined to speak...sounds like something is up.

USA Today - Christiane Amanpour: CNN practiced self-censorship

New Quote of the Day:

Fox News spokeswoman Irena Briganti on Christiane Amanpour's (CNN) comments about media self-censorship during the war:

'Given the choice, it's better to be viewed as a foot soldier for Bush than a spokeswoman for al-Qaeda.'

U.S. National Debt Clock

this is scary. it calculates the national DEBT (not the Deficit discussed below). we are spending a NEW $1.68 Billion a day. the bush policies would add another $6 Trillion in the next 10 years on top of this daily growth. you have a choice:

*stop the tax cuts;
*cut Social Security, domestic, and millitary programs drastically; or
*send world markets into chaos as we default on our loans.

Dizzying Dive to Red Ink Poses Stark Choices for Washington
How to Cut Spending.

Once i dated this girl who's dad REALLY didn't like me too much because of my political beliefs. he used to try and rile me up with political arguments that put me in an odd position. On one hand i don't like to put up with GOP dogma, but on the other hand i didn't want to fight with my (then) girlfriend's dad. usually i tried to be dipolmatic, but it wouldn't work if he was starving for a fight.

One day he was talking to someone about how you 'fix the government'. his idea was that if you took money away from them (tax cuts, cuts in revenue, whatever achieved it), then they'd have less to spend and thus government would shrink. i wasn't in this conversation. actually i was passing through the room going to the kitchen. however, as i passed he began to explain further "you have to strangle the money out of 'em." turning in his chair to face me as i walked by. he kept repeating it over and louder, turning full to face me. by the time i crossed the room he was screaming at a volume reserved for those in fear for their lives: "YOU'VE GOTTA STRANGLE IT OUT OF THEM!" shortly their after i called it quits with that girl, as i knew i couldn't ever mesh with her family.

The point is...

Some feel that the current deficit (largest in history by dollar amount OR by percentage of the GDP) is perhaps just what the GOP ordered, even if they didn't expect their policies to bring on this budget crisis. For the last 9 years the GOP has been in charge of the legislature. Prior to that time, i would constantly hear about 'tax & spend' democrats, but it would come to pass that (given the opportunity) the GOP would actually spend more than the democrats. this has continued to the point where out 'deficit' spending is soon to rival what our actual DEBT was in the past.

This brings me back to my ex-girlfriend's dad. His screams just may be what the GOP needs to make them follow their own rhetoric. if there's no money to spend, then maybe you DO have to shrink the size of government. in the last 3 years we've seen a movement of more and more programs to the state governments. this is what you do when you want a program to wither on the vine. push it to the states unfunded. it sounds good to 'leave it to the local people to solve their own local problems'. the trouble is, if there's no money sent with the responsibility, the need goes un-met. i think, without meaning to do it, the GOP may have given itself just what it wanted by scoring these deficits. now to see if they can really cut the spending.

i say they can't pull it off.

Clinton Rally Delights Iowa Democrats
GREAT QUOTE:

"What's the sacrifice that's being asked of people who make more than $1 million a year?" --Bill Clinton.

I'll be damned if this isn't it on the head. we've been asked to do something to pull our nation up. Bush has literally said we should go shopping. buy things. we've been told to visit new york. support our troops. make sacrifices. tell me what the richest 1% of our society have been asked to do. those with the biggest ability to 'do something'. what has the govenment asked them to do? take on less of the tax burden. that's what. i don't mind doing my part, but i'll be damned if i'll ever listen to another person that earns more money than i do complain that their civic duty keeps them from prosperity.

in the boom on the 1950's the tax rate for the richest bracket was 90%. NINETY PERCENT, and we prospered throughout the decade. i don't think we should return to that, but my sympathy for the people who cry over millionaires paying a fraction of that just does not exist.

For the record, let me tell you that tax cuts aren't conservative in and of themselves. taking care of your finances so that you don't risk historically high debt is conservative. i wish i had a conservative president.

Divided Loyalty

I am very very fond of my two schools. Mississippi State and Tulane University. Tulane often plays Ole Miss, but rarely State...so here i am, watching my 2 favorite schools play for the first time in recent memory. to be even handed, i didn't watch it at all and waited to see the score. while i tend to pull for state above all, i'm sympathetic to ole Tulane and i want them to do well...add that to the fact that Mississippi State is about to dip in the Rocky Felker (sp?) type era of losing...ugh...i don't even want to think about how hard this season is gonna be for the bulldogs. I AM hoping to go to starkville soon though. i'm way over due for a visit and i've been missing the ole sights.

Johnny Cash died today

very few artists affected me like Cash. his songs were often sung by a voice that had done wrong, accepted it, and then looked for a new place to go. his song "The Man in Black" is one of the most emotionally provocative songs i know. his integrity was unquestionable. he was one of the few celebrities where...well, i really just looked up to him. He will be sorely missed.

Is anyone having trouble posting or viewing this site? i have had one complaint but don't see the problem myself. thanks!

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Clark Set to Enter 2004 Presidential Race
YEAH!

I say this is win win. he either gets the nomination or becomes Dean's VP. the only other person with a chance is Edwards(D, NC), whom i still like a lot. Unfortunately the senator from N. Carolina has dropped the ball. his problem? too young. too inexperienced at running. i often think that doesn't matter if you are good enough. i thought he was. maybe i underestimate all around?

GO CLARK!

Gen. Clark Reportedly Is Asked to Join Dean

This is pretty extra-ordinary. in 1992 Clinton did not officially declare he was running until October 1991. now, sure, everyone knew he was running by that point, but this article shows just how sped up the whole process is today. 30 years ago the nomination wouldn't be settled until the SUMMER of the election year. we'll be done by early spring at this rate.

I like Wesley Clark, i'd go as far as to say he's my pick for president. However, if he could join with Dean, that would do MUCH to bring dean to the center. i dunno. Gen. Clark is so damn strong. i think Dean sees HIM as his biggest threat at this point and i think he'd be right. the more i see the other candidates, the more i see them as washed up already. this is sorta crazy, but i think its true.

Sharpton, CMB, and Kucinich have slightly less of a chance than me. they are waiting to fall off. Graham is great but can't get a message together. Liberman excites no one but the Lieberman staff. literally. i've never seen ANYONE say lieberman would be an asset and that is counting the 2000 election! he is done ('cept for his senate seat). Gephardt is an alright guy, but he has been trying to do this for 16 years and he's just not gonna do it. the problem is that if you try and fail too many times its hard to get momentum (and THAT is his very problem). Kerry blew his lead and gave it to dean early on. he ALWAYS seems to be playing catch up. he's like another al gore w/ a better war record. he makes amateur mistakes that have cost him (maybe) everything AND simutaneously helped to give dean the spotlight. bush would eat him alive b/c he WOULD foul up. Edwards...i LIKE edwards. he just can't get traction. if i was him i'd call it quits EARLY. now. if he was exploding, no, but that isn't the case. he should stay in his senate seat. seek re-election this year and go for it later. he has a long career ahead of him...except he DIDN'T do anything i said. he announced he'd NOT seek re-election to the senate to pursue the presidency. i think he's locked himself into a BAD decision and it just sucks b/c that will be a battleground and losing another senate seat could be even WORSE!

so who does that leave? Dean and Clark. if they join up now. THIS early...it would be unheard of...and maybe incredible. i think it may be too weird to be real... the likely result will be the winner will ask the other to be VP. if i had to guess at this VERY early date.

Protesters disrupt Rumsfeld speech wow! i have to wonder if the Lt. Chickenhawk will have more of this trouble of if this is isolated. Bush is below 45% in approval right now. the scary part is that he's been able to pull virtually any diversion and the press along with the public will follow along. gotta wonder what is coming next. we have tax cuts, we have war in iraq....so what happens when you get all you wanted and it didn't really work out? I have to wonder what he could move on next to get himself going? i see tort reform in your future mr. president...

SHORT VACATION!

Back again. I’m in Jackson and my house looks like a bomb went off in here! A week ago today I was in San Fran with my pals for a little shin dig I call "my wedding". It went off without a hitch …um, ‘cept for the getting hitched part. My wife has been going through some sort of unholy maelstrom in getting this thing ready. I’ve been here safe in Jackson, MS where I’m somewhat limited in what I can get done. My better half—Fred—has been extraordinary. She, with my bad ass in-laws put on the damnedest wedding I could have ever hoped for. Federica was beautiful in her gown--veil and all! We danced the first song to the BEST wedding song “Ain’t that a Kick in the Head” by Dean Martin. The food was some of the best I’ve ever had. Many of my friends were able to make the trek and we had a great time together. All in all, it was a wonderful time. 2 days later, we left for Jackson, MS. We drove across the country, had a good time and it wasn’t NEARLY as bad as you would imagine. Anyway, I’ve been gone for a bit and I wanted to drop a note to tell you where I’ve been. I promise i'll have this thing back on track. until then, here's your update