My first political memories are of the events of 1968.  

Of all the things that could spark those memories, who could imagine it would be anything as cynically manipulative as Senator Clinton using the tragedy of RFK's assignation as a rationale for continuing her campaign past the point of losing.

Remembering, vaguely, what happened in 1968; and I consider vividly those answers to the questions that Senator Clinton rhetorically posed in her sit-down with the Argus Leader editorial board.

--(Posted at GreenMountainDaily.com)

The fact that the media is able to continue covering and repeating Congresswoman Wasserman-Schultz's excuses rationale for not performing her duties as a member of the Red-to-Blue program, is absolutely frustrating. It is not the message I enjoy reading seeing in the media in Florida (especially in Florida) or anywhere else. It is not as frustrating as seeing our Democratic candidates in Florida having to put up with lukewarm assistance from our establishment Democratic leaders, but it is frustrating nonetheless.

2008 needs an all-hands-on-deck effort and GOP enabling is an inexcusable act by anyone, most of all a member of the DCCC's Red to Blue team. I rarely contact members of Congress outside of my own state, but the composition of the United States Congress is a national issue affecting all of us regardless of where we live.

Dear Congresswoman Schultz, please throw your three GOP colleagues overboard and go below to read my correspondence to your Democratic colleague, Congressman Van Hollen . .

Arlo Guthrie is helping the Vermont ACLU protect the civil liberties and constitutional rights of Vermonters by donating some of the proceeds to his upcoming concert in Burlington Vermont.

This legislative session, the Vermont ACLU is working aggressively along with other progressive activists in the Vermont legislature to:

-- Stop a patient monitoring program that violates privacy rights;

-- Secure marriage rights for all Vermonters, and  

-- Advocate for protections and reforms from recent police TASER abuse incidents in Vermont against peaceful protesters.

More about what is on the agenda in Vermont and Arlo Guthrie's concert on Saturday Feb 2nd in Burlington Vermont.

With a hearty group of over 30+ Vermonters, I canvassed this weekend for Senator John Edwards. http://www.vpr.net/... I came away inspired from canvassing my microcosm of the New Hampshire electorate in Lebanon New Hampshire, which is in the Connecticut River valley just over the bridge from White River Junction, Vermont.  

We also had a chance to watch Senator Edwards connect with an overflow high school auditorium (we needed to find an additional basketball gym to hold the extra people) and had a chance to watch Senator Edwards shoot hoops while the press set up in an overflow Lebanon High School auditorium.  

The crowd was so large, the fire department came and refused entry to a long line that snaked through the hallways of the High School, and into the parking lot, as they waited to her Senator Edwards' speech.

More on the overflow crowd, the press being turned away (initially) and watching Senator Edwards play basketball while the sound system and press set up for the overflow crowd after the jump(shot). [UPDATE below, re: "Yes, please use my pictures"]

Since 1976 when Iowa’s presidential caucus achieved domineering status, Iowa's Democratic caucuses have picked a SECOND PLACE FINISHER for the Democrats - or not picked the Nominee/Gen. Election Winner - EVERY SINGLE TIME!  

Every four years, the Iowa caucus picks a candidate for the Democrats who either:

1. Does not win in November; or

2. Does not win in November or even win the nomination; or

3. Is not even be the most formidable loser to the Republican in November; and generally Iowa

4. Hampers potentially winning Democratic campaigns as well.  

Going on four decades, (1972-2008) Iowa has never failed to saddle the Democrats with a loser.

It is time to put a representative, effective, useful system in place and an effective front end strategy together (if Democrats choose to keep an "early primary system," so Democratic candidates will have a better chance in November and (more importantly) the country will have better leadership the following January.

Kudos to BlueDotRedField's diary shining sunlight on more lawlessness by the administration. The Bush administration has undertaken a systematic program of TSA agents violating people using public transportation.

The diary "Federal Agents Searching People at Indianapolis Bus Stops: Air Marshals Patting Civilians Down"poses many critically and direct questions about this program including these three:

Why (this is the key); what SPECIFIC threat - or is there one (hint: "no"); & with concerns over the number of air marshals on commercial planes, why do we have them at bus stops rather than at the airport?

My personal experience with bureaucracies (medical and law enforcement) points me to a partial answer to these three questions and an explanation of why federal agents are patting down bus riders in U.S. cities.

This is a training exercise using a population that is vulnerable, lacks resources to object and has little or no incentive to object -- or all three.

Let me explain . . . .

The FBI announced today that it was taking bank robbery indictments "off-the-table."

• (Dateline Hoover Bldg. Washington, D.C., 15 July 2007) -

Explained an FBI SpokesG-person: While we believe some of these bank robberies may have risen to the level of "felonies" (technically speaking), we do not believe that seeking indictments is a good use of our time. Given the historic number of bank robberies we’re experiencing as a nation, the FBI believes exercising the agency's oversight role criminal surveillance is a more appropriate use of our time."

-- FBI appeals to felons to reconsider Bureau's offer of cooperation - after the fold.

In reading through another interesting Demographic Tuesday diary by DrStevenB, I knew the results I would see well before voting.  As off drafting this, Inhofe & Coburn have collected over 50% of the votes combined.

Coburn and Inhofe are in a league of their own. I don't know how I could possiblly "defend" the nuttiness of another delegation in the shadow of Coburn & Inhofe’s destructively incompetent meandering ignorant worldview of prejudice and fantasy, and the overall combined daily congressional and human malpractice against their own species.

To me, the more relevant question is below the fold

The Attorney General has better job security than you do!

I’ve said it many times, but here goes one more time: ALBERTO GONZALES IS NOT RESIGNING. Abu has better job security than most anyone I know including most of the people now prognosticating his immediate departure. He will not leave the Attorneys General post.  Even if he wanted to go, which is possible, Mister Bush will not allow it.

Is it culture or politics?

1990s GOP PLAN: Once they decided to impeach a Democratic president, the GOP scoured everywhere to find, create or develop the illusion of a crime to justify their political impeachment conspiracy.  Laughably absent any act by President Clinton resembling a high crime or misdemeanor warranting congressional impeachment and conviction proceedings, the bastards STILL went ahead and tried to convict him.

Current DEMOCRATIC PLAN: Deciding impeachment to be a bad political idea the Democratic congress scours everywhere to find a reason to justify not impeaching Mister Bush Ridiculously absent any indication that Mister Bush has the slightest interest in, or capacity to, ceasing criminal activities that require congressional impeachment and conviction, and laughably and tragically absent any historical precedent of a President engaging in this level of criminality without facing legal or constitutional jeopardy, the Democratic congress STILL goes ahead a refuses to perform its duty to stop Mister Bush’s criminal behavior.

Why the difference?

The proverbial refrain of "kill the lawyers" -- (particularly out-of-place in relation to the actions of the Bush/Cheney Justice Department's purge) -- pops up in the discussion over Lapin's current diary about the firing of U.S. attorney John McKay.   It is a great read and I recommend it highly.

Shakespeare's famous line "First, lets kill all the lawyers" is an homage to legal professionals as "first responders" against the enemies of civil society and the rule of law. It is just one more history lesson that keeps coming back during this failed administration.

This is what the phrase means, below --

Since 1976 when Iowa’s presidential caucus achieved domineering status, Iowa's Democratic caucuses have picked a LOSER for the Democrats - or not picked the winner - EVERY SINGLE TIME!  

Every four years, the Iowa caucus picks a candidate for the Democrats who either:

1. Does not win in November; or

2. Does not win in November or even win the nomination; or

3. Is not even be the most formidable loser to the Republican in November; and generally Iowa

4. Hampers potentially winning Democratic campaigns as well.  

Going on four decades, (1972-2008) Iowa has never failed to saddle the Democrats with a loser.

It is time to put representative, effective, useful states in the front of the pack so Democratic candidates will have a better chance in November and (more importantly) the country will have better leadership the following January.  

This is in response to Machiavellianman's post about Nebraska State Senator Lowen Kruse's really dumb idea:  http://www.dailykos.com/...
I recommned reading his diary and its comments.

The well intentioned Nebraska State Senator proposed legislation that will make it illegal for minors or adults under 21 to consume alcohol in Nebraska under any circumstances.  This will include alcohol consumed as part of a religious ceremony.  Machiavellianman describes the effect of this proposed legislation as:

. . . a clear violation of [State] power from the get go. . . .

Although a bad idea for other reasons, this bill does not represent a constitutional violation of anyone's religious freedoms.  This law will, if passed, represent another government intrusion affecting everyone regardless of whether they are at church or at the dining room table.  It affects freedoms, just not inherently religious ones.

Let me explain. . .

Dear Washington Post,

I'm sorry to learn that you decided to fire Bob Woodward's esteemed colleague, Ben Domenech, earlier yesterday and waited until this afternoon to share the news.