The Dean/DNC Anniversary celebration continues

Howard says "Thank you." (Video)

FYI, there's a newer post, about DickCheney, below this one. I just couldn't bear to have that guy's mug at the top of the blog, so I bumped this post back up.

In response to Corinne's post Howard Dean: Promises Kept, New Hampshire Representative Marcia Moody wrote the following.


Photo courtesy of deanocratforever's flickr album.

Yes, Thank YOU Howard Dean. In addition to your list of Howard's accomplishments in his first year as Chairman of the DNC, he also established a Lawyer's Council to investigate voting fraud. He created a Department of Veteran's Affairs all within the DNC. He is truly the most forward thinking man of this century.

I know of no other politician past or present who can equal his record of fulfilling every single campaign promise he ever made, whether as Legislator, Lt. Governor, Governor or as Chairman of the DNC.

As a freshman Legislator, I constantly draw upon him for inspiration and guidance on how I vote. I think to myself, "what would Howard do in this situation?" and then the path becomes clear to me. There are times when the pressure to compromise is almost unbearable. But then I think of the principles for which Howard Dean stands and how he never compromises what he knows to be right, and I know what I must do.
___________________
And, of course, thank you, Marcia, for being such an inspiration to the rest of us.

For more anniversary festivities, see Tim Tagaris' Kos diary, Democratic Party: Happy One Year Anniversary Howard Dean.

One year ago today, we officially elected Howard Dean as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee -- and I say we, because it was us. Who would have thought that 365 days later, Chairman Dean would walk into a packed house of state party chairs, executive directors, organizers and other officials to a standing ovation in appreciation of the "State Partnership Program" -- better known as the fifty state strategy.

For the next several days, we will have all kinds of video from state chairs, a personal video message from Chairman Dean to bloggers/online activists, and other assorted goodies in celebration of the past year.

Keep checking in at the DNC Blog.

Speaking of the DNC blog, you can watch Howard Dean's thank you message to bloggers and online activists here.

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Vice President Burr--er, Cheney

From Howard Dean's interview on Face the Nation yesterday:

The President promised two years ago that he would fire the leaker. He hasn't kept his promise. Karl Rove is not only still working in the White House but he has security clearance. Now it turns out that the Vice President of the United States may have been responsible for those leaks for political reasons. That is the kind of thing that is not been done to my knowledge since Aaron Burr was Vice President.

And another similarity between Cheney and Burr has emerged. From the story in The Australian, Cheney to friend: Sorry I shot you:

The shooting is believed to be the first time a vice-president has shot anyone in more than 200 years.

In 1804, vice-president Aaron Burr challenged Alexander Hamilton to a duel and killed him. He was never arrested and even served out his term.

See More Questions Raised About Delay in Reporting Cheney Misfire in Editor and Publisher for details about how the story took 18 hours to become public. I also highly recommend Not a laughing matter at firedoglake.

Update: Just for snicks and giggles, I did an image search for evil Dick Cheney and found this.



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You Did It! The Bat Is Broken!

Congratulations! The Bat is broken and, as of this posting, it is already $100 past its goal, with an average contribution of over $33 per person. How much higher can we go? After all, we know Howard can put it to good use.

Consider this an open thread.

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Afternoon update

For anyone who didn't get to see Howard Dean on Face the Nation, the DNC blog now has the transcript.

jc has a new blog up featuring Mardi Gras designs.

In case you missed these links earlier, I crossposted "Supporting Howard Dean: Why it's personal" at Daily Kos and Booman Tribune. Check out those diaries to see some familiar blog faces.

Oh, and just one more thing...

LOOK AT THE BAT! LOOK AT THE BAT! WE CAN DO THIS THING--IT'S GETTING CLOSE!

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Shake It Off

There are precious few people on the planet who actually like snakes. Snakes are universally reviled and with good reason - they're treacherous and they're often deadly. Snakes are hated in such a way that in our common vernacular one of the worse things that you can call someone is a snake. A snake is someone who has no character, someone who has no scruples, someone who has no problem with smiling in your face and patting you on the back for the sole purpose of finding out where to thrust the knife. Have you ever had to deal with a snake?

The Apostle Paul had been snake-bitten throughout his ministry in Asia Minor. Five times he received 39 lashes. Three times he was beaten with rods, once he was stoned, three times he was shipwrecked, he spent a night and a day in the open sea, and he was constantly on the move. He had been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from his own countrymen and in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and, above all, in danger from false brothers. Paul was well acquainted with snakes.

So Paul must have chuckled the last time that he was shipwrecked - on Malta - when a snake bit him as he was helping to gather firewood. Everyone thought that he was a dead man walking, but what did Paul do? Paul shook it off. Paul didn't sit around and cry about his fate. Paul didn't kvetch about his perpetual misfortune. Paul shook that snake off before the venom could get into his system. That is exactly how we have to face adversity:

Folks hating on you? Shake it off!

Spouse acting a fool? Shake it off!

Kids acting like Chucky? Shake it off!

Boss treating you like Toby? Shake it off!

Politicians lying to your face? Shake it off!

Player haters trying to take your place? Shake it off!

We cannot sit around and complain about what has happened to us - we have to shake that stuff off and move forward with what God has for us to do. If you look at the text, Paul didn't just shake the snake off of him - he shook it into the fire. You see, not only do we have to get past the problem, we have to solve the problem. Paul eliminated the source of his problem - he didn't just sit around and whine about it, he did something about it. There's an old saying that God helps those who help themselves, and there's some truth to that. We have to get past our helplessness and take care of our own responsibilities. We have to shake off adversity and squash whatever problems hinder us so that we can achieve all of our objectives. That is what Paul did on his way to Nero's chopping block, and that is what we have to do in our every-day living.

May the LORD bless you and keep you;
May the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;
And may the LORD,
Who implores you to Shake It Off,
May He turn His face toward you and give you peace.

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Howard Dean: Promises Kept

You've given me enormous responsibility, but it's a responsibility that we share. We can change the party, but only by working together and competing in all 50 states and territories. We can change the party, but only by working together and becoming a national party again. We can change this party, but only by working together at the local level, because if we want to win nationally we have to start by winning locally.

Howard Dean, February 12, 2005

Howard Dean campaigned for the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee with the same energy, enthusiasm, creativity, and self-confidence that he brought to his campaign for the 2004 presidential nomination. And in retrospect, I believe no other candidate could have done what Howard has been able to achieve in just one year.

In one year, Howard has instilled a renewed spirit and energy to the party that hasn't existed for a very long time. His efforts have positioned the party to be competitive in the 2006 mid-term elections. He is keeping every promise he made during his campaign to head the DNC. He's brought insight and innovation to rejuvenate the grassroots, made a commitment to party community, and focusing on the future.

I would be remiss if I did not recap some of Howard's main accomplishments from the previous year:

• Raising more than $51 million in 2005 - a record for a non-election year.
• Traveling to 34 states and territories, while raising $1 million for the states.
• Launching Democracy Bonds to help fund his 50-state strategy - there are now more than 30,000 monthly donors.
• Hiring party organizers in 43 states to reinforce the party infrastructure.
• Investing $7 million to elect Jon Corzine and Tim Kaine governors of New Jersey and Virginia, respectively.
• Speaking forthrightly about the party and its values.

I didn't know how difficult it would be to put into words what Howard as DNC chair means to me, yet I do know this: I have a voice now because I can say that there is someone in the Democratic Party who speaks for me. I've always called myself a Democrat but never felt any reason to contribute money. Now I do. I've been in Washington, D.C., for 20 years with a ringside seat at this circus called politics. Only now can I say there is someone who I support without hesistation.

Rather than focusing only on short-term goals Howard is leading the party to a better future by refusing to just manage what exists, having a vision for something that does not yet exist, and inspiring people to make it happen.

If you've been inspired by Howard or better yet, moved to act, please show your support for Howard's stewardship of the Democratic Party by donating to the DNC through our bat. Any amount is appreciated: it can be a nice, round number like $20 or a symbolic one, like $20.06 or $20.12. Or make a long-term commitment by purchasing a Democracy Bond. Either way, you can help Howard continue the important work he has set out to do.

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Supporting Howard Dean: Why it's personal

I've been having a hard time trying to think of what I wanted to write on the first anniversary of Howard Dean becoming chair of the DNC. Corinne has a great post ready to go live at midnight, talking about what Howard Dean has accomplished this past year. But I feel like there's something *I* need to write, and I just realized what it is. It's the same thing I was struggling with when I was trying to write up something about the Democracy Bond event in Columbus last month.

In addition to the challenge of finding the distraction-free time to write something up, there was another hurdle to overcome. Throughout the events I attended on that day, I had these periodic flashes of, "Oh my gosh, I am soooo out of my element here. These other bloggers know infinitely more about what's going on in Ohio politics than I do, so they have good questions to ask all these Ohio politicians." And truthfully, I had the feeling that some of those politicians didn't think I needed to be taken as seriously as the other bloggers there. In other words, a significant part of the reason why it was hard to do my writeup is that there were feelings of inadequacy involved. Eventually, I just handled it by leaving that part out.

But the more I think about it, the more I realize that's an important part, and it speaks to what's special about Howard Dean compared to a lot of other politicians. So, here goes--following up on some of those thoughts I had last month, and answering them.

Of course I don't know everything about Ohio politics. Where the hell would I find the time to do that with everything else I have going on in my life? It's a freaking *miracle* that someone like me knows as much as I do about politics, let alone that I feel so strongly that I *must* stay involved and keep working to make a difference. In spite of how hard it can be to find the time and energy to keep at it. That, my friends, is Howard Dean's fault. I first got involved in politics, in spite of my overall aversion to it, because Bush was *so* bad, that extreme measures were called for. But Howard Dean is a big part of the reason I didn't just fall back into my normal level of political involvement--pretty much just going to the polls on election days--after the 2004 election was over.

But, you know what was amazing about the Dean campaign? The fact that someone like me--someone who doesn't do any of the traditional political "stuff" like canvassing, making phone calls, etc., was able to somehow create my own niche and feel that I had a valuable contribution to make.

Small digression here... You may or may not know that Demetrius had created the "Flat Howard" graphic. For a long time, we had a printout of that on one of the walls in our house. So, at least a 2D version of Howard Dean lived with us for quite some time before we had our chance to meet the real Howard Dean. (In November of 2003, we got quite a kick out of watching a CBS video of the real Howard Dean reacting to Flat Howard in the hallways of campaign headquarters.)



Different people notice different things about Flat Howard. Some people noticed right away that he is wearing the infamous J. C. Penney suit. What we noticed was that he looked like he was in the middle of saying, "No, thank you!" And that, to us, is classic Howard Dean.

In a post entitled Thank you, Howard Dean, written in June of 2005, I put into words some of the things about Howard Dean that have earned my loyalty and support. Those things still ring true, so rather than repeating them here, I can refer you to that piece. Today there are just two things I'd like to focus on. The first is that "attitude of gratitude" I just mentioned. It's pretty important. When you're working hard just to "put food on your family", and add to that any other challenges your particular family is facing, well, yes, it is a big deal to fit political involvement into all that. Especially now that it's turned out to be a marathon rather than a sprint.

The other thing I really appreciate is that, again and again, Howard Dean has demonstrated that he "gets it"--in the sense of being able to look at root causes and think long term rather than succumbing to the "quick fix" mentality. While I, like many Dean supporters, appreciated his willingness to be blunt and "tell it like it is", his ability to be thoughtful issues was just as important. I recall that, during the presidential campaign, he discussed the importance of investing in education in order to reduce crime down the road. He said something like "Every kindergarten teacher can tell you which kids are going to be a problem..." and went on to say that was why we need to fully fund special education. Too many people just go for the "zero tolerance" approach, and focus on punishing the "bad kids" to "teach them a lesson" or some such. That approach pretty much amounts to writing some kids off at an early age...throwing them away. *And* still not fixing the problem.

Anyway, cutting to the chase. Howard Dean has a tough job--I know I sure couldn't do it. But he's earned my support many times over. If I had my druthers, I would be supporting Dean for President in 2008, but he ruled out that possibility when he decided to pursue the job of DNC chair. (I *think* I've forgiven him for making that decision...most days.) But I respect the decision he made, and understand the thinking behind it. And, given the sacrifices the job involves (including *continuing* to take crap from people in both major parties as well as the media), I feel like it's the least I can do to support his efforts in any way I can.

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Remember when Howard said capturing Saddam did not make us safer?

I am always telling myself to quit cleaning out old files, it makes me too upset over how we got to be in this mess in this country today. Well, today, nearing the one year anniversary of Howard Dean as chairman of the DNC....I openly admit to be wee bit sentimental.

I just found this article by Jimmy Breslin about the day Howard said we were no safer now that Saddam was caught. It is a truly great column, and we need to be reminded of it now and then. He points out the hypocrisy so well.

The New American System of Justice

He describes a scene in New York City around New Years after Saddam was captured.

In all my time in my city I have never seen this many guns. Not just little guns that you fit in a holster. But great big cannons that were being held by men peering out from under helmets and dressed otherwise for battle. This was on New Year's Eve, after our 140,000 troops captured Saddam Hussein and made America safe for freedom and liberty and democracy.

Then he reminds us of the one person who dared to admit we were no safer, and he reminds us how they ripped him apart for it. See, this is why I really do have to stop going through my old stuff.

On the other side of politics, Howard Dean, Democratic candidate for president, didn't think Saddam Hussein's capture made us any safer in America. The other politicians screamed that was un-American. It was John Kerry who said, How could Dean dare say that we were not safer now? Kerry is so sure we're safe that he mortgaged his house the other day to have the money to say Dean is a traitor. This is only before the first primary and Kerry goes for the roof over his head. He seems ready to go naked on these primaries.

Howard Dean then said that he was old-fashioned and he didn't think you could judge or punish Osama bin Laden until you had a trial and found him guilty.

Breslin goes on to excoriate the others who condemned him so soundly, and he calls Lieberman a "nasty little man." His ending is powerful.

Yet Joseph Lieberman, who is a peripheral candidate now and thus a nasty little man, said that because he relies on the Constitution, Dean is a weakling who would melt in the face of George Bush.

John Kerry and Dick Gephardt were wildly opposed.

Yet all Dean has to do in this big Des Moines debate today is ask each candidate, "Are you in favor of sentencing bin Laden before you have a trial?"

Let them answer in front of a country that is better than they are.

And this picture is of Howard Dean in Vermont this week, still fighting. Happy one-year anniversary to him.


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Stop me before I muse again!

I wasn't going to take the time to put up a new diary before going out to do some weekend errands, but how can I pass this up? In a diary by Overseas at Daily Kos:

Canadian Press
Published: Friday, February 10, 2006 WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. government concluded its Cyber Storm wargame Friday, its biggest-ever exercise to test how it would respond to attacks over the Internet from anti-globalization activists, underground hackers and bloggers.

BLOGGERS?! We're the object of a WARGAME?

Participants confirmed parts of the worldwide simulation challenged government officials and industry executives to respond to deliberate misinformation campaigns and activist calls by Internet bloggers, online diarists whose "Web logs" include political rantings and musings about current events.

Well, I've been accused of a lot of things, but guilty of "musings" is a new one for me. Wonder if it carries a jail sentence? Anyone else been "musing" lately and want to fess up right now? Does a muser eventually evolve into a ranter?

That cracked me up. Reminded me a bit of when Maura in VA was being interviewed on Nightline and one of the questions was whether she had revealed to Virginia Delegate John Cosgrove that she was a blogger when she wrote to him. And a number of us were writing "My name is ---, and I'm a blogger", like we were at an AA meeting or something. "Muser" is just that much more absurd.

I just read the above post to Demetrius, and he remarked, "I wonder what it's like to have a free press."

I sure hope we get to find out some day. In the meantime, when people like Howard Dean speak the truth, it's important to do what we can to "have their back". That's why we've got a bat. That's why I want to make sure we are ready with our *positive* stories in honor of Dean's first anniversary as chair of the DNC, because we know that there are bound to be some stories in the "mainstream" press about what a disaster Howard Dean has been as chair. The cupboard is bare and we can't get our poor dog a bone! Well, in any event, I know we'll be seeing some total bull-- er, crap, rolled out as "news". We'll need to be ready with rapid response.

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The bat is back!

From Joe Rospars' outstanding Kos diary, Dean's DNC: The Bat is in Your Hands...

The bat is a powerful symbol for me and a lot of people -- a symbol of empowerment, a symbol of hope. In the nearly two years since the campaign ended, it has become a symbol of what might have been.

But over the course of the last year, as part of Governor Dean's team reorienting and rebuilding the Democratic Party, it has become a symbol of what is, and what will be. Ordinary Americans are empowered in politics today as never before, and the Democratic National Committee under Governor Dean's leadership is not only breaking fundraising records but breaking new ground by putting grassroots organizers on the ground across the country and developing a new kind of relationship with people.

Here's the link to create your own bat. And here's the link to our brand new Howard-Empowered People bat. Who will be the first to give it a swing? For a little added inspiration, I'm including this picture that Corinne posted in Joe's diary.




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Larkin passed his finals...

...and his graduation is scheduled for next Saturday!

Mom just called with the news, and since I told you all about this last week in Saturday Night Dog Blogging, I wanted to pass along the good news.

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Open Thread

Photo courtesy of the Infinite Cat Project.

Quick reminder that Blogger is going to be down again at 9 p.m. Pacific Time. So you might want to bookmark the alternative comment link so that you'll have the keys to get back into posting when that happens.

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Hackett's grassroots reception/grand opening in Columbus

Before moving on to the transcript, take a look at this post about personal fundraising pages at the DNC blog. Obviously, the one on the right fits well with what we're talking about here. Would anyone here, *other than me* like to volunteer to set one of those up? (There's also a Kos diary by Tim about this new fundraising tool.)



On to Paul Hackett's appearance in Columbus...

I wasn't sure I'd be able to attend, but at the last minute I decided to head over to the grassroots reception and grand opening of the Paul Hackett campaign headquarters in Columbus. A number of people have done write-ups, and you can find links to those, as well as to the audio of Hackett's speech, at the Hackett for U.S. Sentate blog. Below, I have written up the transcript of Paul's speech.

Any Democrats in the house? (Cheers and applause)
All right, here we go! Here's the good news: in 2006, we can win, and we can win big in the state of Ohio. Now why is that important? Because the state of Ohio is going to help us elect the next Democratic president of the United States in 2008. (More cheers and applause, and the voice of a child, I'm guessing about 3 years old, saying something I couldn't make out. Hackett asks, "Turn it off or turn it on?")

That's why in 2006 we've got to be smart, and we've got to fight in all 88 counties in the state of Ohio. Because we as Democrats *can* win statewide in the state of Ohio. Despite the fact that in 15 years we haven't demonstrated that abililty.

So, how do we do that? Well, first of all, we've got to spread a message. (Small child again makes some noise, and Hackett, to approving laughter, says "Come here, guy", picks him up, asks "Ready?" and gives him a little "airplane" ride. Then, to the audience, "I haven't seen my kids in a couple of days.")

In the state of Ohio, we can, and we've got to win big in 2006. How we are going to do that is we're going to, first of all, spread a message of success. We as Democrats have got to be proud of what it is that we stand for. We are the party of fiscal responsibility, of limited government, of a strong national defense, and fair trade.

Now, some people every now and then when I say that, particularly Democratic activists, say, "Well, you sound like a Republican!" I don't think so...

Fiscal responsibility. We are the party that balances budgets! (Applause)
Limited government. Call me crazy--we don't send people to Washington D.C. to tell us how to live our private lives, educate our children, worship our God, or dictate to my wife or any of the women in this room, what decisions you make in the privacy of your doctor's office. (Applause and cheers)

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the message of the Democratic party, and that is the message that we have got to fight for across all 88 counties in the state of Ohio. And that's how we're going to win in 2006.

Now, that said, you all are going to play a big role in that. We've got a primary coming up in three months--May 2. I need your help in the primary. I'm asking you to join me.

If you're happy with where we are in America today, then you probably are not interested in helping me. But if you share the same concerns that I do, that America is not on the right track, that we're selling the next generation down the river, that we're exporting our economy, and that we're not standing up and fighting for what is great about this country, and about our party. If you share that concern, I ask you to take part, join the team, help us take this fight to Washington D.C. So that we can return a Democratic party for the state of Ohio, to the White House. A Democratic party that doesn't simply *aspire* to deliver greatness, but a Democratic party that has the *commitment*, and the sense of service, and the will to fight for what is great about our party. Things like peace, prosperity, and the freedoms that define America.

I want to be the guy who's going to create and fight for the new Democratic party, and take it Washington D.C. Please help me, please join, and let's get this job done in 2006 in Ohio, so that we can deliver the White House in 2008. (Loud cheers and applause).

Crossposted at Daily Kos, My Left Wing, Booman Tribune, and the way cool ePluribus Media, who front paged it. (Blows kisses)

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Transcript: Howard Dean on "GMA"

Kicking Ass, the Democratic Party blog, has a transcript of Howard's appearance this morning on "Good Morning America."

CHARLIE GIBSON: Joining us now from Burlington, Vermont is Howard Dean, the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Good to have you with us.

DNC CHAIRMAN HOWARD DEAN: Thank you for having me on.

GIBSON: Senator Clinton's central point, it seems to me here, is that the Republicans are doing a far better job of convincing the country they can keep them safe and the Democrats aren't doing a very good job of countering that strategy. Do you agree?

DEAN: Your poll shows otherwise. Your poll shows that they have a small edge and that's a smaller edge than they had before. The truth is the Republicans haven't defended us any better than they had dealt with Katrina or senior drug benefits or balancing the budget. On this President's watch, Iran is becoming a nuclear power. The President has nothing, done little about it. North Korea-- after five years-- North Korea still has nuclear weapons. The President sent our troops in battle without adequate armor. He wouldn't listen to the generals who told him if he were going into Iraq that he needed more help. This is not a President who's been particularly strong on...

GIBSON: But --

DEAN: What about our borders? President has been in office for five years. What about the security of our borders? I think the President is weak on defense. They have a great propaganda machine but the fact is they haven't delivered on American security.

GIBSON: You're shot-gunning me on a lot of issues. But, on the issue of national security, 64% of the country says we're a stronger country than before 9/11. Given the mood of this country and the concerns are country and the personal fears, isn't that game, set and match for the Republicans?

DEAN: Absolutely not because the truth is we're not safer than we were when George Bush came into office.

GIBSON: but the country thinks we are.

DEAN: That's an interesting poll but I've seen many others with folks who don't agree with that. Polls are polls. The fact is this President has not defended us because he hasn't listened to the military. He has not treated our military properly. Our soldiers are losing their lives over there. For us to have to wait three years to get them adequate body armor, that is something the Democratic Party will not do. If we send our troops into battle after we take power, I can tell you two things. First, we will tell the truth to the country and our soldiers about why they have to go. And secondly, they'll be adequately equipped.

GIBSON: But she's saying essentially we've lost two elections because we were not able to convince this country that we could keep it safe. That is her central point. And I think there may be in people's minds a real question: What is the Democratic position on national security?

DEAN: The Democratic position on national security is that we will hunt down Osama bin Laden, enough is enough. Two, we will under no circumstances allow Iran to become a nuclear power. Three, we will make the deal that has to be made with the North Koreans and get that done and put pressure and pay attention to that. And four, that we will always adequately equip our troops if we need to send them into battle to defend the United States.

GIBSON: There has been a lot of discussion in Washington in recent days about the warrantless wiretaps that have gone on. The President says this is necessary to fight terrorism. Do you think this is a winner for the Democrats?

DEAN: Many in his own party disagree. Wiretapping is certainly necessary and the Democrats certainly approve of as much spying on Al Qaeda as we possibly can. What we don't approve of is breaking the law in order to spy on Americans. The present law is very adequate and the White House itself said so four years ago. All we ask is that we not turn into a country like Iran where the President of Iran can do anything they want at any time. The reason the constitution of this country has lasted as long as it has and this country lasted as long as it has as a real democracy is because there is a check on presidential power. Now, there's not a big check on this one. We just ask the President to go get a warrant after the fact if he thinks there is an emergency. But there is no reason this President shouldn't obey the law. And, we expect him to obey the law while defending the country.

GIBSON: Governor Dean, appreciate you being with us.

DEAN: Thanks for having me.

As always, Howard, thank you.

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Howard Dean on Good Morning America

Thanks, floridagal, for the heads-up.

Via the DNC blog's most recent Open Thread

1.) Tune into ABC Good Morning America tomorrow morning. Governor Dean will be interviewed by Charlie Gibson at 7:00 AM.
2.) We have an exciting announcement coming tomorrow afternoon regarding the availability of a new web tool for you to use.

Also, Howard Dean is going to be on Switchboard on Vermont Public Radio February 9 at 7 p.m. E.S.T. You can listen online here.

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Bush: EDUCATOR in Chief?!

How on earth did I miss this?

"My job's as much educator in chief as it is commander in chief." -President George W. Bush speaking at the Grand Ole Opry House, Feb.1, 2006.

I found this article via Columbus Progressive Alliance News, originally posted as President's Frightening Lesson Plan, in the Niagara Falls Reporter Opinion.
Read some of this article below, and click here for the whole article. Somebody please post some good visual interpretations of the "Educator in Chief". I need a good laugh to give myself a teeny break from the rage-athon.

Speaking to the crowd at the Grand Ole Opry, Bush sounded like Minnie Pearl -- minus the humor -- talking about her Uncle Nabob and her dim-witted brother. With condescending paternalism and that Alfred E. Neuman "What me worry?" look on his face, Bush added worrier in chief to his growing list of titles.

"I clearly see the threats to America," Bush assured folks. "My job is worrying about those threats. That's not your job. We've got a lot of people in government worrying about those threats so you can go on with your life."

We should "get on with our lives"? Hmmm--where have I heard *that* expression before? Oh, *that's* right. Bush telling reporters he needed to "get on with his life" rather than meet with Cindy Sheehan this past summer. I'm sorry, but when a guy whose priorities are that out of whack tells me not to worry about something, I tend to worry *extra*.

By the way, I posted this as a diary earlier today over at My Left Wing--check the comments for some funny graphics.

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On "appropriate" funeral behavior

Guess I'm not done talking about this. When I hear that so many people (see here and here for examples, are giving the "wag of the finger" to the people who discussed political issues at the funeral of a known *activist*, whose *activist* husband was murdered nearly 40 years ago, I am *almost* at a loss for words. Luckily, plenty of other people are not.

Check out this roundup by Chuck Currie:

Bush 2007 Budget Rejects Christians Values Of Hope And Justice

From Paul Wellstone to Coretta King by Marty Kaplan

Republicans love playing the civility card. I wonder where these Emily Posts were when the Pentagon lied about the circumstances of Pat Tillman's death at his funeral. I don't recall them denouncing Pat Robertson -- while the World Trade Center towers were still smoldering -- attributing 9/11 deaths to God's revenge on liberalism. Republicans get all huffy, and invoke Marquess of Queensbury rules, when it suits them, but somehow that's never when they're spreading malicious lies and assassinating their living opponents' characters.

At Caesar's funeral, as Shakespeare tells it, Marc Antony nicely ripped Brutus a new one. Jimmy Carter was no less rhetorically elegant at Coretta King's service. Why should an elegy be an occasion to turn your back on all you believe, and all that the deceased life's stood for? If they should outlive me, I don't expect that Bill O'Reilly or Ann Coulter would come to my funeral. But if they or their kind did, I'd hope that at least one of the speakers would have the cojones to call them what they really are. Nicely, of course.

Oh, and this is priceless...Tucker Carlson, in his interview with Rev. Joseph Lowery, said: it seemed very uncomfortable to say something like that in a funeral with the president right there. It seemed like bad manners.

You know what's "bad manners", Tucker? The fact that Bush sent this budget that increases defense spending while cutting aid for those that Bush's favorite philosopher called "the least of these", *after* Mrs. King died, but *before* showing up at her funeral. Actually, "bad manners" isn't even close to being a strong enough word for the unmitigated gall Bush displayed here. Coretta Scott King spent decades fighting for the "least of these", and you thought maybe no one should mention the harm Bush is doing to those very people, because it might make some (guilty) people squirm in their seats?

And, "uncomfortable"? I bet the Katrina evacuees who are being thrown out of their temporary housing feel more than a little bit uncomfortable. So do people without adequate health care, and without enough food to eat. Oh yeah, and people who are hurt and killed in Bush's Iraq war because this administration couldn't manage to send them effective body armor.

Fortunately, Rev. Lowery was not at a loss for words, and he was even able to use his polite words when responding to Tucker (I can't imagine managing to do so myself).

CARLSON: It's not hard to hear that [your remarks] and not draw the obvious conclusion that that's an attack on President Bush, which of course is your right to do, and I think completely fair. But again, it seemed very uncomfortable to say something like that in a funeral with the president right there. It seemed like bad manners.

LOWERY: Well, I don't think so. I certainly didn't intend for it to be bad manners. I did intend for it to - to call attention to the fact that Mrs. King spoke truth to power. And here was an opportunity to demonstrate how she spoke truth to power about this war and about all wars.

And I think that, in the context of the faith, out of which the movement grows, we have always opposed war. We've always fought poverty. And we base our - our argument on - on the faith, on the fact that Jesus taught us. He identified with the poor. "I was hungry; you didn't feed me. I was naked; you didn't clothe me. I was in prison; you didn't see about me." He talked about war. He talked about he who lives by the sword.

So I'm comfortable with the fact that I was reflecting on Mrs. King's tenacity against war, her determination to witness against war and to speak truth to power.

Well there you go. Perfect response--would someone kindly make sure this is sent to all Democrats who are in a position to be interviewed about this? Because that, right there, is the correct response. And any so-called Democrat giving a namby-pamby Republican pundit-appeasing response should get a *serious* metaphorical butt-kicking.

And, one more thing, Atrios has just said:

When I die, please let it be known that my family and friends are entitled to conduct my funeral in any manner they see fit, including but not limited to talking about the things which were important to me in life.

I would say, why not go one better? Write your *own* statement, that you would like read at your funeral or memorial service. Include it with your will. Have it notorized, or whatever else you'd need to do to prove that these are *exactly* the words you want spoken. That way, no one else can be accused of doing the "politicizing".

Most of us, of course, are unlikely to have a state funeral with Bush in attendance. Maybe we should just write ours anyway--speaking truth to power in our own voices.

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Save Americorps

I think this is important enought to frontpage, but don't have the time to write a post of my own. The following is a post from listener in the overnight thread. To help avoid confusion, since there are three different "voices" in the post, I've used different colors to distinguish the part written by listener, the letter from her clergy friend in NH, and the letter from Beth.

And yes, I did sign the petition.

Well, here's one for Coretta's sake...

My son served in Americorps for two years, tutoring underprivileged kids in the inner city of St. Louis.

Today I got a message from a clergy friend in NH, explaining that Bush is cutting funding to Americorps programs, and inviting me to sign a petition to help save one of them.

Please consider signing!!
The address is below.

Here's the letter from my friend:

Friends and Family

This (see below) is from a young woman in our church.

Need I say more---except that every young person I know who participates in this program (and there are quite a few) has come back a changed person, has grown and what's more, has contributed to the common good. I fear for the common good in these daze of dizzying self-righteous indulgence and political insanity.

Please support Beth and all those who have given and give so much for others through Ameri Corps -- National Civilian Community Corps(NCCC) and otherwise.

Peace

_____

Dear Friends and Family,

I am writing this email to ask for EVERYONES support. AmeriCorps*NCCC (the program I will have devoted 2 years of my life to) is in Jeopardy.

President Bush has cut ALL NCCC funding from the 2007 Budget.
Anyone who knows my experiences and the experiences of other NCCC alum know how important this program is.

The amount of work that we are able to get done is unbelievable, and anyone who was an NCCC sponsor is aware of that. In the proposed budget, it states that AmeriCorps*NCCC has proven to be "ineffective" in their work.

This statement was also made by people who have never visited campuses or projects to see what is actually being done.

I have found a website that is forming a petition to keep NCCC, at the least I would love everyone to sign that.

**************************************
The website is
http://www.petitiononline.com/mr5qv367/petition.html
**************************************

On the other hand, SO much more can be done. Please please please write to your Senator and Congressmen, let them know the importance of the program and the lives that it saves every year that NCCC is in service.

If you would like more information on what NCCC does and the projects and amount of work that has been completed, please let me know and I can get that information for you. Also, if you do write to people, be sure to mention AMERICORPS*NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps).

On a final note, I'm really calling on all of you to speak on behalf of me. I am unable to lobby for the program at this time because i am a current member. If I were Alum, I would be out in full force, as I'm sure you all know. So please if I can help you in any way, let me know!! Please don't let them end this program that is so important!!!

Hope all is well with everyone!

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For war billions more, but no more for the poor

I just got home a little while ago, and had my first opporunity to see the video of Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery speaking at Coretta Scott King's funeral. You can see the video at Crooks and Liars. He said, in part (via Atrios):

"We know now there were no weapons of mass destruction over there [standing ovation]... but Coretta kew and we know that there are weapons of misdirection right down here. Millions without health insurance. Poverty abounds. For war billions more but no more for the poor."

Apparently there are already complaints that Lowery was "politicizing" the event. Bull puckey. I watched the whole speech/eulogy and on balance, not that much of it was political. Granted, a lot more rhyming than I personally can appreciate, but it's a style.

What a family reunion
Rosa and Martin reminiscing, they'd just begun to talk
when Martin seemed not to listen. He started to walk.
The wind had whispered in his ear
"I believe somebody is almost here!"
"Excuse me, Rosa," Martin said as he did depart.
His soul was on fire, he just couldn't wait
His spirit leaped with joy as he moved toward the Pearly Gate.
Glory, glory, halleluia, after 40 years, almost 40 years...
Together at last, together at last,
thank God almighty, together at last!

That was followed by a standing ovation. What struck me when watching the speech is how completely it struck a chord with the audience. Rev. Lowery's words were *exactly* right for the majority of the people in attendance. Not that much of the speech was political, but the part that was was entirely appropriate. From an article at MSNBC:

She pushed and goaded politicians for more than a decade to have her husband's birthday observed as a national holiday, achieving success in 1986. In 1969 she founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta and used it to confront hunger, unemployment, voting rights and racism.

"The center enables us to go out and struggle against the evils in our society," she often said.

Two points here. First, Coretta Scott King clearly was an activist in her own right, and Rev. Lowery, as a long time friend of hers, was right to address issues he knew to be close to her heart. How do you think she would have felt about this?

President Bush on Monday sent Congress a proposed $2.77 trillion budget for fiscal 2007 that favors tax cuts and national security and squeezes domestic programs.

The proposal would eliminate 141 government programs, cut spending not related to defense and homeland security, and scale back the rate of growth for Medicare and other so-called entitlement programs. Even with those savings, federal spending would exceed anticipated tax revenue by $354 billion next year, down from this year's record $423 billion deficit.

Do you think she approved of her friend, Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery chiding the powers that be for a budget giving "for war, billions more, but no more for the poor"?

Rhetorical question. Damn right, she approved.

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I want Bill and Ted held for questioning

In case you missed it, yes, Alberto Gonzalez really did say this:

Alberto: President Washington, President Lincoln, President Wilson, President Roosevelt have all authorized electronic surveillance on a far broader scale.

You can see the video at Crooks and Liars.

George Washington, the "father of our country" did that? That bastard! I know somebody who isn't getting anything for Presidents' Day this year.

Assuming, of course, that Alberto Gonzalez allegations are true. I'm pretty concerned about how Washington came into possession of equipment that could be used for electronic surveillance. I'm afraid these guys are going to have to be held for questioning.


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