Washblog

Even as the Bush Administration beats the drums for an insane war against Iran, Congress stands by and wrings their hands. Republicans (except for supporters of Ron Paul) continue to walk lock step behind their leaders, and many Democrats in Congress warn against excessive partisanship.

Are people numb to the truth?

(Image is my own creation.)

Reference DLaw's diary on Mitt Romney, The Mormon Question

and my own previous writing which includes then a certain amount of "credentials" as a male Mormon authority.

Dlaw asks in a poll at the end of his article: "Is Romney's Mormonism Fair Game?"

Well of course it is.

Military appropriations of $70 to continue the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan were approved yesterday by the House and Senate.  The vote was on an amendment to H.R.2764.

[Ed. Note: I was unable to post this story on the day it was written. It comes up two days late... but ever more timely.]

A new site, rollcall4democracy.org, was unveiled tonight on the anniversary of Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her bus seat.  It features at its core a resolution endorsed by over 200 organizations, from the California NAACP to the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, United Farmworkers of America, US PIRG, and VotersUnite, as well as a number of individuals (my name is on that list) -- calling for the preservation of our unalienable rights of self-government, such as the right to alter the government at will. Because all legitimate government power comes from the people via elections, we requires voting systems in which every element is observable by the public and creates evidence accessible to and understandable by the public.

In a email sent out earlier this morning, election integrity attorney Paul Lehto wrote: "Today, every one of us is challenged to be a Rosa Parks, because ALL of the American people are being asked to give up their seat on the bus:  The Driver's Seat."  Here's a direct link to the resolution, which notes our country's long dishonorable history of vote suppression: RESOLUTION on Rights for Open and Honest Elections and against Corporate Secret Vote Counting.

WA CONTACTS US PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS

Here's a list of national and Washington state sites for U.S. presidential campaigns. We'll update this as new info comes in. The logo appearing to the left has been placed on Washblog's sidebar for easy access. This post was inspired by Ken Camp, State Director for Bill Richardson for President, who requested that Washington campaign information be made more accessible on Washblog. As of January 10, 2004, several candidates have dropped out: Senators Biden, Dodd, Gravel, and Richardson have withdrawn their candidacies.

So how can a society that gets all tearful and weepy-eyed when somebody's house gets made-over remain silent, casual and disinterested unless the makeover team is working the house of a veteran?

How is it that the point of this editorial remains abstract so long as a draft doesn't drag the consumer-obsessed weepy-eyed who-rah flat-screen crowd into the same arena?

If you pay attention, you'll notice that those who publicly take stands supporting the troops by supporting the invasion and occupation as well as the wisdom-challenged foolish who started it are fewer and fewer every day.

You'll also notice that silence is where they hide their shame.

It's a silent majority apparently too shamed to do anything but sit, click and munch on Doritos.

[Notes: We saw on Friday an extraordinary united front of citizens and of WA electeds from both parties opposing further media consolidation. 1st posted 11/9/07. Updates completed 11/10/07, 2:30 pm]

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Above: Federal Communications Commission Commissioners listening to testimony at Friday evening's Seattle Town Hall Hearing.  L to R: Robert McDowell, a Bush appointee assumed to be supporting same-market cross-ownership between TV stations and newspapers; Michael J. Copps, opposing further consolidation; Chairman Kevin Martin, a Bush appointee proposing the new cross ownership rules; Jonathan Adlestein, opposing further consolidation.  Pro-consolidation Commissioner Deborah Tate was not present. Adelstein's statement, Copps' statement, Tate's statement. Martin responded to the passionate anti-consolidation arguments of Adelstein and Copps by dismissing them as "rhetoric".

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The three Bush appointees to the 5-member Federal Communications Commission are expected to force approval of proposed new rules allowing cross-ownership of print and broadcast media in local markets despite overwhelming evidence and public testimony in opposition. Given the outpouring of compelling testimony expressed from every political point of view that further consolidation will decrease market competition and "weaken democracy"*, a question arises: what's going on with McDowell and Martin? Is it possible they don't understand how much depends on their actions? I had speculated that the demeanor of exhausted-looking pro-consolidation McDowell on the left (he appeared this way much of the time) expressed penitence and embarrassment -- and that of attentive-looking Chair Martin, third from the left, profound ease with the fact that he is about to sell out democracy. A friend I was with thought the opposite, that Martin seemed genuinely impacted by the testimony and McDowell exuded arrogance.

Tomorrow (11/10/07) I'll post a few more pictures and observations, below. Northwest Progressive Institute has live blogging of the event.

[Updated after feedback from other sources. Update appears right after the break. AR]

Note: Cross-posted to Daily Kos (Recommends solicited please) and Willapa Magazine

My wife and I have included a concern about depleted uranium in our writings now going back almost five years. Recently - as members of a Google group that focuses on Veteran Health issues in Washington State - we received an email  from another military veteran group member which included the following:

Since you are a former AF brat, wife of a Viet Vet and mother to soldiers still serving, I would appreciate it if you would contact me. You have been gravely mislead by a bunch of frauds about DU.

What made you even go looking for them (or did they come to you) -- you are the perfect person for them to make a dupe as they have made Congressman McDermott who was sent a forged document that is purported to be from 1943.

I have just received the following Media Alert from Bill Goold, Chief of Staff for the Congressional Progressive Caucus:

    "The situation was dire and becoming worse by the minute --"

I did not know this story.
I'm sure all those who read this already knew it.
So I'm slow ... I'll get by any way I can.

However ...

There's a message for our Democrats in all this:
Don't wait until you have the votes. That's only an excuse not to get your hands dirty.

MAKE WAR, NOT LOVE!!

Why would we in Washington ever vote for a national republican candidate who would - as a good party member - support this kind of betrayal of American Core Values? 

For example, what could Dave Reichert or Kathy McMorris EVER offer as an offset for this kind of indifference, intolerance, party-supported discrimination and racism?  

The ancestors of these party members would be absolutely revolted by the failure to uphold America's core values by their own descendents who are where they are because of those core values.

The Republican Party does NOT deserve its current place at the forefront of legitimate American political leadership. 

No Chemo!

We Republicans would rather spend money on WAR, not health!
Our financial mentors cannot make as much profit on chemo. Why don't you civic-minded citizens understand that?

Read Pain and regret, By Jason Cole, Yahoo! Sports September 18, 2007

KING COUNTY, Wash. – Dave Pear's speech is halting and he stumbles through his thoughts even though he has a spiral-bound binder of notes in his hands to prompt him. He repeats himself at times and gets frazzled with a brain that simply won't cooperate after too many concussions from his days on the football field. But there is one thing that can't be stopped as the 54-year-old Pear grapples with a life stunted by a game that has crossed the thin line from love of his youth to loathe of his middle age.

Frankly I do not remember Dave Pear who played in the NFL from 1975-1980. But then, now that I'm past 60 with back, knee and joint pain that is never far away, don't think I won't recall Dave Pear from time to time and thank fate that I never realized my teenage dreams of playing pro-football.

This dream of our Founders was fashioned and forged by rebellion's hot zeal;
with  fire born of need stoked by courage,
the Fathers laid groundwork where many feared even venture.
Confronting a king and overcoming fear they birthed a nation
... meant for a people whose courage could always be summoned.

Fear, shame or guilt?

"We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven into an age of unreason if we dig deep into our history and remember we are not descended from fearful men."
Edward R. Murrow

With today's round of terror, national doubt and danger lurking in shadow,
were silence to reign with only a whisper,
that sound would ring more loudly.
The sound of that dream must move us
... beyond our life of worry by terror.

Mary makes a well-written case for Single Payer health insurance at Pacific Views today.

"America's health care system is imploding. Despite the fact that America devotes more of its GDP to health care than any other developed country, the real outcome for a significant portion of our country is miserable. And despite all the initiatives that claimed to fix the problem, the problem is getting worse."

As someone who administers state Medicaid in Pacific County and who becomes aware of as many uninsured citizens in an hour as an enterprising researcher could find in a day, I consider the above seriously understated.

foto:bigpicture.typepad.com

"Getting worse" actually means something far fouler smelling than what you see in Sicko.

Mary has more:

"Universal health care is particularly unsuited for a market-based approach because people are unable to do a lot of comparison shopping when they are sick and the overwhelming need for health care is when someone is sick, not when they are well."

Mitt Romney and I are the same age (60), grew up in the same church, served as Mormon Missionaries in the same years, and were given  draft deferrals as "ministers and/or divinity students" through Mormon Church political agreement with the feds and selective service. 

But our "stuff in common" seems to kind of stop there.