As Expected, Burris Isn't So Clean After All

Yesterday we learned a little bit more about the man that could and/or will become the next Senator from Illinois. Roland Burris made a big ruckus in Washington on Tuesday when the Secretary of the Senate refused to seat him. Yet he was confident, supposedly because the lord had Blagojevich seat him, that he'd prevail in the end. Well, it might not have been a heavenly presence that got him into the Club of 100.

From The Huffington Post:

Appearing before an Illinois House impeachment committee, Burris acknowledged that he had reached out to a close friend and former chief of staff to embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich to discuss the Senate seat. That appears to contradict Burris' statement in a sworn affidavit that he had no contact with any of the governor's "representatives." The former chief of staff, Alonzo Monk, is named as "Lobbyist 1" in the criminal complaint, and ran Blagojevich's most recent reelection campaign.

Grilled by members of the Illinois House, Burris said he brought the idea of filling Obama's Senate seat to "Lon" Monk -- whose cell phone was tapped by federal agents investigating Blagojevich's pay-to-play scheme.

Moreover, Burris testified that the meeting with Monk was to drum up state business from the lobbyist -- the image of back channel dealing that Burris has sought to avoid during his Senate roll-out.

Not exactly the stuff that gets you past the pearly gates, is it? Mr. Burris though, I suspect, cares only about the big doors that lead to the Senate floor. If he were staying in Illinois, it would seem that he'd get nothing from the legislature that raked him through his own coals yesterday. Majority Leader Harry Reid however, can't seem to tie his own shoes, so herding the Democratic caucus or dealing with an ethically and legally tainted Governor is out of the question. Of course, if the Feds can nail him for being part of a pay to play scheme, things could change. His answer to whether he was is quite telling.

Towards the end, a representative put the whole inquiry in the bluntest terms possible: asking Burris whether he had promised Blagojevich anything in return for the Senate seat.

"I can before this committee state that there was nothing legal, personal, or political exchanged for my appointment to this seat," Burris replied.

Do you think he left out the word "financial" on purpose?

Reid Talks Tough On Bush...But Where Was The Action?

Sen. Harry Reid went on Meet The Press yesterday with some harsh words for the outgoing Commander in Chief. At the beginning of the 110th Congress, Reid said Bush will go down as the worst President ever. The preceding six years (at that time) were horrific for our country and the Republican-dominated Congress was eager to let Mr. Bush have free reign over the nation. Well, dear old Harry was not about to back down for David Gregory's "tough" questions.

From ThinkProgress:

GREGORY: Before you go, do you have any regrets about the way you have publicly battled with President Bush?

Over the years you’ve called him a liar, a loser, and you’ve described him as, quote, our worst president ever.

REID: I wrote a book and I said that in the book several times. David, I am who I am. I’m going to continue being who I am. I think you just have to call things the way you see them.

I really do believe that President Bush is the worst president we’ve ever had. I think his efforts to destroy Social Security were very bad. That brought about one of those statements.

Gregory continued to pressure Sen. Reid on the statement, but the former boxer didn't waver, saying he was who he was. Well, words are great but his actions.....are a different story. As the Leader of the Senate for the last two years, Reid has bent over backwards to appease the President and in the spirit of "collegiality" has let a (close) minority of Republicans in the chamber to block crucial bills without an inkling of a fight.

Reid may sound strong on MTP, but "Give em' hell Harry" he certainly is not.

Senate Dems Shoot Themselves In The Foot By Keeping Lieberman

mWell the rumors starting yesterday were true, Joe Lieberman is keeping his Chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The majority of the Democratic caucus failed to realize the reality of what Joe Lieberman did to his former party by campaigning for McCain and other GOP candidates down the ballot. Now most of them understand what the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee does and how it can hurt President Obama going forward, so what the hell were they thinking?

From RawStory:

"It's very clear that the vast majority of the Democratic caucus wants to keep Sen. Lieberman as the chairman of his committee, a member of the Armed Services Committee, and that was done, it's all over with," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told reporters after a Democratic caucus meeting Tuesday. "Joe Lieberman is a Democrat, he's a part of this caucus."

Lieberman maintained his spot as chairman on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, despite calls for him to lose that post because of his campaigning for McCain.

Reid, addressing reporters in the US Capitol Tuesday morning, said the caucus was not interested in retribution and wanted to move beyond the campaign.

Before Tuesday's vote, observers expected that the Independent Connecticut senator would receive little more than a slap on the wrist for the myriad scurrilous attacks he unleashed on President-elect Barack Obama during the campaign.

Basically nothing happened to Lieberman for his treachery. It was about letting him hold onto power within the caucus and the Senate and nothing else. Reid was wrong to say that is merely about retribution however. Alongside the vicious attacks on Obama and praises for McCain, Lieberman completely abrogated his responsibilities as a United States Senator in charge of the committee in question.

Joe should have exercised oversight on President Bush's actions yet did absolutely nothing to keep George in check. Lieberman was a loyal lap dog for Dubya and violated his Constitutional duty to help the Legislative branch be a check and a balance to the Executive. His specific role has enabled the killings of hundreds of thousands if not millions in Iraq and was an able cheerleader of the illegal war, nothing else.

The majority of the caucus should be embarrassed for such a lame slap on the wrist. Lieberman should be a back bencher without seniority for his actions and now the Dems have shown that when it comes to principles, they have very little. As Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post points out, it is all about personal loyalties. What a shame it is that they don't see that gun behind Joe's back.

Lieberman Is Out To Get Obama, Time To Get Him Out First

Ever since Joe Lieberman started standing up for George Bush's illegal war, I've lost all respect for the man. I cheered on and donated to Ned Lamont to oust him. Unfortunately it was just from the party and not the Senate as a whole. Too many good Democrats stood up for him in the general election, not knowing how rotten Lieberman was about to go. Now that he has in all essence become a Republican and out Zelling Zell Miller, it is time to kick him from the Democratic caucus and push him far, far away from chairing his current Committee. If all of the reasons laid out before haven't convinced you that have voted for Obama, consider this.

From The Washington Monthly:

This seems to be routinely overlooked, but take a moment to consider what the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs actually does: it's the committee principally responsible for oversight of the executive branch. It's an accountability committee, charged with investigating the conduct of the White House and the president's administration.

As chairman of this committee for the last two years, Lieberman decided not to pursue any accusations of wrongdoing against the Bush administration. Lieberman's House counterpart -- Rep. Henry Waxman's Oversight Committee -- was a vigilant watchdog, holding hearings, issuing subpoenas, and launching multiple investigations. Lieberman preferred to let his committee do no real work at all. It was arguably the most pathetic display of this Congress.

And yet, now Lieberman acts as if keeping this chairmanship is the single most important part of his public life. Why would he be so desperate to keep the gavel of a committee he hasn't used? I'll let you in on a secret: he wants to start using the power of this committee against Obama.

Lieberman didn't want to hold Bush accountable, but he seems exceedingly anxious to keep the committee that would go after Obama with a vengeance, effectively becoming a Waxman-like figure -- holding hearings, issuing subpoenas, and launching investigations against the Democratic president.

He is planning on giving Obama hell and thwarting any action that might help our troops get out of Iraq. He has done nothing against Bush because he is one of the current President's sycophants. Lieberman cared nothing about the high crimes committed by Bush and Cheney but just watch as he lays it into our new President. Don't let anyone fool you that this is simply about retribution (though it should weigh into the equation) but making sure someone competent will chair the committee that exercises oversight on the President. Lieberman has failed at the job so far and has no credibility to continue to have such power in the 111th Congress. Moreover, the guy really is a Republican, so he might as well just go where he belongs.

Call your Senators now at (202) 224-3121 and push them to push Joe out for good!

Senator Reid Takes On Dirty Coal

No matter what someone tries to tell you about "clean" coal, it is a dirty, filthy and unhealthy material from deep under the ground that pollutes the environment when used as energy. You can't just scrub it in a bathtub, ask any scientist (that isn't paid by the coal industry) and they will tell you that no matter what you do, coal will still do environmental damage. The myth that it is safer than 150 years ago is blatantly misleading and our Majority Leader in the Senate stated the obvious on Fox Business News.

From Politico:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid isn't necessarily known as a multimedia sensation, but thanks to his "coal makes us sick" comment, Reid has rocketed to the top of YouTube.

This video of Reid on Fox Business Network now sits atop YouTube's "most viewed" list, with nearly 215,000 views, thanks in large part to a link on the Drudge Report.

Senate Republicans are sending around the video as part of an effort to make Democrats appear out of touch on the need to produce more energy and drill more oil wells. But Reid may get the last laugh, since he controls the Senate schedule and may force the GOP to take some difficult votes on energy policy in the coming weeks.

The only thing that Reid is out of touch on with this issue is the interests of the coal industry. Reid is right that coal is a sickening fuel source. Now you can laugh along with the Republicans who support "clean" coal or you can check out the facts on the matter. Personally, I'm going with the latter.

FISA Situation Brightens Just A Little

Last week the House of Representatives brought a tidal wave of bad news by voting for the FISA legislation that not only gives the President unprecedented powers, but gives Bush a free pass by letting the telecommunication companies that aided and abetted his illegal spying on Americans off the hook. Plenty of Democrats voted against it, but enough voted with the Republican caucus to pass it, including many that got extra payoffs from telecom lobbying efforts. Now it heads to the Senate, and this is where we have to stand our ground and beat this bill back to the boardrooms of AT&T, Verizon and the conniving heads in the White House. The good news, the bill is most likely not going to be put to the test this month.

From RawStory:

The schedule for a FISA vote “is up in the air,” a source close to the majority leader tells Raw Story, and no decisions had been finalized Wednesday afternoon.

Senators debated the FISA bill throughout the day Wednesday, although negotiators had not brokered an agreement on how to proceed with votes on amendments. On the Senate floor, Feingold excoriated the compromise for not holding telecommunications companies accountable for their participation in the warrantless wiretapping program, despite the token court review advocates for the bill are touting as a compromise.

“No one should be fooled about the effect of this bill. Under its terms, the companies that allegedly participated in the illegal wiretapping program will walk away from these lawsuits with immunity. There is simply no question about it, and anyone who says that this bill preserves a meaningful role for the courts to play in deciding these cases is wrong,” Feingold said.

Feingold also brought up the fact that the bill is an abomination without retroactive immunity. Russ points out that the bill gives an incredible amount of power to the Presidency, something few Senators or any public official is willing to do. Senator Feingold speaks truth to power on this very important Constitutional issue and he should be commended for his actions. Keep up the fight Senator, we need all we can get to kill this bill in 2008.

Reid To Petraeus: Whats Your Plan?

Once again, General Petraeus is going to Congress to stump for more money for this horrendous war. Reid is going to ask tough questions, but we need to hold him accountable to take tough actions. That is one of many things Reid talks about to PoliticsTV in this segment:

A Win For democracy In The Senate Today

The war is far from over, but the United States scored a huge victory today when an uphill battle to extend the debate on FISA got more than enough votes. The Republicans fight for cloture was defeated 48-45 (should have been 49-46 but Sen Landrieu D-LA changed her vote!). Now Feingold and Dodd will be able to introduce their amendment to strip retroactive immunity from the bill.

Seeing Harry Reid fight for this now as opposed to his obstruction in December is a testament to people power. He probably had no idea that people outside the beltway actually cared about retroactive immunity, so when the public outcry began, he had to reconsider. So even though he made it harder for us (with the craziness in December of not just introducing the bill without the immunity) a month ago, he was firmly on our side today. And even Senators that didn't vote our way last week changed their minds today (like Sen. Bayh and McCaskill) and decided to vote like Democrats.

Congratulations to them for seeing the light....and to all of you that fought to have your voices heard and make Bush (by default) and the telecoms stand in court and be held accountable for their criminal actions that have subverted our Constitution.

Dodd May Have Dropped, But He's Not Giving Up The FISA Fight

Now that the Iowa Caucus is behind us, it was inevitable that some of the candidates on the lower tier would start dropping out of the race. One of those was Connecticut's Democratic Senator, Chris Dodd. He never really stood a chance against the likes of Obama, Clinton and Edwards, but he certainly does have a record of great repute. And to back that up, he is dedicated to adding to that record by continuing the fight against retroactive immunity.

From Chris Dodd via Daily Kos:

I count the past year of campaigning for the presidency as one of the most rewarding in a career of public service.

Unfortunately, I am withdrawing from that campaign tonight.

But there is no reason to hang our heads this evening -- only the opportunity to look towards a continuation of the work we started last January: ending the Iraq War, restoring the Constitution, and putting a Democrat in the White House.

I know a lot of you came to this email list through a shared desire to return our nation to one that respects the rule of law, and I want to make one thing clear to all of you:

The fight to restore the Constitution and stop retroactive immunity does not end with my Presidential campaign. FISA will come back in a few weeks and my pledge to filibuster ANY bill that includes retroactive immunity remains operative.

You've been an invaluable ally in the battle, and I'll need you to stick by my side despite tonight's caucus results.

So, one more time, thank you for all of your efforts throughout the course of this entire Presidential campaign.

We made a real difference in shaping the debate, and we'll continue to do so in the coming days, weeks and years.

I'll never forget you, and what we've fought for, together, over the past year.

Chris Dodd

Now that is a man with class, spirit and a determination to uphold the Constitution while Bush and his gang are doing their best to destroy it.

Chris Dodd Is A True Patriot

From the floor of the Senate, Chris Dodd:

Mr. President:

I rise to urge my colleagues to vote against cloture on S. 2248, the FISA Amendments Act of 2007.

Opposing cloture is essential, because there is no unanimous consent agreement in place providing for the immediate adoption of the Judiciary Committee substitute amendment.

As you know, Mr. President, the Judiciary substitute amendment, among other things, strikes Title II of the Intelligence Committee bill—the title which seeks to provide retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies who are alleged to have violated their customers' privacy rights by turning over information to the government without warrants.

I am fully aware that the Majority Leader has various parliamentary options at his disposal to move this legislation forward. It is his right to attempt to invoke cloture.

But I regret that decision, and I hope that my colleagues will join me in stopping this legislation.

Mr. President, why do I feel so strongly about this matter?

For the last six years, our largest telecommunications companies have been spying on their own American customers.

Secretly and without a warrant, they delivered to the federal government the private, domestic communications records of millions of Americans—records this administration has compiled into a database of enormous scale and scope.

That decision betrayed millions of customers' trust. It was unwarranted—literally.

But was it illegal?

That, Mr. President, I don't know. And if this bill passes in its current form, we will never know. The president's favored corporations will be immune.

Their arguments will never be heard in a court of law. The details of their actions will stay hidden. The truth behind this unprecedented domestic spying will never see light. And the book on our government's actions will be closed, and sealed, and locked, and handed over to the safe-keeping of those few whom George Bush trusts to keep a secret.

Why does Chris Dodd have to do this while we have a Democratic majority in the Senate? It is because our current Majority Leader, Harry Reid is caving and/or helping George Bush to allow retroactive immunity to the telecom companies that illegally wiretapped millions of Americans. Senator Reid could have introduced the Judiciary Bill and avoided this travesty but claims to be afraid of not reaching a super-majority of 60 votes and an eventual veto from the President.

Reid claims retroactive immunity is inevitable, but Dodd demands to stand up to the President anyway. Dodd wants to protect the Constitution regardless of George Bush's tyranny, but Reid would rather the Senate become a permanent rubberstamp to the President, essentially destroying our democracy and the system of checks and balances that has made America that great country that it had become. Now our system is in great danger, and Reid is facilitating it.

Now the netroots is clamoring for Dodd to become Majority Leader in the 111th Congress, it is a change that we so direly need.

This is all happening now, live on C-SPAN 2.

We All Knew This Was Going To Happen

The weekend has been a slow one for me in terms of news. Seeing old friends, driving down Candy Cane Lane, eating Latkes and enjoying the warm air of L.A. have all been priorities of mine in the last three days or so. However, I am sad to see that the Democrats cowered and caved yet again to George Bush. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are pathetic attempts of two human being to make difference in our government for the multitudes that helped give them power in the Congress last year. Completely, utterly, wholly.....pathetic.

From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 — The White House budget director warned on Saturday that President Bush was prepared to veto a $500 billion spending package being assembled in Congress if Democrats pushed for too much additional money for domestic programs.

Jim Nussle, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, accused Democrats of trying to tie money for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to what the president considers excessive spending for federal agencies and home-state projects.

“Instead of trying to leverage troop-funding for more pork-barrel spending, Congress ought to pass responsible appropriations bills and the funding for the troops our commanders say they need to build on their battlefield success,” Mr. Nussle said.

This is already after the Democrats agreed to give the President all that he wants for his war in Iraq. Pelosi and Reid are cowards. Yeller belly, goddamn cowards. These two people do not deserve to be in the leadership, they do not exhibit any of the requisite qualities of such positions. We need people with real guts to deal with out maniacal President and his cohorts that still exist on Capitol Hill.

For Mitch McConnell to have any kind of authority on the budget is ridiculous. The guy is looking like he'll have trouble keeping his own Senate seat next year, yet Democrats treat him and the President like the kids that'll beat them up for lunch money. Nancy and Harry have now failed three times to try and do something about the war that the people spoke to last year in the voting booth. I personally think three times is enough. When 2009 rolls around....and we still have our majority...those two need to be demoted.

As Expected, Senate Dems Cave

Oh how the tough talk of last week quickly shrinks back to the status quo. We've come to realize that it is next to impossible for many Democrats to grow the necessary spinal cord that is essential to fight back against Republicans and their lust for unending war. While Pelosi and the House are remaining firm, Harry Reid can't hang at all.

From CQ:

The Senate on Nov. 16 rejected two war funding bills — a Democratic proposal and a Republican alternative — sending leaders back to the drawing board for a plan to get money to the troops.

Two of the most powerful voices on Defense in the Senate — Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, and Daniel K. Inouye, a Democrat representing Hawaii who is chairman of the Defense Appropriations subcommittee — both said Democrats would offer a less restrictive version of the their party’s bill in December.

“There’s going to be a modification of the bridge fund,” Levin said.

The war spending bill is often referred to as a “bridge fund” because it is only a down payment on the $196.4 billion Bush requested in war spending for fiscal 2008. The bridge fund is intended to keep money flowing to the troops until Congress considers the balance of Bush’s request.

How pathetic, yet expected.

Conservatives Disparage 12 Year Old Without Knowing The Facts

Simply put, rightwing bloggers and their compatriots in the Senate have no shame. In their typically ignorant fashion, they went ahead to blast twelve year-old Graeme Frost and his family after he gave the Democratic address concerning the S-CHIP program. If it weren't for federal health insurance, him and his sister would not have gotten the care they needed after a devastating car accident.

The young boy made a compelling case for S-CHIP but right-wing bloggers went snooping around, looking for details that could make the case for their villainous President and his decision to veto the bill to expand the program. They thought they found items that were helpful for their side, but if they had actually done due diligence they would have known to keep their mouths shut.

From The Blotter:

"People make choices and it's clear the Frosts have made choice to invest in property and a business, but not in private health insurance," Mark Tapscott, editorial page editor of The Washington Examiner, wrote on his blog.

But Manley say conservative bloggers didn't dig deep enough. It turns out that the Frost children attend Baltimore’s Park School on near-full scholarships; they pay roughly $500 per child per year in tuition, he said.

Like many small-business owners, Halsey Frost can't even afford to provide health insurance to himself, Manley said.

"Last year, the Frost's made $45,000 combined," Manley said. "Over the past few years they have made no more than $50,000 combined depending on Halsey's ability to find work."

The Frosts did indeed decide to make a decision to invest....in their children. For one thousand dollars a year the kids will get a great education that can help provide for a great future. In our democracy, it is great that our representatives can enable the government to provide health insurance to families that can not afford the ever-increasing price of private programs.

When a couple only makes $45,000 a year, it is hard enough to put food on the table, let alone pay for adequate health care. For conservatives to spin facts for their benefit without caring about the full truth or the reputation of a middle class family is indicative of how they will stop at nothing to obey their failed ideas and a failed Presidency.

Harry Reid Engages Rush Limbaugh On The Senate Floor

Majority Leader Reid got up on the Senate floor to condemn Rush Limbaugh for his unpatriotic and callous comments about the majority of our soldiers. Of course Rush being Rush, he quickly snipped back, lying with every little bark.

Diane Sawyer Apologizes For Unfair Treatment Towards Harry Reid

It is a rare moment in the mainstream media for a journalist to apologize for their errors, but Diane Sawyer admitted her mistake today for incorrectly saying that Harry Reid was filibustering. Apparently she forgot what the term means, even after all of her years covering Washington. Thankfully she remembered later on and fessed up to her mistake.

From Media Matters:

On the July 19 edition of ABC's Good Morning America, co-host Diane Sawyer apologized for her false assertion -- documented by Media Matters for America -- regarding Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) plan to hold an all-night Senate debate prior to the July 18 cloture vote on a Democratic proposal to withdraw troops from Iraq.

On the July 17 edition of the program, Sawyer said that Reid "vows to filibuster, talking all night to close out all topics besides a vote on Iraqi troop withdrawals." In fact, by extending the Senate session throughout the night, Reid did not "vow to filibuster," as Sawyer reported; rather, he highlighted the Republicans' blocking of an up-or-down vote on the proposal. Indeed, it was the Republicans who opposed the Democrats' effort to end debate on the legislation and move to a simple majority vote. In her on-air statement, Sawyer clarified that Reid had actually "held the all-night debate to protest the threat of a filibuster from the Republicans. ... You wrote me. You were right. I was wrong. I apologize."

Congratulations Diane, I hope your example of honesty will be mirrored by all of your colleagues. Of course, that is probably just wishful thinking on my part. Too bad the trend in traditional media outlets is to screw up and move on.

DeMint Is A Disgrace

Senator Jim DeMint is now in the minority of the U.S. Senate, but that hasn't stopped him from continuing the Republican strategy of attacking Democrats far outside the lines of human decency. DeMint called Democrats "wimps," zeroing in on Harry Reid for supposedly declaring defeat in Iraq. He also mentioned that it is the fault of Democrats for the high level of mayhem and chaos in Iraq. Basically, the guy has completely flipped his lid.

From The State:

During a luncheon speech to 100 constituents in Spartanburg, DeMint also took issue with the now widespread belief that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction, saying the executed Iraqi dictator had “stockpiles of chemical weapons” that still exist.

DeMint devoted most of his comments to the current immigration debate in the Senate. But he spoke about the war when a woman in the audience stood and asked him how long U.S. troops will remain in Iraq.

“Al-Qaida knows that we’ve got a lot of wimps in Congress,” DeMint said. “I believe a lot of the casualties can be laid at the feet of all the talk in Congress about how we’ve got to get out, we’ve got to cut and run.”

DeMint must clearly be off his rocker if he thinks that statements made in Washington can be attributed to the rising death tolls of our troops and civilians in Iraq. He clearly has no idea about what is going on and the complexities that drive the situation. Let me explain it in a nutshell. The Sunnis and Shias are fighting it out to the death for Baghdad (with many different groups on each side), the Kurds want their own turf in the north and almost everyone wants us out of there. It isn't because the Democrats are expressing the will of most Americans, it is because they want to deal with their own country.

A full explanation would require a novel, so if DeMint wants to learn everything about Iraq's past and present that would be fantastic. Of course he would rather play the politics of fear so he can manipulate any susceptible constituent out there. Like those willing to ascribe to his games, DeMint is clearly demented.

Barbara Boxer Puts Lindsay Graham In His Place

Republicans like Senator Graham waste no time telling outright lies to make Democrats look bad if they think it can help them with their degrading image in front of the American people. Graham tried to tell a whopper about Harry Reid this morning on CNN's Late Edition.

From Crooks and Liars:

BOXER: I don't know anyone who opposes this war that ever said our troops are losers. Our troopers are winners.

GRAHAM: Harry Reid did.

BOXER: Excuse me. He never said our troops are losers. Now, Lindsey, just be careful what you say. The bottom line here is, the losers are the ones who have, you know, engineered this war, made a huge mistake, Dick Cheney, we're in the last throes, the war will last six months, and all of you who have supported this escalation and have turned us away from fighting al Qaida into putting us in the middle of a civil war.

Boxer: "The loser is the Commander in Chief who has not lead our country well."

Thank god for Democrats like Barbara Boxer. Republicans can say just about anything that is false and misleading, so we need people that live in reality to set them straight. The losers are indeed Bush and his miscreants in Congress. The American people get that, now it is time for the small segment of the population that live in Washington to give up their miscreant ways and represent the people instead of the White House that is charging off the cliff.

Reid Smacks Down Cheney

With the increasing tide of Democratic bravado, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hit Dick Cheney with a knockout blow yesterday, figuratively speaking. There is nothing worse than being belittled by the opposition and give-em-hell Harry exposed Cheney's weak spot. The VP pulled out the the tired talking point that Dems are weak on national security and hate the troops, but Reid was quick with his response.

From The New York Times:

“The president sends out his attack dog often,” said Mr. Reid. “That’s also known as Dick Cheney.”

Defending the legislation up for a vote this week, he said, “We believe the troops should get every penny they need and we have put our money where our mouth is with supplemental appropriations, but we believe there must be a change of direction in the war in Iraq.”

Mr. Reid said he was not going to engage in a tit-for-tat with the vice president. “I’m not going to get into a name-calling match with somebody who has a 9 percent approval rating,” Mr. Reid said.

There ya go Harry! Dick Cheney is nothing but an attack dog, a vicious, seething mutt with nothing but a mean bark. All of his words are meant to keep the Democrats and the public at bay as he gets his war on. Sitting in the comfort of the Naval Observatory while his Halliburton stock options go higher, he does not care about the troops, because if he did, he would have pulled them out and listened to what the Iraq Study Group actually said.

Harry Reid On President Al Gore

When asked about the Oscar win, Senator Reid seemed more interested in the 5-4 vote that gave Bush the Presidency despite the popular and seemingly electoral win in 2000.