Hot Off the Presses

Senator Ted Stevens is defeated.

kwahlf — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:14:46 -0500

Congratulations to all our friends in Alaska.

You fought a long,hard battle to defeat Stevens.

Enjoy your victory.

:-)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27789536/

WASHINGTON - Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest serving Republican in Senate history, narrowly lost his re-election bid Tuesday, marking the downfall of a pillar of the U.S. Senate and Alaska icon who apparently couldn't survive his conviction on federal corruption charges. His defeat to Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich moves Senate Democrats closer to a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority.

Stevens' ouster on his 85th birthday marks an abrupt realignment in Alaska politics and will alter the power structure in the Senate, where he has served since the days of the Johnson administration while holding seats on some of the most influential committees in Congress.

The crotchety octogenarian likes to encourage comparisons with the Incredible Hulk, but he occupies an outsized place in Alaska history. His involvement in politics dates to the days before Alaska statehood, and he is esteemed for his ability to secure billions of dollars in federal aid for transportation and military projects. The Anchorage airport bears his name; in Alaska, it's simply "Uncle Ted."

Tuesday's tally of just over 24,000 absentee and other ballots gave Begich 146,286, or 47.56 percent, to 143,912, or 46.76 percent, for Stevens.

A recount is possible.

Auto Industry Bailout

music8200 — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:54:07 -0500

Congress will take up the Auto Industry Bailout when they re-convene this week. There is no better time than this moment to PUSH for concessions from the Auto Industry. Time is short. Democrat.com, can you help us act NOW? Here's a copy of a letter I just mailed to Speaker Pelosi: Dear Madam Speaker,

Please make the FLEXFUEL component a MANDATORY requirement for any Auto Industry bailout.
IT ONLY COSTS $100 to install this component on a vehicle during the manufacturing process. The only EPA approved retrofit costs $1300. All cars sold in Brazil are flexfuel ready. All cars that GM sells in Brazil are flexfuel compatible. There is no excuse and there should be no delay in making all cars sold in America flexfuel capable.
THIS IS THE QUICKEST CHEAPEST EASIEST WAY to make rapid reductions in our foreign oil imports.
If ALL cars sold in the US were Flexfuel compatible, alternative fuel manufacturers would gear up without the need for incentives because they would know they have a market for their fuel products.
THEN please help remove the $0.54 a gallon tariff on imported ethanol. That would allow foreign ethanol products to compete in the American market. The American consumer would benefit. We could even lift the economies of Third World Countries by contracting them to grow switchgrass or sugarcane for ethanol fuel.
Ultimately, let's provide incentives for the production of flexfuel plug-in hybrids. These cars would get 500 MILES ON A GALLON OF GASOLINE! We would never need OPEC oil ever again! Perhaps no imported oil at all.
PLEASE PLEASE make the flexfuel component a MANDATORY part of any Automobile Industry Bailout.
If you want good references on this topic, read the testimony of Anne Korin (of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security) before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs of May 22, 2008:http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/kor052208.htm(see in particular the section entitled "17x17")
read R. James Woolsey (former director of the CIA) and Anne Korin's article in the National Review:http://energy.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OTlmMjFjYWRjOWI3ZGI0MzUxZDJjYTBlMmUzOTc2Mzc=
or watch Anne Korin's lecture on CSPAN:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MVwL2PcCG8(highly recommended)
watch Robert Zubrin's FEW Keynote Address:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0O2YZwSkgM
Thank you and your staff for your time and attention,Scott Lawrence

Palin: Honored to Help Obama Despite His Affiliation with Unrepentent Terrorist

Chip — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:58:00 -0500

Palin says she'd be honored to help Obama | CNN.com

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told CNN today that she would be honored to help President-elect Barack Obama in his new administration if asked, even if he did once hang around with an "unrepentant domestic terrorist."

Gov. Sarah Palin says she will support President-elect Barack Obama and his new administration.

The Alaska governor said in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer that she would be willing to help if Obama asked her for assistance on some of the issues she highlighted during this year's campaign, such as energy or services for special-needs children.

"It would be my honor to assist and support our new president and the new administration," said Palin, whom Sen. John McCain chose as his running mate in August.

"I speak for other Republicans and Republican governors, also," she said.

"They would be willing also to seize this opportunity that we have to progress this nation together, in a united front."

But asked moments later about some of the tough rhetoric she hurled from the stump, she said she was "still concerned" about Obama's ties to former Weather Underground member-turned-Chicago college professor William Ayers. Watch Palin discuss how she could help Obama

"If anybody still wants to talk about it, I will," she said. "Because this is an unrepentant domestic terrorist who had campaigned to blow up, to destroy our Pentagon and our U.S. Capitol.

"That's an association that still bothers me, and I think it's fair to still talk about it," she continued.

"However, the campaign is over. That chapter is closed. Now is the time to move on and make sure all of us are doing all that we can to progress this nation." Watch Palin talk about Ayers

Palin was attending the annual Republican Governors Association convention in Miami, Florida. She was interviewed for CNN's "The Situation Room" -- the latest of several high-profile appearances for the ex-VP candidate. She will also appear Wednesday night on CNN's "Larry King Live."

There's speculation that Palin, as well as other incumbent governors at the conference -- such as Charlie Crist of Florida, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota -- could all have designs on the Republican presidential nomination in the next race for the White House. All three governors were on McCain's list of possible running mates before he selected Palin.

As the 2012 buzz takes off, a new poll suggests that just less than half of all Americans have a favorable view of Palin.

Forty-nine percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Wednesday have a favorable opinion of Palin, with 43 percent viewing her unfavorably.

That is lower than a previous poll, suggesting that favorable opinions of Palin are dropping among Americans.

"In early September, just after the GOP convention, her favorable rating among registered voters was 57 percent, and only a quarter of all registered voters had an unfavorable view of her," CNN Polling Director Keating Holland said.

"Palin is less popular than Vice President-elect Joe Biden, with a 64 percent favorable rating, or her boss on the GOP ticket during the just-completed campaign, John McCain, who is seen favorably by 61 percent of the public."

The poll also suggests that men have a slightly more positive view of Palin than women, with 51 percent of males viewing her favorably, 3 percentage points higher than female respondents. Forty-one percent of males have an unfavorable opinion of Palin, compared with 45 percent of female survey respondents. Video Watch what McCain says about Palin »

"With fairly high negatives and lower support among women, who should be a natural constituency for Palin, she's not starting off from a position of strength," Holland said. "The question is no longer whether Palin was a drag on the McCain ticket but whether her unfavorables could be a drag on a future Palin ticket." See how Americans view Palin.

Among Republicans, though, Palin's rating remains high, with 86 percent of Republicans questioned in the poll holding a favorable opinion of her. That number drops to 48 percent among independents and 27 percent among Democrats.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted November 6 to 9, with 1,246 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Veterans Day 2008

kwahlf — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 13:26:03 -0500

For this year, 2008, also.

To honor those who served and a heartfelt
thank you to those who are still serving.

Congratulations democrats

hematu — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:52:25 -0500

Congratulations democrats, specialy Dhr. B. Obama, by winning this election.

Gefeliciteerd met de overwinning van de verkiezingen.

Speciale felicitaties richt ik aan de nieuwe precident B. Obama.

Congratulations Democrats.

BobRossi — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:06:53 -0500

Welcome back to the world of the living!

American-Born Terrorists

Bill Harding — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:20:25 -0400

I would like someone, anyone, to explain to me what makes this segment of our society any different than the extreme radical Islamic "terrorists" that we are spending billions of dollars a day to protect ourselves from, so that we don't have to "fight them over here."

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=6133506&page=1 (also play video)

These insects come from a long line of slimy maggots, going back to the Civil War, who have perpetuated this brand of hatred for everyone in the world who is not a bigoted, white, Christian. These people, while guaranteed their Constitutional rights, are a pimple on the ass of the United States of America. Their elevation of Hitler as an inspirational example to their "cause," speaks volumes about their real anti-American, anti-Constitutional, and faux-Christian beliefs.

I am basically a non-violent person, but if there were ever a case for shoving a burning cross up each of their puckered white asses in full public view, these sub-human scumbags would be the place to start. If they are allowed to continue hiding behind the Constitution, they will pass their senseless hatred on to generations of their offspring.

Why don't the neoconservative Republicans consider these putrid home-grown terrorists to be "non-military enemy combatants?" Afterall, they have the same views as other terrorists: they hate our freedoms.

Harris County Obama Rally

Joanncrtt — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:21:39 -0400

The Harris County Democratic Committee is hosting an OBAMA RALLY on Saturday, October 25 from 5-8pm on the Square in Hamilton, Georgia

Come on out, Rally with us and bring some friends! We hope to see you there!

bailout scam, closing of a free society

eartha — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:39:38 -0400

This is valid information, interview, speech by a california rep revealing how the senate felt forced to vote for the 'bailout' instead of being brave and fearless by voting against it. naomi wolf talks about the present dictarship and what the bailout means for us all. the huffington post explains where the money goes and the laws surrounding it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XgkeTanCGI naomi wolf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaG9d_4zij8 representative from california, brad sherman

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/22/dirty-secret-of-the-bailo_n_128294.html more explanation of 'bail out'

This video is Hope

justin murray — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 22:47:50 -0400

Am I the only one who finds this video Awesome and totally relevant?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odqcIMMe60Q