Coffee Table Now With Expresso

"However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results." Winston Churchill

Don't Sit Down, Stand Up!

I found a great story that I think can bring some much needed perspective to things. Many people will say known dissent in America will harm America or our troops or something. It has always sounded to me like some jingoist jango.
Read the story... Here.

"Ahmadinejad has forgotten why he won the presidential vote," one student tells the Associated Press. "The needy voted for him because he promised to bring bread to people's homes but nothing good has been done to improve living standards."
"Mr Ahmadinejad means well, but he's not experienced and this is just causing us problems," a former Revolutionary Guard turned taxi driver tells The Independent. "It's getting very dangerous."

Tell me how this makes you feel. For the less than totally cynical, Does it give you at least a little hope? Maybe there is a chance for a more sensible view to take hold?
This is the same thing they see overseas when we declaim the aims and goals of this President. We are the hope the rest of the world counts on. We are the thing that is actually saving this country, certainly not harming it! The thing that made things much worse is that the insanity was reelected. Thank God it was close. America needs a new face and needs it soon.
They have plenty of reason why they think we are unworthy. I saw a CNN piece on the Dixie Chicks and their new album tonight. Their new song is called "Not ready to make nice". I guess you can figure that one out. They let people call in with opinions. Of course one said they should still be shunned and hated because they still were saying bad things about our President. My response...How dare you!!!!$#@ You are trying to tell me that in AMERICA I can't speak out and have an opinion about my government! Bonehead, you and I ARE the government. Go back to civics class and come back when you get it figured out. I think it's time we put an end to this once and for all. We should no longer let anyone get away with this attitude in this country. We need to push every person that pushes it right back. Until we can get back to at least listening to everyone we will never solve this countries problems.

Minds Full Of Mush

A friend called the show today and said el rushbo was defending Don Rumsfield. All well and good. Unfortunately his defense went something like; All those generals were Clinton appointments and just Clintonistas out to get Rummy.
Could there possibly be more of a "drunken barroom" argument? That argument wouldn't even make the high school debate team. They'd just tell him to come back when he figured out what he was talking about.
This is a Rush inspired and now regular "trick" of the thuglicans. Divert, Divert, Divert. The issue IS is Don Rumsfield doing a responsible and intelligent job of overseeing our nations defense. If braindead wants to argue the pluses and minuses of Rumsfields' performance or discuss the questions that those generals raised, fine. No, divert, divert, divert. His response didn't even address the question. It is only tangentally even related. It's more like the argument you make after a couple to many beers. The response of someone who really has no idea what he's talking about but boy can he blow hard like he does.
They have done the same thing with the NSA scandal. Their basic response? They wanna hang up on Al Queda! That isn't the issue and they know it. That would be a political slogan at best. It has no place in intelligent debate. Divert, Divert, Divert.
They do the same thing with the Plame case. The issue is did someone at the White House reveal the identity of a covert CIA agent and additionally was there a political vendetta motive? The issue to them is what a truly evil man Joe Wilson is.
Folks, we aren't even having the same discussion. I am so tired of debating minds full of mush. There is no debate. We might as well be throwing chairs on Jerry Springer cuz that's what it seems to be to them. This, wingnuts, is why so many people seem to have lost patience with you.
We must keep these people on track. I have a nice little old lady that calls me most days. She is easily sidetracked. I have learned that I must constantly monitor her to keep her on track. We have to do the same with them. Insist on sticking to the issue. It is the only way that the best ideas will win out ...which by the way is to the benefit of all of us.

What Do You Think?

Gov. Tom Vilsack (D-IA) asked members of his Heartland PAC community to come up with ten words that defined what the Democratic Party stood for. Stands for. Believes in. Message. Etc. 5,000 submissions were considered. Today, the PAC announced the 10 finalists and their words.

I'm not real comfortable in coming up with a phrase to say what the Democrats stand for right now. It would certainly be at least somewhat uncomplementary. But let's say you want something that defines YOUR goals for the Democratic Party and something that would appeal to a winning majority. Which one do you like? Do you have one of your own? Click Here.

Some of these are pretty lame to me. I think this one is great:

"Government led by people who believe good government is possible."Cathy, Columbus, OH

Who's Making The Partisan Arguments?

This is the part I have been waiting for. When the lies are exposed an they squirm with every flimsy logic justification. John Kyl was on Late Edition speaking of the "release" of information in the Valerie Plame issue. He basically stated that British intelligence HAD said that Saddam had tryed to obtain..blah blah. Of course the French and Germans said it was bunk. Which it was. More interestingly to me though is the sudden reliance on British intelligence by America. If you drop in Supreme Court justices and laws you get a completely different reaction from the wingnuts.

But right now out of the sight of most Americans is a quiet movement to allow the legal decision making process of the U.S. Supreme Court to incorporate judicial findings of law from countries like France, Germany, the Netherlands, Aruba or even Jamaica in determining American constitutional questions in cases that come before it. ........Seems far fetched? Well, maybe not for long.

Ron: But right now out of the sight of most Americans is a quiet movement to allow the intelligence decisions of war and peace and the use of our countrys' military might to incorporate the findings of intelligence from countries like Britian, even when our own intelligence questions theirs(why the Pres said british intelligence instead of OUR intelligence.). Seem far fectched..well maybe not for long. The mighty wirlitizer is crankin up.

Update: Here