Post-Election Round-Up

There are already reports of election fraud in Texas and Florida.

Many people are wondering what we should do if it is determined, or suspected, that our votes are not counted or they are flipped or if our elections are stolen in any way.

Due to lack of time and energy I did a quick search and took a look at some sites that I frequent and I found a ton of information on groups dedicated to verifying our votes and some articles proving election fraud as well as a lot of organizations who are on the offense to ensure that our votes are counted. There are a lot of organizations set up to monitor election site intimidation or purging from the voter rolls and there are several reporting phone numbers to call in any problems incurred at the polls.

There are also several planned events on Election Day and post election day to rally and protest any stealing of our votes. Peruse the links and get armed with information. This may be a long month.


Democrats dot com is having candlelight vigils outside election offices to ensure that every vote is counted.

Common Cause is having several election day activities and meetings.

Election Protection 365

Blue Revolution

51 Capital March

Oregon Voter Rights

Velvet Revolution

Vote 411

Protect My Vote

Move On paper ballot petition

Move On Phone Parties We have to make sure that we Get Out The Vote so that the election is less easy to steal.

Campaign for Verifiable Voting in Maryland

AFLCIO My Vote, My Right

Vote Protect dot Org

My Vote is My Voice A cool site interested in joining Progressive orgs together.

Articles on e-voting fraud.

EFF

NAACP Voting Page

Black Voter Network

Election Science dot org

Voters Unite

Voter Gate

Vote Scam

Vote Fraud

Verified Voting

Solar Bus

Citizen’s Alliance for Secure Elections

E Voting Experts

Blackbox Voting dot org

This article will just make you cry.

Vote Trust USA

They have known of the risks for a long time.

Working Assets Protect the election

Quick Hits

I have too much going on in my life right now, so I am using this post to take my mind off of things. Some quick hits, news, petitions, activities and miscellany.

We are down to the wire for the midterms…there are a ton of activities that we can do to ensure a Democratic win; A Democratic win is a win for the people!

This is a lot of fun – in a really sick reality way – turn up the volume.

A win for Americans United. Keeping the wall solid between church and state.

H/T to Media Matters for a great link to historical make-up of the House of Representatives.

Center for American Progress has some terrific talking points and excellent data on what the public wants (and what the Dems will give us.)

Care2 is having a chat with Eleanor Smeal; they also have a tremendous petition site with a ton of current campaigns.

Send Halloween e-cards through Environmental Defense.

An article that makes it very easy to understand why open software is needed for voting. This is sharable – for those friends, family and coworkers who just don’t get it.

Democratic Governors Association has some excellent simple steps that you can do to help.

CodePink has some great action items.

Blue Revolution – how you can help.

Video from the Santa Barbara Impeachment Coalition.

Pukes are swiftboating Kucinich – contribute here to help him combat their attacks.

Jim Hightower’s commentary on corruption.

Go to the ONE voter center, see what you can do to help.

Progressive Patriot Pledge Get Out the Vote

Protect the oceans.

Vote Democratic for the elderly.

Make sure every vote counts.

Watch the new Pombo ad.

Is the Congress protecting you?

Wake Up WalMart recruit a worker.

Vote 411 – election protection site.

Ask your candidates where they stand on global warming; questions for candidates questionnaire.

See pro-environment candidates then take the voter pledge to vote for the environment.

Change to win.

Protect the election before it is too late.

Refuse Illegal War

John Kerry was forceful as he took on the Administration on Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” He said:

"I think it is immoral to have the lives of young Americans on the line while you are waiting for an election strategy. If you've got a better strategy, Mr. President, we deserve to have it now."

It is more than immoral though, to allow the troops to stay in Iraq – with how many more Iraqi deaths and how many more American deaths? – until after our elections. This is criminal. Disgusting. Traitorous. This is our leadership?

Meanwhile, as the US cuts benefits to veterans and pays six times the salary of an enlisted person for one of the many ‘privatized’ troops in our occupation of Iraq, military families stand in food lines, starving and struggling. “About Those Troops You’re Supporting: They can’t eat the ribbons” states the title of the article.

I wonder, if Americans had half a clue about the struggles of the military families, or if they understood that it is only the very smallest percentage of our Country that is really in this war, would it make a difference? If Americans knew about the courageous stand that so many service members and their families are taking against this atrocity, would that make a difference? If the American people understood that Iraqis do not want us there, that they believe that we are occupiers and they see the death and destruction that we have caused every single day, would this change American’s minds?

I understand that it is now almost 70% of Americans who are against the occupation of Iraq. However, it is only a very small percentage of Americans who are doing something about it. These people are activists because they have taken the time to find out the truth.

Most Americans do not know because they do not care to know, they do not make the effort to do the research and really see the truth, it is far too painful to have eyes open to what is really going on. The truth sucks, eventually, however, the awful reality will come up and bite us in the ass.

I will make an effort, albeit a very small one, compared to the efforts and sacrifices that so many of these organizations and people involved with them are doing, to outline what some of the truth is.

Military families speak out are working hard to end the occupation of Iraq and bring the troops home. A retired soldier of the US Army who fought in Vietnam, who has a son in Iraq, wrote an open letter to the GIs, reminding them not to lose their humanity. Military Families Speak Out understands the devastation of a human soul once they are taught to murder other people. This father and soldier writes:

“So we finish our tour, and go back to our families, who can see that even though we function, we are empty and incapable of truly connecting to people any more, and maybe we can go for months or even years before we fill that void where we surrendered our humanity, with chemical anesthetics--drugs, alcohol, until we realize that the void can never be filled and we shoot ourselves, or head off into the street where we can disappear with the flotsam of society, or we hurt others, especially those who try to love us, and end up as another incarceration statistic or a mental patient.”

This is what happens to people in war. It is ugly and it is unforgivable that our civilian leadership knowingly does this to our soldiers and then cuts benefits to treat PTSD.

Iraq Veterans against the war are calling for an immediate pullout of the occupation of Iraq. They are demanding that reparations be paid to the Iraqi people for our destruction of their lives and their Country and that full benefits for our veterans are funded. IVAW are very clear on why they are calling for withdrawal and documenting the evidence. I would think that these soldiers know what they are talking about. Isn’t it ironic that the media does not offer representation of these speakers and their positions and the many documented reasons why they are correct?

Bring them home now is also working with military families to end the occupation of Iraq. Their mission statement elaborates on their campaign:

“BRING THEM HOME NOW! is a campaign of military families, veterans, active duty personnel, reservists and others opposed to the ongoing war in Iraq and galvanized to action by George W. Bush's inane and reckless challenge to armed Iraqis resisting occupation to "Bring 'em on."Our mission is to mobilize military families, veterans, and GIs themselves to demand: an end to the occupation of Iraq and other misguided military adventures; and an immediate return of all US troops to their home duty stations.”

An appeal for redress is a simple campaign in which active duty military can ask their congress members to bring the troops home now. Service members have limitations on what they can do, the law denies them the ability to protest except in special circumstances, only in the US, off base and out of uniform. An appeal for redress is a legal way for them to demand an end to the war in, and occupation of, Iraq.

Anti War is a tremendous resource which includes numerous articles about the futility of war. They include an excellent list of other peace campaigns and ideas about what we can do to help to end the occupation of Iraq and stop other wars before they start.

United for Peace and Justice is one of the most active organizations when it comes to combating and protesting this war. They have ongoing campaigns and protests and usually have local chapters that are easy to get in touch with and participate in. They have an excellent links page which leads to many other orgs that are fighting against war, and for peace. Their statement of purpose is focused and shows how active their organization is:

“United for Peace and Justice is a coalition of more than 1300 local and national groups throughout the United States who have joined together to protest the immoral and disastrous Iraq War and oppose our government's policy of permanent warfare and empire-building.”

Code Pink is a wonderful women initiated organization that is fighting the immoral occupation of Iraq.

“CODEPINK is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the war in Iraq, stop new wars, and redirect our resources into healthcare, education and other life-affirming activities. CODEPINK rejects the Bush administration's fear-based politics that justify violence, and instead calls for policies based on compassion, kindness and a commitment to international law. With an emphasis on joy and humor, CODEPINK women and men seek to activate, amplify and inspire a community of peacemakers through creative campaigns and a commitment to non-violence.”

In addition to the many groups fighting against the Iraq war, all future wars, and for peace, there are many individual people who are refusing illegal war.
War resisters dot org offers a tremendous amount of information for service members who want to refuse illegal war. Tomjoad is also dedicated to supporting individual war resisters. Courage to Resist also supports individual resisters and offers information on how service members can refuse illegal war. Mission Rejected is a new book that details the thousands of soldiers who have resisted the illegal war in Iraq. There is also a movement to make conscientious objector rights a law rather than just a policy that can be revoked at anytime.

There are two soldiers who I have been watching because of their brave stances against this illegal war; Suzanne Swift and Lt Ehren Watada.

Suzanne Swift is currently AWOL because she refused to redeploy after being sexually assaulted and harassed by her superior officers. The culture of acceptance of violence against women in the military is so prevalent and so obscene that many women are told that it is “part of basic training” and it has led to deaths of women. According to this article

“The Defense Department says that reports of sexual assaults involving members of the armed forces rose 40 percent in 2005, and 65 percent in the last two years.”

Because sexual assault is so prevalent, many women have died of dehydration because they were not drinking fluids due to fear of going to the latrines at night and being raped. Suzanne Swift needs our support and letters of encouragement. No one should ever be punished for being a victim of sexual assault.

Lt Watada has become a hero and a wonderful representation of sanity. He is the first Commissioned Officer to publicly refuse deployment based on an illegal war. His eloquence is unmatched. His website has a multimedia section where his speeches can be viewed. Lt Watada said:

“The oath we take swears allegiance not to one man but to a document of principles and laws designed to protect the people. Enlisting in the military does not relinquish one's right to seek the truth - neither does it excuse one from rational thought nor the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. "I was only following orders" is never an excuse.”

…

“The Constitution is no mere document - neither is it old, out-dated, or irrelevant. It is the embodiment of all that Americans hold dear: truth, justice, and equality for all. It is the formula for a government of the people and by the people. It is a government that is transparent and accountable to whom they serve. It dictates a system of checks and balances and separation of powers to prevent the evil that is tyranny.”

….

“I have broken no law but the code of silence and unquestioning loyalty. If I am guilty of any crime, it is that I learned too much and cared too deeply for the meaningless loss of my fellow soldiers and my fellow human beings. If I am to be punished it should be for following the rule of law over the immoral orders of one man. If I am to be punished it should be for not acting sooner. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period … was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."

Lt Watada has become a hero. He is an officer second and a responsible human being first. He, like all soldiers who refuse illegal war, deserve our support and our gratitude.

We can end this insanity. We can stop this war. We must band together and stand in a united front; we will work for peace and for justice. I believe that peace is a much more powerful position than war and fighting. I believe that the innate nature of humans is to work together, to be democratic, to hold Peace and Justice and Love above the insanity of hatred.

This is quite possibly the core difference between the left and the right. The right believes that humans are, at the core, bad, and must not be allowed to participate in governing. The left believes that human beings are, at the core, good, and that peace and justice are our Natural State. The left believes that humans should participate in, and be, the government.

This is why the left must succeed. The right’s vision of endless war cannot be allowed to prevail.

UPDATE: Upon a return home and a quick review of the news, there has been a lot released about Iraq today and the news from Iraq is grim.

Bush plays a semantics game and hopes that no one will notice.

The WAPo is actually covering the appeal for redress!

Reality is a bitch.

I noticed that the preznit once again denied permanent bases in Iraq. Bullshit.

Who Does a Loss Really Hurt?

The Dems do not want to fight stolen elections because they are afraid of being painted as “sore losers”.

We do not care what they are labeled as; we want our votes to count and we want fair elections. The entire future of the world is at stake and riding on the results of this midterm election; this is the most important election of our lives. The Dems absolutely must take back the Congress. The polls show that the people want the Dems to control the Congress.

I, along with most people, cannot believe the amount of damage that has occurred over these last six years. America has been turned upside down. Our National Debt has nearly doubled. We have lost all of our moral authority in the world. Hundreds of thousands of people have died as a result of this Administration’s policies. Our Constitution has been shredded.

All of this has occurred as a result of three stolen elections.

Gore gave up fighting. Kerry didn’t fight. Numerous people lost in 2002 (Max Cleland) as a result of swapped votes; they didn’t fight either.

Did all of these people avoid fighting because they did not want to be painted as sore losers? Look at the loss that has occurred for all of us as a result of these stolen elections. Who are the real losers?

I was amazed, while listening to CSPAN hearings onHR 4844, when I heard the Republicans cite their own election fraud as proof for the need of a National voter ID which will disenfranchise thousands of people, mostly lower income and the elderly who are typically Democratic voters. It is the goal of the Republicans to disenfranchise as many people as possible.

The Republicans claim that voter fraud at the polls is a problem. They are not afraid of being labeled sore losers when they scream and yell about perceived:

• ‘dead people’ voting
• Illegal aliens voting
• Felon voters
• Voter impersonation

Unfortunately, for these Republican’s who cited ‘over-votes’ as proof of these problems, the facts do not support these claims. An under-reported Elections Assistance Commission report (PDF) found that there was very little evidence of this type of voter fraud while the evidence of the kind of election fraud that affects Democratic voters is widespread.

We understand clearly what the Dems must fight against and what they must try to combat before the elections. This type of election fraud has been proven.

• Intimidation letters

• Challenging registrations and making it difficult to register.

• Confusing ballots

• Voting machines that malfunction, record incorrectly, are difficult to use, contain software bugs and switch votes.

• Voting machines that are easily hacked.

• Exceptionally long lines to vote. (PDF)

• Department of Justice not investigating voter intimidation and disenfranchisement.

• Chaos at the polls.

• Long lines and discouragement.

It really is amazing the Democratic Party has done very little to get out in front of this and combat these problems. Also, they absolutely must prepare the electorate for this kind of fraud and make certain that there are enough voices in the corporate media, warning of these claims, before the elections. They also need to get over the fear of being painted as a “sore loser” and remember who the real losers are.

As I noted in an earlier post, there are several organizations who are fighting this election fraud. Bev Harris’ group has an amazing citizen’s tool kit (pdf) which contains all of the instructions on how to play an active role in your elections and confirm that the rules are followed and that the people who are eligible to vote, are allowed to vote.

I believe that her organization is the one asking people to videotape any disenfranchisement at the polls and send the evidence in, although I cannot find that info on her site. If anyone can clarify this, please let me know.

In addition, most of the groups listed also have numbers or emails to report violations or disenfranchisement issues. We need to be eyes and ears and help these groups fighting to preserve our votes and our right to vote.

Lou Dobbs has been one of the only people in the corporate media to bring to the public’s attention the danger of electronic voting. I believe that this is really a good thing, getting the message out to the public, but a frightening thought occurred as a result. (I am very suspicious of the corporate media doing their job.)

Yesterday Steve at TLC put up a post stating that polls show that 2/3 of the public do not trust the voting machines. One of the posters brought up an interesting point that led to a thought of impending disaster.

What if the media is preparing us for a Republican challenge to the results of the elections?

They are not afraid of being painted as “sore losers”. So, what if the Dems do win a landslide of seats and the Republicans bring up the unreliability of electronic voting? Then the Preznit with his Unitary Executive Authority, nullifies the elections and keeps the Pukes in charge? Then we all take to the streets and Marshall Law is declared and we all get thrown in the detention centers that KBR is building?

Just sayin’.


UPDATE: The DNC is seeking attorneys to volunteer in every district to ensure the elections are fair and that every vote is counted. Seems they are lining up for a fight. Let's hope they have enough volunteers and are prepared to be declared "sore losers."

UPDATE 2: Common Cause who is working tirelessly for election reform, needs help funding their voter hotline.

1-866-MY-VOTE-1

They were able to use this hotline in 2004 to track disenfranchisement efforts and other difficulties that voters had at the polls.

Friday Petitions and Activities and Tidbits

• Put your candidate on the record on where they stand on global warming.

• Pledge to Vote No on 933

• Free Press has several active campaigns.

• Confirm your registration to vote. In most places it is too late to register to vote online. You must take your registration form into the Country Registrars office. Make sure to remind your friends and family to register to vote.

• DefCon’s action page.

• Why are these people allowed to stay on the air?

• UFPJ action page

• Tonight’s NOW is about public funding of elections. JustSixDollars will be featured in it.


• YouTube video on Lt. Watada.

• Support the Patriot Project, stop swiftboating.

• Read Aaron Dixon’s statements about being locked out of the WA Senate debate.

• John Dean’s article on Kuo’s book Tempting Faith.

• Women’s Voices, Women’s Vote ads

• Keep oil and gas wells off public lands.

• American’s United action page. They also are introducing three new websites:

o Project Fair Play
o Piety and Politics
o United on Campus


• WalMart’s Right Wing Agenda video

• Take the ACLU survey.

You Only Think You Have the Right to Vote

If your voter registration has you listed as a Democrat, or you are in any way considered part of a demographic that leans Democratic, you will quite possibly be denied the right to vote in November.

According to this diary at DKos, this purge occurred after this year’s primary, so do not allow successful primary voting to be a determinate in your consideration about your eligibility to vote.

The Republicans know that they cannot win on their own merits. They know that the polls show that the Country is done with Republican rule. They know that their policies go against American wishes and values. They know that they cannot win so they will steal the elections again.

The Whitehouse has been eerily upbeat about the midterms. One sentence in this article has received little attention:

The question is whether this is a case of justified confidence -- based on Bush's and Rove's electoral record and knowledge of the money, technology and other assets at their command -- or of self-delusion.

I am certain that the author of this article intended “technology and other assets” to mean the Republican get out the vote software and their last 72-hour voter drive activities…but we can take it to mean what it truly does; electronic voting machines that flip the votes and the new Diebold voter registry system software that purges [Democratic] voters from the rolls.

Thom Hartmann did a piece this morning on the danger of the voter rolls being purged. White Rose Society replays Thom’s program daily. You can listen to the archives of his show here.

They stole the 2004 election. The proof is overwhelming and there has been nothing done about it. We cannot count on the Republican Congress to do anything about it. We cannot count on the Republican Justice Department to do anything about it.

We must take this into our own hands and confirm for ourselves that our registration is active and then confirm that our votes our counted. You can register to vote here and get access to your Secretary of State to confirm that your registration is active. You can also confirm your registration here.

If our votes are denied us, or our exit polls do not match the ‘official count,’ what will we do to demand that our votes are counted?

When the July election in Mexico was thought to be fraudulent (and later, proven to be,)(PDF) the Mexican people took to the streets and demanded that their votes be counted. Unfortunately, despite the proven fraud, the election was called for Calderon. The ballots are to be burned. This is our story too - but no one in the corporate media seems willing to report on it here. Corporate media seems unwilling to speak the truth about our broken elections.

Mark Crispin Miller, author of “Fooled Again” an amazing book on how the Right stole the 2004 election, warns us about their continued ability, and desire, to steal elections.

The following sites are dedicated to insuring that all of our votes are counted and provide substantial proof about the stolen elections:

• Verified Voting

• Voting Integrity

• Voters Unite

• Brad Blog

• Black Box Voting

• Truth Out articles on voters rights and questionable elections.

• Coalition for Voting Integrity

• Crisis Papers, selected articles and links about stolen elections.


In addition to all of the information about the 2004 elections, there is also a tremendous amount of information about the 2000 election and the disenfranchisement of thousands of people. A short flash movie about the 2000 election, and a report by Greg Palast, shows how they did it.

We know what they will do, because they have done it before. We are well aware of their dirty tricks.

This time we need to get out in front of it. We need to take some steps to get this story out into the media. This is action that we need to take now, before the elections, before the wrong people are sworn into office, before oaths are taken when the elections have not yet even been certified.

If you know anyone in Ohio; call them. Ask them to go to the county office and see if they have been purged.

Get this story out. Contact everyone you know. Contact the media – ask them if they are covering the story of Democratic voters being purged from the rolls in at least four states.

Blog this story. We need to get out in front of the deception before the deception is allowed to take over.

It truly seems like most Americans have no concept anymore of what democracy is. The seeming willingness of so many people to roll over and take it - loss of our Bill of Rights, loss of our privacy, loss of our right to vote - our seeming willingness to allow them to take America from us, must stop and must stop now. What more will it take for the outrage to turn to action? What more will it take for the people to stand up and tell them, "no more!"?

This is our America. Either it is an America where we all have the right to have a say in our Country, in our laws, in who represents us - or it is despotism. Without a say, without our vote, we have a tyranny. Will it be self-imposed tyranny, by our unwillingness to fight them while we still could.

A Few Petitions

Had a post coming, just cannot get to it today.

For now, a few petitions and activities.

Tell Congress to say no to big oil.

Campaign for America’s Future wants to feature you in a tough political ad about how you have been affected by Republican corruption.

Public Campaign Action Fund needs your help to support clean elections in California.

Live DefCon chat on Friday with Rev. Mel White author of “Religion Gone Bad.”

Stop the Abuse of Power

Big oil doesn’t care about polar bears, show that you do.

Protect the separation between church and state.

Demand a receipt for your vote.

Stop war with Iran.

Progressive bumper stickers

and

Some cool tools for fighting back.

Protect the rainforests.

Progressive Majority wants you to tell a friend about them.

Get your free campaign kit from Just 6 Dollars and look for them

to be featured this Friday night 10.20.06 on NOW.

Been Sick

Sorry guys.

I have been really sick the last several days.

My ass is still dragging but I plan to get something together soon.

Thanks to all of my three readers for their patience.

Get to Work Thursday

There is a tremendous amount of work to do and so much to cover. Time is short. Mid-terms are right around the corner and we are just a stone’s throw away from taking back our government. This is the most important election of our lifetimes.

Petitions:

• Working Assets has a few active campaigns.

• Don’t let Ma Bell monopolize the Internet.

• Save Wildlife refuges.

• Give Peace a Vote

• Stop Genocide in Darfur and end HIV/AIDS.

• Save Darfur

• Pledge to vote Pro-Choice.

• Several active campaigns at NARAL.

• End the mutilation of women.

• Americans are fed up with weak privacy laws.

Activities:

• DNC is asking that we take election day off of work to help get people to the polls.

• Remove Bush’s Cabinet and win some ice cream!

• Attend a screening of “Iraq for Sale.” Holy Crap – I saw this last night. You must see it, it will make you furious enough to get active.

• Write a letter to the editor re: verified voting.

• Department of Peace Conference in DC in February.

• Pick a Progressive Party.

• Get your candidate to sign the Voters First Pledge

• Host or attend a ONE house party.

• Say thank you to courageous people who have stood up against government abuse.

Miscellany:

• John Kerry has a great rundown on the mid-term make-or-break elections and the clusterfuck that is Iraq.

• Straight Talk Live talking points on the economy. Not so rosy as the WH claims.

• Read Waxman’s new response to a report on the disaster that is Part D.

• Ramsey Clark needs help placing the next Impeachment ad in the NY Times.

• Get your free JustSixDollars Campaign Kit.

• Help MoveOn get Progressives elected.

• United for Peace has some great t-shirts and other ways to make Peace visible in your community, help them to continue their great work.

• Frightening new global warming reports.

• Remembering Paul Wellstone (and asking some tough questions.)

• National Environmental Scorecard from LCV.

• EFF sues for information on electronic surveillance.

• PFAW looking for funds to stop disenfranchisement.

• DFA Get out the Vote slogan contest.

"Do-It-yourself" Impeachment

Impeach for Peace is asking that everyone who believes that the President has committed impeachable offenses and wants to see public hearings download, and mail, petitions to ask the Congress to hold impeachment hearings.

The “Do-It-Yourself Impeachment” is based on the Jefferson rules and has been used before (1830).

October 12th is the National mail in day for all of the Impeachment petitions. 2-3 copies need to be mailed. One copy to Sensenbrenner, Chair of House Judiciary Committee, one copy to Conyers, Ranking Member and Minority Chair of the House Judiciary Committee and one copy to your own Representative (optional).

I do not know what kind of an impact that it will make, but it is worth a try. We must do anything and everything possible. They want to mail them all in one day so that the offices will be flooded. If they receive enough it will hopefully garner media attention.

There are many resolutions that have been passed all over the Country and several jurisdictions have an Impeachment Initiative on their ballots. There are instructions here on how to have your local city/board/organization pass one.

There are many sites on the Internet dedicated to Impeachment and documenting all of the crimes of the Bush Administration. Here are just a few:

After Downing Street dot org Documentation of impeachable offenses and a tremendous amount of activism.

Impeach Bush dot tv Features arguments and talking points for impeachment.

Impeach Pac dot org Representatives who are running on an impeachment platform.

Impeach Bush Coalition This is a coalition of websites advocating for impeachment, also where you can get the impeachment ribbon for your site.

Impeach Bush dot org This organization is involved with Ramsey Clark and has full articles of impeachment on the site as well as downloadable petitions.

No Way Bush dot info Featuring another book on the Impeachment of Bush and advocating for a class action lawsuit on behalf on any military families who have lost a member as the result of this illegal war.

Impeach Central dot com Another group advocating impeachment, complete with petitions and meet-up information.

Democrats dot com Impeachment investigation petition.

This Can’t Be Happening dot net Site of Dave Lindorff author of “The Case for Impeachment.”

The Four Reasons dot org Tremendous resource with links to a massive amount of documentation.

World Tribunal findings on the illegality of the Iraq War

West Point Graduates Against the War Tremendous documentation of crimes committed.

Petition to Impeach dot com Another on-line impeachment petition.

Velvet Revolution dot us A tremendous amount of data on why impeachment is necessary.

Michael Moore dot com “You can impeach the president.”

Articles of Impeachment dot net The Center for Constitutional Rights, who have also published the book of the same title "Articles of Impeachment," offer a short documentary on why.

Read Conyer’s statement. (PDF)

A previous post where I outlined the Case for Impeachment.

There are so many reasons for impeachment and I am increasingly concerned that we will never get our Country back or regain any credibility in the world until impeachment occurs. The crimes are immense and the world has suffered greatly at the hands of this regime. This is necessary and it is the right thing to do. It is our responsibility to end the tyranny.

(Hat-tip to causal for posting "Do-It-Yourself" Impeachment here.)

Happy Birthday John

Many of us regard December 8th as a day of mourning and a day of remembrance. Yoko always asked that we remember today and celebrate his life, rather than the day that he was murdered.

A couple of weeks ago we had the opportunity to see the US versus John Lennon.

It was truly a beautiful movie about a beautiful man who had a vision.

He Imagined a world where people truly lived in peace. A world absent of materialism and greed, labeling and dogma – a world that was safe for every human. A world that we have grown farther from today than perhaps any time in our history.

John believed in and practiced “Bagism”: An ideal where there were no labels and no prejudice. An ideal where people could be exactly who they are and not suffer from judgment and deception.

Yoko stated that the theory of Bagism was inspired by the theme in the book "the Little Prince":

"One sees rightly only with the heart, the essential is invisible to the eyes." She hoped that the bag, by hiding her and John's physical appearance, would make their essence or the essence of their message visible.

Bagism dot com is a site dedicated to John. Part of their mission statement continues John & Yoko’s philosophy of a state of being devoid of prejudice and judgment.

"The underlying concept of John and Yoko's "bagism" idea is interactivity among people without prejudice."

Absence of prejudice is such a simple concept, yet its beauty is completely lost in today’s society.

Today we live in an America where an entire political group is demonized and placed in a category of “unpatriotic” because we have decided that we believe in Peace and Justice. We believe that war does not serve a purpose and we do not want to be a part of a system that thrives on greed and murder.

Because we want Peace, because we believe in truth and goodness and an America that holds people up and cares for the least among us – we are labeled as whacko and fringe and ‘haters of America.’ The extreme labels us as ‘godless’ and traitors and un-American.

There is nothing un-American about standing up for freedom and equality and peace. These are American traits and I no longer will allow the right to take these traits from us and re-brand them as bad.

John was demonized for fighting for peace. He was attacked by Nixon with bogus immigration suits. He was followed and spied on. His phones were tapped and his mail was read. Why? Because he fought for peace.

His message was simple: War is Over, if you want it.

John was instrumental in exposing Nixon’s paranoia and enemies list. If it weren’t for his continued fight many of Nixon’s crimes might not have been exposed.

We were able to see this movie through a free screening offered by the ACLU. The ACLU today is fighting many of the same battles that John fought almost 40 years ago.

Today’s battles are greater, however, because more of our Constitution has been shredded, we do not have the same rights that we once did to help us in our fight. In the Nixon era, the Congress still had a majority of members in it who knew why they served. The Nixon era Congress contained members who understood their oaths to uphold and defend the Constitution.

Today’s Congress is devoid of a majority who understand this role. Today’s Congress is filled with rubber-stamp Republicans who believe that their role is to do the President’s bidding and will not hold him accountable for the most egregious offenses.

My gratitude to John is unending. He was revolutionary, not only for music but for a movement towards a society where everyone had the same opportunity and each human was valued because they existed. Existence was the only requirement, not class or color or creed.

We have gone far in the other direction, John, and I am sorry. I am sorry that more people do not understand the value in the simple messages that you preached. Materialism and shallowness are the principal descriptors of today’s America. We are now a Country that you might not fight to stay in. We are now a bigoted and intolerant society hell-bent on the destruction of this world.

Perhaps our own self-destruction will come first. This bottom will arrive not because of those of us who practice tolerance, but because of those who worship a man who preached it but know nothing of what it means.

Rummy to English Translation

Another call for him to resign or be fired, which of course will go unheeded. The Deciderer in Chief knows what's best. One cannot make a change when there is never a willingness to see what is wrong in the first place.

In psychiatric terms this is called “delusion”. In the blind-following, sheeple, neo-conservative, Christian Right Fundamentalist Cult, it is called “determined.”

I hear these people call into CSPAN; George Bush is a “good Christian” dontcha know? “He is the only one who knows the danger to us and he is leading the fight.” (Protector/Daddy as some would define it, or more appropriately the “authoritarian” personality that Dean so beautifully researches in “Conservatives Without Conscience.”)

These people will all follow him blindly and unquestioningly into the desert for 40 years. Blindly and unquestioningly (if you have someone to tell you what the truth is then there is no need to think for yourself. This is a lazy way of living and the antithesis to the Age of Enlightenment which our Country was founded on.) If there is a god, they would have already left seeking their homeland.

This truly terrifying article from the WAPo today is just a snipet of a Rummy memo from May 1st.

"Illustrative New 21st Century Institutions and Approaches."

Unfortunately it requires translation, without which the danger might go unrecognized. I will do my best to help to open some eyes as to what is being said here.

"Today the world requires new international organizations tailored to new circumstances."

Translation: The world is not bowing to us as they should. We are the great and powerful USA. If the rest of the world will not tolerate our imperialism and will not allow us exemption from International laws then we must create our own International Organizations which accept our actions and our preemptions and will not get in our way.

"Current institutions such as the UN, NATO, OAS, the African Union, ECOWAS, ASEAN and the European Union, to mention a few, were designed at a time when the world's challenges were notably different. Some were formed over half a century ago to further U.S. foreign and security policy purposes."

Translation: We are the great and powerful USA. We made these organizations. We can break these organizations. The only reasons that these organizations exist is for the USA. The rest of the world does not matter. The interests of the other Countries in the world do not matter. We are the US of A. Our race and our interests are superior to everyone else’s. If these organizations stand in the way of the USA in any way, shape or form, they must be abolished.

"Today, as U.S. goals in the world at large have changed, existing international institutions have failed to adapt sufficiently."

Translation: We determine which laws and policies are working for us at any given time; the rest of the world must adapt to our determinations. If any International Organization attempts to hold us accountable we will brush them away and crush them into non-existence. No one can tell us what to do. No one can police us. We are the great and powerful USA.

"The threat Iran is posing and will likely continue to pose argues that it may well be time to form a new collective security arrangement for the Middle East and/or the Arabian Sea."

Translation: If it were not for the oil under these A-rabs feet, we would have already turned their whole desert to glass. As a result, we need to have organizations and Nations ready to do our bidding and keep Iran in check. We need that oil, we cannot bomb them back to the stone-age so we must convince the region that it is in their interest to keep them in check.

"The broader [U.S. government] structure is still in the industrial age and it is not serving us well. It is time to consider a new Hoover Commission to recommend ways to reorganize both the executive and legislative branches, to put us on a more appropriate path for the 21st century. Only a broad, fundamental reorganization is likely to enable federal departments and agencies to function with the speed and agility the times demand. The charge of incompetence against the U.S. government should be easy to rebut if the American people understand the extent to which the current system of government makes competence next to impossible."

Translation: A government of, by and for the people is not conducive to the Unilateral Dictatorship that is needed for the military industrial complex to fully reach its potential. With the people of the Country having so much say in the processes of the government we cannot fully do what we want.

It is important for us to convince the people that government does not work because it is a Constitutional Republic. We must continue to show the people that the perceived incompetence is not really incompetence but it is inability to perform because of our system of government. Katrina, the inability to account for trillions of dollars in the defense department and the [mis]management of the Iraq war is just the beginning of what we will intentionally fuck up…

After we are done proving to the people how much that a Representative Democracy does not work, they will be begging us for the dictatorship that is needed.

Interesting, according to this Frontline Special many these re-orgs have already occurred:

“and reveals troubling flaws in what has been the largest reorganization of the government in half a century.”

Hmmm, what more reorganization is needed? Abolition of the Congress? Privatization of all governmental agencies? Dissolution of elections? Unilateral rewriting of the Constitution? One has to ask, how much more can they fuck up this Country? How much more? Especially if this is their intent. Fuck it up to prove to us that it does not work.

"The only choice is to trash the current laws and to undertake a total overhaul of the current systems."

Translation: The only laws that this Country needs are laws that limit the rights of the people. Any laws that limit the government must be abolished.

"Today the centers of gravity of the conflict in Iraq and the global war on terror are not on battlefields overseas. Rather, the center of gravity of this war are on the centers of public opinion in the U.S. and in the capitals of free nations."

Translation: The only reason that the US was defeated in Vietnam was because we lost the public. If the public opinion had not changed then we would have been able to keep fighting. The only reason that public opinion changes, is if the public has access to information. Free Nations allow people access to information. Information is dangerous to us being able to do what we want.

"When the U.S. government tries to compete in the communications arena it runs up against lack of national consensus and understanding about what means are acceptable to the media and to the Congress and disagreements as to what is legal. . . ."

Translation: We must abolish any laws that limit our ability to propagandize and we must limit any laws that allow people access to information. We also must abolish any laws that allow people to speak and write what they want. The dissemination of information and free-speech is dangerous to our totalitarian rule.

Summary: If these people are allowed to remain in power and unchecked the whole world is in danger. The greatest danger to the United States and her people is this Administration and their theory of Unitary Executive.

This Administration

• has no respect for the Rule of Law

• has no respect for the International Community

• has no respect for the American People

• has no respect for our System of Government

• has no respect for our Constitution

• has no respect for our History

• has no respect for the Congress

• has no respect for Freedom of Information

• has no respect for Freedom of Speech

• has no respect for our Humanity


It does little to point out their incompetence, especially when the incompetence is intentional.

As I often do for comfort, when overwhelmed with the stark and ugly truth, I turn to Thomas Jefferson, my hero, for wisdom.

What he said here, of Europe in 1786, can be said about the sheeple in America today (italics are my substitutions):

"In these countries [of Europe],... [for the neo-Conservatives in America] ignorance, superstition, poverty, and oppression of body and mind, in every form, are so firmly settled on the mass of the people, that their redemption from them can never be hoped. If the Almighty had begotten a thousand sons, instead of one, they would not have sufficed for this task. If all the sovereigns of Europe [neo-cons] were to set themselves to work, to emancipate the minds of their subjects from their present ignorance and prejudices, and that, as zealously as they now endeavor the contrary, a thousand years would not place them on that high ground, on which our common people [the Progressives] are now setting out." --Thomas Jefferson to George Wythe, 1786. ME 5:396

I do not know what it will take for them to wake-up, but Jefferson guides us on what must be done next:

"The oppressed should rebel, and they will continue to rebel and raise disturbance until their civil rights are fully restored to them and all partial distinctions, exclusions and incapacitations are removed." --Thomas Jefferson: Notes on Religion, 1776. Papers 1:548

And why:

"Freedom of religion, freedom of the press, trial by jury, habeas corpus, and a representative legislature... I consider as the essentials constituting free government, and... the organization of the executive is interesting as it may insure wisdom and integrity in the first place, but next as it may favor or endanger the preservation of these fundamentals." --Thomas Jefferson to Pierre Samuel Dupont de Nemours, 1815. ME 14:255

"Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." --Thomas Jefferson: his motto.

We Must Be the Voice of Reason

Today kicks of another DNC get out the vote drive. They are in need of as many people as possible to show up at an event and canvass for the Dems.

It is no secret that the Pukes have many more years experience at getting out the vote. They have massive databases and the Christian Right just cannot wait to get busy for them; organizing, making phone calls, manipulating each other and their family and friends (doin’ the work of god, dontcha know.)

The Pukes own the media and it is pointless to think that the Dems will get any representation from the talking heads. The media has their own agenda (what with all of the money to be made from illegal wars and stuff.) We cannot count on the media to report accurately or to offer a platform for our Party. We must be their voice.

America is ripe for alternatives. We need to get busy and give them some.

We must be the voice for the Dems. We must get out and be active. For every person who bitches ‘where are the Dems?’ and ‘why don’t the Dems speak out?’ realize that we are the Dems, we must speak out, we are here – stand up and be counted.

How many times does the media repeat ‘the Dems have no plans on Iraq’ and are ‘weak on National Security’?

How about these plans:

• the Biden plan

• the Boxer plan

• Center for American Progress Plan endorsed by many Dems

• Real Security Act

• Feingold on Iraq

• Kennedy on Real Security

• Harkin on waste, fraud and abuse

• Levin on Iraq

• Leahy on Iraq

• the Kerry plan

• Kerry’s plan in more detail

• Real Security

• Feingold talking points

• The Murtha plan

• House Out of Iraq Caucus

• House Dems on Iraq

Well, there is a hell of a lot more here than ‘stay the course’.

For good measure I held my nose and visited the RNC and several Puke Senator’s websites…there is no plan for Iraq except stay the course. Oh, and Iraq has been all lumped in with the ‘war on terra’ and I did not find on any of the Senators sites that I visited a button for “Iraq”. Interesting.

In fairness, Frist released a statement on the Senate Republican site about his recent visit to Iraq. According to Frist, ‘we must continue to win the hearts and minds’ (heh, through torture, indefinite detention, displacement and murdering family members?) and he is convinced that Al Qaeda released a letter stating that they are losing. (I might add, he also supports Hastert, the enabler of child predators.)

I wonder how come the talking heads never ask “what is the Republican plan for getting out of the clusterfuck that is Iraq?” Not a mention of ‘they broke it, they must fix it…’ Silence. I would really like to see a ‘Dem Strategist’ say this next time that they are on one of the talking heads shows…but I digress.

The point is, the media will not report on the Dems plans so we must do it for them. There is plenty of opportunity to get out there today with other Dems and take back our Country. We must do this. This is the most important election of our lives.

What to say when you knock on doors?

Here are some great sites for talking points:

• Straight Talk

• Frameshop

• Center for American Progress

• One America Committee

• DNC

• DCCC

• DSCC

• The Democrats

UPDATE: Look at these numbers. New Newsweek Poll shows the GOP at record lows.

Shows the Preznit at 33%.

Holy crap.

Thank You, Keith Olbermann, Once Again

Holy Crap.

His brilliance is unmatched and he is the only voice of sanity on the teevees. I really am grateful – and a little frightened about his future. We must make certain that MSNBC knows how much we appreciate Keith. It is time to flood them with emails and letters, we have to let Keith know that we have got his back.

Crooks and Liars is all over it. If just a third of all of the hundreds of commenters there would send a thank you, we could make an impact. Encourage people to do so.

In addition, I ran across this site. I will probably be adding the “atta boy” button to my site. Direct thank you’s to Keith. I am not sure where they go, but the site editor seems legit.

I will repeat what I said after his last special comment:

Keith’s special comments have become the highlight of any my television viewing. He always encapsulates my emotion and he says what he says with the passion and eloquence that I could only hope to achieve in my lifetime.

He is brilliant. The poetry of what he writes and the delivery of his speech is absolutely unmatched. I cannot thank him enough.

And so must we all.

Please write to Keith, MSNBC, the Countdown Producers, Microsoft and NBC Corporate. We must let the media know that this is what we want. We want the truth. We want people to report on the dangers to America; our civil liberties, our moral authority, our treasury, our blackened Soul.

Email addresses are:

• Countdown@MSNBC.com

• KOlbermann@MSNBC.com

• ViewerServices@MSNBC.com

• DAbrams@MSNBC.com

For good measure, send a hard copy thank you letter as well:

• MSNBC on the Internet
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052

• NBC News
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, N.Y. 10112

• MSNBC TV
One MSNBC Plaza
Secaucus, N.J. 07094

UPDATE: Froomkin calls Olbermann "shrill". Hit the WAPo blog and let Froomkin know that Olbermann deserves respect and gratitude.

World Can't Wait

Currently – this very minute - there are protests taking place all over the world.

Protests against the Bush Regime.

Protests against the terrible truth that is the USA and what is occurring in this Country; the disregard for the rule of law and human rights, the corruption and greed, the incompetence and cronyism, the fraud and terror imposed by our own government. People are standing up and saying no more.

No more:

Loss of Habeas Corpus Rights

Ignoring and breaking laws

Illegal Spying

Torture

Labeling anyone, anywhere, anytime, an enemy combatant - with no proof or even reasonable suspicion

Illegal wars of aggression

Corruption

Incompetence

We could go on and on and on…

The list of the disaster that has occurred in and been caused by this Country over the last six years is beyond believable.

There are 1.5 million hits on "Impeach George W Bush."

The media is silent about all of this. There is little coverage of the protests and little coverage of all of the impeachable offenses committed by this regime.

I do not know what it will take for this Country to wake the fuck up.

I am not there, so I have no right, really, to ask why more people are not outraged and marching in the streets.

I am not well enough to go and I have a kiddo that needs me to be here, but there are other reasons too…

I am afraid.

I am not there. I am not at the protests. I have read about some arrests already – will these people be sent to Gitmo? They are winning, the totalitarian regime is winning – I was afraid to show up and I have to wonder how many other people did not show up because they were afraid of being labeled an enemy combatant and locked up with no rights to question why or have an attorney or see a judge.

Something has to save us. I have great hope for the mid-terms, but I am weary. Bu$hCo is extremely confident that they will maintain power. What does he know?

Do they already have Diebold lined up to steal another election?

Or, will Bush postpone the elections?

His uber-confidence is greatly disturbing.

One thing is certain about these protests, the world cannot wait. Everyone is in danger with the Republicans running the show.

Thursday Action Items

Petitions:

• Keep religion free from the radical right.

• Tell Congress to protect your identity.

• Ensure that all breast cancer patients get the care that they deserve.

• Demand that Congress work for their pay.

• Protect the Roan Plateau

• Tell the House don’t cover-up for a predator.

• Demand an investigation in the House about the Foley cover-up.

• Working families petitions.

• Sign the Declaration of Peace

• Put your candidate on the record.

• Pleadge to vote Pro-Choice.


Activities and Such:

• Attend or host a screening of Iraq for Sale

• Host a ONE House Party Oct 15

• Make sure that you are registered to vote.

• Live chat tonight with Chris Mooney, author of “The Republican War on Science.”

• Jeff Gannon will be on the Randi Rhodes Show today.

• Give the gift of Wildlife Adoption this Holiday Season.

• Attend a 50 State Event

• Vote in the Ms. poll

• Today is the world wide day of resistance. The World Can’t Wait.

• Host or attend a call for change house party.


Miscellany:

• Join the Louise Slaughter Campaign. I just love her.

• New book “A Country That Works”

• Support the ACLU, we need them now more than ever.

• Support World Orphan Week and support an orphan.

• Listen to the Dann for Ohio radio ads.

• Meet the Science Idol.

• Free Yes on 87 bumper sticker.

• Help support clean elections.

• A must read editorial from Wake-Up Wal-Mart.

• Absolutely terrifying article.

• 2006 key races.

• Amazing Lie by Lie timeline.

• This really was a fabulous program by Moyers last night. See if you can find a replay.

It's NOT About Sexual Orientation

I am furious about the spin put on the Foleygate.

Representative Frank is a lot more positive than I am about the media coverage:

“Newt Gingrich said the Republicans couldn't have publicly reprimanded Foley or they would be accused of gay-bashing. That's just gibberish. There would probably be just as much uproar if it was an underage female, because of Foley's work with children. In fact, I think the media has been fairly good about not gay-bashing this scandal.”

He may consider the coverage to be ‘fairly good’ when it comes to restraint about gay bashing but I counted Chris Matthews saying “Do you think that it is acceptable for someone to be gay and be a member of Congress?” at least five times between yesterday and today. I cannot believe the ignorance of people in this Country and people’s ignorance only became more highlighted as I researched for this piece.

The misinformation on the internet is extreme, most of it from fundie sites and supposed ‘family values’ advocates. No one will ever convince me that intolerance is a family value.

First of all sexual abuse and rape are crimes of power, not sex. Sexual abuse is about controlling a person. The ultimate control that one can have is over another person’s body.

"It is estimated that in about 80% of rapes that occur, the victim knows the rapist. Acquaintance rape, or date rape, as it is sometimes called, is still rape. It is a crime. Although survivors commonly feel some responsibility or guilt about their rape, it is important to remember that the responsibility for rape always lies with the attacker. What happened to you is not your fault."

These are crimes of violence, not of sex.

Second of all, the crime against a child who has passed puberty, a teenager, is known as hebephilia. These crimes are committed by persons who have the preference of victimizing people who are young adults, not pre-pubescent children.

Third of all, this alleged crime was in using one’s position of power to manipulate and use a teenager who, because of their age, did not have the defense against this manipulation. This is an adult misusing power. In addition, the GOP leadership covered-up this crime to avoid embarrassment and election problems. The cover-up is also a crime because it further endangered children by leaving a potential predator with access to them and it denied the investigation into the original crime.

The spin on the teevees are about Foley being gay and therefore a pedophile. I am not a psychologist, but as I have already covered, there is no evidence of Foley molesting any pre-teen children, so the terminology is incorrect. The crime is not being gay – the crime is using a position of power to gain access to and manipulate and have control over young people.

The spin is also to connect those two identifiers: gay = pedophile. This is incorrect and the evidence to counter it is substantial once you weed through the misinformation put out by the fundie sites.

The empirical research does not show that gay or bisexual men are any more likely than heterosexual men to molest children. This is not to argue that homosexual and bisexual men never molest children. But there is no scientific basis for asserting that they are more likely than heterosexual men to do so. And, as explained above, many child molesters cannot be characterized as having an adult sexual orientation at all; they are fixated on children.

"The vast majority of offenders are heterosexual men. Male offenders who abuse young boys maintain adult heterosexual relationships. The habitual molester of boys is rarely attracted to adult males." Roland Summit, M.D.

The American Psychological Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the American Academy of Child Psychiatrists and the Child Welfare League of America all have policy statements stating there is no correlation between homosexuality and child abuse.

PDF “The problem is sexual abuse, not homosexuality."

More studies citing that it is not about sexual orientation and that gay people are no more likely to molest children than heterosexuals.

God Hates Homophobes. No additional stats or studies; I just like the premise here.

Now that we have established that this is not about sexual orientation, it is about using a position of power to manipulate and control someone sexually. I will now rant about the bigotry of the right and how their bigotry increased the chances of this closeted gay man seeking out vulnerable people to prey upon.

Because the GOP has such immense open hatred for gays, there is little choice for someone who is gay but to stay in the closet. Staying in the closet and hiding who he really is increases the chances that he will act out in some way. Unfortunately, Foley allegedly had a proclivity towards abusive behavior and his impulses came out in abhorrent ways, if he is in fact found guilty of these crimes.

Most abuse of children occurs by people who close to them. Crimes against children are the worst of all crimes; these are adults who use their power against helpless people. The majority of crimes against children are not committed by the scary person jumping out of the bushes – it is the neighbor or family friend or step-parent or parent. Perhaps this whole controversy will bring light to some of the thousand of crimes that we need to combat and lead us to helping some of the many thousands of children who need our help.

This will only be the result if we move beyond the bullshit that is ‘the problem is homosexuality’. This is not about sexual orientation – this is an abuse of power manifesting in the most reprehensible way: sexually victimizing young people.

There is an enormous amount of data about what needs our attention. There is a lot of work to do.

Of the parents who maltreated children, less than 3 percent (2.6%) committed sexual abuse, while 62.9 percent committed neglect. Of the perpetrators who were friends or neighbors, nearly three-quarters committed sexual abuse while 9.9 percent committed neglect

Nearly three-quarters (73.8%) of perpetrators who were friends or neighbors committed sexual abuse.

According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System’s most current report, Child Maltreatment 2004, of the approximately 872,000 child abuse and neglect victims in 2004, the largest percentage of perpetrators (78.5 percent) were parents, including birth parents, adoptive parents, and stepparents.

All States include sexual abuse in their definitions. Some States refer in general terms to sexual abuse, while others specify various acts as sexual abuse. Sexual exploitation is an element of the definition of sexual abuse in most jurisdictions. Sexual exploitation includes allowing the child to engage in prostitution or in the production of child pornography.

Characteristics of Crimes Against Juveniles

About seven in ten female rape or sexual assault victims stated the offender was an intimate, other relative, a friend or an acquaintance.

Child Stats dot gov

National Crime Victimization Survey

Center for Missing and Exploited Children

FedStats

Gloves Off

An Open Letter to the Democratic Party

Where are the spokespeople for the Democratic Party? Better yet, where is the one person – the Democratic version of Newt – who can articulate things clearly and who will travel around the Nation, appearing at all of the events and appear on all of the talk shows?

The Newt plan was simple and the script was sent out to every candidate, in every District and they read from it. Simple phrases that were easy to remember and that ordinary, every day people, could understand and repeat.

One script. Holding nothing back. Resonating with the people.

For cryin’ out loud. Everyone knows that if Bush himself were filmed shooting babies in cribs there would still be 30% of the people who supported him. There are a group of followers who believe that this monster can do nothing wrong despite endless evidence proving it.

What I wonder, is if Bush were shooting babies in cribs, would the Dems be able to formulate a unified message condemning it?!

Where is the single voice that will tell the truth about the corruption and malfeasance in this Administration and Republican controlled Congress?

There has been scandal after scandal and the Dems cannot seem to get it together to articulate the danger that is this Republican Congress and WH. What is so difficult about pointing to Abramoff, Cunningham, Ney, Foley, Pre-War Intel, PDB and other 9/11 warnings, Katrina, Propaganda disguised as news, Illegal spying, torture, mismanaged war, war profiteering, waste, fraud and abuse, Medicare Part D, rules of the House being ignored, closed rules on legislation, adding crap to conference reports, thousand page bills introduced with only an hour to read before voting, stolen elections, outing CIA agents, abusing children, cover-ups, contracts to friends and only those who are Republican Campaign contributors, $9 Trillion dollar National Debt, trade deficits as far as the eye can see, only screening 5% of cargo, no minimum wage increase, 9/11 Commission recommendations ignored, ad infitim…?

This list is immense and is still not complete.

I understand that Dems believe in the system and want to play by the rules. I understand that Dems will not stoop the low level of Rove and use his same tactics. You do not need to.

What you need to do is tell the truth and tell it loudly. You need to speak clearly. You need to get one voice on every single news show. You need one script that every one of your candidates can speak from.

Do you remember when you first ran for public office? Do you remember your idealistic motives and how you spoke to the public before you could afford to pay the advisors who will be the death of this Country? Whoever these campaign advisors are, they are ignorant and have no idea what the people want. The people want common sense and they want someone who can speak emotionally, from the heart and the gut, instead of this flat affect crap that your advisors tell you emit. Fire the advisors and start being who you are.

Goddammit! Do you people not understand that the future of America and perhaps the world is contingent on taking back this Congress? Do you not really get how important this is? This is not a normal mid-term – this is the future of the fucking world. The evil people who are running this Country have successfully turned us into a police state. They have tarnished the image of America for years to come. They have created a debt that our grandchildren will be struggling to pay off.

The poster that the Dems have – the one that shows Bush having borrowed more money from foreign Countries than all forty-two previous Presidents combined – needs to be a billboard in every city of this Country. That visual is powerful and must be shown. Pictures of people standing on their roofs in New Orleans begging to be saved need to be shown. Flag-draped caskets need to be shown. Polls of Iraqis who overwhelmingly want us to leave and want to kill Americans need to be shown. How many visuals are available to you that you do not use?

You need passionate spokespeople. You need someone who can speak clearly and come back at the pundits with force and clarity. I cannot believe that you are unable to get someone on the air who can speak.

Look at the headlines this morning:

Bush Expresses Confidence in Hastert

Tenet Recalled Warning Rice

Lawyers for Detainees Challenge Bush Plan

FBI Knew in July About Foley E-Mails to Teen

North Korea Vows First Nuclear Test

Across Nation, Housing Costs Rise as Burden

The entire world is going to hell in a hand-basket and this Country is in enormous trouble. We have a leadership vacuum that is being filled by arrogant, corrupt and ill-intentioned people. There are numerous disasters just waiting for you to highlight and articulate them. There are numerous solutions that the people are dying to be told.

Please, Democrats, my Party, the Party of the People – I beg you, get your shit together. The world is desperate and you are our last hope. What will it take for you to finally get it together and take this Country back?! We do not have much time left. In six short years our Country has doubled its debt, started endless wars, killed hundred of thousands of people and has changed our laws such that our Constitution is in danger, if not already obliterated.

Get it together. The world cannot wait.

Republicans Are Victimizing Our Children

No, this is not another post about Congressman Foley R. FL stalking a 16 year-old page or the GOP cover-up of it. Of course, any victimization and sexual exploitation of a child is an atrocity. The cover-up of this crime for a year, in an attempt to maintain a political majority, is a crime of the most extreme nature.

I am, however, referring to a systematic and coordinated effort to place profits and ideology above the well-being of our children, their education and the future of our Country. This is about the disaster that is our public education system.

Our Founders stressed the importance of education endlessly. It was the Enlightenment Period. It was a time of human evolution where the people believed that reason and knowledge could lead to a new way of living and of approaching government.

“Wisdom and knowledge, as well as virtue, diffused generally among the body of the people, being necessary for the preservation of their rights and liberties, and as these depend on spreading the opportunities and advantages of education in the various parts of the country, and among the different orders of people, it shall be the duty of legislators and magistrates... to cherish the interest of literature and the sciences, and all seminaries of them.” – John Adams 1776

Our Founders were perhaps the most educated group of leaders that our Country has ever had. Ironically, most were self-taught. They became Enlightened via endless reading and study and discussion. They held real debates through meetings and writing and publishing pamphlets which they discussed in truly Enlightened circles.

Now we learn that our children’s reading curriculum, the very ability that our children have to become more Enlightened themselves, the core of all education and knowledge, has been reduced to another crony profiteering scam.

“Five years later, an accumulating mound of evidence from reports, interviews and program documents suggests that Reading First has had little to do with science or rigor. Instead, the billions have gone to what is effectively a pilot project for untested programs with friends in high places.”

The NCLB Act has been a tremendous disaster for our children. It has been under-funded and is filled with caveats that insure failure and a hidden agenda that mandates schools to release our children’s personal information to military recruiters.

The NCLB Act is nothing more than another example of incompetence and cronyism and profiteering at the expense of our children. What a disgusting, predatory and immoral action. I can think of nothing more telling of the character of this Administration than the preying on our children, their future and the future of our Country to scam more money from the taxpayers.

This Administration also illegally used taxpayer dollars to fund fake news reports about the NCLB Act. In order to gain support for a program that is under-funded, and in some instances un-funded, this Administration needs to resort to propaganda. There is little more proof needed, of the NCLB failure, than this. If this Act was working and truly a benefit to our kids, then the educators themselves would be applauding it. Instead, States have been forced to sue the Federal Government over this Act.

Only three States, thus far, have not yet sued the Federal Government. What an abysmal failure the NCLB Act has been. What a failure that our public education system is as a result.

In addition to NCLB failures, there is also the danger of denying access to real science. The war on science will have significant long-term effects that endanger the US in a global economy and our ability to compete with other Countries.

From a President with little ability to comprehend the contradictions of his own reasoning, and schools that are pushing to teach mythology in our science classrooms, it is more important than ever to learn why our children must be taught truth.

We are raising a generation of children who are stupid. Our public schools are under-funded, class sizes are too large, NCLB Act is doing the exact opposite of what it was sold to us to do, and schools cannot retain good educators.

In addition to the bastardization of science the health of our children is at risk. Abstinence only education gives misleading and inaccurate information to our children.

When politics trump science and loyalties to campaign contributors trump choices over proven curriculum, our entire society is in danger.

The Republicans are victimizing our children. Without education – true education based on facts – we are raising a generation of people who do not know how to think. We have an education system that is struggling to teach our children critical thinking skills when the policy makers have skipped critical thinking and go straight to ideology and financial loyalty. We cannot have an Enlightened generation if they do not understand how to think and how to learn and do not have access to the facts so that they can arm themselves against the myths and ideologies that are directing Federal policies.

We are in dire need of a second coming. Not the mythical second coming that the right believes in (at an alarmingly high 44 percentage) but a new Thomas Jefferson. We need a leader who understands the value of real education. A real statesperson who can speak to us as he did:

“Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.” - Jefferson

And to honor and cherish the value of education:

“To give to every citizen the information he needs for the transaction of his own business; To enable him to calculate for himself, and to express and preserve his ideas, his contracts and accounts, in writing; To improve, by reading, his morals and faculties; To understand his duties to his neighbors and country, and to discharge with competence the functions confided to him by either; To know his rights; to exercise with order and justice those he retains; to choose with discretion the fiduciary of those he delegates; and to notice their conduct with diligence, with candor, and judgment; And, in general, to observe with intelligence and faithfulness all the social relations under which he shall be placed.” - Thomas Jefferson, 1818

I am guilty of not participating in my local school board and lack of involvement in my PTA, but I now see these as necessities. There is so much to do to save our Country, protect it from the disastrous policies of this Administration and Republican controlled Congress – but the children really are our future. How can we expect the future of our Country to thrive if our children are intellectually damaged with false information and no critical thinking skills?

I have a tremendous respect for our educators who continue to do their best in a politically charged environment where ideology trumps reason. I am truly grateful for the fantastic teachers and administrators who I have had the opportunity to work with and who have been involved in my child’s education – they deserve the action of my gratitude through involvement in my local education processes; so do our children deserve the same from all of us.