The Liberal Coalition

Saturday, December 13, 2003

LC Saturday Post Up

Sorry it took so long - still fighting the after-effects of the Dreaded Lurgy, not unlike Chris Brown. Mentioned as much of y'all as I could. Back to bed now...

Then and Now

That Was Then . . .:

(5/21/2002)
"President Bush warned on Tuesday that al-Qaida terrorists still 'want to hurt us,' while his Pentagon chief said terrorists inevitably will acquire weapons of mass destruction from countries like Iraq, Iran or North Korea."

(snip)

"Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said terrorists are sure to obtain chemical, biological or nuclear weapons through their links with countries trying to develop them. He mentioned Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya and North Korea as possible sources."

This is Now:

"The US government needs to explain why the missile shipment on a vessel intercepted a year ago on the high seas by the Spanish navy ended up in Libya, a spokesman from Spain's Defense Ministry said this week.

The official was referring to declarations made by sources from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to the Madrid daily El Mundo that claim 15 complete Scud missiles, a set of conventional warheads and 85 containers of chemical products - some 20 holding nitric acid - were ultimately delivered to Libya under a Washington decision. "

(snip)

"The NATO sources cited in El Mundo said that at the time the shipment was intercepted, the United States was secretly negotiating the possibility that Libya would accept Saddam Hussein, then still president of Iraq, in exile. And Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who played the role of go-between during the Gulf War in 1991 by assisting in Iraq's withdrawal from Kuwait, had hopes of gaining access to the weapons. "

And yes, the weapons and chemicals came from North Korea.

Tip of the hat to Calpundit.
(Also posted at edwardpig).

"Papers, Please"

The foreign press is finding out that it's getting harder and harder to get a visa to work in the U.S.

Anyone who thinks the administration and its law enforcement chief, Attorney General John Ashcroft, aren't out to impede a free press need only hear how the federal government is treating foreign journalists coming to this country on assignment.

I've got more of this editorial from The Blade, plus my own cinematic spin on it, at Bark Bark Woof Woof.

google

i just wanted to add that a certain president is unelectable.

Strange Fruit

"Since before the founding of America and the writing of our Constitution and laws, the worship of "other gods" has been judged immoral by nature, societies and nations. Therefore, it is on all counts, immoral. It is not just a new "discrimination" as Osama bin Laden might have you believe".
Pastor Smitty Bellows explains: Via Corrente. Read: Letters to the Editor

Friday, December 12, 2003

Enter The Gotham City 13

Hello Everyone! Some of you may all ready know me (I used to be in the League of Liberals) but for those that don't, here's a little bit about me:

I'm an aspiring (struggling) cartoonist who lives on the East Coast but leans toward the left... did I get that right? I have very strong opinions on how things should be but I tend to look at most things and laugh. I hope you like the way I put news I think is important out there and I hope you dig my cartoons. Please visit often! My blog is The Gotham City 13.

Assemble the Circular Firing Squad - Again

In today's New York Times, Bob Herbert lambastes the Democrats for wasting one opportunity after another to take the high ground against the Rethugs by sniping at each other. Several of us on this blog have griped about the Dems' penchant for taking shots at each other instead of attacking the Republicans where they are weak - and there are lots of weak spots right now.

Herbert's column is - as usual - incisive, and this paragraph is illustrative:

The Dems may indeed sink like the Titanic next year. But I don't think Dr. Dean is the problem Â at least, not yet. The problem is the party itself. God and the Republicans have blessed the Democrats with the high ground on one important issue after another, from the war in Iraq to national economic policy to health care to education to the environment.

But as always, the Dems are so busy circling up and loading their rifles that they're missing out on these issues. Instead of leadership in focusing the outrage and confusion of the voters, we get quotes like this:

One very prominent Southern Democrat, who asked not to be identified, said of Howard Dean, "This guy will take us down like the Titanic."

Now there's a quote guaranteed to have supporters running away as fast as their TV remote controls can be clicked. But it's not too late - at least not yet. My hope was that an endorsement by either Gore or Clinton would sort the field a little bit, thin it out, make a true leader rise to the top. The latter may have happened, the first two - well it's just too soon to tell.

But it has to happen, and soon - sooner, I think, than the end of the primaries. With nobody to run against, BushCo has the whole primary season to attack all Democrats on a variety of issues unencumbered by other political distractions. If the various Democratic candidates are still sniping at each other instead of coming together - if not behind one of their own, then at least against aWol - then the fight may come too late.

Herbert writes an all too appropriate line; one I'll close with and one I find very frightening:

Those cackles of glee you hear in the background are coming from the White House.

The Cheney Retirement Plan

Unfortunately, you and I cannot enroll in the Cheney Retirement Plan; it's restricted to a very few. But it is very profitable. Everyone knows that Cheney will receive delayed compensation from Halliburton. What nobody knows is when he will receive that compensation or how much it will be. Considering the amount of money Halliburton seems to be making in Iraq these days, I'd have to say that the big Dick will be well paid.

Oh, and if you're wondering who is funding such a generous compensation package for the soon-to-be ex-Vice President, you shouldn't. It's you. And me. And you, you, you... oh, yeah, you, too.

From my blog, The Fulcrum:

I blogged about this more than a month ago but it seems the Pentagon and congress is just now figuring it all out.

The Pentagon has launched a sweeping investigation of Halliburton Co. activities in Iraq and found evidence of "substantial overcharging" in $1.2 billion of fuel sales by the company once run by Vice President Dick Cheney.

An audit of fuel costs, which still isn't complete, found that the company may have overcharged by as much as $61 million for gasoline in Iraq, a claim that Halliburton denies.

It seems that other subsidiaries of Halliburton who have contracts in Iraq are also under investigation for overcharging the government. You'd think that perhaps such a recipient of public largesse wouldn't "bite the hand that feeds it," but you'd be wrong.

I love words. I like how certain words just sound so right for their meaning. Not just onomatopoeic words, but those that seem so perfect: vicious, bludgeon, and zephyr, whisper. There's one word, I think, that describes these people so perfectly: rapacious. And yes, it is from the same root as rape.

How long can members of this administration get away with things like this? How much of this kind of behavior will pass unnoticed by the voters? There seems to be a stirring of public recognition of just how bad these people are, but will it be enough to overcome the inertia? There remains reason for both hope and despair.

Read more here.

Idiotic quote of the week

In the rush to give rights to gay men and lesbians, I think that heterosexual rights are being overlooked. No doubt the majority of homosexuals are and will be well-behaved, but as our society becomes more accepting of them there will be those who test our tolerance. It's one thing for homosexuals to leave their messages seeking partners on the walls of roadside latrines (as they currently do), but quite another to openly solicit sex. We should have the right to be free from their lewd solicitations, and not be exposed to their indecent signs, acts and gestures as they offer themselves to others.

Letter to the local paper here. One of those not sure whether to laugh or cry things.

More letters on the debate from my paper, plus my response, at Speedkill.

Thursday, December 11, 2003

The "Why Should They Profit, Anyway" Question

When I talk to right-leaning sane people about involving the entire international community in the rebuilding process of our 51st state, I usually hear this: "If they're against the war and didn't help us in the first place, why should they profit from it?"

"Why should they profit from it?" is the wrong question; a question phrased by the right wing to trap people into agreement. The actual question is: "Why should other nations send troops to help us in a war they believe was unjustified? If getting less of our own people killed means organizing a larger coalition, how do we do it? How do we get an international presence on the ground there, when the fact of the matter is that we're asking them, literally, to send people to get killed in place of our own soldiers?

-more at And Then...

BUSHCO VS.NATURE

Ladies and Gentleman! It is time for the main event!

In the blood red corner, is the favorite. Although he's never won a fair fight, he acts like a champion and has beaten down all challengers with harsh rhetoric and the iron fist of opression wrapped up in the flag and crowned with the devil's smirk. Managed by a consortium of special interests who love green only when it's on a bill, the challenger! George "The Planet Smasher" Bushco!

And in the green corner. The longtime champion. Weak from years of neglect and powerful forces aligned against her. Even her fans in the Green Party abandoning her to prove a specious point. Still alive even though she's been kicked nearly to death like a fat black man in Cleveland. Struggling to the center of the ring, we give you Nature!

Get the blow by blow at the Fantabulous Blog.

The Failure of Democracy

If the Bush administration really cared about bringing democracy to Iraq (a prerequisite of which is to get the country on its feet again), they wouldn't be excluding many major industrialized nations from bidding on reconstruction contracts, simply because they opposed the war. (For that matter, if they cared about the U.S. taxpayer, they'd open the bidding to everyone to insure we get the lowest price. Remember, those tax dollars are 'your money'). And if the excluded nations really cared, they wouldn't be threatening to withhold future funding, or refusing to cancel outstanding debts in retaliation.

More at edwardpig.

Wednesday, December 10, 2003

The Religious Reich Spreads HIV / STD

Thanks to the close alliance between the Bush Administration and the Christian right, the Department of Health and Human Services is offering $33 million in competitive grants to promote "Community-Based Abstinence Education."

Eligibility is open to public and private entities, including faith-based and community organizations, which develop and/or provide an abstinence program consistent with the definition of "abstinence education'' in section 510 of the Social Security Act. In addition, the entity must agree not to provide a participating adolescent any other education regarding sexual conduct in the same setting.

Read more about this atrocity and the reaction of a Planned Parenthood volunteer at Bark Bark Woof Woof.

Multivoting is Allowed
As I read the rules for TTLB Showcase, it says "Other bloggers can then read the submitted posts, and, if they find them worthy, can 'vote' by linking to the posts they like . . . ." I interpret this to mean that one blog may 'vote' for as many of the entries as they like.

And I believe someone else has confirmed this with N.Z. and posted it, but don't ask me who/when.

Still, perhaps someone should check with N.Z. Let's promote lots of other blogs if the rules allow it!

An Embarrassment of Riches

Good luck to Peter and Clonecone, both of whose New Blog Showcase entries I plugged on my blog today, but I must confess that my heart belongs to another this week. I was the one who talked Echidne into entering the contest (and even suggested the entry) so my vote has to go to her this time. Besides, I'm thinking of talking her into joining the LC as well, so it's not like I'm a traitor or anything. :)

Sobering Analysis

I've got another longish post on Iraq at my site, based on some sobering reports from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the folks Rummy sent to Iraq in July. Here's an excerpt from the first report, Four Wars and Counting:

Almost without sensing it, America has drifted into involvement in four separate and simultaneous conflicts. The most obvious war is Iraq. Former regime loyalists and violent Islamic extremists are fighting a low intensity conflict. American and other coalition soldiers die there every day, a US-led occupation force governs it, and it has the highest media and political profile. No matter how this conflict develops, there is little prospect of a stable Iraq over the next 5-10 years, or that Iraq will serve as an example that will transform the Middle East.

Read the rest at Dohiyi Mir.

Ghosts of San Simeon. The Composite reader and "unusual acts done with love motive."

The principles of journalism, as set forth in a memorandum for the reporters of the Washington Times.

The Washington Times should be full of bright, snappy, interesting local stories.

We have a natural tendency to place emphasis on matters which are ponderous, dull and uninteresting. We must resist this tendency.

We must consider the COMPOSITE newspaper reader does not care a hang about tax rates, budgets, insurance, disarmament, naval appropriations, public utilities policies, municipal improvements, or scores of other subjects which may appear to be important.

Read all about it. Full Washington Times "memorandum" via Corrente.
LINK

Tuesday, December 09, 2003

more on brooks and dean (and my 2 cents about why brooks misses the point) is here.

i was going to post an excerpt here, but i can't seem to find a good one. sorry

They Don't Know What to Make of Him

The punditocracy is in full tizz mode over Howard Dean. Witness Nick Kristof and his "Democrats-Can't-Win" mantra last week, and now David Brooks today goes after Dean as the "mysterious stranger" who seems to be all things to all people, which is a new version of the old rant against Clinton, Gore, and - lest we forget - Richard Nixon.

They're all twitterpated because Howard Dean does not fit the mold of the cookie-cutter candidate for president they've gotten so used to - or think they've gotten used to. But for the life of me, I can't recall a successful candidate in my lifetime who did fit into the Conventional Wisdom - the "mainstream." Everyone runs as an "outsider." Eisenhower had no elective office experience, JFK was a Roman Catholic, Nixon had all the warmth and charisma of a cross-eyed halibut, Jimmy Carter was a one-term governor, Ronald Reagan was an actor...you get the idea. They "weren't supposed to win." But they did. And they did it by fitting with the time in which they ran. JFK couldn't win today; neither could Eisenhower, but they don't belong in 2004.

Howard Dean, if anything, recognizes the times. He knows the country is restive and frightened and that what is needed is not more fear and division but energy and inclusion. If he comes across as angry, why not? Our budget surplus is gone, we're in a war that we started - and Americans are dying almost every day to support the lie. Our stature around the world is at an all-time low, and we live in a nation of fear from within and without. And what does the president do? Cut taxes for the rich, get his cronies to redistrict states illegally to insure a Republican majority, screw over Medicare and the envrionment, and cut taxes again, all the while mangling the language to the point where every English teacher in the country wants to throw rocks at him.

So I guess the pundits had better get used to yet another "out of the mainstream" candidate. Howard Dean has started a fire, and, to shamelessly lift a line from John F. Kennedy, "the glow from that fire can truly light the world."

Also posted at Bark Bark Woof Woof

The Showcase
I'll be entering the showcase this week from Kick the Leftist. Help me out if you haven't voted already - here's the link. Thanks!

Please Don't Feed the Beast"

Wal*Mart has brought no end of misery to so many people while trying to bring those same people with "low prices, everyday." Effects from the Walmart-ization of America have ranged from the destruction of once vital downtown areas in the small communities where they love to locate their stores to the loss of well paying production jobs as suppliers are forced to move production overseas to bring a lower price every year to Wal*Mart's buyers.

In a post yesterday at The Fulcrum, "Conflicted Shopping," I worried "aloud" about what this vicious cycle means to all of us. My final paragraph:

So as we made our way home with our bags, to our warm new house, my wife and I were happy that we were able to get gifts for our friends and family. We were happy that we were able to figure out a way to keep within our budget, without contributing to the further Walmart-ization of the U.S. We were glad that we weren't presented with such a choice.

So please, this holiday season, and throughout the year, if you believe in a progressive world for workers and families, don't feed the beast.

Thanks to Stradiotto for inspiring for the title of this post.

Showcase

I'm entering this week's New Blog Showcase. I would appreciate any support you find appropriate. I don't care where your vote goes, just as long as you vote. Let's keep that sponsorship. Link

Thanks.

Monday, December 08, 2003

Winning Hearts and Minds, Israeli-style

Okay, quiz time. Where are we? There are entire villages surrounded by razor wire. There are signs on the wire stating "This fence is here for your protection. Do not approach or try to cross, or you will be shot." Occupation troops are imprisoning the relatives of suspected terrorists and demolishing buildings, and assassination squads are operating behind Syrian lines.

Time's up! Did you guess the West Bank? Ooohh, so close. No, we're in the freedom-loving 'model of Democracy', Iraq! The New York Times printed a story Sunday about how U.S. tactics in Iraq are starting to 'echo' the Israeli tactics used in the West Bank and Gaza. The Guardian, which does not suffer from the wimpiness of the American media, states more bluntly that U.S. occupation forces are getting lessons in thuggery from the Israeli Defense Forces. After all, these tactics have worked so well to bring peace and democracy to the occupied territories.

The Guardian piece also has a surprise ending. Follow the links, or see edwardpig.

Breaking News!

The Liberal Coalition wins the New Blog Showcase sponsorship. Yay us! Now let's see if we can do better next week.

And congratulations also go out to our very own Mustang Bobby at Bark Bark Woof Woof for coming in second in the Showcase. It was neck and neck until the Alliance of Free Blogs mobilized its members and broke things open. Still, More On Moore, Who Is No More was close, with 29 votes to the winner's 37.

A hearty handshake and "well done!" also go out to the winner, dangerous liberty. Al Franken on Book TV is a deserving champion.

Oh, Al Gore is endorsing Dean (and rumor has it, so will the Big Dog). I agree with Charles (see below). Say goodnight, Gracie.

Gore/Dean continued...
To follow up with a post from Kick the Leftist:

Gore is apparently poised to endorse Dean:

"NEW YORK - Former Vice President Al Gore will endorse Howard Dean for the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday, a dramatic move that could tighten Dean's grip on the front-runner's position and usher more support from wary party elite."

This is interesting. There are two possible motives with the same final intention. Either Gore actually supports Dean more than the rest of the candidates, or he is throwing his weight behind the man he sees as the inevitable winner. In both cases, the centrists in the DLC who haven't had too many good things to say about Dean may be more inclined to support him after Gore, solidifying the party behind the candidate (assuming he wins the primaries, of course, which is merely my prediction). In the end I see this as a positive development - even though Dean wasn't my first choice - because Dean's victory seems likely. It's better to unite the party regulars behind him now than to have it seem forced when the general election rolls around.

Gore to Endorse Dean

It's late and as I was doing one last check of the news I see that Al Gore will officially endorse Howard Dean tomorrow and then travel to Iowa with him.

The media seems to think this pretty much sews up the nomination for Dean - I'm going to have to agree with them this once.

I'm too tired to do a detailed post, but I'm sure one of my fellow Coalition members will follow up on this in fine fashion.

PEST CONTROL

I've had a few ideas for our friends at the DCCC:

Could we elect a congressperson, for instance, who's only job is to be a pest to, let's say, Tom Delay. Now I know what you're thinking. Ol' Tom's a bug killer from way back and he know's how to smash a bug or two. Well, Raid may work well and good on small insects, but to kill a human, well, that's murder and while we're sure Ol' Tom's killed a man or two in his time (allegations only, no hard evidence...just conjecture based on lack of a soul...people without souls are more likely to be murderers...), I don't believe he could get rid of his congressional pest so easily. See, what this person needs to do is simply attach themselves to Delay. Anytime he makes a speech or statement, they are right there, in his press, to rebut him.

Check out the rest at the MX23.

Happy Merry NODWISH!!!

What's the Point?

I have a post over at my site about death of a local soldier.

Tipton, Iowa is planning the largest funeral the town has ever witnessed. This Saturday, Iowa National Guard Spc. Aaron J. Sissel will be laid to rest. Aaron died November 29th in an attack on his convey in Hadith, Iraq. He was 22 years old.
...
I don't know how Aaron felt about the war. I won't presume to put words in his mouth or feelings in his heart. He died performing his duty. Those of us responsible for sending him and so many others to die have a duty to perform as well. End this war and bring our loved ones home safely.

Please read the entire post at It's Craptastic!.Too many of our young men and women are dying for Halliburton.

Time To Fire The Contractor

I just posted some thoughts on my blog about our current quagmire in Iraq:

Yeah, Saddam was bad, the world is better off without him in charge, blahblahblah. But on balance, I'm not convinced we have created a greater good.

We peaceniks were not and are not pro-Saddam, but rather pro-Peace. We want to find more constructive ways to deal with the issues at hand, not run headlong into a quagmire. We want to spend our immense resources on trying to be a positive force as a leader among the community of nations. We want to stop throwing away lives and treasure, and instead address the root causes that underlie our problems.

Read the whole thing at Dohiyi Mir.

New Links

I wanted to note the addition of 2 links in our blogroll: the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the DNC blog, Kicking Ass.

While the Coalition won't be making any official endorsements of candidates for now, our individual members might on their own blogs, so check them out. Regardless, we are committed to helping break the GOP hold on our government and nation, and are proud to link to these sites. Our members are not all Democrats, but we are all united in trying to get our country back on a more positive, constructive path.

New Logo

We liberals are wise, thus our new logo to the right (heh). Thanks very much to the farmer from corrente for the work! In addition to our primary logo, Coalition members actually have a wide array of images to use on their individual blogs. Diversity is strength.

Over the coming days and weeks look for more changes on our young site as we tackle the design next!

Sunday, December 07, 2003

"More on Moore" URL seems to have changed

Alot of people here are supporting BBWW's article More on Moore Who is No More in the Showcase. I don't know if the URL posted in the mailing list was wrong or if the URL has changed, but THIS is the correct URL. (At the time of this posting.) It might be a good idea to check your link.

Edit: The link in the actual Showcase is wrong. This brings with it questions: which links are counted, ones to the wrong address or ones to the right address?

Taking A Breather

The Coalition has experienced great success over the last few days. For one thing, we've hit the Magic Number Of 20, so we can compete in the sponsorship thingy at TTLB. We're also having some great discussions about some interesting opportunities that we'll share here at another time.

One issue that our growth brings up is regarding recruitment. The Coalition has reached a critical mass and is now putting energy into finding its voice in blogtopia (y! sctp! ahsbhiuifac!). Thus, we are temporarily putting the brakes on expanding our membership.

What this means for those of you who might still be interesting in joining: we will consider applications to be a member of the Coalition, and are simply going to move more slowly in officially adding people to our community. Until we do, we heartily encourage you to discuss issues and promote your blogs and ideas in our comment threads. We also commit to helping you start your own communities, if that's a path you are interested in.

If you would like to join us on a more official basis, please send an e-mail to coalition@pritsky.net that includes the following:

1) Links to 1-3 posts that you think are most representative of your writing.

2) A brief bio (no more than 2 paragraphs) so we can get to know you better.

3) Indicate whether you are interested in being a full member, which includes following our draft mission/guidelines, or a guest contributor, which requires no TTLB voting or ownership of a blog (but does still require impeccable ethical standards).

We will discuss your application privately and will get back to you within 5 business days with our thoughts and decision.

Thank you so much to all who have helped the Coalition get up and running. We hope to see you all here working together.

Peace out,
ntodd

The generic introduction post template!

Hello there. [Shameless site plug.] [Charm readers with funny quip.] I'm honoured to be a part of [organization or site name], and will do everything in my power to uphold [mission statement]. [More shameless plugging.] [Charm readers with funny quip.] [Say bad things about conservatives.]

Thank you, I look forward to [activity].

I welcome myself

Hello there, I'm Pete/r from over at Kick the Leftist. I must thank N Todd for allowing me to join the ranks, especially after witnessing my blog, which - I'm guessing - must be insanely tedious. I look forward to the experience, ladies and gentlemen.

Oh, now I've gone and done it! Joined another conspiracy! Mwahahahahahahahaha! Look out world the Evil Rook of Rook's Rant has joined the ranks of the Liberal Consp.........errr I mean Coalition! I am prepared to treat well all those who surrender now. If you chose to continue this senseless battle, I can not guarantee your safety should you be captured.
Oh, wait, that's a different game. Sorry. I get so confused, bouncing between all my different web sites and on line communities.
Anyway, I'd like to thank N Todd for the opportunity to join the ranks of a group of liberals dedicated to the overthrow of the fascists currently at 1600 Penn. Ave.
Oh, do stop by my site where I have rather poorly ranted about politics and my life, etc, etc, etc. It is really a cover for my more devious activity of devising world domination...............