I have very little interest in posting on DU anymore because of what it's become, but I thought it was important to chime in on this, regardless of the vicious, petty snarling it will induce simply because I support Senator Clinton for president.

I still haven't decided if I can bear to vote for Obama if he wins the nomination. I NEVER, ever thought I would say that about a presidential election. I have chastised and put people on ignore here for saying they won't vote for the nominee.

But someone or something, whether it's trolls or zealots, or mass hysteria has turned his candidacy of "hope" into hate. Deny it all you like. Claim it was the Clenis all you like (just like the freepers do). Pretend I'm a troll or a racist or that I just don't matter. I don't care. You know it; I know it; anyone who isn't in deep denial knows it: a large number of his supporters have crossed the line, and for what?

You could have won our votes. You really could have. I was an Edwards supporter, and when he dropped out I was evenly divided between which of the remaining two I preferred, as I wasn't terribly wild about either choice. But the vileness, the absolute vileness of the toxic dump that GDP (and other forums) has become sent me running into Clinton's camp in shock, disgust, sorrow, and frankly, fear for the future of this party.

Sure, I don't matter. I'm just some old, white broad who's voting with my vagina. Whatthefuckever.

I loved this place once. I considered so many of you family. Now, I can barely read the few forums that have not been poisoned. I feel truly heartbroken about this (go ahead, mock my emotions, too...it's "only a website"...we're not "real" people), and sad for the loss of those whom I considered, if not friends, people I dearly enjoyed the company of and whom I deeply admired. What happened to you? Do you even know what I'm talking about?

I'm still around. I'm not "boycotting" anything. But the incredible coming-together of amazing people that this place once was is gone. And I miss you all.

In the past 24 hours, I have seen calls for the admins to implement a new rule AGAINST calling out sexist language, and defending the right of sexists to post as they please.

I have seen taunts that all "cries of sexism" are simply the result of "frustrated" Clinton voters who want to blame her "loss" (did I miss the nomination somewhere?) on sexism. (You see, we're hysterical and irrational and vindictive, and there is no sexism on DU. Those of us who see it are all shrill and ranting and delusional.)

I have seen absurd rationalizations about how sexist terms are really not sexist because they're used on men, and boastful claims that because the mods don't delete something, it is therefore proof that it has no sexist connotations.

I have seen vituperative rants explaining why women have had it better than blacks and should therefore sit down, shut up and accept that the sexist nature of language is simply to be tolerated, lest we be perceived as whiny bitches.

In case you still don't get it, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHO WINS THIS NOMINATION. It has nothing to do with supporting a woman candidate, or with "sour grapes." I strongly suspect this shit is being sown deliberately by those who want us to lose in November.

This campaign has sadly brought out the worst, ugliest impulses in certain people who are emboldened by the rampant resurgence of 1950s "code word" misogyny. False arguments try to turn this back on us: "Why would you think I meant that in a sexist way? Why would you think that had anything to do with women?"

Do you think we were born yesterday? Do you think this veiled language and petty obfuscation is new?

I am calling on all feminists of both sexes supporting either candidate to stand up against this not-so-subtle demand that we STFU and let sexism stand.

I will support whomever wins the Democratic nomination, but I will not stand by and pretend sexism is not sexism for fear of being called partisan.

Oh, yes, I'll vote for the Democratic nominee in the general. I'd have to be a fool not to. It's not even the lesser of two evils. The Democratic candidates are not evil. I believe their hearts are in the right place. But they do not inspire me. They do not fill me with hope. But look across the aisle: the Republicans are a fucking joke. Our candidates, though they have fallen short of my expectations, are candidates for the 21st century. The Republican candidates are paleozoic clowns. Their time is over.

But if Edwards is still on my ballot on Tuesday (and I would assume it's far too late to take him off), I am casting my vote for the people and against corporatocracy. I encourage all Edwards supporters who believe in this country to do the same. Show the corporate candidates that you'd rather vote for a candidate no longer in the race who stood for the people than for either of them.

I appreciate those who have expressed sympathy and good will to the Edwards supporters, but don't waste your breath trying to convince me that your candidate is better than the other candidate. He's not. She's not. I will most likely not be reading GD/P anymore. The sniping and moral pretzel-twisting of the bulk of the arguments here has become a cesspool of irrelevance, and it isn't good for my soul. I've been neglecting my writing for far too long, locked in an almost catatonic emotional state since the 2004 election. I feel like I've been waiting to breathe, stuck on a shocked inhale and expecting some kind of change to happen. Well, it's just too painful holding that breath in any longer: first Kerry not running, then Gore, and now the loss of what I consider our last, best hope.

Thanks to those of you who are still fighting the good fight. (And this includes many Clinton and Obama supporters.) As for the rest of it, I'm sitting this one out.

It got progressively worse as the afternoon wore on, until I finally couldn't work anymore, so I went home early. (Usually, I worked until 7:00.) I was walking up Sutter Street at about Taylor when I thought I was fainting. The ground had swayed under me. I reached for a light post and it moved away from me. Then the sidewalk began to ripple toward me in waves and the hard rocking shake started, and bricks began popping out of the wall of the building in front of me into the street.

At this point, I thought I was going a little mad. I was a newbie to the City and had no idea what was happening. I'd been there for a few smaller quakes, but they didn't act like this, they were more of a side-to-side “porch swing” shake.

Workers in the garage under the building with the popping bricks came running out screaming that there was an explosion. (See? They didn't know what was going on either. Now I don't feel so bad.) Then the quake subsided and people were milling about, not quite knowing what to do. I decided this "explosion" was over, no one seemed to be injured, so I shrugged and started walking up the hill again. The longer I walked, the weirder things got. People were gathering and talking excitedly in front of neighborhood bars, but I was on the other side of the street and couldn't figure out what they were talking about. Then I realized there was a distinct lack of other sounds. It took me a minute to realize all of the electricity around me was out. You get used to the hum of cables and the electric bus lines, and random machinery. It finally dawned on me after a few blocks of no traffic whatsoever on this busy street: Hey! We've just had a massive earthquake.

The next thing I realized was that my headache had disappeared the instant the ground had begun to shake. (I still call it my Earthquake Headache, and I'm convinced it had something to do with a build-up of magnetic energy or some undetectable "pressure" that precedes a quake. The faults are under pressure, so it stands to reason it would affect the atmosphere in some way.)

As I headed toward Van Ness and the block that I lived on, people started joining me, pilgrims from the financial district walking in the middle of the street in their business suits and heels in the weirdest, quietest parade ever. When I got to my building, everyone was out front. No one was sure if we should go back in. Just about all of us in that building were from someplace else and didn't know what to do or what to expect.

My boyfriend showed up and I told him I was worried about the cats and I wanted to go upstairs anyway, even though everyone was advising against it. We walked up the five flights (we were kind of used to the old gated elevator getting stuck at the top, so this was nothing new) and opened the door to our apartment to find every single item that we owned smashed in the middle of the floor: dishes, furniture, television, appliances, pictures from the wall. I am very grateful we weren't home when it happened.

But then I began to panic because we couldn't find the kitties. (They were just babies, five months old.) I thought for sure they were dead underneath all of our stuff and I made my boyfriend lift up the heavy pieces and check because I couldn't bear to look. They seemed to be nowhere. We finally heard mewing from the kitchen, but we still couldn’t see them. It turns out they were under the stovetop. They must have climbed in through the back of the gas stove and squeezed themselves into the inch and a half of space between the burners. Poor little things were scared out of their wits.

So we had the kitties (yay!) and went back downstairs with them in a carrier, brought down candles and matches, some warm jackets, and a couple of blankets. It was starting to get dark now, and I mean really dark. You can't imagine seeing the entire Financial District just disappear into blackness unless you've seen it yourself. Someone had a boombox now and we heard all the horror stories: Bay Bridge collapsed, Marina District on fire, Cypress structure collapsed, hundreds dead. The weird festive mood that had been building turned into fear and worry (and a little bit of guilt).

The building manager was in Vegas at the time and our landlord just happened to be (a/the?) fire chief and couldn't be reached, because he was fighting fires in the Marina. Someone decided to break down the door to the gas to turn it off (which the landlord later evicted him for and tried to sue!), and someone else went upstairs and brought down steaks and burgers from their fridges and a hibachi and we all ate in the courtyard in a bizarre picnic by candlelight. By 10:00, most of the tenants had decided to go stay with family or friends, because we had still heard nothing from the landlord and with the aftershocks we scared silly. Chris and I had only been here since July and didn't know anyone, so we stayed. We had a slumber party in the entryway with two other couples, passed a joint, and tried to sleep.

The next two or three days were equally surreal with no electricity in most of the City, and no way to get cash to buy food or water from the few places that were open. The Grub Stake served anyone who wandered in cold cuts, bread and beer.

Wow, that was actually kind of intense to write out. I don’t think I’ve ever written about it before. Guess this one goes in my journal.

edited for excessive use of "new to the City"

toward equality.

That's what it comes down to. Reproductive freedom is the greatest contributing factor in our current level of participation in society.

I was watching "The Prize-Winner of Defiance, Ohio," yesterday, in which a mother of 10 (TEN!) had to find ingenious ways to feed and clothe her children because her husband, while not a bad man, simply was not up to the challenge. He was just one more dependent. Just a few short decades ago, this was reality for many women.

Evelyn Ryan is an example of the extraordinary odds against a woman when she is not free to make her own reproductive choices. Few women can do what Evelyn did just to survive. Can you imagine what else she might have done in a world where she had the choice of whether and when to have a child? This is what the anti-women voices of America would have for all of us: women who are slaves to biology and the whims of others.

I'm having difficulty being coherent about this, because it affected me so much to see the reality right there and to suddenly make that connection so starkly, even though I had known it on a gut level before:

Abortion and the pill have saved our lives. To those who would compromise our right to either of them, I will fight you to the death if that's what it takes. I am throwing down the gauntlet. NO QUARTER ASKED AND NONE GIVEN.

He stands for...

...immediate troop withdrawal, with complete withdrawal in 12-18 months
...guaranteeing affordable, quality health care for every American
...eliminating poverty in America within 30 years
...strengthening the middle class
...investing in clean, renewable energies

I like Obama.

He stands for...

...immediate redeployment of troops, ending all combat by March 31, 2008
...affordable, accessible, high-quality health care
...energy independence and renewable fuels
...rewarding high-performing teachers and increasing Federal college loans
...protecting the right to vote

I like Richardson.

He stands for...

...getting us out of Iraq
...reproductive choice
...building diplomatic alliances
...commitment to renewable energy sources
...access to quality, affordable health care

I like Kucinich.

He stands for...

...universal, single-payer, not-for-profit health care
...getting the U.S. out of Iraq
...repealing the Patriot Act
...reducing abortions by encouraging family planning, with a full economic and health care plan
...using U.S. leadership in sustainable energy production to provide jobs and increase independence from foreign oil

I like Clinton.

She stands for...

...ending the war in Iraq
...bringing broadband Internet access to rural America
...expanding quality, affordable health care to more Americans and expanding access to child care
...ensuring rights guaranteed under Roe v. Wade and access to family planning
...making sure that every American has the right to vote in fair, accessible, and credible elections

I like Biden.

He stands for...

...withdrawing most troops by end of 2007
...expanding the use of renewable energy and increasing investment in energy and climate change research
...increasing tax deduction for tuition and expanding Pell Grants
...rolling back tax cuts for richest Americans and putting money into dedicated Homeland Security and Public Safety Trust Fund
...restoring $2 billion cut from state and local law enforcement

I like Dodd.

He stands for...

...reducing dependence on foreign oil
...aggressive diplomatic efforts
...increasing Pell Grant amounts and cutting interest rates on student loans
...ending open-ended commitment in Iraq
...budget reform

I like Gravel.

He stands for...

...immediate and orderly withdrawal of troops followed by aggressive diplomacy
...fully financing the VA
...enacting a national, universal, single-payer, not-for-profit U.S. health care system
...properly funding education while raising the overall standard of living in America
...offering substance abuse treatment in lieu of prison sentences and elimination of mandatory minimum sentencing laws

Sure, there are things I don't like about each of them, but there are more things that I like. I like Democrats.

edited for grammar

There are some here who constantly accuse Democrats of not having a spine. But what I've witnessed in the last week and a half on DU is just embarrassing. The GOP has us jumping at shadows, doing their dirty work for them. We do not need to shut up or apologize for speaking truth to power, questioning the criminal policies of our administration, or demanding equal rights for all citizens.

It is far too late for any wedge issue to suddenly derail the entire election. We are either winning or we are not. It is my considered opinion based on all evidence I've seen that we will win and win big. The only way that doesn't happen is pure, unmitigated fraud.

So what's it going to be? Shall we give them hell or cower while they laugh?

editor's note: there will be at least one typo in every Der Blaue Engel post. I are a copy editor.

I've noticed a number of comments on DU asserting that if something is illegal in this country, then anyone who participates in said illegal activity is a criminal, and deserves whatever punishment they get, as they should have simply followed the law.

Have people forgotten the meaning of civil disobedience?

Yes, working in the U.S. (as a non-citizen) without a green card is illegal, and yet many people do so, and even have the "gall" to take to the streets to demand the right to do so. These are not just selfish scofflaws. They believe the law is wrong.

Yes, smoking pot is illegal (in most states), and yet many people do so, in public, in defiance of such laws.

Yes, practicing BDSM, same-sex copulation, and even consensual hetero sodomy are illegal in many states, and yet many people do so.

Yes, "refusing to disperse" from the sidewalk in front of government buildings is unlawful, and yet many people do so.

Yes, having an abortion will soon be illegal in many states if the Talibornagains get their way, and I hope to Goddess that people blatantly and defiantly refuse to follow these laws.

When the law is WRONG, sometimes the only way to get it changed is to refuse to abide by it.

edited for clarity

God told me that while he did speak with Harris, she is "totally twisting My words." What he said was that she should be doing the public a favor by doing time.

Meanwhile, God admits, he has been trying to give George W. Bush "subtle hints" by mailing him packets of RoldGold pretzels, but Bush keeps thanking him for the "special gifts from my pal" and adding them to his giant pretzel art project, wherein he makes fun shapes by gluing the pretzels onto the walls of the Oval Office.

and popes of all kinds. To paraphrase the advice I got from my mother as a child:

IF YOU CAN'T SAY ANYTHING NICE, THEN SHUT YOUR FUCKING PIEHOLE!!!!!

Thanks.

Russia, that is.

In my ongoing quest to do impractical things "just because," I have decided to spend a month in St. Petersburg learning Russian this summer. I've never been outside of North America(except to Hawaii), and I am scared silly and ridiculously excited. I think, strangely, the most trepidation I'm having at the moment (besides the cost) is that we'll be staying with host families and I don't know what to expect or whether they'll speak any English.

We'll be there during the White Nights, which I have always thought would be amazing, and I'll get to see the Hermitage and the Winter Palace among other fabulous things.

I never imagined that the first country I'd visit outside of North America would be Russia, but my latest writing obsession (a novel I'm working on loosely based on Anastasia) is compelling me to go. (And hey, if it ever gets published, I can write off the entire trip. )

And when I realized what I was doing, I set down the mouse and tried to browse DU with my remote. (I have not been drinking.)

Oh, a coupla things...

11/9/05
Our first election with Dean as DNC Chair....
Not bad.

11/9/05
New Dem Strategy=The Wedge Strategy: Newsweek/Fineman
There’s another Democratic strategy under development, this one inside the Beltway, and it bears watching: a divide-and-conquer approach that is making life miserable for Bush and the GOP.

11/9/05
Senior House Democrats Urge President to Terminate Michael Brown's Consult (Pelosi, Hoyer, Obey, Waxman, Thompson)
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and other senior House Democrats sent a letter to President Bush this afternoon urging him to immediately terminate Michael Brown's consulting contract with the Department of Homeland Security.

11/9/05
Former FEMA chief Brown off payroll
Former FEMA chief Michael Brown is no longer on the agency's payroll, the Homeland Security Department said Wednesday, ending nearly two months of compensation after he resigned under fire.... But Brown ended his contract early, said Knocke, responding to an inquiry about House Democratic demands to remove Brown from the payroll.

11/9/05
Kerry-led Committee Helps Elect Democrats Across the Country
Democrats Win Both Governors Races and Critical Local Races, Defeat California’s Proposition 75. Heading into the 2006 election cycle, yesterday we saw a strong showing for 2005 candidates supported by John Kerry’s PAC - Keeping America’s Promise.

11/9/05
John Kerry: "Reality 2, Bush 0"
“We can't depend on George W. Bush finally seeing the light. And we surely can't rely on Dick Cheney finally telling the truth. We can't even count on Karl Rove seeing big Democratic victories in the 2005 elections as a sign that Americans want a clear strategy in Iraq, not just more slash and burn Republican staged events that aim to mislead. We've got to count on intense grassroots pressure forcing Republicans in the House and Senate to force this White House to face reality.”

11/9/05
(AP) Democrats cleaned up big in off-year elections from New Jersey to Cal
Democrats cleaned up big in off-year elections from New Jersey to California, sinking the candidate who embraced President Bush in the final days of the Virginia governor's campaign. They also turned back all four of GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's efforts to reshape state government.

11/9/05
Democrats Press Court Designee Over Mutual Fund Case
Laying the groundwork for a possible strategy of attacking Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr., Senate Democrats are ratcheting up their questions about the judge's failure to disqualify himself from a case involving Vanguard, the mutual fund company that managed his investments.

11/9/05
Pelosi Urges Attorney General to Secure Voting Rights for All
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi today issued a statement calling on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to report immediately on the activities undertaken by the Justice Department to protect the right to vote in the recently concluded elections, especially of citizens affected by the recent hurricanes.

11/9/05
(Wisc. Dem) Chair Invites Bush to Campaign in Wisconsin Next November
“I would like to extend an invitation for you to visit Wisconsin on behalf of Republicans the day before our general election on Tuesday, November 7, 2006,” Wineke offered in light of Bush’s visit to Virginia the day before the election in an unsuccessful effort to elect a Republican governor in a southern state that Bush won a year ago by 8 percentage points.

11/9/05
Senate Judiciary Dems Take Aim at Alito
Senate Democrats issued their first coordinated challenge to Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, seeking extensive records about his participation in a 2002 appeals case despite a six-figure investment with one of the defendants.

11/10/05
Kerry Introduces “Strategy for Success in Iraq Act”
This afternoon, Senator John Kerry introduced in the Senate his plan to succeed in Iraq and bring the vast majority of our combat troops home in a reasonable timeframe tied to specific, responsible benchmarks to transfer responsibility to Iraqis — beginning with the draw down of 20,000 U.S. troops after successful Iraqi elections in December. These additional troops are in Iraq only for the purpose of providing security for the upcoming elections. If they remain in Iraq after that benchmark is achieved, it only exacerbates the sense of American occupation.

11/10/05
Rep. Hinchey (NY) Demands to see SOTU Drafts on Africa Lie!
Congressman Says American Public Deserves To Know How Infamous 16 Words About Iraq Seeking Uranium From Africa, Now Proven False, Made It Into Final Draft Of Speech; Measure Would Force Administration To Give Congress All Documents Related To 2003 State of the Union & October 2002 Speech That Didn't Include Such Claims Because CIA Said They Were Unsubstantiated.

11/10/05
Kerry Responds to Senator McCain’s Mischaracterization of His Iraq Plan
A short time ago, John Kerry offered a plan for success in Iraq on the Senate Floor. In his Floor Speech, Kerry responded to Senator McCain’s mischaracterization of the Kerry Iraq plan earlier today. In his speech today, Senator McCain failed to recognize concerns previously raised by senior U.S. military commanders and officials as outlined in Kerry’s speech at Georgetown in late October. Kerry’s plan is the most comprehensive plan offered to date, on a withdrawal from Iraq.

11/10/05
Senate Democrats seek GOP stand on Iraq
Senate Democrats sought to force Republicans to take a stand on the increasingly unpopular war in Iraq on Thursday, raising the possibility of requiring President Bush to outline a timetable for a phased withdrawal of U.S. forces.

11/10/05
Gov. Dean meets with Reverend Luis Cortes of Esperanza USA
I just got out of a great meeting with Chairman Dean and Reverend Luis Cortes. Rev. Cortes is President and CEO of Esperanza USA, which translates into 'Hope USA'. The meeting took place at the Democratic National Committee headquarters to discuss matters of mutual interest and concern. Esperanza USA is the largest Hispanic faith-based community development corporation in the country.

11/10/05
Senate Passes Kerry Amendment Demanding Accountability on Secret Prisons
In an overwhelming rebuke to the Bush administration’s attempt to hide alleged CIA secret prisons from Congress, the Senate voted 82-9 today in favor of an amendment by John Kerry that will require the Director of National Intelligence to report on the reported clandestine detention facilities. The Kerry Amendment requires classified reports to Congress providing a full accounting on any clandestine prison or detention facility operated by the United States government, regardless of its location.

11/10/05
AP: House move to split 9th Circuit opposed (Leahy, Feinstein)
Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and ranking Democrat Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., declared their opposition to the House move in a letter released by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., a staunch opponent to breaking up the court. "The reorganization of appellate circuits is a major policy initiative and would impact the system of justice for millions of Americans. The issue is squarely under the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee and any budgetary issues are merely incidental," Specter and Leahy wrote to the leaders of the Senate Budget Committee.

11/10/05
Ha Ha! Newshound has a great summary of Dean and Hemmer on Fox.
Hemmer interviewed Howard Dean (Chair, DNC) & opened by asking whether "off-year elections tell us much?" Dean said not in NJ, but yes in CA & VA, where Bush took a "high risk" in campaigning for Kilgore. Hemmer interrupted to note that "Kilgore ran a bad campaign" to which Dean replied "pundits always say that" when someone loses. Dean started to talk about how VA is supposedly a conservative state, & Hemmer again interrupted with poll results & read a comment from Sen John McCain (R-AZ) about it being "foolishness" to think these elections tell us much. Dean said "Our data shows turnout went up because Bush went to VA."

11/10/05
Senate Votes No Terror Suspects in Courts (Bingaman et al; 5 Democratic dorks)
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (news, bio, voting record), D-N.M., called the provision a major mistake and said it deserved closer scrutiny by lawmakers. "It's contrary to the way the court decisions have come down already. It is an extraordinary step for this Congress to be taking," he said. Nevertheless, <5> Democrats sided with <44> Republicans to insert the provision in the overall defense bill. Four Republicans voted against the amendment.

11/11/05
Kerry's Response to Bush
Mr. Kerry responded in Boston, where he participated in ceremonies honoring veterans and active duty forces. "I wish President Bush knew better than to dishonor America's veterans by playing the politics of fear and smear on Veterans Day," Mr. Kerry said. "This administration misled a nation into war by cherry-picking intelligence and stretching the truth beyond recognition."

11/11/05
Harry Reid is pissed. (Counterattack)
President Bush said today that Democrats in Congress “had access to the same intelligence” as he did in deciding to go to war in Iraq. Fact: Congress did not have access to the same intelligence the Bush Administration did. And intelligence passed through the White House before getting to Congress.

11/11/05
Conyers on Veteran's Day and Rove
While the President apparently decided to break with tradition and politicize Veterans Day, I simply hope we all take a moment to think about our men and women who have served are are serving in uniform, their sacrifices, and especially those who have lost their lives or been wounded while serving our nation.

11/11/05
Pelosi/Waxman Request Docs Relating to Abramoff's..$9m..meeting with Bush (Pelosi, Waxman)
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Henry Waxman (news, bio, voting record), ranking member on the Government Reform Committee, sent a letter this morning to Harriet Miers, counsel to the President, requesting that she provide Congress with documents relating to lobbyist Jack Abramoff's request for $9 million to arrange a meeting between President Bush and Omar Bongo, president of Gabon.

11/11/05
Democrats fire back at Bush criticism (Kennedy, Pelosi, Reid)
Senator Edward Kennedy says it is "regrettable" that the president is attacking those "who seek the truth" about how intelligence was manipulated before the war.

11/12/05
John Edwards on Iraq vote: "I was wrong" - WaPo editorial
I was wrong. Almost three years ago we went into Iraq to remove what we were told -- and what many of us believed and argued -- was a threat to America. But in fact we now know that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction when our forces invaded Iraq in 2003. The intelligence was deeply flawed and, in some cases, manipulated to fit a political agenda.

11/13/05
Dean: "I am a Democrat BECAUSE of my moral values!" Now
ain't that the truth! This meme needs to be spread far and wide!

11/14/05
Poll: New York Democrats Look Strong (Clinton, H., Spitzer)
A week after the 2005 elections, a new statewide poll showed Democrats in strong shape headed into the 2006 elections. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer hold huge leads over potential rivals in their respective races for Senate and governor, according to the poll released Monday by Siena College's Research Institute.

11/14/05
DNC: The Misplaced Priorities of the Party in Power
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today issued the following statement calling on Republicans in Washington to fight for America's working families: "The decisive victories this week by Jon Corzine, Tim Kaine and strong Democratic candidates across the country sent a powerful message that the American people are hungry for leaders who share their values and priorities. They want leaders who will put the government to work for them, not the special interests.

11/14/05
Democrats urged to keep option of blocking Alito (Dean)
Dean charged it was hypocritical for conservatives to denounce the possibility of a procedural hurdle known as a filibuster against Alito, a federal appeals judge since 1990.

11/14/05
Ed Schultz just said the Senate Dems just called a press conference (Durbin et al)
to rebut everything Fuck Head Bush said in his Veterans Day speech. Durbin explained in great detail that the Dems absolutely DID NOT have the same intelligence Bush had. This should be all over the news tonight.

11/14/05
Democrats urge Bush administration to change policy in Iraq (press conf.)
The Democrats at the US Senate urged the Bush administration on Monday to change its policy in Iraq and state to the Iraqis that the United States will not stay in Iraq indefinitely.

11/14/05
Kerry Takes Bush to Task on his Veteran’s Day Speech
John Kerry took Bush to task on his Veteran’s Day Speech, on the Senate Floor today. In a fiery rhetoric, Kerry blasted Bush today, on the lies he spewed in his speech, last Friday — from the rush to war based based on faulty intelligence data, to the spin Bush put on Kerry’s own statements, John Kerry pinned Bush on the carpet.

11/14/05
LAT op-ed: "This isn't the real America" by Jimmy Carter
IN RECENT YEARS, I have become increasingly concerned by a host of radical government policies that now threaten many basic principles espoused by all previous administrations, Democratic and Republican. These include the rudimentary American commitment to peace, economic and social justice, civil liberties, our environment and human rights.

11/14/05
Senators Reach Gitmo Detainees Compromise
A bipartisan group of senators reached a compromise Monday that would allow detainees at Guantanamo Bay to appeal the rulings of military tribunals to the federal courts.

11/14/05
Senate Weighs Measures Urging Bush Set Limits in Iraq
The U.S. Senate opened debate today on measures that would put the chamber on record for the first time asking President George W. Bush to set limits for keeping American troops in Iraq. The Bush administration ``needs to explain to Congress and the American people its strategy for the successful completion of the mission,'' say resolutions introduced separately by both Republicans and Democrats.

11/15/05
Kennedy voices concern after meeting Supreme Court nominee Alito
Sen. Edward Kennedy, an early and vocal critic of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, emerged from an hourlong private meeting Tuesday saying he still had serious concerns with Alito's views on key issues such as abortion and privacy rights.

11/15/05
Sen. Biden says like edwards, He made a mistake voting.....
to go to war! Thats two senators with the balls to say it,Its a start.

11/15/05
Senate Republicans Block Iraq Timetable
The Republican-controlled Senate on Tuesday easily defeated a Democratic effort to call for President Bush to outline a timetable for a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. The vote was 58-40 against a Democratic plan that the minority party's leadership advanced in the wake of declining public support for a conflict that has claimed more than 2,000 U.S. lives and cost more than $200 billion.

11/15/05
Kerry Responds to the Senate Vote on Iraq - NPR Interview
In an interview on WBUR’s Here and Now tonight, John Kerry responded to the vote on withdrawal from Iraq today on the Senate Floor. Kerry voted Nay today, on the Republican Amendment that was approved. In the interview Kerry outlines his objections to the Republican Amendment and points out the differences in the Democratic Amendment that was rejected.


And then a few dorks did a coupla things...

11/11/05
Democrats Provided Edge on Detainee Vote (Conrad, Landrieu, Lieberman, Nelson, Wyden)
Democrats who had voted previously to prohibit abusive treatment of detainees in American custody provided the margin of victory on Thursday for a Republican-backed measure that would deny prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, the right to challenge their detention in federal courts.

11/15/05
The 5 Democratic Senators who voted "NAY" on the Levin Amendment (Conrad, Lieberman, Nelson, Nelson, Pryor)


Diligent Democrats:

Biden
Bingaman
Carter
Clinton, H.
Conyers
Dean
DNC
Durbin
Edwards
Feinstein
Hinchey
Hoyer
Kennedy
Kerry
Leahy
Obey
Reid
Pelosi
Spitzer
Thompson
Waxman
Wineke

Democratic Dorks:

Conrad
Landrieu
Lieberman
Nelson
Nelson
Pryor
Wyden


Why some people still believe Dems do nothing:

11/10/05
Is the news covering ANY of our Democratic press conferences? Picture.
They did not cover on TV the one with Dean and Richardson, and I don't see this one covered today. Just a pic at Yahoo, and a quick snip. Did I miss it?

11/14/05
IS Dean a Disaster for the DNC? The media want us to think so.
So Dean has cut the RNC's traditional 3-1 advantage (or more) in fundraising to a 2-1 advantage and raised $11 million more than McAuliffe raised in 2003. Not to mention that Dean's numbers come the year after a presidential election -- the worst political fundraising time possible, while McAuliffe's came during the presidential cycle. Meanwhile, the RNC has remained static.


And finally, I'd like to point you to a thing of beauty, from Wetzelbill:

11/11/05
I am so sick of Howard Dean......
Sure, during the primaries I went and listened to him speak a few times. It was cool and all, he made me want to go out and change the world. However, I just looked out the window and that clown just shot my dog. (confession: I don't actually have a dog) Plus, I don't like how he always rolls his sleeves up and shows off his forearms. Why, I just don't know? But do I need to know why, I don't think so. Plus, I just don't like those educated elitist Northeasterners. I mean so he's a doctor, oh, cool, what's he trying to prove that he's better and smarter than the rest of us? (another confession: I like doctors, unless they kill cats when they are in medical school)


And the usual disclaimer: This is just what I happened to personally notice on DU over the past week. Sorry to post it a little late; had a busy week.

People seemed to like the compilation of posts I put together last week of what the Democrats have actually been doing, so here's what they've done since last Tuesday:

11/1/05
John Edwards admits authorizing the president to attack Iraq was a mistake
Did anybody go to see Edwards speak at NKU tonight? There was a Q&A where Edwards was asked whether he thinks the US should pull out of Iraq. He began by saying that voting for the Iraq war was a mistake. He was then interrupted by thunderous applause!

11/1/05
"Harry Reid, “Master of the Rules,” Seizes the Day"
You’ve got to give Harry Reid credit. He often seems so mild-mannered but there was nothing mild-mannered in his shut down of the Senate today. While the MSM is often slack on the job, this headline from MSNBC is priceless - “Harry Reid sparks a dramatic Senate standoff, On quiet Indian summer afternoon, Democrats spring an Iraq-Libby surprise.”

11/2/05
Kerry Statement On Closed Session
“For a year and a half, the Republican leadership in Congress has refused again and again to complete Phase II of their investigation into pre-war intelligence failures. All the requests I and other Senators have made of the Intelligence Committee for more information have been pushed aside. The Republican leadership has been complicit in a political cover-up of the decisions that led to war. Nothing could be more serious or more deserving of full public disclosure. The families of our troops deserve the truth, as does every American. Now that one of the chief architects of the war in Iraq has been indicted for related crimes, it is more important than ever to know how intelligence was presented to the Congress.

11/2/05
NYT: Dems Seek Shift to Issues That Will Favor Them (feel-good article!) (Durbin)
The Democratic decision to bushwhack Senate Republicans this week with a surprise procedural maneuver reflected a larger political strategy to shift the terrain to issues that Democrats believe will play to their common advantage in the 2006 elections. After infuriating majority Republicans on Tuesday by forcing the Senate into a closed session over the Bush administration's handling of intelligence before the Iraq war, leading Senate Democrats said Wednesday that they would not shy from using any means available to have their say, though they would not tip their hand on specific plans.

11/2/05
Reid to Bush: Follow footsteps of Reagan, not Nixon
President Bush could revive his troubled presidency by cleaning house among his top aides, much like Ronald Reagan did when faced with the Iran-Contra scandal, Sen. Harry Reid said Wednesday. "I really believe the president has to follow one of two lanes of traffic," Reid said Wednesday. "One is follow the lane of traffic that Richard Nixon liked to stay in, and that is just to hunker down there in the White House and not do anything," he told KKOH Radio of Reno in a telephone interview from Washington.

11/2/05
Feinstein says she was DUPED into voting for war!
Feinstein: Yes, and had I known then what I know now I never would have cast that vote. Not in a thousand years.

11/2/05
Dems, Repubs rip Bush admin over extreme national park plan
"During Tuesday's hearing, tough questions about the draft came from both Democrats and Republicans. Moreover, six Republicans sent a letter last Thursday to Interior Secretary Gale Norton airing concerns about the revisions. The letter describes the latest revisions as deemphasizing preservation and blurring the Park Service's "primary responsibility" to protect parks.

11/2/05
Dean: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH--We're Ready to Lead! (Sign the message)
Dear Fellow Democrat,
Late this afternoon my friend Senator Harry Reid forced the Senate into an extraordinary closed session to discuss the manipulation of intelligence on Iraq and subsequent cover-up that led to the indictments last week… Today Harry Reid said that enough is enough -- and from here on Democrats should use every tool at our disposal to demand answers and accountability.

11/2/05
John Kerry: Let’s DEMAND A Detailed Plan in Iraq
Last week John Kerry delievered a speech at Georgetown U and called for the Bush administration to bring 20,000 troops home by the holidays. Today, John Kerry sent out the following email, asking his supporters to help demand that Bush puts forward a detailed plan on Iraq: “No more shell games. No more false reports of progress. No more misleading rhetoric about ‘staying as long as it takes.’ It’s time for the American people to demand that George W. Bush put forward a clear understandable plan for achieving America’s goals in Iraq and bringing the vast majority of our troops home by the end of 2006.”

11/3/05
Lautenberg's Rhetorical Missile
Just two days after Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) forced a closed session to highlight an alleged lack of progress into a probe of pre- Iraq war intelligence, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) staged another act of political disobedience today. Lautenberg filed an amendment to change the official name of the "Deficit Reduction Omnibus Reconciliation Act 2005" to the "Moral Disaster of Monumental Proportion Reconciliation Act."

11/3/05
House blocks Democrats' Iraq resolution
Democrats tried unsuccessfully Thursday to force the House to take up a measure condemning Republicans for "their refusal to conduct oversight" of the Bush administration's Iraq war policy and to order investigations into it. The House voted 220-191 to set aside a resolution offered by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "I think it brings shame to the House for this Congress to be engaged in a cover-up when it comes to revealing what's happening in Iraq," Pelosi said.

11/3/05
DNC: FDA Should Stop Playing Politics with Women's Health
Yesterday, the public comment period ended on the decision to make the emergency contraception drug Plan B available for over-the-counter sale. It has been nearly two years since the FDA's advisory committee recommended that the contraceptive Plan B be available for non-prescription sales, yet the drug's approval has been bogged down in the politics of those within the agency who want to interfere with a woman's right to make decisions about her own healthcare.

11/3/05
DNC: Lame Duck Flies to the Right, Ignores Working Americans' Priorities
Democratic National Committee Press Secretary Josh Earnest today issued the following statement calling on President Bush to put his right-wing partisan agenda aside and focus on the interests of working Americans:

11/3/05
Dem senators demand Cheney 'housecleaning' (Reid, Durbin, Schumer, Stabenow)
Vice President Cheney Thursday calling for a "thorough housecleaning" in his office, RAW STORY has learned. The letter notes that senior Cheney aides named in the Libby indictment are still working -- and in fact both have been promoted.

11/3/05
Harry Reid Says: Class Warfare, Bring it On Baby
Well, I’m paraphrasing a bit there, but Harry Reid sounded like a real Democrat in his floor speech attacking the immoral piece of garbage otherwise known as the “Republican budget reconciliation bill”:

11/3/05
Kennedy: The Fraudulent Case for War
In President Bush's five years in office, his White House has too often attempted to impose its will without regard for the merits of the issues or even the truth. Dissent is labeled "unpatriotic," and critics face unprecedented retribution. The Republican Congress has become a lap-dog for the Administration in allowing partisan priorities to trump truth.

11/4/05
Kucinich defends organic food standards
But Americans should know that this bill has changed the organic food law and that big food companies have prodded Congress to change the organic food law and that this would allow the use of several synthetic ingredients in organic products and potentially weaken the organic dairy standards.

11/4/05
Sr Dems on Intel Com. Urge Completion of Investigation into Pre-War Claims (Feinstein, Rockefeller, Levin)
U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) joined Senator John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV), vice-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.), a fellow member on the Committee, today to urge that the panel complete its long delayed investigation into the possible misuse of intelligence to boost the case for war in Iraq.

11/4/05
TREASONGATE - DCCC video: the facts behind the Libby indictment
The DCCC has ... been engaged in some creative work following the Libby indictments. They have produced a short video that includes clips of many of the promises Republicans made to get to the bottom of the Valerie Plame leak. This piece includes the Bush Sr. declaration that the lowest form of treason is revealing a spy, the current president’s promises to fire anyone involved in the leak, and former RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie affirming that this was worse than Watergate.

11/5/05
Leahy Joins Kerry’s Call for 20,000 Troops Home from Iraq by the Holidays
Senator Patrick Leahy joined Senator John Kerry’s call to bring 20,000 troops home from Iraq by the holidays, after successful December elections, at a meeting with the media today in Barre, Vermont. The two Senators who both gave speeches recently about the need to change course in Iraq called on Bush to put forward a specific plan to transfer power to the Iraqis and start bringing the troops home by 2006.

11/5/05
Wes Clark on Torture
John Amato of Crooks and Liars has an audio interview with General Clark on the subject of torture. It's very good and definitely worth listening to.

11/6/05
Mark Warner on CSPAN NOW! 8pm Eastern.
He's definitely not the most exciting candidate, however, he's very smart and he articulates his message very well. He has some great ideas and he's done great things in VA. I love the fact that he's focused on getting things done rather than partisan politics as usual.

11/6/05
2 Year Old Dem Intel Committee Memo---Interesting Read
This two year old memo circulated among Democrats on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is painted by Sean Hannity as unethical anti-Bush plotting that should be investigated by the Senate Ethics Committee. Amazing.

11/6/05
Dean, Conyers, McKinney expected at March to Gretna on Monday.
The March to Gretna, organized by the Hip Hop Caucus and UP (United Progressives) for Democracy, will commence with a rally at the New Orleans Convention Center. It is expected to attract Howard Dean, Chairman, Democratic National Committee; Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, and Congressman John Conyers."

11/6/05
John Edwards in Chicago; Will Keynote @ Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
Edwards has been touring college campuses this fall to talk about poverty in America, calling poverty "the great moral issue facing America today." Edwards founded and now directs the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

11/6/05
ABC Poll: 2006 Favors the Dems in 2006

11/7/05
Obama to be on "The Daily Show" tonight
I know many people are disappointed by Obama. But, let me remind you of some of the issues he has been working on: AIDS in Africa, loose nukes, and now mortgage fraud. He is low key but very hard working. I'm glad I voted for him. oh yeah and he'll be on via satillite so that he can vote on the defense bill.

11/7/05
WES CLARK'S PAC ANNUAL MEETING

11/7/05
Democrats push prisoner abuse probe (Levin, Rockefeller, Reid)
Senate Democrats stepped up their attacks on the Bush administration's handling of the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq with calls Monday for an independent probe into the treatment of prisoners in U.S. custody.

11/7/05
WP: GOP Budget Cuts Face Varied Opposition (D: "day of reckoning coming") (Emanuel)
This is going to test whether moderate Republicans are really moderate," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "There are a ton of people who will have a day of reckoning coming."

11/7/05
Democrats issue demands for Iraq intelligence probe (Reid)
Democrats on Monday demanded that the Senate interview key government officials and exercise subpoena power while examining how the Bush administration used prewar Iraq intelligence in the run-up to the 2003 invasion.

11/7/05
Three Massachusetts congressman now regret war vote (Lynch, Markey, Meehan)
Representatives Stephen Lynch, Ed Markey and Marty Meehan say knowing what they do now -- they would NOT have supported the use of force against Saddam Hussein.

11/7/05
McGovern bill to end the war. "End the War in Iraq Act of 2005"
Rep. Jim McGovern (no relation to George, in case you were wondering) (D-MA) today introduced H.R. 4232, the "End the War in Iraq Act of 2005"

11/7/05
Harkin on floor talking about right-wing dominance of Armed Forces Radio
He's introducing an amendment on it with Dorgan. In about an hour, Levin's amendment for an independent commission on indefinite detention, black sites, ghost detainees and torture. Will be voted on.

11/7/05
GEN Clark on Faux right now commenting on the war

11/7/05
Harry Reid presser on CNN on Phase II of Senate Intelligence Investigation

11/8/05
VIDEO-Clay (MO) on the Budget -OUR DEMS SPEAKING OUT

11/8/05
VIDEO-Tom Allen on the budget -YOUR DEMS SPEAKING OUT

11/8/05
VIDEO- DeLauro on the budget - DEMS FOR OUR VALUES

11/8/05
VIDEO-Neal on the Budget- DEMS POSITIVE FOR VALUES

11/8/05
VIDEO- Schwartz on the Budget

11/8/05
Senators (pushed by Dems) to set Iraq inquiry timetable (Levin, Feinstein, Rockefeller)
Levin will work out the new timetable with fellow Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California and Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, together with Sen. Pat Roberts, the Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and his party colleagues, Sens. Kit Bond of Missouri and Trent Lott of Mississippi.

11/8/05
VIDEO-Schakoswky on the Budget-particularly good

11/8/05
Pelosi Statement on Hastert and Frist Calling for Investigation Into Leak
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today in reaction to news reports that Speaker Hastert and Majority Leader Frist have called for a congressional investigation into who leaked to The Washington Post the existence of secret U.S. prisons abroad:

11/8/05
Democratic senators call on Bush to pledge he won't pardon Libby (Reid, Durbin, Schumer)
Democratic senators Harry Reid (D-NV), Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will call on President Bush to pledge that he will not pardon Vice President Cheney's former chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby if he is found guilty in connection with his role in the CIA outing case, RAW STORY has learned.

11/8/05
Pelosi: House Must Vote Today to Oppose Torture
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on the need for the House to go on record strongly opposing use of torture of detainees: "President Bush declared yesterday in Panama that 'we do not torture.' In light of the President's declaration, the House must go on record today in support of writing into law the policy the President has now endorsed.

11/8/05
HARRY REID IS KICKING ASS ON TV RIGHT NOW!!!!

11/8/05
Dean says it is "our job to keep Republicans from doing more damage."
The reporter on Bloomberg just now kept on about where is the plan of the Democrats. Dean told him it was not our job right now as the minority to keep coming up with plans...that we need to "keep Republians from doing more damage."

11/8/05
Sheila Jackson-Lee kicking ass on CSPAN1

11/8/05
Kennedy on CSpan2 now re Treatment of detainees...eom

11/8/05
Wider Scope in Prewar Probe Sought (Rockefeller)
Democrats on the Senate intelligence committee want the right to interview top policymakers or speechwriters as part of the inquiry into whether the Bush administration exaggerated or misused intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq war, Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), the panel's vice chairman, said yesterday.


And because someone felt that countering the claim that Democrats do nothing with a list of what they did recently was “cherrypicking” (WTF?), I have searched the site to include stupid things the Dems say and do as well:

11/4/05
Bill Nelson, Dem., joining with Kyl, Rep. to repeal the estate tax.
have no clue why. Someone in the Florida forum wrote him, and he said he wanted to help small businesses and farmers. Is he not aware that this only covers the upper echelon of our country? Here is an article about it.

11/6/05
Interesting to see who voted against his/her party on the budget bill (Landrieu, Nelson)
This is the big budget bill that included drilling in ANWR, among other things. Republicans DeWine and Coleman voted against it, in addition to Snowe and Collins. Democrats Landrieu and Nelson (Nebraska) voted for it.

11/6/05
Joe Biden(D-Deleware): "Alito filibuster seems unlikely."
Samuel Alito should get an up-or-down vote on his Supreme Court nomination, a Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee said Sunday, playing down the chances of a filibuster. "My instinct is we should commit," said Sen. Joseph Biden (news, bio, voting record), D-Del., minimizing prospects of the Senate maneuver that would prevent final action on President Bush's choice to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

11/8/05
Senators say Alito respects Roe decision (Lieberman)
Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., said Alito told him the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision establishing abortion rights "was precedent on which people, a lot of people, relied, and had been precedent now for decades and therefore deserved great respect." Lieberman called that "encouraging," but also said the federal judge had not assured him that he would not overturn Roe.


As before, I'm sure I've missed things, but I've done my best to post what I've seen. It was also suggested on the last thread that it's only a few Democrats or always the same Democrats speaking out or taking action. I'll let you judge that for yourself. Below are the specific names mentioned in these posts (though not all posts referred to a specific Dem):

Allen
Clark
Clay
Conyers
DCCC
Dean
DeLauro
DNC
Durbin
Edwards
Emanuel
Feinstein
Harkin
Jackson-Lee
Kennedy
Kerry
Kucinich
Lautenberg
Leahy
Levin
Lynch
Markey
McGovern
McKinney
Meehan
Neal
Obama
Pelosi
Reid
Rockefeller
Schakowsky
Schumer
Schwartz
Stabenow
Warner (VA Gov)

And here's the dorks:
Biden
Landrieu
Lieberman
Nelson

The other day, I decided to make a note every time I saw a post about Democrats in action on DU. Since we all know they "do nothing," are "spineless," and "never speak up," I expected of course, to have a very small list.

I'm not on DU 24 hours a day, so this is just what I happened to see over the past two weeks. Democrat bashers, did you just happen to miss all of this?

10/18/05
Democrats Reject Crony Tax Cuts, Stand With Americans
The Democratic Leadership and The DNC are striking back at the “immoral and financially irresponsible” budget proposed by Republicans. "It is despicable that the Republican Leadership in Congress has decided to pile the costs of their failed fiscal leadership on the backs of our most vulnerable Americans,” said Democratic National Committee Press Secretary Josh Earnest.

10/18/05
Pelosi: Immoral and Irresponsible Republican Budget
"Speaker Hastert and Congressional Republicans are desperately trying to distract the American people from their culture of corruption and cronyism. The real problem with the Republicans' immoral and financially irresponsible budget is that it does nothing to address the concerns of hard-working Americans; instead it gives tax breaks to Republican cronies.

10/19/05
Senate Again Fails to Raise Minimum Wage
A labor-backed measure by Sen. Edward Kennedy would have raised the minimum to $6.25 over an 18-month period. The Kennedy amendment to a spending bill went down 51-47....

10/19/05
Fool on the Hill (Senators grill rice for 3 hours)
In interviews outside the hearing room, committee members Obama, Chafee, and Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisc., all said Rice is not doing a good job in persuading the American people to support Iraqi nation building. (Both Chafee and Feingold voted against the Iraq war resolution in 2002.)

10/19/05
Pelosi, Hoyer and Spratt Urge Hastert to Cancel Budget...
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, and Rep. John Spratt, ranking member on the House Budget Committee, sent a letter to Speaker Dennis Hastert today urging him to cancel the budget resolution amendment that is scheduled to come to the House floor tomorrow. The amendment would make deeper spending cuts to vital initiatives that help working families while increasing tax cuts for the wealthy.

10/19/05
Pelosi: GOP Budget Is Another Rip-off of Middle Class Under
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi joined other Democratic leaders at a press stakeout today after the Democratic Caucus meeting to discuss the Republican budget and its negative effects on working families. Below are Pelosi's remarks: "Tomorrow will present a choice to the Members of Congress. We can choose to help the people who are affected by Katrina, or we can give tax cuts to the wealthiest people in America.

10/19/05
Senator (Schumer) seeks explanation from Bush in case of outed CIA spy
A top Democratic senator called on US President George W. Bush to reveal what, if anything, he knew about the involvement of senior White House officials in outing the identity of an undercover CIA agent.

10/19/05
HuffPost: Dems Planning Legal Action Against 2 GOP Reps.
The Huffington Post has learned that Democrats are planning legal action against two Republican members of the House, House Resources Chairman Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) and House Administration Committee Chairman Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio).

10/20/05
VIDEO- DeFazio (OR) from the Floor-YOUR DEMOCRATS calling out BS
What the Republicans are doing to gut entitlements for the benefit of the rich

10/20/05
No More Covert Propaganda - Kerry/Lautenberg Truth in Broadcasting Act
At 2 p.m. today the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Business meeting is expected to adopt legislation sponsored by United States Senators John F. Kerry and Frank R. Lautenberg that will require that “prepackaged news stories” produced by the Administration disclose the government’s role.

10/20/05
VIDEO-George Miller on College Tuition-YOUR DEMOCRATS IN ACTION
What Republicans are doing to cut college for the people

10/20/05
VIDEO-Diane Watson on the Budget-Mental Health cuts

10/20/05
Wes Clark Calls on Pentagon to honor commitment to Ed Schultz
Wes Clark is calling on everyone to help get the Pentagon to honor its commitment to Ed Schultz.

10/20/05
VIDEO- Jim McDermott on the Budget and What Repubs REALLY Do

10/20/05
Sen Schumer's Letter to Dubya

10/20/05
Barbara Boxer on new gun legislation.
"Day after day, we see the power of the National Rifle Association, which is so strong that the Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist took the DEFENSE bill off the Senate floor, in order to pass the sweeping, unprecedented liability waiver for the gun industry to shield manufacturers from most lawsuits. So guns are now one of the only American-made products I know of that have no safety standards and almost no accountability when things go wrong."

10/20/05
Today's Must-See TV: Rice-Obama, Rice-Boxer (Senate Hearing Oct 19 05)

10/24/05
Sen. Harkin talking of high heating prices -blames on tax breaks

10/24/05
Kennedy Speaks Out On Gulf Coast Hiring Practices
Sen. Kennedy, a member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Boarder Security and Citizenship, is speaking out on hiring practices in the Gulf Coast Region. In a statement, the senator responded to reports of undocumented workers who are working for low wages after being hired by federal contractors to rebuild the Gulf Coast.

10/24/05
Dean's own words
On the Democratic Agenda: "The truth is the Democrats are the party of moral values. We are altruists and believe we are all in it together and have a community to sustain. The President's attack on Social Security wasn't just about money and neoconservative nonsense. It was about a fundamental attack on the notion that America is one community and we have responsibility for each other. When we talk about moral values... 67% of America believes that it is a moral value that everybody has health insurance; 60% of Americans believe it's immoral for the federal government to tell families what to do in their personal decisions -- decisions that have to do with their personal lives. So, most Americans agree with Democratic moral values."

10/24/05
Stephanopoulos to Dean: "Will you accept that as the end of the matter?"
Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean is urging Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald to bring indictments in the Valerie Plame Leakgate case, saying he won't accept any other result. Dean was asked Sunday by ABC "This Week" host George Stephanopoulos: "If finishes his investigation without bringing indictments and without issuing a final report, will you accept that as the end of the matter?" "No," Dean shot back. "Because I fundamentally don't think these are honest people running the government."

10/24/05
Dean calls for end to 'culture of corruption'
The Bush White House is the most corrupt administration in U.S. history since President Warren G. Harding's, said Howard Dean during his first visit to Maine as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Dean's comments Saturday came as top White House advisers are being investigated for their roles in the outing of a CIA operative and Tom DeLay, the former second-ranking Republican in the House of Representatives, faces conspiracy and money-laundering charges.

10/24/05
Capuano (D-8th) dismayed after visiting Iraq
If it were up to U.S. Rep. Mike Capuano, American troops in Iraq would come home today. But what bothers him even more than the fact that this won't happen is that President George W. Bush has given no firm timeline or indication for when it will, saying the United States will leave when Iraqis are ready to stand alone.

10/24/05
Helping girls is 'an American idea,' says Obama
A proposed boycott of American Girl dolls over its support for Girls Inc. is "silly" and an example of conservatives being too politically correct, said Democratic U.S. Sen. Barack Obama.

10/26/05
Kerry: Bring troops home over Christmas
Sen. John Kerry says President Bush should bring home 20,000 troops from Iraq over the Christmas holidays if the December elections there are successful. "It will be hard for this administration, but it is essential to acknowledge that the insurgency will not be defeated unless our troop levels are drawn down, starting immediately after successful elections in December," Kerry said in a speech prepared for delivery Wednesday at Georgetown University. Excerpts of the speech were obtained by the Associated Press.

10/27/05
KERRY SPEECH TODAY - full text
The Path Forward: "In fact, while some say we can't ask tough questions because we are at war, I say no - in a time of war we must ask the hardest questions of all. It's essential if we want to correct our course and do what's right for our troops instead of repeating the same mistakes over and over again. No matter what the President says, asking tough questions isn't pessimism, it's patriotism."

10/27/05
DiFi seeing the light -- Feinstein Asks: “A War Worth Fighting?”
On the heals of John Kerry’s speech at Georgetown University yesterday, Senator Dianne Feinstein writes a compelling and articulate OP/ED for the San Jose Mercury News on the Iraq War. Feinstein reiterates many of the points made by John Kerry yesterday and suggests that, “America needs to change course.” Feinstein also calls for “Drawing down our troop strength,” in her OP/ED. I congratulate Senator Feinstein for stepping forward and speaking up at time when our Democratic leaders need to make a strong stance against the current Bush administration policy in Iraq. John Kerry laid out a clear and concise plan yesterday for what needs to be done in Iraq. As Chris Bowers suggested yesterday on MYDD, “more Dem leaders need to follow Kerry’s lead.”

10/27/05
Dems try to protect hurricane voters
Concerned that political operatives may try to manipulate the battered Gulf region's voting process in upcoming elections, House Democrats on Wednesday asked the Justice Department to vigilantly defend the rights of people displaced by recent hurricanes.

10/28/05
Dean Statement on the Libby Indictment and Fitzgerald Investigation
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today issued the following statement: "This is a sad day for America. Beyond the evidence that the White House manipulated the intelligence used to justify the war in Iraq, a group of senior White House officials not only orchestrated efforts to smear a critic of the war, but worked to cover up this smear campaign. In so doing, they ignored the rule of law, endangering our national security and the brave men and women who dedicate their lives to protecting our nation's security. I. Lewis Libby was a part of this internal White House group. This is not only an abuse of power, it is an un-American abuse of the public trust. As Americans, we must hold ourselves and our leaders to a higher standard. We cannot fear dissent. We cannot fear the truth. And we cannot tolerate those who do."

10/28/05
Democrats call CIA leak case evidence of corruption
Some Democrats are suggesting the indictment of Vice President Cheney's top aide is larger than just one man. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid says the C-I-A leak case is about how the White House both "manufactured and manipulated intelligence" to boost its case for the Iraq war. Reid also says Lewis Libby's indictment shows the Bush administration tried to -- as he put it -- "discredit anyone who dared to challenge the president." Senator John Kerry, meanwhile, is calling the C-I-A leak case "evidence of White House corruption at the very highest levels."

10/29/05
Feingold urges probe of ‘phony evidence’ for war
Congress needs to “investigate the whole mess” related to “phony evidence to justify a war” in the wake of Friday’s indictment of the vice president’s chief of staff, U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold said Friday in La Crosse.

10/30/05
WP: Democrats Demand Rove's Firing
Democrats demanded yesterday that President Bush fire Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and that the White House fully account for Vice President Cheney's role in the unmasking of CIA operative Valerie Plame, as Republicans acted to limit the political damage from Friday's indictment of Cheney's chief of staff.

10/30/05
Reid Calls for Rove to Resign - WaPo
The leader of the Senate Democrats today called for White House chief political strategist Karl Rove to resign, saying it's time for President Bush to "come clean" with the American people about the administration's role in the disclosure of a CIA operative's name. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), speaking on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," said both Bush and Vice President Cheney owe an apology to the American public.

10/30/05
Democrats must address tough issues, Clinton says (former President)
Democrats can't be afraid to talk about hot-button issues like abortion and should fight back against personal attacks from conservatives if they want to regain power in Washington, former President Bill Clinton said Saturday. "You can't say, 'Please don't be mean to me. Please let me win sometimes.' Give me a break here," Clinton said. "If you don't want to fight for the future and you can't figure out how to beat these people, then find something else to do."

10/31/05
Howard Dean: Indict Dick Cheney
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is urging Leakgate Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald to indict Vice President Dick Cheney if he had anything to do with the decision of his chief of staff, Lewis Libby, to leak CIA employee Valerie Plame's identity to the media.

10/31/05
New DNC Web Video Reminds Bush of His Promise on Ethics
In the wake of last Friday's indictment of I. Lewis Libby on charges of perjury, obstruction of justice, and making false statements, the Democratic National Committee unveiled a new web video to remind President Bush of the standard that he himself set for conduct in his administration. DNC Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement calling on President Bush to apologize for his Administration's actions, fire Karl Rove, and adhere to the ethical standards he professed during his campaign: "Given the serious nature of the charges against Scooter Libby, and the significant questions that remain regarding the actions of Karl Rove and the White House Iraq Group, President Bush should take responsibility for this lapse in conduct. He should start with an apology to the American people for those in his Administration who acted on his behalf to manipulate intelligence to win support for the war in Iraq, smear opponents of that war, and cover up that smear campaign. President Bush must also keep his promise to fire anyone involved in the outing of Valerie Wilson by terminating Karl Rove and anyone else in the White House Iraq Group who participated in this conspiracy."

11/1/05
The Hill: Dems hint at filibuster
Senate Democrats appeared to lay the groundwork yesterday for a possible filibuster of Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court, setting the stage for an intense partisan showdown that could culminate with the so-called "nuclear option." "Nothing is on the table, and nothing is off the table," Senate Judiciary Committee member Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said within hours of President Bush's announcement that he had picked Alito to replace Harriet Miers. Miers's nomination to the high court was withdrawn last week amid heavy criticism from conservative Republicans who feared she would not be sufficiently loyal to their orthodoxy.

11/1/05
Hint: here’s the REAL reason you think the Dems are doing nothing.
Oliphant hits at ongoing media spin, CIA leak, Iraq, Bush, and Kerry
For some reason the media will not discuss Kerry's withdrawal plan for Iraq, even though a withdrawal timetable was REQUESTED by many in Iraq's parliament. When Dean tried to talk supportively about Kerry's plan, Matthews cut in quickly and shut him down. (Matthews incredibly rude behavior last night towards Dean was well-witnessed by many here.) And still the media keep the narrative going that Dems complain about Bush but never offer any plans of their own.

11/1/05
Reid cautious about nominee: Nevadan says Supreme Court would look more
Nevadan says Supreme Court would look more like 'an old boys club.' Unlike his appearance with Harriet Miers four weeks ago, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada appeared restrained when he posed for photographers Monday with Samuel Alito. Reid put his right hand on Alito's left shoulder and announced they had just completed a meeting of about 10 minutes in the senator's office. Reid said he was looking forward to Alito's confirmation hearings; the judge thanked him and the photo opportunity was over. There was none of the praise Reid offered for Miers, whom he had recommended to Bush. Earlier in the day, Reid issued a statement saying the Senate "needs to find out if the man replacing Miers is too radical for the American people."

11/1/05
Reid takes Senate into closed session over Iraq intelligence
The Senate's Democratic leader Harry Reid (D-NV) unexpectedly pulled the Senate into secret session Tuesday afternoon in order to have closed discussion of Iraq intelligence, RAW STORY has learned. The maneuver immediately shuttered the doors of the Senate and cleared the Senate press galleries. It has been invoked just 53 times in the history of the body. It was last used during the Clinton impeachment hearings.