Dick Cheney's patriotism can be discussed. So can his newly displayed emotionality. More important would be a discussion of what is he really doing. What is his motivation. What could he lose and what might he gain from speaking out. What is at risk for Cheney personally with a second Obama Presidential term? I wonder if his very survival as a free American is at stake? If we can be distracted by Cheney's outrageous comments, might we forget to follow up on prosecuting his criminal actions while serving as Vice President? Might the Obama administration be distracted by the side attacks and discontinue building a case to prosecute Dick Cheney for his crimes against humanity? I also wonder whether his goal is to create rebellion. I wonder how he might profit financially if his continued attacks on this administration successfully contribute to disunion, chaos and martial law. Instead of letting Dick Cheney set the topic, we would do better to discuss Dick Cheney and his motivation.

Ever since John McCain announced that Sarah Palin is his choice for VP nominee and running mate, whenever I have looked at Palin, I have thought, “Schlafly.”

Sarah Palin reminds me of Phyllis Schlafly!

And it is not just the hair!*

Phyllis Schafly was an ardent, outspoken opponent of the ERA.

She touted women's place as in the home, while she herself worked as an attorney, columnist, radio show host, and founder of the conservative Eagle forum.

Now in her 80's*, why am I not surprised that Schlafly supports Palin as representative of the future Republican Party. ***

I came across the links below while looking for photos that might show the two may share a hairdresser.

The more I view, the more my concern grows.

We need to take Sarah Palin seriously, folks.

Just as George W. Bush has not cared whether we think him stupid, neither does Sarah Palin care what we think of her.

She is on a mission.****

- mb


* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAxuOd-8NzU
** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllis_Schla...
** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservapedia
*** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXb6SwVG2C8
**** http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9tJX-e24iQ...

or if you are not a mod, follow your passion. I did check with senior mods and with Skinner before I posted anything. The point of this OP is that I am excited. Work for whomever excites you. I am going with Hillary and will work for the Dem candidate even if it is another. BTW, as one of the Lounge mods, my main bias is against rude, personal attacks. We all have points of view. Maybe at some point I will expound more on the reasoning behind my support for Hillary. For now, I am sharing my commitment, and also my excitement, not felt in many previous elections. I like the feeling.

-mb

I believe that those who voted to give Bush permission to act in Iraq did not expect him to show contempt for the Geneva Convention and principals of international law. I believe they had not read the PNAC manifesto or were not aware that Bush fully intended to follow that plan for world domination through military might. To imagine a sitting President instigating such action in this day was unfathomable. The cruelty and determination of this administration was seen too late. And comprehended too slowly. Under cover of military conflict abroad, the Bushistas have systematically stripped the protections of law from the environment, undermined the Constitution, attacked the judicial system, put in place the mechanism to arrest and isolate anyone who opposes its policies, destabilized international relations on the planet, and cut services to veterans and others in need at home.

I believe we must get out of Iraq while we still can, before the battleground extends far beyond the borders of that country, and before the objective of our then unified opponents is focused on the theme of “U.S. out of the Middle East.” We are not making friends with our military presence; we are providing world terrorism logic beyond al Qaeda’s narrow definition of an evil west. The soldiers fighting us on that larger battleground will not need anyone to tell them we are evil. They will know us as an evil presence in their days. We must be strong and we must get out. And we must care for those women and men we sent there.

I believe the very essence of our democracy will be lost without strong, risk taking patriots successfully reversing the damage done by the current administration. This is no small thing. For us here on DU to scorn our representatives is easy. To be them, to survive and take this administration down peacefully and legally, is no small task. Nor is putting one’s self forth as a candidate. This is a time for heroic action. Looking back and criticizing actions of others is a luxury we do not have. We must overcome this looming nightmare. We must take the control we have over our dreams. We must not let the Bushistas transmorf into another administration that perpetuates the atrocities.

-MB

In Warriors Don’t Cry (1994), Melba Beals describes one experience of her effort at age fifteen to acquire an education at Little Rock’s racially segregated Central High:

"Mother and I looked at one another, suddenly conscious that we, too, were trapped by a violent mob.
Ever so slowly, we eased our way backward through the crowd, being careful not to attract attention. But a white man clawed at me, grabbing my sleeve and yelling, “We got us a nigger right here!” Just then another man tugged at his arm distracting him. Somehow I managed to scramble away. As a commotion began building around us, Mother took my arm, and we moved fast, sometimes crouching to avoid attracting more attention.
We gained some distance from the center of the crowd and made our way down the block. But when I looked back, I saw a man following us, yelling, “They’re getting away! Those niggers are getting away!” Pointing to us, he enlisted others to join him. Now we were being chased by four men, and their number was growing."

Such violent racism directed at myself is hard to imagine. I have never encountered any detrimental racism. From time to time I have thought that a particular individual may dislike me because of my race, but my life was never affected in any way that I noticed. Racism, ethnocentrism and classism have never come either full force or in small measure on a daily basis for me.

My white middle class parents taught me that people who work hard and are honest get ahead, that people who are poor are probably lazy, and that discrimination is probably deserved. Until I experienced poverty directly, I had no awareness of how a welfare mother might feel demoralized and humiliated. I had no understanding of how poverty could seem hopelessly self-perpetuating, nor of how angry or depressed an impoverished person might feel. Not until I first experienced it, while raising my three children as a single mother trying to earn a basic living and improve our situation, did I realize how very difficult rising above the poverty line can be.

Having been raised in a socially and politically conservative family, applying for welfare so that I could feed my children was very difficult for me. It was unpleasant; however, as a white woman if I did not tell other whites that I received AFDC, they presumed me to be the middle class person that I had been. And from time to time they would talk about the “welfare trash,” and “those Mexicans who come here to get on welfare.”

While never witnessing the type of behavior directed by Melva Beals, I have noticed that when meeting a brown skinned woman, most whites come to different assumptions than they usually seem to do about me. As an example, when white people meet my friend, who is short with brown skin and has facial features that reflect an Indio heritage, they assume she is uneducated, unemployed and recently from Mexico. Her family has been in the United States long enough that she knows no one in Mexico. And I met her in college. She has a BSW, a Bachelors Degree in Social Work, and even while living with cancer treatments she works as much as she can.

In the lovely senior apartment complex where I live, many white residents assume that those who do not speak English are here to take advantage of benefits they did not earn. They assume they do not want to learn English. They call their neighbors “those Spanish speaking people,” and often appear to feel resentment towards them. They do not seem to realize how difficult learning to speak English as an adult can be – even though they themselves have not learned to communicate with their neighbors in their neighbors’ language. In contrast, as a white woman, my experience is that my efforts to speak Spanish with these neighbors are tolerated and encouraged. The Spanish speakers tell me how much they wish to speak English and how hard that is for them.

Were I to find myself in some other places on the planet, reactions to long time European, classism, ethnocentrism, and racism could result in a very different, very unpleasant experience for me. My blessing is that living in California, any prejudice directed at me is subtle, others do not appear to recognize my poverty, and as part of the largest minority group, that group’s ethnocentrism does not affect me. I say the prayer, “grant me the courage to change the things I can, the serenity to recognize the things I cannot change, and the wisdom to know the difference.’ I pray that somehow humankind may coexist respectfully and peaceably on our earth together.

WOO HOO!

Think about it.

1. Ann Coulter is lauded and paraded before GOP audiences.

2. Hillary Rodham Clinton is decried as unelectable and attacked on all sides.

3. Laura Bush is put onstage to make idiotic statements.

Where is a strong powerful focused woman consistently taken seriously?

How would they complement each other?

what strengths would each bring to what cabinet post?

I am a Hillary supporter, and I considered myself a mature woman until meeting the dynamic 80 and 90+ year old women who also reside in a rural 55+ apartment complex where I live. These women remember World War II the way I recall the Viet Nam struggle, have raised families, outlived husbands, flown airplanes, sold real estate, lived on boats, taught school, nursed the sick and wounded, and know a good thing when they see it. They support Hillary Clinton.

All of it, apparently. Discussing Bush's attitude toward the will of Americans, his press secretary Snow said,

"The president will not shape policy according to public opinion, but he does understand that it's important to bring the public back to this war and restore public confidence and support for the mission,"

In other words, Bush will continue to do as he pleases and then try to get the people he represents to think he is representing them.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070110/ap_on_...

all recognize the importance of a work ethic, money in their pocket and a fair chance for their childen and grandchildren.

Does any candidate represent them?

Sorry we had to leave early. Organism, Trajan, Vive, Greyhounds and Jean Bear -- the names are not quite right I know.

Here are some pics:

Hey! Stick to your guns!

Don't let facts get in the way.

Listen to the media she scares.

Take a deep breath in of the hostility spewed forth.

She will be a winner, again.

In spite of it, again.

Who voted for what they wanted? Usually, I vote straight Democratic ticket. This time, I could not go with Angelides. And I did NOT vote for Ahnold. As stated in past posts, despite early championing of Feinstein here, she went over the line and I did not vote for her, either. Democrats need to grow just a little and include the greens and peace and freedom voters. Peter Camejo is building a voter base just by talking the issues, over and over and over. I was glad to vote for John Garamendi. Years ago I heard him described as the new Bobby Kennedy. I hope he keeps keeping on talking issues, too. The people are ready to hear good plans, and sick of the glitz, but we have to build on what we have won and talk issues over and over and over.

giving me a queasy tummy

making my feet smell

and my other parts wobble

a i e e e e e e e e e