Still Fighting

Activism

Did you know that we've already spent at least $200 billion on Iraq? Now, Congress has been asked for $82 billion more. Where is this money going? How much more are we going to appropriate? MoveOn has started an excellent petition that demands Congress be presented with an exit strategy before appropriating this money. Go here to sign MoveOn's petition. If no timetable is set, we can see Congress continue to dole out more money for a long time to come, and that's not at all fair to the American taxpayers OR the Armed Forces.

News

16,723. In case you were curious, in addition to the 1,500 American armed forces casualties and the estimated 100,000 Iraqi casualties, 16,723 American Army soldiers have been evacuated from Iraq due to injury and disease. It's gotten so bad that there's even talk of reinstating the draft for health care workers. In fact, given last week's attack on Abu Ghraib prison by insurgents led by Abu Musab Zarqawi (in which 44 Americans were wounded), it's safe to say that we're no closer to a stable, safe system than we were before the election. We might even be worse off. Remember Moqtada Sadr? The influential cleric who led a major faction of insurgents against American forces in 2003? Don't blink, but he's back, and he wants "the occupiers" out. At least there is some good news as of late: We seem to be starting to transfer responsibility to Iraqi forces, although some officers feel like they're being pushed to transfer power before the Iraqis are ready to handle it. Additionally, Iraqis have chosen their new president. The appointment of Shiite leader Ibrahim al-Jaafari to the post of president ends months of political squabbling, and gets us one step closer to a truly independent Iraq. Of course, thanks to Donald Rumsfeld, that destination is hard to see, because, as he said, "You start predicting that this is a turning point; the next thing you find is the turning point back the other way. It is not a straight path." No kidding, Mr. Secretary.

Editorials

Pinkertons at the CPA. Matthew Harwood has a column up at Common Dreams that discusses Iraq's labor unions. Harwood explains that these unions could have been used to rebuild and repair Iraq had the U.S. chosen to use them. Instead, organized labor in Iraq has been mostly ignored, and American defense contractors have been brought in. We're certainly not surprised by this - the Bush administration does have a soft spot in its heart for defense contractors, after all. It's just maddening.

Karen Hughes Sells Brand America. Fred Kaplan on why Karen Hughes's new job is going to be harder than anyone anticipates. Kaplan speculates that, as with the last two people to hold the job, Hughes's nomination makes sense because "a clever ad can sell America in pretty much the same way that a clever ad can sell Coca-Cola, Nike, or Britney Spears," and Hughes can handle that. Excepting, of course, the fact that this "clever ad" will never work. Wouldn't a better nomination for this position have been someone...oh, we don't know...Muslim?

Who Are These Insurgents? Phebe Marr, over at Nieman Watchdog, breaks down the "Who/What/Where/When/Why/How" of insurgents. Here's why you should read this column: "Understanding the attitude of the Iraqi populace toward the insurgency is critical, because the insurgency will last as long as it gets support -- tacit and active -- from within Iraqi society. Unless the government comes up with a viable strategy for dealing with it that includes political, as well as military, measures, the insurgency will continue." She's 100% correct here, and it's a shame that no one in the Administration has nearly as much insight as she does. Of course, she works at the "U.S. Institute of Peace", whereas the office of the President these days is clearly the "U.S. Institute of War".

Activism

Three overseas trips paid for under questionable circumstances. Multiple domestic charges of unethical behavior. An impassioned plea for Schiavo from the floor of Congress that 80% of Americans disagree with. Why is Tom DeLay still the House Majority Leader? Why does he even have a job any more? We're not sure, but with MoveOn's help, we'll oust DeLay as House Majority Leader, and maybe all the way out of Congress. Go here to sign MoveOn's petition to have DeLay removed. If we don't speak up, how will our elected officials know how strongly we feel?

News

The 18th State. No, we're not talking about Louisiana. We're talking about Kansas, which not only holds the distinction of being the 34th state to enter the union, but the 18th state in the country to define marriage as solely between an man and a woman in its constitution. Kansas goes a step further to say "No relationship, other than a marriage, shall be recognized by the state as entitling the parties to the rights or incidents of marriage." Doesn't this pretty much blow away the whole argument that conservatives are trying to protect the symbolic name of "marriage", but aren't opposed to equal rights through, say, civil unions? This is flat-out bigotry, and has now been codified into law. Moderates in the state maintain that this vote is not representative of the population of Kansas, but the vote passed by a large margain - 70% of the vote. If this is true, Democrats and supporters of same-sex marriage will need to turn out in far greater numbers in order to strike down these bills, and that has yet to happen.

America Speaks. A new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll shows Bush's approval rating is at 48%. It shows a lack of confidence in the media and Congress over the Terri Schiavo saga. But the most glaring statistic from the poll shows that 51% of the country believe that the country is headed in the wrong direction, compared to only 34% that believe it's moving in the right one. Maybe people are finally seeing this administration for the sham it is. Maybe they are waking up to the DeLay scandle. Maybe they are getting fed up with being lied to. We're hoping it's all three, but we're not going to count on it...that's why we all need to continue to fight.

Groundbreaking Legislation. The State of Maryland has effectively passed legislation that would require any organization with over 10,000 employees to spend at least 8% of their payroll on health benefits. Either that, or put the money directly into the state's health program for the poor. The bill has been dubbed the "Wal-Mart bill," because Wal-Mart is the only corporation currently in the state of Maryland that employs more than 10,000 people. Wal-Mart is noticably piqued, and feels that they are being singled out. But given all the bad press they've received lately, there's not much they can do. The bill raises an important question - do large corporations like Wal-Mart have a responsibility to the community to provide adequate health care? The answer, of course, is yes.

Editorials

Reform or Perish. Mark Shields writes about the Democrats' lack of direction and focus. You know, we don't expect miracles to occur overnight, but it has been three months since Howard Dean was elected DNC chair, and the party is still as directionless as it was. Don't misunderstand; we see the leadership in the Senate and House, and the unifying message Dean has been trying to espouse to Congressional lawmakers. What we don't see is a unifying message to the public. It's not enough to unite elected officials - there must be a clear, strong and consistent message for the entire party. It's also not enough just to let the Republicans drown in their own zealotry - we need to throw them an anvil. Claiming to be the party of the middle class is no longer enough - we need to prove it.

West Coast Offense. The Swing State Project points us to an editorial that discusses how Democrats can win on the issue of gay marriage. The simple answer is that they can start being leaders. This is particularly relevant given the news about Kansas (above). We assume you remember Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco, who decided someone needed to take a stand for gay rights, and (at least temporarily) allowed gays to marry. Well, the editorial is written by Eric Jaye, who is not only Newsom's political consultant, but has let many different fights for gay rights around the country. His message is really quite simple: For Democrats to win the moral debate (And have no doubts again it - this is a moral debate, just not the ones conservatives claim: It's about freedom and equality, not the "sanctity of marriage"), they need to begin by stating their position. Democrats are for gay marriage, plain and simple. Just say it out loud, already!

It's the Law, Not the Judge. Jeffrey Rosen takes a step back and looks at the increasingly inflammatory rhetoric regarding the judiciary. He's not just talking about the political ins-and-outs of the "nuclear option", but rather how both sides have started attacking the judiciary. It didn't always use to be this way. Historically, the judiciary remained out of the public eye, but it seems more and more legislators are attempting to further their political views by verbally attacking judges. Rosen thinks that the increased traction of political interest groups is partly to blame, as well as the growing inability of judges to remain out of the public spotlight. Overall, it's a nice piece that gives some interesting historical perspective, and looks at the road we might be headed with a healthy amount of concern for out country.

Humor

Your 109th Congress has decided that a good way to save money would be extending Daylight Savings Time. You can't make this stuff up.

Activism

You may recall us writing about pharmacists who refuse to fill birth control prescriptions because it goes against their "moral values." Folks, this is like a waiter at Outback refusing to serve you a steak simply because he is a vegetarian. These people probably should have thought about the responsibilities of their chosen profession before deciding to pursue it. Go here to send an email to the top five pharmacies in the country, demanding that this practice stop. Make youre voice heard!

News

Redistricting our Future. In an expected and hardly shocking move, the state of Georgia has been re-districted in a non-Census year. Building off of the success of Tom DeLay's re-zoning in Texas last year, Republicans have led the re-districting effort to allow for more Republican Congressional seats. For example, newly elected Democrat John Barrow will now have to face off with longtime Republican Charlie Norwood for that district's House seat. Colorado, California, Illinois, Florida and other states also have proposals for re-districting. The only good thing out of this is that Georgia is covered under the Voting Rights Act, and the new map "is certain to face a legal review by the U.S. Department of Justice or the federal district court in Washington." Even so, it shows the desperateness of the Republicans - what they can't win, they steal. How is this acceptable? Sadly, the only choice for Democrats is to push for Democrat-controlled state legislatures to do the same thing. But they won't, because they have principles.

More DeLay Scrutiny. Speaking of DeLay, in 1997 he took a six day trip to Moscow totalling $57,238. However, the trip is now being investigated, based on the shadiness surrounding the payment for the trip. This is the third such action from DeLay's past that has surfaced, and we're sure to see more. We consider it despicable that an elected official would stoop to these levels, but even worse that people simply don't seem to care too much. How often are we going to see charges come up that are denied by DeLay before we stand up and demand accoutability? You can bet that if this were a Democratic member of Congress, Republicans would be tripping over themselves demanding his/her resignation.

Santorum Plays Both Sides. And hopefully he won't reach either. In a recent interview, Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) has tried to appear more "moderate" by slightly altering his stance on the death penalty. He has "felt very troubled about cases where someone may have been convicted wrongly." He still supports capital punishment, but feels that it should be limited. So, what does that mean? Aside from being full of hot air, the quote really doesn't appeal to any political demographic - Republicans will see him as backpeddling, and Democrats know him for the slippery snake he is. Santorum is obviously trying to change his uber-right image as he prepares to battle Bob Casey Jr. for his Senate seat, and, on this count, he fails miserably. If this issue troubles him so much, maybe he shouldn't lend his support to a former governor who basely wasted any time reviewing death penalty cases. You know, the one running the country now.

Editorials

A Failure of Policy, Not Spying. Ashton B. Carter, a former Assistant Defense Secretary under President Clinton, writes about how Bush's foreign policy failures are more closely linked to bad policy than bad intelligence. From North Korea to Iran, Carter makes it clear that our "intelligence failures" don't make a lick of difference when it comes to policy. Then again, trying to understand Bush's foreign policy is a lot like trying to understand why so many people watch American Idol.

Idea of the Week: Stop the Killing in Darfur. From the New Democrats Online website, here's an impassioned plea to focus America's attention on Darfur. We've written quite a bit about the lack of attention the entire world is giving to Darfur, but it never ceases to amaze us. All those people that saw "Hotel Rwanda" - did it even sink in? What about those mourning the Pope and calling him a great man - they should take the idea of reducing worldwide suffering to heart and do something about it. Maybe we should hope that those who oppose the janjaweed find oil in Darfur - that seems to be the only thing that will get Bush's attention.

There Is No Medical Malpractice Crisis. But you knew that, didn't you? About the only "crisis" surrounding medical malpractice is Bush's repeated misuse of the word. "Edwardpig" links to a Washington Post story that finds there really is no "crisis." You knew this was a "you scratch my back" to the insurance companies - now you have the facts to back that up.

Activism

Starting today, the Senate will begin debating the judicial nomination of William Gerry Myers III. Myers is one of those "re-nominations" from last time who didn't make the cut. Myers is one of the more right-wing extremist nominations this year (and that's saying something - read what Senator Dianne Feinstein had to say about Myers last year here). The Senate needs to hear your voice to urge them to filibuster, if need be (and you can be assured it will be needed). Daily Kos has the info on this situation. We are asking you to use the link on the left sidebar to contact your Senators (or the one on the bottom of Kos's post) and urge them to do everything in their power to stop this and other nominations. For the record, you'll make a bigger impact by calling. Let us know what their offices say by using the comments below!

News

What Do You Mean, "They Can Disagree with Me?" Very few things are more dangerous than a Republican who knows he's wrong, yet has his back to the wall. Consider Tom DeLay. After an impassioned plea to Congress, where he cried over the potential fate of Terri Schiavo, DeLay got his wish, and the Schiavo bill passed. It proved fruitless, as the no court overturned the earlier verdict. Since DeLay can't possibly fathom losing more face, he's going to ask the Judiciary Committee to make a broad review of how the courts handled Schiavo's case. DeLay essentially wants to examine what he called the "failure" of state and federal courts to protect Schiavo. All of this comes on the heels of DeLay's public comments threatening judges. We're sure that DeLay can back up his claims of irregularity and indecency, given his undergraduate degree in biology, or his experience running a small business before he got into politics. We would think that he'd have some experience in law to be able to make these accusations. Unfortunately, DeLay's only law experience has been his recent court cases for unethical behavior. If DeLay's going to be grasping at these obvious desperate straws, and if they're going to continue to support him, we have to to wonder how stable the Republican party actually is.

Daily Intelligence Briefings Are Vague, Officials Say. Remember the President's Daily Brief? You know, the document given to the president every morning that details the most important intelligence on threats to America? The thing from August 6th, 2001 that was entitled, "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S." that Condi Rice denied had any useful information? The document is supposed to be a critical part of the president's daily update. Well, according the small circle of other government officials who read the PDB, they consider the document vague, and of little value. With Bush giving the impression of being so concerned about intelligence, we're surprised that the PDB hasn't been given more attention by the intelligence community. Well, you know that old saying, "Fool me once, shame on.." Oops.

Warning: Don't Move to Nevada. We love when stupidity like this is made public, because it means the MSM hasn't completely given up yet. Government analysts in Nevada are studying whether or not Yucca Mountain would be a "suitable" place to bury nuclear waste. The Energy Department wants to do it. An analyst found data that he couldn't explain. What would you do? If you answered, "Withhold it," you'd be part right. If you answered, "Withhold it, and make up data to match the conclusion we want," congratulations! You too can have a career in government! Let's be clear about this: This isn't a retail store, where if $20 is missing from the register at the end of the night, you can just slip two $10s in to balance it out. With clear disregard for the environment and the safety of the citizens of Nevada (and Las Vegas, which is a scant 100 miles from Yucca), these analysts fudged their data to get a result that was desirable for the government. Although names have not been released, prison would be the minimum punishment that these despicable people deserve.

Editorials

More GOP Than GOP. Michael Kinsley writes about the 2005 Economic Report of the President. If you consider the Republicans the party of "fiscal responsibility," you would think that they come out in this report smelling like roses. Not so much, according to Kinsley. He writes, "The party with the best record of serving Republican economic values is the Democrats." Tracking from 1960 on, Kinsley finds that spending goes up faster for Republican Presidents then for Democratic ones. The economy grows faster under Democrats. But the most startling statistic is average federal deficit. Under Republicans, the number is $131 billion a year. Under Democrats, $30 billion. That's incredible, if you think about it. The party that preaches fiscal responsibility and less of "big government" actually raises the national debt more than Democrats. Kinsley's well-researched editorial is an eye-opener for right-wingers who still claim that Republicans look out for America's financial future. They sure do - they look at how low it goes under their leadership.

The Heat Is On the GOP. We'd like to agree with David S. Broder here. While Congress has been disgraced over the Schiavo bill, they must now look at that little thing called the budget. Bush has hacked it to bits, but every Senator and Representative has their own pet or constituency projects. The heat is now on the majority to pass a budget that doesn't eliminate critical programs, but also one that doesn't spiral us even further in debt. This would be so much more than fascinating if we didn't have to suffer with the results.

Bush's Back-and-Forth Reflects Rift in Party. Peter Baker makes another great case for the rift that seems to be developing within the Republican party. Case in point: Bush flew back to DC from his vacation for the Schiavo bill,
signed it, and then didn't speak about it again until her death last week. He used his following weekly address to discuss the school shooting in Minnesota (which, as we discussed a couple weeks ago, was addressed full week after it happened). With the overwhelming disapproval of Americans for the Schiavo bill, Bush's plans to push forward with Social Security took a back seat. The bottom line is that the Terri Schiavo case, while tragic, is something any Congress never should have touched, much less a Republican Congress that preaches "an end to big government." It certainly shouldn't have been in the form of a bill that required the President's signature. The GOP are swinging for the fences, and coming up empty, and we couldn't be happier. Now is the time for Democrats to press the advantage. But will they?