Still Fighting

Activism

Join an Operation Democracy action team today! Operation Democracy, started by MoveOn, was designed to create neighborhood teams that will spread the Democratic message. This is truly a way to become effective in your community - join a team and do the things that YOU think will be effective. No one knows your neighborhood quite like you do. Live in a rural area? Canvass people to call your Senators about Social Security. Live in a suburb? Hold a bake sale, and use the profits to create distribution flyers on No Child Left Behind. The possibilities are only limited with what you can think of doing, so why not join a team today?

News

Uninsured Cost Insured $900 More. Recently, one of us had to start paying for health insurance. The company had paid for it, but that changed with the rising costs of premiums. We wondered why, and then we read this. In 2005, 48 million Americans won't have health insurance; that's roughly 39.5% of the people that voted last year. We've talked a lot about the reasons before - rising costs, inadequate compensation from employers, etc. But did you know exactly how much of those uninsured costs come out of your pocketbook? Health insurance premiums will cost families and employers an extra $922 (on average) this year, to cover the costs of caring for the uninsured. It's amazing to us how this can happen. The health insurance industry in this country has become one huge joke, with companies skimming huge amounts of money for themselves, and passing the uninsured "buck" to the insured and the government. We may think Hilary Clinton is a little out there sometimes, but she was dead-to-rights on when she called for the need to reform the health care system in this country.

William Pryor. William Pryor, a Bush nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals, has swathed himself in a blanket of deceit, extremist ideology and questionable legal decisions. You can read much more about him here, but the bottom line is that Pryor is a very, very dangerous nominee. The Appeals Court is a lifetime appointment, and hears some of the most important cases that go before a court in this country. That's why it's refreshing to see The Interfaith Alliance openly condemn his nomination, and call for it to be voted down. Much like Priscilla Owen, Pryor's legal decisions are guided by his morals, and not the Constitution. Would you want to be seen in his court? Neither do we.

"War on Terror" Has Indigenous People in Its Sights. You know what the problem with the "War on Terror" is? Just like every other crusade America has tried adopt in the last 20 years, it's nebulous (see: War on AIDS, War on Drugs, War on Homelessness, etc.). Say what you want about the War in Iraq; at least with that, there's an enemy. But the "War on Terror" is too vague - if this administration thinks that you're a terrorist, then you are a terrorist. And if you don't believe us, ask all those people locked up in Guantanamo Bay, or ask Maher Arar. So, it really shouldn't be surprising that Latin America's indigenous population is now being considered "a possible threat." The National Intelligence Council has identified Islam radicalism and growing indigenous activism in Latin America as it's top two threats. Well, that only makes sense. In Bush's world, we'll never be safe as long as there are any of those brown people running around.

Editorials

Mens Rea and WMD. Republicans better hope that they can get Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) out of office, because he's calling it in a way that is far more poignant and frequent that Washington is used to. Of course, that's not a bad thing, and seeing how Conyers is in his 19th term, we highly doubt he's leaving the house until they nail his coffin shut. Until then, we really enjoy reading his thoughts. Here, he discusses why no one is calling the administration on the lack of WMDs. Conyers shows why it's more than probable that Bush knew he was lying about WMDs (Downing Street Memo notwithstanding), all leading to deliberate deception. If Conyers keeps this up, Republicans are going to want to have another look at that "free speech" thing.

Letter to MSNBC Regarding Tucker Carlson's New Show. Is MSNBC becoming the next FOX News? We hope not, but it sure appears that way. Between Joe Scarborough, Chris Matthews and now Tucker Carlson, MSNBC's primetime lineup is extremely conservative. The launching of Carlson's new show prompted Media Matters President and CEO David Brock to send a letter to Rick Kaplan, the President of MSNBC, asking him to air some progressive shows. Although Brock's letter and 37 cents will get you a copy of the Washington Post, his point remains true. As Brock writes, MSNBC has a history of slanting to the right, and how is that "balanced" news? Does this mean we're now going to have to watch CNN for our news?

A Chance to Escape. It's been a little while since we've talked education, but there's something going on in Florida that's grabbed our attention. The Florida Supreme Court is being asked to end Florida's school voucher program. We dislike school vouchers. Immensely. It's money that could be spent on schools. It blurs the line between church and state. John Tierney's editorial is interesting, but completely wrong. If grades are going up because class size is going down, then it is the state's duty to use the money to create more schools to reduce class size. Florida's voucher program is slightly different, as it offers vouchers to any student in a failing school. So, instead of attempting to "fix" what's wrong in those schools, the state throws money to students to attend private schools. But they can't throw money at everyone, can they? Focus on fixing the problems in schools, which would make education better for every student, instead of helping a few. You can read a non-partisan article on vouchers here.

Activism

Explore the Quran. No, we're not kidding. Look, we're not really advocates of any particular religion, but if we stand any chance of "winning" the war on terror, it's going to have to be based on understanding, not aggression. Maybe one nice first step would be to learn about the religion that such a large part of the world follows, yet we Americans are largely ignorant about. In an effort to promote an understanding of Islam, The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is offering free copies of the Quran to anyone who requests one, so why not broaden your horizons? Don't waste their money if you're not going to read it, but if you're gonna give it a try, why not go for it? Then, the next time you encounter some ignoramus who makes broad, inaccurate generalizations about Islam (just watch FOX News for a bit, if you can stand it, and you're bound to see someone), you can speak intelligently about the topic.

News

Downing Street Answers. Well, not really. An enterprising reporter finally asked Bush and Blair (at a joint press conference on Tuesday) about the Downing Street Memo. The contrast between Blair's response and Bush's response was incredible. Blair appeared poised, confident and intelligent. Bush appeared like he never expected the question, in that stuttering, half-phrase way he has of speaking, looking for all the world like a buffoon. Of course, they both didn't directly answer the question. Blair did deny "fixing the facts," but Bush bobbed and weaved around the question like a Bolshoi dancer. The most important thing to note is that neither of them disavowed the memo. You may think we're reading too much into this, but in Washington, words are everything. How quick was the White House to jump on Rathergate and Newsweek? Seems eerily suspicious that they won't deny this memo, eh?

Worth the Effort? For the first time since the War in Iraq began, the majority of Americans believe that the war isn't making America safer. Iraq continues to remain second to the economy, when ranked in importance by the American people. Almost 75% of those polled feel that the number of casualties in Iraq is unacceptible (isn't anything more than zero unacceptible?). 60% say the war was not worth fighting. 66% say that our military is "bogged down" there. These are the highest levels of pessimism against the war ever, and we couldn't be happier. America continues to smarten up to Bush. 67% of those polled blamed Bush and Republicans in the Senate (and only 13% blamed Senate Democrats). Also for the first time, a majority of Americans (55%) say that Bush is doing more to divide the country than to unite it. 58& feel that Bush is not concentrating his efforts on helping them. With pessimism over Iraq so high, is it any surprise that recruitment is still down, even after the Army lowered it's targeted goals for May? And it wasn't even close - recruitment was off by 25%! Based on the original number, before it was lowered, recruitment was off by 37.4%! Could recruitment be down because people don't want to enlist, be inadequately trained, and then sent to Iraq to die for no reason? That couldn't be it, could it?

Act now - or else... Did you hear the one about the group of internationally respected scientists who make clear to the world the clear and present danger inherent in global warming, only to find that many of the world's superpowers don't believe them (or don't want to believe them)? We'd tell you the punchline of the joke, but it's not a joke, and the punchline sees us all dead. For the first time in history, the national academies of science for all of the countries represented at the G-8 Summit (and a few that aren't) have issued a statement warning of the impending danger that global warming presents. In fact, Tony Blair seems to be the only one concerned, as Bush is having none of it. We try not to be alarmists here, but this isn't exactly an Ecology Professor at the University of Wallamaloo releasing a paper. The statement, which has been in the works for months, is the first of it's kind, being released by a group of people who are notorious for not beling alarmist, and tabs global warming as the single biggest threat facing humanity right now. Even Al Gore addressed an international conference of Mayors about it, urging a a response. Poor Tony Blair - he knows that Bush pulled us out of the Kyoto Accords (which Gore helped draft). Does he think that the goodwill he's extended to the U.S. over Iraq should earn him something back? Does he not know Bush at all? You know the saying, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger"? Hey, Mr. Bush - this will kill us.

Editorials

The War Against Howard Dean: Kill The Truth-Teller. Have you been following the latest attacks against Howard Dean? Arthur Silber has, and he breaks down why, once again, Republicans and the MSM are just plain wrong. Dean had some very brazen and scathing comments about the Republican Party (and it's about time! This is one of the main reasons that we wanted Dean as the DNC Chair in the first place!), and Republicans are up in arms over...the truth? Yes, the truth. The Republican Party does not share the concerns of most Americans. The Republican Party does not represent a diverse America. As Silber notes, Dean was discussing the Republican Party. "As a party—that is, as a political organization which attempts to achieve particular goals, and which now controls the federal government so that it can in fact do that—the Republican Party is in a deep, broad and all-encompassing marriage with corporate America." The Republican Party is pretty much a "white Christian party," as Dean states. He's not talking about voters. He's talking about the Party. Howard Dean gets it. Some Democrats get it. Why doesn't the MSM get it? Silber's editorial is an excellent summary of a man being castrated for telling the truth, simply because the truth hurts.

Omerta. For some reason, hidden in the news pages was the story of Tommy Hook, a Los Alamos lab whistleblower, who was about to testify before Congress, when he was savagely beaten in a clear attempt to stop his testimony. It's like something out of a bad movie. And it's real! Who are these people running the government? Do they have any sense of ethics? Or do the ends (which aren't good either, by the way), truly justify their means? Torturing prisoners, killing judges, intimidating witnesses...where does it stop?

Why is Congress failing to keep watch? Well, this may seem like a silly question. The answer is obviously, "Because they're all Republicans, and it's not in their interest to watch themselves." But that's not good enough. Charles Tiefer traces Congress's historical role of informing the public, and outlines particular areas in which it's falling down flat on its face. Government waste, the war effort, allowing nominees to duck questions and avoid inquiry, the failure of the Medicare bill, and the health care system in general - these are all examples of where Congress is failing the public. As Tiefer says, "Oversight is an institutional responsibility first and foremost, and politics is a secondary concern." Hah! Don't be so naive, Mr. Tiefer!

Activism

There are a lot of things that Bush has done (or not done) over the last five years that have really frustrated us. Not doing more about Sudan. Pushing a Social Security non-plan that no one wants. Destroying foreign relations. But there's nothing more frustrating to us right now that Bush's stance on the Downing Street Memo (or rather, his lack of a stance). One day, someone is going to ask him about it, and demand a straight answer. Thanks to Democrats.com (The Aggressive Progressives), that day might be sooner, rather than later. (Update: A reporter from Reuters asked him...we want an American source to do so, though.) Democrats.com is offering up a $1,000 reward to anyone who can get the president to answer this question with a yes or no. $500 could be yours if you ask, but you don't get a clear yes or no. And if you ask, and he ignores you (but heard you), you'll win $100. It's that simple. Free money, people! Spread the word, or corner Bush in his next "town hall" meeting. We deserve answers, and we're not above supporting people who will pay for you to ask the question!

News

Senate Panel OKs Sweeping FBI Subpoena Powers. In a blow to anybody who values their right to privacy, the Senate Intelligence committee passed legislation on to the full Senate that would allow the FBI to essentially subpoena any personal record, without a judge's approval, from anyone they want. You may remember similar provisions are set to expire in the Patriot Act. We're more appalled that three of the seven Democrats on the Intelligence committee actually voted to pass this. Senator John Rockerfeller (D-WV) voted yea, but expressed reservations about how these new allowances would be used. Hey, Mr. Senator - if you have reservations about it, don't vote for it! This ties in nicely with yesterday's Branch Rickety editorial, where Terrence Samuel wrote about Congress kneeling before the President's agenda, thus losing its own independence bit by bit. As you can guess, Bush was all for these provisions. We only hope the full Senate sees things more clearly, but, as you can probably guess, we don't have high hopes for that to happen.

Schweitzer Tells Bush Off on Roadless Change. Life for Bush isn't always about screwing John and Jane Taxpayer at the federal level. Bush also goes out of his way to screw entire states over. We saw it first with Medicaid, and now we're seeing it with the "roadless rule." Adopted by Bill Clinton, the roadless rule essentially took 58 million acres of American land and set them aside, where roads would not be allowed to be built. It was a great achievement, and a huge thumb in the eye to big business. Now, Bush has overturned that rule, and told the states involved (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona and Wyoming, among others) that they must open their lands up to roads. This will allow the administration to then rewrite the rules on forest management, to allow for more development. Although the administration has said that individual state changes are not mandatory, states like Montana are in a huge bind. You see, in order for a state to be spared from having their protected areas ruined, they must submit a petition to the Forest Service, who will make the final decision. One on hand, states don't have the money to make changes (even if they wanted to). On the other hand, they have big business (like mining and logging companies) clamoring for state governments to do something. What it means is that the decision for a state to redirect millions of dollars in budgeted money from things like essential services and education to creating roads will be made by the Forest Service. Hey, looks like this is another example of Bush screwing John and Jane Taxpayer after all!

Harris To Challenge Nelson for Senate Seat. Remember Katherine Harris? She was the Secretary of State in Florida in 2000, and handed the election to Bush. Literally. Harris is now a U.S. Representative in Florida (and a Republican, if you can believe it), and has announced that she will challenge incumbent Ben Nelson for one of Florida's two Senate seats. Harris stands to raise a substantial amount of money for her campaign, and there's no question why; If it wasn't for Harris's extremely dirty politics in 2000, Al Gore would have won the election. Conservatives owe her, and they know it. Top that off with the fact that Nelson is considered one of the most vulnerable Senators in 2006, and this might spell trouble. The good news is that Democrats hate Harris, and her announcement of running will (hopefully) draw out more Democratic voters. Voters in Florida don't easily forget, and Harris is just as despised today as she was in 2000. You can be sure that we have a personal interest in this election, and we'll keep you updated on it as we approach election '06. Retaining Nelson's seat is key to taking back the Senate.

Editorials

GOP, Like Companies, Wants Workers to Carry the Safety Net. But you knew that, right? Between Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, Ronald Brownstein shows that "Republicans are looking to limit government's financial exposure and shift more of the risk for ensuring pension and healthcare security to workers and retirees in the name of increasing choice." That about sums it up. This GOP-led government wants you to assume all of the risk. The social safety net is disappearing, and it's all a part of Bush's desire to eliminate as many American rights and benefits as possible before he leaves office. To be more specific, he wants to take away the rights of citizens, and transfer those rights to corporations. How else can you explain what's happening here?

Paying To Play. What does it say when columnists in New Zealand are writing more insightful articles about the Bush agenda than our own reporters? Bill Berkowitz chimes in on a pseudo-environmental issue: The privatization of land in America. Environmental issues have gotten very little press here; aside from the big Energy Bill, and the drilling in the Arctic Refuge, environmental issues fall by the MSM wayside. But the privatization of land is a huge deal, and if you think about it a little, you'll likely agree. Do you enjoy going to a state-owned campsite and spending the night? Think about bedding down in the Microsoft National Campgrounds, and paying $88/night to do it. It's hard for us to point you to a solution, as so many environmental activist groups tend to be excessively aggressive. But when stories like this fall through the cracks, it shows that the MSM isn't doing their jobs, and Bush is getting away with a whole lot more than we think (and that's saying something). Berkowitz's editorial is long, but it makes for fascinating reading.

Norman Vincent Moose. Normally, the Bull Moose is more entertaining than informative, but once in a while, he's pretty insightful. In this post, he encourages Democrats to remain positive, for a couple of reasons. One is that optimism (tempered with sanity) wins elections. Another is that if you stop caring about America, then you won't have enough passion to make it better. Sounds good to us. Keep fighting!

Activism

Rainbow Law was created as a research tool, knowledge base and activist center. Rainbow Law is dedicated to fighting for the rights of Gay and Lesbian families. We encourage you to sift through the material they have listed, and then go here. Whether it's signing a petition, making a donation or just learning how to talk to someone who is against gay marriage, we're asking you to do your part to protect the civil rights of homosexuals in this country (for more information on why, see News #1 below).

News

Second Class Citizens. Last Friday, California voted to not uphold the legalization of same-sex marriage. Had the state assembly given 41 votes for "yea" (the bill only received 37), the bill would then have gone to Governor Schwarzenegger for his signature. Whether or not he would have signed it is moot at this point. Among those voting "nay" for the bill were several state Democrats. The buzz running around Sacramento is that many of those who voted nay did so to preserve their political futures. They are cowards. With the vote, California sends the same message that Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah sent to their homosexual citizens: You are second rate, your civil rights don't count, and if we had our way, we wouldn't allow you to vote. Are we the only ones who remember the last group of American citizens not allowed to marry? (Hint - they are black). How can we expect progress when states like Alabama are so backward that it took until 2000 for the state to strike from its constitution a law banning marriage between African-Americans and whites? We're not here to draw the comparison between the battle for the rights of African-Americans and homosexuals (although we easily could). The point is that this country was created so that people could pursue their lives free of oppression. As Thomas Jefferson wrote,

We hold these truths to be self–evident,
That all men are created equal,
That they are endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable Rights,
That among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–
That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
Deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

Recognize that? How about Samuel Adams, in 1772?

Among the natural rights of the Colonists are these:
First, a right to life; Secondly, to liberty; Thirdly, to property;
together with the right to support and defend them
in the best manner they can. These are evident branches of,
rather than deductions from, the duty of self–preservation,
commonly called the first law of nature. All men have a right
to remain in a state of nature as long as they please;
and in case of intolerable oppression, civil or religious,
to leave the society they belong to, and enter into another.
When men enter into society, it is by voluntary consent.…
Every natural right not expressly given up, or, from the
nature of a social compact, necessarily ceded, remains.
All positive and civil laws should conform, as far as possible,
to the law of natural reason and equity. As neither reason requires
nor religion permits the contrary, every man living in or out of
a state of civil society has a right peaceably and quietly
to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience.

In 1776, the Southern "governed" owned slaves, and the Northern "governed" profited from the trade, and we all saw how well that worked out. It took centuries for us to get where we are today, and we still have a long way to go. How can Americans support such a pathetically ignorant view? How can Americans support politicians who stand on a false morality platform?

We Have a Governor! The judge has ruled, and the decision is "with prejudice," or final. Democrat Christine Gregoire is the Governor of Washington state. Republican challenger Dino Rossi failed to overcome the burden of proof for fraud or intentional bias. We're sure that won't stop Rossi from drudging up another lawsuit. Hey, while Rossi whines and complains, maybe he should stop and think that the state he professes to love would be better served with someone paying attention to it, instead of fighting off ridiculous trials. Then again, what do we know? Our state elected Bob Ehrlich.

While the Rich Get Richer. It should come as no shock to you that the rich are getting richer every day, and are constantly widening the gap between rich and poor. And thanks to Bush's tax cuts, the gap between the rich and the "hyper rich" is growing even larger. The hyper rich, for example (we're talking those that make a minimum of $87 million a year), pay the same Medicare, income and Social Security taxes as someone making $50,000 to $75,000. Those who make over $10 million a year pay less of their share of income taxes than those making $100,000 - $200,000. Bob Hebert released an editorial yesterday about this very subject, entitled The Mobility Myth. Herbert shows why there is no more upward class mobility in this country. But there certainly is room for downward mobility: What has Bush done for your safety net?

Editorials

Writing the History of the Revolution is Now Up to You. While we're on the subject of class, Bill Moyers recently spoke at the Take Back America conference. As with any speech, the opening isn't really the meat of it. Once he shows the video of "Minimum Wages: The New Economy," he gets to the heart of his speech - the economy. Moyers points out that, from 2004 through March 2005, wages failed to keep pace with the recession. It's the first time that that has happened since the 1990 recession. He states that America is second in GDP (behind Luxembourg), but "we rank dead last among the 20 most developed countries in fighting poverty and we're off the chart in terms of the number of Americans living on half the median income or less." All of this builds to the idea that liberals don't really get angry. Sure, we write blogs and sign petitions, but we don't get angry, like FOX News angry. Maybe getting angry will lead to constructive argument. It's hard to be truly passionate about something when you won't get angry when the opposite occurs. From Kenneth Tomlinson to DKNY sweatshops to Medicaid, there's plenty going on in the world to get angry about. Why aren't you?

Hope for Afforable Housing. As you're probably well aware, home prices are skyrocketing. But as the previous editorial points out, the wealth gap is widening. So, you see, we have a problem: Where are the growing numbers of poor people going to find housing, when it's getting increasingly more expensive? This editorial mentions a little amendment that might provide some relief, although it's interesting to note what a challenge it's been to even get the amendment brought to a vote. First of all, it took the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae financial scandals for Congress to even turn its eye to the mortgage business. And then, only because Republicans decided they needed a bit of Democratic support, Barney Frank (D-MA) was able to sneak in some legislation that would provide $400 million for affordable housing. The amendment failed to be defeated once, but who knows if it'll pass Congress. Of course, it's merely a step in the right direction, but two steps back and one step forward is better than two steps back and no steps forward.

Branch Rickety. We try not to post too much "Washington Insider" stuff, but it's important to be aware of what's going on in Congress, and often it's the little machinations that provide the most insight. Terence Samuel describes how Congress has been eroding its own independence because of the Republicans' marching in lock-step with the White House. Bush still hasn't exercised his veto (although he claims he will on the Stem Cell Bill), which is rather pathetic, when you think about it. We have three branches of government for a reason - they're supposed to check either others' actions and balance each others' power. Congress is not checking the executive power at all, and their power is aligned on the same side of the scale. Democrats have been able to fight Bolton by appealing to what little is left of the Senate's integrity, but we have to wonder how much longer that's going to work.

Activism

It Stops In Virginia. Hey, when Tom Daschle's onboard, you know it's a serious matter! Well, maybe not quite, but the Virginia Governor's race is an important matter. The GOP learned in 2004 (although they probably knew it all along) from the Swift Boat Liars, that out-and-out mendacity is the way to go when your candidate doesn't have anything substantive to offer. And since that's apparently the case in the Virginia Governor's race (which occurs in 2005, by the way), the GOP's at it again. This time, they're once again using religion as a weapon, and it's against Tim Kaine. They know that Jerry Kilgore can't beat him on substance or politics, and that's why they have to play dirty already. Maintaining Democratic Governors is a key part of taking this country back, and Kaine can use your help. If you don't want to donate money, then at least be aware of the lies they're spreading, and do your best to fight back. We're pretty sure you know at least one person in Virginia!

News

Los Angeles Living Wage Study. Finally, some non-Iraq, non-Social Security, non-filibuster-related news. For a little while, we weren't even sure that any existed? Our national minimum wage ($5.15/hr) is a disgrace to this country. We're supposed to be the "richest country in the world" (and GDP-wise, we are), but haven't raised the minimum wage in almost eight years. Opponents of raising the minimum wage always argue that if we do so, we'll hurt the economy, and price legal workers out of the market. And Los Angeles is living proof of that. In 1997, they passed a "living wage" ordinance, which established standards that certain companies that do business with the government have to meet. Right now, that means the minimum wage for those companies is $10.03, (or $8.78 if they provide health care too) and they have to provide 12 paid days and 10 unpaid days off per year. Wow, that kind of largesse must be crippling those firms, and resulting in tons of unemployment, right? Wrong.

Remember Saddam? Saddam Hussein and 11 of his flunkies will go on trial soon, and could face up to 500 charges. As we read about this, we can't help but reflect on Iraq. Now that we know Bush lied to Americans about Iraq, we're left wondering if there could have been a better way. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but we're not just talking about hindsight. There were many, many people who had concerns about the legitimacy of this war before we went in. It's a shame that Congress was so complicit in pushing us to war. Was it absolutely necessary to take Saddam when we did? Of course not. There were no WMDs, and no amount of posturing about "bringing Democracy to Iraq" can change the fact that we didn't need to go in when we did. So, Saddam's on trial, and he's sure to be convicted, and we'll get to listen to Bush talk about how "justice has been served, and freedom has won." Tell that to the families of the 1,670 Americans who have died in Iraq, or to the 12,762 Americans who have been wounded. And we haven't even gotten to the Iraqi people. The next time people talk about how the Iraqis are better off without Saddam, tell them that the death rate hasn't even improved. So how is Iraq better off?

The Virtual Case File. No, this isn't something out of the X-Files. The Virtual Case File is the name of the program that the FBI spent over $100 million on, only to abandon it because of massive problems. Yet the FBI knew many of these problems two years ago, towards the beginning of the project, and didn't share their knowledge with the contractor, Science Applications International Corp. There seems to be a finger pointing game going on over at the FBI, where several people have said they saw problems, but no one bothered to do anything about it. Remember, folks, this is the same FBI that couldn't search for "al Qaeda" on the internet, because, for many years, the FBI's internet search engines could not search for more than one word at a time. Honestly, have you come to expect more from your government? But at least Bush makes us all "feel" safer.

Editorials

Bush, The Spoiled Man-Child. We slam the MSM quite a bit here at Still Fighting, because no one seems to have the convictions to speak or write about how Bush has screwed up his 5 years in office thus far. Then, occasionally, we'll come across an editorial from someone like Mark Morford, and we see a slight glimmer of hope. Morford's editorial is a scathing attack on Bush's ineptitude, inspired by Bush's latest press conference. You know, the one where he "disassembled". Morford's point is quite simple, really: Bush treats Americans like children. He tries to placate us by telling us everything is going great in Iraq, because none of us are old enough to read a newspaper, browse the internet, or tune the television to a news channel (well, any news channel except ABC). He tries to assure us that Social Security overhaul is just a matter of time, when the truth is that thr vast majority of Americans don't favor his slow-forming non-plan. Now, all we need is reporters like Morfort actually saying and asking things in this way while they are actually in the White House Press Room.

Urban Archipelago. There's something going on across the nation, and it's best seen in Kansas. Two months ago, Kansas voters overwhelmingly supported a same-sex marriage ban and voted in school board members who wanted to teach creationism. Yet, during that same election, the citizens of Larence (one of the fastest growing cities in the state) voted progressives into every open seat. It's a story playing out all over this nation. Did you know that every city in America with a population of over 500,000 voted for Kerry? (That's 29 cities, for those of you scoring at home). About half of the cities with populations between 50,000 and 500,000 also voted for Kerry (there are a total of 572). It's the smaller, more rural areas where Democrats are losing it. And so, progressives are creating this "urban archipelago" of blue islands awash in a sea of red. A big reason for this island chain can be seen in the influence of mayors. For those of us who live in larger areas, we may not see the effects of our mayor. But for small- and middle-sized towns, the mayor can make a huge impact on how citizens vote at the polls, because mayors have the opportunity to be very hands-on, something most Senators and House members don't have the luxury of doing. This idea of "smaller up" is something Democracy for America has been doing, with varying degrees of success, over the last two years. Maybe it's time for you to get involved more on a local level, particularly if you live on one of these blue islands, or would create your own.

A Policy of Rape. It's not a pretty subject, but we have to talk about it. When we talk about Sudan, we generally discuss the genocide. But as Nicholas Kristof points out, there's more atrocities in Darfur than just genocide. Gang rape runs rampant across Darfur. Aside from the horrible invasion of a woman, the risk of diseases like AIDS is high. Some women are taken away and just...disappear. The government of Sudan will not allow aid groups to bring in medication that reduces the risk of HIV. The government also imprisons women who are raped and become pregnant, for "adultery." We may think we have it bad here, but we really don't. This administration seems to delight in restricting the rights of Americans, but at least the majority of American women don't get gang raped when they go out of their homes.