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Going Extreme: Demint Says Recruiting Electable Moderates "Doesn't Make Any Sense"
Posted by Jed Lewison, Daily Kos on November 8, 2009 at 6:26 AM.

More GOP civil war:

[NRSC Chairman John] Cornyn has gambled much on finding and promoting centrists able to win Senate seats in swing states and even some Democratic redoubts. And he’s decided to do so even though those candidates in at least four states — California, Florida, Kentucky and Connecticut — must first compete in and win expensive and potentially divisive primaries, mainly against more socially and fiscally conservative candidates.

...

"He’s trying to find candidates who can win. I’m trying to find people who can help me change the Senate," said Jim DeMint of South Carolina, a leader of the conservative bloc. "To think we can grow the party by picking people who are more liberal and don’t share our core values doesn’t make any sense."

As kos said earlier this week about the urge to purge amongst teabaggers:

Maybe they've stumbled upon a brilliant "addition by subtraction" political formula that allows them to win more races by kicking everyone out of their party.  But I still like our approach better. And in the end, we have the majorities to prove it worked.

Maybe they will. But so far, the only stumbling they've done has been over the first Democratic victory in NY-23 since the Civil War.

International Observers Give 2008 Election a Passing Grade
Posted by Steven Rosenfeld on November 8, 2008 at 5:44 PM.

The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, which monitors election across the globe, has given the 2008 U.S. presidential a passing grade while highlighting some well-known problems with American elections.

The organization's report notes that there is no single federal agency in charge of U.S. elections, but instead a patchwork quilt of uneven state laws. The agency said that U.S. campaign finance laws that seek to limit the influence of political money were not effective. It said there were numerous conflicts of interest where officials overseeing state elections were affiliated with political parties or running for office themselves. It said that the secrecy of the ballots was not always maintained with early voting and voting by mail. It said there were "minor" technical problems associated with voting machines but they were not widespread enough to undermine the process.

It noted how many states had differing voter registration, voter list maintenance and voter ID standards. It noted how allegations of voter fraud were raised before Election Day, saying the truth of those claims were assessed by judges in state and federal courts. It noted that many states experienced voters waiting in long lines. It said there were 22 independent and third-party candidates who ran in more than one state.

The international team sent representatives to 26 states and Washington, DC. States whose laws do not allow international observers were: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Ohio and Texas. Observers had problems watching in Colorado, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

To read the report, click here.

Secret Service: Sarah Palin's Rhetoric Led to Spike in Death Threats Against Obama
Posted by Joshua Holland, AlterNet on November 8, 2008 at 5:00 PM.

The Telegraph:

Sarah Palin's attacks on Barack Obama's patriotism provoked a spike in death threats against the future president, Secret Service agents revealed during the final weeks of the campaign.

The attacks provoked a near lynch mob atmosphere at her rallies, with supporters yelling "terrorist" and "kill him" until the McCain campaign ordered her to tone down the rhetoric.

But it has now emerged that her demagogic tone may have unintentionally encouraged white supremacists to go even further.

The Secret Service warned the Obama family in mid October that they had seen a dramatic increase in the number of threats against the Democratic candidate, coinciding with Mrs Palin's attacks.

Michelle Obama, the future First Lady, was so upset that she turned to her friend and campaign adviser Valerie Jarrett and said: "Why would they try to make people hate us?"

Because they're assholes, Michelle. They're assholes who had nothing else on which to run.

Details of the spike in threats to Mr Obama come as a report last week by security and intelligence analysts Stratfor, warned that he is a high risk target for racist gunmen. It concluded: "Two plots to assassinate Obama were broken up during the campaign season, and several more remain under investigation. We would expect federal authorities to uncover many more plots to attack the president that have been hatched by white supremacist ideologues."

Aren't you charmed by Palin? I know I am.

Is the GOP Looking to Newt Gingrich?
Posted by Steve Benen, Washington Monthly on November 8, 2008 at 4:10 PM.

2012 SPECULATION? ALREADY? ... As far as I can tell, there was very little positioning among Republicans for the next presidential race for about 48 hours after Barack Obama became the president-elect. But with only 1,460 or so shopping days until Election Day 2012, that apparently didn't last long.

Mitt Romney is off on a Caribbean cruise with influential conservative leaders. Romney, Sarah Palin, and Mike Huckabee are stepping up to help Sen. Saxby Chambliss' runoff campaign in Georgia. Huckabee is poised to kick off a national book tour ... in Iowa.

And then there's Bob Novak, fresh off his bizarre argument that Obama lacks a mandate, promoting his new favorite as the Republicans' future leader.

In serious conversations among Republicans since their election debacle Tuesday, what name is mentioned most often as the Moses, or Reagan, who could lead them out of the wilderness before 40 years?

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

My Shameful Confession: I Owe Bush Everything
Posted by Tom Degan, The Rant on November 8, 2008 at 9:41 AM.

Editor's note: we apologize in advance to our readers from the Lone Star State for Tom Degan's reckless Texas-bashing. We try to keep him in check, but he's a maverick!

I have a horrible confession to make. This is something that's been bugging me since mid-August when the readership of The Rant took a bit of a surge. I feel awkward and embarrassed even admitting this, but I might as well lay all of the cards on the table and 'fess up. It must be said:

George W. Bush is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

In order to explain to you exactly what I'm talking about, let me take you back to the beginning. It's a memory I'll never be able to shake till the day I die: The very first time I ever laid eyes on Dubya....

It was almost twenty-one years ago in the spring of 1988. Poppy Bush, then Ronald Reagan's vice-president, was running in the South Carolina GOP primary and the crazy preacher, Pat Robertson, was giving him the fight of his life. You see, your average South Carolinian Republican voter is so rib-ticklingly stupid, a lot of them thought that sending a half-witted reactionary like Robertson to the White House was a really cool idea. Something had to be done.

So the Bush Sr. campaign sent his jackass of a kid along with the late Lee Attwater down there to try to convince these goofy people to vote for Daddy. Why did they use the oldest son as an envoy? Why didn't they use the slightly more articulate sons, Jeb or Marvin or Neil? My theory has always been that the campaign's strategists figured that Junior was such a fire-breathing asshole, the right wing knuckleheads in that state would have no problem relating to him. They didn't. Poppy won South Carolina.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Rudy's Buddy Bernie Kerik Is Indicted for Tax Evasion
Posted by Steve Benen, The Carpetbagger Report on November 8, 2007 at 3:00 PM.

This post, written by Steve Benen, originally appeared on The Carpetbagger Report

As in comedy, sometimes in politics, timing is everything. Just this week, for example, Rudy Giuliani was praising the work of his disgraced former police chief, Bernie Kerik.

"Sure, there were issues [with Kerik], but if I have the same degree of success and failure as president of the United States, this country will be in great shape," Giuliani said.

His timing was a little off.

Bernard Kerik expects to be indicted by a federal grand jury by next Friday at the latest, two sources close to the investigation tell ABC News.

The sources say Kerik has told his close friends and members of his legal team that he expects the potential indictment to come before the statute of limitations expires on Nov. 15 on charges that could include tax evasion and bribery.

The early chapters were well-documented by Kerik in his autobiographical account "The Lost Son." The final chapters have yet to be written. They will very likely include a struggle to pay legal bills that could result in the sale of his multi-million-dollar New Jersey mansion, a long stretch in federal prison and severe damage to his consulting practice, which includes lucrative contracts with U.S. ally Jordan, according to multiple sources involved in the investigation.

Giuliani, true to form, is sticking to his story, and insisting that the ends justify the means. "There were mistakes made with Bernie Kerik," Giuliani told the AP, utilizing a classic passive-voice phrase. "But what's the ultimate result for the people of New York City? The ultimate result for the people of New York City was a 74 percent reduction in shootings, a 60 percent reduction in crime, a correction program that went from being one of the worst in the country to one that was on '60 Minutes' as one of the best in the country, 90 percent reduction of violence in the jails."

On its face, it seems odd that Giuliani would argue that corruption should be tolerated if the results exceed expectations, but more importantly, those impressive-sounding statistics turn out to be ... wait for it ... a wild exaggeration of reality.

Greg Sargent did a great job scrutinizing Giuliani's claims about his and Kerik's ability to reduce crime in NYC, and found that the former mayor apparently "told three lies in one sentence."

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Male Cop In Red Thong Arrested for Sex In Public Bathroom
Posted by Paddy , Brave New Films on November 8, 2007 at 3:00 PM.

This post, written by Paddy, originally appeared on Cliff Schecter's Brave New Films Blog

Strongsville- A police officer who coached youth football has been relieved of both duties after having illicit sex in a public restroom while wearing red thong underwear.

Daniel Deusenberry of Strongsville was suspended last month from the Wakeman Police Department and the Strongsville Football League.

He had sexual encounters in a bathroom in the Mill Stream Reservation on four occasions in March, June and July, according to a Cleveland Metroparks' police report.

Maybe the idea of touring public bathrooms isn't that crazy.

Priest accused of stalking Conan O'Brien

Wow. A priest no less.

NEW YORK (AP) - A priest has been arrested on charges of stalking late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien by writing him threatening notes on parish letterhead, contacting his parents and showing up at his studio, prosecutors said Wednesday.

The Rev. David Ajemian, a priest in the Archdiocese of Boston, was arrested last week while trying to enter a taping session of NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien at New York's Rockefeller Plaza, said Barbara Thompson, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan prosecutor's office.

Ajemian referred to himself as "your priest stalker" in one note and complained of not being allowed in to see an earlier taping of the O'Brien show, court papers say.

"Is this the way you treat your most dangerous fans?" the note said.

(snip)

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Pentagon Bars Anti-Torture Marine From Testifying
Posted by Faiz Shakir, Think Progress on November 8, 2007 at 1:00 PM.

This post, written by Faiz Shakir, originally appeared on Think Progress

Today, a House Judiciary subcommittee is holding an oversight hearing on the "effectiveness and consequences of 'enhanced' interrogation." The Committee had invited Lt. Col. Stuart Couch, a former Guantanamo Bay prosecutor, to testify about his experiences. The Wall Street Journal reports, "Asked last week to appear before the panel, Col. Couch says he informed his superiors and that none had any objection." But Counch's appearance was blocked by Cheney-backed Pentagon counsel William Haynes:

Yesterday, however, [Couch] was advised by email that the Pentagon general counsel, William J. Haynes II, "has determined that as a sitting judge and former prosecutor, it is improper for you to testify about matters still pending in the military court system, and you are not to appear before the Committee to testify tomorrow."

Haynes has been a forceful advocate and key architect for the administration's harsh interrogation techniques. Couch's potential testimony posed a serious danger to Haynes' work.

As a Gitmo prosecutor, Couch had been assigned to prosecute accused al Qaeda operative Mohamedou Ould Slahi, one of . "Of the cases I had seen, he was the one with the most blood on his hands," Couch said of Slahi. Yet Couch determined he could not prosecute Slahi because his incriminating statements "had been taken through torture, rendering them inadmissible under U.S. and international law."

In a lengthy Wall Street Journal profile published in March, Couch revealed evidence of torture he witnessed at Guantanamo Bay -- images that captured his conscience and forced him to become a critic of the administration's interrogation system. Couch reported that Slahi "had been beaten and exposed to psychological torture, including death threats and intimations that his mother would be raped in custody unless he cooperated." Here's what happened when Couch announced his decision not to prosecute:

In May 2004, at a meeting with the then-chief prosecutor, Army Col. Bob Swann, Col. Couch dropped his bombshell. He told Col. Swann that in addition to legal reasons, he was "morally opposed" to the interrogation techniques "and for that reason alone refused to participate in [the Slahi] prosecution in any manner."

Col. Swann was indignant, Col. Couch says, replying: "What makes you think you're so much better than the rest of us around here?"

Col. Couch says he slammed his hand on Col. Swann's desk and replied: "That's not the issue at all, that's not the point!"

An impassioned debate followed, the prosecutor recalls. Col. Swann said the Torture Convention didn't apply to military commissions. Col. Couch asked his superior to cite legal precedent that would allow the president to disregard a treaty.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Cheney Quietly Maneuvers Increased Control Over Environmental Policies
Posted by Amanda Terkel, Think Progress on November 8, 2007 at 12:00 PM.

This post, written by Amanda Terkel, originally appeared on Think Progress

The White House's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) is a "super-powerful office" that reviews all major federal regulations of ,"non-independent federal agencies" on a range of issues, from workplace safety to water quality. OIRA and agency representatives regularly often meet with "outside stakeholders" to solicit opinions on regulations.

Vice President Cheney's office has recently taken an interest in these meetings. In June, ThinkProgress noted that lobbyists for major polluters visited the White House to lobby against tighter smog standards. At that time, Clean Air Watch observed how unusual it was for a representative from Cheney's office to attend that meeting:

Also sitting in on that meeting was a representative of Vice President Dick Cheney, long considered the go-to guy for big industries opposed to tougher environmental standards. ... It's pretty rare for someone with the Vice President to sit in on a meeting like this. It suggests that industry has really sought to elevate this politically.

This incident was not isolated. As OMB Watch notes, OIRA has "held more than 540 regulatory review meetings since February 2002." Prior to Feb. 2007, Cheney's office attended just three meetings; since that time, it has attended eight:

Based on the meetings a representative from OVP has attended, Cheney is focusing his attention on environmental and homeland security rules. The 11 meetings pertained to eight separate rulemakings, four of which were for EPA rules, and three of which were for DHS rules. The rulemakings are also those expected to have a significant impact on the economy, as the regulations on greenhouse gas emissions, chemical security and ozone likely will.

In the past, Cheney has taken "full advantage of the president's cluelessness" to control the administration's environmental agenda and stop progress against global warming. For example, he stacked the Committee on Environmental Quality with industry heavyweights, killing Bush's 2000 campaign promise to place caps on carbon emissions. In 2001, his infamous energy task force also ordered the EPA to "reconsider" a rule requiring stricter pollution controls on power and oil refinery plants.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Blackface Makes An Unwelcome Comeback On Halloween
Posted by Thanu Yakupitiyage, RaceWire on November 8, 2007 at 7:23 AM.

This post, written by Thanu Yakupitiyage, originally appeared on RaceWire

Several days after Halloween, stories are still coming in about people costuming in blackface. This time Applied Research Center intern, Thanu Yakupitiyage, describes government officials playing racist on Halloween.

Halloween long ago lost its original intent of being the day that all the spirits and spooks come out, when kids would dress up as ghosts, witches, and skeletons to go trick-or-treating down the lane. Instead, it has become just another day of excess corporate consumption and an all-out costume day, where costumes vary from cartoon characters to celebrity impersonations, to 'sluts', 'Red Injuns', and even 'Blackface'.

I can't help but cringe in the aftermath of Halloween as more and more stories come out about people who had the audacity to be festive in 'Black Face' costumes. College campuses across the U.S are reporting such costumes, with some campuses taking disciplinary actions, while others are letting it slide. Most reports quote abashed responses from the costume wearers and their defenders stating, "People misunderstood" and "It wasn't supposed to be offensive whatsoever."

The most ironic and preposterous of all these incidents is the recent news story that an employee of the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency dressed as a prisoner with dreadlocks and dark skin make-up at the agency's Halloween party! The costume judges at the party even noted his costume for "originality."

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Bush: If I Were Iraqi, I'd Support My Endless, Illegal Occupation
Posted by Amanda Terkel, Think Progress on November 8, 2007 at 6:10 AM.

This post, written by Amanda Terkel, originally appeared on Think Progress

Yesterday afternoon, President Bush held a joint press conference with French President Nicholas Sarkozy. A reporter asked Bush where he stood "on Iraq and your domestic debate on Iraq," and whether he had a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops. In response, Bush insisted that "freedom's happening" and Iraq isn't in a "quagmire":

I don't -- you know quagmire is an interesting word. If you lived in Iraq and had lived under a tyranny, you'd be saying: God, I love freedom, because that's what's happened.

And there are killers and radicals and murderers who kill the innocent to stop the advance of freedom. But freedom's happening in Iraq. And we're making progress.

Watch the video to your right.

In June, Gen. David Petraeus said that U.S. troops had been in Iraq "long enough to become liberators again," echoing Vice President Cheney's infamous pre-war prediction that the United States would "be greeted as liberators."

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Employment Non-Discrimination Act Passes House Without Gender Protections
Posted by Melissa McEwan, Shakesville on November 8, 2007 at 6:00 AM.

This post, written by Melissa McEwan, originally appeared on Shakesville

Video and info here.

Immediately, I got an email from HRC celebrating, but noting in bold letters:

"HRC remains 100% committed to doing the hard work necessary to pass legislation that protects our entire community, including transgender workers who remain especially vulnerable to workplace discrimination."

Especially vulnerable. Indeed. Perhaps more so than anyone realized, given the extent of the prejudice expressed by presumed allies during the run-up to this vote.

As Pam said yesterday morning:

"[T]he big picture is that this entire situation is a complete embarrassing mess of mixed messages and motives, inadequate preparation, poor PR strategy, and a hell of a lot of anger and vitriol that is damaging, painful and was this amateur hour was avoidable.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Why Did Ron Paul Vote Against Impeachment?
Posted by Manila Ryce, The Largest Minority on November 8, 2007 at 5:49 AM.

This post, written by Manila Ryce, originally appeared on The Largest Minority

To paraphrase the late, great Ricky Ricardo, Ron Paul's got some splainin' to do. I would like to urge all first-time pro-Paul visitors to my leftist pinko blog to please save all reactionary hate mail until after you've actually read what I have to say. Paul's vote to table the impeachment resolution, then to refer it to committee is especially troubling coming from a supposed consititutionalist. He voted with the Democratic leadership on both accounts.

There are a few excuses being kicked around the internet which are all rather weak. Firstly, I don't buy the excuse that he knew the bill wouldn't go anywhere so he decided not to vote in favor of it. After all, Paul got the nickname of "Doctor No" by adhering to his constitutional principles regardless of the politics surrounding the issues. Did he not? Secondly, I also don't buy Paul's own line that there isn't sufficient evidence to suggest that the Bush administration has done anything illegal, as there supposedly was to warrant his vote for the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Cheney's own words are sufficient evidence in themselves.

More importantly, impeachment is not an actual trial, and requires no evidence at all (not that there isn't any). It is merely an indictment to formally accuse an official of committing a criminal offense. Voting to table the resolution was a vote to prevent such an investigation. The evidence is presented after the House votes in favor of impeachment, not before.

Perhaps even more confusing is this interview from the far-right website InfoWars from March:

Paul said that Bush should be impeached not under the umbrella of partisan vengeance but for ceaselessly breaking the laws of the land.

"I would have trouble arguing that he's been a Constitutional President and once you violate the Constitution and be proven to do that I think these people should be removed from office."

Opining that the U.S. had entered a period of "soft fascism," Paul noted that the legacy of the Bush administration has been the total abandonment of Constitutional principles.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

The Senate is Democratic!
Posted by Joshua Holland on November 8, 2006 at 10:13 PM.

It's over. The New York Times:

Never mind that Senator George Allen of Virginia had not conceded. Jim Webb, his Democratic opponent, claimed victory Wednesday on the strength of a roughly 7,000-vote margin.

And The Associated Press, a widely accepted authority for calling elections, agreed with Mr. Webb, declaring Mr. Allen, a Republican, the loser.

UPDATE: Allen has a press conference at 3pm est....

***

UPDATE: 2:47 pm EST and Montana Democrat Tester has been declared the winner. Control of the Senate comes down to the outcome of the Allen/Webb race, in which Jim Webb has declared himself the winner.

****
In Virginia, Webb leads by about 7,000 votes, or a third of one percent, with 99.71 percent reporting. The count's been stuck there for about an hour -- since 2:30 EST. As of 3:30 EST, Tester leads in Montana by 2 points, with 75 percent reporting. Outstanding are Gallatin and Cascade counties, which should go for Tester. Looking very good for the Senate.
****
The Dems held vulnerable Senate seats in Minnesota, Maryland (open) and New Jersey. They picked up Ohio, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island early in the evening.

But all night long it looked as if they'd fall short. Republican Jon Kyl beat Pederson in Arizona -- considered a long-shot -- Claire McCaskill was trailing Jim Talent in Missouri and Jim Webb was losing to George "Macaca" Allen in Virginia.

It certainly looked like the GOP would hold the Senate. But Webb started coming back after 97 percent of precincts had reported in Virginia. And McCaskill made a move late in the game in Missouri.

Currently, the Senate looks like this:

Dems: 46 47
Republicans: 49
Bernie Sanders + Joe Lieberman independents

McCaskill won leads talent by 1 percent (15,000 votes) with 81 percent of precincts reporting and Webb leads Allen by one 10th of 1 percent (2,700 votes) with 99 percent of precincts reporting. The only remaining precincts are in counties in which Webb is doing well. According to Virginia law, a losing candidate can request a recount if the margin is less than one percent. Webb has declared victory (as a candidate should when a race is likely to be contested).

Montana was the only action in the West, and 52 percent of precincts are reporting. John Tester leads Conrad Burns 53-45 percent.

If everything holds up, the Senate will go to the Dems 51-49, assuming Lieberman caucuses with the Dems as he's said he would.

Still a ways to go.

Election Protection volunteers needed
Posted by Deanna Zandt on November 8, 2006 at 11:41 AM.

This just in from Ray Beckerman:

The Real-Time Data Analysis team of Election Defense Alliance needs some people to download returns from websites as they are posted and send them in to us. We are running an amazing set of mathematical and statistical computer models, using historical, demographic and pre-poll data, as well as precinct and county tallies, independent exit polls, and official returns -- in order to flag suspect patterns and anomolous returns.

If you would like to join us right now in this ground-breaking effort, please respond to me asap. I will send specific instructions. Best if you are comfortable and adept working with online data.

THANK YOU.

Sally Castleman
SallyC@ElectionDefenseAlliance.org

Bush 'the assessor' Lied about Rumsfeld [VIDEO]
Posted by Evan Derkacz on November 8, 2006 at 11:37 AM.

Last week Bush told the media that he was keeping Rumsfeld. Today he implied in a press conference (video, right) that he'd lied to the media for political purposes.

And just for fun, watch the video to the end so you can see 'the decider' morph into 'the assessor'...

Senate results are harshest slap at Bush
Posted by Bob Geiger on November 8, 2006 at 11:35 AM.

Jane Hamsher says it best at Firedoglake this morning as she weighs in with this gem: "The most powerful woman in US history. Two words guaranteed to reduce any wingnut to a puddle of piss — Speaker Pelosi."

As MSNBC's Chris Matthews might say, "Ha!"

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has a nice ring to it as well.

And while the stunning Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives is absolutely huge, the biggest repudiation of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove and their whole corrupt, sick agenda, is what will be a glorious 51-49 Democratic majority in the United States Senate.

Simply looking at nominations made by the executive branch illustrates the enormity of the filtering mechanism that the Senate is suppose to represent and how things will change now that Congress's upper chamber will no longer simply take everything coming out of the White House and allow it to pass like a hot knife through butter.

The incredibly ill-advised appointment of John Bolton to be America's chief diplomat at the United Nations would have been killed quickly with a Democratic majority, instead of being blocked by filibuster, which ultimately led to Bush defying Congress and installing Bolton in a recess appointment.

Read the rest of the post on the flip side »

Rumsfeld Resigns Over Iraq [VIDEO]
Posted by Evan Derkacz on November 8, 2006 at 11:00 AM.

Bush accepted Rumsfeld's resignation today, a cause of celebration for the many Americans -- including Generals, general military, and military papers -- who have called for it as it became more and more apparent that Iraq was descending into chaos. But why today?

CNBC analysts Sue Herera and John Harwood discuss the effect and politics of the Rummy resignation in the clip to the right (with images gruffly thrown together by PEEK). Rough transcript below...

john, is this enough for the president to have don rumsfeld resign? sit going to be enough in -- is it going to be enough in the public eye do you think to signal a shift in strategy?

i think it is not going to be enough. we have asked this question several times in our journal nbc poll and find out it would be a symbolic gesture. really american people want to see results. they want to see casualties down, and they are increasingly looking to iraqis to take over this situation. it looks to americans like a civil war. they don't want american troops to baby sit a civil war. the president on the other hand does not want to cut and run. he's told us that many many times. we have to see what sort of policy might be forged. jim baker has suggested former secretary of state under this president's father

a long time bush advisor.

exactly so that there is some sort of middle ground here. we will see what jim baker might have come up with.

this could be in essence a very brilliant move by the administration to change the conversation. it changes the conversation from the results of the election to a change in strategy in iraq. in other words, we are listening exactly what nancy pelosi said. she said the democrats are listening to the american voice. the president can now say the same thing, can he not, at 1:00?

BREAKING: Rumsfeld Resigns...
Posted by Evan Derkacz on November 8, 2006 at 10:01 AM.

Ding dong, Rumsfeld is gone. More shortly, but for now, let's just count down the moments till he declares himself a war criminal in an Erroll Morris documentary.

For video on the politics and repercussions, go HERE

The conservo-Democratic narrative
Posted by Evan Derkacz on November 8, 2006 at 9:20 AM.

Oooh ooooh, ahhhh ahhhh! The simians are swinging through the TV trees this morning. Nodding heads ape the line that this Democratic route is somehow due to a waddle toward the center.

Tom Schaller calls it "the Casey-Webb-Shuler narrative," after three centrist Dems who all won last night -- or this morning, I should say.

It's nothing new; the various factions of the Democratic Party are jockeying for power, and the Bill Clinton/DLC vapors are still being sniffed by much of the media, so their move-to-the-center narrative still strikes them as "just plain obvious."

Unless you look at the thing. In a plea for a counter-narrative, Pontificator writes:

Of the democrats who ran in the 58 most competitive races, about half of whom have won:

• Just NINE are self-describe pro-life
• NONE support privatizing social security
• ALL support embryonic s.t.r.
• ALL support raising the fed min wage

Schaller writes: "Though there are exceptional cases like NC’s Heath Shuler, the vast majority of House Democratic nominees are pro-choice progressives running on anti-war, anti-Bush themes."

And, indeed, beyond just the candidates, an onerous abortion law was struck down in conservative South Dakota, minimum wage initiatives passed across the nation with few exceptions, and perhaps the biggest indication was in the NRA's reaction, that this was the: "Biggest Election Disaster in Nearly 15 Years."

An Allen recount could bite GOP in the you-know-what
Posted by Evan Derkacz on November 8, 2006 at 8:58 AM.

A commenter over at TPM has noted that Virginia Republican George Allen, and perhaps the Republican Party as a whole, may have a LOT to lose if they demand a recount.

Democrat Jim Webb is up by quite a bit more than a hair in Virginia, 6,000+ votes last we checked, and George Allen has a distinguished history of running with declarations of victory (something Webb has already done):

The morning after Election Day 2000, when Florida was counting absentee ballots, George Allen said, "we'll need to move America forward as soon as those votes are cast." ["Today," 11/8/00]

So here's how TPM reader DH puts the Allen gambit:

If you're going to go to the mat with dirty tricks and voter suppression, your counting on staying under the rader and that once the election is over, folks will move on. If Allen contests the results of the election it changes the election from a single day event into a 3 or 4 week event, plenty of time to chase down those callerid numbers and phone bank contractors.

Sort of a win-win for Democrats and America. (TPM)

GOP wouldn't have lost if it hadn't've been for those meddling kids
Posted by Evan Derkacz on November 8, 2006 at 8:40 AM.

According to Young Democrats of America, the youth vote was a huge boost to the Democratic victory:

Young people increased their share of the overall electorate last night to 13%, up from 11% in 2002. In states like MT, it was as high as 17%. Additionally, according to CNN exit polls, young people voted for Democrats with an impressive 60% to the Republican 38%. For other ages, it was a 51% Democrat and 47% Republican split. Young people giving Democrats a 10% advantage over other age demographics follows trends we saw in 2004.

Here's the breakdown:
Total Democrat Republican

18-29 60% 38%

30-44 53% 45%

45-59 53% 45%

60 and Older 51% 47%

For those who didn't get the memo on 2004, young people did come out to vote then as well, despite numerous reports to the contrary.

But the thing that really soils the drawers of Washington conservatives isn't yesterday's pounding, but the fact that America's post-born is very, very young and will be voting for a very, very long time.

*BONUS FACT: Winston Churchill never said any variation of: "if you aren't a liberal at 20 you have no heart and if you aren't a conservative at 40 you have no brain."

In fact, Churchill scholar Paul Addison wrote: "Surely Churchill can't have used the words attributed to him. He'd been a Conservative at 15 and a Liberal at 35!"

The Words Rove Eats [AUDIO]
Posted by Evan Derkacz on November 8, 2006 at 7:16 AM.

Listen to a blustery Karl Rove harrass Robert Siegel for his reading of the public polls last week. Rove claimed to be reading 68 polls a week, leading him to predict a Republican House and Senate: "You're entitled to your math, and I'm entitled to the math..."

Image: Rove on a small, stiff military cot, rocking back and forth: "But they got it wrong. I have the math, I have the math, I have..."

A Lott-a 'splainin to do
Posted by Evan Derkacz on November 8, 2005 at 2:29 PM.

Frist and Hastert sent a chest-thumping letter to try to get to the bottom of a Washington Post story revealing the existence of secret US prisons scattered throughout the world [MORE HERE].

But in one fell swoop, Trent Lott undermined that famous GOP unity, because, according to sukabi, "[he] has had enough of being sidelined and is out for blood."

According to Raw Story, Trent Lott told Ed Henry that he believes it was actually a Republican senator that spilled the beans on the secret detention centers.

Why?

Lott said that much of the information contained in the Post report — which stated that the U.S. was holding terrorist suspects in secret CIA jails overseas — was discussed at a meeting of Republican senators last Tuesday.

(AllSpinZone)

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Missing the story
Posted by Evan Derkacz on November 8, 2005 at 11:44 AM.

A week ago Nathan Newman laid out Sammy Alito's hostility toward worker's rights in a post on his Labor Blog. Democrat Sherrod Brown subsequently used a bunch of Newman's arguments -- and most of the language -- in a letter to Republican Mike DeWine expressing concerns over Alito.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer then "outed" Brown for "plagiarizing" from Newman's blog, though the reporter didn't think to ask Newman whether he cared a whit about the use of his arguments -- much less to confront said arguments. Newman writes:

Did the Plain Dealer do an indepth analysis of Alito's labor record in response?

No, they created a bullshit meta-story that was of such supposed breaking news value that they couldn't wait for me to get back from my mini-honeymoon to get my reaction. If the crime is plagiarism, then you think they'd want to talk to the victim before running it.

But what about the real victims, the workers denied minimum wage, family leave, or a day in court to challenge racial and gender discrimination because of Alito's decisions? The paper of course also pursued Mike DeWine for his reaction to that. And here was DeWine's response:

"We couldn't decide who to respond to -- the person who sent us the letter or the person who wrote the letter," joked Mike Dawson, DeWine's communications director. "So we decided not to respond to either."

So DeWine thinks workers having their paychecks stolen by employers is a joke?

Ha. Good one.

Atrios adds: "I now reserve the right to yell plagiarist every time some set of written talking points comes out of a hack's mouth..." (LaborBlog)

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Judy Miller et al explained
Posted by Evan Derkacz on November 8, 2005 at 10:44 AM.

The image at left is the latest stab at an explanation for the vapid and integrity-free state of journalism...

Gawker: "You may laugh, but we don’t recall ever meeting a journalist who didn’t carry a mini glitter gel pen. And trust us: If Matthew Cooper hadn’t known how to use his confetti flowers, he’d be no better off than Judy Miller."

Jessica: "Cause who needs an education or experience when you have gemstones and confetti flowers?"

Trish Wilson: "So That Explains Judith Miller's Problems and Maureen Dowd Whining About Men..."

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Dear Dick,
Posted by Evan Derkacz on November 8, 2005 at 9:05 AM.

Dear Vice President Cheney,

Let me express my condolences for the loss of your chief of staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby. With all true Americans, I recognize the valuable service Mr. Libby performed for you and the country, particularly the oil companies, over the past five years, and the key role he played in helping to create the democratic paradise of today's Iraq.

So opens Andrew Altschul's bid to replace Scooter. By way of qualification he demonstrates that he's "pure evil" (with letters from exes to prove it), able to keep a secret ("especially if it involves your criminal and immoral conspiring against other Americans"), and is "a big fan of your plans for world domination and strongly support the groundless invasion of foreign countries in pursuit of this goal."

He even has his own plan:

"Also, though I know it's not technically a foreign country, why not think about invading San Francisco? There's a neighborhood called the Mission that is full of potentially subversive foreigners—can't you see us standing on Valencia Street under a banner saying 'Mission Accomplished'? I think a 'liberation' of the Bay Area would play well in the red states and help to cement your neoconservative legacy."

There is the problem of Altschul's spotless record of voting for Democrats...

"OK, it's true that I've always voted Democrat. But, in the first place, since there is no longer a functioning Democratic Party, I guess that technically makes me an Independent. Consider me in search of a new affiliation!"

I think he nails the position in the conclusion. Dick would be a, well, he'd be a fool to not hire this eminently qualified free thinker:

"There are still far too many Americans relying on government handouts, while upstanding citizens like Kenneth Lay have to pay hundreds of dollars in taxes and worry about being indicted for pursuing the American Dream. There are too many countries who selfishly want to control their own oil and natural-gas resources, while Americans are being forced to downsize their Hummers. Out my window right now I can see at least four trees, and not a single refinery or power plant. Clearly, all is not well."

(McSweeney's)

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Hey kids, in my day 'Organic' meant natural
Posted by Evan Derkacz on November 8, 2005 at 8:00 AM.

The latest "word casualty" of the Republican era may be the Organic Label.

If a new Senate bill becomes law, the power to determine standards for the Organic Label would be pulled from a largely independent body comprised of farmers, processors, retailers, scientists, consumer advocates, environmentalists, and certifying agents.

And who would step in? The USDA of course; the body that Tom Philpott calls "that bastion of food-industry flackery."

Philpott writes: "The Organic Consumers Association, which has doggedly fought this 'sneak attack,' says the industry is trying to push through 500 more synthetic ingredients on organic standards. The OCA fears that USDA bureaucrats will be more amenable to the desires of Kraft and other industry heavyweights..."

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Finally: Evidence of WMD in Iraq (video)
Posted by Evan Derkacz on November 8, 2005 at 7:13 AM.

Updated: This devastating [VIDEO] documenting the use of a napalm-like substance that melts flesh must be seen to be believed. It's 30 minutes long and relies on the claims of two US soldiers and a former MP from the UK but watch and decide for yourself.

***

An Italian satellite TV station, RAI News 24, will broadcast a program tonight that claims to have proof that the US used a napalm-like chemical on civilians in Iraq.

A translation of this La Republicca story appears on paper tigress's blog:

"In soldier slang they call it Willy Pete [actually, it's Whiskey Pete]. The technical name is white phosphorus. In theory its purpose is to illumine enemy positions in the dark. In practice, it was used as a chemical weapon in the rebel stronghold of Fallujah. And it was used not only against enemy combatants and guerrillas, but again innocent civilians."

One US vet is reported to say: "I received the order use caution because we had used white phosphorus on Fallujah. In military slag it is called 'Willy Pete'. Phosphorus burns the human body on contact--it even melts it right down to the bone."

We'll see if the US media explores the claim further. First the NY Times is scooped on its own reporter's story and now the entire US media is scooped on US war crimes... (DailyKos)

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Assault on investigator
Posted by Evan Derkacz on November 8, 2005 at 6:28 AM.

The FBI has been called in to investigate the assault of Emilia DiSanto, chief investigator for Republican Chuck Grassley. The investigator was attacked with a baseball bat outside her Virginia home.

Pandaharma asks: "Was the attack connected to the Finance Committee's investigations into Medicare Fraud, drug secrets and insider trading, or the Abramoff scandal?"

If true, this assertion of corporate power over congressional oversight is chilling... (MetaFilter)

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