grassroots is where it's at. i know lots of people would like to reform the democrat party, actually get some kind of progressive policy making going on. but really, you've got the choice between the oligarchs (the republicans) and the politicians (the dems) with all the negative connotations you can tihnk of.
those folks have long since stopped working for us, so the only real option to my mind is for us to start working for ourselves. i'm quite a fan of the greens, and here in vancouver we've got the work less party. these are folks who really believe that citizens are political creatures by definition, and that at the very least the survival of our country depends on participation.
so yeah, let the dems do their duck and cover thing. hopefully, when they look up they'll realize that they don't have any jobs anymore and that there are real progressives in office trying to do the right things.

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...when these Democrats are taking money for the same donors as the Republicans? These are the liberal wing of the Republicrats. These are dinosaurs who are on the way to extinction. It is up to us grassrooters to change this party. We need to infiltrate from the bottom up, and this has begun to happen. Dr. Dean is leading the charge and it is up to us to get behind him and marginalize the Leibermans, Clintons(Hillary), and Bidens of this party. There are plenty of rising stars. Obama, Feingold, Pelosi, Edwards, and even Harry Reid are ones to hook into. The question is one of energizing the party. We seem to be suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome. We were slapped around by Gingrich and his bunch, and now we are feeling stomped by the current gang, who did not beat us by much of a margin at all. We have the opportunity to regain congress this next election unless we let those dinosaurs previously mentioned blow it for us.
And one more thing - John McCain will not be good for this country as president, he will just legitimize the current "conservative(if you call racking up the biggest deficit of all time conservative...)" policies.

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Dean still has balls.

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There's a radio station in San Francisco, KFOG, that used to end its news broadcasts with, "If you don't like th news, go out and make some of your own!"
Every Congressman/woman is up for re-election very soon. The same for 1/3 of the Senate. Get involved in the campaigns and LET THEM KNOW, loudly, how you feel about things.
Posts on left/progressive web-sites are all well and good but it's preaching to the choir. The local grassroots is where the real power derives from. America is waking up from its deep sleep, not just about Iraq. Health care, global warming, declining real wages are on everyone's mind. Get out in your local community and raise some hell! You can best do this by getting involved in the local Congressional camppaigns.
Third parties are not the answer. Let the Bible-bangers do that. Get involved in the party we have and make it ours.
Progressive Democrat Chris Murphy for Congress! Connecticut 5th District

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Mr. Pizzo gives a true picture of the Democratic Party but I think he misunderstands the cause of their lack of leadership. It is not fear of the Republican Party but fear of losing the support of the same corporate elite that finances the campaigns of both parties and bribes our politicians through lobbyists. We are not represented by either party. We are in the same position as were are founding fathers when they shouted, "Taxation without representation is tyranny!". We will not have arepresentative government until we force both parties to represent us. The only differences between the parties should be in their methods to serve the people. Join The Lincoln Initiative, a grassroots movement with no dues, no contributions, no registration, and no hassle. Our agenda is "government of the people, for the people, and by the people". Click on we the people

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Trust me on this one: Every democrat who was dumb enough to give this half-witted fool in the Oval Ofiice the power to wage war without congressional approval doesn't deserve to be renominated let alone re-elected. That includes Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and Joe Leiberman.

Did I hear anyone say, "President Feingold"?

Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
tomdegan@frontiernet.net

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Today in Canada, the official opposition party is the Conservative Party of Canada. Three years ago this party didn't exist. It was formed by the merger of an old party, the Progressive Conservatives, and a new party, the Reform Party of Canada, which was only about 15 years old. The Reform Party was started by a passionate preacher from out west. In a few years after it's inception it had become the official opposition.

The Republicans are evil criminal scum and the Democrats are disgustingly pathetic cowards. The American voter is looking at a choice between a sociopathic bully and his completely dickless sidekick. I say it's time the US does what Canada did: start a new party. You could call it the "Not Completey Screwed Up Party" or NCFUP.

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If you want to know why the entrenched powers in the Democratic Party behave the way they do, all you need to do is look at the WaPo graphic from earlier this week illustrating where Abramoff placed his bets. Two-thirds of his bribes went to Republicans, and about one-third to Democrats. He larded the cupboards of both the Senate and Congressional Campaign Committees of both parties. Harry Reid is high on the list of recipients, along with Patrick Kennedy. Is there any way to believe that every single member of the US Congress is not steeped in this corruption? And Abramoff is only one lobbyist of thousands infesting our capitol.

This is not about policy - it's about raw power. Any citizen who does not get that deserves what he or she gets. And what you're going to get for the forseeable future is more war, more taxes, more crappy jobs, and an ever-widening gap between the rich and the rest of us.

Having taken a step out of the crowd of quislings, I'd like to see Howard Dean and Jack Murtha and Russ Feingold form the new party we need to provide leadership to the millions of Americans who understand what's happened. And the millions of us who see what has happened have to be willing to pay a new, voluntary Democracy Tax - a steady, regular tithe to our new party. We need to step up and pledge NOW, both time and money, whatever it takes. Write to any or all of these three men, and tell them what you're willing to do as a citizen and what you expect them to do. Remember, no pain, no gain citizens!

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The centrist to rightwingers in the Democratic party consistently make it a high priority to go out on a limb and do centrist vs liberal labelling. If a Democrat wins, these people will hype "centrism" and make it look like that Democrat won because he or she was a "centrist". If the Democrat loses, he or she will be mislabelled as being somehow too liberal even when it's obvious that 9 out of 10 Democrats who lose often do so because they ran "centrist" campaigns. The trouble is these "centrist" Democrats who win by fluke imitate the rightwingers by also playing bait-and-switch with the voters. I'm just as pissed off with Democrats who exploit socially liberal backlash from voters in NYC, DC, Chicago, San Francisco, and other urban areas as I am with Republicans who exploit the social conservative backlash from voters in rural America. Would Rahm Emanuel and Joe LIEberman be in office today if they had to run their campaigns in rural areas? I don't think so unless of course they ran as Republicans but that's another issue.

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I have been saying this for years. Pundits always act puzzled when working class folks vote 'against their interests" for Republicans, and can't seem to undersatnd this. The Dems have been owned by the wealthy for decades now and have been so cowed by the Republicans they are scared of their own shadows. They can promise all the health care plans and living wages schemes in the world but we know they will not fight for any of them. They are no longer the party of the working class and don't deserve our vote.

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The establishment of the Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton, the Joes, Biden and Liberman, DLC chair Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack and John Kerry, are as beholding to corporate donors as are crass and fawning Republicans. Clinton, Biden, Liberman and Kerry all represent states the economies of which rely heavily upon the financial industry and defense contractors. Hillary Cllinton serves the interests of Wall Street as much as she serves that of the people of New York. Lieberman protects the interests of his state's defense industry, this is why he fought so hard to save the Groton Submarine Base. Biden's Delaware has the most business friendly incorporation laws in the nation. And Massachusetts is the home to some of the nation's largest financial firms and defense contractors. Vilsack, as yet a minor player on the national stage, is firmly in the hip-pocket of Iowa's wealthiest real estate dealer.

As both establishment parties, Republican and Democrat, are essentially pro-business, they are only distinguishable in the degree of their hatred for the poor. Dempublicans or Republicrats, take your pick. Once you get past the issue of whether or not to give a couple of crumbs to the poor or not, thay are all on the same page.

The options left for progressives of all stripes are to either only support Democratic candidates who are as close to their positions as possible (no more blanket support of the Party) or form a new poltical party.

The last option is let things continue as they are, dissatisfaction mounting, and wait for the inevitable revolution sure to take place in the near future.

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Pizzo, I don't care what the CIA thinks of you, in my mind you are a true American. When those guys were torturing me, I only named you as my contact once - maybe twice; it's hard to remember after the head injury.

Seriously, great article. I agree with everything you said - and then some.

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What a hopeful idea from Canada! Could the USA create a coalition of perhaps Greens and Libertarians? What our eyes and ears tell us now is that the Republicans and Democrats are both acting only for the corporations.
A Green-Libertarian coalition demanded a recount of Bush's 2004 "win" here in New Mexico, especially in minority precincts. Democratic, Hispanic governor Richardson refused, in direct contravention of state law. I was there, could hardly believe my eyes and ears.

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It's been a long time coming but the two front-running parties, the Republicans and Democrats [Republicrats] are parties of the rich and powerful economic forces. We need to build the Labor Party USA and take power from these capitalist parties, i.e. the Democrats and Republicans.

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B the Change U Want 2 C

B One With The Buffalo Party .com Herd, If U Want 2

go de de Buffalo at...

http://www.TheBuffaloParty.com
.

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Sorry to interject this, but something has come up and wouldn't ya know, nobody is reporting the Patriot Act today at Alternet, at least not in the headlines...Murphy's Law, I guess.
Yahoo! News is reporting a clearly right-wing spin on renewing the Patriot Act, and how the House is ready, but the Senate is balking. It is the Democrats fault, of course. Russ Feingold is threatening a filibuster. I hope he succeeds. Check it out here;
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051214/ap_on_go_co/patriot_act

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There is a new party, if you can call four decades "new". It is in 83 countries and the only problem is that the Republicrats use every method in the book, and a few outside the book, to keep Americans from being able to vote for it. It is called the Green Party US.

All Green Parties in the world must subscribe to: grassroots democracy, economic justice, environmental responsibility, and nonviolence. Individual national parties may add as many values to that as they wish. Those are obviously missing from both Republican and Democratic Parties values.

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Is there any way we can print and drop a planeload of this right-on article onto the Capitol Building? We need to find all the gutless "representatives" and let them know their jobs are in jeopardy! In 2000 they blamed Ralph Nader for their own ineptness in blocking an idiot from becoming president. Who did they have to blame in 2004??

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I wonder what the best way is to use the Green Party to advance a progressive agenda. I'm registered Green, but end up voting Democratic more often than not because I'm afraid of a Republican victory. I think it's important to have a real left party to keep the Dems on their toes, but I'm tired of handing power to the Republicans.

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For crying out loud. The Dems have never been a "Peace" or
social justice party. They have always been the hawks and have
always been on the side of business. Reread your history.

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C'mon, Mr. Pizzo; c'mon America: the fact is that both Democrats and Republicans ARE ALL ON THE TAKE!!!

Well, maybe...maybe...not all of them, but the vast majority certainly are, from the real governing body in this country: corporations. Nobody in power in Washington wants to risk losing their rich, bloated, aristocratic lifestyle, largely provided for by corporate largesse, by actually standing up for something that might anger their masters.

Why did we go into Iraq? Because it's good for business! Anti-terrorism requires a clandestine style of warfare: special ops, hit squads, financial disruption, psy-ops, etc. It does not require alot of guns and tanks and planes. What was the military-industrial complex to do? Start a war in Iraq that requires guns and tanks and planes! Without that, the M.I.C. would be out of work. Not to mention all that oil, privatized infrastructure, educated cheap labor (eventually), and agriculture (through genetically-engineered, patented seed stocks) just sitting there for the taking.

I believe that most of our "leaders" have sold out to the highest corporate bidders, and that the sniping by the Dems is just eye- and ear-wash to perpetuate the sham. Our system, in its new, bastardized form, is in big trouble. Maybe a third party could help – IF millions of pissed-off, vocal, politically-active people could be persuaded to join (good luck...). What would also help is if the people of this country could be made to realize just how badly they're being screwed by those they trust – and elect – to protect their interests. (Good luck with that as well.)

"The People" will never win out over corporations until they can lobby as effectively as corporations – and any money (and some of our freedom) that might be available to do that is being confiscated as we speak by the policies of the current administration. All the rest – what passes for Washington politics today – is just another rigged prime-time "reality" show.

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Everything he said was true, but his exit plan left out two crucial elements that are at the heart of why Bush won't leave:

1. The United States renounce claim to any permanent military bases in Iraq, and will only negotiate for them once all of our troops are OUT, so the Iraqis aren't coerced.

2. The restructuring of Iraq's OIL industry, and replacing of Saddam's contracts with the French and American contractors is rescinded and the Iraqis are free to decide who will pump their oil and how to divide the profits.

Iraq can estimate the amount of unmetered oil that has been pumped during the occupation and the US will collect that income from the corporations that stole that oil.

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I think we need to re-vamp the system as is. If only 6% of our population, then I think we need to re-evaluate how we, as a people, educate ourselves about our own government.

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This is a people movement back to what America would be without influence peddlers,wealthy secret dealers and corrupted politicians in it only for the money they can get from their contributers.
What's the name? The People Over Tyrants Party. Or if you need a catchy title, the P.O.T. Party.
When true middle Class is about $200,000/yr,if you live in a major city,have three kids,two cars and a mortgage, more debt than you van carry,something's wrong. If you're one of the many that live on$50,000/yr, have 1 child,a p.o.s. car,
rent, and have to think about how much of the utilities you can pay and still by food,gas,and asswipe,live in a town of
>100,000,you're not middle class either. You're mid-level low-income. Something's wrong.
We are under the rule of tyranny. The tyranny of an out of touch Govt that's more willing to start a war for oil than take care of it's People. The tyranny of compound intrest rates that 'legally' steal the money out of your pockets by merely having an account. The tyranny of taxation on the people to make up for Ins. Company payouts to VICTIMS of 9/11,Katrina and Rita. Folks paid premiums to get that coverage,it's illegal to tax the people for an Ins. company doing it's responsibility. It's also illegal to be forced under the tyranny of paying tax for a sports arena,stadium,or a preforming Arts Center.
How about the tyranny of being told your utility bill will go up 20-35% and the reality is,it's up 100% from last year.
The People Over Tyrants Party may be fledgling,it may be the only internet Party,it may be the only party that owse it's alliance to the people,it may also be the only party that won't cost money to be in. But the name clearly,concisely,says it all.We are People Over Tyrants. Do you want your full Liberty back? Are you ready for Freedom on a major scale? Do you think the Wealthy get far too many breaks and should pay their share of the taxes? Do you think working in Peace is better than war? Do you want to see Social Security, Healthcare and environmental cleanup in off-budget always funded programs? Then join the party!What's it take to get in?
If you're fed up with the things I've just outlined, you're already a member. To get ahold of others in your area, start talking to your neighbors,friends and family. If there's 5 of you in your area,there's thousands in your state.
Throw a P.O.T. Party for Peace and Justice. Be Free!!!

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Steve....great artical...right on the money....if only the major news media would run this artical! We need a way to unite!We need a way to come together...and CHANGE..the direction this country is heading. CHANGE IT! Change how politics are
played. Anyhow....when we figure how to do this...sign me up!
I`ll be the "flag bearer" and take the first bullet for our cause!! The true.....American People!!

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Those corrupt bastards don't represent me...

Once again, we see a systemic failing of Progressives, who just cannot seem to break from identifying with the Democratic Party, who hasn't represented their interests in over 40 years.

How much LONGER will it take to WAKE UP?

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No need for opposition to watch the republican party implode. Who needs enemies when you have people like DeLay, Cheney, and Rove on your team? Just wait until all that "Group W" fake business defense contracting scheme is brought to light. The entire party will go down in flames, taking America with it no doubt.

It's actually better that the democrats shut their mouth right now. Better to NOT give the republicans a means of diverting attention from the republican crimes and treason going on. Let the republicans know that they bought this no-win Iraq war and they committed the crimes and they are all alone. Just as they will be when they are rotting in prison.

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As a mostly libertarian who votes republican for fiscal reasons, there are many on the right who are just as dissappointed. Bush has outspent Clinton as a "conservative". I will wait and see about real tax/social security reform, but I have my doubts.

The big problem is that we have two dominant parties that are basically the same. Instead of a contitutional republic with legitimate representation, we have corporatism where anyone who spends more than one term is owned by one or more special interest groups. I just wish they would be honest about it. It would great if they wore patches of their sponsors like those race car drivers.

Anyway, until alternative parties like Green, Constitional, Libertarian, Labor, etc. gain power, we will be stuck in this Hegalian Dialectic.

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Being a grassroots democrat has one major drawback: Grassroots or not, you're still a Democrat.

So, i propose a new party. Call it the People Party, and the slogan could be as American as everything else we've co-opted: We The People.

"We The People of the United States, in order to save the lives of our sons and daughters, hereby rise as one and challenge President Bush for the Presidency of the United States."

Advertising dollars can then stop being funneled to useless Dems in power and be used to represent what we *really* want instead of what those we elect want.

Too idealistic? Too good an idea to work? Probably. But no one can say that you ran away like they did.

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Maybe? Are you kidding, we have no choice! The Republicans and Democrats are merging as capitalism consolidates its control over the whole system.

Stop deluding the American people that there will be any more real elections in this country. The mass media and electoral machinery and both major political parties are now fully under the control of those in power. Elections that matter are a quaint feature of America’s past. As long as George Bush remains a useful idiot of the ruling clique his approval rating could drop to zero and he will sleep in the White House. At the same time Bush is expendable in the blink of an eye if it suits his masters. He will be replaced by another fake everyman, a new actor, a man better able to read the script and parrot the talking points. The men in charge of this country will only release their grip on us when their hearts are stopped or they are confined to prisons by a powerful armed force capable of overcoming their hired killers.

We must enlist people and accept the leadership of people in a new insurgent political movement without regard to race or nationality. Unbeknownst to most oppressed white workers in this country, unity with his/her African-American, Hispanic and immigrant counterparts is the only hope of salvation. Racism and xenophobia and every other tactic of division have been the lifeblood of capitalism with good reason. Our unity is the only potentially deadly threat to this system. White supremacy, Black-nationalism, religious fundamentalism, sexism, homophobia, and all the crackpot schemes and nihilistic cults of the bourgeoisie, like al-Qaeda, are dead ends for all of us.

Those few living high off the hog in capitalist America long ago declared war on the rest of us. So far in that war we have been doing all the starving and the drowning and the dying. It's time to make it a fair fight and call out our true enemies. Rupert Murdoch and George Soros and Warren Buffet and Bill and Melinda Gates and the Walton family and all the other who appear on Fortune magazine’s annual list, the Sultan of Bahrain and the House of Saud, the oligarchs everywhere must face the consequences of their gluttony.

Our children are being murdered from Darfur to the Sunni Triangle to New Orleans today and many more will die tomorrow but don’t mourn. Organize!

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Bravo for Mr. Pizzo's article "RETREAT FIRST Democrats." I recently purchased a copy of Mr. Pizzo's book "Inside Job- The Looting of America's S&L" because I realized that Republicans are ONCE AGAIN DOING to America what they did in the '80s - get us chump taxpayers to HAND OVER BILLIONS to their cronies and donors.

Speaking of, "WHEW!" I just spent from 8am to 2:30 pm writing a compilation of Democrat's RETREAT ISSUES, and blew past the Alternet 2,500 word limit even on 4th and 5th edits! WHERE to start?

#1. the Sen. Patty Murray Amendment to SUPPORT THE TROOPS. This amendment $2.7 B to fund Veteran's rehab and medical for returning Iraq war vets - was SHOT DOWN on STRAIGHT PARTY LINE VOTE by Repugs. STUPID DEM 'leaders" are CLUELESS to make this a FIGHTING ISSUE. NOT making it a fighting issue GIVES the evil Repubs the "Moral Values" HIGH GROUND- they can portray Dems as being AGAINST THE TROOPS (for not supporting the war) even though THEY are the ***-****s who DON'T SUPPORT THE TROOPS! Dem. leadership should be FLOGGED for this INCOMPETENT, NEGLIGENT, DERELICTION IN DUTY apathy.

#2. Katrina/New Orleans. Every soldier, general, or even armchair warrior knows you can win the battle, and loose the war. We US taxpayers are spending BILLIONS on Katrina clean-up - WITH NO OVERALL PLAN to make NO safe and secure. As Sen. Landrieu (D-LA) said on radio yesterday, AMSTERDAM is below sea-level- the Dutch and Europeans haven't GIVEN UP on AMSTERDAM! Dems should be SPEAKING IN ONE VOICE: Demand a CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION of FEMA's KATRINAL CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE, and demand a COMPREHENSIVE PLAN to restore Mississippi River wetlands and NO dykes.

A new article by Semour Hersh in the New Yorker says that Bush is becoming increasingly ISOLATED from staff and advisors, as he prays to be seen as the leader who delivered "democracy" to Iraq. (He is actually aiding the Shiite theocrats to crush the Sunnis whom his father supported for 20 years.) Democrats, TELL BUSH TO GET OUT OF HIS WH prayer-chapel, and GO LEAD THE REBUILDING OF NEW ORLEANS!

#3. Diebold- Disenfranchisement of American voters. Democrats SIT ON THEIR HANDS, as a class-action lawsuit alleges CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY by Diebold's (until yesterday) CEO, Wally O'Dell.

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Bravo for Mr. Pizzo's article "RETREAT FIRST Democrats." I recently purchased a copy of Mr. Pizzo's book "Inside Job- The Looting of America's S&L" because I realized that Republicans are ONCE AGAIN DOING to America what they did in the '80s - get us chump taxpayers to HAND OVER BILLIONS to their cronies and donors.

Speaking of, "WHEW!" I just spent from 8am to 2:30 pm writing a compilation of Democrat's RETREAT ISSUES, and blew past the Alternet 2,500 word limit even on 4th and 5th edits! WHERE to start?

#1. the Sen. Patty Murray Amendment to SUPPORT THE TROOPS. This amendment $2.7 B to fund Veteran's rehab and medical for returning Iraq war vets - was SHOT DOWN on STRAIGHT PARTY LINE VOTE by Repugs. STUPID DEM 'leaders" are CLUELESS to make this a FIGHTING ISSUE. NOT making it a fighting issue GIVES the evil Repubs the "Moral Values" HIGH GROUND- they can portray Dems as being AGAINST THE TROOPS (for not supporting the war) even though THEY are the ***-****s who DON'T SUPPORT THE TROOPS! Dem. leadership should be FLOGGED for this INCOMPETENT, NEGLIGENT, DERELICTION IN DUTY apathy.

#2. Katrina/New Orleans. Every soldier, general, or even armchair warrior knows you can win the battle, and loose the war. We US taxpayers are spending BILLIONS on Katrina clean-up - WITH NO OVERALL PLAN to make NO safe and secure. As Sen. Landrieu (D-LA) said on radio yesterday, AMSTERDAM is below sea-level- the Dutch and Europeans haven't GIVEN UP on AMSTERDAM! Dems should be SPEAKING IN ONE VOICE: Demand a CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION of FEMA's KATRINAL CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE, and demand a COMPREHENSIVE PLAN to restore Mississippi River wetlands and NO dykes.

A new article by Semour Hersh in the New Yorker says that Bush is becoming increasingly ISOLATED from staff and advisors, as he prays to be seen as the leader who delivered "democracy" to Iraq. (He is actually aiding the Shiite theocrats to crush the Sunnis whom his father supported for 20 years.) Democrats, TELL BUSH TO GET OUT OF HIS WH prayer-chapel, and GO LEAD THE REBUILDING OF NEW ORLEANS!

#3. Diebold- Disenfranchisement of American voters. Democrats SIT ON THEIR HANDS, as a class-action lawsuit alleges CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY by Diebold's (until yesterday) CEO, Wally O'Dell.

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There is an alternative!

www.WinWithBill.com

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A great solution...one year and we are out. The terrorist murderers leave a wake up call for 01/01/2007 and it once again open season on Shiites, Kurds and anyone who opposes a corruption of the faith of Islam. Murderers win again. Smoked too much dope in the 60's Mr. Pizzo?

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Mentioning DIEBOLD brings us to John Kerry's awful campaign in 2004. It was so awful that a Washington Post cartoonist depicted Kerry and Edwards as "Rip Van Winkle", ASLEEP through the whole campaign season. Sure, John Kerry "won" the debate points - but he LOST the debate battle! Kerry stood their like a deer caught in headlights - like a PUNCHING BAG! - as President Bush said on national TV "My opponent is a FLIP FLOPPER." Kerry was either a.) too stupid, or b.) too corrupted (dedicated to throwing the election) to comeback with the OBVIOUS REPLY: "My opponent, president Bush, pedged to get Osama bin Laden 'DEAD OR ALIVE' after the 9-11 attacks, and then at at 2003 Oct. White House press conference, Mr. Bush said "I'm NOT THAT CONCERNED ABOUT bin Laden any more." Not only is Mr. Bush a FLIP-FLOPPER, but he is an INCOMPETENT COMMANDER IN CHIEF, who LET America's MOST DANGEROUS ENEMY ESCAPE at Tora Bora, handing the job of capturing Ossama to America's Afghan mercenaries, because Mr. Bush was already then hoarding troops to start the Iraq war."

Move-on.org produced a video of Bush's video-tapped comments. The Kerry campaign REFUSED TO USE THIS ELECTION SMASHING ad showing Mr. Bush LYING IN HIS OWN WORDS, thereby HANDING not only election 2004 to Mr. Bush, but also his reputation-facade as "doing what he says" "straight shooter" as well!!!
This short discussion of Kerry's abysmal 2004 campaign barely has space to mention the "SWIFT BOATING" of not just Mr. Kerry, but the media who looked into Mr. Bush's AWOL record as well. Leave it to the Democratic WIMPS to make Mr. Bush's drunken, AWOL, did-not-report-for-duty record look more flattering than John Kerry's combat tour in Vietnam, complete with "Purple Heart" WIA medals. The Swiift Boat veterans smeared Mr. Kerry's Vietnam service record, allowing other Republicans to concentrate on Kerry's Vietnam war opposition. Mr. Kerry should have been prepared for both. In sum, his preparation totatalled getting some of his gun-boat compatriots to vouch for his prowness and virtues. It was enough to win Kerry the Iowa primaries, but Kerry never even tried to counter the Swift Boat smear squad, much less successfully.

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#5. Democrats REFUSED, REFUSED, REFUSED to make ENRON an issue, sitting on their hands as the Enron meltdown defrauded workers, pensioners, taxpayers, and investors alike of billions of dollars, then the Democrats REPEATED their apathy as remnants of the Enron empire DEFRAUDED California rate-payers of billions more dollars through RIGGED bidding systems and coordinated power-plant shutdowns!

The Enron debacle shows what happens to clueless Democrats when they ENABLE (by apathy/inertia/incompetence/complicity) Republican-corporate CORRUPTION. To begin with, California Governor was served up as TOAST to California voters, who tossed him out of office mere months after reelecting him! Over in the US Senate, Senators Daschle and Lieberman were the two Democratic Party bosses most responsible for throwing a WET BLANKET on making ENRON CORRUPTION an issue for the Democrats in the 2002 midterm (Congressional) elections, an issue which would NEGATE the Republican mantra of "MORAL VALUES!" by defining the Republicans as the PARTY OF ENRON CORRUPTION.

Senator Daschle's "be nice" wimpishness NEGATED Senator Jim Jeffords (Vt.) courageous DEFECTION from the Republican Party, which handed the Sen. Majority Leader job BACK to Daschle in the first place! (And the chair of the Senate Government Affairs Committee to Senator Lieberman.) Senator Lieberman WHITEWASHED the ENRON CONNECTION to Texas Governor-, Presidential candidate-, and President George W. Bush. (Here's an official senate release that illustrates Lieberman's WHITEWASH. The title alone gives the whitewash away; by muddying the water, Lieberman minimizes both CRIMINAL CONDUCT, and the Enron CONNECTIONS to the Bush-Republican party. "The Role of Financial Institutions in Enron's Collapse." http://www.senate.gov/~gov_affairs/073002lieberman.htm)
For his serial wimpishness/go-along/don't put up a fight/ Senator Daschle not only LOST the Senate Dem. majority (again, UNDOING Senator Jeffords' courageous switch), but even lost HIS OWN SENATE SEAT in South Dakota- a small state where he (as the powerful Sen. Majority Leader) had brought BILLIONS of dollars are federal "PORK" spending home to his less-than one million constituents! Fortunately, the Democrats are no longer burdened by the ROLL OVER, RETREAT FIRST 'leadership' of Daschle in the Senate, or Gray Davis as Repub. punching bag in California, but the Democrats are still with Lieberman.

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B R A V O!!!!!!!!

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Every single person who speaks out against Dean and Murtha and those trying to make sense of Iraq are DLCers. Nothing will change until the DLC is strangled to death.

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>Republican thugs also attacked Dean for saying that U.S. troops were "terrorizing Iraqi women and children in their own homes." <

It wasn't Dean, it was Kerry.

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It seems clear to me that it is not cowardous that keeps many Democrats from standing up against the war, it's that MANY DEMOCRATS SUPPORT THE WAR and they want to continue to dictate to other nations how they should run their countries.

Democrats have a time honored tradition of saying, "We will have a New Deal at home" (Roosevelt), a "Fair Deal", Truman a "Great Society" (Johnson) while abusing their power overseas in ill conceived interventions such as Korea, Japan and Cuba among others. Why should we ever think Democrats could take leadership on the issues of US intervention and Imperialism? Democrats are New Money Imperialists. Try Green, Socialist, Peace and Freedom and even Libertarian parties if you want an anti-intervention government. We can also support candidates that support troop withdrawal and avoid the Hillary for President call by the DNC.

Peace,
Tex Shelters

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It's not just Hillary. Look beneath Pelosi's rhetoric to see that she has voted in favor of all the war funding. Voting for war funding is voting for bombs flattening apartment buildings, depleted uranium munitions, and napalm. The propaganda about reconstruction is convincing for a child but not for a thinking adult. Speeches are fine for testing the waters, but what counts is the vote when the funding resolution comes. No money, no war.

Adam Schiff (D-CA) also voted for funding the killing spree. I called his office and emailed and laid it on them repeatedly for that. However, he is still far better than his Republican predecessors in the district, Jim "do-nothing-besides-harass-Clinton" Rogan and Carlos "Savings-and-Loan-scandal-leader" Moorehead. They all are pro-war, but at least Schiff is also pro-choice and pro-environment.

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Hell, yes! That's why I'm not Democrat--they've become Republican-Lite. Nader had it right when he characterized both parties as indistinguishable, as "Republicrats." We need a progressive party--one that can win. I love the Green Party, and am currently registered as a Green voter, but they've got issues, too--most important of which is that they have zero resonance with the public. Maybe Dean should start his own party, Murtha can join, and we can start Democracy anew.

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I'm ready for a fight, too.

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Sadly, the current crop of this party's leaders, with very few exceptions, HAS NO BALLS! Where are the standard bearers and torch bearers in this party that gave us FDR, JFK, RFK, the New Deal, and the Great Society? When Bush, Rush, et al say jump, JoeLieb, Biden, and others ask "how high" for fear as somehow being unpatrioitic and unAmerican if they should even question much less challenge the Bushies on any policy, foreign or domestic..Dems need to grow a pair, find some backbone, or this country will become a facist police state along the lines of Nazi Germany(the Patriot Act is moving us this way already). Remember the words of Rev. Niemoller(when they came for the jews, I did not speak up because I was not a jew- when they came for the social democrats, I did not speak up, because I was not a social democrat-etc, when they came for me, there was no one left to speak up).

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Nicely done! If only the offenders would take the time to read your heartfelt concerns, that so much reflect the concerns of their constituents. I can only wonder what this Bushian Administration and Republican party at large have on these weak-kneed Democrats, that for the most part keeps them silent and retreating. Why have they renigged on so many of their promises and comitments? As I understand it, we are in a declared war; a war they clearly authorized. If so, what is so different about their behaviors, than that of a soldier abandoning his/her post? They should be held accountable, as would an offending soldier?.

Again, thanks for sharing your heartfelt thoughts.

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Wow, I'm amazed that there is so much resentment (hate)for both
political parties here. Please take time to consider this,
as a republican I agree there needs to be change,
However pulling out of Iraq on schedule brings back memories of our withdrawal from SE Asia.
If I could go over a couple of things
1: ANY man who rises to potus I would never consider a fool.
2: Talking about why or how we got into Iraq is a waste of breath. We are there, it is war, and that is all that matters.
3. We Must win.
4. George w. Bush will not be on the ballot in 08, Move on.
5. Democrats please, please stand up and tell us what you stand for. we republicans don't know, and Stick to it.

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Pizzo has it right. I've quit talking. These dinos are proof against entreties because they feel secure in their incumbancy. However, they do have an achilles heel, and that is the PRIMARIES . If any "FEISTY DEMOCRAT" runs against that carpet bagger, Hillary Clinton, in the coming NY primary, I will vote for him or her. If Hillary is nominated and runs for a return to the Senate. I will write in a vote for Lady Macbeth. Such a protest vote would come late to save our country, but enough of them would have more effect than abstention.
Revolution begins at home, and that is in the Democratic primaries by groups of "FEISTY DEMOCRATS" arising nation-wide!!!!!
Unfortunately, I'm 79 years old and living in Switzerland, but I'll back "FEISTY DEMOCRAT" groups any way I can.

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I just read through all the posts here (though not all the replies) and it seems like almost everyone gets it: the problem with Dems is not that they lack courage, it's that they're beholden to the same corporate interests as the Repugs. Whether in the statehouse or the big one in DC, a citizen wanting something from his/her representatives is in essentially the same position, if you'll excuse my vulgar analogy, as a flat-broke, horny man standing in a whorehouse. With no cash, we're just not going to get any action there... because, as in a whorehouse, they're all expecting to be paid for their favors.
The problem is not individual reps or even the two parties. It's the system that guarantees this result. Even if we somehow got a legitimate third party in place, ir would be just a matter of time until it was as corrupt as Thing One and Thing Two. We must have campaign finance reform if we want to change the system. But who's gonna bell the cat? To get campaign finance reform requires a change in laws. To get that, you need the existing Congress and statehouse reps to vote for it. Every one of them got there under the current system--the only way they'd vote for change (which would help challengers against incumbents) is by creating a massive grassroots pressure campaign, so that it would cost them their seats to vote No. Now how do you generate that kind of pressure without using the mainstream media--which gets more money from campaign ads than anything else? which is now so seamlessly joined with the other two components of the corporate/government/media complex that there is no longer daylight between the three? Is it better to try to get in with a third party or to somehow reform the Dems? Hard to say--seems like our enemies have all the exits covered.
With Peak Oil looming, along with global warming and other environmental crises, we desperately need real, farsighted, courageous leadership. Instead we have leadership so bad it's hard to credit that it could be real (how could anyone simultaneously be as inept and as destructive as the Bush Administration? How could anyone always do the worst possible thing, on EVERY issue?) And no alternative in sight.
Yet...

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Like Murtha said, the American people are way ahead of the pols on this one. It's amazing, you'd think the Republicans' policies were working as cautious as Dems were to challenge them. And you wonder why this country is going down the toilet..

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1. Potus not a fool ? Would you accept "moron" ?

2.It isn't a war, it's an illegal occupation.

3. Win ? We're not going to win anything.

4. No, George will be in a penitentiary.

5. Dems won't stand up for anything, they're in it up to their ears.

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In 2004 convention, 90% of delegates were anti war. Hillary, Kerry, Edwards are too scared. It would take the same 90% of the real democrats to find who speak for them. We are poweful but we caved in with Kerry (remember Dean, Kuccinich) . It is not impossible. Republicans may win the misinformed "Christians" again. But I am not voting for somebody who has no spine. The Corps and defense (War) industry is behind this. They misinformed the public and stood by singing patriotic songs and waving flags until they got us deep in doodoo.

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For every Republican propaganda ATROCITY, the Democrats COULD BAND TOGETHER and demand public support and media coverage. This the Democrats REFUSE to do....

On heels of MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR TAX CUTS for the hyper-wealthy, Bush-GOP SLASHES research and education funding, while kerry-dlc Dems COWER in their georgetown cocktail-circuit rat-holes.....


Congress Cuts Research, Education Spending
By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer
Wed Dec 14, 9:26 PM ET
http://news.yahoo.com

WASHINGTON - Congressional Republicans made progress on twin tracks Wednesday toward their end-of-year budget goals, passing a bill freezing or cutting back spending on medical research and education and nearing agreement on cuts to the Medicaid health care program for the poor.
The first measure, a $602 billion bill funding a wide variety of health, education and labor programs, passed the House on a 215-213 vote. It would cut federal aid to education for the first time in a decade, and spread about $1.4 billion in cuts across the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.
_______

Ernest Partridge: 'Dear Howard Dean: Why bother?
to:
DNC Chairman
Dear Dr. Dean,

Republicans build the voting machines, Republicans write the secret software, Republicans count and compile the totals. The Republican machines allow no auditing of the vote totals they report. So Republicans have the ability to "win" elections, regardless of the will of the voters.  There is compelling evidence that they have done just that.
And so, if nothing is done to end the privatization of our elections and to introduce reliable verification, the Republicans will "win" again in November 2006 and then in 2008. Today, eleven months before the mid-term election, the outcome is fore-ordained - as certain as Soviet elections under Stalin, and Iraqi elections under Saddam. For, as Stalin said, "Those who cast the votes decide nothing, those who count the votes decide everything."
___________________________

Kerry WON the most voter's votes in Ohio, Iowa, New Mexico, and Nevada in 2004 (and thereby the US presidency); he prefers cowering in silence (basking in the Georgetown/Boston cocktail circuit) to ensuring that American voter's votes are counted fairly...
http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2005/1556

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Look, we are all hollerin about the Democrats and their hypocrisy - the entire system is based on hypocrisy because the men and women who FINANCE the elections... that means the men and women who give the BIG BUCKS -- they are the ones our legislators serve.

Elected officials pretend to represent all of us - they DON"T>

they follow the money... and the MONEY is from Israeli supporters.

I have suggested this hijacking of an entire government by a foreign nation is TREASON.... again... nobody wants to say it out loud ... but it is treason.

Dual loyalty Americans [and that's not just Jews] -- Christian evangelicals and Jews control the congress and the president with MONEY...

the rest of us?

We simply don't matter. Jefferson would be apoplectic. The United States of America is now under the command of a foreign nation.

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And now I have to hear from anti-Semites? Jesus fucking christ. I regret ever wearing the uniform of this country.

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99% [no exaggeration] of all House incumbents who run for re-election are re-elected. That's because old-fashioned gerrymandering of districts is now married to computerization. We used to laugh at those old Soviet elections because we knew everything was preordained and the elections were just theater. No one seems to notice that we are now heirs to the Soviet election system. The Dems and Reps make themselves safe seats, make briber legal [often called campaign contributions, but there are many, many bribery scams] and split the loot.

And you expect these people to stand up and care about issues? They care about the collection plate. This country has already been sold. Bush is just more blatant than the others, busy taking from everyone else to give to the super-rich. The people who founded this country would never stand for this crap. We have become a nation of sheep, lulled by video games and other nauseating news-tainment from the giant, multinational corporations that bought the government.

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All political parties today bow and scrape to corporate and special interest groups that use money to control our government. Those folks WE THE PEOPLE elected do not represent us or feel obligated to speak for us in Congress. We are just performing the acts of a fake democracy.

We need to not just organize a new progressive party, we need to reach out to as many fellow citizens as we can REGARDLESS of their present political convictions. It is truly time for all of us to come together to save this great nation. IF we do it right then we can dispute out differences through our elected representatives in the state and national legislatures as our Constitution intended.

Remember civil liberty is not a free ride. It must be earned and protected. We need to stop complaining and start acting, NOW.

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I'll join a new party that vows to sever all ties to the military-industrial complex, the oil&gas-foreign policy complex, the banking-insurance complex, the corporate media-academia complex, the mining-timber-agribusiness complex, the pharmaceutical-medical complex, the PR-Madison Avenue complex.......

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