The Neglect of Infrastructure

post from Kmareka.com on 03 August 2007 07:13:00 AM. © Kmareka.com

When children are neglected, their health and future development are compromised. When infrastructure is neglected, similar problems ensue. While the precise cause of the recently collapsed interstate highway bridge in Minnesota remains unclear, it seems likely that a significant factor was neglected or inadequate maintenance of the aging infrastructure. The New York [...]

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Edwards hits Hillary on NewsCorp connection...but
there's a problem

post from The Liberal Journal on 03 August 2007 07:11:00 AM. © The Liberal Journal

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Science Friday

post from Daily Kos on 03 August 2007 07:04:14 AM. © Daily Kos

As one who loves science, the pure and the practical, I can’t help but mention the YearlyKos Convention 2007 Science Panel this afternoon, starting at 2:30 local time in room 403a & b. But there are some other, terrific science events going on at YKC. Here's a few, starting with a discussion touching on one of the greatest success stories in the blogosphere at 2:30 PM in room 10-d:

From Blogiosphere to Legisphere: This workshop will begin with a discussion of Energize America's voyage from blog discussion to legislative action. Others will discuss their challenges and successes in traveling this route. An open discussion will explore the potential for using the blogosphere to influence policy development.

Bird Flu: The Hope, The Hype and the Science -- With Dr. Greg Dworkin (DemFromCT), Laura Segal, & Dave Ozonoff. Saturday, 9:15 AM, room 101a & b

Forging Links to an Alternative Food Chain -- With Jill Richardson, Kerry Trueman, Marion Nestle, Tom Philpott, & U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey. Saturday, 9:15 AM, room 402a & b

Global Warming Politics -- With Dr. David Roberts, Bill McKibben, Kit Batten, & U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee. Saturday, 10:30 AM, room 105a, b, & c

A gaggle of enthused science bloggers at YKC! From left to right: Sean Carroll, Jennifer Oullette, Tara Smith, Ed Brayton, Katherine Sharpe from ScienceBlogs, and Unstable Isotope. Hat tip Kraant & cotterperson for editing a very stubborn pic!

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SENATE PASSES CHILDREN'S HEALTH CARE BILL WITH A
VETO-PROOF MAJORITY-- BUSH VOWS A VETO ANYWAY

post from DownWithTyranny! on 03 August 2007 06:55:00 AM. © DownWithTyranny!

The GOP alternative to children's health care offered by Miss McConnell (R-KY)
Do Republicans really hate children and old people? No, not their own. And their allies and paymasters at Big Tobacco and Big Pharma and at the HMOs... they all like their own children too. They just don't like everyone else's. Not unlike how they feel about the country's crumbling infrastructure; to be a Republican-- at the core-- means "I've got mine, so screw you." Wednesday the House passed a bill to increase by 6 million the number of impoverished children who will be covered by health insurance. The vote, mostly along party lines, was very close 225-204. Five Republicans joined the Democrats and ten of the most reactionary Democrats-- each a Republican at heart-- voted with their ideological breathern on the other side of the aisle... you know, the David Borens and Jim Marshalls and Heath Shulers. Expect an e-mail momentarily from the DCCC begging you to contribute to them so they can send yoir money to make sure these guys get re-elected.

Last night the Senate took up a similar bill-- and it passed with a veto-proof margin, 68-31. Like the House bill it would raise the tax on tobacco and expand coverage for poor children. It will have to go to a conference becaus ethe Senate bill, a compromise, added $35 billion where the House bill added $50 billion. Bush says he doesn't care which one is sent to him; he's vetoing either.

Every Democrat voted for the bill. Most of the Republicans facing re-election next year, no matter how reliably they have been rubber stamping the entire toxic, hateful Bush agenda for the past 7 years, were too frightened to stick with Bush on this one. The die-hard, most far right of all the reactionaries who don't give a damn what the voters think and stuck with Bush on this anyway are:
John Barrasso (WY)
Saxby Chambliss (GA)
Thad Cochran (MS)
John Cornyn (TX)
Larry Craig (ID)
Elizabeth Dole (NC)
Mike Enzi (WY)
Lindsey Graham (SC)
Chuck Hagel (NE)
Jim Inhofe (OK)
Mitch McConnell (KY)
Jeff Sessions (AL)

I might add that David Diapers Vitter doesn't care about children's diapers as long as he gets his own. The hypocritical Louisiana pervert voted against health care insurance for children.

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Ruling a Breach of Judgment

post from What Happened to My Country? on 03 August 2007 06:25:00 AM. © What Happened to My Country?

Here is the situation.... your neighbor has one of those big, high-walled plastic pools that is in poor repair. During a thunderstorm it overfills causing a tear in a seam, the wall collapses and the water in the pool rushes out flooding your window well, breaking the window and causing extensive water damage in your finished basement.

Insurance covers the damage.... right?

Wrong.

As hurricane Katrina victims found out, "Big Insurers Win Ruling On Katrina Levee Break, Appeals Court Says No to claims Payout."

Overturning an earlier ruling in November that the language of the insurance policies was ambiguous.... the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans yesterday ruled that policyholders of the homes and businesses destroyed after floodwaters breached the levees in the 2005 storm cannot recover damages from their insurance companies.

The appeals court concluded that "even if the plaintiffs can prove that the levees were negligently designed, constructed, or maintained and that the breaches were due to this negligence, the flood exclusions in the plaintiffs' policies unambiguously preclude their recovery."

The levee-breach floods are the unarguable result of the failure of our government to address the inadequacy of the levees.

But, since the policies did not distinguish between act of God floods such as excessive rainfall, and floods caused by acts of man, such as negligence, the insurance companies were allowed to slip through the liability loophole.

So, the Katrina victims lose again.... while our criminally-negligent government and attorney-laden insurers continue on their pay-but-we-won't-play way.

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Iowa tied up

post from MyDD on 03 August 2007 06:05:18 AM. © MyDD

New WaPost Poll out of Iowa (no trendlines): Obama 27 Clinton 26 Edwards 26 Richardson 11 Biden 2 Dodd 1 This poll has a strong sample of young voters that haven't turned out before, but say they will for[...]

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BygBaby AfroSpear Blog Designs New Logo for
AfroSpear Think Tank

post from The Francis L. Holland Blog on 03 August 2007 06:03:00 AM. © The Francis L. Holland Blog

Check out this graphic (above) that BygBaby of the In Pursuit of Perfection AfroSpear blog has designed for the AfroSpear Think Tank. BygBaby says, "There's a great conversation going on over at the AfroSpear [Think Tank] website. It'd be perfect, except we haven't heard from you yet! Stop on by, NOW!"

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Three cheers for leadership!

It is way too early to know if President Bush?s global climate meeting signals a new commitment to reducing America?s greenhouse gas emissions. I?d like to think so, but his track record keeps me a bit pessimistic.

Nevertheless, inviting global leaders to a conference aimed at finding workable solutions to the world?s problems is exactly the kind of leadership that has been sorely lacking in the Bush administration, so maybe something good will come of it.

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GRAND OBSTRUCTIONIST PARTY IS THE ENEMY OUR
EVERYTHING WE LOVE ABOUT AMERICA

A couple nights ago Irwing and I went to a lawn party where a few dozen progressives had come together to talk about how to go forward. I don't watch any TV (except South Park and stuff that winds up on Crooks & Liars) so when Jason Alexander started speaking I had no clue who he was. Irwing was addicted to Seinfeld or West Wing or whatever show he was on, so he filled me in. And here he is again-- this time playing Karl Rove on this awesome video the Campaign For America's Future put together to show people how the Republicans can have lost both Houses of Congress, have about three-quarters of the country opposing their policies and still manage to obstruct everything meant to fix the problems they've created.

On top of obstructing everything, they and their media allies at Hate Talk Radio and Fox are blaming the Democrats for not doing anything about it! "That?s like someone mugging the postman and then complaining that the mail isn?t delivered. The fact is it?s the conservative minority?s own filibusters and vetoes that are systematically killing progress."

The video is funny and amusing-- in a sick kind of way. It exposes how the Republicans-- with assistance from a handful of reactionary fake Democrats-- have marshaled their forces to prolong the occupation of Iraq, thwart stem cell research, block children's health insurance, even ax rest and rehabilitation for our troops.

video details and more

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http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2007/08/grand-obstructionist-party-is-enemy-o
ur.html

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GRAND OBSTRUCTIONIST PARTY IS THE ENEMY OF
EVERYTHING WE LOVE ABOUT AMERICA

A couple nights ago Irwing and I went to a lawn party where a few dozen progressives had come together to talk about how to go forward. I don't watch any TV (except South Park and stuff that winds up on Crooks & Liars) so when Jason Alexander started speaking I had no clue who he was. Irwing was addicted to Seinfeld or West Wing or whatever show he was on, so he filled me in. And here he is again-- this time playing Karl Rove on this awesome video the Campaign For America's Future put together to show people how the Republicans can have lost both Houses of Congress, have about three-quarters of the country opposing their policies and still manage to obstruct everything meant to fix the problems they've created.

On top of obstructing everything, they and their media allies at Hate Talk Radio and Fox are blaming the Democrats for not doing anything about it! "That?s like someone mugging the postman and then complaining that the mail isn?t delivered. The fact is it?s the conservative minority?s own filibusters and vetoes that are systematically killing progress."

The video is funny and amusing-- in a sick kind of way. It exposes how the Republicans-- with assistance from a handful of reactionary fake Democrats-- have marshaled their forces to prolong the occupation of Iraq, thwart stem cell research, block children's health insurance, even ax rest and rehabilitation for our troops.

video details and more

Read The Full Article:
http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2007/08/grand-obstructionist-party-is-enemy-o
ur.html