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Netroots Nation roll call

post from Daily Kos on 04 July 2009 09:00:15 PM. © Daily Kos

Man, it's almost time! What is it, six weeks? Can't wait. And this year, we're dropping off the kids at my in-laws in New Hampshire first, so no kid duties will intrude. I plan on having a blast.

So who's going?

Reminder: Netroots Nation is in Pittsburgh, August 13-16.

One question -- I'm taking my bike with me. Anyone know of any good loops I can do from the convention center? I'll probably do 40 miles or so every morning.

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call

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JFK - Fourth of July 1962

post from Crooks and Liars on 04 July 2009 09:00:14 PM. © Crooks and Liars

You can view this video right here by getting the latest version of Flash Player! DOWNLOADS: 47
PLAYS: 129

(Pres. Kennedy - The Independence Hall address - July 4, 1962)

The first time a President spoke at Philadelphia's Independence Hall since Woodrow Wilson. July 4, 1962

Have a listen while you're setting up the barbecue and breaking out the Buds.

Stay sane everyone!

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http://newstalgia.crooksandliars.com/gordonskene/jfk-fourth-july-1962

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Take Two

post from Talking Points Memo on 04 July 2009 09:00:00 PM. © Talking Points Memo

Gov. Palin releases a new statement explaining her sudden (which she says was not sudden at all) decision to resign her office little more than half way through her term of office.Palin's attorney, Thomas Van Flein, has also sent out a letter rejecting[...]

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Talking-Points-Memo/~3/fUMBuQr6njA/take_two_3.php

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David Kaib: Independence Day

post from Open Left - Front Page on 04 July 2009 08:20:00 PM. © Open Left - Front Page

David Kaib said something that might seem very small at first. But it's about language, and[...]

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OpenLeft-FrontPage/~3/OH2s6CLCk_Y/independence-day

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Chess, Not Checkers

post from TPMCafe on 04 July 2009 08:14:00 PM. © TPMCafe

The following notes may be found in President Obama's breast pocket.

Opening: Make Hilary Secretary of State (that is, remove the leader of the opposition from New York). Show the Arab and Muslim world--a place where honor matters--an abiding respect. Embrace the Arab League peace initiative of 2002 and frame the Israel-Palestine conflict in regional terms. Set out the long range goal of a Palestinian state, albeit in vague terms, but along with the insistence that settlements cease--code for some variation on the 1967 border. Draw Egypt and Jordan into the mix, implying their participation as forces on the ground. Open a diplomatic channel with, and through, Syria.

Middlegame: Cultivate the Palestinian Authority's new government, providing training to its police forces, while providing the promise of new investments to its business class. Use channel to Syria to bring Hamas into negotiations with the PA. Encourage rejection of Islamist radicalism in Palestine by implying American pragmatism; leave the Iranian regime to discredit itself and, in the process, the democratic pretensions of Hamas and Hezbollah. Challenge Israeli government on settlements' "natural growth" to establish future position on a 1967ish border. Work with Quartet to establish a consolidated front of world opinion and great power fiat; imply complete diplomatic isolation of groups in Israel/Palestine that defy the "peace process."

Attack: Broker a deal, with Egyptian participation, for the return of Gilad Shalit, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and the opening of the Gaza crossings. Visit Russia. Visit Damascus. Prepare the ground to isolate Iran diplomatically. Welcome the creation of a joint Palestinian negotiation team, led by the PA, but including Hamas officials; accept the principle that any deal will be put to a referendum; accept that all groups that agree to abide by a referendum can enter into a dialogue with Washington. Call for renewed, bilateral negotiations between Israel and the PA presided over by George Mitchell.

Endgame. Present American formulations (Clinton parameters, etc,) to resolve the problems of Jerusalem, refugees, and borders; make these public as the negotiations proceed. Announce that the result of the negotiations will be presented to a regional peace conference, including the Saudis and the Syrians. Meanwhile, the latter establish low level diplomatic and commercial contact with Israel under American auspices. In advance of the conference, announce a Syrian-Israeli peace deal based on a demilitarized Golan, returned to Syria, but open to Israeli tourism and including Israeli commercial interests. Rally Europe and the Quartet to Marshall Plan scale investment package for the Palestinians. Provide for a three year plan to isolate the settlers who must be repatriated and compensated. Announce inclusion of Israel in NATO, and sign Israel to nuclear non-proliferation agreement. Prepare speech for Oslo prize ceremony.

Sponsored Topics: Barack Obama - Muslim world - New York - Hamas - Middle East

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Late Afternoon/Early Evening Open Thread

post from Daily Kos on 04 July 2009 08:00:14 PM. © Daily Kos

Coming up on Sunday Kos ...

Next week, Presidents Obama and Medvedev will meet in Moscow to negotiate a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Plutonium Page will discuss the treaty and the role it plays in the complicated path to Global Zero.

Just in time for the holiday weekend, DarkSyde will review some of the amazing spin-offs from gunpowder in a Brief History of Fireworks.

The Republican Party will try to start some July 4th fireworks this weekend with an ad (of questionable accuracy) targeting vulnerable Dems for their vote on the American Clean Energy Act. Steve Singiser looks at the factual issues with the ad, and some of the more curious targets of the NRCC's attacks.

SusanG will take a look at two first-hand accounts of dealing with the housing market: the controversial and ethically challenged book by New York Times finance reporter Edmund Andrews, Busted: Life Inside the Great Mortgage Meltdown, and Gimme Shelter by Mary Beth Williams, a rollicking account from a freelance journalist of a three-year journey trying to buy a home in New York City.

DarkSyde and DevilsTower team up for a foray into the convoluted world of financial markets and unregulated derivatives in "Bids and Bubbles."

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http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/GK3pfP9NXPM/-Late-Afternoon-Early-
Evening-Open-Thread

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Introducing Michael (Bucko) Futreal

post from Sustainable Middle Class on 04 July 2009 07:54:41 PM. © Sustainable Middle Class

Happy Fourth. Enjoy. Michael’s stuff is available here.

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http://blog.sustainablemiddleclass.com/?p=1320

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Celebrating the 4th

Last year, there was a letter to the editor in The Hays (Kansas) Daily News, in which the writer[...]

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http://www.everydaycitizen.com/2009/07/celebrating_the_4th.html

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Obama 'Concerned' About DFHs Attacking Centrist
Dems over Health Care Reform. Gee, I Wonder Why

If the president was more passionately engaged in the fight to achieve the goal (instead of announcing he's rather have something bipartisan than legislation that, you know, actually gets the job done), and Congressional leaders were more focused on actually getting us affordable health care instead of placating the insurance lobby and other members of Congress, this would be a moot point.

But they're not.

And if the Democrats had shown they're actually looking out for us, and not their powerful sponsors, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

What the president doesn't seem to understand is, to us, this is an economic Hurricane Katrina. The water is rising and we're stranded on the roof, praying and waiting for help. Seems to us that you're more interested in looking bipartisan than getting us off the roof. Don't you know how scary it is, watching the water rise? Are you actually telling us to wait on the roof and mind our manners?

Mr. President, will you help us - or the insurance lobby? History has shown that you can't do both.

President Obama, strategizing yesterday with congressional leaders about health-care reform, complained that liberal advocacy groups ought to drop their attacks on Democratic lawmakers and devote their energy to promoting passage of comprehensive legislation.
In a pre-holiday call with half a dozen top House and Senate Democrats, Obama expressed his concern over advertisements and online campaigns targeting moderate Democrats, whom they criticize for not being fully devoted to "true" health-care reform.
"We shouldn't be focusing resources on each other," Obama opined in the call, according to three sources who participated in or listened to the conversation. "We ought to be focused on winning this debate."
Specifically, Obama said he is hoping left-leaning organizations that worked on his behalf in the presidential campaign will now rally support for "advancing legislation" that fulfills his goal of expanding coverage, controlling rising costs and modernizing the health system.

Remember when candidate Obama's campaign was urging big donors and other contributors to give directly to his campaign instead of liberal activist groups? I didn't trust it then, and I don't trust it now. I'm not all that interested in allowing what is far too often a corporatist, right-leaning agenda to go unchecked.

That said, there's a legitimate case to be made that we should focus on positive goals rather than negative attacks. I'm not saying I agree (certainly not in all circumstances), but we could at least have a reasonable discussion about that. (In fact, I just had one the other day from a friend who's working in health care reform, and she said the same thing. But see, I trust her.)

In the call, leaders of both chambers expressed optimism that they will hold floor votes on legislation to overhaul the $2.2 trillion health system before Congress breaks in early August.
For his part, the president vowed to use his strong approval rating with voters to continue making the case for sweeping reform, according to one congressional staffer with knowledge of the conversation. Obama also hinted that efforts are under way to discourage allies from future attacks on Democrats, according to the source, who did not have permission to speak on the record about the discussion.

"Sweeping"? I think that word does not mean what he thinks it means. Because until we sweep greedy insurance companies out of their seats at the right hand of the throne, this will be a reform in name only, just like Massachusetts.

I wonder how they're going to "discourage" us? Cut off our internet access?

Photo by Thomas Neff.

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http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/obama-concerned-about-dfhs-attacking

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A Republic If You Can Keep It

On this Independence Day, let us not just remember those who died that America might have its freedom, but what they died for. The truest respect for sacrifice is not to hold a parade, to speak of gratitude or to say fond words; no, the truest respect[...]

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http://firedoglake.com/2009/07/04/a-republic-if-you-can-keep-it/

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