A lot can happen in two weeks

post from Everyday Citizen on 13 February 2008 02:48:08 AM. © Everyday Citizen

Since we last visited, a lot has happened. After chairing Sen. Janis Lee's 36th Senate District[...]

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Wednesday Morning Open Thread

post from AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth on 13 February 2008 02:44:00 AM. © AMERICAblog: A great nation deserves the truth

Good morning.

If you need more evidence of which side is fired up, look at the results from Virginia. 972,633 Democrats voted in Virginia. Compare that to 473,500 Republicans. More than twice as many Democrats went to the polls in a state that is turning bluer by the day. And, Obama received almost 620,000 votes -- almost 150,000 more than all the Republicans combined.

Still struck by how old and angry McCain looked last night -- when he spoke after Obama. Stark difference.

Congrats again to Donna Edwards. Very exciting.

Have at it.

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read_13.html

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Caught On Tape, The video shows Brian Sterner,
32, a quadriplegic man, being dumped out of his wheelchair

post from African American Opinion on 13 February 2008 02:36:00 AM. © African American Opinion

American disgrace

A veteran Florida sheriff's deputy is in hot water after she was caught on video dumping a quadriplegic man out of his wheelchair while he was being booked for a traffic violation/warrant.

video details and more

The video shows Brian Sterner, 32, out of his wheelchair and on the floor while Deputy Charlotte Marshall Jones is booking him into the Hillsborough County Jail, the Web site reported.

Records show Sterner was arrested on charges of fleeing and attempting to elude a law enforcement officer from an incident on Oct. 25.

Jones, who has been with the sheriff's department since 1986, has been suspended without pay, according to the report. Supervisors who were there at the time of the incident have been suspended with pay.

These cops should all be fired!

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-video-shows-brian.html

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SWIFT BOAT VETS, MEET THE SWIFT KIDS And Theyre
Smearing Hillary!!!

post from The Osterley Times on 13 February 2008 02:33:00 AM. © The Osterley Times

This is funny...

video details and more

Tags: Swift Boat Veterans, Hillary Clinton, US election 2008, Swift Kids

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http://the-osterley-times.blogspot.com/2008/02/swift-boat-vets-meet-swift-kids-an
d.html

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McCain, Obama: The Generation Chasm

post from Connecting.the.Dots on 13 February 2008 02:16:00 AM. © Connecting.the.Dots

After years of Bush's would-be and as-if leadership, American voters are choosing authenticity, albeit with a 24-year age gap and a world of difference in personal history and mindset.

Of all the accusations that could, and likely will, be made against John McCain and Barack Obama, the least plausible will involve calculation and deceit.

Last night's victory speeches laid out the broad outlines of their confrontation.

Turning Obama's central theme against him, McCain said, "My hope for our country resides in my faith in the American character, the character which proudly defends the right to think and do for ourselves, but perceives self-interest in accord with a kinship of ideals, which, when called upon, Americans will defend with their very lives.

"To encourage a country with only rhetoric rather than sound and proven ideas that trust in the strength and courage of free people is not a promise of hope. It is a platitude."

Against McCain's message of traditional values, Obama offered a new approach: "This is what change looks like when it happens from the bottom up. And in this election, your voices will be heard.

"Because at a time when so many people are struggling to keep up with soaring costs in a sluggish economy, we know that the status quo in Washington just won't do. Not this time. Not this year. We can't keep playing the same Washington game with the same Washington players and expect a different result--because it's a game that ordinary Americans are losing."

This contest of new vs. old promises to feature civility and positive attitude from both candidates, although there will certainly be Rovian low blows from third-party fringes on both sides.

In stepping up to face each other, both candidates in passing repudiated those on their own side who opposed them.

Obama framed the Democratic outcome as a decision "about whether we choose to play the game, or whether we choose to end it...change that polls well, or change we can believe in. It's the past versus the future. And when I'm the Democratic nominee for President, that will be the choice in November."

On his part, McCain gave an oblique "kiss my grits" to the Religious Right by talking about faith in his supporters, the "American character" and "our country" without the obligatory bow to a Higher Power.

With Obama acknowledging McCain as "an American hero," the '08 contest is definitely looking up.

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http://ajliebling.blogspot.com/2008/02/mccain-obama-generation-chasm.html

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Congressional Black Caucus Needs to be Held
Accountable

post from African American Opinion on 13 February 2008 02:12:00 AM. © African American Opinion

CBC4or5 Rep. Major R. Owens believes members of the Congressional Black Caucus have a grand opportunity to forge pivotal power. More HERE, Yet the reality is, even with their current voting capacity, the Congressional Black Caucus have voted on three bills that have plunged the Congressional Black Caucus to their lowest collective grades yet, according to Black Agenda Report and the watchdog group CBC Monitor? More HERE

As Black Agenda Report notes, For the first time since the CBC Monitor began tracking the voting behavior of Black members of the U.S. House, no member scored higher than 80 percent. The ?tripwire? bills showed great fissures in the Black Caucus on so-called Free Trade, willingness to cave to the Bush administration and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on funding the Iraq war, and on a bill that threatens a witch hunt in search of the sources of domestic ?extremist belief systems? and violence-inciting ?propaganda? on the Internet. Read More HERE

It's great to know that at least in my home state, Al Wynn - Congressional Black Caucus Member Has Been Held Accountable.

Cross posted on Black Accountability Project

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Open Thread for Night Owls & Early Birds

post from Daily Kos on 13 February 2008 02:09:48 AM. © Daily Kos

My 18-year-old niece from Spokane, who voted for president for the first time Saturday in the Washington state caucus, arrived for a visit here in Los Angeles today. As she was watching Senator Obama's victory oration tonight, and nodding her head with each sentence, she said, "He really gives a good speech, doesn't he?"

The cynic in me - the part that's heard a megaton of speeches in 44 years of following politics, the part containing a withering tally of never-delivered promises contained in those speeches, the part that knows about consultants and image shapers and oratorical manipulation, the part which realizes all-too-well that the prettiest words mean zip without action, the part that takes care never to get too optimistic about any politician, the part that recognizes the limits of the two-party system - struggled ferociously to conjure the perfectly targeted deflating reply to this hopeful young woman, and was squelched.

"Yes," I responded. "He sure does."

Days since Misery Accomplished: 1749

Days until Mister Misery departs the White House: 341.

The Overnight News Digest is here.

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http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/234214631/3689

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Miliband hints at UK concerns over Guantanamo
trial

He's choosing his words very carefully, but David Miliband's comments leave no doubt that there is a chasm opening up between Britain and the US concerning the trial of six men at Guantanamo Bay. He politely refers to "some concerns" about what is taking place:

The Foreign Secretary echoed the concerns of human rights groups who are worried that the six, who could face the death penalty, will not get a fair trial from the military tribunal and claim they were tortured at Guantanamo Bay.

One, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, was subjected to "waterboarding" ? which in the UK is defined as torture. Mr Miliband told BBC Radio 2: "There's absolutely no question about the UK Government's commitments in respect of torture, which is illegal, and our definition of what torture is."

In a coded criticism of the US, he said: "I think it's very, very important that we always assert that our system of values is different from those who attacked the US and killed British citizens on September 11, and that's something we'd always want to stand up for."

This is important because the military commission does not allow the use of evidence gained by torture, although the US does not regard waterboarding as torture. Miliband is making very clear that the UK - and the rest of the planet - does not share that view. He then hints that he hoped the Supreme court will rule against Bush:

Asked whether the trial of Mohammed would respect his legal rights, Mr Miliband said: "We have some concerns about that, and there are still some cases in front of the American Supreme Court, because the great thing about America, and countries like ours as well, is that the independent legal system provides a check and a balance on the... legal system itself."

The criticism is mild and coded but, after years of listening to Blair falling over himself to justify Bush's worst excesses, there is something to be welcomed in Brown's government sending signals, however subtle, that it fundamentally disagrees with what is happening over there.

Click title for full article.

Tags: David Miliband, Guantanamo Bay, military commissions, trials, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, waterboarding, torture

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http://the-osterley-times.blogspot.com/2008/02/miliband-hints-at-uk-concerns-over
.html

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Al Wynn - Black Congressman, Member of
Congressional Black Caucus - Held Accountable

Hey Al Wynn
See Yah!

Late Update: With 51% reporting, the Associated Press has projected Donna Edwards the winner over Al Wynn ? and apparently by a landslide. source: Talking Points Memo

Pr. George's attorney leads in early results against eight-term Representyative Wynn in Md.

WaPo reports U.S. Rep. Albert R. Wynn (D) conceded a short time ago after a stunning loss to Prince George's County lawyer Donna F. Edwards. Wynn, who had served in the 4th District for eight terms, had been targeted by an aggressive advertisement campaign, funded in part with hundreds of thousands of dollars from national labor groups and liberal organizations. The effort apparently convinced voters that Wynn had fallen out of step with his overwhelmingly Democratic district during his 15 years in Congress.

AAPP: Maybe its time for Afrospear members to target Congressional Black Caucus members who a just like Wynn and run against them. We need to hold Congressional Black Caucus members accountable who support Hillary Clinton after voters in their district overwhelmingly supported Barack Obama.

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http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AfricanAmericanOpinion/~3/234332207/al-wynn-black-
congressman-member-of.html

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US Papers Wed: Sahwa Movement Showing Cracks

The pressure is growing on the Awakening movement and the Christian Science Monitor provides a good story today on what's happening with that.

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http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/5392

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