testing testing

for Tanya's question, this is the link,

and this is what it links to:

Obamacare - Would You Like a Pony?

Nothing shows how far the United States has fallen from its promise more than healthcare. People in this country literally live or die depending on their class.

The aristocrats get the real ponies, and we get the worthless, pretty simulacrum

Change we can believe in!

Is President Obama Wearing Clothes?

Journalism committed in Britain.

Poor George W. He lost his mojo when he invade Iraq. Everybody knew the war was personal, based on lies and avarice.

W wanted the war so he could prove to Daddy (maybe to Mommy, too) that he was a man.

Cheney wanted the war so he could feed the Beast.

Still, it was an Emperor-has-no-clothes moment because everybody knew the above facts and nobody was willing to say so.

President Obama is in the midst of the clothes-or-no-clothes moment with health care.

Everybody knows the Senate Finance Committee is full of prostitutes.

Everybody knows that single-payer, Medicare for all, is the only just, efficient, beneficial way to provide health care to all citizens.

"Everybody" includes President Obama.

If a strong health care bill does not pass -- one that provides a way to break the hold insurance companies have on health care -- then Obama will have failed the clothes test.

He can say he's fixed health care all he wants. Everybody will know it isn't true. Everybody will know he isn't wearing clothes.

And they'll know it every day. The emperor has no clothes. Obama is all talk. His father's name wasn't Jor-El. And no, we can't.

(Breaking: Obama fails to bring the Olympics to Chicago.)

Eccentric vs Whacked Out

Now that she's no longer wanted in the world that made her a gazillionaire, she's ready for "public service."

I mean really. What further evidence do we need? America (insert air quotes) is so 19th Century.

Pay no attention to the fact Meg Whitman never gave a fkadoodle-do for government till she made her fortune (off the common people) and now she wants the power to keep that money from going to taxes (supporting the infrastructure that created all that wealth she then scooped up).

It's not just her. Arnold. Poizner. Issa -- there are tons of members of the I-got-mine/fk u crowd in there, making laws to cement their dynasties.

I don't fault these jokers for running. My contempt is for the people who vote for them.

How To Fix California's Budget

Knock knock

Who's there?

Employment

Employment wha????

Here is how to fix California's budget deficit, almost immediately and for the long term:

Make it a condition of all state contracts that the labor performed to satisfy said contracts be done in California.

The minimum-wage call center action alone will get some cash circulating in the economy and contributing to the workers compensation/unemployment funds.

Why should our state money be siphoned off by jobs, services, and products out of state?

Nooner Deep Thought

Peggy Noonan has a jar.

It contains Words and Phrases.

She stuffs them in her mouth before a gig, and when the camera light blinks, the Words and Phrases spill out.

I think Peggy Noonan's Words and Phrases are made out of pretzels and coated with waxy pink and white frosting, covered with pastel sprinkles.

Call Them On it

For a list of Republican Senators who are plunging the State of California into the abyss, click here.

For a list of Republican Assemblymembers who are plunging the State of California into the abyss, click here.

Call them, and tell them what you think of their selfish, closed-minded, juvenile, dangerous, and offensive behavior. Then demand that they follow the governor's advice.

Maybe it's time to get rid of the super-majority requirement for a budget. If the people wanted what the minority want, the minority would be in the majority. A super-majority requirement is really a mechanism for ensuring tyranny by the minority.

Northern Lights

Now I'm afraid to see The Golden Compass.

I just finished the book, which I've been meaning to read for years. It blew my mind!

I don't see how any piece of "entertainment" marketed to Americans can possibly be as subversive as this book. I am sure I will be disappointed in the film.

I've moved!

On a learning curve, but temporarily maybe here.

Political Fast

I'm going on a fast from politics for a while. The last several months have taken their toll, and I'm empty. Mentally and spiritually. I'll be playing with my other, inconsequential blog.

D (for Democrat) Day?

From The Comments

(I've always wanted to post that):

Hi Everyone... The video of my interview this weekend with Charlie Brown is posted on my site now. This video is for all his supporters. He points out some last minute advice for all of us.

Here was my letter to BlueAmerica sites about it.

It was 10:30pm Saturday night, sitting at the kitchen table at the house of Brown family friends. The day was non-stop campaigning with Paul Hackett and then a swing by the airport to pick up Charlie's son just in from Iraq by way of Germany. His daughter flew up from Southern California and yet he still took the time to sit down and chat with me. In December his son rotates back to serve his FOURTH TOUR as a combat pilot in Iraq and I was honored to be invited to such a private family gathering.

He is genuine and forthright and sitting and talking with him makes you believe wholeheartedly that there are better days ahead for America. The momentum is completely behind Charlie and people are starting to realize that a vote for him today could save California tens of millions of dollars in a special election when John Doolittle is indicted in the next few months. The ground game here is
strong even though the territory is so large. There are active and outspoken supporters turning out everywhere for Charlie. We need a final push and my last question to Charlie was what people could do in the final 36 hours until the polls close. He is holding no funds back and is still buying radio time and will until the final hour of vote casting. If we can do one more BlueAmerica push, he can borrow against the final total in order to make radio spot buys down to the wire.

Watch Nate's great video interview with Charlie Brown here.

Win or lose, this district will never be the same again. It has been proven to be completely competitive and it will stay that way for a long time to come. Let's save some serious California tax dollars and get Doolittle out now so we don't have to bother with a special election after the whole felony prosecution thing.

Thanks everyone for letting me be BlueAmerica's 'guy-on-the-ground' for the CA-04th. I've made lifelong friends and found a leader I'm eager to keep serving and I'm grateful for the opportunity to make a difference... All the way to the victory celebration!

See the comments in the post below for the links in this story.

Depressing Beyond Belief

See this post to once again experience the contempt our elected leaders have for democracy, the Constitution, in fact the whole idea of the United States of America.

Team Brown 11-04

charlie-jan rally 11-04
Originally uploaded by blogolodeon.

How proud will we be when CA-04 sends Charlie Brown to Congress!

How Are We Going To Feel Next Wednesday?

Reading this, I wonder . . . .

At Last, No Decency

Who Needs to Apologize?

Shame on John Doolittle

As Expected, Doolittle Shrieks

John Doolittle is doing the expected Republican thing: trashing, swiftboating the veteran, Ret. Lt. Col. Charlie Brown, USAF.

For a break from that, see this profile in the Sacramento Bee about Charlie and his wife, Jan.

And click here to see a great ad pushing back against Doolittle's BS.

More Doolittle Lowlights

From the Sacramento Bee:

The most concrete piece of independent evidence that Doolittle was at least looked at by the Justice Department is in the records of the clerk of the House.

A woman named Tonya Walker, describing herself as a "secretary on behalf of work" but identified elsewhere as working for the Justice Department, went to the clerk's office in August 2005 and registered to review financial disclosure reports Doolittle filed for 2002 and 2003.

Walker also looked at records of other House and Senate members who had been linked to Abramoff, including six years of filings for Doolittle's former chief of staff, David Lopez.

Veterans Health Care - Doolittle

Doolittle cares only for Doolittle.

How They Are Screwing You

And not even with a kiss. From TPM Cafe

If the minimum wage had been indexed to CEO's salaries since 1990, it would be would be $23.03.

Oh, yeah, class warfare.

Playing Politics With Lives

Try not to be shocked:

Playing politics with our staffers' lives and security clearances is reckless and compromises the national security mission . . . .

It's time to acknowledge: There is no end, no limit, no place where the Republican Crime Machine is embarrassed to go if it will serve their hold on power.

Power for power's sake.

Don't buy in to the myth of American Virtue. Some so-called Americans are not inherently good. Some don't like the Constitution, don't believe in democracy, don't give a fig newton for equality of access, equality of opportunity (yikes, then they might have to actually work for a living).

They are bullies. They are aristocrats. They are a criminal machine who use power to get what they want because argument and fair play never lead to the things they want. For gawdsakes, middle America, wake the fck up!

GOOGLEBOMBING

Click the name: John Doolittle for the googlebomb effect.

The Name Is All

Consider the story of Rumplestiltskin.




Oh, how the little guy screamed and threw a hissy when his name was exposed! Remember, the name is always significant (if it's a good story). In old mythologies, the way to power over another person is to know that person's name.

The Republican Party is Rumplestiltskin! It's going crazy right now because the world has finally discovered its true name:

Greed
Deceit
Thievery
Slavemonger
Exploiter
Adolescent
Aristocrat
Charlatan
Rumplestiltskin

Wiki Doolittle

Click here for a list of items to easily reference when telling your friends why DJ has to go.

Michael J. Fox

Bleeping George W. Bush

JOHN DOOLITTLE EXPLAINS IT ALL FOR YOU

from YouTube boboze1989

Blue America Campaign Update (CA-04)

Nate On The Campaign Trail.

No, Mr. Doolittle, it is not Outrageous

UPDATE: See the comments for more good info on this.

Kos posts about John Doolittle's support and enabling of a sexual predator -- not in far-away Northern Marianas, but right here in CA-04.

Doolittle has been whining about charges made by the Charlie Brown campaign (among others) that he enabled sex slavery and forced abortions in the Northern Marianas. He says it's outrageous to accuse him of this.

Well, excuse me, Congressman Doolittle, but it is not outrageous to suspect these charges might be true. Since you were willing to testify to the character of your friend who drugged women in his dentist chair and molested them, it's not so outrageous for a person to assume you don't find sexual battery that big a deal. At least, not when your friends do it.

We know through your "relationship" with Jack Abramoff, you considered the people in charge of the Northern Marianas sweatshops to be your friends.

Doolittle's lawyers talking to Justice Department

From The Sacramento Bee:

WASHINGTON - Rep. John Doolittle acknowledged Monday that his lawyer, whom he has paid more than $38,000 in the last two months, is talking with the Justice Department about the congressman's relationship with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

In true Doolittle fashion, he says he's not under investigation -- he's just trying to clear his name.

TPM Muckraker has more.

Doolittle Explains It All For You

[Please see re-tooled explanation above.]

Mercury News Says Dump Doolittle

Here it is from the San Jose Mercury News:

Even gerrymandering can't guarantee the re-election of California Republican Congressmen Richard Pombo and John Doolittle. Many voters have had it with their money-grubbing and their party's influence-peddling. It's about time.

Read the whole thing.

Caption Contest!

Yes, the title of this post is meant ironically. Highly ironically. Should I write Eli Eli lema sabachthani?

What have we done? That's too easy a question to ask.

The right question: What have I done?

Yes, it is the stupid people, the rapturized sheep, the stupid, stupid people who made sure George W. Bush was put into power. But what did I really do to stop them?

Another Reminder to Self: On My List

From Taylor Marsh

It's clear Carville and McCurry had their eyes on something else entirely. With Democrats like Carville and McCurry helping us out on election night we hardly need Karl Rove.

Read her great post.

So Carville and McCurry are on my list. I will never contribute to any politician who hires any of the goons on my list.

Had enough of John Doolittle? Vote Charlie Brown!

very cool

Congressman Doolittle 'tolerated' forced abortions, sex slavery

'Iraq for Sale' bonus scene: Soldiers outsourced to KBR

Doolittle thinks this is a GREAT idea. Vote for Charlie Brown.

Doolittle's Office Doesn't Know

I just called John Doolittle's office to ask if the congressman is still supporting Hastert as Speaker, even though the guy covered up Foley's pedophilia for a year. At first the person said that she didn't believe Hastert knew about it. So when I asked if that meant Doolittle does still support Hastert, she said no, no, she would find out and get back to me.

We'll see.

But what is interesting about this is the fact that she didn't just come out and arrogantly say Doolittle is supporting Hastert, end of story. That's how it would have been before Charlie Brown's increasingly successful-looking challenge.

A Comment On the Torture Bill

Betty Cracker has a good post on the torture bill passed by this ignominious congress.

I told Sherrod Brown I want my donation back. Sherrod Brown voted for torture. I can't stand it that I gave him a contribution. Read this, if you can, from the author of Death and the Maiden.

Charlie Brown vs -- Oh, wait . . .

Doolittle still doesn't show up to defend his sorry arse, but sends reliable Republican hack Doug Ose to lose his battle.

Good interview by KCRA's reporters with video (from the comments -- thanks!). Check it out.