A Freethinker's Paradise

A Quarter of my Life Under Bush

And all of it under Conservative Ascendency in the US.  That finally may be over. But I doubt it.  Why?

Because America hasn't learned its lesson vis a vis religion.

Until America realizes that religion (as it is utilized by Conservatives to try and rule people without reason) is quite harmful, we're in for a long ride.

We'll see where the netroots goes.  Hopefully up and it will have an impact on the country.  Hopefully it will be many years until its now nascent ideology is spent and used up like a magazine of bullets.

Democrats win the HOUSE!

Ok, so most of you already know that.  But I still find it amazing how bad the Republicans imploded.  I apologize for not posting, but comp. orals are in 10 days now, so time is tight.  Hope everyone is well!

The Democrats take the HOUSE!  Although that asshole Joe Lieberman is still in the Senate.  At least Rumsfeld resigned.

Bad Republicans

Here is a list:

--AZ-Sen: Jon Kyl
--AZ-01: Rick Renzi
--AZ-05: J.D. Hayworth
--CA-04: John Doolittle
--CA-11: Richard Pombo
--CA-50: Brian Bilbray
--CO-04: Marilyn Musgrave
--CO-05: Doug Lamborn
--CO-07: Rick O'Donnell
--CT-04: Christopher Shays
--FL-13: Vernon Buchanan
--FL-16: Joe Negron
--FL-22: Clay Shaw
--ID-01: Bill Sali
--IL-06: Peter Roskam
--IL-10: Mark Kirk
--IL-14: Dennis Hastert
--IN-02: Chris Chocola
--IN-08: John Hostettler
--IA-01: Mike Whalen
--KS-02: Jim Ryun
--KY-03: Anne Northup
--KY-04: Geoff Davis
--MD-Sen: Michael Steele
--MN-01: Gil Gutknecht
--MN-06: Michele Bachmann
--MO-Sen: Jim Talent
--MT-Sen: Conrad Burns
--NV-03: Jon Porter
--NH-02: Charlie Bass
--NJ-07: Mike Ferguson
--NM-01: Heather Wilson
--NY-03: Peter King
--NY-20: John Sweeney
--NY-26: Tom Reynolds
--NY-29: Randy Kuhl
--NC-08: Robin Hayes
--NC-11: Charles Taylor
--OH-01: Steve Chabot
--OH-02: Jean Schmidt
--OH-15: Deborah Pryce
--OH-18: Joy Padgett
--PA-04: Melissa Hart
--PA-07: Curt Weldon
--PA-08: Mike Fitzpatrick
--PA-10: Don Sherwood
--RI-Sen: Lincoln Chafee
--TN-Sen: Bob Corker
--VA-Sen: George Allen
--VA-10: Frank Wolf
--WA-Sen: Mike McGavick
--WA-08: Dave Reichert

So there you go.  Go Dems Go!

The Republicans may not control everything

for the first time in my life, come Nov. 7th:

The White House is bracing for guerrilla warfare on the homefront politically if Republicans lose control of the House, the Senate or both — and with it, the president's ability to shape and dominate the national agenda.

Aw, sad Repubwicans....

Lieberman is already calling for an end to the partisanship if the Dems win.  I say the Republicans shouldn't have started hyper-partisanship if they didn't want to get burnt with it when it turned against them.

Donald Rumsfeld is a Genius

Check out this gem:

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Tuesday the U.S. military is too strong to lose the war in
Iraq, but ultimately political solutions will be needed to win.


"You've got a situation where it's not possible to lose militarily," Rumsfeld said. "It's also going to require more than military power to prevail."

Rumsfeld, in comments to reporters at the
Pentagon, said U.S. training of security forces in Iraq had been "rushed" but that placing U.S. trainers within the Iraqi police force would gradually boost Iraq's ability to reduce violence on its own.

What?  I suppose they have a definition of losing, but not of winning?  It would seem like the two go together.

Lieberman continually amazes

With each thing he does odder than the next...
The guy says he's a Democrat (but he's actually a CFL now), but he won't say the Dems should win the house back?  What?

Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, a lifelong Democrat and student of politics, blanked when asked if America would be better off with his party regaining control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

A Democratic victory would immeasurably boost the influence of two Connecticut friends, U.S. Reps. Rosa L. DeLauro and John B. Larson, and provide a counterbalance to the Republican Senate and White House.

"Uh, I haven't thought about that enough to give an answer," Lieberman said, as though Democrats' strong prospects for recapturing the House hadn't been the fall's top political story.

Hello!  Earth to Lieberman!  You need to think about something. I suppose he'll have plenty of time to think when he goes on the speaking tour after he loses in November.

Preacher says GOP delaying 2nd coming of Christ

The Houston-based preacher said he believes that the Bush administration has delayed the second coming because U.S. foreign policy has blocked Christian missionaries from working in Iraq, Iran and Syria.

"Somebody needs to say enough is enough," he said to worshippers who stood, waved and called out in support.

At just over 5 feet tall, the charismatic man in a beige three-piece suit trimmed with sparkles is the latest - and perhaps the most flamboyant - voice in the debate this fall over religion and politics in Ohio.

Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell has rallied many of the state's religious conservatives. His Democratic opponent, Ted Strickland, is an ordained minister. And a group of clergy members formed We Believe Ohio to counter what they consider threats to the separation of church and state.

Anyone know what's wrong with Ohio?

I guess the Republicans are OK with guys who beat women as well

This is interesting.  Not only is there Mark Foley, there's also Mr. Reynolds (who also figures into the Foley scandal.)  He let Sherwood (who beat his mistress, there are apparently police photos somewhere).  Ah, the GOP.  The company you keep tells a lot about you.

More Keith Olbermann Goodness

Man, Keith Olbermann has balls the size of small dogs (bonus points if you can name the song that refers to the small dogs in that manner):

A president who since 9/11 has savaged the very freedoms he claims to be protecting from attack — attack by terrorists, or by Democrats, or by both — it is now impossible to find a consistent thread of logic as to who Mr. Bush believes the enemy is.

But if we know one thing for certain about Mr. Bush, it is this: This president — in his bullying of the Senate last month and in his slandering of the Democrats this month — has shown us that he believes whoever the enemies are, they are hiding themselves inside a dangerous cloak called the Constitution of the United States of America.

Again, read all of it.  Very powerful stuff.

Mark Foley

     By now, I'm sure many of you have heard about the unfolding Mark Foley scandal.  To put it succinctly, it cuts to the very heart of Republicanism.  The more comes out, the more it is being revealed that Republicans are in it for nothing but to keep in power.  Nothing.  Why do I say this?  Because apparently, Republicans knew about this for over a DECADE, and decided to do nothing to protect the minors involved.

Beck-Heyman said the attention was "weird" and he provided a handwritten letter that Foley had sent him after the page left Washington to return home to California, suggesting that they get together during the Republican National Convention in San Diego in 1996.

The e-mail exchanges that have become public in recent days are between Foley and male former pages. None of those interviewed said they had received a sexual or suggestive overture from him during their time on Capitol Hill. Yet many of them said they were uneasy about Foley's actions and felt awkward complaining to anyone about them.

"Mark Foley knew that he could get away with this type of behavior with male pages because he was a congressman," Beck-Heyman said. "But many people on Capitol Hill, including many high-level Republican staffers and members, have known for over 11 years about what was going on and chose to do nothing."

I think its sick and vile that some people are blaming the minors in all this-- the law is the law and it was violated.