Billiken Man

You may catch crap from the neo-cons on the blog, but I for one agree with everything you said, DBI. I watched the video of Tim Ryan taking the hide off Bush. We need to contact our own members of Congress daily and tell them to do the same damn thing.
I've had enough of Blanche and Mark working for the current thugs in the White House.

Now Senator "cat torturing" (wiki - bill frist and cats) Frist declares victory (on cspan this evening) for a compromise that will grant immunity for torture, kidnapping and illegal renditions (of anyone including children) and make it legal to continue doing this in perpetuity. We will be no better than the scum of Al Qaeda or a long list of tyrants in human history if this happens.
Unless democrats fight this to the bitter fucking end they might as well hold onto their minority status forever for the thin blue line of demarcation may just fade to black.

On Chavez I also agree he said many things that needed to be said and noone here will dare. He's also nuts on a lot of things and at least he was able to say them and live out the rest of the day. His doctors and other staff were never allowed to leave his plane and enter customs in NY. Thought it was a bit strange how democrats came out and put down Chavez more than the thugs did. Dems didn't even need to break their silent vigil on this occasion much less attack an exercise of free speach. He had his say in front of the UN where leaders must be able to speak their minds. Obviously Chavez feels quite threatened (his life) by this administration and who could really doubt him or accuse him of wearing a tin foil hat in this Neo-climate? Finally weather or not it's politically motivated Chavez is selectively making oil available at bargain prices in many places such as the NE US and Alaska of all places. He recently yanked a lucrative contract from Citgo (I think it was citgo) to make a statement.
His actions are not as bad as some of his strong language might imply this week. He's a free thinker with real people on his mind and obviously that is a real threat to our wealthy elite. If I were him I would be very very afraid as well.
It's strange watching this from remote country living in the Ozarks. Apathy doesn't cut it for me anymore I am furious and afraid for the future of this country. I don't fear poverty or lack of health care nearly as much as tyranny and oppression. I am furious because we are murderring and torturing innocents in my name too. All the while we are being robbed and lied to. It's way beyond insulting when inhumane acts defy every spiritual and patriotic belief I hold dear. Does anyone really think that people who claim a desire to torture randomly for "our own good" will actually be the kind of people who won't torture their own? If not, I say your crazy and I ask why should we even have to argue such madness? Because it's already happening.
So what do I do? Well so far this year I have embarked on a major reeducation campaign in respect to what the actual truth is and it reads like a radioactive Lord of The Rings ladies and gents. The worst story in a long time plays out under our noses.
Not to much I can do locally though E.S. politics is rediculiously messy but feels like a comic strip compared to the big stuff. Acting locally feels like a waste of time, except for monitoring our votes and demanding an end to our electronic vulnerabilities.
I have researched scores of races across the country and donated to over fifteen House and Senate candidates in addition to time, phone canvassing, money, ideas and letter writing (by the hundreds) in over a dozen states. I don't know if it will help against such corruption in this day and age but I can say I tried something and continue to do so every day.
I watched Pryor on cspan last Friday dismiss the idea of net neutrality in an offhand yet point blank fashion that clearly stated (to me) he had no real idea or a care in the world about the implications of such folly. He's is in love with himself and fat cat sponsors and that my fellow bloggers is as kind a way as I can put it.
Yesterday both Pryor and Lincoln joined four or five other Democrats in confirming the nomination of Alice Fisher to the position of Assistant US Atty. Gen.. She has a lovely background including supporting Tom Delay and torture to name a few beautiful qualities. Our Senators need to go or certainly need to be exposed to all Arkansans for what they are with viable opponents fighting them in the near future, facing honest attacks on their embarassing behavior. If gambling were legal I would bet the farm they both (especially Lieberlovin' Pryor) will condone torture with a vote for it on the floor of the US Senate next week.
Fight on my fellow patriots, fight on!

ES,
I had to read your post twice to make sense of it, but yes, Pryor and Lincoln should be reminded daily to start acting like Dems and stop working with Bush.
Time to start standing up for real American values - like accepting and loving people of all colors and religions, and for God's sake, no torture of any human being....

ES, I hope it felt good writing that, it felt good to me reading it. I purpose that every time Lincoln or Pryor meets the public that someone in the crowd asks them to please tell the truth, that the fix is in, they're a part of it and there is no use fighting any more. Obviously from their words, deeds and votes of the last 6 years, Lincoln and Pryor are on the Bush payroll or have some neo-con gun to their heads or Karl Rove has video of them having sex with animals or small children.

Something is definitely up with those 2 and whatever it is, it's not good for Arkansas or America. When there has to be 10 minutes of discussion over whether America should torture or not......you know some pillar of our society has been kicked out. It worried the hell out of me in 2004 when John Kerry couldn't win over the worst President and administration in the history of the United States.

I am amazed nearly every other day that the population doesn't rise up and storm DC and have a lynching party over the bone-crushingly anti-American behavior of the White House and Congress. I now know America will have to be destroyed before there is a chance of us returning to our senses, we're just too distracted by our everyday life to pay attention to the ruination of everything that once set this country apart from all others. Anarcy and terror, oh boy, what a great way to spend the rest of my life, in some kind of Mad Max hell where we're forced to eat the family pets to survive. And all become of one rogue political party hell bent on world domination.

I know that sounds crazy, but what do you think will happen when our country jumps the tracks as our government and economic system disintegrates into chaos? We'll be watching Survivor: Dallas, Texas in a few years if someone doesn't start applying the brakes right now.

I saw Mark Pryor speak at UAFS a couple of months ago. He's totally clueless. It's time to put the heat on him and Blanche to do their jobs and save our country. We have to ask them repeatedly about that FIX, until one of them cracks and tells us exactly what's going on with our government. What can you tell us about the fix that's in in Washington, Senator Pryor?

When and for what did you sell out for, how much, Senator Lincoln? How bad will it be for us now that you've sold us down the river, Senator Pryor? Will you be living in Europe when America melts down, Senator Lincoln? Do you personally own any snuff or torture tapes, Senator Pryor? How much does the Bush administration pay you each year, Senator Lincoln? Can you sleep at night knowing you've sold America down the crapper, Senator Pryor? What's the best way for me to explain what you've done to us, to my kids, Senator Lincoln?

What a sad time to be an American. What a terrible fate we have before us. Senators, why have you done this to us?

I think it's great that DBI's blog has the Carroll Mortgage ads, as we know he has a fixation on Mrs. C.

...the War for Oil costing us 11 and 1/2 million dollars per hour....PER HOUR, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That adds up to 8.4 billion dollars PER MONTH.

And, to add insult to injury, remember that this money is spent at a time when every path possible has been taken to assure that the wealthy among us pay as little of it as possible.

We're going to have to repeat loudly, often, and for a long time, that the bill for the war debt built up in the past few years should be presented to the Republican party.

In the future, no doubt, people will forget who borrowed and spent all that money, and only blame their current administration for the financial problems.

Why does America only have social conservatives? What ever happened to all those fiscal conservatives?

yesterday, i wrote a letter to senator pryor saying that he should take his head out of the clouds of washington on this torture issue and imagine his own child. then on every bill he votes for in the future quit thinking of billions and millions and think of one person affected by that bill. it might ground someones thinking that is so lost in the heirachy of that silly town. i don't really think he is so bad a person . i am not so sure of blanche, she is so bought by wal mart she is gone. i think pryor is definetly lost in some ways. his votes on gay marriage was the vote of a decent man, his vote on bankruptcy was crude. when he tries to think like a decent person he is a capable senator but evidently he does listen to lobyists occasionally. we must get hold of him as often as we can. we must remind him that there are decent people here and not just a bunch of bush loving yahoos.

I, too, had to read you a second time, ES, but to be fair, I was short of time (**shhh**--at work) the first time.

Reading you the second time was almost like when I first looked into Don Marquis' "Archy & Mehitabel". So right on, and so rhythmic and musical, too.

Oh yes. I did get a secret thrill when I heard about Chavez' remarks at the UN. Some anonymous person in the main blog thought he could taunt us by association with a known communist, etc etc. I still know we're right. Get him out--in disgrace, if possible.

*ahem* I mean get HIM--the botanical specimen infesting the White House, not Chavez--out.

Here's a new anthem by James McMurtry (Texas musician, son of the great Larry McMurtry)

We Can't Make It Here Anymore

"We Can't Make it Here"
Lyrics

Vietnam Vet with a cardboard sign
Sitting there by the left turn line
Flag on the wheelchair flapping in the breeze
One leg missing, both hands free
No one's paying much mind to him
The V.A. budget's stretched so thin
And there's more comin' home from the Mideast war
We can't make it here anymore

That big ol' building was the textile mill
It fed our kids and it paid our bills
But they turned us out and they closed the doors
We can't make it here anymore

See all those pallets piled up on the loading dock
They're just gonna set there till they rot
'Cause there's nothing to ship, nothing to pack
Just busted concrete and rusted tracks
Empty storefronts around the square
There's a needle in the gutter and glass everywhere
You don't come down here 'less you're looking to score
We can't make it here anymore

The bar's still open but man it's slow
The tip jar's light and the register's low
The bartender don't have much to say
The regular crowd gets thinner each day

Some have maxed out all their credit cards
Some are working two jobs and living in cars
Minimum wage won't pay for a roof, won't pay for a drink
If you gotta have proof just try it yourself Mr. CEO
See how far 5.15 an hour will go
Take a part time job at one of your stores
Bet you can't make it here anymore

High school girl with a bourgeois dream
Just like the pictures in the magazine
She found on the floor of the laundromat
A woman with kids can forget all that
If she comes up pregnant what'll she do
Forget the career, forget about school
Can she live on faith? live on hope?
High on Jesus or hooked on dope
When it's way too late to just say no
You can't make it here anymore

Now I'm stocking shirts in the Wal-Mart store
Just like the ones we made before
'Cept this one came from Singapore
I guess we can't make it here anymore

Should I hate a people for the shade of their skin
Or the shape of their eyes or the shape I'm in
Should I hate 'em for having our jobs today
No I hate the men sent the jobs away
I can see them all now, they haunt my dreams
All lily white and squeaky clean
They've never known want, they'll never know need
Their sh@# don't stink and their kids won't bleed
Their kids won't bleed in the da$% little war
And we can't make it here anymore

Will work for food
Will die for oil
Will kill for power and to us the spoils
The billionaires get to pay less tax
The working poor get to fall through the cracks
Let 'em eat jellybeans let 'em eat cake
Let 'em eat sh$%, whatever it takes
They can join the Air Force, or join the Corps
If they can't make it here anymore

And that's how it is
That's what we got
If the president wants to admit it or not
You can read it in the paper
Read it on the wall
Hear it on the wind
If you're listening at all
Get out of that limo
Look us in the eye
Call us on the cell phone
Tell us all why

In Dayton, Ohio
Or Portland, Maine
Or a cotton gin out on the great high plains
That's done closed down along with the school
And the hospital and the swimming pool
Dust devils dance in the noonday heat
There's rats in the alley
And trash in the street
Gang graffiti on a boxcar door
We can't make it here anymore

James graciously posts a free link to download the song. I'm dedicating it to those who lost their jobs at the tire plant in Texarkana (doubtless, I once knew some of them - I'm from down there.)

http://www.compadrerecords.com/downloadpages/wecant.html

Gee mag....that's powerful! Every time a job leave the US, we gotta ask ourselves how did that improve my life and make my future better? Losing jobs to 3rd world countries benefits who? Empty factories in the US benefits who? Only the mega rich owners who are happy to sell out America for a profit.

Congress needs shock treatments and so do we for going along with NAFTA all these years. We're cutting our own throats and it won't take many more years to bleed to death.