Heartland Diary of Betty B.

• David Sirota Exclusive: UnitedHealth Lobbyist Announces Pelosi Fundraiser As She Begins Backing Off Pub Option

  From Open Left:
  
  
  EXCLUSIVE: UnitedHealth Lobbyist Announces Pelosi Fundraiser As She Begins Backing Off Pub Option
  
  by: David Sirota
  
  Fri Sep 11, 2009 at 17:47
  
  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the first time yesterday suggested she may be backing off her [...]
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  Posted: September 11, 2009, 9:06pm EDT
  

• Health Care According to the Show-Me Institue

  Todays News Leader has lots of statistics about health care from the Show-Me Institute, a right-wing think tank funded by wealthy Republican Rex Sinquefield. Rex has shown us all a better world. Envsion this:
  
  Health care for all is just a fantasy.
  
  Let's imagine that Show-Me Institute mogul' [...]
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  Posted: August 20, 2009, 10:23am EDT
  

• Health Care Is A Human Rights Issue

  My letter to the president:
  
  
  Dear President Obama,
  
  Health care is a human rights issue. It is inhumane to deny access to 45 million Americans. Consider the thousands who line up for free care at tent cities set up by Health Expedition.
  
  We are the wealthiest [...]
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  Posted: August 17, 2009, 11:19am EDT
  

• George Bush, Chirac, The Gog and The Magog

  In a revelation from former French President Chirac, George Bush asked him in 2003 to join the U.S. in the invasion of Iraq in order "to thwart Gog and Magog, the Bible’s satanic agents of the Apocalypse."
  
  This comes on the heels of the GQ magazines report on [...]
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  Posted: August 09, 2009, 10:50am EDT
  

• Why We Need Single Payer Health Care

  Insurance companies are leeches sucking the life blood from policy holders. Why should any CEO command a salary such as this, when it represents the denial of health care to millions of sick people?
  
  A single payer plan (Medicare for all) will send these people to the unemployment line [...]
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  Posted: June 14, 2009, 11:22am EDT
  

• Please Legalize Drugs And Stop The Violence

  As the drug cartels terrorize Mexico and various border towns, they are bringing drugs by the truckload to the streets of the U.S.
  
  An article in today's Texas Observer talks about the border towns of El Paso/Juarez, as the embattled citizens of that area cope with the violence' [...]
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  Posted: April 17, 2009, 10:37am EDT
  

• Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea

  Bobby Jindal's statements yesterday in support of President Obama, came as a surprise in a recent flurry of Republican teabaggers and naysayers. It was a start, but the GOP have a long way to go before they become a party that makes sense.
  
  Commenter Osage replying on the' [...]
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  Posted: April 17, 2009, 10:10am EDT
  

• Earl Durnell wrote a letter in today's ...

  Earl Durnell wrote a letter in today's News-Leader detailing why he is a Democrat. I so heartily agree with every word he said. My reply to him:
  
  
  Mr. Durnell, What a great letter. I'm a few years younger than you, and we always had electricity, but some of [...]
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  Posted: December 08, 2008, 10:59am EST
  

• Bailout Fixes Problems, Sadly NO

  Sadly, No has a few words on the financial meltdown. Enough said.
  
  
  Nov24
  We Eated It
  Posted at 18:34 by Gavin M.
  
  Fed Pledges Top $7.4 Trillion to Ease Frozen Credit
  
  
  O hai! Here’s your [...]
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  Posted: November 25, 2008, 10:11am EST
  

• Blitzkrieg On Afghani Brides

  From TomDispatch, Nov.12, 2008:
  
  On the day that Americans turned out in near record numbers to vote, a record was set halfway around the world. In Afghanistan, a U.S. Air Force strike wiped out about 40 people in a wedding party. This represented at least the [...]
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  Posted: November 14, 2008, 4:36pm EST
  

• Universal Health Care

  Nick Sibley writes in today's News Leader:
  
  We have a choice between two presidential candidates who, with straight faces, will quibble about whether health care is an individual right or a public responsibility. There is no difference. The correct answer is: It is an individual's responsibility to take care [...]
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  Posted: November 01, 2008, 10:06am EDT
  

• Paul Krugman Wins Nobel Prize For Economics

  I've been following Paul Krugman's column and blog in the New York Times lately, trying to make sense of the financial meltdown. He has often been the lone sane voice speaking out in a crowd of tinkle-down economists. Congratulations to him on his Nobel Prize for Economics.
  
  From [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2008, 9:56am EDT
  

• The McCain Campaign, Short Version

  From the comments at today's Huffington Post:
  
  comment by thegreatgiginthesky:
  
  Why don't I save us all the time and effort it takes to tune into the debate to see what McCain has to say about the issues
  
  McCain's answer on the economy - "I know how'" [...]
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  Posted: October 13, 2008, 9:20am EDT
  

• The Zombie Of VooDoo Economics Resurrected

  From a comment on the blog of Paul Krugman:
  
  Combine:
  
  *the economic skills of Herbert Hoover,
  *the foreign policy acumen of Lyndon Johnson
  *the compassion of Calvin Coolidge
  *the good luck of Jimmy Carter
  *the voodoo witch doctor of Ronald Reagan (contributed by bettyb)
  *the brainpower of [...]
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  Posted: September 30, 2008, 9:24am EDT
  

• The Free Market Created A House Of Cards

  As we see the continuing implosion on Wall Street, it's apparent now to everyone that this economy of unregulated "free market" wheeling and dealing was just a house of cards inflated by hot, stinky air.
  
  A market with no rules and regulations is what the fat cats have foisted' [...]
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  Posted: September 21, 2008, 12:05pm EDT
  

• I'm Voting For Barack Obama, but...

  Bill Clinton is the King of the World. [...]
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  Posted: August 28, 2008, 11:58pm EDT
  

• What's Up With Obama?

  Since being selected by the DNC as the presumptive nominee, Obama has behaved in a manner perplexing to me and many of my friends who are Democrats.
  
  Obama's yes vote on FISA was a breathtaking reversal of his former position. His training as a constitutional attorney seems have given [...]
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  Posted: July 12, 2008, 10:23am EDT
  

• Slate's "Hillary Deathwatch"

  I just sent a letter to Slate. Their Hillary Deathwatch feature, which now boasts 45 entries beginning 3/27/08, has long pissed me off. If by chance Obama had been on their shit list, they would not have gotten by with this crap. My note to them:
  
  If The [...]
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  Posted: June 07, 2008, 2:43pm EDT
  

• Thank You, Hillary

  Dear Hillary,
  
  Thank you, for the strength and determination you have shown during the course of this campaign. Although, I'm disappointed with the outcome, I know that your candidacy has furthered the cause of all Americans, especially the 50 plus percent of us who are women.
  
  I will' [...]
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  Posted: June 07, 2008, 12:25pm EDT
  

• Hillary Derangement Syndrome

  The near-total participation in the smearing and bashing of Hillary Clinton by the U.S. media in this election cycle has been compared to the complicity of the press in the run-up to the Iraq war.
  
  Objectivity is just a word. Hillary has been relentlessly bombarded, with every MSM [...]
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  Posted: May 23, 2008, 9:25am EDT
  

• Disenfranchising Florida, Again

  Confused about the Florida problem? Don't feel like the Lone Ranger. Here's the most lucid explanation I have found thus far, from Florida voter, Deb Cupples.
  
  From Buck Naked Politics:
  
  ...For months, in fact, many of us Floridians have drawn parallels between Recount 2000 and the DNC's [...]
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  Posted: May 22, 2008, 10:16pm EDT
  

• 99 Problems, Sweetie

  Obama dismisses a question from a woman reporter yesterday, calling her "sweetie." As pointed out by Shakespeare's Sister, it's not the first time.
  
  Elizabeth Edwards is notably absent from her husband's endorsement of Obama, having gone on record recently endorsing Hillary's health plan as superior. John made [...]
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  Posted: May 15, 2008, 10:45am EDT
  

• The Obama Movement

  When I visited the Obama '08 campaign website recently, the home page had an invitation to "join the movement". Ugh, I thought, I don't want to join a movement, I just want to elect a Democrat to the presidency.
  
  Then, a couple of days ago, I received a letter [...]
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  Posted: May 11, 2008, 7:41pm EDT
  

• Clinton Has Forty Point Lead In West Virginia

  The media has put down that big ballbat they have been gleefully bashing Hillary Clinton with for several months. All hands are in the air rejoicing about the pending coronation of Barack Obama. Meanwhile, voters in West Virginia don't seem to realize that the Democratic nominee has been decided by [...]
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  Posted: May 09, 2008, 11:04am EDT
  

• Is Obama Lying About Ties To Terrorist William Ayers?

  The Weathermen, also called the Weather Underground, is a notorious gang of terrorists who were responsible for scores of bombings protesting the Viet Nam war in the 60's and 70's. William (Bill) Ayers and his wife Bernadine Dorhn were ringleaders of the Weathermen. Today, they are influential [...]
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  Posted: May 04, 2008, 9:05pm EDT
  

• A Pig In A Poke

  I've been lately accused of hating Senator Obama, and let me say nothing could be further from the truth. If asking questions about his past associations are off the table, then I would have to reply, that I don't want to buy a pig in a poke. That's an old [...]
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  Posted: May 04, 2008, 10:13am EDT
  

• Rev. Wright is Obama's "Dean Scream"

  Yes, Rev. Wright is Obama's "Dean Scream".
  
  Too bad for the Democrats downticket, as Wright is already being used against those who endorsed Obama.
  
  And I note that Hillary is now polling ahead in North Carolina, where Obama was previously up by 20 points.
  
  [...]
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  Posted: May 01, 2008, 10:43am EDT
  

• Obama: Looking Behind Mesmerizing Doublespeak

  Obama spouts his message of hope and change while riding the unity pony to his rock-concert-like rallies. His "I don't take money from lobbyists" claim is just false. His whole career has been based on dubious alliances with corporate crooks.
  
  The mainstream media is owned by corporations who [...]
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  Posted: April 30, 2008, 9:56am EDT
  

• A Closer Look At Obama's Views On The War In Iraq

  Obama gave one anti-war speech at a small rally where Jesse Jackson was the headline speaker, but no one took note. There is no audio or video of Obama's speech, and his remarks were not noted in the Chicago papers. He speaks out of both sides of his mouth about [...]
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  Posted: April 30, 2008, 9:34am EDT
  

• How Convenient: Obama Didn't Keep Records From IL Senate

  From an AP report last fall:
  
  Obama says he has no Illinois records
  
  By Mike Baker and Christopher Wills, November 15, 2007
  Associated Press
  
  RALEIGH, N.C. -- Barack Obama, who's been scolding Hillary Rodham Clinton for not hastening the release of records from her time as [...]
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  Posted: April 27, 2008, 9:58pm EDT
  

• Obama Has More Questionable Associates: TableTennisGate

  Could this report be part of the reason Obama "can't find" records from his eight years in the Illinois senate?
  
  From today's LA Times:
  
  Obama donor received a state grant
  His letter on behalf of a table tennis company preceded the funding.
  
  By Chuck Neubauer [...]
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  Posted: April 27, 2008, 9:30pm EDT
  

• A Question For Claire McCaskill & Jean Carnahan

  Both Jean Carnahan and Claire McCaskill have been early endorsers of Senator Obama's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. Claire has been all over the news as an advocate for Obama. Jean has been stumping for Obama in North Carolina. Even with all this effort, Obama is trailing further and [...]
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  Posted: April 25, 2008, 10:52am EDT
  

• Hillary Challenges Obama to Badminton Match

  Obama didn't like the idea of a bowling match with Hillary, so how about a game of badminton?
  
  

  From Paul Krugman's column in today's New York Times:
  
  The Clinton campaign strategies against Obama thus far "have been badminton compared with the hardball Republicans will play this fall. [...]

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  Posted: April 25, 2008, 9:45am EDT
  

• Why Florida and Michigan Should Be Counted

  From My DD:
  
  Talking Points Memo:
  Rules provide for the Florida and Michigan delegations to be seated
  by owl06, Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 10:20:17 AM EST
  
  Republished with the express permission of authors Jon Winkleman and Jeffrey H. Campagna
  

  
  

  Senator Obama and his surrogates, [...]

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  Posted: April 23, 2008, 8:58pm EDT
  

• Hillary Now Leads in the Popular Vote

  From My DD:
  
  by Jerome Armstrong, Wed Apr 23, 2008 at 11:37:54 AM EST
  
  Via the Fact Hub this morning:
  
  

  After last night's decisive victory in Pennsylvania, more people have voted for Hillary than any other candidate, including Sen. Obama.
  
  Estimates vary slightly, [...]

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  Posted: April 23, 2008, 8:34pm EDT
  

• Should Obama Drop Out?

  From No Quarter:
  
  Barack, A Certain Loser
  By Larry Johnson
  April 22, 2008 at 7:52 PM in Current Affairs
  
  WTF!! I have heard Bob Beckel (so-called Democratic strategist ) on Fox News [...]
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  Posted: April 22, 2008, 8:56pm EDT
  

• Clinton Would Beat McCain, Obama Maybe

  From Taylor Marsh:
  
  I don't need to list every reason why Hillary is the best choice...
  
  The first reason is based on an indisputable truth: These changes we all seek can only be attained if the Republican loses in November.
  
  I've written before about [...]
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  Posted: April 22, 2008, 12:11pm EDT
  

• Poll Indicates Hillary Would Defeat McCain in Missouri

  From Survey USA polling data released 4/17/08:
  
  Hillary would best McCain: Clinton 47 -McCain 46
  
  Obama would lose to McCain: Obama 42 - McCain 50
  
  Missouri is traditionally a bellwether state in indicating the outcome of the presidential election.
  
  The same poll has Clinton winning [...]
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  Posted: April 21, 2008, 10:35am EDT
  

• Why Obama Will Not Win

  As a Hillary supporter, I have recently been accused of not being a "real Democrat" by Obama supporters. Let's clear the air.
  
  I think Obama is a gifted speaker. His rap routine following his grilling in the ABC debate was priceless. First he gives Hillary the finger, then [...]
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  Posted: April 20, 2008, 9:16am EDT
  

• John Edwards Speaks Out For Veterans

  From DU comments, John Edwards makes remarks about the plight of veterans, in a letter to the New York Times.
  
  April 8, 2008 Letter
  Broken Soldiers, and a Broken System
  
  To the Editor:
  
  In “For Wounded Veterans and Their Families, a Journey Without Maps” [...]
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  Posted: April 17, 2008, 9:06pm EDT
  

• Looking For Some Hillary Supporters?

  From Tennessee Guerilla Women:
  
  If you're a Hillary supporter and feeling a bit lonely in the blogosphere, here is a list of blogs to check out.
  
  TGW quotes Tom Watson:
  " Note that some are on the list merely because they are actually [...]
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  Posted: April 16, 2008, 10:10pm EDT
  

• ABC Annoints Obama, Ignores His Confidence that Hillary Can Win Against McCain

  On the ABC website the headline for tonight's debate reads: Dems Play Nice: Clinton Concedes Obama Could Take McCain.
  
  Then buried in the middle of the article they add "Obama also expressed confidence in his Democratic rival saying he "absolutely" thought Clinton could win in November." This is [...]
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  Posted: April 16, 2008, 9:50pm EDT
  

• Idiot Warmongers

  I have noticed for the last couple of days, all of the Republicans and their Neo-con henchmen are interjecting Iran into comments on the most recent Iraq status report by General Petraeus.
  
  
  From Think Progress:
  
  Lieberman, Bennett, And Kristol See Petraeus Hearing As ‘An Argument’ [...]
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  Posted: April 10, 2008, 10:48pm EDT
  

• Is Hillary Being Swiftboated?

  From Talk Left, this expresses my sentiment exactly about the swiftboating of Hillary. The press is doing selective fact-checking, with non-stop accusations of lying and "she will say anything to get elected," meanwhile declaring that she has lost with the race in what appears to me to be a [...]
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  Posted: April 08, 2008, 6:06pm EDT
  

• Why I Want Hillary Clinton For President

  Responding to a request from my fellow blogger at Prairie Weather, I'm going to try to put into words why I support Hillary, and why I think her experience is superior to that of Obama.
  
  
  1. She had an outstanding academic record at Wellesley and Yale Law [...]
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  Posted: March 31, 2008, 11:18pm EDT
  

• Hillary Clinton's Resume

  From HillaryClinton.com:
  
  Hillary went to Wellesley College, where she was chosen by her classmates to be the first-ever student commencement speaker. She talked about the tumultuous times that her generation was living through and said, "The challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears [...]
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  Posted: March 30, 2008, 10:57pm EDT
  

• Defending Hillary Clinton Re Bosnia Visit

  Here from My DD, is some clarification of the details surrounding Hillary Clinton's trip to Bosnia. She was not that far off in her memory of the dangers encountered on that trip.
  
  
  

  The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia) March 27, 1996:
  
  Protected by sharpshooters, Hillary Clinton swooped [...]

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  Posted: March 30, 2008, 11:24am EDT
  

• Missouri Shifts to the Republican Column

  Missouri Democrats should note that MO now leans Republican with McCain opening a lead over the yet-to-be-chosen Democratic candidate.
  
  I'm a Hillary supporter and am a little taken aback at the bashing she receives from the press and from progressive bloggers. Almost everything written about her is negative. [...]
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  Posted: March 26, 2008, 10:50am EDT
  

• Bush and the Romance of Soldiering

  This quote is from a Reuter's article (3/13/08) detailing President Bush's videoconference on the current situation in Afghanistan:
  
  
  
  "I must say, I'm a little envious," Bush said. "If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be'" [...]
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  Posted: March 16, 2008, 7:43pm EDT
  

• Hillary Wins Over Those Who Listen

  Jo Mannies, political blogger for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was on C-Span this morning. I just caught the last part, but wanted to paraphrase a caller from New York talking about Hillary Clinton.
  
  A caller from New York called to refute the fact that Hillary is too "polarizing". That [...]
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  Posted: February 04, 2008, 10:36am EST
  

• I'm Supporting Hillary Clinton

  I'm now an official Hillary supporter. She is so knowledgeable and well-versed on the issues. I've been favorably impressed with her in all the debates and town hall q&a sessions.
  
  It's my "hope" for this campaign to see Obama as the Vice-Presidential candidate, and for him to run' [...]
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  Posted: January 31, 2008, 10:56pm EST
  

• Meth Addiction: Hope and Horror

  Missouri has been ground zero for the proliferation of meth labs and meth addicts in the last few years. If you live here, you probably have a family member or friend whose life has been impacted by meth addiction.
  
  A woman I know recently died of the complications of [...]
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  Posted: December 09, 2007, 7:45pm EST
  

• Choosing My Candidate for 2008

  I've been taking my time deciding who will get my vote in the 2008 presidential primary. The field is crowded, and several of the candidates have qualities I like.
  
  When I take the Minnesota Public Radio test comparing my views with those of the candidates, Dennis Kuchinich [...]
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  Posted: November 18, 2007, 10:49am EST
  

• Schwarzenegger Vetoed Four Bills Increasing Firefighting Resources

  Yet another example of Republican stupidity.
  
  
  From the Brad Blog:
  
  What the Governor failed to mention is that he vetoed four bills that would have increased staffing and fire resources after the Cedar Fire, at a cost of tens of millions of dollars. A fifth [...]
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  Posted: October 25, 2007, 10:24am EDT
  

• National Guard Troops Denied G.I. Bill Benefits

  Another fine example of this administration's failure to "support the troops."
  
  
  
  National Guard Troops Denied Benefits After Longest Deployment Of Iraq War
  Rhonda Erskine, Online Content Producer
  Created: 10/3/2007
  
  MINNEAPOLIS, MN (NBC) -- When they came home from Iraq, 2,600 members of the' [...]
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  Posted: October 07, 2007, 9:04am EDT
  

• Chris Matthews: Bush Admin. Has "Finally Been Caught In Their Criminality"

  At the 10th anniversary party for his Hardball show (Thursday evening 10/5/07), Chris Matthews had critical words for the Bush/Cheney gang. After seven years of BushCo directed madness and mayhem, all I have to say is--Chris, what took you so long? You have the damn microphone.
  
  
  
  [...]
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  Posted: October 05, 2007, 9:38pm EDT
  

• Mousie Cat Speaks

  From the blog of one of my favorite neighbors, Evolving In Kansas:
  
  Matt Blunt kisses Religious Right's ass
  
  Missouri's Gov. Matt Blunt says he thinks faith-based groups do a better job of helping people than government-funded programs. So he's created a small committee' [...]
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  Posted: October 01, 2007, 10:01am EDT
  

• Future Shock: Peak Oil in Mexico

  Now that Greenspan has confirmed that the occupation of Iraq is about oil, it's time to pay close attention to the crisis in dropping oil production that some refer to as Peak Oil. Many say that oil production has already crested, and the evidence is clear and convincing.
  
  Astute' [...]
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  Posted: September 27, 2007, 10:09am EDT
  by Betty B.

• Thank You, Rachel Carson

  To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.
  Abraham Lincoln
  
  
  
  
  
  Thank you, Rachel Carson and Bill Moyers for reminding me of this quote. [...]
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  Posted: September 21, 2007, 10:28pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• An Enduring Relationship With Iraq

  Number of comments: 1
  This morning's C-Span question was: Should we have an enduring relationship with Iraq?
  
  We will have an enduring relationship with Iraq, especially with the millions of displaced Iraqi people, now refugees, who will teach their children to revile us.
  
  We will have an enduring relationship with those' [...]
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  Posted: September 14, 2007, 6:45am EDT
  by Betty B.

• Bush Befuddled in Australia

  A really great example of why the U.S. is in such a mess.
  
  From the Huffington Post:
  
  

  Bush: OPEC or APEC
  by Tom Raum, 9/7/07
  
  SYDNEY, Australia —
  President Bush had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day at the Sydney Opera House.
  
  [...]

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  Posted: September 07, 2007, 3:04pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• Regarding The Awaited Osama Bin Laden Video

  Number of comments: 1
  Regarding the awaited Osama Bin Laden video:
  
  If Osama Bin Laden is indeed still alive, and plotting to continue his jihad from the mountains of Afghanistan/Pakistan, why are we not moving heaven and earth to find and apprehend him?
  
  We have bombed and stomped over practically every square [...]
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  Posted: September 07, 2007, 7:14am EDT
  by Betty B.

• Hanging Chads 2000 Revisited by Dan Rather Report

  Dan Rather did an hour long report, The Trouble With Touch Screens, for HDnet last week.
  
  The first part exposed shoddy touch screen machines built in the Phillipines by ES&S. Thousands of these machines were produced using cheap parts in sweatshop conditions by workers who were paid $2.50 [...]
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  Posted: August 18, 2007, 6:54pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• Planned Parenthood Supporters VS The Blunt Mini-White House

  Over the years, many low-income women I know have used the services of the local Planned Parenthood facility for pap tests, gyn wellness exams and contraception. When Blunt took funding away from this program, I decided to make donations to our local Planned Parenthood as often as I can. Contraception [...]
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  Posted: August 15, 2007, 8:05am EDT
  by Betty B.

• RNC Letter to MO Democrat Raises Questions

  Number of comments: 1
  Since Missouri voters do not register by party affiliation, there is confusion about the purpose of this RNC generated form letter, received by an elderly resident of Queen City, MO.
  
  From Talking Points Memo:
  
  RNC Voter "Audit" Letter Raises Questions
  By Paul Kiel - August 10, [...]
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  Posted: August 12, 2007, 9:28am EDT
  by Betty B.

• Pearl Jam's Anti-Bush Lyrics Censored

  Someone pointed out that the only ones who have "freedom of the press" are the ones who control the press. Hopefully, indidents such as this will help to Rock the Vote in 2008.
  
  From Timothy Karr at the Huffington Post:
  

  
  AT&T: Your World Censored
  
  [...]

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  Posted: August 09, 2007, 9:43am EDT
  by Betty B.

• What Is Wrong With This Picture?

  Roy Blunt doesn't think people earning the minimum wage of $5.15 deserved a raise, but he has no problem with approval of a hefty annual pay raise for congress.
  
  
  From today's Turner Report:
  

  Blunt: Nothing wrong with Congressional pay increases
  Some members of Congress are [...]

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  Posted: July 31, 2007, 11:35pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• The Fairness Doctrine

  Number of comments: 1
  We have two radio stations in our listening area that have 24 hours a day of Republican sponsored programming that ranges from obnoxious and misinformed to hate-filled invectives against the Democratic party and any viewpoint other their own. Anyone who disagrees is generally shouted down or ridiculed, with no effort [...]
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  Posted: July 26, 2007, 10:29am EDT
  by Betty B.

• News-Leader Omits Address of New Democratic Headquarters

  The News-Leader noted today that the Greene County Democratic Central Committee will hold a grand opening and open house Sunday, July 22 from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm to celebrate the move to its new headquarters.
  
  They failed to mention the location for those who wish to attend. [...]
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  Posted: July 20, 2007, 8:15pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• Blunt Staff Misuses Highway Patrol Spokesman to Criticize AG Nixon

  From Howard Beale at Fired Up Missouri:
  
  
  Blunt Takes Page Right Out of Bush's DOJ Playbook
  
  Today's KC Star has a fantastic story by Tim Hoover about the Blunt administration's misuse of state government in pursuing its own partisan political goals. The nut:
  
  

  Gov. [...]

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  Posted: July 20, 2007, 11:02pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• Nike, Sweatshops and Slave Labor

  Number of comments: 2
  A Running Commentary is a new blog from a local journalist Matthew Lemmon. He and his wife are training for the Nike Women's Marathon, which will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Each person entering the marathon must raise $3800 to be eligible. I've been approached for contributions [...]
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  Posted: July 10, 2007, 10:19am EDT
  by Betty B.

• Eight Things

  Eight things you don't know about me:
  
  
  1. I wanted to be a concert pianist.
  
  2. I'm a very poor correspondent. Before starting this blog, I had not written more than a brief note or business letter since graduating college in the 60's.
  
  3. My eyesight [...]
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  Posted: July 07, 2007, 8:35pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• Hate Radio Is A Part Of Republican Strategy

  In an interview in Mother Jones, GOP media strategist David All talks about his efforts to boost the right's utilization of the internet as a campaign tool. He confirms, once again, that hate radio is considered an integral part of GOP strategy:
  
  
  
  

  ... We've never needed [...]

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  Posted: July 07, 2007, 8:04pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• Race to the Bottom

  Number of comments: 1
  From Think Progress:
  
  The economic American dream “that children would be more prosperous than their parents, is in question as perhaps never before.” Since 1973, “median family income has been essentially flat,” and men in their 30s “earn roughly $5,000 less than their father’s generation.” [...]
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  Posted: July 04, 2007, 8:07pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• Bush Asks For Excessive Earmarks

  From an article in The Hill:
  
  Bush is criticized for requests from the White House for earmarks to be inserted into legislation. "Legislators say that while Bush has warned them about earmarks, behind the scenes he seeks them just as eagerly as the members of Congress he criticizes."
  [...]
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  Posted: June 27, 2007, 10:19pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• Republicans are Creepy, And I'm Not Voting For Them Anymore

  I used to be an independent voter. I'm socially liberal, but do tend to be fiscally conservative favoring smaller government and disciplined spending. In the past, I have voted for Republicans who mirrored those views.
  
  During my drive time, I often listen to Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and Michael [...]
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  Posted: June 27, 2007, 9:17pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• Elizabeth Edwards Vs. Ann Coulter

  These observations from Shamanic at Newshog do a great job of illustrating the bulk of the right-wing sponsored content that saturates the air waves.
  
  
  

  Illustrating the Obvious

  
  

  Yesterday I saw this video of Elizabeth Edwards' call to Hardball guest Ann Coulter, which revealed Coulter's [...]

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  Posted: June 27, 2007, 10:24am EDT
  by Betty B.

• The Iraq Refugee Crisis

  The good news is that several million Iraqis have escaped the killing field that is now Iraq.
  
  The bad news:
  
  From the Independent:
  
  
  

  UN warns of five million Iraqi refugees
  Half of displaced people have no access to food aid
  By Patrick Cockburn
  [...]

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  Posted: June 21, 2007, 11:49am EDT
  by Betty B.

• McClatchy Headlines

  From the McClatchy Washington Bureau: Some of the best coverage available of the Attorney General and DOJ, and Carl Rove misdeeds.
  
  Justice official accused of blocking suits into alleged violations
  By Greg Gordon McClatchy Newspapers
  Posted on Mon, June 18, 2007
  
  WASHINGTON — A former Justice Department [...]
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  Posted: June 19, 2007, 11:12am EDT
  by Betty B.

• Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

  John Perkins' career as an economic hit man (EHM) has taken him all over the globe. He details his activities as an EHM in his best-seller Confessions of an Economic Hit Man and in his new book just released, The Secret History of the American Empire.
  
  His job as [...]
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  Posted: June 18, 2007, 10:30am EDT
  by Betty B.

• Thor Hearne's Ties to ACVR Erased on Wikipedia

  From today's Brad Blog:
  
  

  Wikipedia Entry for GOP 'Voter Fraud' Front Group
  Co-Founder, Thor Hearne, Scrubbed of References to ACVR
  Latest Edit Performed by Someone at Hearne's Lawfirm, Lathrop & Gage, According to Rick Hasen of Election Law Blog...
  
  Mark F. "Thor" Hearne must really want [...]

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  Posted: June 12, 2007, 10:36pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• Please Say No To School Vouchers

  The Turner Report has given us two recent summaries of Matt Blunt's attempt to load the State Board of Education with voucher supporters, exemplified by his recent nomination to the board of yet another voucher supporter, former state rep, Derio Gambaro.
  
  The governor's resolve to do away [...]
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  Posted: June 11, 2007, 11:30am EDT
  by Betty B.

• Al Gore's 'Green' Nashville Home

  Number of comments: 1
  From Tennessee Guerilla Women :
  
  
  
  Here's the photo of the new solar roof on Al Gore's Nashville home.
  
  This is the home that houses the office from which Al Gore runs his world-wide campaign to combat the climate crisis.
  
  When the [...]
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  Posted: June 10, 2007, 12:46pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• Greenland Provides Clues To Tipping Point In Arctic Meltdown

  From the June 9, 2007 Washington Post:
  

  
  In Arctic Ice, Lessons on Effects of Warming
  Researchers Drill, Map, Blast In Greenland in Hunt for Clues
  
  If Manhattan floods, it may start here, on an ice field that
  stretches in frozen silence to every horizon.
  
  Global warming [...]

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  Posted: June 10, 2007, 12:23pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• Bushes Missing Simple Wisdom

  From the Wall Street Journal editorial page, Peggy Noonan opines the decline of the GOP's conservative coalition. She presents a harsh analysis of the Bush reign. Both father and son receive a lashing.
  

  
  ...One of the things I have come to think the past few years is [...]

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  Posted: June 01, 2007, 12:20pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• Griffin Resigns AR U.S. Attorney Post

  In today's report from McClatchy Washington Bureau, Tim Griffin will resign his post effective June 1.
  
  

  Justice Department investigators broaden their inquiry
  Margaret Talev and Greg Gordon
  
  
  ...In other development, the Justice Department said Wednesday that Tim Griffin, the interim U.S. attorney in Little [...]

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  Posted: May 31, 2007, 11:51pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• Darfur: It's The Oil, Stupid

  I caught a minute of Bush on TV yesterday, and before I hit the mute button I heard him mention Darfur. That's odd, I thought. I hadn't really heard anything lately about Darfur from any elected officials, much less our appointed President.
  
  This chilling analysis of the situation in [...]
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  Posted: May 31, 2007, 11:01pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• VW Created 282 MPG Car in 2002

  From Canadian Driver:
  
  

  The most economical car in the world
  By Greg Wilson
  June 5, 2002
  
  A few years ago, Volkswagen took on a task that many people thought was impossible: they decided to develop a fuel-efficient, road-going compact car that could achieve an average fuel consumption [...]

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  Posted: May 30, 2007, 8:14pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• The Republican Plan For 2008

  Thom Hartmann muses on GOP strategies leading up to 2008 elections. What are the Democratic plans to build on the gains of 2006?
  
  

  Published on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 by CommonDreams.org
  The Republican Plan For 2008 Begins Today
  by Thom Hartmann
  
  It’s difficult to watch Democrats play [...]

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  Posted: May 30, 2007, 9:35am EDT
  by Betty B.

• Monica Goodling Points to Tim Griffin Caging Involvement

  In a special report for the Brad Blog, Greg Palast points out that Monica Goodling dropped the bomb when she spoke of her knowledge of Tim Griffin's involvement in vote "caging" intended to defraud the 2004 election.
  
  

  Goodling testified that Gonzales' Chief of Staff, Kyle Sampson, perjured [...]

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  Posted: May 25, 2007, 10:46pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• McCaskill Tours Missouri This Weekend

  From the Chicago Examiner:
  
  
  McCaskill heading on 14-city tour to study veterans' health care
  
  Sen. Claire McCaskill is getting back on the RV, only this time it's not for a campaign trip.
  
  She plans to spend the Memorial Day recess on a four-day, 14-stop [...]
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  Posted: May 24, 2007, 10:27pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• Goodling Testimony: Graves Was Under Investigation

  TPM Muckraker has complete coverage of the Monica Goodling testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. She stated that Todd Graves " had been under investigation by the department's inspector general when he was asked to step down. She did not say what the investigation was about. She also said [...]
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  Posted: May 24, 2007, 9:36pm EDT
  by Betty B.

• A Little Bit Of Paranoia

  A small dose of paranoia for today. Trust me, it's better than drugs. This letter was printed in the Aspen Daily News. I don't necessarily agree with the conclusion that ground is being laid for a coup, but I would like to know more. It would be good if [...]
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  Posted: May 23, 2007, 9:33pm EDT
  by Betty B.