The Political Dogfight

VoteVets With A New Commercial: Senator, I thought you would know better

This is another in a series of hard hitting, beautifully done, commercials from VoteVets to bring the traditional establishment to account for their errors. The last one was the definitive commercial about the second rate body armor that our troops are still wearing.

This is about 'Freedom'. It's about allowing those who choose to be free to make their own choices even when the traditional establishment has their own disagreement.

VoteVets needs our support to keep this commercial on the air. Let's all, even in the tiniest ways, show these fine men and women some love in the form of money.
They've earned our respect and our support. Some of them have earned it with their blood.

At The Daou Report Chris Bowers Makes A Startling Proposal

Chris Bowers says, as part of a longer article at Open Left and The Daou Report:

Let's face it: the best political strategy Democrats have had over the past eight years is to make sure that there were always enough Democrats to capitulate with the governing conservative and (typically) Republican coalition, but not enough to make it a majority of the Democratic Party. This way, heinous Republican policies that benefit large corporations and cronies, but hurt most people, are passed into law, while most of the Democratic Party can claim they opposed such policies. .

Chris continues in his opening lead:

Maybe I am just too tired right now, but I am suddenly of the opinion that Democrats should just completely capitulate on the offshore oil drilling question. In fact, they should also capitulate on the Arctic Wildlife Refuge. While we are at it, let's institute a gas tax holiday, and release the strategic petroleum reserve.

While I'm not sure we are smart enough,  tough enough and/cynical enough for such a long term strategy, I believe that analysis, whether brought about by intellectual analysis or sleep deprivation from Nets Nation is actually the reality of the last 7.5 years.

"Clinton's Successful Wager"-Newsweek

From Newsweek:

"The scene on Saturday morning in the employees' cafeteria at Las Vegas's Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino provided a glimpse of where the day was headed. When Sen. Hillary Clinton arrived to greet workers and urge them to caucus for her, they mobbed her like paparazzi. <>Most of these people were members of the Culinary Workers Union—an organization that endorsed Sen. Barack Obama and boasted a muscular turnout operation. Yet judging from their response to Clinton, many decided to part ways with the union's leadership and exercise their own ideas about who to support. "I will vote for Hillary," said Martin Corona, a banquet server who was planning to caucus later that day. "She has a lot of experience. She's better than the new man. I don't know where he comes from." Cinthya Fernandez, a housekeeper, added enthusiastically, "We're going to make history this year." Among the half-dozen union members interviewed by Newsweek, all but one declared themselves Clinton supporters."

From "Clinton's Successful Wager" Newsweek. Worth the time to see how the race shaped up.

Take note: I am frontpaging at The Democratic Daily as an invited author. Please visit that very good blog for a well rounded view of the Democratic race. I will be crossposting here as time permits. Please bookmark The Democratic Daily.

IN-06: Barry Welsh Announces For 2008 At YearlyKos

Check here for my full story on Barry's announcement. But if you haven't seen Barry before or this is your first exposure to his candidacy in IN-06 check out this red-meat eatin' Democratic Speech given last Labor Day by Barry Welsh.

Our candidates could learn a lot from this speech.

Protect America, not George Bush---General Bapiste

Goddamn Body Armor Issues Still Exist

The issue of proper body armor for our troops has been in the forefront of the mismanagement of this goddamn stupid war. Once again the DoD has rejected Dragon Skin as a body armor bidder even though it's better, lighter and takes an enormous hit. Soldiers for The Truth, founded by the late, great Col. David Hackworth, once again proves it's value by making these video resources easily available.

Think of the soldiers and Marines that could be saved. To demonstrate the armor the following was created as an pure test. Simply damn amazing....(details below)

From DefenseReview here's a direct quote:

Pinnacle Armor Dragon Skin has been in production since 1996, and is battlefield proven by almost every US Federal Agency. It's been proven in real combat engagements against real enemy threats. It is currently, hands down, superior to U.S. Army Natick's Interceptor body armor (USMC Interceptor Multi-Threat Body Armor System Outer Tactical Vest with USMC Interceptor SAPI/ISAPI/ESAPI) with regard to surface area of coverage, protection level (ballistic threat level and multi-hit capability), durability, longevity, and wearability.

And this is the equipment that the Defense Department is refusing to buy. We need a true Congressional Investigation. This smells and endangers our troops.

Truth About Political Debates...From A Republican

Here's the truth about the political debates of both parties as currently structured.  I would even make a stronger statement: '...it hurts the country in the process.' (emphasis mine...)

"If anything would convince me to lean away from running, it was watching all of those guys with too little time, with too many Mickey Mouse questions from the reporters. It's exactly the wrong way to pick a president, and I think it doesn't help the country much."
-- Newt Gingrich, talking about the first Republican presidential debate on Hannity & Colmes last night. Hat tip Political Wire

An Honest and Funny Comment: Carville

God, I love this one:
Quote of the Day

"I didn't just experiment with marijuana, if you know what I mean."
-- James Carville, quoted by the New Orleans Times-Picayune, on why he won't run for governor of Lousiana.

He'd have made a helluva candidate too. Funniest campaign the nation. Bobby Jindal would have had a real challenger. Silly reason given it's Louisiana. Obviously there more to the story. Click through....(Hat tip Political Wire)

Sad Kerry Comment on Presidential Money Race and a Possible Alternative

Former Presidential Candidate John Kerry has a new comment about the Presidential money race. While I think it's the sad comment on the Primary season perhaps there are alternatives. First Senator Kerry's quote:

"The most important thing -- in any issue, and everything -- is, given the nature of today's media and the scurrilousness of the other side's advertising, that you can't overstate how important it is to have a dollar-for-dollar match on any issue that arises."

-- Sen. John Kerry, in an interview with the New York Observer, on what it takes to win a presidential race.  (Hat Tip to Political Wire)

Using innovative communication skills would include using new Net video distribution to create a direct communications channel to the public.  This is a belief system which is common 'conventional wisdom' with every candidate and candidate organization.  It seems to have no alternative. Yet new technology creatively applied can help the situation from merely being a money game.

Campaigns and Candidates can use innovative tactical communication skills to overcome the potential money disparity. Create this tactical ability effectively and you can avoid turning the Presidential Primary into nothing more than a paid-media driven money race race.

Using innovative communication skills would include using new Net video distribution to create a direct communications channel to the public. 

A Rant from Lee Iacocca: Where's the Outrage? I'm Ready for the Fight.

From Lee Iacocca, who is 'angry as hell and not going to put up with it anymore' ,(to paraphrase the movie 'Network' ) comes a new book, 'Where Have All The Leaders Gone?'. It is a rant worthy of any angry American. This except comes from the book written by Lee Iacocca and his co-author Catherine Whitney.

The full except is here...amazing stuff:

You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. The President of the United States is given a free pass to ignore the Constitution, tap our phones, and lead us to war on a pack of lies. Congress responds to record deficits by passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I don't need it. <> While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving pom-poms instead of asking hard questions. <> I've had enough. How about you?

I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have.

...Why are we in this mess? How did we end up with this crowd in Washington? Well, we voted for them — or at least some of us did. But I’ll tell you what we didn’t do. We didn’t agree to suspend the Constitution. We didn’t agree to stop asking questions or demanding answers. Some of us are sick and tired of people who call free speech treason. Where I come from that’s a dictatorship, not a democracy."

This is just a taste of a very serious, angry commentary on our times by a man who was once a big fundraiser for Bush. He's had it. He's angry. And he doesn't understand why more of us aren't as pissed off as he is today!

Neither do I. Where are the demonstrations in the streets? Where are the mass marches on Washington? Where are the true fights...,and I mean FIGHTS, with authority if necessary? The only thing Washington respects, other than money, is public opinion pushed into their faces where they can't ignore it. If there were ten's of thousands in the streets of Washington even the Republicans will bail out just to save their seats.

The Nine C's of Leadership, which are stinging in their honesty and outrage, are a detailed indictment of Bush and his leadership. Read them on the flip.