The other night I started thinking about Arkansas Senator Mark "Judas" Pryor and why is it, with the balance of power of Senate at stake in the fall, not one single Republican has declared against him.  Even of the sake of a "try" there is usually one candidate in the party that gives it the good old college effort.  And I started thinking about old Governor Mike Huckabee and how is it he thinks he has a chance for the presidency when he stood a greater chance for the senatorial seat.  Then I remembered Kos’ entry on Landrieu – dated 03/07/2007 "LA-Sen: Maybe Landrieu isn't so vulnerable after all" regarding Sen. Landrieu (LA) about the withdrawal of republican challengers to the senate seat.

Isn’t it odd that such red leaning states like AR and LA don’t have potential challengers to the Senators in those states from the Republican Party; someone to pull the party line, agree with Bushco and other WH operatives on priority issues?  

But of course, Bushco doesn’t need someone to run against a democratic... if the democrat has already sold his/her soul to them, would they?

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee - a declared Republican presidential hopeful and darling of the far, religious right is under investation by the Arkansas Ethics Commission.

According to an AP release dated Feb 2, 2007 and posted to the todaysthv.com web site at 1:53 pm CST - the Commission is investigating a complaint from Jim Parsons of Bella Vista, Arkansas that Huckabee violated state FOIA statutes when he ordered the destruction of computer hard drives in the Governor's office before he turned the office over to the new Democratic Govenor Mike Beebe.  Parson's has also filed a complaint with the Pulaski County (Little Rock) prosecutors.

Update to follow...

We know that last week the hate spewing, far right wingers started a smear campaign against Barack Obama questioning his faith and making it seem he was "secret" muslim.  Late Friday afternoon, I received the first of two e-mails on the subject, sent out as a chain mail to dozens and dozens of people.

You know the heading: Be careful, be very careful.  Then it went into a short verison of the smear started on Faux News.  I've pasted the chain mail below, but unlike a lot of chain mail, I responded to ALL of the individuals who received this communication.

You can see the email that started it and my response below the fold.  I would encourage each Kossack to cut, paste and edit the response and send it out to anyone/everyone who sends you the Obama lie to counter the impact these lies might have to the ignorant.  More below:

I have just returned from a little 10 minute shopping trip where I needed to stop by a local store.  On the counter was a freshly run "newspaper" style flyer from "ArkansasVotersGuide.com".  The tag line under the headline was "Arkansas' Most Trusted Source of Unbiased Election Information."

But when I flipped it over, I saw the distributor.

"Family Council...a non-profit organization based in Little Rock, AR and associated with Focus on the Family."  The shop owner and I had a conversation right after that.

More after the fold.

If you are a democrat running for office and you're a contributor or regular visitor to this site, LISTEN UP!

In less than 15 days we will (hopefully) take back the House and Senate and the craziness of the last 6 years can come to a grinding halt.  That is what we have been working for, that has been the mission and prayed for light at the end of the tunnel.

Regardless, when you take office please remember this --

Is there noting that the far right "Christian" churches will not do to spread hate and anger in god's name.  In the Saturday, January 7, 2006 online edition of the Wisconsin Journal Sentinel, it was reported that 4 adults and 3 children attended the funeral of an American solider killed in combat with signs that praised God for dead soldiers.   Mourning, interrupted.

According to the news story filed by Patrick Marley:

-- more below the fold ---

So the voters of Dover PA woke up and realized that the school board members they elected to office weren't as concerned about improving public education as they were using the back door to instill a radical right religious orientation in the schools.

Now they are gone in Dover, PA (but they set up a nice little house on the prairie in Kansas where they can force science to bend to their theology.)  We should celebrate, right?  America has seen through to their real agenda, right?

Maybe, maybe not.

I know, I know.  What to do about Roberts.  Earlier this week past, Armando posted an entry called Failure.  The diary entry was made following Baucus and Leahy betrayal of the party regarding Roberts.

It is my sense from the posting that Armando is wondering if the past year has brought us any closer to a unified voice of the Democratic Party.  Now Feingold has joined the number of democrats voting for Roberts.  The list will grow to where there is no real demonstration of party unity because any defection will be used to tout Roberts as "acceptable" even to Democrats.

Those elected have a DUTY to the members of this party who put them in office to vote the way the people who work for the party want them to vote.  So I'm proposing a "30 Pieces of Silver" drive for all those people we field workers put in office who then go and vote against the interests of people who elected them.  And you know what, that "30 Pieces" is a pretty recognizable phrases and it speaks volumes about the character of the person.

More below the fold

Anderson, Paula the rest of the media keep asking all the wrong people about why it took so long to get FEMA and the help to New Orleans.

The look for logistics.  They ask elected folks what went wrong.  They talk to Lott and HSA and White House reps.  But they cannot, or will not look at the simpliest of answers.

The reason for the delay is a four word sentence.

is a four word sentence.

George was on vacation.

Anyone who has been watching this WH for any length of time over the past 6 years knows the following:

more below the fold -

We all know that GW likes long and uncomplicated vacations.  He takes them quiet frequently.  But is the mounting opposition from American citizens starting to drive old George back to the bottle (if he ever really left?)

The promise of serious social security reform is gone (serious privatization that is), the WAR isn't going away and the damn non-civilians in the chain of command are starting to say that more and more deaths of soldiers are coming because we will be there for about a generation, the non-Democratic public is starting to show that it finally figured out he lied about it, the other republicans have finally figured out he's lame duck and can only be a lead weight around their neck in the next presidential election - so they are like the rats running from the ship.  You have that damn prosecutor looking into Rove, Scooter and the boys.  Soon his aides and advisors will start to look for those off the hill jobs since he's soon going to be living in Crawford on a more permanent basis (yea, sure, back the little Texas town).  Man, these pressures can just make you want a cold beer.

I know the military has a thing for making people hate people.  It makes it easier to kill someone.  So where do they start?  How about making you hate yourself.  Do you deserve to live?  Is your life something worthwhile?  If not, why not kill someone else whose life is even less than yours?

For the past six months or so, I go to a site called PostSecret where people can send in a post card that reveals their deepest secrets for all the world to see.  Of course, no one knows where the secrets come from, so the secrets are still a secret.  

This secret, posted this weekend, started the wondering about the deaths over in Iraq and, just as sad, what happens when the guys come home.

An extreme animal rights group based in Madison, Wisconsin - 3 UW students dedicated to stopping all animal consumption worldwide - has obtained a top secret document during a midnight raid of the local Oscar Myer ® meat and meat by-products processing plant (Wisconsin Weiner Plant #4) that outlined the role of meta-agribusiness in the WOT and the plans for next steps into China.

According to a press release to be issued after midnight tonight, which includes major portions of the top secret document, Bushco officials met day-and-night and worked cheek to jowl in outlining the benefits of democratic, fast food business in the middle-east and far-east.

More bad news under the fold...

While Monsterfodder Walmart Diary from MonsterFodder made a brief note on Wal-Mart's intent to mess with your meals in his diary entry from June 27th, his need to get a veggie burger over came the news item!

A story from the Sunday, June 26th, Arkansas Democrat Gazette (which is anything but democratic in its orientation) by Cristal Cody - yea, that's how they spell it - paints a glowing picture of Wal-Mart's future plans to move the meat industry into its picture of what a "steak" should look like and weight - including the need for DNA tracking, RFID implants and genetic manipulation.

In Sunday edition, Cody states the following:

---more below the fold ----

Sorry Kermit but you just don't know how HARD it is being rich when they take all your money away.  Or at least try to make it look like they took all your money away.  Yes, CNN is reporting that poor John Rigas, founder of Aldephia Communications has agreed to forfeit 95% - yes, 95% of the family assets.

"The Rigas family, which founded the company, will forfeit 95 percent of its assets in Adelphia as part of the settlement agreements reached with the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission."

Man, almost wipes out the savings account.  Do you think he will worry over the suggested changes in Social Security now that he is on a limited budget?  Well, maybe not; let's take a closer look:

CNN is "now" reporting - note the use of the current verb tense - that Rigas will forfeit the following:

"The securities regulator said the assets the Rigas family will forfeit exceed $1.5 billion in value."

Well, what is 95% of 1.5 billion...or better yet, how much money will poor John and his family have left to pay the bills when all is said and done?  How about 75 MILLION dollars?

I was driving my son to school this morning when we passed a fire station that had the American flag flying at half mast.  He asked me, "Is the flag flying at half mast because of the Pope dying?"

I said, "Yes.  Sometimes the President orders the flags to lowered as a sign of respect for someone who died.  Usually it's for Americans, like other Presidents."

He then said, "But the Pope isn't American so why did we lower it for him?"

And you know what, that is a great question.

-- Thinking after the fold --

Sure, the election was months ago and sure the debates were even further back but you know what, I'm still pissed off about all that crap because what we have today - and you can name anything from the SS "debate" to Schiavo to the continued FUBAR in Iraq - is a direct result of what happened back then.  I started to list all the crap I'm PO'ed about - here it is

Why in hell can't we have a reasonable, prolonged debate over a candidate for the nation's highest office?  Sure, New Hampshire and Iowa and all the super-Tuesday states are important but you know what?  Just because just because they stick their hands in the cookie jar first shouldn't mean they get to grab as many cookies as possible so that the folks who come afterward end with the "here's you choice" field.

More ranting and raving and general PO comments under the fold.

Dear Howard,

I hope that the informality of the salutation is not offensive to you; I just received your letter requesting money for the DNC and, since only deadbeats and friends ask someone for money, I've decided to respond to your request as your friend.  

As your friend, and someone who hopes you do great in getting the party back on the track of representing the everyday, working and non-working American, I have to decline your request at this time.  

I could blame my decline of your generous offer on the rising cost of gasoline, or the rising costs of my healthcare and healthcare premiums, or the rising costs of my child's education and his safety but that wouldn't be completely honest.  While it is true that since Bush took over the White House in 2000, nearly every aspect of my family's life has been impacted because of his policies, including the economic impact my family's lifestyle and the need to be sure that every dollar spent goes where it does the most good, either for my family or for the causes we support.

More after the fold.

This is an attempt to bring together some threads of thought regarding republican economic theories, why  the Clinton years produced an economic boom to the country, why Bush's plans turned to crap for the first term (an may rebound in the second) and finally, what does this have to do with Social Security.

In a nutshell:
*    Republican economic theory caused the collapse of the stock market and the squeeze on the fund mangers and middle class;
*    Taxes are a social investment on the level of a Pachinko game;
*    The Economic growth under Clinton was an unplanned result of his actions because of how and where the feds spent the cash;
*    Any economic rebound in GW's second term will be minimal but should be expected and
*    The SS battle is attempting to pay off the fund managers, reinvigorate the stock market and even if the battle won by the Dems, the war with Republicans over the conceptual aspect will be a lot, lot longer.

It is timely in that Sterling Newberry's post earlier touches upon some of the same themes.

More below the fold.