Upcoming Alito Conformation Hearings

This post got mixed in wih the Christmas postings. I'll move it to Dec. 29.

While Congress in recess both sides are gearing up for a battle over the next Supreme Court nominee. Though Congress and the Senate typically give the President his choice, many legislators are concerned over Alito's mega-conservative stance on wiretaps, civil rights, labor, abortion, rights of foreigners, gun ownership, and other issues.

Wiretaps As a lawyer in the Reagan Justice Department, Alito argued that the nation's top law enforcement official deserves blanket protection from lawsuits when acting in the name of national security, even when those actions involve the illegal wiretapping of American citizens, documents released yesterday show.

Civil Rights. The groups that oppose Alito include the NAACP,the Mexican-America Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Change to Win, and the AFL-CIO. In 1985 Judge Alito disagreed in writing with the concept of “one man, one vote.” In 2000 he voted to uphold an anti-affirmative action decision of a lower court. In 1997 he strongly disagreed with a Third Circuit ruling and made it clear that he supports impossibly high barriers for victims of discrimination to have their cases heard. In 1997, he ruled that striking all African Americans from the jury of a case involving an African American man and the death penalty was irrelevant and likened it to a recent study showing that a disproportionate number of recent Presidents have been left-handed. In 2004, Judge Alito dissented from a ruling against police officers who had strip-searched a woman and her 10-year-old daughter while executing a search warrant authorizing the search of her husband and their home.

Environmentalism For the first time since Judge Bork's nomination in 1987, The Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, National Environmental Trust, Greenpeace and Earthjustice all oppose Aito. "Like Judge Bork, Judge Alito has an extreme record on issues that are central to fundamental legal safeguards for public health and our environment, including the scope of the Commerce Clause, which is the constitutional basis for most federal environmental laws," the groups said.

Abortion. However they feel personally about abortion, most Americans will be alarmed that judge Alito has written that, "the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion." The implication here is that women do not have the right to their own bodies.

Rights of foreigners. As a senior lawyer in the Reagan Justice Department, Alito argued that immigrants who enter the United States illegally and foreigners living outside their countries are not entitled to the constitutional rights afforded to Americans. Also, Alito gave his approval to an FBI effort in the 1980s to collect from Canadian authorities fingerprint cards of Iranian and Afghan refugees living in that country.

Gun Control the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence says, "Judge Alito's nomination poses serious dangers to the safety of our communities, our families, and our children, as evidenced by his troubling dissent in U.S. vs. Rybar..... In that case, Judge Alito argued that the federal machine gun ban amounted to an unconstitutional exercise of Congressional power under the Commerce Clause. Alito attempted to erect arbitrary hurdles to Congressional efforts to reduce the availability of machine guns to the criminal element."

What can Bluenecks do? Sign this petition and let your senator know that you oppose the confirmation of judicial extremists like Alito.

Peace on Earth

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Though this hymn was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow during the Civil War, it’s words seem as poignant now, as our nation is divided over war, debt, and public policy. As Christians pause to observe the birth of the Prince of Peace, let’s overcome despair and renew our efforts toward peace and prosperity In America and the world.

Merry Christmas.

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas...

On the twelfth day of Christmas
Bluenecks gave to me
A Congress with a Soul,

Petroleum independence,
Strong labor unions,
Tom DeLay convicted,
Balance the budget,
Peace in Iraq,
Rove with a pink slip,
No domestic spying,
Better education,
An anti-torture law,
A budget with a heart,
And a rebuilt New Orleans.

Congress this week took a strong stand for Christmas, passing a resolution in favor of the "symbols and traditions of Christmas." This, while the war in Iraq drags on and powerful members of the same body fight for tax cuts for the rich, cuts for spending on the poor, drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and giving the government more power to infringe our civil liberties. This Congress' leadership has no soul, and tramples the real message of Christmas.

"I like Christmas," said Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-NY, who is Jewish. "I like helping the needy and the poor and the least among us...If you wanted to protect the message of Christmas, come to the floor with real bills of substance...Where is your bill to house the homeless? Where is your bill to feed the needy? Where is your bill to clothe the naked? Where is your bill to protect senior citizens who will not be able to heat their homes this winter?"

Thankfully, well-organized groups of religious leaders have taken a stand for the real meaning of Christmas, insisting on a moral budget. And a few brave members of Congress have been listening. There are some things to celebrate. The Senate's rejection of the Patriot Act, and the removal of some of the more egregious cuts in social programs (like food stamps), shows that there are some signs of hope this Christmas season.

What Bluenecks Can Do: Send members of Congress a holiday thank you for their willingness to stand up for the real meaning of Christmas: peace and justice for all.

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas...

On the eleventh day of Christmas
Bluenecks gave to me
Petroleum independence

Strong labor unions,
Tom DeLay convicted,
Balance the budget,
Peace in Iraq,
Rove with a pink slip
No domestic spying,
better education,
An anti-torture law,
A budget with a heart,
And a rebuilt New Orleans.

I keep hearing great things about the movie "Syriana." Perhaps Bluenecks everywhere ought to get out to the theaters this holiday and check it out. This political thriller explores the vast cabal of secret government organizations and powerful corporations that work together to keep our petroleum-addicted economy hooked on oil. It's not just exciting fiction. Jeremy Rifkin's book, The Hydrogen Economy, highlights the many ways that governments and corporations have deliberately advanced our dependence on fossil fuels to the economic advantage of the rich and powerful. The results have been devastating to the environment, and have helped embroil us in the current mess in Iraq.

What Bluenecks Can Do: Besides seeing the move Syriana, check out the on-line action center "Oil Change," sponsored by the film's producers for a variety of steps each of us can take to break our dependence on oil.

On the Tenth Day of Christmas...

On the tenth day of Christmas
Bluenecks gave to me
Strong labor unions,

Tom Delay convicted,
Balance the budget,
Peace in Iraq,
Rove with a pink slip,
No domestic spying,
Better education,
An anti-torture law,
A budget with a heart,
And a rebuilt New Orleans.

It is obvious to the point of being a cliche that these days are tough times for big labor unions in America. Last month when General Motors announced massive layoffs and plant closings for the coming years (including the Saturn plant in Spring Hill, TN), it was seen by many as a sign of how the power of unions has crippled the American auto industry. A series on NPR's "All Things Considered" this week is exploring the changing life of American autoworkers and raises the question about how the union's insistence on high wages and expensive benefits packages has made the American car companies uncompetitive with their foreign counterparts. This week's strike by New York city transit workers is being spun by the mayor as a greedy standoff by well-paid employees who refuse to make any concessions during these tough economic times.

As usual, the real story is much more complex than the media often makes it appear. It is definitely true that the auto workers' union has sometimes been inflexible in adapting and changing to the rapidly-shifting nature of the global economy, and that has put their employers at a disadvantage. And corruption in the upper-ranks of union leadership is an age-old problem. But as yesterday's NPR story pointed out, the strength of the unions helped auto workers develop a decent standard of living which forces non-union car companies to lift wages in their own plants, like the Toyota factory in Georgetown, KY. And while the New York transit workers will inevitably have to compromise on their current position, it is also true that the Metropolitan Transit Authority is maintaining an almost $1 billion surplus, far too much to expect transit workers to make deep concessions in pay and benefits. As long as greedy corporate managers insist on unilaterally boosting profits by denying the needs of their employees, strong unions will be a necessary part of a just economy.

There are encouraging signs that unions are trying to grow and change with the times. The Change to Win coalition, an alliance of seven growing labor unions, is seeking to put less emphasis on rigid, bloated power structures within union leadership, and devote more resources toward organizing, especially in sectors of the economy that most need protection. The Service Employees Internation Union (SEIU) is a model union in this respect, and posted a major victory in recent weeks by organizing nearly five thousand janitors in the Houston area who work for minimum wage and no benefits. As David Moberg wrote earlier this year, these kinds of changes will strengthen the power of unions for lifting the standard of living for American workers across the economic spectrum.

What Bluenecks Can Do: Learn about SEIU's campaigns for workers' rights by visiting their Action Center on-line. Then voice your support for the Employee Free Choice Act, which removes many of the legal hurdles that make it difficult for employees like Houston's janitors to form unions and fight for better pay and conditions.

On the Ninth Day of Christmas…

On the ninth day of Christmas
The Bluenecks gave to me
Tom Delay convicted…

Rove with a pink slip
Stop spying now!
Better education
An anti-torture law
A budget with a heart
And a rebuilt New Orleans

Paul Simon sung “I’d rather be a hammer than a nail,” and he could have been singing about Tom Delay of Texas. Tom Delay is proud of the rough-and-tumble politics that he uses to ram through GOP legislation, but his brass-knuckle methods are finally catching up to him, and “The Hammer” has been pounded pretty hard this year.

• In January of this year House Republicans voted to prevent DeLay from keeping his speaker post if indicted.
  
• In March, news reports linked DeLay to gambling lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who is under federal investigation.
  
• In April of 05 House Republicans voted down controversial new ethics committee rules hampering an ethics investigation.
  
• In September 05 DeLay is indicted for conspiring to violate Texas political fundraising law and resigned as majority leader.
  
• In October 05: DeLay and two codefendants were indicted by a second grand jury on charges of conspiring to launder money and money laundering. DeLay turns himself in and smiles for a mug shot.
  
• In November Former DeLay aide Michael Scanlon pleads guilty to conspiring to bribe public officials.
  
• This month a judge dismisses the conspiracy charge but refuses to throw out the more serious allegations of money laundering.

Yep, Delay might be getting fitted for prison stripes soon. It looks like there will be a trial early in the year. Fellow GOP Texans Pat Baig and Michael Fjetlan are challenging DeLay for the Texas US District 22 Congressional seat in 06. Delay has been admonished by the House Ethics Committee, and his Texas redistricting plan is being challenged in court.

Now the president, seldom bothered much about public opinion before, is wavering in his support. After expressing unqualified support for Delay to the media, Bush told PBS’ “Newshour” in an interview to be aired on Friday night that he considered DeLay “innocent until proven otherwise.” How’s that for a ringing endorsement?

Can the hammer beat the rap and get back to ramrodding partisan legislation? Bluenecks think that’s about as likely as a New York tea party in Texas.

What can Bluenecks do? Donate to MoveOn’s media efforts in Texas. Let Texans know that America wants to “nail” crooked politicians.

On the Eighth Day of Christmas

On the eighth day of Christmas
The Bluenecks said to me
Balance the budget…

Peace in Iraq
Rove with a pink slip,
No domestic spying,
Better education,
An anti-torture law,
A budget with a heart,
And a rebuilt New Orleans.

Representative Harold Ford of Tennessee says , “… it is immoral for our government to live beyond its means and pass on billions of dollars of debt that our children and grandchildren will be forced to pay.” Read his open letter on the budget to opponent Ed Bryant here.

Yet after inheriting a budget surplus, the Bush administration backed up by a Republican-led Congress have run up a staggering eight trillion dollar National Debt. At this rate, our grandchildren will be paying for the reckless spending of the Bush/Delay/Frist budget.

Though many Republicans claim to be fiscally conservative, the image of budget-balancing Republicans is a myth. The only President in my lifetime to balance the budget was a Democrat. With the exception of Bill Clinton, Republicans have been in the White House for the past 20 years, and during that time the debt ratio has doubled. Now Republicans are using the deficit to justify deep cuts to programs that help working Americans.

Bluenecks want a balanced budget that isn’t morally bankrupt. The House budget bill will cut Medicaid, food stamps, student loans, child care and other people-helping programs. Tennessee Representative Harold Ford Jr. is running for Frist’s seat in the U.S. Senate, and he supports a constitutional amendment to balance the Federal Budget. We want a government for the real moral majority among us who support budget surplusses yet recognize our responsibility to the poor, the orphan, and the widow.

What can Bluenecks do? Read more about Ford here, here,
and here. Compare him with GOP opponents Ed Bryant, Van Hilleary, and Bob Corker. Then cast a vote for fiscal restraint by voting for Harold Ford Jr. for the U.S. Senate.

On the Seventh Day of Christmas...

On the Seventh Day of Christmas
The Bluenecks gave to me
Peace in Iraq...

Rove with a pink slip ,
No domestic spying,
Better education,
An anti-torture law,
A budget with a heart,
And a rebuilt New Orleans.

You know President Bush is on the ropes when he goes on national television during "Desperate Housewives" to plead his case to the American people. For the first time he actually acknowledged the opinions and feelings of those who disagree with his decision to invade Iraq. But in response to our feelings, he repeated the same old propaganda (if we pull out now we'll leave a mess) and the same old misinformation (Iraq is allied with the terrorists who attacked the world trade center). If he gets a bump in the opinion polls over this, I suspect it will be from those typically staunch Republicans looking for a reason to believe in their president again. The rest of the country won't buy it.

We've clearly established no connection between Saddam Hussein and al-Queda. That assertion has been exposed as a lie, and Americans know it. Furthermore, Americans are also smart enough to know that we will not kill our way to a peaceful Iraq. In this month's Atlantic Monthly, Nir Rosen, who spent sixteen months reporting from Iraq, dismantles all the administration's arguments for why we have to stay and "win" the war. Among his many points are that Sunnis and Shi'ites will be forced to make peace with each other if American leaves because the Sunnis will not be able to muster enough military might to conquer the larger Shi'ite population; the Iraqi Kurds will break away and form their own country no matter what; and that there is no hope for establishing a Western-style democracy in a country that has no democratic traditions. To really respect the rights of Iraqis to self-rule means letting them establish an Islamic republic. So we will NOT be able remake Iraq in our own image, no matter how long we stay, nor should we try.

Bluenecks applaud the Iraqi people for being able to carry out peaceful elections last week. So NOW is the time to articulate a clear exit strategy. The Iraqis want it and the American people want it.

What Bluenecks can do: If you haven't already, sign on to the petition demanding that the Bush administration establish an exit strategy. Then contact Rep. John Murtha, our favorite new anti-war politician, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Democratic minority leader, and encourage them to take to the airwaves to present their own view of the Iraq crisis. President Bush's propaganda should not go unanswered. If Americans can see an alternative to war, they'll follow it. Finally, we need to actively encourage anti-war candidates in the 2006 Congressional elections, so there will be a viable political force to make our demands for a peaceful Iraq a reality.

On the Sixth Day of Christmas…

On the seventh day of Christmas
The Bluenecks gave to me
Rove with a pink slip…

no domestic spying
better education
A an anti-torture law
A budget with a heart
And a rebuilt New Orleans

Americans deserve a leader that’s not tainted with scandal . The White House’s refusal to fire Rove despite promises to the contrary is more evidence that we have a president that feels he’s above the law.

This scandal is worse than Watergate. A timeline created from multiple sources under oath establishes that Rove talked about Plame to two different reporters before the article appeared “outing” her. Since that’s been established, the only dispute is over what exactly he said.

Fitzgerald’s investigation continues. He’s indicted the Vice President’s chief of staff Scooter Libby for obstruction of justice, perjory, and making false statements. Will Fitzgerald charge Rove? We will see.

But one fact remains: The White House stated anyone guilty of such an offense “would no longer be working for the administration.” Over two years later Rove is still working in the White House. Americans deserve honesty, and Rove deserves to be fired.

What can Bluenecks do?Keep the pressure on the White House to keep their promise to fire Rove. Sign this petition.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas...

On the fifth day of Christmas,
the Bluenecks [said] to me
Stop spying now!...

Better education
An anti-torture law
A budget with a heart
And a rebuilt New Orleans

The news yesterday was un-be-freakin'-leavable. The New York times revealed, and inside sources at the National Security Agency have confirmed, that in 2002 President Bush ordered the super-secret NSA to spy on thousands of American citizens without warrants to do so, bypassing well-established laws meant to protect Americans' civil liberties. The NSA has been spying on us for a very long time, and with great efficiency. However, the 1978 Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) created a mechanism whereby NSA officials could get warrants from a top-secret FISA court. As James Bamford, author of Body of Secrets: Anatomy of the Ultra-Secret National Security Agency explained on NPR yesterday, FISA even allows for emergency situations when the NSA can seek their warrant after wire-tapping has already begun. According to Bamford, insiders report that the court has rejected the request for a warrant perhaps only once out of thousands of cases.

Yet, the Bush White House ignored this well-established and highly-effective system of checks and balances. As Jeffery Smith, former general counsel to the CIA, said yesterday, in effect until the Supreme Court tells a president to stop, he can do just about anything he wants in the name of national security.

The backlash yesterday was instantaneous and gratifying. The Senate failed to overcome a threatened filibuster to halt the renewal of portions of the so-called "Patriot Act," another example of restricted privacy and civil liberties in the name of security. Bluenecks tip their hats to Sen. Russ Feingold for leading this charge, and to Republicans like Sen. John Sununu of New Hampshire, for standing with him. Even Sen. Arlen Specter, the Republican sponsor the Patriot Act renewal, expressed his dismay over the NSA spying story. "There is no doubt this is inappropriate," Specter said. "I want to know precisely what they did...How NSA utilized their tecnical equipment, whose conversations they overhead, how many conversations they overheard, what they did with the material, what purported justification there was."

What Bluenecks can do: E-mail Sen. Specter and tell him you appreciate his outrage over this trampling of our civil liberties. Encourage Sen. Specter to follow through with his statements yesterday to launch an investigation of the President's decision and to determine whether his actions were legal.

On the Fourth Day of Christmas…

On the fourth day of Christmas
The Bluenecks gave to me
Better education…

A An anti-torture law
A budget with a heart
And a rebuilt New Orleans

Bush says he wants a “quality teacher in every classroom.” Sounds good. Who could be against that right? The trouble is that No Child Left Behind does little or nothing to make that happen.

Howard Dean supports the actions of a task force formed by the Center for American Progress and the Institute for America’s Future. Their report, unveiled last August, includesa series of ambitious reforms for overhauling public education in America.

Connecticut’s Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education challenging the unfunded mandates in Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act.

What can Bluenecks do?
Speak up at School Board Meetings about the unfunded mandate of NCLB. Write your Congressman to ask for more funding for our children’s education.

On the Third Day of Christmas…

On the third day of Christmas
The Bluenecks gave to me
An anti-torture law…

A budget with a heart
And a rebuilt New Orleans

Today America began to look like America again. Bush finially agreed to Sen John Feingold’s amendment preventing torture by the CIA. After months of bad press over abuse at Abu Ghraib, interrogations at Guantanamo Bay, and reports of secret CIA prisons abroad, Vietnam POW John McCain's amendment will keep us from sinking to the level of the terrorists. The bill is expected to pass before Congress adjourns.

McCain’s proposal states, “No individual in the custody or under the physical control of the [U.S.] government,  regardless of nationality or physical location, shall be subject  to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.”

What can Bluenecks do?
If your Senator is not on the list of shame below, they are among the huge majority supporting this amendment. Send them a quick word of thanks.

Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska
Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas
Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi
Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma
Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma
Senator Chris Bond of Missouri
Senator John Cornyn of Texas
Senator Wayne Allard of Colorado

Knoxville Update Cindy Kendrick is organizing an antiwar, antitorture demonstration on Sunday, Jan. 8, 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., at the corner of Kingston Pike and Concord Street in Knoxville. Bring signs!

On the second Day of Christmas…

On the second Day of Christmas
The Bluenecks gave to me
A budget with a heart…

And a rebuilt New Orleans.

Washington had a “come to Jesus” meeting today over the new Federal budget. A religious coalition group calling itself “Let Justice Roll” had a pray-in at the Capitol, beginning in House Majority Leader Frist’s offices. About 100 were arrested. According to their website, they plan to “pray for a budget that does more to support children, the poor, families, the elderly, veterans and persons with disabilities.”

Congress is wrapping up this week with a budget that would cut $35 billion to $50 billion over five years from a range of programs, including health care for the poor and elderly and possibly child care, student loans and food stamps.

Finally the party that claims conservative Christians as its base was faced with a well-organized Christian group that is fighting the Neo-Con agenda. According to Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches USA, the proposed budget “is a slap in the face to anyone who believes in justice.”

What can Bluenecks do to help?
Sign this petition. Then ask your minister if your church is part of this effort. The Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church (USA), United Church of Christ and United Methodist Church have all signed on. If your church has not, why not?

Update
Photos and testimonials of Christians who participated in the pray-in.

On the First Day of Christmas...

On the First Day of Christmas
The Bluenecks gave to me
A rebuilt New Orleans

Over three months after Katrina nearly wiped out the most exotic city in America, New Orleans is still a disaster. The city is broke. Most of the schools have been taken over by the state. The power grid is destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of citizens are scattered to the winds.

Will Mardi Gras go dark? Should we stop the party out of respect for the dead? There's a New Orleans tradition for burying the dead, and we should follow it. Let's have the World's biggest jazz funeral. Let's build a monument in the St. Louis Cemetery. Let's play a long, slow dirge. Let's sing "Pecious Lord." And then, for the love of this great city, let's start the second line.

Because the city that defines parties cannot stop the Carnival. If we don't have Mardi Gras, then George Bush and FEMA wins. So game on, New Orleans. Game on, America. Bring your beads, your cameras, and your tourist dollars. Let Wynton Marsallis lead the band. Let them break into "Didn't He Ramble," Let's wave the umbrellas. Let's put on the Carnival masks. Let's weep and shout and dance.

But let's not let those responsible off the hook. Because clearly the Federal, government has failed the people of New Orleans. Twenty years of federal budget-cutting has left FEMA and other agencies woefully underfunded, understaffed, and run by political cronies with no experience. We need a national effort to train a new wave of real civil servants who will return the Federal government to its job of doing for its citizens what they cannot do by themselves.

And by the way, if the city and the Krewes can't make Mardi Gras happen, George Bush should fund it with one of his famous tax cuts. He said he wanted to lead a big effort to rebuild. Let's see him put his money where his mouth is.

What can Bluenecks do to help?
Gray Line Tours has started a disaster tour through New Orleans. Take it! It's only $35, and $10 is being donated to recovery. America needs to see first hand they way the government has failed these people. If you can't go to NOLA, donate through the Red Cross or the Salvation Army.

A busy day for truth

Echoing yesterday's post about the nefarious ways Republicans have controlled the political debate in this country, now we learn that when the GOP was redistricting Texas a few years back, career civil rights lawyers with the Justice Department unanimously agreed that the plan was a violation of the Voting Rights Act. But the poltically-appointed head of the civil rights division overturned their decision. Just another lovely example.

And if the manipulation here at home weren't enough, today we also learned that the Pentagon has been paying a company to plant positive news stories about the war in Iraqi newspapers. Republican Senator John Warner of Virginia, head of the Armed Services Committee, is investigating, and actually seems pissed off about it.

Finally, retired Lt. General William Odom is arguing the claim that if U.S. troops pull out from Iraq it will plunge the country into chaos is fairly irrelevant. The country has chaos now, and it will have chaos when we pull out, even if that is ten years from now. However, our current presence gives fuel to Al Queda, who before was never welcome in Iraq (Al Queda detested the secular Sunni government of Sadaam Hussein). Without U.S. troops, Al Queda would have no friends in Iraq.

Off Center

Great interview on NPR's "Fresh Air" today featuring political scientists Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson, authors of Off Center: The Republican Revolution and the Erosion of American Democracy. Hacker and Pierson show how despite the fact that the majority of Americans remain political centrists, the Republican party's agenda has moved radically rightward in recent years. The puzzle of all this is that conventional wisdom in American politics has always held that the parties will always pull to the center in order to preserve their standing with American voters. Off Center shows how the Republicans have defied this rule. They've done it through amassing enormous campaign coffers, through gerrymandering congressional districts (the authors point out that there is now less turnover in Congress than in the Soviet politiburo during the communist era), through using legislative rules to shut Democrats out of the debate, and often through outright manipulation and miscommunication.

Unfortunately, it wasn't clear from the interview what Democrats ought to DO about any of this. One thing that was clear is that Democrats haven't been nearly as unified as a party compared with the Republicans. And as we've argued from the pages of this blog many times, the Democrats' only hope for the future is to articulate a clear alternative to the exremist conservatives views of the "reigning" party.

Murtha Says We’re Out

The more I hear of this blustery old coot the more I love him. John Murtha speaks truth to power — even NPR correspondents. In his interview today on All Things Considered, Murtha says we can’t win, the generals are afraid to speak out, and that we will have a large reduction in troop presence by the end of the year.