Who's really in charge

Comic Roundup

"President Bush is putting together his presidential library, and apparently the library is going to cost $500 million, which works out to $100 million per book. Expensive books, they're popouts." - Conan O'Brien

"The Christmas tree was delivered to the White House yesterday. Just what we need at the White House, more dead wood." - David Letterman

"President Bush is preparing to build his presidential library. ... Bush's is expected to cost $500 million. That's more than three times the cost of the Clinton library, and more than all the other libraries combined, which makes you wonder, how many Garfield books can there be?" - Jimmy Kimmel

"The president's twin daughters are celebrating their 25th birthday with a trip to Argentina. Apparently their trip has caused what's known as chaos, to the point where, according to ABCNews.com, the American embassy and many Argentinian officials have strongly suggested the twins return to America. Just to repeat, Argentina, former safe-haven for Nazi war criminals, is drawing the line at the Bush twins." -Jon Stewart



"In the arguments, Justice Scalia said, 'I'm not a scientist, I don't want to deal with global warming.' I just wish he felt that way about presidential elections." - Former Vice President Al Gore, on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Nine months later

Jack decided to go skiing with his buddy, Bob. So they loaded up Jack's minivan and headed north. After driving for a few hours, they got caught in a terrible blizzard. So they pulled into a nearby farm and asked the attractive lady who answered the door if they could spend the night.

"I realize it's terrible weather out there and I have this huge house all to myself, but I'm recently widowed," she explained. "I'm afraid the neighbors will talk if I let you stay in my house."

"Don't worry," Jack said. "We'll be happy to sleep in the barn. And if the weather breaks, we'll be gone at first light." The lady agreed, and the two men found their way to the barn and settled in for the night. Come morning, the weather had cleared, and they got on their way. They enjoyed a great weekend of skiing.

But about nine months later, Jack got an unexpected letter from an attorney. It took him a few minutes to figure it out, but he finally determined that it was from the attorney of that attractive widow he had met on the ski weekend.

He dropped in on his friend Bob and asked, "Bob, do you remember that good-looking widow from the farm we stayed at on our ski holiday up north about 9 months ago?"

"Yes, I do." said Bob.

"Did you, ER, happen to get up in the middle of the night, go up to the house and pay her a visit?"

"Well, um, yes," Bob said, a little embarrassed about being found out, "I have to admit that I did."

"And did you happen to give her my name instead of telling her your name?"

Bob's face turned beet red and he said, "Yeah, look, I'm sorry, buddy. I'm afraid I did." "Why do you ask?"

"She just died and left me everything."

(And you thought the ending would be different, didn't you?... )

You tell me

Yes, once again it's "Make your own caption" day here at Left in Aboite. This one's in honor of our illustrious John Q.Public! Sorry, JQP, I know I promised never to post your childhood pictures, but. . .DAMN IT, we miss you here! (sniff) DAMN YOU ARIZONA (Sorry AZGoddess)! Do him proud and . .amaze me!

BillGates Farewell Tribute

$500M legacy?

Comedy writers all across America have been buoyed by news that President Bush is looking to raise half-a-billion dollars to build his legacy-burnishing presidential library.

The punchlines write themselves: What's it going to house, 100,000 copies of The Pet Goat? Will there be exhibits on waterboarding and the quaintness of the Geneva Conventions? A room devoted to the nobility of the Hanging Chad? The Abu Ghraib Game Room?

But it's no joke that the names of donors to the library don't have to be made public. Bush 43 may be a lame duck, but he still has two years left in which he can throw open the doors of the White House favor bank. Whatever happened to the concept of government transparency?

G.I.Joke

A Holiday Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts...
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."

"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother...

Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

Sunday Round-Up

It's official: The war in Iraq has now lasted longer than the U.S. involvement in World War II. As of Sunday, the conflict in Iraq has raged for three years and just over eight months. Only the Vietnam War (eight years, five months), the Revolutionary War (six years, nine months), and the Civil War (four years), have engaged America longer.

Full-scale conservative Sam Brownback said today that he's poured thought and prayer into a forthcoming decision whether to seek the presidency in 2008. "We're very close with announcements".

A possible landmark court verdict could be coming this week: The Bush Administration may be forced to change course on climate change. . .

Jordan's King Abdullah: "The difficulty that we're tackling with here is, we're juggling with the strong potential of three civil wars in the region, whether it's the Palestinians, that of Lebanon or of Iraq...and we could possibly imagine going into 2007 and having three civil wars on our hands. And therefore, it is time that we really take a strong step forward as part of the international community and make sure we avert the Middle East from a tremendous crisis that I fear, and I see could possibly happen in 2007".

Michael Richards appeared today on Jesse Jackson's nationally syndicated radio program, "Keep Hope Alive," as a part of a series of apologies for the incident. He said he knew his comments had hurt the black community, and hoped to meet with the two men he'd directed them at. Richards reiterated that he did not consider himself a racist, and that he was "shattered" by the comments he'd made to the young black men during a tirade at a Los Angeles comedy club.

The important things. . .

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 Hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee:

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full.. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents
into the jar, effectively filling the Empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and Favorite passions -- things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.


"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for
the things that are important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play With your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.
Play another 18.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

"Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked".

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

SUPERTELEVANGELISTIC SEX-AND-DRUGS PSYCHOSIS

By now most of you are familiar with Paul Hipp's song about Ted Haggard, "Meth and Man Ass". . .Here's another effort I just stumbled across:

Parody of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" (Sherman/Sherman)
Lyrics by M. Spaff Sumsion


I used to be a master of the anti-gay crusade
Until a butch disaster blew my pastor masquerade
But if it's true I'm pounding more than pulpits, don't blame me
It's 'cause I caught my hooker-tweaker-stud's infirmity

It's
Supertelevangelistic sex-and-drugs psychosis
Worse than plague and bird flu crossed with osteoporosis
We were playing doctor and he gave this diagnosis:
Supertelevangelistic sex-and-drugs psychosis

Umm Haggard Bakker Swaggart umm Tammy Faye
Umm Haggard Bakker Swaggart umm Tammy Faye

I found the perfect therapist - the kind that gives massage
I like to drive my Escort and I park in his garage
I swear he only serves me crank when all his Coke is gone
And then he helps me straighten out my Peter, James, and John

Blame
Supertelevangelistic sex-and-drugs psychosis
That's my greatest guilty pleasure next to Guns N' Roses
Good thing there's no ban on it in all the books of Moses
Supertelevangelistic sex-and-drugs psychosis

Umm Haggard Bakker Swaggart umm Tammy Faye
Umm Haggard Bakker Swaggart umm Tammy Faye

It seems all pious public figures bugger on the sly
But Jesus loved republicans and sinners; so must I
Say "Holy moley, Mister Foley! That boy's underage!"
But I believe the congressman has turned another page

Oh!
Supertelevangelistic sex-and-drugs psychosis
Next time, better cut me off at handshakes and Mimosas
No more meth or men for me - at least in overdoses!
Supertelevangelistic sex-and-drugs psychosis!

(Just a spoonful of crystal helps the prostitute go down...)

Cut You Down

This year's hot new toys

The Parrot

A young man names John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a really bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with obscenities.

John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music, and anything else he could think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary.Finally John became fed up with the the bird's antics and yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder.

John, in desperation, threw his hands up, grabbed the bird and threw it into the freezer.For a few minutes the parrot squawked and screamed and kicked. Then suddenly there was total silence from the freezer. Not a peep was heard for over a minute. Fearing that he had hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the freezer door.

The parrot calmly walked out on to John's outstretched arm and said, "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can do to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude. As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued, "May I ask what the turkey did?"

Happy Thanksgiving!

One Step Beyond

Okay. . .one final retro moment for the evening. . .the heavy heavy monster sounds of Madness: ONE STEP BEYOND!

I lost on Jeopardy

Heh. . .I'm on a nostalgia trip this evening! Wierd Al's take-off on "Jeopardy" by the Greg Khinn Band - Circa 1983. Look for the cameo appearance by Dr.Dimento! If you don't recall the original video, the ending scene remains the same. . .except for Al landing in the back seat of the "getaway car". . .

Blast from the past

Planet P - Circa 1982 methinks. . .I LOVED this song.

"I do the rock"

A video of Tim Curry performing his song "I do the rock" at the Paradise Garage. And you thought he only sang songs about sweet trans-sexuals from Transylvania. . .

Antonyms

Mine's bigger. . .

In a Crocodile Dundee-like moment, a Florida convenience store clerk repelled a machete-wielding robber by pulling out her own machete from behind the store's counter, a faceoff captured by a store surveillance camera.

On Tuesday, a man wearing a blue sweatshirt and baggy jeans approached the counter of the Lil' Saints store in Stuart and pulled the weapon from his pants. After he moved away from the counter for a moment, clerk Guillermina Sanchez, 46, grabbed her machete from under the cash register. After a 20-second standoff (during which time the man frantically pressed keys on the register in a bid to open it), the robber left the business. Detectives believe the suspect in the November 13 incident was also behind a mid-October robbery at the store which netted him about $500.

Hat-Tip: The Smoking Gun

Hunger has been eliminated!

Paging George Carlin. . .Mr.Carlin, your country needs you. . .

Claiming that the term "hungry" is "not a scientifically accurate term for the specific phenomenon being measured in their food security survey, and stating that "we don't have a measure of that condition", the US government has decided to drop the word "hunger" from its vocabulary. The condition formerly known as hunger shall henceforth be referred to as "very low food security". Statistically speaking, hunger will no longer exist in America.

The government report follows five straight years of increases in the number of Americans unable to afford the food they need. While the USDA may feel comfortable saying there is no hunger in America, simply because they can't find a precise scientific measure to describe it. It is not so difficult. In fact, it's so easy a child could do it. A young boy at a San Francisco food pantry knows exactly how to describe hunger. He says, "My stomach is touching my back."

If the government stops using the word "hunger," people may begin to believe that hunger has gone away. It hasn't. Just ask that little boy whose stomach is touching his back. However, by any name, the statistics are grim: 35 million people in America are living in "food-insecure" households. Seniors and children are especially at risk. Hunger is especially devastating for our most vulnerable citizens: children and seniors.

Yet for the past six years, the Bush administration has been cutting food-assistance programs, and in some cases, proposing to eliminate them. The continued unraveling of our nation's food safety net, will mean that more elderly Americans will go to bed hungry, more working poor parents will have to choose between paying the rent or putting food on the table, and more children will perform poorly in school and be unprepared for productive work lives.

The new Democratic-led Congress has an important opportunity to reverse these policies. They can take the lead in combatting hunger by restoring and increasing funding for the government food-assistance programs that provide vital nutrition to low-income Americans. And they should never be afraid to call hunger by its name.

Actual USDA data HERE.

A message from Michael Moore

A Liberal's Pledge to Disheartened Conservatives ...by Michael Moore

To My Conservative Brothers and Sisters,

I know you are dismayed and disheartened at the results of last week's election. You're worried that the country is heading toward a very bad place you don't want it to go. Your 12-year Republican Revolution has ended with so much yet to do, so many promises left unfulfilled. You are in a funk, and I understand.

Well, cheer up, my friends! Do not despair. I have good news for you. I, and the millions of others who are now in charge with our Democratic Congress, have a pledge we would like to make to you, a list of promises that we offer you because we value you as our fellow Americans. You deserve to know what we plan to do with our newfound power -- and, to be specific, what we will do to you and for you.

Thus, here is our Liberal's Pledge to Disheartened Conservatives:

Dear Conservatives and Republicans,

I, and my fellow signatories, hereby make these promises to you:

1. We will always respect you for your conservative beliefs. We will never, ever, call you "unpatriotic" simply because you disagree with us. In fact, we encourage you to dissent and disagree with us.

2. We will let you marry whomever you want, even when some of us consider your behavior to be "different" or "immoral." Who you marry is none of our business. Love and be in love -- it's a wonderful gift.

3. We will not spend your grandchildren's money on our personal whims or to enrich our friends. It's your checkbook, too, and we will balance it for you.

4. When we soon bring our sons and daughters home from Iraq, we will bring your sons and daughters home, too. They deserve to live. We promise never to send your kids off to war based on either a mistake or a lie.

5. When we make America the last Western democracy to have universal health coverage, and all Americans are able to get help when they fall ill, we promise that you, too, will be able to see a doctor, regardless of your ability to pay. And when stem cell research delivers treatments and cures for diseases that affect you and your loved ones, we'll make sure those advances are available to you and your family, too.

6. Even though you have opposed environmental regulation, when we clean up our air and water, we, the Democratic majority, will let you, too, breathe the cleaner air and drink the purer water.

7. Should a mass murderer ever kill 3,000 people on our soil, we will devote every single resource to tracking him down and bringing him to justice. Immediately. We will protect you.

8. We will never stick our nose in your bedroom or your womb. What you do there as consenting adults is your business. We will continue to count your age from the moment you were born, not the moment you were conceived.

9. We will not take away your hunting guns. If you need an automatic weapon or a handgun to kill a bird or a deer, then you really aren't much of a hunter and you should, perhaps, pick up another sport. We will make our streets and schools as free as we can from these weapons and we will protect your children just as we would protect ours.

10. When we raise the minimum wage, we will pay you -- and your employees -- that new wage, too. When women are finally paid what men make, we will pay conservative women that wage, too.

11. We will respect your religious beliefs, even when you don't put those beliefs into practice. In fact, we will actively seek to promote your most radical religious beliefs ("Blessed are the poor," "Blessed are the peacemakers," "Love your enemies," "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God," and "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."). We will let people in other countries know that God doesn't just bless America, he blesses everyone. We will discourage religious intolerance and fanaticism -- starting with the fanaticism here at home, thus setting a good example for the rest of the world.

12. We will not tolerate politicians who are corrupt and who are bought and paid for by the rich. We will go after any elected leader who puts him or herself ahead of the people. And we promise you we will go after the corrupt politicians on our side FIRST. If we fail to do this, we need you to call us on it. Simply because we are in power does not give us the right to turn our heads the other way when our party goes astray. Please perform this important duty as the loyal opposition.

I promise all of the above to you because this is your country, too. You are every bit as American as we are. We are all in this together. We sink or swim as one. Thank you for your years of service to this country and for giving us the opportunity to see if we can make things a bit better for our 300 million fellow Americans -- and for the rest of the world.

Signed,
Michael Mooremmflint@aol.com(Click here to sign the pledge)http://www.michaelmoore.com/
P.S. Please feel free to pass this on.

Blue Boys

"Bush and Putin were both dismayed by the fact that red fabrics were scarce in certain parts of Asia".

That other Simpson

"I and senior management agree with the American public that this was an ill-considered project," said Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. chairman.

No, he's not talking about FOX News even though it does apply. After a firestorm of criticism, News. Corp. said Monday that it has canceled the O.J. Simpson book and TV special "If I Did It." At least a dozen Fox affiliates had already pledged to not air the two-part sweeps month special, planned for next week before the Nov. 30 publication of the book by ReganBooks. The publishing house is a HarperCollins imprint owned — like the Fox network — by News Corp.

In both the book and show, Simpson describes how he committed the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Goldman, umm. . .I mean speaks in hypothetical terms about he would have killed them. Look, we all know he did it. While I'll admit to some curiosity regarding the details, I have no desire to see him earn even one cent in profit from his "admission", let alone any further publicity. I guess when you're a cold-blooded killer, shame's not something that enters your thought process. . .

Keep on searching for the real killer out there on those Florida golf courses, Juice. There just has to be an alligator or errant lighting bolt with your name boldly engraved upon it. Fate demands no less. . .

The four ghosts of the White House

One night, George W. Bush is tossing restlessly in his White House bed. He awakens to see George Washington standing by him. Bush asks him, "George, what's the best thing I can do to help the country?"

"Set an honest and honorable example, just as I did," Washington advises, and then fades away.

The next night, Bush is astir again, and sees the ghost of Thomas Jefferson moving through the darkened bedroom. Bush calls out, "Tom, please! What is the best thing I can do to help the country?"

"Respect the Constitution, as I did," Jefferson advises, and dims from sight.

The third night sleep is still not in the cards for Bush. He awakens to see the ghost of FDR hovering over his bed. Bush whispers, "Franklin, What is the best thing I can do to help the country?"

"Help the less fortunate, just as I did," FDR replies and fades into the mist.

Bush isn't sleeping well the fourth night when he sees another figure moving in the shadows. It is the ghost of Abraham Lincoln. Bush pleads, "Abe, what is the best thing I can do right now to help the country?"

Lincoln replies, "Go see a play."

Thought for the day

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will.

You will have your heart broken probably more than once and it's harder every time.

You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.

You'll fight with your best friend.

You'll blame a new love for things an old one did.

You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love.

So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

Book Signing

Do I Creep You Out?

Do I Creep You Out | Send To Friends | Funny Animations at JibJab

Let's Get to Work

11/16/06 (From John Murtha)

While the most important thing in Washington, DC over the past few days has been an internal Party struggle, the American people never lost sight, even for a brief moment, of the most important conflict: Iraq. That's clear from the support of bloggers from across the country, phone calls and emails of support to my office and editorials in local papers endorsing our plan for change.


I ran for Majority Leader to put the issue of Iraq front and center and to push as hard as I could to change our war strategy. Like you, many of my colleagues understood that this race was about delivering on our promise we made to the American people a little over a week ago.

I am especially grateful for the support of our next House Speaker, and the first woman to hold the position, Nancy Pelosi. I just can't say enough nice things about her. And I congratulate Steny Hoyer and will work closely with him. While we didn't win, nothing has changed my commitment one bit.

Don't get me wrong, other things matter too, such as ethics reforms and the Democrats' agenda, and I'm going to keep my promise to work hard with Speaker Pelosi and the Leadership to pass those as well.

But Iraq is the key. Democrats won the election because we spoke up, and the real test of our leadership lies ahead. Thank you for your support, and now let's get to work.

- John Murtha

You tell me

Okay. . .you may have noticed that I am slowly trying to crawl out of my intense political skin now that the mid-terms are over. So, back once again by popular demand or just because I wish to be amused, it's "Make your own quote" day here at Left in Aboite!

The Young Turks

Check out The Young Turks every morning on Air America from 6-9 AM! If you don't have XM Satellite Radio, then check them out online and in-studio HERE.

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Translations

What she said… and what she meant:

"Fine" -- This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

"Five Minutes" -- If she is getting dressed, this is half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

"Nothing" -- This is the calm before the storm. This means "something" and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with "nothing" usually end in "fine".

"Go Ahead" -- This is a dare, not permission. Proceed with extreme caution!

Loud Sigh -- Although not actually a word, the loud sigh is often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over "Nothing".

"That's OK" -- This is one of the most dangerous statements that woman can make to a man. "That's OK" means that she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

"Thanks" -- This is the least used of all words in the female vocabulary. If a woman is thanking you, do not question it, just say "you're welcome" and back out of the room slowly.

Get Human

Someone on another blog was discussing this recently: How to get a real live human being on the telephone when you call a company or government agency. It’s a good refresher on how to actually cut through the voice recorded “Your call is important to us” BS.

Here are a few examples:

Ford Motor Credit – Press # at each prompt, ignoring messages.

Discover Card – Press ****.

Merrill Lynch – Say "Advisor".

IRS – Don't press or say anything.

U.S. Postal Service – Press 5 at each prompt, ignoring messages.

New York Times – Press 500.


There are 500 companies listed in this database. Phone numbers are included too.

World reaction to 2006

For Europe and much of the rest of the world, our repudiation of the Bush administration in Tuesday's midterm elections and the dismissal Rumsfeld on Wednesday confirmed the widespread view that Bush and his policies have done more to tarnish America's image abroad and destroy its world relations than any other U.S. president in recent history. Indeed, the seismic political shift in the U.S. was greeted in many places less with jubilation than with a deep sense of relief that Americans had at long last come to their senses.


The Socialist Group in the European Parliament, the legislative body's second-largest voting bloc, called the election results "the beginning of the end of a six-year
nightmare for the world."


"It took a while for the Americans to realize who they had elected and the damage he had caused in the world," said Philippe Bas, 56, whose newsstand near a Paris subway stop was stacked with newspapers from across Europe carrying analyses of the election.

That view was echoed in some newspaper editorials and headlines around Europe. In Britain, the headline over the Guardian newspaper's lead editorial read, "Thank you, America."

In many capitals, Rumsfeld's dismissal was even bigger and better news than the restoration of oversight that Democratic control of the House and Senate will bring.



"After the Democratic victory, Bush sacrifices Rumsfeld," the French daily newspaper Le Figaro declared in a banner headline Thursday.

An editorial in Le Figaro described Rumsfeld as "the symbol of the horrors of the American military intervention in Iraq," and said, "By dismissing the architect of this unpopular conflict, by sanctioning the neocons' idol, George Bush shows that he stopped believing that he could 'maintain the course' in Iraq."

"Rumsfeld never had many friends in Europe," Marcin Zaborowski, who monitors transatlantic relations for the Paris-based European Union Institute for Security Studies, said in an interview. "He exemplified anything that was bad about this administration. He personified the approaches Europeans had the most problems with - going to war in Iraq on the false premises that it was closely linked to the war on terrorism and directly linked to the events of 9/11."

Political parties, government leaders, pundits and citizens from many countries seized on the return of a bipartisan government in the United States as a harbinger of welcome change in the Bush administration's policy of using the military. But others expressed concerns about the Democratic Party's agenda promoting trade restrictions and human rights.

"I hope the policy will be better balanced regarding the use of armed forces outside the United States," Boris Gryzlov, speaker of Russia's lower house of parliament, told reporters in Moscow. "However, there are fears that the Democrats are more prone to apply double standards in human rights."

"Democrats have traditionally had more complicated relations with Russia," said Tatyana Parkhalina, a senior analyst at the Center for Problems of European Security in Moscow. "And our politicians worry that they will pay more attention to human rights, the democratic development of the country and relations with former Soviet republics. They're not happy about that."

Some Chinese analysts also said the Beijing government is worried about potential changes in the way the United States approaches trade relations, noting that "Democrats have traditionally been more attuned than Republicans to labor union complaints about loss of U.S. jobs to low-wage Chinese factories."

Did you conservatives catch that? Democrats worry the commies. . .

Officials and analysts in other nations embraced the prospect of changes in U.S. social policies.

Germany's minister for economic cooperation and development, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, a Social Democrat, told the Berliner Zeitung newspaper, "There is hope that our concerns in the world - for peace, development, environmental and climate protection - will be given more weight on the political agenda in the USA."

On the opposite side of the globe, Mexican officials said they hope Democrats will use their new power to improve Bush's approach to immigration issues, particularly the question of constructing a barrier on the U.S.-Mexican border.

"The electoral strategy that proposed the possibility of building the wall as an element of the electoral battle failed," said Rubin Aguilar, spokesman for Mexican
President Vicente Fox.

Some European analysts expressed fear that some pressing issues, including the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs, could be neglected with a lame-duck leader in the White House.

Britain's Daily Mail newspaper said in an editorial that Bush had received a "richly deserved bloody nose," but the results had "left the free world with a severely
compromised leader, stripped of moral authority at home and abroad."

But one of Iran's hard-line newspapers, Kayhan, relished the prospect of a politically diminished White House. "Bush's government will be obliged to take more cautious steps and instead of creating war around the world, it will be obliged to fight politically with Democrats," it said.

Pelosi endorses Murtha

Speaker of the House-to-be Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) endorsed Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) in the election for House majority leader yesterday, citing Murtha's calls for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq as a major factor in her decision. Murtha is running against current House minority whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD).

"I salute your courageous leadership that changed the national debate and helped make Iraq the central issue of this historic election," Pelosi wrote in her letter of endorsement. Pelosi's backing signaled that she sees Iraq as the key issue of the next Congress.

Oversight to return to Iraq

Congressional Democrats announced today that they will press new legislation next week to restore the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, as well as expanding it's investigative powers. That federal agency, responsible for ferreting out waste and corruption in Iraq, was set to be terminated under a Republican-backed provision that was slipped into a huge military authorization bill.

The bills, to be introduced on Monday morning, mark the first of what are likely to be dozens of Democratic efforts to resurrect investigations of war profiteering and financial fraud in government contracting. The agency’s findings have consistently undermined Bush administration claims of widespread success in the reconstruction of Iraq. “The unilateral decision made by House Republicans to shut down this critical office should be reversed immediately,” said incoming majority leader Harry Reid.

Oversight, the power wielded by Congressional committees to demand information, internal documents, and subpoena executive branch officials to hearings when necessary, is reverberating through Congress as a Democratic battle cry.

Carl Levin, in line to become the new chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that while seeking a new strategy for Iraq would be his first and primary focus, he would also look carefully at military contracting. “There have been serious allegations and evidence of misconduct among suppliers,” said Levin. “And the taxpayers, of course, get socked on that. And the troops are not properly taken care of when that happens.”

Democrats will indeed press ahead with Congressional oversight, particularly on Iraq. But the imperative to investigate financial misdeeds extends beyond the military. The House government reform committee under Rep.Henry A. Waxman(CA)may also investigate spending related to domestic security and the response to Hurricane Katrina.

And the Appropriations Committee, likely to be led by Rep. David R. Obey(WI) is to more closely review spending such as large supplementary requests for Iraq and Afghanistan.

Senator John D. Rockefeller IV(WV), the new chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has been a critic of the C.I.A.’s secret detention program and the National Security Agency’s domestic wiretapping program. Mr. Rockefeller may push the administration to obtain more information about secret programs. The committee, like many others, has often degenerated into partisan rancor over the past two years, and Mr. Rockefeller, like other incoming chairmen, has told colleagues that one of his priorities is to restore the committee’s historic bipartisanship.


And last although most certaintly not least, the Appropriations Committee will apply pressure to curtail earmarks, or pork, if you will. Heavy intense pressure we hope. Earmarks, spending measures for specific projects not sought by a federal agency but sponsored by a lawmaker, have been responsible for much of the coruption and scandal in Congress.


Overall, there's little downside for the Democrats in going after waste and fraud in government contracting, particularly in Iraq. The corruption there has not only been unpopular with the American public, but has also been the scene where corporate giants like Halliburton, Parsons and Bechtel have committed their highly publicized missteps in the rebuilding of the country.

Meet the Non-Democrats

Tomorrow will be the first "Meet The Press" since the Democrats swept both the House and the Senate in the midterm elections, and ThinkProgress and HuffPo's own Stephen Kaus point out something interesting: Special guests Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman were not part of the aforementioned Democratic sweeping of the House and Senate. While both are obviously experienced and no doubt chatty (we know this from McCain's regular appearances on the show), it's interesting to note what they were invited on the program to discuss: "The midterm election results, the Iraq war, the Gates nomination and setting the stage for 2008." Considering both McCain and Lieberman's traditional support for the war, it seems an oddly exclusive choice, not inviting any Democratic candidate who ran — and won — on an anti-war platform to the table (no doubt they were all busy; Russert fan favorite Nancy Pelosi hasn't been doing much press). While Joe Lieberman has reaffirmed his party identification as a Democrat, his electoral experience was an unusual one and not one generally held up as emblematic of the overarching trends in this election (see Claire McCaskill; Jon Tester; Sherrod Brown; and — thank God, that was a close one — Jim Webb). While it's true that MTP host Tim Russert has been running left like the rest of the press in recent months, this post-election slate could have been lively and fresh and instead it will feature a guy whose views we've heard again and again and someone whose election experience was so unique and anomalous that it seems a distraction to bring him front and center right now, especially to weigh in on where the Democrats are going. More than anything, it speaks to how "Meet The Press" is a dinosaur, stubbornly staying with the safe and familiar and digging its heels in to change. After an election where voters surged out in surprising numbers to make sure that they elected a party that would actually force some change, it seems strange to bring on two guests who are so closely aligned with the biggest thing that needed changing.



HAT TIP: Huffington Post

I Will Survive

Okay, this is the third time I've seen this now, and it hasn't failed to make me laugh yet! So I just had to post it here for the rest of ya!

Jack Palance dies at 87

From AP reports

Jack Palance, the craggy-faced menace in "Shane," "Sudden Fear" and other films who turned successfully to comedy in his 70s with his Oscar-winning self-parody in "City Slickers," died Friday.

Palance died of natural causes at his home in Montecito, Calif., surrounded by family, said spokesman Dick Guttman. He was 87.

When Palance accepted his Oscar for best supporting actor he delighted viewers of the 1992 Academy Awards by dropping to the stage and performing one-armed push-ups to demonstrate his physical prowess.

"That's nothing, really," he said slyly. "As far as two-handed push-ups, you can do that all night, and it doesn't make a difference whether she's there or not." That year's Oscar host, Billy Crystal, turned the moment into a running joke, making increasingly outlandish remarks about Palance's accomplishments throughout the show. It was a magic moment that epitomized the actor's 40 years in films.

Always the iconoclast, Palance had scorned most of his movie roles. "Most of the stuff I do is garbage," he once told a reporter, adding that most of the directors he worked with were incompetent, too. "Most of them shouldn't even be directing traffic," he said. Movie audiences, though, were electrified by the actor's chiseled face, hulking presence and the calm, low voice that made his screen presence all the more intimidating.

His film debut came in 1950, playing a murderer named Blackie in "Panic in the Streets." After a war picture, "Halls of Montezuma," he portrayed the ardent lover who stalks the terrified Joan Crawford in 1952's "Sudden Fear." The role earned him his first Academy Award nomination for supporting actor.

The following year brought his second nomination when he portrayed Jack Wilson, the swaggering gunslinger who bullies peace-loving Alan Ladd into a barroom duel in the Western classic "Shane." That role cemented Palance's reputation as Hollywood's favorite menace, and he went on to appear in such films as "Arrowhead" (as a renegade Apache), "Man in the Attic" (as Jack the Ripper), "Sign of the Pagan" (as Attila the Hun) and "The Silver Chalice" (as a fictional challenger to Jesus).

Forty-one years after his auspicious film debut, Palance played against type, to a degree. His "City Slickers" character, Curly, was still a menacing figure to dude ranch visitors Crystal, Daniel Stern and Bruno Kirby, but with a comic twist. And Palance delivered his one-liners with surgeon-like precision.

A strapping 6-feet-4 and 210 pounds, Palance excelled at sports and won a football scholarship to the University of North Carolina. He left after two years, disgusted by commercialization of the sport. He decided to use his size and strength as a prizefighter, but after two hapless years that resulted in little more than a broken nose that would serve him well as a screen villain. "I had always wanted to express myself through words," he said in a 1957 interview. "But I always thought I was too big to be an actor. I could see myself knocking over tables. I thought acting was for little ... guys."

Bye Bye, Mr. Ass-Kissing Guy

From AP reports:

Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, whose party lost both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, will step down from his post when his two-year term ends in January, GOP officials said Thursday.

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because Mehlman had not yet made his intentions public.

Brian Jones, an RNC spokesman, declined to comment beyond saying that an announcement about Mehlman's future with the party would be made in the days ahead.

Democrats won control of the House and Senate on Tuesday by capitalizing on voter frustration with President Bush, the war in Iraq and the scandal-scarred Congress. Democrats also took a majority of governors' posts and gained a decisive edge in state legislatures.

During his tenure, Mehlman, 40, traveled extensively to promote the Republican agenda. When he became chairman in January 2005, he said he hoped to tighten the GOP's grip on power in Washington.

``Nothing is permanent in politics,'' he said then. ``The goal is how do you - both in the short term and the long term - do things to make it sustainable?''

Mehlman also said then that he hoped to expand the GOP base and help Bush enact his agenda.

Last year, Mehlman told NAACP members that the Republican Party was wrong for ignoring the black vote for decades and said he hoped the groups could restore their historic bond.

``Some Republicans gave up on winning the African-American vote, looking the other way or trying to benefit politically from racial polarization,'' Mehlman said at the NAACP convention. ``I come here as Republican chairman to tell you we were wrong.''

A protege of Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, Mehlman became RNC chairman after managing Bush's re-election campaign in 2004, when the president won re-election and Republicans expanded their majorities in the House and the Senate.

Before that campaign, he served as White House political director under Rove. In 2000, he served as national field director for Bush's first presidential campaign, charged with coordinating the efforts of GOP leaders in every state.

Previous to that, he worked on Capitol Hill and practiced environmental law in Washington. Mehlman, a Baltimore native, is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa.

So, in short, he has a long and storied history of fucking up our country. See ya later, asshat. Unless we see ya first. . .

Howard Dean on the 2006 Election

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today issued the following statement regarding the 2006 election results:

"Today the American people sent a clear message for a new direction. Voting for hope and opportunity, they rejected the Republican culture of corruption and the politics of fear and smear.

"I want to congratulate all of our Democratic candidates who ran strong campaigns, worked hard, and offered the American people a clear choice and a strong vision for a new direction based on the priorities of the American people. The American voters also sent a message to Democrats that if we show up, work hard and ask for their vote, we can win in any part of the country.

"I also want to congratulate Representatives Emanuel and Pelosi, Senators Reid and Schumer, DGA Chair Governor Bill Richardson and DLCC Chair Joan Fitz-Gerald, Colorado State Senate President, for their hard work. Our work doesn't end tonight; it begins tomorrow as we put forward an agenda that puts the American people first. Democrats are unified and ready to change the tone of politics in Washington to get things done for the American people.

"We will honor the trust the American people have put in us with the promise that we will respect all Americans. We will value your beliefs and your families as we restore America to its position of moral leadership thought the world. Together America will be stronger. Together we will move America in a new direction."

The fifty-state strategy worked! Grass-roots organizing worked! WE all worked together to make this happen! Give yourselves a huge round of applause; the country you have just saved is your own. . .

Today's Funny

HAT TIP to SUMO!


"You may end up with a different math, but you're entitled to your math. I'm entitled to the math." --White House adviser Karl Rove, insisting to NPR that pre-election polls "add up to a Republican Senate and a Republican House"



"In just six years, the national debt has doubled. You can't keep spending money you don't take in. That's not even elementary economics. That's just called, "Don't be Michael Jackson." -- Bill Maher



"If I was a troop, the support I would want back home would mainly come in the form of people pressuring Washington to get me out of this pointless nightmare! That's how I would feel supported." -- Bill Maher



"The GOP was concerned about Republican turnout. And in fact, between the Congressmen and the preachers, this will be the first year more Republicans came out than turned out."- Jay Leno

AP calls Virginia: Webb wins!

Breaking News:

The AP and NBC have both just declared Jim Webb the winner in the Virginia senate race! A concession is expected as early as tomorrow!

Don't Stop (Thinking about tomorrow)

This one just HAD to be brought out and dusted off after yesterday!

Good News from all over

From the country's heartland, voters sent messages that altered America's culture wars and dismayed the religious right — defending abortion rights in South Dakota, endorsing stem cell research in Missouri, and, in a national first, rejecting a same-sex marriage ban in Arizona.

Almost 79 million people voted in Tuesday's election, with Democrats drawing more support than Republicans for the first time in a midterm election since 1990, according to a private analysis.

Those early exit polls also showed that three in four voters said corruption was very important to their vote, and they tended to vote Democratic. In a sign of a dispirited GOP base, most white evangelicals said corruption was very important to their vote — and almost a third of them turned to the Democrats.

Wall Street rose for a third straight session Wednesday, with the Dow Jones industrials reaching another record close as investors grew more confident that a huge victory by Democrats in congressional elections would result in gridlock and keep lawmakers out of the way of business interests. Stocks showed gains following the announcement that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld will resign.

Democrat Nick Lampson won the U.S. House seat long held by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, trouncing a Republican write-in candidate in the state's most closely watched congressional race. Lampson's victory marks the first time a Democrat had represented that district in more than 20 years.

The wave of voter discontent that put Democrats in charge of the U.S. House of Representatives also hit state legislatures, where the party won control of more chambers than Republicans. Democrats picked up control of at least nine chambers in Tuesday's election, winning the House and Senate in Iowa and New Hampshire, the House in Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, and Indiana, and the Wisconsin Senate, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Speaker Pelosi

California Representative Nancy Pelosi will become the first woman Speaker of the House when Democrats take over the House of Representatives. By early morning, Democrats were projected to win far more than the 15 seats needed to gain a majority for the first time since 1994. Several races were still too close to call.

According to exit polls, voters treated the midterm elections as a national referendum on the Bush administration and the GOP Congress. The results of Tuesday's election were a clear repudiation of the Bush administration's policy in Iraq--in race after race, Democrats who were unequivocal on Iraq prevailed.

3rd District Race - Latest Report

With 209 of 555 precincts reporting:

Hayhurst - 29,133 46.7%

Souder - 33,257 53.3%

Dr.Hayhurst has been handily carrying Allen County all evening. Current Allen County numbers:

Hayhurst - 8,631 56.13%

Souder - 6,745 43.87%

It's worth noting that no numbers have come in from Elkhart County and are thus not included in the above total.

****Update 9:30 PM: Not looking as tight; Elkhart County has gone to Souder:

Hayhurst - 63,462 45.36%

Souder - 76,449 54.64%

VOTE for CHANGE!!!

Spin, spin, spin

This just in: FOX NEWS declares "One party has solid lead". They either can't even SAY "Democrats have a solid lead" or they hope that their listeners will infer that the opposite is true.

Could FOX possibly become any more misleading?? No wonder so many Americans have taken so long to come to their senses and see who and what they have been voting for! When your news sources "report news" in this manner, the "news" IS the kool-aid. . .

Get out the vote… until it hurts!

For your amusement, by Stan Matuska

Now is the time to get out the vote, and a LOT of people have been helping to do just that. I for one, decided I was not doing enough by just talking the talk, so I decided to walk the walk.

I don’t want to give you the impression that I did a lot of work because I really didn’t; but I did help, as this story will attest to. I told John Good in passing that I would help him hang door hangers if he needed help. Lucky me. He asked me to help him this past Saturday morning! I started out with a migraine headache and no breakfast. I met John at his house around 10:45AM. He offered me some re-heated pizza, but I declined. After all, we surely weren’t going to be gone that long. Oh, and we had to take along his youngest daughter because John’s wife was out of town with his older daughter. Now I am seeing this getting interesting.

I asked John to drive since he knew the area better than myself and he had a specific list of homes we needed to go to. Since he was driving and since I knew that he had been doing this by himself for some time, I decided I would be the major party to actually run from the car to the doors and place the door hangers.
This was fine… for a while. About 12:30 I asked if we were about done. He said we were about 30% done, but that we didn’t have to do every precinct today. His daughter, Sabrina, is very cute, but after a while in the car, with a migraine, she was starting to wear on me. No problem. We don’t have much more to do, I am just sure of it. John? How about a bathroom break? Ok – we went to my office, which was nearby. Of course, John and his daughter didn’t have to go! While I did my business, John got out all his paperwork, maps etc on the trunk of the car plotting and planning our next areas to cover. “Now, it will go faster”, he says. “Faster”, I am thinking, how about “are we are done yet” I thought? Ok – I can do this.
By 1:30 I am pretty hungry, and my legs are getting sore (I don’t exercise like I should). The migraine is still there. The car starts making funny noises. Ok, this might be time to quit. No, the car still runs fine. Then my cell phone rings. It’s the office calling. I need to work on a client problem as soon as possible. I tell John this, but I added, “no hurry” so as to not sound like I didn’t want to be there!
Apparently, he bought it, just my luck. Like a kid on a long drive with the constant ‘are we there yet”, I was hinting at “how much more do we have to do”? We were making good progress. Probably 130 homes by now. “How about one more precinct” John asks. “Sure, why not” I say as if I really was up to it.

Ok, now my headache is still there, stomach rumbling, Sabrina rambling, legs sore and it’s after 2:00PM. I call my wife, as if to say, “we are about done” so John knows I am nearing the end. I think John was on a mission, and nothing was going to get in his way!

Now we are truly nearing the end (he said he would do the other precincts himself the following day). I am running back and forth and back and forth and owwwwwww!!! I hurt my leg!!! Something “gave” in my knee. I did a few more houses, and finally told John that I just couldn’t walk any more. No problem, he would finish the job. Such a nice guy.

I think we got back to his house around 2:30. So the entire journey was only about 3 hours, and we went to over 150 addresses. Not bad. We parted ways, and I drove home. I don’t want to say I was miserable, because I know John really appreciated my efforts, but I was, well… miserable. First I ate, followed by a serious dose of Tylenol; then called a friend to say that I couldn’t make our meeting today. I limped around the house from the pain in my leg. I wound up sleeping until 6:00PM. The day is now shot. I did do a good thing though.

Now it’s 5:00AM Sunday (yesterday) morning, and I wake up with serious pain in my knee. I can’t even move it. My wife gets up and puts ice on it, which allows me to fall back asleep. I wake up around 9:00AM and spend many minutes trying to get my legs out of bed. It was obvious I had injured my leg helping with the door hangers.

My wife drove me to the ER around 11:00AM. After 3:00PM, I am now nauseous from the medicine from the ER. The X-rays did not show any serious damage, but there is a sprain that will require a trip to the orthopedic surgeon. I pay the $100 copay, go home and sleep until 6:00PM. Another day shot. My wife and I were going to go to the Soaring Eagle casino in Michigan this week-end to celebrate my birthday next Monday, but we decided to cancel the trip due to my injury.

So, for only 3 hours of work, I gave until it hurts; and also gave much more than I had intended. Hey, it was for a good cause =)

NY Times: NO to ALL Republicans!

The New York Times said today that for the first time in memory it would be endorsing no Republican congressional candidates this year. The Times editorial criticized the Republican led Congress on everything from tax cuts to energy policy, and for failing to hold Bush accountable for Iraq.

"This election is indeed about George W. Bush. . . and the congressional majority's insistence on protecting him from the consequences of his mistakes and misdeeds," said the Times editorial staff. "On Tuesday, when this page runs the list of people it has endorsed for election, we will include no Republican congressional candidates for the first time in our memory."

"To begin with, the Republican majority that has run the House of Representatives , and, for the most part, the Senate. . .during President Bush's tenure, has done a terrible job on the basics," the newspaper wrote. "It's tax-cutting-above-all-else has wrecked the budget, hobbled the middle class and endangered the long-term economy. It has refused to face global warming and done pathetically little about the country's dependence on foreign oil," the Times added.

Defend America - Vote Hayhurst!

Statement of Third District Congressional candidate Dr. Tom Hayhurst on the issues of keeping America safe and bringing the Iraq War to an honorable conclusion:

My opponent has spent the last month talking about illegal immigration. He wants you to forget about Iraq and how vulnerable America still is. He has lied about his own record of strong support for amnesty for illegals just to get elected. He has no plan of his own to deal with this problem. And he has used every dirty trick in
the book personally or through his party leaders to try and get you to forget their failures in Iraq and failure to secure America. But I know Hoosiers are smarter than that. You can see through their fog of misinformation.

It is time for new leadership, for new eyes and minds and hearts with fresh and honest perspectives to deal with the crucial issues of our time. The election on November 7 is about who will best find an honorable end to this questionable war gone bad. Who will have the courage and know-how to do it and do it right? Who
will actually work to keep America safe, not just talk about it? I will do those things when I am in Congress.

Will we be the America that bloodies a country and then abandons it? Will we be the America that refuses to admit our mistakes and then fails to make them right? Will we be the America that puts politics ahead of people and the security of our great nation? I say no, and again I say no. In Congress, I will be a firm voice on the side of an honest assessment of Iraq followed by determined action to address the reality of this war gone bad, to find an honorable conclusion to it, and to find a resolution that leaves America safer.

I will not accept an administration that would leave America less secure for its own political gain. My opponent is part of the team responsible for the mess we are in. You cannot expect to get new wine from an old bottle. You cannot expect to get new ideas from leaders who are more concerned about rationalizing their past mistakes than keeping America safe.

Mark Souder is part of the team that has failed America in Iraq. Mark Souder is part of the team that failed America when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit. That team told us all by their actions: If disaster befalls you, you are on your own. I can’t and won’t accept that kind of incompetence.

Now five years after 9/11 our leaders have yet to implement the wise, bipartisan recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. America is less safe today. Our borders and our ports are still sieves, keeping us at risk and worsening illegal immigration. And the Homeland Security Department is a mess.

Mark Souder had the chance to seek the leadership of the House Homeland Security Committee. He ran away from it. He had the chance to really do something to protect northeast Indiana and America, but he chose to hide from an opportunity to lead. He ducked and ran yet again.

Northeast Indiana needs a real leader, someone of courage, someone who stood to serve his country in the military when the opportunity came, someone unafraid to fight the difficult battles, someone who will put the people before political opportunity, someone who will be both tough and smart, someone who will keep his word. I pledge that I will be that voice for you in Congress.

- Dr.Tom Hayhurst

Because of Iraq . . .

Freedom

Hat Tip to Shakespeare's Sister for finding this one!!

Final DCCC-NRCC debate tomorrow

On Sunday Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chairman Rahm Emanuel will appear on NBC's Meet the Press to engage in his final debate with Tom Reynolds, the embattled Chairman of our Republican counterpart, the National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC). The last two years have been a brutal battle between the two parties and an inspirational effort on behalf of all Democrats, both in Washington, D.C. and in the grassroots all across the country.

The debate will be on NBC Sunday morning, you can find your local time and station by clicking below:

http://www.dccc.org/r/48438/2543714

This lead paragraph from a recent Associated Press story provided a good window into who has the momentum in these final days...

"Rep. Thomas Reynolds, a field general for national Republicans, finds himself stuck in the trenches of his own re-election campaign as Election Day nears and his Democratic counterpart zips around the country working to knock down Reynolds' GOP majority." -- Associated Press, 11/2/06

Pay close attention on November 7th!

Reports are already coming out regarding electronic machines flipping votes. First, from Florida:



And, next, from Texas:



Be extremely vigilant when you cast your vote! If you experience ANY problems, call the National Voter Assistance Hotline. Write down this number (1-866-OUR VOTE) and take it with you to the polls. If you see or encounter any problems on Election Day, call 1-866-OUR VOTE. Trained volunteers will be staffing this nonpartisan effort to provide voter assistance and protect voter rights.

Hayhurst/Souder PBS-39 Debate

I just finished watching the Channel 39 debate between our two candidates for 3rd District Congress. My thoughts are that Souder was more nervous than in the last debate. Hayhurst seemed a bit nervous as well, but stayed more focused and "on message" with his remarks. This was an entirely different forum from he IPFW debate we recently saw; it was a more relaxed atmosphere, and both men had plenty of time to express their views. My final impression was of Mark Souder bragging about his party cutting the deficit in half recently. . .HUH? I must have missed this little bit of news. I seem to recall a budget surplus, courtesy of Mr.Clinton and Mr.Gore, when these asshats took over full control of our nation some sad, long six years ago (By theft, no less).

On a side note, just yesterday the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel released a rather glowing report from their recent poll which claimed that the 400 people they surveyed in the 3rd District believe that George Bush and Mitch Daniels are doing a GREAT JOB and America is ON THE RIGHT COURSE. Further proof that either that poll was VERY wrong or I am on the wrong meds!! Daniels holds the 49th most popular governor position in the latest rankings, and Bush is mired in the low-to-mid 30's percentile.

Those are MY thoughts; here are those of an older and wiser man than I:

"On Wednesday at 8:00 Mark Souder and Tom Hayhurst had
a discussion-debate on Public Television, Ch. 39. It
was a MUCH better debate that the one on channel 15.
There was more time for the candidates to speak and
they were more relaxed and both did a good job of
expressing themselves. Mark Souder was a little jumpy,
but did a good job. Tom Hayhurst was at his best. Lots
of half truths by Souder and interest in cooperation
by Hayhurst. Hayhurst "plays well with others." ((you
have to have read other stuff on my site to apperciate
that)) Good debate/discussion and it reinforced my
vote for Tom Hayhurst. Tom Hayhurst impressed me by
his willingness to vote his beliefs and not his party.
Souder kept "labeling" and Hayhurst spoke to issues.
Hayhurst has a plan for affordable health care that
just might work. Why did they waste time on Gay
issues. Let it go. Mark, get over your fear of Nancy
Poloski. This was one of the best debates/discussions
I have heard. Thank you channel 39. The program was
sponsored by our own personal donations to Public
Television, and those of thousands of others who care
about this public service. I will check to see if
there is a way to watch this show on your computer.
Both candidates were at their best. Tom Hayhurst was
the better. Souder was awkward with the gay issue. *
* I should note that I work with with families with
gay or lesbian children for understanding and
acceptance. It is a "family values" thing. Families
with gay or lesbian children should love, cherish and
appreciate their children. It makes life so much
better."

In a campaign where the NRCC places an automated phone call to the local Democratic Party Chair, how can you not smell success for our good doctor?

Local confusion?

I'm not sure what to make of these voter's choices. These are, by the way, actual un-doctored pictures taken here in Aboite with my cell phone. Just thought I'd share them and ask what do YOU make of them?

Attack ad parody

15 scandalous GOP seats

Indictments, investigations and allegations of wrongdoing have helped put at least 15 Republican House seats in jeopardy, enough to swing control to the Democrats on Tuesday even before the larger issues of war, economic unease and President Bush are invoked.

With just five days left before Election Day, allegations are springing up like brushfires. Four GOP House seats have been tarred by lobbyist Jack Abramoff's influence-peddling scandal. Five have been adversely affected by then-Rep. Mark Foley's unseemly contacts with teenage male House pages. The remaining half a dozen or so could turn on controversies including offshore tax dodging, sexual misconduct and shady land deals.

Full story from the Washington Post

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