Slaughter House Iraq

Civil war is raging across central Iraq, home to a third of the country's 27 million people. As Shia and Sunni flee each other's neighbourhoods, Iraq is turning into a country of refugees. The US and British position in Iraq is far more of a house built on sand than is realised in Washington or London, despite the disasters of the past three-and-a-half years. George Bush and Tony Blair show a unique inability to learn from their mistakes, largely because they do not want to admit having committed any errors in the first place......more

US Hearts and Minds Cash Goes to Taleban

When United States troops in the southern province of Ghazni handed out cash to village elders, they must have thought they were winning friends. The money, intended for bridges, wells, drinking water, irrigation systems and other infrastructure projects, was supposed to convince the local Afghans that the foreign presence would benefit their country in general and themselves in particular. But the resources intended to combat Taleban influence ended up doing just the opposite. Local people in several parts of Andar district told IWPR that almost as soon as the coalition forces left their villages, the money found its way into Taleban coffers to finance the jihad against the foreigners......more

Howard Dean opens Liberal Party convention

As the Liberals struggle to regain their confidence and drive -- having lost to Harper's Conservatives in January after 12 years in power -- they've turned to a man from south of the border for inspiration. U.S. Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean will open the convention.....more

Committee on Public Information

Also known as the CPI and the Creel Committy, was established under Woodrow Wilson as an independent agency by Executive order 2594, April 13, 1917.

Its purpose was to influence American public opinion toward supporting U.S. intervention in World War I via a vigorous propaganda campaign. Among those who participated in it were Wilson adviser Walter Lippmann and Edward Bernays, the latter of whom had remarked that "the essence of democratic society" was the "engineering of consent", by which propaganda was the necessary method for democracies to promote and garner support for policy. Many have commented that the CPI laid the groundwork for the public relations (PR) industry.......@Wikipedia

Stop The War! Bring The Troops Home!

Whistling Past Dixie

'How Democrats Can Win Without the South'

Democrats should forget about recapturing the South in the near term and begin building a national majority that ends, not begins, with restoring their lost southern glory. Most of the South is already beyond the Democrats' reach, and much of the rest continues to move steadily into the Republican column. White southerners used to be among the most economically liberal voters in America but are now among the most conservative.....more

The Civil War in Iraq

Miami

World Class City Where Diversity Is Celebrated

Colorado Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo calls Miami a `Third World country'. pointed to Miami as an example of how ''the nature of America can be changed by uncontrolled immigration.

''I invite my friend, Tom, to visit beautiful Miami, my hometown, and experience firsthand our hospitality,''...Miami Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Tancredo didn't visit Miami on the Nov. 18-19 trip, but has visited before, a spokesman said. And, if Ros-Lehtinen's invitation includes ''a stay at a five-star beachfront resort, he may be willing to look beyond the inherent dangers that he had cited and visit Miami again,'' his spokesman said.....more

In a funk
Why is the nation's happiest party still so unhappy here at home?

Let's start in Hillsborough, where the Democratic Party continued to lose ground. How bad was Nov. 7 for local Democrats? The only local Dems on the ballot who won the county vote were Congresswoman-elect Kathy Castor, House candidates Mike Scionti and Betty Reed, Senate candidate Arthenia Joyner and Tampa City Council member Kevin White. All five ran in districts with wide Democratic registration margins and represent no great achievement for the party......more

Peace sign a symbol of Satan

A homeowners association in southwestern Colorado has threatened to fine a resident $25 a day until she removes a Christmas wreath with a peace sign that some say is an anti-Iraq war protest or a symbol of Satan......more

9/11 was a Tuesday. FEMA got there on Monday night

State chiefs credit Dean for victory

Democratic state chairmen, decrying postelection bickering, say the party's gains were in large part a result of National Chairman Howard Dean's 50-state strategy, which helped make deep inroads into Republican territory......more

Ridiculing the hicks

Despite all the rave reviews and boffo box office, I've had a distinctly uneasy feeling about Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat film-- and therefore haven't made an effort to see it......more

Rosa Brooks: Iraq is broke beyond repair

The invasion of Iraq, for instance, will go down in history as a national transgression of epic proportions — and our original screw-up (an unjustified invasion based on cooked intelligence books) was compounded many times over by our failure to plan for the reconstruction of post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.....more

The real Afghan war

The Taliban and the insurgency are not Afghanistan's worst problems. The country is now ruled by a new mafia of corrupt police and officials, who are crippling any hopes for a democratic future......more

What is the point of Iraq deaths?

Will God punish the United States for all the deaths, both Iraqi and American? I don't believe that God works that way. However, our intervention in that chaotic, broken country will certainly have created hundreds, perhaps thousands of would-be martyrs who will seek vengeance. We will have brought it on ourselves......more

Are the Germans Stationed in Afghanistan Cowards?

Southern Afghanistan is far from having been pacified -- a bloody war with the Taliban has erupted there. German troops have picked a relatively comfortable spot for themselves in the north of the country. Because they have avoided deadly fighting, they have been labeled "cowards" by the Americans and Brits. But are they?.....more

No Thanks to Thanksgiving
Instead, we should atone for the genocide that was incited -- and condoned -- by the very men we idolize as our 'heroic' founding fathers

One indication of moral progress in the United States would be the replacement of Thanksgiving Day and its self-indulgent family feasting with a National Day of Atonement accompanied by a self-reflective collective fasting.....more

I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Giving Thanks

Let's take stock and be oh so thankful for the blessings of food, family, clothing and shelter that we take for granted. Let's reach out in 2007 to help others less fortunate in our own backyards. Whether volunteering at a shelter, giving food to a food bank, collecting signatures for petitions or staying involved in political actions, It's incumbent upon us to find ways to help heal our broken culture and neighborhoods.......more

Americans Now Say Iraq War Similar to Vietnam Conflict

Claims by critics of the war in Iraq that this conflict is similar in many ways to the U.S. experience in Vietnam have long been derided by pundits and administrations officials. But a new survey finds that almost 6 in 10 Americans believe that the analogy is accurate.......more

Faces of the Fallen

The News From Qatar

Al Jazeera English debuts

U.S. cable and satellite companies aren't exactly tripping over one another to carry the channel, which maybe has something to do with the widespread belief that Al Jazeera has an anti-American bias. The vast majority of Americans who want to size up the channel for themselves have to head to its Web site, where you can sample 15 minutes for free.....more

Rangel Is Right

Well over 95% of Americans, including Congress and White House staff, have no personal connection to this war--no relative or friend serving in Iraq. Over 99% of us have made no sacrifice for this war--we have not paid one more penny of taxes nor shed a drop of family blood. One of my military relatives thinks of it this way: "The American military is at war, but America is not at war.".....more

It takes a very special kind of combat coward to advocate combat for others.

David Caton Blogger Challenge: Question 14
Stop Discrimination

Have you ever been the subject of a complaint or investigation that included allegations that you discriminated against or harassed someone in the workplace, including but not limited to: sexual harassment, or discrimination based on color, race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, familial status, marital status, or sexual orientation? Yes 􀂅 No 􀂅 If “Yes,” explain: DATE EMPLOYER NATURE OF ALLEGATION DISPOSITION

click here

Michael Richards Pulls A Mel Gibson

I feel sorry for Jerry Seinfeld who had to insert himself into the controversy to keep the DVD sales from tanking, as it seems Richards chose the exact wrong time to decide to showcase his bigotry. His career was already down the drain, and now he's reached the very bottom of it......more

Howard Dean Wants More Gays, Minorities on the Ballot

Howard Dean said the Democratic Party must work toward getting gay and minority leaders on the ballot. "We've got to share power, not just responsibility, from now on," Dean told a crowd of about 200 at the International Gay & Lesbian Leadership Conference Saturday, an annual gathering of gay public officials....more

Dean Out West

It's all about advertising money public opinion

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.''......more

Did the CIA kill Bobby Kennedy?

In 1968, Robert Kennedy seemed likely to follow his brother, John, into the White House. Then, on June 6, he was assassinated - apparently by a lone gunman. But Shane O'Sullivan says he has evidence implicating three CIA agents in the murder.....more

Hil's no dump Dean fan

Her camp sez Carville on his own in coup bid

James Carville's attempt to topple Howard Dean as chairman of the Democratic National Committee failed after state party officials and even a vocal critic of Dean crushed the coup. The Clintonistas don't want an undeserved backlash from the activist wing of the party that overwhelmingly supports Dean......more

The Top 10 Conservative Idiots, No. 269.....here

Republicans plot to bring down Pelosi ... and Clinton with her

The Republican strategy is not only to undermine Mrs Pelosi's control of the House but also to associate her in voters' minds with Senator Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner for the 2008 Democrat presidential nomination. "Two years of Pelosi gives a good idea of what four years of Hillary will be like," said Tom DeLay "They are both committed liberals and we will make that clear to the American people.".......more

U.S. is most unfriendly country to visitors

There is more fear of our immigration officials than of terrorism or crime

Rude immigration officials and long delays in processing visas have turned the United States into the world's most unfriendly country for international travelers, according to a global survey released on Monday.....more

Play "Fantasy Congress"

New League, Teams Available

As in other fantasy sports, you – the Citizen – draft a team of real-life legislators from the U.S. Congress and score points for your team’s successes.....more

Fantasy Congress?

Bush faces storm of protest in Indonesia

Far from the smiles and happy waves he saw from his armored limousine at his previous stop in Vietnam, the US president faced intense opposition and even calls for his blood from Indonesian Muslims angry over the Iraq war and the US military presence in Afghanistan.....more

Neocons blame Bush for Iraq fiasco

So much for their calamitous "Project for A New American Century," which laid out the agenda to transform several Arab nations to their liking. It also meant sending Americans to kill and die for reasons yet to be explained by the president....more

Project for the OLD American Century

Don't say we didn't warn ya!

Here we go. The election is over, and George knows he can count on Lapdog Lieberman's vote when this bill comes up before the Senate. Joe already made it clear how he'd vote when he said yesterday that we MUST stay the course in Iraq.Which would mean (if you're keeping score at home) that the Senate will be divided 50-50 on the bill, giving Dick Cheney the tie-breaking vote......more

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall

The New Democratic Party

Howard Dean Defends 50-State Strategy
Democratic chairman Howard Dean on Friday took a swipe at Washington critics who questioned his strategy of spending money in all 50 states, dismissing them as the "old Democratic Party." "It was a great win for what I call the new Democratic Party," Dean said in a speech to the Association of State Democratic Chairs. "This is the new Democratic Party. The old Democratic Party is back there in Washington, sometimes they still complain a little bit.".......more

Putnam Wants To Know: Where Were The Rednecks?

“White rednecks” who “didn’t show up to vote for us” partly cost GOPers their cong. majorities, Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL) told fellow Republicans today......more

Camera Phones Focus on Police Use of Force in L.A.

Some Los Angeles grass-roots groups are training citizens to use cameras, video cell phones and the speed and Internet sites like YouTube to get their voices, and pictures, heard. "We urge everyone to have a camera on them at all times so if anything happens it can be documented. The concept of patrolling the police is something we are trying to push as a form of direct action," said Sherman Austin, a founder of Cop Watch L.A., which launched its Web site three months ago......more

"People like the concept of honor", From Daily Bruin

Let's hope the Democrats aren't the wimps in power they were out of power

What Democrats need to do is spend the next two years crushing their opponents like bugs. It’s not about mercy, it’s not about manners, it’s about three fundamental goals: limiting the damage the Bush administration can do, passing whatever legislation they can in the short term to help the American public and laying the foundation for future progressive victories......more

The Ugly Bile and Extremism that Fuels much of the Right-Wing Blogosphere

Is a story waiting to be written. This week, for instance, it was revealed that the individual who sent white powder to Keith Olbermann, Nancy Pelosi and others was an active Free Republic poster and an avid fan of Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham. The intense hate-mongering which is offered up in much of the right-wing blogosphere on a daily basis is the primary or even exclusive information diet for many people, and that is going to have consequences. Shouldn't they be examined?.....more

Puta Of The Week: James Carville
"I would describe his leadership as 'Rumsfeldian,' " said Carville.

Asked whether Dean should go, he added, "In a word, yes." He even compared the party to the Battle of Gettysburg, where the winning Union Army didn't chase the Confederate Army and end the war quickly......more

More From "Fire Dog Lake"....here
Dean on Carville: “This is some kind inside the beltway silliness.”......more

Howard Dean for President

Come on, join the bandwagon for Howard Dean for president. OK, the crowd so far is small, but once he starts to get the credit he deserves for last week's Democratic takeover of the House and Senate and major gains in statehouses and state legislatures, the bandwagon will be off and running.....here

Senate to investigate rendition abuses

Abuses carried out under the CIA's secret programme of extraordinary rendition are to be investigated by one of the Senate's most powerful committees, it emerged today.
The new chairman of the Senate armed services committee, the Democratic senator Carl Levin, revealed that he was "not comfortable" with the rendition system and said it was making the US less secure......more

The election's real winners - us

Finally, it was Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, who really won Tuesday with his 50-state strategy. While others in his party wanted to spend money on candidates, Dean insisted on rebuilding the party's infrastructure......more

As one insider put it to me: "Dean's greatest weakness (stubbornness)
became his greatest strength."

Murtha and the FBI: The Director's Cut
Murtha Calls Ethics Reform "Total Crap"

Story And Video....here
Also Check Out "Murtha and ABSCAM: What Really Happened.....here

"eerie, Zen-like calm" had fallen over GOP operatives

In other words, Bush's presidency was in shambles (think Jimmy Carter, circa 1979), yet Time eagerly passed along the transparent spin about how Republican chances were "getting better by the day." Those kinds of simplistic campaign talking points worked wonders with right-wing bloggers and radio talk show hosts who excitedly repeated them as a way to calm their nerves during the campaign homestretch. But Time?......more

America awakes from a corrupt and incompetent nightmare

Finally, yes finally, it seems that America has woken from its slumber. After more than a decade, the hegemony of the right - and not just any old right, but a deeply arrogant, corrupt and incompetent right - appears to be over.....more

Corporate Propaganda (VNR) Still On the News:
Study Finds Local StationsOverwhelmingly Fail to Disclose VNRs

A new study by the Center for Media and Democracy says Americans are still being shown corporate public relations videos disguised as news reports on newscasts across the country.....more

Bill Maher's Farewell Douche Bags

George the Duck
Will Bush the sequel be just as lame?

In the view of many on the right, Bush isn't just a lame duck, but a Roboduk – a motorized decoy despised by purists. By constantly spinning their wings to seem authentic, Roboduks lure real ones to an untimely, unsporting, and unethical demise -- just like the Republican Congress.....more

New Board Members Favor Mass Transit Agenda

During this election season mass transit and specifically light rail figured predominantly in nearly every debate and questionnaire put to all the candidates. We need to be honest, in most cases the strongest advocates for light rail did not win this time around.....more

A Liberal's Pledge to Disheartened Conservatives
Michael Moore

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.....here

DU: Top 10 Conservative Idiots, No. 268
Hate Mailbag Special......here

Tampa Taxi Shots Closing Down Because Of Me
click here

Here is my 15 minutes, I want to apologie to all the Tampa Blab readers for all the Howard Dean posts the last few days. With all the good news coming out about Dr. Dean, i might have gone overboard. The regurgitated Salon article Mr. Fasano is talking about
Howard Dean,vindicated is a excellent piece by Joe Conason at Salon.com.
"Watching The Right Wing"? I cannot do Ronda Storms everyday.
As far as being original, i am not a writer, i am a reader. I did not start my blog for Tampa Blab or to get quoted in the ST. Pete Times. I started it for myself. The Stogie is a political blog, i'll leave the dribble to Mr. Fasano. If he doesnt want to read about Dr. Dean's insanity, dont click. As far as getting all the ball licking activity, that is beyond my control. I am not trying to dominate anything. Maybe Mr. Fasano is a little upset because his side lost. I dont hear him saying anything when "Right Wing Howler" or "HCCC" hog the Blab.
I thought there was room for both of us, i guess i was wrong. sorry to see you go.

PS" Your post of us winning the Vietnam war did it for me. Stay vigilant for those terrorist on Kennedy Blvd.

PEACE

Civic group to file suit vs Rumsfeld

An association of lawyers defending detainees held at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, said Friday it will be filing suit against outgoing US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for his alleged role in sanctioning torture.....more

Dean promises respect for all

"We won in places that some thought we couldn't," Dean said. "We earned the votes of people who may not have voted for a Democrat in a long time ... We also reached out to all Americans, regardless of party or religious affiliation, and we talked about the values and beliefs that we share as Americans."......more

US soldiers become citizens

US soldiers take an oath of citizenship during a naturalization ceremony held in one of ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's former palaces. US commanders in Iraq marked today by presiding over the naturalization of 75 soldiers from 33 different countries......more

Commemorating Veterans Day
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today issued the following statement commemorating Veteran's Day:

"Today, Americans are united in honoring the almost 27 million veterans of our country's Armed Forces. For generations, Americans of all backgrounds, from all across the country have answered the call to service. They and their families have made great sacrifices in defense of our freedoms, serving with honor and distinction. This year's commemoration, like others in recent years, takes on added significance, as our nation continues to ask so much of the brave men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have answered the call, displaying great skill and courage, and demonstrating a commitment to American that makes us all proud. We are all deeply indebted to them, and the brave soldiers who have served before them......more

Dixie Chicks diss George Bush, Donald Rumsfeld
At Vancouver concert

"Either the beer is free or you're happy that Donald Rumsfeld resigned today,"

click here

James Carville on crack

"Suppose Harold Ford became chairman of the DNC? How much more money do you think we could raise? Just think of the difference it could make in one day. Now probably Harold Ford wants to stay in Tennessee. I just appointed myself his campaign manager.".....more

Howard Dean to Mr. Carville.....here

Howard Dean, vindicated

The DNC chairman's "crazy" strategy of rebuilding the Democratic Party across all states helped it ride the national wave against the GOP.....more

Jon Stewart And Howard Dean



"I know half your audience wants us to impeach the president"-- this drew wide cheers -- "but it's not going to happen."

A Letter From Ned Lamont

Dear Stogie, We didn't win, but we made a difference; tomorrow we start again. Don't stop now, we're just beginning. It starts with one person standing up and speaking out, and then a lot of people, powered by grassroots and netroots and a passion to do better. That's what I heard all over the state: we can do better.....more

Embarrassed Florida Voters Send Incoherent Man To U.S. House

click here

A Hot Oily Substance Greets Pombo In Hell

You embodied the cozy corruption, utter fealty to big industry, and mendacious faux conservatism of the 109th Congress. And now? Now you're gone. See Ya.......more

Saddam: Let's now charge the accomplices
Why isn't Donald Rumsfeld being charged?

In December 1983, Rumsfeld was in Baghdad to signal America's approval of Iraq's aggression against Iran. Rumsfeld was back in Baghdad on 24 March 1984, the day that the United Nations reported that Iraq had used mustard gas laced with a nerve agent against Iranian soldiers. Rumsfeld said nothing......more

Unemployed Republicans flood the market

The hundreds of Republican staffers — not to mention more than a few Members — who will lose their jobs in the next few weeks are going to face a hostile marketplace on K Street as unemployed Republicans flood the market......more

McGovern says Dems need to end Iraq war

If Democrats don't take steps to end the war in Iraq soon, they won't be in power very long, McGovern told reporters before a planned speech at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "I think the Democratic leadership is wise enough to know that if they're going to follow the message that election sent, they're going to have to take steps to bring the war to a conclusion,".....more

Scott Cochran's
Letter to the Tribune: A Step Backward

On Tuesday, America took a step forward while Florida, and Tampa Bay in particular, took a step backward. It's as if a new leadership across the United States is pulling the country into the 21st century, while Florida voters are still trying to drag us back to the 19th. Particularly puzzling is that Ronda Storms will actually be a part of our state government, no doubt pushing the same old gay-bashing, anti-science, hard-right social agenda.
And people in U.S. House District 9 should be downright embarrassed to be sending Gus Bilirakis, who can barely understand the simplest issues or organize a coherent thought, to Washington. If we don't want to be viewed by the rest of the country as a bunch of backward simpletons, we have a lot of work to do. 2008 starts now.
SCOTT COCHRAN

Howard Dean April 17, 2003

When Congress approved the President’s authorization to go to war in Iraq – no matter how well-intentioned – it was giving the green light to the President to set his Doctrine of preemptive war in motion. It now appears that Iraq was just the first step. Already, the Bush Administration is apparently eyeing Syria and Iran as the next countries on its target list. The Bush Doctrine must be stopped here.....more

Harry Reid Speaks

Harry! Harry! Harry!

With the election giving Democrats control of the Senate following four years of GOP dominance, the gold miner's son from tiny Searchlight, Nevada, is in line to become majority leader......more

http://www.giveemhellharry.com/

DFA Victory!

Democracy for America members played a critical role in the successes of November 7. No national grassroots organization put more boots on the ground than DFA. Together, we took our country back!......here

DFA Tampa Bay

Governor Dean's
50 State Strategy Worked

In the wake of Democratic victories in all 50 states, Governor Dean sent out the following message today...more

Howard Dean, April 17, 2003......Bush: It's Not Just His Doctrine That's Wrong

Harris' House seat appears headed for recount

The touch-screen voting machines Katherine Harris championed as secretary of state after the 2000 presidential recount may have botched this year's election to replace her in the U.S. House of Representatives, and it's likely going to mean another Florida recount......more

How Can 149,394 People Be So Wrong?
Click Here

As They Listen For An Echo, I Hear Only A Roar

This is the beginning of the end of Bushism. The near-end of “rollback” as an ideology. The end of blowing up countries for the sheer thrill of it. Republicans weep tonight not for their actual losses but because they know they’ll not have a blank check again for perhaps a generation......more

If Democrats Win Senate, Will McCain Suicide?

Sometimes it is best to NOT tempt fate. On October 19th, Buckdog carried the story of Senator John McCain saying that he would 'commit suicide' if the Democrats take control of the United States Senate......more

"Blizzard of Subpoenas"
Democrats 'have a little list'

The Democrats' takeover of the House of Representatives will give the party more power on Capitol Hill than it has enjoyed since 1994, including control of powerful committees, responsibilities for the federal budget and the opportunity to investigate the White House......more

Thank You, Ned

You've given us all hope for the future, and it was a real honor to help with your efforts to take back America from the conservatives.....more

Meet John Conyers Jr.
The new chairman of the Judiciary Committee

Which has the authority to begin hearings and an investigation into whether the planning and selling of the Iraq war was a constitutional crime......click here

LANDSLIDE! ...a big thanks from Michael Moore

Now the real work begins. Unless we stay on top of these Democrats to do the right thing, they will do what they've always done: Screw it up. Big Time. They helped Bush start this war, and now they should make amends......more

Start spreading the news

New Yorkers cheered and downed tequila shots last night as news of Democrat victories filtered through. Today though, the hangovers kick in and the results tell a different story......more

Democrats’ Takeover in House Transforms Washington Overnight

Voters across the country dispatched Republican lawmakers Tuesday in favor of Democrats, ending four years of total GOP control in Congress and giving voice to a party that has challenged President Bush’s leadership of the war in Iraq......more

Nancy Pelosi

Are our priorities for the 109th Congress. We are committed to building an America where all families can live and prosper in diverse, safe, and vibrant communities.

Gore Vidal: 'The Most Important Election in My Lifetime'

Kathy Castor
For Congress

Kathy also shares my belief that the war in Iraq is drawing attention and resources away from the search for "Osama bin Forgotten” and from securing America's points of vulnerability.....Senator Bob Graham

Click Here

Samm Simpson


Thank You Ms. Simpson

Mary Mulhern
Hillsborough County Commission, District 1

Mass Transit - That works for working people. Light rail and expanded bus system
Environment - Responsible growth to protect water and air quality. Sustainable, energy-
efficient building and transportation
Fiscal Responsibility - Public dollars for sensible priorities - safety, transportation, education
Code of ethics for county government

Independent Public Servant who answers to the voters, not special interests.

click here

Brian Moore
“You’re like two peas in a pod.”

I have decided to pursue the candidacy for United States Senator of Florida in the November 2006 general elections. I will run as an independent candidate. I will speak out forthrightly against the war in Iraq and for the need to bring our troops home immediately....more

April Griffin
Hillsborough County School Board District 6

April has been a member of the PTA, a classroom volunteer, a substitute teacher in the Hillsborough County School System, and has been active in her children’s schools for many years. A lifelong Hillsborough County resident, she has worked in the Hillsborough County School District’s Public Affairs Office and PACE Center for girls, an all-girl’s school for at-risk teenage girls......more

JOE REDNER
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COMMISSION, DISTRICT 5

"The Most Progressive Candidate this fall on the ballot is Joe Redner!" - WMNF

Joe Redner

Betty Reed
Florida House of Representatives - District 59

I have lived in Florida all of my adult life. I have been married to James Reed for 49 years. We are the proud parents of five children, all college graduates, and nine grand-children. I am a member of Bible-Based Fellowship Church of Temple Terrace. I have a bachelor's degree in Behavioral Science from National-Louis University, Florida. I am a recently retired educator, and have been involved in grassroots campaigns as well as volunteered to serve on numerous city, county and school advisory boards......more

Phyllis Busansky
Democrat U.S. Congress District 9

Phyllis, served on the Hillsborough County Commission from 1988 to 1996. The Tampa resident won national acclaim for her leading role in creating the county's indigent health care program. In Congress, she would continue to focus on health care and promote programs and funding for helping local government provide more health care......The Times recommends Phyllis Busansky. ....more

Third-Party MILF
And I have a few final requests

And she is. But in revisiting the column in my mind, I realized I didn't go beyond that description to say how surprised I was when I met her to find a well-informed and serious candidate -- if a very inexperienced politician -- who deserves more attention than she got during this campaign......more

The Couch Potato's Guide to Election Night

If you have a political bone in your body -- even if you're usually a cynic about elections -- you're undoubtedly holding your breath right now. With the 2006 midterm elections upon us, the question is: Will the Democrats recapture at least the House of Representatives and maybe even take the Senate.....more

“Triple Venti, no fat, no foam, extra hot, with pink sugar.”

Katherine Harris has a very, very specific Starbucks order. It is her fuel, it is what keeps her going. If she doesn’t get it, she gets angry.......more

Vote....Brain Moore

Insulting Our Troops, and Our Intelligence

Every time you hear Mr. Bush or Mr. Cheney lash out against Mr. Kerry, I hope you will say to yourself, “They must think I’m stupid.” Because they surely do.They think that they can get you to overlook all of the Bush team’s real and deadly insults to the U.S. military over the past six years by hyping and exaggerating Mr. Kerry’s mangled gibe at the president......more

As Bush Campaigns, Newsweek Says GOP Numbers Drop

The most recent Newsweek poll shows that Bush’s approval rating has fallen to 35% and the Democratic advantage in the generic ballot question has now increased to 16 points amongst likely voters. Newsweek reports that as Bush travels the country, their poll has found that support for GOP candidates actually falls........more

U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark calls trial a Travesty and
told to "Get Out"

Saddam Hussein was convicted and sentenced Sunday to death by hanging for war crimes in the 1982 killings of 148 people in the town of Dujail, as the former leader, trembling, shouted "God is Great!"......more

The life and times of Saddam Hussein
Today's verdict marks the beginning of the final chapter in the controversial life story of the deposed dictator......more

Children of Nazi racial engineering meet in Germany

The children of a Nazi programme aimed at creating an "Aryan elite" met publicly in Germany at the weekend in an effort to banish the spectre that has haunted many of them since their birth.....more

2006 Proposed Constitutional Amendments

Election Day is next Tuesday, and Florida voters this time find themselves faced with six proposed amendments to our state's constitution. Here are some thoughts on the proposals.....click here

"Do you want us to win"
Republicans Spring a New "Winning" Strategy

As the U.S. death toll in Iraq for the month of October passed 100 -- making it the deadliest month in nearly two years -- and with polls still showing that the Democratic Party is poised to take control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate, Republican Party message-meisters appear to have devised what they hope will be the money sound-bite for electoral victory......more

Stogie Voted!

Governor: Jim Davis
United States Senator: Brian Moore
Congress District 11: Cathy Castor
Attorney General: Skip Campbell
Chief Financial Officer: Alex Sink
Commissioner Of Agriculture: Eric Copeland
County Commissioner District 5: Joe Redner
State Representative District 59: Betty Reed
Circuit Judge Group 32: Bernie Silver
Circuit Judge Group 43: Paul T. Jeske
Circuit Judge Group 44: Emily Peacock
Circuit Judge Group 45: Ashley Brooke Moody
School Board Member District 6: April Griffin

Dean digs at Bush
Praises Ohio efforts at Toledo stop

A cautiously confident Howard Dean rallied Toledo Democrats yesterday with digs at President Bush, an agenda for a Democratic Congress, and praise for statewide candidates who weren’t around to hear.Mr. Dean, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, told a packed VFW hall that Republicans have damaged the country by dividing Americans — and that Democrats, if they work hard enough, can ride a desire for change to big wins in Ohio and nationwide next week.....more

I S**t You Not...

The Slimiest Campaign Ads of 2006

Slate crowns this year's worst of the worst
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The No-Responsibility Party ... Ever

From her mouth to the Hairy Thunderer's ear. Deborah Pryce, running in tough battle for reelection in central Ohio just made this statement.....here

Vote Mary Jo Kilroy

Gagging on Haggard

OK. Conservatives and evangelicals who are wringing your hands over this, and gearing up to blame the gays, the Democrats, or both … Come a little closer and let me, as we say where I come from, “break it down for you.”.......more

Paul Newman endorses Ned Lamont

Once a long shot, John Hall closes N.Y. gap

Thanks to a blend of Democratic momentum, Stephen Colbert, YouTube and his own minor league celebrity, strategists say Hall — a long shot Democratic challenger — could topple Kelly, who has represented New York's 19th Congressional district since being swept into office as part of the 1994 GOP revolution......more

John Hall

Ranks of independent voters rising, Vote Brian Moore

About 17 percent of voters registered for next week’s election eschew major-party identification, according to a study released Thursday by American University’s Center for the Study of the American Electorate......more

Vote Brian Moore

Bill Nelson can kiss my Ass

Hacking Democracy Film airs TONIGHT at 9PM

A Needless Apology

It's "insulting," says Bush, that Kerry would insinuate that our troops are "stupid." Clearly Kerry-- an actual war hero who has actually been shot in a real, live, actual war-- doesn't think troops are stupid......more

Stephanie Miller Outfoxes FOX News

Newsweek: Bush/Kerry Flap could HURT GOP

In fact, the concerted attack on Kerry—complete with White House and Republican National Committee press releases—threatens to undermine a central premise of the party’s strategy. The president may have diverted attention back onto Democrats, but he also turned the focus back on himself and the war.Neither subject is a winning issue for GOP candidates ..Bush’s approval rating in the most recent NEWSWEEK poll stood at 37 percent—10 points lower than the last poll before the 2004 elections, and fully 33 points lower than 2002.......more

GOP Meltdown: Florida lawmaker quits in racial slur scandal

State Rep. Ralph Arza resigned today from the Legislature, bowing to pressure to quit after leaving messages filled with obscenities and a racial slur on a colleague's voice mail.The Hialeah Republican had been urged to resign by House Republicans and Gov. Jeb Bush after the messages left on Rep. Gus Barreiro's voice mail became public......more

Michelle Malkin: John Kerry said what?

A general rule of thumb regarding controversies like this is to count how many posts Michelle Malkin has about the issue, and to note that there is a positive correlation to how trivial the matter is and how many posts she has about it. At my last count, she had four on her site......more

Bush Jokes About Missing WMD in Iraq

" The fact is that we wouldn't be in Iraq if it weren't for Democrats like Senator Kerry"
Howard Dean