Bushies Avoid Reality (Whatever That Is)

With the Iraqi situation being what it is Bush is finally finding out what was true before his gift of 9/11. We don't care for his domestic agenda and the more we hear about it the less we like it. The Bushies are probably frantically trying to find a country to invade so we don't focus on his crappy domestic issues but it's about time. These people are scary in how htey want ot dismantle and sell away hwat makes America strong at home. Second-term blues doesn't cut it for me. Finally facing the piper is more like it.

Bush Team Singing 'Second-Term Blues' -Analysts

Thu Mar 31, 2005 03:05 PM ET
By Alan Elsner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush's domestic agenda has hit roadblocks on two major fronts, leading some political analysts to conclude his administration is succumbing to the traditional "second-term blues."

"Second-term blues have definitely set in," said George Mason University political scientist Mark Rozell. "Bush came in with big ideas, hoping to have a major-impact presidency, but things have taken a very different turn."

Bush has struggled to win support for his proposed Social Security overhaul and immigration-policy changes, and his approval rating has fallen.

But White House disagrees that he is in a slump. Spokesman Trent Duffy pointed to two legislative victories: a bill aimed at curbing class-action suits which has become law and another making it harder for people to walk away from their debts, which has cleared the Senate and looks set to be endorsed by the House.

Bull Moose Rocks!!!

There's not much to add to the quote pulled from the Bull Moose blog; however, this reform agenda, if wisely adopted, will entail, as the Moose points out, that moderates will have more success in peeling of independent and Republican moderates than an extreme left-wing candidate would. Those of us who identify at the level of a moderate need to stand up for ourselves simply because we have common sense and logic on our side. Where are the votes for the new Democratic Majority going to come from? By being more liberal? Huh? Deep down I am as liberal as they come but I am a pragmatist and moderate because I'm getting older and I want results. Ideology will doom the Republicans and the Democrats should be very, very careful about doing the same.

Think Majority

That means the donkey has an opportunity to both peal off key Republican constituencies in '06 and '08 and perhaps win back both Congress and the White House. Democrats must craft a "conservative" message that both appeals to GOP social moderates and limited government types. That message should embrace the themes of balanced budgets and restrained government intrusion into the lives of Americans.

The reform agenda must encompass the elimination of the money culture that has corrupted the legislative process. It must crack down on the "K Street" revolving door lobbying web. And it should embrace non partisan redistricting to appeal to independents who are sick and tired of the polarizing partisanship.

As one who participated in the '94 Republican Revolution, the Moose can attest that the GOP Congress increasingly has the odor of the old Democratic Congress before the fall - or as the Wall Street Journal described the Bug Man - "Smells Like Beltway." To the relief of the Moose, the denizens of the right are sticking with DeLay. The Washington Post reports,

Patrick Kennedy Not Running

Bummer. We need Chaffee's seat in firm Democratic hands and I thought this was a slam dunk. That being said, one has to admire Kennedy's conviction that he can help his constituents more right where he's at. That is true public service.

Patrick Kennedy Will Not Run for Senate

Thu Mar 31

By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Rep. Patrick Kennedy (news, bio, voting record), D-R.I., on Wednesday ruled out a run for the Senate in 2006, saying he could better serve his constituents by staying in the House and serving on the Appropriations Committee.

Bolton Opposed by Those Who Have Been There

I know the other side will dismiss this as partisan politics but Bolton is one scary dude and sensds the srong signal to the world community (Remember, that community that the Bushies want to make amends with). This schizophrenic policy towards foreign affairs must make other countires scratch teir heads at just where we have ours. Bolton is an extremist and just because Big Dick Cheney pushed for the guy gives you a good idea where all this is coming from.


Three Join Opposition to Bolton Nomination

By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON - Former U.S. Sen. James Sasser and two other retired American diplomats have joined a drive urging the Senate to reject John R. Bolton's nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Sasser, a Democrat who was former President Bill Clinton's ambassador to China, added his name to a letter distributed Tuesday to senators on the Foreign Relations Committee.

The two other former diplomats who signed the letter, raising the total to 62, were Patricia M. Byrne, deputy U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under former President Ronald Reagan, and John L. Hirsch, ambassador to Sierra Leone in the Clinton administration.

The letter was drafted by Jonathan Dean, a senior U.S. arms control negotiator in the Carter administration, who also held diplomatic posts in Germany and Czechoslovakia.

We Broke 10,000!!!

Woo Hoo!

We have broken the 10,000 mark on the counter (for what that's worth) and considering how this effort started simply last November I'm stoked. Thanks to everyone who has visited the site. I was excited when we broke 100. Hopefully we'll hit 20,000 a lot faster as the Evan Bayh in 2008 movement picks up more momentum.

peace

art (aka lobejammer)

A Black Moderate Blogger Notes Bayh

This blog, Booker Rising, is a news site for "Black Moderates and Black Conservatives" and while we'll leave the stuff out about why Hillary cannot win or is a problem, the blogger notes the sense in the Democrats pursuing a candidate like Evan Bayh given his moderate credentials.

The blogger notes another site, The Moderate Voice, where this quote comes from. But I thought it important that a self-described "Black Moderate" blog echoe these points"

Take serious looks at Evan Bayh, Wes Clark, Bill Richardson — those who at least have a chance once the race begins of surviving the initial negative onslaught. Centrism, after all, is the New Left when compared to Bush et al.; that should provide some comfort.

Bug-Man Says "Bring It On"

Remember that song "Macho Man"? Well it seems DeLay has thrown down the gauntlet and is ready to bring out an Orkin truck or something like that and get these nasty pests bothering him on ethics issues out of the way. Would a man not guilty of ethic violations react with such bravado? I think not, he would say he has full confidence that his name will be cleared and not come up with some macho horse-hockey like "bring it on." I hope this is just the beginning because DeLay is the wedge with which we can bring up the issue of championing reform as Democrats. We need change and DeLay is the poster child of why we need it.

Groups Organize To Defend DeLay
House GOP Leader Challenges Critics

By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 31, 2005; Page A04

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) challenged his liberal critics yesterday to "bring it on," as major conservative groups organized a formal defense against questions about DeLay's ethical conduct.

The groups -- led by David A. Keene of the American Conservative Union and including the Heritage Foundation, Leadership Institute and Family Research Council -- met privately with DeLay last week and pledged to use their grass-roots databases and networks to try to mitigate the damage from news accounts of DeLay's travel and relationships with lobbyists.

The groups' leaders, who said they regard the attacks on DeLay as an attack on the whole conservative movement, also have talked about holding a salute or tribute dinner for DeLay. They said the proceeds would benefit a children's charity not associated with the majority leader.

Two liberal interest groups announced plans yesterday to spend $100,000 on television advertising designed to inhibit DeLay's effectiveness as the House's second-ranking leader, but DeLay reacted defiantly as he made stops in his suburban Houston congressional district.

Asked his reaction to the ad campaign, DeLay said, "Bring it on."

Bush Can't Even Convince His Own Party

It's a pretty sorry state of affairs when you can't visist a congressman's state and get him on board the ol' Social Security railroad act of 2005. Maybe it's because that third rail just is not cooperating and giving the engine any power. I ususally don't take too much glee in other's misfortunes, but this is a self-inflicted wound and it's hemmorhaging badly. And the "partisan goodwill is not there" as Leech rightly notes. Why should there be when Bush has done more to divide this country than any president in recent memory.

Social Security Plan Meets Doubt in Iowa
GOP Lawmakers: Approach Isn't Selling

By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 31, 2005; Page A04

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, March 30 -- Two key GOP lawmakers who joined President Bush on Wednesday as he pitched restructuring Social Security said that Bush has failed to sell the American people on his plan to change the 70-year-old federal retirement system.

"Today, the public has not found his personal account approach compelling," Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa) said in an interview late Tuesday, less than 24 hours before appearing with Bush at Kirkwood Community College here.

Leach went on to say that Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley, a fellow Iowa Republican, "is convinced the momentum is not there, and I am convinced the partisan goodwill is not there." Leach is one of several GOP members who have refused to endorse private investment accounts, the centerpiece of the president's Social Security plan.

Bush Screening His Audiences as Usual

I include this not that it is really newsworthy, but just to keep people reminded that when you see those great Bush rallies on Social Security it's like his presidential campaigns, hand picked audiences. I suppose I can't really begrudge them that because it seems all is fair in war and media, but the Bush machine is shown here in action and I thought it'd be nice to remind ourselves just how much Bush likes to deal with all Americans, even those who may disagree with him. He is President of us all, isn't he?

Three Were Told to Leave Bush Town Meeting

By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 30, 2005; Page A04

Three Denver residents yesterday charged that they were forcibly removed from one of President Bush's town meetings on Social Security because they displayed a bumper sticker on their car condemning the administration's Middle East policies.

The three, all self-described progressives who oppose Bush's Social Security plan, said an unidentified official at an event in Denver last week forced them to leave before the president started to speak, even though they had done nothing disruptive, said their attorney, Dan Recht.

Initially, the three believed Secret Service agents had grabbed them and ushered them out of the auditorium, Recht said. But he said that Lon Garner, the Secret Service agent in charge of the Denver office, told them the service investigated the matter and found it was a "Republican staffer" who removed them because they had a "No More Blood for Oil" bumper sticker on their car.

AARP Rocks!

The third rail. Bush is finally getting it hot and heavy and the shock of touching the third rail is reflected in the polling numbers. Not only that, this is a huge strategic mistake by Bush. He is using all of his political capital (whatever that is and it's not much) on the Social Security issue and he'll be a really early lame duck if he doesn't find an exit strategy soon. I wouldn't want to pick a fight or be against the AARP on something this big and these people are making this a life and death issue. Bad strategic mistake on thier part. Note especially where Grassley, who Bush is with today in Iowa, says not much is going to happen without AARP involved and they are involved, just on the other side. Go AARP!!!

AARP Leads With Wallet In Fight Over Social Security
Bush's Plan Faces Formidable Foe

By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 30, 2005; Page A01

In the punch-for-punch debate over Social Security, AARP is working hard to keep the White House on the ropes.

When President Bush arrives in Iowa today to talk up his private-accounts proposal, the senior citizens group plans to counter him with two news conferences, the release of a national poll, full-page newspaper advertisements and commercials on radio and television.

Over this week and last, AARP, the nation's largest lobby, will have spent more than $5 million on ads attacking the president's Social Security plan -- nearly three times as much as all the supporters of his proposal put together. That's just for starters.

Every state that has a swing-vote senator will have AARP forums, which have been drawing about 300 people each. And every time a member of Congress holds a town meeting, AARP volunteers are dispatched there to protest the president's plan for individual accounts.

"We're going to do this as long as it takes," said William D. Novelli, AARP's chief executive. "We will put just about everything we have into it."

No organization has more tools or more money to wage such a battle. So both its friends and adversaries agree: AARP holds the key to how or whether Social Security will be restructured this year. "It will be very difficult to do anything without AARP's support," said Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. "And it would be a heck of a lot easier if they came along."

AARP's 35 million membership base is 10 times the size of the National Rifle Association's, and its $800 million budget is five times that of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the country's biggest business association. In number of members, AARP is surpassed only by the Roman Catholic Church.

Bushies Recognize Groupthink...Hmmmm

This is infuriating on many levels. The Bushies created the environment of "groupthink" where all the intelligence agencies came to the same conclusion on WMDs in Iraq because that was the big selling point. Pointing the finger at the intelligence community (who deservedly are blameworthy) is, for Bush, just a CYA (cover your a@@) move. The intelligence communit messed up on 9/11, on WMDs, and God only knows what their missing now and the clowns in the White House had to brought kicking and screaming to the intelligence reform issue. These people have no shame. Everyone knew Bush wanted to invade Iraq so they gave him what he wanted. THere's no accountability at the top where it should be. No wonder our intelligence community is demoralized under the present leadership. Who wouldn't be?


Bush Panel to Fault Intelligence Agencies
Presidential Panel on WMDs to Ask U.S. Intelligence Agencies to Share Information More Freely
By KATHERINE SHRADER
The Associated Press

The report examines factors that might have led to errors, the official said, such as whether policy-makers were seeking preconceived conclusions, whether foreign intelligence agencies had reached similar conclusions and whether analysts had too little information to work with.

Another individual who has read the report, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the commission will recommend bringing more thoughts and ideas to the table, particularly conflicting intelligence assessments. In a high-level estimate on Iraq assembled in October 2002, the commission has found dissenting voices were never heard on important issues.

The Truth Truck

The Alliance for Retired Americans is sponsoring a Social Security Truth Truck that is taveling the country collecting petitions against privatizing Social Security. I missed the stop here in Indidanapolis but check out their web site to see if they are coming to a place near you. Senator Bayh's support is dutifully noted below.


SOCIAL SECURITY PETITION ‘TRUTH TRUCK TOUR’

Starting this week, an Alliance for Retired Americans flatbed truck carrying more than a million messages to Congress from seniors against privatizing Social Security will visit select Congressional districts. The drive is part of a tour called the Social Security Truth Truck Tour: 3000 Miles, 1 Million Voices. The truck tour will kickoff in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and then travel on to North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania.

At rallies in each state, local Alliance leaders and seniors who signed the “Don’t Privatize Social Security” petition will deliver to their Representatives’ district offices the names of local petitioners. The petitions were collected by the Alliance as part of its campaign opposing Social Security privatization. The tour begins March 21 in Florida and ends April 1 in Pennsylvania. Please join us by coming to our press conference when the truck stops in your area!

Members of the Indiana Alliance for Retired Americans held a "truth truck" rally Monday morning at the UAW Local 5 hall, 1426 S. Main St., seeking support for "Don't Privatize Social Security" petitions that are to be delivered to members of Congress.

Bayh's Great Speaking Style Noted

The Alliance for Retired Americans is sponsoring a Social Security Truth Truck that is taveling the country collecting petitions against privatizing Social Security. I missed the stop here in Indidanapolis but check out their web site to see if they are coming to a place near you. Senator Bayh's support is dutifully noted below.


SOCIAL SECURITY PETITION ‘TRUTH TRUCK TOUR’

Starting this week, an Alliance for Retired Americans flatbed truck carrying more than a million messages to Congress from seniors against privatizing Social Security will visit select Congressional districts. The drive is part of a tour called the Social Security Truth Truck Tour: 3000 MRemember when Clionton supposedly bombed at a convention speech. Well, similar things have been said about Bayh's speech or speaking style. Clinton went to work and became a great speaker and it looks like Evan Bayh's efforts, whatever they may have been, are paying off. This is the second time their has been some hearty praise for the speech in Colorado. Also, by the way, does anyone have the C-SPAN link to it? I'll try to hunt it down myself. I've listened to the speech and was really impressed but I'd like to see the video as well. Peace.

2008

I just watched speeches on C-SPAN by Mark Warner and Evan Bayh, both potential contenders for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination from the conservative wing of the Party. Warner spoke to the Georgia Democratic Party and Bayh spoke at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner of the Colorado Democratic Party.

Bayh is a very good speaker — he sounds heartfelt, natural, smart, and competent. He's a good storyteller, and engages his audience well. Warner is stilted, awkward, and the only way he can build to the climax of his speech is by starting to talk louder, kind of like Kerry. Bayh builds momentum in his speech by speaking emotionally, by more subtly varying the tenor of his voice.

Bayh is young and conservative, but he would make a winning candidate. He's from the Midwest and could will over the entire region. Warner is also conservative, but he couldn't carry (m)any Southern states, and he's not very convincing, so I don't think his conservatism would have much success drawing in voters elsewhere either. Tom Vilsack is still my choice I had to pick a moderate or conservative Dem, but it's interesting to get more of a sense of these two.

iles, 1 Million Voices. The truck tour will kickoff in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and then travel on to North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania.

At rallies in each state, local Alliance leaders and seniors who signed the “Don’t Privatize Social Security” petition will deliver to their Representatives’ district offices the names of local petitioners. The petitions were collected by the Alliance as part of its campaign opposing Social Security privatization. The tour begins March 21 in Florida and ends April 1 in Pennsylvania. Please join us by coming to our press conference when the truck stops in your area!

Members of the Indiana Alliance for Retired Americans held a "truth truck" rally Monday morning at the UAW Local 5 hall, 1426 S. Main St., seeking support for "Don't Privatize Social Security" petitions that are to be delivered to members of Congress.

US Debt Out of Contol

This debt that we owe has serious consequences as this article notes. Although the article maintains that Democrats are using this as a xenophobia tactic, I don't think it's really that simple. As Evan Bayh said at the Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner, "he who pays the piper calls the tune." This countries debt, its deficit, and economice future are looking bleaker with each economic report that comes out. Bush may be great with Iraq but this country needs to wake up before it's too late. We are headed towards some serious financial problems on our current course.


US ; Democrats test debt as 2006 issue:

[US News] WASHINGTON - Democratic candidates have begun to test market a new theme: America is losing control of its economic destiny due to excessive government borrowing from foreigners.

“The shocking thing is that of the debt we went out and borrowed last year, almost all of it was borrowed from foreign sources,” said Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., at a recent Senate Budget Committee hearing. “And the two biggest sources that we're borrowing from are banks in Japan and China. This is just simply not a good position for us, from a defense posture, to be in.”

Nelson is running for re-election next year.

“Foreign governments and individuals are footing the bill for our wasteful spending, and the more of our debt they own, the less control we have,” Sen. Evan Bayh, D- Indiana, a likely 2008 presidential contender, said two weeks ago.

Pennsylvania Democratic Senate candidate Bob Casey, Jr. warned that President Bush’s call for private accounts within Social Security “will result in $2 trillion being borrowed from foreign governments.”

Senate Democratic whip Dick Durbin of Illinois sounded the same theme in a speech attacking Bush’s Social Security overhaul. “Who is paying for the debt of America today? The No. 1 country in the world is Japan,” Durbin told the Senate last month. “Not far down the list we will find China and Korea."

Durbin said "these countries, the mortgage holders of America" were "exporting more goods to America at the same time as they own our debt ... As we lose millions of manufacturing jobs across America, we lose them to countries that are holding and owning America's debt: China, Japan, Korea.”

Increased foreign holdings Foreign holders account for a bit more than 50 percent of the U.S. Treasury securities held by the public, up from 36 percent in 2000, and 19 percent in 1992, according to Catherine Mann, a Senior Fellow at the Institute for International Economics in Washington.

Even a hint that foreign central banks have decided to diversify out of Treasury bonds can cause the dollar’s value to tumble and push Treasury yields up.

Two weeks ago, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi triggered a one-day fright in financial markets when he said, in reference to Japan’s foreign reserves, “I believe diversification is necessary.”

To calm the turmoil, Japan’s finance ministry issued a statement saying Koizumi did not advocate diversifying out of dollars.

Indebtedness to foreigners has consequences for Americans from Omaha to Orlando who are trying to get a home mortgage or who have adjustable-rate mortgages. If foreigners diversify out of U.S. Treasury securities, mortgage rates rise.

“Voters are appalled to hear the amount of debt that is held by foreign countries,” Democratic pollster Celinda Lake said.

BiLL EARL

(14.0)

Last November, us Democrats were beaten.

We shouldn't have been. But we were.

We all "grieved" in our own way. My way?

Find a place to vent. And on November 10th , I did.

I found a brand new Yahoo! site for Evan Bayh in 2008. There were NO messages posted. Someone had to break the ice. It was me. Today's column will reprint that "greatest hit" from our short past.

I'm reprinting it here on AFB.com,(PS... there WAS NO AFB.com on Nov 10, 2004), exactly the way it was written on November 10th. Same look/layout. Same punctuation. Because, after all, you can't change history.

//////////////////////////////////

hello fellow Democrats...like you, you wouldn't be here if you didn't
think we had A WINNER for 2008 in Senator Evan Bayh. We all know WHY
we want him to give us back our White House. BECAUSE HE CAN. If you
are too young to remember his fine, outstanding father, well, just
know that an acorn doesn't fall far from the tree. Whatever wing of
the party you are from (me: McGovern/Howard Dean) we know we need a
Democrat in the White House. In our hearts we may ideally want
someone else (Hillary, in mine) but we know in our heads that for any
part of our Democrat agenda to be enacted, we HAVE TO WIN. Evan Bayh
has won election after election in Indiana because he KNOWS HOW TO
UNITE. He knows how to bring Republicans into our camp. Evan Bayh is
the man for the hour. And November 2004 is not too early. Remember,
Jimmy Carter started his winning 1976 campaign in November 1972.
That's what WE need to do right now. We need to encourage Senator
Bayh to explore Iowa and NH this winter so he can win those two
battlegrounds in early 08, and then unite our party for November 08.
I hope that Senator Bayh himself is brought aware of our efforts, and
sees how there IS the grass-roots supports right here..hopefully
coast to coast...let's start right now on Campaign 08...Evan Bayh
represents moral and family values plus as a Democrat, he knows what
his father stood for. I'm proud to be accepted into this group. Let's
all get to know each other, eventually exchange phone #s or meet, and
get our campaign running. Evan Bayh IS the man. Now, WE have to
introduce him to America thru our posts and our effort. I'm just a
high school teacher in a suburb of L.A., but lets be the pebbles of a
landslide! Thanks for reading this!
BiLL Earl, Rosemead CA

//////////////////////////////////

(BiLL EARL is a periodic feature of AFB.com. Not only is Bill a regular contributor here, but alse EB08 Senior Moderator of the national Bayh Yahoo! group, and CFB Moderator from Rosemead in the CA Bayh group, all part of the National Bayh! Network...NB!N)

Surprise! Bayh Personnel Spotted in NH

Of course this headline is in jest but we always wish to bring you up to date with what's being reported.

New Hampshire - land of the perpetual primary
Months after the 2004 race ended, hopefuls test the presidential waters.

By Margaret Talev -- Bee Washington Bureau
Monday, March 28, 2005

The new director of the political action committee for Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., recently paid a visit to New Hampshire, a state Democratic activist said.

We Need to Be Tough: Bayh

I imagine this is an offshoot of the special group of Democratic lawmakers who want to stress that Democrats are willing to do what it must by projecting the our strength as a nation with the best armed forces in the world. But this really isn't news except that it is being stressed as it should be by Democrats. Republicans do not hold an exclusivity on this position.


THE BUZZ
Party-building plans

In Blueprint magazine, a group of Democratic policy-makers and thinkers, including Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana and former Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, wrote an open letter to their party, saying that one challenge “overshadows all the rest: defending America against terrorists.”

Referring to Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Harry Truman and the party's “internationalist tradition,” they called for “the willingness to use force to defend our interests and values; support for open trade and a globalizing world economy; and active promotion of individual liberty and democracy around the world.”

Marianne Means Weighs in Nicely Over Bayh

Looking ahead to 2008, Marianne Means takes a look at Bayh after discussing you know who. What I like is that she notes how the Senator has picked up and worked on his speaking style since he has been criticized for this before. But this is a great analysis of where Bayh sits and I kind of like his position with Hillary getting all the heat right now. Of course you want to be the number one possibility, but Bayh will get a serious look for those inclined otherwise. She also notes Bayh's great Jefferson-Jackson day keynote. Apparently it was a home run.

Thinking '08? Indiana could have an answer
March 28, 2005

One alternative is Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, a former governor re-elected last year in a Republican state with 62 percent while Bush won the Hoosier State with 60 percent. Bayh has a centrist image, and he's organizing a presidential campaign team. He's a fiscal conservative, a foreign policy hawk, backer of a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning and against late-term abortions.

But he voted against confirming John Ashcroft as attorney general and Condoleezza Rice as secretary of State, against the Bush tax cuts, against oil drilling in the Arctic and for requiring gun-show background checks.

The biggest rap against him so far is that he is a boring speaker with no juice. His keynote speech at the 1996 Democratic convention was a dud, reminiscent of Bill Clinton's aimless, verbose convention keynote speech in 1988. Clinton learned from his mistake and pepped up his style and disciplined his tongue; Bayh seems to be in the process of doing the same.

At a Jackson-Jefferson day dinner in Colorado, Bayh put on a boffo performance. He is working on the personality problem. He told homey, self-deprecating jokes, talked intimately about his family, attacked the Bush administration for being on the "wrong path," and called for a stronger sense of patriotism. If Bayh can keep that up, Hillary better watch out.

Bayh Encouraged Army on Humvee Production

We've coveredt this before but needless lives were lost in the Iraqi conflict because we didn't have the right equipment in place, namely armored Humvees. Senator Bayh was on top of this situation and noted that production could easitly have been ramped up. Let me repeat, needless lives were lost because of this. This war was poorly planned and how does one expleain this to a widow or parents of a soldier who lost his or her life in this? This is a shame.

Army late with orders for armored Humvees
By Tom Squitieri, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — In June 2003, the U.S. Army realized that it didn't have enough armored Humvees in Iraq to protect soldiers from a growing number of attacks by insurgents. By Friday, officials expect to correct that problem by having almost 22,000 armored Humvees in Iraq — up from 235 when the war began.

Why did it take the government almost two years to remedy a deficiency that the Army acknowledges was costing soldiers' lives?

An examination of Army records, correspondence with members of Congress and Pentagon documents shows that the military repeatedly underestimated the need for more armored Humvees. Even after recognizing its miscalculations, the Army was slow to order more armored Humvees, and then transported them to Iraq from its existing worldwide supply in fits and starts. Officials also failed to take full advantage of a defense contracting firm that says it could have increased production to meet the Army's needs...

Members of Congress also say the Pentagon didn't move quickly to ramp up production. "People in the Pentagon were aware these vehicles could be produced in larger numbers," says Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., but "they have consistently underestimated the need for this kind of protection for our troops. ... Unfortunately, soldiers have been killed because of that."

Regular Blogging by Lobejammer Will Resume Tuesday

Been a little crazy around here lately. I will get back on my usual schedule tomorrow. Unitl then, enjoy what wonderful other posts that may show up.

peace
~art

BiLL EARL

(11.0)

Happy "Easter Sunday" from Southern California!

Today, our topic...

This Democrat's "Easter Basket" Of Wishes.

Some of these are do-able.
Others are only dreams.

Here are the "eggs"..i.e. my wishes...

>Evan Bayh to be nominated and elected President in 2008

>A female Vice-President on the ticket with Bayh (Landrieu, Lincoln, Rodham Clinton, Murray, Cantwell, Boxer, Feinstein, Pelosi, Napolitano...or?)

>A timetable withdrawal of all U.S. troops out of Iraq. (Let's do what Senator Aiken said during Vietnam.."Declare victory and PULL OUT.")

>A single-payer national health insurance for all Americans (Kennedy/Corman-style, or Canadian-style)

>Full-employment. A guaranteed job, set up by the government either in the public or private sector for anyone who wants one. (Humphrey/Hawkins-style) Pay too low? Check our private industry..IF there's a better paying job there.

>National rent control.

>Massive low-income housing to be built throughout the country.

>Joe Biden as Secretary Of State in the Bayh Administration.

>An Earl Warren-style liberal as U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice. (How about this law professor, Anita Hill, for Chief Justice?)

>A guaranteed annual income for all Americans.

>Nationalization of all essential public utilities (electricity, heating oil, telephone, internet, cable TV, etc)

>Nationalization of ALL oil companies. This should have been done in 1973.

>A simplified "flat tax" for all Americans..an "X" % from everyone.

>Minimum wage jacked up to that of a decent standard of living.

>Nationalizing insurance companies. (Personally, I want to break their backs. You read it right. Repeat.I want to break their backs.)

>Re-regulation of the public airwaves so that radio and TV stations have to broadcast in the public interest as they used to back in the late 60s/early 70s. (I'm a former radio air talent, and author of 2 books on radio broadcasting history...LARadio.com..see under "E"s "Where Are They Now")

>Rotating regional primaries for national elections.

>Passage of the Equal Rights Amendment with an update to include full GLBT rights

>Re-nationalizing the postal service, like it used to be.

>A tear-down of all gated community gates currently blocking public streets and roads. We need to live TOGETHER, NOT walled/gated apart. Home security systems, for those that want them, will do just fine. But, I say, "Tear down those gates and walls!"

>A committed finish to LBJ's "War On Poverty"..Let's finish the job, the way LBJ wanted it.

>A revival of The New Deal and The Great Society, with a commitment to massive public works and infrastructure spending.

>Having our President and the President of North Korea to spend a weekend together MAKING FRIENDS WITH EACH OTHER with themselves and their families. Friends will never hurt friends. Well, WHY NOT?

>Revive our nation's railroads and Amtrak.

>A full two-house Democratic Congress again in 2008.

Did I leave anything out?
Probably.
But the above is a positive start.

RFK (paraphrasing GBS)once said..

Some men see things as they are and say "Why?"...
I dream things that never were, and say "Why Not?"

To my above list...Why not?

(The "comment" link, you'll find below.)

///////////////////////////////////////

(BiLL EARL is a periodic feature of AFB.com. Not only is Bill a regular contributor here, but also EB08 Senior Moderator of the national Bayh Yahoo! group, and CFB Moderator from Rosemead in the CA Bayh Yahoo! group, all part of the National Bayh! Network...NB!N)

Holding the fort down

I'll be holding the fort down while the others are busy with holiday plans since I'm Jewish but I'll be busy watching basketball in the afternoon...

Hope all is well witb you readers.

If political humor is what you want, head over to the Kentucky Democrat...I've got some interviews up.

BiLL EARL

(10.0)

On this holy weekend for those of us that are Christian, I thought I would replay one of our "greatest hits" here, a message post I made from our national Yahoo! group, last month. I felt it was appropriate enough for today's column. Enjoy! And have a happy "Holy Saturday", today!

/////////////////////
As your EB08 Senior Moderator here, most of you have gotten to know
me thru my posts..my GOOD ones (like Message #1), and my not-so-good
ones (high school teacher classroom humor etc) that ended up
voluntarily on our cutting room floor..

But there is something that I have not previously shared with you
until now.

I come from a family of Roman Catholics. My grandfather, William, had
a son, also William, who became a prominent Roman Catholic priest and
Monsignor.

As the next male in the family, I, also named William, (the
THIRD "William")for my prelate uncle, was also expected to become a
priest.

Unfortunately in 1966, when I applied to the Christian Brothers Roman
Catholic high school in my area, I was not accepted due to weak math
grades.

So "Father Bill" the SECOND never came to be, as I later married.

But coming from the religious background as I have, (my wife and I
attend Mass on Sundays and were "married in the church") it has
troubled me for years to see the intolerant Religious Right and
Republicans seem to take the so-called "Faith Issue" and make it
their own.

We KNOW there are very religious Democrats ranging from Jews such as
our own Lead Moderator Daniel Soltzman and Joe Lieberman, to Roman
Catholics like the Kennedys, my wife and I, and our website webmaster
and fellow moderator Art Bottorff.

It troubles me to see the Republicans and Religious Right think
that "The Faith Issue" is theirs.

I say now..

LET US TAKE BACK THE FAITH ISSUE

Let us as Democrats, not be afraid to talk about OUR faiths..not in
the scary decision-making way Bush Jr. does, but in the way most
Americans i feel do..privately but seriously

Why can't a Democrat talk openly about faith, IF they choose to?

Evan Bayh is a decent family man, husband, father of twin boys and
Episcopalian.

I'd like to see our Democratic party say to the "Reverend"
Robertson's and Dobson's out there, FAITH IS OURS, TOO

Maybe once middle-america, and heartland red states see that
Democrats can talk about faith and moral issues too, and that we are
normal Americans who go to the churches or synagogues of our choice
and pray, then they won't see us Democrats and our Democratic Party
as "out of touch," or just all-secular humanists.

This, I think is one of the keys to winning back red states..

We nominate a family man like Evan Bayh...

we TAKE BACK "The Faith Issue" from The Religious Right and the
Repubs, because they have missused that issue for their polarizing
ways,...

and this is ONE Democrat-Of-Faith that is saying, okay
fellows..ENOUGH.

Will this work?

Well, after our party of McGovern was defeated in 1972, our party
came back with a Democrat who was very comfortable in talking about
faith...Jimmy Carter.

He ended up winning.

The "Faith Issue" was OURS in 1976 with Jimmy Carter.

Maybe it's time us Democrats, as I said above, take this issue BACK
from Robertson/Dobson/Bush Jr. and show America that Democrats pray
too!

It might just work.

////////////////////////////////
(BiLL EARL is a periodic feature of AFB.com. Not only is Bill a regular contributor here, but also EB08 Senior Moderator of the national Bayh Yahoo! group, and CFB Moderator from Rosemead in the CA Bayh Yahoo! group, all part of the National Bayh! Network...NB!N)

BiLL EARL

(9.0)

This is Part 2, picking up from our last column (8.0), where, by several reader's requests, I'm sharing here my background as a Democrat, and how I became a feature contributor for this site.

We left off last time in 1971, when I first registered as a Democrat. That year, and in 1972, I was very much a big supporter of George McGovern both in the CA primary and in the general election. In the fall of 1972, while a college junior, I actually visited a local high school where I gave a classroom speech talking up McGovern. The class was pro-Republican, and I felt like a not-so-good stand up comic. If there had been oysters or olives, they would have thrown them at me.

I'm proud to say the first vote I ever cast in my life was for...George McGovern for President.

From school year 1974-75 thru 1976 I was just starting out in the field of education, and was interviewed for social science instructor positions in several very conservative Republican neighborhoods. I actually worried that my past visible public activities as a Democrat might cause me NOT to get hired.

Well, those worries ended when I was hired in 1976 at a urban Catholic high school as the senior class government teacher. Even though in the primaries of 1976 I supported Frank Church, I enthusiastically backed our Carter/Mondale ticket that fall. I even had students doing volunteer work at the Carter/Mondale hdqs in Montebello, CA.

Sadly, that teaching job ended after I invited the honorable Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the UFW (United Farm Workers) to speak at the high school, and the nuns actually had Dolores stand across the street, OUTSIDE the high school, where Dolores tried to inform the high school students about UFW. They felt Dolores Huerta and me were just too liberal for that high school.

In 1979 I joined ADA (Americans For Democratic Action) and in 1980 backed Edward Kennedy for the Dem nom because of his 1978 health care visions. I stayed with the ADA thru 1981, and did not get bodily involved again in Dem affairs until 1984 when I backed Walter Mondale in both the primary and general election, and was present in downtown L.A. for election night festivities.

For 1988, I very much wanted Joe Biden to be our nominee. I even sent him a check for $50 in 1987.

In 1992, my first choice was Tom Harkin in the primaries. In 1996, I backed the reelection of Clinton/Gore.

In 2000, I was a big supporter of Bill Bradley in the primaries. I was so saddened to see our U.S. Supreme Court deprive Gore/Lieberman of taking office, as they did get over 500,000 more votes than Cheney/Bush Jr.

In 2004, I wanted to "Re-elect Gore/Lieberman", but the day Gore announced his support for Howard Dean, I followed Gore's lead and became a Dean Sunday morning tabler and letter writer-to-Iowans for Dean up thru the NH primary. I joined several local Democratic clubs in 2004, as well, but being unable to go to any meetings due to work/family scheduling conflicts, by March 2005, both memberships lapsed.

I continued my Sunday morning tabling, in the same location that I tabled for Dean, now for the presumed nominee John Kerry, and the Kerry/Edwards ticket once selected. I DID however vote for John Edwards in our 2004 CA primary.

During this Sunday morning tabling, and a one-shot tabling shift at the Montebello Mall, across the freeway from my home, I could see that Kerry might not make it. I even wrote a private e-mail to some fellow Dem tablers about my concerns. That really hit a nerve, me saying "the emperor has no clothes." To this day, several of them will not speak to me, as they thought my concerns were "disloyal." I think that in their hearts they too felt the same way.

Even though he won in CA, the negative impressions I heard about Kerry I knew must be stronger in the red states. In August 2004, I bought an 8X10 portrait of Evan Bayh on EBay, and even though I voted for Kerry in Nov, I felt that if Kerry lost, Evan Bayh would be the right man for 2008.

A day or two after election day, while web surfing, I found a couple of blog/message post sites, I have no idea WHERE they are now..I should have bookmarked them.. and "endorsed" Evan Bayh on one of those. On November 10, just by random surfing the net, I found the brand new Evan Bayh In 2008 Yahoo! site where I became the writer of Message Post #1. I was drafted, by the owner of that Yahoo! site, as the SECOND moderator of that group, and after the first moderator resigned, I became "senior moderator" based on my seniority as a mod.

Up to recently, I was most visible in our national Yahoo! group, but when the opportunity came for me to make regular contributions as a feature contributor here on our AFB.com website, I jumped on board and tried to freshen up the site here with op/ed commentary, colorful graphics, and helped produce the "From JOE DEMOCRAT" feature, written man-in-the-street-style by our own Erich Cumberland from MN.

Well, now you know who I am. My life as a Dem. I could have done more. My Dem activist resume is not very long. But I'm proud to always have voted the straight Dem ticket since 1972. And I'm proud of what I DID DO as an activist Dem.

But I'm most proud of, now at 54, that I'm right here on the ground floor of the Evan Bayh campaign for the Presidency in 2008.I'm committed to this campaign right to the finish wire. I look forward to reading comments from YOU. I hope you get something out of my columns you will find right here in the months, and years, ahead.

Please click on the "comment" link at the end of this column so I can hear from YOU. After all without YOU, we're just talking to ourselves.

(BiLL EARL is a periodic feature of AFB. com. Not only is Bill a regular contributor here, but also EB08 Senior Moderator of the national Bayh Yahoo! group, and CFB Moderator from Rosemead in the CA Bayh Yahoo! group, all part of the National Bayh! Network..NB!N)

Slow Blogging from Lobejammer

I will be slowing down my blogging until Monday as we take time out for my family's religious observances. It won't stop, but don't expect the usual number of posts unless others step up to the plate or all hell breaks loose in some way or the other. Othewise, I bid you peace.

BiLL EARL

(8.0)

Since I started writing this op/ed feature for this website, I have gotten several e-mails asking me just "who are you" and just "what" is my background as a Democrat. Good questions. I will answer your inquires in today's (and next time's) column. I hope you'll be satisified with the answers.

My first rather vague memories of anything "Democratic" goes back to when I was 6 years old in 1956 when I recall my parents had a "Madly For Adlai" pin.

But it wasn't until I was 10 years old in 1960 when I noticed JFK and for good reason too. I was a cadet at a Roman Catholic military academy in Nov 1960, and being Catholic myself, I liked the idea of a Catholic president...for the very first time in our history.

Election night, the nun who supervised our dorm floor, allowed us to stay up past regular bedtime, to watch the election results on a small b&w rabbit-eared TV in the corner of the dorm, and watch JFK win.

In 1962, in grade school, I recall visiting both the Dem hdqs and Repub hdqs on Colorado Blvd in Pasadena to gather campaign stuff for a class project. The Dem hdqs (Re-elect Pat Brown for CA Gov) were filled with not only whites, but blacks too. I liked that, as the blacks tending the counter were very friendly with me, and told me to help myself to buttons, stickers etc.

I next went to the Republican hdqs ("Tricky Dick" for CA Gov), where, when I went up to the counter, I noticed older white ladies, who appeared upper crust and bluish-haired "old wealth"-like, in the storefront. I asked them if their stuff was free. They made me the butt of a joke when they said "Well, they ARE free...free enterprise, that is..he he he." She told me nothing was to be given away. Everything had a price. Buttons, stickers, you name it. I don't think I had more than just bus fare in my pockets. I walked out empty handed. I always remembered that "free enterprise" comment, and how it bothered me that wealthy old white ladies would put a price tag on everything on their counter.

But it was when I was 13 in early 1964, when I realized my early political leanings when I heard LBJ's speech on "The War On Poverty" and a "Great Society." I liked that. It seemed to be the RIGHT way for our country to be. Our U.S. Senator Clare Engel had just died, and JFK's Pierre Salinger was picked to fill out his term. I liked him because he was one of Kennedy's men.

It was 1966 when I had my first taste of working for a political campaign. I was only 16, as a high school sophomore, and really wanted our Governor, Pat Brown, to win a 3rd term. His opponent? An actor I used to see on TV westerns, that I never really liked, Ronald Reagan. I went to the Dem hdqs on Colorado Blvd in Pasadena (same kind of storefront as in 1962 and 1964), and asked what can I do that night to help re-elect Pat Brown. They told me they needed me to "get out the vote," and so a black gentleman I met there drove me up to a mostly black neighborhood in north Pasadena, where he and I went knocking door to door, passing out flyers, offering rides to the polls, and getting Dems out to vote. I was so pumped up that night. I worked from when I got there after school to when the polls closed. Sadly, when I got back to the hdqs after 8pm, I found out Pat Brown lost. I was saddened.

In 1968, the Vietnam War was out of control, I was 17 in high school, and as much as I liked LBJ, I was drawn to Eugene McCarthy as the peace candidate. Then when LBJ dropped out, and RFK jumped in, I gravitated to RFK...a man I was so inspired by..a man who saw poverty first hand in Appalachia and knew it had to be dealt with. I remember the white (with blue/red) "Kennedy" stickers, and how I wanted Bobby to be our President.

After Bobby's murder, as a loyal Dem, I supported Hubert H. Humphrey, and with a classmate of mine, went knocking door to door in a middle class area near my home, to try to get voters to vote for HHH, and NOT the evil "Tricky Dick." I even went to an urban rally to see Hubert Humphrey in person. I wore a red "HHH" pin on my shirt to school everyday.

1970, is when I really felt stronger than ever about being a Young Dem (at 19 years old)...U.S. Representative George Brown came to my junior college..he was running for the CA U.S. Senate seat nomination in 1970...George Brown really blew me away..here was a guy who I truly believed in..he hated the war, and was a man of peace. He lost the nomination to John Tunney, but I still have my George Brown for Senator pin.

Then in September 1971, when I turned 21, I remember my girlfriend and I were in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles, where we stopped at a table and I registered as a Democrat for the first time. (The 18 yr old vote didn't affect me as I was 21 in 1971 and it made no difference)

Next time, I will share with you my adult life as a registered Democrat..now able to vote...and we'll pick that up in 1972.


(BiLL EARL is a periodic feature of AFB.com. Not only is Bill a regular contributor here, but also EB08 Senior Moderator of the national Bayh Yahoo! group, and CFB Moderator from Rosemead in the CA Bayh Yahoo! group, all part of the National Bayh! Network...NB!N)

Why DeLay Matters

Okay, so I kind of got this from my newsreader and BullMoose. But this brings out the reform issue that I have said in the past may be a real winner for the Democrats in the midterms. DeLay is a perfect target and for honest reasons and for real honest lapses in ethics. We need change! We need reform! Let's get those turkeys out of there!

Ethical Dilemma
by the Editors
The New Republic

It was 16 years ago this May that Jim Wright, the Democratic speaker of the House, resigned after two years of unremitting ethical scandals. And, while Wright's transgressions--most of which involved an unseemly book deal that netted him about $50,000--were relatively small, especially compared with some of DeLay's, House Democrats paid a price for the two years they doggedly defended their speaker. As Michael Crowley recently documented in these pages ("Learning from Newt," January 24), House Republicans, especially a young tyro named Newt Gingrich, argued that Wright's disgrace--and the Democrats' initial efforts to defend him--were symptomatic of an institutional corruption that pervaded all of Congress. They were able to convince voters that the only way to save the House from this endemic corruption was to get rid of its Democratic majority. Which voters of course did in 1994."

"The current Republican House majority now finds itself in very similar circumstances. Although they have been in the majority only ten years--as opposed to the 40 years the Democrats ruled the House before being swept out in 1994--House Republicans have become just as entrenched and arrogant as Democrats were before their downfall. And their steadfast defense of DeLay and his ethical transgressions is simply the most prominent manifestation of that. If they continue in this defense, it will only be a matter of time before House Democrats, taking a page from Gingrich's old playbook, will successfully use DeLay to cast the entire Republican majority as corrupt--and in need of replacing.

Howard Dean Spotted!

I wonder if Chairman Dean went on a tour of these conservative states and came to the conclusion we should do what the Kossacks want and move the party further to the left. Maybe Chairman Dean found a large group of far left-wingers hiding in communes in these states who didn't vote and will next time so we'll win with the red states with an extreme agenda? Sad that we are not doing to good on that money thing too.

What this party needs a fresh face like Evan Bayh.

Don't get me wrong. I like Dean and his energy and I hope this tour opens his eyes to what the real problems facing many in the red states are and how our Democratic message can resonate there. I just get tired of the extremists on our left ballyhooing Dean as our far left-wing savior who will take us to the promised land. It's simplistic thinking at best and won't get us where we want to be: WINNING!

Dean Says Party Should Speak From Heart
Dean Says Democrats Must Speak 'Hearts and Convictions' After Tour of Conservative States
By WILL LESTER
The Associated Press

Mar. 24, 2005 - Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean came back from his tour of conservative states like Kansas, Mississippi and Tennessee with new strategies to win over their voters but the same basic message from his presidential campaign.

"We have to speak to our hearts and convictions," Dean told a crowd at a waterfront restaurant Wednesday night. "We are never going to win by being a pale copy of the Republican Party."

Dean praised President Bush's political skills for telling voters in the nation's heartland that "people in the Northeast and California don't respect you, but I'm one of you."

"We need to respect people who believe differently than we do, and we need to honor their concerns about America," Dean said during his first Washington fund raiser.

Democrats need to compete with Republicans in all 50 states and "run four-year campaigns, not seven-month campaigns," he said.

Democrats can run on moral values as well as Republicans, said Dean, who added that Democrats' programs to provide help for people reflect moral values more than Republican programs do.

The party raised $150,000 from about 1,200 people who paid from $35 to $50 apiece to attend.

Republicans outraised Democrats more than 2-to-1 in the first two months of the year.

On the Net:

http://www.dnc.org Democratic National Committee:

Medical Privacy? Not When It Comes to Abortion

Safe, legal, rare. Those are my thoughts; however, there's a larger issue of privacy here that stands against everything this country was founded on. The Theocrats, like Steve Carter here in Indiana, have absolutely no right making this type of intrusion into these people's lives. Okay, so you may be against abortion but where do you draw the line. Kill doctors who perform them? Firebomb clinics who counsel these poor women? Invade their privacy by getting their medical records? Where does disagreement with a law and then outright lawlessness and intrusion become separate. I'm not for abortion. I just despise our privacy being invaded like this. Where does it stop?

Abortion-List Grab Battle Heats Up
WASHINGTON, March 23, 2005

Planned Parenthood is denouncing prosecutors in Kansas and Indiana for trying to seize patient medical records from clinics, calling the actions a coordinated attempt to intimidate health care providers and patients.

"What we are witnessing today is an alarming and escalating attack on medical privacy across the country," said Karen Pearl, interim president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. "Politicians with rigid anti-choice agendas are trying to rip apart the covenant that we have as providers with our patients."

Pearl said the latest efforts are part of a trend by politically-motivated, anti-abortion prosecutors who want to scare women away from seeking care that is protected by the Constitution.

The actions in Kansas and Indiana follow an unsuccessful attempt last year by then-U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to subpoena abortion records from several Planned Parenthood affiliates as part of the government's defense of a new law barring certain late-term abortions....

The lawsuit filed in Indianapolis seeks temporary and permanent injunctions barring Attorney General Steve Carter and his Medicaid Fraud Control Unit from searching the private records of clients at 40 Planned Parenthood clinics across the state. Like Kline, Carter says he is investigating reports of sexual abuse against minors.

Good News for Political Blogging?

You know it works both ways. If the Democrats can do this great political online work the Republicans can do it as well. I don't know what the breakdown is for who does more campaigning or blogging for which side, but both sides have to see this medium as a free speech zone and, to their own benenfit, a potential source of contributors and supporters. The only thing I still maintain is that bloggers should be open about who they may be receiving money from and for what purposes. But I think that's just an ethical issue and largely ignored by many in this arena already.

FEC Signals Light Hand On Internet Campaigning

By Brian Faler
Special to The Washington Post
Thursday, March 24, 2005; Page A08

The Federal Election Commission revealed yesterday that it plans to take what one of its commissioners termed a "relatively nonintrusive" approach to regulating political campaigns on the Internet.

The agency, which is beginning to consider how and whether to restrict blogs, e-mail and other online activities, released a document describing the legal issues it plans to tackle over the next several months.

Military Intellegence: AN Oxymoron Still?

This is just an old joke, of course. But it's important that our military gets the best intelligence possible and the only way you learn about your intelligence is when you have to battle test it. This is good that there will be a remodeling and upgrade. My only question is that after the WMD fiasco, wasn't it a little obvious that all our intelligence structures needed to be beefed up, including the military's. They move at the speed of wounded snails.

Pentagon to Upgrade Intelligence Structure
Officials Want Analysts on Front Lines

By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 24, 2005; Page A17

The Defense Department is seeking to remodel and upgrade its intelligence structure and operations, based on experience in Afghanistan and Iraq and current and expected systems for collecting technical and human intelligence.

The changes are being promoted while the intelligence community is awaiting the confirmation of John D. Negroponte as the director of national intelligence, who under a new statute is to become the president's chief intelligence adviser, with budgetary control over some of the Pentagon's intelligence-collection agencies.

Want to go to Spring Break in Iraq?

The Army missing recruiting goals? I wonder why? Doesn't traveling across the globe to sunny Middle Eastern countries appeal to younsters the way it used to? I wonder who's policies are responsible for this? Is there a draft in here?

Army Likely to Miss 2 Recruiting Goals; Review Is Planned
By THOM SHANKER

WASHINGTON, March 23 - The Army is likely to miss recruiting goals for March and April, and the strain to meet personnel quotas is prompting a review of how enlistment is pitched to young Americans and to their parents, the new Army secretary said on Wednesday.

The secretary, Francis J. Harvey, said internal Army studies predicted that the service would not meet its goals this month and the next.

Those internal Army forecasts follow the official release of statistics for February, when the active-duty Army was 27 percent below its recruiting goal of 7,050. That shortfall was the first time since May 2000 that the Army missed a monthly goal, Army officials said.

In the first five months of this fiscal year, the Army has met 94 percent of its goal of 29,185 new soldiers. The Army plans to bring in 80,000 recruits this year to replace those who retire or do not re-enlist.

Mr. Harvey pointed out that in the active-duty force, retention is over 100 percent of the goal to this date, and is near 100 percent in both the Army National Guard and the Reserve, he said. Mr. Harvey said retention was actually higher than Army goals for units that had been deployed to Iraq.

Mr. Harvey described plans to reshape the Army's recruiting message: "So we're going to appeal to patriotism. We're going to appeal to the value of service. And we're going to do that in a very proactive way."

He said the campaign would reach out to people he called "influencers" and would include parents and teachers who might be invited to meetings with senior Army leaders.

An Official Endorsement of Bayh

Over at the Progressive Action Foundation, DJK has officically endorsed Evan BAyh for President in 2008. Another convert and another voice added to our efforts to get the Senator in the White House. Way to go DJK! We'll have more on his discussion as it becomes available. Meanwhile, go check out his blog. It looks pretty interesting.

Presidential Endorsement for 2008

"I have officially endorsed Sen. Evan Bayh (D) Indiana for president in 2008.
Discussion to follow..."

Flotsam and Jetsam

Since we're not talking about you-know-what it's a little slow on the Bayh news front with Easter recess but we'll do our very best to keep you up to date with matters that will be before the Senator in the future and our usual flotsam and jetsam

BiLL EARL

(7.0)

What is it about "no" that John Kerry does not understand?

The current newstand issue of TIME magazine has a full page article, NOT on the future of our party with attractive fresh candidates like Evan Bayh and Mary Landrieu, but on our nominee who lost in 04..John Kerry.

The article confirms..yep..he's running again for the 08 Dem presidential nomination. Another bite of the apple, he feels he deserves.

I "tabled" for John Kerry last Spring, Summer, and part of Fall 04. This was in CA, a state he won. Yet, I heard repeatedly the same things about Kerry that I feel were felt even stronger in states he DIDN'T WIN.

>He seemed elitist, dour, glum, aloof, patrician
>He divorced a rich woman and then married a richer one. They called him "a kept man."
>He ordered "Swiss" cheese on a Philly Cheesesteak..in Philadelphia!
>He reminded people of two TV characters from the 1960s..one with the trademark "You rang?"
>His daughters by his first marriage reminded some of "south of the boulevard
valley girls" (Ventura blvd, Encino, CA)
>People told me they felt that he didn't "connect" to them, and that a man from his background (unlike FDR or RFK) didn't understand how regular folks live.
>His second wife seemed abrasive, and being a "billionairess" was something working women just couldn't identify with
>It was reported that as a young man, he actually talked and sounded like "Thurston Howell III"..

and other things told to me that I have tried to forget, as I heard them weekend after weekend...

by Californians!!!

So what happened? He lost. People took a look at him, and didn't like him. Not enough voters liked him for him to win.

Now it's 2005. What is different about John Kerry that people will now embrace him and elect him President in 08? What primaries does he think he can win in?

He's the same guy he was in 04. We saw him. We looked at him. We listened to him. Most people turned thumbs down.

The last Dem to lose the Presidency and be nominated again was Adlai Stevenson. (read my column 6.0)

The trouble for us Dems is that he is serious, and has all of Teresa's billions to outspend other candidates to try to get nominated again.

I voted for Dukakis in 88. He lost and got that message. He did NOT run again in 1992.

I am concerned that John Kerry is really serious about a second go round, and with all those billions just might muck up the field for a Dem who CAN win in 2008, Evan Bayh, for example.

I am urging the highers up in our party who read this column to talk to John Kerry and spell it out. His running again will not help our party recapture our White House.

But if he DOES run, then us Dems have to say it LOUDER to him than John Edwards and the electorate in 2004...

"Not so fast, John Kerry."

This time we want a winner who can win red states. You had your shot. Now step aside and let us WIN in 2008.

If anyone who reads this column can give me a convincing reason why our party should re-nominate John Kerry in 2008, please click on the "comment" link at the end of this column.

But as far as I'm concerned, we need someone fresh in 08 who can CONNECT with heartland Americans and real people. Evan Bayh is that man. If John Kerry wanted to help our party, then he should endorse Evan Bayh at the right time.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

(BiLL EARL is a periodic feature of AFB.com. Not only is Bill a regular contributor here, but also EB08 Senior Moderator of the national Bayh Yahoo! group, and CFB Moderator from Rosemead in the CA Bayh Yahoo! group, all part of the National Bayh! Network...NB!N)

Holy Cow!

Holy Cow! I can barely hold back my disgust at this move by Brownback and others. While I agree that as Democrats we need to reach out to faith-based organizations, something like this is just too much for me. I thought this was a Democracy. It seems Brownback and some like him want a Theocracy like they have in Iran except with Evangelical Christians and their cohorts ruling us in the promised land. This, to me, is the apocolypse we've been warned of and I will do all I can to make sure nothing like this ever becomes law in this land. Keep 'em separated!!!

Brownback supports churches endorsing candidates
Opponents decry mix of church, state issues
By Dave Ranney, Journal-World
Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Pastors or other church leaders could use their pulpits to endorse political candidates under a controversial bill backed by U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.
advertisement

Currently, if churches make endorsements they can jeopardize their tax-exempt status.

"This bill will finally lift the fear and anxiety from houses of worship that seek to speak out on issues that affect the local community and our nation," Brownback said during a recent Capitol Hill press conference.

The bill would allow pastors and ministers to endorse candidates, but churches still would be prohibited from spending money on a candidate's campaign if they want to retain their tax-exempt status.

Not yet introduced, the Senate bill is expected to mirror HR 235, the Houses of Worship Free Speech Restoration Act introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C.

"Senator Brownback has been very supportive," said Jones' press secretary, Kristen Quigley. "His staff has been meeting with our staff to see what the next best step to take is -- that step has not been decided yet."

Quigley said three similar Jones-introduced bills have failed in the past.

"The congressman feels this is going to pass this year," she said. "The concerns that have come up in the past have been addressed. The language has been fine-tuned."

text HR.235 supporters site
text On the street: Should church leaders be able to endorse political candidates during their sermons without losing the church's tax-exempt status?

Jones and Brownback's efforts are opposed by the Washington-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Brad Carson on Democrat's Missing Message

Talk about some straight talk that, in my opinion, gets to the very heart of the matter. Brad Carson, the Democratic candidate for Senate in Oklahoma last November, writes cogently that as Democrats we have no coherent message yet he supplies one that I think will work spectactularly, REFORM. He also articulates how, as Democrats, we are oftentimes at cross-purposes and are hurting each other (witness the DLC and Lieberman hostility from the Kossacks and MyDD and Americablog). None of this is fruitful and I believe those who Evan Bayh appeals to are, to borrow a term from a Nixon speech, the "Silent Majority" of this country.

Missing Message
By Brad Carson
DLC | Blueprint Magazine | March 16, 2005

"In the flood of advice about how Democrats can do better in the next elections, one salient point has too often been overlooked. It is, more than anything else, that Democrats need a coherent message that can have widespread appeal, not just on the national ticket, but across the land, in state and congressional contests as well.

"I know: I didn't have a single message that appealed to a majority of voters, and I lost my bid to become a U.S. senator from Oklahoma. Swearing that I would stand up for Oklahoma better than my opponent wasn't enough. I faced a difficulty shared by many other Democratic candidates around the country: I was unable to offer a story as convincing to voters as the Republicans'. While this failure was my own, I do believe it illustrates the difficulty any Democrat has when running for a major office in a red state like Oklahoma, where President Bush received two out of every three votes..."

Carson goes on to say: "For instance, when I emphasized my strong support for gun owners -- very important in most red states -- many urban and suburban voters rebelled. Or when I supported a ban on partial birth abortion -- also an essential position in any red state -- strong supporters of abortion rights threatened not to vote in the Senate race or to vote for a third-party candidate (exit polls in Oklahoma revealed that 7 percent of self-identified liberals did vote for a third-party candidate).

"Such is the dilemma of a red-state Democrat: If you tack to the left, you will be woefully out of step; if you tack to the right, you alienate a small but significant part of the Democratic base. Either way, the red-state Democrat loses. The substantive discord among Democratic interest groups is deafening, and, unlike the GOP, the non-negotiable demands of Democratic interest groups are often in conflict."

ANd Carson Concludes: "From my experience, an emphasis on political reform would resonate deeply with the disaffected, nonideological part of the electorate. It would be the coherent narrative that every Democrat could adopt, whatever other policy differences might exist. An emphasis on political reform would also break the Democratic Party out of sterile debates about vexing and controversial social matters, on which a greater diversity of opinion could be tolerated. Given the institutional corruption of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) and friends, political reform is one of the most urgent priorities of the nation.

"It is from this union of electoral appeal and political necessity that a Democratic resurgence can be born."

Darth Cheney Pulling the Strings

You had to know that Cheney was behind the Bolton and Wolfowitz appointments. It makes complete sense when radical policies or appointments are occuring that Dick Cheney is behind it. What I find interesting in this article is that Cheney says we need to work on our position in the Arab communities and then out pop Boldton and especially Wolfowitz. Talk about talking out of both sides of the mouth (which is what it looks like Cheney is doing in every picture you see of him anyway). We don't need appeasment but some commin sense would be refreshing.

Cheney Defends Bush Appointments
Vice President Says Loyalists in Diplomatic Posts Will Strengthen U.S. Position

By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 23, 2005; Page A01

In the interview conducted en route from Reno, Nev., the vice president bluntly acknowledged the administration's shortcomings in overcoming international hostility to American foreign policy and communicating a positive image of the United States abroad, especially to the Arab and Muslim worlds.

"If we are going to be successful long-term in the war on terror and in the broader objective of promoting freedom and democracy in that part of the world, we have to get the public diplomacy piece of it right," Cheney said. "Up until now, that has been a very weak part of our arsenal."

Cheney has been a driving force in the administration's foreign policy and privately advocated for Bolton to get the U.N. job and for longtime ally Paul D. Wolfowitz to head the World Bank. The vice president said top-level changes at the State Department should help set a better course.

Another Kennedy in the Senate?

Another Kennedy in the Senate? That would be pretty cool as far as I'm concerned. Even though Chaffee is a moderate, we need the seat in Democratic hands and as a Democratic pickup. It would be great if we could pull this off.

Patrick Kennedy eyes Senate only if fellow R.I. rep declines
By Noelle Straub
Tuesday, March 22, 2005 - Updated: 11:39 AM EST

WASHINGTON - Reopening a door he had closed three months ago, U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy now says he may launch a bid to join his father in the Senate in 2006, but only if his fellow Rhode Island Democratic congressman decides not to run.
In December, Kennedy ruled himself out of the 2006 Senate race altogether and said he'd support U.S. Rep. James Langevin if he decides to challenge GOP incumbent Sen. Lincoln Chafee.
But Kennedy, who still will back Langevin if he runs, now says he will consider launching a bid himself if his colleague opts out.
``If Congressman Langevin were to decide not to run, (Kennedy) would need to make a decision as to whether he can be more effective for his constituents in Rhode Island with his seat on the Appropriations Committee in the House or as another Democratic vote in the Senate,'' said Kennedy spokesman Sean Richardson.
``It would take a lot to persuade him to give up a seat on the Appropriations Committee in the House to run for the Senate,'' Richardson added.

Blogger Notes GOPs Slight Of Bayh's Barnkruptcy Amendment

None of the bloggers we mention may be big honkin bloggers like dailykos or TPM, but it is important that the word of what the Senator is working for gets out there. In light of this we offer this tidbit from an up-to-date blogger

Senate GOP Playing With Soldiers' Lives

Soldiers are losing their homes and going bankrupt while they’re over in Iraq and the GOP is pushing a bill that wouldn’t offer them appropriate protection.

“The Senate rejected Tuesday an effort backed by Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., to exempt service members from some of the tighter bankruptcy restrictions Congress is considering.”

Bayh Speaks at University of Southern California

Senator Bayh has been spotted out west sharing his thoughts on globalization and other issues. The Senator's wife graduated from USC and he was there as part of a series of lectures at the university. Here are some excerpts from the school's newspaper.

Indiana senator speaks on globalization
Some consider Evan Bayh be a possible presidential candidate in 2008 race.
By Laura Shimurda
Published: Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) discussed national security, the federal budget and the need for politicians to unite during a lecture in Bovard Auditorium Tuesday afternoon.

"Our power lies not in the strength of our arms, but in the strength of our ideals," Bayh said.

He spoke about invigorating the country and how America will maintain its prosperity during a period of globalization.

"If you travel around the world, you realize we are the strongest nation in the world, but it's not by accident," Bayh said.

Bayh also discussed the state of politics in the United States, including the federal deficit.

"What does it say about us when we expect our children to pay off our bills ... with interest? We have an obligation to put our own house in order," he said.

He continued to stress American politicians need to unite for the good of the country.

"We've been through a period when some people ... have chosen to divide our country for political gains.... I don't think we can afford that kind of leadership any more," he said.

Instead of being separated into red and blue states, "the reality is that we are 50 red, white and blue states," he said.

He also briefly discussed how to deal with changing demographics, the state of the American family and how to invigorate Americans to vote.

Bayh then answered questions from the audience about a wide spectrum of topics, ranging from the Schiavo family to a bankruptcy reform bill he recently supported...

"I appreciate the fact he was thoughtful and progressive in his remarks. I could tell he was very sincere in his convictions, and it was very refreshing to hear that," said Marc Bauer, a second-year law student and chairman of the USC Law Democrats...

"Senator Bayh demonstrated the kind of visionary leadership this country needs to meet the challenges of the 21st century," Brian Fodera, a second-year law student, said.
--------------------------------------------------
Way to go Brian!!

Bayh on Schiavo Case

Although I really, really do not want to discuss this case in this forum I did say I would mention it if Senator Bayh's vote or record on this was revealed. So I offer the following clip from the IndyStar.

--------------------------------------------------
While neither actually voted, Sens. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Evan Bayh, D-Ind., support the Terri Schiavo bill that passed the Senate on Sunday, aides said.

Lugar "believes it's important to allow for the due process (of Schiavo's case)," said Mark Hayes, a spokesman for the senator. "This is a very special case, and he simply wants to make sure that all of the details are examined before any decision is made."

"Senator Bayh and every other senator agreed to allow the federal courts to intervene in this tragic case," said Meghan Keck, a spokeswoman for Bayh.

Neither senator was on the floor when the bill came up for a vote Sunday afternoon. Hayes said Lugar was in Florida on vacation.

Only three senators were present for the actual voice vote approving the legislation. No more were needed because of a long-standing rule that permits approval of certain measures without a majority of the 100 members present as long as the leaders of both parties agree, Senate historian Richard Baker said.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., that Democrats would not object to the bill, allowing Republicans to pass the bill with only a smattering of members present.

Had a single Democrat objected, the vote would have been stopped until a quorum -- at least 51 of the 100 senators -- could have been assembled to vote, Baker said.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Enough said as far as I'm concerned.
Pray, though, for all those poor people facing these issues.

Same Economy, Two Outlooks

Here's the gist of this. The Democrats, the party of regular Americans, has a dimmer view of the economy when gas over two dollars a gallon hurts whereas the Republicans, the party of the rich, don't give a hoot since the probably own oil drilling and pipeline stocks so they're making a killing. But one cannot ignore that interest rates are rising, inflation cannot be held down with oil so expensive, and a crushing deficit are hurting our economy and while things may look okay right now, but the future looks bad. And the Republicans, the supposed party of fiscal conservatism, is ruining our country's future. We need Democrats more than ever now. The current regime is killing us.

Partisans Differ Over Economic Outlook
Gap Between the Two Parties Highest Since 1990

By Claudia Deane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 22, 2005; 5:01 PM

During the past fifteen years, Republicans have consistently held a rosier view of economic conditions than Democrats, but at no time has this perceptions gap been greater than in the past year, according to a historical analysis of weekly data from The Washington Post-ABC News consumer confidence survey.

The overall Consumer Comfort Index currently stands at -9, matching its long term average. Among Republicans, the index rises to 28. Among Democrats, it is -35, more than 60 points lower.

To translate this into less abstract terms, in the survey conducted last weekend roughly six in ten Republicans rated the state of the national economy as "excellent" or "good," compared to two in ten Democrats. Three in four GOP respondents rated their own personal finances the same way, compared to half of Democrats. And nearly twice as many Republicans as Democrats said now was a good time to buy things.

If these consumer attitudes converted directly into consumption patterns, Red state stores would now be as bare as fields after a locust swarm. So why aren't they?

"My take on partisan differences on the economic outlook is that politicians have become increasingly contentious over the past several years on almost every conceivable topic. So differences on the economic outlook have more to do with politics than economics," said University of Michigan economist E. Philip Howrey in an e-mail. Howrey has studied the role of consumer confidence indexes in economic forecasting.

To some extent the partisan differences likely reflect an underlying income disparity between the two groups. A Post-ABC News poll conducted in mid-March found that about six in ten Democrats said their annual household income was less than $50,000 per year, compared to four in ten Republicans. And not surprisingly, those making less money are less sanguine about economic conditions.

Bayh on C-Span2

C-SPAN2 is airing Senator Evan Bayh's Speech at the Colorado Jefferson-Jackson Dinner at approx 8:30 PM eastern time tonight

Why DeLay?

The pull-quote below scares the heck out of me and is one of the reasons why DeLay has to go. This man is an extremist in every sense of the word and while he may mean well in his own mind, he is a danger to our country that supports separation of church and state. I'm all for religion. Go out and practice yours today in all you do. Just don't force it down my throat. But to be so religious as DeLay claims and to be so corrupt at the same time is hypocritcal in extremis. We need protection from men like Tom DeLay, not his help. Go back to killing bugs and let us all get on with our lives without him. He's a pest.

Inside Washington: DeLay Under Fire

Tue Mar 22, 8:12 AM ET
By LAURA MECKLER, Associated Press Writer

"DeLay fights government regulation at every turn, a position hardened during the years before he came to Washington when he ran a pest control business and railed at "Gestapo" environmental regulators. He's also a leader among religious conservatives, pushing for a more God-centered nation.

Ahead of the 2000 presidential race, he outlined a vision where "we march forward with a biblical worldview, a worldview that says God is our Creator, that man is a sinner, and that we will save this country by changing the hearts and minds of Americans."

"We have the House and the Senate. All we need is the presidency!"

Despite a growing ethics cloud over the past year, he remains enormously influential."

Sout Bend Tribune on Bayh's Vaccine Bill

THis is a timely issue and cannot be ignored now or put off since at the end of the current flu season, like now, is when researchers look for developing strains for next year. It takes a long time to get flu vaccine's into production and available to the public. Fortunatley, we dodged a bullet this year but that's not to say we won't in the future. If things continue the way they are it's nearly inevitable. That's why it's gratifying to see Senator Bayh's lead on this issue being properly noticed.

Flu vaccine bill
OUR OPINION

U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., is looking ahead to next year's flu season -- and the next one and the next one ...

Bayh has reintroduced legislation to ensure an adequate supply of flu vaccine. It should be promptly passed and signed into law by President Bush.

The bill tackles the problem of vaccine shortages by addressing the concerns of domestic manufacturers. It would guarantee that the government would buy at least the recommended number of vaccine doses, thereby protecting vaccine makers from economic loss.

Left alone, the marketplace does a lousy job of assuring an adequate supply of safe flu vaccine. Pharmaceutical companies lost $120 million three years ago because they over-produced vaccine. The next year, when they cut back, there was a shortage. And everyone remembers last year when a British company's vaccine stock intended for the United States was contaminated.

Such a hit-and-miss system is no way to anticipate what could rapidly grow into a health crisis. Bayh's proposal would make Americans safer at a minimal cost.

The Indiana senator offered similar legislation last year. An addition in the '05 version would provide funding for avian flu research. Epidemiologists warn that a pandemic of a human strain of avian flu is very likely in the near future.

There is no excuse for not being prepared -- either for the annual flu outbreak that we know will come, or for a far more deadly strain of "bird flu."

Bayh's bill has bipartisan backing as well as the support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's a good plan. It should be approved.

David Brooks Rocks!!

In an earlier post we mentioned that one of the things Democrats can work on to take back Congress is to focus on the greed, graft, and corruption that is currently commonplace on Republican dominated Capitol Hill. Well, today David Brooks let off a broadside against some of the orchestrators of this lobbying hypocrisy from the "sleazo-cons" as he calls them and it is a great read. Follow this link to the editorial but we excerpt a little bit here:

Masters of Sleaze
By DAVID BROOKS

Published: March 22, 2005

"Ralph Reed, meanwhile, smashed the tired old categories that used to separate social conservatives from corporate consultants. Reed signed on with Channel One, Verizon, Enron and Microsoft to shore up the moral foundations of our great nation. Reed so strongly opposes gambling as a matter of principle that he bravely accepted $4 million through Abramoff from casino-rich Indian tribes to gin up a grass-roots campaign."

Bayh's Budget Amendment

Sorry I missed this guys. It's been a tough couple of weeks here but Senator Bayh offered and amendment to the budget that received unanimous approval on studying the "Dangers of Increased Dependence on Foreign Governments." The press release follows but this is an important issue and I am worried about my children and what our nation's crushing dependence will mean for them.

Senate Approves Bayh Amendment on Dangers of Increased Dependence on Foreign Governments

Amendment to budget resolution requests study on implications of foreign ownership of U.S. debt


Washington, D.C.- The U.S. Senate today unanimously approved an amendment authored by U.S. Senator Evan Bayh requesting a Government Accountability Office study on the economic dangers posed by increasing dependence on foreign governments to finance our spending. Bayh's amendment was added to the Senate Budget Resolution, which is currently being debated in the Senate.

Today, foreigners hold nearly half of the U.S. debt, giving them the power to potentially cause a stock market slump or prompt the U.S. to temper its stance on key foreign policy issues. Bayh will use the results from the study to bolster efforts to reduce the deficit and cut back on the wasteful transfer of U.S. resources to our foreign competitors.

"We shouldn't be forced to design our national security or economic plans to suit another country's wishes, but if we don't rein in our growing debts, this is the future we face," Senator Bayh said. "Today's passage of my amendment demonstrates shared concern over the dangers posed by our increasing dependence on foreign interests, which I hope will lead to a shared effort to reduce the deficit."

Foreign ownership of U.S. debt has increased by 88 percent since 2001, and Americans are already suffering the consequences. Today, U.S. taxpayers send approximately $89 billion overseas each year to pay off the interest on foreign-held debt. That's more than the $86 billion the U.S. spends on health care for children ($45 billion), job training ($2.8 billion), and health care for veterans ($28 billion) combined.

If countries like China or Japan chose to quickly sell their U.S. holdings, they could cause a devaluation of the dollar, an increase in interest rates, or a slump in the stock market. Just last month, news that South Korea's central bank was planning to sell some of its U.S. assets caused the Dow Jones to drop 174 points, or 1.6 percent, the worst percentage drop in five months. Fear of prompting such a move could lead the U.S. to modify its stance on positions that these countries oppose, including enforcing certain trade laws or acting to strengthen national security.

"We need to take a serious look at the debt we are piling up with foreign countries because with every additional dollar we owe, we are giving up a another piece of our national sovereignty," Senator Bayh said. "The more of our debt these foreign governments control, the more leverage they will have at the negotiating table on issues like trade, currency and even national security. This study will show us the direction we need to take to begin reversing this trend and regaining control in international relations."

Bayh's study will examine the impact that foreign-owned debt has on a number of fronts, including U.S. efforts to maintain a stable dollar and enforce a fair trade policy. The study will also track the increase in foreign-owned debt since 1980.

McCain Is Bush' Lackey and Privatization

John McCain is no fool. When the next presidential election season rolls around all of King Georges horses and men will be around and Bush will have a strong say in who may get the Republican nod. McCain would love that ol' slap in the back from Georgie Boy so he is out west on The Bush/Cheney Privatization Extravaganza express sucking up as much as he can. I have, in the past, considered McCain neutrally as a Republican, but with his appearing at Bush's side during the election and at things like this I'm liking him less and less.

McCain Trumpets Bush Social Security Plan
Sen. John McCain Accompanies Bush Through Arizona and Colorado, Trumpeting Social Security Plan
By JENNIFER LOVEN
The Associated Press

Mar. 22, 2005 - There's another showing Tuesday of the good-cop, bad-cop routine featuring President Bush and Sen. John McCain, Bush's one-time presidential rival who has become a big booster of the president's Social Security plan.

The Arizona Republican accompanied Bush on Monday to the senator's home state and Colorado to try to help sell the public and Congress on the president's proposal for a major Social Security overhaul.

Bush again focused on calming seniors' fears that his plan would mean their checks would stop coming or be cut and tried to convince them that adding private accounts to Social Security would be in the best interest of their children and grandchildren. Bush said he was open to any idea Democrats, or others, want to bring forward to solve Social Security's fiscal ills, and he pledged no political retribution.

"I'm willing to listen to any solution," Bush said in Denver. "I'm confident that eventually the will will be there to get something done."

McCain, after jokes that had the audience howling and some unvarnished adoration of "the leadership of this man," had a little different message.

In remarks that got sharper as the day wore on, he accused Democrats of not working toward a bipartisan solution.

"We find this reluctance to even come to the table," he said. "We've started the debate and yet we find that the opponents will not sit down with us."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sit down and discuss what? What plan have you put forward John? What plan has W put forward John? Where's the beef? And you know if you put one forward it'll be toast the minute it's printed. This is a sucker punch because there is no there there.

Language and Social Security

The New York Times has an excellent piece today about the subtleties of the language of Social Security reform. As anyone has listened to Bush lately (without barfing) has hear, the W spinmeisters have him spouting forth "personal accounts" like a Buddhist mantra. This is a thinly veiled disguise, as we all know, for not saying "private accounts" which, to the Democrats credit, sounds like "privatiization" and the polling for that term must be abysmal. So here we are and we need to stay on the same page if at all possible. So repeat after Harry Reid. It's "private accounts" and "privatization." Saying "personal accounts" is from the other sides taliking points.

It's 'Private' vs. 'Personal' in Social Security Debate
By ROBIN TONER

WASHINGTON, March 21 - What's in a name? Would a personal account by any other name smell as sweet?

Apparently not, according to strategists in the two political parties.

In the Social Security debate, one of the most ferocious struggles is over language, whether President Bush is proposing to create "personal" or "private" accounts in the program, whether he is really proposing the "privatization" of Social Security.

Mr. Bush complained last week that " 'privatization' is a trick word," intended to "scare people." Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, interrupted a news conference to correct a reporter who asked about "personal" accounts.

"It's 'privatization,' " Mr. Reid said, adding that "personal accounts" was "the Republican term."

The staff of the House Franking Commission, which regulates the political content of Congressional mail that goes out at taxpayer expense, has weighed in with advice on which versions of the word "privatize" can be used to describe the president's plan. (The distinction revolves around the difference between "full" and "partial" privatization.)

This is not simply a semantic exercise. Real issues are at stake, the sides agree. Mr. Bush has proposed letting younger workers divert part of their payroll taxes into private (or personal) investment accounts.

Democrats say that amounts to a fundamental revision of the 70-year-old program, draining huge sums of money from it, reducing the government's role and exposing individuals to far more risk - in short, at least partly "privatizing" it.

Bayh Lesser Known but Formidable

Carol Platt Liebau has ablog where she is discussing Ann Lewis' comments about the mistakes Keyy made in his campaign. Carol notes that Ann should keep quiet since the 800 pound gorilla, Hillary, could easily dispatch Kerry if he sticks around. Not so with Bayh though as we excerpt this:

"But there's another, subtler reason that it's bad politics. To the extent that John Kerry is "out there," that's good for Hillary. He continues to suck press coverage and attention away from Hillary's other, more formidable but less-known competitors for the Democratic nomination (like Evan Bayh, for example)-- but as a relatively weak candidate, she can dispatch Kerry easily when it finally suits her purposes. All that works to Hillary's advantage."

We Will Not Talk About It

We will not discuss you-know-what that everyone else is unless you-know-who has something to say about it. But by saying we're not going to talk about you-know-what you can say that we have talked about you-know-what. So you decide. Yoo-Hoo.

The Bush Administration Slighting Our Heroes

I missed this yesterday but how much more can the Bush administration keep on burdenening those who are serving, were serving, and who may serve in the future. The Bushies are great about talking about the military and show off their macho military style bravado whenever possible, but when it gets down to the nitty-gritty, these guys are screwing our soldiers. From Veteran benefits to Patriot Penalty to Back-door draft to other things the Bushies consistently slight our heroes. I am a proud son of a man who risked his life during the Cold War in live action in both Korea and VietNam. I grew up knowing that once you served your country your country would help you out and I benifited in many ways from that assistance. But not any more. No wonder recruiting numbers are down everywhere. Go ahead and serve but when you come back we'll turn our backs on you. Despicable in the least.


Democrats slam budget cuts for veterans' services
Pa. governor: Bush budget cuts for critical programs 'unconscionable'

(CNN) -- The governor of Pennsylvania on Saturday said the federal government must do a better job helping America's war veterans and criticized proposed budget cuts affecting them.

"During this time of war, it is absolutely the wrong time for our federal government to step back from any of its commitments to our veterans. To do so would be penny wise but pound foolish," said Gov. Ed Rendell in the weekly Democratic radio address.

"In today's parlance, the cost of health care for these vets may be half a billion dollars but their sacrifice for our nation, priceless," he said.

His remarks followed the weekly radio address of President Bush, who defended the Iraqi invasion and operation and marked its second anniversary. Rendell said that Pennsylvania and other states have programs helping veterans and their families.

"While we the governors do all we can for our vets and our returning soldiers, our federal government still has the primary responsibility for meeting the needs of our veterans. And that's why I find the president's budget cuts for critical veteran services to be unconscionable."

He maintained that budget cuts include "a $350 million reduction in veterans home funding, which wipes out at least 5,000 veterans' nursing home beds."

Thanks for the Debt, W

The United States. Owned by China. That's the future we have to look forward to. As Senator Bayh said in his Jefferson/Jackson Dayh Dinner keynote "he who pays the piper calls the tune." Senator Bayh stands for fiscal discipline and with all signs pointing to higher and higher deficits, we're going to have some serious voodoo economics to undo in the future. To do what the Bush administration has done to our countries fiscal health, if it were occuring at a company, would result in a CEO change. Not so here. Bush will be long gone and we will keep suffering from his policies and it's not going to get any better with Republican control of our government. Remeber under Clinton when we used the word surplus. Man, was I dreasming or did that actually happen. It's sad now and not looking to get any better. As my favorite newscaster said: "Courage!". It's about all we have.

Newsview: Debt May Be Part of Bush Legacy

Newsview: President Bush Likely to Leave Painful Legacy of Staggering Government Debt
By TOM RAUM
The Associated Press

Mar. 21, 2005 - President Bush frequently says he wants to solve big problems like Social Security's finances, not pass them on to future generations. It appears unavoidable, however, that Bush will leave a painful legacy of staggering government debt.

What was once expected to be a $5.6 trillion surplus over 10 years is now projected to be at least a $4 trillion deficit by 2015, if Bush's tax cuts are made permanent and his Social Security suggestions adopted.

Analysts suggest one-party dominance of the government is working against serious efforts to address the red ink, providing little incentive for bipartisan compromises on difficult choices to narrow the deficit.

"Everybody recognizes that deficits are unsustainable. And I don't think anybody takes the current deficit-reduction effort serious," said Robert Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition, a bipartisan group that advocates eliminating federal deficits.

Bixby said it might take some major outside force a financial market collapse, foreign investors deciding to flee U.S. government securities to force action.

Bush talks about the need to curb federal spending and has sent Congress what he calls a "lean budget." It proposes many cuts in health, education and other domestic programs. Yet it is short on specifics for how he would meet his goal of cutting the deficit in half by the end of his term. That is a target that few analysts expect to be met.

Combining to keep the deficit growing are rising costs for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan; homeland security expenses; tax cuts pushed through Congress by Bush; and an expensive Medicare prescription drug program. And that does not include the cost of restructuring Social Security

Worker's Rights Under Assault

Here in Indiana, Bush's former budget director, Mitch Daniels, was elected governor last November. Well, I thought, if their man Mitch does for Indiana what he's done for our budgets and economy we're in trouble. But that's not the half of it. Mitch Daniels is one of many GOP governors who are assaulting the rights of state workers. This is the price we pay when we lose and it's always on the backs of government workers who, as I'm sure you all know, don't really pull down the big bucks. Let's pray that somehow these poor workers can get through these dark years and offer them the hope that only comes from the Democratic Party and other fair-minded defenders of worker's rights.

GOP Governors Cut State Workers' Rights

Republican Governors in Three States Eliminate State Employees' Rights to Collective Bargaining
By ROBERT TANNER
The Associated Press

Mar. 21, 2005 - Republican governors in a few spots across the country are angering state employees by removing one of organized labor's strongest tools the right to collective bargaining.

Governors in three states who've taken the step say it's about making government more efficient or being fair to non-union workers. Critics say it's political payback for labor's traditional support of Democrats and part of a wider shift to undermine workers in favor of big business.

Within hours or days of taking office this year, Mitch Daniels in Indiana and Matt Blunt in Missouri eliminated collective bargaining agreements for state employees, affecting about 50,000 workers. Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher did the same when he took office in 2003. In each case, the agreements had only been granted by executive order, not by law.

In Mississippi, where state employees don't have collective bargaining rights, GOP Gov. Haley Barbour supports a legislative effort to eliminate existing civil-service protections. In Oklahoma, the GOP-controlled state House approved a measure to repeal a law granting collective bargaining to municipal employees.

Blunt said the union rules of the business world should not apply to government. "Fundamentally, public employees are different than private sector employees their employer is the people of Missouri," he said on his first day in office. "Taxpayers should not be bound by collective bargaining agreements."

Union leaders see the actions as concerted effort among new, more conservative leaders, and tie it to President Bush, whose administration exempted some employees from collective bargaining at the Homeland Security Department.

Bloggers Under Attack

We have been, and continue to be, a net-roots or grass-roots blog. We have have a donate button on our page but have received absolutely zero dollars in helping to rum this blog. If I did recevie donations, I would let you know but I don't and I don't work for Bayh. All of us here are regular United States Citizens who, last November, started working on a grass roots effort for the candidacy of Senator Evan BAyh for President in 2008. Nothing more, nothing less. If this ever changes we will let you know but I doubt that it will. Some of these proposed rules, though, are absolutley ridiculous. This is free speech. I do, however, think there should be disclosure if one is receiving money to promote a cause or candidate (like kos and others failed to do). But we're fine right now and if anything changes we'll let you know. As supporters of Evan Bayh we have high standards to maintain since we aim to be a class act. No vulgarities or ad hominems or personal attacks. Just all Bayh all the time (mostly).


FEC Considers Restricting Online Political Activities
New Rules May Apply to Web Ads, Bloggers' Endorsements

By Brian Faler
Special to The Washington Post
Monday, March 21, 2005

The Federal Election Commission has begun considering whether to issue new rules on how political campaigns are waged on the Internet, a regulatory process that is expected to take months to complete but that is already generating considerable angst online.

The agency is weighing whether -- and how -- to impose restrictions on a host of online activities, including campaign advertising and politically oriented blogs.

Election officials are reluctantly taking up the issue, after losing a court case last fall. The FEC, which enforces federal election law, had issued scores of regulations delineating how the campaign finance reform legislation adopted in 2002 ought to be implemented. But Reps. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) and Martin T. Meehan (D-Mass.), who sponsored the legislation, complained that many of those rules were too lax, and they successfully sued to have them rescinded. The commission must now rewrite a number of those directions, including ones that left online political activities virtually free from government regulation.

"We are almost certainly going to move from an environment in which the Internet was per se not regulated to where it is going to be regulated in some part," said FEC Commissioner David M. Mason, a Republican. "That shift has huge significance because it means that people who are conducting political activity on the Internet are suddenly going to have to worry about or at least be conscious of certain legal distinctions and lines they didn't used to have to worry about."

Which people, what activities and where those lines should be drawn, though, have yet to be determined. The rise of the Internet as a political tool, the variety of ways in which it can be used to promote a campaign and the fact that most federal election laws were written long before the Internet became a household word have combined to present the agency's commissioners with plenty of knotty legal questions to consider.

Should bloggers who work for political campaigns, for example, be required to disclose that relationship? Should their writings include a disclaimer indicating that they were paid for by a campaign? What if a campaign supporter links his Web site to a candidate's home page? Is that considered a campaign contribution subject to government regulation? What if an independent blogger endorses a candidate? Or posts a campaign's news release? Are those contributions

Bayh in The Ideal Democratic Ticket

Andrew Howell in his blog or livejournal entry has a very eloquent and cogent case for both Mark Warner and Evan Bayh and in putting them on a ticket together to win the election in 2008. Andrew echoes what most of us have felt all along: how will we ever make any inroad into the red states? We have to answer this question again and again and again since it will not go away. Who will appeal here? We know who will now it;s just important that we keep getting the word out.

Today's Issue: The Ideal Democratic Ticket for 2008

Evan Bayh - the former governor and now second-term senator from Indiana, son of Birch Bayh, a popular former senator.....He is extremely popular in a very red state....It should be noted that Bush won Indiana by nearly 20 percentage votes in 2004....However, Bayh, a Democrat, easily won re-election with nearly the same margin over his challenger. He is known for fiscal responsibility, and he could easily turn his strong red state into a swing state.

These men on a ticket together have a great chance of taking Virginia's thirteen electoral votes, along with Indiana's eleven. That's enough to cancel out the effects of a possible Ohio win by the Republican candidate. Also, don't forget the appeal that Bayh may have in neighboring Ohio, as well as the appeal that both Warner and Bayh will have in the South.

Now, let's just polish both of them up a little bit, and I think we're ready to go. Forget about the polarizing Northeastern senators. Sure, I love Hillary, but nominating her would be nothing short of political suicide. And Kerry has proven he can't do it. Sure, I loved him, but America doesn't, so he should kindly step aside and give someone else a turn. Plus, senators can have a tough time, if that's the only career they have had. A twenty year voting record is often hard to defend. A strong governorship shows strong executive abilities that voters love.

The last three Democratic presidents, Johnson, Carter, and Clinton have all been southern.

So, I say put Warner and Bayh on a ticket together, and I think we'll have one very disappointed Republican candidate.

Bayh Quote from Another Blogger

Great Quote

“If the American people don’t trust us with their lives, they’re unlikely to trust us with much else.”

--Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN)

I hope other Dems are listening for their sake. Wouldn't it be nice if we had a choice in 2008 between two different candidates who believe in a strong America and a strong defense?

Posted by Max Jacobs

Bayh: The Anti-Hillary

We keeep hearing it but this is catching on. Bayh as the anti-Hillary. Hmmmm. Don't know really what to think about that but I see the reasoning behind it. I don't see even on a cold day in hell how Hillary can win a souther red state, something Bayh would have a lot more ease doing. But I need to be careful here and focus on the issue at hand: Evan Bayh. Comparisons at this point don't do much good but it is of very important note how this notion has been coming out here and elsewhere in the press. We'll keep an eye on it.

Posted on Sat, Mar. 19, 2005

dooley noted A column by Mike Dooley

The Bayh watch

The national media seems more convinced with every passing day that Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh will run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. The latest reasoning? He’d be a viable alternative – please sit down if you’re not already – to Hillary Clinton.

Conservatives Target Bayh in Indiana on SS

It should come as no surprise that Bayh, being as he is in this very red state, would be targeted by Conservative hack groups to try to sway his thoughts on Social Security. Bayh is open to some changes to Social Security but as far as I have been able to glean (and I could be wrong), he is not for the president's privatization outline. This will be a long term battle. I, for one, saw one of the ads over the weekend and it's hard not to believe Bush when he's surrounded by hand-picked cheering supporters. These guys are good ant PR; however, what effect this has on Bayh, if any, remains to be seen.

Conservative groups behind ad campaign
Bayh urged to support president on Social Security.

By JAMES WENSITS
Tribune Political Writer

A series of advertisements aimed at promoting President Bush's plan for reforming Social Security is set to begin airing Monday on local television and radio outlets throughout Indiana's 2nd congressional district.

The ads are part of a national campaign paid for by two conservative issue advocacy groups, Progress for America, Inc. and Progress for America Voter Fund.

According to spokeswoman Laura Braden Dlugacz, the ads are to run in 24 states, including Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.

The ads set to run in this area urge viewers to call U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh and ask him to help President Bush save Social Security and are scheduled to run for two weeks.

Rep. Chris Chocola, R-Bristol, said Friday that he has not seen the ads but believes they focus on Senate Democrats because of the need to get them to the negotiating table to find a bipartisan solution.

"I'm hoping these ads are factual," he said, an apparent reference to earlier MoveOn.org ads which he felt distorted the situation.

According to Dlugacz, the ads are primarily aimed at encouraging members of the Senate who have not taken a position in support of the president on Social Security to do so.

Although the ads say that the plan by Democrats basically is to oppose the president's plan, Dlugacz said the campaign is not intended to be a negative one and noted that Bayh has been open-minded on the issue.

Putting Security First

WE mentined this earlier but I received this in my email and thought I would share part of it with you. It all has to do with changing the perception (not true) that Democrats are weak on security. It's nice to see Evan BAyh and others doing something to conteract these specious claims.

Security First

"It's part of the conventional wisdom of American politics that Republicans, especially in the era of George W. Bush, place national security at the top of their priority list for the country, while Democrats want to change the subject to the domestic concerns that the GOP doesn't much care about. That perception needs to change. In fact, while endlessly trumpeting its national security credentials, today's GOP is deeply committed to domestic policies that not only ignore big national challenges and focus on rewarding wealth and privilege, but that also profoundly undermine our national security. This is a point that Democrats need to start making every single day, while offering their own robust agenda for making America safer through both international and domestic policies.

"Putting "security first" is a stand that reconnects Democrats with their own proud tradition of liberal internationalism, reassures voters that we can be trusted to keep them safe, and directly challenges Bush's efforts to dress up a deeply flawed agenda in the borrowed clothes of pro-democracy rhetoric. This is the argument laid out in detail in the Progressive Policy Institute-developed "Our National Security Challenge: An Open Letter to Democrats," signed by 17 elected officials (including Sen. Evan Bayh, former Sen. Bob Kerrey, and Reps. Jim Cooper, Artur Davis, Adam Schiff, and Ellen Tauscher) and security experts, which appears in the latest issue of Blueprint magazine."

Bayh in the Hotline

Sen. Edwards was seen as a populist last time around and it looks like Sen. Bayh is beginning to step up the populist fight.

Evan is making his mark in the National Journal Hotline:
#12 BAYH: Every Day A New Piece Of Populist Legislation...
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) introduced 3/15 "legislation to eliminate the Patriot Penalty, a pay cut many National Guard and Reserve members face when they are called to duty and lose their civilian salaries." The Patriot Penalty Elimination Act "would fully compensate 99 percent of Guard and Reserve members who have suffered a pay cut while serving their country and help ensure that no one serving will face a pay cut in the future." It "would provide a tax credit of up to $15,000 a year for companies that are already making up the salary difference for their Guard member-employees and would offer a direct payment of up to $50,000 a year to Reservists whose companies cannot or will not make up the difference." Bayh: "The Patriot Penalty is hurting the heroes of our country and threatening the strength of our military. Our Guard and Reserve families make countless sacrifices when a loved one is deployed -- financial hardship because of their service should not be one of them" (release, 3/15).

Seriously, Check Out These Recent Bayh Hits Since Jan. 2005
-- For Labor, Hotline, 3/14: Bayh is "teaming" with other lawmakers to introduce the Stopping Overseas Subsidies Act. Bayh explained that he has met with "many Hoosier manufacturers during my trips home who tell me about products they've seen from Chinese companies that cost less than the materials used to make them."
-- For Values Democrats, Hotline, 3/9: Bayh "continued his work to promote responsible fatherhood" by urging Senate Finance Cmte leaders to include mandatory funding for the Responsible Fatherhood Act. Bayh sent a letter to Sens. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Max Baucus (D-MT) requesting funding to "target fatherlessness" and emphasize the bipartisan support for the Act.
--For Iowa Democats, Hotline, 3/3: Bayh will participate in a press conference at Union Station today to announce the Indy Racing League (IRL)'s decision to use ethanol in its IndyCars.
--For liberal bloggers/anti-war folks, Hotline, 1/26: Bayh announced his opposition "elevating" NSA Condoleezza Rice to sec/state because Pres. Bush "has to be held accountable for mistakes" in Iraq.

Europeans Resist Wolfowitz

Bush says he wants better relations with Europe and then he puts of Wolfowitz. Now the response from the Europeans are coming in. Don't get me wrong, I don't think we have to have the Europeans' approval anything we decide to do something, but the Bush administration had to know that they'd get this response as noted in this excerpt from The Washinton Post:

Europeans Resist Wolfowitz for World Bank
Lack of Consultation, War Role Criticized

By Paul Blustein and Richard Leiby
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, March 18, 2005

"Battle lines hardened yesterday over President Bush's nomination of Paul D. Wolfowitz to become president of the World Bank, as U.S. officials pressed for swift approval by the bank's board and some European officials vowed to resist.

"The deputy defense secretary's nomination, already hugely controversial because of his role as a key architect of the Iraq war, drew fresh denunciations in European capitals, where critics fumed that Washington had failed to consult other member countries of the bank before springing its choice on them. By tradition, the United States gets to pick the bank's president, but the decision must be approved by the board, which has always operated by consensus."

The Corrupt Republicans

I can't keep but admiring more and more the posts found on Bull Moose. The latest is about how, as Democrats, we need to focus on the corruption going on in our nation's capital with the likes of DeLay and others. As is noted, this harkens back to Newt Gingrich's crusade against the Democrats and his Contract with America. Also noted is Rahm Emmanuel's efforts to attack the Republicans on ethics for the 2006 race. I remember seeing a poll where Congress gets something like a 37% approval rating and Congress sure isn't controlled by Democrats. I think the fruit is ripe for the picking and this is an excellent track to take going into the elections next year. We quote from the Bull Moose:

On Rahm Emmanuel:
"Explicitly borrowing from the anti-corruption planks in Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America," and hoping to replicate the 1994 watershed victory that followed, the new plan suggests that Democratic leaders believe they need to weave themes of abuse of power into any successful campaign to recapture the House."

Emanuel also recognizes that it will be insufficient for the donkey only to take a negative posture. Democrats cannot play the moon to the Republican sun. Democrats must emerge as the party of insurgent reform with innovative policies.

Keep an eye on Emanuel - he may be the Moses who leads the donkey back into the Promised Land.

Bayh Sighted in California Looking for Support

I think this was mentioned in earlier posts but California is the land of plenty when it comes to Democrats and it comes as no surprise that Senator Bayh has been sighted there looking for cash and supporters. Go get 'em Evan!


Potential Presidential Candidates Sighted in California

"Edwards is just the latest of a roster of potential Democratic presidential hopefuls who have recently been to California to round up cash and supporters. Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana and Kerry have all been in the state in recent weeks; New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has been making plans to come; and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano was in San Francisco this week meeting supporters and fund-raising.

"The last race just ended -- and that was the starting gun for 2008,'' said Democratic consultant Chris Lehane of the crowd of hopefuls.

IndyStar Notes Bayh Votes

Not that this should be any surprise to anyone but the Indianapolis Star noted Senator Bayh's NO vote on the budget and YES vote to keep Medicaid from being cut. Nice to know the kind people in this state actually keep on top of what their Senator's are doing most of the time. (But I don't recall much coverage on Bayh's Patriot Penalty and Unfair Trade Practice Laws in the Star, but I could be wring). The Star, if you haven't guessed it, is massively pro-republican and one would not expect this kind of favorable coverage at times.

The Star Notes:

"After pulling back from those spending cuts, the GOP voted to increase the size of the budget's tax cuts from $70 billion over five years to $134 billion. The additional $64 billion is intended to repeal a 1993 tax increase on Social Security benefits claimed by relatively wealthy seniors, but under budget rules, the tax authority could be used for other purposes and would not be subject to a filibuster.

Lugar voted to increase the tax cut's size, and Bayh voted against that."

And then this:

The Senate voted Thursday to strip all Medicaid cuts from its version of next year's budget and nearly double the value of tax cuts over the next five years, effectively gutting GOP deficit reduction efforts.

By a vote of 51-49, senators approved a $2.6 trillion budget, with Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., voting to approve the budget, and Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., voting to reject it.

The Schiavo Case

Maybe I'm too cynical these days but let this poor woman go on to a better place. The other thing that bothers me is that with DeLay involved it weems this is more political manuevering on his and others' parts to pander to their right-to-life extremists than it is born out of any true concern for the families involved. Playing politics with this is a shame. It was settled where it should be settled, in the courts and we should leave well enough alone. This is a spiritual and family matter and using it to score political points is reprehensible. But what else would you expect from the Bug-Man.


Congress, Court Don't Act in Brain Damage Case
Fri Mar 18, 2005 12:41 AM ET

By Joanne Kenen

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A brain-damaged Florida woman at the heart of a prolonged and emotional end-of-life case appeared set to have her feeding tube removed on Friday after state and federal lawmakers failed to agree on how to intervene and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to step in.

The House late on Wednesday and the Senate on Thursday passed legislation aimed at prolonging the life of Terri Schiavo, 41, by allowing federal courts to review the case. Such cases have traditionally been the province of state courts, state legislatures and families.

The two bills were different in scope and the day ended with harsh political recrimination instead of compromise on the fate of Schiavo, who has been fed through a tube since she suffered a heart attack in 1990.

House Republican leaders blamed Senate Democrats.

"As Terri Schiavo lays helpless in Florida, one day away from the unthinkable and unforgivable, the Senate Democrats refused to join Republicans to act on her behalf," House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois and Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas said in a statement.

Talking the Talk but No Walk

We love democracy. We cherish it. We want it to be everywhere possible in the world. This is a noble goal but when it comes to making hard choices and sacrifices to help other countries form them, whoops, we don't have any way of helping them financially and all we can using is our overblown rhetoric. Democracy in Pakistan? Democracy in Saudi Arabia? Ha! OUr foreign policy is dominated by opportunism ever single step of the way no matter what the White House says otherwise. By using the shield word of "democracy" they are talking out of both sides of their mouthsin many ways.

Scarce Funds to Export Freedom
Outside Mideast, U.S. Effort Lags

By Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 18, 2005; Page A01

In the weeks after a popular uprising toppled a corrupt government in Ukraine, President Bush hailed the so-called Orange Revolution as proof that democracy was on the march and promised $60 million to help secure it in Kiev. But Republican congressional allies balked and slashed it this week to $33.7 million.

The shrinking financial commitment to Ukrainian democracy highlights a broader gap between rhetoric and resources among budget writers in the Bush administration and on Capitol Hill as the president vows to devote his second term to "ending tyranny in our world," according to budget documents, congressional critics and democracy advocates.

Who Used Fillibuster's on Judges First---Republicans of Course

Who set the precedent of using fillibusters to block judicial nominations firts or set the precedence? Republicans back in 1968 used it to block one of Lyndon Johnson's nominees. This maneuver is a long standing traditition that protects the rights of the minorities and should not be messed around with by the current Senate leadership. We cannot have radicals on our Judiciary especially when appointments are lifetime. This can have a profound effect on the reproductive rights of my daughters and others and that's just the tip[ of the iceberg. At least now we can point and say who started this precedence before it goes nuclear.

Filibuster Precedent? Democrats Point to '68 and Fortas
But GOP Senators Cite Differences in Current Effort to Bar Votes on Judges

By Charles Babington
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 18, 2005; Page A03

The Senate was launched on a full-blown filibuster, with one South Carolina senator consuming time by reading "long passages of James F. Byrnes's memoirs in a thick Southern accent," according to a newspaper account.

That four-day talkathon in September 1968 has largely been forgotten. But some Senate Democrats want to bring it back to mind to counter a key Republican attack against their stalling tactics that have blocked confirmation votes for several of President Bush's most conservative judicial nominees. The GOP claim, asserted in speeches, articles and interviews, is that filibusters against judicial nominees are unprecedented.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) told his panel this month that the judicial battles have escalated, "with the filibuster being employed for the first time in the history of the Republic." Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) said in a Senate speech last week, "The crisis created by the unprecedented use of filibusters to defeat judicial nominations must be solved."

FamilyScholars.org Notice Bayh's Lead on Fatherhood

You know, when you use a newsreader some of the most interesting links come up. This comes fro the Family Scholars Blog whcih takes note of Evan Bayh's work on fatherhood in the Senate and the passage of the Fatherhood Inititative out of the Finance Committee.

Fatherhood Initiative
Elizabeth Marquardt notes:

A Senate committee approved a provision to teach absent fathers how to reconnect with their children Wednesday, earning praise from Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., who has championed the federal government’s involvement in fatherhood since he entered Congress eight years ago.

The Finance Committee included the fatherhood programs in its rewrite of the nation’s welfare laws. Both the full Senate and the House would have to approve the bill with its fatherhood components for them to become law.

Bayh is a Busy Guy, Helps Sponsor Ethanol Legislation

If our Declaration of Energy Independence is to ever some to fruition, ethanol will be one of the most important products this country can rpoduce endogenously. We have to start somewhere and ethanol is a good place to do it. Notice the fantastic bipartisanship effort on this work.

Bayh Sponsors Legislation to Increase Ethanol Use

Senator says Fuel Security Act will reduce dependence on foreign oil, strengthen national security


Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Evan Bayh today joined Senator Lugar and a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues to introduce legislation that will increase ethanol use and help reduce American dependence on foreign oil. The Fuel Security Act, co-authored by Senators Lugar and Harkin (D-IA), calls for an overall increase in ethanol use to eight billion gallons - three billion more than last year's bill.

"Ethanol is good for the environment, good for the economy, and good for our national security," Bayh said. "It's not right that we're as dependent as we are on places like Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Russia. The Fuel Security Act offers an aggressive plan for making America more energy independent."

The Lugar-Harkin bill requires that eight billion gallons of ethanol be used by 2012 and includes steps to ensure that the amount of ethanol used continues to grow each year after that. Renewable fuels like ethanol help free the U.S. from the whims of foreign countries controlling the oil reserves, allowing our country to pursue a more aggressive national security plan without endangering our energy supply.

"This legislation taps the energy potential in American corn fields while reducing our dependence on oil from foreign countries," Senator Bayh said. "I am happy to work with Senator Lugar to move our country closer to achieving greater energy independence."

Ethanol is a plant-based fuel additive that can be used with or in place of regular gasoline to reduce carbon monoxide emissions, which pose health threats and environmental concerns. The proposed legislation will not only reduce dependence on foreign oil, but will also increase demand for corn and soy products and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs nationwide.

Bayh has voted to support the renewable fuels standard several times in the Senate and has written many letters to the Energy Conference Committee in support of a renewable fuels standard.

Senator Bayh Cosponsors anti-Meth Legislation

Meth is a scourge and a killer and the more we can do reduce it's harmful effects on addicts, their families, and our society at large is to take some positive steps to reduce its supply and increase penalties so manufacturers think twice before they go out, get their stuff, and start cooking up some more death. Not a day goes by in Indiana where Meth is making its horrible presence known and Indiana isn't even one of the worst states for meth. Here's a press release from the Senator"

Bayh Cosponsors Amendment to Restore Funds for Fighting Meth

Senator says nation's police officers deserve full support to battle epidemic

Washington, DC - Citing off-the-chart increases in the number of meth labs discovered in Indiana and across the country, U.S. Senator Evan Bayh today sponsored an amendment to the budget resolution offered by Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) that will provide full funding for the COPS Methamphetamine Enforcement and Clean Up program over the next five years. Under the current budget proposal, funding to fight meth would be cut by more than $160 million, a move that could potentially cripple local efforts to address the rapid increase in meth labs throughout the country. "The epidemic of meth use destroys families, places undue burdens on taxpayers, and exhausts local law enforcement," Senator Bayh said. "It doesn't make sense to take away funding to fight meth while communities are left to face such a fast-growing problem alone. Our law enforcement officers are working hard to wipe out meth labs and they deserve our full support." State and local police departments are already struggling to meet the expenses connected with increased responsibilities for homeland security and are quickly becoming overwhelmed by the costs of finding, destroying and cleaning meth labs. In Indiana, the meth industry costs the state at least $100 million a year. Costs will likely rise in the future, as the number of meth labs continues to grow, up 750 percent in Indiana alone over the last five years. "I've seen the devastation meth can cause in a community and the deep roots it lays down in our hometowns," Senator Bayh said. "We need to offer nothing less than our full resources to win this war." Earlier this year, Bayh cosponsored the Combat Meth Act, which cuts off access to one of the key ingredients in meth by requiring medicines containing pseudoephedrine to be kept behind pharmacy counters. In Oklahoma, similar legislation has cut the number of discovered meth labs in half. The legislation also provides $5 million to help children whose parents are addicted to meth, encourages federal and local prosecutors to use tougher guidelines against meth cooks and traffickers and provides an additional $15 million under the COPS program for state and local law enforcement efforts. Methamphetamine is currently one of the fastest-growing drug threats in the nation, and the problem is particularly acute in the Midwest. Meth production and use has dramatically increased in Indiana in a few short years. In 1999, there were 1,106 meth cases submitted to the Indiana State Police crime lab. This year, the number of cases is expected to top 3,000. In the past two years, Bayh has secured roughly $3.45 million for the Indiana State Police to combat the meth problem.

Good News from the Senate on Medicaid

Finally, some good news. I'ts been rather bleak with the new out of the Senate lately (where the real action is anyway). It appears as though the Senate voted to kill all Medicaid cuts from the budget. This is welcome news to those truely unfortunate who need the services of Medicaid. Note the interesting squabbling among some Republicans. This still has to go through House-Senate committee and the House is pushing for a $20 billion dollar reduction. This, to me, is just unbelievable that so many of these men (mostly) have no heart. I wonder if many of them have seen or even care about the people Medicaid helps. I have and it is saddening. Truely saddening


Senate Kills All Medicaid Cuts From Budget

"This one cries for the most care" in making a decision, said Smith, whose amendment was co-sponsored by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (news, bio, voting record), D-N.M. "Because it involves the halt, the lame, the poor, the blind, the needy, those who have no recourse."

Gregg called claims that Medicaid cuts would hurt people "absurd, misleading" and "just scare tactics."

With elections next year, Gregg predicted the vote meant there would be no serious effort to squeeze savings from benefit programs for many years. And he launched what seemed almost like a personal criticism at Smith for an amendment he said would "gut the only thing in this budget" that would force fiscal discipline.

"And it's being done by Republicans," Gregg said. "You just have to ask yourself, how they get up in the morning and look in the mirror?"

Joining Smith were all 44 Democrats, independent James Jefforts of Vermont and GOP Sens. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, Mike DeWine of Ohio, and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

Following Bush's lead, the Senate Republicans made the proposed Medicaid reductions the keystone of their plan to save $32 billion from benefit programs over the next five years. Overall, such programs are the biggest and fastest growing part of the budget, and Republicans have targeted them in an effort to slowly reduce record federal deficits.

The showdown occurred as the House and Senate moved toward completing similar $2.6 trillion budgets for 2006.

One Step Closer to Fission in the Senate

Looks like we are one step closer to Bush's packing the benches with radicals by using the nuclear option Frist claims to be threatening. One of Bush's re-nominees made it through committee on a party line vote. No exact timetable when the Republicans are going to shoot themselves through the foot here but we better get our PR machine ready for this one. There's a lot at stake here and Democrats need to stick together and on message with this. As Rodney King once said: "Can't we all just get along?"

Renominated Judicial Nominee Clears Senate Panel
Thu Mar 17, 2005 1:01 PM ET

By Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - William Myers on Thursday became the first of seven judicial nominees blocked by Democrats and renominated by President Bush to win the approval of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

On a party-line vote of 10-8, the panel sent the nomination of Myers back to the full Republican-led Senate for another chance to be confirmed to a seat on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Democrats say Myers has a long anti-environmental record, a position that Republicans dispute.

"The real battle will be on the floor," Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, said of the mounting showdown over renominated judicial candidates.

Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Myers could be "the trigger" for a Senate battle as early as next month.

"I'm saddened that the president felt it necessary to put a thumb in the eye of bipartisanship by renominating a handful of hard-right ideologues," Schumer said.

One Step Closer to Fission in the Senate

Looks like we are one step closer to Bush's packing the benches with radicals by using the nuclear option Frist claims to be threatening. One of Bush's re-nominees made it through committee on a party line vote. No exact timetable when the Republicans are going to shoot themselves through the foot here but we better get our PR machine ready for this one. There's a lot at stake here and Democrats need to stick together and on message with this. As Rodney King once said: "Can't we all just get along?"

Renominated Judicial Nominee Clears Senate Panel
Thu Mar 17, 2005 1:01 PM ET

By Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - William Myers on Thursday became the first of seven judicial nominees blocked by Democrats and renominated by President Bush to win the approval of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

On a party-line vote of 10-8, the panel sent the nomination of Myers back to the full Republican-led Senate for another chance to be confirmed to a seat on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Democrats say Myers has a long anti-environmental record, a position that Republicans dispute.

"The real battle will be on the floor," Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, said of the mounting showdown over renominated judicial candidates.

Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Myers could be "the trigger" for a Senate battle as early as next month.

"I'm saddened that the president felt it necessary to put a thumb in the eye of bipartisanship by renominating a handful of hard-right ideologues," Schumer said.

FDA Chief Tougher----HA!

This is such B.S. I've worked in the pharmaceutical industry for over fifteen years and most of these FDA heads are just lackeys for the drug industry or the people they are supposed to regulate. Not only that, regulation is completely capricious and in no way comprehensive. I'm not about to say the drug companies make an inferior product; however, who and what is inspected can be seen as some good scientists with good intentions, but it is subjective as to how tough one or the other inspector or inspection team may be.

Not only that, but witness the Vioxx (cox-2 inhibitors) scandal. Where was the FDA when this was going on. They review what the drug companies want them to review and leave it at that since clinical testing is so expensive and heaven help us if we were to really look inot all the effects of these drugs. I expect no change in the FDA and am waiting for the next drug scandal right around the corner. Too damn much money at stake for these guys to want to play fair.

FDA Nominee Vows Transformed Drug Safety System
Thu Mar 17, 2005 10:28 AM ET

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush's nominee to run the Food and Drug Administration vowed on Thursday to lead a "transformation" of the agency now under fire for a series of drug safety problems.

Lester Crawford, currently the FDA's acting commissioner, told Congress the agency was "transforming our culture to one of transparency, collaboration and cutting-edge thinking."

"I am committed to addressing existing concerns regarding post-market safety of FDA-regulated products, both in medical products and food," Crawford told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

He also said he would focus on minimizing the threat of a terrorist attack on the nation's food supply.

PAYGO Defeated---Little Slow on the Uptake Today

Doesn't look good since PAYGO was a 50-50 vote and Darth Cheney has the tie-breaker. Sorry for the confusion since this all went down yesterday but I've been swamped lately and not able to keep up as I would ususally like to.

Tax Cut Plan Withstands a Challenge in the Senate
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG

Published: March 17, 2005

WASHINGTON, March 16 - President Bush's tax cuts survived an important challenge in the Senate on Wednesday, when lawmakers voted by the narrowest of margins to defeat budget language that would have made it more difficult to extend the cuts for another five years.

In a 50-50 vote, the Republican-controlled Senate rejected so-called pay-as-you-go rules, which would have required that any tax cuts or new spending programs be offset with savings in other areas. Last year, the Senate approved the rules, prompting a dispute with the House that ultimately prevented Congress from passing a budget.

PAYGO!!

It appears as though there is a key piece of legislation in the Senate which forces congress to find spending cuts to offset the effects of Bush's tax cut bonanza for the wealthy. Many GOPers don't like this and it was one of the reasons we had no budget last year. This is important, as NewDonkey.com states, since this "means GOPers would not be able to ram through their specific budget plans (not only tax cuts, but some nasty spending measures, especially on Medicaid) without the usual 60-vote requirement to avoid a Senate filibuster...This is a key step in unravelling the whole Bush legislative agenda for the year, and in stopping the insane tax and fiscal priorities that will eventually disable our government from doing much of anything to meet big national challenges. The vote tomorrow merits some real attention and energy."

The original piece somes from Mark Schmitt on the link above:

PAYGO!!

"If the PAYGO rules, which were rejected on a party-line vote in the Budget Committee, pass, those tax cuts will either have to be paid for, or they will be subject to a "point of order" in the Senate which will require 60 votes.

More likely, if the PAYGO amendment passes in the Senate, it will not pass in the House, and the two houses will not be able to agree on a budget resolution, which is not the end of the world. It happened last year. Without a budget resolution, though, there can't be a budget reconciliation bill. The effect is the same as having a budget resolution with PAYGO in it: Any further tax cuts will have to be subject to full debate in the Senate, and can't be rammed through with 50 votes.

Few things are more arcane than congressional PAYGO rules. And yet, little is more important, especially right now."

Wolfowitz and Bolton

You know what matters a lot in world affairs is perception. Right now the perception of our current foreign policy approach is taking a big hit with the nominations of Bolton and Wofowitz. These guys may be good buddies of the Bushies but if we are to help to work on changing the world view of this country (which is probably at an all time low) perception matters. These idealougues are not the answer and though I admire Bush for his loyalty to these yahoos, these appointments don't make any sense in any possible world of pragmatism this administration would ever care to visit. NOte Pelosi's comments (highlighted).


Bush Taps Wolfowitz For World Bank

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi expressed skepticism over Mr. Bush's selection. She said the choice of Wolfowitz to head the World Bank was "hard to understand" and that "I don't see a match of commitment to the vision of the World Bank."

Bernice Romero, advocacy director of Oxfam International, said that it is vital for the next World Bank chief to remain focused on reducing poverty. "It is crucial that the momentum on increasing spending on health and education that was gained during Wolfensohn's tenure is not lost," she said.

The Bush administration, meanwhile, says Wolfowitz is suited for the World Bank post and pointed to his management experiences at the Pentagon and his diplomatic experience at the State Department. He had served as assistant secretary of State for East Asia during the Philippine transition to democracy. He also served as U.S. ambassador to Indonesia.

Yglesis et Moi: Evan Bayh Apologists?

Yes Bayh voted yes on the bankruptcy bill and I'm more than sure he has legitimate reasons for doing so, but he did vote no on cloture which leads to this faint praise from Yglesias.

The Reverse Lieberman Maneover

Evan Bayh, for whom I suppose I'm now committed to being an apologist, is coming in for some criticism for his "yes" vote on the bankruptcy bill, following on the heels of his praiseworthy "no" vote on the cloture motions. While I'll certainly agree that this isn't ideal behavior, voting with the public interest when it counts and with the corporate paymasters on the unimportant vote is a big improvement over doing the opposite. Some might call it cunning.
-------------------------------------

Many in the Evan Bayh Yahoo group were disappointed int he Senator's vote but we have to remember the big picture:

1.) Who voted no on Condi Rice?
2.) Who voted no on Gonzalez?
3.) Who spearheads fathrerhood initiatives in the Senate?
4.) Who wants to end the "Patriot Penalty" and introduced legislation to do so?
5.) Who is committed to the environment in Alaska and the Great Lakes?
6.) Who is fighting for fair trade practices against countries who subsidize?
7.) etc., etc., etc.

Votes like this are going to happen and this won't be the last. But no one candidate is going to have 100% agreement with others. I even doubt that I would agree with myself 100% of the time. So let it go and let's get back to work

Bayh on ANWR--from KY Democrat

Ny good friend Daniel has this up on his blog and I hope he forgives me for stealing it but the quote is germain and thoughtful.

More on ANWR
What does Evan Bayh think on the matter?

Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., predicted that it would take 20 years before ANWR would achieve maximum production, "and even then, it would have only a negligible impact on our dependence on foreign oil. We should use that time more wisely by investing in advanced vehicle technologies and supporting fuel alternatives such as ethanol and biodiesel."

ANWR Passes--Only Hope is Budget Deadlock

We had no doubty how Bayh would vote but we are disappointed in some defectors. The only hope now is a badget deadlock and Feingold is working on that but it doesn't look good since the Republicans only need 51 votes (because they keep changing the rules to suit them). Let's hope that something can be done in the future but it looks pretty bleak right now.

Threat to other areas?

“It is our duty as elected officials to fight to commit the federal government to recognize some of America’s pristine lands as ‘off limits’ to development,” said Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., after the vote. “There are lands in our nation with pristine value we should protect: the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of them.”

Opening ANWR to drilling would, he said, “set an ominous precedent. Coloradans and Americans alike should know that once this door is unlocked it will be that much easier to unhinge the protections of every refuge from the Alamosa Natural Wildlife Refuge in my home San Luis Valley to the Florida Everglades Wildlife Refuge.”

Senate Freeze from Reid to Nuclear Option

This is just a snippet from a Roll Call article on the coming nuclear option that the Republicans are threatening to drop. Frist says he has the 50 votes needed to drop the bomb. For those of you unfamiliar with this, the Repuclicans in the Senate are threatening to change the Senate rules so Bush can get his radical judicial picks through the Senate without the potential of a fillibusteer (60 votes needed). The fillibuster is there for a reason (i.e. protect the rights of the minorities). Things are going to get real hot in the Senate if this happens and Senate leader Reid responds that all (non-national security) business will halt if the Republicans split them atoms. Yikes!

Reid Threatens Senate Freeze

March 16, 2005
By Paul Kane, Roll Call Staff

'Nuclear' Showdown Looming

Senate Minority Whip Harry Reid (D-Nev.) publicly threatened Tuesday to bring the chamber to a standstill on all non-national security issues if Republicans alter filibuster rules, accusing President Bush and Congressional Republicans of being "drunk with power."Convinced the GOP is set on invoking the so-called "nuclear option" on judicial nominations, Reid and three dozen of his Democratic colleagues took to the Senate steps to spell out their objections to the maneuver and accused the White House and Republicans of a power grab akin to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's attempt to pack the Supreme Court in the 1930s."It is clear that this attempt to strip away these important checks and balances is not about judges. It is about the desire for absolute power,"

Bush Refuses to Put Up

This is cowardly to me. This man is pushing for an overhaul of one of the most fundamental programs that United States' Citizens count on and he refuses to put forth his own plan other than to keep on saying privatization is such a great idea. This is ridiculous and ducks the issue entirely. Now he wants some kind of bipartisan solution? Huh? Did I hear that right? The people who have more to divide this country along religious, cultural, and political lines suddenly wants some help. Phhhhhhhhttt is what I say (but this is just me, remember).

Bush Says He Won't Unveil Plan Yet on Social Security
Wed Mar 16, 2005 10:55 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush said on Wednesday he would not unveil a legislative proposal anytime soon on his plan to create private accounts for Social Security because Congress would probably reject it.

Still, he said in an interview with regional newspapers that he thought he could get a deal by working with Congress to develop a consensus on restructuring the retirement program.

"Sure enough, the bill I send up will be - phhtt!" Bush said. The Omaha World-Herald said he made a sound like air escaping from a balloon and added, "The first bill to go down."

Even though Republicans control both chambers of Congress, Bush said he didn't think it would be possible to pass legislation on Social Security using a strategy of moving ahead on Republican votes alone. Democrats have adamantly opposed that change to the Depression-era retirement program.

Senate Splits in Bad Sign for Bush

Error! Error! Error! The ship is sinking and this vote in the Senate doesn't bode well for President Bush's radical plans. It's nice to see the Democrats sticking together on this issue. Let's keep it together!


Senate Splits in Test Vote on Social Security
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG

Published: March 16, 2005

WASHINGTON, March 15 - President Bush's plan to overhaul Social Security fared poorly on Tuesday in a test vote on Capitol Hill, with the Senate splitting 50 to 50 on a nonbinding measure declaring that Congress should reject any Social Security plan that would require "deep benefit cuts or a massive increase in debt."

Five Republicans joined the Senate's 44 Democrats and one independent in voting for the resolution, a symbolic effort to demonstrate opposition to Mr. Bush's plan to allow workers to invest part of their taxes in private retirement accounts. Although the measure failed with one vote short of a majority, Senator Charles E. Schumer, the New York Democrat who has been a leading opponent of the plan, later said it was a "significant vote."

A Blogger (David Sirota) Praises Bayh's Move on Trade

It's nice to see others who recognize the wisdom of the trade legislation proposed by Bayh and others. Here's a snippet from David Sirota's Blog:

A Solid Step on Trade

"This is real progress - members of both political parties, and even some free-trade Democrats, are finally starting to realize that the trade playing field needs to be made fair for American workers. Sure, this isn't a panacea for all the problems that come with free trade, and the free-trade vs. fair trade debate will continue, but this is a very good step."

Bayh Joins Lugar on Do Not Call List

We mentioned this yesterday and I extolled how wonderful this legislation has been for Hoosiers. Here's what they have to say from the Senator's office.

Bayh Joins Lugar in Defending Indiana's Do-Not-Call Law
Senator says Hoosier customers shouldn't lose protection because of weaker federal law

Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Evan Bayh today joined Senator Richard Lugar to urge the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to protect Indiana's successful "Do-Not-Call" law from attempts to weaken it by pre-empting its protections with a weaker federal law.

"Hoosiers have demonstrated overwhelming support for our state's "Do-Not-Call" law and have a right to the protection it offers," Senator Bayh said. "Federal law should not be used to water-down our consumer rights for the benefit of telemarketers."

Under Indiana law, telemarketers that do not have established relationships with consumers are forbidden from calling Hoosier households. However, members of the Consumer Bankers Association (CBA) are asking the FCC to follow a weaker federal law, which would allow such calls, instead. If the FCC agrees, Hoosiers would be inundated with thousands of unwanted calls from telemarketers.

In a letter to the FCC, Bayh and Lugar point out that Indiana's "Do-Not-Call" registry is the most widely used consumer protection law in Indiana's history. More than three million Hoosiers have joined Indiana's "Do-Not-Call" list since it was started to protect Hoosiers from telemarketers' constant calls. Indiana's "Do-Not-Call" law is considered one of the strongest in the nation and was in place before the federal "Do-Not-Call" law was passed.

"Each day, I hear from more and more Hoosiers concerned with this attempt to weaken our "Do-Not-Call" law," Senator Bayh said. "Senator Lugar and I will continue to urge the FCC to protect Hoosiers from unwanted calls."

Bayh and Lugar reminded the FCC that federal law should only supersede state law in interstate commerce matters when it is clear that doing so is the intent of Congress. They also make the case that Americans from several other states with strong Do-Not-Call laws would lose their added protection should the FCC rule in favor of the telemarketers and Consumer Bankers Association.

Evan Bayh on Lou Dobbs

Evan Bayh appeared on Lou Dobbs last night and we have the link to the story. The clip covers Bayh's recent introduction of Fair Trad legislation and how we need to level the playing field for those who illegally subsidize their goods.

Follow this link.

Bayh introduces legislation to eliminate Patriot Penalty

Press Release dealing with legislation:
U.S. Senator Evan Bayh today introduced legislation to eliminate the Patriot Penalty, a pay cut many National Guard and Reserve members face when they are called to duty and lose their civilian salaries. A Pentagon study cites more than 40 percent of all Reservists reported a drop in income once they go on active duty.

From the Senate site:
U.S. Senator Evan Bayh today introduced legislation to eliminate the Patriot Penalty, a pay cut many National Guard and Reserve members face when they are called to duty and lose their civilian salaries. Since first outlining the details of his proposal, Bayh has spent the last month working with the Reserve Officers Association and others to ensure that his plan will effectively target the pay cut hurting Reservists and dragging down recruitment numbers in the National Guard.
"It's not right to force the men and women in the Guard and Reserves to choose between love of country and love for their family," Senator Bayh said. "The Patriot Penalty is hurting the heroes of our country and threatening the strength of our military. Our Guard and Reserve families make countless sacrifices when a loved one is deployed - financial hardship because of their service should not be one of them."

Bayh's Patriot Penalty Elimination Act would fully compensate 99 percent of Guard and Reserve members who have suffered a pay cut while serving their country and help ensure that no one serving will face a pay cut in the future. The legislation would provide a tax credit of up to $15,000 a year for companies that are already making up the salary difference for their Guard member-employees and would offer a direct payment of up to $50,000 a year to Reservists whose companies cannot or will not make up the difference.

According to a Pentagon study, more than 40 percent of all Reservists reported a loss in income when they were called up for active duty, though the impact is likely much higher today, given the longer and more frequent deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Reservists whose families face financial hardship during their deployment may be less likely to re-enlist as a result of the Patriot Penalty.

Reservists make up nearly half of the forces on the ground in Iraq, making their future strength essential to maintaining U.S. military power. However, Lt. Gen. Roger C. Schultz, the chief of the Army National Guard, reported at a House Armed Services Committee hearing in February that the Guard had met only 56 percent of its quota in January. Ending the Patriot Penalty would make service in the National Guard and Reserves a more attractive choice by removing concerns over pay for those now contemplating service to their country, helping stem the recent recruitment losses.

"With the Guard and Reserve playing a large role in our National Security strategy, we need to take steps to increase our recruitment and retention," Bayh said. "Ending the Patriot Penalty will make serving in the Guard and Reserves an attractive choice for new recruits as well as the experienced troops we need to retain as leaders for the future."

To bolster his efforts to end the Patriot Penalty, Bayh has requested a study from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that will examine the financial impact the Patriot Penalty is having on our Reservists. Given the urgency of the situation for many guard families, along with the lack of detailed information outlining the extent of the problem, Bayh asked the GAO to complete the study in six months. The findings should serve as a powerful argument in favor of ending the Patriot Penalty. Bayh has also introduced a resolution recognizing Hoosier companies who are already helping end the Patriot Penalty for their employees serving in the Guard and Reserve.

Evan Bayh on Lou Dobbs

Senator Bayh will be on Lou Dobbs Tonight around 6:50 EST. The show is on CNN.

Trouble in Paradise?

There should be odds in London on whether a budget gets passed this year or not. I wonder what they might be. For all the Republicans who like to point at the Democratic party and snicker at our own problems, they have quite a few of their own not including the DeLay problem. Will Bush be the earlies lame duck ever? Can't he get these ducks in a row? I sense a lot of these congress members may be concerned about economic issues for the 2006 elections.

G.O.P. Rebellion Threatens to Derail Efforts to Adopt Budget
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

Published: March 15, 2005

WASHINGTON, March 14 - As Congress debates President Bush's $2.57 trillion budget for 2006, House and Senate Republican leaders are facing a potential revolt among their own members, with pressure coming from both the center and the right.

In the Senate, where debate over the budget began on Monday, moderates are pressing to reinstate language opposed by the leadership and the White House that would make it more difficult for Congress to extend President Bush's tax cuts; they want to require that the cuts, as well as any spending on new programs, be offset with savings in other areas. Last year, the fight over these "pay as you go" rules prevented Congress from adopting a budget, a fate the Republican leadership hopes to avoid this year.

In the House, meanwhile, an alliance of Republican conservatives and moderates is also pressing for new rules, in this case to make it harder for lawmakers to approve spending that exceeds the limits set by the budget. The House Republican leader, Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, is fighting the changes, but on Monday evening, Representative Roy Blunt of Missouri, the Republican whip, was trying to negotiate a compromise before lawmakers took up the budget on Wednesday.

The Republican disputes could have far-reaching political effects if they derail adoption of a budget. Republicans have said for decades that they could tamp down the growth in spending, if only they could get Democrats out of the way. As spending and the federal deficit continued to rise, that promise became a theme of last year's election campaign

Yeah, yeah, We Heard it all Before

The Bug-Man comes up with some more vehement defense that he is an unfair target, being singled out by the liberal media, and that the reporting was wrong and that he's an angel. Heard all this bull before. This guy is quickly becoming an albatross around the necks of the Republicans and has already set records last year for reprimands of one form or another. Bott DeLay Now!

DeLay defends travels, denies wrongdoing

WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Majority Leader Tom DeLay strongly denied wrongdoing Tuesday in connection with two overseas trips financed by outside organizations, and said he is eager to discuss the facts with leaders of the House ethics committee.

"I feel confident I've done nothing wrong," the Texas Republican said as fellow lawmakers and aides sought to assess the impact of fresh controversy on the party in general.

The Texas Republican laid the blame for the recent controversy at the feet of congressional Democrats and what he charged was inaccurate newspaper reporting.

He said there was nothing wrong with either of the two trips. One involved going to South Korea in 2001 -- a trip bankrolled by the Korea-U.S. Exchange Council.

The other trip was to Britain in 2000. The Washington Post reported Saturday that the cost of that voyage was picked up mostly by an Indian tribe and a gambling services company.

In unusually direct terms, DeLay criticized the Post story, accusing the paper of a "zeal to leave readers with a false impression that I did something that I did not do."

The Post did not immediately have a comment.

DeLay's comments were the latest development in an increasingly complicated political and legal drama.

Bayh Supports Do-Not Call List

I have signedup for the do not call lists both statewdie and nationally and it is so nice to know that when the telephone rungs during dinnertime that it's probably soemeone we want ot talk to or get back to later and not some solicitator. It's good that both Indiana senators support this program and are against efforts wo weaken it.

Bayh Against Proposed Pre-Emption Of No-Call Law
Group Wants Less-Restrictive Federal Rules To Apply In Indiana

POSTED: 9:23 am EST March 15, 2005
UPDATED: 11:01 am EST March 15, 2005

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Indiana's two U.S. senators have asked the Federal Communications Commission to reject what they say are efforts to weaken the state's no-call list law.

Sens. Richard Lugar and Evan Bayh sent a letter Monday to FCC Chairman Michael Powell in which they expressed their opposition to a petition filed by the Consumer Bankers Association.

The CBA asked the FCC to pre-empt Indiana's laws, the senators said, "to the extent that they prohibit telemarketing calls to persons and entities with which the caller has an established business relationship."

The bankers group has said federal law also will protect consumers and that it is easier for banks to deal with a single national law than several state laws. A federal version of the no-call list, created by the Federal Trade Commission and the FCC, began in 2003, but Indiana's law remains in effect.

If the banking group's petition was granted, Indiana's law would be replaced by the less-restrictive federal law, said state Attorney General Steve Carter, whose office has paid for television and newspaper advertisements saying the state law was under attack.

The letter from Lugar and Bayh said Indiana would not be alone should the petition be granted as the pre-emption of state law would have a similar impact elsewhere.

"Hoosiers have demonstrated overwhelming support for our state's 'do-not-call' law and have a right to the protection it offers," Bayh said. "Federal law should not be used to water down our consumer rights for the benefit of telemarketers."

White House All For Proaganda

Not that this should come as any surprise to anyone since the Bush administration is all about proaganda and twisting the truth or near lies (e.g. WMD). Now the White Hous comes clean and says proaganda is just fine with it. My question is how will we ever know which is which from this administration?

White House defends video news releases

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House on Monday defended the administration's use of video news releases that are sent to television stations across the country and frequently used without any acknowledgment of the government's role in their production.

In an opinion last week, the Justice Department concluded that the practice was appropriate as long as the videos presented factual information about government programs. The memo was sent to heads of federal departments and agencies.

"The prohibition does not apply where there is no advocacy of a particular viewpoint, and therefore it does not apply to the legitimate provision of information concerning the programs administered by an agency," according to the Justice Department memo.

The advice conflicts with the opinion of the Government Accountability Office, which is the investigative arm of Congress. The GAO says that video news releases amount to illegal "covert propaganda" when they fail to make plain that the government is behind the releases.

Initial Social Security Volleys in the Senate

Sooner, rather than later, the sparring over social security has begun. Witness the skirmish beginning in the Senate Budget Bill. This is going ot be long, tough, fight and I hope we don't budge an inch.

Senators Spar Over Social Security
WASHINGTON, March 15, 2005

Senate Republicans and Democrats are trying to use President Bush's plan to revamp Social Security as a political cannonball against each other in their skirmish over a $2.56 trillion budget.

As senators entered the second day of their weeklong debate over the GOP-written fiscal outline, fights over Medicaid, tax cuts, the environment and other hot-button issues were also on the horizon.

"I don't expect this year will be any easier than the recent past" for passing a budget, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said Tuesday in a brief interview.

Congress failed to enact a budget in 1998, 2002 and again in 2004. Last year was particularly embarrassing for Republicans, who controlled both chambers but couldn't resolve a dispute over cutting taxes.

While Mr. Bush's Social Security proposal to create personal investment accounts still lacks many specifics, it has become a top domestic issue and one of the most politically potent as well.

Knowing that, both parties were planning to offer budget amendments designed to cause problems for their rivals.

Democrats were ready with proposals making it harder for Congress to cut taxes or increase spending unless Social Security's long-term solvency has been assured. Republicans wanted the Senate to go on record acknowledging the importance of fixing the program's ills, caused by the coming crunch of baby boomer retirements.

A tentative version of a nonbinding amendment by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said in part, "Congress should reject any Social Security plan that requires deep benefit cuts or a massive increase in debt."

On the Issues: Evan Bayh

This link is included for people who want a more detailed look at Senator Bayh's voting record on a variety of issues along with ratings. What I like is that in the final analysis Bayh comes out as a "Moderate LIberal Populist" which is what I have contended and why I think he can win the final prize with his stance and beliefs.

Follow this link to the website.

Julie Investigates Bayh and Bayh Comes Out on Top

Yglesias article about Bayh has generated some interest on the we. One blogger, Julie Saltman, tried to see on Lexis/Nexis if there was any dirt on Bayh and found little but she conscludes her entry with these remarks:

Bayh
"Having perused a bunch of articles on the Senator from the Indiana press, he seems to be extremely popular there, even among Republican voters. It always helps to be part of a beloved political dynasty, and I think many Indianans take pride in following the rising career of the handsome, homey guy who got his start as their governor when he was only thirty-three. Hoosiers have developed a real loyalty to Senator Bayh. Whether it will catch on in the South and the West remains to be seen. (On a side note, this is what will happen with Young Blunt if Missouri Dems don't act as a compelling opposition party over the next four years.)"

Don't get us wrong. Julie prefers a more liberal candidate but if Bayh can pass the sniff test from someof our more progressive members there is hope that we can, with a lot of hard work, make some inroads there.

NPR had Bayh on this Morning

If your a regular reader, you know that Bayh is fighting to end the "Patriot Penalty: where reserves and guardsman lose their salaries, their livelihoods, an even their homes because they are caled up and the military pay is a pitttance compared to what they were making on the outside. It's the children of these families who I really feel sorry for. Follow this link to the story and the audio clip of the story.

Here's some of the text that goes with the story.

Guard, Reserve Service Takes High Financial Toll
Kenneth Eicholz
Marisa Penaloza, NPR

National Guard member Kenneth Eicholz, 42, of Westphalia, Mo., says he was proud to serve his country in Iraq, but he's upset that he lost his car repair shop in the process.

Stories from the Homefront

Morning Edition, March 15, 2005 · Forty percent of American troops in Iraq are from National Guard and Reserve units. For many, the financial sacrifices are great. Many lose the salaries they were earning in the private sector, and their families are struggling to pay bills.

Support from the military can be elusive, because these soldiers are not part of a base community where family support groups are ready-made. Private groups like the nonprofit USA Cares, which is run by a retired major general, have sprung up to help cover the money gap, and some members of Congress have proposed incentives and subsidies to cover the loss of income.

The Pentagon insists it is doing what it can to help. And officials point out that some in the Guard are actually making more money than in the private sector.

It's not clear how many families are struggling, but 430,000 Guard members and reservists have been mobilized since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. More than half of those who are married make less money in the military than in their regular jobs, according to a Defense Department survey.

Bayh: A "National Security" Democrat

This isn't such a bad group to belong to when you look at the list but Democrats need to be more hawkish and the formation of this group is a great step in the right direction. I am convinced that one of the reasons we lost the last election was the National Securtiy Issue and a group like this may go a long way in helping Democrats to be seen as tough on these issues, despite the fact that we already are. Hopefully they will raise our profile.


THE UNBRANDING
by JEFFREY GOLDBERG
Can the Democrats make themselves look tough?
Issue of 2005-03-21
Posted 2005-03-14

At sixty-two, Biden has a cheerful vanity and an exuberant restlessness that make him seem far younger. Since the election, he has become a leader of a modest-sized faction—“the national-security Democrats,” in the words of Richard Holbrooke, an ambassador to the United Nations under President Clinton—that includes the most hawkish members in the Democratic Party. Among them are Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former Vice-Presidential candidate John Edwards, Senator Evan Bayh, of Indiana, and Governor Bill Richardson, of New Mexico, along with a number of Clinton Administration foreign-policy officials, now in exile at think tanks scattered about Washington.

Bayh Tough on Saudi Arabia

Senator Bayh was one of 15 Senators demanding the State Department show that Saudi Arabia has taken action on religious freedom and the states religion. This article points out that Wahhabism, the state sanctioned religion/philosophy of Saudi Arabia, is, to some, one of the breeding grounds for Islamic radicals. It's nice to know someone is taking action to make the State Department hold the Saudi's feet to the fire.

Time to Take Saudi Arabia Seriously
This week the State Department has an opportunity to hold the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to account.
by Stephen Schwartz
03/14/2005 12:00:00 AM

ON TUESDAY, March 15, the U.S. State Department faces a deadline: as previously mandated by State itself, the bureaucrats must show that they have taken action in accord with last year's designation of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a "country of particular concern" because of its flagrant violations of religious freedom.

Will State fulfill its responsibility? Who knows.

That's why 15 Senators from both sides of the aisle sent a letter to Secretary Condoleezza Rice last Friday demanding that the U.S.-Saudi relationship be "defined more clearly."

The signatories were: Charles Schumer (D-New York), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Evan Bayh (D-Indiana), Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), Gordon Smith (R-Oregon), Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), John Ensign (R-Nevada), Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey), Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota), Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), Christopher Dodd (D-Connecticut), Herb Kohl (D-Wisconsin), Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska), Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota), and Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania).

The need for heightened pressure on the Saudis has never been more obvious. The kingdom continues to maintain the ultra-radical Wahhabi sect of Islam as the state religion. Wahhabism is more an ideology than a faith, and is the inspiration for al Qaeda and much of the terrorism launched against U.S., coalition, and Iraqi democratic forces north of the Saudi-Iraq border

Darn Right Condi Won't Run

This is a no-brainer for me. Condi has just too much baggage with the WMD thing and being honest with the American people that she would be exorciated by any challenger in the nomination process. If you want to run on record, I would hat to run on hers with all of her defenses being Bush-like sound bites. I can't remember but it's been a whole doo-dad of years since the SOS nominee didn't get unanimous approval in the Senate. That should tell you something right there. Like the Clinton numbers, this is just a name recognition contest right now and nothing more and Condi, for good or for bad, will be in the news a lot. Either way, thought, we wish her luck. She has one tough sell on her hands.

Rice Says She Won't Run for President
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Reiterates That She Won't Run for President
The Associated Press

Mar. 14, 2005 - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Sunday ruled out running for president, responding to speculation fueled by a recent poll showing support for a Rice candidacy.

Rice told The Washington Times last week, "I have never wanted to run for anything," although she seemed to leave the door open to the possibility.

She closed the door in appearances on Sunday talk shows, telling NBC's "Meet the Press," "I will not run for president of the United States."

"I won't run," she told ABC's "This Week." "I won't. How's that? Is that categorical enough?"

In a poll conducted in February, 42 percent of voters said Rice should run for the White House.

The survey, conducted by the Siena College Research Institute and sponsored by Hearst Newspapers, found that 81 percent of people would vote for a woman for president; 53 percent thought Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., should try for the job.

Change the Primary Schedule

I know this is the second post on this but I feel that this is an important issue and one of the fundamental changes us DEmocrats have to make to be more competitive in the future. That being said, I'm not going to hold my breath over this as this excerpt makes clear. But something should be done and the sooner the better.

Democrats Mull Primary Schedule Changes
Democrats Reconsider Placement of Iowa, N.H. in Primary Calendar; States Defend Their Key Roles
By WILL LESTER
The Associated Press

"Some members acknowledge making widespread changes could be difficult because they require legislative action in some states and the national party has little enforcement power.

The most vocal critic of allowing Iowa and New Hampshire to lead off every time is Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, whose strong complaints before the last election led to Saturday's commission meeting.

"Different states with different interests have people who feel left out," Levin said. "Should we always have the same two states with a disproportionate impact?"

Several commission members from Western states said states in their region are increasingly competitive for Democrats and should play a bigger role.

The commission plans to meet again May 14 at a site to be determined."

Mfume to seak Sarbanes' Seat

I don't know how you may feel about this, but I think this is great. Mfume did a lot of good bringing the NAACP back to credibility and I have been nothing but impressed every single time I hve seen him in front of a microphone or in making a speech. This is what I mean when I think it's important for us as a party to get back to our roots. (pardon the bad Alex HAley pun). But we are the party of and for color in this country and it should be reflected in who we choose to support and run. So Mfume may not be a moderate like Bayh but he holds dear those Democratic core values we all have. I just want to know where I can send the check.

Former NAACP Leader to Run for Senate
Former NAACP Leader Kweisi Mfume to Run for U.S. Senate in 2006 in Bid to Replace Paul Sarbanes
By GRETCHEN PARKER Associated Press Writer
The Associated PressThe Associated Press

BALTIMORE Mar 14, 2005 — Former NAACP President Kweisi Mfume announced Monday that he will run for the U.S. Senate in 2006.

"It is with great pride and deep humility that I announce to you today my candidacy for the Senate of the United States," Mfume said at a news conference in Baltimore.

"I can't be bought. I won't be intimidated. I don't know how to quit," Mfume said as his supporters applauded.

Mfume, who was a five-term U.S. congressman before becoming president of the Baltimore-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, issued the statement after incumbent Paul Sarbanes announced Friday that he will not run for re-election.

"This is step one in what will be an embarrassment of wealth for the Democratic Party in 2006," said Derek Walker, spokesman for the Maryland Democratic Party.

Mfume, 56, left the House in 1996 to take the NAACP post.

At the time, the civil rights group was in turmoil rocked by an embarrassing sex scandal involving its previous head, bitter internal strife and a crippling $3.2 million deficit.

Many observers say Mfume brought credibility and stability, working to institute corporate style-management practices. When he stepped down in November, the organization had enjoyed a budget surplus for eight consecutive years and an increasing endowment fund.

Some Bloggers Need to Grow UP---Bull Moose

I hate to take a bloggers full story and repeat it but this piece at the Bull Moose to me was dead on exspecially when it somes to some on the far left. Bayh is a moderate and we are convincedt hat only a moderate leader like Bayh can lead us back to the promised land. Just because those on the left seem to make the most noise desn't mean they are the majority, jus vocal. I don't wish to demain their contributions. The energy they have brought to the party has been great. But we need to work together and some of the vitrio from the left is uncallled for and uncouth.

Grow up Bloggers

The Moose loves to cause heartburn for the ideoblogues.

The Moose grazes in the vital center. Unfortunately, much of the political blogosphere is utterly predictable. Whether they be the freepers or the kossaks, they dwell on the fringes of American political life.

Don't get the Moose wrong - there is much value in the on-line world. The Moose learns much from such thoughtful worthies as Josh Marshall on the left or Andrew Sullivan on the right. But for far too many of those who put fingertips to keyboard, there is an ideological rigidity that is appalling when it is not either profane or inane.

Lefties should have more humility and thoughtfulness. After all, they have not enjoyed power in many a day. Perhaps they should examine why. Has it been because their message hasn't been heard? Yet, through the blogosphere, the Dean campaign raised millions and mobilized many, but their political success was quite illusive. Michael Moore became a multi-millionaire with his tirade against the Bushies, but W. got the last laugh.

What the Moose would like to know was when was the last time a lefty won the White House - Kennedy, LBJ, Carter, Clinton? None of them truly stirred the hearts of the lefty faithful. Perhaps JFK did, but he won running to the right of Nixon on foreign policy. In recent political memory, only hawks have won the Presidency whether they are Democrats or Republicans.

The recent rage on the left is to heap scorn on Joe Lieberman. The Moose is honored to stand with Joe against the dogmatic idealogues of the blogosphere. And he wears their scorn as a badge of honor.

If the plutocratic G.O.P. is ever to be defeated, Democrats will have to win the confidence of the American people that they are a tough party that will vanquish our enemies. That is why Joe Lieberman is so vital to the donkey. If those on the left have their honest disagreements with him or any other Democrat, that is fair and to be expected. However, the Moose would argue that those voices on the left who would transform the party into a dogmatically left-wing party serve the wishes of Rove and company in a profoundly significant way.

The cyberspace lefties are the political progeny of those folks who screamed "Dump the Hump" and helped give us Richard Nixon. They are McGovernites with modems whose ancestors played into the hands of Tricky Dick. And now they are turning their backs in a juvenile pique on the President and one organization that helped win the White House twice in a row. Keep in mind that it was liberal over-reach and not the scorned Clintonian centrism that enabled the GOP to seize Congress in 1994.

History did not begin with the emergence of the internet. Grow up bloggers. --

Bayh Continues to Get Recognized for Trade Stance

Senator Bayh continues to received recongition for his bill proposing penalties for countries that practice unfair trad. This is an important issue and sorely needed here in hte rust belt or anywhere else for that matter.

Bayh wants anti-subsidy law
Senator says China, others compete unfairly with U.S. firms.
By JAMES WENSITS
Tribune Political Writer

"The United States should take action against China and other countries that subsidize the manufacture of products and unfairly compete with American manufacturers, U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., said Thursday.

"Bayh called for new legislation that would allow the United States to impose 'countervailing duties' on products that receive such subsidies, thus leveling the playing field for American firms.

"The Hoosier Democrat is teaming with other lawmakers, including Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, to introduce the Stopping Overseas Subsidies Act.

"If the legislation can be amended to another bill and goes to a vote, it will have strong bipartisan support, Bayh predicted in a teleconference interview.

Lack of Updates

Sorry for the lack of updates. Have been under the weather lately and bedrest has been the best thing for me.

Bolton's Fast-track Derailed

John Bolton, nominee for Ambassador to the U.N., and a untier in that most eveyone unites against him in the international arena, is not on the fast track as the Bush administration had hoped. This is good news in that there will be a full hearing in April. Otherwise, as TPM notes, the fast-track would mean "that a quick committee hearing can be held next week and the full senate can rush Bolton through before there's a chance for there to be any serious debate over his qualifications or appropriateness for the job. If he doesn't call for it today the whole thing will get pushed into April."

From Steve Clemons of the WashingtonNote which has been following this comes this entry:

We Won This Battle: They Threw in the Towel Today -- But The War on Bolton is Left to Fight

I just received a phone call from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I was informed that the Committee will definitively not hold hearings on John Bolton's nomination next week and that they will occur some time in April.

I confirmed with my source in the State Department that the effort to fast-track Bolton has been successfully derailed -- thanks to your efforts and to the good sense and reason of Senator Lugar who does want to play honorably and fairly when it comes to these hearings.

It was important to make these calls today. While the State Department was pushing from one side on Lugar's staff, there was no resistance from the other. Many of you provided the resistance to make sure that this was not ram-rodded through.

And just to be clear, the Dem staff needed this too. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is pretty collegial -- so for Biden to take exception to a decision by Senator Lugar would require some reason. If there had been no civil society alert in this case and Lugar had made the announement on Bolton, Biden would have had little to give Lugar by way of excuses for delay.

So, today's effort was extremely useful on many fronts.

This is one small victory. Much more to do now.

But at least we have some time to prepare our case on the many, many better options Republicans have for Ambassador to the United Nations than John Bolton.

-- Steve Clemons

Can Evangelicals Be in Play?

This blog entry from Chris Bowers at MyDD has some very important ramifications if any of this is true. Democrats cannot and should not write off the white evangelical vote. While abortion and gay marriage are one issue that swayed these voters overwhelmingly towards Bush last election and were a big reason for his victory, Democrats cannot just trhow up our hands and give up. There are many issues that the Democratic Party leads on that may help make some inroads in attracting white evangelicals. Environmental/stewardship issues, and from the Hotline report there's a movement to urge "evangelicals to address issues like racial injustice, religious freedom," and poverty. These are Democratic issues and we should use them to make whatever inroads we can. Mr. Bowers so eloquently points out that:

Change Coming Among Evangelicals?
"Remember that the importance of a swing group is not defined by how evenly it is split in preference between the two parties, as is commonly believed. Instead, the importance of a swing group is defined how much its voting preferences change from election to election. The greater the average change a group displays from election to election, the more important the group becomes to winning elections. In 2004, white evangelicals, already strongly pro-Republican, were actually the group with the greatest swing of any demographic. Because they swung to Bush by such a great amount compared to 2000, Kerry lost the election. Considering both the size and swinging nature of this demographic, it is essential for Democrats to find a way to improve their standing among white evangelicals. This does not mean that we have to win the group, just that we have to close the gap.

"Stories like this one should give us hope."

Drip, drip, drip

This isn't just an interesting sidebar anymore. It seems that a week cannot go by without Tom DeLay being in the news for some ethical transgression or another. Remember the sacking of Trent Lott, Jim Wright, and others. This guy is becoming a serious embarassment to the Republicans and while he is a very powerful man, this constant drip, drip of ethical transgressions is adding up quickly. Here's just the latest problem facing the bug-man.

Gambling Interests Funded DeLay Trip
Later in 2000, Lawmaker's Vote Helped Defeat Regulatory Measure
By James V. Grimaldi and R. Jeffrey Smith
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, March 12, 2005; Page A01

An Indian tribe and a gambling services company made donations to a Washington public policy group that covered most of the cost of a $70,000 trip to Britain by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.), his wife, two aides and two lobbyists in mid-2000, two months before DeLay helped kill legislation opposed by the tribe and the company.

The sponsor of the week-long trip listed in DeLay's financial disclosures was the nonprofit National Center for Public Policy Research, but a person involved in arranging DeLay's travel said that lobbyist Jack Abramoff suggested the trip and then arranged for checks to be sent by two of his clients, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and eLottery Inc.

Bull Moose Defending Joe Lieberman

For the left wing of the party it's hard to miss the din over Joe Lieberman and there are even campaigns afoot to see that a progressive (i.e. far left-wing) challenger be found to challenge Liberman in his Senate run. I, personally, think that Senate Lieberman is oftentimes a little too cozy with the current administration but I thought I'd include this peice from Bull Moose which defends the Senator from Conneticut. I certainly think the energy of many of those disatisfied with Lieberman could be spending their enrgy on more useful efforts. We need Joe and he will be re-elected despite these efforts. Let's rool up our sleeves and focus on the real enemy. This circular firing squad thing doesn't do anyone any good.

Mind Meld

The Moose has a mind-meld with the esteemed Senator from Connecticut over the bankruptcy bill.

The Moose salutes Senator Lieberman for his strong stand against this flawed legislation. The Senator stated,

"I have always supported bankruptcy reform legislation in the Senate when it has reflected a bipartisan effort to enact a balanced bill for both debtors and creditors and I have opposed it when confronted with a bill that seemed one-sided. This is not a balanced bill. I voted against this bill because it failed to close troubling loopholes that protect wealthy debtors, and yet it deals harshly with average Americans facing unforeseen medical expenses or a sudden military deployment. The Senate simply rejected out of hand many worthwhile amendments that would have protected these and other working Americans who find themselves in dire financial straits through no fault of their own. As a result, I believe this is a seriously flawed bill and I am disappointed at its passage."

This should be a lesson for all those lefties who have been in a full-throated fury against Joe. He is a Democrat in the proud tradition of Truman, JFK and Scoop. Unfortunately, some in the party are in a purge mode to ensure that the donkey will be in the wilderness as long as old Moses and the chosen ones.

As for the Moose, he prefers tough, independent and smart donkeys. Undoubtedly, apologies will be on the way to Joe from those misguided lefties.

Bayh Personnel Sighted in New Hampshire

I missed this in yesterday's piece by Dottie Lynch, but, it should be no surprise, personnel associated with Senator Bayh have been spotted in New Hampshire. Under what circumstances heaven only knows but if anyone is looking for signs that Senator Bayh is running just add this to the plethora of other signs. I'm just amazed, still, how much effort and time it takes to explore and run for president. We are only four months from the last election and already many potential candidates are making moves, hires, and everything else in the book to prepare the way. To those who have been involved before, I'm sure you know this but this is the most heavily involved I've been and it's something else. Below is the clip.

Democrats: Is Timing Everything?
WASHINGTON, March 11, 2005
Dotty Lynch
CBS News

The real issue for N.H. may not be timing but relevance. State Rep. Jim Splaine, who introduced the law in 1975 that mandates that New Hampshire come before all other primaries, told CBS News' Trish Regan that what's worrying folks in New Hampshire is that candidates might decide to boycott the state next time. However, since the 2004 election they have had visits from John Kerry, John Edwards, John McCain and Bill Frist. Evan Bayh's folks have been up there for meetings and a piece of mail from Nebraska's Chuck Hagel has been sited in Durham – so it doesn't look like New Hampshire citizens are being ignored quite yet.

The relevance issue has also been raised by blog big foot Kos, Marcos Moulitsas Zuniga, who says that the Internet has surpassed Iowa and New Hampshire as kingmakers and that the new "retail politics" is practiced in cyberspace rather than Des Moines and Manchester.

Sarbanes to Retire

Yikes! A Democratic incumbent out of the picture. I'm not up on Maryland politics but I hope we can somehow retain this seat in 2006. The stakes are just too high anymore.

Md. Sen. Sarbanes Announces Retirement
Veteran Maryland Sen. Paul Sarbanes Announces Retirement; Won't Seek Sixth Term Next Year
By DAVID ESPO AP Special Correspondent
The Associated PressThe Associated Press

BALTIMORE Mar 11, 2005 — Sen. Paul Sarbanes, a liberal Democrat who is the longest serving senator in Maryland's history, announced Friday that he won't seek a sixth term next year. Sarbanes, 72, was elected to the Senate in 1976.

He is a reliable liberal vote on economic and social issues, although he has often been upstaged by Maryland's other senator, the outspoken Barbara Mikulski, who was elected in 1986.

Sarbanes would become the second Democratic incumbent to retire rather than run again. Among Republicans, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee has long indicated he does not plan to seek a new term.

Change the Primary Schedule

Go ahead and read this article by Dotty Lynch about the Democrats looking at the primary schedule to try to help Democrats win back the White House in 2008. Personally, Vilsack can do us all a favor and take Iowa off the table and let NH enjoy its historic status, but after that I think some serious creative thought should be put into changing the primary system. My preference is regional primaries spread out over a cuople of months or battleground state primaries having importance. All I truly feel is that something should be done. I'm tired of the current system and schedule and we need to look at the ultimate prize and how to get there. Read the whole article, it's a good look at what's up right now.

Democrats: Is Timing Everything?
Dotty Lynch

WASHINGTON, March 11, 2005

Democrats, who spent a lot of time in the 1960s, '70s and '80s writing and rewriting their rules for picking presidential candidates, have been relatively quiet for the past 20 years. A commission in the early 1980s chaired by then North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt re-jiggered the small "d" reforms of earlier years, which they decided gave too much power to the people and not enough to elected officials. In addition, they established an official window for primaries to begin and end – except, of course, for Iowa and New Hampshire, which managed to get waivers to continue their early contests outside that window.

But 20 years of calm is about to be broken this Saturday when the Democrats begin looking at the primary and caucus calendar to see if a timing change might bring them closer to the White House in 2008.

Romney Gets Slapped By HIs Own

Not a good sign when the people who have lected you to governor don't think you should run for president. That doesn't bode very well for Mitch Romney who many think will make a run from the other side. He can't be happy about this poll.

Poll: Romney Should't Run for President
Poll: Majority in Massachusetts Say Their Governor Should Not Run for President
The Associated PressThe Associated Press

BOSTON Mar 11, 2005 — A majority of Massachusetts voters do not think Republican Gov. Mitt Romney should run for president in 2008, according to a poll released Friday.

The poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center found that 53 percent of respondents said Romney should not seek the White House, while 28 percent said he should.

Nearly half of those polled also said they thought Romney would not make a good president if elected. A third of respondents said he would.

Romney, who gained national prominence for his work on the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, has said he is focused on keeping the governor's office in 2006, but he has done little to quell speculation about a possible run for president in 2008.

March Madness

Teh only madness right now in my March is watching the snow stream by my window as some mysterious bulbs at our new house start pushing their waxy leaves up from below. Maybe I'll go watch some basketball and by watching others sweat the chill of this snowy March afternoon my disappear.

One can hope?

Bush Sinking Fast

Why is this no surprise to anyone? Because, as the article notes, this isn't war or terrorism and the public doesn't trust Bush to fix domestic issues. This is a great opening for Democrats to reclaim some momentum as the Bushies et Rove will soon be looking for a face-saving exit strategy. I say play hardball and let them rot in the wind. They'd do the same to us and have enough already. It's nice to see the shoe on the other foot.

Poll: Bush Losing Backing Over Soc. Sec.
AP Poll: Bush Loses Backing From Key Groups When He Changes Topics From Terror to Social Security
By WILL LESTER Associated Press Writer
The Associated PressThe Associated Press

WASHINGTON Mar 11, 2005 — President Bush loses backing from independents, women and older Americans when he changes the topic from terrorism and foreign policy to overhauling Social Security, an Associated Press poll found.

While a majority of Americans approve of Bush's handling of terrorism and foreign policy, just over a third, 37 percent, like his approach to Social Security.

The war on terrorism was the principal theme of Bush's re-election campaign, yet he has focused in the early days of his second term on Social Security. Some polls indicate he's been losing ground on that issue.

On Tuesday, Bush took a break from Social Security and returned to his strong suit the war on terrorism. He talked about "welcome signs" of democratic reform in the Middle East, including elections in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Palestinian territories.

"The president has multiple responsibilities and can't just talk about one thing," said David Rohde, a political scientist at Michigan State University. "Even if he has other reasons for talking about terrorism, however, this could be a benefit for him. Given the way things are going on Social Security, he's likely to try anything."

Another Blogger: Evan Bayh in 2008?

Another Blogger takes note of Evan BAyh in 2008.

Quoting from Robot-Invasion
"As I've mentioned before - Bayh brings a lot to the table as a candidate. He's got John Edwards' looks, a Kennedy like political pedigree (his father was Speaker of the House and served in the Senate for years before finally being ousted by Dan Quayle), and the Red State background that too many of us think is necessary to pull out a '08 General Election win.

It may be too early to even be naming the horses, but Bayh seems to be quietly coming up from behind. Hillary ought watch her back."

Of Course We Tortured--Duh

This is splitting hairs maybe but when the CIA turns over people to other countries to do the dirty work they of course come out and say we didn't torture detainees. How can this country take the moral high ground if we abuse prisoners (like Abu Ghraib) and other places and somehow the CIA isn't in any way associated with any of this. I don't buy it for a minute.

Senate Intelligence Chief Denies CIA Tortured
Thu Mar 10, 2005 07:19 PM ET

By David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican head of the Senate intelligence committee on Thursday defended the CIA against charges that it has tortured detainees but quickly faced a unanimous front from Democrats who want the panel to investigate abuse claims.

Republican Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas expressed confidence that a congressional probe of abuse allegations would not be necessary because of a review already under way by the Central Intelligence Agency's inspector general.

"I believe the system has worked," Roberts, who chairs the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said at a public forum near the Capitol.

"The Senate intelligence committee, along with the House (of Representatives) intelligence committee, is well aware of what the CIA is doing overseas in the defense of our nation and they are not torturing any detainee," he said.

But the committee's ranking Democrat, Sen. John Rockefeller of West Virginia, issued a statement saying that all seven Democrats on the 15-member oversight panel were demanding a meeting next week to authorize an investigation.

The Democrats unanimously requested the meeting in a letter sent to Roberts on Thursday.

"This is an extremely critical issue before our committee," said Rockefeller, whose initial proposal for a Senate abuse probe was recently rebuffed by the Republican chairman.

Senate Democrats want the intelligence committee to look into CIA detention, interrogation and the transfer of detainees to countries that employ torture as an interrogation method.

"The intelligence committee is the only committee in the Senate authorized to perform oversight of the intelligence community. If we don't carry out our duties, these important questions won't be answered," Rockefeller said.

Roberts' office had no immediate comment on the demand by Democrats.

Get Well Soon

Glad to hear everything wen well. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Clinton Resting After Successful Surgery
Former President Clinton's Surgery at New York Hospital Said to Be Successful
By SAM DOLNICK
The Associated Press

Mar. 10, 2005 - Surgeons successfully removed fluid and scar tissue from Bill Clinton's chest cavity Thursday, cleaning up complications from the former president's heart bypass operation of six months ago.

Clinton was "awake and resting comfortably" after four hours of surgery, said Herbert Pardes, president of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. "We expect Mr. Clinton to be walking" within 24 hours.

His wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, and daughter, Chelsea, were with him and were said to be elated by the successful surgery and a prognosis from one of his surgeons for an "even better than a full recovery."

Pardes said Clinton, 58, was expected to spend three to 10 more days in the hospital. A tube to drain fluid from the left lung will be removed in two to five days.

Yglesis Takes Note of Bayh

Nice to see some in the progressive blogosphere taking note of Bayh. We include his comments on Bayh here and this note is significant. If we can get some more recognition that while Bayh may be moderate, he can still be counted on to support our Democratic core values, maybe we'll get some more interest from the liberals.

A Democrat Who Does Want to Be President

Looking over Max Sawicky's list of Democratic Senators who, as he says, "will never be president," I note the absence of Senator Evan Bayh, an oft-mentioned moderate contender. I'm no expert on the Bayh record, and it's certainly far too early to start lining up behind particular candidates, but a person who can gain a reputation for moderation while still falling on the side of the angels when the chips are down is certainly the sort of person that has to be taken seriously. Meanwhile, I'd be fascinated to hear, say, Kent Conrad explain why it is that he needs to vote for this crap to stay viable in North Dakota but it's possible to survive in Indiana without doing so. Are farmers of the Northern Plains really crying out for someone -- anyone -- to increase their debt burdens? What would William Jennings Bryan do? Byron Dorgan, who's easily confused with his regional colleagues Conrad and Johnson, knows how to get things done in red America.

Bayh Introduces Legislation to Fight Unfair Trade

This legislation is sorely needed and with the devaluation of the dollar, the rise in fuel prices, and skytrocketing deficits, we have to take whatever measures we can on a bipartisan basis to help those who are losing jobs due to unfair trade.


Collins & Bayh Introduce Legislation to Fight Unfair Trade Practices, English & Davis Introduce House Measure
By IPR

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Evan Bayh (D-IN) today introduced the Stopping Overseas Subsidies (SOS) Act, which will give the U.S. government the legal strength to enforce fair trade laws against all countries that export goods into the U.S. It would revise current trade laws to ensure that all countries doing business with the U.S. are operating under the same rules that help to ensure fair competition for American manufacturers.

“Our nation’s manufacturers and their employees can compete against the best in the world, but they cannot compete against nations that provide huge subsidies and other unfair advantages to their producers,” said Senator Collins. “I hear from manufacturers in my state time and time again whose efforts to compete successfully in the global economy simply cannot overcome the practices of illegal pricing and subsidies of nations such as China. The results of these unfair practices are lost jobs, shuttered factories, and decimated communities.”

The SOS Bill is seen as a solution to a federal court decision from 1986 that the Commerce Department says prevents it from applying antisubsidy laws to a nonmarket economy, such as China, which has hampered efforts to ensure fair trade with overseas companies. The fair trade legislation would allow the U.S. to enforce anti-subsidy laws, known as countervailing duty laws, on all trade partners.

“Regardless of bureaucratic definitions, if a country’s unfair trade practices are hurting American workers and closing American companies, we should be able to use every available resource to go after them,” Senator Bayh said. “The SOS Act cuts right through the red tape to the real heart of the matter - keeping American jobs - and provides an important tool to ensure that our workers have a level playing field when they compete with companies overseas.”

Countervailing duty laws prohibit foreign countries from using illegal subsidies that give their industries and businesses an unfair advantage in the global marketplace. Current trade law does not allow the U.S. to enforce these laws on countries that traditionally operate under a state-controlled economy. But the SOS bill updates the law to take into account the fact that many of these countries, like China, now allow their manufacturing industries to operate as relatively free markets engaged in international trade.

Senators Collins and Bayh were joined today in announcing the SOS bill by Representatives Phil English (R-PA) and Artur Davis (D-AL), who introduced companion legislation today in the House. The Senate bill is cosponsored by Senators Richard Burr (R-NC), Rick Santorum (R-PA), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Mike DeWine (R-OH), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Robert Byrd (D-WV), Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV).

© Copyright 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 by Magic City Morning Star

MP3 of Bayh's Speech In Colorado Last Weekend

Here's a link to an MP3 of Senator Bayh's speech in Colorado last weekend. It's a must listen and a road map to where our country needs to go in the future.

(http://www.democraticwing.org/democraticwing/files/jj2005/14_bayh.mp3)

Bayh Leads A Dream 2008 Ticket

Wow. What a great article about why Senator Bayh would be such a stron candidate in 2008 and I agree Schumer would be excellent as number two on the ticket. This would, as the author notes, a great team that would hold the blue and make serious inroads into the red which despite what you may hear from the neoliberals on dailykos and elsewhere, the only way we can win back the White House. We tried the GOTV effort very hard in 2004 and I think we did about as good as we could do. Unless we make a serious play for red states, we will continue to be out of power. It worked for Clinton and will work for Bayh. If Bayh can take Indiana, which may be enough, he also has a great chance at Ohio and I personally think would appeal to the South. BUt these are my thoughts. Great article though and again why we believe in Bayh.

A dream ticket in '08

Washington’s favorite parlor game these days is guessing who will fill the vacant slots in President Bush’s Cabinet during his second term — and who will replace Vice President Dick Cheney should his precarious health force him to step down, as I predicted in this space in April (and still predict).

The second most popular parlor game is speculating about who can help the Democrats recover from their identity crisis, break out of their red-state blues and recapture the White House — and maybe even Congress — in 2008. It’s sure to be the No. 1 topic of discussion at this week’s dedication of the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Ark.

The list is already a lengthy one that includes such familiar names as Sens. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.), John Kerry (Mass.), soon-to-be-ex-Sen. John Edwards (N.C.) and future Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.); Govs. Bill Richardson (N.M.), Tom Vilsack (Iowa) and Mark Warner (Va.); and maybe a House member who breaks out of the pack, like Harold Ford Jr. (Tenn.).

But I have a better idea: How about a dream ticket that includes a senator and former two-term governor from the reddest of red states who was just reelected with 62 percent of the vote, and another senator and former House member from the bluest of blue states who was reelected by a whopping 71 percent?

I’m referring, if you haven’t figured it out, to Evan Bayh of Indiana and Chuck Schumer of New York.

What better combination could the Democrats come up with than these two seasoned politicians and family men with spotless personal lives: one an Episcopalian centrist from Indianapolis who is an archetype of heartland values, the other a Jewish liberal from Brooklyn who supports abortion rights and gun control but voted for the Iraq war resolution and believes in capital punishment?

Both raised their profiles considerably this week — Bayh with an impressive speech Monday while accepting an award named after the late Sen. Scoop Jackson (D-Wash.), Schumer by deciding against running for governor in 2006 and agreeing to chair the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, in return for a seat on the Finance Committee.

Bayh, who will be 49 the day after Christmas, occupies the Senate seat once held by his father, Birch Bayh. He is an articulate and telegenic politician who, as governor, balanced the budget, cut taxes and created 350,000 jobs, which prompted The Wall Street Journal to call him “a genuinely fiscally conservative Democrat.”

I watched Monday as he accepted the distinguished-service award from the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA), at the Ritz-Carlton in Pentagon City. His audience included Marine Gen. Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a battalion of defense contractors, as well as six young military personnel honored for their service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Bayh’s remarks resonated with JINSA’s belief that the United States requires a strong military capability for its own security and that of its friends and allies, and that a strong U.S.-Israel security partnership is good for America. At the same time, he deplored partisanship and called for protecting the environment.

As for Schumer, who turns 54 on Tuesday, he may not like the idea of playing second fiddle to the junior senator from Indiana. But he’d have a hard time convincing most Democrats that he, or especially Hillary Clinton, could bring off a Democratic restoration in 2008. I think a Hoosier-Flatbush ticket could.

Albert Eisele is editor of The Hill.

Bayh Strongly Supports Fatherhood Initiative

Senator Bayh, a very stron championship of fatherhood issues and has been involved in the Senate to press forward these issues, was very pleased to see a fatherhood initiative pass the Senate Finance Committee. This is great for the Senator and I think his intiatives on fatherhood are refreshing and will resonate with voters across the country. It is something that is sorely needed and receives scant attention. The Senator, father of twins who are about the age of my oldest daughter (maybe we can arrange a marriage), has a unique perspective on this and has been praised an noted for his devotion to his sons by many including former President Clinton. This is good news and it would be great to see this initiative made into a law.

Fatherhood initiative survives Senate panel
By Sylvia A. Smith

WASHINGTON – A Senate committee approved a provision to teach absent fathers how to reconnect with their children Wednesday, earning praise from Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., who has championed the federal government’s involvement in fatherhood since he entered Congress eight years ago.

The Finance Committee included the fatherhood programs in its rewrite of the nation’s welfare laws. Both the full Senate and the House would have to approve the bill with its fatherhood components for them to become law.

Bayh said that even if the parents have divorced or never married, a child should have a relationship with his or her father – assuming the father isn’t abusive or a drug abuser.

He said the bill would require the federal government to spend $50 billion on various projects, including media campaigns and grants to private groups that teach low-income fathers to be better parents. He said part of that teaching could include job training or drug counseling. It would provide $25 million for fatherhood programs that the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services could identify.

“I don’t think we’ve been doing nearly enough,” Bayh said. “This really is focused on the best interest of the child. With the divorce rate at 50 percent, we’re going to have a fair number of men who are not married to the mothers of their children but, nevertheless, should be making a contribution to their children both financial and emotional. Too often it’s the women who have t pick up all the pieces.”

Bayh Wants President to Open Oil Reserves

I agree with this. Gas prices are skyrocketing and although this may have only a psychological effect, it's a step in the right direction for our energy policy which is nonexistent if anything.

Some want President to open national oil reserves
Tom Walker/Washington Bureau Chief

Washington D.C., March 9 - You don't have to look any further than the price at the pump to know energy is an issue back on the front burner.

"It's taking like about $40 where it used to take like $20," says one driver at the pump.

Another adds, "That just cost me $55 where a month ago I think it was $48."

And the worst is yet to come with the government now predicting new record prices averaging $2.15 a gallon before topping out in May.

But in Washington a comprehensive energy plan has been stuck on hold for months with Bush proposals such as drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, staunchly opposed by environmentalists who argue for saving energy through cleaner more fuel efficient cars.

Some Democrats like Senator Charles Schumer (D - New York) say what the President should be doing is tapping the nation's strategic oil reserves to bring prices down. "The President instead of going out to Ohio and making a political speech should turn the spigot."

The summer driving season will only increase demand and put more pressure on Washington to do something.

One proposal, to bring Arab oil producing countries under U.S. laws against price fixing, was reintroduced just this week by Ohio Senator Mike Dewine, who says oil prices are too easily manipulated. "Nobody but OPEC would be allowed to do this because they're not subject to the antitrust laws."

As for getting an overall energy plan moving again, the White House is clearly hoping the unhappiness over higher prices will generate more heat on Capitol Hill.

Indiana Senator Evan Bayh was among Democrats signing a letter urging the strategic oil reserve be opened.

We Have Met the Enemy, And It is Us

The Newdonkey.com covers the craziness that has occured in Colorado where success, as too often is the case, has been punished. I am all for the new activists and what they have done to bring some energy to the party but these guys were doing really well. Oh well, I suppose this is the dust-up one should expect after losing the general election but it still doesn't seem to make much sense to me.

Punishing Success
If there was a truly bright spot for Democrats last November anywhere in red-state America, it was surely in Colorado (with Montana running a close second). Of all the Democratic candidates in close U.S. Senate races, Ken Salazar was the only winner. His brother, John, pulled off one of the few gains Democrats were able to make in U.S. House seats. And Democrats won control of both branches of the state legislature. Now they look poised to take back the governorship next year, and run the whole shooting match.

With Democrats around the country looking to Colorado Democrats as role models, you'd think Chris Gates, the state party chair who oversaw this remarkable election day would be on an extended victory lap. But no: yesterday the state party's executive committee ousted him as chair in favor of environmental activist Pat Waak (Gates is contesting the outcome based on a claim that certain proxy votes didn't get counted).

According to press reports, the coup against Gates was basically an act of revenge by "activists" unhappy with his less-than-secret support of Salazar in his Senate primary against fellow-activist Mike Miles. Presumably, Gates' perfidious maneuvering, in tandem with virtually everybody in the national party who wanted to win a Senate seat, was responsible for Salazar's photo-finish 73-27 win over Miles in the primary.

What a Tangled Web We Weave

From the NYTimes comes the story of how Tom DeLay, probably one of the most powerful men in this country, might have been more involved in a Texas fundraising scandal that funneled money to Republican candidates from corporations which is illegal in Texas. You have to admire the prosecutor in this case who is taking on a man who is behind the Texas gerrymandering where he urged the federal government ot retrieve Texas lawmakers ot Texas. Good luck, Ronnie Earle, the Travis County district attorney, you'll need it.

Documents Suggest Bigger DeLay Role in Donations
Cris Feldman, a lawyer for the Democratic candidates, said he believed that the newly revealed documents from Mr. RoBold were eye-opening.

"We always knew Tom DeLay was involved," Mr. Feldman said, "but we never realized the extent to which he was involved in fund-raising directly with corporations."

One of the most intriguing documents, he said, was a printout of a September 2002 e-mail exchange between Mr. RoBold and Drew Maloney, a Washington lobbyist who is Mr. DeLay's former legislative director and administrative assistant in the House.

Mr. Maloney, who has lobbied on behalf of Reliant Energy, the Houston-based energy company that was a major contributor to Texans for a Republican Majority, offered Mr. RoBold a list of possible corporate donors to the Texas committee, adding: "I finally have the two checks from Reliant. Will deliver to T.D. next week."

The Texas committee's donation records show that it received a check for $25,000 from Reliant that month. The existence of some of the documents in Mr. RoBold's files was first reported last month by The Austin American-Statesman.

In a telephone interview on Tuesday, Mr. Maloney said he could not recall many of the details of the Reliant donations or whether checks from Reliant were ever transferred to the Texas committee through Mr. DeLay's office in Washington.

"I don't think it was necessarily meant that he'd get them himself," he said. "I don't know how that all flowed."

Mr. Allen, Mr. DeLay's spokesman, said he had no knowledge about whether Mr. DeLay or anyone in his office had actually received a check from Reliant in 2002 or whether one might have been forwarded to the Texas committee. "That was three years ago," he said.

Bush's Vaporware

E. J. Dione has an excellent op-ed piece on why Bush's Social Security noise isn't flying right now. Talking about a problem for sixty stops in sixty days doesn't do anything. As we've said before, it's time for Bush to put up or shut up. Talking about a problem and expecting a proposal to spring forth spontaneously isn't a solution, it's more an excercise in sophistry. Go to the link to read the whole op-ed but be reminded that Senator Bayh supports Social Security and while he may be for private accounts, he is in no way for privitization. Don't forget.

Bush's Misplayed Hand
By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Wednesday, March 9, 2005

So far the president has made at least four mistakes. He assumed he could convince the country that Social Security faces a crisis requiring urgent action. He thought he could accentuate the positive -- those "personal accounts" really do sound great -- without laying out what they would cost. He counted on getting good-government points by "facing up" to Social Security's long-term problems without proposing any hard steps to fix them. And he figured that some Democrats would fall his way simply because that's what has always happened before.

The "crisis" claim didn't fly because it wasn't true. The president himself has gotten more careful in how he speaks about the long-term shortfall, because the moment he notes that the Social Security trust fund does not run dry until somewhere between 2042 and 2052, the notion of a crisis goes up in smoke.

As for personal accounts, their more forthright advocates acknowledge that paying for them will require either substantial tax increases or borrowing on the order of $2 trillion. Bush has finessed this nasty detail, hoping that such brave Republican legislators as Sens. Lindsey Graham and Chuck Hagel would take the hit for delivering the bad news. The president could later claim success for the enactment of a "package" brought about through a secular version of immaculate conception. But if the president really believes in these accounts, why won't he step up and say how he'd pay for them?

The same critique applies to Bush's hope that he would get credit for courage in talking about Social Security's problems. Here again Bush lets members of Congress float proposals for benefit cuts and tax increases without formally embracing any as his own. Polls show Bush's credibility on Social Security dropping because citizens know there must be some pain in his proposal somewhere, and they want him to be candid about it.

And then there are those pesky Democrats. Rep. David Obey says his party colleagues can't be expected to put forward a full alternative to Bush's ideas until a Bush plan actually exists. "Given that he's the person who says that this debate needs to start now and needs to start with such a radical approach, he's got an obligation to lay his specific plan on the table," Obey says. "What he's put on the table is not a plan, it's a concept -- and Congress doesn't enact concepts."

Abortion and Bankruptcy

While the bankruptcy bill has generated a lot of debate for many other pertinent reasons, this vote is seen as an early test vote on abortion rights for the U.S. Senate. I wouldn't put too much stock in this but it is interesting to note the dyanmics and where the Senate seems to be right now on this issue. Senator Bayh, one can surmise, voted with the other majority of democrats for the Schumer proposal. While the democratic party is in a state of flux with the abortion issue, this is just a glimpse of where the Senate stands today on this particular issue. Who knows it how it may cahnge in another context. Notice we lost only two Democrats in this vote.

Abortion collides with bankruptcy in Senate
Schumer fails at effort to pass provision aimed at violent protesters
By Tom Curry

WASHINGTON - The ultimate values issue, abortion, collided Tuesday in the United States Senate with one of the ultimate money issues, bankruptcy.

On Tuesday the Senate voted 53-46 to reject a proposal, sponsored by Sen. Charles Schumer, D- N.Y., that would have stopped violent protesters, whether at abortion clinics or any other lawful business or service, from using bankruptcy law to avoid paying court-ordered fines.

In this, the first battle over abortion in the new Congress, two Democrats, Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, joined with 51 Republicans in voting to scuttle the Schumer amendment.

Four Republicans joined with 42 Democrats to support the measure. The four Republicans were Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine and Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

Following the vote to kill the Schumer amendment, the Senate then voted 69-31 to shut off debate and proceed to final passage of the bill, which will come later this week.

McCain Not Above the Fray

I don't wish to throw stones here but I just wanted to point out that not John McCain, despite all his campaign finance work, is not above the fray when it comes to helping out large campaign donors. Hey, it's the way Washington works but McCain, a likely Republican nominee for 2008 (and in the lead), is not without some faults.

Group Tied to Sen. John McCain Received Large Cable Donation While He Promoted Company Policy

WASHINGTON Mar 8, 2005 — A senator promotes a government policy sought by a corporation while a tax-exempt group closely tied to him solicits and gets $200,000 from the same company.

Campaign finance watchdogs say that creates the appearance of a conflict of interest. To their surprise, the senator is Arizona Republican John McCain, whom they usually praise for advocating campaign finance restrictions.

McCain's help to Cablevision Systems Corp. included letting its CEO testify before his Senate committee, writing a letter of support to the Federal Communication Commission and asking other cable companies to support so-called a la carte pricing

Best Wishes to Dan Rather

I grew up on NBC news but switched to CBS during the Clinton/Monica saga because CBS focused on the news in general and was not sensationalizing the Monica story and the impeachment. Man was that a bad memory but I grew to like CBS News and Dan Rather and continue to watch CBS News for my evening news (maybe it's just I like the underdog). Rather's Bush National Guard story was a huge mistake and I make no apologies but Dan Rather was/is an interesting figure who I grew used to and I will miss him. I wish him the best in all that follows.

Dan Rather Set to Leave 'CBS Evening News'
On his final broadcast — the 24th anniversary of when he took over as "CBS Evening News" anchorman from Walter Cronkite — Rather will end his series of reflections on some of the biggest stories he's covered — this time talking about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks — and briefly talk to viewers about the end of his tenure, said Jim Murphy, the broadcast's executive producer.

Bayh on Agriculture

I've been listening to the Diane Rheme show this morning on NPR whose first hour has been about agriculture subsidies so I thought I'd post what the Senator's website has to say on agriculture. Many may not know this but Senator Bayh has an agricultural background in his family and is a strong advocte for farming (which one could imagine for him to be elected statewide in Indiana.) But the program was a good rundown on subsidies and Diane Rheme is one of my heroines. I can't imagine getting by the week without her Friday news roundup.


Bayh on Agriculture
“My mother and father worked hard to teach me the strong work ethic they inherited from growing up on a farm. They knew it was important that I experience and understand the lifestyle where you work hard all day, year round, with no vacation. To this day, I am thankful for those experiences and have worked as Senator to preserve farming as part of our Hoosier heritage and help build our rural economies so that future generations can benefit from the lessons Hoosier farmers have been passing down for centuries.” -Senator Evan Bayh

Senator Bayh comes from a tradition of family farming, and is dedicated to preserving this important part of Hoosier values. He has worked hard to support Indiana’s farmers, who represent some of the very best of Indiana traditions. Bayh understands that farming is not always a predictable living and supports providing a safety net to help keep our farm communities solvent during difficult seasons.

Farmers have played a key role in Indiana’s rich history and today’s family farms are an important link to our agricultural heritage and the shared values that a family-run operation represents. In order to ensure that farm families stay in the business of farming well into the next century, Bayh has also pushed for federal investments that foster economic development in rural communities and help American farmers continue to be competitive in the changing global economy. Senator Bayh has made it a priority to guarantee that families are able to continue passing down their farms from generation to generation by fighting to remove the estate tax. Families should no longer have to face the danger of losing all or parts of the family farm to pay taxes when a loved one dies. Each family should have the choice of passing on their piece of Hoosier history to their children and grandchildren.

Bayh has stood up for the needs and rights of Hoosier farmers and rural communities by voting for the Farm bill. The $1 billion provided in this legislation has substantially enhanced the financial resources accessible to rural Indiana communities. The Farm bill provides funding for rural water and waste infrastructure, as well as technological investments that will directly impact the local economy, provide new technology that will teach area resident’s new technical skills, and create new job opportunities.

Indiana is home to first-class universities that lead the way in agricultural innovation, and Bayh has been a staunch supporter of federal investments in agricultural research. He has also been a leading voice for promoting Indiana's role in producing alternative energy sources, such as biofuels and other value-added farm products. Senator Bayh believes in free and fair trade and has worked to protect our farmers from unfair trade practices as well as to find new markets for Indiana goods.

Marist Numbers

Found the Marist numbers and with them come the ususal caveat that these polls, while of interest to political junkies like me, mean nothing at this stage of the game and are more than just a name recognition contest and there's no competing with Clinton and Kerry. These numbers will mean little until a couple of years from now but what the heck, thought you'd like to see them.

Hillary Outpaces Kerry Among Democrats
(Angus Reid Consultants - CPOD Global Scan) – New York senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is the top presidential hopeful for Democratic Party supporters in the United States, according to a poll by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. 39 per cent of respondents would vote for the former first lady in a presidential primary.

Massachusetts senator and 2004 presidential nominee John Kerry is second with 21 per cent, followed by running mate John Edwards, Delaware senator Joseph Biden, retired general Wesley Clark, Wisconsin senator Russ Feingold, New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, Indiana senator Evan Bayh, Virginia governor Mark Warner and Iowa governor Tom Vilsack.

Rodham Clinton ruled out a presidential bid in 2004. Neither of the two major political parties in the U.S. has ever nominated a woman for president. In 1984, New York congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro was Walter Mondale’s vice-presidential nominee in the Democratic ticket.

Polling Data

If the 2008 Democratic presidential primary were held today, whom would you support if the candidates are:

Hillary Rodham Clinton 39%
John Kerry 21%
John Edwards 15%
Joseph Biden 5%
Wesley Clark 4%
Russ Feingold 2%
Bill Richardson 2%
Evan Bayh 1%
Mark Warner 1%
Tom Vilsack *
Undecided 10%

(*) Less than one per cent.

Source: Marist College Institute for Public Opinion
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 427 Democrats or Democratic leaning independent adults, conducted from Feb. 14 to Feb. 16, 2005. Margin of error is 5 per cent.

Bolton: A very scary picture

bolton
Originally uploaded by lobejammer.

I don't know about you but if a picture is worth a thousand words Bush's nominee to the U.N. just looks plain scary. (hey, not that I'm that pretty to look at). But there are so many ohter reasons this guy is the wrong choice. Just thought you might like a picture of this guy before he gets on the hot seat in the Senate.

Release from Bayh's Office about Great Lakes Bill

As a resident of the Great Lakes region for over twenty years (Michigan and Indiana), it's nice to see legislation preserving the region like this. Our environment needs all the help it can get and it's nice to see the Senator being a good steard of our resources.

Bayh Joins Effort to Restore Great Lakes
Senator says legislation will help preserve beaches, fishing spots along Great Lakes

Washington, D.C. -- To ensure that future generations of Hoosiers can continue to enjoy the fresh water and natural beauty provided by Lake Michigan, U.S. Senator Evan Bayh co-sponsored legislation this week to restore and preserve the Great Lakes. Bayh joined six other senators from both sides of the aisle to support the Great Lakes Restoration Act, which would speed clean-up work and develop ways to monitor water quality in the lakes.

"The Great Lakes are as much a part of our Hoosier heritage as our dunes and forests, and they deserve the same kind of attention to their preservation," Senator Bayh said. "Thousands of Hoosiers visit their shores each summer to fish, swim, and create memories to last a lifetime. This legislation will ensure that the Great Lakes remain to be enjoyed by future generations."

In 2001, there were nearly 600 beach closings ordered because of e-coli bacteria and approximately 1,400 fish consumption warnings issued because of high levels of pollutants in the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes states currently outspend the federal government in their effort to clean and restore the lakes, yet more help is needed to combat the problem.

The Great Lakes Restoration Act would help restore the Great Lakes by providing $6 billion over 10 years to clean and address specific problems identified in each Great Lakes state's ecosystem. It would also establish a task force to oversee a comprehensive restoration effort and report on the measurable successes of such efforts. Finally, the legislation calls for the development of indicators that would be used to track water quality in the lakes.

Initial clean-up efforts would likely focus on contaminated sediment clean-up, water quality improvements and pollution reduction, all of which would also improve the water quality of Great Lake drinking water. In addition, grants could be used to restore area wetlands, improve public access to the lakes and encourage the preservation of original coastal wildlife that is currently threatened by invading species not native to the Great Lakes ecosystem.

President Bush created an Interagency Task Force in 2004 to study the current Great Lakes environmental situation, the ninth such study to be conducted on environmental issues surrounding the lakes. Instead, Bayh and his senate colleagues believe that more urgent action is needed to address the environmental problems.

Senators Levin (D-MI), Stabenow (D-MI), DeWine (R-OH), Kohl (D-WI) and Dayton (D-MN), joined with Senators Bayh and Lugar (R-IN) in co-sponsoring the Great Lakes Restoration Act. Bayh is a member of the Wilderness and Public Lands Caucus.

Our Prayer's Are With the Clintons

I know this is a routine procedure but if you've had surgery and have been in the hospital you know how much fun it can be. We hope that all goes well and wish President Clinton and his family the best


Bill Clinton to Have Scar Tissue Removed

By KAREN MATTHEWS, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - Six months after undergoing heart bypass surgery, former President Clinton (news - web sites) will return to the hospital this week to have a rare buildup of fluid and scar tissue removed from his chest.

"I feel fine," Clinton said Tuesday in Washington, adding that he plans to play golf in Florida a day before the operation.

Doctors at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, where Clinton is scheduled to have the procedure on Thursday, said the surgery is low-risk.

During the procedure, known as a decortication, doctors will remove scar tissue that is pressing down on his left lung. The surgery will be done either through a small incision or with a video-assisted thorascope inserted between his ribs.

The former president said doctors discovered the condition during a recent X-ray, and he called the surgery a "routine sort of deal."

In an interview with Associated Press Television News, Clinton said he knew before he went with former President George H.W. Bush to tour tsunami-devastated areas last month that he would be having the surgery. Doctors told him he would not be able to fly after the surgery, so he scheduled it after he returned.

Is Al Gore Not Running in 2008?

From Chris Matthews comes the "scoop" that Al Gore is not going to run in 2008. Personally, I dodn't think he was going to run and if he was he wouldn't be a factor (just my guess). We'll see how well Matthew's claims hold up but if htis is true I would not be surprised.


Al Gore won't run for president in 2008 (Chris Matthews)
The 2008 Presidential campaign will not include Al Gore. I'm reporting tonight that the former Vice President and 2000 Democratic Presidential nominee will not run for President. I've been given this scoop from a perfect source who informed me that the purpose of this disclosure at this time is to end speculation about a campaign that will never occur.

Thoughts from Charlie Cook

Interesting article by Charlie Cook. Keep in mind the polling caveats but a good read and analysis nonetheless. Highlighted is the electability issue which is a great reson to support Bayh but not the only reason by far. I support Bayh for the total package that he brings to the table and I think he'll do better once more voters learn about him and the things he has done as both governor (executive local experience) and senator (national stage level).

OFF TO THE RACES
In This Corner ...
By Charlie Cook
Tuesday, March 8, 2005

With the NCAA basketball tournament about to begin, perhaps "March Madness" is an appropriate metaphor to describe the competition for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

Think of the NCAA brackets, but on one side, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York gets byes all the way to the finals. On the other side, there could easily be a half dozen or more Democrats contending for the chance to take on Clinton. Of course, it is not certain Clinton will run, but she is laying the groundwork for a campaign.

In some ways, Clinton does not have an opponent. Her obstacle boils down to this simple question: Can she win a general election? As the most polarizing figure in the Democratic Party, there is a tendency to love her or hate her, although among Democratic partisans the ratio of lovers to haters is very high.

If it were a simple question of who Democrats would like to be their nominee for president, Clinton is the clear favorite. In a Dec. 17-19 Associated Press/Ipsos Public Affairs survey of 399 Democratic primary voters nationwide (with a five-point error margin) 33 percent chose Clinton; 19 percent picked Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry; 15 percent preferred Kerry's running mate, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and 11 percent pointed to retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who also sought the Democratic nod last year. Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico had 3 percent; Sens. Evan Bayh of Indiana and Russell Feingold of Wisconsin had 2 and 1 percent, respectively, while Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack had 1 percent. Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia and Delaware Sen. Joseph Biden were asterisks, denoting support of less than 1 percent.

Historically, electability has not been a strong factor in determining who wins the nomination. It has become a byproduct, however, of the intense partisan polarization that exists today. Thus, the desire to field the person thought to have the best chance of winning is high. Ironically, Kerry, who turned out to be a considerably less than optimal candidate in 2004, was picked because he was seen as more electable than Howard Dean.

Among the larger 839 registered voters in that same December AP/Ipsos poll, respondents were asked if they would continue to support their candidate if they felt that the person could not win the general election, or would they find another candidate they agreed with who could possibly win. Forty-nine percent stuck with their first choice, while a whopping 46 percent defected.

Thus, Clinton's job is to convince Democrats she can win a general election.

Clearly, Clinton sees her problem and is trying to address it. Take her effort to seek a middle ground on abortion rights, one of the most polarizing issues in American politics today. The truth is that she is not as liberal as widely perceived. Clinton was one of the strongest supporters of the war in Iraq among Democrats in the Senate.

According to National Journal's ratings, she is more liberal than 71 percent of the Senate, ranking her the 34th most liberal Senate Democrat. She is less liberal than Minority Whip Richard Durbin, Feingold and Biden, but more liberal than Minority Leader Harry Reid, Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman and Bayh. But Clinton is anything but a blank slate, and the perception that she is liberal is fixed in the public's mind.

While Kerry probably has some support left over from the last campaign, some of his backing is probably from Democrats who do not support Clinton but cannot name an alternate. After all, he is the best known potential candidate after Clinton. Whether Kerry can hold onto that when alternatives become better known remains to be seen, but my hunch is voters will want to move on to fresher faces.

Although Edwards has enormous raw political talent, he was hampered by his youthful appearance and meager political resume. Four years and a few more gray hairs will likely help a lot, but can one term in the Senate fix the resume issue?

It will also be interesting to see whether Edwards attempts to reposition himself in any way. On the stump last year his message seemed to come very close to invoking class warfare, in sharp contrast to the more centrist message that worked so well for Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996. With well over three-quarters of Americans considering themselves to be in the middle class, the math on the pure populist approach is not that great.

Clark dealt with learning the ropes of a new business while campaigning, a problem faced by all first-time candidates for high office. His performance was both hot and cold.

With one presidential campaign under his belt, it is entirely possible he will have honed his campaign skills enough to do considerably better next time.

Feingold and perhaps Biden will seek to be the "liberal-but-less-controversial-than-Clinton" candidates in the race, while on the centrist side, Richardson, Bayh, Vilsack and Warner are all vying to be the moderate choice.

The problem for each of these candidates is that while excitement and danger are very closely associated traits, acceptable and dull are at the other extreme and often go hand in hand. The challenge for them is to be acceptable to wide numbers of Democrats while offering up enough excitement and energy to draw attention and support.

Marist Poll

Remember what we have said here before. Right now any poll is just a name recognition contest as the results suggest. But we don't believe in hiding anything here and thought you'd like to know. These polls don't really indicate how well a candidate might do because they haven't been introduced to the electorate yet and people really don't know too much about them outside of us true-believers.

Poll: John McCain Would Handily Defeat Hillary Clinton

Is it ever too early for 2008 polls? Apparently not as a Marist College Institute for Public Opinion poll on the 2008 presidential election was released on Tuesday. In the poll, Marist first establishes that Hillary Rodham Clinton is indeed the Democratic frontrunner.

For the Democrats:

New York Senator Hillary Clinton leads the field of potential Democratic candidates nationwide for the party’s 2008 presidential nomination. Clinton receives 39% among registered Democrats and Democratic leaning Independents. Her closest contenders are Senator John Kerry with 21% and former Senator John Edwards with 15%. Senator Joe Biden, retired General Wesley Clark, Senator Russ Feingold, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Senator Evan Bayh, Virginia Governor Mark Warner, and Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack follow with single digit support. 10% are undecided.

Bayh co-sponsors Great Lakes Bill

It's no secret that our country's environmental treasures and environment in general has suffered under the latest administration. That's why it's nice to see the Senate work on this bill in a bipartisan effort to protect the Great Lakes.

From the News-Messenger.com out of Ohio

Federal legislation has been introduced that would create a multi-year grant program that would aid state and municipal governments in projects important to the long-term future of the Great Lakes region.

U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, co-chairman of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, has introduced the Great Lakes Environmental Restoration Act, co-sponsored by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.

Additional co-sponsors include Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Richard Lugar, R-Ind., Evan Bayh, D-Ind., Mark Dayton, D-Minn. and Herb Kohl, D-Wis.

You go Girl!!

Yes. We, as a minority, may not have many weapons other than rhetoric but if we don't speak out against abuse why should we speak out at all? I admire both Pelosi and Reids's efforts to raise awareness of how a minority, and an important minority, is having its rights trampled on. I hope she keeps trying to raise awareness of the heavy handed tactics of the Bug Man and his cronies. Go, Nancy, go!

Report by House Democrats Alleges GOP Abuse of Power

By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 8, 2005

Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and other revolutionaries used accusations of arrogant and heavy-handed tactics to stir a populist revolt against 40 years of Democratic domination of Congress before the GOP takeover of 1994.

Now, after 10 years of Republican control, House Democrats are making strikingly similar charges against today's Republicans.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) plans to lash out at the chamber's Republican leaders today with a report accusing them of abusing their power through parliamentary tactics designed to suppress dissent.

The report contends that rules governing major legislation "severely restrict or sometimes even totally block the minority's ability to debate or amend bills." It charges that Republicans on the Rules Committee have intentionally "used emergency meeting procedures and late-night meetings . . . to discourage Members and the press from participating in the legislative process."

Pelosi, a liberal who has few weapons besides rhetoric to use against the conservatives who control Congress, described the forthcoming report as documenting "devastating details of the profound abuse of power that characterizes House Republicans after 10 years in the majority."

Terror Suspects Buying Guns Legally

This is just ridiculous. Wasn't the Patriot Act supposed to protect us against things like this? Is it legal for them to buy a ton of fertilizer and blasting caps as well. I just don't see how this can be so but somehow I smell the gun lobby behind this. I could be wrong but how else could something this atrocious be possible?

Terror Suspects Buying Firearms, U.S. Report Finds
By ERIC LICHTBLAU

WASHINGTON, March 7 - Dozens of terror suspects on federal watch lists were allowed to buy firearms legally in the United States last year, according to a Congressional investigation that points up major vulnerabilities in federal gun laws.

People suspected of being members of a terrorist group are not automatically barred from legally buying a gun, and the investigation, conducted by the Government Accountability Office, indicated that people with clear links to terrorist groups had regularly taken advantage of this gap.

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, law enforcement officials and gun control groups have voiced increasing concern about the prospect of a terrorist walking into a gun shop, legally buying an assault rifle or other type of weapon and using it in an attack.

The G.A.O. study offers the first full-scale examination of the possible dangers posed by gaps in the law, Congressional officials said, and it concludes that the Federal Bureau of Investigation "could better manage" its gun-buying records in matching them against lists of suspected terrorists.

F.B.I. officials maintain that they are hamstrung by laws and policies restricting the use of gun-buying records because of concerns over the privacy rights of gun owners.

Bayh votes to Raise Minimum Wage: Wages To Stay the Same

Nice to know that Senator Bayh support theose scraping by on the minimum wage and voted to increase it. The shame, though, is that since neither the Republican or Democrat plan received 60 votes adopted nothing changes. In eihter case, Bayh idid his part but it's so many on the poverty line who can't get out of poverty due to such low wages who are the real losers. This should be an outrage and shows no compassion at all.

Minimum wage stays at $5.15
Dueling proposals both turned down
By Sylvia A. Smith
Washington editor

WASHINGTON – The Senate voted Monday to keep the minimum wage at $5.15, meaning about 264,000 hourly paid workers in Indiana will not get an automatic raise.

Competing proposals – Democrats wanted to set the rate at $7.25 an hour, Republicans proposed $6.25 but with the elimination of the40-hour workweek – were defeated. Under an unusual procedure, Senate leaders agreed that if either of the proposals received fewer than 60 votes, it would be withdrawn.

The Republican amendment to increase the minimum wage by $1.10 over 18 months was defeated 61-38. The Democrats’ proposal for a $2.10 increase over 26 months was defeated 49-46. Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., voted for the $6.25 rate; Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., voted for the $7.25 rate.

The amendments were part of the debate on a bill to revamp bankruptcy laws.

Selectman Miller in Conneticut Supports Bayh

Time is running out on endorsements so get yours in early (j/k). Some are already looking at Bayh though and liking what they see.

From Old Saybrook, Conneticut:
"One Democrat and one Republican did, however, mention a couple of U.S. senators they thought should be in the running. Democrat Miller of Essex likes Evan Bayh of Indiana, while Republican Koch of Lyme was not hesitant about mentioning Chuck Hagel of Nebraska."

Say No to Bolton

From what I've heard this is one nasty fellow who gets a consensus when he's in the room, a consensus against him (NPR). This country's international relations are in tatters and the choice of Bolton isn't a good sign. Heck, it wasn't a good sign when Danforth resigned but one could at least hope the White House would send some signal that it was willing to try to mend some fences overseas. This is why we need someone like Evan Bayh to bring some common sense to our foreign relations. This pick is just dead wrong.

Bolton Tapped to Be Next U.N. Ambassador

By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON - John R. Bolton, a tough-talking arms control official who rarely muffles his views in diplomatic niceties, was chosen Monday by President Bush (news - web sites) to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (news - web sites).

Senate Democrats immediately assailed the nomination, arguing that it didn't make sense for the president to pick a diplomat who has sometimes been critical of the world body at a time when mending fences with the international community was imperative. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Bolton's selection sent "all the wrong signals."

Anticipating a possible fight over confirmation — in 2001, Bolton was approved for his current post over the opposition of 43 Democratic senators — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) said, "Through our history some of our best ambassadors have been those with strong voices." She mentioned former U.N. ambassadors Jeanne Kirkpatrick and Daniel Patrick Moynihan

Democrat TV Online

Hey! We're getting our own online Democrat TV show. I have to applaud anyone who's willing to take the initiative to start something like this. We have to get our word out and however we do it is great!

Democrats to Launch An Online Talk Show

By Brian Faler
Monday, March 7, 2005; Page A04

The Democrats are getting their own talk show -- in cyberspace.

Two Democratic political consultants are preparing to launch a weekly online political talk show that will showcase the party's message, lambaste Republicans and, they hope, open a new front in the ongoing media wars.

It's called DemsTV.com, and each Tuesday, beginning tomorrow, the Web site will feature 20 minutes or so of talking-head chatter from a rotating cast of young Democratic operatives.

Democrat TV Online

Hey! We're getting our own online Democrat TV show. I have to applaud anyone who's willing to take the initiative to start something like this. We have to get our word out and however we do it is great!

Democrats to Launch An Online Talk Show

By Brian Faler
Monday, March 7, 2005; Page A04

The Democrats are getting their own talk show -- in cyberspace.

Two Democratic political consultants are preparing to launch a weekly online political talk show that will showcase the party's message, lambaste Republicans and, they hope, open a new front in the ongoing media wars.

It's called DemsTV.com, and each Tuesday, beginning tomorrow, the Web site will feature 20 minutes or so of talking-head chatter from a rotating cast of young Democratic operatives.

Democrat TV Online

Hey! We're getting our own online Democrat TV show. I have to applaud anyone who's willing to take the initiative to start something like this. We have to get our word out and however we do it is great!

Democrats to Launch An Online Talk Show

By Brian Faler
Monday, March 7, 2005; Page A04

The Democrats are getting their own talk show -- in cyberspace.

Two Democratic political consultants are preparing to launch a weekly online political talk show that will showcase the party's message, lambaste Republicans and, they hope, open a new front in the ongoing media wars.

It's called DemsTV.com, and each Tuesday, beginning tomorrow, the Web site will feature 20 minutes or so of talking-head chatter from a rotating cast of young Democratic operatives.

Couldn't Agree More

I missed this yesterday as I was having fun with the fam but I couldn't think of a better thing for Dean and the Democrats to do than to reach out to Military families. I didn't seem to know there were any Democratic military personnel until I worked on Wesley Clark's campaign last go around. I like, so far, what I've seen from Dean and programs like this deserve full funding and atention. As Democrats we have to stop giving up keey constituencies and be competitive with them all. It should be a full-scale frontal attack. This is good.

A Democratic Call to Arms
By Peter Beinart
Sunday, March 6, 2005; Page B07

Howard Dean faces a choice. Last month, just hours before the Democratic National Committee chose the former Vermont governor to lead it, it did something else: It created an Office of Military and Veterans Outreach. In the coming weeks, Dean will decide what kind of funding and staff this new office receives. And that will prove an early test of whether the Democrats' new chairman is serious about nursing his party back to political health.

To understand why military voters matter to the Democratic Party's fate, consider what African American and Hispanic voters mean to the Republican Party. For four years -- through faith-based initiatives, conservative cultural appeals, Spanish-language infomercials and Cinco de Mayo celebrations -- Karl Rove has labored to bring ethnic minorities into the GOP. His calculation has been twofold. First, African American and Hispanic votes are valuable in and of themselves. Second, African American and Hispanic support helps Republicans overcome their image as exclusionary and hard-hearted -- and that wins over some moderate white voters as well.

For Democrats, the dynamic with military voters is the same. According to last year's exit polls, 18 percent of voters had served, or were serving, in the military -- roughly the same share of the electorate as blacks and Latinos combined. And just as minority support helps Republicans combat their reputation as mean, military support helps Democrats overcome their reputation as weak -- a reputation that particularly alienates non-college-educated white men, whether they have served in the military or not.

Time to Pay the Piper?

Are the chickens coming home to roost? With the war, the deficit, and budget bsuting Social Security proposals has the Bush administration and the Republicans finally reached the end of the line? The deficit is scary and coupled with skyrocketing energy prices could be a real drag on our economy. Let's hope some sense prevails and we deal with the dmage that has been done before we go any further.

Tax Cuts Lose Spot On GOP Agenda
War, Medicare, Social Security Expenses Loom
By Jim VandeHei
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, March 7, 2005; Page A01

President Bush and Republican lawmakers are being forced to temper their anti-tax ambitions, as the party that consolidated power in Washington by promising to shrink government grapples with the high cost of its efforts to expand the Defense Department and the nation's two largest entitlement programs.

The president's only new tax initiative for the second term -- a broad restructuring of the tax code -- will be crafted in a way that results in a simpler system, not lower taxes, White House aides said.

At the same time, Bush's call for Congress to make permanent all the tax cuts enacted in his first term faces increasingly strong resistance among some Republicans concerned about rising deficits. The chairmen of the Senate Budget and Finance committees said in interviews last week that Republicans might wait until next year, or later, to consider the Bush plan, because the cuts do not expire until the end of the decade.

Gozalez Denying Torure?

This is unbelievable. I don't believe this for one minute especially considering Gonzalez as the pro-torture layer at the white house. We know they are tortured as yesterday's NYTimes article reported when the interviewed actual torturees. Why can't this administration come clean? Why? Because it would be embarassing to find out what really is going on.

U.S. Says It Doesn't Send Off Prisoners for Torture
Mon Mar 7, 2005 02:29 PM ET
By Deborah Charles

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Monday the United States would never send terrorism suspects to countries where they would be tortured but admitted once they have been dispatched to nations like Saudi Arabia or Egypt the U.S. government has little control.

Gonzales made the comments in an interview with three news agencies that was dominated by questions about the American practice of sending detainees overseas for interrogation, known as renditions, which was broadened after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that since the hijacked airliner attacks, the CIA has been able to operate without case-by-case approval from the White House in such cases, and has flown 100 to 150 suspects to countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan and Pakistan.

Bayh Cranks Up Fundraising

Here's an article about Senator Bayh's fundraising that appears in my old home town newspaper but comes from Maureen Groppe who covers a lot of Indiana politics in Washington for Gannett. Yes, the money is all important at this stage with, as others have mentioned, about a $40 million entrance fee for the race. So you can see that even though the reace is far away chasing the money starts ASAP once one is exploring the thought of running.

Bayh cranks up fund-raising arm
By Maureen Groppe, Gannett News Service

WASHINGTON -- Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh is revving up a fund-raising tool that he'll use to travel the country, help Democratic candidates, and raise his profile within the party. Here's how his leadership political action committee works:

Question: What is a leadership PAC?

Answer: It's a fund-raising arm separate from a politician's re-election campaign fund. Politicians use leadership PACs to build political chits with other politicians by donating money to their campaigns or traveling on their behalf. Politicians also use leadership PACs to pay for their own travel, attract people to work for them and help others raise money.

Q: What does a PAC have to do with running for president?

A: Often, leadership PACs are a kind of campaign-in-waiting for a politician thinking of running for president. Politicians can often test-drive a campaign while still being coy about their ambitions.

Q: How long has Bayh had a PAC?

A: Bayh created his PAC in 1999, his first year in the Senate. He's raised about $1.5 million and spent about $1.1 million through the PAC since then.

Q: So what's new?

A: Bayh changed the PAC's name from Americans for Responsible Leadership to All America PAC and hired a director for the first time, a political consultant with presidential campaign experience. The PAC is also likely to be more active than it has been in the last few years.

Q: Does that mean Bayh is running for president?

A: Bayh's spokesman says it only means Bayh wants to play a larger role within the Democratic Party. Political observers, however, note this is the kind of step Bayh needs to take at this stage if he wants to seek his party's nomination in 2008.

Q: What will indicate whether Bayh is running for president?

A: Watch the chits he builds through travel and donations. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, for example, spent tens of thousands of dollars buying personal computers for the state parties in Iowa and New Hampshire, sites of the first caucus and primary in the nomination process. How much Bayh raises, particularly compared with other likely presidential candidates, will also be significant.

Q: Where does Bayh's PAC get its money?

A: Bayh isn't required to publicly release the PAC's contributors or expenses for this year until July.

Individuals can give $5,000 per year to a PAC, compared with a maximum $2,100 per election to candidate's personal campaigns.

The largest chunk of money the old PAC collected came from those with ties to the financial, insurance or real estate industries, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. For example, Wall Street investor Bob Rose opened his Connecticut home to help Bayh raise money from some of Rose's friends. And Robert Utley, chairman of a private equity firm in Dallas, used his private plane to get Bayh to two fund-raising events.

Q: Is Bayh's PAC the only source of potential presidential campaign funds?

A: Bayh has $6.6 million left in his re-election campaign that can be transferred to a presidential campaign if he decides to run. That's a far cry, however, from the more than $300 million that President Bush and Democrat John Kerry each raised for the 2004 campaign.

Q: Who else has a PAC?

A: About 175 members of Congress have leadership PACs, including most of those seen as potential presidential candidates.

Bayh's fund-raising
Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh is revamping his political action committee, a fund-raising tool that helps him increase his influence within the party. Here's a look at the first six years of his PAC.

His PAC 1999-2004
* Raised: $1.48 million.
* Spent: $1.1 million.
* Directly contributed to other candidates: $490,000.
* Indirectly contributed to other candidates: $481,000.

Top sources of contributions
* Financial/insurance/real estate interests: $645,169.
* Lawyers/lobbyists: $128,500.
* Miscellaneous business interests: $114,622.
* Communications interests: $110,000.
* Labor: $100,000.

Conservative/Liberal Score for Evan Bayh

I take these ratings with a grain of salt but thought I'd share them anyway. The article doesn't mention who were the most liberal or conservative in ratings and who else received scores like Bayh's, but here it is for what it's worth.

Their votes show their true color
By James R. Carroll
The Courier-Journal

Few people would argue that the Republican members of the Kentucky and Indiana congressional delegations consider themselves conservatives.

But there are gradations. That's obvious from perusing the annual vote ratings of the National Journal. The ratings are based on selected House and Senate votes last year on economic, social and foreign policy issues.

The nonpartisan magazine considers 100 a perfect conservative score and also grades folks on a liberal scale up to 100.

So, nobody in Kentucky is perfect, according to the Journal. Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., got an 87.3 conservative score, which means he was more conservative than 87.3 percent of his colleagues overall last year. He got a 12.7 liberal score.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., landed an 82 conservative rating and an 18 liberal rating.

The Democrats? Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh received a conservative score of 38.3 and a liberal score of 61.7. In the House, Rep. Ben Chandler of the 6th District was rated 42.5 conservative, 57.5 liberal.