The Republicans That Must Be Defeated

An attempt by the Netroots to influence the elections with technology. The Goopers did it in 2004. Now, it's our turn.

For background and more information see here, here, and here.

--AZ-Sen: Jon Kyl

--AZ-01: Rick Renzi

--AZ-05: J.D. Hayworth

--CA-04: John Doolittle

--CA-11: Richard Pombo

--CA-50: Brian Bilbray

--CO-04: Marilyn Musgrave

--CO-05: Doug Lamborn

--CO-07: Rick O'Donnell

--CT-04: Christopher Shays

--FL-13: Vernon Buchanan

--FL-16: Joe Negron

--FL-22: Clay Shaw

--ID-01: Bill Sali

--IL-06: Peter Roskam

--IL-10: Mark Kirk

--IL-14: Dennis Hastert

--IN-02: Chris Chocola

--IN-08: John Hostettler

--IA-01: Mike Whalen

--KS-02: Jim Ryun

--KY-03: Anne Northup

--KY-04: Geoff Davis

--MD-Sen: Michael Steele

--MN-01: Gil Gutknecht

--MN-06: Michele Bachmann

--MO-Sen: Jim Talent

--MT-Sen: Conrad Burns

--NV-03: Jon Porter

--NH-02: Charlie Bass

--NJ-07: Mike Ferguson

--NM-01: Heather Wilson

--NY-03: Peter King

--NY-20: John Sweeney

--NY-26: Tom Reynolds

--NY-29: Randy Kuhl

--NC-08: Robin Hayes

--NC-11: Charles Taylor

--OH-01: Steve Chabot

--OH-02: Jean Schmidt

--OH-15: Deborah Pryce

--OH-18: Joy Padgett

--PA-04: Melissa Hart

--PA-07: Curt Weldon

--PA-08: Mike Fitzpatrick

--PA-10: Don Sherwood

--RI-Sen: Lincoln Chafee

--TN-Sen: Bob Corker

--VA-Sen: George Allen

--VA-10: Frank Wolf

--WA-Sen: Mike McGavick

--WA-08: Dave Reichert

On Work, Stress, and Writing

So, it’s been something like 6 months since I’ve posted on here. I’ve not had much time to do anything other than eat, sleep, and work.

Of course, it doesn’t help that I’m in some kind of funk, could even be called mild depression.

You see, in March my husband had to accept a job out of state for economic reasons. (It was either take the job, or dive head first into financial ruin)  The job was expected to last until late June or early July. Needless to say, the job is still going, and looks like it will for at least another month or two.  I’ve only seen him for a couple of days every 4-6 weeks since he’s been gone. The whole time, the question of whether or not we would be relocating has been hanging over our heads.  The damned question has still not been answered.

To pile things on even further, I’ve been swamped at work with no relief in sight.  There are other stress factors involved in that, including, but not limited to, the fact that I’ve determined through market research that I am approximately 50% underpaid for what I do. I love my job though, and love most of the people I work with, with about 3 exceptions.  I’m also learning that a boob-job can get you paid more and advance you further than good old-fashioned brains. I have to wonder how large of implants I’d have to get in order to get the raise I deserve.  Of course, none of this matters if we have to relocate. If we don’t have to relocate, then I may have some leverage to get the money I deserve. I’ve found out over the last few weeks that I have a couple of very strong advocates for my gripes.

I hope you can understand why I’ve not been updating this like I should.  I’ve got several long posts started that I have yet to finish. And I’ve got a ‘manifesto’ that deals with my beliefs that is in progress, and I’m quite proud of what is done so far.

Please bear with me, I hope to get up-to-date in the next week or so.

Thanks,
Squirrel

Bush Not Leaving Office in 2009?

If we allow the current defense of the illegal wiretaps to stand, who is to say that the preznit won't decide he has other inherent powers vested in him by Article II of the Constitution?
 
Let's play a little imagination game...
 
It's October 18, 2008, the Democratic Presidential Candidate (whoever it may be) is leading the Republican Candidate by about 30 points in the latest Zogby poll. The Neocons are freaking out because they are about to be permanently removed from power. Bushie and Turd Blossom decide that they can't allow the destruction of America to stop, so they elevate the terror alert level to 'Mushroom Cloud-Communist Red'. They talk of an orchestrated attack on polling places in various parts of the country.  So in the name of protecting America, they decide to postpone the election until the plan can be shut down.  November 4 rolls around with no elections and no terror attacks. Bush has saved the day!!!
 
On Fox News that night, he says the following:
"It is my duty as the President to protect the American people at ALL costs.  Today, we thwarted a major terrorist attack that would have killed or injured MILLIONS of Americans. British intelligence has learned that the method of attack can be easily modified to fit with any election day setup.  In light of this development, it will be in the best interest of the American people if we continue to postpone the presidential election until we are able to find and punish those responsible for this plan. To have the elections at this point in time would give aid and comfort to the enemy. I have ordered all elections to cease until further notice by this administration. Thank you, and God Bless Amurika."
 
Immediately, the left blogosphere erupts. This is not a pretty sight. When people like Kos, Atrios, Aravosis, Greenwald, and Digby get fired up, you better watch out.  (At the same time, AssRocket, Malkin, and their type are breaking open the Franzia) Since this is 2008 and not 2006, people no longer go to the MSM for their news. They have learned that the MSM is hopelessly skewed to the right and no longer trust a word anybody other than Keith Olbermann and Jon Stewart say. After the bloggers get fired up, the American People become enraged at this horrid display of fear-mongering by the administration.  They stand up and demand elections.
 
After the initial frenzy, the now Democrat-led House begins impeachment proceedings (finally).  Bush immediately signs executive order No. 6660666 stating 'the President, in time of war with a noun, may simply discard the opinions and convictions of the United States Congress as he sees fit." Alberto Gonzalez confers.
 
On December 2, 2008 after massive worldwide protests, the Administration agrees to hold an election, but with mail balloting only.  So, the ballots go out. When I receive mine, I notice immediately the return address is the home office of the RNC. Fortunately, I am not the only one who realizes this. Hunter also realizes this and finally blows a vein. He then sets into motion what will become known as the "Hunter Revolt".  After screaming and yelling at anyone and everyone he can get close to, the Administration finally says "Aw, to hell with it, you can have your damned elections” (just to shut him up).  And so we do.  Everything goes smoothly (since Diebold was decertified in every state except Utah).
 
When the votes are counted, there is a steal-proof majority in 49 states giving the election to the Democrat.  Ann Coulter jumps off Library Tower, and Bill O'Reilly drowns himself in San Francisco Bay.
 
January 20, 2009 rolls around.  Then the Shit really really hits the fan.  On what should be the most joyous day in the USA since Coca-Cola was first bottled, all hell breaks loose.  Bomb threats are called in on every major building in DC. One 911 operator said the voice sounded very Texan and oddly familiar.  Immediately, King George decides that it is too risky to hand national security over to the pansy flip-floppy liberals and calls off the inauguration.

He immediately jumps on Fox again saying “If I step aside and allow a peaceful changing of President, the terrorists will have won. This is what they want, you see. If I am not in power, they will be able to bring the fight here instead of over there. I have decided as Commander in Chief that I will not rest until these evil-doers are brought to justice once and for all.  I cannot fight the terrorists if I am not the King. Oops, I mean President. Thank you, and God Bless Amurika.”

The riots continue for weeks, then weeks turn into months, and months into years, all to no avail.  Bush has declared himself permanent ruler.  He will only leave office upon his death. The order of Presidential Succession includes Jeb, Neil, Barbie, and Jenna.

Our economy collapses, the country is bankrupt. The number of people in poverty reaches 75%. We have lost all allies, and are being threatened with invasion by Canada. All hope is lost.

But hey, on the bright side, at least we no longer have to listen to Coulter and O’Reilly.

Meme of Four

Four jobs you’ve had in your life: Restaurant hostess, sign electrician, HVAC Service Manager, Contract Administrator
Four movies you could watch over and over: Steel Magnolias, The Shawshank Redemption, A River Runs Through It, An Affair to Remember
Four places you’ve lived: Orlando, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Denver
Four TV shows you love to watch: The Daily Show, Countdown W/ Kieth Olberman, The West Wing, Meet the Press
Four places you’ve been on vacation: Daytona Beach, Gatlinburg TN, Aspen CO, San Antonio TX.
Four websites you visit daily: DailyKos, Crooks and Liars, AmericaBlog, DemocraticUnderground
Four of your favorite foods: Prime Rib, Blackberry Cobbler, Collard Greens, My grandmother's Chicken Casserole.
Four places you’d rather be: Venice, Maui, New York, London

Feel free to fill in your own answers in the comments or post it on your own blog.

Polls are False Hope?

I will be the first to admit that I have been on Cloud 9 for a few weeks now.  First there was Brownie, then Fitzmas, Harriet Miers, Delay got hammered, Frist’s trust wasn’t so blind, Cheney openly begging for torture to be allowed, Harry Reid grew a spine and may have even developed balls.  We also got ANWR off the table, the budget cuts were axed, and the additional tax cuts for the uber-rich couldn’t get out of committee.  Now, there is the investigation into the lies that got us into Iraq, and Falafel Head has finally gone off the deep end.

However, there is one thing that worries me…the polls.  I’ve been dancing for weeks because Bush’s numbers are in the toilet. But, then I got to thinking about the past.  There was one time in our history that proved polls couldn’t always be trusted.  

Let me take you back, back to the mid-term elections of 1994…All of the public opinion polls were swinging high for the Dems, they all appeared to say that we would keep both houses, though we may lose a few seats.  Losing some seats would be expected since historically the president’s party almost always lost seats in the midterms.  Even with everything looking rosy, Hillary and Bill felt that something just wasn’t right.  So they, to the dismay of many, hired Dick Morris (yes, that Dick Morris) to kinda ‘take the pulse’ of the electorate.  The Clintons had been all over the country and just didn’t feel that the polls were reflecting the true feelings of the voters.  The problem being that typical polls aren’t a good gauge of the intensity of the electorate.  Nor is it a good gauge of why people aren’t happy.  Well, Morris did his own polling and determined that the Clinton’s were right.  Their opposition’s intensity was much greater than their proponent’s intensity.  Since people who are more involved tend to take more action, this translated into the “Year of the Angry White Man”.  Morris, as much as I hate him, was right.  He said the GOP would take both houses, and they did.  The other polls weren’t wrong, they just weren’t asking the right questions.

This brings me to why I’m beginning to be worried about the polls.  Has anyone asked why they don’t approve of Bush?  Have they asked the question ‘Is Bush too Liberal for your taste?’, what about, ‘Do you disapprove of the way he is handling Iraq because he hasn’t dropped nukes on Baghdad?’  I think if these questions were asked, we might find that there is a significant minority who actually think this guy is too far to the left.  My guess is in the neighborhood of 10% believe this.

If this is the case, and I really hope I’m wrong on this, then that means that if he becomes even more of a stubborn hard-ass then he could very well be back in the 50% approval range.  This also means that the far right nutjobs in the House and Senate may very well be re-elected by large margins, and they may even pick up even more seats.

Sure, its all great to see that he’s not trusted, and that Iraq was a mistake, but do these people feel strongly enough about this stuff for it to change their minds?  

I don’t want to rain on everyone’s parade, but I just don’t know if we are in the clear yet.

Lemme know what you think.

Time is of the Essence

Wow, there has been so much going on lately and I haven’t had time to touch on any of it. I plan to get caught up on “The Great Republican Meltdown” this weekend.

I hate that I’ve been away from my blog for such a time, but I have been too damned busy to do much of anything. I also had quite a bit of reading to catch up on.

Anyways, I’ll rant away this weekend. I’ve got a few lengthy rants in the draft stage that need to be edited then I’ll post them.

See y’all soon!!!!

Advice to the Holy Rollers

How is it that the far right neo-cons have managed to be the “party of values?” They are on the whole the most un-Christian group I’ve ever seen. I’m a pseudo-atheist and I have more values and morals than they do.

First of all, you can’t claim to be pro-life when you believe in the death penalty, pre-emptive war, and anti-gun control. What really appalls me is these people insist that a couple of cells in a petrie dish are more important than the real humans they could help. If they are so damned against using stem cells, (which, by the way, would otherwise be thrown away) then they don’t have to be treated with the cures they eventually create. Same thing with abortions…if you think they are so wrong, then don’t have one. Otherwise, stay the hell out of other people’s lives. Maybe if they spent half as much time worrying about how they were living their own life as they do worrying about everyone else they could actually be taken seriously.

Here is my advice to the fundamentalist evangelicals out there:

1. Stop trying to outlaw what other people are doing in the privacy of their own home. As long as it involves consenting adults, it is none of your damned business.
2. As I said above, if you actually believe an abortion ends life, then don’t have one. Simple as that. It’s a choice to be left up to each woman, not to you and your holy-roller friends.
3. Repeat this to yourself everyday…A cluster of cells in a lab are NOT a human, but Michael J Fox IS a human and he could really use those cells.
4. Stop trying to convert me and everyone else. I don’t need your crutch, I get along just fine. I don’t feel the need to have a greater purpose.
5. Do something Christian for a change…like oh, how about protest the death penalty. Or even donate to the poor. Do something to seem more Christ-like just once. You’ll feel better about yourself, and I’ll feel better about our co-existence.
6. Stop spewing hatred for those who don’t share your beliefs. There are thousands of religions in this world. What makes you so damned sure that yours is right?
7. No matter what you think, God did not choose you or anyone else. And he sure as hell hasn’t blessed this country. Nor will he ever. Get over it.
8. Realize that the hurricanes are not caused because of decadence. They are because you and your damned “compassionate conservatives” aren’t willing to admit that global warming exists and so you keep pumping more and more pollutants into our air.
9. Admit that Darwin was right, and that the Earth is 4+ billion years old. You look so stupid when you try to say it is 6000 years old.
10. Stop talking about 'the flood'. It makes you seem more stupid than when you talk about the Earth being 6000 years old.
11. Get to know a homosexual, without trying to convert him/her. You will soon realize that their life is not a choice. You will also realize they tend to live their life with better morals and values than you do.
12. Keep your God out of my schools, courts, and government offices. He’s not my god nor is he the god of nearly 30% of the American population.

I know this is hard advice to swallow for many, and I don’t expect any of these arrogant assholes to follow one single word of it. In fact, I’m sure I’ll receive a fair response of hate mail because of this. I don’t care though. It’s is high time that reason and compassion win out over vitriol and hate based in fear, unfamiliarity, and racism.

Oh, what's the use, I'll never change anyone's mind. I guess a squirrel can always have a dream though, can't she?