Living here in a gerrymandered, Republican congressional district in central California, I feel compelled each election cycle to go to a “swing” district and campaign there. This year there are around 60 such districts. So tomorrow morning, I am flying to Philadelphia where I will meet up with a couple of old friends and head to PA-07. We are going to campaign for the Democratic candidate, retired Vice Admiral Joe Sestak. Imagine a vice-admiral calling for the U.S. to get out of Iraq! You can see Joe’s site here.

Joe is running against 10-term incumbent, right-wing-nut, Republican Curt Weldon. Curt is another one of the dozens of Republicans currently being investigated for wrongdoing. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer:

… the FBI was investigating whether the Delaware County congressman used his influence to help his daughter, a registered lobbyist, win consulting contracts.

Please do something this weekend to end one-party rule of our country. Volunteer for a campaign, make phone calls for moveon.org and by all means, vote (on Tuesday).

I’m cautiously optimistic that the Democrats will retake the House and hopeful that they will retake the Senate as well. The corrupt Republican machine is finally imploding on itself and it is about time!

This ad by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee pretty much sums it up. Please vote on Tuesday and let’s make sure that one party doesn’t control all branches of government.

In an interview with a conservative talk radio host, Vice President Dick Cheney admitted that the U.S. has used water-boarding and doesn’t consider it torture. The graphic illustrates what water-boarding is. It was good enough for the Spanish Inquisition so it is good enough for Bush/Cheney.

Impeachment is far to good for these two war criminals.

Watch this video of Bush imitating a weasel…

UPDATE 1-17-08: This video was removed for use violation. This is scary folks. videos like this, of the president of the US speaking to the public, are and should be in the public domain.

For those readers out there who might be concerned about what catastrophe might befall the nation if the Democrats won control of even one house of Congress, watch this segment from the Daily Show. Bush is clearly delusional, an idiot or an android programmed to be a delusional idiot. Wouldn’t it be smart that at least one branch of government be controlled by the opposing party?

UPDATE 1-17-08: This video was removed for use violation. This is scary folks. videos like this, of the president of the US speaking to the public, are and should be in the public domain.

I watched the movie V for Vendetta last night. It was another great film by the Wachowski Brothers. This is a thought provoking look into one scary but possible future. It ranks up there with Logan’s Run, Omega Man, Fahrenheit 451 and Matrix.

It wasn’t that much of a leap when today, I saw this video of Bush at a press conference. Nearly 6 years later, I still can not believe that he is the President of the United States. He (and Cheney) should have been impeached years ago. It isn’t too late.

Check out the video of his rambling nonsense about his miserable failure in Iraq.

UPDATE 1-17-08: This video was removed for use violation. This is scary folks. videos like this, of the president of the US speaking to the public, are and should be in the public domain.

From the Boston Globe:

Nearly all members of the House of Representatives opted out of a chance to read this year’s classified intelligence bill, and then voted on secret provisions they knew almost nothing about.The bill, which passed by 327 to 96 in April, authorized the Bush administration’s plans for fighting the war on terrorism. Many members say they faced an untenable choice: Either consent to a review process so secretive that they could never mention anything about it in House debates, under the threat of prosecution, or vote on classified provisions they knew nothing about.

Ah! That must be the democratic ideal we are bringing to Iraq.

This is one of the most articulate statement on the state of affairs in Iraq that I have heard so far. Right on Russ!

UPDATE 1/17/08: This video was removed from youtube due to “terms of use violation”. Who doesn’t want people to hear an articulate assessment of Bush’s war in Iraq?

On Monday morning, President Bush called on all Americans to conserve gasoline by driving less. By Tuesday morning, he had come up with some specific advice for his White House staff:

During a trip to Texas and Louisiana, some cars were dropped from the presidential motorcade.

Of course the instructions to his staff also include pushing hard for expanded drilling in the Arctic, relaxed environmental laws and for more nuclear power.

From the NY Times:

Meanwhile, will Vice President Dick Cheney turn down the air-conditioning in his office? In 2001, Mr. Cheney said that “conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it cannot be the basis of a sound energy policy.”

On Tuesday, Mr. Cheney’s spokesman, Steve Schmidt, said “the vice president wholeheartedly supports administration policies,” and he “will certainly do his part.”

Oh, he’ll do his part alright.

To Conserve Gas, President Calls for Less Driving

With fears mounting that high energy costs will crimp economic growth, President Bush called on Americans yesterday to conserve gasoline by driving less. He also issued a directive for all federal agencies to cut their own energy use and to encourage employees to use public transportation.
[...]
‘We can all pitch in,’ Mr. Bush said. ‘People just need to recognize that the storms ave caused disruption,’ he added, and that if Americans are able to avoid going ‘on a trip that’s not essential, that would be helpful.’”

It is hard to recognize this as the same Bush that has staunchly protected tax breaks and lax pollution standards for SUV’s. The article continues, summing up Bush’s energy philosophy nicely…

Mr. Bush’s comments… pushed gasoline prices sharply higher, were particularly notable because the administration has long emphasized new production over conservation. It has also opted not to impose higher mileage standards on automakers.

In 2001, Vice President Dick Cheney said, “Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it cannot be the basis of a sound energy policy.” Also that year, Ari Fleischer, then Mr. Bush’s press secretary, responded to a question about reducing American energy consumption by saying “that’s a big no.”

“The president believes that it’s an American way of life,” Mr. Fleischer said.

No one ever accused Bush of being a visionary. Imagine if a president issued an executive order that half of all new government vehicles be hybrids, get 45mpg, or better yet, that they run on biodiesel. That would be visionary.