And a 15 Year Old Female Blogger Shall Lead Them...

A week ago, Ava the 15 year old blogger had her video premier at the Netroots Conference in Las Vegas. It was a powerful, sincere full-throated anti-Bush roar! Ava lives in Alabama and is getting all kinds of media attention. She was interviewed by Joie Chen on CNN today and Ava handled her masterfully.

Anyway, I highly recommend that you visit her site called "Peace Takes Courage" and check out her animation. She has over 50 videos and they concentrate on telling the truth about the country America has become.

Not pretty, but necessary.

Murtha Tears Karl Rove a New ONE!

Democratic Hawk John Murtha appeared on Tim Russert's "Meet the Press" today and he was BRILLIANT!! He was an authentic and passionate Hawk with Commonsense and a Heart! I LOVED IT!

He showed the tongue-tied and intimidated Democratic politicians in the Washington Beltway how it is DONE! He man-handled the Republican talking points, crushing them and then creating his own concoction with them.

Murtha's a leader. I would follow him even though I know less than nothing about Defense issues but I do know this: Congressman Murtha speaks authentically from the heart and with HONESTY about the realities on the ground that the American public has seen on television and from the mouths of our troops. That much I know.

He is the ONLY one I've heard - Republican or Democrat - that has come forward with an authentic message and plan on Iraq. Now, John Kerry just gave a speech on Iraq that was startling in its forthrightness - but this only made me more angry with him because it was the damn speech he should've given 2 years ago!

Anyway, let me make with the goods! Here's a transcript of video excerpt from today's "Meet the Press" when Murtha responds to Karl Rove's regurgitated "cut and run" accusation against Murtha and John Kerry in New Hampshire speech Rove gave a few days ago:

ROVE (video): Like too many Democrats, it strikes me they are ready to give the green light to go to war, but when it gets tough and when it gets difficult, they fall back on that party's old pattern of cutting and running. They may be with you at the first shots, but they are not going to be there for the last, tough battles. They are wrong and profoundly wrong in their approach.

Russert: Cutting and Running

MURTHA: He's in New Hampshire. He's making a political speech. He’s sitting in his air-conditioned office on his big, fat backside-saying stay the course. That’s not a plan! I don't know what his military experience is, but that's a political statement. This is a policy difference between me and the White House. I disagree completely with what he's saying. We've got to change direction. You can't sit there in the air-conditioned office and tell troops carrying seventy pounds on their backs, inside these armored vessels-hit with IED's every day-seeing their friends blown up-their buddies blown up-and he says stay the course? Easy to say that from Washington, DC.

More from Blogger Rachel Sklar on how Murtha masterfully showed the Democrats how to beat the stuff out of Karl Rove, fake-swaggering Bush and the rest of ‘em.

2500 American Soldiers Dead

It's official: The number of dead American soldiers is now 2500. Wonder will the corporate media give these courageous soldiers the coverage they deserve despite all of the distractions? We know that the actual coffins of the soldiers will never be shown on American television, but a framed picture of a dead Abu al-Zarqawi can be shown 24 hours a day on the cable news channels - for all of the children to see. How ironic is this?

And on this, the same day that we are told that the 2500th American soldier has given his or her life to defend American democracy, our Supreme Court hands in a 5-4 decision saying "police armed with a warrant can barge into homes and seize evidence even if they don't knock". Who was the deciding fifth justice? Why, Justice Samuel Alito who took moderate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's seat - of course. The Bush Administration rejoices today. Our Constitution sustains yet another body blow in its previously tattered condition.

Yes, we are making our American soldiers proud.

Today the Republicans continue to play political games with the lives of our troops and the innocent Iraqi men, women and children as they engage in a farce of a debate on Iraq in the U.S. House and Senate. I hope that the anti-war Democrats and Republicans will stand their ground and demand an end to our Iraq invasion. The American people are behind the anti-war platform.

We need to get out of Iraq and bring our troops home. I fully support Congressman John Murtha's plan to re-deploy our troops. Here it is. It is a reasonable and wise plan (dictated in the ears of conservative Democrat Representative John Murtha by the frustrated military brass in the Pentagon) that will get us out of the greatest foreign policy disaster in the history of the United States of America.

Corporate Media Desparately Wants to Give Bush a Bounce

Let there be no mistake: There is something terribly wrong with the mainstream American media. They are so intimidated that they bend over backwards to give Bush the benefit of the doubt and shill for him whenever they get the chance.

CNN and MSNBC are panting headlines like, "Bounce for Bush?" because of a "good week".

Let's see:

In a White House that had virtually forgotten what good news looks like, the past few weeks have been refreshing. A Republican won a much-watched special congressional election. President Bush recruited a Wall Street heavy hitter as Treasury secretary. U.S. forces killed the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq. And now the architect of the Bush presidency has avoided criminal charges.

Now, let us examine the "successes" that are worthy of crowing about. A Republican won a California congressional race in a very tight race in a very RED district - foreboding how weak the GOP actually is going into the November elections. Bush found a new Treasury Secretary scapegoat for his continued horrible economic policies. U.S. forces killed Abu al-Zarqawi only to have another man promoted to his spot within hours. And now Karl Rove has escaped an indictment in the CIA Leak case which in and of itself is a thorough disgrace - anytime your top political aide and "indictment" are in the same sentence, you've lost the court of public opinion right off the bat.

But the corporate media myopically fails to see it this way in their eternal right tilt.

To me, Bush's secret trip to Iraq last night, Zarqawi's death (and the inhumane framing of his death picture) and all the rest of it is just more public relations spin packaged with a bit of truth to make the American citizen forget to remember what they already know.

I'm sorry. Zarqawi didn't do 9-11. Osama did. Where's Osama?

I don't care how many secret trips Bush makes to Iraq. Nothing's changing in Iraq until the country's leadership changes.

Everytime you look around, Bush and the GOP leadership is sticking it to the American people to the benefit of corporate America and the right wing social extremists.

People are fed up. I think people have become immune to Bush's PR moves and are tuning him out.

Zarqawi's death is not going to change anything in Iraq except perhaps it will get worse. Why? Because Iraq is going down the tubes because of American foreign policy, not because of one or two men. When individual men are killed, more will only take their place.

Karl Rove is free but the stink of corruption still follows him and the Republican Majority.

What has changed? Americans are suffering everyday financially, spiritually and physically. Soldiers are still dying and the IEDs in Iraq are still going off.
Nothing's changed.

Yesterday, a CBS poll came out to support my take saying al-Zarqawi's death and other recent "successes" are making little difference.

Why Unions? Labor 101

I grew up in Detroit, Michigan and I guess you could say that I grew up breathing union much as I inhaled air. I took the Unions for granted and assumed they'd always be there. I did not always appreciate the true contributions of unions to the lives of unionized and non-unionized middle and working class Americans.

I assumed that pensions would always be honored, good health benefits, vacations, weekends and the 40 hour work week were just the American way if you went to school and learned a skilled trade or earned your higher degrees in college.

I didn't pay attention much when Ronald Reagan busted the Air Traffic Controller union in 1981 but was still able to get white working class Americans to vote for him. I didn't pay much attention to how the owners of the Detroit Free Press and News busted their own union during the mid-1990s and nothing's been the same since in the newspaper industry. By the way, that was a NASTY strike and some Detroit union members still refuse to subscribe to that newspaper again.

But today the 35 year attack on the Labor Movement is naked for all to see. Unions across the country are on their knees and whether you are unionized or not, I suspect that you as a blue or white collar American worker can feel the demise of pay and benefits.

There's an old saying: A rising tide lifts all boats.

The rising tide was provided by the unions and it pains me to hear people who have everything to gain from a strong union attack it by parroting right wing talking points on Fox News and the cable news pundits. As well, I think that unions have not been good at public relations and getting out there and letting the American worker know about the history of the labor movement and how unions have helped them as workers.

Another blogger Nathan Newman wrote a powerful entry on unions on DailyKos.com and I felt moved to share it here.

Please read it and pass it on. The truth needs to get out now because America is perishing for the lack of it.

America's Disgrace: 3 Suicides at Guantanomo Bay

If you recall, a few months ago there were media reports of 75 of Guantanamo Bay prisoners engaging in a mass hunger strike to protest the inhumane conditions and their lack of access to a fair trial. We were told that these prisoners were force fed in the interest of humanity.

Now we are told that 3 of the prisoners has committed suicide by hanging themselves with their bed sheets.

And worst yet, one of the Bush administrations officials are trying to spin these suicides. One official says, "I believe this was not an act of desperation, but an act of asymmetrical warfare waged against us." Crap! They think we are stupid!

If this were an act of warfare against us then these prisoners would've killed themselves years ago when they were first imprisoned.

Now let me say right off that I do not know if these prisoners were terrorists or not. But what I do know is that the United States has a mighty document called The United States Constitution that used to be held in pretty high esteem by our elected officials until George W. Bush stole his way into the White House. It guarantees these imprisoned men their day in a fair court where our government can make their case and prove that these men were indeed terroristic threats to America. The fact that our Supreme Court has refused to force Bush to abide by our laws is an absolute dereliction of duty!

As well, the fact that Bush has avoided giving these men their day in court makes me believe that the government is unable to prove that these men have done anything wrong. So why are they being held? It is a national disgrace. Our reputation as champions of human rights is in the toilet. America has sullied herself on Bush's watch.

I can understand why these men, who have been heinously imprisoned and tortured with no access to a fair trial, would finally opt to kill themselves.

And for a Bush administration official to come out and try to spin these suicides as "an act of asymmetrical warfare waged against us" is a cynicical attempt to appeal to Americans' fears and desire for self-protection. It is a very cynicial ploy that caters to our baser instincts.

But, my past knowledge of the Bush administration's lies and my sense of peace and social justice will not allow me to be manipulated in this manner. The truth is, I am more afraid of my government than I am of the existing terrorists. Yes, I am an American citizen and I am more afraid of my own government who continues to demonstrate such disdain for the American rule of law.

And I am appalled and outraged by every inhumane and corrupt act that is done in America's name within this country and around the world.

More than that, it is clear to me that the Bush Administration is hell-bent on protecting itself - and has declared war on the American people, our U.S. Constitution and the rest of the World.

Sermon from YearlyKos

I'm an unabashed member of the "Netroots". Yes, I'm a daily visitor of DailyKos.com, the most popular political blog in America. It is a wonderful progressive outlet of information and rant-outlet for me.

As you may or may not be aware, this weekend the Daily Kos blog community held its first national conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The conference is called "YearlyKos"

Since I was unable to make the trek to Las Vegas, I watched the conference on video at home. It was wonderful. There were so many delicious panels on diverse topics such as the CIA Leak, illegal wiretapping, getting out of Iraq, how progressives can start winning elections again and election reform. Many elected officials attended such as Gov. Howard Dean, Gov. Mark Warner, Senator Harry Reid, and Senator Barbara Boxer - and plenty of 2006 progressive candidates.

Here is some video of several of the speeches.

Anyway one of the spiritually progressives bloggers called Pastor Dan held a session on Religion and Politics and he gave this fascinating speech His blog is called Street Prophets.

I hope you will take a few minutes and read his speech. Here are some powerful highlights:

We need a way to seek the healing of the world.

I mean to suggest, then, that for progressives in 2006, there are a number of questions about religion that we should not be overly concerned with.

We don't need to worry about what we are doing to attract conservative evangelicals.

We don't need to argue for more "God-talk" in political campaigns.

We don't need to fuss and fight about whether or not the Democratic party is "friendly to people of faith."

We don't need to reconcile faith and science: they are separate, but not necessarily antagonistic, realms.

We don't need to seek the conversion of American voters. They're fine the way they are, regardless of what they believe or don't believe.

We sure as shooting don't need to aim for using "Biblical principles" in Democratic political strategy or governance.

What we do need to do is ask some basic questions: what are we after, in the end? And how do we intend to go about getting it, together?

I found his speech particularly useful since it cuts through the media spin and gets at the spiritual and political truths we all need to grapple with.

I am clear on one thing: Reclaiming America requires a long-term committed progressive movement.

And I, like millions of others, have been called to serve.

The Truth About Haditha

Haditha. Now, I'm just going to tell the truth about the atrocious killing of innocent Iraqi women and children in Haditha. I don't need to wait to hear more of the United States politicians lying to my face about how it was an alleged deed done by only a handful of American soldiers.

The truth is, they did it and they've been killing, raping and pillaging the Iraqi women, men and children for some time now. This is what happens when you send brave young American soldiers ill-prepared and ill-trained on an ill-conceived mission for which the rationale keeps changing. No wonder the suicide rate is at an all-time high. They are trapped.

Our troops are over there being blown up and shot at by an unseen enemy. These are the conditions they must survive under for days, weeks, months and years on end with the date to go home being held elusively over their heads repeatedly. They feel forgotten and are stressed out and tired, tired, tired - and full of fear.

And nobody cares in Washington. Nobody cares about anything in Washington except getting re-elected and saying the right thing and doing the right thing to guarantee this almighty re-election. Democrat and Republican. (Well, maybe a few care but most of them don't.)

Don't insult my intelligence (and that of other Americans) by sending one general over to Iraq to lecture the troops on "military ethics and honor". It is laughable. How can any of the military brass or the political leadership lecture these soldiers on a subject that is totally lacking within them??? What does Rumsfeld, Gen. Peter Pace, Bush, Cheney, or Condolezza Rice know of ethics and honor??

And, for the thousandth time, the media is yammering about how this is it, Rumsfeld will be forced to resign! Crap! Rumsfeld's not going anywhere until there's a change in Congressional leadership ranks in Washington, DC. Until then, Bush's same poisonous, callous, myopic Iraq policy will continue.

Even the Iraqi Prime Minister is speaking out about the troops careless disregard for the lives of Iraqis.

The raping, killing and pillaging will continue because this is what you see when you continue to send the same exhausted military men and women back for two, three, four and five tours of duty.

What do you expect? What can we expect?

More of the same: American sin and disgrace.

America is a country in want of real leadership and it is killing the collective American soul.

Bringing Back Gay Marriage: So who is surprised?

We knew it was about that time, didn't we? Bush will prontificate about protecting the sanctity of marriage in a speech on Monday in order to try to rally the right wing Christian base.

Trouble is, 2006 is not 2004 and it is questionable how many people can get worked up over this issue again - atleast, enough to save the GOP from losing big in the November elections.

One of Bush's friends makes the comment in the above link that he doubts if Bush cares about the issue at all since he never even talks about it.

This is pure political pandering - and it is naked for all to see. Wonder if the media will have the guts to take Bush and the GOP to task for it?

Doubtful. Although this Newsweek article is a pretty good start.

The REAL Hot 100

Who are the REAL hot 100?

http://therealhot100.org/

The REAL hot 100 is a list featuring young women from around the country
who are breaking barriers, fighting stereotypes, and making a difference
in their communities or the nation.

This project will not only combat the popular notion that all young
women have to offer is their ability to appeal to men, but it will also
highlight the important -- but often overlooked -- work young women are
doing.

http://girlsingovernment.org/mambo/

What does it take for a woman to succeed in politics? Despite the
progress made in the last century, there are still few women leaders.
Together we can change that. To become the leaders of tomorrow, we must
learn from the leaders of today.