Deanpeace stands by ?honest living? insult of millions of Reps, and no Dems have refuted or even distanced themselves from it
Mood:  spacey
Topic: Lib Loser Stories

In the first 24 hours since they were made public, no Dems have refuted or even distanced themselves from Howard Dean’s insult of millions of Republican voters. Howard Dean is proving that he intends to hold onto power in the DNC by generating libelous headlines instead of inspiring donors and voters.

Dean Defending Comments About Republicans

WASHINGTON - National Democratic Chairman Howard Dean was defending another of his comments Friday after telling liberal activists a lot of Republicans "have never made an honest living in their lives."

Republicans called his Thursday comment "mudslinging." Some fellow Democrats expressed reservations over his choice of words, too, before Dean amplified his comments.

"The point I was making is clear: Republican policies have declared war on hardworking Americans," Dean said Friday. "I will continue to criticize Republican leaders and their policies, and the Democratic Party will continue to offer constructive alternatives."

The Democratic chairman made the initial comments about Republicans doing "an honest day's work" Thursday during a speech to a Washington conference sponsored by the Campaign for America's Future.

While discussing the hardship of working all day and then standing in line for eight hours to vote, Dean had said, "Well, Republicans, I guess, can do that because a lot of them have never made an honest living in their lives."

Republican spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt said Dean's comment shows his priority "is to generate mudslinging headlines."

Dean has made comments that stirred controversy before. A recent example occurred in May, when Dean said House Majority Leader Tom DeLay "ought to go back to Houston where he can serve his jail sentence."

The House ethics committee is investigating whether DeLay violated congressional rules by taking foreign trips paid for by lobbyists. The Texas Republican has not been charged with a crime, but Dean said later he would not apologize.

Democratic Party efforts to recruit anti-abortion candidates and take a more moderate position on abortion drew fire Friday from Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women.

She told activists at the Campaign for America's Future meeting that leading Democrats are trying too hard to redefine the party's stance on key issues.

Leading Democrats, including New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, who heads Democratic efforts to win seats in the Senate, and party chairman Dean have been overly eager to recruit supporters — and candidates — who don't support abortion choice, she said.

In Pennsylvania, anti-abortion candidate Bob Casey Jr. is the front-runner among Democrats to challenge incumbent Republican Sen. Rick Santorum (news, bio, voting record).

Phil Singer, spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, rejected Gandy's criticism. "We're focused on getting the best candidates to run in the 2006 races without any kind of litmus test," Singer said. "If Democrats lose seats this cycle, we'll see a fundamentally different America."

Gandy said she was concerned about Democrats trying to build support "if it means throwing women's rights overboard like so much ballast, ... if it means abandoning the core principles of the Democratic Party."

Efforts by Democrats and others to blend religion and politics also drew Gandy's criticism.

"So many political leaders are trying to be Republican lite and they're being encouraged by the Democratic Party," she said. "Please, somebody tell them we don't need two Republican parties."

Yahoo News ~ Associated Press - Will Lester ** Dean Defending Comments About Republicans

Robert KKK Byrd?s WV Senate race lead evaporates
Mood:  cheeky
Topic: Lib Loser Stories

The 2006 mid-term could be the one that sees Robert Byrd, the former KKK leader who is the only person to use the 'n-word' on the floor of the Senate, lose his seat after nearly 50 years in office. Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican representative who has not even declared her candidacy is essentially tied with the West Virginia lawmaker, according to a new poll. Illinois freshman Senator Barack Obama has recently helped Byrd raise money and Dems are expected to strongly contest the race.

Byrd, Capito race too close to call

By Therese Smith Cox

A new poll shows Sen. Robert Byrd and Rep. Shelley Moore Capito would run neck and neck in a possible campaign for the Senate seat now held by Byrd.

An RMS Strategies Poll released today reports that 46 percent of 401 registered voters in West Virginia would vote for Byrd if the election were held now.

A total of 43 percent picked Capito, R-W.Va., though she has not announced her intention to run.

And 11 percent said they were undecided -- a percentage that could sway the vote either way.

Byrd, a powerful Democrat in his seventh term, dismissed the telephone poll conducted between May 11 and 18 as one of many attempts to predict the outcome of a race a full year and a half in the future.

"They'll all be different," Byrd said. "But no poll can change my job of fighting for West Virginians. People have more important things to worry about right now than that election -- Social Security and health care and taking care of their children.

"My job is to use my experience, seniority and know-how to fight for the people of West Virginia each and every day."

Byrd has not formally announced he will seek an eighth term, but his campaign has been aggressively raising money. In the first three months of this year, freshman Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., helped Byrd raise $1.16 million.

The possible race will be closely monitored as a Capito win could affect the Senate's current political balance of 55 Republicans, 44 Democrats and one Independent.

Capito also said she is focused on her current job in the House of Representatives and her effort to pass an energy bill, create jobs and provide affordable health care.

Still, she said she was flattered that many West Virginians have encouraged her to run for the Senate.

"I intend to keep my options open for 2006 and make a decision in the coming months," Capito said.

Political analyst Robert Rupp of West Virginia Wesleyan College said the poll could indicate such a race would be very tight.

"It is basically a tie," Rupp said. "This shows it's surprisingly close. This means by just putting her name out, she has done very well with this snapshot."

Because Byrd has never been strongly challenged during his nearly half-century in office, the potential campaign would cover "all new territory for West Virginia," Rupp said.

"This poll shows it might be a harder race than what some proponents suggest," he said.

RMS Strategies interviewers used random-digit dialing generated by computer to select respondents, who represented all 55 counties.

Those interviewed included a representative portion of registered voters based on age, gender, race, family income and political party affiliation. Both listed and unlisted telephone households had equal chances of being selected.

Researchers are 95 percent certain that results won't be more than plus or minus 4.9 percent off the actual mark.

In the poll, Byrd received a 62 percent very favorable or somewhat favorable opinion from voters in the state, compared to 33 percent who gave him an unfavorable rating.

Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they hold a very or somewhat favorable opinion of Capito while 19 percent gave her an unfavorable rating.

Charleston Daily Mail ~ Therese Smith Cox ** Byrd, Capito race too close to call

WMD That Never Existed Are ''Missing''
Mood:  chatty
Topic: News

U.N.: Weapons Equipment Missing in Iraq

UNITED NATIONS -- U.N. satellite imagery experts have determined that material that could be used to make biological or chemical weapons and banned long-range missiles has been removed from 109 sites in Iraq, U.N. weapons inspectors said in a report obtained Thursday.

U.N. inspectors have been blocked from returning to Iraq since the U.S.-led war in 2003 so they have been using satellite photos to see what happened to the sites that were subject to U.N. monitoring because their equipment had both civilian and military uses.

In the report to the U.N. Security Council, acting chief weapons inspector Demetrius Perricos said he's reached no conclusions about who removed the items or where they went. He said it could have been moved elsewhere in Iraq, sold as scrap, melted down or purchased.

He said the missing material can be used for legitimate purposes. "However, they can also be utilized for prohibited purposes if in a good state of repair."

He said imagery analysts have identified 109 sites that have been emptied of equipment to varying degrees, up from 90 reported in March.

The report also provided much more detail about the percentage of items no longer at the places where U.N. inspectors monitored them.

From the imagery analysis, Perricos said analysts at the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission which he heads have concluded that biological sites were less damaged than chemical and missile sites.

The commission, known as UNMOVIC, previously reported the discovery of some equipment and material from the sites in scrapyards in Jordan and the Dutch port of Rotterdam.

Perricos said analysts found, for example, that 53 of the 98 vessels that could be used for a wide range of chemical reactions had disappeared. "Due to its characteristics, this equipment can be used for the production of both commercial chemicals and chemical warfare agents," he said.

The report said 3,380 valves, 107 pumps, and more than 7.8 miles of pipes were known to have been located at the 39 chemical sites.

A third of the chemical items removed came from the Qaa Qaa industrial complex south of Baghdad which the report said "was among the sites possessing the highest number of dual-use production equipment," whose fate is now unknown." Significant quantities of missing material were also located at the Fallujah II and Fallujah III facilities north of the city, which was besieged last year.

Before the first Gulf War in 1991, those facilities played a major part in the production of precursors for Iraq's chemical warfare program.

The percentages of missing biological equipment from 12 sites were much smaller -- no higher than 10 percent.

The report said 37 of 405 fermenters ranging in size from 2 gallons to 1,250 gallons had been removed. Those could be used to produce pharmaceuticals and vaccines as well as biological warfare agents such as anthrax.

The largest percentages of missing items were at the 58 missile facilities, which include some of the key production sites for both solid and liquid propellant missiles, the report said.

For example, 289 of the 340 pieces of equipment to produce missiles -- about 85 percent -- had been removed, it said.

At the Kadhimiyah and Al Samoud factory sites in suburban Baghdad, where the report said airframes and engines for liquid propellant missiles were manufactured and final assembly was carried out, "all equipment and missile components have been removed."

UNMOVIC is the outgrowth of a U.N. inspections process created after the 1991 Gulf War in which invading Iraqi forces were ousted from Kuwait. Its staff are considered the only multinational weapons experts specifically trained in biological weapons and missile disarmament.

The report noted that the commissioners who advise UNMOVIC again raised questions about its future. Iraq has called for its Security Council mandate to be terminated because UNMOVIC is funded from past Iraqi oil sales and it wants to be treated like other countries, but the council has not taken up the issue.

France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said Thursday the commission's expertise "should not be lost for the international community."

LA Times ~ Associated Press - Edith M. Lederer ** U.N.: Weapons Equipment Missing in Iraq

New politically correct ''Bible'' claims Jesus was a woman
Mood:  spacey
Now Playing: TESTING THE FAITH
Topic: Odd Stuff

Judith Christ: New "Bible" claims Jesus was a woman

A new politically correct "Bible" changes Jesus? name to Judith and all references to Him were made female. The book aims to "acknowledge the rise of women in society," in the words of publisher Billie Shakespeare (I swear this is not a joke). The article includes a link to the book details on Amazon. Is it heresy, a marketing gimmick or PC gone nuts?

Was Jesus Christ really a woman?

New version of Gospels changes gender of 'Son of God' to female

A publisher is touting a new edition of the Gospels that identifies Christ as a woman named Judith Christ of Nazareth.

LBI Institute says its version, Judith Christ of Nazareth, The Gospels of the Bible, Corrected to Reflect that Christ Was a Woman, Extracted from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, takes Thomas Jefferson's edited Gospel one step futher by "correcting" the gender of Christ and God.

"This long-awaited revised text of the Gospels makes the moral message of Christ more accessible to many, and more illuminating to all," says Billie Shakespeare, vice president for the publisher, in a statement. "It is empowering. We published this new Bible to acknowledge the rise of women in society."

WND sought comment from the LBI Institute's Stephen Glazier, but he did not return messages.

The new version, according to the publisher, revises familiar stories, tranforming the "Prodigal Son" into the "Prodigal Daughter" and the "Lord's Prayer" into the "Lady's Prayer."

A passage compiled from Luke 2, with corresponding verses at the beginning of each sentence, says: "4 And Joseph went to Bethlehem. 5 To be enrolled with Mary, his wife, who was then pregnant. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn child. 21 And her name was chosen to be Judith."

A passage on the crucifixion, from John 19, says: "17 And She bearing her cross went forth. 18 There they crucified Judith."

A resurrection passage from Matthew 28 states: "1 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 5 But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Judith who was crucified." 6 "She is not here; for She is risen."

The book's foreword says, "The Jefferson Bible is faithfully followed by the present book, with the corrections in the name and gender of Christ, the gender of God, and some of the parables."

The publisher explains Jefferson used extracts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John rather than the complete books, in order to tell a "linear, complete, organized story" that emphasizes the moral teachings of Christ.

The foreword says, "Events in the Gospel that do not relate to the moral teachings of Christ are often omitted. However, the basic narrative of Christ's life, death and resurrection is maintained."

Reader reviews on the book's Amazon.com page included these:

♠ "One star because there is nothing lower. May the Lord have mercy on the writers!"

♠ "A friend with a Hebrew doctorate noted to me: 'There is no feminine form of the name Jesus (or Joshua). Judith is the feminine form of the name Juda - or Judas.' How perfectly fitting!"

♠ Reading the other reviews here, I can't believe that this is being touted as being an advance for women's rights. That is just not true. God sent his only SON, not his daughter. It is also true that God loves all of us, male and female the same. He created each of us as we are. We should not strive to become something we are not. This book truly offends me. I agree with the other reviewer, those that produced this book will be held responsible for those they deceive. I pray for each of them.

♠ May the Lord God punish the author of this translation and its publishers if they do not withdraw this herectic bible from print Amen.

World Net Daily.com ** Was Jesus Christ really a woman?

Fucktard Lib Loser Fruitcake Bill Moyers ~ American Dream Is 'Flat on Its Back'
Mood:  silly
Topic: Lib Loser Stories

American Dream Is 'Flat on Its Back,' Moyers Charges

Washington - Retired journalist Bill Moyers told a gathering of liberal activists Friday that the American dream has been knocked "flat on its back" by the influence of "right-wing radicals."

Moyers, who was the opening speaker for the final day of the Take Back America conference in Washington, D.C., pointed to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal as proof of his claim.

"Despite a widespread belief that the United States remains a more mobile society than Europe," Moyers quoted the article to his audience, "economists and sociologists say that in recent decades, the typical child starting out in poverty in Europe or in Canada has had a better chance at prosperity.

"That knocks the American dream flat on its back," he said, "but it should put fire in our bellies because what's at stake is nothing less than what it means to be an American."

Moyers told his audience that being in the nation's capital evokes different emotions for him now than when he served as press secretary for President Lyndon Johnson in the 1960s.

When he visits the Lincoln Memorial, "the temple of democracy seems as deeply steeped in melancholy as it was during the McCarthy era, the war in Vietnam or the trial of Watergate," Moyers said, reminding his audience about Abraham Lincoln's struggles so "government of, for and by the people shall not perish."

Moyers continued: "Then, you turn and you look out as he does on the city where those words are daily mocked. This is no longer Lincoln's city," but instead "an occupied town, a company town," he added to applause from the audience.

"This is a divided city," Moyers said, "not between North and South as in previous times, but between those who can buy all the government they want and those ... who can't even afford to buy a seat in the bleachers.

The retired journalist cited several examples of "what's at stake" for liberals seeking to take back America. He mentioned workers in the American territory of the Northern Mariana Islands who Moyers said were being paid half the minimum wage in a "sweatshop" to produce garments that bore the label "Made in the USA."

A Democratic congressman learned of the situation and got a bill passed by the Senate to extend protections of workers in the country's 50 states to those in the U.S. territories as well.

The journalist stated that he had listened to many Americans during his years as a journalist, and he said the "people on the ground" don't want to get rich, but they do want "a decent-paying job, full Social Security benefits and a simple, comprehensive health-care system."

Moyers said Americans also "want the political system cleaned up. These are not radical views. These are not even liberal views. They are plain American values."

The journalist had words of encouragement for those attending the liberal conference. "You may be on the losing side of the moment, but you will be on the winning side of history," Moyers said before receiving a standing ovation from the audience.

Cybercast News Service ~ Randy Hall ** American Dream Is 'Flat on Its Back,' Moyers Charges

Coward Deanpeace: A lot of Republicans ''never made an honest living in their lives''
Mood:  spacey
Topic: Lib Loser Stories

In the latest Dean rambling, he suggested that Kerry lost Florida because Dems have to work and Republicans do not have to earn a living. This article is full of good stuff including a rebuke of Hillary by Arianna Huffington.

<<<<< DNC Howard Dean made some strong statement about the GOP at a Campaign for America's Future gathering.

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Dean: GOP has 'dark, difficult and dishonest' vision

WASHINGTON — Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean advised party activists Thursday to reach out to evangelicals and voters in all 50 states, but then risked alienating potential GOP converts by suggesting many Republicans don't work for "an honest living."

Dean's comment came as he recalled conditions at crowded Ohio polling stations last fall. He wondered who could expect voters to work all day and then stand in line for eight hours to vote. "Well, Republicans, I guess, can do that because a lot of them have never made an honest living in their lives," he said, drawing some surprised "oohs" from his audience.

Most of Dean's speech at the "Take Back America" conference here was met with whoops, cheers and standing ovations as he attacked Republicans for "the culture of corruption and the abuse of power" in Washington, and accused the Bush administration of ignoring corporate "stealing" of pensions canceled during bankruptcy proceedings.

Tracey Schmitt, spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, called the "honest living" comment "mudslinging" and scored Dean for attacking the work ethic of "the record number of hardworking Americans who voted for President Bush." Democratic Party spokeswoman Karen Finney said Dean was referring to "Republican politicians and Republican leadership, not hardworking American people."

Dean's remark was the latest in a string of provocative comments that Democratic strategists say fire up activists but complicate the job of expanding the party. "He's got a lot of pluses, and he fires off the occasional errant missile," consultant David Axelrod said.

Axelrod and other Democrats counted Thursday's incident as a missile. "That kind of language doesn't exactly improve our chances of making the case" to Republicans that they should vote Democratic, he said. Mike McCurry, a strategist for John Kerry's 2004 campaign and the Clinton White House, said Dean was making a point about "the pressures on working people." But he added, "Class warfare usually doesn't get us very far."

Matt Bennett, spokesman for the Democratic centrist group Third Way, called the comment "a poor choice of words." Still, he said, "I can't think of a single instance in which an utterance by a party chair has really had a huge impact on an election."

The spectacle amused some Republicans. "Watching a Howard Dean speech is a little like people who go to a NASCAR race to see a crash," said Ed Gillespie, a former Republican Party chairman. He watched Thursday's speech live on C-SPAN and "I just thought, there he goes again."

Tony Fabrizio, another GOP strategist, said Dean is the one who's out of touch with people's real concerns: "He's ranting and raving about Republicans not having held real jobs. It's hatred, hatred and more hatred."

Marc Hetherington, a Vanderbilt University political scientist, called Dean "the party chairman for our times," polarized times that began in the 1990s with the ascent of Newt Gingrich to House speaker. He said Republicans, if they were out of power, would want "somebody who stirs the pot, who gets attention, who speaks to the ideologues that fund the party." In short, somebody much like Dean.

USA Today ~ Jill Lawrence ** Dean: GOP has 'dark, difficult and dishonest' vision

Two Plead Guilty to Voting Twice in 2004
Mood:  d'oh
Topic: News

Two Plead Guilty to Voting Twice in 2004

SEATTLE -- As the results of 2004's general election are being contested in court halfway across the state, two people pleaded guilty Thursday to voting twice in the election.

Doris McFarland, 83, and Robert Holmgren, 59, each admitted in King County District Court that they forged the signatures of and cast ballots for their recently deceased spouses.

Each will have to pay $490 in fines and court fees but they won't spend any time in jail. Multiple voting is a gross misdemeanor that can carry up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.

"My wife died just before this election," Holmgren told Judge Eileen Kato. "My judgment was clouded by the grief. I'm really sorry for what I did."

McFarland's lawyer, John Price, told the judge that she simply didn't know what to do with the extra absentee ballot after her husband of 63 years, Earl, passed away last October.

The judge told each client the court was sorry for their losses and wished them luck.

The King County prosecutor's office is investigating five additional cases of multiple voting in the county, but no charges have been filed.

King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng said the pleas sent a message that "our system is dependent on the honor of its participants, and those who cheat may wind up in court explaining it to a judge."

"At the same time, today's disposition recognizes that these people made a very human mistake during a time of grieving. ... Their motivation in these cases was not to throw an election, but to remember a loved one," Maleng said.

In Chelan County Superior Court in Wenatchee, Republican candidate Dino Rossi and the state GOP have challenged the 129-vote victory of Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire, alleging that election officials' errors, illegal voters and fraud stole the election from Rossi.

The case has focused particularly on King County, which has a third of the state's total votes.

Washington Post ~ Associated Press - Gene Johnson ** Two Plead Guilty to Voting Twice in 2004

Black caucus retreats on 527s
Mood:  cheeky
Topic: Lib Loser Stories

Black caucus retreats on 527s

Some members of the Congressional Black Caucus are teaming up with conservative Republicans to push for the first major changes in the 2002 campaign-finance reform bill, most admitting that they made a mistake in voting for the bill three years ago.

"If I had the chance to vote again, I wouldn't vote the way I voted," said Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, New York Democrat, who along with most of the CBC supported the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act after they were promised by Democratic leaders that the bill would not harm their constituents or funding bases in order to garner their support.

Three years and a failed presidential election later, black politicians saw their political grass-roots organizations starved for funds under the new rules, as so-called "527s," private political groups so named for the Internal Revenue Service code provision under which they are organized were able to raise unlimited amounts of money for partisan purposes, subsequently siphoning off the cash.

"It definitely affected the ability of the historic system of African-American community groups to [register and mobilize black voters] the way they had always done it," said Marc H. Morial, president of the National Urban League.

The Urban League is a principal partner of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, a group of about 80 member grass-roots groups that historically have been relied upon to promote black voter turnout.

In the 2004 presidential election, many of the black civic groups were supplanted by 527s, which attempted to turn out the black vote on their own, a strategy that Rep. Albert R. Wynn, Maryland Democrat, said had proven to be inadequate. Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, who was expected to surpass his 2000 predecessor Al Gore, received 85 percent of the black vote, compared with Mr. Gore's 90 percent.

Although the effect of the money stream on the organizations was visible, the tracking of the money is not. The two major political parties always have been secretive about how much money they spend on voter registration and get-out-the vote activities, said Steve Weissman, a researcher for the Campaign Finance Institute, a nonpartisan organization that studies money in politics.

He said black organizations may have felt left out because most of the 527s targeted their dollars toward advertising in the northern Midwest and Southwest and not in the Deep South, where the majority of blacks in the United States live.

In response, Mr. Wynn and Rep. Mike Pence, Indiana Republican and chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, co-authored the 527 Fairness Act, a bill that removes the $101,400 aggregate limit on hard-money contributions an individual can make to federal parties and congressional candidates in a two-year election cycle.

It also would allow nonprofit social welfare and grass-roots organizations, labor unions and trade associations to receive and spend contributions from individuals on political-issue advertisements and literature without establishing a federal political action committee.

"I'm looking at the bill very carefully because I have to make sure that we are able to participate in this game, and with the campaign-finance reform the way it is, we've taken a lot of folks who were at the table off the table," Mr. Meeks said. "I haven't decided yet, but we're reviewing it and asking questions."

House Democratic leaders oppose the bill and sent a letter to the entire Democratic caucus expressing their displeasure with the bill.

"We are writing to urge you to oppose [the bill], which, if enacted, will enable wealthy individuals and interests to pour unlimited amounts of hard money into federal elections," according to the letter.

Ron Walters, professor of political science at the University of Maryland, said the real fear among top Democrats is that removing the aggregate limits vastly could increase the power of Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. Mr. Dean proved in last year's presidential election that he can raise vast amounts of money, and passage of the bill only would enhance his standing.

Black political strategists differ on what the 43-member caucus should do.

"The time has come for African-Americans to find new sources to fund our electoral activities. With campaign-finance rules, the old well is dried up," said Donna Brazile, former chairman of the DNC's Voting Rights Institute. "I believe it's time to dig for new sources to allow for more independence from the major two political parties."

Others like Morris Reid, managing director of Westin Rinehart, a political consulting firm, said the black caucus should use other means to gain support for the Pence-Wynn bill.

"Howard Dean needs to cut a deal with the CBC and Al Wynn, or the CBC needs to approach Dean," Mr. Reid said.

Mr. Walters said the caucus is holding back because it is concerned about the potential corrupting effect of money in politics.

"But the way the rules come down, it is penalizing African-American grass-roots organizations because they have been cut off from the meager funds they used to get ... it is in their best interests to go to Dean and ask for his support on the bill," Mr. Walters said.

Mr. Meeks said that would be "smart politics," but said the caucus has not discussed the bill at length and that he knows of no plans to do so.

DNC spokesman Josh Earnest said the party has not taken a position on the bill.

Washington Times ~ Brian DeBose ** Black caucus retreats on 527s

Dems, liberals fear violence against burglars
Mood:  spacey
Topic: Lib Loser Stories

Florida passed a law recently that says you cannot be prosecuted for killing someone who invades your home. A Chicago Alderman, apparently on a protest vacation, seems to think only black criminals invade homes. She said at a rally that the law will "lead to open war on black males." The ACLU, Southern Christian Leadership Conference and others attended the protest.

Alderman Dorothy Tillman of Chicago raises her fist with others at a rally Monday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza. The crowd protested a law that guarantees people will not be prosecuted for using deadly force against intruders on their property. >>>>>

Crowd protests deadly force law

Critics: Bill can be easily misinterpreted

Throughout Pensacola, barbecue grills were heating up on Monday afternoon -- a Memorial Day tradition.

The beach was crowded with tents and towels laid side by side.

But underneath the canopy of downtown trees, and near the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. bust on the Palafox Street median, about 100 people softly sang hymns about a time when black people were oppressed.

And that, the impromptu singers believe, continues today.

Instead of slavery, the chains now come in the form of laws that are a threat to the black community, said a number of speakers at the two-hour rally Monday.

The issue: Florida Senate Bill 436, signed last month by Gov. Jeb Bush. It guarantees that people aren't prosecuted for using deadly force against intruders on their property.

The bill, filed by Sen. Durell Peaden, R-Crestview, was inspired by James Workman, a local man who killed an intruder in his southwest Escambia County home in the early hours of Nov. 3. No charges were filed against Workman.

But critics say that the bill just gives people a license to kill that can easily be abused or misinterpreted.

"What about all those people who perpetuate hate and who will use this as an act of aggression?" said the Rev. Hugh King, president of the Pensacola chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the organization that conducted the event.

"We live in some scary times right now," said Susan Watson, president of the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Watson, who is white, rhetorically asked the crowd if they believe that the law would be applied equally to her and to a black man.

Many in the crowd shook their heads; others yelled out, "No!"

"It got passed because we didn't do anything about it. It's our fault," she said. "We have to do something about it."

Chicago Alderman Dorothy Tillman, formerly of Pensacola, said the law will "lead to open war on black males."

"It's almost a way to eliminate people. Black men will be under the ground more than ever."

Tillman, a former staffer for King, was not on the list of speakers but was invited to the stage. She later led the crowd in singing the hymns.

Annie Winn, 62, brought her 5- and 11-year-old great-grandchildren to listen to the speakers.

"A lot of people are going to be killed," she said. "We need to protest and try to change this law -- it's just crazy."

At the end of the rally, Charles Steele, the national leader of the SCLC, charged the crowd to protest the law. Steele then led the crowd in a march down Palafox.

"The people united will never be defeated," they chanted.

Pensacola News Journal ~ Nicole Lozare ** Crowd protests deadly force law

Fruitcake progressives defiant, meet vowing to oust Republicans
Mood:  silly
Topic: Lib Loser Stories

Far left-wing groups are meeting in Washington this week to strategize on plans to win back the Presidency and other key offices. The good news is that they vow to stick to their failed ideology and to compromise even less than they are now, guaranteeing a further slide in the Dem party.

Progressives Vow to Take Back America

WASHINGTON — In some quarters of American politics, liberals stand accused of having no ideas — but that hasn't stopped those on the left from plotting to shift the balance of power.

In Washington on Wednesday, the most liberal wing of the Democratic Party salivated over the prospect that President Bush is in deep trouble and Democrats have a prospect of winning back ground lost in the last two elections.

"They have a big problem. America is not buying what they're peddling," said Robert Borosage, co-director of Campaign for America's Future, which is hosting the Take Back America 2005 conference. "Americans aren't buying what they're selling because they're being mugged by reality. The policies of Bush, (Senate Majority Leader Bill) Frist and (House Majority Leader Tom) DeLay are failing this country; they're weakening America."

The three-day meeting is part of a brainstorming strategy for developing the plan to throw out Republicans. In extensive polling for the conference, Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg said he found deep disenchantment with the war in Iraq and President Bush's proposals on Social Security as well as uneasiness over his economic policies.

By a margin of 55 to 37 percent, poll respondents said they believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. In a separate question, 55 percent said they want the country to go in a significantly different direction than it is now.

"Only 41 percent of the American people today say they want to continue the direction George Bush is going," Greenberg said.

But responses about the direction of the country measure far more than the president's policies. The most recent numbers were essentially the same as for the year preceding the 2004 election.

The president's approval rating — at 49 percent in this poll — is also about where it was on Election Day 2004, say Republican backers of Bush.

"These are the same folks that said the president's approval rating was too low to get re-elected; that the right track, wrong track was going to make Kerry win," said Republican pollster Matthew Dowd, referring to the president's opponent, Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.

Instead, Bush won by 3 million votes, 51-48 percent.

"He won Republicans, won independents and won some Democrats," Dowd said.

Even if the president were in as much trouble as Democrats hope, they readily acknowledge voters have doubts about Democratic candidates.

"In 2004, voters came away from the election without a clue for what John Kerry stood for," Greenberg said.

Democratic polling shows that one thing voters do like about Bush is the clarity of his ideas, something they do not see in Democratic candidates.

"They don't know their policy direction, they don't know their underlying values, they don't know who they fight for. And there is a reason. It's not because of bad communication, it's because they have not in fact run with conviction," Greenberg said.

Dowd agreed with the assessment.

"If you saw this as a football team, they need a new playbook and they need a new quarterback. They don't have either," he said.

The activists gathered in Washington said Democrats need a bold agenda of new initiatives, and most of all, need to fight the president and his allies in Congress on every front.

One speaker said the Democratic base will not come around if Democrats compromise, suggesting the partisan divide in Washington may get even deeper.

Fox News ~ Jim Angle ** Progressives Vow to Take Back America