Open thread

And don't forget to keep an eye on Illinois Congressman Jerry Weller. Read More......

Ohio GOP leaders giving up Noe's money while Grand Jury Investigates his contributions to Bush

Ha Ha Ha....this is getting even better. The Ohio GOP Coin-gate scandal really does involve all the major players in the party, including George Bush. The AP is reporting that a who's who of GOP leaders in Ohio will be giving up the money they got from Coin-gate star, Tom Noe:

Gov. Bob Taft and other Ohio Republicans said Wednesday they were relinquishing thousands of dollars they got from a leading GOP donor and coin dealer who's under state and federal investigation.

The money came from Tom Noe, who managed rare coin investments for the state's workers' compensation bureau. At least $10 million of the state's $55 million coin investment is believed to be missing.

Taft, three other statewide officeholders, several House lawmakers, U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine and the state Republican party said they were giving up campaign contributions from Noe totaling nearly $60,000. Many of the officials designated charities or a workers' compensation fund to receive the money.

Those who received contributions included Auditor Betty Montgomery, Attorney General Jim Petro and Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell. All are candidates for governor next year.

Big Deal. They created the monster. And, these elected GOP leaders may be out a couple thousand here and there. But the citizens of Ohio are out MILLIONS.

Still no word from George Bush. Noe was a Bush Pioneer...who "raised" hundreds of thousands for Bush. But, the Bush folks have other Tom Noe things to worry about. There was a Grand Jury convened in Toledo today to investigate that whole mess, too. The Toledo Blade reported:

Investigators are trying to determine if Mr. Noe gave money to people in order for them to give to the Bush campaign, allowing him to skirt federal campaign contribution limits.

So, Bush is the only major player who still holding on to his Noe money. In Bush's case, that may be a very significant amount if the prosecutors prove their case.

And, we let this state decide the President. Read More......

New DemsTV is up

Our Memorial Day edition is now live. Read More......

[Insert caption here]

From AP Read More......

Please donate to our friends at Crooks and Liars

As you may know, Crooks and Liars is probably the Net's best political video blog. They have been great about hosting video after video for me and everyone else on the left side of the planet, and as you know, it takes a good chunk of change to host video because the files are so large. They're holding a rare fundraising drive and I'd appreciate it if folks consider giving them some love. I'm heading over there right now.

Click here to head over there and help out. Thanks, JOHN Read More......

Open thread

Raw Story has a cute little bit on Harry Reid standing by his word that Bush is a liar. Reid deserves credit for being willing to call a pig a pig. You know the right-wing will go nuts over this, which I'd welcome - let's have a public debate whether Bush is a liar, make our day.

And by the way, can you say: Downing Street Memo? Read More......

Help awaken the media re: the Downing Street Memo

The Kossacks at Daily Kos have come up with a good idea for trying to wake the media up about the damning Downing Street Memo - i.e., the British intelligence memo that shows that Bush not only planned the Iraq war ten months in advance, but that he was already trying to cook the books, as it were, with regards to making shit up to prove the case that Saddam had WMD. This is THE smoking gun of the lies Read More......

Blogging from the Take Back America conference in DC

I'm joining a bunch of other bloggers, like Atrios and Jerome of MyDD, at the Take Back America conference in DC that started today, I think, and goes until Friday. Been pretty interesting already. It's a bit overwhelming - there are tons of people here from every lefty group on the planet. A really great networking opportunity for the left across the board - and it's through meetings like this that we all get to know each other, and we all get to create that nasty little left-wing conspiracy that the right thinks we already have. Read More......

Open Thread

Chat away please Read More......

GOP Court case to overturn election in Washington State

The Seattle Times is live blogging the trial.

The Times provides a good synopsis of what's going on and what's expected in the trial as well:

Previously

Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi sued in Chelan County Superior Court in January, seeking to overturn Gov. Christine Gregoire's election. He said illegal votes and errors by election workers made her victory illegitimate.

This week

Democrats are putting on their case in defense of the election. Yesterday, an official with the Secretary of State's Office explained that errors are common in large elections. On cross-examination, though, Republicans tried to portray the office as biased toward Democrats. Today, King County elections director Dean Logan, who has been under fire for errors by his staff, is expected to testify.

Ultimately

The trial is expected to end Friday. Judge John Bridges could reject the Republicans' claim, or he could nullify Gregoire's election and declare Rossi the winner. Rossi has said he wouldn't accept victory by court judgment, so the ruling could create a vacancy in the governor's office. State law provides for a special election to fill a vacancy. Temporarily, the office would be filled by Lt. Gov. Brad Owen.

Appeal expected

Both sides agree that whatever happens in Bridges' court, the outcome will be appealed to the state Supreme Court.

The GOP just can't stand losing. Isn't it amazing how the courts are their friends when they want to overturn elections, but are out-of-control activist judges when they protect anybody else's rights? Read More......

$4.5 Billion pledged in April for Darfur but

...it's slow to arrive. What part of mass starvation have the rich countries missed here? In a process that has been slow to begin with, this foot-dragging by countries to donate food and aid is beyond pathetic. It's not as though the US doesn't have troops all over this part of Africa so why are some of those resources not being diverted to help feed people? We're once again looking at short term policy that will cause long term problems.

Does the US want to win hearts and minds or oil contracts with the government of Sudan? Read More......

Spokane City Council asks Anti-gay gay Jim West to quit

Last night, the Spokane City Council unanimously asked him to resign according to the Spokesman-Review:

The Spokane City Council Tuesday unanimously called for Mayor Jim West to resign, and took an initial step to give the council impeachment power over the mayor through the City Charter.

Well, looks like Jim's appearance on the Today Show yesterday didn't help and might have actually worked against him:

'?Even today as the mayor spoke on national TV, the focus continued to be on the city of Spokane because he sat there as the mayor of Spokane,'? Hession said just before the council voted unanimously in favor of a resolution calling for West to step down.

Councilman Joe Shogan said, '?These energies need to be devoted to moving this city forward.'

The article also noted the apparent discrepancy between Jim's words and actions on gay issues:

On the Today Show, West took issue with a suggestion by Lauer that he has been outspoken in opposing gay rights, interrupting the host midway through one question.

'I voted to represent my legislative district in the Legislature. I was not an advocate,' West said. '?I did not stand up, I was not a leader of the charge in any of those cases. Every representative and every senator from my district voted exactly the way I voted.'

The mayor's anti-gay record includes a 1986 bill sponsored by West and 14 other Republicans that would have barred gay men and lesbians from working in schools, day-care centers and some state agencies. During a 1990 hearing, West proposed that teen sex be criminalized. Both efforts failed.

This guy is too much. Looks like his days as Mayor are numbered. Read More......

The left's fear of money

I've noticed over the years a decided fear of money, hatred of money, or at least discomfort of money by some people on the left.

Whether it's concern over the heads of liberal non-profits or big corporations making too much money, or snarky comments I get whenever I try to raise money off the site or, God forbid, actually take a vacation, there's a certain disdain amongst a certain segment of the left for having or spending money in any way beyond bare subsistence, and I'm trying to figure out why.

The issue came up for me, again, last night when I posted a simple photo of the beautiful sunset over Northern Virginia. The photo was taken from the sedan that CNN graciously paid for to drive me home from the airport after attending their conference. Someone made a nasty comment on the blog about how I must be doing well from all those donations to be taking sedans home from the airport. And when I explained that CNN paid for it, and that actually I didn't even get a speaker's fee for appearing at their conference (a fee that is quite common, mind you), I got even snarkier comments about how dare I expect a fee (I didn't "expect" a fee, but simply noted this wasn't a money-making trip for me).

Now, I'm happy to attribute those comments to trolls. And I'm not writing this specifically about THOSE comments. But rather, this is part of a larger trend, a larger feeling, I've noted for years amongst some segments of the left. The concept of doing well by doing good, of making a good living by being an advocate for good, is somehow anathema to large swaths of the left. And I think that's troubling.

Heck, I've even gotten nasty comments just for asking for donations - things like "all you do is write, why should we pay for that?"

Now, I'm not asking for tons of comments reassuring me that I do provide a valuable service. Rather, I'm curious what this vein of thought is amongst some on the left, how strong it is, why it exists at all, and what people think of it. I, for one, worry that it's something that holds us back. A fear of success, a fear of money, a fear of living well, a fear of becoming too much like the people we're fighting (those evil Republicans and evil corporations WITH MONEY - almost in the way that some people hate ALL religion because SOME religious people hate us). That somehow by wanting to make money ourselves, we've debased ourselves and our cause and become "like them."

And the thing is, I like money.

I was raised a good capitalist boy in a good immigrant home in Chicago, my family worked hard to put us in a nice suburban home with nice suburban schools, and the occasional family vacation out east or out west, and you know, I liked it. I liked it when I got to do my junior year abroad. I liked it when I saved up enough money to visit Europe on my own. And when I did well enough in school to get summer jobs in Paris and Buenos Aires, both in the same summer, I liked that too. This isn't stuff I'm ashamed of, it's stuff I've earned and I'm proud of accomplishing. And it's all stuff that money helped me do. But I can imagine some people on the left thinking that if you don't live like Ralph Nader, on a cot in your dingy old office, but instead enjoy the occasional trip to Paris, you're not a REAL lefty and you've somehow sold out the cause.

So, I ask your thoughts. Am I right about this? Does this current of thought exist? Why does it exist? And what are the ramifications of it? Is it a good thing? Or is it, as I fear, something that holds us back? Something that, in fact, may even be a knee-jerk reaction against our own success - the old Groucho Marx (I believe) "I'd never join a club that would have me as a member." I.e., do we have such a poor self-image that we simply expect ourselves to never be compensated for our work because, per se, our work is without value? Or do we simply think wealth - any wealth - corrupts absolutely? Or is this simply a minority view amongst the left that is, well, just a minority?

Thoughts? Read More......

In Ohio, the GOP Coin-gate investigations ramp up

Toledo Blade has the details, of course.

The Blade also has Howard Dean telling Bush to return Tom Noe's tainted money:

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean yesterday charged President Bush with using money during last year's campaign that was "tainted" by Toledo-area coin dealer Tom Noe, who is being investigated for allegedly misappropriating millions of dollars in Ohio money.

The prominent Republican gained a special "pioneer" fund-raising status during Mr. Bush's re-election campaign last year because he helped collect $100,000 to $250,000 for the President. But now, Mr. Noe, who has received $50 million from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation since 1998 to invest in rare coins, could be facing civil and criminal charges for allegedly misappropriating at least $10 million of the state's money.

"Tom Noe's name has been added to the growing list of big-time contributors to President Bush's re-election campaign being investigated for criminal wrongdoing," Mr. Dean said in a statement released yesterday to The Blade.

Read More......

Bill Clinton Wants To Head UN

The Washington Post has a fascinating article about Bill Clinton's life since the presidency and his popularity around the world. It claims that a few months after leaving office, Clinton decided he wanted to head the UN and started to map out a strategy to get there. That would sure beat being mayor of New York as far as influence goes.

No word on Clinton's attitude towards reforming the UN and making it more effective. But he certainly knows the quickest and best way to get the job: helping Hilary get into the White House. Read More......

Open Thread

What's going on? Read More......

Standing firm against Big Oil in Nigeria

Even after the execution of members of their group (the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People) by the previous military government, the Ogoni people have stood firm and insisted that Shell Oil delivers to the local population what they promised in the first place. The Ogoni people were promised local development assistance but Shell failed to deliver locally and instead funneled support over to the government in Lagos.

The global petroleum players such as Shell, BP, Exxon and Total really need to be reigned in and we ought to support groups such as the Ogoni people who are standing firm in their demands. The Big Oil powers are dragging us into complicated and dangerous situations across Africa because their track record of lining the pockets of government officials and giving little beyond pollution and conflict with local populations is a recipe for disastor. It is simply not sustainable to have millions and billions flowing through poor countries while the local people live with so little.

We can stay the course and wait for the next Iraq in the future or we can demand change. Read More......