OMG!!!

Decades after the scandal broke we now know that there was no need to have any Watergate investigation, no need to begin impeachment proceedings, and certainly no need for President Nixon to have resigned.

The Chicago Tribune published a story today characterizing Jimmy Carter's trip to the Middle East as having yielded little results with Hamas showing no sign of compromise.

Today in the Washington Post they published an op-ed by Mahmoud al-Zahar, foreign minister of Hamas in which he applauds Jimmy Carter's decision to meet with the group during his middle-east trip.

Will Bush issue a signing statement on the water resources bill that Congress has passed into law over his veto?

As we know from Charlie Savage excellent reporting on this topic Bush has issued numerous signing statements to bills he signed:

Since taking office in 2001, President Bush has issued signing statements on more than 750 new laws, declaring that he has the power to set aside the laws when they conflict with his legal interpretation of the Constitution. The federal government is instructed to follow the statements when it enforces the laws.

Will he now expand his dictatorial powers to bills he vetoes and are then overriden by Congress?

It appears a runoff will be necessary to determine the next Labor leader (and with hope Israeli leader) as Barak leads Ami Ayalon with Peretz trailing both.

Okay, which is it? We're told Hamas should not be bound to any pre-conditions for Israel to negotiate but now Israel is told it must accept pre-conditions for any Arab-Israeli talks!

Shimon Peres called for direct negotiations between Israel, Palestinians, and Arab states without preconditions.

Can the damage done by years of Bush neglect to this vital area be overcome now with a willingness by both sides to sit together to finally resolve the most difficult of issues?

We can only hope so.

While not seeming to have the capability to win the Prime Minstership of Israel during his political life, Simon Peres has shown us once again how open Israeli society and political culture can be by criticizing the country's entry into the ill-fated war with Hezbollah last summer

In a Reuters article detailing the soon to be released testimony of Prime Minster Olmert, we see a fascinating bit of BushCo. skullduggery during the ill-fated Lebanese invasion last month by Israel.

Louisiana is desperately in need of a new progressive voice given the tragedies thrust upon it by nature and the federal government.  A voice much like the one of former Governor and Senator (and perhaps might-have-been President) Huey Long.  To understand better just how groundbreaking Huey's vision was I've updated his speech introducing his "Share the Wealth" program to include taxation levels based on 2003 dollar values.

...."my friends, unless we do share our wealth, unless we limit the size of the big man so as to give something to the little man, we can never have a happy or free people. God said so! He ordered it.

We have everything our people need. Too much of food, clothes, and houses why not let all have their fill and lie down in the ease and comfort God has given us? Why not? Because a few own everything-the masses own nothing.

In an article published in today's LA Times Hamas broke the four month truce with Israel by attacking an electrical worker on the Israeli side of the Gaza border.

A very disturbing article published today in the LA TIMES gives visibility to a serious new issue that could have a significant impact to the future stability of Israel. The issue does not involve the occupied territories and the parties in question are both Israeli citizens, not Palestinians.

Will Israeli society now have a second issue front to resolve peacefully or will forces and parties begin a new conflict that is civil in nature?  

What would the world be like if we really could call on "Heroes" to resolve some of the more pressing issues we confront?

Just think about being able to call upon someone who can "take a lickin' and keep on tickin" as with Claire, the indestructible cheerleader. Or how about being able to see the future like Isaac or even read minds like Matt?

I can't believe someone from the White House Press Co(rp) has finally asked about the repeated slur used by Bush in calling the Democratic Party the "Democrat" Party.

Enough is enough and their feeble acts of denial do not dent the vast number of occasions this president, his cronies, and Republic(ans) in the past have utilized the slur without being called out for their slander.

Prime Minister Haniyeh says he intends to have his fellow Hamas leaders die as martyrs even if it is in fighting other Palestinians.

With goals such as that can an all-out civil war be reasonably prevented from occurring?

Given the recent targeted killing of Baha Balousha's children, the gunfire exchange yesterday that was called an assassination attempt on the Prime Minister and now further gunfire wounding 30 people it seems unlikely.

New revelations were reported today in the LA Times including charges by the family, Abbas, and other authorities that the children were intentionally targeted and killed.

I sincerely hope the tragic news from the Gaza Strip today propels some to question their sympathy for the terror group Hamas.

The internecine warfare between Hamas and Fatah has now devolved into the killing of children, an act so repugnant that it defies belief that any could sanely see it as anything other than barbarism.

As I've previously posted, Republicans derogatory use of "Democrat" instead of "Democratic" is a pet peeve of mine, one which sets me off everytime I hear it used.  It is especially galling when done during an interview where the reporter does not call out the offender for their incivility toward their political rivals.  

For let us be clear - there is only one reason for its use.  To demean and deride the party which represents the "little guy" in this country and exerts its political influence, through the democratic process, to better the lives of average Americans and the fate of the nation as a consequence.  And nothing, I mean nothing, gets the ire of the priviliged elite of the Republican Party more than happy workers advancing their family's position in life so as to secure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.