McSame leading in ND, Obama pulls out

Well, the recent polls in ND are swinging John McSame's way. He is leading now by double digits. Not surprising for a state that voted 63% for Bush in 2004. McSame will not win by anywhere close to that margin, which says a lot for the people of ND. However, it is clear that Obama needs to take his resources out of ND and use them in states that will make sure he wins this election. I understand that.

But, don't get discouraged. There are still 43 days left. As we have seen, a lot can happen in just a few days. What the Obama campaign has inspired in ND will not die. There are thousands of local volunteers out there working hard to get Obama elected and to turn ND blue. Activities are happening and you can link in to like-minded people on Obama's web page for North Dakota.

While Obama focuses on Minnesota, Wisconsin, Colorado, Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and the other battle ground states, we can still work here. The most important thing you can do is talk to your friends and neighbors. Counter the lies and smears from the McSame campaign. Know the truth and talk about it to your fellow North Dakotans. Everyone is talking about politics today on the streets and in the coffee shops. Sway their votes with compelling arguments for the economy, health care, environment and common decency. Obama is now counting on you to bring ND home.

John McSame on Health Care

In John McSame's simplistic view of the world everything would just manage itself.

McSame would like to manage health care like we have done the banking industry. As we have seen, nothing is stronger than a deregulated banking industry, right? We should open up health insurance in the same way. So say's McSame.

I am truly frightened by the prospects of this ignoramus as president.

McSame camp backpeddles

According to the McSame campaign he meant to reject a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero.

But if you read the transcript of the reporter's exchange with McSame it looks like he was woefully confused and his head was clearly in the western hemisphere. He mentioned Mexico, drug cartels and a clear record of meeting with leaders in 'this hemisphere'.

Here is the transcript of the radio interview (emphasis mine):

QUESTION: Senator, finally, let's talk about Spain. If you're elected president, would you be willing to invite President Jose Luiz Rodriguez Zapatero to the White House to meet with you?

MCCAIN: I would be willing meet, uh, with those leaders who our friends [sic] and want to work with us in a cooperative fashion, and by the way, President Calderon of Mexico is fighting a very very tough fight against the drug cartels. I'm glad we are now working in cooperation with the Mexican government on the Merida plan. I intend to move forward with relations, and invite as many of them as I can, those leaders, to the White House.

QUESTION: Would that invitation be extended to the Zapatero government, to the president itself?

MCCAIN: I don't, you know, honestly I have to look at relations and the situations and the priorities, but I can assure you I will establish closer relations with our friends and I will stand up to those who want to do harm to the United States of America.

QUESTION: So you have to wait and see if he's willing to meet with you, or you'll be able to do it in the White House?

MCCAIN: Well again I don't, all I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us, and standing up to those who are not, and that's judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America, and the entire region.

QUESTION: Okay... what about Europe I'm talking about the President of Spain?

MCCAIN: What about me what? (WTF?)

QUESTION: Okay... are you willing to meet with him if you are elected president?

MCCAIN: I am willing to meet with any leader who is dedicated to the same principles and philosophy that we are for human rights, democracy and freedom, and I will stand up to those that do not.

In the end he's left with repeating his memorized talking point.

Sad, really. I think McSame needs a neurological evaluation.

Up, up and away

And Obama is still climbing in the Gallup daily polls now having a statistically significant lead for the first time since the convention bounce.

Morning Java

Here are a few links to start your day . . .

McCain thinks Spain is in Latin America. (another link) (and another link) Scares the shit out of me that a potential president is so ignorant and would take such an abrupt stand against one of our NATO allies. Particularly since Palin thinks Georgia should be a part of NATO.

CBS/NYT poll puts Obama squarely 5 points ahead of McCain.

More North Dakotans worrying about how to pay their bills.

Farmers are worried about a new law for food labeling.

Is Nuclear Power all it's cracked up to be? I'm all for more nuclear power but we do have to take care of the waste.

Sarah Palin takes softballs from Hannity. Is any fossil fuel green if it produces CO2? She certainly has all the McCain talking points down.

Obama edges out McCain for the Gallup Top Spot

Gallup Daily today shows Obama edging out McCain for the first time since the Republican convention bounce with 47% for Obama and 45% for McCain. Since this is a three day rolling average, the effect of the economic crisis that struck on Monday is presumably just showing up in these numbers. According to Gallup daily in individual days for polling on Monday and Tuesday ratings of the US economy have become worse and Obama has had an advantage among registered voters.

These numbers still are within statistical ranges of each other. That is, the numbers show a tie between the candidates. But I predict that tomorrow will show Obama rising ahead of McCain with a statistical advantage.

Race tightens, Obama up a point

In today's Gallup poll daily tracking, Obama rose another point while McCain stayed McSame. The race is a virtual dead heat. I expect the economic woes of yesterday will lift Obama and drop McSame over the next few days. Watch and see.

Think your vote is safe?

Think again. The republicans will stop at nothing to prevent democrats from going to the polls. They know that is the only way to win an election.

Unfair but “probably” legal, using foreclosure lists provides cheap and effective strategy for McCain campaign

Last week we reported about Republican plans to use home foreclosure lists to block voters from the polls after James Carabelli, chair of the Macomb County Republican Party, told Michigan Messenger that on election day Republican volunteers will “have a list of foreclosed homes and make sure people aren’t voting from those addresses.”

Read more . . .

We know why they've been in power the last eight years. Don't let it happen again.

Clinton and Palin on One Stage Together

SNL got it just right, I think. Hilarious.

McCain's risk of dying in his first term is significant

John McCain is 72 years old. He has had four bouts with melanoma. The last one was taken off in 2002, almost seven years ago. Statistics show that he has a 66% chance of recurrence within 10 years - only three years left based on his last diagnosis.

John McCain has not released his medical records to the public. Doctors are worried. I'm worried.

Listen to what the doctors have to say about it.

Vocabulary Word of the Day

cyn•i•cal |ˈsinikəl|

adjective

1. believing that people are motivated by self-interest; distrustful of human sincerity or integrity:

• doubtful as to whether something will happen or whether it is worthwhile: Most residents are cynical about whether John McCain will live to complete a first term in office.

• contemptuous; mocking: Rudy Giuliani gave a cynical laugh when talking about Obama's community organizing experience demonstrating what a racist fuck he really is.
  

2. concerned only with one's own interests and typically disregarding accepted or appropriate standards in order to achieve them: John McCain demonstrated handily his true cynical nature when he stood by his misleading lying advertisements after being called on them.

I'm John McCain, and I Approve These Lies

Take That Tax and Spend Republicans

Please listen to the whole thing.

Sen. Obama in Dover, NH 9/12/2008.

Help Ike Victims, please

Once again we are facing a devastating storm hitting American soil. Please help if you can.

After you come back from the red cross I'd like you to take a look at the candidate's web pages this morning. I was curious what Obama and McCain were doing for the hurricane victims.

Obama's web site, Saturday, Sep 13, 2008 at 8:00 am:


The first thing one sees is a plea to help those struggling in Ike's path.

Now, how about Sen. McCain?

Hmm. Does the McCain campaign even know there is a major hurricane making landfall right now? Perhaps this is not a hurricane of convenience for them because it is not striking a politically sensitive area? No mention whatsoever of Hurricane Ike only a big fat lying advertisement front and center.

Cheer up Democrats!

All is not lost. The polls are no different than before the conventions. We're tied in a dead heat with promising upswings in the dems favor.

Here's the latest numbers from Gallup on the presidential race. Notice that Obama is beginning to climb after McCain's convention bubble.

McCain trash talks mayoral and governorship experience

From his own lips during the GOP Debate last year:

MCCAIN: I am prepared. I am prepared. I need no on-the-job training.

I wasn't a mayor for a short period of time. I wasn't a governor for a short period of time.

Wow!

Economy? What's that?

I'll let this video speak for itself.

Wazzat Charlie?

Bush doctrine? Bush bad, and American elections and democracy are beautiful. What am I for?

You must be afraid of the big bad wolf

A wolf in sheep's clothing, I think. McCain cannot even come up with new ads to pander his slander.

I Remember

I remember that tragic day seven years ago when America was attacked. I remember the thousands of lives lost and the countless others suffering from the cowardly killing of innocent civilians.

I also remember a president who was not ready to lead. A scared man who thought he would glide through his presidency like he floated through school with a C average. A paralyzed Bush who would rather read The Pet Goat than address the attacks on our nation and our people. So scared he sat there while people were dying trying to decide if he should get up or not. At 9:00 in the morning seven years ago, Al Gore should have been the one to answer that call.

Smack

Tell it, Barack. Smack 'em down. Thank you for telling America that you want to debate the issues, not wallow in the mud.

Miss Piggy

I have to say the mud slinging is getting pretty darn bad. How did politics degenerate to such a low level after the Republican convention? It just doesn't stop sinking into the gutter. The hypocrisy of Senator McCain definitely stinks like a rotten fish.

Take a look at this and ask yourself . .

was McCain FOR sexism before he was against sexism? Or is it not a sexist comment about Hillary (or Palin) at all?



Reporter: I noticed in your speech you avoided any comparison of your plan to Hillary Clinton's plan. I'm curious. Have you or your staff put a price tag on what we see coming out of her campaign for Hillary care?

McCain: No, but I . . the . . that there's many things that concern me about it. It's vaguely . . uh . . not vaguely but eerily reminiscent of what they tried back in 1993. I think they put some lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig.


Update: I was a little surprised but Fox News actually presents Obama's lipstick comment in context. It's clear he was talking about McCain/Bush policies as being the pig with lipstick and not Gov. Palin.

Now, please - let's stop all these distractions and talk about the important issues.

Federal Deficit up $246 Billion in One Year

Federal Budget Deficit is projected to rice to between $407 Billion and $482 Billion by next year.

This constitutes one of the hugest increases in one year ever - up $246 billion dollars.

The Congressional Budget Office says the jump is due to "a substantial increase in spending and a halt in the growth of tax revenues."

So what can we do about this? Both McCain and Obama are talking about cutting taxes. That won't help. Though we do need some tax relief - especially in the income brackets most squeezed by the Bush tax cuts (that McCain was against before he was for).

McCain says he can cut $100 billion in earmarks. Yes, earmarks. That's all we're hearing about these days. Bridge to nowhere and all that jazz.

This article on factcheck.org from last May provides some insight into the feasibility of McCain's claims to cut earmarks. It's definitely not the end all and be all.

No easy answers my friends. Though one thing is clear - we can't continue spending like sailors as we have been for the past 8 years.

Here's more information about the last four administrations as it relates to the federal budgets. Notice, regardless of Sr. or Jr., Bush = MORE SPENDING.

http://www.marktaw.com/culture_and_media/TheNationalDebt.html

Which Candidate Cares about North Dakota?

If you are a North Dakota like me and you wanted to find out how to help your presidential candidate win in North Dakota, wouldn't you go to their web sites and search for their state-specific information?

Here's John McCain's web page:

http://northdakota.johnmccain.com/NorthDakota.htm

It looks pretty. They have bison roaming at the top of the page. But the only contact information listed is for the North Mountain Regional Headquarters in Saint Paul, MN.

McCain has ZERO staff in North Dakota and has ZERO offices in North Dakota.

I think that speaks volumes about his commitment to "small towns" in states like North Dakota.

Now, lets take a look at Barack Obama's web site:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/ndoffices

He has NINE office located from one end of ND to the other! Now that's a commitment to small towns.

Here are the nine Obama campaign offices. Call them today and make change happen in ND.

Bismarck Office
3333 E Broadway Ave, Suite 1206
Bismarck, ND 58501
Phone: 701-255-1155

Devils Lake Office
303 5th Ave
Devils Lake, ND 58301
Phone: 701-306-7436

Dickinson Office
41 E Villard Street, Suite B
Dickinson, ND 58601
Phone: 701-200-6365

Fargo Office
107 Roberts St N
Fargo, ND 58102
Phone: 701-237-2201
Fax: 701-237-2513

Fargo Office
745 45th St S, Suite B
Fargo, ND 58103
Phone: 701-200-6070

Grand Forks Office
2750 Gateway Dr, Suite F
Grand Forks, ND 58203
Phone: 701-746-9158

Jamestown Office
Buffalo Mall
Hwy 281 & 25th St SW
Jamestown, ND 58401
Phone: 701-200-6292

Minot Office
1602 4th Ave NW
Minot, ND 58703
Phone: 701-852-1198

Williston Office
205 Main Street
Williston, ND 58801
Phone: 701-200-6601

Condi Rice thinks Palin gave a great speech

but that's about all. Not a ringing endorsement, that's for sure.

Small Town Values

We've heard a lot about small town values over the last week. I'm from a small town. I know exactly what it is like in towns like Wasilla, AK. Common sense values are real. But they are not necessarily backwards looking conservative. Anyway, I thought I would share this clip from John Stewart. It's pretty funny no matter what side you're on.

Remember 1000 points of light?

I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good. We will work hand in hand, encouraging, sometimes leading, sometimes being led, rewarding. We will work on this in the White House, in the Cabinet agencies. I will go to the people and the programs that are the brighter points of light, and I will ask every member of my government to become involved. The old ideas are new again because they are not old, they are timeless: duty, sacrifice, commitment, and a patriotism that finds its expression in taking part and pitching in.

~George H. W. Bush inaugural address, January 20, 1989

Look at how far the republican party has progressed in 20 years. They must be blinded by all these points of light. So blinded that they mock and laugh at them. Sad, really. No wonder so many keep looking to the past and not the future. If I were a republican I'd want to go back to a time when the party cared about people too.

Do you have a job?

If the answer is yes, count your blessings. A report out today shows that the jobless rate in America has risen to its highest level in five years.

The big surprise in the report was that the unemployment rate rose to 6.1%, the highest level since September 2003. That's up from the 5.7% rate in July and 4.7% a year ago. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com had forecast the rate would remain unchanged from the July reading.

Read more at CNNMoney

Bush/McCain economic policies sure are working.

John Bush, More of the Same

This video says it all . . . right out of Tom Ridge's mouth

Geriatric Old Party

Z Z Z Z Z Z Z z z z z z z z z z z . . . . . . . .

I actually fell asleep last night during McCain's speech. I won't rehash all the opinions about the speech that I agree with. There's enough of that out on the blogosphere. Let me just say a few words about my observations of the evening.

Did anyone else see a tired old party of white folks (with a few token minorities) trying to get excited about a tired old McCain as he was droning on and on? The only excitement was when he talked about Sarah Palin. That got lots of cheers from the crowd. 

Did anyone else get the feeling they Grand Old Party is just plain old now? They live in the past. They are trying to rest on the laurels of Lincoln and Truman and Reagan as they said repeatedly throughout the week. 

McCain regurgitated the same old party policies that have failed in the past. He told us very sincerely about his POW story. I feel for the guy. He did a lot and endured a lot. But he didn't tell us what he was going to change.

There is a reason I am a democrat. We are progressives. We look to the future with a remembrance of the past. Not look to the past trying to go back.

Sorry GOP, you can't turn back the clock. You can't ignore the last 8 years of your failed policies. It doesn't work that way.

After these two weeks of conventions I'm more convinced than ever that the GOP belongs in the past. I'm looking forward to an Obama/Biden administration that will move us forward into the future. The 20th century is long gone already. It's time we joined the 21st.

John strikes again

John Stewart has a knack for comparison. It just goes to show you all the pundits just say what best helps them on that day.

It's not CO2, God is tilting the Earth

You have to read it to believe it. This showed up in today's Fargo Forum opinion page:

Butch Dallmann, Moorhead, Letter: All answers can be found in the Bible

Published Thursday, September 04, 2008

Well, folks, here we go again.
First they try to make us believe in the “big-bang” theory; then the “millions of years” theory; then the “we all came from monkeys” theory or even the “sea” theory.

Let’s get into the real solution as to what happened and read the Bible. Genesis will explain how it all was created.

Now for the global warming story Al Gore and others are pushing on us; it’s time to read Genesis to Revelation in the Bible.

When God sent the rain on this Earth for 40 days and nights, all this water had to go someplace so the Earth would be dry again.

Remember, God is the Creator and controls the universe.

God tilted the Earth from its original position and caused all the excess water to rush to the poles, and there he instantly froze the water into the ice formations that exist today.

Time is ticking down on God’s time clock. With all the nuclear bombs that are made and stored for the fast-emerging last battle, this Earth would burn up when these nuclear bombs are set off.

We are not creating global warming – God is tipping the Earth back to its original position on its axis and thus getting all this ice to get ready to move and extinguish the nuclear destructive fires man will create.

Time is running out, folks. Jesus is coming soon. Do you know him as your personal Savior?

I don't know what to say. The sky fairy tilted the earth so all the water would rush to the poles and freeze? And now he's tilting it back to flood the nukes we've created? Where does this stuff come from? Are they really teaching this shit in their churches? And they want to teach it in our public schools? I'm speechless. I find it incomprehensible that people actually believe this crap in the 21st century.

Gov. Palin Hits a Grand Slam

Yes, I'll say it - Sarah Palin gave the speech of a lifetime. She nailed it right on the head. Well delivered, passionate and hard hitting. Not that I agree with all she says but I can recognize her oratory skills are superb and I believe she was honest and genuine. I predicted she would be a formidable opponent earlier and this speech tonight showed me I was right. I thought she did a good job explaining her experience. I think she went out on a limb comparing it to Obama's "lack of experience." Again, belittling his work in the senate and community service is not genuine. She showed she can deliver, that's for sure. Too bad she is on the wrong side of so many issues.

That being said I found the overall theme of tonight's talks to be very divisive, not inclusive. All the speakers kept painting the Democrats as zeros. Even shouting out ZERO ZERO when talking about Obama. Belittling community service and claiming work in the senate as ZERO experience is not the right tack to take. Funny, Isn't John McCain a senator? Good thing they have Palin on the ticket if senators have ZERO experience. Such a stark contrast to the Democratic convention where there was plenty of praise for their opponents accomplishments and criticism only of their policies.

Giuliani made a statement akin to . . 

How dare they question whether Sarah Palin has time to spend with her special needs child.

This comment was completely off the mark. The Obama campaign has NEVER criticized Palin on a single family issue - NEVER. Barack took the high road here. Rudy, how dare you criticize the Obama campaign with false accusations?

Rudy Giuliani and the Repugs Hate the poor

Ok, I my get hot under the collar now and then when I hear crap from people, but tonight, listening to Rudy speak at the GOP convention convinces me that REPUBLICANS ARE FUCKING EVIL.

I cannot believe what I am hearing. Rudy is making fun of Barack's service to his community organizing to help people struggling on the south side of Chicago. The excel center erupts in laughter and they start booing Obama. How in the world can you ridicule and completely fucking discount the people of Chicago. Well, looking around the GOP convention, I guess I can understand. It's filled with old white folks. The south side of Chicago (and Barack) are black. Black folks don't seem to matter to these evil fucks. I think they would get up on their chairs and cheer for joy if Katrina had made it's way to Chicago too.

UGH!

Perhaps my last post was made in haste. I'm now turning into and ANGRY DEMOCRAT!

Angry Left?

Last evening at the GOP convention, President Bush equated Democrats with North Vietnamese communists. He claimed the Vietnamese could not break McCain and neither will the "Angry Left." Great talk to stimulate your conservative base, but it is so wrong on several fronts.

First of all, we are not trying to "break McCain". We're just saying that his approach, his policies, and his reckless rush to judgement on important decisions is wrong for the country.

Second, I would not say we are the "angry left" I would say we are the frustrated left. Actually, most of us are not left at all, we're in the middle.

We are frustrated that "The Uniter" has so divided this country with his indifference to anyone who has a different opinion.

Remember W's seeking to unite the country during the 2004 campaign? Using words like "I want to reach out to all who share my beliefs."

Now he divides even more by calling us names. The McCain campaign does not need more polarizing language. What ever happened to working together to solve problems? McCain, who, admitedly was a maverick who championed bipartisanship, is now pandering to the separatist right in order to get elected. More division, more name calling, and more of the same.

Barack Obama called for coming together on the things we can agree on and using that as a platform to solve problems.

"surely we can agree on reducint the number of unwanted pregnancies . . "
"surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital . . "

Common purpose - - - that is what we must strive for. Not division and separation.

Barack may not have the experience of John McCain but he has shown over and over again he can inspire us to work together for our common purpose. That is what we need in a leader. It is not the President that does the work. It is WE who have to do the work. This country desperately needs a leader that will catalyze WE to come together for our common purpose.

No Mr. President. No, Mr. McCain. We are not angry. We are frustrated that we are not being included in the national conversation. WE all have much to contribute to solving the problems we face. WE need to bring everyone to the table.

I am sick

Thank you Barack for taking the high road in all this mess. I am getting ill listening to all the dimwits on the right AND the left just torturing this poor girl. I fault Ms. Palin and Mr. McCain for knowingly thrusting a 17 year old into the national global spotlight against her will. I will not even comment on that whole mess. It's not my place. People, Bristol is not evil and she is not a saint. She is a 17 year old trying to face the world now with her head held high. Leave her alone.

What makes me equally sick are all these pundits scrambling to find some reason to say Ms. Palin is qualified. They are having a real hard time doing so. Just listen to Tucker Bounds evade the question of command experience over and over again.

Yes, it's true

I'm sure you have all been reading everything you can about Gov. Palin.

I've seen lots of comments from all sides. Knee jerk comments. People in disbelief. People laughing. People crying. Who is this person? Why did John pick her?

Do not underestimate Ms. Palin. She may very well be a formidable opponent. In her short two years as governor, she has already established a reputation of reform and fighting corruption, especially in the Alaskan republican hierarchy. She has left quite a trail of bruised and bleeding people in her wake. She is the most popular governor in America if you can go by approval ratings.

Republicans see her as a refreshing change. I see her as still more of the same. Even with her short record of reform. There are still many reasons that she is completely ineligible for the office of Vice President of the United States and represents the same republican dogma that we have seen forever.

She is vehemently anti-choice.
She has a very spotty record on the environment.
She is married (literally and figuratively) to the oil industry. Good or bad?
She is unabashedly anti-gay marriage rights, though she has stood up for same sex benefits.
She believes creationism should be taught in public schools.
She wants to gut social security.
She has no stance on foreign policy.
She has no stance on free trade.
She has no stance on immigration.

Aside from that, as late as last month she had no idea what a VP does on a daily basis.

Second in line to the highest office in the land? That scares me.

McCain - Palin ??

Could it be true?

There's a web site: http://www.mccainpalin.com/

There's a private jet from Alaska to Ohio reportedly containing Palin and others: http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N222GY

ABC news reports that Palin is still in Alaska. What does that mean? http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/08/mccain-vp-conte.html

Palin is a very conservative young Republican governor of Alaska. She has served for two years. And is already embroiled in some controversy regarding abuse of power. http://www.ktva.com/circare/html/sca_template.jsp?runSearch=true&query=monegan&searchButton.x=0&searchButton.y=0

I guess we'll find out later today who McCain's running mate is, but Palin seems to be rising to the top of the rumor mill.

8 years of GOP leads to drop in income

Personal income in largest drop in 3 years

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Personal income fell in July by the biggest drop in 3 years after surging the prior two months because of $90 billion in economic stimulus payments.

The Commerce Department said Friday that individual income decreased by 0.7% in July after a 0.1% jump in June and a 1.8% increase in May. Economists polled by Briefing.com were expecting income to fall by 0.2% in July.

The sharp decline in personal income was the largest drop off since August of 2005, when personal income plunged by 2.3%, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

from CNN . . read more

So do you see Jesus everywhere?

I am convinced that if we want to see something in random patterns we will. Remember the virgin Mary? She has appeared in water stains under a bridge, on burnt toast, and even on light reflected on a building's windows. Well, now this guy from Texas has found Jesus on the back of a moth. Take a look for yourself.


I don't know. It looks an awful lot like Mohammed to me.

(edited to add) Of course, it could also be Dorothy, from the Wizard of Oz.

Another Man of the Cloth living a lie

This one is a real good one. A pastor in Australia told people for two years he was battling cancer to hide an addiction to pornography. Sad but true.

I divorce thee, I divorce thee, I divorce thee

Oh no you don't! You're not in Pakistan anymore. KUDOS to the Montgomery County Circuit Court in Maryland for upholding US laws and not allowing idiotic religious sharia law to usurp our democracy.

A woman has won a case saying that the Muslim talaq is not valid for divorce in Maryland because it does not provide the woman with her due rights.

Religious Child Abuse takes another young life

This story from the heartland of the US, Weston, Wisconsin, is so sad. An 11 year old child suffering for days with lack of insulin slipped into a coma and her parents refused to seek medical treatment. She finally died from ketoacidosis. Easily treated if her parents had sought help. The parents will be charged with second-degree reckless homicide. If you ask me they should be locked up in the loony bin. When will we stop the insanity of irrational religion?

Update 4/29/2008: It seems the Neumanns are part of an end of times cult. The Unleavened Bread Ministries is trying to justify negligent homicide. I'm sorry, Pastor Bob, they are not being charged for praying, they are being charged for standing by watching their daughter die a slow painful death.

I Believe

I believe in Freedom of Speech. If the religious nutjobs in Florida want to have a license plate with xtian sentiments, more power too them. I think some people who read this blog may be surprised that I say that. I don't have any problem with this proposal. As I said, we should all have freedom to express our opinions and beliefs. If someone wants to paint their car with big Jesus fish on the side, I don't care. If they want to tattoo a cross on their foreheads, way to go! Easier to identify the crazy people, if you ask me. There's something funny, though. It's religious folks that are getting bent out of shape about this license plate. They have the same sentiments as apparent anti-semite Rep. Kelly Skidmore, a Roman Catholic from Florida.

"It's not a road I want to go down. I don't want to see the Star of David next. I don't want to see a Torah next. None of that stuff is appropriate to me," said Skidmore, a Democrat who voted against the plate in committee.

You see, they only want their religion expressed and would never want any other's to be acknowledged in public. What would their children think if they were tolerant of other's beliefs?

Yes, I want to see this plate adopted in Florida and then see what happens when requests for Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Secular plates start appearing.

Easter is almost here - Clean your whips!

In the Philippines, Catholics have an Easter tradition - self flagellation. Apparently this good friday ritual has become quite a tourist attraction. I can see why. We just don't get enough pain and blood on TV and video games. Apparently the Philippine government is asking that people make sure to clean their whips well to prevent infections. Ironic, though. Wouldn't God prevent that from happening to the most penitent?

$12,000,000,000.00

12 BILLION dollars every month. That's the current burn rate in Iraq. In the end this war will cost us almost $3 trillion. That's a bill of over $9,000 for every man, woman and child in America. Couple that with our current $9.6 trillion debt. This spells economic ruin. We've already lost. The sad thing is that all this money spent in Iraq has done nothing to quell Al Qaeda. They've regrouped in our Pakistani friends' backyard.

Faith and Politics

In 1987 then Vice President George H. W. Bush was campaigning for president. At a campaign stop on August 27, 1987 the following exchange took place between Vice President Bush and a reporter.

Reporter: What will you do to win the votes of the Americans who are atheists?
Bush: I guess I'm pretty weak in the atheist community. Faith in God is important to me.
Reporter: Surely you recognize the equal citizenship and patriotism of Americans who are atheists?
Bush: No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.
Reporter: (somewhat taken aback): Do you support as a sound constitutional principle the separation of state and church?
Bush: Yes, I support the separation of church and state. I'm just not very high on atheists.

This exchange affected me deeply. Here was the Vice President of my country, a man who swore on a bible to uphold the constitution, telling me that I should not be considered a citizen. The same man that went on to become president. I think it was that moment when I knew I would have to fight for my rights as an American, that they were not just to be taken for granted. I lost my allusion that America stood for justice and liberty for all.

We know how history has played out. This discrimination and the bastardization of the constitution has become even greater under the hands of Little George. In this year's election campaign I have been paying attention to what the candidates have to say about faith and the lack thereof. I don't care if people have faith as long as they don't use it to discriminate or to decide major policy decisions just based on it.

We have heard how the right wing candidates feel about faith. More of the same. You gotta have faith or you don't belong. I mean, really, did you listen to Romney's speech about faith? How about Huckabee? And McCain is no different in his disdain for American atheists.

What about our Democratic candidates? Both have professed a deep religious faith in Christianity. Well, despite the fact that our constitution says there shall be no religious test to hold office, it is a fact that no candidate can win unless they do profess such a thing. However, we need to look at how the candidates view all the rest of us Americans.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary is a big disappointment to me in regards to her support of all Americans. Not only will she not stand up against the discrimination of gays and lesbians, but she has acted in opposition to those of us who are nonbelievers. Last June while discussing her husband's infidelity, Hillary made this statement.

"At those moments in time when you are tested, it is absolutely essential that you be grounded in your faith."

Is she really saying that without religious faith you cannot persevere? How ignorant is that?

In 2002, Hillary also posted a statement about the Pledge of Allegiance on her web site. In that statement she actually said she was offended that an appeals court would rule "one nation under god" as not belonging in our pledge. She actually implied in that statement that you must have faith to be part of our nation.

I have never found any evidence that Hillary considers Atheist Americans as part of this country.

Barack Obama

There is a great deal of controversy about Barack's faith and his supposed islamic indoctrination as a child. I think even some of his most outspoken critics have come around to conclude that he is what he says he is, a devout Christian. Regardless, the question in my mind is how does he view Americans of other faiths, particularly those with no faith.

Finally a candidate has stood up and proclaimed that atheists ARE Americans and are WANTED in the conversation of America.

"We all have a part in this conversation . . . believer and nonbeliever alike. Because, while I'm a Christian, I don't believe that religious folks have a monopoly on morality."

Can it be true? A presidential candidate that includes all of us? Since G. H. W. Bush proclaimed that atheists are not Americans over 20 years ago, I have not ever heard a candidate or a leader make such a statement. Not Bill, not Hillary, and certainly not any republican.

I think I am beginning to believe that change is possible.

Like sheep to the slaughter

The ignorance of American evangelicals never ceases to astound me. This video (also posted on pharyngula) shows the depths that the evangelical flock can fall into. It is clear these folks are just parroting the same lies and bullshit over and over. I mean, come on! I think it's been pretty much laid to rest that Obama is not an undercover islamic extremist trying to get his reigns on the American government so he can open the floodgates for the tides of jihadists to invade. Please folks. Use your own brains. If you believe in god then surely you believe she gave you a brain for a reason, right? Don't bleat like a bloody sheep.

4 children dead

A sad story this morning out of Washington, DC. Four children are dead and their decomposing bodies were discovered in their mother's house. Why were they killed? Because they were possessed by demons. This is the kind of delusional harm that comes from religion. I suspect even catholic priests who perform exorcisms would call this woman crazy. Yet they can't see in the mirror.

Happy Eid al-Adha

picture from Karin's Public Gallery

Abraham is a central patriarchal figure in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. If it were not for Abraham we would not have the mutilation of male genitalia so pervasive in Islam and Judaism. Abraham was such a great man he was willing to slaughter his own son Isaac because some voice in his head commanded him to. Today when people do this they are arrested and thrown in prison. I wonder if it's just the women that get arrested. Abraham was regarded as a hero. Hmmm. In Islam Eid al-Adha is the festival of sacrifice celebrating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice foreskins and offspring to god and this year it starts tomorrow on December 19. To honor such sacrifice they slaughter sheep, goats and cattle by the millions. Sounds like fun! Who needs Mortal Combat when you can go out in the streets and cut the throat of a live sheep.

A Jesus™ Nation

That's what Huckabee is fighting for. It's clear he has a vision of one nation under Jesus™. He basically says so in his own words way back in 1998:

"I didn't get into politics because I thought government had a better answer. I got into politics because I knew government didn't have the real answers, that the real answers lie in accepting Jesus Christ into our lives. . . . I hope we answer the alarm clock and take back this nation for Christ."

It looks like Huckabee is surging in the polls. So I guess all you Jews, Muslims, Wiccans, Buddhists, Hindus, Baha'is, Taoists, Druids, Native Americans, Universalists, Pagans, and atheists better start thinking about moving to a new country. If this guy gets in the whitehouse I don't think you'll be very welcomed here.

Mitt Romney is a blathering idiot

"Freedom requires religion, just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone," he said.

So says Mitt. I can't believe that this guy is seriously seeking the presidency. Has he not read the constitution? Does he not understand that our founders purposely separated religion from affairs of the state? To say that religion is the only way to find one's personal self is completely and utterly insane. I would say Mitt will be as fundamentally bad for the separation of church and state as Bush is now based on statements like this.

The Golden Compass

Come on folks. It's FANTASY! Really, kids can tell the difference between fantasy and reality. They can. Why do you think it's so hard to get them up and out the door to Sunday school? If you haven't heard there's an uproar about the new film, The Golden Compass. It's like Harry Potter all over again. Religious nuts think this movie will indoctrinate their children into the evils of atheism. Give me a break. And give your children some credit. If you have raised your child to believe in your god, fine. This movie is not going to change their minds. Are you so afraid that your believes are so tenuous that a fantasy movie will destroy it? You must not have much faith in your beliefs then. It's interesting to see the evangelical blogsphere get their panties all in a bunch about this. I can't wait to take my son to see this movie. I'm sure we'll have a spirited discussion about it afterwards.

Another tragic death from fantasy

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Religious fantasy kills. Fourteen year old Dennis Lindberg of Seattle, Washington passed away last night because he thought getting a life-saving blood transfusion would make him unclean. Sad, really. This was even against his parents' wishes. They wanted him to live. Unfortunately, Dennis' aunt, a Jehovah's Witness, greatly influenced him. The judge in the case that let the eight grader die didn't believe his decision was the result of any coercion. What the hell is fantastical religious indoctrination if not coercion? The doctors said he would have had a 70% chance of beating his leukemia with the transfusion. The judge said his ruling was a death sentence. We need to protect our children from this idiocy.

You're elected to work not pray

Part of me makes me glad I don't live in Georgia, but I'm sure it is similar here. This story from CNN today raises the issue nicely. I'm talking about elected officials wasting valuable taxpayer paid time pleading with some fantastical deity for help when they could be doing work for the people. This year Georgia is suffering from one of the worst droughts in its history. Water shortages are reaching critical stage in Atlanta and many places in GA. There's a lot to do. So, what does Governor Sonny Perdue and the GA legislature have on their agendas today? Yes. They're going to stand around on the steps of the Capitol mumbling to some imaginary magical creature to come down and spread some rain around. This is NOT what public servants are elected to do.

Now, I have no problem with people praying. Prayer can make people feel good. It can give them inner strength and lift them up. The GA governor and legislature can pray all they want to, but can't they do it on their own time? Their constituents are certainly expecting more from their work day. Most working people don't get to stop working to organize prayer vigils. They use their day off on Sunday for their worship. Why should elected officials be granted special rights in this regard?

At least one guy down in GA has the right idea:

"The governor can pray when he wants to," said Ed Buckner, who is organizing the protest. "What he can't do is lead prayers in the name of the people of Georgia."

Not all xtians are scientifically ignorant

There is hope. According to a recent poll, many xtians believe the earth could be billions of years old. There are still a lot of nutjob biblical literalists who think only in terms of a few thousand years really. Only 30% of xtians believe the earth is billions of years old. Maybe that's a frighteningly large number to the fundies, but I find it frighteningly small.

Democrats are letting us down

A friend just sent me an email with a question from Jim Babka of DownsizeDC.org. A very important question that we all need to consider.

Why did a Democrat controlled Congress pass a bad bill that President Bush wanted, when the Republican controlled Congress couldn't muster the votes for it the year before?

Of course I'm talking about the FISA bill - Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. You know, the one that allows our government to monitor at will any phone call we make outside of the homeland? The bill that legalizes all of the illegal acts this administration has perpetrated on us over the last six years. That bill.

In the House, 41 Democratic representatives voted to approve and legalize illegal wiretapping on us. This includes my own representative, Earl Pomeroy. Earl, you should be ashamed of this vote.

In the Senate the picture was no better - 16 Democrats voted to weaken our constitution. Senator Conrad from North Dakota was among them. Dorgan weaseled out by not being present to vote. I'd like to know where he stood on the issue.

Someone remind me why we voted in all these spineless politicians last November?

Christians are just too busy for god

Results of a five year worldwide study are in and it says that the majority of christians have no time for god. This study, conducted by the Charleston Southern University School of Business, sampled some 20,000 christians from 139 countries and found that a significant number of folks were too busy to develop their relationship with god. North American christians topped the chart with 62% reporting they were too busy for god. Interestingly, when the results were categorized by profession, the results were surprising. 65% of pastors said they were too busy to develop their relationship with god.

They've found the cure for autism

Because we all know that autism is not really a disease but evil spirits lurking in our brains.

"(Uyesugi felt that) the boy could be prayed over and the demons could be cast out of him," Detective Brad Swain told 6News' Ben Morriston."
. . .
Swain said Uyesugi "forced the boy down, punched him in the face several times, put his fingers in the boy's throat, causing him to vomit."

"When the family objected, Uyesugi told them that the vomit was demons being cast out," Swain said

Fortunately this guy was arrested and charged with battery. Frankly, he belongs in an institution.

You wonder where they get these crazy ideas? Oh, I see - this guy was an usher for the Cherry Hill Christian Center in Bloomington, IN. Apparently you can go to school to learn all kinds of things there, like new, never before heard, languages.

"The purpose of the School of the Holy Spirit is to feed and develop the spirit man, to release the rivers of prayer language and prophesying, and to move into the revelation and power gifts (word of knowledge, word of wisdom, discerning of spirits, gift of faith, gifts of healing, and working of miracles)."

This church looks like a scary place. If I were in Bloomington, I'd be watchful of my neighbors who go there.

Even Hindus are NUTS

I wonder if there are any religions that are not completely bonkers.

Man cuts off hand for Hindu goddess offering

A man from Nepal cut off his right hand for the Hindu goddess of power. Loopy if you ask me.

Anyone can go to heaven - if you believe as I do

A couple weeks ago I posted about the Pope's holier than thou attitude toward other xtians and how they don't truly follow christ. There was an interesting response to the Pope in the Fargo Forum letters section this morning. The Rev. Howard Fleury claims that god does not exclude anyone from eternal life, despite what the pope says. Now, that sounds all nice and inclusive until you really read his letter. Just as I expected from a delusional charlatan, the Rev. Fleury goes on to explain that you must believe as he does and be 'born again' to enter heaven. He even proudly claims that xtianity is an exclusive club and no one else can be saved. The rest of us will all end up in hell. Interestingly he claims that about 66% of the world's population will rest in hell. Does that mean that 33% of the Earth's 6 billion people are born again xtians? I think not! Certainly the "Born Agains" are a much smaller fraction of the xtian population. Not only is Rev. Fleury delusional, he thinks HIS club is the biggest in the world. Perhaps he should read more than just his bible.

(for a PDF of the Forum letter, click here)

The War that Wasn't

It's July and it's not just the summer sun that is getting hot. The War on Christmas™ is heating up also. Before anyone has even uttered a "Happy Holidays" (which is an expression of well wishes, not a slap in the face) the lunatic fringe is mobilizing their xtian soldiers to take on the great opposing army. The non-christians are swarming like plague-infested rats during the dark ages. If left alone to reproduce, they will soon take over! Oh wait, xtians still make up over 80% of the US population. Yes, I'm being satirical.

Two articles have caught my eye today regarding this so-called war. The first I gleaned from the Atheist Revolution blog about a petition in Berkely, Michigan for the city to display a nativity scene on public land. The second article comes from the xtian news source, One News Now. This reports on the attempts by the Seattle airport to ban religious displays. The local locos have their panties in a bind claiming this is some kind of "censorship" of religion.

I have just one question for the xtians out there. There's a christian church on nearly every street corner in America. If you put a nativity scene on every lawn, wouldn't you just about saturate every city in America with your religious symbolism? Why must you have it on the city square, or, for crying out loud, in an airport? Have you been in an airport lately? With all the delays people are just running from one end to the other to make their connecting flights. They don't have time to sit and wonder at the fantastical magic of a virgin birth. Please, just leave a little room for the rest of us. That's all we ask.

I agree with PZ

Magical incantations DO NOT belong in the senate. Unbelievable that these so-called christian zealots want everyone to tolerate their prayers in our senate, at high school football games, and everywhere else, but they can't sit in silent respect for two minutes to listen to a Hindu prayer.

Read more and watch the video on Pharyngula.

Superiority Complex

Nearly every religion has it. If you ask a leader of any one of the world's religions, they will tell you their version of reality imagination is the only true one. Some are more vocal, and violent, than others. The latest 'holier than thou' proclamation comes from the Vatican. Yes, Pope Rat has decreed that non-catholics are not true followers of Jesus Christ™. Of course, this declaration is basically aimed at any christian denomination that does not bow to the pope. Silly me, and I always thought religion was about a personal relationship with one's deity. Perhaps we need to replace the 10 commandments monument that is in Fargo's city hall square with a graven image of Pope Rat.

Read the full story here.

Who Cares about CAIR?

An interesting article appeared yesterday in the Washington Times describing the precipitous decline in membership for CAIR in recent years - down from 29,000 members in 2000 to only 1,700 in 2006. CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, pretends to be a civil rights organization. Frankly, this is a sham. It is clear they want nothing less than the adoption of Sharia law for America. Several CAIR spokespeople have been caught saying this in the past. It is not surprising that most mainstream American thinking Muslims are rejecting CAIR. They have known ties to Hamaas and other terrorist jihadist groups and have been named as co-conspirators. I would urge you to find out more about this very narrow-minded group that hides behind a cloak of civil rights. Here are some web sites for further reading.

CAIR Watch
CAIR: Islamists Fooling the Establishment
CAIR: 'Moderate' friends of terror
Anti-CAIR In defense of the Constitution

Dick Cheney is an SOB

When all is said and done, I think this administration will go down in history as the most corrupt ever. Every day we hear of new depths of unethical behavior by people who are entrusted with our lives. Dick Cheney heads the list of arrogant power mongers who don't give a rat's ass about the integrity of what our country stands for. According to this Washington Post article, Dick disagreed with justice officials about the illegality of wiretaps. Now that, of course, is not the problem. Everyone has the right to disagree. But, according to testimony of former deputy attorney general James Comey, Cheney's office retaliated by blocking the promotion of senior Justice Department lawyer, Patrick Philbin. Why did he block the promotion? Because Patrick raised concerns about the illegal surveillance that Cheney was pushing for. I'm sorry, this kind of retaliation seems to be commonplace in this administration. When will it stop? I think Cheney belongs in jail.

Kevin's Got it Right

A letter appeared in The Forum this morning that says it like it is. Way to go, Kevin!

Kevin Oak, Detroit Lakes, Minn. letter: Bible-thumping dimwits at it again
The Forum
Published Thursday, May 03, 2007

What’s with these Bible-thumping dimwits and their rant against The Forum’s article about the two young men attending prom together? I thought The Forum did a fine job presenting this issue in the context of what is a very significant event in a teen’s high school tenure.
But then you get these self-righteous nut jobs who read it with minds sealed drum tight, gasp, clutch at their chests, and frantically peruse the good book to find some passage in an attempt to make some obscure point. Then it’s up to the altar they go with a “God loves you but ...” finger-shaking hellfire-and-brimstone tirade.

And they continue to show the depth of their ignorance by expressing sympathy for gays’ family members, or saying something really stupid, like how a gay can change what happened at conception but only with a close, personal relationship with Jesus.

Please, sit down and shut up, already. I’m only here to listen to the choir.

The Jesus I know is about forgiveness, tolerance and acceptance.

He’s also the guy who said, “Let the person who is without sin cast the first stone.” Because if the Bible-thumpers’ God judges all sins on an equal basis, the water they’ll be in on their judgment day is going to be just as hot as anybody’s.

John, Sam and Santa

What do John the Baptist, Uncle Sam and Santa Claus have in common?

Why, John Frum, of course!

The people on the isolated South Pacific island of Tanna, in the country of Vanuatu, have long put their faith in John Frum, a figure they insist is a former American GI during World War II who will someday emerge from the volcano and shower his believers with wealth and knowledge.

Frum has been described as a combination of John the Baptist, Uncle Sam and Santa Claus.

Well, if you are worried about their poor lost souls, fear not, for Christian evangelism has arrived to save the day. Apparently 7000 islanders have given their hearts to Jesus™ after watching a Jesus™ film video that was left behind. I guess if you're gullible enough to be swayed by Santa, Sam and John, then Jesus™ should not be too hard to swallow.

Read the story here.

Littering is against the law in North Dakota

Ok, I'm all for free speech and all that jazz, but I do have a problem with people littering public places with propaganda. I was at NDSU today and had to use the restroom. As I was washing up I noticed some money laying around here and there. On closer inspection, they appeared to be $1,000,000 bills! I picked one up and flipped it over and behold - Once again, someone is trying to save me. What a waste of trees and ink. It's one thing to hand them out to people. That's fine. But it is quite another thing to dirty up our public spaces with all this paper. Frankly the folks who drop these around campus should be cited for littering.

Godless Money Commands a High Price

Say what you want about "In God We Trust" on US currency, but it's clear that people are paying a premium for new dollar coins that are missing this inscription. The US Mint has released some new dollar coins that were improperly struck. Intially coins were fetching upwards of $600. As word spread, more were discovered and the price has settled down to about $50 on ebay.

Read the story here

Minimum Wage is a Republican Ideal?

I think not! Once again, the Republican-controlled ND legislature has shown their true arrogant plagiaristic selfs and held a photo-op touting their "Republican" bill to raise the minimum wage. Funny, they've killed the bill the last 10 times the Democrats have brought it to the table. The real credit should go to Sen. Tim Mathern (D-Fargo) and Rep. Jasper Schneider (D-Fargo).

The Forum has more to say on the issue:

Forum Editorial: Democrats initiated wage bill
The Forum
Published Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Monday’s celebratory photo op for signing a minimum wage bill was among the more bizarre political sideshows to come out of the North Dakota legislative session. Conducted by a Republican governor and Republican lawmakers, the lead participants pretty much soft-pedaled the fact that the original minimum wage bill was a Democrat initiative. Indeed, all the majority Republicans did was amend the bill to say it would not take effect until the federal minimum wage is raised, which Congress is expected to do this year.
The efficacy of government setting wages in a diverse jobs marketplace aside (we think it’s a bad idea for North Dakota), the failure of Republicans to properly acknowledge the primary role of Democratic lawmakers in the wage bill was petty. Oh, a brief mention was made of the Democrats, but it seemed almost an afterthought. And a couple of Democratic legislators and a labor union leader were on hand, but their marginal participation came off as so much window dressing.

The original bill was written by Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, and Rep. Jasper Schneider, D-Fargo. It was given little chance of passing because the Republican majority historically has been against raising the state’s minimum wage. But Congress changed hands after the November election and the new Democratic majority said it would advance a federal minimum wage hike. President Bush went along and said he would sign a wage bill. Apparently when the Republican president said he would support a higher minimum wage, Republicans in the North Dakota Legislature began to dance to his tune.

If a minimum wage hike was anathema to Republican legislators in the past, why would they think it’s a good idea now – even if the president apparently thinks so? Why did they appropriate what clearly was – and has always been – a Democratic initiative? Free-market, conservative Republicans have no business lining up behind a wage philosophy that contradicts everything they say they believe.

And since the minimum wage hike was a Democratic bill from the start (changed minimally to reflect pending federal legislation), why snub Sen. Mathern and Rep. Schneider? That’s rude and a tad dishonest.

Sometimes politics – even in civil North Dakota – just stinks.

Forum editorials represent the opinion of Forum management and the newspaper’s Editorial Board.

Republican Plagiarism in North Dakota

plagiarism |ˈplājəˌrizəm| noun
the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own.

That describes the republican dominated North Dakota legislature. For years they have completely discounted the democratic minority with arrogance and disdain. The idea that ND Democrats should just be happy their ideas are becoming law even if Republicans have stolen those ideas as their own is completely idiotic. This is just plain unethical! Republicans should be ashamed of themselves. If I were to do this in my university, I would be fired for plagiarism. It's a serious ethical offense.

Read more from the Grand Forks Herald:


VIEWPOINT : Yes, the GOP stole our bills in Bismarck
By Arlo Schmidt and Dorvan Solberg,
Published Thursday, March 01, 2007, Grand Forks Herald


BISMARCK - This is a response to the comments made by Republican leadership in a recent Forum Communications Capitol bureau story, “Cross words at crossover” (Page 4B, Feb. 16).
Republicans acted as if they didn't notice that they had stolen ideas from Democrats. However, it is hard to imagine that Republicans didn't realize they were stealing our ideas. For example, we asked a Republican senator and representative to co-sponsor a bill to keep interest rates down for student loans. They told us they would not sponsor that bill, but then introduced a virtual carbon copy of the bill with several other Republican co-sponsors.

House Majority Leader Rick Berg, R-Fargo, insinuated that it was Democrats' fault for not getting the bills passed. He seemed to indicate that no bill will be passed with a Democrat sponsor because Republicans are in control of both the Senate, the House and the governor's office.

Senate Majority Leader Bob Stenehjem, R-Bismarck, implied that this is just part of the legislative process. But Stenehjem needs to know that stealing ideas, hoghousing bills and dominating public policy is not part of the legislative process. It is bad politics, and it is not going unnoticed.

Berg alluded to the idea that Democrats shouldn't be upset that Republicans are stealing our ideas. He says that Democrats should just be happy to see their ideas brought forward and getting passed - as if he is doing us a favor by stealing our ideas.

We would just like to compare the situation to something Herald readers can identify with. Pretend that you came up with a great idea at your place of employment. Pretend that you go to a co-worker and ask for help in presenting this great idea to your boss.

Now, imagine the audacity that co-worker would need in order, first, to tell you to your face that he can't help you; and then second, to go to the boss and present your idea as his own.

We suspect you would not be very impressed with that co-worker. That is exactly what is happening in the state Legislature and why we are calling foul.

In the North Dakota House of Representatives, Schmidt, a Democrat from Maddock, N.D., represents District 7 and Solberg, a Democrat from Ray, N.D., represents District 2.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is my hero

Here she is on Real Time with Bill Maher. I was shocked to see Bill come full circle and state Islam has been violent from the beginning. This from a man who once said Mohammed was liberal and tolerant. The difference between Islam and many other religions is that in large part, it has not abandoned the violence that most religions gave up since the 14th century.

Take a look at this clip:

Death to women who won't cover their heads

PZ Myers has a lot to say today about the execution of Pakistan's Minister for Social Welfare in Punjab province. Her crime? She did not cover her head.

The shooter had this to say . .

"I have no regrets. I just obeyed Allah's commandment," he said, adding that Islam did not allow women to hold positions of leadership. "I will kill all those women who do not follow the right path, if I am freed again," he said

I particularly like PZ's commentary about this story . .

Face it, everyone. Religion is not a source of moral behavior. It's a source of tribalism and obedience to authority, which sometimes coincides with respectable morality, but isn't necessarily associated with it. We have to find our virtue in one true thing, our common humanity, and these ancient superstitions actually interfere with instruction in how to be good by encrusting it with nonsense.

Read more from PZ here . . .

Speaking of Islamic Rants - they want you dead

Omar Brooks thinks all non-muslims should be slaughtered.

I am ashamed of my party

As a liberal democrat, I abhor intolerance. So when our party's leaders support individuals and groups that are intolerant, I can't understand it. On Feb. 2, Howard Dean stood next to Imam Husham Al-Husany as the Imam feigned a desire for peace and love and called Americans oppressors. Is Howard so shallow that he does not understand that this Imam is only interested in everyone living under shari'a law? His associations with CAIR and his support of terrorist organizations around the world are ample evidence that he is another Islamic leader who thinks that peace, love and unity can only come if we all follow Muhammed.

Although I don't really care for Sean Hannity's tactics, Imam Al-Husany's rants during his interview with Sean demonstrate how out of touch he really is. It's clear that if anyone criticizes Islamic domination, then they encourage the wrath of Muhammed and Jesus. Incredible! Peace and Love and Understanding . . I don't believe that is what the Imam really wants. He wants the whole world to be like him. And Howard embraces characters like this? Take a listen for yourself:



Oh, and after the DNC address, equally ignorant young democrats blindly supported Howard's choice.



One more reason that RELIGION and GOVERNMENT should forever be separated. This Imam is as nuts as the christians Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and Fred Phelps!

My party should be better than this.

Pardon me for wondering

Ok, I have to ask. Did anyone else wonder why this story (Russian smuggled nuclear-bomb uranium) that appeared on CNN.com tonight has been kept under wraps since last summer? I usually don't go in for conspiracy theories, but . . is it coincedence that this came out one day after GW's gloom and doom State of the Union address? I mean, the sting happened last summer! The perpetrator has already been arrested, charged and convicted! According to the article:

Details of the investigation, which also involved the FBI and Energy Department, were provided to The Associated Press by U.S. officials and Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili.

That means the US government released the information by choice today.

This is my speculation, but I think this was released today to bolster Bush's pro-war agenda after his speech. This is an important piece of news. If (when) "nucular" material does get into the hands of terrorists, we are all in trouble. Why wasn't this news reported last summer? Using information that is vital to all of our safety for political agendas is disgraceful.

Man, the last few years have really turned me into a pessimist.

Politics: Dare I say the "I" word?

Yes, I'm talking about IMPEACHMENT. Not a word I throw around lightly. One I thought I would never want to use. But I don't know what else to do with the ignorant arrogant self-appointed dictator that is George Bush. To say he, and he alone, knows what's best for America and the rest of us have no say in the matter just goes too far. Whether or not his troop surge is right or wrong is irrelevant in this discussion. What is relevant is his complete and utter disregard for Congress and the American people who have spoken loudly that he needs to do something else. Maybe his way is right, but he hasn't made the case yet and he can't sit on his throne and simply tell us it is. He and Dick are now saying it is their duty to stomp all over our rights. Yes, we 300,000,000 Americans are too stupid to understand how King George and Prince Dick will save the world. Well, it's time to dethrone them. This is the last straw.

Ok, that being said, I want to ask, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THE DEMOCRATS? Where are their plans? We need them to lead, NOW. THIS IS THE TIME! DO IT. George will just keep doing this unless you Dems start doing something smart. Howard went around the country talking about "Tough but Smart". Well, it's January, we have wrestled congress from the clutches of the Republicans. It's time for the Tough and Smart. Please step up to the plate, and do it quick before we're all doomed.