In Case You Haven't Noticed Yet, Trump Is Now Directly And Viciously Attacking Dr. Fauci; It Was Inevitable

USA Today reported that the news that the creepy Orange Menace will hold a rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, this Saturday "has raised concerns among some local medical experts about what his visit will do to the relatively low COVID-19 numbers in the area. Compared to other states, like Florida and Texas, the Northeast seems to be managing the pandemic fairly well. Some fear a large, crowded rally will reverse that positive trend. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu urged residents to wear masks and practice social distancing at the outdoor rally. 'It is imperative that folks attending the rally wear masks,' he said." Sununu also told the media that though he's "going to go and greet the President as the governor, I will not be in the crowd of thousands of people, I'm not going to put myself in the middle of a crowd of thousands of people, if that's your question specifically. I try to-- unfortunately, you know, I have to be extra cautious as the governor, I try to be extra cautious for myself, my family." Sununu may well lose his reelection bid because of his strange refusal to mandate masks.

The progressive Democrat challenging Sununu this cycle, Andru Volinsky, was terse and to the point regarding the rally he obviously isn't attending. "I am calling on Gov. Sununu to publicly state that Donald Trump is not welcome in New Hampshire. The public health risks are far too great to use New Hampshire for a photo op."

In his NY Times column published around the same time Sununu was making an ass out of himself, David Leonhardt noted that "There is no country in the world where confirmed coronavirus cases are growing as rapidly as they are in Arizona, Florida or South Carolina. The Sun Belt has become the global virus capital. The only countries with outbreaks as severe as those across the Sunbelt are Bahrain, Oman and Qatar-- three Middle Eastern countries with large numbers of low-wage migrant workers who are not citizens. These workers often live in cramped quarters, with subpar social services, and many have contracted the virus."

These are Tuesday's and Wednesday's numbers conparing Sun Belt states' two one day increases of confirmed cases with the the 10 European countries experiencing the most severe spikes right now.

• Texas +9,414 ---> 10,199
• California +8,631 ---> 8,561
• Florida +7,347 ---> 9,989
• Arizona +3,653 ---> 3,520
• Georgia +3,406 ---> 3,420
• Louisiana +1,936 ---> 1,888
• North Carolina +1,748 ---> 1,028
• Tennessee +1,359 ---> 2,472
• Missouri +1,135 ---> 755
• South Carolina +972 ---> 1,557
• Mississippi +957 ---> 674
• Alabama +907 ---> 1,177
• Nevada +876 ---> 516
• Oklahoma +858 ---> 673
• U.K. +581 ---> 630
• Ukraine +564 ---> 807
• France +475 ---> 663
• Romania +397 ---> 555
• Spain +341 ---> 383
• Serbia +299 ---> 357
• Germany +298 ---> 410
• Portugal +287 ---> 443
• Poland +257 ---> 277
• Moldova +235 ---> 330

Trump lied (again) on Twitter, claiming, absurdly, that coronavirus deaths are "down tenfold." Someone in the White House forced the ignorant pig to delete the tweet. Trump also went on the attack against Dr. Fauci, belittling him and his assessment of the battle against the pandemic. Señor Trumpanzee to Greta Van Susteren: "Well, I think we are in a good place. I disagree with him. Dr. Fauci said don't wear masks and now he says wear them. And he said numerous things. Don't close off China. Don't ban China. I did it anyway. I didn't listen to my experts and I banned China. We would have been in much worse shape. We've done a good job. I think we are going to be in two, three, four weeks, by the time we next speak, I think we're going to be in very good shape."

Fauci on Monday had specifically pointed to "a series of circumstances associated with various states and cities trying to open up" too early as a key factor in the virus's surge and emphasized the US "should use the public health effort as a vehicle and a pathway to get to safe reopening."

"So we've got to make sure that we don't create this binary type thing of 'it's us against them,' " he said of public health efforts and the US economy.

"It's not. We're all in it together."

Trump conceded Tuesday that there are spikes in the virus in "some areas that looked like we were going to escape, that they were going to escape, and all of a sudden it became hot."

"But I think you're going to see with all of the things that we're doing, and with all of the therapeutics that are coming out, and then ultimately the vaccine, we're going to be in very good shape very soon," he claimed.

Fauci's assessment built on the stark warning he had issued to lawmakers on Capitol Hill last week, telling them he wouldn't be surprised if the US sees new cases of coronavirus rising to a level of 100,000 a day.

"We are now having 40-plus-thousand new cases a day. I would not be surprised if we go up to 100,000 a day if this does not turn around, and so I am very concerned," Fauci told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

He specifically expressed dismay over people congregating in crowds and not wearing masks and inadequate attention being paid to guidelines on reopening.

"We're going to continue to be in a lot of trouble," he said. "And there's going to be a lot of hurt if that does not stop."

Blue America's First June Endorsement-- Andru Volinsky For Governor

Blue America hasn't endorsed many candidates for governor this year. Governors, like senators, tend to be a little too establishment, a little too conservative-- and not leaders so much as managers. We just added a third-- Andru Volinsky of New Hampshire-- to our short list. This is for a late primary, September 8, in which Andru is being opposed by a establishment conservative Dan Feltes, a weak, tepid, dishonest and utterly useless minority leader of the state Senate. The winner will face off against GOP incumbent Chris Sununu. Bernie hasn't endorsed many candidates for governor either, but Volinksky was a sure bet for him too.

“Real change comes from the bottom up, not the top down,” Sanders said in the news release announcing the endorsement. “This is why we need candidates who champion the people and the issues at every level, in every state.”

Calling Volinsky a “progressive beacon in New Hampshire,” the news release cites his work as an attorney advocating for more equitable school funding and efforts on public-sector pensions and health care premiums.

"It is my honor and privilege to be endorsed by the next president of the United States, Bernie Sanders," Volinsky said in a statement emailed Thursday morning. "I endorsed Bernie Sanders for president twice because he’s been fighting for decades against the corrupting influence of money in politics, for robust public education funding, commuter rail, climate action, healthcare access, and addressing income inequality."

I was impressed at the way Volinsky has been taking on Sununu already, by, for example, calling for masks to be required by businesses for customers and employees, something Sununu refuses to do. Unlike the weak-knee-ed and complacent Feltes, Volinsky has been fearless when it comes to taking on Sununu, who he referred to as a "fake" and a "coward" for his power grab in spending COVID federal funds.

Governor Veto has blocked 57 bills passed by the legislature, many of them bipartisan, 4 times as many as any other governor, including renewable energy/net metering, campaign finance reform, independent redistricting, raising the minimum wage, paid family leave... Feltes is still too scared to take him on directly. Volinsky can beat this guy; Feitis doesn't have any chance at all in November.

New Hampshire has towns now with no science teachers, even no elementary schools, because of their wack ass tax system that relies exclusively on property taxes. There is no income tax and there are no sales taxes. If you ask me, Andru is running for governor primarily because he sued the state in 1997 in what was known  as the landmark "Claremont decision" which said the state has a broken taxation and funding system that shortchanges children who live in property-poor towns. Since that time,  governors of both parties have refused to reform the taxation system, agreeing with what's known in New Hampshire as "The Pledge" meaning you will NEVER consider a broadbased tax-- neither income nor sales. Any Democrat who doesn't take "The Pledge" scares the hell out of the establishment which assumes it's a political loser. Feltes, of course, eagerly took The Pledge. Andru Volinsky is even prouder to have not and it is a quality Blue America ultimately judges progressive candidates on: political courageousness. I asked André to address it when introducing himself. Please read on and then consider contributing to his campaign by clicking on the Blue America 2020 gubernatorial thermometer above.


I'll Bring Progressive, Principled Leadership to NH
-by Andru Volinsky





The COVID-19 pandemic has created waves of fear and uncertainty across New Hampshire. It’s also exposed just how important governors are. Too often, progressives have overlooked the importance of State Houses. With redistricting just around the corner, New Hampshire offers the best opportunity for Democrats to win back a state house. Governors make life or death decisions and they are the best bulwark to stand up against President Trump. The current governor of New Hampshire, Chris Sununu, is part of a political dynasty. His father was governor and President George H.W. Bush’s chief of staff, a position he used to single-handedly stall progress on climate change. His brother was a senator while another brother works at a climate denial think tank. And Sununu has his sights set on a U.S. Senate seat in 2022 challenging Senator Maggie Hassan. Progressives must do everything we can to stop him now.

As the only candidate for governor endorsed by Bernie Sanders so far in 2020, I believe the only way we win this race is by having the courage to lead. I went to a struggling high school in Levittown, Pennsylvania, a town where the mill failed. I watched my father work as a mechanic and maintenance man. I am still the only person in my family to attend college, which I did on scholarship and by working as a carpenter. I became a lawyer and worked against the death penalty because I wanted to make a difference and fight for justice.

I became the lead lawyer in the Claremont School Funding Case, which in 1997 established a constitutional right to an adequate state-funded public education for every child in New Hampshire. Because our state has no sales or income tax, we rely solely on ever crushing property taxes to fund education. Because too many state leaders live in fear of reforming our broken revenue system, the state isn’t living up to its responsibilities. And we’re passing down more fear to the next generation, which already has the deck stacked against them. In Berlin, a struggling town in the North Country, I met a 4th grader named Aurora who wants to be a doctor. She’s already behind her peers who live in districts funded by property-rich ski hill mansions because Berlin has no chemistry teachers. I won’t take what’s known in New Hampshire as “The Pledge” to never change our revenue system, because we need an honest conversation about our tax structure, which will never change as long as we lack the courage to challenge the conventional wisdom both parties adhere to.

Here’s another place we need more courage: the corrupting influence of money in politics. Too many politicians, Republican and Democratic alike, fear losing re-election if they don’t sell out to the highest bidder. They exploit the LLC loophole that here in New Hampshire, allows wealthy individuals to contribute more than the individual limit through multiple limited liability companies. I’m running my campaign in a different way: tearing up corporate checks from companies trying to buy my vote. I’ve never had to return corporate or LLC checks from this campaign, because I’ve refused them in the first place. I’m the only candidate to specifically take the No Fossil Fuel Money pledge and sadly the only candidate who opposes dangerous fracked-gas pipelines like the controversial Granite Bridge pipeline. For my stance against pipelines, I earned the Sierra Club’s endorsement.

Governor Sununu has halted all progress in the state on important issues such as raising our woeful $7.25 minimum wage, on campaign finance reform, independent redistricting, and renewable energy. His 57 vetoes this past term were a record for a governor. I’ve worked tirelessly to hold him accountable in my role on the Executive Council, which serves as a New Hampshire board of directors. We approve state contracts over $10,000, approve or deny nominees to state department heads and judges, and start the state’s 10-year transportation plan. I’ve vetoed Sununu’s unqualified nominees to environmental posts who had no plan for addressing climate change (Peter Kujawski), and who claimed fracking was environmentally safe (Michael Vose). I’ve kept Attorney General Gordon MacDonald, who had no experience as a judge and a 30-year documented history of antagonism toward reproductive rights, from being New Hampshire’s Chief Justice for our Supreme Court. And where I’ve been unable to veto Frank Edelblut, our equivalent of Betsy DeVos who is in charge of education, I’ve been able to deny him a raise and keep him from using grants to open new charter schools at the expense of our already-struggling public schools.

Here’s the truth: New Hampshire can raise its embarrassingly low $7.25 minimum wage to at least $15 an hour. New Hampshire can be a leader in ushering in new jobs in solar and wind, and retraining fossil fuel workers- i.e. the Green New Deal. New Hampshire can make healthcare more affordable, make voting by mail accessible to all, and become a place that retains young people. It’s time for political courage: it’s the only way we’ll beat Sununu and stop his rise. Bernie won New Hampshire twice by sticking to his vision and I know with your help and support, we can elect a progressive governor here.

Trump Doesn't Smoke Pot Or Drink Booze-- So What's He On?

Look, maybe Trumpanzee wasn't lying when he claimed he got calls from the head of the Boy Scouts-- telling him his embarrassing speech was the "greatest speech" ever and from Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto telling him fewer people are crossing the border because of Trump policies. Sure both the Boy Scouts and Mexico denied those claims-- but that doesn't mean that Trump was necessarily lying or bullshitting. Many observers think he was-- is-- just plain delusional and senile. Even the Regime's chief misleader, Huckabee's contemptable daughter, now admits those calls never took place. There was a call with Peña Nieto, though-- but it was in January and the the Washington Post just got it's hards on the transcript of that and exposed other Trump lies. For expample, he told Mexico's president he won New Hampshire-- he didn't; Hillary did-- because it is a “drug-infested den." Republican Governor Chris Sununu was moved to immediately release an official statement contradicting Trump: "The President is wrong. It’s disappointing his mischaracterization of this epidemic ignores the great things this state has to offer... We are already seeing positive signs of our efforts as overdoses and deaths are declining in key parts of the state. In spite of this crisis, New Hampshire remains the best place to live, work and raise a family."

One way to view this is through the lens of Quinnipiac's new poll. Only 33% of Americans approve of the jon Trump is doing. Only 34% say he's not a liar, the same percentage who say he has good leadership skills. Most important though is that only 26% of Americans say they are proud of him--rather than embarrassed by him.

But there's an entirely different poll that was just released that has nothing-- at least nothing directly or nothing yet-- to do with Trump's incredibly shrinking approval numbers. A Harvard-Harris poll indicates that only 14% of Americans-- the Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III core-- believe marijuana should be illegal. 86% of Americans now think marijuana should be legalized either for medicinal purposes or for personal use and medicinal purposes. Does Trump's unsympathetic comments about New Hampshire being a "drug infested den" show he doesn't have the kind of empathy it takes to understand, let alone deal with, the opioid crisis that is devastating the counties that were most supportive of Trump's election?

And just when Trump's crackpot rogue Attorney General, who he's apparently afraid to fire, is preparing to crack down on states that have liberalized their marijuana laws in the way that their citizens have demanded. Sessions keeps trying to deceitfully link marijuana use to violent crime and wants to see tougher sentences for growers, sellers and users, even in the increasing number of states where it is legal.



Hoping to shake his well-earned reputation as a corporate whore, Cory Booker introduced a pot legalization bill last week (on Facebook). Adam Levin, CEO of High Times said that "Though I think it's a bit early to get hopes up, this new bill is the first of what I imagine will be many proposed legislations to help curb the unjust war on drugs, and the resulting disproportionate arrest rates for people of color. We all know this war has presented very real, troublesome consequences for American citizens for decades, and it's time for this abolition to end. Nonviolent drug offenders are losing their lives daily, and with medicinal and recreational legalization sweeping the country, these victims can't be overlooked."

I can imagine Sessions at the head of an army of DEA agents invading Nipton, California, which is being bought-- the whole town-- for $5 million by American Green Inc., a maker of cannabis products. 120 acres with a general store, a hotel, a school building and mineral baths being re-imagined as "a pot-friendly tourist destination." Tiny Nippon, a former mining town, is next to the Mojave National Preserve, just across the border from Nevada, in San Bernardino County.

American Green plans to include a new facility to manufacture water infused with CBD, the cannabis component that is typically associated with reducing pain and inflammation. The new Nipton will also have a production site for edible marijuana products, retail stores, and artist-in-residence programs.

The project reflects a shift toward making marijuana more appealing to a broader audience. This includes reaching beyond the stereotypical stoner aesthetic and making products with milder doses per serving size. American Green has also sought to expand sales by building a vending machine that uses biometric scanners to ensure customers are of age.

The industry needs this wider acceptance to fuel its growth. Cowen & Co., a provider of investment and banking services, is optimistic companies will succeed and forecasts the legal weed business growing to $50 billion by 2026 from $6 billion in 2016.

Even as companies seek to expand the market, they face a more existential threat-- looming government intervention. While President Barack Obama implemented policy stating it would not go after operators in states where the plant had been legalized, the Trump administration is not a fan. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made clear that he sees no use for the plant, saying at one point “it’s not a healthy substance.”

American Green, which trades over the counter for a fraction of a penny, had lost about half its value this year through Wednesday. That followed a rally in 2016 as more states moved to legalize the drug. The shares’ value jumped by more than 40 percent on Thursday, but are still worth well below 1 cent.

Companies like American Green are opting to hope for the best. As long as policy remains unchanged, Shearin expects the company’s investment will be returned and the town will be profitable.

“The Gold Rush built this city,” Shearin said. “The Green Rush can keep it moving the way people envisioned it years ago.”

The Republican Party: Come For The Misogyny. Stay For The Racism!

-by Noah

First, let's get one thing straight. If you are a Republican and you object to me posting this fine piece by comedian Andy Borowitz, why don't you take some time off from emailing each other pictures that feature the trifecta of nooses, watermelons, and the President Of The United States, and, while you're at it, stop your voter intimidation efforts and stop tearing up voter registration forms, and, also, why don't you stop your stark-raving mad parroting of the insanity of FOX, CNN, Glenn Beck and the rest of their ilk for just 2 minutes out of your busy hate-filled paranoid day. Then, put on your hoods and sheets, and go out and light up your fires of crosses, books, and Sponge Bob Square Pants DVDs, and chant to your mindless content about legitimate rape, forcible rape, permissible rape or whatever you call it this week. It's still a free country. You can also whine about secret Muslims under your beds and socialists lurking around every corner.

Or, if you don't like the reality of the big bad outside world that threatens every damn second to force you to grow the F up for a moment or two, you can just stay home and yell at your empty chairs for all I care. Either way, maybe just maybe, you will come to your grand moment of enlightenment whereupon, by your Republican "reasoning," you will realize that Borowitz wrote this and I posted it for the simple reason that God intended us to do it!

How far into 2013 will we get before we hear of some twisted, sicko perp offering "God intended me to do it" as a defense"? Maybe it will be Rep. Issa himself. Maybe it'll be a defeated, cracked up Mittens trying to explain his tax subterfuge once it is finally exposed, but, alas, probably not. It just isn't a just world!

With less than two weeks to go until Election Day, there is a deep divide among Republican leaders over whether to emphasize misogyny or racism as the campaign’s closing theme.

In one camp is the Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock, who says that his view that God is sometimes O.K. with rape is “gaining real traction with a key demographic: men who don’t like women very much.”

“I can’t tell you how many misogynists have come up to me at my rallies and said, ‘Thank you for saying what you said',” he told reporters today. “I think they’re like, finally, someone’s taking a more nuanced position on rape.”

But in the other camp is the former New Hampshire governor John Sununu, who worries that the Republican Party’s emphasis on misogyny is threatening to drown out its “winning message of racism.”

“I understand the appeal of Mourdock’s anti-woman theme, but I worry that it’s going to overshadow our core value of racism, which is still our best shot at winning this thing,” he said. “In politics, you’ve got to dance with the one who brung you.”

Hoping to heal a possible rift with so little time left until Election Day, the R.N.C. chairman Reince Priebus said today that there is room for both views in today’s Republican Party: “Our ‘big tent’ message to voters should be this: come for the misogyny, stay for the racism.”

Thank you Andy Borowitz! Your column is a "Gift From God"!

Is Drug Addicted College Dropout Rush Limbaugh The Real Mastermind Behind Romney's Failed Campaign?

Tuesday night, Rachel Maddow didn't refer to Limbaugh's drug addiction. But she didn't have to. "The modern American right," she explained, in reference to his insane newest conspiracy theory about the latest Batman movie trying to destroy Mitt Romney, "is hermetically sealed in a media universe that lets in no natural light and no air. They breathe in only their own exhalations. And in that sealed, self-referential oxygen-deprived environment the modern American right has become addicted to conspiracy theories.”

Lawrence O'Donnell is less kind. He routinely reminds his viewers (below) that Limbaugh is indeed a deranged, delusional drug addict who, basically, just makes stuff up, pulls the next day's GOP talking points out of his ass, and feeds them to... well not just the delusional Republican base but to the Romney campaign operatives-- like Romney campaign chairman, bloated, Havana-born Arab-American John Sununu who immediately accused the president of using drugs after Limbaugh demanded that of the Romney campaign and then asserted that the president should learn to be an American. They then went whining to the press that Obama isn't being fair to them by talking about Bain and Romney hiding something in his taxes because those things are "distractions."

Even conservatives are starting to worry that they were right about Romney all the time-- that he's unfit to be their standard bearer. He's now gotten into another fight with the Tea Party over whether or not he'll allow Sarah Palin to speak during prime time at "his" convention. He's about to be humiliated by them again and it wouldn't surprise me if he's forced to have her nominate him or give the keynote address. (God only knows which psychotic right-wing "preacher" they'll force Romney to accept for the benediction.) Now you have a right-wing ideologue like Ramesh Ponnuru calling Romney's economic agenda hypocritical:

The Republican position on federal spending could not be clearer: It doesn’t create jobs. Except when it goes to defense contractors.

...There is, of course, no reason to think that defense spending is more helpful to the economy than other kinds of federal spending. Republicans have been dead-set against sending federal money to states to help them avoid laying off teachers. Yet teachers, too, spend money at beauty salons and car dealerships. They, too, have “good paying and reliable jobs,” as the National Association of Manufacturers said of defense workers in a letter opposing cuts in April.

And another right-wing ideologue, albeit a more rational one than Ponnuru, David Frum, is trying to explain to his Republican readers why the Romney campaign is talking crazy and why he's "heading straight to the mud":

Yesterday was a truly ugly day on the campaign trail. Former Bush 41 Chief of Staff John Sununu told reporters on the campaign trail that President Obama had to learn to be an American-- suggesting of course that he is not an American yet. (Killing bin Laden evidently being yet another of those jobs Americans won't do.)

Sununu is a notoriously poorly spoken spokesperson however. One might have hoped that the line was an aberration. Sununu later offered clarification that the president merely failed to understand the American system of job creation.

But as you look at the day's timeline, the Sununu remark looks less accidental. Variants of the comment were offered by other Romney spokespersons and were restated in most virulent form by Rush Limbaugh.

This may be more than just an angry reaction to the Bain barrage.

Taegan Goddard this morning links to a new Washington Post/ABC poll showing that even now there remains a big enthusiasm gap on the conservative side.

While 51% of liberal Democrats feel strongly favorably toward Obama's campaign, just 31% of conservative Republicans feel the same about Romney's bid.

It's probably hopeless by now to try to excite the GOP's conservative base about Romney, not only because of ideology, but even more because of sociology. Romney's life, career, and manner all combine to remind the white working class why their parents and grandparents voted Democratic.

Yes it does-- and why their children and grandchildren will vote Democratic too.

BUSH JOB APPROVAL RATINGS ON THE RISE! ALMOST A QUARTER OF AMERICANS THINK HE'S DOING A GOOD JOB

In early February the American Research Group polling found that only 19% of adults (18% of registered voters) approved of Bush's job performance. That was his lowest ever rating and I've been looking forward to single digits. Maybe it's a glitch but as of their latest poll (March 16-19), 24% of adults now approve of how Bush is carrying out his job. His disapproval rating didn't go down much though. In February 77% disapproved of him as President. Today only 75% disapprove. It's worse when it comes to the way he's handled the economy. His disapproval rating has risen-- from 79% to 80%.

Do you find it odd that his numbers are improving-- even if the approval numbers are still deep in the toilet? In February only 47% of adults felt the Bush Recession had kicked in. Today a staggering 66% know the economy is in recession-- and 42% feel the economy is terrible, up from 20% last month. ARG speculates on what caused the slight spike up. Republican partisans are rallying around their leader as the climate has turned more political and electoral. (Normal people still hate him.)

Increased approval among Republicans has moved George W. Bush's overall job approval to 24% according to the latest survey from the American Research Group. Those disapproving of the way Bush is handling his job and the economy remain at or near record highs for American Research Group polling during Bush's tenure in office as 86% of Americans say the national economy is getting worse and 66% say the national economy is in a recession.

...Among Americans registered to vote, 26% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president and 73% disapprove. When it comes to the way Bush is handling the economy, 19% of registered voters approve of the way Bush is handling the economy and 78% disapprove.

In the February 2008 survey, 45% of Republicans approved of the way Bush was handling his job and 50% disapproved. In the latest survey, 72% of Republicans approve of the way Bush is handling his job and 26% disapprove. Bush did not receive the same turnaround among Republicans for his handling of the economy. In the February 2008 survey, 41% of Republicans approved of the way Bush was handling the economy and 54% disapproved. In the latest survey, 50% of Republicans approve of the way Bush is handling the economy and 44% disapprove.

ARG also released new polling numbers for the Senate race in New Hampshire. Although 20% of voters say they are undecided, Shaheen is leading Sununu 47%-33%. But even more painful for Sununu is that 61% of voters not affiliated with either party say they are voting for Shaheen, up from 41% in December. A Bush rubber stamp isn't what they're looking for the clean up the mess that Sununu actively participated in making.
As it starts sinking in that Iraq-- and the Bush-McCain escalation, euphemistically called "the surge"-- is failing, you can expect Bush's numbers to resume their downward path and you can expect shameless rubber stamps like Sununu to watch their own re-elect numbers tumble precipitously.

A cease-fire critical to the improved security situation in Iraq appeared to unravel Monday when a militia loyal to radical Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al Sadr began shutting down neighborhoods in west Baghdad and issuing demands of the central government.

Simultaneously, in the strategic southern port city of Basra, where Sadr's Mahdi militia is in control, the Iraqi government launched a crackdown in the face of warnings by Sadr's followers that they'll fight government forces if any Sadrists are detained. By 1 a.m. Arab satellite news channels reported clashes between the Mahdi Army and police in Basra.

The freeze on offensive activity by Sadr's Mahdi Army has been a major factor behind the recent drop in violence in Iraq, and there were fears that the confrontation that's erupted in Baghdad and Basra could end the lull in attacks, assassinations, kidnappings and bombings.

As the U.S. military recorded its 4,000th death in Iraq, U.S. officials in Baghdad warned again Monday that drawing down troops too quickly could collapse Iraq's fragile security situation.

McCain and his Cheney/Lieberman/Graham NeoCon posse are desperate to maintain the canard that the escalation is working. McCain was grabbing anyone who would listen and insisting it's all working out just the way he planned:

"We're succeeding. I don't care what anybody says. I've seen the facts on the ground," he screeched at reporters, a day after a roadside bomb in Baghdad killed four U.S. soldiers and rockets pounded the U.S.-protected Green Zone there, and a wave of attacks left at least 61 Iraqis dead nationwide.

McCain is unstable and now he's becoming unhinged.

WHY SHOULD THE CITIZENS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT NOVEMBER FOR JOHN SUNUNU TO BE REMOVED FROM THE SENATE? AND WHY ISN'T ROVE IN PRISON?

For several years now DWT has been following the case of New Hampshire's stolen U.S. Senate election of 2002, when John Sununu managed to slip into office the same way Bush did two years earlier-- by cheating. Several of the Republican operatives involved in stealing the election were charged, convicted and imprisoned. But they were low-level Republican slime-for-hire, and no real investigation of the people from whom they took their orders, or who paid them, was ever undertaken. Mehlman, Rove and, of course, Sununu were the ones who should have been in prison. Instead they all got away scot-free... until now.

One of the perps, Allen Raymond, has written a book about how the GOP stole a U.S. Senate seat, How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative, due out from Simon & Schuster in January. Raymond explains the cover-up and "offers a raw, inside glimpse of the phone scandal as it unraveled and of a ruthless world in which political operatives seek to win at all costs."

Next year Sununu will face the woman, (now former Gov.) Jeanne Shaheen, he stole the 2002 election from once again, and every poll shows him trailing badly. That's good, but not nearly enough. He should be tried for a very grave crime, along with the Republican Party officials who enabled and him and their party, starting with Rove and Mehlman.


UPDATE ON GOP ELECTION STEALING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Will it surprise you to read that successful attempts to steal a desperately needed U.S. Senate in New Hampshire went beyond Republican Party officials and right into the heart of the Bush Regime? Today the McClatchy newspapers are reporting that "the Justice Department delayed prosecuting a key Republican official [subsequently convicted Karl Rove stooge James Tobin] for jamming the phones of New Hampshire Democrats until after the 2004 election, protecting top GOP officials from the scandal until the voting was over... [T]he official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, told McClatchy that senior Justice Department officials slowed the inquiry. The official didn't know whether top department officials ordered the delays or what motivated those decisions." Who would like to venture a guess?

MITT'S NOT THE ONLY REPUBLICAN FLIP FLOPPIN' FOOL-- COLEMAN, SUNUNU & VOINOVICH TURN AROUND ON TREATY

I think when I first heard about opposition to a treaty regulating access to the world's seas there wasn't anyone credible against it at all. When Reagan was preisdent he had endorsed it-- and vowed to live by it's regulations until it had officially passed. The U.S. military wants it. Even Bush is for it. The only opposition is from the "black helicopter crowd," nuts and loons like Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and John Bolten. And they don't like it primarily because they just hate the UN and the concept of the UN. But these are the kinds of folks who just DO NOT BELIEVE in organized society-- the kinds of people who refuse to fund fire departments but who are rich enough to have their own for themselves.

Steve Clemons at The Washington Note has the whole story today about how kooks like Bolton and Frank Gaffney have gotten to rubber stamp wingnuts John Sununu (R-NH), Norm Coleman (R-MN) and George Voinovich (R-OH) to start making noises about changing their votes to oppose the bill. Right wingers are suspicious because if environmentalists and the UN want it, there must be something they can find to hate in it-- even if two Bushes and a Reagan thought it was in the country's interests to ratify the treaty.

Environmental groups endorse the treaty's protection of global fish stocks, the US navy endorses its assurance of free movement and the oil industry's trade group endorses its promise of a level playing field for companies staking claim to drill in the Arctic.

But Republican antagonists in the Senate, several of whom have derailed the treaty twice in the past, discount even the Bush administration's backing. They yesterday blocked a preliminary ratification vote, and in doing so declared it an auspicious date for foes of international institutions.

"There is no better time to celebrate the 62nd birthday of the United Nations than to say we don't want it," said Jim Inhofe, the Oklahoma Republican senator who leads an annual effort to withhold US funds from the UN.

Inhofe... the craziest and most backward member of the U.S. Senate; figures. I called Andrew Rice, the exceptionally bright Oklahoma state senator who is running against him next year. I could see him rolling his eyes over the phone, embarrassed that of all the states in the country it had to be the one he's so proud of to be stuck with a nutcase like Inhofe.

"As a U.S. Senator who constantly portrays himself as a pro-national security public servant, Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe is now choosing to ignore the pleas of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretary of the Navy, among other military leaders, when they ask for Senate approval of UNCLOS.  American military leaders have made it clear that participation in UNCLOS will enhance our national security and that changes have been made in UNCLOS provisions to explicitly protect American interests.  And yet Jim Inhofe and a very small minority are working against our nation's best interests, simply because it might hurt the special interests he puts before the needs of Oklahomans again and again. Inhofe is clearly out of step with our national security needs."

The two most backward of the pathetic pygmies™ running for their party's useless presidential nomination, Huckabee and Thompson, have also weighed in against the treaty-- even if neither has much of a clue what it's about. "Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas, and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson have pointedly broken with Mr Bush on the treaty. 'At a time when customary international law in this area has proven sufficient, I believe the efforts of treaty proponents would be better spent reforming the United Nations,' Mr Thompson said yesterday," attempting to curry favor with that same old Black Helicopter crowd.

Taylor Marsh and Matt Stoller, neither of whom spend smuch times riding black helicopters, have both written eloquently on this today. If, like me, you feel it's time to celebrate the impending end of the Bush Years but getting rid of detrius like James Inhofe, Andrew Rice's Blue America page is open... 24/7.

JEANNE SHAHEEN IS CHUCK SCHUMER'S CANDIDATE TO TAKE ON SUNUNU IN NEW HAMPSHIRE BUT THERE IS ALSO A PROGRESSIVE RUNNING-- MEET JAY BUCKEY

Were it up to Chuck Schumer and the Inside the Beltway Democratic Establishment, there would be no primary for the U.S. Senate seat in New Hampshire. There would be a coronation for former Governor Jeanne Shaheen, who seems to have finally made up her mind to run. Fortunately for New Hampshire Democrats and for democracy, Chuck Schumer and his ilk don't call the shots in their state. I asked Kevin Bowe, former Director of Operations for Wes Clark's 2004 primary campaign in NH and a Carol Shea-Porter volunteer last year, to give us the run-down on the progressive candidate in this race, Jay Buckey. Here's Kevin's report:

Senator John E. Sununu’s US Senate seat in New Hampshire is widely considered one of the most venerable in the 2008 cycle. As it should. Favorable demographics and a strong backlash against Bush/Republican policies have erased the legacy of conservative dominance in New Hampshire, giving the Democrats control of both Congressional seats, both branches of the legislature and the Governor’s Office.

If Sununu were a true RINO, he would have a much better chance-- like neighboring Republican Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine. But Sununu is a true movement conservative, embraced by the Club for Growth, no doubt for his vote to eliminate the minimum wage, and other far-right groups.

Recent polls indicate just how out of sync Sununu is with the New Hampshire voters. In one poll only 31% of the likely voters surveyed felt Sununu "deserves to be re-elected" and an astonishing 47% preferred "someone else"-- a polite way of saying anybody but John Sununu.

Given the deep hole Sununu is in, the question Democrats-- and netroots activists-- should be asking is, "Who will be the best US Senator from New Hampshire" instead of the typical Inside-the-Beltway question of, "Who will be able to beat Sununu". Poll after poll taken in New Hampshire answers the latter question-- anyone not photographed with a dead body or live child. (Granted, Sununu will not just roll over and be defeated. The Sununu name has been on ballots in New Hampshire since the 80’s; he’ll have lots of money and, as was evident from the 2002 Election Day phone bank scandal, New Hampshire Republicans will resort to illegal dirty tricks to win close elections. But assuming Party and activists support, any of the rumored or announced candidates will beat this very unpopular Republican.)

The Democratic field is shaping up with very capable people who will all be working hard to defeat Sununu. Former congressional candidate Katrina Swett [from the Lieberman end of the party] has been fundraising very successfully and attacked Sununu's record with vigor. Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand and former Governor Jeanne Shaheen are both DLC members with political savvy, fundraising abilities, and good connections within the state. Shaheen has great name recognition and polls very well even this early out. Marchand has stated that he would back out of the race if Shaheen entered, something he will presumably do in the next week. All three of these potential nominees would have a good shot at taking the seat-- but my choice is physician and former astronaut Jay Buckey, the new face in New Hampshire's political scene.

Why Jay Buckey? First and foremost Jay embodies the values of the grassroots/netroots community. While Jay has impressive professional accomplishments-- Astronaut, Doctor, dual professor of Engineering and Medicine at Dartmouth College, Major in the Air Force Reserves-- his involvement in the political process has been at the grassroots level. I met Jay in the citizens’ effort to draft Wesley Clark for President, with Jay working the phone banks and holding signs in the New Hampshire primary. He attended meet-ups; organized community forums on New Energy and Global Warming and urged his representatives to oppose the 2002 Iraq War resolution. The political-class [represented by the Chuck Schumers, Tom DeLays and Rahm Emanuels] may scoff at this, but these are the activities of someone who values real participatory democracy, which is the cornerstone of our system. Of course the political-class will hail this value in their speeches, but as insiders-- who value their exalted position, it’s all talk. Jay Buckey walks the walk and embodies people-powered-politics. The US Senate is filled with the political-class, either people born into politics or whose only career has been politics. Jay Buckey is a highly accomplished person who personifies the citizen-statesman that our founders envisioned for our system of government.

Given the many complex problems facing us today-- the quagmire of Iraq; the global environmental crisis we have created; health care; the promise and peril that science and technology can bring us-- Jay Buckey will be one of the few people in Congress (maybe in the country) who has the real experience to help solve these problems, as opposed to the political experience others have to posture on these issues.

On the bread and butter issues, Jay is a solid progressive Democrat-- who favors universal health care; withdrawal from Iraq; ending the use of oil to "fuel" our economy; opposes the Bush tax cuts for the rich-- visit his campaign's website to learn more about Jay on all the issues.

In closing, I realize I’m making a case of nominating Jay Buckey to take on John Sununu because Jay will make the best US Senator that exemplifies grassroots values and the real experience to deal with our challenges. Many activists will still want to focus on the best candidate to beat Sununu. Fair enough. But it is Jay’s "narrative"-- Doctor, former Astronaut and veteran who is running for US Senate to solve our problems-- is far more powerful than any narrative that can be cobbled together by traditional Democratic candidates. Sununu’s only hope is that the Democratic opponent is part of the political class and Sununu tries to spin the tired narrative of "tax and spend, anti-troop liberal who is out of touch." I doubt any fake narrative like that will save Sununu. But why take a chance. John Sununu won’t know how to handle a candidate like Jay Buckey.

Kevin has decided to volunteer for Jay's campaign. If you live in New Hampshire you might want to consider volunteering for the campaign as well.
If you want to contribute to Jay's campaign, you can do it through ActBlue or by sending a check.

If you'd like to get a feel for who Jay is, I'd recommend watching this short video clip of him talking about health care:




UPDATE: OPEN LEFT HOPES JAY STAYS IN THE RACE TOO

Chris Bowers, over at Open Left is hoping Jay's presence in the race will force the top-down, establishment-oriented Shaheen to embrace the grassroots and maybe even some progressive policies.

Shaheen is one of the many, many Democrats who first helped lead the party into simultaneous minority and pro-war status back in 2002-2003, but who is now capitalizing on the favorable electoral stage that was prepared mainly by the progressive movement during four years of intense guerilla warfare against conservatism from 2003-2006. While the Jean Shaheen's and Rahm Emanual's of the party were supporting things like the Bush tax cuts, the pre-emptive invasion of Iraq, and legislation to support Terry Schaivo, it was the netroots who were doing the bulk of the heavy lifting in opposition to Republicans. I feel like they are capitalizing on what we rightfully earned, and both dissing us and preparing to destroy all of our work in the process. They are pretenders to the new Democratic majority.

A SERIES OF REALLY BAD TURNS FOR THE SENATE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS

According to today's NY Times "Democrats are feeling bullish these days about expanding [their Senate] majority in 2008-- and with good reason." And the good reason goes well beyond the conventional wisdom that the Republicans have 22 seats to defend and the Democrats have only a dozen to defend. The good reason, in fact, has more to do with another perfect storm gathering for Republicans. There is a steady drum beat of scandal after scandal-- from Ted Stevens' financial improprieties in Alaska and Pete "Sneaky Pete" Domenici (R-NM) getting caught up in the purge of the U.S. Attorneys to Bob Allen's (R-FL) and Larry Craig's (R-ID) poor toilet training in public restrooms all over the country. Furthermore it wouldn't surprise me one bit if the South Carolina GOP doesn't see something in the next week or two that will make the Tom Ravenel cocaine bust last month seem like a tea party. And then there's the big advantage Democrats have in fundraising over Republicans lately ($17.6 million for the DSCC in the last quarter and only a paltry $8.6 million for the NRSC). Smart money knows giving to the Republicans is like flushing your contributions down one of Larry Craig's favorite toilets.

All this goes back to the public being sick and tired of Bush, Cheney, the lies, the war, the occupation, the incompetence... all the hallmarks of the worst presidential administration in the lifetime of anyone in the country. Mitch McConnell's policy of obstructionism in the Senate-- preventing popularly-backed legislation from passing-- is not going over well. The needless prolonging of the war to salve the bruises to Bush's ego isn't something the public approves of. The politicization of the Justice Department is something American understand-- and are revolted by.

Add to that heady mixture an exceptional string of good luck for Democrats and bad luck for Republicans, and you could see a changeover of historic proportions next year. Wayne Allard is far too extreme for moderate-trending Colorado and he probably couldn't have held the seat there anyway, but by retiring he's making it a lot easier for the Democrats to claim that one. John Warner, on the other hand, would have probably held the Virginia senate seat. But he's decided to retire and Democrat Mark Warner, who will announce officially tomorrow that he's ready for his coronation, will slaughter whichever hapless chump the Republicans decide to sacrifice. The latest Rasmussen Poll shows the popular ex-Governor swamping either of the two GOP front-runners, mainstream conservative Tom Davis (57-30%) or far right Jim Gilmore (54-34%). Even the overly cautious Charlie Cook calls Warner the "prohibitive favorite." Similarly, it is expected that New Hampshire's ex-Governor Jeanne Shaheen will challenge and beat John Sununu in a rematch. New Hampshire voters are very aware that several Republican operatives are rotting in prison after confessing to having rigged Sununu's previous win over Shaheen. When ARG polled New Hampshire voters at the end of June they picked Shaheen over Sununu by a prohibitive 57-29%.

Chuck Hagel (R-NE) is also bailing and could well be replaced by conservative Democrat Bob Kerrey, a well-liked ex-governor and ex-senator. And, of course, regardless of what happens in court or in the Senate Ethics Committee, Senator Craig won't be running in Idaho again.

The national trends remain auspicious for the Democrats, many polls suggest. As they were in 2006, (and we know how that turned out,) voters remain deeply unhappy with the Bush presidency, the course of the war in Iraq and the direction of the country, polls show. They may not be thrilled with the Democratically controlled Congress, which has an approval rating that remains strikingly low, but Republicans “continue to have big image problems” and the trend in party affiliation continues to favor the Democrats, said Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center.

Certain regions of the country are especially restless, notably, the Northeast, where anti-war sentiment is strong. In the most recent New York Times/CBS News Poll, 77 percent in the Northeast said the United States “made a mistake” getting involved in the war in Iraq, compared to 52 percent who felt that way in the South. After the substantial Republican losses in the Northeast in 2006, some suggested New England was in the middle of a major realignment toward the Democrats-- not unlike what happened in the South, in a shift toward Republican dominance.

That will leave the Northeast with three Republican senators, Olympia Snowe (ME) and Arlen Specter (PA), who are not unwilling to work in a bipartisan manner with Democrats, and Judd Gregg (NH), who is likely to be defeated in 2010. And when the frontline for the GOP becomes a Kansas incumbent's seat, you know the Republicans are hurting... bad.

The only Democrat likely to be defeated is Louisiana's Mary Landrieu, who votes more frequently with the GOP than any other Senate Democrat other than arch-reactionaries Ben Nelson (NE) and Max Baucus (MT). Most progressives will be glad to see her take her pernicious brand-damaging self back to the Bayou State.

With Bush promising to appoint a hardcore partisan hack like Ted Olson to succeed Gonzales in the Justice Department-- and Harry Reid saying, figuratively at least, "Over my dead body"-- Democrats desperately need principled cohesion. Earlier today, Jane Hamsher pointed out even more reasons why it is essential to elect a strong Democratic Congress for the post-Bush era.

IT GETS LONELY WHEN YOU'RE GEORGE BUSH'S FAVORITE SENATOR-- ANOTHER DEM DISAVOWS LIEBERMAN

You know what Lieberman looks like. Wanna guess which one is Katrina?

Getting the New Hampshire Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate this year pretty much looks like steady employment as part of the world's most exclusive club for at least the next six years, and far more likely, statistically, 12-18. That's because rubber stamp Republican phony John Sununu is not only on the wrong side of every important issue to New Hampshire's voters, he is also now exposed as having gotten into the position because of voter fraud perpetrated on his behalf by criminal elements then running the GOP and, more recently, kicking back in prison cells.

Katrina Swett really, really wants the job. She's working hard at it. But every time the topic comes up people say former-Governor Jeanne Shaheen, the one who was cheated by Sununu last time, has the nomination if she wants it. Other politicians, well... Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand, have even said they would pull out of the race if she jumps in. She says she's thinking it over. She certainly doesn't need to build any name recognition.

And Swett? Well, there's a little problem there. Katrina Swett ran Joe Lieberman's presidential primary in New Hampshire in 2004 and aggressively supported him against Democrat Ned Lamont in last year's general election in neighboring Connecticut. To most activist Democrats that makes her pretty toxic.

She's been very frustrated and she's trying to fight back against the political cooties by disavowing Holy Joe. The TPMCafe has confirmed a letter Swett sent to a voter:

I have known Joe Lieberman for a long time and, while he is a friend of mine, I certainly do not agree with him on a lot of issues-- especially Iraq. I do find myself disagreeing with him more and more frequently these days. This doesn't change the fact that we are friends, but it does change my support of him as a politician.

I wouldn't trust her, not for 5 seconds. Keep praying Shaheen gets into the race. In fact, if she does, maybe Lieberman will do her a favor and endorse his pal Sununu, the same way he boosted Tom Allen's campaign by endorsing Maine's rubber stamp Republican Senator Susan Collins.

SENATE RACES SHAPING UP WELL FOR DEMS-- MAYBE IN 18 MONTHS THEY'LL BE ABLE TO SMACK DOWN THE GOP MINORITY & NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT LIEBERMAN

The Senate is shaping up to be a good playing field for Democrats next year. Like 2006, 2008 looks like it will be a bad year for rubber stamp Republicans. One extremist wingnut, Wayne Allard (R-CO) has already announced he isn't running. That seat is almost certain to be picked up by Rep. Mark Udall (D), who will face off against a far right loon, Bob Schaffer, because a mainstream conservative withdrew. Recently outed Idaho homophobe Craig Allen is also likely to forego a messy re-election bid (although in circles more polite than our own, that sort of thing is only whispered about).

A Democrat will in all likelihood beat Sununu in New Hampshire, especially if that Democrat is named former Governor Jeanne Shaheen. New Hampshire has gone very blue of late-- with both the fake moderate rubber stamp congressmen defeated by anti-war progressive Democrats, with the Democratic governor being re--elected with 73% of the vote, with the Republicans losing both houses of the state legislature, and with a slew of corrupt Republican Party officials rotting in prison. Oh, and they're rotting in prison because they helped Sununu steal the last election from Shaheen, You know the expression "dead meat?"

And speaking of fake moderate rubber stamp Republicans, it looks like Maine is ready to trade in Susan Collins for Rep. Tom Allen. Just compare the two voting records; they were first elected on the same day. His record is spectacular; hers is a disgrace.

Two other states have similar situations with fake moderates scrambling to appear independent of the Bush Regime they have been consistently rubber stamping: Oregon (Gordon Smith) and Minnesota (Norm Coleman). And then there's New Mexico, where senile Pete "Sneaky Pete" Domenici is implicated in the firing of U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, and Alaska, where senile Ted Stevens and his family are being investigated by the FBI for a multitude of corruption charges

Any bright spot for the Repugs? Well... kind of. The third most reactionary Democrat in the Senate-- who votes less frequently with the Republicans than only Ben Nelson and Max Baucus-- is Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. The Democratic caucus would be better off without her and there is little enthusiasm among grassroots Democrats to re-elect her. Business Democrats (and business Republicans, for that matter) like her. But none of the Republicans the GOP has tried to recruit want to run against her. So Rove snuck down to Louisiana a few weeks ago and tried to talk a reactionary Democrat, John Kennedy, into switching parties and running against her as a Republican. And that about sums up the GOP chances to increase their minority in the Senate.

SUPREME COURT ON THE VERGE

You remember a few weeks ago I talked about how we can't lose sight of the fact that we'll be electing a Supreme Court (and federal judiciary) when we go to the polls. When you vote for a president and a senator, you're deciding if you want raving maniacs and narrow, obsessed ideologues like Scalia, Alito and Thomas or a thoughtful and balanced woman like Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

And as much as Republican incumbents try painting themselves as "moderate" and "independent" in the 5th year of their 6 year terms, they all have voting records you can check. And you know what? Every single Republican senator-- no exceptions-- rubber stamped every single insane Bush judicial appointment-- no exceptions. So when you hear Susan Collins (R-ME), Norm Coleman (R-MN), John Sununu (R-NH), or Gordon Smith (R-OR) tell you how moderate and independent they are ask them to name just one Bush judicial nominee that they voted against... just one.

And as for the 11 little white twerps who would be president, they all running around like chickens without heads telling the furthest right extremists in their sick, sick party how they'll only nominate far right judicial activists for judgeships. Today Ralph Neas of People For the American Way reminds us that "during the 2000 campaign, President George W. Bush vowed to fill Supreme Court vacancies by choosing nominees in the mold of Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia. He has done exactly that-- Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito have consistently voted with their right-wing counterparts to undermine Americans’ rights and legal protections." Bush could not have gotten away with it without the active support from fake-moderates like Collins, Coleman, Smith and Sununu-- senators who are no more "independent" than lock-step ideologues like John Cornyn, Larry Craig, Jim DeMint and James Inhofe (4 of the worst raving fascists in the U.S. Senate).

Confirming one or more additional right-wing justices in order to entrench a far-right majority on the Court for decades to come is an extremely high priority for Radical Right leaders. They are on the verge of a generations-long victory. And so they are demanding-– and getting-– pledges from Republican presidential candidates to give them the Court of their dreams.
 
For struggling minor GOP presidential candidates like former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee-– whose “personal hero on the court is Scalia”-– the issue is a way to try to tap into the right-wing base. But it is even more important for GOP front-runners like former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Senator John McCain and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney-– all of whom face resistance among right-wing evangelicals. For them, pledging to nominate right-wing justices is a way of reaching out to that possibly elusive base.
 
Giuliani, leading in many polls but adamantly opposed by some Radical Right leaders like James Dobson, recently reaffirmed his qualified support for reproductive choice. But he was quick to applaud the Carhart ruling and has repeatedly vowed to nominate justices in the mold of Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, and Alito. Here is how Giuliani explained his position to right-wing commentator Hugh Hewitt:
 
HH: A pro-life voter looking at you, knowing that you’re pro-choice, but not concerned that presidents really matter so much in that, except as far as judges are concerned, what do you tell them about who you’re going to be putting on the federal bench?
 
RG: I’m going to say I’d put people like… I mean, the best way to do it is to just say I would, I could just have easily have appointed Samuel Alito or Chief Justice Roberts as President Bush did, in fact. I’d have been pretty proud of myself if I had been smart enough to make that choice if I were the president.
 
HH: Do you expect justices like Roberts and Alito to come out of a Giuliani administration?
 
RG: I hope. I mean, that would be my goal. I mean, they’re sort of a very high standard, and so is Justices Scalia and Thomas. That would be the kind of judges I would look for, both in terms of their background and their integrity, but also the intellectual honesty with which they interpret the law.
 
Giuliani has pledged to nominate “strict constructionist judges,” which is right-wing code for justices like Scalia and Thomas who would overturn Roe v. Wade and many other key rulings that affirm rights and freedoms that Americans take for granted. In the April 11th issue of National Review, Michael New recommended a “pro-life strategy” for Giuliani: “[m]ost importantly, candidate Giuliani should repeatedly pledge to appoint Supreme Court judges in the mold of Scalia and Thomas.” Giuliani has apparently taken this advice to heart, but he has hardly been alone in pandering to the far right on judicial nominations.
 
McCain went out of his way to introduce the issue at the GOP presidential debate held in early May at the Reagan Library. In response to a throwaway question from Chris Matthews about whether it would be good for the nation to have Bill Clinton living in the White House again, McCain made an explicit appeal:
 
"No, because it obviously would mean that Senator Clinton is the president of the United States, and we don’t want that. Most importantly, it would mean that the appointment of Supreme Court justices and other judges would be-– take a very sharp turn to the left. One of our greatest problems in America today is justices that legislate from the bench, activist judges. I’m proud that we have Justice Alito and Roberts on the United States Supreme Court."
 
Right-wing media outlets have drilled the candidates so frequently on judges that they have their pitches down pat. When National Review’s Ramesh Ponnuru asked McCain if he admires any Supreme Court justice in particular, he answered “of course, Antonin Scalia…I admire how articulate he is, but I also from everything I’ve seen admire Roberts as well.” And when Romney was asked by the right-wing blog RedState what sort of judges he would nominate, he replied:
 
"I think the justices that President Bush has appointed are exactly spot-on. I think Justice Roberts and Justice Alito are exactly the kind of justices America needs. They’re people who believe that the Constitution is what they’re to follow, not what they’re to depart from; people who do not believe that legislation from the bench is the responsibility or authority of being on the bench."
 
Undeclared candidate Fred Thompson-– a former senator best known for his role on Law and Order-– has not missed a beat either. Thompson, who played a role in ushering Roberts to confirmation, recently appeared on Fox News Sunday and stated:
 
“I think Roe vs. Wade was bad law and bad medical science. And the way to address that is through good judges. I don't think the Court ought to wake up one day and make new social policy for the country. It's contrary to what it's been the past 200 years. We have a process in this country to do that. Judges shouldn't be doing that. That's what happened in that case. I think it was wrong.”

These guys aren't playing around. If you want an end to choice and an end to individual rights vis a vis corporate power, be sure to vote straight Republican. And don't forget GOP rubber stamps like Susan Collins, John Sununu, Norm Coleman and Gordon Smith who have never, not once, met an extremist maniac vomited up by the Bush Regime who they weren't ready to vote for. NOT ONCE.

BUSH PREPARES TO VETO THE STEM CELL BILL-- THANK JOHN SUNUNU

John Sununu isn't the only Republican who voted against the Senate Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (S5). But he's from a state where the bill was overwhelmingly supported and he's from a state where voters will be making an important decision next year whether or not they want a senator who represents New Hampshire or if they're just happy with a senator who has consistently represented the moneyed corporate interests that finance his political party. Sununu has been one of the absolute worst rubber stamps in the entire Senate-- surpassed, though only slightly, by a small handful of mostly southern wingnuts plus Judd Gregg. And yesterday both Gregg and Sununu joined a small band of holdouts and dead-enders still convinced that the world is flat to make sure that the U.S. would not be able to move forward with stem cell research.

The bill passed by 63-34 (with 3 pro-stem cell research Democrats absent but who can be counted on to vote to override Bush's promised veto). That means there are 66 votes to override Bush-- one short of the 67 required: Sununu. Another Republican, Arlen Specter, one of the 19 who joined with all but 2 Democrats to pass the measure, said he hopes the vote will motivate the American people to communicate with their representatives in Washington and tell the to "Get it done!". Ironically, one of the 2 Democrats who deserted the bipartisan coalition to pass this was the social reactionary and religionist nutcase from Specter's own state, Rick Santorum Bob Casey. (The other "Democrat" voting against it, Nebraska's Ben Nelson, votes with the Republicans more frequently with the Democrats on substantive issues, so it is no surprise.)

Neither Casey nor Nelson, who won't have to face the voters for over 5 years, is as appropriate an electoral target as the gaggle of Republican neanderthals who do have to face the voters next year. These are the names of the senators, up for re-election, who are, along with George Bush, preventing the advancement of medical science in order to cater to narrow religionist dictates:

* Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
* Norman Coleman (R-MN)
*John Cornyn (R-TX)
* Larry Craig (R-ID)
* Elizabeth Dole (R-NC)
* Pete "Sneaky Pete" Domenici (R-NM)
* Michael Enzi (R-WY)
* Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
* Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
* Inhofe (R-OK)
* Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
* Pat Roberts (R-KS)
* Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
* John Sununu (R-NH)