Mood: sharp
Topic: Politics
Those on the Left are probably giddy with anticipation over this.
Posted by Dean
at 11:22 PM CDT
Updated: Wednesday, 27 October 2004 10:46 PM CDT
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John Kerry said Friday there is a 'great potential' for a new military draft to replace overextended U.S. troops in Iraq if President Bush wins a second term, despite Bush's repeated pledges to maintain the all-volunteer service. Republicans rejected the suggestion as 'fear mongering.' "As I pointed out here, it's actually John Kerry who wants to start up the draft. But, no matter who wants to, the American Public would not stand for it.
"Afghanistan (news - web sites) was preparing on Tuesday to count votes after rivals of President Hamid Karzai said they had withdrawn their rejection of the weekend presidential poll."But liberals raise the bar, first with John Edwards:
"'If you look at what's actually happened in Afghanistan since the Taliban was toppled, their opium production is back up. They're producing 75 percent of the world's opium,' Edwards said. 'On top of that, there are big chunks of the country still in the control of warlords and drug lords, and there are still some serious security issues in the country.'"then USAToday.
"'Superman' actor Christopher Reeve, who became a leading advocate for spinal cord research after a horseback riding accident left him paralyzed nine years ago, has died of heart failure, his publicist said on Monday. He was 52."Christopher Reeve had guts. He had determination. Even though I disagreed with his politics, I could admire the man. he confounded doctors by regaining use of parts of his body they thought he never would regain the use of.
"Ken Caminiti was never short of fearless on a baseball field. He made incredible stops at third base, swatted home runs from both sides of the plate and played through pain that would wither most men. Friends and former teammates shocked by Caminiti's death Sunday in New York at age 41 remembered not only the great plays, but many off-field struggles.Caminiti, though fearless, was a young man struck down, no doubt, by his abuse of his body.
"...He admittedly used steroids at the height of his career and had been arrested on cocaine charges in recent years. Early in his career, he admitted to abusing alcohol and painkillers."
"Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett accused Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker of inviting election-night chaos by not printing as many ballots as city officials requested.The Journal Sentinel says the county should provide the ballots. We should err on the side of caution, they say. I imagine there will be letters in tomorrow's paper. Folkbum's Rambles and Rants has the view from the left. Owen at Boots & Sabers has the view from the right. Walker is a state co-chair of President Bush's campaign. Barrett is state co-chair of the John Kerry campaign.
"Walker said, in turn, that the blitz of accusations against him made him suspicious that somebody might invent shortages just to prove the argument that the city is being shorted ballots.
" 'They may try to create troubles,' Walker said."
"Moreover, as the corporate-controlled news media continues to give Bush a free pass on critical matters of war and peace, members of the entertainment industry have found movies and documentaries to be an excellent method to convey to the American people and the world information that has been either outright censored or obfuscated by the heads of such giant media conglomerates as the News Corporation, Disney, General Electric and Time Warner.Uh-huh. Sure.
...Hollywood has provided the American people with truthful accounts of the machinations of the Bush political machine through big-screen offerings such as Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11"; Robert Greenwald's "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism"; Jeremy Earp's and Sut Jhally's "Hijacking Catastrophe"; John Sayles' parody of Bush, "Silver City"; and Greg Palast's "Bush Family Fortunes" -- to name a few. These producers and directors have succeeded where the big news media have utterly failed."
"Suppose, for instance, the state wanted to solve the health care crisis. The soaring cost of insurance partly helps to explain why jobs are slow in coming these days. Even a costly state solution could spur prosperity in which Wisconsinites would exceed in increased income what they would lose in increased taxes. But spending limits might preclude such a solution."Right. And this,
"In a research report titled 'Limiting Government Spending in Wisconsin,' Richard Chandler cites similar numbers, except they are more dire. Close scrutiny shows that he's comparing so-called tax burdens, not raw taxes.Convoluted reasoning, for sure.
"The burden is the share of personal income that taxes consume. Personal income per resident (or per capita) is lower in Wisconsin than in the nation as a whole.
"...Consider, for instance, that Wisconsin's median household income actually exceeds that of the nation as a whole. So Wisconsin's typical household can better shoulder, say, $1,000 worth of tax than can the nation's typical household.
"The point is that coming up with a true tax burden will require a more sophisticated tool. In fact, a useful project (scholars, take note) would ascertain the state-by-state tax burden on specific income groups. The wealthy, of course, can more easily shoulder, say, a 10% tax rate than can the poor."
"Fertility clinics destroy far more human embryos than stem-cell research ever would, yet they are not controversial. Death or deep freeze is the fate of any embryo spared by the Bush policy from the indignity of contributing to medical progress.To some, however, fertility clinics and even birth control are controversial because they view conception as the time when sperm and egg join together. As Kinsley says, "...If the microscopic dot is a human being with full human rights, the answer is easy: no stem-cell research."
"...It's not complicated. An embryo used in stem-cell research (and fertility treatments) is three to five days past conception. It consists of a few dozen cells that together are too small to be seen without a microscope. It has no consciousness, no self-awareness, no ability to feel love or pain. The smallest insect is far more human in every respect except potential."
"But you don't have to be an abortion-rights advocate to reach the opposite conclusion. In fact, for abortion opponents whose views fall anywhere short of fanatical absolutism, the answer ought to be easy as well: full speed ahead (italics mine)."The question for pro-life people to determine for themselves is "When does conception take place?" Then we have to determine how we turn that ideology into practical politics.
"Two utility towers fell, near the 64-hundred block of South 13th Street, in South Milwaukee Saturday evening. American Transmission Company owns the towers. They say one fell over, and hit the second tower, causing it to fall as well. Thousands of people in South Milwaukee, Cudahy, Franklin and Oak Creek were without power, including Mitchell International Airport. Officials say they have contacted the FBI. They say the situation is suspicous, but cannot confirm that it is the result of sabotage, investigators are looking into it. WE Energies officials are working to restore power. The lights were back on at the airport around 8 p.m. Stay tuned to WB 18 News at Nine for the very latest."This is echoed by a Journal Sentinel report, as well as WDJT.
"With more than 70 percent of votes tallied, Howard appeared likely to increase his government's majority in parliament -- exceeding most analysts' predictions that the result would be very tight.I wonder if this might bode well for Bush?
"The [opposition] Labor Party had vowed to bring the roughly 900 Australian troops deployed in and around Iraq home by Christmas, while Howard insisted they will stay until Iraqis ask them to leave. Australian troops have not suffered any casualties and none have combat roles."
"Asked what is the most important problem facing Wisconsin, 17% of people responded by citing health issues, a much higher percentage than at any time the question was posed over the past 16 years.Health care issues are uppermost in people's minds, as another question shows:
"Taxes were cited by another 17% of people, which was down 5 percentage points from a year ago and among the lowest responses in all the years the poll has been done. Sixteen percent were concerned about unemployment and jobs, the same figure as a year ago and well above the long-term levels of concern about jobs."
"Another indicator of the urgency attached to health care issues currently was the answers given when people were asked what issues should be given the most attention by state government.On another health care issue,
"People were given six possible answers, and by far the largest number, 35%, selected the answer, 'controlling health care and prescription drug costs.'
"Attracting less support on that question were 'improving the state's economy' (17%), 'improving public education' (15%), 'reforming the tax system' (12%), 'placing spending limits on Wisconsin government agencies' (11%) and 'security from terrorist attacks' (7%). The remaining 3% gave a different answer or were not sure."
"an overwhelming 80% said it should be legal for Wisconsin residents to buy prescription drugs from Canada, with 17% opposed, another signal of the strong feelings attached to health issues."Then the article moved into taxes and spending:
"People in the poll were asked, 'Would you favor or oppose a Wisconsin state constitutional amendment that would limit increases in spending by both state and local governments to the rate of inflation?'I know people feel that governments in general spend too much money. The question in my mind is if they feel all spending should be cut, or just the spending that doesn't relate to them. This poll didn't tell.
"Overall, 67% said they favor an amendment, and 24% said they don't.
"There was majority support for the idea in every section of the state, ranging from a high of 75% in Waukesha County to 55% in the city of Milwaukee. Among people who identified themselves as Democrats, the idea was supported by 56%; among Republicans, support was 76%."
"On a second question related to taxes, people were asked, 'If the state continues to have a budget deficit, do you think the state should close it by cutting spending or raising taxes?' Seventy-eight percent of people favored cutting spending, and 14% supported raising taxes.Very interesting responses.
"And on a third question, 59% of people said that overall, they think Wisconsin's state government spends too much money, with 28% saying the state spends 'the right amount' and 6% saying it spends too little."
"With the help of local civic organizations, CNN producers spent a week in Racine selecting 325 people they said were equal numbers of Bush supporters, Kerry fans and undecided voters. But judging by the applause that erupted during the meeting, the crowd tilted Democratic.
"Adviser Tucker Eskew, representing Bush, drew some crowd support but not nearly as much as Devine, especially when they were asked about Iraq and the economy.
"'I think this crowd is leaning Democratic,' said Marge Henze, a retired teacher and undecided voter.
"'In terms of applause, the Democrats are making more noise,' said Republican Jim Eastman, a former Racine alderman.
"The tilt appeared evident when a Racine businessman asked what the candidates would do about the outsourcing of jobs.
'We have lost thousands of jobs in Wisconsin,' he said. 'Outsourcing has handcuffed us.' "
"If your mind is dead and your body is being kept alive artificially, who should decide when or whether you're allowed to die in peace? Your wife or husband? Your children? Your parents? Your doctor? A politician?"He then states the facts well enough:
"1990 - Terri Schiavo, then 26, collapsed and her heart stopped, temporarily cutting off blood flow to the brain. She has been in a persistent vegetative state ever since.So far, so good. But then he decides to blame Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida.
"* 1998 - After doctors repeatedly said there was no hope for Terri's recovery, her husband, Michael, filed a petition to remove her feeding tube. Her parents objected.
"* Since then, in a running court battle between husband, parents and politicians, her feeding tube has been removed twice and reinserted twice, once after two days, once after six days."
"Bush and his political cronies are guilty of cruel and inhuman treatment of a helpless human."No doubt Terri is being tortured. The question is who is doing the torturing. Gov. Bush got involved at the request of the parents when it appeared that Terri's feeding tube would be removed and she would be allowed to starve to death. He is acting on behalf of the parents--one of the people mentioned by Neuharth at the beginning of his piece.
"Here's how you can avoid something similar happening to you:There seem to be no easy answers in this case and many questions. The best course is to make sure you have a living will.
"Make a living will giving a relative or friend the right to decide when the time has come to let you die in peace if you are hopelessly terminally ill. A lawyer can draw that up for $100 or so. Most states even recognize a simple piece of paper you yourself can write and sign, if you have a witness."
"The House voted 402-2 to defeat the draft bill offered last year by Rep. Charles Rangel (news, bio, voting record), D-N.Y.Since Rangel voted against the bill he introduced, I wonder who's really being cynical?
"Even he urged Democrats to vote against the bill, and charged Republicans were cynically trying to use the measure to escape election-season questions about the war in Iraq (news - web sites)."
"Robbers with their own trucks stole six trailer loads of chocolates worth more than $900,000 from an industrial park in northeast England, police said Monday."
"Over 530,000 campaign ads have aired on TV thus far in the 2004 election. Yet those ads -- which barely rise above the creativity of a 15-second talking head -- have been seen by an ever-shrinking pool of would-be voters, as the number of swing states dwindles and the ad buys surge in the homestretch."Living in Wisconsin, and in the largest metropolitan area of that state, I believe I've seen just about every ad. :^)