Tuesday, March 23, 2004

Atrios has an excerpt from Tom Daschle's statement about BushCo's response to Richard Clarke's allegations that they ignored the Al Qaeda threat before 9/11. Finally the Dems are starting to show some cajones! Atrios also has this little tidbit which if true (and it likely is), discredits the Administration's claims that the timing of the release of Clarke's book is politically motivated.

This week's Top Ten Conservative Idiots list is up at Democratic Underground. Bush tops the list again, followed by Rummy. Rhea County, Tennessee also makes an appearance for trying to outlaw homosexuals.

In this letter, posted on Alternet, Walter Cronkite challenges John Kerry to stop denying he is a liberal. I have to agree with him. For too long the Right Wing has been allowed to act as if the word "liberal" is a four-letter word, so much so that many people now call themselves "progressive" to avoid the liberal label (same difference IMHO). Calling someone a liberal has become the political equivalent of saying someone has cooties! Democratic politicians allowed this to happen, they allowed the Right to twist the meaning of the word liberal, and in the process managed to alienate most of their constituency. No wonder they lost control of Congress and the White House! Who wants to vote for a politician who's ashamed of what they are, who will tremble in their wingtips every time a mean Republican dares to call them "liberal"? I don't, because someone that spineless isn't likely to fight for the issues I care about. Of course, I WILL vote for Kerry, but it won't be *because* he rejects the liberal label, it will be *in spite* of it!

Quote for the Day: "We all need some therapy, because someone came along and said that liberal means "soft on crime." Soft on drugs. Soft on communism. Soft on defense. And we're gonna tax you back to the stone age because people shouldn't have to go to work if they don't want to. And instead of saying, 'Well, excuse me, you right-wing, reactionary xenophobic, homophobic, anti-education, anti-choice, pro-gun, Leave-it-to-Beaver-trip-back-to-the-fifties!' we cowered in the corner and said, 'Please. Don't. Hurt. Me.' No more."--The West Wing, season three (This is a repeat, but it's so fitting I can't resist!)

Idiotic Quote for the Day: "There ought to be limits to freedom."--George W. Bush