Jack & Jill Politics

Truly a great pic

rikyrah: Just received this:

http://www.colorofchange.org/link/?id=2354-5895...

Announcing Inaugural Parties! Whooo! Hooo! :>)

ITS A MIRACLE!!! 5days before the criminals leave guess what they found?
Missing White House E-Mails Traced, Justice Aide Says
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/ar...

AFTERNOON THREAD IS UP

Hey all!

I'm making brown rice for dinner today with some steamed cabbage (southern style.) Any ideas on what I can do to the brown rice that makes it seem more special. It's SO cold outside I'm trying to use what I have versus go to the supermarket?

Craig- where are you?

The easiest way to make rice special is to cook it in your favorite broth or stock. Bouillon cubes or powder can do the trick if you don't have broth or stock.

spirit's hubby is on point with a quick stir fry. Diced celery and bell peppers (any color) always make their way into my fried rices.

I always cook rice in broth or stock, even if I fry it later. Make sure the rice is as cool as it can be, given your time constraints, before frying it.

I've heard that about stock but it never seems to work right for me. I use a 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cup ratio on cooking my brown rice. How does this translate with stock when I use the same amount with stock-- it burns.

I'm not craig, but my Jamican hubby recommends the following if you have the ingredients:

1. shredded carrots
2. diced shallots or onions
3. shredded ginger- (very warming and aids digestion)
4. curry powder
5. Worstershire sauce- ad lib

Toss all the goodies in a pan and stir fry for a hot minute
Mix in with rice and viola'!

BON APETIT!

Tried it- DELICIOUS!

I used ground ginger instead of fresh because that is what I had.... YUM. Oh I added some seasoning salt too.

THANK YOU!

evita, glad you enoyed your rice dish.

spirit: Oooooo-eee! :>) :>)

Let's see now:

Napkin, tucked neatly under my chin! CHECK!!

Knife/spoon, in my right hand! CHECK!

Fork(s), in my left hand!! CHECK!

the doorbell

spirit! Spirit! R U there? :>) :>)

Yep. Say grace and eat, GreenLady! lol

spirit: . . . . . . . annnnnnd, bless spirit/family and "Bless this House" - Naturally 7

Aaaaaaa-man!!!

Grub time!! :>) :>)

Yum Yum!

Have it all BUT curry powder... off to knock on my Trini neighbor's door. Sounds yummy.

rikyrah: On MSNBC: SENATOR ROLAND BURRIS JUST SWORN IN!!

rikyrah: Re "Defense Budget":

Obama To Defer on Big Defense Changes for a Year

President-elect Barack Obama ’s incoming defense team will submit a budget request this spring that closely follows the plans of the outgoing administration, pushing major changes back to next year, his top nominees said Thursday.

The current draft of the fiscal 2010 budget, prepared last fall by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will largely stand this year, top Pentagon nominees said during their confirmation hearings before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

That $584 billion estimate, an increase of about $57 billion over previous Bush administration proposals, was never assessed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense or the outgoing White House.

William Lynn, Obama’s nominee for deputy secretary, in written responses to committee questions, said the new administration won’t have much time to change the current draft. Therefore, changes will be limited to reviewing the size of ground forces, military quality of life programs, and some specific large weapons programs.

A more complete review will have to wait for the Quadrennial Defense Review and the fiscal 2011 budget process, Lynn said.

Lawmakers and aides are expecting the new administration to release the draft estimate in early February and submit a revised formal fiscal 2010 budget request in April. But during that time, the Pentagon will be busy with transition details, reviewing the Pentagon’s next fiscal 2009 supplemental war funding request, and beginning work on the review, Lynn wrote.

He's ON TOP of ALL that has been left 4 him ta do!! LEADERSHIP!! :>)

I'd like to follow up on one thing that just burns when we discuss the budget and deficit spending; ......reviewing the Pentagon’s next fiscal 2009 supplemental war funding request, .....
this has been treated as though it doesn't matter as far as the budget goes. In short we can spend money for a sitution we should never have been in but if we spend it on people in our own country the congress is irresponsible.

Robert M: I know! ***shakin' my head***

So Ya boy Tanner just issued an apology for his Comments about black and bitter coffee. Why do republican men continually bash all things black women then issue some shitty ass apology sayinf if i offended anyone im sorry, bitch you offended everyone and regardless if someone took offense it was a dumb ass thing to say.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/...

Say it, Oz!

I'm tired of the disrespect towards black women. The stupid a-hole!

God, how I hate these half-assed apologies. How can "bitter" not be construed as anything but disrespectful? And I also see Tanner fell back on the old "I thought it was okay to say because i heard a black person say it" defense.

Ass.

oz: YOU JUST SPEAK TRUTH!! :>) CO-SIGN!!

shit makes me mad. republican politicians went after michelle not the media not news outlets republican politicians. They said everything they could about her, to scare people off, they did the same with every black educated female out there. Black women work just as hard if not harder than their conservative white trophy i mean wife counterparts and get nothing but ridiculed. Sarah palin whines about the damn media yet no democratic official attacked her anywhere near the way repubs did michelle, and repubs had the nerve to say that palins treatment is sexist but michelles is perfectly fair.

oz: ***eye-to-eye*** :>) :>)

Because dissing black women appeals to a racist, a sexist bigot, or both. >:-/

Don't even get me started! LMAO

:: sits down, closes eyes, inhales deeply ::

lol

Denise: "TA-RUTH!!" But WE just gonna keep CALLIN' them out!! :>) :>)

ONE DAY!! ONE DAY!! They got ta STOP!! 'cause the "beat down" will be 2 severe!! :>)

**move ova** :>) :>)

I know that's right. Because we will not be SILENCED by being called bitter or any other such nonsense.

Words hold power and our VOICES will not be MUTED.

I'm keeping my Can opener close at hand, cause, I can open a can of WHOOP ASS on'em PRN (whenever needed)

spirit: U R Waaaaaaay 2 CRA - Z!!!! LOL! :>) :>)

GreenLady, you know we gotta TCB. :-)))

http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/20...

Maybe she didn't want to pal around with terrorists.

A Cry for Help from Rural Alaska. Where Is Sarah Palin?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/akmuckraker/a-cry...

dj: The MUDFLATS is still on her case: :>) :>)

Sarah Palin Action Figure Has a Friend!

We knew it had to happen. Brace yourself for the Sarah Palin Action Figure Collection. (Are you braced?)

You can order your very own at HeroBuilders.com. And you’re not stuck with just one option, either. There’s black suited “Business Sarah”, there’s “I-don’t-want-to-know-what-people-are-doing-with-this” Schoolgirl Sarah, and there’s some kind of strange “Superhero Sarah” in a flowing trench coat and a white satin micro-mini.

And don’t worry. Sarah won’t be lonely. She has a companion. Todd Palin? Noooo. Um… Lt. Governor Sean Parnell? Noooo. Press flack Bill McAllister? Nooooo…. It’s none other than Joe the Plumber. You can create all kinds of fun adventures with Sarah and Joe. They can pop over to Israel and talk about how lame the media is. They can jet back to Anchorage and talk about how lame the media is. They can stare into each other’s painted eyes. Or they can stand around and enjoy their plastic craniums, just like the real ones do

There is a Doonesberry cartoon to further "pile on!" :>) :>) :>)

Love me some MUDFLATS!! :>) :>)

Is that the Sarah-draped -in-a-towel action figure?

Admiral: 4 - ABSOLUTELY - SURE!! :>) :>)

I'm waitin' for HER "bobble-head figurine" ta B on the market!! :>) ::>)

NO! I won't buy 1! Uh -uh! :>) NOT defilin' my house!! :>) :>)

I showed my wife that story and even though times are hard for us we are going to send 10 or 20 dollars to help.Its not much but hopefully it can do some good.

dj: U'ALL R 2 kind! Bless YOU as YOU bless others! :>)

That's OK. I'm sure she'll be able to see the dinner from her house.

Sepia: LOL! :>)

To Poster: LOL!! :>) :>)

If Palin was left off the guest list, it's not clear whether the snub came from McCain or the Presidential Inaugural Committee. But it's not terribly hard to imagine why she might not make the cut. There appears to be lingering bad blood between the McCain and Palin factions, over such issues as the profligate spending spree to attire the vice presidential candidate and her family (Silk boxers for the first dude?) and the McCain campaign's botched media roll-out of Palin. The Alaska Governor still appears to be holding a grudge against the McCainiacs, as evidenced by recently released excerpts from her interview with conservative filmmaker John Ziegler, whose forthcoming documentary explores the "media malpractice" that supposedly paved the way for Obama's election. In the interview, she lashed out at the media, but also criticized her McCain campaign handlers for allowing her to become a campaign punchline in multiple disastrous interviews with CBS News' Katie Couric.

A couple of thoughts:

1. She won't B there to "SPOIL the ENVIRONMENT!": Crowd Cheer And Applause

2. SHE HOLDS GRUDGES! Annnnnd she openly acknowledges it! Her smarmy/snarky/sarcastic ATTITUDE SHOULD take her down a peg in terms of viablity for upward mobility. Her Alaskan staff/colleagues have spoken about this trait -anonymously, in many cases!

In addition, SHE is -er, -ummmmmm "not the sharpest knife in the drawer!"

GLH, during the campaign they said Palin holds grudges and is very petty. It's either her way or the highway, and if you go against her, she'll try to get even with you.

We dodged a major bullet.

Sepia: YEP!!! That's "WHYCOME" I cain't understand WHO would want ta campaign with her. BUT, I guess there are ALL kinds of people. . . .

She has that SHRUB "LEOPARD GENE" - - - cain't/won't CHANGE their SPOTS! YUK!!!

U R correct - - -bullet dodged! WHEW!! :>) :>)

You mean McCain?

rikyrah: Clinton Nomination Passes Committee

WASHINGTON — The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted overwhelmingly on Thursday for Hillary Rodham Clinton to become the next secretary of state, with lawmakers saying they were hopeful her leadership would mark a turn from warfare toward diplomacy.

SORRY, spirit! I didn't see YOUR post. OOPS!! Annnnnd, MY BAD!!

***heading to the BAD CHAIR*** :>)

Clinton's Nomination Opposed Only By David Vitter

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted on Wednesday to approve Sen. Hillary Clinton's nomination to serve as Secretary of State and pass that nomination to the Senate floor.
The vote was nearly unanimous. Sixteen Senators said they favored the New York Democrat's appointment. One Republican was against it.
That Republican would be Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana, who registered his opposition through a proxy.
Vitter is quickly shaping up to be one of the biggest thorns in the incoming Obama administration's side. In addition to being the only Republican who had a problem with Clinton, he is leading the opposition to handing over the second $350 billion in TARP money.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/15/clinto...

Depends.

Admiral, or BRIEF. ROTFLMBAO!!!!

I am not a Republican and I have a problem with Clinton!!

"Vitter is quickly shaping up to be one of the biggest thorns in the incoming Obama administration's side."

No, Vitter is shaping up to be one of the biggest gifts to the incoming Obama administration.

LOL...its funny.....cuz its true...LOL

Yep. It's hard to take threats seriously from someone who likes to wear diapers to get his freak on.

LOL!

MsKitty, MsKitty!

He's going to be very lonely in short order.

rikyrah: DAY -5; On His "JOURNEY TO JANUARY 20, 2009!" Crowd Cheer And Applause

1. Dem Congress likely for Obama's term

Barack Obama is likely to spend the next four years with one big advantage over his recent predecessors — a first term in the White House with his party in uninterrupted control of both the House and the Senate.

It’s an advantage no president has enjoyed since Jimmy Carter, and one that would offer Obama a unique opportunity to carry out his agenda.

In the House, where Democrats currently enjoy a 79-seat advantage, to regain control the GOP would need to pick up at least 40 seats, a result that has occurred just four times since 1950 — and would significantly surpass the Democratic routs in 2006 and 2008.

In the Senate, Republicans will likely need a 10-seat pickup in a chamber where double-digit gains have occurred just twice since 1950. Complicating matters, the GOP will be defending more seats than the Democrats in 2010 and must defend four open seats — three in key battleground states after a spate of recent retirements — compared to none as yet for the Democrats.

While the prospect of four uninterrupted years with his party in control of Congress is no guarantee of success, it would give Obama a luxury that Bill Clinton and George W. Bush did not enjoy in their own first terms, even though both began with their party in control of Capitol Hill.

“President-elect Obama has a wonderful opportunity to do what he wants as president,” said former Rep. Charles Stenholm (D-Texas), who served in Congress under five presidents, beginning with Carter. “Obviously the larger majority makes a lot of difference.”

THERE IS MORE.

2. Travel like a president (Obama pitches stimulus in Ohio)

He’s not the president yet, but that doesn’t mean he can’t make a presidential-style visit to the heartland.

President-elect Barack Obama will travel to Bedford Heights, Ohio, Friday for an invitation-only meeting with workers to drum up support for his economic stimulus plan, facing some tough sledding here in DC. He’ll tour the Cardinal Fastener & Specialty Co., which manufactures parts used to build wind turbines – just the kind of firm that could benefit from his pledge to create a half-million clean energy jobs, the transition says.

3. Inside the Transition: Office of Public Liaison

Today we’re launching a series of videos to give you a feel for the some of conversations we’ve been having over the course of the Transition. Check out our videos from recent meetings with advocates for women small business owners, LGBT and youth issues, and let us know what you think.

[Speaking of TRANSPARENCY!! :>) :>) This is a UNIQUE and CREATIVE PROJECT!! YES HE CAN!!]

4. Michelle Obama: All Dolled Up (PHOTOS)

What will Michelle wear to the inauguration? Since we still don't know the answer, here's a look back at formal wear she has donned in the past. Which one is your favorite?

RELATED SLIDESHOWS:

Inaugural Gowns: A Look Back

Inaugural Day Wear: A Look Back

Or see other inauguration style news or read more about Michelle Obama's style.
[Isn't SHE LOVELY! :>) :>)]

5. Obama's Citizen's Briefing Book Changes the Flow Of Information

Earlier this week, the Obama transition team launched a "Citizen's Briefing Book" on their Change.gov website. The venture aimed to create a virtual white paper, authored by engaged citizens, to pitch ideas to the incoming administration. Topics that were voted the most popular would make there way to Obama's desk.

As lines of Oval Office communication go, the concept is certainly novel. There are, usually, very few avenues by which individuals can directly engage the president. The Obama team is seeking to not only open up that the pipeline of communication but democratize it as well.

On Wednesday, the president-elect's team took the next logical step in the process: posting a video reply to some of the more popular suggestions made by website viewers. In a nearly four-minute YouTube clip, chair-designee for the White House Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley, addressed issues on green jobs, mass transit and energy efficiencies.

The video was, in some ways, a way of recognizing and rewarding those who have participated in the Citizen's Briefing Book process. Though Sutley did not say much about how these topics will be approached legislatively -- save a few remarks about covering them in the forthcoming economic stimulus package -- she did provide a sense of the views among Obama's environmental and energy advisers.

This online tool and others are opening up the process by which the public obtains access to a presidential administration. They are also changing the dynamics of how a presidential administration interacts with the public.

Traditionally, the White House uses public statements, televised speeches and press conference to disseminate information broadly. These all rely, to a certain degree, on a media filter. By using the Internet to solicit ideas, and then by posting videos in response, the Obama team is removing that middleman. The public gets to present the policy suggestions that they deem most popular -- just as, with Change.gov's Open Questions site, they get to ask the questions bubbling most on their minds.

But the engagement goes only so far -- there remains a crucial limitation on follow up interactions, whether it be about policy pitches or question, unless another user else picks up the baton.

On Sunday, for instance, George Stephanopoulos asked Obama about the most popular question on his website: whether or not he would prosecute members of the Bush administration for breaches of the constitution. Obama fielded the question -- his website, citing a policy of not commenting on national security matters during the transition, had offered a previous response from Joe Biden -- but then was pressed twice more to explain his answer.

[Again, a UNIQUE and CREATIVE ENDEAVOR!! :>)]

6. Eric Holder On A Game of 1 -on 1
[A ONE -of -a - kind "question" annnnnnnnnd, "answer!" :>) :>)]

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW! :>)

GreenLady, good stuff. I'm facinated and inspired bythe Citizen's Briefing Book.

Our First Lady and the POTUS are da BOMB!

spirit: ABSOLUTELY! :>) :>)

5 MORE DAYS!! And the Crowd Goes Wild

This is from a friend of mine, UnderCurrents columnist Jesse Douglas Allen-Taylor, on the Oscar Grant killing.

ANALYZING THE BART OUTRAGE

J. Douglas Allen-Taylor

In a situation as fast-moving as the Oscar Grant/BART shooting death and its aftermath, it's important to continue to collate and evaluate information on the run, even as we move forward. Such evaluation is going to be imperfect, of course, both because many things are still unknown, and we don't yet have the historian's benefit of the time and space needed to trigger the clarity of hindsight. But if we don't take our breaths and look around and make some preliminary conclusions as we go, there are many important things that will be forever lost.

I am not one who was surprised, not at all, by this week's arrest of former BART officer Johannes Mehserle for the New Years Day shooting death of Mr. Grant. After a Wednesday meeting with Oakland community leaders in which he did the usual District Attorney thing, merely say he was conducting an investigation and revealing nothing else, Alameda DA Tom Orloff reversed field at a Thursday Mayor Ron Dellums press conference and gave himself a two week deadline to complete his review of the facts in the case and decide whether or not to bring charges against Mr. Mehserle. I thought that self-imposed deadline was the key, giving the community a date-certain, put-up-or-suffer-the-consequences target for an outraged community. Mr. Orloff left himself no wiggle room, and I left the City Hall press conference that day convinced that a Mehserle arrest was almost certain.

There were other signs, of course, that Mr. Mehserle had lost the closing-of-ranks protection normally afforded a police officer in such cases. One was the extraordinary moment of silence called in memory of Mr. Grant by BART Board president Thomas Blalock at the beginning of last Thursday's board meeting, as well as the expressions of sympathy for Mr. Grant's family by Mr. Blalock and other board members. When have you ever heard such universal response from an agency for the victim of a shooting by one of their police officers? Another sign was a statement by the BART Police Officers Association where the police union did not specifically denounce the shooting, but appeared to be distancing themselves from the event, with BART POA president Jesse Sekhon saying, in part, "It is our hope that this brings everyone one step closer to finding out all relevant details and ensuring this type of incident never repeats itself." Not wanting an incident to repeat itself is a clear indication that something was wrong with the original incident, a far cry from the usual police union proclamations that anything done by a police officer is automatically justified and justifiable.

So what brought us to this point?

The first was the horrendous reality of the Mehserle shooting of Mr. Grant itself, captured on so many citizen cellphone cameras and spread on websites and television newscasts around the country and the world.

The second was the actions of community leaders-the radical, activist young folks-who pressed and publicized the issue in its first few days, and organized the Wednesday afternoon protest march from the Fruitvale BART station where the shooting occurred to the former BART headquarters at the Lake Merritt station. As is always the case, it took much of the area's community and leadership a longer time to realize the horrific nature of the Grant killing and react. Had it not been for those young activists (and, remember, 35 is young to a 60 year old like myself), the Oscar Grant shooting death might not have come to the full public's attention. The Coalition Against Police Executions (CAPE) is one of the groups that has been specifically identified in that role; if there are others, they should be identified as well. We owe those young activists a debt, and should acknowledge them for their leadership.

The district attorney's abrupt turnaround from Wednesday to Thursday-from a general refusal to give up any information on the investigation to the self-imposed two week deadline-was certainly fueled in large part by the events following the Wednesday meeting, first the march between the Fruitvale and Lake Merritt BART stations, and then the night of vandalism in downtown Oakland. But Mr. Orloff's Thursday press conference announcement also showed the deft political hand of Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums in the background. We have seen this before, more than once, Mr. Dellums somewhere in the mix of things working out compromises no-one else seemed were possible, while never revealing what role he actually played. We saw it in the settlement of the Waste Management workers lockout, when both management and union officials gave Mr. Dellums the credit for bringing a successful conclusion, while many in the local media were castigating the mayor because, in their opinion, they didn't think Mr. Dellums was doing anything. But that's been the mayor's style for most of his political life. By now, we ought to understand it, and be used to it.

That's why I believe critics were incorrect when they criticized Mr. Dellums for not coming out with a statement more forceful about the Grant killing. Some of the most powerful moments we've seen in the early stages of this event was the appearance of Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson and Oakland City Councilmember Desley Brooks before the BART Board last Thursday, both of whom made emotional statements characterizing the killing of Mr. Grant as an "execution." However, those who were disappointed that Mr. Dellums did not make a similar statement miss an important point. Mr. Dellums has officially brought the City of Oakland into this situation by directing the Oakland Police Department to conduct an investigation into the Grant killing. If the mayor, at any point before that OPD investigation is completed, made any statement indicating he had already made up his mind concerning Mr. Mehserle's actions on the Fruitvale BART station platform that night, the former BART police officer's attorney would almost certainly bring such a mayoral statement before the jury at trial, arguing that not only the OPD investigation, but every investigation of the Grant shooting was prejudiced, with a predetermined outcome to arrest and indict Mr. Mehserle. Neither Mr. Carson nor Ms. Brooks were irresponsible in their statements, but Mr. Dellums, with a different role in this matter, had a different standard of care to exercise. We ought to use more care and understanding in evaluating the roles and actions of the various leaders and public officials in these events.

But Mr. Dellums is taking a lot of unfair hits in this situation, in part because of misreporting.

In an eyewitness account of the Wednesday night downtown Oakland events published in San Francisco's BayView newspaper, reporter JR Valrey (who was arrested that night and charged in some of the vandalism, a charge he has denied) wrote in part "during the rebellion [on Wednesday night], Mayor Dellums had a secret meeting with many of these suit-types, then proceeded to walk through the rebellion like Black Jesus, with about 50 primarily Black people in suits following him across Broadway to City Hall, where he held a press conference." I witnessed most of Mr. Dellums' walk through the chaotic scenes along upper 14th Street between Oak and Broadway on the Wednesday night of violence, and did not see the same things Mr. Valrey witnessed. There was no entourage of 50 people following him in suits, Black or otherwise, only a handful of staffers, including interim City Administrator Dan Lindheim, the mayor's bodyguard (who would have been able to provide no protection if the crowd had turned against the mayor), and Councilmembers Larry Reid and Jean Quan. Mr. Dellums walked the streets virtually by himself, in an attempt to talk with the demonstrators and mediate their immediate concerns, including getting the riot police to stand down at that particular spot. His press conference at City Hall was held long after he had finished talking directly with people in the street, and then on the City Hall steps (I have written about my observations of that walk, and other events on Wednesday night, in another article). Mr. Dellums' walk was an act of enormous courage and responsibility which is impossible to imagine any other Oakland leader or political figure duplicating or even attempting, and I will go to my grave convinced that in so doing, the mayor prevented what had the potential to be the most violent clash on upper 14th Street between angry protesters and riot squad police armed with automatic assault rifles. We all see different things from different angles in these chaotic situations. But it's my opinion that Mr. Valrey, in his BayView report, flat-out got it wrong.

Finally, I'm not one of those who was overly concerned that Mr. Orloff's announcement that he would take two weeks to complete the investigation into the Grant killing and decide what, if any, charges would be brought. I think it was entirely proper for people to demand that the district attorney move swiftly, and to keep up the pressure. However, I didn't characterize the two week self-imposed deadline by Mr. Orloff as a "delay," but an exercise by the district attorney in caution and care. Mr. Orloff, professionally and personally, cannot afford another mistrial and/or outright acquittal in this case as happened five years ago with the prosecution of three of the members of the "Oakland Riders" police group. And Oakland could not afford an outright acquittal of Mr. Mehserle as occurred in Southern California in the case of the videotaped police beating of Rodney King. Given the circumstances surrounding this situation that I outlined earlier in this column, it's my belief that Mr. Mehserle has already been cast out of the fold of protection normally afforded police officers in these situations, and Mr. Orloff wanted to take as much time as he could before bringing charges in order to ensure that a conviction is obtained on whatever is charged. That is my belief, but in this instance, I'm a committed Reaganite. While I trust my judgment in these things, I also watch carefully, to make sure it's verified.

I've got some thoughts and words about the trashing of Oakland on Wednesday's chaotic night, but that will have to wait for another time.

__________________________________________________________

From the January 15, 2009 UnderCurrents column of the Berkeley Daily Planet newspaper

The Berkeley Daily Planet is available here.

Jesse's other UnderCurrents columns are found here.

Nope, ppl are too interested in the "racisim" of Reid. 8/

Stimulus Bill Draft Circulated By Dems: Full Text
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/15/stimul...

Naomi Campbell settles lawsuit filed by ex-maid

NEW YORK (AP) — Naomi Campbell has ended her legal tussle with a former maid who accused the supermodel of hitting her and calling her names.
Terms of the settlement are confidential, but a lawyer for the 38-year-old Campbell says both sides were pleased with the outcome.

A lawyer for Gaby Gibson, who worked for Campbell from November 2005 through January 2006, didn't immediately return a message asking for comment.

Gibson claimed in her lawsuit, filed in Manhattan, that the British catwalker also threatened to charge her with theft after being unable to find a pair of designer jeans.

Campbell denied the claims. She was never charged with any crime in the incident Gibson alleged.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2009-01-15-...

Okay yall.

This is for those planning on being there when Obama is sworn in.

Those planning to stand in the elements.

Learn how to layer, especially if you are going to stand up for a long period of time, whether assembled, watching the parade, and etc.

Check what you are going to wear, especially that gear for your extremities: head, hands, feet. Take a visit to your local North Face, L.L. Bean, REI., and that Wisconsin mainstay, Land's End. Wear tights, long johns. Invest in a muffler, something that covers half your face and your neck. Make sure those shoes can still wick moisture and withstand cold. This won't be a time to be cute.

They're predicting partly cloudy, highs 36 degrees or more, on Tuesday in D.C.

Yall living in Maine, Minnesota, the Dakotas and in Illinois, yall know what I am talking about. But the rest of the fools will go over there and freeze their natural ass off.

But the Alberta clipper hasn't really hit the East Coast yet.

Okay, I'm a stopping.

LIve in Maine. Grew up in Wisconsin. I'm good to go.

36 degrees or more is warm.

Thanks for hooking us up.

Wasn't talking about vous, butils.

Thirty-six isn't warm to certain people. I didn't add the wind chill factor or the Alberta clipper's arrival.

blksista, you da bomb! Hooking all those sunny warm folks up with winter wear.

It's cold as a well diggers ass here in MINNESOTA!

The crowds won't keep these six inauguration-seekers away
Neither rain nor sleet nor the prospect of 4 million pairs of feet will stay these six souls from soaking in history: the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama. Arriving by planes, trains, automobiles and buses, they'll document their inaugural experiences as citizen journalists for USA TODAY.


http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2009-01-14-...

Unca Thomas just can't contain his pride of Barack. I see it. :-)))

Alito is a punk.

I'm surprised Scalia and Unca Clarence reportedly stuck it out.

A number of posters have been very concerned about US foreign policy in regards to israel. It rose w/ the knowledge that Gaza has offshore gas deposits. IMO, this is not a real issue for the US right now. Israel had Eygtptian oil in the Sinai at one time but had to relinquish it withe the withdrawal. In the case of the GAZA gas there are no rigs, the cost of installing them is beyond the Israeli capital markets pockets and if they succeeded in finding backers, forgetting about the ineternational outcry, the time to market is a couple of years.

The more serious problem lies w/ Russia, Ukraine and Europe. Most of Europe's natural gas comes from Russia via piplines in the Ukraine. It is currently one of the coldest winters in Europe. The gas is not going through the pipeline. This is not a commercial dispute about cost(Europe pays their bill) but whether or not the Ukraine is an western leaning outpost tied to Europe or a vassal state of Russia. Like Georgia, which has the only independent pipeline for nautral gas(neither Iranian or Russian territory is crossed) for the Stan states(uzbekistan, etal) to Europe, Ukraine wishes to join NATO to prevent military resolution of their independent status.
The problem for Europe is that they now find their national security and economic prosperity threatened by their reliance on Russian gas. This will be a far bigger problem for Obama than the Palestian issue because of the parallels to US dependency on foreign oil and the stability of the governments from which this oil comes from(http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/data_publications/company_level_imports/current/import.html). You will notice Mexico, Venezuela and Nigeria are in the top five.


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/column...
http://www.forbes.com/markets/commodities/2009/...
http://www.moscowtimes.ru/article/1009/42/37354...

rikyrah: Got this "little tune" from a friend this morning. :>) :>)

Mem Shannon: "Goodbye Mr. President (Time For You To Go)"

ENJOY!! :>) :>) :>)

Ima play THIS during Bush's Farewell Address Airing Tonight :>) :>) :>)

Hatch is now making a fool of himself. He's asking irrelevant questions. It's clear to me he's taking out all his hate for Barack on Holder. He couldn't stop us from electing Barack but he's going to do his best to try to create drama for Holder.

What a fool.

His hate for the Clinton's is deeper than that for Barack. There are people without blood on their hand's Obama can appoint and whom will definitely watch his back better.

Why have the edit buttons disappeared on the entire thread?

whiterosebuddy: Just letting you know that the "EDIT" button did appear once I made my post. Otherwise, "Ms. Technologically-ChallengedHere" has no other response. :>) :>)

RUN DMC is getting inducted in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-quic...

Woo hoo!!! Let me pull out My Adidas in honor of this occassion!! LOL

Here is more on Vivian Malone Jones fhe first black U of Alabama grad that is Holder's sister-in law:

"n the same interview, she said one of her strongest memories of Alabama was that she often smiled at white students, but got no response.

The university hired a driver for her, a student at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa named Mack Jones. They later married, and he became an obstetrician. He died last year.
...snip
After graduating from Alabama, Ms. Jones worked for the United States Justice Department in its civil rights division. She also worked at the Environmental Protection Agency as director of civil rights and urban affairs and director of environmental justice before retiring in 1996 to sell life insurance.

In 1996, former Governor Wallace presented the Lurleen B. Wallace Award for Courage, named for his late wife, to Ms. Jones. He told her that he made a mistake 33 years earlier and that he admired her. They discussed forgiveness.

In a speech to University of Alabama graduates in 2000, Ms. Jones suggested one lesson that might be taken from her historic experience: "You must always be ready to seize the moment."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/14/national/14jo...

Sho nuff!!

The White House Social events are in phenominal hands.

There is a history and tradition to these events," said Rogers—the Christmas-tree lighting, for example, and the Easter-egg hunt. "Yes, we are about change and about finding a new way, but 'new' doesn't mean that we walk away from history."

I LOVE THIS LADY.

She is SO fly.

Arlen Specter is being most ridiculous. He really doesn't want Holder to lead the Justice Department. Sen. Leahy should be punished for caving into Specter and delaying this hearing so Specter could turn it into a trial 8 years after the fact.

He just got a sofball question from Sen Kohl
He handled it delighfully well...loved that smooth answer, nat archibald, connie hawkins and ps121 in the queens.

Go Holder....

http://gas2.org/2009/01/12/inside-cadillac-one-...

Cadilac one runs on biodiesel ...

Some biofuels have a tendency to freeze....

Eric Holder: Waterboarding IS torture.

It's about damn time we had somebody as AG who states that unequivocally.

Love to know what he's basing that on.

Guantanamo/Detainees
How a Military Prosecutor Changed From Gung Ho Terrorism Fighter to Gitmo Critic
Posted 4 hours, 36 minutes ago
By Debra Cassens Weiss

A military prosecutor who quit his post at Guantanamo due to ethical qualms tells of his transformation from gung-ho terrorism fighter, brushing off tales of detainee abuse as “hyperbole," to a critic of the system who is providing declarations helping defense lawyers.

Writing in the Washington Post, former military prosecutor Darrel Vandeveld says he ignored early warning signs, such as complaints by the chief military prosecutor, Col. Morris Davis, that he was being bullied by Bush political appointees who wanted him to bring charges before he was ready. Vandeveld dismissed as “idiotic” claims of abuse by detainee Mohammed Jawad, who said he was 16 at the time of arrest. And he viewed Jawad’s defense lawyer as a terrorist sympathizer.

But Vandeveld’s views began to change as he saw the evidence. “Jawad had been hooded, slapped repeatedly across the face and then thrown down at least one flight of stairs," Vandeveld writes. “Detainee records show that once at Guantanamo, he was subjected to a sleep deprivation regime during which he was moved to different cells 112 times over a 14-day period--an average of every 2 1/2 hours. It was called the frequent flier program.”

http://www.abajournal.com/news/how_a_military_p...

I disagree with his overall point, but I can't really discount most of what he's saying, since he was there after I was.

Thanks for this.

Bush need to be investigated!

Agree. Chenney and Rumsfeld too.

Yes, no one is above the law!

...and Rice, and Powell, and Gonzales, and Ashcroft, and Yoo, and Tenet, and GEN Hayden.....

Heard it all before.

In addition to what djchefron replied, historically, the US has severely punished US servicemembers who engaged in waterboarding techniques.

"Water boarding was designated as illegal by U.S. generals in Vietnam 40 years ago. A photograph that appeared in The Washington Post of a U.S. soldier involved in water boarding a North Vietnamese prisoner in 1968 led to that soldier's severe punishment." (ABC news, 11/29/05)

Even back in 1901, an Army general was sentenced to 10 years hard labor for waterboarding.

And John McCain himself, who you supported claimed that waterboarding was a "very exquisite torture" that should be outlawed.

McCain's knowledge on the subject runs much deeper than mine.

What I stated (and said to Miranda below) is what I think, based on what I've read (and been told, by people smarter than I) on waterboarding.

Don't get me wrong; I can outline the argument for why it could be considered torture as well. I've heard the arguments for/against.

I've never really delved into the "waterboarding is torture" argument, because there's never been a need to. You can judge for yourself whether you consider it to be, and I won't knock that...

...until you say "it's torture" at a hearing where your predecessor said he didn't have enough info to make a call, based on what was publically available.

I seriouly am not trying to pick a fight over this, and you should know I love a good debate with you......But historically waterboarding has widely been considered torture. So when you asked what is Holder basing this on, he has a helluva lot to base in on, from a historical and legal standpoint.

And I know many Bush supporters like to chalk up the criticism to Americans who are "terrorist sympathizers" but I think many like me are interested in our leaders respecting international standards.

I know.

My general opinion on waterboarding is that if there's a compelling reason for it to be used, and there's a reasonable expectation that we will gave viable information from its use, then it's a tool to be considered.

Knowing how often "confessions" can be given just to prevent more intensive interrogations, though, there's not that many times where there's a need for it.

But do you not feel that there are other methods that can be just as effective?

I think that is the issue many Americans have.....why is it necessary to even have to employ a method that has had such a storied and controversial history?

I've read about the different viewpoints of waterboarding (as much as I cringe at articles that support the actions of the Bush administration, I still read them for knowledge), and the article by the one former Navy interrogator in Iraq, who spoke out against torture, and actually used other unconventional, but LEGAL techniques that worked and eventually led to al- Zarqawi's capture in Iraq.

Oh, yeah. I don't doubt that.

But what do you do when those unconventional, legal methods don't work? I'm fairly certain we didn't waterboard KSM off the bat.

That's not an argument for breaking the law, but if you have a tool that is extreme, but could prove useful, why not use it (with the caveat that you stop if it doesn't work)?

If we capture bin Laden and he doesn't have an "accident" on his way back stateside, would you support waterboarding him if necessary?

As far as what was used for KSM, I am not sure what methods they used rior to waterboarding and in which order, since the Bush administration has not been forthcoming or truthful.

Secondly, as much as bin Laden is despised by me and likely everyone else on here, I would rather they employ other LEGAL techniques still.

KSM's confessions from waterboarding may have given way to some leads, but still the the top of alQaeda's hierarchy are still not captured yet.....so exactly in the larger scheme of things , how effective was the method.

I think it's been acknowledged that KSM was waterboarded on a couple of occasions, and that some of the intelligence taken from him has proved to be actionable.

I think the last 5-6 years have shown the country what we will have to become to prosecute a war on an ideal. While I think the sacrifice is worth our safety, I know that eventually we're all going to have to reconcile what we've become with what we've gained.

And if our leaders determine that the costs outweigh the benefits, so be it, no matter how much I agree or disagree.

I didn't think that waterboarding and other "torture" techniques worked anyway so why do it? From what I have those people still don't snitch!

Just a wild guess but we executed Japanese Officers in WW2 for water boarding because we consider it torture and a war crime.

what is your rationale that it is NOT torture? I am seriously curious.

My opinion: I don't think it meets the threshold of "severe pain and suffering" that's part of the UN's definition of torture.

Is it cruel, inhumane, or degrading? I could argue for that (more so degrading than the other two).

Now, if you're just waterboarding someone repeatedly for sport, I'd call that torture, just because of the reasoning behind the act (there's not one except the enjoyment of the person doing the act).

Of course your opinion is subjective, but since you evoked the United Nation and their definition of torture:

"The United Nations' Report of the Committee Against Torture: Thirty-fifth Session of November 2006, stated that state parties should rescind any interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding, that constitutes torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment." (Wilkpedia)

In essence you can have an opinion all day long but waterboarding is WIDELy considered as torture by numerous legal experts, military personnel, human rights organizations and others. And historically the US has stood AGAINST the practice.....that is until Bush and em wrecked shyt, like they have everything else.

D,

Would you be willing to be waterboarded in order to see whether it's torture? You know, to see if it's cruel, inhuman or degrading. Would you be willing to be tested?

I'm just asking!

You are the only person who would ask that question. And I'm almost certain you-and a few others here-would sign up for that experiment.

But, sure....why the hell not. I'm weird that way.

I've read Christopher Hitchens' report on the subject, if that helps.

So when you were waterboarded, you compared that to what to determine it wasn't severe pain and suffering?

Haven't had the experience, which was why I bolded the words "my opinion."

Looking at the technique of it, though, you're talking about pouring water over someone's covered face. Last I checked, the act of pouring water didn't cause pain.

Now, there is an element of suffering, because I see how it can make a person feel like they were drowning. Is it "severe" suffering? I don't know, but when I think of someone who's severely suffering, I think of something that eventually does-or could-lead to death.

I really don't think waterboarding is the equivalent of a baptism - the description of it seems to be more than merely pouring water over someone's face....but isn't the whole point of torture to keep the person alive?...otherwise its just killing.

I don't know what the point of torture is, so I can't answer that.

D, WATERBOARDING IS TORTURE.

No other human can determine whether someone else is in pain PERIOD. It doesn't matter what degrees of severity one is speaking of.

I disagree. I mat not be able to distinguish suffering, but you can generally see when someone is in pain.

I disagree. You cannot judge if someone's in pain by what you see. I have 30 years of nursing experience to back that up. It's individual/subjective. It's nursing 101.

The patient tells you he's in pain, not the other way around. And you get to ask them where, what, how, when,.We give a pain scale to use to help us help them manage it.

Your response will likely be people can fake it, and that's true. But we don't get to tell folks they're faking it. There are other ways to work with drug seeking behaviors.

anyhooo. Pain can lead to suffering, and if you are intentionally causing pain and suffering, it's torture.

Let the Nurse Speak!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If someone's being tortured-the way we all understand torture-they're going to be in obvious, visible pain.

From a physical standpoint, I don't think waterboarding hurts as much as it does from a mental standpoint....which is where I think the suffering comes into play.

D,I propose as parting gifts for the Bush administration free gift certificates for a

DELUXE ROUND OF WATERBOARDING .

Only if Justice does mine.

D: By definition, isn't it a "technique" that is used "BEYOND" verbal INTERROGATION as a COERCIVE means to extract INFORMATION from an UNWILLING PARTICIPANT??

IFFF so, that feel like a definition of "torture!"

I'm just askin'. . . .

While "standing down." :>) :>)

You could probably make the same argument for the techniques that are currently approved for use, because they all-in one way or another-go beyond verbal interrogation.

But what does that leave us to use?

D: I 'on't know! :>)

I don't do military. :>)

I'm just responding to the CONCEPT of TORTURE!

Mr. Holder said:
BREAKING: Eric Holder, the attorney-general nominee, said waterboarding is torture, under questioning from Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Judiciary Committee,. "I agree with you, Mr. Chairman, waterboarding is torture," Holder said in what amounts to a dramatic reversal of the Justice Department's policy under President Bush. Holder also rejected the argument made by Bush administration officials that the president's power in an a national emergency overrode constitutional restrictions. "No one is above the law," Holder said. Read more in Politico Live.

***shrug??***

It leaves us with the need to use our intelligence (brains) perhaps invoke Jedi mind tricks. (only half kidding here.)

LOL @ "Jedi mind tricks."

But you're suggesting taking away some of the tools that interrogators-the people with the brains-use.

How is that helpful?

Well I disagree if you are saying the interrogators all have brains. Like you, I am no expert on this topic but I am suggesting that using one's brains and creativity are best utilized when the notion of physical torture is taken off the table.

Interrogation techniques of this nature(http://www.ncjrs.gov/policing/def331.htm

I Sho Nuff Knos Boss: Looking at various privileges that whiteness exists with.

Unraveling the Cliché of the Single Parent: A black man documents his experiences with single motherhood by speaking of his mothers and grandmothers struggle

CHIP-ing Away at Bush
The long-awaited expansion of SCHIP could be the first tangible victory for black folks in the new Obama era
http://www.theroot.com/views/chip-ing-away-bush

UN Compound in Gaza Hit by Israeli White Phosporus Shells
http://oxdown.firedoglake.com/diary/3028

..

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/1/15/84346/4...

The Daily Kos crew is whining and complaining that after all the blood, sweat and tears they poured into getting Obama elected, they didn't get tickets to the ball.

Let them whine. I don't even have a ticket to the swearing in (I thought it would come after my invite, but it hasn't) and if I don't get one, I'll be heartbroken and will probably jump off a cliff. But if I don't I'll pull myself up and celebrate anyway.

I got the "official invitation" to the PUBLIC events. It totally faked me out. I thought I got a random real invite. LOL I even got teary then I re read and it said invitation to the public events. hehehhehehehe

LOL...I got mine Monday....thank goodness I already had the heads up from y'all that it was commemorative! LOL

Hey, Miranda, congratulations on the commemorative invite.

That is the commemorative invitation right...just for sho?

yes exactly. lol I got faked out!

I think folks had to call their US representative for tickets to the swearing in. I called mine...the inframous MichelleBachmann and received purple tickets.

The whole situation is a cluster fuck.

The people at Daily Kos have every reason to whine this time. The PIC isn't telling anyone anything and it's terribly frustrating. And yes there's been a surprising lack of transparency and organization.

The PIC rep never told me why some delegates won't be getting tickets. Remember I have no other long record of activism with the party so I guess I'm being "punished." I haven't even received my invite to a special event for Maine delegates activists and politicians at the New Zealand embassy which the news last night said we would ALL be invited to.

Let them whine or complain. This time, it's probably justified.

A lot of those folks are beyond help. Period.

I was really tempted to log on and leave a really smart azz comment on that one but I left it alone. I swear, I believe some of those folks have deluded themselves into thinking they know Barack personally.

Well Miranda,

Here's one that made me say...ok...I can leave this stupid diary now.

Oh for heaven's sake...yes you were complaining..

If YOU had received an invitation you wouldn't have written this diary. This isn't about the 'homeless', its about you, just like other comments and diaries that bitch about what they are getting or not getting.

We're getting a new era, a new promise, a new future. We're getting a country that won't torture, that will respect the constitution. That's reason enough to celebrate no matter where you are.

This inauguration is going to be imperfect because you can't please everyone and you can accomodate everyone. I'm okay with that because I know the true good comes the first day Barack Obama steps into that Oval Office as President of the United States.

comment by: Morgan Sandlin

Perfect.

Much ado about nothing.

This poster is a D.C. resident and Obama supporter. She's not a DK front pager, i.e., crew like Meteor Blades, Kos himself, Bill in Portland, Maine, BarbinMD, SusanG or Mcjoan. They're not sweating over it. This diary is not even among the Recommended.

I do remember reading, however, that the Kossacks are sponsoring a ball themselves, but I may be wrong.

She just didn't get to Ticketmaster fast enough. Sounds like what happened when MSNBC announced that they were going to show the Inauguration in certain cities. It was HARD to find that website, and then again, registering on the website doesn't guarantee that you get a ticket. You have to get there hours ahead of time just to be assured of a ticket.

Lots of stuff happening--and blaming going around.

Definitely blksista... a lot of people here on JJP seem to forget how massive dkos is in size.

Poll: Solid support for Obama's economic plan
Would love to see Karmi head explode LOL
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28657844/

LOL

It's interesting to see Eric Holder's hearing. It is not the love fest we saw with Senator Clinton. They did everything but give her a rub down and a happy ending. Politics lol gotta love it.

"A happy ending."

That's too funny.

Help me out, is anyone watching this Holder confirmation know why this MarcRich pardon is being made such a deal of? I know the guy was tax fraud and that Holder has acknowledged it was a mistake. However, I haven't been able to discern why they keep making a big deal.

THEN. Specter just said something about Iranian arms deals...is that how Rich made his money?

If so, is that why this is SUCH a big deal...once again it boils down to Israeli's vs. Iran...or Jews vs. Muslim...and here we go again...with Middle East crap?

Just wondering. Why it was so unpardonable to pardon Rich.

Don't try and make sense outta nonsense. Go with your gut...this is not about Marc Rich no matter HOW many times they say it is.

I was thinking the same thing this morning. Listening to NPR it sounds like the Repubs are ready to GRILL him with southern hot and spicy BBQ Sauce.

They did everything but give her a rub down and a happy ending.



Yes, I saw that. I thought.....can they get anymore mushy?

Hey Justice!!

Glad to see you are back and feeling better. It is cold as hell here...negative 20 temperature and the wind chill down in the neg 30's....this is the frozen tundra.


Did you see Holder's wonderful family?

I thought it was so moving how he said his son was not named after him but his dad as he was born the day he died.

Then to hear Holder talk about how his sister-in-law having to integrate UofAlabama with George Wallace...was nothing but a real civil rights preview of our lives!

Holder's family has a true appreciation of our struggle in this country.

Hey Whiterose,

Thanks for the well wishes.

Oh God, How can you deal with that kind of cold!

Major Co-Sign on Holder! Arlen Specter has gotten on my last nerve! Ugh!

Hi Justice, glad to hear you're feeling better today!

Whiterose is telling it. It's cold as a witches tit in a brass bra here.

It's called layering to stay warm. I've got these nice silk T-shirts and long undies called "Cuddle Duds"

I'm at work, so can't watch the hearings. I'll catch it later on C-Span.

Spirit!

Thanks! The swelling is going down too. Yay! I'm beginning to look like me again. :)

A person could easily turn into an icicle (ME) with those kind of temps. omfg!

Keep warm both you & Whiterose!

pssh im not worried, Eric Holder is the man, he was appointed by reagan worked under bush 1 and clinton. dude knows his stuff. He shouldve walked into the meetings with The Mans Right here blasting lol just kidding.

LOL!!

About that "Black and bitter"...

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/...

Daily Kos diarist has created next week's cover of The Nation to commemorate the Obama Inauguration with historical figures from civil and human rights struggles.

King is right behind him. Chief Joseph is there. So is Barbara Jordan and Shirley Chisholm and Gandhi and Reverend James Reeb.

Emmett Till and the four little girls from the Birmingham church bombings are in the front row.

This is a keeper.

i cried

blksista: WOW! The COVER is GREAT!! :>) Thank you for "bringin' it!" :>)

It is a "keeper!" :>)

LOL. no!

"dkos sucks!"

heh

blsista, thanks for the hook up. I get the Nation magazine. And this definitely is a keeper.

I agree; it makes an excellent teaching tool. They should blow that cover up to poster-size and hang it in every history/social studies classroom in the country.

Looking forward to seeing it hang in my government office. After 8 years of working for Bush and Cheney, I'm thrilled to see it. I was first hired under Clinton. I remember the good spirits we had as Clinton as our boss when we knew that our ultimate boss cared for us and the work we did. The past 8 years has seen a lot of hiring freezes and outsourcing and hostility towards our pay and working conditions.

Essence magazine article on the 'rash' of police shootings of young black men, starting with the Adolph Grimes III case in New Orleans.

Sorry. Earlier,in the Wednesday Night Open Thread, I said that the Grimes case was in Houston. It happened in N.O.

The NOPD have closed ranks around the shooter.

What a Nice Pic of President Obama! Woo Hoo!

Cheney: War deaths worth it, 'I think so'
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog...

That's a really weak answer.

I agree with him.....but damn. Just say "yes," and call it a day.