Thursday, November 02, 2006

ö The American Conservative: GOP Must Go What goes around comes around...  ... It should surprise few readers that we think a vote that is seen - in America and the world at large - as a decisive "No" vote on the Bush presidency is the best outcome. We need not dwell on George W. Bush's failed effort to jam a poorly disguised amnesty for illegal aliens through Congress or the assaults on the Constitution carried out under the pretext of fighting terrorism or his administration's endorsement of torture. Faced on Sept. 11, 2001 with a great challenge, President Bush made little effort to understand who had attacked us and why - thus ignoring the prerequisite for crafting an effective response. He seemingly did not want to find out, and he had staffed his national-security team with people who either did not want to know or were committed to a prefabricated answer. As a consequence, he rushed America into a war against Iraq, a war we are now losing and cannot win, one that has done far more to strengthen Islamist terrorists than anything they could possibly have done for themselves. [...] On Nov. 7, the world will be watching as we go to the polls, seeking to ascertain whether the American people have the wisdom to try to correct a disastrous course. more  permanent link #     ^ TOP ^  what is this place?

ö Al Gore makes calls: Move ON! This just in from Al and the good folks at MoveOn:  In every election I've ever been part of, the last four days have been decisive. What you do this weekend could mean the difference between victory and defeat. MoveOn has put together an outstanding program - bringing together tens of thousands of volunteers with cutting edge technology to get Democrats who might not otherwise vote to the polls. You can join the effort from anywhere - all you need is a phone and a computer. This morning, I joined the team and made some calls. It was easy. I'm writing to personally ask you to join the team too. Can you make some calls this weekend? Sign up to join a group of callers in your area right here: http://www.moveon.org I know it's easy to feel like your calls will be drops in a political ocean. I'm here to tell you that they're not. I know a thing or two about close races where a few hundred "drops" make all the difference. And the margins in many of these races are even closer. You could personally turn out the voter who tips the balance. Why should you pick up the phone? Do it because the ice is melting in the Arctic, in Greenland and all over the world, and unless we take on the climate crisis soon, we could cross a point of no return. Do it because the war in Iraq is a disaster, and our brave men and women who are fighting and dying there need an honorable and speedy path home. Do it because in the wealthiest nation in the world, there are millions of kids who can't go the doctor when they get sick because they don't have health care. Do it because President Bush and this Congress have chipped away at our fundamental rights - rights guaranteed every citizen - that make our country a beacon of freedom. Do it because our government shouldn't be able to wire-tap innocent citizens without a warrant. Do it because of Abu Ghraib. Do it to tell the world that America won't sanction torture - and we fire the politicians who do. That's the real no-brainer. Do it because five years after September 11th, President Bush and the Republican Congress have made us all less safe. But most of all, do it because the country we all love needs our help. Our democracy is in trouble. America needs you. And in these next four days, you can come to her aid. This election represents our greatest opportunity in decades to tilt our nation toward a progressive future. Making some calls to infrequent voters only takes an hour or two. But if thousands of us do this together, we can make history. Now's our time. Please join me.  permanent link #     ^ TOP ^  what is this place?