If they can make money out of thin air (and they do), then WE can make love (and sustainable prosperity in 8 easy syllables) out of thin air, too! Or fat air, as the Snow Boarding Crowd love to say...... DUUDDDE!!! Let's SHRED!!!
The economy is totally imaginary. Everybody has an imagination. Communities everywhere will re-build America, each in their own ways. I believe this is the Wave of the Future. Surf's Up!

i say hang the son of a bitch.

that IS the penalty for treason, is it not?

/and don't get me started on war crimes... felonies.

//or spying on americans without a warrant... or even cause, for that matter... also felonies.

This abomination of his own making could be the move that finally and openly discredits him and his movement. His proposal doesn't have to go anywhere if the whole country floods their reps with hate mail.

Is there any power or potential within the internet? If MSM is going to treat this like spilled plutonium, it is up to alternative information systems to generate the heat and the pressure.

His proposal can not be defended and I want to see him try - and I'd like to see all the conservatives and ultra-partisan Republicans commit political suicide trying to defend it. Get rid of the whole damn bunch at once.

Hillary and Obama, he's handing you the election on a platter!

In another vein, I'm reminded of Ricardo Montalban in the "Revenge Of Khan" breathing life into Milton: "From hell's heart, I spit at you!" And as if to say "see if you fuckers can fix THAT!"

Margaret, you get it! Maximum damage, to what the neo-cons hate the most - everything they don't already have. Folks who say shrub's a failure - wrong! He's a big success in the eyes of those who selected him. It's all a lot less confusing, if you can see it in this light.

Again: if Bush destroys the economy, racks up the military of which he is the "Coomander in Chief," declares that torture is legal, spies on and makes notes about US citizens without their knowledge, gets rid of habeas corpus, instills paranoia in the hearts of the foolish and gullible, builds huge detention centers in the US, declares he doesn't have to obey any laws he doesn't want to, invades and occupies a free nation to control the oil supplies of the middle east...all things this man HAS done--what's the next step? The economy collapses, he declares martial law, cancels the elections and for our own good becomes dictator for life. Think about it.

Which candidate has received the most in donations from the military industry: Hillary Clinton.

And who will the superdelegates choose?
__________

Superdelegate
>From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Superdelegates are delegates to a presidential nominating convention in the United States who are not legally bound by the decisions of party primaries or caucuses. Superdelegates are current elected officeholders and current party officials as well as former elected officeholders and former party officials. They are sometimes referred to as "unpledged delegates," but some unpledged delegates are not superdelegates[citation needed]. In addition, some elected officeholder delegates and party official delegates are pledged.

Superdelegates first played a role in the Democratic Party in the election of 1984. They were created after the 1980 election as a counter to party reform efforts of the 1970s, which effectively moved control of the nomination process in the Democratic Party out of the hands of party officials into the primary and caucus process. The aim was to restore some influence over the process to party officials and previously elected officeholders who had been active in the party before the election year.

In the Democratic primary phase of the 2004 U.S. Presidential election, Howard Dean acquired an early lead in delegate counts by obtaining the support of a number of superdelegates before even the first primaries were held.

The 2008 Democratic National Convention

The 2008 Democratic National Convention, where the Democratic presidential ticket is formally agreed upon, has 796[1] superdelegates, although the number is not final until March 1, 2008. Superdelegates to the Democratic Convention include all Democratic members of the United States Congress, Democratic governors, various additional elected officials, members of the Democratic National Committee, as well as "all former Democratic Presidents, all former Democratic Vice Presidents, all former Democratic Leaders of the U.S. Senate, all former Democratic Speakers of the U.S. House of Representatives and Democratic Minority Leaders, as applicable, and all former Chairs of the Democratic National Committee."[2] There is an exception, however, for otherwise qualified individuals who endorse a non-Democratic candidate for President; they lose their superdelegate status. In 2008, Senator Joe Lieberman was disqualified as a superdelegate because he endorsed Republican John McCain.[3] A list of superdelegates can be found here.

A candidate needs a majority of the combined delegate and superdelegate votes to secure the nomination. Democratic delegates from state caucuses and primaries number 3,253, resulting in a total number of votes of 4,049. The total number of delegate votes needed to win the nomination is 2,025.[1] Superdelegates account for approximately one fifth (19.6%) of all votes at the convention. Delegates chosen in the Democratic caucuses and primaries account for approximately four fifths (80.4%) of the Democratic convention delegates.[1][4] Note: All numbers in this section assume that Michigan and Florida's delegates are not counted per current Democratic National Committee rules. If those rules are changed before or during the convention, the numbers above will change as appropriate.

It should be noted that nowhere in the rules for selection delegates is the word "superdelegate" used; instead, the rules refer to pledged and unpledged delegates.[5]

Criticism

The Democratic Party has been criticized [6] [7] for conducting primary elections in a non-democratic fashion, since superdelegates are generally chosen without regard to their preferences in the presidential race and are not obligated to support the candidate chosen by the voters. There have been repeated calls to eliminate the superdelegates from the nomination process to more accurately reflect the popular vote.

Delegates chosen in primaries and caucuses may not exactly reflect the votes cast, although party rules require proportional allocation rather than winner-take-all.[8]

References

1. a b c "The Primary Season: 2008 Democratic Calendar", The New York Times, 2007-01-07,
2. Delegate selection process, from the website of The Democratic National Convention
3. Pazniokas, Mark (February 6, 2008). Lieberman No Longer a Super Delegate. courant.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
4. Election Center 2008: Delegate Scorecard - Elections & Politics news from CNN.com
5. The official rules for the selection of Democratic delegates and superdelegates, from the Democratic Party's website.
6. [1]
7. [2]
8. Cook, Rhodes, The Presidential Nominating Process: A Place for Us?
____________________________

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut?bid=7&pid=266130

The Tyranny of Super-Delegates
by Katrina vanden Heuvel
The Nation

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Barack Obama's stirring victory in Iowa was also a good night for our democracy. The turnout broke records and young people - who were mobilized and organized - participated in unprecedented numbers. And now that Iowans have spoken - the first citizens in the nation to do so - here's the Democratic delegate count for the top three candidates (2,025 delegates are needed to secure the nomination):

Clinton - 169

Obama - 66

Edwards - 47

"Huh?" you say. "vanden Heuvel, you made a MAJOR typo."

In fact, those numbers are correct: the third-place finishing Sen. Hillary Clinton now has over twice as many delegates as Sen. Obama, and more than three times as many delegates as the second-place candidate, Sen. John Edwards. Why? Because the Democratic Party uses an antiquated and anti-democratic nominating system that includes 842 "super-delegates" - un-pledged party leaders not chosen by the voters, free to support the candidate of their choice, and who comprise more than forty percent of the delegates needed to win the nomination. Many have already announced the candidate they will support.

In a clear attempt to protect the party establishment, this undemocratic infrastructure was created following George McGovern's landslide defeat in 1972. It was designed to prevent a nominee who was "out of sync with the rest of the party," Northeastern University political scientist William Mayer told MSNBC. Democratic National Committee member Elaine Kamarck called it a "sort of safety valve."

In 1988, Reverend Jesse Jackson challenged the notion that these appointed delegates be permitted to vote for the candidate of their choosing rather than the winner of the state's caucus or primary. He was right to do so. Twenty years later, when the word "change" is being bandied about, isn't it time for the Democratic Party to give real meaning to the word? Strengthen our democracy by reforming the super-delegate system so that the people, not the party establishment, choose their candidate.

Katrina vanden Heuvel is editor of The Nation.
_____________

Contact:
Democratic National Committee
202/863-8000
http://www.democrats.org/page/s/contactissues

capitalism and democracy ultimately cannot co-exist. choose!

@ ncycat:

what you are referring to is known as the "national security presidential directive no. 51"

and bush WILL use it to cancel (or in bushism, "postpone") the 2008 elections to remain in power.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070509-12.html

just sent off a quick letter to vice_president@whitehouse.gov to make sure that death by hanging was still the penalty for war crimes and treason.

guess i better start packing for gitmo

satr9prodxns: You and me both buddy. My wife tells me to tone it down and keep a low profile cuz she's afraid I'll be 'disappeared'... which of course is a distinct possibility once the fascists complete their takeover. However, I just can't seem to keep my mouth shut and be a "good german". ;)

Oh yeah... domestic spending on things like heath, education and poverty elimination programs are evil commie ideas... all good red-blooded patriots need to support tax cuts for the rich (they are better than us after all) and massive military spending (Gotta keep those profits rolling in for our rich betters).

These budgets combined with ever increasing oil, imports and prices and globalization run amok with copycat big business "leaders", risk a financial disaster that won't spare the rich.

Maybe a few ultra-wealthy who can afford to disappear in Switzerland, SE Asia or South America. But when the economy shuts down and the dollar is worth absolutely nothing the typical millionaire stockholder, entrepreneur, doctor, dentist, pensioner... will be as poor as a Mexican wading the Rio Grande. They will all thank Dubya!

"They will all thank dubya" because the neocons will convince them that dubya actually kept it from getting even worse.

The neocon propaganda machine is so good at brainwashing the US electorate that when the scenario bbr-001 describes actually materializes, most of the US electorate will blame the Democrats, the French, Muslims...they will blame everybody except Bush and the people who enable him.

I predict by late summer we'll have had that "condition" the president will see as reason for invoking martial law; will invoke the National Security Presidential Directive 51, allowing him to cancel the November election in order to insure the "continuity of government," and under the Military Commissions Act of 2006, all who speaks out against his policies will be rounded up and imprisoned indefinately.

Makes me wonder if we'll be the new immigrants biting at the fence to get out!

Of course we are awake and aware. People care, and half of them demonstrate by going out to vote every two years. Incumbents almost always win. The congress has a support rating of 10% but incumbents almost always win. What does that mean to you?

To me it means they don't know how to chose because it requires reading and thinking. They vote and think that is all they can do. And they vote according to their feelings about the person and anything that sounds like a benefit to them personally.

It isn't a question of being asleep, but rather a complexity they cannot deal with so they simplify by relying on emotions.

The belief in God is similar to this.

No more talk. There is enough evidence. Arrest Cheney and Bu$h NOW. Take them to jail in handcuffs. NO discussion. Too much time wasting discussion already. ARREST THEM NOW. Try them for treason, impeach them for treason, send them to prison for life. There IS enough evidence. Talk and marches do nothing and are laughed at by the criminals. We HAVE to take Cheney and Bu$h away in handcuffs NOW!

NWO Objectives

1. Lower living standards for the bottom 80%. Check.
2. Destroy image of democracy. Check
3. Destroy confidence in America as a Superpower who does good. Check.
4. Increase Oil prices to increase reliance on the USD (1) Check
5. Devalue the USD by destroying the US economy (1) (4)Check
6. Collape the global financial system so it is blamed on US Check
7. Legalize the means necessary for implementing Martial Law. Check
8. Increase the size of US Military and Homeland Security. Check
9. Demonize Muslims to align Christians and Zionist interests. Check
10. Secure Oil with large Military presence in Iraq. Check

Mission Accomplished Mr Bush. Thank you for your efforts that will bring us the following New World Order our elite have worked for so long to achieve (125 years)

The world following the coming Depression and Martial Law imposed in the US for a Global Government to replace the destroyed superpower, now bankrupt. America is now just another 3rd world country. Priorities for the Global Government, operating through the UN, are to establish the following.

1. Global Reserve Currency (Carbon Dollar) issued by World bank/IMF
2. Carbon Tax to pay for government services and interest to the World Bank
3. Global Police Force- Military/Security Forces (US/NATO/Israel)
4. Declaration of Interdependence and Global Constitution
5. Bill of Responsibilities

The Global Government will not be democratic, since the US has proven Democracy is an unstable form of government.

The US will be required to sell off it's military assets and bankrupt financial institutions to the UN to pay it's debt and to qualify for credit from the World Bank. US Military and security forces will operate under UN control (same guys who run the military in US will do so under the name of the UN, Israel will take over global homeland security). A temporary capitol for the Global Government will be NY since that is where the UN is and our financial institutions are concentrated, but movement to London at some point may be considered, or perhaps Jerusalem.

China and Russia entry into the Global governement will be pending a decision on if there should be permanent war to keep the living standards of the populations that are retained low, but this has yet to be decided. If it is decided they need to join the union and are unwilling to do so, another World War may be required. This will be a beneficial first step in reducing the population by the targeted 90%, and may be considered even if they are willing to be absorbed peacefully .

After that the reductions will continue via famine (GM food), sterilization/reduced fertility (vaccines/medicines), disease (engineered microbes, denied/access to health care, medicines), extermination of undesirables (dark skinned races, Africans, Arabs, Muslims, those who refuse to give up religion, etc).

Subsequent breeding will be controlled based on genetic and racial screenings to determine eligibility. Artifical means of breeding are under research and development, and may be incorporated once a conclusion can be made as to the necessity of sex for maximum control and productivity following the planned trials.

Margaret Krome writes:

The massive deficits accumulated since 2001 are part of a deliberate Republican strategy to force changes in national priorities, a strategy written in large print in this deplorable budget...

The deficit hole will be massively enlarged with exactly the same tools he used to dig the current deficit — tax cuts and gargantuan, unaccountable military spending.

Bush's tax cuts would cost the nation — especially middle-income earners — $900 billion over five years, and another $1.5 trillion in the following five years, for a total of $2.4 trillion in the next 10 years. Who benefits? The very rich. Households with incomes exceeding $450,000 a year would average more than $60,000 apiece in tax cuts. Households with incomes over $1 million would receive more than $150,000 a year in tax cuts!

***********

The agenda is to extend the poverty of the working class and the further enrichment of the moneyed class for several generations.

As things now stand tax policy has been taken from the Treasury and given to the Federal Reserve banking system. The Fed instead of taxing the real income of the rich borrows from them and then pays back their "loan" with interest through the financing of the deficit by T-Bills. This is the scam perpetrated on the working class.

The scam being perpetrated on the wealthy is that their dollar denominated wealth (and increasingly the wealth of all other currencies since everyone wants a piece of this Ponzi scheme) is becoming more and more worthless as the currency stops being a measure of value and becomes a manipulated commodity itself.

This mess can be easily fixed by a more fair-minded taxing policy:

No income under $50,000 should be taxed.

Social Security taxes should be applied to ALL income of all citizens above the previouosly stated minimum. Currently no social security is withdrawn on income over $80,000.

The 80% of "capital gains" represented by commercial real estate appreciation of value should be taxed with no allowance for "depreciation" no matter where that "capital gain" is made whether here or abroad.

This is so depressing.
I will see all of you in the Camps.

The trucker down the street can take down his REAGAN posters and start putting up the Bush posters. The breaking of the US government for once and for all is their dream. After that everything will have to be privatized. I fear I don't have the necessary funds to buy any of it.

Anything that the government does is socialism, unless it's feeding the fat cats. The propaganda machine has worked incredible magic, and the rabble has bought it with their last dollar. This is the new fascism. The military is being privatized by Blackwater. Schools are being privatized. The highway system is being privatized. The internet is next, and then the sun and the drinking water. Our taxes aren't really being cut, because we will still have to pay them (all to the military eventually) but soon we'll also have to pay user fees for everything.

Harry Reid says that this tax rebate incentive b.s. is classic bi-partisanship in action. The problem is, Bush has not given ANYTHING. He puts out his demands, says he'll talk, and then insists that the Democrats jump. And they do. That is not bi-partisanship, that is concession. I don't understand the democrats feeling they need to concede to a president with approval ratings of a shit sandwich.

And now we'll hear from people on this site talking about how we shouldn't even consider voting for Nader or any other third party candidate; that we should vote democrat so that the slide to the right slows down. BULLSHIT. It needs to stop, and if the democrats aren't stopping it we need to find someone that will.

I always admired FDR for doing what needed to be done, even though it might not have been popular at the time. I always wanted another president that would say what he need to to get elected and the do what needed to be done. I sure didn't count on this.

Bumper sticker " l'm spending my kid's inheritence... l'm voting Republican"

Tax Cuts + Military Spending = We are ******.

Concise, Dead On. and pigs are horses.....maybe, just maybe, there is a God, and Shotgun Dick and Torture George really will meet the Father, or Mother of all those they have murdered...

Can I dream?

Bumper sticker #2: "Honk if you want another 100 years in lraq"