My son called me. He was in the Marina (the worst hit area) on Union Street (actually its Cow Hollow but blocks from the Marina), the cool neighborhood shopping street (not Union Sq) and at the Bank. I wasn’t in the City. He is soft spoken and an extremely calm person. This was pre-cell so he just grabbed a phone and called knowing the lines would soon be too clogged to call and to assure me he was all right. It was first time I ever heard his voice excited. ‘The bridges are down! It seems like everything’s on fire in the Marina! Hundreds of screaming sirens are the only sound! Have to go Mom, others want to use the phone. Love you.” Click.

Phyllis—-Saw it this am…very scary…it doesn’t end with Bush back in Crawford or fleeing the country to his set-up in Paraguay to avoide criminal prosecution. McBush-Palin equal 4-8 more years of the same brutalizing insanity.

You guys are right….the OTHER big shake in my life was in ‘91 when my son moved to Europe permanently. Everything is pre-‘91 and post-‘91 to me. Seventeen years….hard to believe. That’s how old I was when he was born. Yeah, 89 was a doozy. We had a 4.6 the other night. Was in bed on my laptop….I don’t move for anything under 6.0, ha!

“Upton Sinclair wrote a century agp: Fascism will come to this country of ours carrying the bible and the cross. Well, Upton, you were right.” that is what has created every Dark Age….that is what our Founding Fathers fled. That is what Bush-McCain-Palin work to recreate because it benefits the money elite and turns the rest of the nation into this: http://blogs.zdnet.com/open-source/images/great_depression_photograph.gi… http://www.thepatrioticgentleman.com/TheGreatDepression/images/Migrant%2… http://www.nansemondriverworks.com/lesley/gd43_shack.gif Vote GOP! Help McCain-Palin steal what Bush-Cheney missed! The $100M a year+ salaried oil barons and CEO that sent your jobs overseas, cut your benefits and stole your pensions want 4-more! Vote for greater misery! Aren’t you suffering enough? Aren’t you scraping by enough? Common, don’t you want to wreck our schools more? Have more wars? See gas, food and medical prices get even higher? Sure you do! Vote McBush-Palin!

The Queen of Jordan has spoken out about the destabalizing effect and enormous strain the 2.4 million Iraq refugees have created in the Middle East. And after the enormous disaster of the Iraq debacle….McCain-Palin are gung-ho about bombing an infinitely larger, stronger and more strategically [scarily so] well placed Iran….that also poses no immediate threat and one that can be handled through diplomatic channels. McCain blowing his nose in public [real classy] and then joking about bombing Iran. So intelligent. They are contemptuous of everything. No brains so can’t give a legitimate brainy response as Obama did pre-invasion, in public, on tape, predicting precisely where we are and at a time when to speak out against Bush Inc placed himself in political and personal danger. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-zoPgv_nYg Where is Rice at the moment? Visiting a former designated terrorist. North Korea is much more of a danger…but it was OK to negotiate with them…they got no oil, son.

Frank- The UK Indepedant had a good article last weekend about the US Culture war between the backwoods, rural “red-states” [as a mindset more than a geographical location] and the educated ‘blue’ urban areas that economically support the nation. We make the money, we pay the most to support the government, and the Christian Nazi McCarthism Gun Nuts from the Alaskan outback are the ones who help decide policy by supporting the GOP against their own interest. The GOP as a tactic understood it couldn’t win without bringing the religious wackos into their tent would help them. It’s a sham in service to the oil companies and multinationals with the Ditto Heads clamoring to help rich people line their pockets at a cost to their own schools, infrastructure, jobs, etc. Bobby-Jo with his ‘57 faded-red pick-up, with the gun rack, confederate flag, bloodhounds and Jerry Falwell/Rush blasting on the radio with their racist/zenophobic/misogynistic spiell—can’t put gas in his car and eat too, but by gum-it…he’s a “God-fearin’ ‘publican jest like maw daddy and his daddy.” Bobby-Jo supports oil barons in their private clubs with their helicoptors and Lear Jets and multi-million dollar mansions around the globe. Like McCain, with his $300K annual tab just for the help. But because they put on a lapel flag pin and read off a Macivellian script the DittoHeads fall in line and vote. Just like in the Dark Ages. Creationism and God talk has always made those who can’t think for themselves, who can’t connect the dots between speech, actions and results in their own lives…the enslaved tools of the richest 2%. They think the GOP politicans care for them…they are laughing all the way to the back. And if their limo accidently mows down one of their constituents as they beat it out of town. Gosh, that is sad. Where’s my free lunch?

Lorraine— Only twice in my entire life— prior to the Bush Junta seizing power in 2000—I witnessed overt racism. The first time in grade school when I was horrified by TV images of police turning dogs and hoses on black people in the South. And then in the early 80s when I was at Duke University in NC on business and a young NC woman in the project group said something so outrageously and nakedly hateful and racist that I was rendered speechless. I still feel ashamed today that I didn’t speak up and counter her remark. Never has this country been so polarized and divided and it has happened by Rove/Bush/NeoCon/Fox News DESIGN. For the people who are asleep, apathetic, myopic and ignorant to the root cause and aggregator, they are as guilty as were the German population that let Hilter rise to and remain in power. As FDR said, “Liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism—ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power ” That’s what we have oil-corporate facist state. Who do people THINK are in control of Congress and the WH? Who WROTE our ”energy policy” behind closed doors with oil-man Cheney? Whe DETERMINED our Iraq policy? NOT the military but the NeoCon idiot think tanks. If people want to talk welfare—the biggest welfare receipients are the corporations and oil companies and families like the Bushes who have USED AND PROFITED by government. They have in no ways been public servants and neither McCain or Palin. McCain’s service is decades in the past. Subsequently, HE has BLOCKED legislation beneficial to POWs and there are many Vietnam Vet groups dedicated to exposing him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFM1xqqTX_g http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CazKanlYDg&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGh-vq0O5gw&feature=related JFK/RFK/MLK gave their lives trying to unite the country for the people. Bush Inc has wasted the lives of over one million innocent people (not going back to their earlier phony Contra wars etc) in service to the oil companies and multinationals. In the fact of abject evil people are concerned about political characterizations like Caribou Barbie? Can we say: Priorities? Do these delicate souls watch Late Night? The problem with GOP Sheeple is they don’t know they REAL history of their party or what it stands for besides the propaganda, smear machine of FOX, etc. We have a Corporate-Facist regieme racking in trillions and they’ll do whatever they can to keep it that way. Bush LIED us into an inhumane, immoral, illegal war and then turned it into a joke while his GOP audience laughed. What KIND of human beings are these? Do we see anyone get up and walk up as anyone with a SHRED OF DECENCY would? THAT’S the GOP today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjXPOxnu2N8 Caribou Barbie, give me a break. Forget the Bill of Rights and Constitution, this is what we are today thanks to Bush Inc: 1.) Powerful and Continuing Nationalism: Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays. 2.) Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights: Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc. 3.) Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause: The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc. 4.) Supremacy of the Military: Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized. 5.) Rampant Sexism: The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy. 6.) Controlled Mass Media: Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common. 7.) Obsession with National Security: Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses [Gee, we haven’t seen any of the Orange Alerts….because they became so blantly manipulative that they were ignored….guess Rove will have to stage something big to get Sheeple afraid again] 8.) Religion and Government are Intertwined: Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions. 9.) Corporate Power is Protected: The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite. 10.) Labor Power is Suppressed: Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed. 11.) Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts: Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts. 12.) Obsession with Crime and Punishment: Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations 13.) Rampant Cronyism and Corruption: Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders. 14. Fraudulent Elections: Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections. For more details: http://oldamericancentury.org/14pts.htm

Frank PS: “She and McCain made themselves fair game at the convention by all the name calling attacks they engaged in. So If Caribou Barbie can’t stand the hot water maybe she needs to get the hell out!.” Exactly x 10000%. I am hoping she’ll be indicted. Like Bush she doesn’t believe in laws for herself and is trying to ditch the investigation.

I completely agree Frank. For too many years Democrats—me included in the past—have tried to be the nice, inclusive ones, negotiate with the other side even during the Contract ON America, and Tom Delay/The Heritage & Coors Foundations writing and printing a booklet and sending it to key GOP activists around the country with the opening premise that “We are not going to negotiate with liberals. We are going to turn liberal into a dirty word. We are going to use nearly Stalinist tactics to wipe liberals off the face of the Earth.’ The Eisenhower GOP is a thing of the past. There are the good guys like Chuck Hagel. But cynical Rovian/Fox tactics still define and drive the party. They have collectively destroyed the US and we are hanging on a thread and McCain’s very Rovian pick and tactics have proved just what they are up to. 2000 and 2004 proved what they are up to. I will call ‘em as I see them. McCain’s choice of Palin and Palin herself deserve nothing but contempt, and I have nothing but contempt for them and will express that exactly as I see fits. The other side has done nothing but belittle, besmirch, devalue and dismiss Obama-Biden….so give me a break. Caribou Barbie is the LEAST of it. Hitler existed and did all the harm he did because the people allowed it. Bush existed and did all the harm he did because the people allowed it. McCain-Palin are dangerous to the US every recovering its Consitutional law, to solving global warming and developing true energy independance and alternatives, and recovering our economy. Neither are fit for the job. Caribou Barbie says a lot in two words, but hardly enough. She’s an ignoramus intent on teaching creationism who is embroiling the Ditto-heads with her God-talk when this country is based in Separation of Church and State. That in itself is unConstitutional and totally contemptible. And another sleazy tactic because at the same time they attempt to portray Obama as a radical Muslim. This is SCARY and disgusting as hell. This is Caribou Barbie in action. They get their fixers in for a crash course but she is still this ignorant backwoods imbecile that they want to foist on America and the world in order to drill in Alaska. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG1vPYbRB7k