Democratic state Sen. Derrick Shepherd announced Monday that he will run for the seat in Louisiana's 2nd District held by eight-term Democratic Rep. William J. Jefferson, whose outlook has been deeply clouded by a highly publicized federal investigation into whether he accepted bribes.
It will be another step forward if Jefferson could join Lieberman and McKinney as having been removed by their own constituents.
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1 comment:
Maybe just maybe here is a reason.
N.Id chick Says:
August 15th, 2006 at 7:34 am
I’d like to set the record straight for a few you. There are not just a few of us who disagree with the course this country has taken in the last 5 years. In an order to discredit our very valid concerns, people like Ed and Proud American have labeled us as people who hate America.
WHAT A BUNCH OF CRAP!
People like me do not hate America and we are not lacking in patriotism. We honor the constitution by exercising our right to free speech, to assemble and to vote - just to name a few. With all of our distress at the way the county is being run, we are not out blowing up motorcades, we are using the very American means available to us to change course and we should be respected for that. You don’t have to like it and you don’t have to agree, But you ought not call names.
In the aftermath of 9/11 there was a course of events that took place. There were points along the way - many of them where I could have disagreed and not pushed back, But instead, we chose a very bold and aggressive course of action and been mucking it up ever since. And this is why LIeberman lost his election. Because he has done nothing but defend a questionable policy, but even worse - a lousy execution of questionable policy followed by utter stupidity.
I disagreed vehemently with the decision to go to war in Iraq. My first and foremost reason, is because I spent some time looking at the history of Iraq. I would have hoped the leadership of our government had done the same. The reality we face now was clear and it was expressed by some publicly. In stead, they feed us the line about roses at our feet and mission accomplished and the war would pay for itself (like we buying a tractor or something!?!)
Ok. So how do you quiet a cirtic? Well if you are going to go to war, do a good job of it! Have a plan, do some research, listen to your militiary advisers, take care of the innocents, plan for the peace. Had we done that, many, many Americans would quietly grumble, “I didn’t like it, but at least they are doing a good job of it.”
But no. We went to war, told the country to head to the mall, go to Disneyland. We’ll be back in a jiffy. This is where me and mine start scratching our heads, “What the…?”
White House: “And while your at it, here’s a a tax break, buy somehting nice for the wife and kids!
Me: Scratching my head.
White House: Just you wait until we find those WMD. It a war on Terror, We’ve gotta get rid of Saddam, Its a war on Terror, They hate freedom. We’re good. They’re bad. Fool me once shame on me, fool me again….and, hell, I can’t remember”
We see the mission accomplished stunt and then the body count rises. And rises.
Then we have Abu Graib. Ok. I think if you are going to go to war, you have to expect atrocities. By definition, war is an atrocity. But dogs attacking naked people…sexual explotative torture. I thought we were good and they were bad…Going to war did not make me feel like a proud American. Abu Graib made me down right ashamed of Americans. Yes. THat’s right. And it was not a few bad apples. It was a policy being enacted by the lowest ranked soldiers. And they took the fall. Alone. And I saw that, and that was CRAP too.
And now the President makes a date with the G-8 leaders and for Pete’s sake he starts rubbing the female Chancellor of Germany’s shoulders while she’s talking to the other G-8 leaders and his best comment of the week, while reporters are asking him about the situation in Lebanon is about the roast pig they are having for dinner.. Ya. I’m a little concerned about the leadership of our country. And that makes me UnAmerican?
What if GWB, instead of recommending a spending spree, had prepared us for a tough road ahead and encouraged us to strengthen ourselves and share the burden as a country. What if he had said, ” After 9/11, we are living in a different world and we need to adapt. In order to protect ourselves, we need to reduce our dependency on foreign oil and the first thing we are going to do is lower the speed limit and increase gas efficiency standards. We’re going to create tax incentives for alternative energy and hybrid technology. (Energy Policy)
Now is the time for Americans to dust off their bikes and start riding them. (Instead of a multibillion dollar bridge in Alaska) We’re going to invest in safe bike trails so Americans can bolster their health and reduce our demand for the foreign oil that feeds the terrorists coffers. (Healthcare)
We exerienced a disruption in our Just In Time distrubution system and were we to experience a longer one, many American’s would be at risk. Therefore I am asking each and every American to start now to plan to grow at least a portion you own food. Whether it’s a tomato plant on your porch or some raspberries in the yard or a small plot at a community garden, or buying food from a local farmer, help your neighbors and let’s buffer our communities from future attachs and reduce our transportation needs by being prepared to feed ourselves locally. (Economic Sustainablity)
My dear Ed, and Proud American and others, if I had heard these things and if I had seen sound and moral execution of the military effort by our civilian government, I would still grumble, because I am one of those crazy liberals, but I would not be outraged. And if Mr. Lieberman, as the opposition party had himself pushed back against GWB and demanded some sort of concession to fact that we were at war, then I too would shake my head at his defeat.
And if we were going to war and we were not (this is my short list) cutting health services to veterans, underfunding national education mandates and offering huge tax cuts to the wealthiest of Americans who are profiting greatly from the business of war (I’m talking the CEO’s and major stockholders of Exxon, General Dynamics, Halliburton, General Electric and yes, Exxon), I too would shake my head at the defeat of Lieberman.
But he voted for all those policies. He defended them and he has followed the GWB/psuedo-conservative suit by defending stupid policies with even worse execution and callling critics haters of America.
AND THAT IS CRAP!
So because this is a long post (I do apologize), I won’t get into Homeland Security Incompetence, Disaster Preperation (not), or the disinigration of our civil liberties under the (Un)Patriot Act. Nor will I mention the National Animal Id System and how it adversely affects local food chain supply. Nor will I mention the plan to sell our public lands to refund the mismanaged general fund.
It is not the people who disagree that we have to worry about. What we have to worry about is a lack of conversation, either because we are afraid of speaking out, or because we’re too darn apathetic. I am not your enemy. Just the thorn in your side. I like your dog.
Respectfullly yours
N. Id Chick
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