read about it: http://www.scotusblog.com/...
the full decision: http://www.scotusblog.com/...

Fucking shit.  I'd say more I'd put more.  But I'm so pissed and so sad and so upset.  I knew this would happen.  Even after hearing the arguments and reading the briefs I knew this court would find for against corporate liability.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE VALDEZ.  This is about the Supreme Court vastly curtailing corporatations liabilty for grossly negligent acts and for acts by their employees

No, I'm not asking the question . . . I'm answering it for a friend of mine and I thought some of the links I collected would be useful for people around here who have similarly misguided friends but who aren't looking to avoid studying for finals (like I am).  

I got an email from a friend informing me that she knew someone who 'thinks McCain isn't so bad.'  Knowing I was into this sort of thing she decided she would ask me to draft up an email with some arguments against the McCain Presidency.  Here's what I went with:

1.  McCain is a political opportunist and will sacrifice his own 'morals' readily

2.  McCain is a flip-flopper

3. Iraq (his policy)

4. Iraq (his understanding)

Everything in this email will be thoroughly cited with outside sources so you can check it.

I've seen the numbers.  I know a lot of smart people, bloggers I respect have explained that Clinton cannot win.

For some reason I've just had a hard time believing it.  Like, really feeling it.  Today I figured out why.

Nobody's acting like that's the case.  And that includes you (yes, you).

I have a new job as a researcher and it has allowed me to discover that there is a lot about this world that I don't know.  But recently as the campaign season heats up I have been finding myself thinking a lot about the things that I do not understand.  

Not what I disagree with.  I disagree with the death penalty, but I understand its appeal.

Not what I dislike.  I dislike Survivor, but I understand its popularity.

But I found that the world is increasingly full of stuff for which I completely lack any basic understanding.

Here's my list.  Come below the fold and let me know what it is that you do not understand.

A front page story explained Iraq by the Numbers.  In it the cost of Iraq is stated, including Bush's recent request for $193 billion for 2008.  

I think people have really no concept of just how much money this is.  Why is this important?  Well, as I point out to my conservative friends, even if you think Iraq is the greatest idea ever, you still have to consider the cost.

If I told you I had the best cell phone in the world.  That it had every feature of every phone, you might think that was great.  In fact, that sounds pretty cool.  If I told you I paid $10,000 for it, you'd call me a dumbass.  

So how much is Iraq?  Below the fold I put together some 'packages' of things we could buy with $127 billion (the Bush requests averaged over 2003-2008).  Follow me to find out what we could have had . . .

They are acting like they are.  The Democrats in DC have taken the attitude that they can win politically as long as they are only slightly better than the Republicans. They can't, and they won't.  

If Democrats think they can keep acting the way they are acting they are going to get punched in the nose (figuratively) come next November or possible 2010.

And no, this is not a threat.  I'm not stomping my feet and holding my breath and threatening to take my ball and go home if the Democrats don't do what I want.  I'm bringing a warning because I've seen what can happen, I have proof of what WILL happen if Democrats don't behave . . .

Ethan Berkowitz just announced his candidacy for the lone Congressional seat in Alaska, currently held by Don Young.

Ethan served in the state house for 10 years from 95-05.

Recently Young has been one of many Alaska Republicans to step into a scandal.  He also proved surprisingly vulnerable in 06.  

Ethan's full announcement below the fold:

No, this diary is not about reigning in expectations about November 2008.

This is about the glee that is slowly emerging within the Democratic over really really bad things in the world.  

If we care about other people and if we want to communicate that we care about other people then we cannot be so damn happy when really really bad things happen to them.

If a serious attitude adjustment doesn't take place, then Democrats attempts to capitalize politically on traumatic events could evaporate our 2008 election hopes faster than you can say Terry Schiavo.  

I find that often the best way to get someone to really think about something is to ask them a question as oppossed to telling them a fact.  A question engages the individual in their own thought process.

I was thinking about this when I thought of a list of questions that should be asked of any Iraq war supporter.  I'm sure the list could be longer and there could be sets of questions like this for domestic issues as well (especially the economy and taxes).  

Do you have a question you'd like to see asked?

Somewhere a long time ago I read something about the 'military industrial complex' speech given by President Eisenhower upon his departure from the Oval Office.  As the Iraq war has played itself from bad idea to bad idea, poorly executed, to holy hell lets get the fuck out already, Eisenhower's ideas as expressed in his famous speech have been dancing on the edges of my brain.

After reading the news today about almost 200,000 missing weapons in Iraq, the thought occurred to me:  someone made a profit on those weapons, and this disturbing (albeit belated) revelation inspired me to find the original Eisenhower speech and read it in its entirety.

My response about halfway through was a mesmerized 'wow.'  Everyone, EVERYONE should read this speech, and that means you too.  Follow below the fold or the terrorists win . . .

Full Disclosure: I'm not affiliated with the Edwards campaign in the slightest.  I gave him money at the start of his poverty tour because that sort of thing deserves positive reinforcement, but after watching the CNN debate I was thoroughly impressed by Clinton.  

So this diary isn't some glowing Edwards diary that just implores you to give money at the end.  This is video evidence that Edwards is a different breed of politician, and exactly the sort of person for which this community has been waiting (and whining).

follow below the fold for the video...

No, this diary is not about convincing you to write a letter to the editor.

No, it is not about how to write a letter to the editer.

No, it is not about a letter to the editor I read.

No, it is... look, can I just write the diary?  If you have any questions after I'm done you can ask them then.

This diary is about me asking you to post any letter to the editor you have ever written about politics, in the comments below (there, was that so hard).  

And just when you thought your shining moment in the spotlight of your newspaper's editorial page was gone forever . . .

no, I am sorry, it is not because I'm fly.  But if you knew me you would not be shocked by an admission of non-fly status.

So if I'm not fly and you most likely are not fly then the question remains:  why are we hot?

or rather:

why is global temperature rising?(see how I tricked you into a global warming diary by using pop culture? It called misdirection, I've also taken your wallet while you were reading this)

Is it me? Is it volcanoes?

The answer is that a lot of Americans have no idea.  Despite a seemingly global scientific consensus on this issue the noise we call media has successfully played both sides as to allow average people to think there is legitimate debate on this issue.  It is up to us to win that 'legitimate' debate.  

(come below the fold and you get your wallet back)

Lets say you're talking to your neighbor.  You're on one side of the white picket fence and she's on the other.  Perhaps you're both trimming your lawn hedges, it is all very American suburbia.  The topic of Gonzales comes up and you say he should be impeached.  Your neighbor says:

"well sure, he's a bad guy.  I mean I don't like any of Bush's cronies that much but impeached?  Could they impeach him, has he broken the law?"

At first you stand stunned, doesn't your neighbor read the news?  It's literally everywhere that Gonzales is a lying petulant child who just spit on Congress.  After recovering you attempt to answer . . .

Yesterday I proposed a project where we come together to use our amazing knowledge and talent to create a set of short but sweet community generated editorials.  These editorials would be used as persuasive tools for people to use via email.

read the original diary HERE

To add to that set I will be asking you a question every few days to try to get you to convince me on an issue.  We all know we’re good at ranting and raving and at fund raising and pressuring, but lets find out how convincing we can be after the fold...

At dailykos we are active participants in the world of political discussion via the internet.  This page reaches hundreds of thousands of individuals.  That is a major accomplishment but this is a community of activists (or would be activists) and we need to expand our efforts to reach out to more individuals and draw them into the fact based community.

This site is an incredible resource of information.  Information that when drawn together and filtered forms powerful liberal arguments.  Dailykos does a lot of good already and has a huge influence but by channeling this resource I think we can do more to reach the unconvinced.

I propose that motivated individuals here come together to create a set of short and concise arguments based on a myriad of political issues.  These arguments would be specifically designed to reach out to moderates or politically unmotivated individuals.  Why and how? Follow me below the fold and use your voice to help speak out beyond just the choir...

I'd apologize for the all caps diary title, but I'm not sorry.  I'm not sorry for the exclamation marks either! Or the swearing.  Whoops, I mean I'm not fucking sorry for the fucking swearing either!!!

Why not?

Because we need MORE not less.  More caps, more exclamation and more fucking yelling! What the hell is going on?????? How are people keeping their sanity? How are they holding together?

WHAT IS YOUR SECRET?  I fluctuate from not caring to screaming, from the complete inability to muster the willpower to suffer through more than 5 minutes of news, more than two or three diaries before my brain EXPLODES INSIDE MY HEAD!

I want to know how every diary isn't all caps! Why every other fucking word isn't fuck, shit, damn and hell.  How the fuck do we still have a slew of reporters in this country who are still capable of reporting and haven't gone completely batshit crazy from being subjected to UTTER INSANITY.  I feel like I've fallen through the looking glass people, but I CAN'T HANDLE IT.

There is a lot going on regarding the Plame leak.  The Republicans are claiming that a crime wasn't committed, or at least not a serious one (being such a minor leak and all).  They are claiming a lot about this case and hoping they can make enough noise to confuse the average news viewer.

But what are they not saying?  If we look at what is undisputed about this case there is certainly enough to skewer the administration on the spike of public opinion.  Then we can leave it to the courts as to what degree there was criminal activity.