[...] Our constructive relationship in these areas has placed America in a better position to be honest and direct on other issues. I have spoken clearly and candidly and consistently with China's leaders about our deep concerns over religious freedom and human rights. I have met repeatedly with Chinese dissidents and religious believers. The United States believes the people of China deserve the fundamental liberty that is the natural right of all human beings.
This isn't much of a "diary," but Sens. Clinton & Biden gave me an idea. Last night Hillary said:
With an agenda like that, it makes sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the Twin Cities. Because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart.
Then tonight Biden literally got them confused! You can't make this stuff up.
So, to help out all the viewers next week, I'm sending these to St. Paul, MN:
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is raising the stakes in a court fight that could change the balance of power between the White House and Congress.
Justice Department lawyers said Wednesday that they will soon ask a federal appeals court not to force the president's top advisers to comply with congressional subpoenas next month. President Bush argues Congress doesn't have the authority to demand information from his aides.
How is McCain doing compared to Bush in the battleground states?
Comparing the latest polling data against the results of the 2004
election gives us a perspective.
We REALLY need to bring down the Rethug presidential nominee John McNicotine. The only way to fight back against his attacks on Obama is to attack his qualifications for the presidency. Kerry should have done that against Bush. Well, as long as the Rethugs insist on telling lies about our nominees, we need to spread the truth about theirs.
"It makes sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the Twin Cities. Because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart."
In a house that McCain owns? There were a lot of great lines tonight. The sidekick line was great. Thank you for reminding me that it was Bob Casey who said that.
Here is my favorite by Seibilius
Barack Obama has a plan to save the dream of homeownership for families who've lost their homes or fear they can never afford one - unlike John McCain, who has so many he can't keep track of them all.
I'm sure you remember a girl from Kansas who said there's no place like home. Well, in John McCain's version, there's no place like home. And a home. And home. And home
I know tonight is all about the convention here (and I'm watching/listening as I compose this diary), but I came across an excellent column about one of the many sticks we're poking the Russian bear with -- the notional anti-ballistic missile battery that we will be wasting many billions to put in Poland.
And it's well worth a diary, even tonight.
Gwynne Dyer, a Canadian Ph.D. journalist based in England who has concentrated on military issues throughout his career, writes that the Polish ABM thing is a shameless sham.
On every level possible.
Here's a taste:
It would make about as much sense militarily if this mini-crisis were about the basing of a crack American team of kung fu dancers in Poland.
More such laying waste of corporate media conventional wisdom below.
Quarter of Clinton supporters would vote McCain over Obama
Interesting result from a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press: If their favored candidate is not the Democratic nominee, a quarter of Hillary Clinton's primary supporters would defect and vote for John McCain in November, while only 10 percent of Barack Obama's supporters would do the same.
Here's another interesting thing -- the Clinton campaign is promoting this stat, both in an e-mail from spokesman Phil Singer and in an item on its "Delegate Hub" Web site.
Think this the latest poll number? You're wrong. This is from a poll published on March 3, 2008. Surprised? Don't be. The rage in some of Hillary's supporters has been building for quite some time. And it might just sink the Democrats' chances of retaking the White House this year.
As reported today on Rachel Maddow's radio show and in the International Herald Tribune, http://www.iht.com/...
Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki declared that "There can be no treaty or agreement except on the basis of Iraq's full sovereignty," al-Maliki told a gathering of Shiite tribal sheiks. He said any agreement must be based on the principle that "no foreign soldier remains in Iraq after a specific deadline, not an open time frame."
Bush had to immediately dispute Al-Maliki's clear and definitive timetable for full withdrawal, leaving the Bush administration sputtering and bewildered. The real question that needs to be asked of McCain is, will you demand that American troops stay in Iraq against the wishes of the Iraqi government?Intl Herald Trib
I completely understand the strategem of tying McCain to Bush since he's decided to ass-kiss and coat-tail-ride Bush's legacy to a hopeful presidency.
We all know that was a stupid and miserably short-sighted idea for him from the beginning. But if you think back to the 2004 race-- McCain who was a defiant supporter of John Kerry suddenly went quiet and left his comrade Kerry's back exposed to the Swift Boaters during the middle of that contentious battle.
I knew then that he had cut a deal with Bush and Rove. They obviously promised him the next presidency if he fell in line behind them. And he obviously did.
So with Fall 2007, we get his openning campaign theme of his support for Bush, the special "Huggy Bear" picture with Bush....clueless that the country had alread turned on Bush big time.
The possibility that Republican presidential candidate John McCain, if elected, might reinstitute a military draft has become hot news lately.
Keith Olbermann devoted major time to the topic last Thursday and Friday on MSNBC's Countdown. The Keith O pieces were driven by McCain's answer to a woman's question at a town-hall campaign stop in New Mexico.
Here at Legal Schnauzer, this got us to thinking about the draft in larger terms--particularly terms that apply to the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
A strong case can be made that George W. Bush is both the worst and the dumbest president we've ever had. But bad, dumb people can teach us valuable lessons--in a "never again" kind of way.
Obama needs to jump right on this story and get a comment out today, BEFORE Bush freaks out and tries to "walk this back" just like he did Al Maliki's previous statement:
This was previously mentioned in a diary, but here's the relevant text:
Iraq demands deadline for pullout of all US troops
By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD (AP) -- Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Monday no security agreement with the United States could be reached unless it included a "specific deadline" for the withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq.
It is a senseless policy, apparently meant to intimidate Russia, but why? For the sake of perpetuating international tension so as to strengthen the forces that with Cheney and Bush have been promoting constitutionally unaccountable executive rule in the United States?"
The art of analyzing international affairs is somewhat like discovering new planets. The astronomer notes the behaviors of observable objects; when those objects behave in a manner that other observable phenomena can't explain, the astronomer begins hypothesizing what unseen phenomena may be present whose gravity could have produced an otherwise irrational event.
My experience isn't really unique. It's just like that of many others. I was fed up with Bush/Cheney/Rove, and I couldn't take it anymore. I've come to think that most of Bush's cronies are selfish and greedy. For the past 7 years, Bush has made me angry, and I needed to find a way to channel that feeling. At that moment in time, I was also inspired by Senator Obama. His campaign was running a message of "Respect, Empower, Include." And That's what I needed after being angry with Bush's stupidity. That's when I decided - I couldn't sit this one out. I had to volunteer and try to make an impact - even though I had little experience in politics. Some of my friends even asked me - Why are you volunteering? Isn't your state - Indiana - a red state? Some people may think we Hoosiers live in a red state, but the thing is - Change is possible if we want it bad enough. And I want change more than anything else. That's why I'm volunteering.
