OK. That part's done.

Now that the entire planet (with the exception of Sen. Inhofe) agrees that global climate change and our contribution to it is indisputable, the question remains how to fix it.

Australia took a major step recently in electing Kevin Rudd, who made climate change a major campaign issue, their new Prime Minister. Rudd has agreed to sign on to Kyoto, leaving the US as the lone holdout.

Even Newt Gingrich, who not long ago disputed the science, has come to admit that we face an "urgent" problem. On that point he is absolutely correct. Where he is not, though, is in how the problem must be resolved.

If you recall, Senator Kerry and former Speaker Gingrich debated climate change earlier this year, and though they agree on the science and the need to act, they were pretty far apart on the solution. Newt, of course, is wrong.

Not entirely wrong, mind you. Newt argues that the private sector has, and will continue to take some positive steps toward addressing climate change. On that point, I think there's agreement. But without regulation, those efforts will fall far short of what's needed to address the most urgent issue of our time.

Watch the full debate at C-SPAN, and look for more on the upcoming climate change talks in Bali this December. Senator Kerry and Senator Boxer, who will lead the Senate delegation, are finishing up the necessary work here at home next week in both the Environment and the Commerce Committees before they take it on the road.

Look for more on the Bali conference and an expected vote in the Senate on the Lieberman-Warner bill in the coming days.

I was digging around youtube last night and found this excellent climate change video animation.

Maybe Jose isn't quite ready to challenge the VP for his Academy Award and Nobel Peace Prize. Yet. But I'm pretty impressed.

As Senator Kerry said recently to the Council on Foreign Relations (video), we need to lead by example.

Ultimately, the threat of climate change demands a new approach from America that looks an awful lot like the America we remember, the place Lincoln called “the last best hope of earth”. We should recommit to the hard but vital work of diplomacy and reengage with the rest of the planet. We must return to an understanding of the world where real strength means not just the absence of restraints but also the moral leadership that comes from leading by example.

Sometimes we find that leadership in people like VP Gore and Senator Kerry. And sometimes, it just takes a high school kid to help show us the way.

Some people are survivors. Others are Congressional Republicans.

They're falling like dominoes.

And they seem to be going two at a time, which, curiously, is the number of years that it would have taken before they could officially lobby former colleagues had they waited until January to hit the road. By leaving now, they only have to wait a year. Isn't that the strangest coincidence?

Just yesterday Dennis Hastert officially resigned, and following in his footsteps, Trent Lott announced he will be resigning before the end of the year. That brings the count of Congressional Republicans leaving to "spend more time with their families" to 23, with more expected.

And there is still a chance for some surprises out of New York, Florida and... well an indictment is likely to trigger a retirement (or two) in Alaska.

Is that a lot? Well, yes. Historically, as this Christian Science Monitor piece explains, it doesn't happen without reason.

It's rare for a US senator to resign during a term of office for reasons other than health, scandal, or quest for higher public office. It's happened only twice since World War II.

Moreover, Senator Lott's resignation takes effect just before a new ethics law kicks in that will extend the "cooling off" period – from one year to two – before an ex-lawmaker can lobby former colleagues.

Asked whether the new law had a role in his decision to step down, Lott said "it didn't have a big role in that decision."

We shall see. And we'll hang onto that quote, Senator Lott, for future reference. Time will tell as it has done for most all of the Republicans who have announced their resignation, what their motivation truly is. For now, we'll go with "spending time". I think "pursuing other interests" has been overused anyway.

It should be a fascinating close to a year filled with announcements by Congressional Republicans who have suddenly discovered they have interests in the private sector.. And to think Larry Flynt hasn't even exposed his bombshell yet.

I found it interesting that every Republican in today's video is either going or gone. Either voted out or no longer interested in their former careers.

And that every Dem who stood with Senator Kerry is still standing.

When I saw the video of the Senator and Teresa's meeting with Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille, my first reaction was that this is how diplomacy is supposed to work. A member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting with foreign leaders, discussing democracy. The United States has a lot of work to do to restore our relationship with the rest of the world, and I think this is a good way to go about it. Of course, the conversation will not always be as cordial as the one in this video, but the only way to have a discussion is to start one. And the only way to resolve our differences with other countries is to find out where we agree and where we do not.
We have to talk to people. With those countries who are our friends and with countries that are not quite so friendly. It's a simple fact that the Bush administration seems not to understand. Thankfully, some of our leaders do.

After reflecting on this video, a couple of other points stand out for me. First, when people of courage come together, their differences are often not nearly as obvious as those things they have in common. Second, that people support the principles of democracy in the same way in different countries all over the planet.

Abbreviated version, as the Senator and his wife are on *gasp* vacation.

Well, not entirely. The trip included a meeting with Cape Town Mayor Helen Zille (more on that tomorrow), and some work on heating assistance, consumer safety and tax relief for us here at home.

Still, the Kerrys got to spend some time, we hope, enjoying some much deserved r&r.

If, like me, you've never been to Africa, here's a fascinating site to check out. It includes a live webcam of a watering hole in Sabi Sands Game Reserve South Africa. If you're lucky, you can watch lions and other wildlife stop by for a drink.
Note that the tab on the site labeled "Bush School" is not remedial English, but wildlife education.

Music credit Kevin MacLeod

I hope you enjoyed the four clips that we call "This Moment on Earth in Pittsburgh", and that you'll excuse some amateur photography, backs of peoples heads and blank spots, but we did want to show the entire event, pretty much unedited, so you could get a feel for the experience.

I did notice a couple places where the filming stopped unexpectedly. One, in particular, where Teresa was discussing the use of ethanol in Brazil, I'm very sorry we didn't capture. I went back to the original, though, and it just wasn't there. Too bad, as she's very knowledgeable on the topic, and we cut her off rather abruptly.

The media has recently begun covering some of what the Kerrys have described in their book; the effect of toxins in the products we use, the need to look toward alternative energy, climate change, and a general focus on the environment. It's a hopeful trend, and we applaud their efforts to educate the public on these very critical issues. But it's not enough to watch it on TV or read about it in a book. We all need to do our part to pass on to our children a planet that's better than the one our parents left to us.

We've got a lot of catching up to do.

Thanks for watching. Here's part four.

On second thought, it might be dangerous. The warning specifically mentions red lipstick, which is neither my nor Sen. Boxer's color, but Sen. Feinstein is definitely a red lipstick wearin' gal. And although the test doesn't mention other shades, I think I'll consider going au naturale for the time being.

This is truly bizarre. I've been protected from putting lead based paint on my walls since 1978, but I can still put it on my lips? I thought they stopped using lead in makeup during the reign of Queen Elizabeth when they discovered it killed people. There is something seriously wrong here.

Earlier this week, Senators Kerry, Boxer and Feinstein wrote to the FDA regarding lead levels in lipstick.

“I was surprised to learn that lipsticks worn every day have been found to contain dangerous levels of lead. The Food and Drug Administration needs to fully investigate the potential health risks posed by lead in lipsticks. And federal guidelines may be needed to safeguard women’s health and reduce the amount of lead in cosmetic products,” U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein said.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, who issued the report, points out that the FDA has not set a limit for lead in lipstick. High levels of lead are of particular concern to pregnant women, because high doses of lead can have significant impacts on the early brain development of babies and toddlers. Lead has been linked to learning and behavioral problems in children, such as reduced IQ, poorer school performance and aggression.

November 19, 2007

Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D.
Commissioner of Food and Drugs
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857

Dear Commissioner von Eschenbach:

We are writing to express our concern regarding a series of recent news articles highlighting elevated levels of lead in many lipstick products.

As you know, the FDA currently does not regulate lead in lipstick or other cosmetic products. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics recently conducted tests of 33 red lipsticks and found that 61% of the lipsticks contained lead at levels ranging from .02-.65 parts per million. One third of the tested products exceeded the FDA recommended limit for lead in candy, which represents the permitted lead ingestion level by children.

In response to these results, we request that FDA consider taking two actions to address lead levels in lipstick and other cosmetics:

1. FDA has indicated an interest in re-testing the same lipsticks tested by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. We encourage FDA to perform these tests on a wide range of other lipstick brands in a variety of colors, and to publicly report the results.

2. If the FDA reaches the same conclusions as the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, we respectfully encourage the FDA to take immediate action to reduce consumers’ lead exposure to lipstick and other cosmetic products. The FDA should issue guidance to industry, establishing a recommended maximum level of lead in lipstick and other cosmetic products, set to correspond with the lowest detectable levels found in laboratory tests.

Thank you for your attention to this issue, and we look forward to a timely response to our concerns.

Sincerely,

John F. Kerry
Barbara Boxer
Dianne Feinstein

CC: Linda Katz, Director, FDA Office of Cosmetics and Colors

If you recall from yesterday's video, The Kerrys' book covers at length the effect of toxins in the products we use, and it's also a focus of Teresa's conferences on Women's Health and the Environment.

Here's part 3, in which the Senator and Teresa continue the Q&A and the discussion of consumer product safety.

Tomorrow: The conclusion.

One of the best parts of events like the book signings and the Faneuil Hall speeches is that the Senator will typically set aside some time to meet with bloggers either before or after, and give us a chance to ask about anything on our minds. If you've never witnessed a US Senator conducting a meeting while sitting on a cardboard box, this is what it looks like. In this clip, the Senator is answering a question from dayvoe at 2politicaljunkies.

In part two, the Senator discusses some of the stories in the book, and he and Teresa take questions. This part of the video is courtesy of our good friend Bradley.

Tomorrow: more Q&A with JK and THK

OK, now that is truly sad. Sorry, but this is probably the worst time of year for turkey photography, you just can not get those guys to smile once the leaves start to fall. This particular turkey, though mean as heck (he tried to bite me), is not nearly as pitiful as the turkey we've been posting about here pretty regularly over the past few days. Another difference? This one won't be eaten alive!

Actually this one won't be eaten at all. He's at the National Aviary, safe and sound and likely feasting on his own Thanksgiving dinner of Aviary visitors. Ouch. Seriously, they are mean. I don't know what Ben Franklin was thinking.

" ... For the truth the Turkey is in comparison a much more respectable bird, and withal a true original native of America . . . He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a bird of courage, and would not hesitate to attack a grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his farm yard with a red coat on."

Maybe Mr. Franklin had a point. Except not all turkeys have courage, Ben. Some are actually pretty cowardly, in addition to being just plain mean.

Like this one. So dishonorable, in fact, that Keith declared him the "Worst Person in the World".

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you from your friends at KV. Sorry about not posting part 2 of the book event, but "Worst Person in the World" is a pretty big distinction, and there are very few occasions where I can use an actual turkey photo. Book Part 2 tomorrow.

For a good old fashioned ass-whoopin'.

I had planned Part 2 of the book signing video for today, but this is just too good.

Dear Mr. Pickens,

Thank you for your response to my acceptance of your challenge.

I’m grateful that you are prepared to make good on your word and fulfill the offer you made publicly at the American Spectator Dinner in Washington, D.C. on November 6th.

I must remind you, however, that this was and is your "challenge," not mine. You are, after all, the one who said explicitly at the dinner — in a way that was calculated to challenge any naysayer — that you would give one million dollars "to anyone who could show that anything the SBVT said was false." (RedState.Com) These were your words — and nowhere did you ever suggest, as you are now trying to, that your challenge referred specifically and exclusively to any advertising by the SBVT.

As you know, the lies of the SBVT were not confined just to their ads; they were a constant barrage of television, radio, Internet, speeches, and forums in which — significantly bankrolled by you — they launched and repeated lie after lie. Your challenge expressly stood behind all of their allegations.

It is disturbing that in reaffirming the challenge you issued, your parsing and backtracking seems eerily reminiscent of the entire approach of the SBVT — say one thing, put out an allegation, then duck and weave, hedge and bob when your words catch up with you. I want to believe that this was not your intent because I am told that you are a man of your word, not "all hat and no cattle."

Honor and duty, which you purport to defend, demand that you not selectively back away from your original challenge. Your offer clearly said — boldly, unequivocally — to an audience of your friends and supporters — that you would give "a million dollars to anyone who could prove wrong anything the Swiftboat Veterans charged about Kerry." (AmericanThinker.com) In my letter, that is the offer which I accepted.

I was interested to read in your response that you don’t want to see the SBVT "maligned," and that you aim "to prevent this important part of American history from being unfairly portrayed." I accepted your offer precisely because I want to prevent the honorable records of the courageous men who served with me from being maligned by the repeated lies of this organization. I want to see the word "Swiftboat" restored to its original meaning — synonymous with honorable service to country, not political lies aimed to distort and divide. I would hope that your interests should also be in protecting the record of all those who served our country.

As I’ve said to you before, I am prepared to prove the lie and marshal all the evidence, the question is whether you are prepared to fulfill your obligation — no variations, no back pedaling, no retreat, no new bets, no changing the subject.

The only thing remaining now is to set the date for our meeting in an appropriate forum, after which I look forward to you keeping your word and writing a check for one million dollars payable to the Paralyzed Veterans of America so that we can put your money to good work for veterans who have returned home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sincerely,

John F. Kerry
United States Senator

On second thought, that may qualify as a literary event as well. My goodness, Senator. You do know how to rip someone a new one in the most civilized manner. Bravo, sir.

Of course, Mr. Pickens fled to the mother ship for some assistance in backing out of his challenge, but incredibly, Mr. Alan Colmes called him on his bull with the most wonderful clip of one of the Swift Boat Liars PRAISING JOHN KERRY'S SERVICE before he didn't. Gee wiz. Who is that tall handsome man standing to Cmdr. Lonsdale's right, graciously accepting his lofty commendations? He looks so familiar.

Isn't video grand?

Of course, being the fair and imbalanced fake news source that Fox News is, Mr. Insanity propped up the Swift Boat Liars' lies and added one or two of his own, which were quickly ripped to shreds by our good friend Vyan.

You know, if I had a million dollars (I don't. Yet.) I might consider betting it against any truth ever escaping Sean Hannity's lips.

Back to the Google. I've got a million bucks to win, and I want to pick a good one.

Part 2 of This Moment on Earth in Pittsburgh tomorrow.

John Kerry and Teresa Heinz have written a book that is a profound challenge to all of us but contains -- in the examples of the men and women who are fighting the great fight for a better future for our environment -- the clear hope that if we can embrace their resourcefulness, determination, and essential patriotism, we will prevail.

Both John and Teresa have been long-time leaders in the battle to save the Earth's environment. Way back when it was not at all fashionable, indeed when very few people in the world were even paying attention to it, both John and Teresa were providing outstanding and corageous leadership." -- Al Gore

OK, we don't do ads here at KV, and if I had to make a living as a sales person, I'd probably starve to death. But I really do like the book, so I'm going to make an exception and give it a plug. Besides, the Senate's in recess, and I've been holding on to this video for just such an occasion, so there ya go. Buy the book.

Hearings! Hearings are my favorite Senate happenings, and we had a bumper crop this week.

Senator Kerry chaired hearings this week in the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. That's a lot of hearings. Two of them had to do with climate change, to be expected as he's gearing up for the Bali talks, so there's a lot of prep work. The links will take you to the full hearings, so be prepared to spend several hours.

The Senator also spoke at Boston University and did a really great interview on Midweek Politics Radio, won a bunch of meat from the Colorado guys for a veterans' group to feast on (thanks to the Red Sox), and chatted online with some small business people at BizBox. He also got a shout out from The Boss at a DC concert, as reported by The Hill via The Dem Daily.

Oh, and he took up a challenge from Texas Republican T. Boone Pickens to disprove just one of the allegations of the Swift Boat Liars that should net the Paralyzed Veterans of America a million bucks. I think it was an open challenge, by the way, so here's a good place to start in case you're interested. Or here, here, or here. Heck, might just as well go directly to the guy whose life he saved rather than wading through the rest of it.

Anyway, busy week for the Senator. He did some other stuff, too, much of it in the video. Enjoy!

In a continuing effort to make you guys look like vet hating jerks, swift boat liar T. Boone Pickens is preparing to renege on a one million dollar donation to the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Don't let him.

Despite the ugly attack on our military at the 2004 Republican National Convention, we know you all do not expect our men and women who have served in combat to provide evidence beyond what the military has documented and awarded. Honestly. We understand that the vast majority of you don't hate our vets.

Democrat or Republican, doesn't matter. If you served our country, your service should be honored. Period. You know that, just like we do. The swift boat liars, in continuing to disparage our veterans, are issuing a challenge not just to vets, but to the military itself to justify the commendations they award to our service members.

They are also doing a disservice to the once-proud GOP.

Enough is enough. Attacking a person's military service is vile, it's unAmerican, and it has got to stop. It happened to Kerry, to Cleland, to McCain, to Murtha ... the list goes on. If people want to dispute a candidate's policies, hey, that's what politics is all about. I don't agree with most of what McCain has to say, but I wouldn't think to use his service to argue against his politics. The ugly practice of lying and distorting these veterans' service is indefensible.

So, unless you believe that it's the responsibility of all decorated veterans to provide additional proof that they've been SHOT while serving our country, unless you think it's more patriotic to support the discredited lies and distortions of a Texas oil billionaire over veterans who served their country with honor, it's time for us all to get on board and stop the disgusting attacks on our military. The truth is out there. Time to end the lies.

JK spoke to the International Association of Fire Fighters in August, 2004 about the lies of the right wing Swift Boat Liars hate group, funded by millions of dollars of Republican donations.

In response to a challenge by T. Boone Pickens for proof that the Swift Boat Liars for Bush released any inaccurate statements about Senator Kerry's military service, the Senator replied with the following letter:

Mr. Pickens,

It has come to my attention through the accounts of individuals who were in attendance at the American Spectator’s Robert L. Bartley Dinner & 40th Anniversary Gala as well as through the public accounts, that you personally “staked one million dollars” that “no one” could “prove anything the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth said in 2004 was false” (RedState.Com) and offered “a million dollars to anyone who could prove wrong anything the Swiftboat Veterans charged about Kerry.” (AmericanThinker.com)

I welcome the opportunity to prove that you are a man of your word and that the so-called “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” lied. While I am prepared to show they lied on allegation after allegation, you have generously offered to pay one million dollars for just one thing that can be proven false. I am prepared to prove the lie beyond any reasonable doubt.

I would request that your check be made payable to the Paralyzed Veterans of America which is doing incredible work every day to meet the needs of veterans returned home from Iraq and Afghanistan. My hope is that by sending this money to such a dedicated organization – founded for veterans, by veterans — some good can come out of the ugly smears and lies of the orchestrated campaign you bankrolled in 2004 in an attempt to discredit my military record and the record of the men who served alongside me on the Swift Boats of the Mekong Delta.

I would be more than happy to travel to Dallas to meet with you in a mutually agreed upon public forum, or would invite you to join me in Massachusetts for a public dialogue and then together we could visit the Paralyzed Veterans of America in Norwood and see firsthand how we can put your money to good work for our veterans.

I look forward to setting up a visit at the earliest possible, mutually convenient time. I trust that you are a man of your word, having made a very public challenge at a major Washington dinner, and look forward to taking you up on this challenge.
Sincerely,

John F. Kerry
United States Senator

In a follow up response, Mr Pickens added several conditions that were not included in the original challenge, including the Senator's journals, videos, first through 12th grade report cards, results of his last physical, dental records, shirt size, any allergies or dietary restrictions and a note from his boyhood priest detailing his service as an altar boy, citing a parishioner who disputed seeing a 6'4" youngster at any time serving mass.

"I wasn't actually alive at the time, but I'm told they were all pretty short," said the anonymous parishioner.

In a follow up to Mr. Pickens' conditions, the Senator's supporters called Mr. Pickens a weasly, lying sleezebag, who would find a way to renege on the donation regardless.

Time to review the facts:

1. John Kerry served with distinction in Vietnam, receiving a Silver Star, Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts, a fact corroborated by the men who served with him and the United States Navy.

2. Republican Senator John Warner, former Secretary of the Navy, stated on the floor of the US Senate that he has great respect for the Senator's military career.

3. Pickens is, indeed, a weasly, lying sleezebag.

In what insane, alternate universe do we question a person's military service? Senator Kerry volunteered to go to Vietnam and served two tours. He's now a United States Senator, duly elected by the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Give the man his props, for crying out loud.

And cough up the cash, Pickens, along with your service records. What's that, you say? No service? At least you have company. And while you're donating all that cash to Republicans, why don't you toss your kid a couple bucks to buy some fishing tackle?

What a pathetic loser. Honor your challenge, Mr. Pickens, or just go away.

.....said an exasperated Kerry to the Bush administration's Science Advisor, after the latter refused to concede that the Global Climate Change situation is urgent. Dr. Marburger continued to dodge the rather direct question posed to him by Senator Kerry.

It was a dance that would have had Mikhail Baryshnikov blanch with envy, and the New York City Ballet talent scouts pounding on Marburger's door, convinced they had found their new male lead for 'Giselle'.

The exchange was part of a larger hearing by the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee which focused on the need to improve the U.S. Global Change Research Program.

While this excerpt was certainly one of the highlights, I highly recommend watching the hearing in its entirety at the Commerce, Science, and Transportation website.

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

Any questions?

Do you watch Congressional hearings? I do. Senate, mostly, and for good reason. A lot of what happens in the Senate happens off the floor. Unlike TV news and blogs and newspapers and often the Senate floor itself where the rubber frequently meets the roadblocks, in hearings you regularly see Senators from both sides get down to the business of the people they were elected to serve. There isn't the same formality in hearings that you typically see on C-SPAN if you limit yourself to gavel to gavel coverage of House and Senate proceedings, and witnesses in hearings are often asked some pretty tough questions.

So, if you're interested in the policy more than the politics, and need to kill some time during those long quorum calls, hearings are where it's at. You can watch a lot of them live and archived on committee websites and on C-SPAN and listen to live audio at CapitolHearings.org. You may even learn the answer to that really big question philosophers have been asking for centuries. Well, at least in the context of Senate hearings.

It's pretty sneaky, but who expected otherwise?

Despite passing the House 269-142, Senate Republicans were able to remove $65 billion for veterans’ programs from the Labor, Health and Education bill with a procedural move, sending the remaining legislation to the President's desk so he can promptly veto it.

That part of Mr. Bush's mission accomplished, the President made his way down to Crawford rather than face the music or the vets at Arlington, and put a (truly) pretty face on the whole mess by having Dana Perino spin it as the Democratic Congress's refusal to 'support the troops'.

It wasn't easy, but once again I was able to squeeze the Senator's entire week into less than five minutes.

Senator Kerry held another hearing this week, this time on Syria and our diplomatic options in the region. Just as he pointed to Pakistan as a country where there is a great need for our attention, Syria and its relations with Lebanon are critical to the stability, such as it is, in the Middle East. The full hearing on Syria can be found on the SFRC site.

The situation in Pakistan does not seem to be improving, as Musharraf continued the suspension of the country's constitution and banned a protest march planned by opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, who was placed under house arrest and later released. Senators Kerry and Biden have introduced a resolution condemning the 'state of emergency ' and urging a restoration of the country's constitution. While President Bush sees "positive steps" in Pakistan, his "indispensible ally" Musharraf is releasing Taliban from prison as he locks up lawyers and democratic activists. Pakistan is a nuclear power. This is not comforting.

On Veterans Day, KV would like to take the opportunity to thank the brave men and women who have worn the uniform of our country. No matter your politics, all of us owe each of you a debt of gratitude. And more than that, America owes you the care you deserve once you've come home.

Massachusetts veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan and their families who need assistance have a place to go for help, as Vietnam veterans Senator John Kerry and Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans Services Tom Kelley explain.

Oh. My. GOODNESS.

With the holidays fast approaching, we wanted to share a delicious new treat we just discovered. It's a recipe to feed the most voracious appetite for smart, funny and slightly irreverent political commentary, and the perfect compliment to the six turkeys featured on the website. Best of all, you don't even need to turn on the oven, just log on to www.roadblockrepublicans.com and dig in!

When done, your dish should look like the one pictured below, only better. Because it will include your delicious comments! Yummy. So, don't wait for the holidays, get cookin' right now. It's calorie and cholesterol free, and might even clear up those old blocked arteries.

Bon Appetit!

Whether it was Al Gore's book and subsequent movie that finally got the ball rolling, or the increase in celebrity voices joining the chorus, we may never know, but it appears as though Global Climate Change and Environmentalism have become sexy enough to warrant media attention.

In the midst of this welcome development, Senator Kerry is fast emerging as one of the leaders and go-to guy on the issue. Case in point: NBC goes Green and interviews the Senator on MSNBC, as KV reported yesterday; and Boston's local talk show host Tom Finneran has jumped on board with a Kerry interview that centers around the subject.

UPDATE: Evidently the embedded Zing video above doesn't work for all browsers so try this mp3 clip to listen to JK's interview with Mr. Finneran.

The sense of urgency about Global Climate Change has finally sunk in, and not a moment too soon, judging from alarming reports mentioned by Kerry:

Oceans are beginning to regurgitate CO2 that they used to be able to store, permafrost in the Arctic is melting and also releasing CO2 into the atmosphere. These are just a few examples of how serious the problem is becoming.

The belief that Global Climate Change can safely be ignored seems to be contained now among the Bushes and Inhofes of this world, but unfortunately at least one of them still has the power to prevent any action towards halting or reversing the damaging effects of GCC to our environment and our lives.

Media attention is not enough, but at least it is a step forward in creating awareness and a sense of empowerment among people that they can take individual actions that contribute to ultimately save our planet.

I wish I could post something like this every day.

As the Senator often reminds us, corporations are beginning to realize that being a friend to the environment is not only the right thing to do, it's profitable. Texas Instruments is one example that was highlighted in the Kerrys' book This Moment on Earth, but there are others.

In the case of TI, they were able to reduce their energy consumption to the degree that it was cost effective for them to keep their plant in the U.S. rather than moving it overseas. So, not only was it good for the company's bottom line and good for the environment, but a whole lot of Americans got to keep good, high paying jobs. That's a whole lot of good.

So, this week, NBC goes green. Green shows, green website, green peacock, even. They're still not getting me to switch from C-SPAN except to watch Keith, but I do applaud their effort.

Green tie. Nice touch, Senator.

Stay tuned for more on Sen. Kerry and Sen. Boxer's upcoming trip to Bali to lead the U.S. delegation at the next round of international talks on climate change.

Yesterday, Senator John Kerry viewed Iraqi War veteran Peter Damon’s artwork which is on display in our nation’s capitol. The Senator has invited Damon to display his artwork in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington all week. Damon, a Sergeant in the Massachusetts Army National Guard, lost both of his hands in Iraq in 2003.

“Sergeant Damon’s work is amazing. It’s well beyond inspirational to think that after losing both of his hands in Iraq, Peter didn’t give up and he pushed himself through rehabilitation and today produces these incredible paintings. For anyone who has ever been discouraged or demoralized by life’s ups and downs, Peter is a living, breathing lesson about finding goodness and beauty in the face of loss. I’m happy to have played some small role in bringing him to Washington so that he can share his artwork with the Senate. Peter and thousands of veterans like him in the Wounded Warrior Project embody the strength of the human spirit, and they are reminders to all of us about what this Veterans Day is all about,” said Senator Kerry.

When I first heard the term 'Voter Caging', I had no idea what it meant. All I could imagine were multiple arrests on election day under bogus charges to keep these particular folks from going to the polls that day. Not that this idea is so far-fetched. We all know about purging the voter rolls, so who is to say that there couldn't be a step further into that direction?

Alas, I was wrong. Voter Caging is a different, but equally disturbing and disgusting practice:

A political party or a campaign collects lists of registered voters and sends fairly innocuous mailings marked 'do not forward' or 'return to sender' to these individuals. If the mail is returned, that particular person's voter registration gets challenged on the grounds that the person is not living at the residence listed on the registration.

Typically, the main targets of such mailings are minorities and people living in minority neighborhoods. Many times, active duty military are targeted, as well. In 2004, voter caging lists were prepared in Florida (who'da thunk?), Ohio (surprise, surprise!), and Pennsylvania. (I believe it).

While not everyone agrees with Greg Palast's assessment that the 2004 election was stolen, this following youtube piece is invaluable as an explanation of how voter caging was done, and the effects it might have had.

Part Two below the fold.

"It's kind of stupid."

It really does sum up this administration's policies, doesn't it? Specifically, Sen. Kerry was speaking to Mark Green on Air America Radio about the Kyl-Lieberman Sense of the Senate Resolution, and how it was used as a political tactic rather than to state the Senate's position on Iran.

It's a great interview in which JK and Mark discuss foreign policy, domestic issues and how to stop the administration from doing "something stupid". Quite a challenge, given that this administration will just not quit saying stupid stuff regarding foreign policy.

The Senator also helped commission the USS Sampson this past weekend, and joined Step It Up in Concord to bring awareness to the climate crisis.

Unlike the Concord Step It Up rally which was attended by both the Senator and the remnants of Hurricane Noel, the weather was lovely for the rally in Pittsburgh. The roses are in full bloom here, and even more beautiful than they were in the spring. Maybe, if we're lucky, we can manage some tulips for Christmas.

Lots of news, so let's get right to it.

The state of emergency declared in Pakistan will be imposed for "as long as it is necessary," Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told reporters Sunday, a day after President Pervez Musharraf announced the measure which suspends the constitution and widens his powers.

So, suddenly, after years of terrorist activity, the country is in turmoil, martial law is declared, hundreds of lawyers, judges and activists are rounded up, the press has been silenced, and there is the very real possibility that elections will be suspended. Or perhaps that's the point.

Bush's response is that the situation is "disappointing and disturbing". Sec. Rice calls it "a very big problem".

You don't say? Well, that's a brilliant observation that anyone watching the news could have told us.

If you liked 'em before, you'll really love 'em now.

It's BEAUTIFUL!

Not to worry, the original site is still there, thank goodness. If you're a C-SPAN junkie like we all are, you know that C-SPAN.org has always had a ton of great stuff. And they still do. Links to related sites, like CapitolHearings and Book TV, and streaming video of all three channels, and C-SPAN Radio. But now the heavens have opened up and rained down a brand-spankin' new C-SPAN site with zillions of videos that let devotees of the Senate and House while away the hours watching all our favorite shows.

And it's not even Christmas.

Even better than the Video Archives is the Congressional Chronicle, which has ...

wait for it ...

FLOOR SPEECHES! ALL OF THEM!

Search by Senator, or watch the entire day. Doesn't matter if you're stuck at work during the action, you can see it all when you get home.

Oh, my.

Right now, I'm watching Rep. Jason Altmire from April 23, 2007 speak on the House floor on a resolution regarding the Rachel Carson Post Office Building.

They even have random screen captures, so if you keep hitting 'F5', you can refresh the photo of the Senator or Congress member of your choice and find some really good (and some truly horrible) shots. Not that I've done that. But I've heard it's possible.

You can search by bill, by person or by date. It's absolutely fabulous.

Gotta go watch JK speak on the Emergency Supplemental from last May.

So, it's 'pick your own video day'. I recommend the March 2004 Firefighters Conference speech. Excellent.

Enjoy, and Thanks C-SPAN!

The Congress is coming!

Well, not all of them. But our favorite Senator and our newest Congresswoman are teaming up this Saturday at 2:00 pm for a Revolutionary Energy Rally in Concord, Massachusetts. Join Senator Kerry and Congresswoman Tsongas for this historic event!

From the Step It Up website:

Honoring the heroic leadership shown by the brave American Minutemen of 1775, we invite all citizens within a Paul Revere's ride to come -- whether by cycle, carpool, hybrid, or bus -- to hear today's state and national (to be announced) leaders share their views on the American Energy Revolution we need to address the climate crisis. Confirmed local leaders include: Representative Will Brownsberger, Representative Jamie Eldridge, Senator Susan Fargo, Representative Jim Marzilli, and Senator Pam Resor. Rob Garrity, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN) will emcee the Revolutionary Energy Rally.

What, other than the fact that the event is located in Concord, does saving the planet have to do with the American Revolution? Actually, plenty. And it gives us the opportunity for a history lesson. And a quiz!

Would you want the company that manufactured your refrigerator also supply you with television entertainment? How about lend you money for that nice new house? Build aircraft engines?

Well, it does. All of the above and then some.

General Electric is one of the so-called Big Ten, the world's largest media entertainment conglomerates. We are all pretty much aware that GE is in the home appliance business. What is not so widely known is the fact that the company also owns numerous television networks, such as NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC, and various sports teams and live venues.

Others among the Big Ten are Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, all Disney channels, and ESPN and all its varieties, as well as a number of magazines, movie production companies, and - of course - the Disney theme parks across the world; AOL Time Warner with ownership in television (WB, HBO, TNT, E!, Comedy Central, etc), Internet (America Online, Compuserve, Netscape, Roadrunner, ICQ, AIM, etc), more than 64 magazines, movie production companies, sports teams (yes, they own the Atlanta Braves), and much more. Oh, and let's not forget Newscorp, whose major shareholder, chairman, and managing director is one Rupert Murdoch. Newscorp proudly owns FOX News and the NY Post, among many other more or less vile things.

Lest we forget the presidential election in 04 and Kerry's treatment at the hands of the media, most notably but definitely not solely FOX News, here is an excerpt of the movie Outfoxed, which did a brilliant job of shining a light on the bias of the network and those who run it.

As most of us know, since the elimination of the Fairness Doctrine, the media have been following a different doctrine entirely: The Almighty Dollar. This has come at the expense of fairness, diversity, and freedom of speech.

With ever greater consolidation of so many media outlets into only a few hands, there has been a growing sense of urgency among the public and calls for reinstating the Fairness Doctrine and stronger FCC regulations against media monopolies.