When McCain tossed out the whopper about troop levels in Iraq the other day, it reminded me of former Bush Press Secretary Tony Snow's offhand remark when asked about the 2500th American soldier dying in Iraq in 2006.

"It's a number, and every time there's one of these 500 benchmarks people want something." -Tony Snowe

There is something terribly wrong about a White House that dismisses American military deaths so carelessly, and with a presidential candidate who purports to be an expert on foreign policy, yet doesn't know how many men and women are risking their lives in a war he continues to promote. You'd think for all the talk of how much time he's spent in the Middle East, he'd have a clue about troop levels and such.

TPM has audio from a conference call with Senator Kerry and the Obama camp yesterday in which the Senator remarked on McCain's credibility gap.

"If you don't know the numbers of troops, it's very difficult to make a judgment about whether or not they're overextended. It's also very difficult to have an understanding as a citizen about what levels of troops he's going to keep there. Because if he thinks 150,000 is pre-surge, and that's where he's going to stay, that's a deeply overextended military, and it raises serious questions about his comprehension of this challenge." - John Kerry

Barack Obama weighed in on McCain's misunderstanding of the situation in Iraq and his response to criticism:

"As the saying goes, you’re entitled to your own view, but not your own facts. We’ve got around 150,000 troops in Iraq -- 20,000 more than we had before the surge. We have plans to get down to around 140,000 later this summer -- that’s still more troops than we had in Iraq before the surge. And today, Sen. McCain refused to correct his mistake. Just like George Bush, when he was presented with the truth, he just dug in and refused to admit his mistake. His campaign said it amounts to 'nitpicking.'"

"Well, I don’t think tens of thousands of American troops amounts to nitpicking. Tell that to the young men and women who are serving bravely and brilliantly under our flag. Tell that to the families who have seen their loved ones fight tour after tour after tour of duty in a war that should’ve never been authorized and never been waged."

“It’s time for a debate that’s based on the truth, and I can’t think of anything more important than how many Americans are in harm’s way. It’s time for a debate that’s based on how we’re going to end this war – not a debate that’s based on raising a few dollars for John McCain’s campaign."

“The American people have had enough spin. Just this week, we were reminded by President Bush’s own former spokesman of how it was deception – not straight talk – that misled the American people into war. It’s time to cut through the tough talk so that we can be straight with the American people about a war that’s cost us thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars without making us safer. It’s time to end the political game-playing so that we can finally end this war. That’s what I’ll do in this campaign. And that’s what I’ll do when I’m President of the United States.” - Barack Obama

Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) gave a typical Cheneyesque response.

“So what?”

And McCain's response?

"Clearly John Kerry and Barack Obama have very little understanding of troop levels ..."

Clearly, they are capable of simple math, Senator. The question is to the number of troops. They are right, and McCain is wrong, and to reply with a statement about their understanding of troop levels is just another example of how the 'Straight Talk Express' has derailed. And for Kyl to dismiss it completely is, well, sadly not surprising.

In addition to knowing the number of American forces in Iraq, 'foreign policy expert' McCain should probably know who the key players are. In his defense, Sunni and Shia both begin with an 'S', so maybe Sen. McCain had another senior moment and got a bit confused.

On multiple occasions.

And there was that stroll through Baghdad. Which I hear is completely safe, provided you take the proper precautions.

The delegation arrived at the market, which is called Shorja, on Sunday with more than 100 soldiers in armored Humvees — the equivalent of an entire company — and attack helicopters circled overhead, a senior American military official in Baghdad said. The soldiers redirected traffic from the area and restricted access to the Americans, witnesses said, and sharpshooters were posted on the roofs. The congressmen wore bulletproof vests throughout their hourlong visit.

It's obvious McCain has no credibility on foreign policy. I'm not sure if he really doesn't know what he's talking about, or if he's playing us like Bush did. Either way, someone who has, time and again, proven that he's got nothing when it comes to Middle East policy should steer clear of calling out Barack Obama who was right from the start on Iraq and continues to be to this day.

It's not just Iraq, though. It's been four days since the Phil Gramm lobbyist scandal hit Countdown, and it's barely been discussed. The fact is that 649,917 properties were foreclosed on in the first quarter of 2008 and the number of people losing their homes continues to skyrocket. I guess that's just a number, too, and as long as there's another crazy pastor to talk about, McCain's top economic advisor and his ties to the mortgage crisis will just have to wait.

I'm not really a big fan of demographic polling or of the media or candidates attempting to claim votes based on age, sex or race. We were beaten over the head with it during the primary, to the point where it seemed no one could talk about voters without mentioning what 'kind' they were. The worst, I think, was the 'white working class' voter, like there is any such voting block, but others are nearly as infuriating (although they don't tend to insult quite so blatantly). Sure, there are trends. And there are certain groups of people who are disinclined to vote for one candidate or the other, I just don't understand why it's important to categorize individuals as though we don't have a right to a voice or a vote until someone slaps on a label. It's an excuse, I think, to shift from the issues, and it robs us of that discussion.

On the other hand, and I think this is a legitimate distinction, there are issues that appeal to certain demographic groups, and there is power in numbers when like minded people unite behind a cause. These concerns, like tuition assistance for younger voters and prescription drug prices for the elderly, predispose us to look for a candidate who will address our common needs and concerns in addition to those that promote the general welfare.

So, although it bugs me to be lumped in with a group of like individuals as though I have an obligation to vote based on my block, I do understand and agree with voting for a person based on his or her stand on issues that are important to my particular demographic. And since the media insists, and if the latest polls are any indication, I guess I'll play.

Women have preferred Clinton over Obama by 7 percentage points in this year's Democratic primaries, according to exit polls of voters. But when matched against McCain this month, Obama was ahead among women by 5 points in the Gallup Poll, 13 points in a poll by Quinnipiac University and 20 points in a survey by CBS News and The New York Times.

Thanks for the validation, guys, but this middle age, middle class, college educated, white working woman is not voting for Barack Obama based on any of those characteristics, or because the polls tell me I should. I'm voting for him because I know the things he stands for are the things that are important to me and to others with the same concerns. As a 'Woman for Obama', it's good to know I have lots of company.

The answer, Senator Kerry noted as he announced legislation to develop of a task force to investigate the inexplicable cost of energy and the record profits of energy companies, is aggressive oversight and enforcement. He pointed to the Enron debacle as the result of the absence of accountability measures, and emphasized the need for stricter controls.

Sen. Kerry held a Senate Small Business Committee field hearing yesterday in Pittsfield MA on the very serious topic of real solutions to the energy crisis and its impact on consumers and especially on small businesses.

At the hearing, "The Rising Costs of Energy: Challenges and Opportunities for Small Businesses", Senator Kerry and Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley heard testimony from witnesses about how local small business have been devastated by skyrocketing prices, forcing some businesses to lay off employees or shut down completely. The energy crisis has hit hard across the country, but especially in Western Massachusetts, where electricity costs are well above the national average.

Oversight is key, as Senator Kerry noted, to controlling the record profits of energy companies, and the Bush administration has repeatedly refused calls to investigate.

In addition to controlling costs by holding energy companies accountable, Senator Kerry spoke of the need to look to alternative energy as a solution to our long term needs, and heard testimony from small business owner Jeff Sharp of Sun Ethanol. The Senator emphasized the benefits of clean, renewable energy as a solution to both the energy crisis and the climate crisis as well as a source of new jobs to help boost our struggling economy.

Ben Garver of the Berkshire Eagle was on hand to supply video of the hearing.

** Mr. Garver has asked us to remove the Youtube embed of the hearing, though according to the Youtube Terms of Service, use of the Youtube embed code in this blog is a permitted use.

Video Credit: bengarver

In addition to the hearing, Senator Kerry spoke with Capital News 9 about energy prices, the presidential race and about Ted Kennedy's plans for cancer treatment. The story and video is at their website.

Of all the disturbing, scandalous and startling news yesterday, it wasn't the discovery of yet another lobbyist in the McCain camp (although this one did have the added distinction of being both McCain's top economic advisor and the guy who helped bring us the mortgage crisis) that I found odd. At this point, I expect McCain lobbyists to surface with about the same frequency as Obama superdelegates.

It wasn't the Lieberman thing, although I did think it pretty bizarre that he would share a stage with Hagee. But Joe is pretty irrelevant these days when he's not whispering foreign policy corrections in John McCain's ear, so that one will be relegated to the back pages.

No, it was the ironic timing of McCain's Denver foreign policy speech and the leaking of former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan's new book “What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception”. Although McCain didn't mention Bush in his speech, he did manage to work in the right wing 'surrender' meme, again implying that the two thirds of Americans who are in favor of ending Bush's war are defeatists. Just hours after McCain spouted the administration's Iraq talking points, the media was covering the McClellan's revelations of the deception behind them.

At the same time Bush/McCain were attending their downsized fundraiser together in a venue the appropriate size to accommodate their ever-dwindling base, McClellan's book about how the administration lied us into war hit the cable news.

They might want to schedule their next fundraiser at the local IHOP after this. I don't think even the McClellan book is going to keep them apart or stop McCain from parroting Bush's talking points about 'surrender' and 'victory' any more than I believe McCain will ever be able to define 'victory' in Iraq. At this point, they're inextricably joined. McCain had a choice to make, and he didn't choose wisely.

Senator Kerry has repeatedly addressed the lies of the administration and the deceptive Republican talking points that were repeated yesterday by John McCain. It didn't take long to dip into the archives and find one of many possible pre-sponses to both McCain's bogus 'surrender' remark and McClellan's 'revelations' that are the breaking news this morning.

One really disturbing outcome of all this, aside from the whole 'lying us into war' thing, is that Scott McClellan knew all this in 2004, when revealing what he knew might have helped save the country from the last four years of Bush. He was the White House press secretary. Bush's mouthpiece. And yet he chose to remain silent. Thankfully, his disclosure now might wake people up to what four years of Bush III might mean to our country's future. Four years too late and maybe just in time.

I have to admit I didn't watch Sen. McCain or Sen. Clinton's Memorial Day speeches. I did read a bit about them, and caught a few clips of McCain on the news. I even saw a bit of Bush's, but had to stop after he said "whitehead stones". Basically, though, most of their remarks were pretty standard stuff, except for Senator Clinton's speech about Puerto Rico's voting rights, which I thought was an unusual departure given the occasion, and McCain's use of the day to attack Barack Obama. Not sure how he figures that honors fallen heroes, but as I said, I didn't watch the entire speech.

I did watch Sen. Obama's speech, and was struck by its simplicity and humility, its stark setting, and the small, invitation-only crowd of veterans in Las Cruces. It was quite a contrast from the 75,000 strong rally in Portland, and I thought it was fitting and appropriate.

On this Memorial Day, as our nation honors its unbroken line of fallen heroes, our sense of patriotism is particularly strong. Because while we gather here under open skies, we know that far beyond the Organ Mountains – in the streets of Baghdad, and the outskirts of Kabul – America’s sons and daughters are sacrificing on our behalf. And our thoughts and prayers are with them.

I speak to you today with deep humility. My grandfather marched in Patton’s Army, but I cannot know what it is to walk into battle like so many of you. My grandmother worked on a bomber assembly line, but I cannot know what it is for a family to sacrifice like so many of yours have.

I am the father of two young girls, and I cannot imagine what it is to lose a child. My heart breaks for the families who’ve lost a loved one.

...

So on this day, of all days, let’s memorialize our fallen heroes by honoring all who wear our country’s uniform; and by completing their work to make America more secure and our world more free. But let’s also do our part – service-member and civilian alike – to live up to the idea that so many of our fellow citizens have consecrated – the idea of America. That is the essence of patriotism. That is the lesson of this solemn day. And that is the task that lies ahead. May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.

In a welcome bit of Memorial Day news, it looks like Sen. Kennedy's illness isn't going to stop him from doing the things he loves. I hope that means a return to the Senate soon, but even if not, yesterday's Teddy news is a hopeful sign. Despite an earlier statement that he might not participate, he took second place in his class in the Figawi boat race, an event that he's won twice in the past.

Funny, I just assumed Figawi was a town in Massachusetts. Seems I was wrong.

The Figawi race started in 1972 and takes its name from a question disoriented sailors often ask themselves, "Where the Figawi?''

So, wherever the Fig you were and whatever the Fig you did, hope you had a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend, and a great start to the summer.

On a day when we remember the service and sacrifice of our fallen soldiers and their families and thank all of those who have given so much, it's significant that we can also report on some legislation that was passed in Congress last week that helps give back to our veterans and active duty military. Both the new GI Bill and Senator Kerry's HEART Act passed with overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle.

Senator Kerry spent part of his holiday weekend visiting with Senator Kennedy, and spoke to Cub Scouts Pack 155 at its annual Honors Ceremony at the State House in Boston. He met with Tony Blair, wrote an op-ed on the The Wisdom in Talking, and celebrated his and Teresa's 13th anniversary.

The Senator announced a grant for the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, met with a wounded veteran who will be riding in the Road 2 Recovery, teamed with Rahm Emanuel to oppose offshore tax loopholes, worked to expand commuter rail service in Massachusetts, and remarked on the inspector general's SBA report. He, along with Senators Dodd and Reid, spoke to the press about the Senate reaction to the news of Ted Kennedy's illness, spoke at the MCLA commencement, and it was announced that he will be the keynote speaker at the Washington State Democratic Convention.

A safe, thoughtful and happy Memorial Day to all, and congratulations to the Senator and Teresa on their wedding anniversary!

Honestly, I don't understand the whole 'not talking to your enemies' thing. History has proven that the only way to resolve conflicts peacefully is to engage in diplomacy, but Bush and McCain seem to think that if our government continues down the path we're on, only talking our allies, that leaders of countries like Iran will get tired of our President calling them 'evil' and the Republican nominee threatening to bomb them and suddenly decide to drop their divisive rhetoric and nuclear ambitions and be nice. If that's what Bush and McCain think will happen, then they're pretty naive, because it hasn't, and it won't. There is a reason the words 'ignore' and 'ignorance' have the same root. If we don't engage, we won't learn, and if we don't learn, our Middle East policies will continue to fail.

I think most people are smarter than to believe that threats and name calling are any way to influence behavior or to kick-start the diplomatic stalemate in the Middle East, but the playground policy of both sides taunting each other and arrogant inaction seems to be the Bush/McCain strategy. I think they're afraid, like most schoolyard bullies, not so much of the threat from the opposition, but that people will realize how completely wrong they are.

John McCain and George Bush don't think we should talk to Iran or other countries with whom we have serious disagreements or who pose a threat. They call it appeasement. Most people call it diplomacy. I'm beginning to think Bush/McCain doesn't believe that the most powerful nation on earth can engage in effective diplomacy with other countries. I'm really starting to think they doubt our ability, that they don't think we have what it takes. They're afraid of failure and their reaction to that fear is to continue to engage in their current policy of failure.

It's time for the adults to step in.

In a Washington Post column yesterday,'The Wisdom In Talking', Senator Kerry explained exactly why we need to talk to Iran, and what America stands to gain by engaging in effective diplomacy.

Lost in the [Bush/McCain] rhetoric was the question America deserves to have answered: Why should we engage with Iran?

In short, not talking to Iran has failed. Miserably.

Bush and McCain won't admit to being afraid, of course. They call it 'naive' and 'appeasement' to hold talks, and speak of diplomacy as if it's some sort of reward for good behavior. They want Iran to change their ways before we talk to them, when getting them to change is precisely the reason we should engage in talks. The Bush/McCain approach to diplomacy is not only wrong, it's exactly backward.

Barack Obama spoke recently of the importance of diplomacy, questioned the rationale for Bush and McCain stunningly and inexplicably sticking to their talking points, and the futility of the Bush/McCain policy.

Violet pointed me to an article by Thomas Friedman that discusses a serious risk of the Bush/McCain policy of non-engagement, which is that America, by not taking part in international diplomacy, is in danger of being left behind by the rest of the world. Friedman cites Fareed Zakaria's book "The Post-American World", in which he concludes that if we don't start rethinking our diplomatic policies, we're going to lose our standing as a diplomatic powerhouse.

“That was fine in a world when a lot of other countries were not performing,” argues Zakaria, but now the best of the rest are running fast, working hard, saving well and thinking long term. “They have adopted our lessons and are playing our game,” he said. If we don’t fix our political system and start thinking strategically about how to improve our competitiveness, he added, “the U.S. risks having its unique and advantageous position in the world erode as other countries rise.”

There's evidence of our waning clout in the Middle East. Just this last week, Israel held talks with Syria which were brokered by Turkey, something the Bush administration has refused to consider. Furthermore, the administration's response to the news was not support, but continued censure.

The United States said it did "not object" but repeated its criticism of Syria's "support of terrorism" -- a reminder for many analysts that U.S. hostility to Damascus, and to its Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah allies, makes a Syria-Israel deal unlikely before President George W. Bush steps down in January.

Soon, if we maintain the Bush/McCain policy, we won't just be the bully in the schoolyard, we'll be the one that's not even picked to play. Now, that's something to be afraid of.

I was going to post about that other thing that was all over the news last night, but it's just too awful and I haven't quite come to terms with it, so I've decided just to go with the old (no pun) fall back - why John McCain is unfit to be President of the United States. There are so many reasons, really. So many media-fueled misconceptions to debunk, so many truths to be told, it's an embarrassment of, well, embarrassments, almost to where it's difficult to know where to begin. But I'll give it a shot.

John McCain simply can not remember what he's said from one minute to the next.

It's not just that he can't remember his positions, the real problem here is that the media lets him get away with it, time and again. As President Kennedy said, "The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie -- deliberate, contrived and dishonest -- but the myth -- persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." It's not that the media is telling falsehoods about McCain, they're just not telling the whole story. It's an easy one that comes down to one simple declarative sentence.

There is no "Straight Talk Express".

Maybe there was at one time, maybe not. I can't find any evidence of it. No, the sin here is one of omission, and except for a few like Olberman and Abrams, the media tends to either forgive McCain for his transgressions or not cover them at all.

Yesterday, we posted about McCain's horrific voting record on veterans' issues. It's bad, but to his credit, at least he has a position. A really horrible one, but it does have the redeeming quality of consistency -- he is just as weak on veterans' issues from one vote to the next. It's very Bushian, and since his aim appears to be the third incarnation of Bush, he's hit his mark.

Not so with the his stated positions on economy, foreign policy and a host of other issues, as bravenewfilms documents. The video exposes some of John McCain's recent flip-floppery, and urges viewers to get the word out about Teflon John and his memory lapses.

That about covers topic #1, that John McCain can't recall what he's said from one minute to the next. You know, watching those clips has given me an idea for our next McCain topic that's not been given its due, that John McCain is the most boring man on the planet. I'm sure there's lots of video to back that one up. The problem is staying awake long enough to get through it.

Before anyone has a conniption fit, I am not talking about John McCain's service in the military. I'm talking about his service in the United States Senate and his pitiful record on veterans' issues like his votes against the 'Additional Funding for Veterans Amendment' and the 'Health Care for Veterans Amendment' and the 'Tax Rate Extension Amendment'. The truth is that despite what he did 40 years ago, yesterday he reinforced his record of voting against veterans' issues, refusing to support the Webb Amendment, aka the new GI Bill. And not only did he openly oppose the legislation that was passed overwhelmingly by both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, he didn't even show up to vote on it.

Not only did Sen. McCain not show up for the vote, he used the occasion of the GI Bill vote to attack Senator Obama, who both voted for the Webb Amendment and advocated for its passage on the floor of the Senate. The bill, supported by veterans from both sides of the aisle, including Senators Webb, Warner, Hagel, Akaka, Bingaman, Carper, Craig, Dodd, Harkin, Inhofe, Inouye, Isakson, Johnson, Kohl, Lautenberg, Nelson, Reed, Roberts, Specter, Stevens, Wicker and Kerry, proposes that we give our veterans similar opportunities that were provided by the original GI bill of 1944. You give, your country gives back. Pretty simple.

Senator McCain, apparently, has some problem with that.

The contrast between Senator McCain's history of military service and his lack of support for our troops is nothing less than stunning, and his inability to break from the failed policies and positions of George Bush is deplorable. Either you support our veterans or you don't. For someone who is one of them, it's truly sad that McCain is allowing politics to taint that bond.

Maybe he'll improve his pathetic record by getting behind the Kerry-Obama HEART Act. If his voting record is any indication, I wouldn't count on it.

It took us about as long to decide as it takes to say 'hell yes', but we've made a choice to endorse John Kerry for Senate. Actually, if it were up to us, they'd just give him his seat, but there is that pesky voting thing to consider. So now that Obama has the presidential nomination pretty much sewn up, it's time to focus on another race.

Statement from Senator Kerry:

"Ted Kennedy and the Kennedy family have faced adversity more times, in more instances, with more courage and more determination and more grace than any family should ever have to face even just once."

"He's helped millions and millions of people, in so many ways, at so many different times, from countless big pieces of legislation in Washington to the most personal of issues."

"Now, everybody needs to pull together on behalf of Ted. We must pull for him and his family and remember that Teddy is one unbelievable fighter."

"Over the weekend, I saw him and he’s in a fighting mood, and I’m confident that he will continue to draw strength from his tower of strength in Vicki, from each of his children and grandchildren, and from his unbelievably loving and caring family, both in Boston and from his extended family of Americans and people all over the world."

"I know that Ted is determined to fight this because he wants to continue his fight for the people of Massachusetts and he wants to continue to fight for everything that he believes in here in the United States Senate and throughout our country."

"Teresa's and my prayers -- and the prayers of a nation -- are with my good friend and his family in these most trying of times."

Fight it, Teddy, this is battle is far from over. We're hoping and praying for you, and anxiously waiting for your return to the floor of the Senate.

The YouTube title of this video is "John Kerry hits puberty at MCLA 2008 Graduation Commencement". Before I watched, I couldn't figure out what the hell that was all about, but it didn't take long before it was obvious.

You've got to give the guy credit. His voice was barely recognizable, but still, his address was funny and smart, and most importantly, he didn't let the MCLA graduating class down.

My favorite bits between the congratulations and the advice:

"Last year Attorney General Martha Coakley was here, and before that, my good friend Ted Kennedy, and I couldn't believe the big name the school got as its first commencement speaker back in 1894, John McCain."

One more dig at the aging presidential candidate:

"You know, when you run for president now days, it's very tough, they ask you any kind of question in the world. And of course, the famous question is, 'boxers or briefs?' And I won't tell you what I said, but Barack Obama recently said, "Well, I wear both, because I look great in both." Then they asked John McCain, and he said, "Depends."

To be fair, the Senator added a few self-deprecating jabs. Thanks for the laugh, Senator. We hope you're feeling better and are back in full voice today. Chairing a Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Pakistan's FATA Challenge: Securing One of the World's Most Dangerous Areas is doubtless more effective when you don't sound like a 13 year old boy.

There are a whole lot of great photos of the event at iBerkshires.com. Check them out, and if you happen to live in Kentucky or Oregon, Happy Primary Day!

I hadn't watched the hearing on Plastic Additives in Consumer Products last week, but I'm really glad I caught it from the C-SPAN archives yesterday. The topic of the hearing was something the Senator and Teresa wrote about in "This Moment on Earth", so the Senator has done his homework. And for the FDA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission 'experts' to be pretty much clueless on the health effects of commonly used products was fairly shocking. Watch the clip at the beginning of the newsreel, but make sure you check out the full hearing on C-SPAN. This is an issue that affects all of us, and is largely hidden from the public.

Didn't I tell you he's a little scary when he's mad? I'm going to make a mental note never to testify in front of one of the Senator's committees on topics where I don't know any of the answers. He doesn't seem to like that much.

There were also hearings on China in the SFRC and a TSA budget hearing, a call for help for Tibet, small business lender oversight and reduction of loan fees, a request for hearings on defense contractors, and protection for arctic wildlife.

The Senator sought help for a U.S. military translator who has served four tours in Iraq, spoke to the grads at MCLA, and came to Barack Obama's defense after President Bush's bizarre attack.

He released statements on the Farm Bill, wrote the White House about forming a task force on the Underground Economy, introduced legislation to protect kids' use of the internet, and urged funding for energy assistance.

And he visited a friend in the hospital.

Happy Monday.

Well, he gave us quite a scare. So much so, in fact, that I wasn't even annoyed that MSNBC had Pat Buchanan doing most of the commentary or the really bad habit people have of speaking of the ill in the past tense. The majority of the coverage was excellent, including some great old file footage, and it was comforting to hear both sides of the aisle come together to wish Senator Kennedy well.

If you watched the news at all yesterday, you know that Senator Kennedy was admitted to Mass General with 'symptoms of a stroke'. Thankfully, it was not, and by last night, he was resting comfortably and watching the Red Sox best the Brewers in both games of yesterday's double-header.

Dr. Larry Ronan, Sen. Kennedy's primary care physician, released this statement: "Sen. Kennedy was admitted to Massachusetts General today after experiencing a seizure at his home. Preliminary tests have determined that he has not suffered a stroke and is not in any immediate danger. He's resting comfortably, and watching the Red Sox game with his family. Over the next couple of days, Sen. Kennedy will undergo further evaluation to determine the cause of the seizure, and a course of treatment will be determined at that time."

Of course, his friends in the Senate had plenty to say, all three presidential candidates releasing statements wishing him well, and both Obama and Clinton asking supporters to keep Senator Kennedy in our thoughts and prayers. Senator Kerry stopped by the hospital to check on his friend, and released a statement of support.

"Ted Kennedy is beloved and respected on both sides of the aisle in the Senate in which he's been a giant for close to half a century, a legend in Massachusetts, and a dear friend to me and Teresa. He's also been a fighter who has overcome adversity again and again with courage, grit, and determination. Teresa and I are praying for Teddy, Vicki and all of his family and we know that everyone in Massachusetts and people throughout the nation pray for a full and speedy recovery for a man whose life's work has touched millions upon millions of lives." -John Kerry

NECN had an update last night on the Senator's condition, which looks promising. No news yet on the cause of the seizure, but that's expected in the coming days. For now, we can all breathe a huge sigh of relief and hope for all the best for the Senator in his recovery.

"Anywhere, anytime."
-Barack Obama

After his insulting and bizarre appeaser/Nazi remarks to the Knesset, President Bush has decided to go with an 'I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about someone else' defense. No doubt the response was prompted by the series of beatings he took at the hands of Senators Kerry, Obama, Biden, Reid, Durbin and Clinton, Speaker Pelosi, Rep. Emanuel, the traditional media, the blogs, and just about everyone with an opinion. Bush's mysterious 'some' was spun, first by White House spokesperson Dana Perino, then by Ed Gillespie as a generic slam, but, they claim, not directed at Obama or Pres. Carter or any other individual. Sen. Obama asked who this amorphous 'some' is that the President was referencing, knowing there would be no answer.

Of course, Bush wasn't talking about John McCain, although (unlike Obama who explicitly stated he would not) McCain has said we should engage with Hamas. And Syria. I'm not sure if McCain has actually changed his position on that or if he forgot, in yet another 'senior moment', that he said it. And the President couldn't have been referencing himself, although it was, after all, Bush policies that helped give Hamas their power and become an even greater threat to Israel. But I don't think the President intended to point the finger at either himself or at John McCain with his 'some'. No, I think that was an accidental consequence, brought about by people listening to his words and looking at his policies. In any case, the Nazi reference doesn't fit, even someone who is as wrong as Bush/McCain on foreign policy doesn't deserve to be compared with a Nazi appeaser. Not only is it an insult to 'some', but it's an insult to anyone with a lick of common sense.

Whatever the case, and whoever the 'some', Obama said yesterday that he'd happy to take them both on in a debate on foreign policy. I suggest he write down the date and time for McCain so he doesn't forget, and list out a few other facts like the definitions of diplomacy and appeasement, since neither Bush nor McCain seem to know the difference.

They won't accept Obama's challenge, of course. Bush won't because he's a blowhard who won't back up his words, and McCain because he's just so wrong on foreign policy, he's got to be afraid the American people might learn that he's not the expert the media has made him out to be. It really is time to lay that old canard to rest, and tell the American people the truth about John McCain. To that end, Obama's offered a debate on the topic, so either they put up or shut up. Either debate him on our foreign policy or just stop with the divisive and nasty bully tactics where they spit out distortions then run and hide from their own words.

Something interesting that came from all this was a discussion I heard yesterday between Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow about the rhetoric that's been used by the right to generate fear and shut down dissent. I have to give Matthews kudos for this, he was spot-on. Years late, but correct nonetheless. It's the same message Senator Kerry had for us in his 'Dissent' speech, and one that needs to be advanced.

To give full credit where it's due, Chris Matthews has been exceptional these last few days. I hope he continues to speak on the right wing's use of language to divide, and the importance of dissent in a democracy. It's a conversation that I think is necessary if we're to move beyond the past eight years, and I'm pretty sure the American people are ready for that change.

Did the President of the United States of America, in Israel, on the 60th anniversary of their becoming a nation, equate the majority of Americans with Nazi appeasers?

I think he did.

Now, most people think Bush was talking about Barack Obama, but the White House says no, he wasn't. So, if we're to believe them, he might have been referring to anyone who believes we should negotiate with Iran. Like John Kerry, or Defense Secretary Robert Gates, or Secretary of State Condi Rice, or most of the American people, or leaders of other countries. or Ronald Reagan (not legally in his case), or, if he were alive, President John F. Kennedy.
 

I'm almost at a loss for words. But Sen. Kerry is not. He's not going to let this disgraceful attack by the President of the United States on the people of the United States go unanswered. And neither should we. Thinking people understand that diplomacy is not appeasement, it's strength. So, either Bush doesn't fall into that category, or he thinks we don't.

Here's Joe Biden's response

And Nancy Pelosi's

Sen. Clinton called Bush's words "offensive and outrageous".

Never to my knowledge has such a disgusting attack been made by the president of a country about the people of the country he's sworn to serve.

So, does John McCain stand up for the American people when we're attacked by George Bush?

No, he embraces Bush's words. Why? Because it's what they do. He's Bush III. There's really no daylight between them. McCain promises more of the same George Bush foreign policy that has made the Middle East and the United States less safe, and although the media continues to tout his foreign relations credentials, they've really got to stop. I don't know where McCain got that reputation, but it's seriously flawed. He's also, as the Washington Post pointed out today, a huge hypocrite.

And through it all, Republican pundits are spinning. Badly.

Bush is really calling people who want us to engage in diplomacy with Iran appeasers? Compare us to Nazis? You'd think he'd steer clear of playing the Nazi card, given grandpappy's connection, but then, he apparently has no shame.

I'm with Biden on this. I call bullshit.

Photo Credit: Alan D. Wilson/Creative Commons license

We've written here several times about the Senator's defense of the polar bear, and on the occasion of their addition to the endangered species list as 'threatened', it's time to revisit the topic.There's still work to be done, but yesterday was a huge step in the right direction, and the Senator marked the victory with a statement, and a warning:

“Today’s announcement is both a victory and a lifeline for our last remaining polar bears. The next step is to secure the long-term survival of the species by ensuring that the polar bear habitat in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas is protected from the threat of oil and gas drilling. Even while the Interior Department was taking steps to give these bears ESA protection, the Bush Administration opened almost 30 million acres of polar bear habitat to oil and gas exploration, which -- by their own admission -- may ultimately kill polar bears. We need to protect the bears’ habitat, and we must do so now. The polar bear has become the mascot of all we could lose to climate change and it is critical that we fight to save this species even as we wage a larger battle against global warming.”

A year ago this week, Senator Kerry introduced the `Polar Bear Protection Act of 2007'. In January of this year, he proposed S. 2568, a moratorium on leasing in the Chukchi and Beaufort Sea Planning Areas, which stipulates that no drilling occur unless and until "oil and gas exploration and development activities can be conducted in the Chukchi and Beaufort Sea Planning Areas without posing a risk of substantial adverse impact to wildlife or wildlife habitat and subsistence."

I think most people can agree that life without the polar bear is not a good trade off for the possibility of few more gallons of gas in the Hummer. It's not our right, obviously, to spoil the planet, it's our responsibility to protect it, and there are better ways to feed our energy habit than to destroy these beautiful living beings and threaten the culture and livelihood of the local people.

Of course, the administration sneaked in the drilling lease by delaying the endangered species designation. It is, after all, what they do. Thank goodness, though, not for much longer.

Of course Republicans are going to start lying about Barack Obama. He's beating McCain in the latest polls by a significant margin. But as Senator Kerry has said, our nominee will not be 'swiftboated', so when House Republicans John Boehner and Eric Cantor used their positions in Congress to distort the words of Senator Obama, Senator Kerry was quick to fire back.

When I read Senator Kerry's post on Huffington yesterday about the incredible lie John Boehner told about Barack Obama, I wasn't at all surprised that he took the time to write it. I wish I had video of the Senator banging out this post on his Mac, I'm sure it would be classic. But all I have is the post. Probably for the best, if you've ever watched the Senator grill people in Senate hearings, you know he's a little scary when he's mad.

What I do have is access to YouTube, and plenty of evidence that John Boehner is a typical Republican Congressional shill, and a Bush boot-licker of the first order. There are a few videos of Boehner's performances, including one titled "John Boehner is ignorant", which is really a bit long. I guess there was lots of evidence. There were a couple of his drama queen performances on the House floor. One of him crying because, apparently, he loves America and the rest of us don't, was just pitiful. Here's a good one, mercifully short, of Boehner proclaiming that the loss of life in Iraq is a "small price" to pay. I doubt it's a small price for the family left behind, but I don't think Congressman Boehner has had to make that sacrifice.

So, to the Senator's point, and to follow his example, when the Republican leadership attacks with lies and distortions, our response must be to fight back with the truth, and point out that blatant distortions like Boehner's fabrication yesterday are just more of he same old Republican dirty politics. It is, after all, what they do.

h/t to ProSense for the link to Huffpo and the great photo of my two favorite Senators.

photo credit Wikimedia Commons/Jarekt

Having grown up a stone's throw from the WV border and feeling a great affinity for my neighbors to the south, I'm not sure how to take the recent polls that show Sen. Obama trailing significantly in the state. I guess it has a lot to do with the perception that West Virginians are distrustful of outsiders, as though they're somehow different from the rest of us. Or maybe it's that many West Virginians think a black guy from Chicago (who grew up in a white family in Kansas) mistakenly feel he doesn't understand and can't relate to their needs. Granted, the state is not very diverse when compared with the rest of the nation. It's not his ideal demographic. But perhaps the pollsters and pundits who have given up on West Virginia just haven't reached people like the ones I have met there, who are kind and proud and independent, and who will vote for Barack Obama because they know he will bring the kind of change the state desperately needs.

I hope I'm not making the entire state out to be a bunch of backwoods 'folk'. They're not, of course. Morgantown is the home of WVU. We've posted about the University here, and remarked on their visionary transportation system. West Virginia is the place where I attended my first Edwin concert, and where my memories of the incredible beauty of places like New River Gorge are a frequent reminder to me of a place that John Denver described so well.

Funny thing is, when I think of West Virginia and Sen. Obama, a lot of my hopes for the state are consistent with the reasons I support him. They are the second poorest state in the nation, and the earth that they've depended on for sustenance is being exploited, as they are, by corporate interests that are destroying the natural beauty of the state by blowing the tops off the mountains they love. The people of West Virginia need change, and the voters of West Virginia have, probably more than most, a lot to gain from his presidency.

Senator Obama spoke to supporters in West Virginia yesterday about the values they share, like the new GI bill, that he supports and McCain opposes.

So, West Virginia, maybe Obama's not exactly like what you've come to expect from politicians. Seems to me that's a good thing for all of us. As one of the least prosperous states in the nation, and one of the most derided, West Virginia should be able to relate to his message, and be hopeful for the change that is to come.

On a much less serious note, here are some photos from Sen. Obama's website of him hanging out at Schultzie's Billiards in South Charleston yesterday. When you think about it, not so different from pool halls in the south side of Chicago, or anywhere else in the country. As Sen. Obama reminds us, there is more that unites us than separates us.

As the Boston Globe notes, Sen. Kerry is determined that we do the right thing by our men and women in the military. His commitment to them is clear, from standing up for their voting rights, to standing with the families of missing soldiers Alex Jimenez of Massachusetts and Byron Fouty of Michigan.

The Senator had legislation passed last week that will help provide aid to Myanmar, he introduced the Medicare IVIG Access Act, blogged at Huffington about the Pentagon's pundit program, and on the Hill's Congress Blog urging that Nelson Mandela be removed from the terrorist watch list.

The Senator also announced legislation to preserve Massachusetts historic sites, and again urged protection for the endangered right whale and other marine life at Stellwagen Marine Sanctuary.

Of course, the news coverage is still all about the primary, and Senator Kerry made several appearances last week on behalf of Barack Obama on MSNBC, and also on the Michael Baisden radio show. He made a very important point on Baisden's program, that while we're all inclined to look at Obama and McCain and think we've got it in the bag, it's dangerous to make assumptions or to underestimate your opponent. Once people know the truth about McCain, I think they'll see the difference, but our job right now is to make sure they do.

Back in Massachusetts and campaigning for his own re-election, Senator Kerry attended the Haverhill Democratic breakfast over the weekend, and walked away with 84% of the vote in the straw poll. Most folks would probably be pretty happy with that, but to the Senator's point, we're just going to have to work a little harder on the 16%.

Happy Monday. Enjoy the news.

Happy Mothers Day to all our KV reader moms, and especially to one of our favorite mothers, who has a special message for us on this very special day. While flowers and gifts are a great way to show your appreciation, a lot of moms and grandmothers are going to need much more than that, and Teresa reminds us of the importance of looking ahead and planning for the financial security of all people, women in particular.

A tireless advocate for women, Teresa Heinz addressed the issue of retirement security in a Daily Kos diary and Mothers Day video yesterday, and introduced a free e-book, "What Women Need to Know about Retirement". As the founder of WISER, the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement, Teresa has a history of addressing this critical issue.

A native of Southwestern Pennsylvania, I have long known of the philanthropic works and the influence of the Heinz family. You can't navigate the city of Pittsburgh without knowing where Heinz Hall, Heinz Chapel, Heinz Field, the Heinz plant, the Sarah Heinz House and the Heinz History Museum are. But what I didn't know until the last few years is how deeply involved Teresa has been in the issue of women's health and other concerns specific to women.

What's particularly striking to me is the personal investment she makes in these projects. She doesn't just throw cash at them, she actually shows up. And not just to give a speech, but to hang out and chat with participants of events she sponsors, like the one I attended last year, her Women's Health and the Environment conference, which she began in 1996 and has been offering free to the public every year since. Her advocacy isn't a one-shot deal, but a lifelong commitment, and for that she deserves our great thanks.

So, when you hand mom her hydrangea today, give her the link to the e-book, too. What could be more thoughtful than to let her know you care about her future?

The dictum, "first, do no harm" is typically applied to physicians, but I think works here. At this point, when Senator Obama has the nomination all but locked up, it's what the Democratic party leadership must insist on from Sen. Clinton if she's going to stay in the race.

Lately, Mrs. Clinton has attempted to make the only case she feels she has left, flimsy though it is, that 'hard working white people' (an unfortunate statement on a couple levels) won't support Sen. Obama in the general election. I'm not sure if that means the people of Nebraska, Utah, Minnesota, North Dakota, and other Obama states that are almost exclusively white have been dismissed, if they're seen by the Clinton campaign as a bunch of slackers, or if the inference is that only white people work hard. There's really no good way to interpret it. Personally, as a 'hard working white person', I'm a little insulted by her statement, just as I'm insulted by her insistence that, as a woman, she can claim my vote, and that those of us who are fortunate enough to have worked our way to a college degree are elitist and outside the mainstream, or that those who are either not so fortunate or have chosen another course are a huge monolithic voting block. I understand that it's a futile last-ditch effort to resurrect her dying campaign, and I have some compassion for her in that regard. She's a fighter. A dirty fighter at times, but still, there's something in her tenacity to be admired.

The problem with her latest strategy, aside from the fact that her claims are completely baseless, is that goes against the 'do no harm' rule. The divisive rhetoric, the dog whistles, the pandering and the threats are all just the death rattle, but the real harm is that she's hell-bent on taking the party down with her. Despite Sen. Obama's attempts to allow her a graceful exit, Sen. Clinton has insisted on dragging this thing out to the bitter end, irrespective of the damage to anyone who might stand in her way. including the presumptive nominee and the standard bearer of the Democratic party.

As Senator Kerry points out, the claims Senator Clinton is making aren't really true. Senator Kerry won the female vote in 2004, as well as the Hispanic vote. Facts matter. Could we have done better? Certainly, we could have, but I don't recall a whole lot of Hillary out there in '04, urging her 'base' to vote for our candidate. If she's going to claim she speaks for them, maybe she should have spoke up then and helped save us from the last four years of Bush. In these waning days of the primary, she can do that now if she chooses, and exit the race having helped the Democratic party to a big win in November. It doesn't appear that's her plan.

If Senator Clinton needs more time to come to grips with the facts, then there's no reason she shouldn't continue to campaign. She doesn't have to help the Dems to a win, although I think it would help restore her and Bill's damaged legacy. She can continue to make her case. But it's time to insist that she first do no harm.

I'm guessing that most of us make hundreds of choices every day, maybe more, from how many times to hit the snooze button in the morning to whether it's really a good idea to stay up to watch Colbert. For me, some are as simple as deciding what to say to you nice people every morning. Today, for example, there was a choice between Senator Kerry's interview on MSNBC and Senator Obama's on CNN. I chose neither, because sometimes the choice is very clear and sometimes, there really isn't a choice at all. In the case of Myanmar, the survivors of that devastated country had no choice but to watch as their homes were destroyed and their neighbors and family members perished in the aftermath of the Cyclone Nargis.

And in the case of a compassionate nation, there's no choice but to empathize with their plight and come to their aid. It was no surprise to me who lead the Senate in that effort. I can't imagine he felt he had a choice.

“At this tragic moment, the United States has a responsibility to help the Burmese people and push the junta to allow humanitarian aid to get to the people who need it the most, freely and rapidly. This could be remembered as the moment when the United States and the world came to the aid of the Burmese people and made it clear that while we loathe the junta that has isolated Burma from the world and oppressed its citizens, we find common cause with the people of Burma and we will be there by their side at this difficult time.”
 

Even before the storm hit, the people of Myanmar (Burma) survived under a repressive government in a sometimes violent struggle for democracy. Senator Kerry has spoken on the topic in the recent past, and has pointed to the need for the US to show our solidarity with the people of Burma.
As Myanmar fights to recover from the effects of Cyclone Nargis, our hopes and prayers are with them. And if the government of Myanmar allows, our country's hu