I'd like to ask you to join me in making a New Years resolution

Don't get your hopes up. That's my resolution for 2005. Specifically, that's my resolution for the first 200 hours or so of 2005.

Don't get your hopes up about finding a Senator.

Two things, and read this paragraph twice. First, do not take this to mean I know something which compels me to write this. I don't. The people I've been talking to are actually reasonably optimistic about this. Second, I am not writing this because I personally think the whole thing is hopeless. I don't. I think there is a good chance - not a great chance, a good chance - that someone or someones will come forward with Conyers. F9/11 had a definite effect on them, and the letter/call campaign has been phenomenally effective. A tiny voice inside whispers that, maybe, he fired this salvo today because he knows he has someone.

But I remember November 2nd. The exit polls came out and looked great, and then I stood in the rain for eight hours to no good end and then got a large rock bounced off my head. The collision of hopes with hard reality that night is still resonating in my skull like a goddam shrieking bat out of hell.

Also, Walt Star is absolutely right when he says that, by and large, the courage of the loyal opposition has been lacking in times when the metal meets the meat, and does not therefore inspire a great deal of confidence. Patriot Act, Homeland Security Act, the war...I don't have to tell you what you already know.

The loyal opposition has been stalwart in defending federal bench spots from known maniacs, and ANWR is still there. But when the real stuff starts flying, too many of them duck too often.

So my resolution is to not get my hopes up. Gonna work, gonna push, gonna stand and scream, and then I'm going to go to DC and watch what happens from the chamber (I think I'm getting a pass inside) while blogging my ass off. I think we can get this done, but I am going to keep a very level head about it. If we do get this done, we will cross the GOP-Congeress-Is-Sure-To-Vote-This-Down rubicon when we come to it.

All human wisdom is summed up in two words - wait and hope. - Alexander Dumas

Hope is the feeling you have that the feeling you have isn't permanent. - Jean Kerr

Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense regardless of how it turns out. - Vaclav Havel

I do have hope.

There are a couple of Republican senators who show an occasional outburst of real moral values.

and other hopefuls on DU. I know its a long shot, but I never thought we'd gain even the cred we've gotten so far.......

I stopped having to wear my tinfoil hat awhile ago.

about the time Kerry conceded.

some weight (10-15 pounds) and cut down on caffeine.

Decided to go for stuff I can control.

From now on, EVERYTHING is on their watch. The Radical Right owns everything they break from here on out.

they're still blaming Bill. They're going to blame him for everything that ever went wrong. There was some article on CNN.com the other day and they still had to take a shot "* spent more than Clinton on aid..." Yadda Yadda Yadda.

Nope, no responsibility for these folks. It's the other guy's fault always. The scary thing is they turn on their own, and the "other guy" might be a Repug not towing the *itler's line.

Feh!

I'll go back to cower under my liberal rock.

Feh to you, too.

was for them. The tone was disgust at the regime. Do not cower under that rock. Do not gently into that good night. Fight the Power.

:)

"Do not go gently into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light." --Dylan Thomas

Get em, moderate Repubs and true Conservatives!

I'm still hoping for a Moderate Coalition of some sort -- Mod Dems and Repubs joining forces against the radical Right.

your voice of reason. At least questions have been raised. That's better than we had a week ago. I am hopeful.
BS (damn, that sounds bad)
Ruth

it leads me to despair. Gotta keep riding the roller coaster.

'Despair is one sin we are not permitted.'

I got my hopes up in 2000 and ended up more depressed than usual.

My hope has been eroded to just about nothing but I'll do that one last thing.

At least we know now that we have no democracy, no vote, etc. It has most likely been this way a long time--now we know.

And I'll never defend another democrat. The repukes can humiliate the fuck out of them or put them all in prison and I won't care. They deserve it.

But I will still keep hope alive like the optimist that I am. Because if I don't have hope then I will really be in trouble.

Thanks for keeping us in the loop.

Can't even begin to tell you how much it helps.

Cheers!

:)

Not one single drop marks the stone. Billions of drops wear away at the stone.

Each one of us, can do a little, hope a little without going mad, and yet make a difference on the whole face of our nation.

Be stubborn, be patient, it is the long road ahead. Only one thing is certain, the first side to quit loses.

Those are words of wisdom you posted...very eloquent. We DO have to be stubborn and patient at the same time.

It is our civic duty.

We are going to need billions and billions of drops to change the face of this nation.

been getting my hopes up just enough to bust my butt sending emails, faxes and phoning senators and such.I have a good feeling about the outcome and hopefully our sweat will pay off. Why does everyone keeep worrying about us getting our hopes up though, it's not like we are going to have amass suicide on our hands. I think we can deal,thanks for caring.

I have always believed that you reap what you sew.Justice will prevail.

Hoping for the best, but digging in.

check out TIA's Smoking Gun post...if he's right, our prayers may have been answered!!!O8)


WHAT ARE THEY HIDING???

I have lived long enough to have experienced much joy and much sadness in the things that happen in my world. I still focus on hope anyway. Trying to live within the spirit of the words of a couple of my heroes:

Robert Kennedy: "Some people see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not?"

Eleanor Roosevelt: " Do one thing every day that scares you."

Can't help it. I will hope anyway!

Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense regardless of how it turns out. - Vaclav Havel

Thanks...This is what is in my heart. The knowledge that what we are fighting for is right is what matters.

The Architect (No, not Rove)- Humph. Hope, it is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness.

...Over it or under it - we're useless.

Stay off the roller coaster.

Pretty interesting stuff!!! Hey- thanks for hanging in there with us...a dose of reality is a good...A SHITLOAD of HOPE is even better!:bounce:

WHAT ARE THEY HIDING???:think:

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

-- Emily Dickinson

"How wrong Emily Dickinson was! Hope is not the 'thing with feathers.' The thing with feathers has turned out be my nephew. I must take him to a specialist in Zurich."

-- Woody Allen

I will continue to hope and never lose my faith. Even if no one stands on January 6, I will continue to work towards "regime change" at home.

Oh, and Will: :loveya:

If you've got a second, check out TIA's Smoking Gun Post!! Pretty interesting stuff...if he's right-we are on our way, my friend!:bounce:


WHAT ARE THEY HIDING????:think:

it's wonderful and I'm glad he's back.

What ARE they hiding?

TItle:
Without Feathers

"Should I marry W.? Not if she won't tell the other letters in her name..."

Also, "Getting Even."

I am gratified by how far we have come, and what has been accomplished in just 8 weeks. We are not taking it lying down, and we will continue the fight for as long as it takes.

But I think you are wrong. We should get our hopes up because high hopes are what got the Ukraine a new election. Because of low expectations, we as a nation are not taking to the streets to protest this Lie and Outrage.
Enthusiasm sells and sometimes anger at injustice is what motivates large groups of people. Motivated LARGE groups of people are what we need NOW to do away with this Fraudulent administration.
I still love you but I think you are definitely wrong in your approach.

...peanutbutter or something.

I think he's saying that we can't let ourselves be "knocked out" by disappointment. Literally knocked OUT.

I agree with what you said but we're not the problem really. We're awake. We need make sure we stay in it so we wake up the neighbors.

No matter what happens on January 6th - we have tons of work to do.

I was so knocked out on Nov. 3rd. I was ready to move back to London or to try Norway or someplace beauty-beauty like that.

Then I heard Mike Malloy on the night of Nov. 3rd re-affirming my certainty that this thing was stolen and he didn't want to hear us whining about how "we have to rebuild".

He said "It's gone. Do you understand that truth-seekers"? "Gone. We've lost the House for at least a generation. Gone"

And after I stopped wanting to open a vein... I got pissed and tried to find ways to learn and research.

But in the first weeks - I was useless - lower than low. Out of it. Will is right - I'm not letting that happen again.

I'm not letting that happen again.

Especially your statement "no matter what happens on Jan 6, we still have a lot of work to do." If we "win" on Jan 6, it's only the beginning. If we "lose" on Jan 6, it's time to go to Plan B.

Regardless, we have to keep on fighting. WE are the Democracy! It will be a long battle taking back the government FOR the people.

Jan 6 is a "benchmark". Whatever happens, it's still only the BEGINNING!

Our work is never done.

n/t

"The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it. "
Chinese Proverb     

Some see a hopeless end, while others see an endless hope.  ~Author Unknown  :)

I think this is an incredibly powerful network that is both passionate and productive!!! ... and hope keeps me here!!!B-)

WHAT ARE THEY HIDING????:think:

It shines out in front of me as a POSSIBILITY, not as a probability. It's a light that leads me forward, onward, ever onward.

Jan 6 is a milestone, nothing more. Whatever the outcome, the goal will not be achieved on Jan 6. Would I feel a whole lot better if something Conyers and a senator were able to challenge the election? You bet I would! But if that happens, there will be a HUGE fight in front of us, and it will be mean and dirty and horrible.

And if we get knocked down on Jan 6, there is still a big fight ahead of us - to get this electoral system cleaned up because if we can't or don't do that, then we dim the light of hope for all who come after us.

Jan 6 is a milestone, nothing more, that shimmers with a light of hope and possibility.

victory is my hope's destination, but if the wings of my hope are clipped, it was a flight to never forget :)

My hope and belief are in constant touch with reality, though, so count me in for making that New Year's resolution. The funny thing about hope, though, is that it takes a strong belief and faith in the potential outcome to bring it off, as evidenced by the letter/phone campaign to the Senators. The people participating in that campaign believe they can make a difference and are trying to give hope and belief to the Senators that they, too, can make a significant difference. I certainly believe they can.

You need hope to see your dreams through. And that's all I have to say about that.
;)

because everything turns on a dime, sometimes. Hope and belief, when there's nothing there to make them seem "reasonable", are often the catalyst for the unexpected...is what I hear you saying. Or maybe it's me saying it. Or maybe it's what all of us who are looking forward through this are reaching for.

So I'll still keep reaching forward.

Might get a cherry!

:hi:

Hope and belief can move mountains or stir one person to do the right thing at precisely the right moment, setting off an avalanche of events. One of the most significant differences between us and the flying monkeys is our ability to believe, and have faith, in other people. They hope for the best for themselves. We hope for the sake of everyone, including them.

As the year winds down, Junior's hanging on with only one finger. One. And his eyes are closed. Seems like the moment will soon be at hand. Or finger. Or something.

I have worked as hard as I can to expose the fraud because I wouldn't be able to look my kids in the eye if I hadn't. It is (almost ;-))in others hands now and so all I can do is hope, and pray.

Yesterday I was visualizing how powerful it would be to see a dozen or more senators joining the challenge of the electoral vote on Jan. 6th. Then I imagined what complete chaos it would be if this was public knowledge even one moment too soon. It is possible that many secret conversations and agreements are being made right now in Washington. It's best that we don't know about them. Imagine the power of their protest on Jan. 6th if no one knew it was going to happen.

... so I can dream a little. Hope is a good thing, but it must be grounded in reality. November 3rd was just too painful. I can't allow myself that kind of expectation again.

Thank you Will for putting my thought into words that often I can't even find myself.

I will not ever give my vote to any of the politicians who did not speak up this time. Ever. They let the people they claim they "lead" down. It does not matter, who, why, how, when or with what packaging. They will not get my vote. Ever.

"Hope if what you feel when you're being screwed." Me.
"Wait and hope -- Shit on that" The 3 musketeers.

Resolve to do everything in your power in the coming
days/months/years to encourage democrats in the house
and senate to have a heart and a brain and a spine.
And above all, to do everything to help the nation realise
that * is not the Wizard of Oz, R*ve is the Wicked Witch of the West.

Oh, and fight for verified votes every time!

of a situation...but when one reaches the time for action, one has no choice but to act with hope." (Gramsci)


"Because our cause is just, we cannot fail." (S.B. Anthony)

The great (and truly moral) majority of Americans voted for Gore in 2000 and Kerry in 2004. Truth will out, good will prevail, this regime shall pass.

Democracy is coming to the USA.

While looking around my astrology (yeah i am weird) i found this great quote:

"A little patience, and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their spells dissolve, and the people, recovering their true sight, restore their government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public debt.... If the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at stake."

- Thomas Jefferson, 1798

I recall this is the same quote Elizabeth Edwards posted on DU shortly after the election. From that moment on, I had a feeling that Kerry and Edwards both knew this election was stolen, and they started working on how to make things right.

Here's the link to her post which included that quote.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2604461&mesg_id=2604461

And again, and again...

http://mosh.eminem.com/video/">Mosh

(and it's alright to cry)

___
www.thedeanpeople.org

I think that most of us have gotten pretty comfortable sitting in
this roller coaster.The Carny guy took my ticket on Nov. 2 and I went way up,(that day) way down,(the next morning)-and it hasn't stopped! In the beginning the highs were too thrilling and the lows too devastating, but now I'm settled in this seat and can handle whatever happens. I will hold onto my hope that not only one senator signs on, but that several do. If none do, so be it-the fight will NOT be over.

The Second Coming

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

-- William Butler Yeats

Who was it that said that in the hearing? It was Ghandi who first said it.

And Jerome Groopman (a medical doctor) wrote:

"Hope is the elevating feeling we experience when we see, in the mind’s eye, a path to a better future. Hope acknowledges the significant obstacles and deep pitfalls along that path. True hope has no room for delusion.

Hope can arrive only when you recognize that there are real options and that you have genuine choices. Hope can flourish when you believe that what you do can make a difference, that your actions can bring a future different from the present. To have hope, then, is to acquire a belief in your ability to have some control over your circumstances. You are no longer entirely at the mercy of forces outside yourself."

Anatomy of Hope, Jerome Groopman, MD

Let's continue to hope without delusion, then. And believe, in our hearts, that what we do DOES make a difference.

Thank you, William Pitt, for all your coherent, current words.

I believe it was Bonifaz who said it at the hearing.

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." --Gandhi

and to impeachthescoundrel for reminding who said it.....

I've got it straight now.

Happy to all! Let's ALL thrive in 2005!! (no matter what)

I look forward to your articles and posts in the new year.

is not a good thing. Real faith or belief for me is a quiet assurance that just is,not something I drum up.

Some people like the roller coaster ride and that's up to them, I for one don't. Steely determination gets me through the day.

I have hope that together we can turn the tide of the direction this country is moving but I also know that no matter the outcome the sun will rise in the east and life goes on. I have much in my life for which to be thankful....a husband whom I love and who loves me, family members close by, a job that I like very much, etc. etc. The repukes stole the election but they won't steal my joy and zest for life.

I believe that if we give in to despair and depression then they have truly won....they will have stolen our souls. I refuse to let that happen.

I think many of the posters here might be a good bit younger than I and haven't engaged in these types of battles before and therefore don't understand that these things seldom happen quickly and in one fell swoop. I fought for the 18 year old vote, I protested the war in Vietnam, I fought for women's rights, and NONE of those fights were quick and easy BUT WE WON THOSE FIGHTS and we WILL take our country back. Maybe not this year but be assured if we continue to fight, if we continue to speak the truth, if we refuse to be silenced and give in to despair....WE WILL WIN. The emotional roller coaster route is, in my opinion, dangerous my friends and counterproductive to the cause.

otherwise it just becomes a question of how far away do you need to run.

I understand the point of needing to not pin all of our hopes on any one person or date on the calendar or development in the story, and I agree.

But, for me, it's not so much a question of trying to not get my hopes up too much, but it's an understanding that this will not be a short confrontation. This is a marathon, not a sprint. We have a long way to go and we need to balance our energy so we can get there, but we still have to keep taking those small steps, one at a time, until we do.

If we think of each time that one of these steps fails to completely win our cause as a loss for our side, then we will have to loose a lot and often before we start to pull even. We need to hold on to hope to keep making those small steps. We need to hold an image of that finish line in our minds and know that we will eventually get there if we just keep going, and going, and going ...

And it helps to have good shoes. :)

:hi:

Unity!

1. Do we have a democracy?

2. Do we have a Democratic Party that cares at all whether or not we have a democracy?

I have a dream, and Martin Luther King had a dream, that "all God's children" will walk together, hand in hand, and fulfill the promise of American democracy that "all men are created equal."

And I have a dream that the Democrats, whose great and inclusive political party wrote and passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, at great political cost to the party, will remember who they are, and where they came from, and once again rise to the challenge that history now presents them with.

They must ALL rise and sign the House members' petition, because denying the vote to black citizens must end NOW.

That is the main question. Does the Democratic Party still have a soul?

For, of the two major parties, it is the Democratic Party, and only the Democratic Party, that still has any semblance of democracy about it. The Republican Party is now run by out and out fascists, who have participated in a fascist coup. They have zero interest in democracy.

It is a great weight on the Democrats to have to uphold the principles of democracy with no consensus in Washington that democracy is even desirable, let alone our common ground. The Democratic leadership has not functioned well in this environment. Can they recover from catastrophic mistakes, such as allowing the BushCons to gain ownership and control of the country's voting system, and acquiescing in an unconstitutional, unjust, slaughterous war (even with the lesson of Vietnam behind them)?

Whether or not we have a democracy right now rests on their shoulders. Can they help lead us back to democracy? Can they even see how close we are to losing it?

_______________

There is a third question that Jan. 6 will help us answer:

3. Can the unprecedented coalition of the grass roots Left and the Democratic Party leadership that elected John Kerry be held together for the fight against the BushCons, or must we on the Left find another means of political action?

Personally, I don't see how I can support or defend the Democratic Party any longer, if they don't strongly oppose this fraudulent election and defend our right to vote. The principle of "consent of the people" is too important and too fundamental. It cannot be abandoned. And if it is, then those who abandon it no longer believe in this country. They CANNOT acquiesce to this and still pretend to be Democrats, or even Americans. (Well, I guess they can pretend, but it will be farce.)

Can they be reformed? Will an en masse defection to the Green Party (after Jan. 6, if they don't challenge) teach them a lesson? (If we did that, we could still vote for selective Democrats.)

I'm not yet sure what we should do, and perhaps this should wait until after Jan.6. But I'm anxious to have feedback on it, so let me explain.

I've been a loyal Democratic Party member for 44 years. My first political campaign was for John F. Kennedy in 1960. In all that time, I have never seen anything like the political coalition that developed this year to oust Bush Inc. It was an amazing and wonderful thing to see a grass roots democracy movement like this arise in the United States. And one of the most remarkable things about it was our ability to put aside our differences with the party leadership--especially over the Iraq war--agree to their choice of candidates, and work so hard to elect him, and succeed so well in doing so.

I have no doubt whatever that Kerry won this election. The aggregate of evidence is overwhelming. (And TruthIsAll's "To believe that Bush won, you have to believe..." series, parts I, II and III, is the capper. Basically it is that, to believe Bush won, you have to believe that someone will beat the odds against winning TWO Lotteries. That's how high the odds are against all the weird, anomalous numbers, exit poll discrepancies, voting glitches, machine malfunctions, and vote suppression incidents favoring Bush, with virtually none favoring Kerry.)

Also, the BushCons' theft of this election is one of the most tragic and infuriating events I have ever experienced. It almost guarantees a fracturing of the grass roots/Dem leadership coalition that defeated them--a perk of the election fraud of which I am sure they are aware.

And I am also haunted by the history of Germany in the 1930s, in which the fracturing of all the progressive parties paved the way for Hitler's consolidation of all state power.

In short what I am saying is that the BushCons would be gleeful to see the Left and the Dem leadership fractured again--as we were by the Vietnam War. I'm sure none of us wants to make the political lives of these fascists any easier, so we are left with a mind-bending dilemma: How can we support those who have abandoned our most fundamental right--our right to vote--and how can we gain back that right, and recover our progressive country, without them?

Right now, I'm tending toward the Green alternative. I've already decided on it for myself, and my question now is, should I advocate it as a mass movement?

It could have great power. As I said above, it doesn't mean we can't vote for and support selective Democrats, and work in support of their actions in Congress and elsewhere. We could also work in coalition with Democrats (as is already happening), and possibly work toward a formal unity (eventually).

The bottom line for me is that the Greens are strongly defending our right to vote, and the Democrats are not (at present--we'll see Jan. 6). Who then will work hardest to RESTORE our right to vote--in the coming necessarily local and state fight for, a) a paper receipt for every vote, and b) open source code--or (the best alternative) paper ballots and hand counts?

Because, you see, currently our vote matters not a whit. It doesn't matter who we vote for. Republican BushCons OWN AND CONTROL our voting system. THEY will choose who we can vote for and who gets elected. So what is the point in being a member of the Democratic Party, and voting for the leftists in the primaries, and so on? It is a useless exercise. We will never have a progressive president or Congress ever again--unless we regain our right to vote.

So, I'm thinking, exit en masse to the Greens, fight that fight with their help, and, if we can achieve transparent elections, then we can think again about how we might influence the Democratic Party, work in coalition with it, and even, eventually, join up with them in a strong, unified progressive front.

It won't take much to turn this country around, toward its progressive tendency, once we have restored our right to vote. It could happen as early as '06.

That Kerry won the election also tells us something else--and we should never forget it. The majority of Americans were able to see through all the BushCon B.S., despite 24/7 BushCon propaganda on their TV screens and in the newspapers and on the radio.

They are NOT "sheeple." They're pretty smart actually, and knew quite well how to evaluate these mass murderers and thieves.

If only they had been able to SEE the two separate numbers on their TV screens on Election Night--the Exit Polls showing a Kerry win vs. the "official" Republican controlled electronic vote tabulator "results" showing a Bush win--if the networks had not altered the Exit Polls late in the day, polluting them with the "official results"--then we would have a very, very different situation now. We would have a Ukraine situation now.

Most Kerry voters (including Republican and Independent voters for Kerry) don't know what happened. They don't know they were given false information.

If the Democrats in the Senate HELP TO INFORM them, by a strong challenge on Jan. 6, there is much hope that things can be turned around quickly. That is the Dream.

And if they don't, we still yet have the knowledge that Americans in fact repudiated Bush, and his lies, and his thievery and his war. They saw through it. And they will ALSO see through the BushCon-owned voting system, and will support changing it. And they are the majority.

and take the lead to restore democracy!

So much hope, and then dropping down a manhole. We were so damn sure. And if the exit polls are indeed correct, then the election results weren't just tweeked. This was grand theft auto. Is it really possible they stole an electoral landslide?

Even so, I'm not a believer in President Kerry. I'm a believer in Sen. Kerry.

The number one thing I want to see happening in the next couple of years is election reform.

Not that I wouldn't just love a President Kerry. In fact, I pray that I still can have a President Kerry in 2008, because I still think he's supremely qualified for the job. But I don't think we're going to be able to reverse what happened on Nov. 2.

The only thing I think we can do now is to reveal it as the illegitimate mess that it was and get that damned word mandate out of Bush's mouth. He didn't even talk about half of what he wants to do now on the campaign trail, at least not loudly.

Meanwhile, I hope the Republicans have the civil war I think they're going to within their party. That would be sweet.

But no, I'm not pinning my hopes on Jan. 6th. I can't. It would hurt too much.

so that you don't feel hurt again?

I just can't picture trying to flip the election. It strikes me as a kind of mad thing that would result in chaos. Unless they have evidence that we don't know about and all hell breaks loose on Jan. 6th and popular opinion swings Kerry's way as a result, thinking we can get President Kerry out of all of this just seems like a mad hope.

So I guess I didn't have it to hang on to in the first place. My hope and faith are in Sen. Kerry. And my prayers are in 2008. I can't even imagine trying to hope in 2005. That's why I try not to read any more into the various statements and lawsuits than what lies on the surface. Not buying the hidden messages, though I think Kerry was trying to let us know he'd not abandoned us. He's making sure our votes get counted and the election gets investigated even if it doesn't, or can't, make him president.

I've said before, if Kerry thought flipping the election would rip the nation apart, he wouldn't do it.

So I will be as supportive as I can of Sen. Kerry, watching with interest what he does now. And I will watch with interest on Jan. 6th if only because I think standing up and contesting the electors would at the least bring attention to the broken vote. That's all I want now -- attention for the broken vote.

And for people to cut Kerry some slack. He get socked in the gut. I'm sure he's not a happy camper either. But we got gamed, damn it. We got gamed. I just don't want that to happen again. Even to a Republican (Looks up) Btw, sorry Prez Nixon, that wasn't right either. Nobody should get their victory stolen by a Texas politician.

I am looking for the link but can't find one yet, it came in Eric Francis's newsletter today. So cool to see your name there. Assuming most here do not get Planet Waves astrology mailing here is what it said:

Dude of the Year

I nominate William Rivers Pitt, editor and lead guitarist of http://truthout.org, as Planet Waves dude of the year, an honor we have bestowed annually since 1741. Will Pitt has shown his steadfast devotion to the cause of accurate, cards-up, no bullshit, write-till-you-drop journalism; and to ingenious, low-budget, highly effective public service work through his daily web project, which gathers up the days' most relevant news stories and archives them. His own essays, published several times a week, cut to the core of the issues he touches. He is afraid of neither lies nor truth. He manages to write bestselling books at the same time, and I hear is (or at least was) a high school writing teacher. He covered the Democratic and Republican national conventions personally, blogging and doing daily video reports, with full press credentials inside the conventions and on the streets at the protests. He likes to quote the bartender at the Boston pub where he seems to eat a lot of meatloaf. We also credit him for being adorable and friendly, and for his excellent and somehow reassuring nightly audio reports. William Rivers Pitt, you're an inspiration, a gentleman, a scholar and a subversive from the heart and to the bones.

the shit I am taking from my co-workers because of this. Every email I get from the TO crew begins, "Hey, dude..."

:)

Hey Sir Dude or some more respectful start?

I didn't put it here to tease you though, I was excited to see it. You and Eric might seem far apart in profession, but it sure brought you to similar views. You have both brought me some ease through these difficult times.

You are my dude of the year too.

....loaded gun, and each Senator has the choice of looking down the barrel and asking to see the bullets.

Or, on the 6th, they can stand next to Congressman Conyers, point the gun where it should be, and pull the trigger.

If they pull the trigger and the bullets are duds; so be it. They stood for the Constitution and the citizens whom they represent.

But, with what "we" know of civil rights, voters rights and State statute abuses (not just in OH) during the 2004 national election process, I'd rather be standing next to Congressman Conyers.

Said another way, I think anyone who doesn't could well find themself being accused of aiding and abetting a bunch of crimes (those are big bad bullets).

As to any Senator indicating that they will stand with Congressman Conyers before the joint session, I think that would be unwise in so many, many ways.

Peace.

"Its 6 Jan 2005: do you know who your president is?"

nothing left to lose

(apologies to Big Brother & JJ)

And according to the Apostle Paul, "Hope is belief in things not yet seen."

Somehow, I think there is a lot that we haven't even seen yet. I believe they are there, therefore, I have hope. O8)

And works.

I always feel better after reading the good people's feelings on DU-whether I agree or disagree. I know there are smart, brave people out there. And I am not alone in caring about what's happening to this country. It means a bunch.

This forum-for all it's wackiness and false hope and real hope is really the best of America to me.

All of us that can't give up, that even as we were told that day was night-said no, no, no, I'm not crazy and I'm not going to go away quietly and believe what I'm told.

We must keep questioning everything and still have the candle in the window lit, believing that our precious country is coming back to us-no matter how long it takes.

Happy New Year, Mr. Pitt!

He is leaving. He is "moderate". He has a brain. He has nothing to lose. Does anyone know about him?

the wise counsel. wish i could be there too but funds (nill) and distance (Oregon) are not boding favorably.

Happy New Year! Also some bubbly champagne!
:party: :party: :toast::loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :yourock:

Thanks for all your efforts!

I have tremendous hope, I'm just not sure for what. I haven't been on a roller coaster, I've remained pretty constant, at least since I found DU. Hope is what I found here. Sir Dude of the Year, with all due respect, don't ask me not to get my hopes up. The alternative sucks.

If you're talking specifically about January 6th, I hope for the best, but I'm prepared for the worst, although I cannot yet fathom that not one senator will have the integrity to stand up for democracy. I'm adaptable. I hope because I have to. I'm optimistic because, once again, the alternative sucks. In life I've found that when one door closes, a new one opens, and hope can spring eternal if you're willing to move on to the next open door. January 6th is only one door. There are so many more, especially with this administration. But for now, I hope that the guy I voted for is going to do his part. Too many people are dying.

justice is served and real men/women lead our country again into better days which this great nation has the ability to provide for its citizens. Our documents state it.... provide for the common well fare of it citizens. I wait for that day to come again.

:kick: