Skankbeast Limpballs Slurs Edwards AGAIN!

Rush Limbaugh, the drug addled nazi gasbag, took Ann Coulter's penis out of his mouth long enough to unleash another attack on John Edwards today, this time to posit that The Edwards's announcement that Elizabeth's "incurable cancer" would not derail the campaign was staged to give the campaign a boost. Now, I am a Richardson girl, but this makes my blood boil.

How long is this asshole going to be given a forum?

Here is a transcript: (source Media Matters)

LIMBAUGH: We will get to your phone calls here in a jiffy, folks, but first, three sound bites here. Two from John Edwards and Elizabeth Edwards, and then one from [Newsweek chief political correspondent] Howard Fineman.
Now, I made mention mere moments ago that the new website Politico has broken two scoops this week, both proving to be untrue. The first was that [Attorney General] Alberto Gonzales is going to quit and that the White House had asked Republicans out there to find potential replacements. The second one was just this morning, that Edwards was going to suspend the campaign. And just the opposite happened.
Now, I'm going to play these two bites. Edwards and -- John Edwards and Elizabeth Edwards to set up Howard Fineman, who commented on this later, because it provides perhaps a little insight into what happened.
Ben Smith is the blogger at The Politico who broke the story this morning that Edwards is going to suspend the campaign. He's got egg all over his face, and he's just put a post on his blog. "Hey, look, I talked to a source really close to 'em, and the source said they were going to suspend the campaign. And, you know, we were astounded. We were shocked by this. We apologize for this, but I trust this source. I'm not going to reveal the source's identity, but this source has never gotten anything like this wrong."
So you'll hear Howard Fineman's bite, and it might give you some insight here into what went on. Here, first, is Senator Edwards himself responding to a question, "What does this mean for your campaign? Are you going to suspend any activities, fundraising, travel?"
[...]
LIMBAUGH: Now, Howard Fineman -- I played those two bites to set this up. This is Howard Fineman on PMSNBC [sic] after the announcement that Elizabeth Edwards' cancer has returned but that Senator Edwards will continue his presidential campaign. This is Howard Fineman to Chris Matthews [host of MSNBC's Hardball].
FINEMAN [audio clip]: I think this is somewhat of a surprise. I think there were some websites here in Washington that were predicting that he would suspend or even drop out. That turned out not to be the case. This is an ongoing story, and this is a metaphor for how they want to fight for the country. They're willing to take the public-relations risk of analogizing their own family situation and the bravery that they've shown and the guts that they've shown to the kind of leadership that they want to offer the county. That's pretty bold, but that's the world that we live in now, Chris, where people's personal lives are analogized to their political beings. And that's what we're seeing with the Edwardses. I thought that was -- looked at politically -- diagnosed, if you will, politically, that was a 10-strike of a press conference. They showed guts. It was nothing short of remarkable and somewhat unexpected, and it's always great when something unexpected happens around here.
LIMBAUGH: Yes, it is great when something unexpected -- it's fabulous when there's a surprise. Isn't it sort of boring when we find -- what, Mr. Snerdly? Of course I know how that sounds. Of course I know. It sounds slavish. It sounds absolutely slavish.
But lookit -- he's right. There's been a -- people are sharing -- in the old days, this announcement would not have been public, and it certainly wouldn't have been tied to a campaign. It's a different era now. This is -- I'm telling you, this is to jump-start the campaign. This is to see if it'll jump-start the campaign. And we'll find out the next three or four days or whatever, week, if that happens.
But this business about this being a surprise makes me think that the leak that was planted today was purposely wrong to create surprise, to make sure everybody thought, "Oh, we know what's coming." And then have it blown away. The campaign's -- "Ooh, the campaign's going to go on. Oh, well, we thought it was going to be suspended."
You know, we all get all these press releases in advance of the State of the Union address. We all know what's going to be said before it airs. There's no surprises. This was a surprise. May have been done on purpose.
[...]
LIMBAUGH: The whole crew on the other side of the glass, apoplectic at a comment I just made before the break. And the comment about which they are apoplectic is when I responded to Howard Fineman. Howard Fineman, talking about how everybody was expecting Edwards to announce his campaign was going to be suspended because of a report on the Politico website this morning that that was the case. And he went on to say, "This was a total surprise. It was a 100 percent, total surprise." And I, reacting to that, said, "Yeah, it was a total surprise. And I wouldn't be surprised if whoever the source is purposely leaked something not true to The Politico in order to set up the surprise."
Because Fineman's right -- what good's watching a press conference when you know what's going to happen? Every time there's a press conference of something -- be it a presidential press conference, State of the Union address -- there's always the text of the speech or whatever before it goes out. Other than a, you know, a news conference, which is ad-libbed, you don't know what the questions are going to be. But, you know, we all know what's going to happen before it happens. That's the way public relations works.
Then all of a sudden, they set this up. This was a giant surprise, and everybody in Washington -- Fineman was talking about it -- everybody, CBS. CBS broke into programming at 11 o'clock when the Politico thing hit to announce that the Edwards campaign was going to be suspended. Now everybody in Washington and in the drive-by media circles is wondering how the hell this happened. Because it's so unusual. When something leaks from a source close to the campaign about what's going to be at a press conference, that's generally what happens.
Now, I have here the latest blog from Ben Smith at The Politico. I'm going to read it to you. It's called "Getting It Wrong."
"A single, confident source close to John Edwards told me this morning that Edwards was suspending his campaign, and I posted it to the blog at 11:06. My source and I were wrong. The source, whose anonymity I agreed to respect, spoke of the kind of grim prognosis Elizabeth Edwards herself just described hearing before a second round of tests came back. I trusted the source, somebody I've known for several years, and who has always been reliable. And with less than an hour before Edwards was to announce, I unwisely wrote the item without getting a second source. When the campaign pushed back harder than I'd expected, I added that information to the original item, but didn't undo the damage. My apologies to our readers for passing on bad information."
Is it not reasonable to think that perhaps the source purposely passed on something just to set up the surprise that Howard Fineman, drive-by media extraordinaire, thinks is just jolly? Thinks this is great, that something that -- we love surprises in these things.
This is not a criticism. This is -- look, this is P.R. This is how you play the media. People on the other side of the glass -- "I can't believe it. The left-wing blogs are going to be all over this. Limbaugh said that the Edwards campaign lied to The Politico." [inaudible] You know, in public relations and politics, just what is a lie and what isn't? It's all a game.
I want to go back and I want you to listen to this Howard Fineman bit one more time, and I want to ax [sic] you as you listen to this if there's something about it -- and I referred to it as "slavish" -- but is there something else about this that strikes you?
Now, let me put this in context. This is Howard Fineman reacting to the news he's just learned in a press conference with John and Elizabeth Edwards that she has incurable cancer. It has spread to the bones. It is Stage Four. Life expectancy here -- survival rate of five years, 20 percent. Survivable rate of five years. She's got -- cancer's treatable, but -- we've all just heard this press conference, essentially saying that she's dying and Edwards is going to keep the campaign going. She's going to be part of it.
See if there's anything that jumps out about -- there's not a secret sentence here that will give it away. There's not a single -- I'm not asking you to listen for something specific. Just the whole bite, and the concept and the tone of it. Is there something here that sort of makes you curious, raises red flags or whatever? Here it is.

Media Matters lists a variety of places where you can vent your anger...and I will here too....

Contact: Rush Limbaugh
rush@eibnet.com
Contact: Premiere Radio Networks
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Contact: The Rush Limbaugh Show
1-800-282-2882 rush@eibnet.com fax: 212-563-9166 The Rush Limbaugh Show 1270 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020

Sluts R Us Redux: Newtie Speaks

"Hey...it's not the size of the boat, its the motion of the ocean!"

Newt Gingrich, republican candidate for president, has said he doesn't think that candidates' personal lives should be brought into the debate.

Oh really?

That's pretty funny stuff coming from Gingrich, who lead the witch hunt against Bill Clinton. Clinton was on trial for being on the receiving end of the game "Head of State" and at the time old Newtie was banging more than just a gavel. He was engaged in an affair with a staffer while married.

Curiously, only the republicans on the field seem to have issues with infidelity and divorce (multiple for each candidate) but one of them will be sure to get the "Focus on the Family" award and endorsement.

Across the aisle all of the candidates for the democratic nomination have been married just once.

Bush to Congress: No Subpoenas

The rest of the story....

David Iglesias, Come to the Light!

rico.....suave....

Ok, so David Iglesias may be jobless at the moment, but I think that he will miss a HUGE opportunity if he doesn't come over to the left. We liberals will welcome with open arms this gorgeous hunk of special prosecutorness, am I right ladies?

Here is his side of the story...

Why I Was Fired by David C. Iglesias

With this week’s release of more than 3,000 Justice Department e-mail messages about the dismissal of eight federal prosecutors, it seems clear that politics played a role in the ousters.Of course, as one of the eight, I’ve felt this way for some time. But now that the record is out there in black and white for the rest of the country to see, the argument that we were fired for “performance related” reasons (in the words of Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty) is starting to look more than a little wobbly.

United States attorneys have a long history of being insulated from politics. Although we receive our appointments through the political process (I am a Republican who was recommended by Senator Pete Domenici), we are expected to be apolitical once we are in office. I will never forget John Ashcroft, then the attorney general, telling me during the summer of 2001 that politics should play no role during my tenure. I took that message to heart. Little did I know that I could be fired for not being political.

Politics entered my life with two phone calls that I received last fall, just before the November election. One came from Representative Heather Wilson and the other from Senator Domenici, both Republicans from my state, New Mexico.Ms. Wilson asked me about sealed indictments pertaining to a politically charged corruption case widely reported in the news media involving local Democrats. Her question instantly put me on guard. Prosecutors may not legally talk about indictments, so I was evasive. Shortly after speaking to Ms. Wilson, I received a call from Senator Domenici at my home. The senator wanted to know whether I was going to file corruption charges — the cases Ms. Wilson had been asking about — before November. When I told him that I didn’t think so, he said, “I am very sorry to hear that,” and the line went dead.

A few weeks after those phone calls, my name was added to a list of United States attorneys who would be asked to resign — even though I had excellent office evaluations, the biggest political corruption prosecutions in New Mexico history, a record number of overall prosecutions and a 95 percent conviction rate. (In one of the documents released this week, I was deemed a “diverse up and comer” in 2004. Two years later I was asked to resign with no reasons given.)When some of my fired colleagues — Daniel Bogden of Las Vegas; Paul Charlton of Phoenix; H. E. Cummins III of Little Rock, Ark.; Carol Lam of San Diego; and John McKay of Seattle — and I testified before Congress on March 6, a disturbing pattern began to emerge. Not only had we not been insulated from politics, we had apparently been singled out for political reasons. (Among the Justice Department’s released documents is one describing the office of Senator Domenici as being “happy as a clam” that I was fired.)

As this story has unfolded these last few weeks, much has been made of my decision to not prosecute alleged voter fraud in New Mexico. Without the benefit of reviewing evidence gleaned from F.B.I. investigative reports, party officials in my state have said that I should have begun a prosecution. What the critics, who don’t have any experience as prosecutors, have asserted is reprehensible — namely that I should have proceeded without having proof beyond a reasonable doubt. The public has a right to believe that prosecution decisions are made on legal, not political, grounds.

What’s more, their narrative has largely ignored that I was one of just two United States attorneys in the country to create a voter-fraud task force in 2004. Mine was bipartisan, and it included state and local law enforcement and election officials.After reviewing more than 100 complaints of voter fraud, I felt there was one possible case that should be prosecuted federally. I worked with the F.B.I. and the Justice Department’s public integrity section. As much as I wanted to prosecute the case, I could not overcome evidentiary problems. The Justice Department and the F.B.I. did not disagree with my decision in the end not to prosecute.

Good has already come from this scandal. Yesterday, the Senate voted to overturn a 2006 provision in the Patriot Act that allows the attorney general to appoint indefinite interim United States attorneys. The attorney general’s chief of staff has resigned and been replaced by a respected career federal prosecutor, Chuck Rosenberg. The president and attorney general have admitted that “mistakes were made,” and Mr. Domenici and Ms. Wilson have publicly acknowledged calling me.

President Bush addressed this scandal yesterday. I appreciate his gratitude for my service — this marks the first time I have been thanked. But only a written retraction by the Justice Department setting the record straight regarding my performance would settle the issue for me.

David C. Iglesias was United States attorney for the District of New Mexico from October 2001 through last month.

Richardson Calls for Withdrawl from Iraq

SANTA FE (AP) - Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson is again calling for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, says the troops have done all they can and it's time to bring them home.

His comments came the day before the fourth anniversary of the start of the US-led war in Iraq. Richardson also is asking Americans to say a prayer for U-S military personnel serving their country and for the family and friends of those Americans who have died in the conflict.

Richardson says President Bush is deaf to the will of the people. In his words, "This is not presidential greatness. This is a great tragedy."

Support Bill Richardson for President Website

There is a brand new website up in favor of Governor Richardson's candidacy for the White House...Support Bill Richardson for President. I received an email from its creator, Jonathan Strong in Washington, DC. today directing me to it. I love Jonathan's message, that Richardson has the "Experience, Brains and Guts" necessary to lead our great nation. He also has some great bumperstickers!

Be sure too put this great site in your favorites, and add it to your blogrolls!

Sluts "R" Us

One thing that we liberals have had to hear ad nauseum is how the conservatives have a lock on morality and marital fidelity and "family values" (the phrase that makes me most violently ill). How many of us heard our republican relatives admonish us for supporting Bill Clinton? "If his wife can't trust him, how can I?" was the talking point I heard time and again...

Well kids, the ho is on the other foot now. Three of the main contender for the republican nomination in 2008 are admitted, repeat offending, unrepentant adulterers. Let's review...

Rudy Guiliani, here doing his famous "Birdcage" act, was famously thrown out of the Mayor's residence for his very public affair, which has led to a very public estrangement from his children.

Here is why LTS adores politicians, they tend to talk with their hands a lot. Here Newt seems to be describing what he brings to the party. Sad.

Yes, friends, it is widely known that during the impeachment hearings against Bill Clinton for crimes involving an act known as "Head of State" Newtie was banging more than a gavel. He is also fondly remembered for serving his wife divorce papers in the hospital while she was suffering from cancer. What a wiener. A small, pathetic, limp little wiener.

Um, yeah. I don't think I even need to elaborate here...eeeewwww.

The other day I was chatting with a relative who had given me much crap during the Clinton years, and I must say when she was extolling the virtues of Newt to me, I just couldn't a resist the query...

"But if his wife can't trust him, then how can you?"

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I Don't Even Know What to File This Under....

...but I ran across the strangest website tonight while scoping out photos for the old blog. Here it is...

Patriot Portrait Collectibles

Indignico, Inc.'s website offers a variety of portraits of republicans and sad clowns (no, I am not being snarky, honestly!) and promises "Quality you can feel." I am going to take their word for this.

Here is Bush...hey, they caputured his suave, sexy side!

...and Unca Dick, looking especially snarly!

I told you there were clowns...

even SCARY CLOWNS!!!!

I once bought "The Pop-Up Book of Phobias" and they have a very nice section on coulrophobia, the fear of clowns. The pop-up effect was pretty cool stuff.

I thought that this site might have been snark, but it seems like a genuine merchant. I went to their eBay auctions (there is a link of course) and you can get your very own John Ashcroft for about $500 with the "Buy It Now" feature. Sweet.

Scariest Photo Ever

I was over at Wonkette the other day checking out her loverly site, and I happened on this photo.

I swear, the hair on the back of my neck stood up.

I have walked alone on the mean streets of some of America's largest cities at night, St. Louis (now that is one scary town), San Francisco, Seattle, Albuquerque...and never felt frightened like I would if I were walking through a park in broad daylight and saw THIS.

This picture reminds me of the nightmare you have when you are a kid when you happen upon aliens who want to eat your brains, and they chase after you with jars for the harvest, chanting "Marshmallows! Marshmallows!" and you try to run but you are waist deep in sand.

Yikes.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson Signs Landmark Clean & Renewable Energy Bills

New independent poll cites Governor Richardson as a strong leader
on issue of global warming

SANTA FE, NM -- Governor Bill Richardson has signed two bills that enact major cornerstones of his clean energy agenda and make New Mexico one of the top two states for renewable energy requirements. The first law requires New Mexico utilities to produce 15% of their energy from renewable sources, such as wind, solar, or biomass, by 2015 and 20% by 2020. The second law creates a Renewable Energy Transmission Authority to develop clean energy resources and market them to other states.

“In the absence of federal leadership, I feel a real sense of urgency to take action at the state level to fight global warming and strengthen our energy security,” said Governor Richardson. “Ramping up our use of renewable energy and reducing carbon-based emissions is the first step. These strategies also help to protect the environment, create high-tech, high-wage jobs and grow our economy.”

The results of a new poll, conducted in New Mexico on behalf of the National Environmental Trust by Research & Polling, Inc.*, show a majority of respondents- 57% - say Governor Richardson is a strong leader on the issue of global warming. Governor Richardson is the only person perceived as a strong leader on this critically important issue by a majority of poll respondents.

59% of those polled believe global warming is a serious problem, and a large majority believes the new Democrat controlled US Congress should take the lead in addressing global warming, renewable energy, and environmental protection. In the absence of federal leadership on this issue, Governor Richardson has taken aggressive action to make New Mexico a leader in reducing carbon-based emissions and increasing the use of renewable energy.

In 2004 Governor Richardson signed New Mexico’s first Renewable Portfolio Standard into law. This mandated that 5% of New Mexico’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2006, increasing to 10% by 2011. The Governor’s initiative that he signed into law this week dramatically increases these requirements and continues New Mexico’s leadership in the area of renewable energy and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

In the past few weeks alone Governor Richardson has signed a major, five state climate change agreement, announced a new Tesla electric car plant for Albuquerque, and a biodiesel plant in Clovis, NM.

US Near the Bottom of World View

As you can see from the graph on the left the United States is viewed to have a mostly negative impact on the world, according to a poll conducted by the BBC World News Service.

The poll asked 28,000 people in 27 countries to rate a dozen countries plus the EU in terms of whether they have a positive or negative influence.

According to the graph, only Iran and Israel are believed to have a more negative impact on world affairs than the US, China is viewed to have a far more positive role in the world.

China.

I would have liked to see these numbers during the Clinton Administration. Bush and Company have done more damage to the US than any other administration. Worst president ever? Do we really even need to speculate anymore?

Scooter Libby Guilty on Four of Five

"Oh, shit. I'm going to the pokey!"

Today I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was convicted on four out of five charges related to the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity. Libby, who lamentably is headed to prison with one of the worst bottom nicknames in the history of the federal prison system, is screaming appeal, of course.

The only thing that remains to be seen is how long he is sentenced to serve and how long before Bush pardons his sorry ass.

LYINSAXASHEET

Yep, Faux News has done it again. Why bother with revisionist history when you can revise the here and now?

A Letter to Hillary Rodham Clinton

Dear Hillary,

I am sad to be writing this, because I do so without any malice whatsoever. Frankly, I have been a fan of you since 1992, and have hated how you were smeared by journalists and right wing nutjobs and the truly crazed hatebags, like Ann Coulter. Not that I haven't disagreed with you from time to time, (read Iraq) but I have generally respected and admired you for standing up to the VRWC for so many years.

I am asking you to stop your campaign for the democratic nomination.

Ok, you are saying, Right. Who is this stupid LTS? telling ME that I need to withdraw. True, I am a lowly blogger, but I have literally dozens of readers! That's some serious street cred there. I also have been a campaign vet going back to the Dukakis era, ok yeah I am an idealist. I come to you with this plea from a very pragmatic place.

My fear is that if you get the democratic nomination you will put into motion two really disgusting and cataclysmic forces. First, the republican far right will go into full feces flinging smear and destroy mode. They will paint you as a flip-flopping, Marxist, murdering harlot. The Robertsons and Dobsons of the world will beseech God to eradicate the world of you. It will, in short, get very ugly. Now I know you are tough, I know you can handle that. Part two is even more odious, however.

Ralph Nader has already declared that if you are our party's nominee he will jump in and run. This is disastrous. Nader sucks the air from the room and enough of our loose leaves from our branches of liberalism over to the dark side. He will make a race that shouldn't even be close another electoral college nightmare (do you remember 2000 and 2004?)

I know you love America Hillary. I believe in my heart that you are a good, intelligent person (sidebar: but what is up with you hanging with Rupert and Newt? I hope you took a long hot shower!) so I implore you to do what is right for America. We cannot take a repeat of the past two elections. I, in turn, will teach my children about your great sacrifice for our country, and to honor you as you rise to greatness in our Senate.

Yours very truly,

Liberaltruthsayer

Coming soon....A Letter to Barak Obama!

I am Outraged, and You Should Be Too....

I received an email from long-time and highly recognized columnist Don Williams whose columns in the Knoxville News-Sentinel have been strongly critical of the Bush Administration for years. His column is no more. Following is the entire text, along with the content of the last column which the paper refused to publish. Please join me in expressing your opinion to the editors, Don was kind enough to include their email information!

LTS

The editors declined to publish this last column. It is available, however, at http://www.opednews.com/ , where lots of writers converge, www.moosemeals.com/oped.htm , where you may hear podcasts, and at http://www.newmillenniumwritings.com/ . If you’d like to write a letter to the editor, see instructions at the end of this. Or contact me at donwilliams7@charter.net . The column is no longer available at http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/opinion . The main number at the News-Sentinel is 865-523-3131.

My Last Column in the News-Sentinel
by Don Williams

Dear Reader,
Barring a change of heart on someone else’s part, this is my last column for the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Here’s what I know about the reasons why. On Monday, Editor Jack McElroy informed me he would be cutting my column to once every other week. On Tuesday I let him know I could not go along. It would mean letting too many people down, and waiting for the other shoe to drop, along with readership, would compromise my independence. So ends a 21-year association.
I won’t defend my record. Fan mail, awards and readership polls speak for themselves. My column draws more readers than most, as I can prove. This isn’t about quality or popularity.
Jack said he was trimming my sails because I don’t write enough on local issues. Some readers might remember this notion came up in 2004, after I wrote a series of columns opposed to the re-selection of George W. Bush, whom this paper endorsed. Shortly afterward, Jack asked me to begin writing about local issues.
In a widely read column that ran Feb. 4, 2005, I tried to put a smiley face on this development. Naively, I didn’t regard it as an attempt to “muzzle” me. I promised readers that, “should the time come that I can no longer go along with Jack’s request, I’ll recognize it and act according to my conscience.”
I believed then that going along would be easy. Most local issues worth writing about are tied to Washington. Our quality of air and water, the well-being of our soldiers and veterans, the role of Oak Ridge and TVA in nuclear weapons technology, healthcare of the disadvantaged, rights of people with alternative lifestyles, integrity of our elections, separation of church and state, health of public lands and much more around here are affected by national policies. I’ve tried to cite such local angles in about three-fourths of my articles since 2005. Even when I didn’t say so explicitly, I believe these issues were implicit, especially in columns my critics write off as “Bush bashing.”
Those are at the heart of my predicament, I believe. In 2001, months before 9/11, as Bush was rolling back environmental regulations, holding secret meetings with energy, religious and military strategists, busily appointing foxes to guard all the henhouses where treasured eggs are stored, I thought it should be obvious to anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear that George W. Bush was a disaster for our world, our country, our communities. As I’ve written in several columns over the years, had Bush set out with a goal of destroying the world, he could hardly have done worse than he’s done. Sadly, history bears me out.
Name an issue I’ve been very wrong on. Name a prediction I didn’t nail since 2001. The list of things I got right is a long one, and I’ll put my record up against any columnist in the country, liberal or conservative. Loss of civil liberties, outright torture, electoral malfeasance, war-profiteering, use of depleted uranium, banned weapons, strip-mining, species decline, media manipulation, broken treaties, soaring deficits, efforts to hide the truth about global warming, Dick Cheney’s many conflicts of interest, and the sad decline of our nation’s reputation have been borne out by clouds of witnesses.
To downplay such disasters the way most media do is akin to complicity in the Holocaust, for the destruction of this good earth is an ongoing holocaust in which millions of people and fellow creatures suffer and die. History proves the silence of good people makes a culture complicit in its own destruction. So I leave you with a question that courageous women and men from ages past have asked:
What then must we do?
To obscure America's fingerprint on global warming, the death of maybe a million people in the Middle East, the creation of millions of refugees, the maiming of millions more, the possibility of a trumped up war with Iran, is simply wrong. I won’t be a party to it. I often wonder how Bush apologists sleep at night. That’s a problem I’ll never have.
In keeping with the promise I made in that Feb. 4, 2005, column, I’m ending my News-Sentinel career rather than “go along” this time around. Pardon me if I don’t get all teary-eyed. This is not a time for making nice, it’s a time for taking stands. I’ll sail my opinion out on the Internet. I’ll write for other publications. I’ll finish books. If you’d like to come along for the ride, get in touch.
Finally, I’ve loved writing a weekly column these 21 years, mostly from home the past 11, and I’m letting go with no bitterness and little regret. Rather, I feel the way I’ve come to feel when my name’s held up to ridicule on the Letters Page. Why, looky here, Mama, I made the honor roll.

---

Don Williams is a prize-winning columnist and the founding editor and publisher of New Millennium Writings, an annual anthology of literary writing. His awards include a National
Endowment for the Humanities Michigan Journalism Fellowship, a Golden Presscard Award and the Malcolm Law Journalism Prize. He is finishing a novel, “Red State Blues,” set in his native Tennessee and Iraq. His book of selected journalism, “Heroes, Sheroes and Zeroes, the Best Writings About People” by Don Williams, is now available for ordering. For more information, email him at donwilliams7@charter.net. Or visit the NMW website at http://www.newmillenniumwritings.com/.

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Note: It's been my experience the NS does not typically run letters that have been copied to me, as I've been CC’d several others that never ran. Either way, I appreciate your support.

Thanks for reading. My editors' email addresses are letters@knews.com, editor@knews.com, canady@knews.com, and avent@knews.com . They've been having trouble receiving emails, however, so it may take several efforts should you try to reach them that way.

All my best,
Don

LTS NOTE/UPDATE:
In response to the comment by Jack, I have chosen to edit his email from this blog.
Jack, I am sorry for the error, and hope you have not been inundated by emails, and thank you for stopping by and pointing the error out to me.

Harry Headed for Iraq

wow, who knew HE was the hot one?

Prince Harry is bravely refusing special efforts to keep him our of Iraq and is expected to be on the battlefield soon. I wish him luck and safety return.

President Bush, you should make sure your daughters are out there, too, as should every member of the House and Senate who supports the war. I forsee a new "Girls Gone Wild" video, featuring Jenna and Barbara in Jalalabad.

Yet Another Religious Whacko

There's a new prophet in town, one bearing tattoos of 666. I wonder who this one is screwing.

Stranded Climbers Located

CNN is saying that the three climbers did everything right...

Read more here

I disagree. Now, granted, I am no mountain climber, and you are about as likely to see me on top of Mt. Hood in the middle of winter as you are to see me on the cover of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition, but I think they are all wrong here.

When you go mountain climbing in white out conditions you are not doing anything right. While I believe you have the right to put your own life at risk if you should so choose, inevitably you are putting the lives of many others in peril, because they have to come rescue your dumb ass. There is also the wasted time, money and resources...

There are better ways to play in the snow.

Let the Bidding Begin!

Internet rumors are starting that the former blogger for John Edwards's campaign is being wooed with offers from other campaigns. I want to get on the record with this...

I AM FOR SALE

Make an offer! I can write day and night, and am willing to get as controversial or noncontroversial as you want. All offers will be seriously considered.

Shocking Obama Announcement: He's IN!

I know, I was as surprised as you are by the announcement today that Barak Obama, junior Senator from Illinois, has decided to run for the democratic nomination for president!

In other startling news the situtation in Iraq is reportedly very, very grim.

2008 Road to White House Paved in Platinum? (Redux)

I initially published this entry some months ago, but in light of the current campaign craziness, and we are still a year out of the first primaries, I thought it was worth revisiting. If you are like me, the notion of candidates having to raise $100 Million to be considered serious contenders is an affront democracy itself. The more I think about it, the more I think this modest proposal of mine has some merit...so I resubmit to you...A More Honest Approach to Electoral Politics.

Could this be the answer?

This from the Washington Times, politics' answer to the Weekly World News:


"The chairman of the Federal Election Commission yesterday predicted that 2008 will produce the first $1 billion presidential race and that the $500 million that each party's candidate will need to compete will severely limit the field of contenders. "

Seriously.

Is this what we want or need in America? What will this give us for choice? LTS knows what...

Two less than sterling candidates of varying shades of vanilla, with boundless supplies of filthy lucre. Instead of voting for a leader, we will be forced to choose which collection of powerful interests we would rather see dictate our nation's policy for the next four to eight years.

I have a proposal. I don't know if it is a particularly unique proposal, but it is an honest one. If we are going to eschew public financing for political campaigns we need to do it honestly. Remove the option to contribute from our tax returns, return our tax dollars (yep all of them) and go for full disclosure.

Candidates for public office would have to openly pursue sponsorship. Candidates should be forced to wear their intentions. No more of this light blue work shirt rolled sleeves "I'm one of you" crap. They could be outfitted in NASCAR style jumpsuits and helmets to wear the badges of their sponsors, and the campaign buses would no longer be allowed to wear disingenuous slogans like, "Feeling America's Pain," or "Operation No Jive Talk." They would have to show who owns them....Pfizer, Merck, Winston, Anheiser-Busch, NRA, AFL-CIO...whatever.

The winning team would get a big trophy cup, and the corporate sponsors could spend the next four to eight years running the country (don't be fooled, they are already doing it) and pushing policy that favors them, but here is the catch. Instead of taxpayers paying the bills, the winning team's sponsors get to pick up the tab!

No more taxpayer subsidized East Wing makeovers. No more taxpayer subsidized trips across the country to sell unjustified wars or poorly planned policies for seniors. No more taxpayer subsidized anything. If our politicians want to hand our country over to special interests, then special interests should have to pay.

Hillary, Running for President, Discovers Darfur Situation is Bad

Hillary calls for the redeployment of US troops to Darfur

Yes, the situation in Darfur is horrible. There exists no human crisis on our planet equalling the magnitude of the civil war in Sudan, but do we need another military conflict, when America's solution to a failing campaign in Iraq is sending another 21,000 soldiers in to be maimed or killed? (OH WAIT, that's right Bush lied about that number, I meant 48,000.)

It is great that Clinton wants to make Darfur a campaign issue. I am all about getting the word out that the world needs to intervene in Sudan and stop the violence, genocide and atrocities in the region. I applaud her bringing the issue to the forefront. The problem with Hillary, like so many other hopefuls, is that she has no diplomatic experience and only sees military intervention as a solution to conflict.

About a month ago Bill Richardson went to Sudan. He asked for an audience with President Al Bashir, and then went to the militia camps. He was able to broker a 60 day cease fire agreement after four days of talks. No one else could get a meeting with Al Bashir, not Jesse Jackson, not Barak Obama. Both men were turned away. Richardson is able to go into places no one else can and seek out peaceful resolutions.

">Richardson is seen here in a refugee camp in Sudan

And here, negotiating for peace...

Praise the Lord and Pass the Astroglide: Haggard Finds His Moral Center

(Church officials wish him luck in the secular world and offer to help him pack, isn't that nice?)

Betty Bowers would be proud! The fundies of CoSprings have gotten together and asked one another WWJD (Why Wouldn't Jesus Damn?) and urged Pastor Ted Haggard to pursue a secular career, going further to suggest that the family relocate. Rev. Mike Ware said "It's hard to heal in Colorado Springs right now. It's like an open wound. He needs to get somewhere he can get the wound healed." (LTS thinks this sounds like a thinly veilled threat.)

Haggard and his family plan to relocate to a midwestern state.

In more upbeat news, Haggard says he is cured of his homosexuality and meth cravings.

Way to go Ted!

“Blogosphere” Buzz Builds About New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s Weekend Speech to DNC

SANTA FE, NM- During the past 48 hours positive reaction to Governor Bill Richardson’s speech to delegates at the Democratic National Committee’s winter meeting has been building and spreading across the Internet. Bloggers have been calling Governor Richardson’s speech “Presidential” and The National Journal’s online political site “The Hotline on Call” calculated that Governor Richardson’s speech was punctuated by seven standing ovations from the audience, more than any other candidate who spoke at the event. http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/02/dnc_winter_meet_5.html

You can watch or read the Governor’s entire speech at www.richardsonforpresident.com. (Also at www.richardsonbringshope.com, LTS)

Here is a sample of some of the Blog postings about Governor Richardson’s speech:

University of Wisconsin College Democrats:
“New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson gave a hell of a speech. It was surprisingly energetic, was excellently delivered, and touched on many points that had been glossed over by other candidates such as sexual orientation, teacher pay, North Korea and his diplomatic experience, a developed strategy in Iraq ... I think, and the consensus in the room I'm sitting in agrees, that Richardson did the best job of putting out a solid plan for America with details where details were due while at the same time conveying a feel good message. Full disclaimer: I took home a Bill Richardson rally sign and put a Bill Richardson bumper sticker on my laptop. I was sold on him today.”http://www.uwmadisondems.org/blog/2007/02/dnc-gov-bill-richardson.php

From dailykos:
I'm here to tell you that I went into that room undecided about '08 but leaning to Edwards. That changed after Richardson spoke. He is an amazing speaker who had the audience, many of whom had never heard of him before, eating out of the palm of his hand and cheering wildly for a guy they had never seen before. ... Bill Richardson has rhetorical powers to rival any of the main three (and I think better than Hillary or even Edwards). He gave a powerful speech that had the entire room bursting into what must have been 7 or 8 standing ovations (more I think that Obama or anyone else) ... It was almost embarrassing to hear how experienced he is. .... But the best part was that he wasn't just listing his resume, he was actually mapping out a future plan for the country. He wants us out of Iraq by the end of the year. He wants to restore ties around the world. He wants to bring what he has been doing in New Mexico to the rest of the country. The man has a plan, and he has the experience. ... I don't know how the press is covering this, but he won a lot of converts yesterday. ... Hopefully people give him a chance. This race is not over. Richardson is one of those guys who not only could be President, but who I believe will win people over as they hear from him. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/2/4/104422/5584

Richardson is amazingly good at pumping up the room. I can feel that he really gets "it" and that he would be a top campaigner. ... Richardson is impressive in a very different way than Vilsack. Richardson has a palpable confidence when speaking of foreign policy and in particular--no surprise here--when speaking of diplomacy. Richardson also has a real charm that seems to bring people in the room to his side. I'm trying to find the right word to describe this..."magnetism," maybe? It's noticeable. http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/2/3/91813/92941

"I don't need 7 minutes, I can do it in four words: 'Elect a Democratic President.'" Gotta love it!! He's got moxie, too, regarding having any of the other Dem candidates as his VP. ... He is surprising me as a speaker--he's pretty good. And I haven't really been considering him. ... He seems positive and is quite--if you will--articulate. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/2/3/91813/92941

Geez, I had no idea I would start swooning over Bill Richardson. I want to hear more from him. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/2/3/91813/92941

In a room full of very dull speeches his clearly stood out, as does his experience and record of success. If there's a dark-horse in this race it's him. I can see him going into Iowa knocking the socks off the room and finishing in the top 3 and riding that wave to Denver. I'm saying it here - today - February 3, 2007. Still flirting with Obama, waiting for Gore, but if I had the guts I'd be booking a flight to N.M. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/2/3/91813/92941

From drydendailykaz:
“He suggested that we need a candidate who can win in every region. He stated that the mission in Iraq was complete and it was time for "our troops to leave with honor." And he finished by saying "Stay loose--we've got a year to go." A real grownup, a terrific speaker, and he just brokered a cease-fire in Darfur. What more could you want?” http://drydendailykaz.blogspot.com/2007/02/speeches-rated.html

From Blue Mass Group:
“And here's some big news: one of the bits of conventional wisdom on Bill Richardson appears to be wrong. The guy's got plenty of charisma. His speech was funny, charming, plain-spoken, bold, passionate, and had the crowd on its feet cheering numerous times. And this was interesting -- few if any of the other candidates talked about this issue, and he got huge applause for doing so.
‘In New Mexico, our fight for equality extends to sexual orientation. For the first time in state history we have a hate crimes law. We've extended civil rights protections to include sexual orientation. And we're providing state health insurance for domestic partnerships.
Some call New Mexico the land of enchantment. I now like to think that we live in a state of enlightenment.’
Did he come out swinging for equal marriage? No. But no one else even bothered to talk about gay rights.
Also, I thought Richardson was excellent on Iraq:
‘The War in Iraq is not the disease. Iraq is a symptom. The disease is arrogance.
A struggle for human rights is worthy of military intervention. A true threat to our country's security is worthy of war. But a struggle between a country's warring factions, where both sides hate the United States, is not worthy of one more lost American life.
As someone who served in Congress for 14 years, I know the power they hold should they choose to wield it. The Congress passed a resolution authorizing war. They need to pass another that overturns that authorization and brings our troops home by the end of this year. You would think that when the Congress realized they were lied to, they would have done something about it. Well, they still can.’
If Richardson keeps wowing crowds like he did at the DNC, I'd look for him to be breaking into the alleged ‘first tier’ soon.”
http://www.bluemassgroup.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=6199

From Oval Office 2008:
“It surprised me to find New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson delivering the best speech of the whole event - and it surprised me more that his speech was, in my view, better than the rest by some margin ... it was, I have to say, almost (Bill) Clintonesque in execution. He knew his strength was his track record as Governor, and he played on it remorselessly, before moving nimbly onto his foreign policy experience as well. He brought a clear sense of logic to his approach to Iraq, and expressed it with considerable eloquence. He also took the initiative with his call to his fellow candidates for a clean, positive campaign. It was the performance which, for me, most exceeded expectations. If he can do more of the same on the campaign trail and, importantly, get noticed doing it, I think Richardson has the potential to surprise in this campaign.”http://www.ovaloffice2008.com/2007/02/dnc-speeches-my-assessment.html

From Burnt Orange Report:
“Bill Richardson: Wow. Ok, remember my words here: Bill Richardson will be either of two things in this race - a spoiler for some other candidate much like Clark spoiled Edwards last cycle; or a sleeper candidate who could be thrust into the top tier and have an actual chance in the race. Remember how Bill Clinton did better in NH than expected and the other candidates did worse than expected; propelling him forward. Richardson is poised to do the same. He sure as hell did it this weekend. I had medium expectations of him and he blew me away. He was funny and smart and at-ease. And Presidential. He gave the best speech of the weekend when handicapping for the audience and purpose of the speech. Learn about this guy and pay attention to him. ... Just got back from Richardson's room. From the response he is getting from DNC members, he appears to be a 1st tier candidate. The excitement and size of his crowd was 2nd only to the 1st place tie for Obama and Clinton. I was not the only one heavily impressed with his speech today it appears. None of the other candidates had a reception anywhere close to those three. Well, Edwards might have if he'd stuck around.” http://www.burntorangereport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2829

From Demnotes:
“[Richardson] was probably the surprise of the day in terms of his speech. Governor Richardson gave an energetic and exciting speech about what he's been able to accomplish next door in New Mexico, and what he wants to do nationwide. ... I think the best example of the power of Richardson's speech can best be seen by what we saw in the "meet and greet" rooms after the session this morning. Each candidate has a small conference room where DNC Members can come and meet the candidate personally and ask questions. Governor Richardson was the only candidate besides Hillary Clinton to need an ‘overflow room’ for DNC Members to wait because of the crowd in the main conference room assigned to him.”http://demnotes.com/?p=250 <http://demnotes.com/?p=250>

From Wood Co. Democrats:
“On Governor Bill Richardson: Though he went noticeably over the soft seven-minute time limit, he kept the audience with him -- not just because he had supporters strategically located throughout the hall but also because he gave a very good speech.”http://woodcodems.blogspot.com/2007/02/we-never-noticedhtml

Richardson at the DNC: Step Back, Here Comes the Next President!

Ok, so I am a little late to the party. For those of you who do read my blog from time to time, many of you know that on weekends I work in a neonatal intensive care unit, and put in 12 hour shifts...so I didn't get to see the speech until just now. My husband, the ruggedly handsome and wonderfully witty Mr. Liberaltruthsayer, put the speech up on our grassroots website "Richardson Brings Hope" and I just saw it. I had to call him halfway through just out of my mind with excitement, wanting to share it with someone! Watching this video I know...KNOW...Richardson is the right choice for potus.

Haven't seen it? Really? Take a look here...(gratuitous plug for our website Richardson Brings Hope).

Richardson is witty, he is forceful, he is great with the crowd, he is even amazingly able to work all of his ideas and accomplishments into the meager seven minutes allotted by the committee. (Not really, but it was funny so I said it).

Richardson shows us time and again WHY he should be the nominee. I believe in my heart that if we nominate Richardson we have the best shot at winning the White House. I believe in my heart that if we elect Bill Richardson president we will begin to solve so many of the problems facing our country and indeed our world.

Governor Richardson, you absolutely blew me away today. I am so proud to call myself a consitutuent, a supporter, and a grassroots activist for your effort.

Viva Richardson!

Holy Sh!t Batman...Orange Snow!

Yes, that's right...Orange Snow.

It smells bad, too.

And they say it's oily.

Here is the article about the funky snow in Russia...

Makes me feel a hell of a lot better about the white stuff all over my place, it may have been here since the week after Thanksgiving, and it may be here until June yet, but it isn't some unnatural color, and I am not afraid to let my kids go out and play in it.

Orange snow??? Yikes.

Maya Angelou: Molly Shook the Walls With Her Clarion Call

It is not my policy to copy complete works and paste them, but Molly Ivins has gone, and was beautifully eulogized by the incomparable Maya Angelou. Below is her work in its entirety, with my thanks to The Washington Post, the best newspaper in America...LTS.

Molly Ivins Shook the Walls With Her Clarion Call

by Molly Ivins

(Special to the Washington Post)

Up to the walls of Jericho

She marched with a spear in her hand

Go blow them ram horns she cried

For the battle is in my hand

The walls have not come down, but they have been given a serious shaking.

That Jericho voice is stilled now.

Molly Ivins has been quieted.

The writer and journalist, dearly loved and admired by many, hated and feared by many, died <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/31/AR2007013101767.html> of cancer in her home on Jan. 31, 2007.

The walls of ignorance and prejudice and cruelty, which she railed against valiantly all her public life, have not fallen, but their truculence to do so does not speak against her determination to make them collapse.

Weeks before she died, she launched what she called "an old-fashioned newspaper crusade" against President Bush's announcement that he was going to send more troops to Iraq.

She wrote, "We are the people who run this country. We are the deciders. Every single day every single one of us needs to step outside and take some action to help stop this war. We need people in the streets banging pots and pans and demanding, 'Stop it now!' "

Years ago there was a fundraising gala for People for the American Way, and Molly Ivins was keynote speaker. I was a loyal collector and serious Ivins reader, but I had not met the author. Another famous journalist, who was to have introduced her, had his flight canceled in a Southern city. Norman Lear, founder of the organization, asked me to introduce her. I did not hesitate. I spoke glowingly about Ms. Ivins for a few minutes, then, suddenly, a six-foot-tall, red-haired woman sprang from the wings. She strode onto the stage and over to the microphone. She gave me an enveloping hug and said, in that languorous , and accent, "Maya Angelou and I are identical twins, we were separated at birth."

I am also six feet tall, but I am not white. She was under 50 when she made the statement, and I was in my middle 60s, but our hearts do beat in the same rhythm. Whoever separated us at birth must know it did not work. We have been in the struggle for equal rights for all people since we met on that Waldorf Astoria stage. We have laughed together without apology and we have wept when weeping was necessary.

I shall be weeping a little more these days but I shall never forget the charge. Joshua commanded the people to shout and the walls came tumbling down.

Molly,I am shouting,

With two voices,

Walls come down!

Walls come down!

Walls come down!

Dumb and Dumber: Idiot Stoners in Hot Water

Boy I tell you, I have done some wild things in my life, but I have apparently never smoked what these kids have gotten into....

Yesterday the city of Boston was effectively shut down because of these two guys. Apparently they were being contracted for a marketing campaign for Adult Swim on Cartoon Network and were using guerilla marketing tactics, by placing electronic devices around the city that lit up and showed cartoon characters, like Spongebob, giving the one finger salute.

City officials were concerned at first that it was a terrorist attack, but then began a search for stoned pranksters. They found these two geniuses, Sean Stevens and Peter Berdovsky. At their own press conference, facing reporters eager to give us their side of the story, they said they would only address the topic of hairstyles of the 1970's.

Dudes, listen. Pot is supposed to simultaneously open your mind to new ideas and limit your ability to manifest them. It is a whole new world out there, and leaving suspicious packages and devices around a major metropolitan era could land you in Gitmo. But, if it was attention you wanted, well you got it! Next time, try baking cookies.

Introducing Richardson Brings Hope

I would like to invite you all to join me at our new grassroots site for supporters of Governor Bill Richardson for President....

Richardson Brings Hope

We are concerned Americans who believe that this great nation must move beyond the clouds of fear and shadows of division and into a new tomorrow of hope and promise – and the destiny of the American dream.

These extraordinary times call for extraordinary leadership. We yearn for a peacemaker. We need to believe in honesty and promise and honor in our government. We need to believe once more in our dreams – as individuals, and as Americans. We need to believe in hope again.We need Bill Richardson.

Richardson brings hope and hope is the American dream.

Molly Ivins, Greatest Columnist on Earth, Dies

I am almost too sad to write this.

Molly Ivins, the greatest political columnist on the planet, has left us.

Last year she revealed she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer, the details can be read here.

I just want to say that my heart is broken, my hero is gone. Molly is why I write what I write. Molly inspired me continually, and I will miss her so badly.

The world has lost a brilliant, witty, wonderful woman.

Scalia On Gore v. Bush: "Get Over It"

In his own dismissive style, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, when asked recently about the Gore v. Bush case in 2000, where the Supremes ruled that counting all the votes would impinge on Bush's civil liberties (as for the rest of us, well, we don't count) said, "It's water over the deck, get over it!"

The flippant remark was made at Iona College.

I am among the many Americans who will never "get over it." That act was nothing less than a coup, and delivered unjustly control of the government to the hands of a corporate puppet, determined to suck every penny from the treasury of the United States, and as much oil from the middle east as possible. I think we can get it back, but it is going to require a great deal of strength and committment from our people.

Get over it...doesn't that tick you off too?

NY Post Slurs With "Sombrero" Remark

Earlier this week The New York Post put out an article (well for them it was substantive, but it was no more than a blurb) with the headline "N.M. Gov Throws Sombrero Into Ring," the author clearly afraid to attempt to spell New Mexico and Governor. Many bloggers around the political circles have expressed outrage and shock at this apparent slur against Richardson, a Hispanic man.

I think it is pretty tasteless, but we do have to remember that this is the New York POST, hardly a beacon of journalistic integrity. But can you imagine if they had allowed the headline of "Hillary Clinton Tosses Apron into the Ring"? Or perhaps even, "Barak Obama Chucks Spear into the Ring," what consequences would have come from one of those two scenarios?

We are in an unusual position this election cycle with a great field of diverse and inspiring candidates, and each one has something unique to offer, but the NY Post didn't mention any of the amazing things Richardson brings to the race, like an incredible record of public service, a brilliant executive mind who manages to make progressive changes and still manage the public funds with unquestionable restraint and responsibility. A man of such stellar diplomatic abilities that he is able to secure peace accords, nonproliferation treaties, and hostage releases around the globe, earning him four nominations for the Nobel Prize for Peace.

So, say what you want about a sombrero, but this man brings us something really special, the ability to get a democrat in the White House who makes liberals and conservatives happy. It's all about the Win Win, right?

Bill Richardson Announces Exploratory Committee

The day I have waited so incredibly long for has arrived....

Richardson for President

That is the link to the website for Governor Bill Richardson's exploratory committee, which launched this morning with an announcement on the website, and on This Week with George Stephanopolis. The campaign website is absolutely GORGEOUS!!!! Great visuals, wonderful video. I especially enjoyed The New Mexico Comeback video, which illustrates the many MANY accomplisments that Richardson has made as Governor.

On a personal note, I would like to introduce you to a website that is under construction but set to be full of content by next Friday, January 26th, Richardson Brings Hope. This website is a grassroots effort, created by members of the Richardson blog community, including myself and my wonderful husband Charles, Jeff Gulko and Ken Bulko (no relation, amazingly enough...) of America for Richardson, Michelle Lindsey of Colorado for Richardson, with the wonderful technical support of our dear friend Murthi Nemani and outstanding graphic design of Ryan Paiva. We are very proud of this website, and will be even prouder when it is done! So take a sneak peek, but don't forget to come back.

I would also like to apologize for being a lazy blogger lately. You may notice that this entry lacks photos...well the reason for that is my frankenputer died. I think I wore it out. Poor old Frank, hopefully he is not beyond resuscitation. I had to switch over to a borrowed laptop to work this week, and right now I am writing from the spare bedroom of my grandmother's home, as the result of being stuck in Albuquerque for the night. Yet another snowstorm has left me stuck, and my husband and children are 30 miles away and I miss them too much.

So, keep tuned to Liberaltruthsayer for updates on the Richardson campaign, and don't forget to drop by the official campaign website Richardson for President and the grassroots website Richardson Brings Hope!

I just got a nice big cup of joe, and read the news...Denver has been selected by the DNC for the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Congratulations Denver! Your neighbor to the south is coming up (me! lts!!) and we will have a party!!!

Richardson Brokers Cease Fire in Sudan

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson Gets Commitment for 60-Day Cease-Fire in Darfur Region of Sudan

KHARTOUM, SUDAN – New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson today announced that he has secured a commitment from Sudanese President Omer Hassan Al Bashir to agree to a 60-day cessation of hostilities in the Darfur region to allow for a new political process under the Darfur Peace Agreement and the auspices of the African Union and the United Nations. Governor Richardson also spoke this week with rebel leaders who said they would agree to a cease-fire. If all parties follow through with the cease-fire, the A.U. and the U.N. will convene a Peace Summit on March 15 under the framework of the peace agreement.

Governor Richardson also secured the following commitments from President Al Bashir:
· Agreed not to have the National military aircraft painted in white markings normally reserved for international organizations.
· Agreed that government forces would attempt to improve security conditions in all areas of Darfur with special emphasis on El Geneina, and would provide protection to food and other humanitarian convoys.
· Agreed to expedite procedures for entry visas for all humanitarian aid workers as well as goods. He also agreed to terminate the requirement of exit visas for humanitarian aid workers.
· Agreed to allow and facilitate travel by journalists from all over the world to Darfur.
· Governor Richardson and President Al Bashir reiterated that gender-based violence and such crimes must be condemned and prosecuted regardless of which party or organization was responsible. President Bashir said he would welcome a significant contribution of female members to the AU/UN hybrid operations. In addition the Justice Minister offered analyze and extend existing efforts to support Sudanese women against all gender-based violence.


Joint Press Statement on the conclusion of the visit by Governor Bill Richardson to the Sudan
7th – 10th January 2006

H.E Bill Richardson Governor of New Mexico accompanied by a delegation sponsored by and including members of the Save Darfur Coalition, the leading United States-based Darfur peace advocacy organization, conducted a visit to Sudan to discuss ways to secure peace in the Darfur region of Sudan and the protection of all civilians and other non-combatants. The Governor and the delegation visited EI Fasher and Nayala in Darfur, for meetings with internally displaced persons in Darfur, rebel groups that are signatories to the (DPA) as well as those which are not as of yet, international agencies, the United Nations, and humanitarian aid as well as the Wali of North Darfur and the Deputy Wali of Southern Darfur States and held meetings in Khartoum with H.E President Omer Hassan Al Bashir,Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mr. Ali Ahmed Karti and a number of high ranking Sudanese officials.

Both sides agreed that ending the conflict in Darfur is Sudan's and the international community’s highest priority. Peace, they agreed, can only come through a political settlement that is joined in by and addresses the needs of all parties, on the basis of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) of 5 May 2006 reiterating their support for preserving Sudan's territorial integrity and the importance of respect for Sudan's sovereignty.

Both sides agreed that there was a compelling need for a comprehensive cease-fire to launch a political process based on the DPA that would lead to a durable end to the conflict as soon as possible. Both agreed to a 60-day cessation of hostilities by all parties within the framework of the DPA, accompanied by a start in African Union/United Nations diplomatic efforts, within the framework of the DPA, to begin narrowing the gaps between the non-signatories, including government approval of a field commanders' conference attended by the African Union and United Nations. This would be followed at the appropriate moment by an African Union/United Nations – sponsored peace summit, again in the framework of the DPA, no later than 15 March 2007. Simultaneously, both agreed that the UN needed to expedite as quickly as possible the provision of UN personnel agreed in Addis Ababa and further specified in Abuja in November 2006. President Bashir re-affirmed his commitment to continue to facilitate the deployment of UN personnel and equipment consistent with his agreement with the Secretary General of the UN on Phases II and III, including the eventual conclusions of the Tripartite Committee as stipulated in the DPA.

The two sides noted that Governor Richardson had secured a commitment from commanders of the Justice and Equality Movement and of the Non-Signatory Front to participate in a process including a 60-day cease fire agreement within the framework of the DPA. Governor Richardson and Save Darfur Coalition expressed their grave concern to all parties with whom they met about continuing and increasing attacks on civilians and other non-combatants.

They reiterated that gender-based violence and such crimes must be condemned and prosecuted regardless of which party or organization was responsible, noting that Governor Richardson and the Save Darfur Coalition emphasized the need in all their meetings for implementing mechanisms to ensure that "zero tolerance" policies towards gender-based violence be applied in practice, quickly and robustly. Governor Richardson noted with appreciation President Bashir's commitment to welcome a significant contribution of female members to the AU/UN hybrid operations. Both sides expressed their grave concern at allegations of gender ­based violence by United Nations personnel in South Sudan.

Governor Richardson and the delegation also met with the Under-Secretary of Justice, the Rapporteur of the Advisory Council for Human Rights and Dr. Attigatt who presented a briefing on Sudanese Government efforts to institutionalize protections for women. The Governor and the delegation accepted the offer to work with the Ministry to analyze and extend existing efforts to support Sudanese women against all gender-based violence.

President Bashir and Governor Richardson also agreed that more light needs to be shed on the full situation in Darfur. President Bashir agreed to allow and facilitate travel by journalists from all over the world to Darfur.

The two sides underscored the need to disarm all armed groups, including the Janjaweed, pursuant to the provision of the DPA, and further agreed not to have the National military aircraft painted in white markings normally reserved for international organizations.

President Bashir agreed that government forces would attempt to improve security conditions in all areas of Darfur with special emphasis on El Geneina, and would provide protection to food and other humanitarian convoys. They also agreed that humanitarian aid agencies have greatly assisted the Government and people of Sudan by providing much needed emergency and development aid in Darfur and other parts of Sudan. President Bashir agreed to expedite procedures for entry visas for all humanitarian aid workers as well as goods. He also agreed to terminate the requirement of exit visas for humanitarian aid workers. President Bashir noted with satisfaction the strong statements by the Save Darfur Coalition to rebel commanders condemning attacks by their members on humanitarian aid operations and agreed to initiate an ongoing dialogue with the Save Darfur Coalition aimed at ending the violence in Darfur and on achieving a political solution to the crises.

The two sides agreed to apprise African Union Special Envoy Salim Ahmed Salim and United Nations Special Envoy Jan Eliasson of these developments, so that the African Union and United Nations will facilitate the commanders meeting and launch the political discussion and to maintain regular communication assessing progress on these important initiatives to identify areas of difficulty on which further engagement may be necessary to ensure rapid progress and durable outcomes.

Both sides agreed that an improvement of relations is in the mutual interest of both countries.

Richardson in Darfur

Bill Richardson Tours War-Torn Darfur Region in Sudan, Holds Meetings with Top UN Officials & Key Leaders of African Union and Rebel Forces to Push for Peace

Richardson to meet again with Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir Wednesday

EL FASHER, SUDAN- Governor Bill Richardson today saw first-hand the human toll taken by the ongoing conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan as he toured a relocation camp and spoke with citizens forced from their homes and villages by war. The Governor visited the As Salaam IDP (internally displaced persons) Camp in El Fasher, home to more than 43,000 people, mostly women and children.

“The spirit and character of these people in the face of such personal tragedy is remarkable,” said Governor Richardson. “When you realize there are 65 official IDP camps filled with hundreds of thousands of people, you begin to see the true extent of this crisis.”

Governor Richardson also received a briefing from top United Nations officials in Sudan and met with the Commander of the African Union peacekeeping forces, Major General Luke Aprezi. General Aprezi expressed his frustration that the relatively small numbers of AU troops cannot provide adequate security for the 65 IDP camps as well as serving as observers and running patrols to protect civilian activities such as gathering firewood.

“The AU urgently needs more troops,” said Governor Richardson. “It is difficult to find sufficient numbers of Africans to act as peacekeepers, so I will continue to push President Al-Bashir to accept a hybrid force that can truly make a difference.”

In addition, the Governor urged several field commanders from different rebel Sudanese forces to do their part to reduce violence against women and humanitarian workers and to undertake efforts to restore peace and stability to their region and throughout Sudan.

“From what we saw today it is clear the situation in Darfur is deteriorating at an alarming rate,” added the Governor. “Every group involved in this conflict, the rebels, the UN, and the AU, has an obligation to ensure the safety of humanitarian workers and protect women from becoming victims of sexual violence.”

Governor Richardson is scheduled to meet with President Al-Bashir tomorrow morning before returning to New Mexico.

“Our first meeting on Monday was positive,” said the Governor. “I look forward to meeting with the President tomorrow to try to make additional progress toward peace in the Darfur region.”