"Loyalty matters more than honesty?"

Or just plain greed.  Here in NY-19, our vile Rep is Sue Kelly.  Kelly has taken over $12,000 from ARMPAC and even still to this day refuses to return one dime.  She took more from DeLay than any other politician in New York State.  (And not suprisingly, has voted with DeLay > 80% of the time.)

You can't expect the talking heads to do our bidding.  They always go the safe route which is the incumbent party.  I remember in 1994 most of them were predicting the Dems would hold onto the House with a slim majority.  That proved to be wrong but it was hard to conceive at the time that Dems would lose a net of 60 seats in that chamber.  They look at the partisan gerrymandering and see the same thing but bigger forces could be at work like 1994.

Let's be honest about the deficit. Neither party cares about it. The GOP(my party) talks a good line but spends like crazy and the Dems want to "invest" in people which really means more spending and any reduction in increases like 6.4% to 6.3% is trumpeted as the source of all evil in the world.

We keep stealing from Social Security and propping up a corrupt and ineffective tax code. Both sides are missing the point!

Mike Protack for U S Senate
www.mikeprotack.com

However, don't think for a second that Iraq is going to play huge once again.  They know that if we are still deeply embroiled in Iraq come November they are sunk so there will be a big pullout next summer, and a nice big parade around.. oh say  9/11.
They don't give a rats ass about the people in Iraq or the troops fighting in Iraq.  They are all simply political fodder to keep their hold on power.  

This new "product" and associated marketing campaign will be rolled out probably in late spring.  With troops coming home and grabbing headlines the real fate of Iraq and what we have set in motion will all but be ignored.

Mr. Protack, how do you feel about the bills passed in the House yesterday?  Lovely set of fiscal responsibility there.  This continued attack on the middle and lower classes is going to comeback and bite this country in the ass.

The "investing in people" comes from the understanding that those who are well off should have an obligation to take on a larger share of the burden because it is the structure of this society that has provided them with the enviornment for success.  

Sorry for the rant, just completely depressed about what this country has become.

#2 - If TerriPAC gets moving by next year, expect DeLay to be a target, with around 10 or so other national figures, and some figures in Florida. There's a reason why Republicans don't talk about the Schiavo case any more.

Look, the fact is, if the Democrats don't start rebuilding their local parties, they're not going to win much. The only hope they'll have will be if the Republicans continue to do poorly. And with the media the way it is, I don't want to rely on that factor.

Its great Dean is reorganizing the state parties (something long overdue), but state parties, especially in big states like California, Texas, New York, and Florida, don't win elections, its the work of local, countywide parties.

Get involved in your local party today as a precinct captain and make things happen - because talk is cheap.

Shays gets WAY too much credit for bucking his party.  

After all, it was just about a year ago that Shays was claiming Tom DeLay was "a great majority leader," and he with DeLay and the right-wing goon leadership over 80 percent of the time.

He'll bail on the leadership on the easy votes, but when push comes to shove, he's right there supporting one bad Republican policy after another.  

This is just another attempt to make himself look more independent than he really is.  

After his reprehensible showing at the recent Katrina victims testimony in front of Congress - he really should just shut up and let the corruption take its course.  If part of the requirement to clean the GOP up is for him to get the boot, too; so be it.  Reap what you sow, you overbloated dufus.  

He has acted, like every other GOP'er crying "oh woes me", like nothing more than a rubberstamp for Bush.  Just voting along party lines so that Bush gets what he wants for his corporate handlers.  

I will celebrate the day that the GOP loses it's hold on this country.  Celebrate just one day, and the next will be getting right back to work to clean up the absolute mess Shays and his ilk have left behind.