From Metro Networks (and also I heard it on the news this morning):

Issa Drops Out of Recall Race

Congressman Darrell Issa, who financed much of the effort to recall California Governor Gray Davis, has decided to pull out of the election to replace him. He said he had to make a decision between doing the work he wanted to do and doing what he was elected to do, working on issues of national importance. Issa spent $1.7 million to fund the recall petitions. He said it's his intention to continue seeking the recall of Davis.

~~~

If it weren�t for this asshole, California wouldn�t be in the midst of the crazy circus we�re in right now. And then he backs out? What the fuck? And he started to �cry� during his little press conference, while making his announcement. Oh, boo-hoo ya slimy little turd. I�m crying, too, now that you�re putting us through all of this mess.

The only good I can see coming out of this recall mess is that people in California are actually paying attention to politics, which is something of a minor miracle�of course, somebody just told me they�re going to vote for Arnold and when I asked why they really couldn�t say.

May as well vote for Angelyne.

"I don't think being a magna cum laude from Harvard was anywhere near as valuable as being Gopher on the Love Boat."

--Actor and ex-congressman Fred Grandy, explaining the Hollywood advantage when running for political office.

~~~

So I went to my first meeting of the Dennis Kucinich campaign last night. At the risk of sounding like a surfer dude � what a rad group of people they were. I am so totally energized now, I am sure to annoy many with my incessant speeches about the merits of one Dennis Kucinich. And I can�t wait to get started with the annoying.

I only have to wait until tomorrow at 11:00am, at which time we will be rallying at the Nixon Library in lovely Yorba Linda, California, to celebrate the anniversary of the day Nixon left office. We�re just taking the opportunity to point out the difference in having a Big Fat Liar as your elected official, as opposed to a Man of Integrity.

Oh and Dennis Kucinich would be the one with integrity, in case that�s not clear.

OK, I�m not going to go on and on about Kucinich right this second because this entry is already going to be too long and I want to devote a whole, sparkling fresh entry to the man. I just have to say that I am excited in a way that I haven�t been for a long time. I was jazzed about working on Clinton�s campaign, but after he was elected I knew in my heart that he was still a politician and that I was therefore bound to be disappointed in him eventually. I don�t get that �politician� feel from Kucinich. I believe what he says and I don�t feel he�s just saying what he thinks will get him elected (and he wouldn�t say half the things he says if that were the case).

I would just like to say that there was one weirdo hippy woman at last night�s meeting and as if she wasn�t annoying enough (and believe me when I say that she was), she brought along her 12 an 14 year-old hippy children who were just excruciatingly so. While I think it�s really cool that these kids are so involved in politics at such a young age (I myself was involved in politics as a kid, as much as I could be. I used to annoy my teachers by asking them to sign Greenpeace petitions and stuff. Ah�good times), I just have to say that God bless them but they must get beat up at school on a regular basis.

On Sunday, I am going to go for a 9-mile walk as part of my training. Since I missed last night�s walk, I am thinking of taking a 5 mile walk by myself after work tonight. That just depends on whether or not I feel like going out drinking (which I am feeling a serious urge to do) or doing something a tad more worthwhile with my time.

Care to place a wager?

~~~

Hey, so you know my buddy Mason? Well, I have the feeling he is not very pleased with me right now. And I am just sick of his shit and very pissed off at him.

See, he doesn�t like to do parts of his job � the parts that have nothing to do with actually making sales. Well, ya know what? Those unpleasant parts are still part of your job here, so either do them or find a new job. I don�t want to hear about it. And I also don�t appreciate the fact that your not liking those parts means you don�t do them because your not doing them affects me. And that leads to my having to nag you. And when the nagging doesn�t work, after several weeks, I tend to get bitchy, as I have been this week. And when that doesn�t work I end up talking to your boss, as I will be this afternoon.

Typical man. They don�t do things or don�t do them correctly; they make us nag them, they make us become bitchy and then they get pissed because we�re nags and bitches.

And see Mr. Mason figures that since we�re buds he can just charm me in to letting him off the hook. I don�t see how this is supposed to pan out, since the work isn�t going anywhere, no matter how charming he thinks he is; but that�s his attitude about the whole thing. And if there�s one thing I hate, it�s a cocky man who thinks he can charm his way into or out of situations, rather than just being honest. Take note, guys out there who may be wanting anywhere near my pants in the future.

Ergh�

~~~

TrueMajority, [email protected] wrote:

Dear Karen,

Congress recesses for August, so this is a good time to let you know how things are going on the issues TrueMajority's 320,000 members have acted on. You and your fellow TrueMajority members have sent over two million messages to Congress so far this year, and WE ARE MAKING HEADWAY.

I. Calling for an investigation of Bush's justification for attacking Iraq - This issue continues to pick up steam both in the press and in Congress. The lead sponsors of the resolutions calling for an investigation in the House are spending August adding to their 111 co-sponsors. Many other groups have joined in pressuring the House to act.

II. Blocking the judicial nominations of Miguel Estrada and Carolyn Kuhl - The filibuster blocking ultra-conservative Miguel Estrada from getting lifetime tenure in the federal courts continues to hold. Facing similar organized opposition, Carolyn Kuhl's nomination has yet to come up on the Senate floor.

III. Blocking Bush's plan to dismantle Head Start - The House approved by a vote of 217 to 216 a Republican version of Head Start reauthorization that will dismantle Head Start. Opponents of the Bush plan cited all pressure from Head Start supporters like TrueMajority members as the reason for the close vote. The narrow vote makes it more likely that the Senate will act to save Head Start.

IV. No more wars for oil: An Apollo Project for energy independence - Candidates for the presidency continue to roll out their energy plans, many with some of the tenets of the Apollo Project, though none have embraced it fully.

V. Opposing the new FCC rules allowing greater media consolidation - Our first attempt to block the new FCC rules failed when the FCC voted along party lines to allow individual media companies to buy up a greater percent of broadcast outlets and to cross-own newspapers in the same cities. Since then, the House has approved 400 to 21 an appropriations bill that blocks enforcement of these new rules to further concentrate America's media. The Senate committee has backed a similar bill with a full Senate floor vote expected in September.

VI. No to new nukes - Bush requested $15 million towards a new generation of "bunker busting" nuclear weapons and $6 million for "Advanced Concepts" for new, small nuclear weapons. The House cut most of the money requested ($10 million of the $15 million request) for a new "bunker buster" nuclear weapon and all of the $6 million allocated for Advanced Concepts for nuclear weapons. The Senate will consider these "usable nuclear weapons" in September.

VII. Opposing the latest round of tax cuts - President Bush proposed a $700 billion tax cut package that heavily favored millionaires. Congress ultimately passed a $350 billion tax cut package. Ensuring the tax cuts don't balloon will take vigilance. Also, in a last minute deal the tax credit for families with children was denied to the poorest working families, but left in for higher income earners. We opposed this part of the plan in a separate alert, but as yet Congress has not extended the tax credit.

So as you can see, it's been a mixed bag of successes and... successes we still have to work to achieve. We are proud of the work TrueMajority members have done over the past eight months and we hope you will continue working with us when Congress returns in September.

Working together,

Ben Cohen

President, TrueMajority.org

Co-Founder, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream*

*I am writing this email on my own and not on behalf of Ben & Jerry's, which is not associated with the TrueMajority campaign.

~~~

And now�the Friday Five:

1. What's the last place you traveled to, outside your own home state/country?

Santa Fe, New Mexico. I usually go there about once/year, although I may not go this year. *sniffle*

2. What's the most bizarre/unusual thing that's ever happened to you while traveling?

Oh my gosh...you just have to read this. It's not "bizarre", per se, but it's rather amusing.

3. If you could take off to anywhere, money and time being no object, where would you go?

Everywhere. But I'd probaby start with Great Britain, right now.

4. Do you prefer traveling by plane, train or car?

Anyway I can travel is OK by me...well, except that I've never been on a train for longer than a few hours so I can't really speak from a place of knowledge on that one.

5. What's the next place on your list to visit?

I have a yearning to go back to Colorado, but I will probably make it to Idaho and Montana, first.

~~~

Word of the Day for Friday August 8, 2003

fillip FIL-uhp, noun:

1. A snap of the finger forced suddenly from the thumb; a smart blow.

2. Something serving to rouse or excite; a stimulus.

3. A trivial addition; an embellishment

last / next



~~~~~~~~~~~peace, love and smooches~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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