It's Not the Democrats Fault. Or the President's Fault. It's the Media. Still.

Okay. To continue piling on the media, who is so deserving, here is a short post from Bob Cesca:

"On Morning Joe just now, Tom Brokaw was complaining that Americans don't know what's in the healthcare reform bill. Scarborough laughing the background. As if this is the fault of the Democrats and the president.
You know what, Mr. Brokaw? This is your fault, sir. You and your colleagues.
The television news media has a responsibility to explain policy and, specifically, this legislation to the American people, and the television news media has failed in lieu of the Letterman and Tiger Woods underpants party. The television news media has failed in lieu of manufacturing "smackdown" drama. The television news media has failed on so many levels to deliver the readily available details of healthcare reform to the American viewing public.
So when you guys sit around and bullshit about how people don't know anything about policy, don't blame anyone but yourselves."

Normally I just excerpt, but this is short, to the point, and I couldn't say it any better.

Thanks for stopping by. Come back soon.
k

Bob Cesca's Terrorist Attacks and Presidents

With all the chatter this week about the desire by some to return to the "good old days" of the Bush Administration when there were no terrorist attacks (!?!), Bob Cesca has compiled an excellent set of graphs showing the number of terrorist attacks, fatalities from those attacks, during the terms of Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama. The criteria that he used when gathering data was:

• Domestic (Abortion clinic attacks, Oklahoma City, Unabomber, Anthrax)
• Domestic Islamic (9/11, WTC 1993, Beltway Snipers)
• Overseas Islamic (Iraq, Afghanistan, USS Cole, Embassy Bombings)
• Known Failed Attempts (Shoe Bomber, Underpants Bomber)
• Overseas Attacks Against U.S. Allies (London, Madrid).

Realizing that these graphs include numbers for two presidents who both held office for two terms, while Obama has been in office for only one year, this final graph is of Presidents Clinton and Bush only. He also removed data for domestic attacks for abortion, failed attacks, and those that occurred in Afghanistan and Iraq.

So. What was that you were saying about being safer during the Bush Administration? For a more thorough explanation of these graphs and numbers, go here.

Thanks for stopping by. Come back soon.

k

Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog - Fire Up The Email For The Public Option

I rarely (okay, never) copy whole blog posts or even big chunks of blog posts. But, this is too important and calls and emails and letters DO make a difference. Diane Feinstein is my Senator and she does actually respond to letters & emails (although not usually as rudely as below) if frequently months after the bill under discussion is either passed or dead. In any case, Bob and Lee are on top of this issue on a daily basis (as is Digby @ Hullabaloo and FireDogLake, addresses to the right). So, forget what you read in the paper, the public option is only dead if we let it be dead. Congress passes bills, not the President (thanks Bob for reminding us). Please make noise. Numbers below. Click the post title above to read the rest of the blog for other links and articles.

Fire Up the Email for the Public Option

Back in late June and early July, we successfully pushed members of Congress to support the public option. We, as a liberal community, had a serious impact. Remember how Diane Feinstein complained about all the calls she was getting about it? That was awesome.

With the public option on the ropes again, it's time to amp up our efforts. Because Congress is in recess, I strongly recommend emailing until they reconvene.

The New Coalition of the Corrupt & Spineless:

THE WHITE HOUSE
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
Email

Harry Reid (D-NV) (just because)
Phone: 202-224-3542
Fax: 202-224-7327
Email

Max Baucus (D-MT)
Phone: 202-224-2651
Fax: 202-224-0515
Email

Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) (supports public option, but needs reinforcements)
Phone: (202) 224-5521
Email

Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) (supports public option, but needs reinforcements)
Phone: (202) 224-4843
Fax: (202) 228-1371
Email

Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Phone: (202)224-5824
Fax: (202) 224-9735
Email

Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Phone: (202) 224-2043
Fax: (202) 224-7776
Email

Joe Lieberman (I-Douchebaggia)
Phone: (202) 224-4041
Fax: (202) 224-9750
Email

Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Phone: (202) 224-5623
Fax: (202) 228-1377
Email

Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Phone: (202) 224-6551
Fax: 202-228-0012
Email

Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Phone: 202-224-5274
Fax: 202-228-2183
Email

Chuck Schumer (D-NY) (supports the public option, but needs reinforcements)
Phone: (202) 224-6542
Fax: (202) 228-3027
Email

Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Phone: (202) 224-3841
Fax: (202) 228-3954
Email

Tom Carper (D-DE)
Phone: (202) 224-2441
Fax: (202) 228-2190
Email

Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Phone: 202-224-3441
Fax: 202-228-0514
Email

Mark Warner (D-VA)
Phone: 202-224-2023
Fax: 202-224-6295
Email

Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Phone: (202) 224-2353
Fax: (202) 228-0908
Email