There had been some commenting on the issue, but I would like to see it opened up into a bigger discussion. NC-11 would be a huge win, and it is well within reach. Most outlets have taken for granted the Shuler/Taylor match-up, and in all likelyhood, that will be the case come November.
Recently, though, John Armor has been more active in the GOP race, perhaps presenting a viable primary challenge to Taylor. (Shuler also has a primary challenger, but with a manslaughter conviction and his steadfast support for legalizing marijuana, Michael Morgan will not likely exert too much pressure.) Armor Seems to be setting himself up to flank Taylor from the libertarian right. If you are interested in learning about this candidate, there are a few good references on the web. For starters, he finally launched a website:
Eric at Is That Legal? posed an interesting question this morning: Was the attack on students in the Pit at UNC a terrorist attack?
For those of you that do not know about the event, a student drove through the middle of UNC's campus, where large groups of students congragate and is blocked from automobile traffic. The driver said he was upset with the treatment of Muslims around the world.
The College Republicans protested that this should be considered a terrorist attack. But Eric points out that some at Orange Politcs are calling this a mental illness and avoinding the terrorism label.
Earlier today I went out to my mailbox to get our mail. I saw a very official looking envelope that had printed "Return Enclosed" at the bottom as if it were a tax return. While it was addressed to my husband, we commonly open each other's mail if it has to do with taxes. It wasn't until I pulled out the contents of the envelope that I realized it was a fundraiser. My blood started to boil.
Elizabeth Dole sent out an NRSC fundraiser intentionally disguised as a "Return" and sent to "U.S. Individual Resident". Upon a quick second look I did see that the return address had the American Eagle and Elizabeth Dole's name at the top of the envelope. Someone else might honestly think that this was an official notification from the government. Especially, an elderly person or a new registrant who hasn't been politically active in the past.
Well, We all know Charles Taylor hasnt served or at least he hasnt produced a DD-214 to prove he did. Lets Just see what else turns up!
Prominent Republicans
Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert - avoided the draft, did not serve.
Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey - avoided the draft, did not serve.
House Majority Leader Tom Delay - avoided the draft, did not serve (1). "So many minority youths had volunteered ... that there was literally no room for patriotic folks like himself."
House Majority Whip Roy Blunt - did not serve
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist - did not serve. (An impressive medical resume, but not such a friend to cats in Boston.)
Representative Jack Murtha (D-PA) - distinguished 37-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps, Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts, retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a colonel in 1990. (1)
Representative Richard Gephardt, former House Minority Leader - Missouri Air National Guard, 1965-71. (1, 2)
Representative David Bonior - Staff Sgt., United States Air Force 1968-72 (1, 2)
Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle - 1st Lt., U.S. Air Force SAC 1969-72 (1, 2)
Former Vice President Al Gore - enlisted August 1969; sent to Vietnam January 1971 as an army journalist, assigned to the 20th Engineer Brigade headquartered at Bien Hoa, an airbase twenty miles northeast of Saigon. More facts about Gore's Service
Someone asked me yesterday where my blog name came from. It is an acronym for Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company -- which is covered thoroughly in this Wikipedia entry. I'll spare you the trouble of linking to actual ANGLICO sites, which are filled with more rightwing bullshit than anything thinking person should ever have to endure.
2nd ANGLICO is headquartered in Camp Lejeune and is currently deployed in Iraq. When I think that these young people are dying so George Bush could play wartime president, the rage I feel is almost more than I can bear. Heaven help Dear Leader if the professional military ever turns against him.
My first thought after reading this article in The Washington Post , was that an earthly judgment day, of sorts, is arriving for Tom DeLay. My second thought was that some people in Texas must have awfully thick skulls. Maybe they are just not very bright in DeLay's district, or maybe they just happen to like people who are accused of multiple felonies and under indictment for some of them.
More below the fold
This history of business is the history of branding – and for good reason. When properly constructed, brands offer a powerful shorthand for communicating value – and values. Effective brand strategies signal strong promises and reassure buyers that they’re making smart choices. Damaged brands have precisely the opposite effect. They destroy value, create barriers and undermine credibility.
Broken brands
I believe the Democrat brand is a broken brand. Stretched beyond the all reasonable limits, “Democrat” has come to stand for everything and nothing, creating a swirl of ambiguity that leaves many in the middle scratching their heads and wondering what the party actually stands for. This is true for the Republican party too, thanks to Dear Leader’s total abrogation of their core principles, but that’s their problem, not mine.
Sometimes I write letters to the editor in hopes of getting them published. But sometimes I write them to try to knock some sense into a reporter. This morning's Old Unreliable does a puff piece on Sue Myrick that's enough to turn your stomach. Which prompted my short letter to the reporter in their DC bureau who wrote this crap.
Dear Barbara,
Seriously, you ought to be getting paid by the RNC for the great job you’re doing . . . or then again, maybe you are getting paid by them. In either case, I’m sure they’re very happy with your softball non-news coverage of their darling Sue. Thank God I’m not spending my own money to read this drivel.
The Charlotte Observer had a short piece in Sunday's paper giving a few details from a survey of 500 CMS teachers. The survey confirms what most of us who have been involved in the schools could have told CMS free of charge. I will quote the entire article, because this is sad.
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