“government is powerless to work in the best interests of the people.”
So do we give up on the whole concept of government or do we try to take our government back?

Why would Jeff Merkley, of all people, not be well received? He’s been heroic in standing up for ordinary people versus the big money people and party leaders.

On the other hand, it’s disturbing to hear some OWS people saying things that sound exactly like Obama’s post-partisan, anti-ideology crap that got us where we are now.

Protestors are always told to back off, get a haircut, be more moderate, more patient, compromise, etc, etc. and to fear backlash. Bullshit. What will get Palin elected President is business as usual – you know, the approach that has been working so well. We need civil disobedience on a massive scale.

I think it’s in part a tactic to create a perpetual “debt crisis”, which works in conservatives’ favor politically.

I’m done with Liberal Dem compromisers already. Courtney, thanks for the feedback on Oregon’s Blumenauer and Wyden. I’ve already quit voting for Rep Blumenauer. He has a “safe” Dem seat and is automatically re-elected no matter what he does, such as voting for war funding year after year. Last year, for Rep in Congress, I voted 3rd party for the first time in 50 years of voting. He and Wyden are waffling. Dems have already done great damage by echoing the conservative definition of the deficit issue and all the assumptions involved, which we now have to fight against. I’ve also pledged to contribute not a dime to the Democratic Party or Obama’s campaign, but I’ll work for our Senator Merkley; he’s cool.

Mild-mannered Bill Ayers is actually the power behind the scenes, in charge of the new world order.

The hair thing is true. Bald Eisenhower could never be elected today. Besides, he would be considered too progressive.

and we thought the Bushies were “conservative”

Trump: You’re fired.
Obama: Let’s talk about that. I’m glad you’re willing to negotiate. I understand that you want to throw me out on my ass. My opening position is that I agree to be thrown out head first.

It’s impossible to think of a candidate too flawed to be nominated, or elected. The energy we put into pointing out their self-contradictions, illogic, character defects, etc seems to be in vain. They could sell Bugs Bunny to the public through advertising, especially now that corporations are persons and the media are so servile and vacuous. Getting rid of NPR will help them. It’s the only alternative to far right radio in many communities. They never quit. Romney seems to be the most marketable, but they may be too wacky to nominate him. Then there is their fairly successful campaign to turn Obama into an alien terrorist…

The Democratic grass-roots is waking up. I think the numbers turning out are very impressive, and there is a lot of energy there. The national party leadership remains very passive and the media are uninterested. Still, it’s happening. The base is the only place that can make a difference.

At the very least, he has bought: “It’s ok if we are the ones doing it, because we’re the good guys and we’re just being pragmatic”. Cheyneyesque

Most of the politicians and the media want to ignore the issue and play along with the “no big deal” ploy.

I think the question is what “standard procedure” will be. Military & intell have tried to hang on to as many elements of Gitmo as possible and then show that they can get away with using those techniques with US citizens. We know that extreme isolation, nudity, sleep deprivation, etc, can destroy a person. They want to be able to do that as standard procedure with anyone they choose to subject to the regimen, and they know they can persuade willingly gullible people that it is no big deal and that so-called “conservatives” love it.

Everywhere but Egypt and a bunch of other places. See #15