I have joined the blogging team at Blogs on Bush. So, some of my posts here will be cross-posted there. I invite you to check out Blogs on Bush as I'm sure it will provide another perspective on politics, and I think that the more broad the perspective one can gain on something the better.

I'm taking a day off to plow through my reading so I'm just going to offer some news stories that I think have received little to no coverage by the MSM. After again looking at the items that are to follow, I realized that not all of them are "news stories." That being said, here they are.

Idea for Democrats: Midterm Convention

To the Editor:

Re "Democrats See Dream of '06 Victory Taking Form" (front page, Oct. 13):

The key to a Democratic success in next year's Congressional election is clearly in the party leadership's coming up with a campaign that does not concentrate on the Bush administration's failures but offers alternative programs to fix what it believes is wrong with the Republican agenda.

A suggestion by which the Democratic Party could command the greatest public attention for its positive agenda: It could within weeks call an extraordinary midterm convention to draw up its platform.

The convention would not need to be expensive. The delegates could be those who attended the 2004 convention. Their meeting would be open to the public and of course the press.

In sharp contrast to the secrecy of the Bush administration, it would let the public, if only remotely, share in the construction of the Democratic platform.

Although local issues might cause some candidates in next year's Congressional election to veer from the platform on comparatively minor issues, the basic principles of the party would be clearly apparent.

The voting population would for the first time in many years have an unobstructed view of those principles that differentiate the Democratic Party from those of the Republican Party.

Walter Cronkite
New York, Oct. 13, 2005

Thatcher reveals her doubts over basis for Iraq war

Although Lady Thatcher remains a strong supporter of the decision to topple Saddam by invading Iraq, it is the first time she has questioned the basis for the war. Yesterday's Washington Post reported that when asked whether she would have invaded Iraq given the intelligence at the time, Lady Thatcher replied: "I was a scientist before I was a politician. And as a scientist I know you need facts, evidence and proof - and then you check, recheck and check again."

She added: "The fact was that there were no facts, there was no evidence, and there was no proof. As a politician the most serious decision you can take is to commit your armed services to war from which they may not return."

Democrats question timing of 2002 GOP donations

CONCORD, N.H. --Democrats say three donations made to the New Hampshire Republican Party just before Election Day 2002 raise troubling questions about who paid for a scheme to jam phone lines set up to get voters to the polls.

Rep. Tom DeLay's political action committee, Americans for a Republican Majority, gave $5,000 to the state Republican Party on Nov. 1, 2002, four days before the election in which Republican John Sununu won his Senate seat by defeating former Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen.

Four days earlier, the state party received $5,000 each from two Indian tribes represented by Jack Abramoff, a lobbyist with close ties to DeLay. Together, the three donations nearly equal the $15,600 Republicans paid a telemarketing firm to make repeated hang-up calls to the Democratic phone banks.

What Have Liberals and Democrats Ever Done For Us? (hint: a lot)

If you listen to Republicans or even the media, it goes without saying that the Democrats have no platform. No goals. No plans for the future other than hating President Bush. Now, hating President Bush takes a lot of time because there is a lot to hate.

However, our leaders in Congress are putting the finishing touches on a unified campaign strategy as we speak. Soon enough the world will learn the Democratic goals for the future.

And of course we have discussed what those goals should be. We have also discussed what Progressives today want. And we have learned about Progressives past and their accomplishments.

But I thought it would be helpful to put in list form all of the accomplishments and achievements and victories of Progressives, Liberals and Democrats over the last century. (sorry to read exactly what those accomplishments are you'll have to follow the headline link)

Bush's Miers Predicament Forces GOP Split or Nominee Withdrawal (who isn't completely amazed by the Right's in-fighting? Schadenfreude at its best)

That's about all I've got. For now...

TGIF and have a good weekend.

Peace,
Chris

"I wish the world was run by love, and absolutely nothing more."

UPDATE: If anyone can figure out what's wrong with my formatting (the margins seem to have increased with this post) I would really appreciate it. Everything has been pushed inward from the left and right sides...